iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Almost 9,000 children and young adults have died from opioid poisonings in the past 20 years, according to a study published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers at Yale School of Medicine examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between the years 1999 and 2016. They determined that the majority of reported deaths due to opioids - 6,561 - involved prescription drugs and 81 percent were unintentional. This study shows that the opioid epidemic has spread to all segments of society," Dr. Julie Gaither, one of the study's authors, told ABC News. "Even the very youngest in this country have been affected. And the crisis is likely to remain a persistent public health problem in the young unless parents, public health officials and clinicians -- including physicians who prescribe opioids to adults -- begin to consider the risks that opioids pose to children and teens. The death rates in the study were highest in non-Hispanic boys and among teens ages 15-19, followed by children ages 0 to 4 years old. For the teens, heroin was involved in 1,900 deaths and just over 3,000 involved an ingestion of a substance in addition to opioids. "To put it in perspective, in 1999 the average age of a new heroin user was 27, now it's 19," Dr. Ellen Rome, a director of adolescent medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, said in an interview with ABC News. A total of 62 percent of the deaths occurred outside a medical facility, with 38 percent occurring in homes. Every year millions of children and adolescents are routinely exposed to opioids in their homes, schools and communities, the study found. In addition, every year nearly 5,000 children younger than 6 are evaluated in emergency departments across the country following opioid exposures. These are completely preventable deaths. No child should be dying of an opioid overdose. Period, said Rome. She encourages people to ask both doctors and pharmacists to dispense smaller amounts if the number of opioid pills prescribed seems too big for the condition being treated. She also encourages families to clean out medicine cabinets and dispose of opioids in Ziploc bags with coffee grounds or kitty litter. If you are pregnant or have small children at home, avoid bringing opioids home altogether. That might mean asking your physician for alternative therapies, said Rome. In what has been a growing epidemic affecting many aspects of U.S. society, Rome said the survivors often make the best advocates and educators. "Engaging them to share their stories promotes healing and can help prevent the next death," she said. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Moving to a new city can be full of anxiety and excitement. When you feel scared, you cant enjoy the... Most real estate agents have an obligation to market their business to potential clients. You have to make sure that... Were sure you already know, but lets repeat: Burlington is a city located in the Halton, Ontario area. It is... A personal injury occurs when a person's body, mind, or emotions are injured due to the negligence, carelessness, or wrongful... I Agree This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 44F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Letter to the editor: We need thoughtful immigration reform, not fearmongering Bahrain-based GFH Financial Group (GFH) has announced that the Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) has reaffirmed the groups international scale ratings at BB/B (Double B / Single B) and national scale ratings at BBB-(bh)/ A3(bh) (Triple B Minus / A Three), with stable outlook. IIRA reported that the group has posted improvement in core income on the back of strong investment banking transaction volumes during 2017, which continued during the nine months ended September 2018. The ratings, according to the agency, also reflect the groups low balance sheet leverage, capitalization comfortably above the minimum regulatory requirements and the benefits of association with anchor shareholder Abu Dhabi Financial Group and their shared business interests. The report highlights that GFHs investment portfolio has accelerated during last two years with fund raising exceeding $1 billion through its asset under management, real estate and treasury. It also highlights the $1.5 billion exits of investors since 2016, which have fuelled the banks investment operations and profitability. Commenting on the achievement, CEO Hisham Al Rayes said: "Were pleased once again with the ongoing recognition from our ratings agencies and the market of the positive momentum that GFH continues to maintain across our key business lines." "This includes improvements in income generation particularly from our core investment banking activities, where we are focused on delivering even stronger growth," stated Alrayes. "We also continue to work on further strengthening the business and our performance by pursuing solid income generating investments, maximizing the value of our existing portfolios and, importantly, achieving strategic profitable exits that can deliver substantial upside benefit to the group, our shareholders and investors," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A strong earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday, raising fears of dangerous tsunami waves across the region, but after about two hours, the tsunami warning was withdrawn. There were no reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, which the US Geological Survey (USGS) said struck 193 kilometres east of the Philippine city of General Santos, at a depth of 60 km. The Indonesian islands of Geme and Tabukan Tengah, and Davao in the Philippines could all experience the damaging waves within the hour, reported The Sydney Morning Herald. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially said "hazardous tsunami waves" were possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicentre", along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau, reported Reuters. However, about two hours after the quake struck, the centre said there was no longer a tsunami threat. The USGS initially said the magnitude of the quake was 7.2 but later downgraded it to 6.9. Residents of the southern Philippines said the earthquake lasted about a minute and people rushed out of buildings but there had been no major damage, it stated. Jonna Ramos, who works at the Anchor Hotel in General Santos, told Reuters: "I was at the front desk and saw the chandeliers swaying." Clinton Polancos, an official in the southern district of Governor Generoso, said: "We've alerted the communities for possible tsunami. "We're fine. The earthquake was not destructive," he added. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close By Wang Xinyuan U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. On December 19, the White House announced that the US government has started withdrawing US troops from Syria as the Islamic State (IS) was now defeated. The US Department of State personnel in Syria will be back within 24 hours and 2,000 officers and soldiers will be coming home within 60 to 100 days. The unexpected news immediately triggered heated debate in the international community. The decision to withdraw signifies neither a diminishing influence of the US nor the transfer of its national interests in the region. It is the result that the US policymakers reassess gains and losses, debug policies, re-integrate relations, and realize "offshore balancing". The United States will continue to exert influence on the Syrian situation, and the competition among other parties in Syria will intensify. Sudden withdrawal of US troops triggers controversy US President Donald Trump's decision to "withdraw" from Syria is a long-term intent rather than an abrupt plan. Trump has always adhered to the concept of "America first". He was and remains wary of the large-scale US military presence overseas and expressed his desire to withdraw troops from Syria since his presidential campaign. In April this year, Trump said the US military operations in the Middle East cost a lot but gained "nothing" in the past decade, and wanted to "bring the troops back home". However, he was forced to "postpone" due to the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. In August, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis proposed three preconditions for the withdrawal of troops: defeat the IS, train Syrian local forces to safeguard security in their home, and the Syrian peace progress in Geneva talks. Persuaded by his advisers, Trump approved the "New US Strategy in Syria" in September, indefinitely extending the duration of the US military presence in Syria to the time, as Trump said, "when the regions rescued from terrorists is kept stable and the IS terrorist groups are eliminated with no hope of resurgence." However on December 6, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford claimed that the aim of training 35,000 to 40,000 armed forces in Syria was only 20% processed and there was a lot of work to do. Trump shocks allies and advisers with his radical idea on Syrian issue. According to a source from the White House, Trump announced his decision after a high-level round table meeting at the White House on December 18, where most of the White House advisors and defense officials held that it was still not the right time to withdraw. The IS has basically lost most territory in Syria and Iraq and currently controls only less than 2% of those at its peak period. Trump's decision to withdraw seems "justified" logically, but it is incorrect to take the geographical area as the only measure of the existing terrorists force. It is estimated over 14,000 IS armed personnel are still active in Syria, so the goal of the United States is far from the end. Considerable political and academic people in the US believed that abandoning the long-term military presence of the United States in Syria is a "big mistake." In view of this, the White House responded that withdrawing troops does not mean the breakup of the international alliance against the IS, nor does it mean the end of the crackdown. Trump's motive is thought-provoking Analysts pointed out, that Trump firmly decided to pull out from Syria despite of strong opposition and political pressure from the government, the Congress and the military, is not recklessness. Trump has his own sophisticated reasons. A series of sectarian violence, terrorism, democracy movements, and external interventions spread across the Middle East and the situation has been increasingly complex since the Arab Spring Movement. In this regard, Trump holds a different view with the conservatives in terms of Syria's strategic interests, that the geopolitical characteristics of the Middle East has determined it is better to change the US's position in Syria from deep dominance to limited intervention, and then maneuvering from behind the scenes, instead of blind investment without any results achieved. The US should conduct a full draw-back, so as to cut down investment, put off its "responsibility burdens" and achieve the intention of "stop-loss strategy". Therefore, the US can gain political capital, serve its domestic political needs, adjust its foreign policies and optimize resource allocation. However, domestically, the views of the American society on the Syrian war are quite different from those of the US policymakers. Trump's withdrawal is intended to adhere to public opinions and fulfill his campaign promise. As suggested by a 2017 poll, only 17% of the American public believes that the United States should retain military power in Syria. Trump is currently facing tremendous pressure from events such as the investigation of his potential "collusion with Russia", so the withdrawal of troops from Syria can divert domestic attention to some extent. In addition, Trump will work with a House of Representatives under the control of the Democratic Party in the next two years, and it is harder for him to implement many kinds of domestic political agendas. Thus, more focus on the international affairs will be favorable for him to win the next election in 2020. From the perspective of the international environment, the withdrawal of US troops also has the consideration to repair relations with Turkey, its traditional ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Some analysts pointed out that the timing when Trump released his decision to withdraw is "very delicate", during which the United States and Turkey had frequent and close interactions. On December 14, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump had a telephone conversation to exchange views on Syrian situation and reached a certain "political tacit understanding" on the Kurdish armed forces in the northeastern part of Syria. On December 18, the US Department of State approved an agreement of Turkey's purchase of US Patriot missile defense system worth US$3.5 billion, ending years of debate on this deal. On issues straining US-Turkey ties, such as the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Turkish preacher who has allegedly masterminded the failed coup attempt in 2016 to topple Erdogan, and the journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing incident, the two countries also showed a relatively "open and general" attitude, and this also attributes to the compromise of the United States on the Syria issue. Great powers reshuffle The withdrawal of US troops from Syria can have a profound and far-reaching impact on the Syrian conflict and even on the future peace process. Due to the nature of a proxy war for the Syrian conflict, the power vacuum after the departure of the US troops will be filled by regional powers such as Russia, Turkey and Iran. In this process, all relevant parties will inevitably secure their own interests and potential problems among Russia, Turkey and Iran will surface. In particular, the close relationship between the United States and Turkey will seriously impact on the potential common interests between Russia and Turkey. The collaboration among Russia, Turkey and Iran on the Syrian issue may disintegrate or even cease. The Kurdish armed forces in Syria regard the withdrawal of the US troops as "a stab in the back for the Kurds", because Turkey is given a pass to launch military operations against the Kurdish armed forces. On December 20, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that when the time is right, the Turkish troops will intrude into Manbij and the east coast of the Euphrates and destroy the Kurdish armed forces there. Due to the loss of support from the United States, the Kurdish armed forces are likely to take the initiative and contact the Bashar al-Assad government and Russia when facing threat of survival, and temporarily abandon its political demands of building an independent state, change the mode of autonomy in the northern Syrian region, as well as put their own safety first and give up some of the economic benefits of the oil producing region. After Russia's "takeover" on Syria issue, the original disagreements between the United States and Turkey will directly evolve into disagreement between Turkey and Russia. Turkey may encourage the Syrian opposition forces under its control to resist the political arrangements led by the Bashar al-Assad government. The political settlement of the Syrian issue and reconstruction of Syria will be full of complexity and uncertainties for a long time. On the other hand, the withdrawal of the US troops has greatly reduced Iran's obstacles to expand its regional influence. Iran will further deepen all-round cooperation with the Syrian government and strengthen its military presence in Syria, posing a serious threat to Israel and the region. For a long time, Russia has maintained a subtle relationship with Israel in cooperation. Israel has not followed the United States to impose sanctions against Russia, and Russia has also remained silent on Israel's air strikes against targets in Syria. Therefore, Russia will also face challenge of strategic choices. Up to 2-inch rains possible in Sunday storms Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 28, 2018 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 28, 2018 | 06:42 PM | PADUCAH Newly elected Jailer David Knight was sworn into office Friday morning. Judge-Executive Bob Leeper officiated the ceremony while Knight's wife, Stacey, held the Bible where David placed his hand during the oath. Knight was sworn in nine days early due to the resignation of Tonya Ray, effective at midnight Friday. Ray would have left office on January 6 since she lost a re-election campaign in May's primary while also facing indictments for perjury and violating a whisteblower law. Knight was the whistleblower who was fired after an incident involving another employee, but Leeper reinstated his job. Knight told West Kentucky Star that he hopes to move forward and create a positive atmosphere at the jail - for staff and inmates. He wants to lower recidivism rates in McCracken County and positively impact the future of former inmates and their families. Knight will be a guest on the Greg Dunker Show on NewsTalk 94.3 on Monday morning. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 29, 2018 | 11:03 AM | PADUCAH The McCracken County Sheriff's Department is encouraging everyone to "ACT Now!" during the New Year's holiday to protect their valuables.Sheriff Matt Carter suggests residents Assess, Catalog and Take pictures of firearms, electronics and jewelry so there is a record in the event of a theft.Listing the description, make, model, serial number and approximate value of each item now could save time and worry if a crime occurs. Attaching photographs to an inventory sheet means no items are forgotten and everything is provided for law enforcement as they try to recover the valuables and solve the crime.Keeping the information in a secure place means it is available when it's needed. An added tip is to email the list and the photos to yourself so it's accessible online. This prevents the chance of losing the list or having it destroyed by fire or other disaster.The "ACT Now!" sheet is available through the link below. On the Net: By National Weather Service Dec. 29, 2018 | 02:04 PM | PADUCAH The National Weather Service office in Paducah has looked back on 2018 and listed the top ten weather events that occurred in our region.The past year was noteworthy for the lack of spring, and even less fall comfort. Rare late season (April) and early season (November) snowfalls occurred. Another rarity, a derecho, stretched across three states in June.Our region's biggest river flooding event of the year occurred around March 1st, due to excessive rainfall amounts in February. The Ohio River at Evansville crested at its highest level since 1997. Relentless heat and humidity occurred during the first half of the summer season, resulting in one of our most uncomfortable 4th of July's on record.The top ten weather stories, in chronological order:The first blast dumped more than 7 inches on parts of Calloway and Marshall counties, and 4-6 inches across the rest of western Kentucky and southernmost Illinois. Three days later, another swath of 7-8 inch snow fell from Clinton through Mayfield and Murray to Hopkinsville. Benton recorded more than 8 inches on top of what was already on the ground, and Barkley Field recorded an official total of 8.1 inches.Multiple waves of precipitation moved through our region from the evening of February 20th through the morning of February 24th. A handful of tornadoes were sighted, including EF-1 twisters in Lone Oak, Murray and Golo. There was also widespread flooding due to 5 to 8 inches of rain falling over a 5 day period. It was all part of the wettest February in Evansville's history, and the 4th-wettest in Paducah.A broken line of severe thunderstorms spawned scattered large hail and wind damage. National Weather Service storm damage surveys revealed 11 tornadoes occurred across portions of southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky. The two strongest tornadoes were rated EF-2's in Saline County, Illinois and near Burna in Livingston County. An EF-1 tornado formed near the city limits of Metropolis and continued into eastern Massac County. An EF-1 briefly touched down near Wingo.It was the coldest April ever in Cape Girardeau, and the third-coldest in Paducah, including measurable April snow for the first time since 1983. Then May 1st came, and temperatures warmed up abruptly. A flip in the weather pattern resulted in above normal temperatures occurring on every single day of the month of May. Four record highs were set for May, including two days in the 90s by May 14.On the last day of May, damaging winds, large hail, flooding, and 3 tornadoes were observed north of Route 13 and into southwest Indiana and northwest Kentucky during the morning and early afternoon hours. Even after midnight, storms were still ongoing. By this time flooding had become the main threat.On June 28, A nearly continuous damage area encompassed the Interstate 57 corridor of southern Illinois all the way down through the Purchase area of western Kentucky. The storm front contained winds of 60 to 75 miles per hour, stretching at one point from St. Louis to Hopkinsville. One fatality occurred in Carlisle County, where a motorcyclist was killed after striking a fallen tree.From late June into early July, 16 of 19 days saw triple-digit heat indices. The most intense occurred on July 5th when high temperatures reached into the upper 90s and heat index readings soared to between 110 and 115 across much of the region, including 114 in Paducah.On September 7-8, heavy rainfall resulted in pockets of flash flooding. Western Kentucky was largely spared, but in Mount Vernon, Illinois, residences were evacuated during the flooding of a creek. Significant road flooding from 5-6 inches of rain occurred along the Interstate 64 corridor north of the Marion/Carbondale region.The first 10 days of October saw many record highs well into the 80s and lower 90s. We flipped the switch abruptly in mid October, and the rest of the fall season experienced near record cold temperatures in the middle of October and November. We experience about 44 days of 60s and 70s in a typical fall season. This year, we only experienced 31 "comfortable" days in Paducah. There have only been 1 or 2 other fall seasons on record to have fewer.From November 14th into November 15th, Paducah received 1.9 inches, the 2nd-earliest snowfall of an inch or more. (The earliest was October 30, 1993.) Also, 1/4 inch of ice occurred from Christian and Todd Counties northward to Daviess County. When the event wrapped up, many areas had 1 to 3 inches of snow, with a few locally higher totals in southern Illinois centered near Marion.Full details about each weather event are linked below. On the Net: Trump has declined to comment on whether he might accept less than $5 billion for wall funding. When asked Wednesday how long he thinks the shutdown will last, Trump told reporters, "Whatever it takes." Closing the U.S.-Mexican border would mean disrupting a $1.68 billion-a-day trade relationship between the two countries, according to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Immigrant advocates have called the move to seal the border "disgraceful." In a series of tweets, Trump also asked to change the "ridiculous immigration laws that our country is saddled with." The comments come as the U.S. government enters the seventh day of a partial shutdown as a budget standoff remains between Trump, who wants $5 billion in wall funding, and Democratic lawmakers, who back a modest increase in overall border security funding but resolutely oppose a wall. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday once again threatened to close the entire U.S.-Mexico border and cut aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if Congress fails to give him money to fund the border wall. Democrats have blamed Trump for "plunging the country into chaos" adding that, weeks ago, Trump said he would be "proud" to "own" a shutdown over border wall funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and presumed incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said in a joint statement, "The president wanted the shutdown, but seems not to know how to get himself out of it." Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Channel on Friday, "We're here, and they know where to find us." Mulvaney blamed Democrats for the continuing shutdown, saying they have refused to negotiate since the White House made an offer last weekend. Lorella Praeli, deputy political director at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that Congress has an obligation to serve as a check on the executive branch. "This government shutdown is due solely to Trump's border wall obsession and his refusal to abandon his anti-immigrant agenda, even at the cost of denying hundreds of thousands of federal workers their holiday paychecks and impacting operations at several federal agencies," Praeli said. Trump also tweeted Friday, "Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries -- taking advantage of U.S. for years!" VOA has not been able to independently verify the president's claim that a new caravan is on its way. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters Friday that Trump's border-shutting threat was an internal U.S. government matter. "We take great care of the relationship with the government of the United States," Lopez Obrador said. "Of course, we will always defend our sovereignty... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights." Cutting funds to Central American countries would mean a cutback on humanitarian programs, according to State Department data. The aid includes assistance on civilian security, legal development and basic nutrition. The largest grant was spent to help with agriculture in Guatemala, where the U.S. Agency for International Development says food security is a "grave concern." China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Police Helicopter in search for distressed male seen entering Erddig Park This article is old - Published: Saturday, Dec 29th, 2018 North Wales Police have launched an appeal for information this afternoon following reports of a distressed adult male in the Hightown and Erddig area. Police launched a search around Bryn y Cabanau road just after 12.30pm today. The Hawarden based police helicopter was brought in to assist with the search following reports the male was seen entering Erddig Park. @wrexham Police helicopter hovering over Marchwiel / Abenbury area pic.twitter.com/wlMPuRhjep Morgan Price (@mxrganowenprice) December 29, 2018 @wrexham police helicopter been over kings mills and high town area for last 20mins and circling, whats going on??? Shaun Richardson (@shauny25) December 29, 2018 A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: We attended reports of a distressed adult male in area of Bryn y Cabanau road in Wrexham. He was seen entering Erddig Park. An extensive area search failed to find anyone. If you have any info, please contact us via webchat or 101, reference W184710. (WTXL) - Storm experts are already looking ahead to the 2019 Hurricane Season. Even though its early and things can change, the December report is giving some hope that the atmosphere will take a break on us, suggesting a lower probability of the heavy storm activity that characterized the past three years. Storm experts at Colorado State University study global climate patterns that can influence hurricanes. They found a 65 percent chance that a near to below average season will unfold. WTXLs Meteorologist Valerie Mills spoke to Meteorologist Ryan Truchelut, who is the President of Weather Tiger, a Tallahassee based forecasting company. He explained how sea surface temperatures and the possibility of an El Nino can affect the 2019 season. "It tends to favor cooler than average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, which is less able to provide fuel to hurricanes as they move over the ocean waters in the summer and the fall," said Truchelut. "It also favors stronger than average wind shear, which is the changing of the direction and strength of winds with height in the atmosphere. It's better for hurricanes to have less wind shear." Meteorologist Truchelut said El Nino is typically associated with fewer Atlantic hurricanes because the combination of cooler ocean waters and increased wind shear affect a hurricanes ability to strengthen. An average Atlantic season brings 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes into the Atlantic. The first formal forecast will be released on April 4. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - An 18-year-old is out on assault charges after police say he pulled a gun on a woman and threatened to shoot her during an argument. According to court documents, on Wednesday officers responded to a weapons call in the area of Medical Commons Court. When police arrived on the scene, they began speaking with the victim. The victim told them that 18-year-old Patrick Collins started arguing with her while she was talking on the phone. The victim said she yelled back at Collins which led him to start fighting her. Documents say the victim then grabbed a knife and stabbed Collins in the shoulder, so he could get from on top of her. Police say Collins went in his room and came out pointing a gun magazine in the victim's face and stated, "I'll shoot you on my 5." The victim told police they then walked outside the home and started arguing again. After a few minutes, the victim said Collins pulled a gun out of his pocket and stated, "I will shoot you." Thats when the victim called the police and Collins ran away. Documents say police also spoke with a witness whose account supported the victim's story. After speaking with the victim and witness, police left the home and found Collins at the intersection of Wahnish Way and Ryco Road. Police then spoke with Collins who denied having a gun or threatening to shoot the victim, according to court documents. Based on the evidence, Collins was arrested and transported to the Leon County Detention Facility. He is being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Collins since has bonded out. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 00:22:46|Editor: ZX Video Player Close A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli troops during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on Dec. 28, 2018. At least six Palestinian protesters were injured on Friday afternoon by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during clashes in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. (Xinhua) GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least six Palestinian protesters were injured on Friday afternoon by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during clashes in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that six Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, adding that two of them are in critical condition. He went on saying that dozens had suffered burns and suffocations after they inhaled the tear gas fired at them by the Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza Strip. Despite the rainy weather in eastern Gaza Strip, clashes broke out on Friday afternoon between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza, according to local Gaza TV stations. Paramedics said that the soldiers fired tear gas and live gunshots at the protesters who approached the fence of the border. They said dozens suffered burns and suffocation after inhaling tear gas, adding that at least six were injured by the soldiers' gunfire; one of them is a 14-year-old boy who was shot in his head and is in serious condition. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli snipers are targeting the protesters with live gunshots and that the snipers target the upper parts of the protesters. Friday's anti-Israel protests are the 40th Friday of protests that are part of the marches of return and breaking the siege that broke out on March 30, according to the marches' organizers. Al-Qedra said that since the start of the marches, the Israeli army had shot and killed 245 Palestinians and wounded more than 25,000; around 40 percent of them were shot by live gunshots. Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in an emailed press statement that "the massive public participation in the 40th Friday of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege despite all the difficult circumstances confirm the great national cohesion in the face of the Israeli occupation." Hamas leaders who have been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007 and the organizers of the marches of return insist that their protests, rallies and marches will go on until Israel ends its 12-year-old blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. The personal information of nearly 1,000 North Koreans who defected to South Korea has been leaked after unknown hackers got access to a resettlement agency's database, the South Korean Unification Ministry said on Friday. The ministry said it discovered last week that the names, birth dates and addresses of 997 defectors had been stolen through a computer infected with malicious software at an agency in the southern city of Gumi. "The malware was planted through e-mails sent by an internal address," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity, due to the sensitivity of the issue. The agency is among 25 institutes the ministry runs around the country to help some 32,000 defectors adjust to life in the richer, democratic South by providing jobs, medical and legal support. Defectors, most of whom risked their lives to flee poverty and political oppression, are a source of shame for North Korea. Its state media often denounces them as "human scum" and accuses South Korean spies of kidnapping some of them. The ministry official declined to say if North Korea was believed to have been behind the hack, or what the motive might have been, saying a police investigation was under way to determine who did it. North Korean hackers have in the past been accused of cyberattacks on South Korean state agencies and businesses. North Korea stole classified documents from the South's defense ministry and a shipbuilder last year, while a cryptocurrency exchange filed for bankruptcy following a cyberattack linked to the North. North Korean state media has denied those cyberattacks. The latest data breach comes at a delicate time for the two Koreas which have been rapidly improving their relations after years of confrontation. The Unification Ministry said it was notifying the affected defectors and there were no reports of any negative impact of the data breach. "We're sorry this has happened and will make efforts to prevent it from recurring," the ministry official said. Several defectors, including one who became a South Korean television celebrity, have disappeared in recent years only to turn up later in North Korean state media, criticizing South Korea and the fate of defectors. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 00:42:49|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KIEV, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged Russia to release the Ukrainian sailors who were detained during the tensions in the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian media reported. In their joint statement, Merkel and Macron said that the sailors should be released by the end of the current year, said the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency. Besides, Merkel and Macron expressed their concerns over the situation in the Sea of Azov and called for the free and safe passage of all ships through the Kerch Strait. On Nov. 25, Russian forces seized three Ukrainian naval ships as well as 24 sailors on board attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, for they allegedly violated the Russian border. Kiev has since constantly urged Moscow to release the captured sailors. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 01:53:01|Editor: ZX Video Player Close LONDON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Friday that the Brexit deal can get passed by the parliament on condition that the European Union (EU) could make it clear that the backstop will be time-limited. "If it (the backstop) is temporary, then parliament can live with that," Hunt told local media in an interview. "We can get this (the Brexit deal) through, absolutely can." "Backstop" is designed to avoid border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is considered by some British especially Brexiteers to be a trap to retain Britain in a customs union with the EU and pragmatically delay their "divorce". According to Hunt, the destiny of Britain's deal for Brexit is in the hands of the EU. But the EU has formerly made clear that the deal is the "best one" and there is no renegotiation on it. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 02:13:04|Editor: ZX Video Player Close TASHKENT, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his annual message to the parliament declared 2019 as the Year of Active Investments and Social Development on Friday. "Only by developing economics, we can successfully resolve various contradictions and problems accumulated in the social field," Mirziyoyev said, adding investment is the driving force for economic growth and helps attract new technologies and highly qualified experts. He said that the goals in the economic field next year are focused on creating an open economy, enabling people to better adapt to the development of market economy, maintaining liberalization of foreign exchange market, combating the shadow economy, and increasing labor productivity and employment opportunities through active entrepreneurship. The goal of investments is to increase the standard of living of people in Uzbekistan, Mirziyoyev said. According to the State Committee of Investment of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan plans to use foreign direct investment worth 4.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, which is 1.5 times more than that in 2018. During the past two years, Uzbekistan has taken a series of measures to promote economic reforms, including deregulation of foreign exchange, reduction of tax burdens and preferential for foreign investment. The U.S. flag flutters on a military vehicle in Manbej countryside,Syria May 12, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) MOSCOW, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia does not fully understand why the United States decided to withdraw troops from Syria, but thinks Washington may shift its responsibility in the war-torn country to allies, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday. "It looks like Washington wants to shift the responsibility onto its partners in the coalition on the ground, as there are also servicemen from France, Britain and Germany deployed there illegitimately, as well as air forces of the coalition," Lavrov said at a press conference after talks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Dec. 19 that it was planning to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. Lavrov added that after the withdrawal, Washington may also want allies in the region to take up the main financial burden for their mission in Syria. He said that Washington's announcement has to be confirmed with real steps, as Washington has repeatedly announced its withdrawal from the al-Tanf region in southern Syria, but has failed to keep its promise so far. Trump on Wednesday paid an unannounced visit to the American soldiers stationed in Iraq, defended his controversial decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and promised that he has no plan to pull the troops out of Iraq. "The United States cannot continue to be the policeman of the world.... We don't want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us and use our incredible military to protect them. They don't pay for it, and they're going to have to," he said soon after landed in Iraq. Moscow hoped to get explanations from Washington via available channels and expected it to confirm that the ultimate goal of all actions against terrorists in Syria is to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Lavrov said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 20 that the establishment of the Syrian constitutional committee is reaching the final phase and that the actual political settlement in the country could start next year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 04:23:21|Editor: ZX Video Player Close NEW YORK, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tech tycoon Dell Technologies turned into a publicly traded company on Friday, with its stock starting to trade on the New York Stock Exchange after Dell announced completion of a transaction that marked a hard-won reverse merger. The public trading of Dell's Class C common stock, which reflects the entire business and assets of Dell Technologies, opened with a price of 46 U.S. dollars a share on Friday. It came on the heels of the finished reverse merger of software firm VMware Inc. by means of buying out the Class V common stock, a tracking stock that tracked Dell Technologies Inc.'s controlling stake of over 80 percent in VMware. The tracking stock had no claim on the assets of Dell, and were issued to mirror market evaluation of Dell's performance. A reverse merger, defined as the acquisition of a public company by a private company, could spare Dell, the world's largest privately held tech company, the lengthy and complex process of formal IPO listing and enabled it to go public directly. The PC maker and data storage company announced the completion of Class V transaction, signaling Dell's takeover of VMware, on Friday in a press release, just about half an hour prior to the opening of the U.S. stock market. "Dell Technologies was created to be the essential infrastructure company for this digital era, and with today's announcement, we are aligning the interests of our stakeholders to benefit from the integrated innovations and value creation from across our entire family of businesses," Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, said in the press release. Dell wrestled with VMware shareholders over the reverse merger for nearly 10 months, as some had believed it would be a "terrible deal" with little gains. "Even the most casual observer can see that (VMware) gains nothing by saddling the company's faster growth, net cash, highly strategic software business with the dead weight of Dell's slower growth, heavily debt-laden, legacy hardware-dependent entity," wrote Josh Resnick, managing member at Jericho Capital, in a letter to the VMware board, according to U.S.-based market data research company SDxCentral. Yet Dell finally won the approval of more than 61 percent of holders of Class V common stock, who voted in favor of the transaction on Dec. 11, the company announced in a press release. Votes in favor of the transaction accounted for more than 89 percent of the Class V shares. To buy out the Class V shares, Dell offered stockholders two elections, namely cash elections, which allowed them to trade their shares for cash, with a cap of 14 billion U.S. dollars, and share elections, which allowed them to exchange their original shares for common shares in Dell, according to the Friday statement. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 04:38:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three laws were changed in Finland on Friday to allow larger snowmobiles to run in the country from next Monday. Anne Berner, the Minister for Transport and Communication, noted in a ministry release the importance of snowmobiles for the tourist industry. Saying the legislation so far as too restrictive, she said the amendment makes now things easier for businesses. A class of "heavy snowmobiles" was added to the vehicles act. Their unladen mass will be 800 kg, which is 300 kg more than the current limit. They can carry four passengers instead of two besides the driver. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto signed into law relevant changes in the vehicles act, driving licence act and cross country traffic act. Sanna Karkkainen, the director of travel promotion agency Visit Rovaniemi said the new equipment will give additional opportunities "when practised safely". Traditional snowmobiles rely on a combustion engine. Karkkainen told newspaper Lapin Kansa that a late innovation in the snowmobile sector is electricity powered snowmobiles. "This reflects the increased awareness of the environment." The newspaper noted that husky-hauled safaris are the most popular in tourist demand now, followed by reindeer and snowmobile tours. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 04:38:25|Editor: mmm Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to ensure an environment free of violence for the upcoming elections slated for Sunday, the UN spokesperson said in a statement. As the DRC prepares for presidential, legislative and provincial elections, "the secretary-general calls on the authorities of the DRC, political leaders on all sides, the Commission Electorale Nationale Independante and civil society to continue working together to ensure an environment free of violence so that all eligible voters can cast their ballots peacefully on election day," the statement said. Guterres further encouraged citizens to seize this historic opportunity to participate in the consolidation of the country's democratic institutions, it added. He reminded all actors that they have a critical role to play in preventing electoral violence, by refraining from any form of provocation and showing maximum restraint in their words and actions, while reiterating the continued commitment of the UN to support a peaceful transition of power in the DRC. The DRC elections were long overdue. A 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 published an electoral calendar for the combined presidential, legislative and provincial elections scheduled for Dec. 23, 2018. But after a recent warehouse fire destroyed thousands of voting machines earmarked for the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, the commission ordered the elections to be moved Dec. 30 to get more time for preparations. On Wednesday, it declared the vote would be postponed again in violence-hit parts of the country. However, the elections will still go ahead elsewhere and the new president will be sworn in on Jan. 18 as scheduled, the commission has said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 04:58:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least one Palestinian was killed and six injured on Friday by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during clashes in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, said that Karam Fayyad, 26, succumbed to his sustained critical injuries he had earlier Friday after he was shot by Israeli soldiers' gunfire east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip. Al-Qedra added that six Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, including two who are in critical condition. He said that dozens have suffered burns and suffocation after they inhaled the tear gas fired at them by the Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza Strip. Despite the rainy weather in eastern Gaza Strip, clashes broke out on Friday afternoon between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza, according to local Gaza TV stations. Paramedics said that the soldiers fired tear gas and live gunshots at the protesters who approached the fence of the border. They said dozens suffered burns and suffocation after inhaling tear gas, adding that at least six were injured by the soldiers' gunfire. One of them is a 14-year-old boy who was shot in his head and he is now in serious condition. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli snipers are targeting the protesters with live gunshots and that the snipers target the upper parts of the protesters. Friday's anti-Israel protests are the 40th Friday of protests that are part of the "Great March of Return" that broke out on March 30, according to the event's organizers. Al-Qedra said that since the start of event, the Israeli army has killed 245 Palestinians and wounded more than 25,000, 40 percent of whom were shot by live gunshots. Hamas leaders who have been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007 insisted that their protests will go on until Israel ends its 12-year-old blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 08:48:59|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Bangladeshi army soldiers sit inside a vehicle as they patrol the streets on the eve of the general elections in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Dec. 29, 2018. Troops were patrolling the streets of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka after the Election Commission authorized the deployment of over 12,000 soldiers to assist the civil administration in ensuring security ahead of the parliamentary polls on Sunday. (Xinhua) by Naim-Ul-Karim DHAKA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Troops were patrolling the streets of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka after the Election Commission authorized the deployment of over 12,000 soldiers to assist the civil administration in ensuring security ahead of the parliamentary polls on Sunday. Military vehicles and armed soldiers were visible at strategically important places in Dhaka and elsewhere in the county on Friday. In Dhaka, they were seen mainly checking vehicles at key points of the capital city. Elsewhere in the country army teams reportedly searched buses, cars and pedestrians. As part of an unprecedented series of security measures to be in force in Bangladesh during Sunday's general elections, army troops were deployed in 389 out of about 500 sub-districts on Monday morning. They will stay until Jan. 2. Nearly 1 million security personnel including army, police and the Border Guard Bangladesh have already been deployed to ensure free and fair elections. Authorities have already imposed a ban on all types of motor vehicles for the polling day. Around 1,861 candidates are contesting in the country's upcoming general election for 299 constituencies out of 300. Election at a constituency election has been postponed by the commission due to the death of a candidate. Some 100 million registered voters will elect 299 representatives to parliament by casting their votes on Sunday in around 40,000 polling stations nationwide. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a third five-year term in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation of about 165 million people. In the forthcoming elections, as always Hasina's Awami League-led Grand Alliance will be locking horns with former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies, which boycotted the 2014 elections. Zia's BNP in October this year forged a new alliance "Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front)" led by Kamal Hossain, once a stalwart of the Awami League, who left the party in the early 1990s and established his own "Gono Forum" in 1992. Since February, Zia has been serving a 17-year jail term for a graft conviction, which her party said is politically motivated in an effort to sideline her from politics and elections. Prime Minister Hasina said the issue of her arch-rival Zia is a matter of court. She accused the opposition alliance of flexing muscles, killing her party's five leaders and activists and leaving over 400 injured since Dec. 10. In response, BNP spokesman Sayrul Kabir Khan said more than 11,000 opposition men were arrested in a crackdown since the beginning of electoral campaign on Dec. 10. At least 152 BNP candidates including party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were attacked and hundreds of leaders and activists were injured in clashes, Khan claimed. No police spokesman was available to confirm any figure for the arrests and incidents of pre-polls violence. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 10:24:12|Editor: ZX Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Seven children died in a pre-dawn fire on Friday in Iztapalapa, a populous town within Mexico City's greater metropolitan area. The fire broke out just before 5 a.m. local time (11:00 GMT) at a cardboard-and-sheet metal shack tucked between cement homes in the neighborhood of Buenavista. The victims were children aged 2 to 13, including five siblings and a cousin as well as their minor caregiver, and all of their bodies have been found by firefighters, according to Iztapalapa prosecutor Jose Antonio Escobar. The parents were reportedly out working at the time. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. One local TV news reporter speculated the occupants may have been trying to keep warm beside a fire that got out of control. Iztapalapa Mayor Clara Brugada said her government will launch a campaign to warn residents about the hazards of using gas to heat homes this time of year, when temperatures plunge during the night. Curbing financial risk remains central task in China From:Xinhua | 2018-03-10 07:35 Video PlayerClose Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), answers questions at a press conference on financial reform and development on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xin) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- It has been ten years since a global financial crisis swept the world's major economies. While a global recovery is finally underway, the world's second largest economy is staying alert against systemic financial risks. As one of China's "three tough battles" for the next three years, forestalling systemic risks is being heatedly discussed by the country's lawmakers and political advisors at the ongoing annual legislative and political advisory sessions. China will deepen institutional reform in the financial sector and improve its financial regulatory system to defuse financial risks, they said. Institutional reform in the financial sector is underway, and deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) will discuss deepening reform in financial institutions in the following days, said Zhou Xiaochuan, China's central bank governor, on the sidelines of the NPC session. The central bank will play an important role in financial supervision in China, Zhou said, adding that loopholes in the financial regulatory system need to be closed, flaws in regulations need to be corrected and all risks that have already appeared need to be handled immediately, so as to maintain the health of the financial system. He added that the central bank would take the lead in coordination among supervision institutions. "China has entered a stage of stabilizing the leverage ratio and is gradually reducing it," Zhou said, noting that China is likely to reduce reliance on wide capital support for economic growth as the country seeks high-quality development. China's Finance Minister Xiao Jie said earlier this week that he is confident of fully forestalling systemic risks. The country's debt-to-GDP ratio had decreased to 36.2 percent by the end of 2017 from 36.7 percent in 2016, far below the international alert line of 60 percent, according to Xiao. The ratio is also relatively low compared with the levels of major economies and emerging countries, the minister said, who expects "no significant change" in the ratio in the coming years. The Chinese government has placed high attention on the management of government debt and is firm in cracking down on irregularities in financing activities, he said. Nearly 100 people were held responsible for misconduct and irregularities related to local government debt in 2017. The banking regulators imposed a fine of 52.5 million yuan on 19 banking institutions over a pledge loan fraud case in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, and 295 million yuan on 12 banks over a bill fraud case in northwest China's Gansu Province, the China Banking Regulatory Commission announced in January and February. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday expressed strong confidence in the nation's economy and its ability to prevent systemic risks. The country will strengthen coordination in financial regulation, improve regulation over shadow banking, internet finance, and financial holding companies, and further improve financial regulation, Li said, stressing that all forms of borrowing and debt underwriting that violate the law and regulations are strictly prohibited. Chen Jing, an NPC deputy from Shanghai, said he would make a suggestion focusing on deepening reform in the financial sector. He also called for more cooperation between financial supervision institutions, public security departments, procuratorates, courts, and local governments to strengthen cooperation in forestalling financial risks. Deputy Zhang Zhaoan, who is also vice president of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, suggested that more regulatory technology should be applied in government financial regulation. Technology like machine learning, big data, and cloud computing could be very helpful for the government and financial institutions in updating regulatory measures, said Zhang. 1 2 3 Next 1 2 3 Next Video PlayerClose Zhou Xiaochuan (C), governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), Yi Gang (R), deputy governor of the PBOC and Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the PBOC and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, attend a press conference on financial reform and development on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Prev 1 2 3 Next Prev 1 2 3 Next Video PlayerClose Zhou Xiaochuan (C), governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), Yi Gang (2nd R), deputy governor of the PBOC and Pan Gongsheng (2nd L), deputy governor of the PBOC and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, take questions at a press conference on financial reform and development on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Prev 1 2 3 Prev 1 2 3 Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 10:34:13|Editor: ZX Video Player Close CANBERRA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Australia's most notorious home-grown terrorist, Neil Prakash, has been stripped of his Australian citizenship after he fought for Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East. Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said on Saturday that Prakash, who is currently in prison in Turkey, is no longer considered an Australian. Australia has lodged an extradition request with Turkey for Prakash, who faces allegations of inciting a terror plot in his former home state of Victoria. However, the extradition will have to wait until the conclusion of Turkey's criminal proceedings against Prakash, including any sentence imposed by a Turkish court, which could be up to 15 years imprisonment. "This government is determined to deal with foreign terrorist fighters as far from our shores as possible," Dutton told News Corp Australia on Saturday. "Islamic State is opposed to Australia, our interests, values, democratic beliefs, rights and liberties." It marks the 12th time that the Australian government has stripped a person's citizenship over links to offshore terrorist organizations. The Australian Citizenship Act 2007 allows the government to revoke a dual national's citizenship if they act contrary to their allegiance to Australia. "To be in the service of such a terrorist organization, as Mr Prakash was, is to act inconsistently with your allegiance to Australia and we will do everything we can to ensure he is brought to account for his crimes," Dutton said. Prakash reportedly still holds Fijian citizenship through his father. Fijian authorities were notified of Dutton's decision to revoke his citizenship ahead of time. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 12:39:25|Editor: ZD Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday agreed to strengthen bilateral ties in technology, security, defense and agriculture. Bolsonaro and Netanyahu met at the Copacabana Fort in Rio de Janeiro just hours after Netanyahu landed in Brazil for the first-ever visit by an Israeli prime minister to the South American country. At a joint press conference later, Bolsonaro said he plans to travel to Israel in March to negotiate technological cooperation agreements in the areas of agriculture, security, military and fishing, as part of "a policy of great partnership with the state of Israel." Bolsonaro, who takes office on Jan. 1, said "we begin a difficult government starting January, but Brazil has the potential ... to overcome obstacles. In part, we need good allies, good friends, good brothers, as is the case with Benjamin Netanyahu." Netanyahu expressed his willingness to deepen ties, and highlighted the historic aspect of his trip. The fraternal ties between the two countries are real and "could take us very far," Netanyahu said, adding "Israel is the promised land and Brazil is the promised land of the future." Netanyahu is scheduled to attend Bolsonaro's swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, and is expected to also meet with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Bolsonaro had earlier said he plans to move Brazil's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the United States did, but made no mention of the controversial decision at the press conference. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 12:49:27|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Pu Bo, former vice governor of southwest China's Guizhou Province, was charged with taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said Saturday. The Municipal People's Procuratorate of Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu Province filed the case to the Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing. Pu was accused of taking advantage of his positions to seek profits for others as well as accepting a huge amount of money and property, the SPP said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 12:49:27|Editor: ZX Video Player Close by Raimundo Urrechaga HAVANA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- After a 1.2 percent economic growth this year, Cuba seeks to increase its efficiency and exports to reach greater development in 2019, amid financial tensions due to cash constraints and reinforced U.S. sanctions. COMMENDABLE GROWTH Although well below the expected 2 percent growth in the country's GDP, the figure is "commendable," according to Cuban government officials, after two years of very low growth and recession. "It's an encouraging figure as the economy continues to recover within an adverse scenario," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said recently at the closing ceremony of the country's parliament session. Economic losses amounting to 13 billion U.S. dollars, due to hurricane Irma last year and the rains associated with tropical storm Alberto in mid-2018, harshly impacted the country's monetary plan. Other negative elements included a shortage in hard currencies to pay foreign debts, Cuba's Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil told lawmakers. Gil said the Caribbean nation is working on updating its economic model in a "complex scenario" marked by a setback in relations with the United States and "financial persecution" by Washington as it continues its six-decade old embargo. The blockade causes an annual financial loss of 4.3 billion dollars, he said. "Our country would be able to grow much more if the United States lifts the blockade," he added. CHALLENGES AHEAD Key challenges for Cuba in the year ahead include drawing more foreign investments, increasing exports of its signature products and medical services, attracting more tourists and boosting efficiency in state-owned companies and factories, experts have said. Accelerating the nation's investment rate, which currently is around 11 percent of the GDP, must be done next year in order to guarantee "dynamic and sustainable" development, Rodrigo Malmierca, minister of foreign trade and investment, said recently. "Increasing foreign investment in Cuba is an essential factor to our economic growth as the country needs around 2 billion dollars a year of external capital to reach an investment rate of 20 percent of our GDP," Malmierca said. Malmierca added that this year, 40 new joint or foreign projects were authorized for over 1.5 billion dollars. "Since the approval of the new foreign investment law in 2014, around 5.5 billion U.S. dollars have been committed in different industries, particularly in the Mariel Special Development Zone," he said. In terms of tourism, Cuba will close out this year with a new record in the arrival of international tourists reaching 4.75 million, a 1.3 percent increase from 2017, a senior official from the island's Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) said at a press conference on Dec. 20. "Canada continues to be the country's first market despite a 2 percent drop in arrivals of tourists, while the U.S. comes in second marked by the increase of cruise ships from that nation," said Michel Bernal, MINTUR's development director. Traditional markets like France, Germany, Spain, the U.K. and Italy declined in arrivals, while Russia became the most dynamic source country with a 30 percent rise in comparison to 2017. The number of tourists from Mexico and Brazil grew 23 and 16 percent respectively while the number of Chinese visitors increased 10 percent from last year, Bernal said. PRIVATE SECTOR A complementary aspect of the Cuban economy which becomes more important each year is the island's nascent private sector, which contributes around 13 percent of the island's annual budget. Almost 600,000 Cubans, or 13 percent of the country's labor force, work in the private sector, according to the state daily Granma. The Cuban government announced in July a package of new measures which aimed to address problems such as the black market, tax evasion and wealth inequality that have long haunted the country's private sector. The measures, coming into effect in early December, included reducing the number of business categories from 96 to 28, and that of the work-related activities from 201 to 123. "Private workers are not enemies of the revolution, they have emerged as a result of an update to our economic model, solving problems that represented a burden for the government," said Diaz-Canel at the conclusion of the parliament session. This was the first major reform-oriented move taken by Diaz-Canel after his election in April. A 1.5 percent GDP growth is forecasted for 2019, Diaz-Canel said, as Cuba seeks to slightly develop in areas like infrastructures, industries, sugar production and tourism, and reduce its foreign debts. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 13:14:29|Editor: ZX Video Player Close HANOI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese agencies are coordinating with Egyptian authorities to help victims in a bus blast which left three Vietnamese tourists dead and 12 others injured, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. A bomb hit a bus carrying 15 Vietnamese tourists, passengers of Vietnamese travel firm Saigontourist and some Egyptians near Giza pyramids on Friday, killing four people, including three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide. Among the 12 injured, 10 seriously wounded people have been hospitalized, and two slightly wounded people have been sent to the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt, the ministry said. After the bomb blast, Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, respectively, visited the injured people in al-Haram hospital in Cairo. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 13:54:35|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close SHENYANG, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday opened a high-speed railway sector connecting Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province with Chengde, a popular summer resort about 230 km north of Beijing. The sector, one of many recently opened to expand the world's largest high-speed rail network, provides a more convenient connection between China's northeastern provinces with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The high-speed rail sector cuts the trip from Shenyang to Chengde to two hours and 21 minutes, nearly nine hours less than the existing route, according to Li Yudan, deputy general manager of China Railway Shenyang Group Co. Ltd. Six pairs of trains will run daily in the first week, and as of Jan. 5, the number of trains will be increased to 15 pairs, according to local authorities. The new sector belongs to the Beijing-Harbin high-speed rail route that extends 1,250 km from the country's northeasternmost provincial capital Harbin to Beijing. The day-long trip from Harbin to Beijing will be cut to within five hours after the route is launched. Another sector on the route from Harbin to Mudanjiang, known as "snow city," opened Tuesday. On the same day, China also opened a railway line between Hangzhou and Huangshan, both well-known scenic spots. China's railway network is expected to hit 175,000 km in length by 2025, compared with 127,000 km of operating tracks by the end of last year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 14:44:47|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Friday that he felt "proud of the progress" the company has achieved in 2018, despite having gone through a tumultuous, scandal-plagued year. Zuckerberg said in a year-end post that Facebook has "fundamentally" changed to focus on keeping its services safe and protecting them against manipulation and misinformation. "We're a very different company today than we were in 2016, or even a year ago. We've fundamentally altered our DNA to focus more on preventing harm in all our services," Zuckerberg said. He admitted that for the past year, his company has been grappling with a host of tumultuous incidents and challenges that have put the world's largest social media network under close scrutiny of U.S. legislators, regulators and the public. Those challenges ranged from the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, the April scandal involving Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm that was accused of illegally harvesting the private data of about 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge, to an October hacker attack that exposed the email accounts, phone numbers and birthdays of more than 30 million people. "Addressing these issues is more than a one-year challenge," Zuckerberg said. To ensure Facebook's services are safe, Zuckerberg said that his company has deployed 30,000 people to work on the social media giant's safety and invested billions of U.S. dollars in security every year. "That doesn't mean we'll catch every bad actor or piece of bad content, or that people won't find more examples of past mistakes before we improved our systems," said the Facebook CEO. He disclosed that Facebook has "built some of the most advanced systems in the world" for identifying and detecting those problems. In order to stop the spread of harmful content, "we've built AI systems to automatically identify and remove content related to terrorism, hate speech, and more before anyone even sees it. These systems take down 99 percent of the terrorist-related content," Zuckerberg said. "I'm also proud of the rest of the progress we've made this year. More than 2 billion people now use one of our services every single day to stay connected with the people who matter most in their lives," he wrote in Friday's post. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 15:24:53|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The 13th National People's Congress (NPC) will hold its second annual session in Beijing on March 5, 2019, according to a decision made by the NPC Standing Committee on Saturday. The decision was adopted via a vote at the end of the NPC Standing Committee session held from Sunday to Saturday. The suggested agenda of the annual session includes reviewing the government work report, examining reports on the implementation of the annual plan on national economic and social development in 2018, and the draft plan on national economic and social development in 2019, and examining reports on the implementation of the central and local budgets in 2018, and the draft central and local budgets in 2019. Legislators are also expected to review the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, according to the decision. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 15:50:01|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's securities regulator has approved the initial public offering (IPO) applications of three companies. The companies include Ningbo Water Meter Co., Mingyang Smart Energy Co., and Anshan Hifichem Co., said the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) in a statement, without specifying the total amount of funds to be raised. The companies and their underwriters will confirm IPO dates and publish their prospectuses following discussions with the stock exchanges. Under the current IPO system, new shares are subject to approval from the CSRC. China is gradually switching from an approval-based IPO system to one based on registration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 15:55:02|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers have called for the publication of examination reports on vaccines after they are approved by authorities. The suggestion was raised Friday at a penal deliberation on a draft law on vaccine management, which was submitted to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for its first reading. Li Yuefeng, a member of the committee, said it should be stipulated in the draft that a report detailing examination results of a vaccine should be made public to ensure the people's right to transparency. Wu Weihua, a committee vice chairperson, advised that the research and development (R&D) of a vaccine should be filed with relevant administrative departments since vaccine R&D may involve virulent or contagious pathogens. Committee member Wu Heng called for revisions of the draft on tightening supervision and management of logistics, especially on temperature control. Li Kang, another committee member, said the vaccination centers that offer voluntary vaccinations outside the national vaccination plan should be required by the draft to participate in medical liability insurance. Other suggestions at the deliberation included toughening the examination and inspection of imported vaccines and making a more specific guideline for vaccine pricing. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 15:55:02|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close People visit a major exhibition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2018. The exhibition has received more than two million visitors since its opening. (Xinhua/Li He) by Xinhua writer Zheng Xin BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- How best to describe 2018 in China? A nationwide survey showed most respondents chose "Fen" and "Gai Ge Kai Fang 40 Nian" as the Chinese Character and Word of the Year 2018 in China. "Striving" and "the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up," as the keywords mean, were chosen from among several thousand recommendations and based on hundreds of thousands of votes by netizens in an annual poll organized by the Chinese National Language Monitoring and Research Center. Held for the 13 consecutive years, the survey also chose "exit" and "trade friction" as the international character and word of the year, respectively. A review of China's achievements against headwinds in 2018 would justify the selected words: it has been a year of milestones and profound endeavors for the world's second-largest economy in opening up wider. A GOOD WAY TO CELEBRATE This year, China commemorates the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening-up with concrete actions and pledges to further open up, providing more chances for the world to share its growth dividends. The country has unveiled measures to broaden market access, improve the investment environment, increase imports, and build new ground in opening up. Opening-up has revved up in the finance sector: China launched the trading of crude oil futures contracts in Shanghai, the first futures contracts listed on China's mainland to overseas investors; foreign firms have been offered the green light to have 51-percent ownership of their brokerage ventures; foreign investment access was also eased in the insurance industry, just to name a few. UBS AG became the first global financial institution to take advantage of the country's new rules to gain a majority stake in its mainland securities joint venture, raising its stake in UBS Securities Co. to 51 percent from the current 24.99 percent. "The further opening-up of China's financial sector represents great opportunities for our wealth management, investment bank and asset management businesses," said UBS Group CEO Sergio P. Ermotti. To boost imports, the country has cut tariffs for an array of products including automobiles, consumer products and medicine this year, lowering the overall tariff rate on imported goods from 9.8 percent last year to 7.5 percent. A total of 172 countries, regions and international organizations, and more than 3,600 enterprises participated in the first China International Import Expo, which was held from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai. It was the world's first import-themed national-level expo. Also in 2018, the landscape of China's pilot free trade zones (FTZs) has been further broadened with the southern island province of Hainan being designated as the latest and largest pilot FTZ, a move to further open the country's market and to attract foreign investment. China's total imports will likely exceed 2 trillion U.S. dollars this year to set a new record, according to an official with the Ministry of Commerce. BONA FIDE HALLMARK China's reform and opening-up has gained momentum in the 40th anniversary of a great revolution that has changed the destiny of the Chinese nation and influenced the world. But some critics still see the speedup as a compromise to external pressure. "It is unfair to say that," World Bank country director for China Bert Hofman said, adding that China's decision to further reform and open-up is in line with its economic fundamentals and national interests. "It's only natural to respond to people's call for better lives," he noted. The great spirit of reform and opening-up has become the most prominent hallmark of the Chinese people in the modern day, and the country has clarified that its door of opening-up will not be closed and will only open even wider. China will continue to widen market access for foreign investors next year while the negative list for foreign investment is expected to be further shortened in 2019, said Tang Wenhong, head of foreign investment management department under the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry will also push for the lifting of market access restrictions on foreign investment in sectors that are not on the negative list to level the playing field for Chinese companies and foreign enterprises. It is estimated that China's imported goods and services will exceed 30 trillion dollars and 10 trillion dollars respectively in the next 15 years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 16:25:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Brazil and Colombia from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 to strengthen U.S. ties with the two countries as well as U.S. engagement in the region, authorities said Friday. According to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department, Pompeo will lead a delegation to Brazil for the inauguration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, which will be held on Jan. 1, 2019. Pompeo will also participate in a bilateral meeting with Bolsonaro and incoming Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo to discuss various bilateral and regional issues. In Brazil's capital city of Brasilia, Pompeo is also scheduled to meet with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, said the statement. Following his trip to Brazil, Pompeo will travel to the city of Cartagena, Colombia, to meet with Colombian President Ivan Duque. "We seek to deepen our cooperation with Brazil and Colombia against transnational crime, including counter-narcotics, terrorism, and threats to international peace and security," said the statement. Pompeo's upcoming trip also marks his fourth trip to Latin America in over half a year. On the same day, a senior State Department official who wanted to remain anonymous told reporters that Pompeo would discuss regional issues with leaders of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru during his trip, particularly regarding Venezuela. The Trump administration has been conducting a hard-line policy against Venezuela. In early November, the United States imposed sanctions targeting Venezuela's gold exports, which are a significant source of money needed by the South American country to buy medicine and food. Diosdado Cabello, the president of Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, condemned the sanctions as "genocide against Venezuela." Venezuela has recently been seeking to expand its cooperation with Russia on trade and security. A senior Venezuelan official said in November that the two countries would start cooperation in the agricultural and mining sectors. Earlier this month, a group of four Russian military aircraft -- two Tu-160 strategic bombers, a heavy An-124 military transport aircraft, and an Il-62 long-range aircraft -- landed in Venezuela after covering a distance of more than 10,000 km. Pompeo characterized the landing as "two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer." The Kremlin responded later on the same day, calling Pompeo's remarks "undiplomatic and inappropriate." Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 17:00:14|Editor: ZX Video Player Close GUIYANG, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's top alcohol brand Kweichow Moutai said Saturday that the company plans to sell about 31,000 tonnes of product in 2019. "The sales volume in 2019 will increase by 3,000 tonnes more than in 2018," said Li Baofang, chairman of Moutai Group. A total of 17,000 tonnes of liquor will be supplied to distributors and the rest will be sold through e-commerce retail channels, according to Li. The group is going to sell 7,500 tonnes of liquor during the coming New Year and Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, period. Customers will be able to buy a special Year of the Pig edition after the New Year's Day holiday. Moutai is a sorghum-based spirit produced by Kweichow Moutai and is China's top brand of baijiu (white alcohol). The liquor, often served on official occasions and at state banquets, is considered a luxury item and has long been a popular gift. Despite its high price, domestic demand for Moutai has always exceeded supply. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 18:15:29|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CAIRO, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian police announced on Saturday killing 40 terrorists in security raids in Giza province near the capital Cairo and North Sinai province in northeast of the country. "The terrorist elements have been preparing and planning to carry out a series of aggressive operations targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones," Egypt's Interior Ministry said in a statement. Killed in shootouts in Giza and North Sinai provinces, the terrorists have also been plotting to assault tourism-related targets, policemen and soldiers as well as houses of worship, according to the statement. The police announcement came a day after a terrorist bomb blast targeted a tourist bus in Giza, killing three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide and wounding 11 other Vietnamese tourists and the Egyptian bus driver. Last week, the Egyptian police said they killed 14 terrorists after hours of shootout in Arish city of North Sinai province. Egypt has been facing terrorist activities that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians following the popular-backed military ouster of former Muslim Brotherhood-oriented President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013 and the later security crackdown on his supporters. Morsi's Brotherhood group is currently outlawed in Egypt as a terrorist organization. Most of the terror attacks in Egypt in the past few years were claimed by a Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group. Meanwhile, the Egyptian army and police killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects during the country's anti-terror war declared by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief then, following Morsi's ouster. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 18:15:30|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- India on Saturday condemned the terrorist attack in Egypt which killed at least four people and injured more than 10 others on Friday evening. The four dead included three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide, and the injured were Vietnamese nationals who were visiting the Giza pyramids when a bomb exploded underneath their bus. "We condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on the tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt on Dec. 28 in which innocent lives were lost. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery for those injured," said the Indian External Affairs Ministry in an official statement. "We stand with the government and people of Egypt in their fight against terrorism," it added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 18:20:32|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close GAZA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli army helicopter attacked early on Saturday morning a military facility that belongs to Islamic Hamas movement's military wing in central Gaza Strip, no injuries reported, medics and security officials said. Security officials said that the Israeli airstrike on central Gaza Strip was carried out shortly after Gaza militants fired a rocket into southern Israel. No one claimed responsibility for the rocket attack and no injuries or damages were caused, according to Israeli media reports. Medical sources in Gaza said that no injuries were reported following the Israeli airstrike on a military facility that belongs to Hamas armed wing in central Gaza Strip. Firing the rocket from Gaza into Israel came after one Palestinian was shot dead and six wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during the weekly protests known as the "marches of return and breaking the siege in eastern Gaza Strip" close to the border with Israel. The anti-Israel protests and rallies began on March 30 and insist on ending a 12-year tight blockade imposed by Israel on the narrow and densely polluted impoverished coastal enclave. Before the death of the Palestinian demonstrator in southern Gaza Strip, the Gaza Military Joint Chamber of perations had warned Israel that militants would respond if Israeli soldiers shoot and kill any of the protesters. The Israeli airstrike on central Gaza Strip was the first in a month and a half, where Egypt and the United Nations brokered a calm understanding between Israel and Hamas ending few days of Israeli airstrikes on the enclave and militants rockets attacks into Israel. Following the understanding on calm, Israel agreed to ease its tight restrictions imposed on Hamas and allowed Qatari financial grant and fuels into the Gaza Strip to pay Hamas employees salaries and resolve a severe shortage of electricity. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 18:35:36|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SHARAN, Afghanistan, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified armed men set ablaze a middle school in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, an official said Saturday. "Unknown gunmen entered Zarabi, a joint boy and girl middle school and set ablaze the building along with all materials and equipment in Urgun district at around 2 p.m. local time Saturday," Mohammad Nasim Wajid, provincial deputy education director, told Xinhua. All documents, books and furniture have been burnt as the fire engulfed the school building, said the official. Over 900 students including 400 girls have been studying in the school, said the official. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. More than 9.5 million Afghan children with around 40 percent of them girls attend 15,000 schools across the country, while over 3.5 million school age children have no access to education due to poverty, conflicts and insurgency, according to education officials. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 19:37:19|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Zhang Yu, the sixth generation maker of "Clay Figure Zhang", kneads a figurine at his workshop in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 12, 2017. "Clay Figure Zhang" is a household name of traditional folk art in China, and such artwork has a history of nearly 200 years. Zhang Yu, the sixth generation clay figurine maker in his family, took charge of the family business in 1996, when he was just 18 years old. As time changed, the craft and brand has evolved. Instead of making figurines and selling them like a street vendor, he has hired art managers to exploit and market the artistic value of his work. Besides kneading clay figurines, Zhang also teaches in several universities to promote the traditional craft. "Clay Figure Zhang" was listed as the first group of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Due to the extremely delicate craft, it usually takes three months to complete a fine figurine after complicated process, which consists of preparing clay material, modeling clay into certain shape, airing, firing and painting. "I must guarantee the quality of my work," says Zhang, noting that he will devote his limited energy to focus on the art. Back in the 1840s, craftsman Zhang Mingshan rose to fame for his vivid clay figurines that combined traditional Chinese sculpture with western techniques, and were coined "Clay Figure Zhang," a brand his offspring have continued for six generations. (Xinhua/Song Yu) Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 19:35:49|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia exported 54,900 tons of meat and meat products in 2018, a 20-year high, according to a preliminary report released by the country's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry on Saturday. The goal set in the Mongolian government's action plan (2016-2020) has been fulfilled, the ministry said in the report. Animal husbandry is one of the key sectors of the Mongolian economy, as around 40 percent of the country's nomad population depend on animal husbandry for their livelihoods. The landlocked Asian country exported a total of 26,800 tons of meat in 2017. Mongolian Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry Batzorig Batjargal said in June this year that Mongolia aimed to raise its meat exports tenfold in the coming years in a bid to diversify its heavily mining-dependent economy. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 19:45:52|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close NAIROBI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta praised international help in his renewed war against corruption late Friday, emphasizing the "serial rape" of the country by corruption barons was one of the key drivers to protracted fights for the Presidency every four years during elections. "We are doing our part as the executive branch. We have granted the departments and agencies of government involved in this fight against corruption the resources and powers they need to become successful," President Kenyatta told reporters during a televised interview. The Kenyan President, who launched the fight against corruption as one of his Presidential legacy projects, emphasized the fight against rampant corruption was on the right path. Kenyatta said part of his renewed war against corruption was linked to the need to end the vice, which was a big contributor to the prolonged disagreements every election cycle. The Kenyan President said key among the drivers of the fight against corruption was the support Kenya was receiving globally. Kenya has signed cooperation agreements with European countries on the asset recovery and the repatriation of assets stolen from the state coffers. President Kenyatta said expectations were high from Kenyans who require a sustained war against corruption and results, which should include the conviction and jailing of corruption suspects. Kenyatta said all independent arms of the government should act independently and the judiciary would also be facilitated to do its part in ensuring the fight against corruption is successful. In addition, President Kenyatta said the key objective of the political negotiations with the opposition leader Raila Odinga was to work on longer term solutions to contested electoral outcomes and the exclusion of communities. "We must have a system which looks at our political flaws at the national level. We are talking about things we can fix for generations to come," President Kenyatta said. Extensions of Metro lines 5 and 13 to begin operation From:Shine | 2018-12-28 16:29 The newly extended Metro lines 5 and 13 will begin operation from December 30, Shanghai Shentong Metro Group announced on Friday. The south extension of Line 5, which stretches out from Dongchuan Road Station in Minhang District to Fengxian Xincheng Station, is the first Metro line to reach suburban Fengxian,shortening the travel time between there and downtown to roughly an hour. After the extension opens, Line 5 trains will split at Dongchuan Road, with a branch heading to Minhang Development Zone and the main route going to Fengxian Xincheng. During workday rush hours (7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm), the departure interval on Line 5 between Xinzhuang and Xiaotang stations will be four minutes. Dongchuan Road Station has become a transport hub with a bus terminal and a parking lot. Passengers going to Minhang Development Zone Station from Xinzhuang Station will have to get off at Dongchuan Road Station and transfer to the branch line. Passengers going in the opposite direction will also have to get off at Dongchuan Road Station, but they have to walk through the station hall to get to another platform to transfer. The second and third phases of Line 13 cover 12 stations, four of which are transfer stations where passengers can change to lines 6, 7, 8 and 16. After the new extensions are put into operation, the total length of the Shanghai Metro will be 705 kilometers across 415 stations. Fireworks illuminate the sky to greet the New Year in Helsinki, capital of Finland, Jan. 1, 2012. (Xinhua/Zhao Changchun) HELSINKI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- While the public voice for banning fireworks is rising, the city of Espoo in southern Finland will be the first city in the country to celebrate the New Year with laser light show instead of firecrackers, media reported on Friday. In Finland, New Year is usually celebrated with fireworks provided by municipalities, but this is thought to be old-fashioned by the city of Espoo, Lea Rintala, director of Culture Services Unit of Espoo, told Finnish national broadcaster Yle. "We are a sustainable development city and rockets don't really suit well with that. However, over the years we have received some feedback about this, so we are now trialing a laser show," Rintala was quoted as saying. She added that the news of the alternative to fireworks has already generated a surprising amount of interest. The laser show will start in downtown Espoo at 18:20 local time on the New Year's eve. The show will cover an area including the Espoo cathedral, the nearby Church Park and the river bank. Other light shows may also take place in other parts of the city during the year, according to Rintala. The southwest city of Finland Turku is considering to follow Espoo's footsteps, said Yle. The public demand for banning consumers from using fireworks is constantly rising in recent couple of years in Finland, aiming to reduce the cases of injuries, air pollution and stress and anxiety in animals caused by fireworks. A citizens' initiative to prohibit the use of fireworks by private individuals was launched in early December this year and has gathered the support of nearly 40,000 individuals so far. If the initiative will collect a total of 50,000 signatories by June, 2019, the Finnish MPs have to consider legislative changes on use of fireworks. According to Yle, Norway banned the use of fireworks by private individuals years ago. Sweden will require a permit for the use of certain kinds of stick-mounted fireworks from the beginning of next year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 20:25:59|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Public Security has issued a regulation to safeguard the authority of the police while enforcing the law. The regulation is meant to ensure that public security officers perform their duties according to the law, and to safeguard the authority of the law and the police, said a statement from the ministry after a press conference Saturday in Beijing. The ministry said in the past few years, incidents happened occasionally when the police were enforcing the law. From time to time, law enforcement has been impeded, people violently resist law enforcement, and rumors and slander have been spread about on-duty police officers, said the ministry. The ministry condemned these acts as they have seriously damaged not only the personal safety and reputation of police officers but also the authority of the law and its enforcement. According to the regulation, when police officers perform their duties according to the law, they are protected by the law and should not be hurt or obstructed. The safety of police officers and their close relatives shall not be threatened or infringed, and their dignity shall not be insulted or derogated as long as they perform their duties according to the law, said the regulation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 20:26:01|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. patrols still locate in the northern Syrian city of Manbij as the Syrian government forces are deployed on the frontline between the Kurdish-led groups and the Turkey-backed rebels, a war monitor reported on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Turkey-backed rebels are still preparing for launching a campaign against the Kurdish-led militia in Manbij, but waiting for the results of the Saturday talks between Russia and Turkey in Moscow. It claimed the Syrian forces haven't yet entered inside the city of Manbij, which is run by the Kurdish-backed Manbij Military Council (MMC). A day earlier, the Syrian army said in a statement that it had entered Manbij and raised the Syrian flag in it upon the request of the residents there. The army's statement came an hour after the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) urged the Syrian army to enter Manbij and claim the positions left by the YPG, which left the area to avert a Turkey-backed campaign. The UK-based watchdog group said the Russians are negotiating with the Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) about Manbij and the Kurdish-controlled areas in the eastern Euphrates region in light of the decision of U.S. forces to withdraw from Syria within 100 days. The Observatory said the Russians will have a say about who will be filling into the place of the U.S. forces. Earlier this year, the Kurdish militia lost the northern enclave of Afrin to the Turkish forces after they rejected the entry of the Syrian government forces to assume control of Afrin. The Kurdish militia seems to have learned from that lesson, which explains their decision to hand over Manbij to the Syrian army this time. Manbij is believed to be the first area the Turkish forces are planning to storm in their quest to dislodge the Kurdish militia out of that area and the eastern Euphrates River region. The YPG has withdrawn but the MMC is still in that area. The U.S. agreed with Turkey to run joint patrols between Manbij and its countryside, which is controlled by the Turkish-backed groups. Ankara has urged the U.S. to push the YPG to withdraw from Manbij and later the YPG said it had withdrawn from parts of it, a claim which didn't seem to have resonated with Turkey. Turkey deems the YPG and the allied SDF and other Kurdish-led groups to be terrorists and separatists due to their link with the Turkey-banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 21:06:08|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MUMBAI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Foxconn, a key contract manufacturer of Apple Inc, is planning to open assembly lines for high-end iPhones in India, according to media reports. Foxconn will be assembling the most expensive models, such as devices in the flagship iPhone X family in India, Reuters reported Thursday, quoting unnamed sources. The manufacturer, who is already making phones for Xiaomi Corp, will expand its plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Local officials expect the investment to bring as many as 25,000 jobs. The Hindu newspaper also reported that Foxconn would begin manufacturing various models of iPhone in its Indian plant. The Foxconn unit in Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu, will start manufacturing all the models of iPhone depending on its demand, the newspaper reported. Apple currently only assembles two low-cost older models in India. It has been slow to move production to India in stark contrast to other major global smartphone makers, such as OnePlus, Samsung, Oppo and Xiaomi, who have invested heavily in their Indian plants. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 21:06:09|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The shrinking population size of eastern lowland gorillas has led to an increase of harmful mutations among this endangered species over the past several decades, showed a recent study. By comparing genomes of specimens collected from the eastern lowland gorillas over several generations, the scientists find that the gorillas have accumulated harmful mutations as the species' genetic diversity sharply declined due to habitat losses and inbreeding, according to the study published on the journal Current Biology. The researchers found that some changes in genes that affect male fertility and disease resistance could leave the species less capable of adapting to sudden changes in their environment or disease outbreaks, which may further threaten the survival of these apes. The population of the eastern lowland gorillas, also known as the Grauer's gorillas, which live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has declined by 80 percent over the last several decades. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 21:26:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Faleh Fayyad, the Iraqi national security advisor, told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday that the entry of the Syrian army to the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij will bode well for all region. According to the state news agency SANA, the visiting Iraqi official made the remarks during his visit to the capital Damascus, where he met with Assad and delivered a letter from Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. The letter touched upon the need for continuing coordination on counter-terrorism, especially on the border between both countries. The visit and remarks come at a time when there is rumor that the Iraqi President Barham Salih is planning a visit to Syria to discuss opening the border between both countries, according to a recent report by the pro-government al-Watan newspaper. It also comes as the Syrian army is expected to fill the void that will be left when the U.S. forces withdraw from Kurdish-controlled areas in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border. A day earlier, the Syrian army said it had entered the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij in northern Syria upon the requests of the residents there to stand in the face of the Turkish-planned campaign against the Kurdish militia. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said it withdrew from Manbij and urged the Syrian Army to fill in. Experts in Damascus believe that the Manbij model could be implemented in other Kurdish areas in the eastern Euphrates River region near Iraq. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 21:31:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi said that two multinational companies are all set to kick off drilling in Arabian Sea offshore the country's southern port city of Karachi to explore gas and oil. In a tweet on Saturday, Zaidi said that U.S. multinational oil and gas company ExxonMobil, and Italian energy giant ENI have transported equipment to exploration site docked 230 km off Karachi coast for exploration of oil and gas. "Best of luck to ExxonMobil & ENI when they start drilling. Let us all pray for a global discovery. From the looks of it, big news," he said. Earlier this year, former caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Hussain Haroon said that ExxonMobil has indicated oil reserves in Arabian Sea off Pakistan's coast could be even bigger than the Kuwaiti reserves. ExxonMobil joined the offshore oil and gas exploration efforts in May this year. The efforts were initiated by two Pakistani government-owned companies Oil and Gas Development Corporation and Pakistan Petroleum Limited together with Italian ENI, which was already operating in different energy projects in Pakistan. Each company will have 25 percent stake in the joint venture under an agreement signed by the interim government of Pakistan in May this year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 21:36:48|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Photo taken on Dec. 29, 2018 shows the bullet train C1508 of Xinmin-Tongliao high-speed railway on operation. The high-speed railway sector connecting Xinmin City of northeast China's Liaoning Province and Tongliao City of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is open to public traffic on Saturday, joining Inner Mongolia in China's high-speed rail network for the first time. (Xinhua/Yu Dongsheng) Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 21:51:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close by Hummam Sheikh Ali DAMASCUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The year 2018 has witnessed a series of key events in war-torn Syria, which led to recent indications that the country is on track to restore relations with its Arab neighbors as the war looks set to wind down in 2019, especially after the United States decided in December to withdraw all its troops from Syria. MILITARY VICTORIES IN SUCCESSION With the help of its Russian ally and the pro-government forces, the Syrian army has achieved a succession of military victories that further consolidated its grip in the country. In May, the army secured the entire vicinity of the capital Damascus, capturing the sprawling Eastern Ghouta countryside which was the main bastion of the rebels in eastern Damascus and an immense threat to the capital. Later in the month, the army defeated the Islamic State (IS) militants in southern Damascus, mainly in the Yarmouk Camp area, further expanding the safety ring around the capital. Also in May, the last batch of rebels left the Syrian central city of Homs, a hub city that connects southern areas, including the capital, with northern areas and has oil and gas fields in its countryside. In July, the army secured Quneitra Province in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a month before it stripped the rebels of the birthplace of the Syrian war: Daraa Province near the Jordanian border. Meanwhile, the Syrian government secured the entire borderline with Jordan, and officially re-opened the Nasib Border Crossing, one of the most important land crossings in the region which allows the flow of goods from Lebanon to Jordan and further to the Gulf states. In addition, large swathes of territories on the Syrian-Iraqi border were also recaptured by the Syrian army. With the military victories by the government, the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan have also started returning over the past few months to their villages and towns retaken by the army. DE-ESCALATION ZONE IN IDLIB Russia, main ally of the Syrian government, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, reached a deal in September to create a de-escalation zone in and around the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The de-escalation deal, also covering the northern countryside of Hama Province and the northeastern countryside of Latakia Province, has restored relative calm in these areas despite sporadic violations. However, the Syrian government has made it clear that its ultimate goal is to regain control of Idlib from the ultra-radical rebel groups. In addition, the government said the areas controlled by the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in northern and northeastern Syria will be put back on the agenda after the Idlib issue is solved. REBOOTING DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT The re-capture of key areas has put the Syrian government in a better position to buckle up on the diplomatic levels. On Nov. 18, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad was cited by the pro-government al-Watan newspaper as saying the government welcomes any step conducive to the return of Arab embassies to the capital Damascus. "We welcome any step that could help in returning the embassies of Arab countries to work in Syria," said Mekdad. On Thursday afternoon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially reopened its embassy in Syria after six years of closure, marking the first state of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to resume diplomatic work in the war-torn country. On Dec. 16, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir paid a hours-long visit to Damascus, the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian crisis erupted in 2011, apparently marking a prelude to the restoration of normal Arab relations with Syria, and even its return to the Arab League. During his brief yet significant visit, the Sudanese president highlighted his country's support to Syria, saying Sudan is ready to provide whatever needed to support the territorial integrity and unity of Syria. For his part, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said al-Bashir's visit will give a strong push toward restoring the bilateral relations to what they were before the war. According to al-Watan newspaper, Iraqi President Barham Salih will visit Syria soon to discuss the reopening of the border between the two countries. On Monday, al-Watan said Ali Mamlouk, chief of Syrian security services, visited Egypt over the weekend upon an official invitation of the Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo. On Nov. 19, a delegation of Jordanian parliamentarians visited Syria in an attempt to break the ice between the two governments for years. The more positive Arab attitudes toward Syria come against the division in the Arab world over the Syrian civil war as some countries side with the government while others, such as the Gulf states, openly support the insurgency. Bassam Abu Abdallah, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Damascus University, told Xinhua that these diplomatic visits are all indications of detente in 2019, and even the rhetoric of Saudi Arabia on Syria has become less sharp. U.S. DECISION TO EXIT SYRIA However, the most significant development in Syria in 2018 is the U.S. abrupt decision in December to withdraw all its troops from Syria, as long demanded by the government of President al-Assad. The U.S. forces stepped in the Syrian war in 2014, first supporting some rebel groups before ending up backing the Kurdish militia in northern Syria in its fight against the IS. In a recent phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly said the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Syria will be slow and coordinated. The ongoing U.S. withdrawal will apparently leave the Kurdish militants in northern Syria with only two choices, either to confront the planned Turkish military campaign or to return under the umbrella of the Syrian government. The latter one seems to be a better bet as the Syrian army declared on Friday that it had entered Manbij, a key northern city which lies about 30km south of the Turkish border, at the invitation of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) which had withdrawn from the city. Muhannad Haj Ali, a Syrian lawmaker, described the U.S. presence in Syria as "an act of aggression," saying its withdrawal would help the political process in Syria. "The withdrawal comes as part of a Russian pressure on the United States to pull out in order to accelerate the Syrian political process and find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis," he told Xinhua. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 23:31:41|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Li Zhanshu (1st L), chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the bimonthly session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 29, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) closed its bimonthly session Saturday, adopting a revised law on contracting rural land and arrangements on the NPC's annual plenary session in 2019, among others. Presiding over the closing meeting, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, highlighted that about one-third of the subjects covered in this session were closely connected to China's reform. He stressed the standing committee's duty in implementing reform and ensuring that all major reform measures are taken in accordance with the law. He also called on the NPC and its standing committee to perform due diligence to improve the NPC system and the performance. Before the closing meeting, Li presided over a chairpersons' meeting of the NPC Standing Committee. NEW LAWS AND REVISIONS At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt revisions to the law on contracting rural land to better protect the rights of farmers who have migrated to urban areas. They also passed two new tax laws on farmland occupation and vehicle purchases to replace their respective interim regulations. In addition to revisions to the civil servant law, a package of revisions on 17 laws, including the Product Quality Law and the Electric Power Law, were also adopted to facilitate institutional reform and improve the government's service. MAJOR DECISIONS A decision on the second annual session of 13th NPC was adopted at the closing session, which set March 5, 2019 as the starting date of the annual session. Moreover, lawmakers approved the extension of a trial project in 33 county-level areas concerning the adjustment of laws related to the use of rural land and authorized the State Council to speed up local government bond issuances before the approval of the annual fiscal budget. They also ratified the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Convention on Countering Extremism and approved five reports on the handling of NPC deputies' bills during the March session. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS During the weeklong bimonthly session, NPC Standing Committee deliberated a number of newly submitted drafts, including the draft foreign investment law, draft sections of the civil code and draft revisions to the patent law. Lawmakers also deliberated reports on the implementation of the law on the protection of marine environment, healthcare spending, mid-stage evaluation of the implementation of the 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) and the results of the 2017 central budget spending audit, among others. No drones over the Bund without approval: police From:Shine | 2018-12-28 17:29 As New Years Day draws near, Shanghai police warned on Friday that no drones are allowed to be flown from the Bund area, the core area of Lujiazui and Xintiandi without approval. The rule has always been in force for areas with a high density of people and high security risks in Shanghai, Zhu Liang, an officer of the spokespeoples office at Shanghai Public Security Bureau, said. On New Years Eve, police will use technological means to prevent drones from taking off from the three areas, and violators will face punishment, Zhu said. As usual, large crowds are predicted for the coming New Years Day holiday at the citys major tourist attractions, especially on New Years Eve. At the three areas, police said they will use monitoring systems to closely follow the development of large crowds, while police officers will be looking over Nanjing Road E., Zhongshan Road No.1 and Waibaidu Bridge from higher points. Last New Years Eve on the Bund, all vehicles were banned from Zhongshan Road No.1 after 11:30pm to make way for pedestrians as police considered the elevated pedestrian path along the Huangpu River was too crowded. Similar measures and traffic control on nearby Henan Road M., Jiangxi Road M.,Sichuan Road M. and Nanjing Road E. will also be used this year, according to police. At the riverfront area of Lujiazui, if there are too many people on Binjiang Avenue, the street will be closed, and at Xintiandi, tourists in the southern and northern parts of the commercial complex could be separated. At Xintiandi, a countdown party will be organized on New Years Eve with about 5,000 people, but there will be no similar events at the Bund, Lujiazui or the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 23:31:42|Editor: mmm Video Player Close MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday it regretted the position of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on some aspects of Russia-Ukraine relations. Macron and Merkel issued a joint statement Friday, saying they were deeply concerned with the "human rights situation in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia, Russia's use of military force in the Kerch Strait, and excessive inspections in the Azov Sea." They called for all ships using the Kerch Strait to be given "safe, free, and unhindered passage" and urged the immediate and unconditional release of the Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia in a recent incident in the Black Sea. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it believes all attempts to doubt the legal status of Crimea and Sevastopol as part of Russia are futile. It reiterated that Russia continues to ensure freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait in accordance with the existing Russian-Ukrainian agreements, domestic legislation and applicable international standards. At the same time, Moscow will also consider the real risks to Russia's security, threats and possible provocations from Ukraine and its western "friends." Russia shot at and seized three Ukrainian naval ships attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov on Nov. 25, alleging they breached Russian territorial waters. In response, Ukraine imposed martial law in certain regions bordering Russia for 30 days ending on Dec. 26 and banned Russian men between 16 and 60 from entering the country, except for humanitarian purposes. The Russian Foreign Ministry called on Paris and Berlin to pay attention to the human rights violations by the Ukrainian government, primarily those of Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainian citizens. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 23:31:43|Editor: mmm Video Player Close MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian and Turkish military will continue to coordinate their steps to eradicate terrorism in Syria after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday. He made the remarks at a press conference here following talks attended by his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of both countries. The parties agreed to continue work in strict compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, including unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, Lavrov said. They also outlined concrete measures to intensify joint work aimed at creating conditions for more Syrian refugees to return to their homes, he said. Cavusoglu added that the parties discussed steps to implement the memorandum on the creation of a demilitarized zone in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. In September, Russia and Turkey decided to set up a demilitarized zone between the armed opposition and the government troops in Idlib bordering Turkey. The deal was partially implemented in terms of reducing the rate of violence and the withdrawal of heavy weapons of the rebels from the designated zone, but some ultra-radical rebels refused to comply. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 23:51:45|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close SANAA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Saturday that they have begun to withdraw from Hodeidah port as per a UN-brokered peace deal reached in Stockholm two weeks ago. "According to the Stockholm agreement, our forces have begun since last night (Friday) to implement the first phase of redeployment from Hodeidah port," the Houthis said in a statement released by their Saba news agency. "We call on the UN-led cease-fire monitoring committee to obligate the other side (government forces) to begin withdrawal from the eastern part of Hodeidah city," the statement added. However, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV said the Yemeni government "did not receive any notification about Houthis' withdrawal from Hodeidah port." The Jordan-based office of the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has yet to comment. On Wednesday, a delegation from the Yemeni government arrived in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah to take part in the joint committee led by the United Nations to oversee the implementation of the cease-fire and withdrawal from its port. Patrick Cammaert, a retired Dutch general who leads the joint committee from both Yemeni rival forces, namely the Saudi-backed government and the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels, held face-to-face meetings between both rival delegations over the past three days, according to both Yemeni rival media outlets. Cammaert arrived in Hodeidah earlier this week to oversee the implementation of the cease-fire, which covered Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa. According to the truce deal, the withdrawal from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa and critical parts of the city associated with the humanitarian facilities should be completed within two weeks after the cease-fire enters into force, while the full withdrawal should be completed within a maximum period of 21 days. However, both rival forces have blamed each other for violations of the cease-fire since it came into force. Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthi militia since March 2015, in order to reinstate the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-29 23:56:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian police on Saturday disclosed that it has seized some 180 illegal handguns when they were being smuggled into Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. According to the Addis Ababa Police Commission, the armaments were intercepted in Addis Ababa, in a joint operation among police and the national inelegance unit, while the armaments were being transported into the capital packed inside a mini-bus. Police's capture of the handguns on Saturday came amid an increase in smuggling and transaction of armaments in the east African country. The Ethiopian Federal Police Commission, however, did not give further details regarding the identity of the latest handguns smugglers as well as their intention. Police had also recently stressed that armaments are illegally smuggled into the country, which is said to create a widespread impact on the country's peace and security situations. The commission had recently arrested more than 18 suspects in connection with smuggling of armaments into the country. Some of them were also said to be involved in illicit foreign currency outflow. Police over the last week alone had announced multiple seizures of millions U.S. dollars that was illegally smuggled out of Ethiopia including at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's major international flights hub. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 00:06:47|Editor: mmm Video Player Close CHICAGO, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A research from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business found that people's happiness did not decline, or declined much slower, if they repeatedly bestowed gifts on others rather than repeatedly receiving those same gifts themselves. The researchers conducted two studies. In one experiment, university student participants received five dollars every day for five days, and they were required to spend the money on the exact same thing each time. The researchers randomly assigned participants to spend the money either on themselves or on someone else, such as by leaving money in a tip jar at the same cafe or making an online donation to the same charity every day. The participants reflected on their spending experience and overall happiness at the end of each day. The data collected from a total of 96 participants showed that participants started off with similar levels of self-reported happiness and those who spent money on themselves reported a steady decline in happiness over the five-day period. However, happiness did not seem to fade for those who gave their money to someone else. The joy from giving for the fifth time in a row was just as strong as it was at the start. The researchers then conducted a second experiment online, which allowed them to keep the tasks consistent across participants. In the experiment, 502 participants played 10 rounds of a word puzzle game. They won five cents per round, which they either kept or donated to a charity of their choice. After each round, participants disclosed the degree to which winning made them feel happy, elated, and joyful. Again, the self-reported happiness of those who gave their winnings away declined far more slowly than did the happiness reported by those who kept their winnings. Further analyses ruled out some potential alternative explanations, such as the possibility that participants who gave to others had to think longer and harder about what to give, which could promote higher happiness. The researchers note that when people focus on an outcome, such as getting paid, they can easily compare outcomes, which diminishes their sensitivity to each experience. When people focus on an action, such as donating to a charity, they may focus less on comparison and instead experience each act of giving as a unique happiness-inducing event. People may also be slower to adapt to happiness generated by giving because giving to others helps one maintain his prosocial reputation, reinforcing sense of social connection and belonging, the researchers noted. The study has been published in Psychological Science. Syrian soldiers celebrate victory after entering the town of Dael in the countryside of the southern province of Daraa, Syria, on July 1, 2018. (Xinhua File photo) DAMASCUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The year 2018 has witnessed a series of key events in war-torn Syria, which led to recent indications that the country is on track to restore relations with its Arab neighbors as the war looks set to wind down in 2019, especially after the United States decided in December to withdraw all its troops from Syria. MILITARY VICTORIES IN SUCCESSION With the help of its Russian ally and the pro-government forces, the Syrian army has achieved a succession of military victories that further consolidated its grip in the country. In May, the army secured the entire vicinity of the capital Damascus, capturing the sprawling Eastern Ghouta countryside which was the main bastion of the rebels in eastern Damascus and an immense threat to the capital. Later in the month, the army defeated the Islamic State (IS) militants in southern Damascus, mainly in the Yarmouk Camp area, further expanding the safety ring around the capital. Also in May, the last batch of rebels left the Syrian central city of Homs, a hub city that connects southern areas, including the capital, with northern areas and has oil and gas fields in its countryside. In July, the army secured Quneitra Province in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a month before it stripped the rebels of the birthplace of the Syrian war: Daraa Province near the Jordanian border. Meanwhile, the Syrian government secured the entire borderline with Jordan, and officially re-opened the Nasib Border Crossing, one of the most important land crossings in the region which allows the flow of goods from Lebanon to Jordan and further to the Gulf states. In addition, large swathes of territories on the Syrian-Iraqi border were also recaptured by the Syrian army. With the military victories by the government, the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan have also started returning over the past few months to their villages and towns retaken by the army. Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters march with arms on the streets in Idlib, Syria, on Feb. 10, 2012. (Xinhua File photo) DE-ESCALATION ZONE IN IDLIB Russia, main ally of the Syrian government, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, reached a deal in September to create a de-escalation zone in and around the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The de-escalation deal, also covering the northern countryside of Hama Province and the northeastern countryside of Latakia Province, has restored relative calm in these areas despite sporadic violations. However, the Syrian government has made it clear that its ultimate goal is to regain control of Idlib from the ultra-radical rebel groups. In addition, the government said the areas controlled by the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in northern and northeastern Syria will be put back on the agenda after the Idlib issue is solved The flag of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is seen over the UAE embassy in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 27, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) REBOOTING DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT The re-capture of key areas has put the Syrian government in a better position to buckle up on the diplomatic levels. On Nov. 18, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad was cited by the pro-government al-Watan newspaper as saying the government welcomes any step conducive to the return of Arab embassies to the capital Damascus. "We welcome any step that could help in returning the embassies of Arab countries to work in Syria," said Mekdad. On Thursday afternoon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially reopened its embassy in Syria after six years of closure, marking the first state of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to resume diplomatic work in the war-torn country. On Dec. 16, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir paid a hours-long visit to Damascus, the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian crisis erupted in 2011, apparently marking a prelude to the restoration of normal Arab relations with Syria, and even its return to the Arab League. During his brief yet significant visit, the Sudanese president highlighted his country's support to Syria, saying Sudan is ready to provide whatever needed to support the territorial integrity and unity of Syria. For his part, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said al-Bashir's visit will give a strong push toward restoring the bilateral relations to what they were before the war. According to al-Watan newspaper, Iraqi President Barham Salih will visit Syria soon to discuss the reopening of the border between the two countries. On Monday, al-Watan said Ali Mamlouk, chief of Syrian security services, visited Egypt over the weekend upon an official invitation of the Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo. On Nov. 19, a delegation of Jordanian parliamentarians visited Syria in an attempt to break the ice between the two governments for years. The more positive Arab attitudes toward Syria come against the division in the Arab world over the Syrian civil war as some countries side with the government while others, such as the Gulf states, openly support the insurgency. Bassam Abu Abdallah, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Damascus University, told Xinhua that these diplomatic visits are all indications of detente in 2019, and even the rhetoric of Saudi Arabia on Syria has become less sharp. Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) chat with members of U.S. forces in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria, on April 29, 2017. (Reuters File photo) U.S. DECISION TO EXIT SYRIA However, the most significant development in Syria in 2018 is the U.S. abrupt decision in December to withdraw all its troops from Syria, as long demanded by the government of President al-Assad. The U.S. forces stepped in the Syrian war in 2014, first supporting some rebel groups before ending up backing the Kurdish militia in northern Syria in its fight against the IS. In a recent phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly said the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Syria will be slow and coordinated. The ongoing U.S. withdrawal will apparently leave the Kurdish militants in northern Syria with only two choices, either to confront the planned Turkish military campaign or to return under the umbrella of the Syrian government. The latter one seems to be a better bet as the Syrian army declared on Friday that it had entered Manbij, a key northern city which lies about 30km south of the Turkish border, at the invitation of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) which had withdrawn from the city. Muhannad Haj Ali, a Syrian lawmaker, described the U.S. presence in Syria as "an act of aggression," saying its withdrawal would help the political process in Syria. "The withdrawal comes as part of a Russian pressure on the United States to pull out in order to accelerate the Syrian political process and find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis," he told Xinhua. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 01:21:58|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday held a telephone conversation, expressing their willingness to push for implementation of their agreements reached during the G-20 summit in Argentina. Trump wished Xi and the Chinese people a happy new year, saying that the U.S.-China relations are very important and closely followed by the whole world. He said he values the great relations with Xi, adding that he is pleased to see the teams of both countries are working hard to implement the important consensus reached between him and Xi during their meeting in Argentina. Trump said relevant talks and coordination are producing positive progress. He hopes results will be reached to the benefit of both U.S. and Chinese peoples as well as people of all nations. Xi, for his part, extended best wishes to Trump and the U.S. people upon the arrival of the new year. Xi said both he and Trump hope to push for a stable progress of the China-U.S. relations, adding that the bilateral ties are now in a vital stage. The Chinese president said he and Trump had a very successful meeting early this month and reached important consensus in Argentina. The teams from both countries have since been actively working to implement such consensus, he said, expressing hopes that both teams can meet each other halfway and reach an agreement beneficial to both countries and the world as early as possible. Xi said next year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the United States and China, adding that China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and appreciates the willingness of the U.S. side to develop cooperative and constructive bilateral relations. China is willing to work with the United States to summarize the experience of 40 years of the development of China-U.S. relations, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in fields of economy and trade, military, law enforcement, anti-drug operations, local issues and culture, Xi said. Xi added that China is also willing to work with the United States to maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, respect each other's important interests, promote China-U.S. relations based on coordination, cooperation and stability, and let the development of bilateral relations better benefit the two peoples and people around the world. The two heads of state also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Xi reiterated that China encourages and supports further talks between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and hopes for positive results. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 01:26:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian army commander said on Saturday that Iran has built radars with "world's modern technology" to monitor satellites and operations of drones and ballistic missiles, Tehran Times daily reported. The radars "could monitor satellites in low earth orbit, monitor precise operations of drones and ballistic missiles deployed to destroy warships," said Hossein Salami, second-in-command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Salami did not provide further details on the specifications of the radars. Meanwhile, Manouchehr Manteqi, head of Iran's National Space Center, confirmed Iran's ability to build low-earth-orbit satellites. "We have been able to attain technology and infrastructures to design and build experimental satellites and explorer rockets and launch (satellites) to the low earth orbit," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 01:27:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TBILISI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The British multi-role hydrographic survey ship, Echo, commissioned by the Royal Navy, on Saturday entered Georgia's Black Sea port Batumi for a friendly visit. According to a statement posted on the official website of the country's government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, this visit is a symbol for Britain to express its support for security in the Black Sea region. "The United Kingdom has always been supportive of Georgian Euro-Atlantic integration, territorial integrity and sovereignty. The visit of the HMS Echo reaffirms the dynamic cooperation between the two countries," said Tornike Rijvadze, chairman of the government of Adjara, during the welcoming ceremony in Batumi. The survey ship Echo will leave Batumi on Dec. 30. The statement did not mention details about Echo's scheduling in the Black Sea. Being committed to joining NATO and EU, Georgia has stepped up military cooperation with European countries in recent years. Every year, NATO ships are invited to make port calls in Batumi. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 03:52:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-backed Yemeni government denied reports claiming that the Houthi rebels had withdrawn from the strategic sea port in Hodeidah province on Saturday. The country's Saba News Agency quoted an official as saying that during a previous meeting, the head of the United Nations monitoring team, Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, handed over the representatives of the two-warring sides a memorandum requesting them to submit their perspectives on the cease-fire and the redeployment next Tuesday. The official said that "the government's delegation told Cammaert that they reject any measures or unilateral actions, emphasizing that any decision must be made through formal means and by approval from the UN redeployment committee." According to Saba, the government official confirmed that the Houthis' statement on the redeployment in the port of Hodeidah is a clear attempt to maneuver around Sweden peace deal regarding the port which is not acceptable and is considered a violation that might lead to the deal's failure. The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel reported that the legitimate government of Yemen did not receive any notification about Houthis' withdrawal from Hodeidah's port. No official statements have been issued yet by the United Nations special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths or the head of the UN-led monitoring team of Hodeidah's cease-fire General Cammaert to confirm or deny. Earlier in the day, the Houthi rebels said that they have begun to withdraw from Hodeidah port as per a UN-brokered peace deal reached in Stockholm two weeks ago. "According to the Stockholm agreement, our forces have begun since last night (Friday) to implement the first phase of redeployment from Hodeidah port," the Houthis said in a statement released by their official media outlets. "We call on the UN-led cease-fire monitoring committee to obligate the other side (government forces) to begin withdrawal from the eastern part of Hodeidah city," the statement added. Both the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels agreed to a cessation of hostilities following a deal brokered by the UN in Stockholm. The cease-fire deal signed between high-ranking officials of the two-warring rivals under the auspices of the UN demanded full withdrawal of all armed groups from Hodeidah and its strategic sea ports. According to the deal, the UN will manage the port and supervise the re-deployment of neutral forces there to prevent military escalation, while local forces will help with the maintenance of law and order in the city. On Wednesday, the UN-led team tasked with monitoring a cease-fire held the first meeting with the presence of retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, head of the joint committee which includes both government officials and representatives from the Houthi rebel group. During the first days of the cease-fire that went into effect last week, tense calm was observed in the neighborhoods of Hodeidah despite heavy deployment of fighters of the two-warring sides inside and around the city. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook Sanaa and toppled the government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015. The war has killed more than 10,000 people and created a serious humanitarian crisis. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 04:17:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan security services have arrested a Swiss citizen over suspected links to the previously arrested people following the murdering of two foreign tourists in a mountainous area in central Morocco, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday. According to a statement from the ministry, the suspect, who also holds a Spanish nationality and resides in Morocco, was arrested in the tourist hub of Marrakesh. The statement said that the arrested man is suspected of being involved in providing training to other arrested people and engaging in the recruitment of Moroccan and sub-Saharan African citizens to terrorist organizations in Morocco. The bodies of two women tourists, a Danish and a Norwegian, were found on Dec. 17 near the tourist village of Imlil, 60 kilometers away from the city of Marrakech. The initial investigations revealed that the detainee holds "extremist and violent" ideology. The authorities are probing the murdering as a "terrorist act" and some 20 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing, including the four alleged murderers. 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| 2018-12-30 04:57:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Caretaker Economy Minister Raed Khoury said Saturday that Lebanon could lose 11 billion U.S. dollars allocated by CEDRE conference to revamp the country's ailing infrastructure if it fails to form government, local media reported. "If we continue without a government and we fail to start very soon with reforms needed to qualify for CEDRE, we will lose the 11 billion U.S. dollars," Khoury told Elnashra, an online independent newspaper, in an exclusive interview. Khoury said that the international community is willing to help Lebanon only if the country fulfills its promises by implementing the needed reforms including fighting corruption, reforming the public finances and public administration. The minister said that Lebanon needs CEDRE's money to invest them in the country's infrastructure and attract investors. "We cannot go on this way. Officials must make fast and serious decisions for reforms in a bit to get out of this crisis," he said. Lebanon secured the loans and grants from international donors at CEDRE, an international conference in support of Lebanon development and reforms, to revamp its ailing infrastructure and bolster its economy. Economists have on many occasions emphasized that authorities must speed up the formation of the new government to start necessary reforms to obtain the help pledged at CEDRE. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-30 05:12:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TUNIS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Berber man with a donkey was walking along the rocky path leading to the ksours, known as "castles of the desert" on hilltop, which overlooked the ancient Berber village of Chenini in Tataouine region of southern Tunisia. "Berbers have lived in the Chenini mountainous cave houses since the 11th century," 27-year-old tour guide Boubaker Zayene said. "So the donkey is our Berber taxi, a typical local transportation." "The ksours from the third to fifth layer on the mountain is already abandoned, because Berbers in Chenini now mainly live on growing olive and tourism," Zayen added. "They still live in the traditional cave houses in the first and second layer of the mountain," according to the man. Among the ksours on the mountain, where Berbers protected their stores of grain, salted meat, fish and olive oil in the past for centuries, foreign tourists now are taking photos and exploring history. Indigenous to the North African region, Berbers are mainly found in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. As for Tunisia, most Berbers live in the southern mountainous part of the country, gradually welcoming more visitors. After climbing a series of steep steps, a guesthouse with a set of cave suites converted from traditional Berber house in Chenini, enabled tourists to closely observe the Berber customs. "Sleeping in the Berber troglodyte room, which remains 18 degrees Celsius all year round ... is quite an unique experience," said Emily Mirren, a tourist from Britain. "I also enjoy the traditional cuisine," Mirren added. Ahmed Saadi, 25-year-old manager of this guesthouse, said that "besides foreigners from all over the world ... people from northern Tunisia also come here for holidays." Zayene said that there are only 86 families of 684 inhabitants still living in Chenini, as many families have left their original houses towards new towns and villages. "Amazigh (Berber) cultural heritage is deeply rooted in the country. For example, three quarters of our dialect are based on Amazigh terms and our Tunisian cuisine is based on Amazigh dishes," said Tayeb Ouertani, an expert in traditional Tunisian heritage, who works in Tunisian Ministry of Education. "Tunisian government should protect Amazigh language as a national heritage, because this oldest language found in Tunisia is shrinking now," Ouertani added. "Before the 2011 uprising, there was a large number of tourists, but after that, few visitors came here," Saadi said. According to Saadi, "the number of visitors has been gradually recovering since last year. However, I still feel unsure about the future of Berber village." "As there is no job here, many young people have already moved out and the majority of the village are elderly people," the manager added. Saadi's friend, 35-year-old local tour guide Hadi Aloui said that "If we also leave, who will protect our Berber history? There are some other Berber villages that have already disappeared." Ouertani pointed out that the preservation of Berber history, customs and culture in Tunisia is the duty of every Tunisian citizen. Tunisia government should protect the Berber heritage, which will create opportunities for tourism. According to Aloui, he would marry a Berber woman and raise children in Chenini to continue their culture. "It's very hard to live here, but I won't go to other places. As long as we stick to our jobs here, tourists who come here will get chances to discover our culture," he said. "I was born here. I love my hometown, and I'm proud of our history," said Saadi. "We need to protect our identity from disappearing." Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar (C), U.S. Chief of General Staff Gen Joseph Dunford (L) and Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov hold talks on regional security issues with Syria and Iraq top on the agenda, in Antalya, Turkey, March 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Turkish Armed Forces) MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian and Turkish military will continue to coordinate their steps to eradicate terrorism in Syria after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday. He made the remarks at a press conference here following talks attended by his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of both countries. The parties agreed to continue work in strict compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, including unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, Lavrov said. They also outlined concrete measures to intensify joint work aimed at creating conditions for more Syrian refugees to return to their homes, he said. Cavusoglu added that the parties discussed steps to implement the memorandum on the creation of a demilitarized zone in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. In September, Russia and Turkey decided to set up a demilitarized zone between the armed opposition and the government troops in Idlib bordering Turkey. The deal was partially implemented in terms of reducing the rate of violence and the withdrawal of heavy weapons of the rebels from the designated zone, but some ultra-radical rebels refused to comply. Cum economisesti bani la factura de energie electrica, de fapt. Ce trebuie sa ai in bucatarie, neaparat Lunile de iarna au venit, iar facturile la lumina ii ingrijoreaza pe toti romanii. Indiferent ca stai la bloc sau la curte, oamenii cauta tot felul de trucuri utile pentru a micsora [citeste mai departe] PATNA: Suraj Nandan Kushwaha, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) in Bihar, died after suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest in the early hours of Saturday. Kushwaha complained of uneasiness at around 3 am. He was immediately rushed to the Sai Hospital and later shifted to Magadh hospital, informed state health minister Mangal Pandey. Patna/Ranchi: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha and new entrant to the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) Mukesh Sahni met Lalu Prasad in a Ranchi jail Saturday as part of the process for seat-sharing in the opposition coalition in Bihar for the 2019 general election. Lalu is lodged at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on medical grounds, after his conviction in the multi-crore-rupee fodder scam cases. Sources close to the jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo said preliminary talks were held between Prasad and the three leaders regarding seat-sharing in the anti-NDA grouping. The RJD is the pivot of the "Mahagathbandhan" in Bihar and hence, Prasad's approval in finalising the allocation of seats is required. The ruling Janata Dal (United), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, poked fun at the leaders going to the Hotwar jail in Ranchi to "prostrate" before the imprisoned RJD supremo for finalisation of the seat-sharing. At present, the Grand Alliance in Bihar comprises the Congress, the RJD, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Sahni's fledgling outfit, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). Sahni, a Bollywood set designer-turned-politician who has launched the VIP, joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) grouping last Sunday, hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the JD(U) and the Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Delhi announced the seat-sharing formula among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents for the 40 Lok Sabha segments in Bihar. After the meeting with Prasad, Kushwaha, accompanied by Sahni, told reporters in Ranchi that the talks were primarily about the RJD supremo's health. "There were some political discussions also, the details of which we need not make public. But, of course, we discussed the strategy to defeat the BJP-led NDA in both Bihar and Jharkhand," he added. To a pointed query on seat-sharing among the Grand Alliance constituents, the RLSP chief said it would be discussed at a later stage. "All the alliance partners were not present today. A seat-sharing formula must be arrived at in the presence of representatives of all the constituents," he added. Asked whether he hoped for a bigger share in the Grand Alliance compared to when the RLSP was in the NDA, which had offered him only two of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, Kushwaha, who also reportedly wants the Chatra seat in Jharkhand for his confidant Nagmani, said, "Wait for the opportune time, you will get to know." Prasad's younger son and RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav also met the party supremo after Kushwaha and told reporters that there was no hurry to announce a seat-sharing formula. "Our priority is to make the NDA bite the dust and not to make the number of seats a prestige issue," he said. Meanwhile, Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha told a regional news channel in Patna that the seat-sharing formula would be worked out only after January 14. "We think the Congress should get at least 12 (seats), but we will also have to take into account that we have to accommodate many constituents," he said. January 14 is the date on which "Kharmas", a month considered inauspicious, ends. Prasad had reportedly sought the deferment of a decision on seat-sharing until that date, Jha said. Meanwhile, the JD(U) launched a stinging attack on Prasad and former Union minister Kushwaha over the meeting of the two leaders in Ranchi. JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar issued a statement referring to Prasad as the "prisoner no. 3351" of the Hotwar jail and accused Kushwaha, whom he did not refer by name, of going to the Jharkhand capital to perform a "dandwat" (prostration) before the imprisoned RJD supremo. "I had predicted that seat-sharing in the Mahagathbandhan will have to follow a dandwat by all the constituents at the Hotwar jail. It has been proved right," he said. In a dig at Prasad over the allegations of illegal land deals levelled against him, most notably by Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, the JD(U) spokesperson hoped that those visiting the "prisoner no. 3351" had carried the records of their assets as they would have to part with some of those in return for an assurance of a ticket from Prasad. New Delhi: A resident of Jhajjar district in Haryana was arrested for allegedly killing a man over a property dispute in Delhi, police said on Friday. One country-made pistol, two live cartridges, property documents and ID card of the deceased, identified as Parveen alias Kalu Banjara, were recovered from the accused's house, police said. Parveen's body was found lying in a pool of blood in the industrial area of Nangli Sakrawati, Najafgarh on December 12, they said. He had several bullet injuries on his forehead and rest of the body, they added. Acting on a tip-off, police laid a trap and arrested Satish Kumar alias Shakti Dada from the Khaira Road in Najafgarh on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said. During interrogation, Satish revealed that two more people were involved with him in the murder, the DCP said. He said one of the two men had assured him to help in becoming the "don" of Bahadurgarh area if he committed one or two more murders, Alphonse said. On December 12, Satish and the two other men took Parveen to Najafgarh and then after killing him, they fled from the spot with his property papers, the officer said. Police said the two men are yet to be arrested. New Delhi: The air quality in Delhi was recorded in the 'very poor' category on Saturday, but remained on the brink of turning 'severe' due to drop in temperature and unfavourable meteorological conditions slowing down dispersion of pollutants, the authorities said. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data showed the overall air quality index (AQI) in the national capital at 389 and 369, respectively - both of which fall in the 'very poor' category. The air quality slipped briefly into the 'severe' category on Saturday morning but turned 'very poor' by afternoon. Delhi's air quality has been oscillating between 'very poor' and 'severe' categories for the past 10 days. According to CPCB data, 15 areas recorded 'severe' pollution, while 21 areas witnessed 'very poor' air quality. In the national capital region (NCR), Ghaziabad recorded 'severe' air quality, while Faridabad, Gurgaon and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality. The overall PM2.5 level - fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometer - was recorded at 234 and the PM10 level at 380 in Delhi, the CPCB said. The national capital recorded its second highest pollution level of the year Sunday with an AQI of 450. The air quality remained 'severe' Monday and Tuesday. There was a slight drop in the pollution level and the air quality moved to the 'very poor' category Wednesday. On Thursday, the air quality again worsened and turned 'severe'. According to the SAFAR, Delhi's air quality has deteriorated slightly and touched upper side of the 'very poor' category. "Air quality over Delhi is very poor which may improve slightly as winds are relatively high during day but predicted to deteriorate by tomorrow as winds speed is unlikely to remain the same and other meteorological conditions are already not favourable. Cold wave conditions are likely to persist at least for next 2 days," the SAFAR said. "The air quality index will continue to fluctuate between 360-380 for the next 3 days which falls under upper side of 'very poor' category," it added. The SAFAR also pointed out that a consistent "day-night trend" is observed for the past one week. Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board has directed the Delhi Police to ensure the apex court order on burning fire crackers on New Year is complied with. In a notice earlier this week, CPCB Chairperson S P Singh Parihar asked the police commissioner to ensure the court order on burning green fire crackers for a stipulated period of two hours is complied with. The court had directed that bursting of crackers on Diwali and other festivals be limited to two hours and only "green firecrackers" be sold in Delhi and the National Capital Region. However, gross violations of the order were observed during Diwali with rampant burning of toxic firecrackers across the country. NEW DELHI: Alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal Christian Michel will remain in Enforcement Directorate's custody for seven more days, Delhi's Patiala House Court ruled on Saturday. The court also ordered Michels lawyers to maintain a distance while meeting him. The lawyers have been restricted to meeting Michel for 15 minutes every morning and evening. The order comes after the ED had sought a ban on Michel's lawyer's access to him alleging that the Britisher was being tutored from the outside. However, his lawyer Aljo K Joseph told court that Michel had a query regarding something and needed a legal opinion on the same. The lawyer admitted that Michel tried to give them something but it was immediately pointed out that he was slipping a paper and it was taken away before they could have a look. During the hearing, the ED said that Michel has named 'Mrs Gandhi' during the interrogation. ED also said that he has also spoken about 'the son of the Italian lady' and how he is going to become the 'next prime minister of the country'. The ED told the court that Michel has identified how the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was removed from the deal and was later offered to Tata instead. Michel had been sent to ED custody for seven days on December 22. He was arrested on December 5 after being extradited to India from Dubai. The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, finalised during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure, was mired in allegations of kickbacks. 54-year-old Michel is an accused in the case along with former India's Air Force Chief, Air Marshal SP Tyagi, among others. The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday told Delhi's Patiala House Court that the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland case Christian Michel has named 'Mrs Gandhi' during the interrogation. The ED also said that Michel has spoken about 'the son of the Italian lady' and how he is going to become the 'next prime minister of the country'. Agusta Westland case: Enforcement Directorate tells Delhi's Patiala House court that Christian Michel has taken the name of Mrs Gandhi but in what reference can't be said right now. pic.twitter.com/9foBKVd3V0 ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 The ED told the court that Michel has identified how the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was removed from the deal and was later offered to Tata instead. The law enforcement agency has sought a ban on the access of Michel's lawyer to him alleging that he is being tutored from outside. Meanwhile, Congress has claimed that there is pressure on Michel to name a particular family. "There is pressure on Michel to name a particular family, why is the chowkidaar trying to pressurize the govt agencies to name a family? BJP scriptwriters are working overtime," Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said. Reports suggest that the decision on granting of consular access to the British High Commission for Christian Michel has not been taken yet, sources confirmed. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had, on December 10, agreed to the British High Commission's request for consular access to the British citizen. Michel reportedly has access to his legal counsel and has been speaking to his family, in line with the orders from a Delhi court on December 11. Michel had been sent to Enforcement Directorate's (ED) custody for seven days on December 22. He was arrested on December 5 after being extradited to India from Dubai. The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, finalised during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure, was mired in allegations of kickbacks. 54-year-old Michel is an accused in the case along with former India's Air Force Chief, Air Marshal SP Tyagi, among others. Chennai: In yet another case of alleged medical negligence in Tamil Nadu, a woman has claimed that she contracted the HIV virus following blood transfusion at a government hospital where she underwent treatment for low haemoglobin. The government hospital has refuted the allegation. The affected woman said to be in her 20s, told a Tamil TV channel Friday she underwent the transfusion in April while being pregnant. She came to know she had HIV only when the hospital informed her after conducting tests in August when she went there for a check-up. The women said though she had been regularly visiting a local public health centre when she was pregnant, she was only administered vaccines there. "The blood transfusion happened at the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (GKMCH) only. That is where the mistake happened," she said. Refuting the allegation, hospital dean Dr P Vasanthamani said the woman was transfused with "100 per cent HIV free" blood. The woman claimed she had taken up the matter with the state government but to no avail. She had not gone public earlier as her relatives had warned her it will affect her reputation, she said. She was now coming out because even her relatives were not supporting her anymore, the woman added. Responding to the woman's allegation, Vasanthamani insisted there was no wrongdoing on the hospital's part and said two units of blood were given on different days in April and both were screened to ensure they were HIV negative. "As far as we are concerned, we gave only 100 per cent HIV free blood. There is no chance of her contracting the virus here," she told reporters Friday. The hospital had record and 'evidence' to show that only HIV negative blood was transfused, she asserted. After testing positive for the virus, the woman underwent treatment at the hospital for some time, Vasanthamani said. Her child, who was born recently through a caesarean section, tested negative for the virus, the dean added. When reporters sought state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar's reaction, he said he came to know about it only from the media and indicated he would respond later. Earlier, a 24-year-old pregnant woman at Sattur in Virudhunagar district contracted HIV allegedly after being transfused contaminated blood supplied by a blood bank which failed to conduct proper screening for the virus, prompting the Tamil Nadu government to order an examination of stocks in the state's blood banks. NEW DELHI: A political war of words has begun between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress after Enforcement Directorate revealed that alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland case Christian Michel has named 'Mrs Gandhi' and 'son of the Italian lady' during questioning. Launching an attack on the 'family' named by Michel, the BJP alleged that the former Congress-led Centre compromised with national security. "The revelations by ED show that there is son of Italian lady, big man and R involved. It points to a family. Congress government was a govt of corruption that compromised with national security," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said. Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that there is pressure on Michel to name a family. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said: "There is pressure on Michel to name a particular family, why is the chowkidaar trying to pressurise the government agencies to name a family? BJP scriptwriters are working over time." During the hearing, the ED told Delhi's Patiala House Court that Michel has named 'Mrs Gandhi' during the interrogation. ED also said that he has also spoken about 'the son of the Italian lady' and how he is going to become the 'next prime minister of the country'. The ED told the court that Michel has identified how the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was removed from the deal and was later offered to Tata instead. Michel will remain in Enforcement Directorate's custody for seven more days. The court ordered Michels lawyers to maintain a distance while meeting him. They have also restricted the time limit of lawyers to meet Michel to 15 minutes every morning and evening. The order comes after the ED had sought a ban on Michel's lawyer's access to him alleging that the Britisher was being tutored from the outside. However, his lawyer Aljo K Joseph told the court that Michel had a query regarding something and needed a legal opinion on the same. The lawyer admitted that Michel tried to give them something but it was immediately pointed out that he was slipping a paper and it was taken away before they could have a look. NEW DELHI: As per the initial draft on Kartarpur agreement which Pakistan will be purposing to India, the neighbouring country will be issuing a permit which to 500 people per day. Though it will be a visa-free travel, the pilgrims will have to carry Indian passport and will need a security clearance from India. As per the draft guidelines, the Indian government will also have to share with the details of the pilgrims and their security clearance certificate with Pakistan three days prior to their entry through the Kartarpur corridor. It is also proposed that the pilgrims must constitute a group of 15 people and the corridor will be open from 8 am to 5 pm. Both sides will be creating a database of pilgrims having names, travel history. The Indian side, however, is yet to receive the approximately 59-page draft. The draft also says that "Pakistan reserves the right to refuse entry, reduce the period of stay or terminate the stay in its territory of any pilgrim despite grant of permit" if it considers "the pilgrim is found undesirable for security or other purpose". In case of a dispute, the draft claims that the issue will be "amicably settled between parties through the diplomatic channel". Any side can terminate the agreement any time by giving one month notice. The agreement also does not affect the existing commitments on border security, the draft states. On November 22, Indian Cabinet passed a resolution to celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji in 2019 and approved the building of Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur District till the border. On the same day, Delhi informed Islamabad through Pakistan's high commission in Delhi its decision to build Kartarpur Corridor and urged Pakistan to develop a corridor in their territory from the International Border to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib. Pakistan opened the Kartarpur border in November to facilitate visa-free pilgrimage by Indian Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Narowal district, where Sikhism`s founder Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the groundbreaking ceremony on November 28 to develop the Kartarpur corridor to link Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India with Kartarpur gurdwara in the presence of Indian Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hardeep Puri and Congress party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. On November 26, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor in Gurdaspur. Pakistan assured that it will keep improving the Kartarpur corridor and provide maximum facilities to the pilgrims when they visit in November 2019 to celebrate Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary. Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Minister of State (IC) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri attended the groundbreaking ceremony on the Pakistan side as representatives of the Government of India. India has been doubtful on Pakistan's intentions with comments like googly remarks exposing Islamabad. Reacting to the remarks, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said a few days ago, "Some people went from here went there and certain comments were made from that side, so I think there is hardly any need to speak further on this issue. I think their intentions on doing this thing was not with clear conscious which we felt from their certain statements." Transport Ministry is the nodal Ministry for building and development of the corridor while Home Ministry is the nodal Ministry for coordinating with the concerned authorities, including the local Government. A High-Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been constituted to review, monitor and oversee the activities as approved by the Union Cabinet for implementation of the decisions of the Cabinet. The much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Guru Nanak Dev. NEW DELHI: The Triple Talaq Bill will be moved in Rajya Sabha on 31 December, days after it was passed in Lok Sabha earlier this week. The Bill will be moved in the Upper House by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill criminalises the practice of instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks to protect the rights of married Muslim women. After the passage of the Bill in Lok Sabha for the second time in less than a year after a heated debate, Prasad had hoped that the Bill will get the support needed in Rajya Sabha. "I appreciate the maturity of the Rajya Sabha and also the sensitivity of the issue. We believe that we will get support in the Rajya Sabha," the Law Minister said. He also said that the Bill should not be about "political opposition" as it talks about justice for woman victims of Triple Talaq. Piloting the bill, the Law Minister also said that it was not against any particular community. "Everybody said that Triple Talaq is wrong but they (opposition) also added that don't make it a criminal offence. It's a strange logic. It was also said that this does not happen in other religions. But the fact is that the practice of triple talaq is not in any other religion," he said. The passage of the bill in Rajya Sabha is likely to be a difficult task for the government as it lacks the numbers that it enjoys in the Lok Sabha. The Bill had been passed in Lok Sabha with 245 voting in its favour and 11 opposing the legislation. Most opposition parties had staged a walkout. Opposition parties, including the Congress, and some regional parties such as the AIADMK, have expressed their reservations against the bill. LUCKNOW/PORT BLAIR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and Ghazipur on Saturday and head to Andaman and Nicobar Islands later in the day. This is PM Modi's second visit in two months to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. The visit comes growing growing pressure from partners in the ruling NDA alliance, ahead of Lok Sabha 2019 elections scheduled to be held in April-May next year. PM Modi will unveil the postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldeo and address public rally in Ghazipur. Later he will naugurate the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) on the campus of National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) in Varanasi. He will also attend 'One District, One Product' Regional Summit at Deendayal Hastakala Sankul in Varanasi. On Saturday evening, the Prime Minister will land on Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands where he's scheduled to stay till December 30. During the two-day visit, PM Modi will visit the Tsunami Memorial at Car Nicobar where he will lay a wreath at the memorial and light a candle at the Wall of Lost Souls. He will inaugurate the ITI at Arong, and lay the Foundation Stone for some infrastructure projects and address a public meeting. At Netaji Stadium, the Prime Minister will release a commemorative postal stamp, coin and first-day cover to mark the 75th Anniversary of the hoisting of Tricolour on Indian soil by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Odisha on January 5 and January 16, 2019. He is scheduled to visit Baripada in Mayurbhanj district in northern Odisha on January 5 and is slated to address a public meeting at Bolangir in the western part of the state on January 16, state BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said. The back to back visits of the prime minister is seen as BJP's efforts to strengthen the party's network in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections. The state assembly polls are slated to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik heading his BJD government will seek re-election for the fifth straight time. At least three helmets were recovered on Saturday morning from the site of the coal mine accident in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district where 15 miners are believed to be stranded for more than a fortnight. The miners are trapped in a 370-feet deep illegal mine in Lumthari village in the district since December 13, when water from the nearby River Lytein flooded the mine. East Jaintia Hills in #Meghalaya:: Visuals of operations underway to rescue the trapped miners. pic.twitter.com/r8xbSYKNuj ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 Assistant Commandant Santosh Kumar Singh from the 1st Battalion of NDRF said: "Three helmets have been recovered." Earlier, the search operations had been called off by the Meghalaya government as high-pressure pumps to help in the rescue were not available with the state government. After the state government requested high-pressure pumps to drain out the water, a 15-member diving team of the Indian Navy from Vishakhapatnam left for Meghalaya on Friday with specialised equipment, including high-pressure pumps. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also provided two aircraft to the Meghalaya government for airlifting specialist personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Odisha for helping in the rescue operations. The Defence Ministry has said it is prepared to provide any help to the state government. The IAF, Coal India Limited (CIL) and leading pump manufacturing company Kirloskar Brothers' Limited had joined the rescue effort. Two teams from Kirloskar Brothers reached the site Thursday, 15 days after the tragedy struck. "We are deeply concerned about the trapped miners in Meghalaya and are ready to help in whichever way possible. We are in touch with the officials of the Government of Meghalaya to offer our assistance in this regard," Kirloskar Brothers Ltd said in a statement late Wednesday night. IAF and CIL teams are expected to reach the mine on Friday. IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said the National Disaster Management Authority has requested the IAF to airlift rescuers from Bhubaneswar to either Guwahati or Shillong airport on Friday. Singh on Friday told news agency ANI, "The situation is hopeful, the high-pressure pumps are arriving on site, I don`t want to comment on when they will arrive, but I am hopeful. The earlier pumps were not working well, so as soon as the pumps arrive, we are hopeful the water level will recede and we will further operate." Earlier, a senior government official told news agency PTI that the teams will assess the situation including the road condition leading to the mine in a remote area in the district and accordingly report to their office, which will then take a call on what equipment is required to launch a rescue operation. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) national vice president Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha on Friday quit the party and joined the ruling JD(U) along with his supporters. He asserted the NDA would win the 2019 elections in Bihar. Kushwaha joined the JD(U) at the party office in Patna in the presence of party's state unit president Bashishtha Narayan Singh, Education Minister Krishnandan Prasad Verma and others along with his hundreds of workers and office-bearers of RLSP. His exit from RLSP may prove to be another jolt for Upendra Kushwaha as his three legislators- Sudhanshu Shekhar, Lalan Paswan and Sanjeev Shyam Singh (ML)- have already announced that they would chart a different path than that of the party head Upendra Kushwaha. Out of RLSP's three MPs, Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar is a dissident while Sitamarhi MP Ram Kumar Sharma is with the RLSP chief. Upendra Kushwaha is the third MP of the party. Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, the former Bihar minister, said that "I have left the RLSP and joining JD(U) with RLSP's 35 state-level office-bearers and 1200 workers after Upendra Kushwaha decided to leave NDA and join UPA." "When I joined the RLSP, my condition was that it should remain with the NDA. What Kushwaha has done (by severing ties with NDA) was not liked by the party's rank and file. I tried my level best to ensure that Upendra Kushwaha should remain with NDA but he (Upendra) started feeling unease after Nitish Kumar joined the NDA," he said. Stating that he and his supporters want to be the part of Bihar's development story under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, Kushwaha said that "2019 Lok Sabha election is a challenge and 2020 (assembly elections in the state) is a much bigger challenge but we will win both 2019 and 2020 elections." Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha- who had served in many parties earlier like CPI(ML), RJD, JD(U), Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party- is a fellow OBC caste man of Upendra Kushwaha which constitute a sizeable number of votes in the state. He said that he has supported Nitish government's social programmes like prohibition, the campaign against dowry and child marriage apart from its development saga especially the improvement in primary and middle schools and power availability across the state. Earlier, state JD(U) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Bashishtha Narayan Singh welcomed Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha and his 1200 supporters and workers into the party fold and said that it would strengthen the party. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirron Kher on Saturday backed her husband Anupam Kher-starrer 'The Accidental Prime Minister'. Calling it a 'pathbreaking' film, Kirron said that the movie should be India's official entry to Oscars this year. "It's a pathbreaking film. People who speak of freedom of speech i.e Rahul Gandhi must now practice what he preaches. Anupam told me people will fall in love with Manmohan Singh ji. It should be Indias official entry to the Oscars," the BJP MP said. Anupam Kher essays the role of former prime minister Manmohan Singh's role in the film. Ever since the trailer of the movie was released, there has been a lot of buzz about it with the Congress claiming that facts have been distorted. The Congress and the BJP got into a war of words after the saffron party tweeted the trailer of the movie from its official Twitter handle. "Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years. Was Dr Singh just a regent who was holding on to the PM's chair till the time heir was ready? Watch the official trailer of 'TheAccidentalPrimeMinister', based on an insider's account, releasing on 11 January," the BJP said after the launch of the film's trailer. Claiming that there was a political motive behind the movie, the Congress workers in Maharashtra demanded a special screening ahead of the release. They threatened that they will not allow the movie to release if the special screening is not held or if the film is not based on facts. The Congress has termed the film as "BJP's propaganda" against their party and said that such propaganda would not work and the truth shall prevail. However, Anupam Kher said that he has given his "life's best performance" in the movie. He added that the film should be seen as a creative endeavour and not an attempt to support a political party. The film's trailer shows Singh as a victim of the Congress' internal politics ahead of the 2014 general elections. NEW DELHI: The Government of India on Saturday condemned Friday's deadly terror attack in Egypt targeting a tourist bus that claimed four lives and injured 10 people. "We condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on the tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt on December 28 in which innocent lives were lost," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "We convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery for those injured," it stated. "We stand with the government and people of Egypt in their fight against terrorism," the MEA statement said. Ministry of External* Affairs: India* condemns the cowardly terrorist attack on the bus near #Giza Pyramids in Egypt y'day in which innocent lives were lost.We convey heartfelt condolences to families of deceased&wish speedy recovery.We stand with Egypt in fight against terrorism https://t.co/SJSgBmDTpA ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 The statement from the MEA came a day after at least four persons were killed and 10 wounded in an explosion on Friday targeting a bus carrying Vietnamese tourists on an excursion to the Giza pyramids. Three of the tourists were killed along with the tour guide, an Egyptian citizen, while the bus driver and nine other Vietnamese were injured. In a major crackdown after the terror attack, the Egyptian security forces killed 40 suspected extremists during operations in several parts of the country. The operation was in response to the attack on a tourist bus a day before that claimed four lives, the Egyptian officials said. The operations were carried out in the Governorate of Giza and the Sinai Peninsula after an explosion on Friday targeted a bus carrying Vietnamese tourists on an excursion to the Giza pyramids, leaving four people dead and several others wounded. No terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The country's Interior Ministry said that the explosion took place when a makeshift explosive device placed next to a wall on Al-Marioteya Road was detonated as the bus went past. Vietnam's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said he was "deeply saddened" by the attack. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that it proposed the Egyptian government to grant emergency visas to the relatives of the victims. Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez called the attack an act of terrorism. "The bombing of the tourist bus in El-Maryoutiya, a despicable, cowardly terrorist act which targets what cannot be targeted: The determination of Egypt and the Egyptians," he tweeted. This was Egypt's first attack against tourists using explosives since late 2015, when a bomb blew a Russian airliner out of the skies above the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people aboard. The country has been under a state of emergency since April 2017, following a series of terror attacks against Coptic Christian churches in the Nile delta. New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday blamed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, saying if he had not interfered in the functioning of Sardar Patel (then Home Minister), the situation would have been different in the state. Intervening during a debate in the Lok Sabha on a presidential proclamation imposing President`s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh launched a veiled attack on Congress calling it a "rasoighar ki party (party of kitchen)". Singh said the reason to implement President`s rule in the state was that no party came forward to stake its claim to form government there. Explaining the political situation in the state that led to the imposition of President`s Rule, he said that the BJP formed a coalition with People`s Democratic Party (PDP) amid a fractured mandate. "It was the people`s mandate. Had we not formed the government, the people would had blamed us that we fled and did not form the government," he said. As Singh was speaking, Congress Mallikarjun Kharge suggested the minister that the BJP should learn from the history what Nehru did. Singh aggressively countered it. "The current situation in Kashmir is an outcome of a series of blunders of successive Congress governments in the state starting with the Nehruvian blunder," he said. "If Nehru had not intervened in the functioning of Patel, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir would have been different today," Singh said. Referring to the Central government`s view towards Jammu and Kashmir and attacking the Congress, Singh said: "We are ready for elections. We are not a party of kitchen where things are decided by mother and son while eating their food. "Elections in Jammu and Kashmir were opposed by those who ruined the state in over 50 years," he said. He said BJP`s history was linked with the state, and that its leader Shayama Prasad Mukherjee`s sacrifice was the biggest example of that. BENGALURU: Hitting out at Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the BJP on Saturday dubbed him as an "accidental CM" over his decision to go abroad with his family to celebrate the New Year at a time when many parts of the state were reeling under drought. ''After new govt was formed 377 farmers have ended their lives 156 talukas declared drought-hit, loan waiver has still not been done, Karnataka has slipped to a debt-ridden state & here we have the so-called son of soil CM @hd_kumaraswamy celebrating new year in Singapore (sic)," the Karnataka unit of the BJP said in a tweet. After new govt was formed 377 farmers have ended their lives 156 talukas declared drought-hit Loan waiver has still not been done Karnataka has slipped to a debt ridden state & here we have the so called son of soil CM @hd_kumaraswamy celebrating new year in Singapore. BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 29, 2018 "If there was a movie titled #AccidentalCM who will play the role of @hd_kumaraswamy?" the saffron party said in another tweet. If there was a movie titled #AccidentalCM who will play the role of @hd_kumaraswamy ? BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 29, 2018 Kumaraswamy, with his family, is scheduled to go on a personal visit to Singapore on Saturday night and would return on the night of January 1, 2019, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The acerbic tweets from BJP came after the Chief Minister's office confirmed that Kumaraswamy was going abroad with family on a personal visit and would return to Bengaluru on January 1. News agency IANS, however, quoted a government official as saying that the Chief Minister flew to Singapore with his wife Anita and son Nikhil on a holiday as "he has been going every year-end over the years". A hung verdict in the May 12 assembly elections forced the Congress to forge an alliance with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and form a coalition government on May 23 after the 3-day BJP government fell on May 19 due to lack of a majority. It fell short of seven members for a simple majority (111) in the 224-member House, with two vacancies and one Speaker. The BJP has coined the phrase 'Accidental CM' on the lines of a yet-to-be-released Bollywood biopic 'Accidental PM' on the life of former UPA Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, played by Hindi popular star Anupam Kher. NEW DELHI: A Bengaluru-based woman has sought the urgent help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after getting Triple Talaq by her US-based husband on instant messaging tool WhatsApp. Speaking to news agency ANI, the woman had met the Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry and pleaded EAM Sushma Swaraj for help. "He (woman's husband) left me at my parents place and went back to the US. He then divorced me through a message on WhatsApp. I can't reach my kids,'' the woman said while narrating her story. ''Have met Joint Secretary of External Affairs Ministry. They are aware of my case. I request EAM Swaraj to help me," she said. Bengaluru: A woman who was given triple talaq through a message says,"He left me at my parents place,went back to US,divorced me through a message.Cant reach my kids. Met Joint Secretary of External Affairs Ministry, they are aware of my case,I request EAM Swaraj to help me." pic.twitter.com/r9sjL032c2 ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 The woman's husband is a surgeon based in the United States. Responding to the woman's appeal, the MEA has promised to ensure justice for the woman. '' This is the first such instance post the passing of Triple Talaq Bill by the Lok Sabha, criminalising the act of instant divorce in Muslim community. This case will be dealt with and we'll ensure that justice is done,'' a Ministry of Women and Child Development official was quoted as saying by ANI. The latest incident of instant divorce was reported two days after the government got the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 passed in the lower House on Thursday amidst a walkout from the Opposition after a four-hour debate. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that Triple Talaq Bill will be moved in Rajya Sabha on December 31. Prasad also expressed hopes that the government will receive full support from all parties when the triple talaq bill is moved in the Rajya Sabha for its approval on December 31. It is to be noted that the Narendra Modi lacks a majority in Rajya Sabha and the previous bill on the subject was stuck due to strong resistance from the Opposition members. Prasad said that on Thursday all MPs, who participated in the debate, agreed that the practice was bad and it should be stopped. HYDERABAD: Senior IPS officer K Madhukar Shetty died on Friday at the age of 47 at a hospital in Hyderabad. He was admitted to the Continental hospital after he was diagnosed with H1N1 infection-induced pneumonia. He died during treatment due to severe infection in lungs and kidney. He had been in the hospital for over a week. He had even undergone heart surgery on Wednesday and had been on life support since. Shetty was last posted as the Deputy Director of Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad. He was well known for being uptight and ruthless against corrupt officials and even politicians in power. He is widely remembered for his role as the Superintendent of Police of Lokayukta when he launched a crackdown on rampant corruption within the system. Shetty took a sabbatical for five years during which he moved to the US. He joined the police force again in 2016 and then took over as the Deputy Director of Sardar Vallabhbai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad. He along with another senior IAS officer Harsh Gupta are also credited for clearing a series of illegal land encroachments in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka. The reclaimed land was distributed among the locals who renamed their village as Gupta Shetty Halli (village). IPS Association remembered Shetty as an upright officer. "We mourn loss of one of our finest - IPS K Madhukar Shetty. An upright officer, the Udupi genius played a major role in exposing illegal mining in Ballari. Also cleared Chikkamagaluru encorachment & basti there named after him. A PhD from Rockefeller, Shetty was immensely loved," IPS Association tweeted. Several politicians also took to Twitter to condole his death. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara said: "Deeply pained to hear about the loss of an extremely sincere police officer Karnataka was proud to have amongst its ranks. Madhukar Shetty fought till the end like he did all his life. We have lost a hero today. I pray to God to give his family strength to bear this loss!" Former Union Minister of Petroleum Veerappa Moily also said that Shetty played a key role in arresting Veerappan. "Deeply saddened by the untimely death of Shri. Madhukar Shetty, IPS. He is a son of coastal Karnataka & has achieved a lot in the short span. He also played a key role in arresting Veerappan. His administration shall always be remembered," Moily tweeted. New Delhi: BSP MLA Sanjeev Singh alias Sanju on Friday said that the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh should be more "generous" towards legislators of other parties and independents as it has got a majority in the assembly due to their support. Out of the 28 legislators who had taken oath as ministers in the Kamal Nath-led government in the state, there is only one independent MLA. "The Congress government in the state and its leadership should be more sensitive towards them. They should be respected and given their due. The ruling party should be more generous and kind towards its allies," he said. In a nail-biting finish to the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls announced earlier this month, the Congress got maximum 114 seats in the 230-member state assembly, closely followed by the BJP with 109 seats. With the support of two Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs, one Samajwadi Party MLA, along with a few other MLAs, the Congress crossed the majority mark and managed to form a government in the state. Sanju's remarks came at the time when allocation of portfolios in the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh continued to be in limbo, three days after 28 cabinet ministers were sworn in on Christmas. While the Congress officially claimed there was no delay in the allocation of portfolios, sources in the party as well as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have maintained that power tussles and groupism were creating hurdles. Ksan: A 15-member team of Indian Navy divers and 21 firefighters from Odisha have reached Meghalaya`s Ksan village on Saturday to assist the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers in evacuating 15 miners who are trapped inside a flooded illegal coal pit for over two weeks now. The district administration has temporarily suspended pumping of water from the coal pit since December 24 after two 25 horsepower pumps became ineffective due to continuous operations. Nevertheless, an NDRF rescue team dived inside the main shaft of the coal pit, but could not locate any of the miners. East Jaintia Hills in #Meghalaya: Earlier visuals of operations to rescue the trapped miners. pic.twitter.com/yMTC0WHxk1 ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 Surveyors and mining technical experts of Coal India Limited (CIL) began surveying the tragedy site before de-watering lakh gallons of water from the 370-feet deep coal pit. A project manager of Kirloskar Brothers Limited said that the country`s leading pump manufacturing company has already dispatched 10 high-capacity pumping machines to the site. The CIL is also planning to airlift its high capacity submersible pumps of 100 horsepower each that can pump out 500 gallons of water per minute from various locations to Guwahati airport and thereby transporting by road to Ksan village in East Jaintia Hills district. NDRF`s Assistant Commandant, Santosh Kumar Singh briefed Lieutenant Commander Khetwal, the team leader of the Indian Navy Divers and Sukant Sethi, Chief Fire Officer of Odisha Fire Services on the rescue operation conducted so far by NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescuers in the past 17 days. "I have updated them (Indian Navy and Odisha Fire Services) on our rescue operations and the equipment, including SONAR system used by us to locate the trapped miners but it did yield positive results," Singh said. On the progress of the rescue operation, Singh said, ''We havent been able to recover anything today, except the 3 helmets that were recovered in the beginning, but we're trying. Since it's evening, rescue operations to continue tomorrow at first light.'' SK Singh, Asst Commandant NDRF on miners trapped in East Jaintia Hills #Meghalaya: We havent been able to recover anything today,except the 3 helmets that were recovered in the beginning, but we're trying. Since it's evening, rescue operations to continue tomorrow at first light pic.twitter.com/N8VntB9COa ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 Requisitioned by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Odisha firefighters equipped with several high-tech equipments, including 10 high-power pumps reached the tragedy site after travelling 220 km from Guwahati airport. The biggest challenge for the rescuers to evacuate the trapped miners to the higher grounds from day one of the rescue operations was the non-availability of the "mining map or blueprint" with the district authorities. "We don`t have the mining map. This is going to be a very tough challenge for all of us," General Manager of CIL`s Northeastern Coalfields J Borah said. "Six of the eight submersible pumps of 100 horsepower each are on the way to the site from Nagpur, Bilsapaur, Dhanbad and Ranchi. We are also planning to airlift the pumping machines to Guwahati airport," Borah said. Meghalaya Police arrested Jrin alias Krip Chulet, the owner of the coal mine from Narwan village. Police said that a hunt is on to arrest the other members, including the manager of the illegal coal mine. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and sought immediate Central support to evacuate the trapped miners. Sangma had also promised that "appropriate action will be taken at appropriate time against the people who are involved in the illegal mining and this is not acceptable to us". (With Agency Inputs) New Delhi: The beautiful Kiara Advani set our hearts racing when her song 'Urvashi' along with actor Shahid Kapoor was unveiled. Kiara looked glamorous in the song and her killer dance moves gained attention. The actress will soon share screen space with Shahid in the film titled 'Kabir Singh'. Looks like before working on the film, the actress is in vacay mode! On Saturday, Kiara took to Instagram and shared a picture in which she can be seen in her holiday mood. Wearing a black bikini and posing near the water, the actress looks alluring. Check out her post here: Coming to 'Kabir Singh', the title of the film was announced in October this year. The film is a remake of Telugu blockbuster 'Arjun Reddy' and as soon as it was announced, it took social media by storm. 'Kabir Singh' will hit the screens on June 21, 2019. Earlier, actress Tara Sutaria who will make her Bollywood debut with 'Student of the Year 2' was to play the lead but she backed out of the project. To replace Tara, Kiara was roped in. Expressing her happiness over being a part of the film, Kiara had written on Twitter, "#WaitForIt This is NOT a still from the Arjun Reddy remake but our film shoot begins today! wishing the team an amazinggg start!!! All the best @shahidkapoor @imvangasandeep @ashwinvarde @TSeries @MuradKhetani and team #ArjunReddy cant wait to join youll super soon Kiara will also be seen in Telugu film 'Ram Charan 12', and has a special appearance in 'Kalank'. New Delhi: Actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna aka Mrs Funnybones shares her birthday with her superstar father Rajesh Khanna. The gorgeous actress-author took to Twitter and shared a beautiful rare old black and white picture of her father. Taking to social media, she wrote, "As a toddler, I was convinced that all the truckloads of flowers that would arrive for his birthday were actually for me... #nowandforever." The thespian breathed his last in 2012 and left us all teary-eyed with the sad departure. However, on December 29his birthday, doting daughter Twinkle shared a cute picture on the micro-blogging site making all the fans nostalgic about the legendary star, Indian cinema ever saw. The noted actor was hailed as the 'first superstar' of Indian cinema. The kind of stardom and fan frenzy he saw in that golden era, none could even fathom. He featured in several films and left behind an impressive body of work. He starred in as many as 15 consecutive solo hit films from 1969 to 1971, a record which still remains unbroken. Chennai: The DMK on Friday lodged a police complaint seeking action against those behind a fake Twitter account in the name of its chief MK Stalin and for posting objectionable comments aimed at defaming him among the Hindus. The fake account, similar to the genuine handle of Stalin, is propagating malicious content to bring disrepute and defame him among Hindus, the party said in its complaint. The main opposition party's organising secretary R S Bharathi, in the complaint to the city Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan, provided screen-shots of the objectionable content to buttress the claim. The screenshots - like the one which maliciously claimed that temple worshippers need not vote for DMK- were aimed at bringing a sense of disaffection against his party chief among Hindus, Bharathi said in the complaint. Affirming that the DMK stood by values like equality and secularism, Bharathi alleged that the objectionable content also defamed the party and was tantamout to provoking communal violence. The DMK leader sought appropriate legal action against those behind the fake account and the objectionable content that targeted Stalin's reputation. Nainital: In a first-of-its-kind order, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed a company run by Yoga guru Ramdev to share a percentage of its profits with local farmers and communities. The high court gave the order while rejecting a petition of Divya Pharmacy against the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board (UBB) and upholding the provisions of fair and equitable benefit-sharing as provided under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia held that it was a fact that biological resources constitute the main ingredient and raw materials in the manufacture of ayurvedic and nutraceutical products. It ordered the pharmacy to share Rs 2 crore out of its Rs 421-crore profit with the farmers of the raw product. Previously the UBB had directed the pharmacy to share the amount with the farmers and local communities out of its profit as per the Biological Diversity Act. The pharmacy had claimed that the UBB neither had the powers nor jurisdiction to pass such an order and it was not liable to pay or make any kind of contribution. The court held that India was a party to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the country was under an obligation to give effect to the provisions of the treaty. The court said the UBB was within rights to pass the order demanding the amount, as the biological resources were not only a national property, but also belong to the communities which produce these. What's up with Keemstar these days? He first went after PewDiePie and now SuperWoman. Daniel Keem, also known as DJ Killer Keemstar and Killer Keemstar, runs a YouTube news channel DramaAlert. On December 27, he uploaded a tweet, claiming that Felix PewDiePie copied his show Actually @pewdiepie uploaded a video in 2015/2016 trying to talk shit about me and my show "YouTube is changing" then @KSIOlajidebt defended me. few years later FELIX started doing a show like mine. Its actually so fucked if you think about it. Actually @pewdiepie uploaded a video in 2015/2016 trying to talk shit about me and my show "youTube is changing" then @KSIOlajidebt defended me. few year later FELIX started doing a show like mine. Its actually so fucked if you think about it. https://t.co/l3UZJvJaoF KEEM (@KEEMSTAR) December 26, 2018 And now, he's gone after Indian-origin Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh of the Superwoman fame. @IISuperwomanII you are trying to hard & becoming too plastic. You would have got more views if you did 12 collabs with smaller YouTubers. I just gave similar advice to someone in our space thats going mainstream. Its a common issue we have, he tweeted. @IISuperwomanII you are trying to hard & becoming too plastic. You would have got more views if you did 12 collabs with smaller YouTubers. I just gave similar advice to someone in our space thats going mainstream. Its a common issue we have. KEEM (@KEEMSTAR) December 27, 2018 Thirty-year-old Singh, a popular YouTuber took a break from YouTube to focus on her mental health. She made a comeback with "12 days of collabs" videos around Christmas, which featured a host of top celebs including John Cena, Terry Crews and Alicia Keys. Earlier this month, Singh got into an argument with PewDiePie after she accused Forbes of not including women on the list of highest earning YouTubers. The Swedish gamer called her a crybaby for criticising the lack of female representation. Six men allegedly ate a living langur monkey, an endangered species, and telecast the entire event on Facebook. The bizarre incident took place in Vietnam. The accused men are aged between 35 and 59. One of them bought the langur from a hunter for 1.1 million dongs (38) last month. They then filmed themselves on a mobile phone while eating the monkey and live streamed the gruesome incident on Facebook. The video went viral, sparking outrage across the world. Police said the men, aged between 35 and 59, broadcast themselves on a mobile phone eating the animal last month, according to the Straits Times. The suspects were later identified and arrested on Thursday this week. "It took time for us to figure out the suspects involved," a police officer in Ha Tinh province told news agency AFP. The langur is reportedly one of the 12 endangered species in Vietnam, with five of them considered critically endangered, according to the Endangered Primate Research Centre. It comes months after officials in Vietnam urged residents to avoid eating dog meat, as part of a move to eradicate rabies. Open source Representatives of illegal armed groups today twice violated the ceasefire in Donbas. This is reported by the JFO headquarters on Facebook. It is noted that the use of weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements was not registered. No casualties in the ranks of the Armed Forces reported a result of the hostilities. "The positions of our troops were fired from grenade launchers of various systems in the Zalizne area on the Horlivka direction, as well as in the Hnutove settlement on the Mariupol direction. Joint forces divisions used their duty weapons in response to enemy provocations," the JFO headquarters said. New holiday ceasefire begins in Donbas on December 29, as Yevhen Marchuk, Ukraines representative to the Trilateral Contact Group, said on air of Pryamy after the video conference of the group, 112.ua reported. According to Marchuk, the Ukrainian side of the Trilateral Contact Group offered to set ceasefire at the session in Minsk on December 19. We offered to impose the regime, termless ceasefire, starting from tomorrows night. Since 1 am on December 29, if to be precise. There were some other proposals, to cut it short, we managed to reach such agreement. Today we confirmed that tomorrow (December 29, - ed.) since midnight Ukraine provides a full-scale ceasefire, Marchuk said. Later, he specified that the ceasefire does not mean armistice, as it should include political, economic and social components apart from the absence of attacks. According to him, the ceasefire will be used for the repair of the infrastructure objects which are now destroyed. Wheat, bread, pastries, vegetables, juices, beer and wine; Wallpaper, furniture, transformers and other goods which import from Ukraine is banned by Russian Government Decree No. 1716-83 of December 29, 2018. The list of goods that are prohibited to import into Russia: Wheat and meslin, Sunflower oil, safflower or cottonseed oil and their fractions, unrefined or refined, but without changing the chemical composition, Extracts and juices from meat, fish or crustaceans, mollusks or other aquatic invertebrates Prepared or canned fish; sturgeon caviar and its substitutes made from fish eggs, Sugar confectionery (including white chocolate) that does not contain cocoa, Chocolate and other prepared foods containing cocoa, Bread, flour confectionery, cakes, cookies and other bakery and flour confectionery products, whether or not containing cocoa; wafers, empty capsules suitable for pharmaceutical use, rice paper and similar products, Vegetables, fruits, nuts and other edible parts of plants, prepared or preserved with vinegar or acetic acid, Tomatoes, prepared or preserved without the addition of vinegar or acetic acid, Other vegetables, prepared or preserved, without vinegar or acetic acid, frozen, Vegetables, fruits, nuts, peel of fruits and other parts of plants preserved with sugar (soaked in sugar syrup, glazed or candied), Jams, fruit jelly, marmalades, fruit or nut puree, fruit or nut paste, obtained by heat treatment, including with the addition of sugar or other sweeteners, Fruit juices (including grape mash) and vegetable juices, unfermented and not containing added alcohol, with or without added sugar or other sweeteners, Malt beer, Natural grape wines, including fortified; Undenatured ethyl alcohol with an alcohol concentration of less than 80 vol. percent; alcohol tinctures, liqueurs and other alcoholic beverages, Pebbles, gravel, crushed stone, Limestone, dolomite and other limestone stones, broken or crushed, usually used as fillers for concrete, ballast for highways or railway tracks or other ballast, boulders, thermally treated or unprocessed; granules, chips and stone powder (with the exception of marble powder), thermally processed or unprocessed, Surface-active organic substances (except soap); surface-active agents, detergents (including auxiliary detergents), whether or not containing soap, Heaters, Chipboard, and similar boards made of wood or other woody materials Other uncoated paper and cardboard, in rolls or sheets, without further processing or processed, Wallpapers and similar wall coverings; transparent paper for windows Textile wallcoverings, Steam boilers or other steam generating boilers (except water boilers for central heating that can also produce low-pressure steam); superheated water boilers (with the exception of steam boilers and superheated water boilers for ship equipment and their parts) Steam turbines and other steam turbines (excluding turbine parts), Gas turbines with a capacity of not more than 5000 kW (with the exception of turbines for civil aircraft), Parts of liquid pumps, Furniture (display cases, counters and similar furniture) for storage and display, with built-in refrigeration or freezing equipment, Loading devices specially designed for use in agriculture: other, Seeders, planters and transplanters Milking machines and installations, equipment for processing milk, Machines and mechanisms for the preparation of feed, for animals, Machines for cleaning, sorting or sizing seeds, grains or dry legumes; flour milling equipment for processing grain or dry leguminous crops, other than equipment used on agricultural farms, Equipment for the production of bakery products, Equipment for the sugar industry, Mineral mixing machines with bitumen, Other transmission shafts, Other gearboxes Speed variators, Electric motors and generators (except electric generating sets), Power generating sets and rotating electrical converters, Transformers with liquid dielectric with a capacity of not more than 650 kVA, Transformers with a liquid dielectric with a capacity of more than 650 kVA, but not more than 10,000 kVA, Transformers with liquid dielectric with a capacity of more than 10,000 kVA Copper and other winding wires, Coaxial cables and other coaxial electrical conductors, Electrical conductors for voltage of not more than 1000 V, other (except for: used in telecommunications, on voltage not more than 80 V; for the production of civil aircraft; for industrial assembly of motor vehicles, their units and assemblies; for the production of aircraft engines), Electrical conductors for a voltage of more than 1000 V (except for electrical conductors for a voltage of more than 1000 V for the industrial assembly of motor vehicles, their components and assemblies), Tractors Trailers and semi-trailers which are self-loading or self-unloading for agriculture, Feminine sanitary tampons, baby diapers and nappies and similar products from any material. Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the Russian Federation had expanded the list of Ukrainian goods that are prohibited from importing from Ukraine. Open source Today, on December 29, the resolution adopted by the Council of the EU on the extension of economic sanctions against Russia for six months (until July 31, 2019) came into force. The decree was published the day before in the Official Journal of the EU. It notes that the decision takes effect on the day after its publication. The EU Council decided to extend the sanctions against the Russian Federation for another six months on December 21 unanimously by written procedure. It was a legal statement of the corresponding political decision of the heads of state and government of the EU countries adopted on December 13, 2018 at the EU summit in Brussels. Earlier the government of the Russian Federation expanded the list of Ukrainian goods prohibited to import to that particular country. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev reported on Twitter. He said that the relevant order is signed already, however, the list of goods wasnt mentioned. Russia imposes a ban on the import of a number of Ukrainian goods. This is a response to sanctions restrictions on the part of Ukraine. I have issued the relevant decree, he said. Medvedev stated on the new list but didnt say what are the goods Open source The government of the Russian Federation expanded the list of Ukrainian goods prohibited to import to that particular country. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev reported on Twitter. He said that the relevant order is signed already, however, the list of goods wasnt mentioned. Related: Ukraine introduces sanctions against Russian politicians and companies Russia imposes a ban on the import of a number of Ukrainian goods. This is a response to sanctions restrictions on the part of Ukraine. I have issued the relevant decree, he said. As we reported earlier, on November 1, 2018, Russias Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree, which introduces sanctions against 322 Ukrainian citizens and 68 companies. In particular, sanctions were imposed against Ukraines Internal Minister Arsen Avakov, acting Health Minister Ulyana Suprun and Culture Minister Yevgen Nyshchuk, Minister of Education Liliya Grynevych, Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan, Ecology Minister Ostap Semerak, Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets, Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak, Deputy Defence Minister for European integration Anatoliy Petrenko and Vice Prime Minister for European, and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. Related: Ukraine imposes sanctions against archaeologists for illegal excavations in Crimea Presidents son Oleksiy and Poroshenkos Press Secretary Svyatoslav Tseholko were included on the list; however, the president's name is not there. Earlier, President Petro Poroshenko introduced the early-adopted decision of the National Security and Defense Council on personal sanctions against the number of legal entities and individuals connected with the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The order was signed on May 14, 2018, and published on the website on the Presidential Administration on May 18. Open source The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, which used to be called GRU attempted to influence the policy of the U.S. Congress for Ukrainian issue in 2015, reports The Washington Post. The Washington Post found letters, which GRUs agents sent to American senators on the behalf of Patriot of Ukraine organization. The intelligence wrote in broken English and asked for saving Ukraine, whose pro-Western government is fighting pro-Russian separatists. The letters read about the level of corruption in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the officers weapons sale to the terrorists of Donetsk People's Republic. The authors of the letters asked to send experienced specialists from the U.S. and NATO to replace the Ukrainian commanders. We hope you are able to influence the White House, Pentagon and State Department and achieve the agreement to send western officers to Ukraine for direct control of our Armed Forces, reads one of the letters. The GRU unit behind the emails, known as Unit 54777, or the 72nd Special Service Center, is the center of the Russian militarys psychological-warfare capability, say Western intelligence officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss classified information. Open source The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak said that the Russian Federations reports about the allegedly preparing chemical attack in Donbas are provocative, reports LIGA.net. "This is a provocation, nothing more," he said, commenting on reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine. He also stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine fulfill all the agreements concluded between the parties, including the armistice, which began at midnight on December 29. Ukraine will retain control over the Sea of Azov. This was stated by the Ukrainian Navy commander Igor Voronchenko, reports Deutsche Welle. Well not lose control. Im not going to give a clear assessment now. The situation is very difficult, especially in the Azov Sea region and at key points in the Ukrainian South and East. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are in a condition in which they are able to complete missions. Now its not the year 2014, he declared. At the same time, he noted that the balance of forces in the Azov Sea is not in favor of Ukraine. The number of the U.S. military contingent in Afghanistan is 14,000 President of the United States Donald Trump didnt give order for the withdrawal of the U.S. personnel from Afghanistan, the Representative of the White House claimed this in response to mass media information about the relevant plans, reports Bloomberg. 'The president has not made a determination to drawdown U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and he has not directed the Department of Defense to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. personnel from Afghanistan, the Press Secretary of the U.S. National Security Council claimed. Related: Russia intercepts U.S. military aircraft during patrol near annexed Crimea The White House has also commented on the issue of the presence of the U.S. military in Afghanistan after published information saying that Trump and his inner circle were considering a possibility of withdrawal of the main part of the U.S. troops from the country. It should be noted that the number of the U.S. military contingent in Afghanistan is 14,000. They train Afghan colleagues and take part in separate counterterrorist missions against terrorist groups, such as Islamic State and Taliban. On December 19, the U.S. President Donald Trump stated the U.S. forces are to leave Syria. He explained that the Islamic State was defeated and the U.S. completed its mission in Syria. On December 20, Trump claimed that the United States Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis is retiring in late February. In his letter of resignation, Mattis said that he left due to disagreements with Donald Trump, and also because of the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Syria. Americal officials claim that the withdrawal of more than 2,000 troops will take from 60 to 100 days. Most of the U.S. military bases in Syria are located in the north, in the areas controlled by Kurdish militia who actively cooperated with the United States in the fight against the Islamists. Related: Ukrainian Navy to receive American patrol boats in July 2019 Turkey considers the Kurdish paramilitary forces in Syria their enemies and prepares an operation against them by bringing the military equipment to the border. Invasion of the Turks may start when America leaves. The United States of America started the military operation against the Islamic State in Iraq in June 2014, and in Syria in September 2014. New Ukrainian Consulate General may be established in Wroclaw, Poland by 2020, says Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Andrii Deshchytsia, as Ukrinform reported. The number of appeals to the consular offices to address various issues has significantly increased. Ukrainian citizens often appeal to the honorary consulates, which are not mandated for fulfilling all consular operations. Within this context it becomes obvious to open another Ukrainian consulate in Wroclaw, western Poland. It would allow redistributing the limits of consular districts so that Ukrainians reach the consulate without spending two or three hours. We plan to implement preparatory arrangements in 2019 and we hope that new Consulate General of Ukraine in Wroclaw will start working yet in 2020, he said. Related: Hungary to start free courses of Ukrainian language for ethnic Hungarians of Zakarpattya In addition, it is planned to open honorary consulate in Katowice city. Candidates are being sorted out for the position of the honorary consul in Kielce city. If we manage to realize all these plans in the very near future, then well have only two voivodeship with no Ukrainian consulates, they are Bialystok and Olsztyn, Deshchytsia noted. As we reported earlier, Ukraines Honorary Consulate was opened in Hungarian Siofok on November 7. Foreign Minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto claimed that Budapest has never had any plans to conquer particular areas of Zakarpattia region or to ensure its autonomous state, as Gazeta Prawna reported. Related: Hungary to extend sanctions to stay in unity with EU According to the minister, Hungary does not suffer from the 'Trianon syndrome' or has any angst for the lands, which belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire once. 'I always reject the accusations of revisionism. It is silly and false insinuations. I repeat one more time, we are not the revisionists', the minister said, answering the question of a journalist whether Budapest will decide to change the borders for the protection of the Hungarian minority amid the crisis in relations with Ukraine. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine plans to present to the government a project for the production of 20 border boats on Ukrainian production facilities in collaboration with a French company in 2019 for the protection of maritime borders of the country. Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov claimed this, as Interfax-Ukraine reports. Our ship parks have not been refreshed for decades! Therefore, in 2019, we will offer the government a project similar to a helicopter one, in order to radically solve the issue of the presence of our border ships, he claimed. Total plans to order 20 boats of 32-35 meters. They will be manufactured at one of our plants in cooperation with one of the leading French companies with a high degree of localization of the project in Ukraine, Avakov noted. As we reported, the Island-class patrol boat, which the U.S. promised to provide Ukraine with, should arrive in July 2019. They must be in Ukraine in July. The crews are getting prepared, we agreed on the procedure for complete equipping these ships and the procedure for joint training at the base in Baltimore, Ukraines Navy reported. The percentage of solving murder cases in Ukraine is 92% at the moment. This was stated by Interior Minister Arsen Avakov in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. Statistics show an improvement in security factors. We see that the number of serious crimes, including murders, is decreasing, and this is already a steady trend. As you understand, its impossible to falsify statistics on murders: the corpse is either present or absent. So the percentage of solving murder cases today is at 92%," said Avakov. Today, December 29, Belarusian border guards detained a 29-year-old Italian citizen in Naroulia District for attempting to cross the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, reports the State Border Committee of Belarus. It is noted that the man went for it on purpose to make extreme tourism. Yet in March, he studied the border terrain of the Ukrainian exclusion zone in advance. Finally, the foreigner decided to take a chance and see what he is capable of by violating the border. Just like the last time, his friend gave him a lift to the secured territory from Kyiv, then the man went in the direction of Belarus using a navigation app on his mobile phone, reads the message. After crossing the border the man planned to take a taxi to Minsk. As we reported, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Filip held a phone conversation, during which they discussed the perspective of expanding of the joint border and customs control in some checkpoint at the Ukrainian-Moldovan state border. The interlocutors drew special attention to enhancing security in the region and cooperation of Ukraine and Moldova within the framework of international organizations. Open source Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko, who was illegally detained in Russia, was placed in a punishment cell in a Russian prison. This was reported by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada Lyudmyla Denisova on Facebook. Denisova said that the staff of the colony forced Sushchenko to wake up before all the prisoners do - at 5 a.m. and withdraw bedding. And this cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoner happens on the eve of the New Year holidays, she added. Denisova appealed to Tatyana Moskalkova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, with a demand "to immediately find out the grounds for placing Roman in a punishment cell and take the necessary actions to restore the violated rights of the Ukrainians." The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the accusations of Merkel and Macron "are regrettable." Open source The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the demand of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to release the Ukrainian sailors captured by the Russian Federation and to ensure unhindered navigation in the Kerch Strait. The corresponding statement was published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Thus, the official statement says that the accusations of Berlin and Paris against Moscow regarding human rights violations in the occupied Crimea and the escalation of tension in the Sea of Azov "are regrettable." Commenting on the Kerch Strait blockade by Russia, the ministry said that the Russian Federation allegedly provides "freedom of navigation in this region in accordance with the existing Russian-Ukrainian agreements, domestic legislation and applicable international norms." Earlier the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel during a phone conversation with President of Russia Vladimir Putin called him to release the captured Ukrainian sailors, who were detained by the Russian side near the Kerch Strait, reports DW. It is advised that Merkel has greeted the agreement regarding the establishment of the new ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, which was achieved on December 27 within the Trilateral Contact Group on the solution of Donbas conflict. The ceasefire regime entered into force on December 29. On November 25, the coast guard ships of the Russian Navy attacked the ships of the Ukrainian Navy, which have been carrying out a scheduled transition from Odesa port to Mariupol port in the Sea of Azov. 21 Ukrainian sailors have been delivered to Lefortovo remand center in Moscow, three others are in the hospital of Matrosskaya Tishina prison, also in the Russian capital. On December 3, the Russian prosecutors officially accused Ukrainian sailors with the 'illegal crossing of the state border' during the attack in the Kerch Strait. At the same time, the balance of forces in the region is not in favor of Ukraine, he admitted Igor Voronchenko, the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Radio Liberty Ukraine will retain control over the Sea of Azov. This was stated by the Ukrainian Navy commander Igor Voronchenko, reports Deutsche Welle. Well not lose control. Im not going to give a clear assessment now. The situation is very difficult, especially in the Azov Sea region and at key points in the Ukrainian South and East. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are in a condition in which they are able to complete missions. Now its not the year 2014, he declared. At the same time, he noted that the balance of forces in the Azov Sea is not in favor of Ukraine. PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) . 2:3 . , " " , . " , . , " ", ... Reporter in Exile Emilio Gutierrez Soto didn't set out to be a hero. He just didn't want to be killed for his work. by James Militzer From the December, 2018 issue When he wrote the stories that would ruin his life, Emilio Gutierrez Soto had no concept of their significance. He didn't realize they would set him on the grim path walked by journalistic martyrs who've risked everything for their profession, from Jamal Khashoggi to Marie Colvin to countless lesser-known compatriots of his in Mexico. He certainly didn't expect they would transform him into an international symbol of press freedom in the age of Trump--or lead him to a new start in a university town in the distant north. A reporter at a small newspaper in Ascension, a town of some 13,000 in the state of Chihuahua near the U.S. border, Gutierrez Soto covered local news, including crime and sports. In 2005, he wrote three articles on a series of assaults and robberies, and quoted victims who said the perpetrators were members of the military. "When I wrote that, I was thinking of doing my duty at work," he recalls in Spanish. "I did not think it would have these long and painful repercussions." He hadn't expected to make powerful enemies. "If I had known," he admits, "I would not have written it." He was summoned to a meeting with a Mexican general. Backed by a large group of soldiers, the general threatened to kill him because of his reporting and informed him that he was being placed under surveillance. The climate of fear grew worse in subsequent years, as the military's role in fighting Mexico's drug war expanded--along with attacks on the journalists who documented both sides' abuses. Gutierrez Soto filed complaints with the police and with Mexico's National Human Rights Commission. He even published an article--without his byline--about the threats. But his actions only served to increase his peril, which culminated with a panicked late-night drive to the border in 2008 after he was warned of an impending plot to kill him. He left everything but his then-teenage son Oscar behind. He hoped that they could start ...continued below... a new life in the U.S. "I thought I would meet with a nation that would be more humane, with laws that would be more flexible," he says. He believed that, thanks to his "vastly credible reason that we had to leave everything behind in Mexico and ask for support and safety," his case for asylum would be clear-cut. But his ordeal was far from over.Gutierrez Soto and Oscar arrived legally in the U.S. in May 2008 and applied for asylum. They were immediately separated and detained in different facilities. They were only allowed to speak on the phone a few times over the two and a half months that Oscar was held before being released to live with some friends. Gutierrez Soto was not released until the following January, after President Obama's inauguration.Father and son spent nearly a decade in New Mexico, working odd jobs, operating a food truck, staying out of trouble--and attempting unsuccessfully to resolve their asylum case. But though those years were marked by growing support from the American journalistic and legal communities, it wasn't the life Gutierrez Soto had planned. "I was making good money" in Mexico, he says. "I didn't change that life to come here to wash dishes, to clean yards, to sell corn or ice cones--these are not denigrating jobs, but I did not change that to do this."But he knew his antagonists in Mexico hadn't forgotten him, especially as his public profile--and his criticisms of his country's government--grew. "The military is present in all institutions of power in Mexico--in the senate, congress, all secretariats, in all of them," he says. "Mexico does not move if the military does not approve it--the military is everywhere!"Even phone calls home came to seem risky. "After I requested political asylum, the telephones that my family members in Mexico had began to sound differently, with an echo," he says. "So that made us think that they were being watched." He decided the contact could put them in danger and cut off communication. Yet at least he was with his son. At least they were safe.---In July 2017, an El Paso immigration judge denied their asylum claim. The judge expressed doubts that Gutierrez Soto was in danger in Mexico and even questioned whether he actually was a journalist.The decision and its timing, just six months after the inauguration of President Trump, sparked anger in journalist advocacy groups in the U.S. Many had come to support his long struggle for asylum and saw the decision as a reflection of the new administration's animus toward both the press and immigrants.While the judge's decision was under appeal, the National Press Club invited Gutierrez Soto to accept its Press Freedom Award on behalf of journalists in Mexico. At the October 2017 event, he delivered a blistering, heartfelt speech attacking corruption in the Mexican government--and hypocrisy in the U.S. on the issues of human rights and freedom of the press.A few weeks later, during a routine check-in with immigration, officials detained him and Oscar. Their wrists and ankles were cuffed and they were told they would be immediately deported, without waiting for the outcome of their pending appeal. His pro bono lawyer's emergency intervention prevented that, but the two were put in a holding camp and left there for almost eight months."From the first to the last day it was like living in madness, like living in limbo, living in fear," Gutierrez Soto says, choking up at the memory. He recalls the filthy living quarters and foul food, the humiliating lack of privacy, the anguish of seeing his son in a prison uniform, the cruelty of the guards. At one point immigration officials threatened to send Oscar to a different camp, only relenting when a camp doctor warned that it could dangerously worsen Gutierrez Soto's already high blood pressure."What they seek is to destroy you so that you go back to your country," he says. "The guards are trained to do that, to make your life miserable." But knowing he faced death if he returned to Mexico, he held out.This past April, Gutierrez Soto was visited at the Texas detention facility by Lynette Clemetson, director of the U-M Wallace House. She'd gotten involved in his case in March, after the National Press Club invited Wallace House to join an amicus brief signed by some of the country's top journalism organizations. She was there to interview him for a possible Knight-Wallace Fellowship, which brings mid-career journalists to Ann Arbor for a year of academic study.He told Clemetson that he still wanted to return to journalism even after his long exile from the profession. She vetted the quality of his work and made sure that she could legally offer a fellowship to someone with an uncertain immigration status. Then, on May 3--World Press Freedom Day--she announced the fellowship at the National Press Club in Washington. "I announced that we were offering him the fellowship there, intentionally, publically, in a different way than we do for other people, hoping that the attention around the announcement might prompt some change," she explains.Gutierrez Soto and his son were released from detention a few months later. But Clemetson doesn't think the involvement of Wallace House and its journalistic peers had anything to do with the government's change of heart."I think they got out of detention for the most cynical of reasons," she says, "because there were FOIAs in their case that showed that they were intentionally targeted [for deportation]. A judge had ordered that those emails be turned over--and right before the emails were supposed to be turned over, they were miraculously released."Clemetson expects that, like all Knight-Wallace fellows, Gutierrez Soto will develop his skills during his time here. But she also hopes "that the fellowship will help settle any dispute that the judge has that Emilio wasn't really a journalist ... that his life wasn't really in danger. The validation of the fellowship and the university helps address those things."The fellowship isn't the only support Gutierrez Soto has gotten from the Ann Arbor community. After a researcher at the University of New Mexico did an exhaustive search to compile more than 100 of his newspaper stories--which weren't digitized or easily accessible--his legal team needed the documents translated on short order to submit to the court. "The Language Resource Center, here at the university, have this thing every year called a 'translate-a-thon,'" Clemetson explains. "And they translated more than eighty of Emilio's stories in one weekend, so that we could submit them to the court in early October by the deadline."Zingerman's also got involved, training Oscar as a cook. "My son wants to become a chef," Gutierrez Soto says. "He was learning about hospitality and services in Mexico. So now, he is going to learn at Zingerman's. He is happy, very happy."Gutierrez Soto himself seems most struck by Ann Arbor's diverse learning opportunities. "The spectrum of educational support that is offered here ..." He laughs. "If someone wanted to get a doctorate in 'enchiladas,' they could get one. Enchiladas are from Mexico, but there are specialized people here who would find the formula to make the tastiest enchiladas in the world. Here everyone has an educational opportunity for whatever they want. It's a nice city ... and the people are very supportive, very attentive, very in tune with social justice issues."What is happening, the [anti-immigrant] phenomenon that is occurring, has not happened with all Americans," he continues, choking up again. "And I have had the fortune to meet very good people, people with very big hearts. They have shown us a lot of solidarity, in a very humane way, and that is something that's truly valuable."---But it's not yet clear if the efforts of Gutierrez Soto and his supporters will make any difference. At a hearing in October, it appeared that the judge had lost some of the evidence that had been submitted to the appeals court, including the translated newspaper articles and hundreds of pages from the Board of Immigration Appeals ruling. The judge went ahead with the hearing anyway, and said he would issue a ruling in January.In the eyes of Gutierrez Soto's allies, the mishap is one more sign that he was not getting a fair hearing. "They're not interested in evidence," says Clemetson, who testified at the October session, accompanied by another Knight-Wallace Fellow who went to support Gutierrez Soto and represent the fellowship class. "They've decided pretty much what the outcome will be."Even if the judge rules against him, Gutierrez Soto vows, he'll appeal again, all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. In the meantime, he's moving ahead with his fellowship, attending events with students and colleagues, and considering his next steps--which may include writing a book."We have 140 journalists that have been murdered [in Mexico] since 2000," he says. "That is something catastrophic for global journalism, not only for Mexico but for the world. But they don't realize that even though they kill the messenger, the message arrives."---[Originally published in December, 2018.] YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. As of 1st December, 81 thousand jobseekers are registered in the State Employment Service, of which around 60 thousand are unemployed. The latest labor market data show that for those who have higher education, the professions of doctor, lecturer, IT specialist and architect, especially in the provinces, are most demanded. Regarding those with secondary vocational education, the professions in finance and trade sectors, services industry, mid-level medical personnel, etc. are in demand. As to primary vocational education, the occupations of sellers, product exhibitors in the shops, domestic support services, and catering specialists are in high demand Arman Udumyan, Acting Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia told Armenpress. -Mr. Udumyan, how would you characterize your term in office? -I joined the Ministry in June, 2018. Alongside the ongoing activities, the first two months I spent to familiarize myself with the main projects and activities and get better insight into the working mode and logic of the Ministry supplementing my previous sectorial experience of work both on the side of governmental and international and non-governmental organizations. Anything specific regarding those 6 months? Primarily, we have been forwarding the ongoing programs, which are on two levels: national and international. On national level I would like to highlight the following: taking into account that the current Employment Strategy (2013-2018 ) finishes this year, we are in the process of its assessment to get the lessons learnt and outline priority directions and actions for the new 2019-2023 Strategy. On international level, I would like to note the following. With the financial support of the World Bank, we carry out the Social Protection Administration Program. Component 2 the Program covers the employment sector. When I joined the Ministry, it had been suspended; namely, there were previously developed guidelines for active labor market programs but those guidelines were outdated and did not match with the nowadays requirements of and signals coming from the labor market. We put a lot of efforts and resources to completely review these programs, incorporate subcomponents of a) modernizing the Gorts software run by the State Employment Service and b) equip the software with career orientation tools. We managed to agree those changes with the World Bank and look forward to carry out them in 2019. -What kind of activities are planned for strengthening the human capacities of the Employment Service? -We attach great importance to the ongoing strengthening of the job counselors capacities. The international experience showcases that job counselors need to be specialized in one or two fields. Job counselor will not be able to duly support the jobseekers if he/she covers all the sectors of economy. Thus, the institute of narrowly-specialized counselors should be introduced. At this stage, as a pilot, we plan training and capacity building for job counselors in two fields: a) food processing and agriculture, and b) textile, light industry. -Staff capacity strengthening may be discussed separately, yet, have the existing programs been effective? Do you see the need of reviewing them? -First of all, I would like to say that the state employment programs have been developed based on the experience of Lithuania, Sweden and a number of other countries. I think that type- and content-wise the employment programs are quite good. We need to respond quickly to the signals coming from the labor market and thereby, making the programs more targeted. Perhaps, there is a need for increasing the financial allocations but to me, the type and content of programs are good. As a new employment program started in 2018, I would like to mention the one on compensation of wages of nurses to facilitate the mothers return to work. Already now we have twice more beneficiaries than we initially expected; i.e. it was planned to have about 200 beneficiaries but according to recent data, the number is 461. -You mentioned that the programs are good enough, are based on international experience, but dont you see a problem with their effectiveness? For example, it was noted that there is a low number of applications for "Workplace adaptation program for people with disabilities. This is to say that the program actually exists but those who want to benefit from it are few. -Within the framework of state employment programs, other partner organizations, both from public and private sectors, are involved as well. I wouldnt agree with the wording of non-effective. The reasons for not applying may be numerous, including personal, and perhaps, at the moment the labor market does not offer competitive, attractive and which is more important, affordable jobs to people with disabilities. -What are the data on the labor market mobility? What signals do you get from the labor market regarding the in-demand professions? -As of 1st December, 81 thousand jobseekers are registered in the State Employment Service, of them around 60 thousand are unemployed. The latest data show that for those with higher education, particularly in the provinces, the professions of doctor, lecturer, IT specialist and architect are most demanded. Regarding those with secondary vocational education, the professions of finance and trade sectors, services industry, mid-level medical personnel, etc. are in demand. As to primary vocational education, the demand is for the occupations of sellers, product exhibitors in the shops, domestic support providers and catering services. -The Ministry planned to re-establish the Labor Inspectorate in its full functionality. At what stage is the program? As you know, the Labor Inspectorate was reorganized in 2013 and presently the Health and Labor Inspection Body operates under the umbrella of the Government of Armenia. Currently, it supervises the issues regarding the employees health and safety at the workplace. The complete control over the maintenance of labor legislation is lacking. The Ministry has developed and submitted respective recommendations to fill this gap. -Currently the optimization of institutions is taking place and it is not ruled out that many workers are to become unemployed. Is the State Employment Agency ready to address this issue? -First of all, let me say that optimization does not necessarily mean unemployment. Anyway, the State Employment Service is ready to step in and support. -What programs would you specify within the framework of international cooperation? -Just recently, in cooperation with the International Labor Organization, we finalized the agreement/project document of the "Decent Work" country program, which is ready to sign. It's a new four-year program. The program has three main priorities: improving the mechanisms of regulating labor relations; improving employment policy and enhancing employability of women and men; strengthening social dialogue and collective bargaining at all levels. Also, I would like to mention that the Agreement on the regulation of labor migration with Bulgaria was signed. It was approved by the National Assembly and now we are discussing its implementation procedures. With this, the regulation of labor migration between the two countries will be regulated. With this agreement, on the basis of the right of residence, the nationals of Armenia have already a right to work in Bulgaria without a work permit. We have such a limitation in the EU countries, and not in all countries that citizens of Armenia can work on the basis of the right of residence only. In the near future, a task force composed of Armenian and Bulgarian representatives will be established, which will be dealing, in case of available vacancies, with types of required documents, citizens working conditions, as well as forms of employment contracts and other issues. Interview by Anna Gziryan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Stepantsminda-Lars road is closed for all types of vehicles as of 10:30, December 29, transportation authorities said. Russian authorities told their Armenian counterparts that 630 passenger vehicles and 335 cargo trucks are waiting in line at the checkpoint from the Russian side. Five passenger buses are also among the accumulated vehicles. The Ministry of Transportation, Communication and IT also cautioned drivers on snowfalls along the roads of the Sisian, Goris and Meghri regions. Clear ice has formed on parts of the Dilijan and Tigranashen roads and the Artik-Aragats road. The Vardenyats Pass is also closed due to heavy snowstorm and low visibility. Road supervision agencies are carrying out snow removal works, the ministry said. The Stepantsminda-Lars road is the only land connection between Armenia and Russia, which runs through Georgia. Stepantsminda is a small town in north-eastern Georgia. The road is used for both passenger and cargo transportations and is of major significance. Vehicles pass through the Verkhni (Upper) Lars customs checkpoint into Russia. Located on an elevation of 2410 meters in Armenias Gegharkunik Province, the Vardenyats Pass is a mountain pass in the eastern section of the Vardenis mountain range, where the Martuni-Yeghegnadzor highway passes through. The 14th century Selim Caravanserai is located here. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Kazakh SCAT Airlines will temporarily suspend its Astana-Yerevan round trip flights from 2019 January 15 until May 15, the Armenian Embassy in Kazakhstan said. SCAT Airlines is one of the largest air companies of Kazakhstan. It began regular flights from Astana to Yerevan since May 31, 2017. The reason of the suspension wasnt immediately clear. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Some Members of Parliament find 2018 to be a year of growth for Armenias reputation, while others say it was a tense year of difficulties. However, all of them vow to realize their promises of the past year in the coming year. In 2018, Armenia made history in global political science as a country where a bloodless revolution took place. 2018 was Armenias year, it was the year of bloodless change of power in our country. And in this context I find this to be the biggest achievement. While the upcoming events of next year greatly depend on each of us. It will depend on the government and the work of each of us whether we will be able to transform the revolution that concluded with the December 9 early election of parliament into an economic revolution, in order for every citizen themselves to feel the positive results of this revolution also in the economy of the country, Tsarukyan faction MP Naira Zohrabyan told ARMENPRESS. In turn, Yelk faction MP Alen Simonyan also noted that this year the political life of Armenia was marked with the most honest, fairest elections that have ever taken place. We still have to create so many precedents for it to become a usual thing. From now on, the foundation for new different political cultures was laid, and Armenias reputation grew in the global arena, MP Simonyan said. He noted that now people have faith for their own strengths and the government. Simonyan added that they must try to exceed the achievements of this year. Republican Party (HHK) MP Armen Ashotyan, however, says he finds 2018 to be a rather difficult and tense year for both the country and their party. New challenges facing Armenia are not getting eliminated and solved simply by the fact that a change of power has taken place. Thats why in 2019 the main function of our party will be to be the most principled fundamental political power in the opposition political arena, by trying to raise through criticism and alarms the issues that we see concerning Armenias security, the future of Artsakh and strengthening of our positions in the region, Ashotyan said. The HHK failed to garner minimum required votes in the general election and will not be represented in the next parliament in 2019. He noted that not being in parliament will deprive them from certain influence tools, namely from parliamentary supervision for the government. However in todays informational environment it isnt a mandatory condition for being engaged in public politics. Our team consists of skilled people and we know how to supervise the government without being in parliament, Ashotyan said. Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) Party President Edmon Marukyan says 2018 is a great achievement in terms of finally a change having happened in the country, opening new opportunities for truly capitalizing these changes and reaching serious results. I believe this is a very important fact. New elections, new results and a new parliament happened due to this. For us, a big achievement is our new faction with the name of Lusavor Hayastan. A year full of new expectations awaits us, Marukyan said. He emphasized that they must justify their campaigning messages be opposition, a counterbalance, a checks and balance. ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) MP Ruzan Arakelyan said their party was able to accurately navigate at times when various situations were developing in 2018. The steps that we took, I believe, were right for both the party and Armenia. We didnt [get elected] to [next parliament], but the significant part of the people that voted for us has expectations from us. And that is why in the coming year we must be able to justify the expectations of our voters with right steps, by choosing the countrys security as a starting point, she said. The lawmakers also extended holiday greetings and congratulations on New Year and Christmas to everyone. Interviews by Anna Grigoryan Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has made more than 150 individual ceasefire violations during the period from December 23 to December 29 in the line of contact, Artsakhs military said. It said that Azerbaijani forces used various caliber small arms and fired nearly 1500 rounds at their positions. The defense ministry of Artsakh said their troops continue maintaining complete control in the frontline. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan In those days the Western Highlands was the star district. It was developing rapidly and had huge potential. Some people put this down to Elliss influence. My first posting was to Mount Hagen, where district commissioner Tom Ellis (pictured) ruled the roost, some said with an iron fist. Prior to independence, the provinces were called districts and they were run by district commissioners. When I first arrived in PNG, they were all Australians but by the early 1970s there were a few Papua New Guinean DCs. FOR some reason the discussions about Papua New Guineas elections and references to the decline in democracy and the possibility of a dictatorship remind me of some district commissioners I once worked under. He was referred to as God but some people thought he was the devil incarnate. It was pretty black and white with Tom, you either loved him or hated him. What a lot of his fans seemed to forget was that he had Geoff Littler, a very competent and progressive deputy, standing behind him. At my first and memorable meeting with him, Ellis assured me and the other cadet patrol officers alongside me that we had at least 20 years service ahead of us before independence and the prospect of a good career. Nine years later Papua New Guinea was independent. Before independence, Tom was whisked off to Port Moresby as the new director of district administration where he began a rearguard action against Michael Somare and PANGU Pati, which was in the box seat to take PNG to independence. There was a considerable push in PNG against early independence, and it was just restricted to planters and conservative highlanders there were a few public servants who also wanted to hold things back. Elliss replacement was the genial Mick Foley, a big Irishman and a stark contrast to the authoritarian Tom. His family was also down to earth and easy to get on with. Tragically, his daughter was killed in an accident involving the still spinning prop of a landed aircraft and Foley himself died of a heart attack in his mid-forties. When Geoff Littler followed Tom to the big smoke of Moresby, Bob Bell came in as deputy district commissioner. He later became the district commissioner of Gulf. Bob had a wicked sense of humour. I recall him advising a kiap who was getting married that he would thenceforth be no longer able to fart in bed if he went through with it. Bob had his own aeroplane, a Cessna 172, and used it to get around his district. He would drop out of the sky at odd moments to carry out inspections of patrol posts much to the chagrin of the surprised officers in charge. Keeping his staff on edge seemed to be an effective management tool. When I arrived in Western, the district commissioner at Daru was Ian Holmes. Daru was sometimes a punishment posting but I wasnt aware that Ian had done anything particularly bad to land there. Shortly after I arrived, Holmes was replaced by the irrepressible Ken Brown. Ken got on famously with everyone and he had a streak of nostalgia in him for times past when great exploratory patrolling was the order of the day. In those days Western still had some large areas of thinly populated but unexplored country. Up near Nomad cannibalism was still common, so Ken was in his element. Soon after he arrived he started sending patrols into these unexplored areas. They were probably the last pioneering patrols carried out in Papua New Guinea and I was lucky to be involved in some of them. Ken wasnt all nostalgia, however, he had an eye on the future and was responsible for mentoring one of the early Papua New Guinean district commissioners, Benson Gegeyo. Benson was a very able district commissioner and I suspect he and Ken were great mates. The district commissioners were equivalent to what are now provincial governors. I can only think of a couple of governors who would have made good district commissioners. Iron fisted, often eccentric, but with Papua New Guinea in their hearts, the district commissioners were great men we shouldnt forget. Transparency gave its 2018 Anti-Corruption Award to Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltas leading investigative journalist, who was assassinated in October 2017. The last words she wrote: There are crooks everywhere, the situation is desperate. Her killers have not been found STAFF WRITER | Transparency International BERLIN - As 2018 draws to a close, we want to look back on the year in corruption. From the African Union declaring 2018 the year of anti-corruption" to the Summit of the Americas overarching anti-corruption theme, the cause of anti-corruption has been high on the global agenda. The year started with the launch of our Anti-Corruption Knowledge Hub, a dedicated online space for research on corruption. In the spring, the Corruption Perceptions Index demonstrated the link between corruption and violence against the press and shrinking space for civil society, both worrying trends continuing throughout the year. Over the summer, following our critical report, the International Maritime Organisation, the United Nations shipping agency, finally set ambitious emissions reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement. We also analysed and made recommendations on a proposed EU-wide whistleblower protection directive which politicians have now voted to adopt. A welcome step. In autumn, we held the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Copenhagen, where over 1,600 participants gathered to discuss and pioneer the fight against corruption. During the conference, the 2018 Anti-Corruption Award recognised Spanish whistleblower Ana Garrido Ramos and the late Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia for their fearlessness and integrity in speaking truth to power. Two children died in Border Patrol custody this month. As the deaths bring national scrutiny to the federal agency, some Democrats have called for alternatives to detention and more funding for the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection. Instead of demanding $US5 billion for a border wall, President Donald Trump should focus instead on investing in better border technology, hiring more Border Patrol agents and enhancing detention centres, said Congressman Henry Cuellar. who represents Texas' 28th congressional district, which lies on the border. Trump should also look into investing into alternative forms of detention, Cuellar said, in order to avoid overcrowding in Border Patrol and CBP facilities. Two migrant children died this month while in Border Patrol custody, days after being held in border detention centres. Their deaths have sparked national outrage over the conditions in which migrants, particularly children, are held in after crossing the border. Their deaths come at the same time as President Donald Trump's demand for $US5 billion in border wall funding has shut down the government, leaving Democrats and Republicans at odds over what the country's investment in border security should be. For Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, whose district includes a stretch of the border, the answer is simple: invest in alternative methods of border security, not on the wall. The Border Patrol in particular, he said, is in desperate need of more funding. Reached via phone on Thursday, Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, had just finished meeting with Border Patrol officers. He told INSIDER he doesn't believe in a "14th century solution called a wall." "All you have to do is buy a $US100 ladder and you can take care of billions of dollars," Cuellar said. "I've asked every single Border Patrol Chief [who served under] Bush, Obama, and Trump, 'how much time does a wall or fence buy you?' They all have said basically the same thing: 'a few minutes or a few seconds, depending on who wants to cross.'" Story continues Cuellar, who lives on the border, said there are other ways of securing the border that would be more cost-effective, and reasonable, than a wall. "Even the basic equipment that they need is not working," Cuellar said. The representative, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee and is considered one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, said Border Patrol agents often tell him they don't have the budget to fix or replace malfunctioning equipment. "I've been with Border Patrol in the middle of night and they will tell me: 'See those cameras over there, congressman? The one on the right works. The one on the left doesn't work.'" he said. "I asked why can't you all get them fixed? 'Well,' they said, 'we don't have any money.'" Agents, he said, will sometimes pay for equipment out of their own pocket. But besides funding for equipment, Cuellar said, what the Border Patrol most desperately needs is more space, enhanced facilities, and increased staffing. "The Border Patrol facilities need to be updated. In fact, they're billions of dollars behind on updates and upgrades on those facilities," he said. Facilities like the one where 7-year-old Guatemalan migrant, Jakelin Caal, died are known as a "forward bases" and are among the most understaffed within BP and CBP, according to Cuellar. The New Mexico facility that the little girl reached hours before she passed away, for example, was staffed by only four agents the night she arrived. And then agents who staff facilities like this, Cuellar said, often don't have "the proper equipment that they need to do their jobs." "If they don't have enough Border Patrol agents, they certainly don't have the medical technicians," he said. "Things have changed where we have to look at providing more medical care for the people that come in those situations." CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, in the agency's defence, said CBP has more than 1,500 emergency medical technicians on staff and that officers are taking dozens of sick children to hospitals every day. "This is an extraordinarily rare occurrence," McAleenan told "CBS This Morning" of the two children's deaths. "It's been more than a decade since we've had a child pass away anywhere in a CBP process, so this is just devastating for us." The facilities, McAleenan added, "were built 30 to 40 years ago for single adult males." "We need a different approach. We need help from Congress. We need to budget for medical care and mental health care for children in our facilities," he said. Border Patrol holding facilities, Cuellar explained, are supposed to only hold people for a short period of time - 48, 72 hours - and are not equipped to hold people long-term. "Some of them don't even have showers, they have to find a place to get them the shower," Cuellar said. "We have to update the Border Patrol checkpoints, the Border Patrol facilities, instead of wasting money on the on the wall." The number of Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents has also dropped. In 2012, CBP employed over 21,000 Border Patrol officers. As of 2017, the agency employed only 19,437 of these agents. This year, the Trump Administration paid a private company $US13.6 million to recruit thousands of Border Patrol agents. So far, however, they have only hired two. "I was telling the Border Patrol, I said 'Man, I hope these guys are part of the Avengers or Captain America,'" Cuellar said. "15 million dollars to hire two people, man. They better be very good." Border Patrol, Cuellar said, is losing staffers because many would rather work for Immigrations Customs Enforcement (ICE) or CBP, since those jobs tend to have better hours and are usually not stationed in rural areas. Cuellar has also suggested funding alternative ways of detention, such as ankle monitors, that could help avoid overcrowding and understaffing in detention facilities. He also spoke of exploring artificial intelligence technology - which he said was pitched to him by what he described as a former shareholder of a major tech company in his mid-20s - that, for a fraction of the money Trump is demanding for the wall, would sense movement among the border and deploy drones that would then follow migrants as they approach the country. The representative remains confident that in a House controlled by Democrats there will be increased oversight over CBP and BP operations. Members of the Hispanic Caucus have already called for investigations into the deaths of the two migrant children, as well as the conditions in detention centres. Cuellar said not enough attention has been placed on the Border Patrol facilities like the one in New Mexico where Jakelin Caal first arrived. "Democrats are going to bring a very different perspective and I think we can work with the Senate," he said. "For example, Republican Senator John Cornyn and myself, in a bipartisan way, we work together on a lot of issues. He gets it, he understands it, and I think we'll be able to work on things with the Senate, even though it's a Republican majority. I just hope that President Trump will understand that." A young father from Perth has died during a family trip on the Indonesian island of Bali. Chris Taylor, who was described as a great bloke and a beautiful soul, died while holidaying with his partner and their two sons. Details have not yet been released on how he died. Mr Taylor is one of two Perth men who have died while on separate family holidays in Bali, with both deaths happening on Thursday. Perth dad Chris Taylor died on a family trip to Bali on Thursday. Source: GoFundMe Mr Taylors parents, partner and children remain on the Indonesian holiday island as they make arrangements to bring him home. Its with a shattered heart that we have to make this post, friend Beth Parker wrote on GoFundMe page to raise money to bring Mr Taylors body home. Chris Taylor tragically and unfairly passed away in Bali on 27 December. We dont have many details to share. Chris Taylor was on holiday with partner Ebony and their two sons when tragedy struck. Source: Facebook / Chris Taylor Unfortunately their travel insurance wont adequately cover accidental death or repatriation. We are asking for help to bring him home, whatever you can spare, to ease this strain on Ebony and Chris family. Ashok Joshi drowned at a popular beach in Seminyak. Source: Getty/file Mr Taylors death follows the death of 69-year-old Ashok Joshi who drowned at Seminyak while holidaying with his wife and family. Mr Joshi had arrived earlier the same day for a holiday with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and their family. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the families of two Australian men in Bali. A 14-year-old boy has become stuck in a chimney in the middle of the night while pretending to be Santa. The curious incident took place in the city of Linz, the capital of the state of Upper Austria, where the schoolboy climbed onto the roof of a block of apartments to be just like Father Christmas. But while playing by a chimney he slipped into it and became stuck halfway down. Truck driver Behrami Muharrer, who lives in the apartment block, heard the schoolboys cries about 1.30am. I did not know where it came from so I alerted the police, Mr Muharrer said. Despite the cops ringing every door in the block of apartments, nobody knew where the cries were coming from. A 14-year-old boy has become stuck in a chimney in the middle of the night while pretending to be Santa. Source: CEN/Australscope Only when another neighbour heard the same shouts half-an-hour later did the cops finally manage to locate the boy and grasp what was going on. It came from the chimney, I could not believe it at first. Who thinks of such a thing? Mr Muharrer said. Seventeen firefighters were called to the scene to rescue the teenage boy. Officer-in-charge Gerhard Krenn said despite 24 years working as a firefighter this was something completely new to him. The firefighters first secured the boy, who was stuck at the height of a small door for chimney sweeps, with a safety harness to prevent him from sliding further down. The curious incident took place in the city of Linz, the capital of the state of Upper Austria, when the schoolboy climbed onto the roof of a block of apartments to be just like Santa. Source: CEN/Australscope They then broke open the brick chimney to free the boy from his precarious situation. The boy suffered some bruising and slight hypothermia. He told the cops he decided to climb onto the roof to have a good view over the houses and play Father Christmas. According to the rescue workers, he can only thank the neighbours such as Mr Muharrer for being attentive enough to recognise his screams and to call the cops as it could have easily ended worse. I am glad that it had a happy ending right before Christmas, Mr Muharrer said. with Australscope Italian lawmakers passed Saturday the populist government's revised 2019 budget before a year-end deadline, despite complaints from the opposition that it was dictated by Brussels and had been rammed through without debate. The coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League party expressed their approval with a vote of confidence that saw 327 deputies for and 228 against, with one abstention. Key measures in the big-spending budget were watered down as the government tried to avoid being punished by the European Commission and financial markets. Senators passed the draft last week with a vote of confidence that avoided discussing around 700 amendments put forward by the government but provoked acrimonious scenes over the lack of substantive debate. Similar scenes were repeated on Friday in the lower house, where the session was suspended after copies of the budget were thrown around, and in the chamber on Saturday. If next year's budget had not passed before December 31, the government would have been forced to continue to function on a monthly basis using the 2018 budget. "There was no deliberate wish by the government to avoid discussion," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told an end-of-year press conference on Friday as the opposition Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court over the sidelining of parliament. Conte, a lawyer, is not a member of either of the ruling parties and has worked to achieve compromises between the parties and with Brussels since the government was formed in June. 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. But Italy last week 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. - 'End poverty' - In the latest hiccup to the tightly balanced revised budget, charities were on Thursday up in arms over a sudden decision to double their tax rate from 12 to 24 percent. M5S leader and Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio bore the brunt of criticism as he had said the budget would "end poverty". He said there was no time to remove the measure before the end of the year and so the law would have to be changed again in January. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini's League has also had to climb down on costly pension reform. The government has struggled to come up with a budget that pleases their voters, Brussels and the market, with many Italians complaining about measures being watered down to placate the European Commission. 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. "It's not at all true that the budget was written in Brussels, it was written in Italy," Conte insisted on Friday. 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. Critics have accused Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (L) of allowing Italy's budget to be dictated by Brussels Deputies from the centre-right party "Forza Italia" disrupt Saturday's session for a Parliament vote of confidence on Italy's revised 2019 budget On better terms now that Italy has watered down its spending plans Attorneys for a former policeman accused of murdering an Australian in the US city of Minneapolis last year were granted permission by a judge to borrow a squad car to test conditions surrounding the shooting. Mohamed Noor fatally shot Justine Damond in 2017 as she approached his police car, having alerted authorities to what sounded like a rape taking place in a dark alley behind her home. Noor was fired from the police department and charged with second-degree and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter. The former officer's attorneys on Thursday asked the presiding judge in the case to grant them access to a police car "to independently gather information, make measurements and allow testing and analysis." City attorneys on Friday objected to much of the defense's request, saying authorities would allow access to a police car, but were concerned that "the specific nature of the proposed 'testing and analysis' is not identified." Judge Kathryn L Quaintance later ruled in favor of allowing the test but said it must occur "at or near" a police station in the city rather than the requested location of near the scene of the shooting. Media reports said the defense was looking to recreate and measure lighting conditions when the moon would have been at the same phase as during the fatal shooting nearly two years ago. But the night sky was overcast in Minneapolis on Friday and the moon was not visible. Noor shot Damond once from the passenger seat of his police cruiser in July 2017. His partner told investigators they had been startled by a loud sound moments before they saw a figure approach them. The shooting provoked outrage in the United States and in Damond's native Australia. The 40-year-old had moved to the US to marry her American fiance, Don Damond, whose name she had already legally adopted. Her relatives and the Australian government demanded an explanation, while protests in Minneapolis led to the resignation of the city's police chief. Noor's jury trial is scheduled to begin April 1. A memorial for Justine Damond is seen near the alleyway in Minneapolis were she was shot by a city police officer Turkey's last prime minister was on Saturday chosen as the ruling party's mayoral candidate for Istanbul in a bid to ensure the country's biggest city remains in its hands after 2019 elections. Binali Yildirim, who served as prime minister between 2016 and 2018 under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had been the clear favourite for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) role. He was the last premier of Turkey before the parliamentary system was officially replaced with an executive presidency with Erdogan at the helm in July. AKP chairman Erdogan, a former mayor of Istanbul, introduced Yildirim as the candidate for the March 31 vote during a televised ceremony. The president once reportedly told his party: "If we lose Istanbul, we lose Turkey." The key city is home to over 15 million people out of a population of over 80 million. Yildirim, who was made parliamentary speaker after elections in June this year, has been a loyal servant of Erdogan having previously served as transport minister. The 63-year-old was born into a poor family in a village in the eastern province of Erzincan and later became a maritime engineer. He was tapped by Erdogan in the 1990s to run the city's ferry company and has also served as a lawmaker for Istanbul. Last year Kadir Topbas, who was the AKP's Istanbul mayor for 13 years, was replaced as Erdogan sought to refresh the ruling party before national and local elections. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) recently announced Ekrem Imamoglu as its Istanbul candidate. He is currently mayor of the city's Beylikduzu district. And in an indication the opposition believes there is a greater chance of winning the Ankara mayorship, the CHP said its candidate for the capital would be Mansur Yavas. He previously ran for Ankara in a very tight race against the incumbent, the AKP's Melih Gokcek who quit three years later in October 2017 on the "orders" of Erdogan. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) unveiled his former prime minister and national assembly speaker Binali Yildirim as the ruling party candidate for mayor of Istanbul Russia and Turkey on Saturday agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria after the shock announcement of a US military withdrawal, Moscow's top diplomat said. President Donald Trump's move has already hastened a shift in alliances with Syrian troops deployed Friday in support of Kurdish forces around a strategic northern city. The Kurds, under threat from Ankara, had been supported by US forces. "Of course we paid special attention to new circumstances which appeared in connection with the announced US military pullout," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. The Syrian deployment pleased ally Russia but upset Turkey ahead of Saturday's talks in Moscow. "An understanding was reached of how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue to coordinate their steps on the ground under new conditions with a view to finally rooting out terrorist threats in Syria," Lavrov said. Cavusoglu confirmed the two countries would coordinate Syria operations, adding they also discussed plans to help refugees to return home. "We will continue active work (and) coordination with our Russian colleagues and colleagues from Iran to speed up the arrival of a political settlement in the Syrian Republic," he said in remarks translated into Russian. "We have the common desire to cleanse Syrian territory of any terrorist organisation, Cavusoglu added. Lavrov said he was "optimistic" following the talks which included Russian and Turkish defence ministers Sergei Shoigu and Hulusi Akar. Trump last week said he was pulling all 2,000 troops from Syria, declaring that Washington had achieved its objective as the Islamic State group had been "knocked" out. The extremist movement, also known as ISIS, has lost nearly all its territory, although thousands of its jihadists are thought to remain in war-battered Syria. Nearly eight years into Syria's deadly conflict, the US pullout has led to another key step in President Bashar al-Assad's Russian-backed drive to reassert control over the country. The Syrian army announced its return to Manbij, a strategic city close to the Turkish border where Kurdish forces have been deployed since 2016 and where US-led coalition forces are also stationed. A US withdrawal will leave them exposed to an assault by Turkey, which has thousands of proxy fighters in northern Syria and wants to crush Kurdish forces it considers terrorists. The Syrian army's arrival creates a regime buffer arching across northern Syria that fully separates the Turkish army and its proxies from the Kurds. Ankara reacted to the deployment by warning "all sides to stay away from provocative actions". On Friday, Russia said it would host a three-way summit with Turkey and Iran on the Syrian conflict early next year following their last such meeting in September. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, pictured August 2018, met to coordinate ground operations in Syria after the announced US military pullout Two young men have been recognised after saving the life of a mother and caring for her three-year-old child. The Maple Heights Police Department in Ohio highlighted Rayfield Hallman and Steven William Woods heroic actions in a Facebook post on Wednesday (local time). They stopped to help 42-year-old mother Latonya Perry who was having a seizure as they were driving by her home on Sunday evening (local time). Two young men in Ohio stopped to help mother Latonya Perry, 42, who was having a seizure with her daughter nearby. Source: Fox8 The woman was lying in her doorway half-conscious with her daughter nearby. Mr Hallman almost continued on, but out of concern for a small child being alone, he stopped to check and make sure everything was okay, the police wrote. Rayfield and Steven called 911 to get the woman help, and took the toddler and sat her in their vehicle to get her out of the cold. They even grabbed the victims small poodle which was outside with her. They stood by until we arrived on scene and determined that the woman was suffering from some sort of seizure. The fire department transported the mum to hospital and the police spoke to a neighbour who provided the husbands contact information. Police say the mens actions saved not only the womans life but her three-year-old daughters (pictured) as well. Source: Fox8 Rayfield Hallman and Steven William Wood stopped to assist the mother who was having a seizure as they were driving by her home. Source: Facebook/Maple Heights Police Department Rayfield and Stevens decision to show concern for another person probably saved not only the womans life, but possibly saved the life of her daughter, who was outside in the night cold [2C] and at the young age of 3 yrs old, did not have the wherewithal to take action to care for herself. Im sure that other people drove past and decided not to do anything, the Facebook post read. But because Rayfield and Steven decided to show a high level of character and compassion, the woman, her daughter and her dog should be fine. The police wrote both men were given gift cards to the restaurant Mr. Chicken and a heartfelt Thank You for going out of their way to help someone else, showing everyone else that compassion for our fellow man is still an applicable characteristic in our world. Yahoo Lifestyle could not reach the Maple Heights Police Department for comment, and relatives of Hallman and Wood did not return Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment. Patrick Griffin worked in the White House for Democratic president Bill Clinton and participated in negotiations with Republican lawmakers during the 1995 government shutdown -- the longest in recent US history. Now a professor at American University, Griffin analyzes the current shutdown -- sparked by a dispute over funding for President Donald Trump's controversial border wall -- that has paralyzed the American government since December 22. - When will there be movement? - "This is going to be about 'who blinks first.' And when we did it in the '90s, we thought we had a better argument than they did, and it turns out we did. And they not only had to blink, and we got virtually everything we wanted, they also were damaged by it," Griffin said. "Somebody will blink. Not in the too distant future." - Assessment of Democratic strategy - "The reality is now nobody is paying much attention to it in the middle of the holidays... but as the battle shifts to the more general public, I think the messaging on the Democratic side will be more aggressive," Griffin said. "My guess is that Trump is winning with his base but I don't think he's winning in the public. But this can change. And then when the Democrats take control (of the House of Representatives in January), the fight takes on a different feel." - Possible solutions - "I don't know where the deal is. I don't know whether it's in a few more bucks, or if Trump will be very creative. He has the potential. If he did something on DACA, I think the Democrats would give him the money. But that would unsettle his base," said Griffin, referring to a program that protects immigrants who came to the US illegally as children, which has sought to scrap. - On the 1995 shutdown - "It's very tough. You make the decision and there's a lot of consideration that goes into the decision... You do a very, very thorough analysis of what you're going to do and what they're going to do and you play it out as far as you can," Griffin said. "You don't want the president running around on his own, undermining it. And President Clinton has some inclination to do that, but he was able to be managed and as a result our discipline and our message prevailed... Now, you never know with Trump." - Should shutdowns be scrapped? - "It is a constitutionally defined tension between the Congress and the executive branch. The executive branch proposes and the Congress disposes. So they have the power of the purse. And that is something that keeps the checks and balances in place, whether it looks messy, whether we like the issue or who's winning or losing," Griffin said. The US government has been partially shut down since December 22, 2018 due to a dispute over funding for President Donald Trump's border wall Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the port of Hodeida, under a truce agreement, a UN official said Saturday, amid doubts over the handover process by pro-government forces. The UN official, who requested anonymity, said the Huthi rebels began to pull back from the Red Sea port at midnight (2100 GMT Friday). But a pro-government official told AFP that the loyalists were "surprised" by reports of a port handover. "Who is that that they handed the port to and how," the official said. "The Huthis have taken advantage of their control of Hodeida and placed their fighters in both the navy and coastguard, something that has been a major source of concern for the legitimate government. "The UN has to have a clear mechanism in place to ensure that there is a proper recruitment process for these crucial infrastructures." In a statement carried by Yemen's Saba state news agency, another pro-government official said that it was "a clear attempt by the rebels to warp the contents of the agreement" reached at peace talks in Sweden earlier this month. The port is the entry point for food aid to 14 million Yemenis on the brink of famine, according to UN figures, and the rebel withdrawal is a key part of a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched on June 13 with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition. The Huthis began "the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port", a rebel official told the Huthi-run Saba news agency. The UN Security Council last week unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to oversee the hard-won truce for Hodeida. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint truce monitoring committee, which includes both government and rebel representatives, and chaired its first meeting this week. The UN-led panel addressed "the first phase of the implementation of the agreement... based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment," a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss "detailed plans for full redeployment". Despite the start of the Huthi withdrawal, the agreement hit a stumbling block later on Saturday with the coalition saying the rebels had not allowed an aid convoy to leave the port. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said that the insurgents "denied the exit of the UN humanitarian convoy... headed to (rebel-held) Sanaa that was carrying 32 tonnes of flour," in a statement carried by state-run Saudi Press Agency. The Huthis, in turn, said in a statement that the road was "not yet unblocked because the other side has not withdrawn" from Hodeida city. - Shaky truce - The truce has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations. A resident reached by telephone on Saturday told AFP pro-government and rebel forces had exchanged fire briefly overnight. The resident added that coalition jets were heard overhead on Saturday morning. The pro-government official told AFP on Saturday that the Huthis have violated the truce 246 times, in which 21 loyalists were killed and 174 wounded. "The coalition has not launched a single airstrike in Hodeida province since the ceasefire went into effect.," he said. "Since the ceasefire, the Huthis have erected eight new checkpoints, 109 barrier and dug up 21 new trenches. "The impunity with which the Huthis are violating the ceasefire in Hodeida is deeply worrisome." In addition to the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida, the agreement included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees. A "mutual understanding" was also reached to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under the control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides have agreed to meet in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population -- now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Civil servants and teachers have been left without salaries for months, owing to the country's collapsed economy, but those in Hodeida are set to finally receive their wages after Hadi on Thursday instructed the government to pay them. Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the lifeline port of Hodeida, a UN official said Saturday Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading the UN monitoring team Yemeni pro-government forces gather at the eastern entrance of Hodeida on December 29, 2018 Pro-government forces pictured on December 29, 2018 at the eastern entrance to Yemen?s Hodeida Citing concerns about the impact on low-wage workers and other flaws with the legislation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would include bereavement in the state's paid family leave program. The legislation sponsored by ex-state Assemblyman Joe Morelle and state Sen. Rich Funke would've allowed workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the death of a family member. NY launches paid family leave program Workers in New York now can take time off to care for a newborn child or sick parent and con Under the existing family leave program, which launched earlier this year, workers can receive paid leave for the adoption or birth of a child, to care for a sick family member or if a spouse is an active-duty military service member. Morelle and Funke's bill would expand the program and add the death of a family member to the list of qualifying events. They argued that it may take some workers longer to grieve, especially after the loss of a spouse or child. Morelle, a Rochester-area lawmaker who was elected to Congress in November, lost his daughter to cancer in 2017. "The inability to take time to process grief not only has an impact on a person's health and their family, it has a profound impact on their ability to carry out their normal day-to-day tasks," the bill's justification reads. The measure, citing the Society for Human Resource Management, notes that employers provide an average of four days of bereavement leave for the death of a spouse or child. Morelle and Funke's bill received bipartisan support in the state Legislature. It passed by a 111-32 vote in the Assembly, and by a 61-1 margin in the state Senate. Business groups, though, opposed the legislation. The Business Council of New York State was among the interest groups that called on Cuomo to veto the bill. In his veto message, Cuomo wrote that he understood "the spirit of the bill" to allow New York workers to mourn the death of a loved one. But he raised several concerns with the legislation, which he said would lead to an "extreme expansion" of the paid family leave program. This expansion, he noted, would have a dramatic effect on low-wage workers because, with bereavement as part of the program, it would lead to a significant increase in the employee contribution. The current contribution level is 0.126 percent of an employee's gross wages. Cuomo called for more studies of the impacts on low-wage and middle-class workers. Another problem with the bill is that there would be no limit on when bereavement leave can be taken. The existing law allows workers to take paid leave for qualifying events within a 12-month period. But there would be no constraints on when someone could use paid leave for the death of a loved one. The bill also wouldn't apply to all paid family leave policies, Cuomo explained. The bereavement bill, if signed, would take effect on or after Jan. 1, 2020. But it wouldn't require policies issued in 2019 to be modified to include bereavement. This would create confusion as to when benefits are applied, he added. "While it pains me to do so, for the foregoing reasons, I am constrained to veto this bill," Cuomo said. "However, I am committed to working with the Legislature in the coming legislative session to resolve these issues for the benefits of hardworking New Yorkers." The paid leave law was signed by Cuomo in 2016. For the first year of the program, workers could take up to eight weeks of paid leave and receive 50 percent of their average weekly wage up to 50 percent of the state's average weekly wage. The program will expand to 10 weeks in 2019 and 2020. Once it's fully phased in, workers will receive up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and 67 percent of their average weekly wages up to 67 percent of the state's average weekly wage. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 9 City Gregory Scott Wallace, 46, 18 Warren Ave., Auburn, was charged Dec. 21 with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Charles David Jane, 41, 141 State St., Apt. B2, was picked up on a bench warrant Dec. 21. Jack Richard Morehouse, 29, 59 LaFayette Place, Auburn, was charged Dec. 24 with first-degree criminal contempt and obstruction of breathing. Michael Eugene Stanton, Sr., 45, 13 Chapman Ave., Auburn, was charged Dec. 24 with driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or greater and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Alasia Kapri Daniels, 21, 68 Greenview Circle, Auburn, was charged Dec. 26 with fourth-degree grand larceny. Jared Peter Bochenek, 42, 149 S. Hoopes Ave., Auburn, was charged Dec. 26 with second-degree criminal contempt. Sincere Ae'syd Harrison, 19, 49 Chedell Pl., Apt. 1, Auburn, was charged Dec. 26 with petit larceny. Lawrence Andrew Atkins, 41, 136 Dunning Ave., Auburn, was charged Dec. 26 with first-degree identity theft, second-degree forgery, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and was picked up on a bench warrant. Martin N. Gomez, 41, 32 Liberty St., Auburn, was charged Dec. 27 with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Emmauel L. Walls Sr., 34, 273 State St., Apt. 2, Auburn, was charged Dec. 27 with aggravated criminal contempt, obstruction of breathing, third-degree assault and second-degree criminal contempt. Damario A. Johnson, 26, 43 Orchard St., Auburn, was charged with first-degree criminal contempt and second-degree unlawful imprisonment. Rachel R. Kilmer, 38, 232 Van St., Syracuse, was picked up on a bench warrant Dec. 28. State Eric E. Gilfus, 33, Weedsport, was charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent, driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction in the last 10 years, aggravated driving while intoxicated and operating a vehicle without an interlock device. Love 1 Funny 10 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 7 On Wednesday, as President Trump visited American troops stationed in Iraq at the al-Asad airbase, CNN took a shot at the troops who asked Trump to sign their "Make America Great Again" hats or their embroidered patches reading "Trump 2020." The network discussed whether the service members might have violated Department of Defense guidelines against partisan political activities, and later implied on its website that the troops had indeed violated the rules. But CNN left out a key part of the guidelines when they quoted them.On CNN's "The Situation Room," the network turned to a military expert to determine whether what the troops did was inappropriate. Shockingly, that military expert turned out to be none other than Retired Rear Adm. John Kirby, a former Obama administration spokesperson. Even more shockingly, Kirby theorized that the troops' actions were indeed inappropriate, saying archly,The segment began with CNN's Jim Acosta asking Kirby, "And John, what would the concern be if something like that is going on, do you think? Or is this just a soldier's there, he's got a hat in his locker, and he runs over and says, "Hey, when am I gonna have another chance for the president to sign one of these things?"Kirby answered,Acosta:Kirby:He then took a shot at Trump, snapping,CNN wrote on their website,CNN then warned,CNN noted that the Department of Defense guidelines state:But here's what CNN left out from the guidelines: Movie reviews: 'Vice' is a damning and timely portrait of the corruption of power Richard Crouse Contributor, CTV News Channel and CTV News Digital Film critic and Pop Life host Richard Crouse reviews "Vice," "If Beale Street Could Talk," and "On the Basis of Sex." Christian Bale as Dick Cheney and Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush in 'Vice' VICE: 4 STARS Recently a clever twitteratti dubbed Adam McKay, director of "The Big Short," the "funny Oliver Stone," in reference to his ability to make movies that hit hard with humour. His new film, the double entendre-ly titled "Vice," is the twisted tale of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), former White House Chief of Staff, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defence under George H.W. Bush and, most famously, Vice President to George W. Bush, from college drop out to Washington insider. "Big shot DC Dick," his father-in-law calls him. The story begins on September 11, 2001 in the White House situation room. George Bush is on Air Force One and Cheney is the man in charge. How did this happen to a man who got kicked out of Yale for drinking too much? "The following is a true story," the title credits read. "Well, at least as true as it can be given that Dick Cheney was one of the most secretive leaders in history. We did our 'bleeping' the best." McKay, a self-styled historian of troubled times, works backwards to unveil Cheney's rise. Using voiceover and his unique informational interstitials the director pieces together Cheneys career from so-so student and OK athlete to finding his calling as a "humble servant to power." Hired by Donald Rumsfeld (Steven Carell) as a congressional intern the young Cheney quickly shows an aptitude for navigating the halls of power. "What do we believe?" he earnestly asks Rumsfeld. Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush in 'Vice' Tyler Perry as Colin Powell in 'Vice' Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld in 'Vice' Later, on the eve of Nixons resignation, having tasted power, he tells Rumsfeld, "the plan is to take over the place." Under Gerald Ford he became the youngest ever White House Chief of Staff and then a long serving congressman for the state of Wyoming. Its while Cheney is serving in the House of Representatives that McKay begins to shape the portrait of the man as one of the architects of the current political situation. He emerges as a fan of deregulation and an expert in finding elasticity in the rules. With Roger Ailes he strikes down the Fairness Doctrine, an FCC policy that required news outlets to present both sides of the story. This move, as much as anything else, helped give rise to opinion based news outlets, ie: FOX News, and the spread of right wing ideology. Cheney weathers the Clinton years as CEO of the multinational corporation Halliburton, re-entering political life at the request of George Bush Junior. "Vice President is a nothing job," says wife Lynne (Amy Adams) scolds. "You sit around and wait for the president to die." Nevertheless Cheney accepts the offer and works to turn the position into a power base. His systematic restructuring of the job leaves his mentor Rumsfeld amazed. "Are you even more ruthless when you used to be?" "Vice" heats up in its retelling of the justification of the war in Iraq. Cheney recognized the need for Americans to have an easily identifiable villain. By and large, the film suggests, the public didnt understand who or what al Qaeda was. "Is that a country?" So Iraq, the place with the "best targets," was chosen in what might be flippantly described as a focus group war. Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, left, and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney in 'Vice' At its heart "Vice" is a damning and timely portrait of the corruption of power. McKays talent is his ability to take complicated situations and ideas and make them eye-level without dumbing them down. "The Big Short" explained the financial crisis of 20072008. "Vice" uses clever editing and set pieces to contextualize the timeline of Cheneys time in the public eye. To explain how Cheney and his cronies embraced policies like enhanced interrogation McKay stages a restaurant scene. Alfred Molina plays a waiter reading off a list of specials. "We have a very fresh War Act interpretation," he says with a flourish. "That sounds delicious," Rumsfeld purrs. Its absurd but these are strange times. These set pieces arent necessarily meant to amuse but rather display the heightened nature of the situation. Cheney bet heavily on the notion that, "the last thing people want is complicated analysis of government." McKay does an end run around that ideology, finding ways to effectively explain how we embraced a war on a country with no WMDs or allowing the monitoring of emails and phones without consent. The genius is, it never feels like a civics class. Bale, almost completely unrecognizable as the heavy-set Cheney, heads the sprawling cast. His uncanny take on the character is fuelled by a low key performance. He understands that Cheney knew the power of a carefully placed whisper out punches a tantrum every time. It is precise work that will undoubtedly land him an Oscar nomination. Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, left, and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney in 'Vice' Perhaps "Vice's" most telling comment on Cheney comes in its final moments. (MILD SPOILER ALERT) "You want to be loved?" he says, "go be a movie star." He feels the publics judgement and recriminations but doesnt care. "I will not apologize for doing what needed to be done." A scene from 'If Beale Street Could Talk' IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK: 4 STARS Based on a well-loved James Baldwin novel, "If Beale Street Could Talk" is a story of love in the face of injustice. Director Barry Jenkins, in his follow-up to the Oscar winning "Moonlight," has crafted a stately film that takes us inside the relationship at the heart of the story and the heartlessness that threatens to rip it apart. A scene from 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Childhood friends "Tish" Rivers (Kiki Layne) and Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (Stephan James) kept their relationship platonic until it blossomed into love when she was 19 and he was 22. With a lifetime of familiarity behind them, their relationship progresses quickly. They move into together and wait for the birth of their first child when tragedy strikes. Framed for sexual assault by racist cop Officer Bell (Ed Skrein) Fonny is thrown in jail. "I hope nobody ever has to look at somebody they love through class," Tish says. The families rally to raise money for his defence but circumstance conspires to keep him incarcerated. A scene from 'If Beale Street Could Talk' "If Beale Street Could Talk" is a love story framed against a backdrop of disenfranchisement and turmoil. It is about a womans love for her fiance, a mother and fathers for their daughter, the power of love to be the fuel of survival. As the faces of this love, Jenkins displays an impeccable eye for casting. Through their body language and easy chemistry Layne and James hand in performances ripe with empathy, power and, heres that word again, love. Stephan James and KiKi Layne in 'If Beale Street Could Talk' There is a delicacy to the filmmaking. Jenkins takes his time, slowly building the story of heartbreak tinged with hope. Its a period piece but placed alongside the spate of newspaper stories of young African-American men by police it feels as timely as todays headlines. Read another take: 'If Beale Street Could Talk' is lyrical and lovely At a special screening of 'On The Basis of Sex' in New York ON THE BASIS OF SEX: 3 STARS In 1956 when Ruth Bader Ginsburg entered Harvard Law School she was one of just nine women in her class. A new film, "On the Basis of Sex" starring Felicity Jones as the second female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, details her formative years from law school through to her ground breaking cases in the area of women's rights. We first see Ginsburg in a bright blue overcoat, sensible pumps and stockings with a perfectly straight line up the calf walking to class on her first day. She stands out in the mostly button down male pupils walking in Harvards hallowed halls. In class the keen student is met with stares of disbelief and asked to consider what it means to be a "Harvard man." Worse, her dean, Erwin Griswold (Sam Waterston), bluntly asks, "Why are you occupying a place at Harvard that could have gone to a man?" Cut to 1959. Her tax lawyer husband Marty (Armie Hammer) and daughter Jane (Cailee Spaeny) are living in New York. Despite graduating top of her class Ginsburg cant find a job in the biggest city in the worlds most litigious country simply because she is a woman. "Were a tight knit firm," one prospective employer tells her. "Almost like family. The wives would get jealous." Shut out of practicing law she accepts a position as a professor at Columbia Law School. The story jumps ahead a decade to 1970. Her class in womens rights is ninety percent female but attitudes havent changed much since she graduated. "Some colleagues say I should be teaching the rights of gnomes and fairies," she says. The brilliant law professor feels stymied because while she is teaching the next group of lawyers to change the world she would rather be changing it herself. When her husband presents her with the case of Charles Moritz (Christian Mulkey), a man denied a caregiver tax deduction because of his gender, she sees a way to make change. She leaps at the chance to take on a sex discrimination case that could have far reaching implications not only for Moritz but for women as well. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Felicity Jones at the L.A. premiere of 'On the Basis of Sex' Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an exceptional person. So exceptional in fact that her life has been documented several times on film, including the recent documentary "RBG." That movie presents her as a multifaceted person. An opera loving law prodigy with a wicked sense of humour and a sense of justice that has influenced every aspect of her life. Gloria Steinem calls her "the closest thing to a superhero I know." "On the Basis of Sex," written by Ginsburg's late husband's nephew, Daniel Stiepleman, takes this pioneering womans spirit and shapes it around a formulaic narrative. Its efficient, playing like a greatest hits collection of the heads she butted and the doors she kicked in. Gone is the quirky, layered personality displayed in "RBG," replaced with Joness earnest portrayal. If, as Steinem says, she is a superhero, "RBG" portrays her as Wonder Woman. In "On the Basis of Sex" shes more like Elektra, still remarkable but not quite as interesting. "On the Basis of Sex" is a feel good history lesson, a movie that provides a look at Ginsburgs determination, intelligence and humanity but one that goes too heavy on the hagiography. Yahoo! JAPAN Yahoo! JAPAN There's a not-to-be missed profile in High Country News on Dine heavy metal bands on and around the Navajo Nation in Arizona, with incredible photos by Clarke Tolton, who also directed the video above. Snip: On the drive through the Navajo Nation, twirling the radio dial yields country station after country station. The genre warbles about the American Dream, life's struggles paying off, and frustration, loss and regret. Scan long enough though, and you might stumble upon Laydi Rayne's weekly metal show on KSHI out of Zuni, New Mexico. It's one of the only shows in the area that caters to the genre, which is popular on the nation. Metalheads on the nation have long been making the style their own through "rez metal," short for reservation metal. Bands record in abandoned houses, and host shows in backyards and empty parking lots. The musicians have embraced ingenuity and teamwork to create a scene reflective of their identities. And now, a generation of Dine youth who grew up listening to metal are shaping the scene themselves. The heavy metal genre was born in 1980s England, but has translated easily to the Navajo Nation, said Jerold Cecil, band manager of I Don't Konform. "Metal is disenchantment with everything," said Cecil, a Navajo citizen. "Establishment, society, the frustrations you have in your life, socio-economic problems, family problems, not being provided the resources or the opportunities that most people are given everyday, just because you're on the rez." Cecil jokes that the only difference between rez metal bands and other metal groups is that even if they're not getting paid, rez metal bands will drive five hours or more to a show. "They do it for the adrenaline from being on stage, being able to hear your music loud in front of a lot of people that are like you," Cecil said. That camaraderie extends to the competition inherent in the music industry: When one band is "discovered," fame comes to the whole scene. "If one of us makes it, then we all make it," said Cecil. Nearly 800,000 people are hurting financially because of the government shutdown, according to NBC: 420,000 federal employees must continue to work without a paycheck until the shutdown ends, and another 380,000 are simply furloughed, or sent home without pay (and will, hopefully, be reimbursed after the Trumpian mess over the ridiculous wall is sorted out). So how does the government advise these out-of-paycheck employees? The solution is simple: "Consult with your personal attorney." (Yeah, right.) "Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with personal legal advice. If you need legal advice to assist you in any response to creditors, landlords or the like, consult with your personal attorney" says the Office of Personnel Management, which acts as the federal government's human resources agency. Or better yet, do some work for your landlord, such as painting or carpentry, in exchange for rent. (Even though not everyone has a landlord, and not everyone is able to perform manual labor.) Just ask your landlord like this: "I will keep in touch with you to keep you informed about my income status and I would like to discuss with you the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments." In a tweet posted yesterday, the OPM offered advice and template letters that out-of-paycheck employees could use when asking their landlords for some (temporarily) free rent and understanding. Feds, here are sample letters you may use as a guide when working with your creditors during this furlough. If you need legal advice please consult with your personal attorney. https://t.co/t6h6OzALsS OPM (@USOPM) December 27, 2018 No, this is not an Andy Borowitz post. Via Vice Image: nd Lt. Jake BaileyReleased/Yokota Air Base John Picerne is a hereditary one-percenter whose contribution to his family legacy of "real estate development" was to spend millions on lobbying, which landed him millions more in government loans earmarked for taking over the maintenance of 26,000 units of on-base military housing in 13 locations, with the repayment of the loans coming straight out of enlisted personnel's paychecks. Despite all that public largesse, Picerne's company, Corvias Group, did not live up to its promises: instead, it let the houses to rot, filling up with vermin and toxic mold, in buildings so ramshackle that soldiers' children have had their bedroom ceilings collapse on them while they slept. Critical infrastructure like pedestrian overpasses to help kids cross busy roads safely were never built. All along, Corvias's profits soared, with Picerne's payday heading toward the billion-dollar mark even as they scaled back maintenance. Meanwhile Picerne has bought a 100-acre Irish estate with two mansions, a Palm Beach mansion, a six-bedroom neo-Georgian in Providence, a second Rhode Island home at the beach, and a luxury yacht, and had them redecorated by the Kardashian's celebrity designer, whose flourishes include exotic taxidermy (an alligator wrestling with a snake), custom marble black-and-white floors, and other tasteful elements for the discerning looter capitalist. Picerne's fixer is Senator Jack Reed [D-RI], who is now the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Thousands of military families have signed petitions begging to have their homes brought up to a decent, livable standard meanwhile, some have become disabled by the poor air quality and other hazards in their Corvias homes. Reuters has deeply reported Picerne/Corvias's negligence, drawing on primary source documents from the US government. Corvias had promised Wade a home equipped for her wheelchair, but there was no ramp or bathroom handrails when she moved in, leaving her dependent on her husband, an Army sergeant. "It was pretty degrading," Wade said. It took Corvias four months to install the fixtures, she said. Wade's husband and two small children soon developed breathing problems, which their doctors attributed to mold. The doctors submitted three reports to Corvias, recommending it clean the air ducts and replace the carpet. Corvias let months go by before cleaning the ducts and declined to replace the carpet, according to notes a maintenance employee marked on Wade's work request. Wade's husband now requires inhalers and wears a breathing device to assist him when he sleeps, his medical records show. He no longer meets Army fitness requirements, and is in the process of obtaining a medical discharge. Last month, an Army board recommended him for disability, citing his recent asthma, Army records reviewed by Reuters show. Corvias and the Army declined to comment about the petition and other tenant complaints. As U.S. soldiers battle landlord, confidential records shine light on his lucrative business [Joshua Schneyer and Andrea Januta/Reuters] News / National by Staff reporter MEMBERS of Parliament have demanded an increase in their allowances, saying they play an important role in the running of the country.Led by Norton independent MP Mr Temba Mliswa, the MPs across the political divide have demanded that their allowances be reviewed upwards because they work hard representing their constituencies and the country at various platforms."Our allowances mean absolutely nothing. The committee that I chair can sit from 8am to 8pm working for this country but what they get is a paltry $75, not US dollar. MPs are people who are working tirelessly for this country in these committees," said Mr Mliswa."Being in the committees carries a risk on its own because they expose people who have money and who have the ability to even put a mafia together to deal with MPs on their behalf and what do we get $75. That has to be reviewed so that MPs are able to execute their duties in a professional manner," he said.He urged the Government to also review allowances that they get when going on duty out of the country."I'll also talk about the allowances that we get when we leave the country. The allowances that we get are US$50 when leaving Zimbabwe. It's not enough. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development has to look into this and increase that allowance."There must be credit cards which are given to MPs when they travel and they must account for them when they come back, not this situation where we get money that is not enough even to buy meals," said Mr Mliswa. The MPs also demanded cars that are suitable for the terrain in their constituencies.Mashonaland West proportional representation MP Goodluck Kwaramba urged the Government to improve the welfare of legislators."I rise to make my contribution on the welfare of MPs regarding the cars which are allocated to us. Being an MP is a very tough task, especially for those who come from rural constituencies. The car which is given to the MP is a service vehicle which is used in the constituency," said MP Kwaramba."Even when there is a funeral, that car is used at that funeral and yet servicing the car is a very expensive exercise. At times we are not able to service the cars because of the expenses involved and our salaries are not enough," he said.He said sometimes MPs were forced to use public transport to conduct their duties due to failure to service their cars."Due to the situation, we're forced to use commuter omnibuses to conduct our business. We're saying, may the Government please expedite the process of allocating us vehicles for moving around because as stated before, the cars given to the MPs are service vehicles," he said."It's a universal car for the constituency. Whatever assignment has to be done in the constituency, the electorate expects that car to carry out those duties. I am pleading with the Finance Minister to increase allowances for better cars so that the MPs can maintain the integrity and status expected of them."In response, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube promised MPs that they would get Toyota Hilux twin cab vehicles soon.Prof Ncube "The issue of vehicles is under control. We're dealing with it. MPs will get vehicles and I think we had even agreed on the model and if my information is correct, unless they have changed, the model is a (Toyota) Hilux twin cab," said Prof Ncube. He did not respond to the request for a review of allowances. News / National by Staff reporter Bulawayo will this year have a New Year's Eve party that will be in the form of a Shutdown Street Party. The street party that kicks off at 6PM will be held outside The Vista (along 8th avenue, between Fife and Jason Moyo Street) with the very best of Bulawayo DJs set to usher revellers into 2019.DJs Liz, Sweeto, Mzoe, Cue Movement, Passe, Prince, Keitho, Skaiva, Norma that Girl, Crazy D, MH1 are among those who have been shortlisted to entertain revellers on the night.According to one of the organisers of the show, Nkululeko Nkala, there is a catch to attend the party as people have to buy a Chicken Inn product and produce the receipt at the entrance point."What people have to do to gain entry to the venue is very simple. They should buy a Chicken Inn product, be it a One Piecer or anything more from December 29 and produce the receipt at the entrance," said Nkala.A huge stage will be mounted on the night while those who want to be in the VIP section (located at The Vista) will have to buy $5 advance tickets being sold at Skyz Metro FM studios and The Vista. Nkala said the street party was being held in partnership with the Bulawayo City Council and Chicken Inn."Since we're still in the spirit of giving, we encourage people to come with clothes that they can donate to the poor and needy. Proceeds from the street party will also be given to some charities around the city," said Nkala.As a way to also spice up the night, there will be a fireworks display at midnight.Nkala assured party lovers that there will be tight security on the night to weed out criminals."The venue will be barricaded to ensure that people are safe. We've engaged the ZRP to keep people safe and secure during the night."The last time Bulawayo had a meaningful New Year's Bash was a few years back during the Bohlingers Woza parties which featured performances by South African artistes. After Oskido, who was a prominent feature at the inaugural party in 2011 pulled out and introduced his own (Kalawa Homecoming Party), Delta Beverages stopped hosting the Woza parties as their event was left with a few entertainers. News / National by Staff reporter ACTING President Constantino Chiwenga will visit Bulawayo on Sunday to attend a ceremony organised by a group of churches to commemorate the positives of the new dispensation.The thanksgiving event, to be held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, the venue for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) is being organised by the Faith for the Nation Campaign, a grouping of different church denominations that was founded in 2000.In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said: "Acting President, Constantino Chiwenga will be joining spiritual leaders from various denominations in a Thanksgiving and Faith for the Nation Campaign at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on December 30, 2018. They will commemorate the positives of the new dispensation."Last year, churches invited President Mnangagwa to Bulawayo for the same ceremony soon after he had been sworn in as the country's new leader. Held under the theme "God has given Zimbabwe the answer of peace", the purpose of the ceremony was to thank God for the new dispensation and give thanks for a peaceful transition into a new era. - News / National by Staff reporter The Chronicle Paidamoyo Chipunza, Harare Bureau Government is considering changing internship conditions for junior doctors to avert future work disruptions that expose patients to risk, Acting President Constantino Chiwenga has said.Strikes by employees at public health institutions have become a yearly routine. Addressing journalists yesterday after touring Natpharm Company and the pharmacy department at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Acting President Chiwenga said the current system treated junior doctors as employees of the Ministry of Health and Child Care yet they had not completed training."We are going to look at our systems because we have found that the systems which were being followed were not correct."When somebody is still and not yet finished (medical school) you cannot call him a junior doctor. He is still on internship and those regulations are going to be looked at," said Acting President Chiwenga.He said the new regulations would soon be brought before Parliament."Government has spent a lot of money training these young doctors, as they want to call them, but I think they are still on internship; they are not yet junior doctors," said the Acting President.The junior doctors went on strike at the beginning of this month demanding improved working conditions and better salaries. They have rejected appeals by Government to return to work for the sake of patients while their grievances are being looked into.Currently the Ministry of Health and Child Care is responsible for the junior doctors, and not the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.They can only be registered as doctors after they complete their seven-year training. Registration allows them to treat patients but under supervision by senior doctors for at least two years, a process known as housemanship or internship. During the seven-year training period, they are taken as interns."These are some of the things we need to look at. The Ministry of Health and Child Care was taking over somebody who was still a student who has not yet completed his or her studies and this is wrong. We will not entertain wrong things. The law does not allow that," said Acting President Chiwenga.On doctors suspended last week for engaging in the strike, the Acting President said Ministers of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development and of Health and Child Care have since been tasked to ensure that all medical students, who are ready for internship, were registered to resume as soon as possible. He reiterated that the industrial action by the junior doctors was illegal.Acting President Chiwenga said the junior doctors had defied the Labour Court ruling earlier this week, which gave them 12 hours to return to work resulting in their suspension. He said the health sector was part of essential services and employees were not allowed to down tools."They withdrew their labour when they had not pursued all that is required by the labour laws of our country and they went to court and the courts found them on the wrong side of the law and what we would have expected is they were going to come back," said Acting President Chiwenga.Speaking at the same occasion, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said grievances must be negotiated instead of taking people's lives as pawns."It is very important to us that whenever there are problems in the country we need to uphold the sanctity of life, we need to uphold the Hippocratic Oath," said Prof Murwira."If there are grievances, they are negotiated. We do not hold people's lives as pawns in our game."So I believe that as we do our higher and tertiary education system we are going to make necessary changes that are good for our students, but that are principally good for the nation," he said. He said they were working on the new system.On the suspended junior doctors, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said Government was now guided by the rule of law. He said the junior doctors were given 12 hours to comply with the law but defied it. He said the Health Service Board would now pursue issues of discipline against the suspended doctors."They were given 12 hours to correct the situation, but they chose not to do so."We are going by the rule of law as indicated by the Presidency. The HSB is there to follow procedures as laid down; to look into the grievances and issues relating to disciplines," said Dr Moyo. He said the candidates who had just completed their five-year training were expected to start internship on January 2 2019.Junior doctors went on strike on December 1 demanding a review of their working conditions. They also wanted salaries in United States dollar. Last week Government suspended 530 health professionals including the junior doctors for embarking on an illegal industrial action. News / National by Staff reporter BULAWAYO residents have expressed mixed feelings over council's 50 percent discount policy for those settling their bills in foreign currency only as well as the municipality's plans to sell some residential stands in forex.Bulawayo City Council started implementing a 50 percent debt cancellation policy only for those paying their bills in foreign currency on December 17. Council also said international organisations operating in the city are now required to pay for services in forex.In interviews yesterday, Bulawayo residents said while they appreciate that council was taking measures to keep the municipality afloat, the new measures will not benefit the majority of residents who are struggling to make ends meet.Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) chairman Mr Winos Dube described council's move as a gamble."I think this is 50/50 situation, council is trying to find means to survive but at the same time it would not get many takers as most people are not earning foreign currency but are paid in Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)," said Mr Dube."I'm also quite aware that most council service providers are demanding foreign currency, so the council is trying to survive in this difficult economic environment." He said the local authority should also incentivise residents who are not earning foreign currency as they also owe it.Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association programmes coordinator Mr Emmanuel Ndlovu said demanding foreign currency as payment for residential stands will increase the gap between the rich and poor. He said council's 50 percent debt cancellation policy is unattractive considering the rates in the parallel market. Mr Ndlovu said council should have implemented a debt cancellation policy for those paying in bond notes or RTGS even if the discount rate was much lower."The 50 percent debt cancellation strategy is not attractive at all. It will not get many takers because at a 1:1 rate someone would rather change his or her foreign currency on the parallel market where the rates are higher and then clear their debts. Selling of stands in foreign currency will see a few locally based residents owning houses as most of them are not getting the hard currency," he said."A research that was conducted at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) proves that most houses in the new suburbs are owned by diaspora based Zimbabweans with most of the occupants lodgers. So diasporans will continue to buy houses while locals will continue being lodgers." News / National by Staff reporter GWERU Urban MP Brian Dube (MDC Alliance) has criticised the $8 million allocation to the National Prosecuting Authority, saying it was not enough since the body was responsible for prosecuting high level criminals.Dube said this last week in the National Assembly while contributing to debate on the Finance No. 3 Bill to do with the 2019 budget.The NPA was allocated only $8 million, while the Judicial Service Commission got $44 million."The net effect of this in terms of the justice delivery system is that we have seriously undermined the foundations and fundamentals of the rule of law in Zimbabwe, in the sense that we have financially subordinated one arm, which is equally important to the other," Dube said."There is no justification practically, on why the NPA would be given this amount under the circumstances, especially taking into account what the minister has been preaching about the issues of corruption and fears of financial leakages."They are supposed to be prosecuting high level criminals. This budget is unacceptable and must be reviewed upwards, because it is not consistent with the vision of government and is not enough."Dube also complained over the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), which got another paltry $6 million yet it was supposed to fight corruption."These are the people that are supposed to be investigating corruption, looting and investigating every challenge that we have faced financially in this country. One ordinary suspect may be facing a charge of about $50 million, and there is a risk if the whole institution (Zacc) is at a value of $6 million, yet they are supposed to recover billions."What it means practically is that you are giving a serious temptation to this commission (Zacc)," he said.The other underfunded commission, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, only got a $3 million budget."With only $3 million, there is a risk that this commission, when it was established, was actually given an A grade, which means there was a belief from the international human rights community that they were meeting the minimum requirements of what a human rights body must have."But what has happened with this budget is that by 2020 when the second rating is done, they are going to be condemned," Dube said.On the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, which got a paltry $2 million, Dube said it confirmed that government was not committed to promoting gender issues.He lauded the $5 million allocation to the Chiefs' Council, but said they needed a fully-fledged secretariat to run their affairs."The Chiefs' Council must not be controlled by the Ministry of Local Government, and the only way they are controlled is through resources," he said. News / National by Paul Kaseke THE much-anticipated report of the commission of inquiry into the August 1, 2018 post-election violence was finally released, and its contents make for some interesting reading and discussion.To begin with, it is commendable that President Emmerson Mnangagwa stuck to his promises to release the report. Given the experiences with the Chihambakwe and Dumbutshena commissions' reports, there were some reasonably placed fears that the government would not honour its word to release the report. That being said, the true test is what the government will do with the report.It should be borne in mind that a commission of inquiry plays an advisory role of sorts to the President. It is a recognised tool for presidential decision making on matters that are complex and are in the national interest. The President, therefore, can choose when to establish a commission and more so, what to do with the report of such commissions. It is not uncommon for presidents to ignore reports of commissions, and Zimbabwe has a rich history of this.The report itself is a mixed bag with some damning findings against the police and army on the one hand and the MDC Alliance on the other. It also, unsurprisingly, is a ball of contradictions making it difficult to make sense of what the final report is all about (128 pages), but much of it is repetition or an attempt to explain the unexplainable. I will deal with some aspects of the report that caught my attention.Finding #1 : 'The MDC- Alliance incited, pre-planned and well organised the demonstrations'Rather absurdly, the commission starts its report on the premise that the MDC Alliance was responsible for the violent demonstrations and instead of determining which other parties/individuals or factors may have led to the violent protests, the commission readily assumes that it is the MDC alone that is to blame.The commission cites two speeches by Advocate Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti as its basis of incitement and pre-planned protest. While the commission refers to some incidents where inflammatory comments were made by some members of Zanu PF, it quickly counters those claims either by indicating that the individuals were reprimanded by the government or that the person alleged to have made the statement, refuted the claims. Already, the report takes a seemingly anti-MDC position which is consistent throughout the report.The commission goes on to make bold claims that the MDC was in violation of the electoral code by supposedly motivating and encouraging political violence. What is more concerning is that the commission fails at all stages in its report, to link the MDC Alliance as a party, to the acts of violence by some of the protestors. For lack of a better word, the connection between the violence and the party leadership was unconvincing.It instead adduces evidence that some of the protesters had Chamisa Chete placards, consumed alcohol and were bussed in for the protests. With respect, this does not, in the slightest bit, implicate the MDC as an entity and its leadership in any wrongdoing.The commission fails to conclude who bussed the protesters and who bought and distributed the alcohol, yet it uses these grounds to conclude the MDC violated the Act.Instead of pinning the protesters directly, the commission by some farfetched theory of agency, attributes their actions to the party and its leadership.Finding #2 : The President deployed the armyThere was finally consensus that the President authorised the deployment of the army in terms of s213. The commission bases this on two aspects: the confirmation by the Attorney-General that the army could only be lawfully deployed by the President and the confirmation by the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces that the then 'Minister of Defence', sought authorisation from the President to deploy the army.Though there are clumsy attempts by the commission to reconcile Public Order and Security Act (Posa) and s213 of the Constitution, the report squarely places the authorisation of the deployment on the President, as required by the Constitution. This is a rather interesting change of narratives because previous reports by the various officials seemingly absolved the President from the decision and the President himself seemed to suggest that the deployment was not directly authorised by him. Strangely, the commission failed to point out the contradiction and flag it as such.Finding #3- 'The death and injuries arose from the actions of the military and police'This is an obvious yet welcome concession by the commission in that it has officially discredited the views of the ZDF and some sectors of government that previously tried to blame the MDC for the loss of life and injuries sustained. What will become clear however, is that despite this finding, the remedial action suggested hardly corresponds to the gravity of the actions of the army. This is a fatal move by the commission which will make it harder to sanitise and accept its findings.RecommendationsThe recommendations are perhaps the most disappointing part of the report. Most of the recommendations are compensatory in nature or add nothing new to the existing terrain. The commission for instance, suggests that parties adhere to the electoral code, but this is already a requirement. The commission further suggests that parties should be registered, which is already a requirement.How this will help prevent the ZDF from shooting protesters, however, is not only a mystery, but is seemingly outlandish. The right to protest is enjoyed by all in terms of the Constitution and where some people abuse it or exceed the boundaries set by law, then those individuals and they alone should be held accountable, with regards to the relevant laws. This recommendation fails to deal with the core concern which is the conduct of the army not the parties. Another interesting recommendation is that there should be tougher laws for hate speech and incitement.The commission in my view, crosses over into dangerous terrain where it suggests further tightening of freedom of expression and instead of advocating for a society based on democracy and openness, it suggests that the problem is that there is an unchecked heightened enjoyment of freedom of speech. The last recommendation is that the army and police should identify the culprits 'for internal investigations'.This is an inappropriate recommendation. The conduct of the ZDF on August 1 is not a matter for internal investigation, it is a criminal matter that should be dealt with as such. Section 208(2) of the Constitution is explicitly clear that members if the security services must respect fundamental rights in the Constitution which extends to the right to life for which no derogation is permissible except as set out in the Constitution. On August 1, members of the ZDF violated this constitutional obligation and transcended into the realm of criminality simultaneously.Mistakes of LawIt is regrettable that while the commission readily admitted that it was a fact -finding body, it ventured into legal questions it was hardly equipped to answer. While three members of the commission were legal minds, the rest of the body, including its chair were not legally inclined. The result is evidentially a confusion of laws and applicable principles. For instance, the commission tries to read s37 of Posa and s213 of the Constitution together.This cannot be the case because the former allows the Minister of Defence to deploy the army, while s213 permits only the President to do so. One cannot reconcile the two without reaching irrational conclusions. There were several mistakes of law in the report chief of which is assuming constitutional validity of Posa's deployment requirement.The commission further neglected to engage the constitutional right to protest fully, instead preferring to rely on sections of Posa, which have since been declared unconstitutional. Where a law contradicts the Constitution, the Constitution prevails to the extent of the inconsistency. The commission failed to properly interpret the law in this regard and effectively breathed life into unconstitutional laws while indirectly undermining the Constitution. The commission should not have ventured into questions of law, at least without engaging legal specialists to assist with these. In any event, questions of law are best reserved for courts of law.General commentsAs always, I feel very strongly about the publishing of personal details. The report contains in some cases, ID numbers, cell numbers, addresses and the ages of victims of the August 1 incident. This is regrettable for various issues and should have been avoided. I also struggled to understand why the commission found that the beating of civilians using whips and guns was 'disproportionate' as opposed to being unlawful.Disproportionate suggests that it should have been done but in a measure that matched the threat. The recommendations fail to deal with this aspect clearly apart from asking the police and army to review their policies. They should, at the very least, have called for the culprits to face a competent tribunal or court on grounds of assault since the injuries referred to in the Report were quite extensive and severe.Lastly, the commission noted that two individuals were recorded as having suffered stab wounds, but these were later changed to gun wounds. I am no doctor, but the little I know about medicine is that a gun shoot and a stab wound are grossly dissimilar. How it was possible to have changed this is something the commission should have probed further: who was instructing the doctors to wrongly classify deaths and what was their motive?These are serious questions one hoped the commission would have engaged. For now, we wait to see what President Emmerson Mnangagwa does with these findings. Ultimately, how he handles the recommendations and report as a whole, will speak to his statesmanship and resolve to remedy injustices. If he fails to implement the recommendations, then Zimbabwe is certainly not open for businessjust saying!Paul Kaseke is a legal advisor and former law lecturer with the Wits Law School & Pearson Institute of Higher Education. He writes in his personal capacity. News / National by Staff reporter THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has demanded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government decisively tackle the country's economic challenges or risk workers going on an indefinite strike saying thousands of employees were on the verge of losing their jobs as companies shut down while earnings have been severely eroded.ZCTU president Peter Mutasa, in an exclusive interview told NewsDay that the 2019 outlook was that of a tough period and there were indications that many companies may fail to reopen in the new year."The country is coming to a total shutdown. We are not pessimistic, but we saw this in 2008 and all the signs are heading towards a second 2008. Unfortunately, in this period, we don't think that we have leadership. The State is not well coordinated, so we are facing a very serious crisis," Mutasa said.ZCTU said only a united labour force and citizens had the power to stop the economic rot, by confronting the Mnangagwa regime for answers."We think citizens are going to rise to the occasion. For the workers, the ZCTU has given its leadership a mandate that we must co-ordinate all workers and unions, even those that are not within our federations. We want to unite all unions; unite the poor, the farmers, the students all the progressive forces and wagea struggle to force the government to the negotiating table," Mutasa said.The workers, who have faced brutal attacks from the police every time they have tried to go on the streets, said they were unmoved and would down tools."This January, workers should just down tools. We should just stop working until there are economic reforms. You have seen what has happened with the doctors; we are going to see teachers doing the same, civil servants we will be calling on all workers to stop working and demand economic reforms. So it's going to be a very sensitive January," Mutasa said.Salaries for workers remain bench-marked at United States dollar values but they get paid in bond notes and electronic transfers, which have lost 67% of their value in the last quarter despite government insistence that its surrogate currency at par with the greenback.Prices in bond notes have, however, been adjusted to reflect the discrepancies between government policy and reality on the ground.Already, ZCTU has started telling its members in the mining, cotton and tobacco industry not to accept payment in real time gross settlement and instead only accept US$.Economist Joseph Kanyenze said 2019 could be a lost year if Zimbabwe's main political parties fail to talk to each other, and have a social contract to deal with the current crisis."Even if people are not mobilised you could see social unrest. Workers can down tools, yes, because of the loss of value in their salaries, but that will not be a solution, dialogue for a social contract will bring us out of this crisis," he said.Kanyenze said re-engagement with the international community, which Mnangagwa has prioritised to end the country's decades of isolation under former President Robert Mugabe, would not immediately happen or bring results without fundamentals being addressed."We have been doing the wrong things for a long time so we are not going to come from gloom to glory overnight. Remember, re-engagement will only happen after we settle our obligations and reforms. And we are also facing a drought that will make things worse," he said.Kanyenze said Zanu PF and MDC needed to talk with each other and also heal fissures in their respective parties."Unfortunately, the current government is a continuation of the past; we are not seeing anything meaningful in terms of reforms," he said.MDC leader Nelson Chamisa told NewsDay yesterday that the Zimbabwe crisis could only be solved through political dialogue."Next year, the social fabric looks to be taking a big beating. Economic stability can only be built on political stability and legitimacy, and of course political stability. It rests on economic viability. At the moment, the problem is that there is no confidence in the economy, in the market, in the country," Chamisa said. News / National by Staff reporter FORMER National Social Security Authority (NSSA) general manager Elizabeth Chitiga yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts facing allegations of swindling the pension fund of $31 million in a housing project scam.Chitiga (59) was not asked to plead when she appeared before magistrate Victoria Mashamba, who remanded her out of custody to January 11 on $1 000 bail.The former pension fund boss, who was represented by Jonathan Samukange, was ordered to surrender her passport to the clerk of court as part of her bail conditions. She was also ordered to reside at the given address, to report once every Friday at CID Headquarters and not to interfere with State witnesses.The State alleges that Chitiga's accomplice James Tirivavi, who was a strategic executive assistant at NSSA, instructed National Building Society (NBS) to carry out projects in Dzivarasekwa (Harare), Chikanga Extension (Mutare), Shropshrine (Gweru), Lot 834 and 835 (Zvishavane) and Elsmond (Zvishavane) at a cost of $78 827 500, without following due process.NBS is a subsidiary of NSSA.The bank had been given a mandate by the pensions authority to construct 10 000 low-cost housing units countrywide in September last year and a team led by head of housing projects, Silas Mukono, had identified 14 possible projects out of which they selected five Victoria Range in Masvingo, Denver Township (Bulawayo), Mkoba (Gweru), Dulibadzimu (Beitbridge) and Emganwini Phase 4 (Bulawayo). The value of the project was $80 991 200. This was turned down by Tirivavi.The State alleges on August 24 last year, in an effort to regularise directives to NBS, Chitiga and Tirivavi connived and misrepresented to the board investments committee that NBS required funding for five projects.The board allegedly acted on the misrepresentation and approved funding for the projects totalling $78 827 500 on the understanding that due process had been done by both NSSA and NBS.It is alleged that due diligence was done for only two of the five projects, and that Chitiga and Tirivavi's actions potentially prejudiced NSSA of $31 727 500.Shepherd Makonde appeared for the State. News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government is insincere when dealing with corruption, Alliance for the People's Agenda (APA) president Nkosana Moyo has said.This comes after government's fight against corruption of bigwigs which had gathered momentum saliently died a natural death with no convictions.In a live video posted on social media, Moyo alleged that the country is failing to move on because government is play-acting on curbing corruption."We are hoodwinking each other and telling lies, and we are not fighting corruption. I suspect most of the people who are running Zimbabwe today have committed crimes of corruption, almost all of them, so when they say they are going to go for corrupt people when they themselves know they are corrupt, how are they going to be credible in doing this?"According to analysts, the recent case of corruption by some Cabinet ministers who were allegedly demanding bribes from investors, evidences traits of corruption in the system.Moyo alluded that government is failing to convict bigwigs who are in dog-eat-dog cycles of corruption, hence they fail to expose each other."If they say however, everybody is forgiven and we restart it would also give them a get-out-of-jail card and we would genuinely begin to believe them by looking at what they do."They can't move on because they have not created a framework which allows them to move on and all corrupt friends look at them in love."The price for us as a country is much less than the price we continue to pay because we can't deal with corruption using the framework that we have created," said Moyo.Zimbabwe is believed to have lost billions of dollars to corruption in recent years. News / National by Staff rereporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has directed over 500 illegal settlers staying on various farms countrywide to "go back from where they came."Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement minister Perrance Shiri told journalists during a post-Cabinet media briefing last week that Cabinet had resolved to evict the illegal settlers ostensibly to ensure stability on the farms."We expect that they shall go back to where they came from. If they have got any challenges, well, we have got the social department which can look into that, but our task is to ensure there is total stability on the farms," Shiri said.Shiri added that government was keen on ensuring that the land reform programme be concluded, hence the need to clear up all outstanding issues including ownership disputes."The illegal settlers are found throughout the farming areas so basically you find them in all the provinces. We have identified where they are and we are proceeding with the evictions," he said.The former Air Force of Zimbabwe commander also revealed that contrary to claims by Treasury that it would not be availing inputs to farmers across the country owing to fiscal challenges, government would assist farmers with seed and fertiliser."Everything possible is being done for farmers to go back to the land and the government will leave no stone unturned to make sure we produce enough not only for our own consumption but even for exports," he said inadvertently exposing the policy discord in government."Yes, there could be challenges here and there but that's why we are there to look into challenges and resolve them."Zimbabwe embarked on the land reform programme to correct colonial land imbalances which favoured the white minority.The programme which has been blamed for the country's almost perennial food security challenges since then was characterised by chaos and violence as war veterans forcibly expropriated land formerly owned by white commercial farmers.It also saw some landless Zimbabweans settling themselves unlawfully on pieces of land, a situation which the government is now trying to correct.The government is in the process of conducting a land audit to assess utilisation patterns to open up under-utilised land for other interested citizens.The audit is also meant to fish out multiple farm owners who grabbed large tracts of land countrywide against the one-man one-farm principle that informed the land reform programme. News / National by Staff reporter A former NSSA top official was yesterday dragged to court answering to allegations of abuse of office.Elizabeth Chitiga, 59, was not asked when she appeared before Harare magistrate Victoria Mashamba.Chitiga was represented by top lawyer Jonathan Samkange.It is the State case that NSSA and National Building Society NBS convened a strategic meeting in which the two organisations resolved NBS was supposed to build 10000 low-income housing developments countrywide.At that time, Chitiga was NSSA general manager whose duties included overall management of business activities and reporting to the board.In an endeavour to achieve the target, NSSA conducted roadshows country wide headed by head of housing projects Engineer Silas Mukono with a view to identify willing partners for engagement.The team identified 14 possible projects out of which they selected five projects to kick start the programme namely Victoria range Masvingo, Denver Township Bulawayo, Mkobe in Gweru, Dulibadzimu in Beitbridge and Emagwini Phase 4 in Bulawayo.On July 20 last year, NBS treasurer forwarded the projects to Latifa Kassim forwarded the five projects to the Chief Strategic investments officer Chakanyuka Nziradzemhuka for funding by NSSA at a total cost of $80- 991 200.Chitiga's accomplice who is already undergoing trial over the same matter James Tirivavi Chiuta, responded to Latifa Kassim by emailing his own five projects with a total cost of $78 million.Chiuta's justification of his own projects was that the NBS projects had insufficient information for approval with the NSSA board so he handed over the projects to NBS before the NSSA board approval.In an effort to regularise the action, Chiuta and Chitiga connived to misrepresent to the board that NBS required funding for the five projects.The Board acting on the misrepresentation approved the funding of $78 million on the understanding that all due processes had been done.Chitiga was released on $1000 bail coupled with conditions including to surrender her passport and not to interfere with State witnesses.The matter was remanded to 11 January as the State led by Shepherd Makonde intends to join the dockets of Chitiga and her alleged accomplice Chiuta. News / National by Staff reporter TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development minister Joel Biggie Matiza is entangled in a multi-million dollar Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) scandal after he reportedly authorised a 28 million (US$33,3 million) deal for Spanish company Indra Sistemas (Indra) without going to tender.The contract, which Matiza awarded to Indra in collusion with Caaz general manager David Chawota, is for the financing, supply and installation of an airspace management system to facilitate air traffic movements into and out of local airports. Zimbabwe is currently using an outmoded airspace management system, which exposes passengers to serious air traffic accidents.Official documents seen by the Zimbabwe Independent this week show that Chawota played a pivotal role in ensuring Indra was irregularly given the deal, while Caaz officials told the Independent that the minister authorised it after intense lobbying.A Caaz official who lobbied for the project claimed the deal was closed through a "special tender". The officials are, however, unable or unwilling to explain what that actually means.Indra was initially awarded the tender in 2016, but the deal was set aside after a competing Italian firm, Selex ES, won a Supreme Court case challenging the decision on the basis that the tender did not go through procedures specified by law.In addition to that, Indra did not pass a critical security vetting by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe, as well as other security agencies. Sources in the ministry also indicated there are concerns about a US$9 million cost escalation from the original tender of US$18 million, raising fears the tender could have been inflated for rent-seeking and corrupt purposes. The deal was first mooted when the ministry was headed by Joram Gumbo, who was transferred to the Energy portfolio in September after a cabinet reshuffle following the July general elections.Sources privy to the issue told the Independent that notwithstanding the Supreme Court ruling and security concerns, Chawota irresistibly pushed the Caaz board to authorise the deal with Matiza's support."Matiza and Chawota vigorously pushed for this tender to be given to Indra; they are now claiming that it was re-tendered, which is not true. If it was re-tendered, when and where; why didn't we see other interested parties getting involved?"Matiza is conflicted in this case because he has been working with Caaz as an architect designing local airports in the first place before his appointment as a minister. Caaz must explain when the deal was re-tendered and the circumstances. When was the re-tendering and who else was involved in the process?" a ministry official said.Sources said although some senior officials at the ministry raised concerns over the deal, Matiza authorised it all the same.Caaz board chairperson Thembinkosi Magwaliba confirmed Matiza's authorisation of the deal. He also said that Indra was recently granted the tender and was now only awaiting finalisation of financial aspects before work commences."I can confirm that the tender was granted to Indira recently. We have received authority from our principals and we are now implementing the deal," Magwaliba said.Asked if it was true that the board had changed its earlier position under pressure from Matiza, in which it was opposed to the awarding of the contract to Indira, saying that it had flouted tender procedures, Magwaliba said: "The board consulted with the minister, as part of the larger expansion of the Robert Mugabe International Airport project. So, we are going to implement it under a loan facility from the China Eximbank or if that fails, we are exploring an alternative whereby local banks will fund the project."Contacted for comment on the issue, Chawota claimed the deal was re-tendered, but refused to give details. He claimed the deal was redone under a "special tender"."Don't confuse issues. What the Supreme Court said was that we should go back and restart the process. This is what we did. There was a special tender which was done and Indira was awarded the contract," he said.Chawota, who has previously been involved in corrupt Caaz deals, also refused to give a specific date on which the tender was granted, just saying: "What I know is that it was granted very recently."Matiza could not be reached for comment as he was not answering repeated calls.However, documents seen by the Independent suggest Chawota has, throughout this year, been pushing for the direct engagement of Indra, not an open and competitive tender process.In a letter to the board dated June 1, 2018, Chawota said the tender was awarded to Indra after it approached government and offered to finance, fix and install the airspace management system. "The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development was approached in 2017 by Indra Sistemas with a proposal for financing, supply and installation of air space management systems. Indra was given the award for the supply and installation of the system for sum of Euro 27,9 million by the State Procurement Board," the letter reads.Chawota claimed and demanded in the letter that security concerns needed to be waived in view of the urgency of the matter, which warranted the invoking of presidential powers to go through."There seem to be concerns arising from members that there were issues of governance that need to be cleared with regard to the appointment of Indra. Management is of the understanding that due to the urgency attached to the project, government took a position to apply presidential powers in the supply and funding of the project, hence the authority from the then State Procurement Board addressed to the Office of the President and Cabinet. The authority was to proceed with the implementation," Matiza wrote.The minister also stated that security fears raised by the Air Force and the CIO security experts were purportedly overridden by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's re-engagement efforts, which meant government could enter into deals with European companies.Having finally obtained the board's approval under sustained pressure, Chawota immediately followed up on that with another letter to Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) CE Nyasha Chizu, pleading for the cancellation of a formal tendering process in favour of a direct engagement with Indra.Chawota also wanted Praz to cancel another deal with a South African company AME Aviation which Caaz had engaged to supply an air traffic communications system and give it to Indra.In the letter, dated May 2, 2018, Chawota argued that a formal tender would cause further delays in implementing the project, adding that this would result in it being completed by the end of this year."The authority (Caaz) needs to proceed without further delay and procure a replacement air traffic management system to ensure safety of air traffic control within Zimbabwe. The Indra implementation schedule will result in project completion by the end of 2018," Chawota wrote."There is dire need to address the communications deficiency in the Zimbabwe airspace in order to comply with international standards and stem out the concerns already raised by major airlines such as South African Airways. Praz is requested to approve the authority to cancel the contract with AME and engage Indra Sistemas for the supply of the required equipment."Praz approved of the request two days later on May 4, 2018, but requested Chawota to explain the contract valuations in the matter."The authority observed that the matter between Caaz and AME was contractual, which should be resolved in terms of contractual provisions between Caaz and the contractor. It was further observed that the accounting officer (Chawota) was requesting direct engagement of Indra Sistemas of Spain when in fact the contractor was authorised to engage the same on 2 November in 2017," Chizu wrote."However, your submission did not clarify whether the current request was for new requirements or increased scope. The accounting officer is hereby directed, in terms of the PPDPA Act to clarify whether the current request was for new requirements or increased scope and apply for contract variation in terms of procurement regulations if the current request is for increased scope of works."There are no subsequent documents to indicate whether or not Chawota complied with the directive, although he claimed in an interview with the Independent this week that everything was done above board."All I can say is that laid down procedures were followed," he said.However, despite Chawota's claims of urgency to justify irregularly pushing for the project without following all procedures, with the year coming to a close, there has not been any progress on the project.Mnangagwa says his administration has "zero tolerance" to graft, but corruption remains entrenched and rampant in government and society. News / National by Staff reporter The crisis at the country's public hospitals is worsening as nurses have further cut the days they will be reporting for duty at State hospitals from three to two days a week citing the biting economic conditions.This comes after the nurses had earlier resorted to reporting for duty for three days a week due to fuel shortages, as well as their outstanding working conditions demands.In the meantime, the doctors and clinical radiologists have continued with their industrial action saying they will only return to work after government has addressed challenges being faced by the medical practitioners.Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary-general Enock Dongo told the Daily News yesterday that they have been talking to the relevant authorities and have agreed to cut their working days due to the prevailing national problems."We have agreed, as a temporary measure, that nurses should come to work for two days per week, as we are still negotiating with the government to address our concerns."We are following procedures and we have had two meetings now and we are only left with one which will determine the way forward," Dongo said.He said the problems faced by the nurses are national, cutting across many professions."We are saying the money is no longer enough with the peak of the cost of living and bus fare."The five days off will work as a temporary solution as our nurses are struggling to come to work due to bus fare hikes. It's no longer a ministerial problem but a national challenge."We are also engaging with other civil servants like the teachers because in January schools are going to open and we have a crisis," Dongo added.Nurses are demanding salaries in United States dollars, although the government has told them it has no capacity to pay them in greenbacks."We had asked the government to pay us in US dollars which is a viable solution and they said they did not have US dollars," he said.Meanwhile, doctors' strike has continued to cripple operations at most public hospitals.As a result, hospitals are shutting their doors to outpatients and are attending to emergency cases only.The striking doctors are protesting the severe shortages of pharmaceutical drugs at public hospitals - as well as the selling of available drugs in foreign currency by retail pharmacies, the poor state of the country's hospital infrastructure and their "falling" salaries which they now want the government to pay in foreign currency.Zimbabwe's health delivery system has for a while now been battling myriad problems, as a result of the country's worsening economic climate.In the past, major referral hospitals have had to suspend many services as a result of shortages of drugs, including painkillers News / National by Staff reporter Acting President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday warned that government will soon introduce a new law regulating the hiring of doctors after he came face-to-face with the dire situation at one of the hospitals affected by the on-going industrial action by disgruntled medical practitioners.Chiwenga made the remarks after visiting the country's biggest referral hospital Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where essential services have been crippled by the doctors' strike."We don't stop people from asking when their conditions of service are not correct but it must be done within the confines of the law, people must negotiate in a good manner. In our Constitution there is right to life and there is no right to death."If someone dies you cannot bring him back to life. They (doctors) must have that sense of saving lives."We are going to look at the law. When somebody has not yet finished you can't say he is a junior doctor he is on internship."Those regulations are going to be made and will be put to Parliament until somebody is finished," Chiwenga told journalists."The withdrawal of labour is illegal. The matter went to the court and they were told to go back to work within 12 hours (but) they have been defiant."We asked the minister of Higher Education to make sure all students who are ready for internship to be registered, by the weekend we must see a complete change in our hospitals," Chiwenga added.Chiwenga had earlier visited the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) in Southerton to assess how well it was stocked.Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo said NatPharm had stocked most of the drugs that had been in short supply.Striking junior doctors were this week joined in their industrial action by senior medical personnel - leading to the suspension of major procedures at public health institutions across the country.This follows the government's ill-advised recent decision to suspend 530 junior doctors, over their industrial action which was declared illegal by the Labour Court.In a statement over the Christmas holiday, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) said middle level and senior doctors had now also embarked on an industrial action with immediate effect."Negotiations for doctors and other health workers' welfare take place in the Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP), guided by Statutory Instrument III of 2006."The employer has not taken this forum seriously and since 1 December, only three fruitless meetings have been held."To further show their lack of seriousness, the employer has failed to address issues, but instead taken the association to court and ordered members to resume work disgruntled," ZHDA said."Our membership has stated firmly that they will not risk the lives of patients by working under duress ... and will not return to work in potentially hazardous spaces."More so, the doctors did not receive their December salaries and are incapacitated to go to work."The response by the employer has been to suspend most of our members, pending hearings."This brutal, hard stance will not bring any thing towards resolving the impasse, but instead is regressive," ZHDA secretary-general Mthabisi Bhebhe said. News / National by Staf reporter Six Western nationals have been working with local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe (CCiZ) to fight what they claim is "a crisis of legitimacy" following President Mnangagwa's victory in the July 30 harmonised elections, The Herald has learnt.The six foreigners, some of whom have already been identified, convened a week-long workshop at a private lodge in Harare earlier this month where they came up with strategies to incite Zimbabweans to revolt against President Mnangagwa and the Zanu-PF Government to force a unity Government with opposition political parties or to set up a transitional authority.The workshop was reportedly coordinated by CCiZ chairperson Mr Rashid Mahiya and a committee member, Mr Pride Mukono from December 3 to 7 under the theme: "The Crisis of Legitimacy in Zimbabwe."CCiZ spokesman Mr Tabani Moyo denied that there was such a meeting.The workshop is said to have been attended by over 80 people from 40 civic organisations affiliated to CCiZ.The six regime change strategists from the United States of America, Germany, Spain and Switzerland facilitated the workshop at which the NGOs were promised more funding "if they show maturity in organising their programmes as one entity", said a source who refused to be identified for security reasons.Foreigners who attended the meeting include Ms Nora Rafaeil, an American, Gerald Ordway (Spain) and Martina Zapf (Switzerland)."The agenda of the meeting was to force the Zanu-PF Government into a GNU or a so-called Transitional Authority and they agreed that the only way to achieve that was through rallies, demonstrations and media manipulation," said the source."Their belief is that these activities will result in the generality of Zimbabweans revolting against President Mnangagwa and the Zanu-PF Government," he said. The workshop alleged that the elections which saw President Mnangagwa beating his main challenger, MDC-Alliance's Mr Nelson Chamisa, and Zanu-PF winning the parliamentary polls by a two thirds majority, were rigged.Mr Chamisa rejected the election results and took the matter to the Constitutional Court where the televised case was thrown out with costs for lack of merit.The rigging claims are despite overwhelming endorsement of the elections by all credible observers except those from the West who have maintained sanctions on Zimbabwe since the turn of the millennium over its land reform.People who attended the workshop were drawn from various civic organisations known to be aligned to MDC-Alliance.Mr Chamisa has refused to accept President Mnangagwa's victory and threatened to organise demonstrations by his party supporters to make the country ungovernable.The source said the workshop adopted resolutions to bring "civil society under one tent" to address the so-called legitimacy crisis and to organise protests like what happened in 2007 under the "Save Zimbabwe Campaign" which turned violent."The foreign nationals that facilitated the meeting promised to provide funding for the activities of the NGOs to unite to fight the so-called legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe," the source added.Mr Mahiya was tasked with spearheading the process of uniting the NGOs to achieve their objectives. "As a strategy, civic organisations could be used to divide the people of Zimbabwe in such a way that the masses would revolt against the Zanu-PF Government," revealed the source.Another meeting was planned for December 15 at the Women's Bureau in Harare where the structures of the coalition of civic groups would be crafted. It could not be confirmed at the time of going to print if that second meeting took place.Efforts to get a comment from Messers Mahiya and Mukono were fruitless earlier in the week.However, CCiZ spokesperson Mr Tabani Moyo denied any meeting ever took place, saying their role as an organisation was to push for the entrenchment of democratic rule."That meeting you are referring to is a work of fiction. It never happened, our chairman has never chaired such a meeting," Mr Moyo said."All the meetings he has chaired are mainly hinged on pushing forward these very same values in line with our mission statement which aims to see a democratic Zimbabwe in our lifetime. So our key issues at stake are to return Zimbabwe to the rule of law through ensuring that the vagaries of November 2017 are not entrenched through the presence of the military in civilian activities," he said. The "supremacy of the Constitution should remain dear to our values and ethos."We will keep on insisting that whoever supports us will support us to ensure we are pushing our vision and mission statement, mainly to see a democratic Zimbabwe in our lifetime. We do not believe in overthrowing an elected regime but rather that elections by their nature are supposed to entrench democracy rather than to consolidate military rule."The activities by the NGOs are despite calls by President Mnangagwa for Zimbabweans to leave the elections behind and focus on rebuilding the economy. He has consistently called for unity and peace while Government deepens political and economic reforms that will turn Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy by 2030. News / National by newzimbabwe STRIKING doctors have reacted angrily to claims by government that the State assisted them through medical school and that there are enough medicine stocks in the country.In a hard-hitting statement, Friday, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) accused Health Minister Obadiah Moyo and his deputy John Mangwiro of feeding acting President Constantino Chiwenga with lies.The medical association did not spare Chiwenga who has claimed the junior doctors currently on industrial action are still under the Ministry of Higher Education."The Minister of Health and Child Care Mr O Moyo and his Deputy Dr J C Mangwiro have misinformed the Acting President General CDGN Chiwenga on the reality of the prevailing situation in the health sector."This act is a poor attempt at covering up their shortcomings in the Ministry and a smear campaign on the doctor's," the statement reads in part.After a whistle-stop visit to Parirenyatwa Hospital and government drugs manufacturer Natpharm Thursday Chiwenga claimed the junior doctors are still under the tutelage of the Ministry of Higher Education.ZHDA argued that this was not true."The junior doctors who initiated the strike have been suspended, are wholly qualified doctors who hold two Bachelor's Degrees of medicine and surgery (MB and ChB) from accredited institutions and have graduated from university," the doctors said."They have undergone five and half years of intense training including clinical rotations and are not under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education as the Ministry would like the Presidium and the public to believe."Government would not be stating that hospitals are at a standstill and chasing after them if these doctors are just students."While in the early years of Independence government provided grants for the training of students in institutions of higher learning, economic hardships have forced this programme to be stopped and ZHDA said the State has since also ceased to assist trainee medical practitioners."Government ceased offering financial assistance to medical students years ago, they did not spend any money on sending our members to school and this was an effort by parents, guardians and sponsors of our doctors," the statement read.The month-long strike initially by junior doctors has since been joined by middle-rank medical practitioners demanding better working conditions and remuneration.In the statement, ZHDA accused the Ministry of Health of parading medical drugs provided by donor agencies some with expired dates.The doctors have demanded through the statement an inquiry into why the drugs have since moved expired while in Natpharm's custody at a time when government is claiming these were procured last week. News / National by Staff reporter A MEMBER of a four-man gang of robbers from Bulawayo's Cowdray Park suburb allegedly broke his leg while escaping from police officers after a robbery in the city and law enforcement agents ended up taking him to hospital.Last Sanganai fell into a ditch and fractured his right leg while escaping from police officers.The incident is said to have occurred on Saturday night near a night club in the city.Sanganai was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital where he is admitted under police guard.Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango yesterday confirmed Sanganai's arrest. "Police arrested a man from Cowdray Park who was part of a four-man gang which was robbing people of their belongings at a night club along 12th Avenue in the city. The suspects were intercepted by police officers who were conducting patrols soon after robbing a club patron of his money and cellphone," said Chief Insp Simango."While his partners in crime handed themselves to the cops after being spotted, one of them tried to escape from the scene. This led to alert police officers chasing after him, but before they could catch and arrest him he fell in a ditch and broke his right leg."Chief Insp Simango warned criminals that cops were on full alert this festive season."Our members will continue to do crime awareness campaigns during this festive season. We have also increased the number of officers on patrol. Criminals are warned that the law will catch up with them," said Chief Insp Simango. News / National by Staff reporter GOVERNMENT is expected to scale up its cost-cutting measures with a five percent salary cut for ministers as well as biometric registration of all civil servants coming into effect next week.Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has said all civil servants must undergo biometric registration to weed out ghost workers.Presenting the National budget last month, Prof Ncube said Government has come up with measures aimed at reducing public spending on employment costs.The measures will come into effect when the New Year starts on Tuesday."Mr Speaker Sir, it is critical that we reduce public spending on employment costs. As a first step, Government has decided that effective 1 January 2019, a five percent cut on basic salary, be effected for all senior positions from principal directors, permanent secretaries and their equivalents up to deputy ministers, ministers and the Presidium," said Prof Ncube.He said this would also extended to basic salaries of those in designated posts in State-owned enterprises (chief executive officers, executive directors and equivalent grades) including constitutional commissions and grant-aided institutions."A standardisation or alignment exercise in remuneration including benefits for constitutional commissions, will also be undertaken to remove inequity and disparities," said Prof Ncube.Turning to the biometric register for civil servants in 2019, Prof Ncube said the previous civil service audits undertaken by Government pointed to the possible existence of ghost workers in the service, contributing to the burgeoning public service wage bill which accounts for over 90 percent of total revenues."Clearly, this goes against the thrust of re-orienting budget expenditures towards growth enhancing and poverty reducing developmental programmes and projects through rationalisation of the public service wage bill. Mr Speaker Sir, to weed out these ghost workers, I propose to introduce a biometric registration of all civil servants, with effect from 1 January 2019," said Prof Ncube.The Finance Minister said the registration process will be rigorous and will involve capturing data on letter of appointment, academic and professional qualifications, national identification documents, employment code numbers, and biometric data.He said the biometric data will involve capturing of one's unique physical attributes such as fingerprints, DNA, iris and retina pattern, using ICT."The above system will ensure that every person being paid by Government for services rendered is properly accounted for," said Prof Ncube.Government has already initiated the process of retiring 3 384 youth officers from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation as part of the first phase of implementing civil service reforms.The Public Service Commission said the retirement of the youth officers was part of a number of measures that Government is implementing and these include rightsizing, reassignment and restructuring of the civil service. News / National by Staff reporter THERE is a national outcry from parents over a sudden sharp spike in the prices of school uniforms of more than 200 percent ahead of the start of the school calendar year on January 8, sparking fears of collusion among retailers seeking to profiteer from an unregulated market.Parents say the prevailing economic circumstances and the pricey uniforms have made educational expenses unbearable.Coupled with the inflated prices of uniforms is the cost of living in general, high school fees and other necessities.School shoes in a number of retail outlets now cost $60, up from $20, a satchel $62 (from $21), a shirt and short $65 (from $20), a dress $45 (from $15), a blazer is going for $150 (from $50), a skirt and blouse $80 (from $30), a hat $30 (from $11), socks $6 (from $2) and tie $18 (from $9).A full set of uniforms for a Grade One pupil costs an average of $135 in city shops.At one popular retail shop in Harare, it was found that a lab coat for students doing science practicals sells for $50 and khaki shorts for boys $45.Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima last week said parents should be allowed to get the best quotation on the market instead of being forced to buy uniforms at the school.This followed concerns by parents who said schools were working with retailers to inflate prices for their benefit.Schools reportedly claimed allowing parents to get uniforms from the cheapest retailers would compromise quality and bring different shades of colour.Prof Mavima said schools were expected to practise good governance, be transparent and corruption-free in their management.A survey by our sister publication, The Chronicle in Bulawayo on Thursday revealed that most retailers had increased prices of uniforms and stationery and that parents were struggling to cope."As parents we are very worried about these price increases. My child is going for Form One and I have already spent close to $400 on uniforms alone. Now I have to borrow money from someone to buy stationery and pay school fees," said Mrs Sibonokuhle Nkala from Cowdray Park."The same uniforms would have cost me $100 if prices had remained at last year's levels. I don't know if the retailers are justified to sell uniforms at such exorbitant prices but this is frustrating," she said."I spent the whole day trying to compare prices around town but they are just the same," she said, raising suspicion of collusion by retailers leading to unjustified price-fixing.Scores of parents said they were being forced to buy some of their requirements from street vendors whose prices were, in some instances, half of what registered retailers were charging."I was very excited that my first child is going for ECD but I was very disappointed when I got to these shops. I had to spend more than $140 on one set of uniform, which should cost $50. I think it's high time Government acted on these price hikes because they're unjustified," said Ms Rutendo Masamba from Emganwini."It's depressing to think that while the prices of uniforms have gone up by more than 200 percent, our salaries are still the same as last year."My salary was only enough to buy uniforms and stationery for my child who is going to Form One," she said.Some parents said they were forced to buy from street vendors who sell products like stockings and exercise books at lower prices. Others said were relying on unregistered tailors who sell school uniforms at reasonable prices.However, schools appear to insist on uniforms from selected retailers and refuse to admit pupils who buy uniforms from elsewhere, raising suspicion of collusion and profiteering. News / National by staff reporter THE Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (ZIMTA) has implored the Government to address the issue of payment of civil servants' salaries in foreign currency to motivate teachers and improve their welfare.Zimta secretary-general Mr Tapson Nganunu Sibanda yesterday said the association was concerned about the Government's silence on the issue and urged the Government to address the issue before schools open."We are concerned because there is no progress in terms of the request we made to the Government. We thought the Government was going to call us for a meeting and address this issue. We are behind time and the silence might affect opening of schools."Our members are agitated and they want the Government to pay their salaries in foreign currency. The cost of living has increased and civil servants' salaries have lost value three fold in 2018. We therefore want salaries to be paid in foreign currency considering that most service providers now prefer payment for services in foreign currency," said Mr Sibanda.He said apart from payment in foreign currency, teachers also wanted the unconditional reinstatement of vacation leave."Vacation leave for teachers was suspended in 2015 and Zimta contested the matter in court and won it in 2018."The Government should therefore give a clear policy direction on vacation leave since the court ruled in favour of the civil servants," said Mr Sibanda.Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza could not be reached for comment yesterday.Last month she acknowledged the difficult situation faced by civil servants in the prevailing economic climate. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu The South African government has rejected reports that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is engaged in any formal talks involving South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.This was revealed by the Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Energy Mutodi on Friday.Said Mutodi, "I have spoken to the South African Ambassador to Zimbabwe Cde Mphakama Mbete and he has said he is not aware of any official meeting between President Cyril Ramaposa and opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa. The South African government is fully behind President Mnangagwa and will not waste time entertaining MDC."The statement comes after the opposition leader earlier this week posted pictures of himself in a meeting with President Ramaphosa and said, "A few days ago I had a fruitful meeting in Pretoria with my distinguished brother and fountain of wisdom, the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa on a wide range of urgent and important issues regarding the well-being of the people of Zimbabwe."The twitter posts generated speculation among Zimbabweans that there is a behind the scenes mediation between ZANU PF and MDC to solve the National question and resolve the legitimacy of President Mnangagwa. News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken is annual leave and like any other civil servant, he rightly deserves it.Yes, he deserves it more than anyone else because the task he has ahead needs him to take a long breather and re-merge refreshed. It is also the time that he has to reflect on what he has achieved so far and strategise on the way forward because we believe he will be having all the time to himself.After his deserved break he will have to come back and deal with the fuel shortages which while his government denies exist, the truth is that people are wasting a lot of their precious time in queues as the supplies are so erratic.Prices of virtually everything have gone up with most of them in the treble digits as the market reacts to the bond and RTGs transaction against the US$. And every day the prices continue to increase unabated. Transport costs have also shot up by more than 200 percent and people have suddenly found themselves in a fix, hence they can't move an inch. For those who commute to work using public transport the costs alone erode all earnings.Workers are looking for a salary adjustment with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) already advocating for a 50 percent increase for every worker across the board.Mnangagwa also has to come and deal with the doctors' strike which has paralysed the health sector more so now that nurses have decided to only come to work two days a week.The shortage of drugs in hospitals is another urgent issue that the president will be seized with.We hope the threats by teachers that they will go on strike next month because of a number of issues they want addressed will not materialise as this will disrupt the school calendar year.He also has to deal with the August 1 shootings because he now has the Commission's report and Zimbabweans are eager to see how he will proceed.While everyone had thought things would ease a little bit after the departure of former president Robert Mugabe, the opposite has been true.Surprisingly since his inauguration after this year's disputed presidential results, the market has responded strangely and negatively to his rule.At one time several companies had opted to shut down their businesses completely while others closed temporarily as they monitored the market closely.It is our hope that once Mnangagwa gets energised during this break, he will see things differently and act differently because the strategy he is employing now seemsto be a disastrous recipe.So while far away from the office, he should be able to make his own assessment and see if this is a Zimbabwe he always dreamt of. Is the president happy with the way he has performed so far?He has to make an honest assessment of his rule and see whether he should carry on, on that path - he has to make a choice! Opinion / National As the nation commemorates the 39th anniversary of the tragic passing away of one of the bravest men ever to come out of Zimbabwe General Josiah Magama Tongogara in a horrific, but highly questionable, road accident one cannot help but wonder whether this country would ever produce men and women with such unwavering and unflinching gallantry that was not self-serving, but totally for the good of all people.Tongogara committed his life being prepared to lay it down to the fearless fight against oppression and subjugation. Throughout his participation in the liberation struggle, he never substituted his love to attain justice for all in this country, for the comfort of survival, or to earn a living for his family, or to score cheap selfish political points. His life became the struggle, and the struggle became his life.He never chose the easier route, but chose the most arduous and dangerous one. Nonetheless, independent Zimbabwe where the majority enjoyed freedom and prosperity swiftly turned back into that dark place of oppression, subjugation, and economic deprivation of the majority.For the past 38 years under the very political party that Tongogara, at one time, sincerely believed was devoted to the total emancipation of the people of Zimbabwe the majority have endured immeasurable pain and suffering only comparable to the Rhodesia.Even that comparison is debatable, as those who have lived in the Rhodesian era argue that life was actually better as there were plentiful jobs (in spite of the limited educational opportunities), workers were paid on time (meagre wages, which, however, could buy the most basic essentials, and a few extra luxuries), most workers were provided with accommodation by their employers, terminal benefits provided a relatively comfortable retirement, and hospitals were well-stocked with all the essential medication, whilst most necessary medical procedures could be done within the country. However, in independent Zimbabwe, the very opposite of the above is true!If that is the case, why are the people of Zimbabwe not uniting in fearlessly standing up against their oppressors? Where are the modern day Tongogaras? As I write this article, the people of Sudan have entered their eighth day, demonstrating in the capital Khartoum against their appalling standards of living and the oppressive government.In spite of 40 of their fellow demonstrators being killed by security forces, these gallant men and women have not faltered yet. In fact, according to one news bulletin, the demonstrators' resolve has only intensified with each person killed by the regime and the protests are getting bigger and stronger.Can we, the people of Zimbabwe, learn anything from this?Are we not able to learn that our constitutional right to peacefully demonstrate and petition as enshrined in section 59 is one of the most sacrosanct rights, which we should never take for granted? As most of us are currently wallowing in the worst economic meltdown in the past decade with the prices of basic commodities, medications, and school fees and uniforms tripling within the past month, as well as shortages of fuel one would have thought that our first port of call would be section 59 of the Constitution. However, our silence save for a few quiet rumblings in corners and communiter omnibuses, paints, an illusion of normalcy and acceptance. How can we accept and be alright with such a warped scenario?Can anyone be alright with suffering?Of course, some will be quick to point to the events of 1 August 2018 whereby, at least six people were shot dead on the streets of Harare, during a violent protest over a delay in the announcement of presidential election results. It is understandable that, just as no normal person would be alright with suffering, no normal person would be alright with being killed thus, the reluctance for any meaningful constitutional action against the regime. However, does a struggle require a 'normal' person?Was Tongagara 'normal'?The genuine struggle for one's own livelihood and that of our children and grandchildren can never be achieved by being 'normal'. It is similar to a mother whose child is trapped in a burning house would a 'normal' mother rush into a building she is most likely to also die in?This requires an attitude that transcends normalcy'. It is a decision that one has to deliberately make that "whether I die or not, I have to do this for the sake of my children, or for my nation". As the saying goes: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to master fear". The people of Sudan have so far lost 40 of their fellow demonstrators, but that has not dampened their spirits in fact, they are now even more determined than ever. As the people of Zimbabwe, we need to take charge of our own destiny.This struggle is for us the people of Zimbabwe and no one else can do it for us. Even between 2006 and 2009, we just watched as our livelihoods were being shattered by this same regime with our currency losing value and a loaf of bread costing billions of Zimbabwe dollars.Yet, we did nothing!The same situation is stealthily creeping upon us, yet we still do nothing!We need to have one common purpose that is, to demand that our lives be bestowed the value which they are worth.This is not politics as this needs not be about the toppling of the government but an improvement of our lives. In fact, we should never allow political parties to infiltrate our struggle, as these organisations have their own selfish objectives, which are at odds with our own.Political parties are after political power, and they abuse us to fulfill that objective.We, ourselves, know what we want, and should be able to stand fearlessly in demanding our lives back. As long as we allow ourselves to be divided by political parties, and other organisations that have their own agendas, we will forever be weak.Let us be united under one banner: Zimbabwe and no other interests should stand in the way. Unless, and until we ourselves demand our rights without any fear we can kiss any hope of a better life good-bye in fact, kusikufa ndekupi? What to Wear on New Years Eve How to Look Your Best on New Years Eve The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. New Years Eve with friends, family, and those you love is one of those nights of the year for which people go all out. Whether its Gatsby-inspired champagne- and caviar-fueled parties or simple shindigs with the closest of friends, chances are, if you dont have plans most nights of the year, you will on this one. Often required (or at least implied) with these gatherings is that you dress up to ring the new year. Since we all know if it isnt on Instagram, it didnt happen, you should assume youll be seen by many during the final hours of 2018. Related: How to Travel in Style If youre wondering where to begin, let us break it down for you. There are three events that are typical of New Year's Eve: The casual get-together, the semi-formal event, and the black-tie affair. As you might imagine, each warrants a different variation on a theme. If you are going casual, look to still bring your best, just with a more relaxed, friendly attitude. Should you be going somewhere that requires dressing up, but nowhere did your invite use the words formal or black tie, count on wearing a suit. No, ifs or buts or what-abouts just count on wearing a suit. And if you are going the black tie route, youre in for a good-looking night. If there is only one night out of the year to dress to the nines, then let it be New Years Eve. Casual Get-Together AskMen Gathering with your closest mates around snacks and TV to reflect on the past year might sound like the perfect way to usher in 2019. That said, you should think before you dress, and make sure to add an exclamation point to that outfit of yours. Who knows, you may make your way to the bars after the ball drops and you would hate to be underdressed for your first outing of the last decade of the 2010s. Corduroy Blazer Grabbing a simple yet statement-making blazer is the way to go when meeting friends to count down with. If you wanted to ring in the new year in your PJs, you should have probably stayed home. Amping it up for the night (and into the morning) will start your new year off poised for sartorial success. We recommend Bonobos Italian Corduroy Blazer, $400.00 at Bonobos.com Cashmere Turtleneck Cashmere turtlenecks are the tuxedos of sweaters. Theyre sophisticated and stylish, so you tend to see these rolled out on more special occasions than you do crew or V-necks. Thats because they have a certain air of class. So when you show up in one anywhere you will look and feel more upscale, even if it is just another cozy sweater. We recommend Buttoned Down Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater, $99.00 at Amazon.com Dressy Denim Just as a turtleneck takes an ordinary sweater up a notch, the same goes for a crisp pair of dark denim. Sure, jeans are comfortable and casual, but as soon as they are presented in a dark wash and trim fit, they become the dress pant for guys who hate dress pants. They look awesome brand new, and only look better over time as they take on their own unique character. We recommend Uniqlo Stretch Selvedge Slim-Fit Jeans, $49.90 at Uniqlo.com Hiking Boot Sure, dress sneakers have largely replaced dress shoes in dressed up versions of casual wear, but something that will always work is the trouser-friendly hiking boot. No, a style like this isnt intended to go off-roading, but they are meant to look great while being comfortable as hell. Refined hiking boots look great with jeans, chinos, and even add a casual attitude to boring dress trousers. We recommend Danner Jack Boot, from $112.46 at Amazon.com Semi-Formal Event AskMen Probably not as common as a casual get-together for New Years Eve, but likely more common than an all-out black-tie affair, the semi-formal event warrants semi-formal attire. We recommend a classic suit and tie. Its an evening to celebrate, so if there is any doubt that wearing jeans wont be enough, go for the suit. Its safe, its sexy, and itll set you up for success as you kiss your way into the new year. Navy Suit Every man should have a navy suit hanging in his closet by now. They are standard for job interviews, weddings, and, of course, special evenings. If you are heading somewhere that you know is going to be nice but isnt going to be a crowd of top hats and tails, then your safest bet is going to be a classic navy suit. Always remember when suit shopping, nothing ever fits quite as well as it could off the rack (or out of the box). Not sure where to start? May we suggest our Shopper's Guide to Buying a Suit? We recommend Brooks Brothers Regent Fit Wool Suit, $778.00 at BrooksBrothers.com Dress Shirt When grabbing your shirt for a dressed-up night out, go for a spread or cutaway collar to pair with your suit and tie. This keeps your shirt nestled nicely under your suit lapel, ensuring you look put together all night both when you arrive with your tie neatly knotted, and after midnight, when youve managed to loosen up a little. We recommend Buttoned Down Classic Cutaway Collar Shirt, $39.00 at Amazon.com Solid Tie We think its better to keep your suit and tie tonal, keeping your semi-formal look less semi and more formal. After all, you only get one New Years Eve a year, and you want to be ready for anything. Keeping your look crisp and classic keeps you in style year after year, just about anywhere the after-hours partying make take you. We recommend Calvin Klein Solid Navy Tie, from $24.99 at Amazon.com Sophisticated Shoes If youre wondering what your feet need to celebrate the dawn of a new year, a double monk style is a safe bet. This sturdy shoe gives your suit a little something extra over that stylish albeit stale lace-up Oxford in your arsenal. Pairing a double monk will add interest without distracting when, inevitably, you look back through everyones feeds in years to come. Bonus: These look great with jeans. We recommend To Boot Grant Double Monk, $395.00 at Nordstrom.com Black-Tie Affair AskMen Black tie means only one thing: tuxedo. Sure, you may see Black Tie Optional on your invitations from time to time, but you better believe, if you show up and you arent wearing a tux, youll be in the minority. When you dress for a formal event, you are showing off that you not only know how to play by the sartorial rules, but you intend to win. If youre nervous that wearing a plain black tuxedo might make you look like every other guy in the black-tie crowd, make sure yours is tailored to perfection. Thats the best way to stand out among other black tie-clad guys because, trust us, good tailoring wont go unnoticed. Classic Tuxedo Every man should own a tuxedo in a forgiving wool fabric (allowing it to ebb and flow with your waistline) and classic style. These bright navy or winter white styles are great, but we imagine if youre like most guys and arent in need of tuxedos every season of the year, getting one that will remain in style for the foreseeable future is your best bet. We recommend Suitsupply Lazio Tuxedo, $599.00 at Suitsupply.com Pique Shirt To wear an ill-fitting shirt under a sharp jacket does you and your tux a disservice. Make sure its tailored too, and in a modern style. That little wing collar and ecordian bib look a little high school prom rental these days, so youre better off getting yourself an updated spread collar shirt with a pique bib. After all, its a lot easier to swap your shirt than your tux. We recommend Proper Cloth White Pique Tuxedo Shirt, $85.00 at ProperCloth.com Self-Tie Bow Tie Speaking of high school prom, under no circumstances should you wear a pre-tied bow tie to anything ever. Do you still wear clip-on ties? Probably not, so why wear a bow tie thats been glued together? There are plenty of how to tie a bow tie tutorials out there on the internet (we prefer this one) that can get you from start to finish pretty easily. Take the extra five minutes and youll look a lot more like an adult. We recommend John William Tuxedo Bow Tie, $21.99 at Amazon.com Tuxedo Shoes There is a lot of debate on whether you can wear your black dress shoes with your tuxedo. We always go with no. There are tuxedo-specific shoes for a reason, so opting for the same old daily black Oxfords just seems a little half-assed to us. Why not finish off that penguin suit of yours with a sophisticated style of cap toes that are meant for the nicest of evenings, and give your day-to-day numbers the night off? We recommend Florsheim Formal Oxford, from $94.95 at Amazon.com You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. President Jolie 2020? Academy Award Winner Angelina Jolie has hinted that she could follow in the steps of Donald Trump, and run for US President it she felt she was needed. Serving as a guest editor on Fridays BBC Todays Programme, the 43-year-old admitted she wouldnt rule out running for office. Presenter Justin Webb asked Jolie: Are you moving in the direction of politics? Honestly, if youd asked me 20 years ago I would have laughed, I really dont know, the Hollywood star confessed. I always say Ill go where Im needed I dont know if Im fit for politics, but then Ive also joked that I dont have a skeleton left in my closet so Im pretty open and out there. I can take a lot on the chin, so thats good, she added. Jolie continued to talk about her work with the UN, where she serves as a Special Envoy. I honestly will do whatever I think can really make change and right now I am able to work with a UN agency to do a lot of work directly with people in need. I sit in a very interesting place of being able to get a lot done without a title and without it being about myself and my policies. So for now Ill sit quiet, she explained. Jolie pictured with all six of her children in January 2018. Webb concluded the topic by saying that hed added her to his list of potential Democratic politicians to run against President Donald Trump in 2020. Jolie simply responded with Thank You. He went on to ask Jolie what she made of President Trumps America First narrative. She replied that was a Patriot, but saw a distinct difference between her beliefs and that and narrow Nationalism. I am a patriot but I am also an internationalist and I love and value other people and other countries. To be a patriot is to be very proud of your country and even your country first but you do not think your country is better than others, she said. Jolie has been widely praised for her humanitarian work over the years, and was presented an honorary damehood by the Queen in 2014 for her work fighting against sexual violence. Story continues She is currently separated from her third husband actor Brad Pitt, and they have six children together, three of whom were adopted internationally. Read more Angelina Jolie is focused on healing her family Aretha Franklin owed million in debts, says IRS Eddie Murphy poses with all 10 of his children Sarah McIver, a Canadian teacher who was detained in China earlier this month, has returned to Canada after being released from custody, Global Affairs Canada says. "Global Affairs can confirm that a Canadian citizen, who was detained in China this month, has been released and has now returned to Canada," spokesperson Richard Walker said in an email. "Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed." McIver's aunt, Rhona McIver, told CBC News that the Alberta woman's mother and sister had travelled to Vancouver to pick her up and that the family is "thrilled" she is back home. Earlier this month, McIver became the third Canadian detained in China in recent weeks. She was held over a work-permit issue related to her teaching job and was sentenced to administrative punishment for illegal employment, according to a spokesperson for the Chinese government. McIver's arrest came just days after the detentions of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, though both Canada and China insisted her case is different from that of the two men. Tensions have been high between Canada and China since the Dec. 1 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies. Canada made the arrest at the Vancouver International Airport at the request of the U.S. officials, who accuse her of violating trade sanctions on Iran. Meng has since been released on bail pending extradition proceedings. Facebook Not long after the tech executive's arrest, Chinese officials confirmed Kovrig and Spavor had been detained separately in China on national security concerns. Chinese officials have not exactly said that the two men are in custody in retaliation for Meng's arrest, but they have pointedly linked the cases, insisting at length that Meng's arrest was illegal and an international affront, while Kovrig and Spavor have been detained properly under Chinese law. Story continues Kovrig is a Canadian diplomat currently on leave from Global Affairs as he serves as an adviser to the International Crisis Group think-tank, while Spavor is a businessman who arranges tours of North Korea. Canada and its allies have been pushing back against the detentions, with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland saying last week that the government is "deeply concerned" by the "arbitrary detention" of the two men. Global Affairs did not say when McIver was released or when exactly she returned to Canada. When the U.S. government put out its latest sanctions list on Dec. 19, the man named at the top did not seem especially important. Described in the document as a former Russian intelligence officer, he was accused of handling money and negotiations on behalf of a powerful Russian oligarch. The document did not mention that the man, Victor Boyarkin, had links to the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump. A months-long investigation by TIME, however, found that Boyarkin, a former arms dealer with a high forehead and a very low profile, was a key link between a senior member of the Trump campaign and a powerful ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his only interview with the media about those connections, Boyarkin told TIME this fall that he was in touch with Trumps then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, in the heat of the presidential race on behalf of the Russian oligarch. He owed us a lot of money, Boyarkin says. And he was offering ways to pay it back. The former Russian intelligence officer says he has been approached by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Boyarkins response to those investigators? I told them to go dig a ditch, he says. Peter Carr, the spokesman for the Special Counsels Office, declined to comment. Through his spokesman, Manafort likewise declined to comment on his alleged connections with Boyarkin. But those connections could be potentially important to the Special Counsels inquiry. They would mark some of the clearest evidence of the leverage that powerful Russians had over Trumps campaign chairman. And they may shed light on why Manafort discussed going right back to work for pro-Russian interests in Eastern Europe after he crashed out of the Trump campaign in August 2016, according to numerous sources in the TIME investigation. Our friend V When he joined the campaign in the spring of 2016, Manafort was nearly broke. The veteran political consultant had racked up bills worth millions of dollars in luxury real estate, clothing, cars and antiques. According to allegations contained in court records filed in the U.S. and the Cayman Islands, he was also deeply in debt to Boyarkins boss, the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who was demanding money from Manafort over a failed business deal in Ukraine and other ventures. Story continues Boyarkin says it fell to him to collect the debt from Manafort. I came down on him hard, he says. But the American proved elusive. In a petition filed in the Cayman Islands in 2014, lawyers for Deripaska, a metals tycoon with close ties to the Kremlin, complain that Manafort and his then-partner had simply disappeared with around $19 million of the Russians money. When he reappeared in the headlines around April 2016, Manafort was serving as an unpaid adviser to the Trump campaign. He wanted his long-time patron in Moscow to know all about it. In a series of emails sent that spring and summer, Manafort tried to offer private briefings about the presidential race to Deripaska, apparently, as one of the emails puts it, to get whole. Reports in The Atlantic and the Washington Post revealed those emails in the fall of 2017. Among the questions that remained unanswered was the identity of Manaforts contact in Moscow, the one referred to in one of the emails as our friend V. Even after TIME learned his full name in April, he proved a difficult man to find. His online presence amounted to digital scraps: one photo of him at a conference in Moscow, a few benign quotes in the Russian media from his years selling arms for state-linked companies, and some vague references in U.S. government archives to someone by that name, Commander Viktor A. Boyarkin, serving in the 1990s as an assistant naval attache at the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. a job sometimes used as cover for intelligence agents. Only in early October was a TIME reporter able to track Boyarkin down. In the company of a senior Russian diplomat and two young assistants from Moscow, he attended a conference in Greece that was organized by one of Putins oldest friends, the former KGB agent and state railway boss Vladimir Yakunin. How did you find me here, was the question Boyarkin asked, repeatedly, when confronted about his ties to Manafort during a coffee break at that conference. Once he agreed to discuss their relationship, it was mostly to confirm the basic facts, often with a curt, Yes, so what. (He did not respond to numerous requests for comment after his name appeared on the U.S sanctions list on Dec. 19.) The outlines of Boyarkins career suggest a life spent at the intersection of Russian espionage, diplomacy and the arms trade. Having served at the Russian embassies in the U.S. and Mexico in the 1990s, dealing primarily in military affairs, he says he turned his focus to the arms trade in the early 2000s. His specialty was the export of small and medium-sized warships and other naval vessels that were produced in Soviet-era shipyards across Russia. This business kept him in touch with military buyers from around the world, including in various parts of Africa. By the late-2000s, he had put this expertise in the service of Deripaska, whose global mining and metals empire often involved making deals with despots in the developing world. But his range was broader than that. As Boyarkin tells it, his acquaintance with Manafort goes back to around 2006, the year Deripaska asked both of them to help redraw the map of Eastern Europe. The Montenegro connection Montenegro, a tiny Balkan nation on the Adriatic Sea, was an important testing ground for Manaforts relationship with Deripaska. The oligarch had invested heavily in that country, buying control of a vast aluminum smelter in 2005 that accounted for roughly half of Montenegros exports and a sixth of its entire economy. The following year, he decided to support the Montenegrins drive to become an independent country. That meant breaking away from its more powerful neighbor, Serbia and convincing the world to recognize Montenegro as an independent state. To get this done, Deripaska offered the help of several of his advisers, including Manafort. They were a good team, says a senior official in Montenegro who was involved in that vote. They helped get the support we needed from our international partners, both in Russia and the West, says the official, who spoke to TIME on condition of anonymity. After the people of Montenegro voted by a margin slightly above 55% to declare independence from Serbia in May 2006, all the worlds major powers recognized the results. Manafort has been open about his role in this campaign. I have always publicly acknowledged that I worked for Mr. Deripaska and his company, he said in a statement to reporters in the spring of 2017. For example, one of the projects involved supporting a referendum in Montenegro that allowed that country to choose membership in the EU, a measure that Russia opposed. In fact, Moscow never tried to stop Montenegros independence, and Deripaska would not likely have supported it so robustly without approval from the Kremlin. (In 2007, he told the Financial Times, I dont separate myself from the state. I have no other interests.) There was never any real resistance from Moscow [to the independence vote], says the senior official in Montenegro, who was involved in lobbying for Russian support in the years before and after that referendum. The Kremlin, he says, was only too happy to have another potential ally in Eastern Europe one that was heavily dependent on Russian investments. The arrangement suited Montenegros leaders just fine. Better the Russians come here with suitcases of money than with columns of tanks, says the official. But their relationship with Deripaska quickly soured in much the same way it beganover money. After years of disputes over unpaid debts, the Russian billionaire sued Montenegro in 2014 for seizing the aluminum plant he controlled. The country then sped up its plans to join the NATO military alliance and integrate with the West. The Kremlin wasnt pleased. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in 2014 it would be irresponsible and even a provocation for another Balkan state to become a NATO member. According to investigators in Montenegro, Russian agents soon began plotting to unseat the nations leaders and install a government more friendly to Moscow. By coincidence, the dispute came to a head in the fall of 2016, at the same time as the U.S. presidential race. About three weeks before the American elections, the people of Montenegro were due to hold a pivotal vote of their own. Depending on the outcome, the government would either shepherd the country into the NATO alliance the following year, or a new set of leaders would take power, most of whom wanted to change course and develop closer ties with Russia. According to three sources in this opposition movement, known in Montenegro as the Democratic Front, they were counting on help from an American lobbyist who had worked in their country before and who happened to be fresh out of a job in Washington. His name was Paul Manafort. Enter Manafort Having served for three months as Trumps campaign chairman in 2016, Manafort was forced to resign in mid-August after his links to Russian interests in Ukraine became public. Still deep in debt, he reportedly went around pitching his services as a consultant in the months that followed to a wide variety of foreign leaders, from the Kurds in Iraq to the incoming president of Ecuador. The TIME investigation found that Manafort was also in contact with politicians from his old stomping ground of Montenegro. Among them was Nebojsa Medojevic, one of the opposition leaders who were then campaigning to unseat the countrys pro-NATO leaders. His ties to Manafort were first reported to TIME by a former associate of Montenegros ruling clique, who said the American consultant had met with Medojevic to discuss a possible consulting deal in the fall of 2016. At first the tip seemed implausible. Why would one of the worlds most prominent political advisers still fresh from the chairmanship of the Republican presidential campaign consider working with a group seen as pro-Russian upstarts in a Balkan nation of 600,000 people? The senior Montenegrin official suggested an answer. If Manafort got involved here in 2016, it would only be through the Russians, he said. At the time, Russian money was indeed flowing into Montenegrin politics. According to the sanctions list posted Dec. 19, Deripaska and Boyarkin were involved in providing Russian financial support to a Montenegrin political party ahead of Montenegros 2016 elections. In more than a dozen interviews that TIME conducted this year, officials and political leaders in Montenegro confirmed that Deripaska and one other Russian oligarch bankrolled the pro-Russian opposition in 2016. Two of them said they heard Manaforts name come up in strategy meetings for that opposition movement. When asked about Manaforts role, Medojevic, one of the leaders of this movement, confirmed that he had met with Manafort to discuss a potential partnership in the fall of 2016. He added that the meeting was a disappointment, and that no deal came out of it. In several follow-up conversations, however, he refused to talk about the meeting, saying that his contacts in the West were legitimate and urging reporters not to publish his initial comments. For Medojevic and the rest of the opposition, the elections in Montenegro did not go smoothly. The day before the vote, a group of men was arrested and charged with plotting to overthrow the government of Montenegro, assassinate its leader and seize power by force all with abundant help from Moscow. The Montenegrin authorities later charged two agents of Russias military intelligence service with masterminding the alleged coup. Several of the leaders of the opposition in that country, including Medojevic, are currently on trial for charges that stem from the alleged coup attempt. The following year, Montenegros parliament overwhelmingly ratified membership in NATO, as pro-Russian demonstrators protested outside. Russias foreign ministry said lawmakers were trampling all democratic norms and principles. Now, Montenegro is protected by Article 5 of the alliance, which calls for all members to support any state that comes under attack. This summer, President Trump took issue with that protection. Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people, he said, after being asked by Fox News in July if the U.S. should come to Montenegros defense. They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, youre in World War III. Known unknowns It remains unclear whether Manafort actually provided any services in Montenegro in 2016. His lawyers deny he did any work for any Montenegrin politicians that year. Nor is it clear whether Manafort owes debts to Deripaska and, if so, how much. A court in Virginia convicted Manafort in August on eight charges of bank and tax fraud related to his lobbying work in Ukraine; he is due to be sentenced in February. Boyarkin, for his part, denies having anything to do with Montenegrin politics. When TIME met him in Greece, he said he had not worked for Deripaska since the end of 2016. The U.S. government differs on that point; the Dec. 19 press release from the Treasury Department said Boyarkin reports directly to Deripaska and has led business negotiations on Deripaskas behalf. Those negotiations, involving mining deals in Africa and factories in Europe, were of secondary concern to U.S. investigators when they contacted Boyarkin last year, he says. They wanted to know about his links to Manafort, and the private briefings he had offered to Boyarkin and his boss. They asked about all of that, yes, the operative recalls. Once again, he says he told them to get lost. With reporting by Jovo Martinovic/Podgorica, Montenegro and Tessa Berenson/Washington First openly gay man to legally adopt in Canada hopes new memoir will boost adoptions Twenty years after he became the first openly gay man to legally adopt a child in Canada, David McKinstry hopes that a new book about his long fight to become a father will inspire others to consider adoption. McKinstry, a long-time Peterborough resident, published Rebel Dad: Triumphing Over Bureaucracy to Adopt Two Orphans Born Worlds Apart in November. The memoir tells the remarkable story of his "onerous" battle with the Canadian government, social agencies and societal prejudices to raise a child of his own and how a twist of fate brought him a second son. "In 1979 I tried [to adopt] as a single man in Vancouver and I was told: 'Why would we give a single person a child over a couple?'" McKinstry recalled in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Friday. He faced constant discrimination as he pressed on. The prevailing view was that gay men, and same-sex couples more generally, were unfit to be parents. McKinstry remembers being asked questions like, "Are you trying to home grow your own play toy?" 'We don't give to homosexuals' After years of difficulties, in 1997, he received a fateful phone call from Canada's then-immigration minister, Lucienne Robillard. "She said, 'We'd like you to be our test case for international adoption,'" said McKinstry. Canadian bureaucrats sent adoption requests to 13 different governments. Within two weeks, each replied with a terse message: "We don't give to homosexuals," McKinstry remembered. When you put that child in your arms it doesn't matter by what womb it was born, that child is your child. - David McKinstry So the Canadian government took a different tack. Some two years earlier, McKinstry's first husband, Nick, passed away. The couple had always wanted to raise children together. The government then altered McKinstry's personal information to show that he had a spouse, but instead of recording the spouse's name as Nick, it was written as Nicky. Story continues Now, McKinstry said, he appeared to be a straight man with a wife who had died, and looking to fulfil their goal of adopting a child. "That was the only reason India looked at me," he said. 'If you want him, he's yours' The following year, McKinstry travelled to India to visit 18 orphanages to find a child to adopt. The director of the last orphanage sent him home with the promise of finding him a son, he said. Three months later, she called. "She said, 'We've got a little boy. He was found clutching the corpse of his mother in a back alley. If you want him, he's yours,'" McKinstry said. "She didn't have to ask twice." Then, in an unexpected twist of good fortune as he waited for his son to join him from India, he got a chance to adopt another son. The Children's Wish Foundation contacted him about a woman in need of a room something McKinstry had in spades. Years earlier, with his husband Nick, McKinstry opened a lakeside bed and breakfast north of Peterborough. Listen to the full interview with David McKinstry below: The woman, he recalled, needed a place to stay because she was living with AIDS, and U.S. authorities had barred her from flying with her young son. "They were trying to send her for one last holiday to Disneyland with her four-year-old son," said McKinstry. So he gave her the room. And, over dinner, he told her the story of his adoption fight. The next morning, she approached him with a message. 'Will you take my son?' "I now know why God didn't let me get on that airplane," McKinstry recalled her saying. "I was meant to come here and ask you ... to adopt my son and make him a little brother to your boy in India. Will you take my son?" He didn't have to consider the proposition for long. "She didn't have to ask twice," he said. McKinstry's sons are now 25 and 26 years old. He was recently diagnosed with cancer, which in part was what prompted him to pen a book about his story. He hopes it will help other children find a home. "I'm trying to encourage people to get into the adoption arena," he said. "When you put that child in your arms it doesn't matter by what womb it was born, that child is your child." UBC professor emeritus Jo-ann Archibald has been appointed officer of the Order of Canada for her substantial work in Indigenous education. Governor General Julie Payette made 103 new appointments on Thursday, honouring Canadians who have helped shape and innovate societies across the country. Archibald, also known by her Sto:lo name Q'um Q'um Xiiem, is a member of the Soowahlie and Xaxli'p First Nations. She spent her career helping to advance Indigenous educational programs in Canadian elementary and university curricula. Archibald says when she was going through the B.C. public school system as a child, she did not feel the curriculum represented Indigenous peoples, topics and approaches properly. "I often felt concerned. And I felt I wasn't proud of being Indigenous because what was taught about Indigenous people was rather negative. It wasn't what I was familiar with as far as living an Indigenous life," she told On the Coast guest host Margaret Gallagher. That feeling did not disappear once she decided to become an educator and entered a teaching education program. She says she couldn't find any curriculum that did a proper job of educating students about Indigenous culture. "I needed to do something more in Indigenous education," Archibald said. Martin Dee / UBC Transforming curriculum Archibald has served on various provincial curriculum committees throughout her career, recommending ways that education about Indigenous cultures could be better shared with students. "In the Sto:lo area where I grew up, many of the elders and community members worked with educators, including myself, to develop curriculum about our history, our culture [and] our ways of knowing," said Archibald. "A lot of the knowledge [had been] denied. Elders have said it was put to sleep during the residential school system." Archibald says much has changed in B.C. curriculum during her 45 years in the field. Story continues "We are at a point today in B.C.'s provincial school system where at each grade level and subject area, Indigenous content resources are recommended. And that's so different from when I went through the public school system." Archibald says many Indigenous people helped bring change to school systems in Canada. She hopes those in education roles continue to prioritise Indigenous education. "Certainly a lot more needs to be done, but it has been happening for a number of years now," she said. Listen to the full interview here: With files from On the Coast The Miss Africa 2018 beauty pageant ended with a fiery finish. Miss Congo Dorcas Kasinde won the African pageant hosted by the Cross River State Government on Friday, but that wasnt the most notable part of the event. In a video clip that has gone viral, Kasinde can be seen graciously hugging one of her competitors as she was named the winner with celebratory sparklers flashing in the background. Things quickly turned scary when one of the sparks caught onto Kasindes hair. Miss Congo, Kasinde's hair caught on fire after she was crowned Miss Africa 2018 on stage. pic.twitter.com/6VxXGD58S5 Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 28, 2018 Looking for more style content? Click here to subscribe to the PeopleStyle Newsletter for amazing shopping discounts, cant-live-without beauty products and more Kasinde cried tears of joy as she heard the news, but once she realized her entire head of hair had gone ablaze, she started screaming in terror. Luckily, before things got too serious, a man jumped in behind her appearing to swat at her flaming hair to help put it out. For those asking, She is fine the fire was put out immediately, she wore her crown and carried on like a true queen, one Twitter user who captured the moment said. For those asking, She is fine... the fire was put out immediately, she wore her crown and carried on like a true queen oge o.???? (@dorcasDugan) December 28, 2018 Kasinde beat out Nigerias Chiamaka Nnaemeka and Zambias Gladys Kayumba for the title of Miss Africa 2018. She was awarded with $35,000 and a car. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, over 30 women from 25 countries participated in the third annual event including Morocco, Tanzania, Togo and Ghana. A messy drive home: Here's a breakdown of what to expect from today's storm Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for most of the province today. The weather agency said a low pressure system will start out as snow over western New Brunswick Friday morning and travel east across the province throughout the day. The system is expected to travel just north of the Maritimes on Saturday. Environment Canada has also issued a special weather statement for the Acadian Peninsula, Bathurst and the Chaleur region, Campbellton and Restigouche County, the Saint John area, St. Stephen and northern Charlotte County, Grand Manan and coastal Charlotte County on Friday. In the Fundy region, about 10 cm of snow is expected and will be followed by 20 mm of rain. "Travel conditions will be impacted this afternoon and this evening," the weather agency said in a statement. Meanwhile, in the Chaleur region, between 10 and 15 cm of snow is expected. Environment Canada says snowfall will start in the area around noon. Snow turns to freezing rain Snow will eventually change to freezing rain throughout the evening in southern parts of the province. Northern New Brunswick can expect freezing rain to last overnight. "The freezing rain will then change to rain or drizzle as temperatures rise above the freezing mark overnight in the south, and towards Saturday morning in the north," Environment Canada said. The weather agency is reminding motorists to adjust their driving to the road conditions, as surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots become icy. The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The amendments are proposed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Amendments Proposed POSCO is a gender-neutral law protects both boys and girls under the age of 18. The amendments proposed are: The amendments provide for stringent punishment, including the death penalty, for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault crime on a child, both boys and girls, below the age of 18. The amendments extend the punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault from a minimum of 10 years to a minimum of 20 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment and even the death penalty. The amendments are proposed to protect children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities and disasters. The amendment also proposes to alter the definition of sexual assault to include administering hormones to children expedite their sexual maturity for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Why the amendments were proposed? The Ministry of Women and Child Development cites the reports of rapes of young girls in the aftermath of Kedarnath floods. Data shows that children constitute 50-60% of victims of calamities. Hence there was a need to add rapes in course of natural calamities as the 21st category under aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The cabinet has approved the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 under IPC. But IPC is not gender neutral. Since POSCO is a gender-neutral law the amendments widen the range of cases of sexual assault against boys and girls under 18 that are now punishable by death. Is law a deterrent? Government proposes that amendments will further enhance the deterrence against sexual assault on children. But the data shows that less than 3% of all POCSO cases end in convictions and experts further warn against the chilling effect the death penalty may have on reporting the crime. Hence it can be said that law by itself will not be a deterrent but systemic changes in law enforcement and prosecution hold the key to tackling child sexual abuse. Despite the unwanted publicity of a criminal trial for one of their main suppliers, business is booming at Pyongyang's 'Singapore shops,' which sell everything from Ukrainian vodka to brand-name knock-offs from China.The stores stock many of the very things United Nations' sanctions banning trade in luxury goods are intended to block and provide a nagging reminder that not all potential trade partners are lining up behind the UN's pronouncements or the Trump administration's policy of maximum pressure on the North.Especially when there's a buck or a few million bucks to be made.GALLERY: Life inside North KoreaThe stores are anything but secret.They are well marked, open to walk-ins and distribute their own membership cards to reward regular customers.Until recently, the name of their Singaporean partner, the OCN Group, was printed on the Bugsae shop's plastic shopping bags.And while being the focus of the court case that could land OCN's former director in prison for a very long time, they continue to unabashedly specialise in imported products perfumes, fine jewellery, wines, clothing and cosmetics that would appear to blatantly violate UN restrictions.Formally known as the Potonggang Ryugyong Shop and the Bugsae Shop, the stores are a fixture of the upscale shopping scene in Pyongyang, catering to the capital's elites, Chinese businessmen and members of the diplomatic corps.Purchases can be made in dollars, euros and Chinese yuan. The price in each is displayed digitally on the cash register.Both stores have been substantially renovated since last summer.The Ryugyong store now has a coffee shop behind the imported shoe section on its second floor. The Bugsae shop has installed dark wood panelling and glass casing for its wines and spirits corner, which was recently dominated by vodkas from the Ukraine.It has separate display areas for snacks and soft drinks from Japan, Malaysia and China, a row dedicated to fancy shampoos, and a section in the rear for imported electronic appliances and household goods.The well-stocked shelves belie the hit supplies must have taken with the arrest of their former Singaporean trading partner.Ng Kheng Wah, 56, faces 80 charges of violating United Nations sanctions for allegedly supplying six million worth of luxury goods to the Bugsae Shop from 2010 to 2017.This includes watches 'clad with a precious metal,' jewellery, musical instruments and wine.While OCN is not mentioned, the charges accuse Ng of trying to defraud banks through another of his companies, T Specialist International.Ng, who stepped down as an OCN director in March, also faces 81 charges for working with a partner identified as Wang Zhi Guo to deceive DBS, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd and Malayan Banking Berhad to carry out his deals, issuing false invoices for the sale of Watari Instant Noodles to T Specialist, most amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.Ng was charged on July 18 and granted bail of 500,000 Singapore dollars ($364,645).A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan 17.For each offence under the UN sanctions act, Ng faces a maximum sentence of five years in jail and a 100,000 Singapore dollars ($AUD 103,683) fine.Each cheating charge comes with an additional maximum jail term of 10 years and an unspecified fine.Ng denied any wrongdoing in an interview with the Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times shortly after reports of possible violations became public.He said OCN was the sole distributor of the popular Japanese Pokka brand canned drinks in North Korea from 2000 and 2012, but claimed OCN dropped that when Japan imposed sanctions banning such exports.Documents presented in court show that in early 2014 his other business, T Specialist International, presented a bogus invoice to a bank from which it was seeking a loan, claiming it had received $522,410 ($AUD 783,963) for Pokka sales.The case hints at an uncomfortable truth that has long hamstrung efforts to make sanctions enforcement really bite: engaging the North is not as uniformly taboo with potential trading partners as Washington might like. IMPORTANT NOTICE: It seems that Google made a few changes to the way images are shown on Google-powered blogs. Pictures and links to social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) will no longer be loaded if you are using an ad blocker. Please be advised that no commercial activity whatsoever (ads, links, etc.) is conducted by DPN on their website. Ads, if any shown, are selected and inserted on this page by Google, not by DPN. Disable your ad blocker if pictures and/or videos are no longer shown on DPN pages. Please note that this may not apply to all browsers. The Nevada attorney generals office has made its final argument of the year to the states high court in a drawn-out legal battle over prison execution drugs. In court papers filed this week, the last filed in the case under outgoing Attorney General Adam Laxalt, the Nevada Department of Corrections argued that a judges ruling barring a specific sedative from use in lethal injection could ultimately end capital punishment in the state. Drug makers Alvogen sought the order to prevent midazolam from being used in the planned execution of Scott Dozier, a Nevada inmate who has requested his death sentence be carried out. Lawyers for the Ely State Prison have argued that they can only perform capital punishment with the drugs designated in a lethal injection protocol. Deputy Solicitor General Jordan Smith elaborated on that point in Thursdays filing. If third-party business interests can file these lawsuits, the death penalty is effectively dead, he wrote. Any court order that prevents the state from using its chosen combination of drugs is, in substance, a stay of execution, Smith added, even if there were other drugs for purchase (and theres not). Dozier, who was sentenced to die in 2007, would be the first inmate executed in the state in more than a dozen years. Unless the states attorney general-elect, Democrat Aaron Ford, drops the appeal, the Supreme Court is expected to hear oral argument in the dispute next year, though a date has not been set. While Ford has expressed opposition to the death penalty, he has not said whether he plans to continue to pursue the appeal. Medications to be used in the execution cocktail on hand at the prison expire in February and, Smith wrote, it is no small task to obtain a supply of lethal injection drugs, let alone substitute drugs once they expire. He pointed out that in 2016, the prison system asked more than 200 potential drug makers for bids and received no response. Meanwhile, a federal judge has postponed a hearing set for next week in a separate case where attorneys for Dozier have asked the prison system to stop the practice of isolating him from the general prison population. Federal public defenders representing the condemned man wrote in a Thursday filing that he was unable to speak with his lawyers while he was on suicide watch at the prison. Prison lawyers have argued that the decision was the result of evidence that Dozier intended to take his own life. Dozier has told the Review-Journal that he does not intend to commit suicide, but would rather die than remain on death row. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Grab says it will appeal to a Vietnamese court's order to pay a compensation to Vinasun. Photo by Reuters Ride-hailing firm asserts it has not violated Vietnamese laws and will appeal a courts order to compensate taxi firm Vinasun. Country head of Grab Vietnam Jerry Lim made this statement after the Peoples Court of Ho Chi Minh City Friday ordered Grab to pay VND4.8 billion ($208,000) in compensation to Vinasun, finding that there was a link between the operations of Grab and Vinasun losing revenue. Lim said that Grab has neither violated Vietnamese regulations nor evaded taxes as alleged by Vinasun. He added that there were flaws in a third partys calculations that led to the courts conclusion that Grab was a direct cause of Vinasuns losses. Lim said that the courts decision will set a bad precedent for other traditional companies and inadvertently encourage them to take the easy way out by suing competitors instead of innovating through technology. "We are prepared to launch a defamation lawsuit against Vinasun, and all other parties that have colluded with Vinasun, if there is no retraction of the baseless allegations made against Grab," he said. The courts decision came after an 18-month battle between Singapore-headquartered Grab and top taxi firm Vinasun began in June last year when the taxi firm filed a suit, saying Grabs illegal activities were responsible for nearly VND42 billion ($1.8 million) in losses that it had suffered. The latest draft of a Ministry of Transport decree requires firms offering taxi services to register as taxi firms before they can apply ride-hailing technology. This means that Grab and other ride-hailing firms have to register afresh as taxi businesses and comply with legal requirements related to operating licenses, drivers profiles and taxes. Six men who livestreamed on Facebook a video of them slaughtering an endangered langur are questioned by the police in the central province of Ha Tinh. Photo courtesy of Ha Tinh police Ha Tinh police are investigating six men over a Facebook video showing them slaughtering an endangered langur for meat. The six men, in their thirties and fifties, have been placed under investigation for "violating regulations on management and protection of endangered, rare animals. On November 17, Phan Trong Son sold to Thai Kim Hong a langur for over VND1 million ($43). Hong then called Phan Van Hoi, Thai Dinh Quy, Thai Vinh Quang and a man so far identified as Bien to go to Thai Van Sangs house to kill the animal, cook it and eat it for a liquor drinking session. Whether Bien would also be under investigation is not known. As the men slaughtered the langur, Phan Van Hoi used a phone and livestreamed it on his personal Facebook account. After studying the images extracted from the video, authorities determined that the animal killed was a black-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nigripe). The creature is classified among rare animals protected by Vietnamese laws from exploitation or use for commercial purposes. The animal, native in Cambodia and Vietnam, is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as endangered, with its population threatened by hunting and habitat loss, due to human's activities such as construction and agriculture. If found guilty, the offenders can be fined VND500,000 to 2,000,000 ($21.67 to $86.67) and/or be jailed between one and five years. Egyptian authorities are probing the bomb attack. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident. Photo by AFP Vietnam is outraged and vehemently opposes the killing and injuring of innocent Vietnamese, says Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. "Vietnam asks that Egyptian authorities open an investigation to find and deservingly punish whoever was responsible for this terrorist attack. "Vietnam calls on governments and people globally to unite against terrorism relentlessly to build a peaceful life and grant free, safe travels for good people around the world," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Saturday. A bus carrying 15 Vietnamese tourists who were traveling from Cairo to the Giza pyramids on a seven-day tour organized by Ho Chi Minh City-based travel agency Saigontourist was hit Friday night by a roadside bomb placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram District. Three Vietnamese tourists and one Egyptian tour guide were confirmed dead in the blast. Twelve others were injured. Among the injured, 10 suffered heavy injuries and are being treated at a local hospital while two others sustained minor injuries and were taken to the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt for care. Vietnams foreign ministry has requested the Egyptian Embassy in Hanoi to grant urgent visas to family members of the Vietnamese victims of Friday's bomb blast and asked that it works with parties involved to protect the victims legal rights. The bombing is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt in over a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, recovers from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the countrys 2011 uprising, Reuters reported. Egyptian authorities are probing the bomb attack. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident. Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi, according to AFP. Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local Islamic State branch. More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October. Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus. Bomb kills three Vietnamese tourists, Egyptian guide near pyramids Bomb kills three Vietnamese tourists, Egyptian guide near pyramids A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded as it traveled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo. The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said. The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement. Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 percent safe." "It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists. "We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Tourism struggling Egypt's tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terror attacks and domestic instability that has hit the country in recent years. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist assailant at the Egyptian Red Sea beach resort of Hurgada. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula. That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power. Egypt has since been seeking to lure tourists back and spur the lucrative sector by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. Tourism has slowly started picking up. The official statistics agency says tourists arrivals in Egypt in 2017 reached 8.2 million, up from 5.3 million the year before. But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million visitors flocked see the country's sites. Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi. Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local IS branch. More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October. The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major tourist draw attracting visitors from across the globe. The world, in many ways presently richer, still needs global stability to enjoy the fruits of the revolutions which could enhance lives, especially of the poor. The resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis stands not only as a radical disassociation from the actions of the president he served, but as a foreboding for the future, a warning for 2019 and beyond. And, for all the assurances that the world is getting better, such as Steven Pinkers "Enlightenment Now," there are huge geopolitical challenges to face and master to make that optimism real. The key passages of Mattis resignation letter include statements asserting that the United States cannot protect its interests or effectively serve its role as "the indispensable nation in the free world" without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to its allies. "[W]e must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances," says Mattis. "It is clear that China and Russia... want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model." These are implicitly harsh criticisms of Donald Trump, a president who has denigrated and insulted allies as close as Canada, Britain and Germany, and deferred to Russian president Vladimir Putin, often treating him as a friend. More, Mattis remarks are red flags signaling the prospective collapse of the institutions and common policies of democratic states now in increasing peril. As the United States under Trump retreats to Fortress America, China under Xi Jinping retreats behind that version of Marxism which brooks no competitor on the political or ideological levels. The Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang have over the past year seen many of their number taken to re-education camps to purge them of their devotion to Islam; some Chinese authorities have ordered Christmas displays in shopping and office centers to be taken down. Chinas news media have been squeezed into conformity with the Party line for the past few years. The internet and social media provide some space for dissent, but its usually quickly cut off consistent, as Mattis might say, with Beijings authoritarian model. Putin both retreats and advances. He publicly embraces Orthodox Christianity and refers glowingly to the doctrine of Eurasianism which stresses Russias separation from Europe. At the same time, he advances piling pressure on neighboring Ukraine, most recently in the Sea of Azov which lies between the two countries, where Russian warships fired on poorly-armed Ukrainian vessels part of Moscows overall strategy to, as Orysia Lutsevych writes, "prevent the Ukrainian state from delivering security, economic prosperity and closer integration with the EU and NATO for its citizens." Putin is also ratcheting up pressure on Belarus, the smallest of the three Slavic states, to integrate more closely with Russia a move which the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has so far resisted. Were Russia to bring Belarus back under direct Russian control and engineer a pro-Russian government in Ukraines capital Kiev, Putins new Slav empire would be a reconstruction of much of the Soviet Union. India, forecast to be the worlds most populous nation in three years time, becomes at one both more populist and more authoritarian in the fifth year of Narendra Modis rule. The countrys democratic institutions survive and debate is often robust, but a relentless centralization of authority and a sapping of the strength of formerly relatively independent institutions as, this month, the Central Bank of India are warnings of potentially unchecked executive power. The largest project of a different kind of power, the European Union, now learns the hard way that the soft powers of education, culture, democracy, civil society and common markets all of which the EU actively champions can go only so far without military power to underpin them. 2019 will be a huge test for the Union not just because the U.K. is due to leave it at the end of March, but also because the EU parliamentary elections in May are likely to see a large influx of populist and Eurosceptic deputies, dedicated to returning centralized power to national parliaments. After the collapse of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1990s, a new spirit went abroad. Call it the export of democracy: the certainty that democratic practices and the institutions of civil society as non-governmental pressure groups, independent research centers, the news media could, once released from servitude, rapidly change into free societies on the Western model. They would do so because their people wanted freedom the revolutions in the former Soviet bloc and elsewhere seemed to prove it. In the United Nations, steam built up behind a project named "genocide prevention and the responsibility to protect" the view that all rulers had a duty to protect their citizens, and to refrain from subjecting them to "war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity." If leaders did descend to attacking their own people as did Saddam Hussein of Iraq throughout much of his 24-year reign then they would be the target of sanctions, and even military force. The debacle of Iraq, above all else, convinced many Western publics and leaders that idealistic imperialism led to disaster, and always would. Those espousing it as had Hillary Clinton faded. Both a liberal like Barack Obama and a populist like Donald Trump tacitly agreed that such foreign adventures were, on any large scale, a thing of the past. Thus, both the "new soft power" of the European Union and the idealistic imperialism to which the "responsibility to protect" gave birth have been seen to have demonstratively failed. We are left with hard power in the ascendant powers at whose summits are men (in every case) who use nationalism and the projection and growth of military force to bolster their popularity, and who saw liberal globalism as having offered a threat to their ruling strategies but which is now ceasing to do so. And because large sections of the Western publics experienced marginalization, a loss of identity and no rises in income, they too turned against the liberal vision. It is this state of affairs which, ironically, an American general turned politician (turned out early by a president tired of the opposition he mounted against his policies) described in leaving office. The world, in many ways presently richer, healthier, safer than ever before, still needs global stability to enjoy the fruits of the medical, agricultural and technological revolutions which could enhance lives, especially of the poor. 2019 will be a crucial testing ground for efforts to establish a firm foundation for that stability. Scenes of bus blast that killed three Vietnamese tourists in Egypt The bombing that killed three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide on a bus in Cairo was the first attack to target foreign tourists in more than a year. A tourist bus which was attacked being towed away from the scene, in Giza Province south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, on December 28. Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed and 12 others wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their bus as it traveled close to the Giza pyramids in Cairo, at 6:15 p.m. (11:15 p.m. Hanoi time). Photos by AFP/Mohamed El-Shahed Members of the Egyptian security forces stand guard at the scene of the attack. Egypt authorities have contacted Vietnam's embassy to help take care of the injured and mitigate the impacts of the incident. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. Blood stains are all over the bus. A member of the Egyptian security forces stands guard at the scene. Egyptian authorities are probing the bomb attack. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident. Russia bans imports of Ukrainian industrial goods, agricultural products, foodstuffs The main volume of goods subject to the ban imposed are classified as industrial ones. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Russia estimates ban on Ukrainian products imports at US$510 mln Shipments of the goods (newly banned in 2018) from Ukraine to Russia were worth $468.9 million in 2017, the ministry said. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger. Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose. Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance BOSTON, Dec. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of The New Ireland Fund, Inc. (NYSE: IRL) is pleased to announce that it has filed its Annual Report for the year ended October 31, 2018 with the SEC on Form N-CSR. A full copy of the Annual Report is available on the Fund's Website at: www.newirelandfund.com. Shareholders may also receive a hard copy of the Fund's complete audited financial statements free of charge upon request. This may be done by emailing the Fund at investor.query@newirelandfund.com or writing to the Fund at: The New Ireland Fund, Inc. c/o KBI Global Investors (North America) Ltd One Boston Place 201 Washington Street, 36th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 The New Ireland Fund, Inc. is a closed-end diversified investment company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "IRL". The Fund, which seeks long-term capital appreciation through investment of at least 80% of its assets in a portfolio of Irish securities, invests primarily in equity and fixed income securities of Irish companies. The Fund is managed by KBI Global Investors (North America) Ltd. Up to-date information, as well as monthly portfolio updates, are available on the Fund's website - www.newirelandfund.com For further information, please contact The New Ireland Fund, Inc. at (800) 468-6475. Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service It is noteworthy that out of the five pilot cities, Stoubcy was the last to join the campaign Agenda 50, but the first one to complete the preparation of the local agenda. On the occasion of the solemn signing of the document, a round table was held in Stoubcy with representatives of the public organizations that worked on the agenda, and with local authorities. Participants of the campaign Agenda 50 aimed at implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the local level, were personally congratulated by Lene Petersen, a representative of the non-profit organization European House" (Denmark). - You have demonstrated full dedication to our business, and now we have approached the signing of the document. In order for the changes to be large-scale, there must be a shift at the state level. But please follow your local ideas, as they are based on the needs of local population, and no one is more aware of these needs than you. We are convinced that working at the local level plays an extremely important role, said Lene Petersen. Lene Petersen. Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service She also added that she was impressed by the efficiency and speed with which the participants prepared a local agenda and implemented a local mini-project, as well as by its quality. It is assumed that the local agenda will be the foundation for the work of the local community. The head of the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Siarhei Drazdouski told the audience about the draft law On the Rights and Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. According to him, the draft law still has certain imperfections, but at the same time contains a number of innovations. - In particular, it introduces the concepts of discrimination, universal design, inclusion, and also addresses the issues of integrating people with disabilities into society to improve the quality of their life. After all, it is impossible to reduce everything only to social support, says Siarhei Drazdouski. According to him, this integration will be built not "vertically", but "horizontally": representatives of all sectors of the economy, as well as people with disabilities who jointly solve actual problems will be represented in each local council. Well, according to Siarhei Drazdouski, we still do not have the practice of collegial interaction between the branches of government and people dealing with disability issues. From left to right: Zinaida Kotlashevskaya (Belarusian Society of Disabled People), Alexander Klimash (Belarusian Association of Visually Impaired Persons), Zhanna Lysaya (Stoubcy District Executive Committee), Siarhei Drazdouski. Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service - We see that the practice of creating local agendas is one of the most effective methods today. We would like the agendas, which already exist in the five pilot cities, to be an example for other regions. It is important that this does not remain a project, but become a set of permanent activities. At the same time, these documents will need to be developed, clarified - they will be living documents. We are lobbying for this activity at the legislative level so that it will receive support throughout the country, head of the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities noted. Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service The local action plan for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was signed by representatives of the Stoubcy-based organizations of Belarusian Society of Disabled People and Belarusian Association of Visually Impaired Persons, Stoubcy District Executive Committee, Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Stoubcy Territorial Center for Social Services, and Nikolay Novikov, Assistant Deputy of Elena Anisim. Svetlana Blashko, Director of Stoubcy Territorial Center for Social Services, spoke about the work on creating a local agenda. - At first it was very difficult to decide how we would do it, she noted. Our task was to work on the document in such a way as to outline in it all the problems and goals. We identified problems, managed to sort them out, select the most global ones, and then work with them. Svetlana Blashko. Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service The main objectives of the local agenda in Stoubcy are the improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities, legal awareness, solving the problems of people with disabilities, and their participation in solving these problems. Zinaida Kotlashevskaya, chairwoman of the district organization of Belarusian Society of Disabled People, spoke about the Open Dialogue mini-project, which was implemented as part of the campaign Agenda 50 and consisted primarily in informing people with disabilities and their families about their rights. Under the mini-project, a round table and informational meetings with the population of the district were held, booklets were printed. Now the project funded by the European Union has been successfully completed. Photo of the "EuroBelarus" information service *** The material was prepared in the framework of the international project "Rights of People with Disabilities: agenda for Belarus (Agenda 50)". The campaign "Agenda 50" is being implemented with the support of the European Union in partnership with the Fundacja TUS (Poland) and the PA "European House" (Denmark). Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities, International Consortium "EuroBelarus" and Center for European Transformation participate in the campaign implementation in Belarus. Russia has banned imports of gas turbines, capacity more than 5,000 kW, produced in or shipped from the territory of Ukraine, except for civil aviation, according to a Russian government resolution, posted on the government's website on Saturday. The resolution was approved in fulfillment of a Russian presidential executive order, No. 592 of October 22, 2018, on Special Economic Measures in Connection with Ukraine's Unfriendly Actions towards Citizens and Legal Entities of the Russian Federation. English French MONTREAL, Dec. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alphinat Inc. (TSXV: NPA) announces a loss of $347,138 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018. During fiscal 2018, Alphinat has concentrated most of its commercial efforts on its partnerships and accelerating sales in the municipal sector and with the Federal government of Canada. Our clients now include more then 30 municipalities, including a second city in California also recognized for being an important center for High Tech companies, 5 Provinces in Canada, 3 US States. Furthermore, SmartGuide continues being used by federal government agencies in 4 countries. Our team has been involved in a variety of strategic projects with very short delivery delays, demonstrating once again the level of productivity that SmartGuide offers our clients and partners. At Alphinat, we are constantly looking for way of reducing the need to custom code and to maximize reusability of our clients existing IT assets. SmartGuide allows the IT department to focus on the infrastructure, technical conventions, connections to existing systems and security while business subject matter experts expand on that foundation to convert their knowledge and know-how into citizen-centric online services. SmartGuide has many times demonstrated that it offers our clients and partners the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to custom coded solutions. In order to accelerate future growth, Alphinat has invested in derivative solution development based on SmartGuide along three major areas of focus: SmartGuide Portal Edition for Dynamics 365, which is now available, will optimize the way that clients create and deploy online services on top of Microsoft Dynamics 365. This offering is available in SaaS mode as well as on premises; SmartGuide Municipal Cloud and aim at offering unparalleled productivity to municipalities. Municipalities can choose from a catalogue of pre-built applications, further accelerating the speed at which they can deploy citizen-centric services. These services include service requests, permitting and licensing as well as numerous other citizen-facing services and internal applications; CIVIC Portal for Amanda is our newest derivative offering based on requirements of major cities and was developed with the tireless help of our one of our partnered client city, partners and dedicated employees to give enhanced flexibility to the CSDC Systems Amanda Licensing, Permits and Compliance solutions. We look forward to more active deliveries in 2019 for this focused portal for the Amanda Licensing Permits and Compliance suite. During 2018, our R&D team has continued to improve SmartGuide and SmartGuide derivative products in order to support the growing ambitions and demands of our clients and partners all while supporting our own strategic orientations. For the 12-month period ended August 31, 2018, the Company recorded total revenue of $1,660,492 compared to $1,522,929 for the same period in 2017. The net earnings for fiscal 2018 amount to $152,183 or $0.003 per (averaged outstanding) common share compared to net earnings of $48,012 or $0.001 per (averaged outstanding) common share in fiscal 2017. Alphinat's financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the period ending August 31, 2018 can be found on SEDAR, at www.sedar.com. The company also announces Pierre Paul Samsons resignation from the board of directors of Alphinat to commit all of his time to a new role in his principal company. We wish to thank Pierre Paul for his years of service and sound advice, we wish her the best of success in his new endeavours. says Curtis Page, Alphinat CEO. About Alphinat At Alphinat, we are driven by the passion to make application development easy for everyone. It always struck us as odd that the people with the vision of how a finished application should look and behave would only be involved at the start of the process. After all, what better way to ensure a favourable outcome than to provide those closest to an applications end-users with a vested interest in its success throughout its development? Thats why we bring you new ways to empower the right people at the right time in the application development process. At the same time, were constantly working to reduce the need to code in order to make application development and maintenance simpler and less error-prone. So, whether you choose to develop your applications with the help of our low-code platform SmartGuide, kickstart your project using one of our pre-built apps or engage us or one of our partners to do the work for you, were here to help you deploy better applications in record time. Visit https:// www.alphinat.com for more information. We look forward to hearing from you. Forward-looking statements Certain statements in this document, including those which express management's expectations or estimations with regards to the Company's future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements" as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward- looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause significant differences between actual results and those described in forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, the Company's capacity to increase acceptance of its products on the market, and to penetrate new markets; the potential existence of defects or undetected problems in the Company's products; the Company's ability to manage its growth; the Company's ability to compete with others; potential commitments; maintaining the Company's intellectual property rights and defending against litigation putting those rights in question; the Company's reliance on the knowledge of its key personnel; and the Company's access to sufficient capital to finance its future needs. This is a partial and non-exhaustive list of factors that could bear on any of our forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to Alphinat or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. The Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. Risks and uncertainties that bear on the Company are described in greater detail in the Company's Annual Report. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information please contact: Mr. Curtis Page Chief Executive Officer Alphinat Inc. (514) 398-9799 ext 225 Russia on Saturday banned imports from Ukraine worth an estimated $510 million in 2018, the Russian Economic Development Ministry said. Overall merchandise imports by Russia from Ukraine came to $4.912 billion in 2017, it said. "The import of sanctioned goods newly prohibited in 2018 from Ukraine to Russia will in 2018 be worth around $510 million by preliminary estimates," the ministry said. Imports of the goods banned by Saturday's resolution were worth $468.9 million in 2017. Interior ministry in 2019 preparing project for building about 20 border patrol boats to protect maritime borders Avakov Ukraine's Interior Ministry next year will recommend a project to the government for Ukrainian enterprises in cooperation with French companies to build about 20 border patrol boats to protect the country's maritime borders. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov says the ministry plans to completely revamp the system of controlling Ukraine's maritime borders. "Our shipyards have not been replenished for dozens of years! Therefore, in 2019 we will recommend the government adopt a project analogous to the helicopter project in order to radically solve the problem of the lack of border patrol boats," Avakov said. The minister added that the project foresees ordering about 20 modern border patrol boats 32-35 meters long. "They will be built at one of our factories in cooperation with leading French companies with a high level of localization of the project in Ukraine," the minister said. Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has promised to provide police protection to presidential candidates during the election campaign to protect them. "We are ready to ensure protection for the front-running candidates. Many of them think this is unnecessary because the authorities will try to keep tabs on them. But I declare the following: We have other aims and tasks! If they ask us for protection, we will work honestly," Avakov said during an exclusive interview with the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Avakov said police protection can be provided to candidates in order to prevent conflict situations or their aggravation. "This doesn't mean cops with guns will tread along with the candidate. This means that we will control the situation, the entire probability space, so that we can take preventive security measures if necessary," he said. The minister also said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has operational information on those who escort candidates on campaign stops. "We are aware who is involved, how and why these events are organized. If we detect criminal acts, we will intervene. We are primarily concerned about the security of the process. And I warn everyone that the police will react firmly to political games beyond the line of security and law," he said. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed the law on the adjacent zone of Ukraine, which doubles the zone of Ukrainian control in the Black Sea. The law harmonizes the maritime legislation of Ukraine with the legislation of other Black Sea states and other states parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the presidential press service said on Saturday, December 29. Also, the law is aimed at preventing smuggling and illegal ship visits to the closed ports of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. "According to the law, the adjacent zone of Ukraine is an open sea area adjacent to the territorial sea of Ukraine and whose outer border is at a distance of no more than 24 nautical miles, measured from the baselines, from which the width of the territorial sea of Ukraine is measured," it said. In its adjacent zone, Ukraine exercises control to prevent violations of customs, fiscal (tax), immigration (migration), sanitary national legislation within the territory of Ukraine, including its internal waters, or territorial sea. "The control is exercised by bringing to responsibility for violation of the legislation of Ukraine committed within the territory of Ukraine, including its internal waters or territorial sea," it said. Also, to prevent violations of the legislation of Ukraine or to prosecute for its violation, an authorized agency that ensures the inviolability of the state border and the protection of the sovereign rights of Ukraine in its adjacent and exclusive (maritime) economic zones can stop vessels; inspect them, detain or seize vessels and/or their crew members, excluding warships and other government ships used for non-commercial purposes. "Under the law, if a vessel has violated the legislation of Ukraine and is trying to escape, the authorized agency has the right to pursue such a vessel without delay in order to detain and prosecute it in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982. Pursuing ceases as soon as the vessel that is being pursued enters the territorial sea of the state under the flag of which the ship is sailing or of any third country," it said. The law comes into force on the day after its publication. Russia has been preparing an act of provocation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with the use of chemical weapons in order to accuse the Ukrainian military, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence directorate has said. "At present, the [Ukrainian] military intelligence has seen a number of signs indicating that Russia has been preparing an act of sabotage and terror with the use of chemical toxic substances... In the middle of December, a group of Russian specialists in chemical, military and toxic substances arrived in Donbas. The group included Russian special services agents and agents of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB)," Defense Department intelligence directorate representative Vadym Skybytsky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday, December 29. According to him, the Russian Federation wants to make use of Donbas-based enterprises with hazardous production, in particular, where stocks of toxic substances (chlorine and ammonia) are stored. The use of chemical weapons can be facilitated by weather conditions, which strengthen their toxicity, in particular, chlorine. Skybytsky said the occupation forces in Donbas have been preparing for operations under conditions of chemical contamination. Chemical protective clothing and equipment for Russia-led armed formations have been imported from Russia. "At the same time, the Russian special services are cynically counting on large-scale civilian casualties, which will ensure a certain response and attention from the international community," Skybytsky said, adding the disaster would be presented by Russian propagandists as the use of chemical weapons by Ukrainian armed forces against the residents of Donbas. Russia is trying to use its entire arsenal of information and political propaganda to discredit Ukraine before the international community, Skybytsky said. He said a similar scheme had been used by Russia before a chemical attack in the Aleppo area in Syria. Hundreds of university students in Tehran gathered on Saturday to express their anger at a bus crash that killed and injured dozens of their peers on December 25. The official IRNA said hundreds of students joined the protest. The report also added that some family members of students killed in the crash are also present on the campus. From photos and videos circulated the crowd appeared to be large. ISNA reported that the protest was spontaneous as students gathered in the parking area for the university buses, holding banners, protested against the universitys transport system and voiced other grievances about the management of Azad University. However, some social media reports said that the protest was organized by the conservative Student Basij and the protesters were demanding the removal of Azad Universitys president Ali Akbar Velayati, who is also a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It is not clear what the role of the Student Basij might have been in the protests, but many angry students independently joined the gathering. The university has already fired five officials for responsibility in the sorry state of student buses, but IRNA quoted protesting students that this is just a tactic for higher-ups to avoid their own share of responsibility. The bus that lost control and crashed against a column on a mountainous road within the large campus of the university was carrying students from the Sciences and Research faculty. Nine students and the driver were killed and 28 others injured. Immediately after the accident, university officials tried to blame the crash on the driver having a heart attack. Later, safety officials said that the bus lost its breaks. A traffic police officer also announced that the bus was listed as a salvage vehicle six years ago, but somehow the transportation contractor managed to use it as part of the university fleet. Protesting students were demanding the presence of a high-level university official at the gathering and were threatening to continue their protest until this demand is met. But it appears that by early evening the gathering ended, although it can continue in the coming days. So far there have been no protests at other universities, but if Azad university students continue their defiance it is possible that other campuses might join them. Mother of one of the students killed in the accident spoke at the rally, saying, I am sorry I live in a country where the life of a human being has no value, Fars news agency close to the Revolutionary Guards reported. UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has accused Iran of keeping a British-Iranian dual national in prison as a tool for diplomatic leverage, calling it monstrous. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in April 2016 at the international airport in Tehran, when she was leaving the country after a visit with her family. She was charged with ambiguous accusations of spying and plotting against the Islamic Republic and sentenced to five years in prison. Repeated pleas by her husband in Britain, by the British government and international rights groups have gone unanswered and Zaghari-Ratclife spent her 40th birthday in an Iranian prison this week. In an interview with BBCs Radio 4 on December 28, Hunt said: Nazanin isnt the only person who is being detained, despite being totally innocent, as a pawn of diplomatic leverage", adding, "This is monstrous, it is totally unjust. Hunt also criticized Iran for violating basic international norms: Iran is a country which has a great civilization behind it. One of the oldest civilizations in the world. They want to be respected by other countries. This is not the way to do it to imprison an innocent woman like this and I really hope they will think again. We have diplomatic differences with many countries across the world, but we dont have other countries who lock up innocent people as a tool of diplomatic leverage, and it has to stop. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation the media organizations philanthropic arm is the mother of a four-year-old daughter and has not been an opposition activist. Hunt who visited Iran in November and met with her family, later tweeted, "No child should have to go this long without their mother and added, "British-Iranian dual nationals wrongly imprisoned must be freed". Firebrand cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda says if Tehran joins international conventions against money laundering and funding terrorism it will pave the way for "Sedition 2019"; a new codename for hardliners to raise alarm about a perceived U.S. threat to topple Irans rulers. The term is a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's statement in mid- December when he warned state and military officials that the United States might be planning to take advantage of the Islamic Republic's weakness and push for regime change in Iran in 2019. His rhetoric indicated grave concern about recurring protests similar to the unrest that challenged the Islamic Republic's legitimacy and threatened its existence in early 2018. Alamolhoda, Khamenei's representative to Khorasan Province and the Friday Prayer leader of Mashad, warned on 28 December that "The enemy is planning to push Iran into a bottleneck in 2019." He further elaborated that "The United States is planning to find an excuse and impose an economic embargo on us in 2019." Alamolhoda said that the ratification of the four bills against money laundering and funding terrorism called for by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will pave the way for the takeover of the Islamic Republic by seculat elements who would target the Supreme Leader in collaboration with deem-witted elites." He likened the situation to the "Sedition of 2009," another Islamic Republic jargon to describe the aborted attempt by reformists to take over the government in 2009. The move was brutally suppressed by the regime after an engineered election believed to be overtly rigged by IRGC as reformist politicians including former parliament Deputy-Speaker Mohammad Reza Khatami have charged. Former Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi had also said in June that "The enemy is planning a sedition for 2018 or 2019 that would mainly target the Supreme Leader." Alamolhoda described the parliament majority's support for FATF "a U.S. conspiracy" and called the MPs who voted for the four bills against money laundering and funding terrorism "a number of misinformed individuals," and said "the U.S. and its European partners have dictated the idea of ratifying these bills." Iranian hardliners have said openly that they fear the ratification of these bills might prevent Iran's financial support for Lebanese Hezbollah and other similar groups in the Palestinian territories, Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere. However, following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, EU has vowed to provide Iran with assistance to facilitate its banking operations and help Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions. EU has told Iran that meeting FATF requirements are essential for Europe to convince Iran's trade partners that Tehran is not going to fund terrorism. The four bills have been ratified by the Majles (parliament) in spite of obstruction by hardliners, but the conservative watchdog Guardian Council has refused to approve their compatibility with religious laws and the Iranian constitution. As a result, the bills are left with the Expediency Council as the final arbiter between the Majles and Guardian Council, but the expediency council has not given its final verdict yet. But more than the anti-corruption bills, the hardliners sense a real threat in 2019, with an aging Supreme Leader, an economy in deep trouble and a large mass of people demanding change. Tehran, Dec 17, 2018 (AFP) - Iran President Hassan Rouhani's son-in-law resigned on Monday just two days after his appointment as head of Iran's geological survey sparked accusations of nepotism, official news agency IRNA reported. Kambiz Mehdizadeh, in his early thirties and reportedly married to Rouhani's daughter in a low-key wedding this August, was appointed to the senior position in the industries and mining ministry on Saturday. The move sparked criticism on social media and from some lawmakers. "I thank you for finding me worthy and inviting me to work alongside you in this ministry, but I ask to be relieved of my service so that I can continue my scientific and research activities," Mehdizadeh wrote in a resignation letter, according to IRNA. Mehdizadeh is a PhD student in petroleum engineering, who has also served as an advisor to Iran's oil ministry, taekwondo federation and national youth organisation, according to the conservative Tasnim news agency. The minister who appointed him, Reza Rahmani, defended his choice just hours before the resignation, saying Mehdizadeh was "chosen based on his competence and being the president's son-in-law had nothing to do with it," according to IRNA. Iranians on social media renewed criticism of nepotism that had spread last year with the hashtag "#good-genes" -- a reference to the son of a prominent reformist politician who attributed his business success to inheriting "good genes" from his parents. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev congratulated Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan. "On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and the people of your country on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of the Sudan. On this remarkable day, I extend my best wishes to you, and wish the friendly people of Sudan peace and prosperity," President Aliyev said. Three days before low income New Yorkers are supposed to be eligible for half-priced MetroCards, New York City has not released a plan for the Fair Fares program, or engaged in any meaningful outreach to let people know they may be able to take advantage of the initiative. "Starting next month we're gonna roll this out in a very big way," Mayor Bill de Blasio told Brian Lehrer on Friday morning when asked about his administration's silence on Fair Fares. "Don't worry, the word will spread quickly, I assure you. When people understand they can get half-priced MetroCards because of their income level, people will hear it, you knowif you build it they will come," the mayor said. While he declined to delve into specifics, de Blasio promised a "full bore campaign," because the $212 million initiative is "quintessential" to his vision: "My vision is to make this city the fairest big city in America." (The mayor initially opposed the plan.) As many as 800,000 New Yorkers could benefit from Fair Fares, which will offer half-priced 7-day and 30-day MetroCards to those living at or below the federal poverty level, which represents an annual income of $25,100 for a family of four. When Seattle's King County began their program to give low income residents discounted transit fares in 2015, riders could check their eligibility and sign up for the initiative a month before it took effect. Contrast Fair Fares with the de Blasio administration's signature achievement, the $300 million universal pre-K program. The exhaustive and meticulous effort to enroll 53,000 children over the course of five months was so successful, it inspired a Harvard research paper: Through a partnership with the New York City Housing Authority, the Department of Education sent more than 3000 eligible families in public housing both direct mailings and automated calls. Carefully targeted paid media, including ads outdoors, over the radio, inside subway cars, on buses, and in community newspapers, was combined with similarly targeted digital advertising. With the help of Mobile Commons, the outreach team ran a targeted texting campaign. Ads were placed on Pandora. The team did everything it could to target media so that it would reach parents in places with lower enrollment rates....Between June 1 and the first day of school, dozens of outreach workers put in six-day weeks across the five boroughs attending events, talking to families, and ensuring that more than 520,000 New Yorkers heard about UPK via phone calls, emails, or texts. The numbers are impressive: the thirty-five leading outreach workers collectively attended 500 events, spoke to 11,000 eligible families, and delivered 1.2 million texts, emails, and phone calls. Earlier this month, Fair Fares advocates sent a letter to the de Blasio administration asking for details about the plan. This morning, City Council Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodridguez again asked the administration about the delays. #FairFares is rolling out Jan. 2019 and we dont have any info. from @NYCMayor on how low-income NYers can apply for half priced #MetroCards. Lets work together to get this program launched! https://t.co/eV7gZDNiIK Ydanis Rodriguez (@ydanis) December 28, 2018 A spokesperson for the Mayor's Office declined to comment, and referred us to de Blasio's remarks on Brian Lehrer. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev congratulated Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba. "On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my sincerest congratulations to you and all the people of your country on the occasion of the Liberation Day of the Republic of Cuba. On this festive day, I wish you the best of health, success in your endeavours, and the friendly people of Cuba everlasting peace and prosperity," President Aliyev said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 By Jeyhun Alakbarov - Trend: The Baku-Ganja-Baku express train departed from the Baku Central Railway Station for the first time today at 09:00, Trend reports Dec. 29. Travel time of the train on the route is 4 hours 28 minutes. The express train will also stop at Bilajari, Yevlakh and Goran stations. The express train, consisting of four cars, has 367 seats - nine seats for the first class, 62 seats for the business class and 296 seats for the standard class. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend: Growth in Azerbaijan's non-oil exports is expected to be 10 percent in 2018, Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at an event on the development of industry and entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The minister noted that last year the growth was 30 percent. Speaking about the development of Azerbaijan's economy in recent years, Mustafayev added that over the past 15 years, the country's economy has grown over three times, the non-oil sector - by 2.8 times, industrial production - by 2.6 times and the non-oil industry - by 2.2 times. "The volume of investments directed to fixed assets increased threefold and the state budget revenues went up 13.5 times. The country's strategic currency reserves, having increased by about 28 times, exceeded $45 billion," the minister said. He further added that the share of the private sector in the country's GDP reached 84 percent. As for industrial parks, according to the minister, their number has reached 70. "The residents have invested about 5 billion manats. Along with this, as a result of using investment promotion mechanisms, 330 projects have been implemented or are being implemented in the country. Moreover, 2.8 billion manats were invested, as a result of which up to 22,000 new jobs were created," Mustafayev added. The minister stressed that the reforms carried out in recent years have shown serious results. "I would especially like to mention the measures taken in the field of entrepreneurship. Thanks to these reforms, Azerbaijan in the latest Doing Business report, rising by 32 steps, ranked 25th among 190 countries," he added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.29 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Hungary would welcome Azerbaijani investments in various sectors of its economy, Hungarian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Viktor Szederkenyi told Trend. "Naturally, we would welcome Azerbaijani investments in various sectors of the Hungarian economy. In general, Hungary is an ideal country for investment in the tourism, logistics and information sectors. Hungary has an attractive, multi-level system for encouraging foreign investment, including tax breaks, direct government incentives," said the diplomat. As for the prospects for creating joint ventures between Azerbaijan and Hungary in the pharmaceutical sphere, Szederkenyi said this issue was discussed during the meeting of the co-chairmen of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. "Apart from the increase in trade turnover, our primary goal is the promotion of mutual investments, to develop the long-term project-based cooperation and to create joint ventures. One obvious choice is the pharmaceutical industry where Hungary is present on the Azerbaijani market. Our companies are evaluating the further steps. But our ministers support the creation of joint ventures generally," he added. Hungarian envoy noted that both countries encourage mutual investments. "We have a lot of work to do here. Our two relevant agencies AZPROMO and HIPA have an agreement about cooperation and exchange of project information. From our side, the most promising area for Hungarian investments are the agrarian, ICT and service sectors. I would like to say that the Hungarian government promotes these processes through making available a credit line for Azerbaijan to finance joint projects," said Szederkenyi. Earlier, Azerbaijans Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at a meeting in Baku with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto that cooperation between the countries in such areas as transport, information technology, energy, and agriculture is continued successfully, and there are great opportunities for further expansion of cooperation. "Azerbaijan is interested in using the potential available in this area and further development of relations between the countries. In particular, there are opportunities for cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals. Hungarian companies can benefit from the infrastructure created in the Pirallahi Industrial Park for joint production of medicinal preparations, as well as from the capacities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Baku International Sea Trade Port and Free Trade Zone projects," Mustafayev said. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: In 2019, Uzbekistan plans to increase exports to Ukraine to $220 million and resume flights between Tashkent and Kiev, Trend reports citing Uzbek media. The announcement was made by the Uzbek Ambassador to Ukraine Alisher Abdualiyev. In addition, it is planned to develop projects to attract direct investments of $10 million in Uzbekistan for the production of pharmaceutical products. It is also planned to hold cultural and humanitarian activities. It should be noted that over the past two years, Uzbek-Ukrainian business meetings and negotiations were organized to stimulate the export of Uzbek textile, leather and footwear products, home appliances and cars. During these events, export contracts totaling more than $120 million were signed. "Flights between Tashkent and Kiev are temporarily suspended, which negatively affects the development of tourism in Uzbekistan. Now work is underway to resume direct flights to Kiev from the second half of 2019, which will help to eliminate the factors hindering the mutual tourist exchange," Abdualiyev said. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 By Jeyhun Alakbarov - Trend: Next express trains in Azerbaijan may run in the directions of Gabala and Yalama, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov said, Trend reports Dec. 29. "If construction work goes according to schedule, then the railway services to Gabala will be launched by the end of 2019. Technical capabilities allow this to be realized. The next destination will be Yalama," he added. The chairman of the company further added that a tender has already been announced for the construction of the Baku-Yalama railroad for the movement of express trains. "Due to the rough land of the area, the process is expected to take two years," Gurabnov said. "There will be underground and land crossings along the route." Commenting on the Baku-Ganja-Baku express train, which started its operation today, Gurbanov said that its test speed was chosen at 159 km/h. "The speed is periodically changed. Now it is 130-135 km/h. The technical capabilities of the train allow to increase the speed up to 300 km/. When the project was implemented, the maximum speed was calculated to be 160 km/h. The speed is planned to increase in the future," he added. The Baku-Ganja-Baku express train departed from the Baku Central Railway Station for the first time today at 09:00. Travel time of the train on the route is 4 hours 28 minutes. The express train will also stop at Bilajari, Yevlakh and Goran stations. The express train, consisting of four cars, has 367 seats - nine seats for the first class, 62 seats for the business class and 296 seats for the standard class. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.29 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: On December 28, 2018 the 60-millionth ton of oil since the beginning of 2018 was lifted at the CPC Marine Terminal, Trend reports citing a message on CPCs website. This is a new annual record for CPC. For reference: in 2017, 55.1 million tons were exported through the Tengiz - Novorossiysk Pipeline System and 44.3 million tons in 2016. The milestone 60-millionth ton of 2018 was loaded in the tans of MT ARGEAN MYTH chartered by SHELL KAZAKHSTAN DEVELOPMENT BV that left SPM-1 at 10:30 Moscow time for the Turkish Straits. Several tankers are scheduled for the remainder of the year. Approximately 53 million tons out of the 60 million tons loaded by the morning of December 28 were injected in the system by the shippers from Kazakhstan and nearly 7 million tons - from Russia. CPC Pipeline System is one of the major investment projects in energy sector with participation of foreign capital in the CIS. The length of the TengizNovorossiysk pipeline is 1,511 kilometers; it transports over two thirds of all Kazakhstan export crude, as well as crude from Russian oil fields, including the Caspian Region. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with three Single Point Moorings (SPM) that allow to load tankers safely at a significant distance offshore, also amid poor weather conditions. CPC Shareholders: Russian Federation (represented by Transneft 24 percent and CPC Company 7 percent) 31 percent; Kazakhstan (represented by Kazmunaygaz 19 percent and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC 1.75 percent) 20.75 percent; Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company 15 percent, LUKARCO B.V. - 12.5 percent, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company 7.5 percent, Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures Limited 7.5 percent, BG Overseas Holding Limited 2 percent, Eni International N.A. N.V. - 2 percent and Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC 1.75 percent. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Some 260 billion rials (roughly $6.19 million) contracts were signed at the end of the 4th Industry, mining, trade technologies and research exhibition in Iran, Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Barat Ghobadian said, Trend reports via Iranian media. Twenty three contacts were signed during the event, he said. This exhibition differed from others in terms of demand, the deputy minister said adding that efforts were made to address the country's needs. The event, which brought together 65 companies, was held in Tehran International Exhibition Center. Representatives of hi-tech sector highly valued the projects proposed during the exhibition. Most of the projects were proposed from Tehran province (320 projects), Golestan province (255 projects), Gilan province (131 projects) and Mazandaran province (130 projects). A Canadian citizen who was detained in China earlier this month has returned to Canada after being released from custody, a government spokesman said on Friday, Reuters reported. The spokesman did not specify when the Canadian was released or returned to Canada. Earlier in the day, broadcaster CBC identified the citizen as Canadian teacher Sarah McIver. Chinas Foreign Ministry said earlier this month that McIver, was undergoing administrative punishment for working illegally. McIver was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.[HWT.UL], but a Canadian official has said that there was no reason to believe that the womans detention was linked to the prior arrests. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mention the woman in calling for the release of the other two Canadians last week. Ports in Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe are slated to be accommodating additional crafts if London fails to make a deal with Brussels, triggering a no-deal Brexit scenario, Trend reported citing Sputnik. The Department for Transport has spent 107.7 mln on ferries in order to prevent a transport collapse in case of a no-deal Brexit, The Guardian reported on Saturday. According to official documents, the department signed contracts with the French company Brittany Ferries, the Danish company DFDS and the UK's Seaborne Freight to ease pressure on Dover, as additional crossings are estimated to add 10% more traffic on the Dover Strait. The contracts, however, were not put out to tender, as, according to the department, they were concluded due to "situation of extreme urgency" brought about by "unforeseeable events". Members of the UK parliament are set to return after a Christmas recess on January 7, and a new debate over May's Brexit deal is scheduled for January 9. A vote on the deal is then expected to take place the following week. New York City is expecting up to two million visitors in the Times Square party pens this New Year's Eve, according to city officials, who unveiled security measures for the celebration at a press conference today. Mayor Bill de Blasio said there are "no specific and credible threats" to security, and NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill explained, "When it comes to the safety and protection we provide on New Years Eve, there will be much the public will see and much the public will not see. This is going to be one of the most well-policed, best-protected events at one of the safest venues in the entire world." At a NYE security press conference, for @WNYC. Where to avoid this New Years Eve, if youre in a : pic.twitter.com/SxsFM9OuJT Shumita Basu (@shubasu) December 28, 2018 The NYPD will have snipers positioned around Times Square, and will have other officers embedded in hotels. This will also be the first year that the NYPD uses drones to monitor crowds. That said, there are a number of street closures for both vehicles and the revelers, plus restrictions on what visitors can bringhere are details from the NYPD: Beginning at 4 a.m. on Monday, December 31st, Times Square will be closed to vehicular traffic. At approximately 11 a.m. attendees will be directed by police officers to gather in separate viewing sections. When one section reaches capacity, people will be directed to the next viewing section. As the evening progresses, revelers will continue to populate Times Square along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown from 43rd Street to Central Park. - Umbrellas, backpacks and large bags prohibited - Alcohol beverages prohibited - Property may not be abandoned at checkpoints - Attendees who leave before the ball drops will not be able to gain entry to their original viewing area There will be no parking in the following areas from Monday, December 31st at 12:01 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 1st: - All cross-town streets from 33rd to 59th Street between 6th and 8th Avenue - West side of 5th Avenue, from 37th to 52nd Streets - West side of 6th Avenue, from 34th to 59th Streets - Both side of 6th Avenue, from 37th to 52nd Streets - Broadway between 34th to 59th Streets - 7th Avenue between 34th to 59th Streets - 9th Avenue between 41st to 43rd Streets - West side of 10th Avenue, from 58th to 59th Streets - Both sides of 11th Avenue, from 34th to 39th Streets - East side of 11th Avenue, from 58th to 59th Streets - Both side of 8th Avenue from 34th to 59th Streets - 34th Street between 5th and 9th Avenue - 34th Street between 11th to 12th Avenues - 37th Street between 5th and 8th Avenue - 38th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 39th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 40th Street between 5th to 9th Avenue - 41st Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 42nd Street between 1st to 2nd Avenue - 42nd Street between 5th and 9th Avenue - 43rd Street between 5th and 8th Avenue - 44th Street between 6th to 9th Avenue - 45th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 46th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 47th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 48th Street between 5th and 9th Avenue - 49th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 50th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - Both side of 51st from 6th to 8th Avenue - 52nd Street between 5th and 8th Avenue - 53rd Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 54th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 55th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 56th Street between 6th to 8th Avenue - 57th Street between 5th to 9th Avenue - 58th Street between 5th and 8th Avenue - 58th Street between 10th to 11th Avenue - 59th Street between 10th to 11th Avenue - 59th Street between 5th Avenue and Columbus Circle Party people on December 31, 2016 (Scott Lynch / Gothamist) At approximately 4 a.m. on Monday, December 31st, the following streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic: - Seventh Avenue, from 43rd to 48th Streets - Broadway, from 43rd to 48th Streets - 43rd to 48th Streets, from Sixth to Eighth Avenue Note: Managed access 49th to 56th Streets, from Sixth to Eighth Avenues. At approximately 11 a.m. on Monday, December 31st, the following streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic: - 37th to 57th Streets, from Sixth to Eighth Avenues Beginning at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 31st, commercial vehicles, trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: - North on 6th Avenue from 34th to 59th Streets - North on 8th Avenue from 34th to 59th Streets - East of 9th Avenue from 37th Street to 59th Street - West of 5th Avenue from 35th Street to 59th Street At approximately 1 p.m. on Monday, December 31st, the following streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic: - Seventh Avenue, from 41st to 59th Streets - Broadway, from 47th to 59th Streets - 42nd Street from Six to Eight Avenues On Monday, December 31st, the remainder of the traffic closures will be instituted as crowd conditions warrant: - All cross-town streets from 37th to 41st Streets - Sixth to Eighth Avenues (approximately 11 a.m.) - All cross-town streets from 49th to 59th Streets - Sixth to Eighth Avenues (approximately 5 p.m.) - 48th Street, from Fifth to Ninth Avenues - Cross-town access for emergency vehicles will be available on 42nd, 48th, and 59th Streets People are strongly advised to use public transportation. On-street parking will be extremely limited in the Midtown area. People should avoid all cross-town streets from 34th to 59th Streets, as well as Sixth and Eighth Avenues. The department will continue its drunken driving enforcement on New Year's Eve through DWI patrols and checkpoints throughout the city. Beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 31st, some subway access around Times Square will be closed. The following subway system changes should be noted: - Southbound and northbound N/R/W lines will bypass the 49th Street station beginning at noon, Monday, December 31st until approximately 12:15 a.m., Tuesday, January 1st. - The northbound IRT "#1" train will bypass the 50th Street station beginning at noon, Monday, December 31st until approximately 12:15 a.m., Tuesday, January 1st. The MTA has more information about its New Year's holiday service for NYC subways and buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and Staten Island Railway. Nigerias ruling party held a rally to mark the launch of President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid on Friday in the southern city of Uyo, hours after naming a campaign team which includes Africas richest man, Reuters reports. A presidential election is scheduled to take place on Feb. 16 to determine who will lead Africas biggest crude oil producer and the continents most populous country. At the launch of the campaign, Buhari told an audience in the southern city - capital of Akwa Ibom state - that his government was winning the fight against Islamists who have stepped up attacks in the northeast aimed at creating a state adhering to a strict interpretation of Sharia law. Buhari addressed his audience in the wake of an attack by militants in the town of Baga, in eastern Borno state - the latest in a string of strikes in the last few months by militants allied with Islamic State that has turned security into a campaign issue in the run-up to the poll. Many local governments were held by the Boko Haram insurgents when we assumed office but none, presently, is physically controlled by the group, said Buhari. We are going to secure this country, we are going to manage it properly. We will continue to improve the situation, security, economy and fighting corruption, said Buhari, a 76-year-old former military ruler who took office in 2015. Buhari, a Muslim from the predominantly Muslim north, typically has not had support from voters in the largely Christian southern states. Earlier, Buharis ruling party - the All Progressives Congress (APC) - named members of the presidential campaign council, members of Buharis core re-election team. Aliko Dangote, Africas richest man who primarily made his money through a cement business, was named as a member of Buharis special advisory committee. Billionaire oil magnate Femi Otedola was also named as a member of the committee. At least six people were killed when a car fell into a canal in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Saturday, Trend reported citing Xinhua. The car carrying seven people including six members of a family fell into the canal near Sheikhupura district of the province, killing six people including three women, Samaa News reported. Police said the accident happened when the driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn. The victims were on their way to attend a funeral in Faisalabad city of the province. Road accidents are frequent in Pakistan, mainly due to poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads and negligence of road safety measures. Traffic police officials said human error is the main reason behind road accidents in the country. According to latest data from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, road accidents killed an average 15 people everyday across the country over a decade (2005-15). The high-level talks between Russia and Turkey on Syria were useful, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday, Trend reported citing TASS. "We held a very useful meeting of our interdepartmental team: the foreign and defense ministers and the intelligence services chiefs," he said. "Following the agreements, which were reached by our presidents, we discussed further steps to implement those tasks, which were outlined in the Astana format, primarily in the context of fighting terrorism, resolving humanitarian issues and creating conditions for refugees return," Lavrov added. The high-level talks between Russia and Turkey on the situation in Syria were held in Moscow on Saturday. Russia was represented, in addition to Lavrov, by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Head Sergei Naryshkin and Chief of Russias General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Head of the National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to close the southern U.S. border with Mexico unless he gets the money he wants for a wall, raising the stakes in a standoff that will present an immediate test next week for the new U.S. Congress, Reuters reported. When Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, they plan to quickly approve a spending measure meant to end a partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22, triggered by Trumps demand for $5 billion in funding for his proposed wall. Democrats have made clear that the House measure, which would then have to go to the Republican-controlled Senate, will not include $5 billion Trump says is needed for the wall, a central part of his tougher positions on immigration than his predecessors. Democrats are united against the presidents immoral, ineffective and expensive wall ... that he specifically promised that Mexico would pay for, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement, referring to a Trump 2016 presidential campaign pledge. Trump has previously threatened to close the border to prevent Central American immigrants reaching the United States. Asked about Trumps threat on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters it was an internal U.S. government matter. Lopez Obrador added, however: Of course we will always defend our sovereignty ... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights. Whether Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Pelosi and Trump can find a way forward to fully reopen the government will say a lot about the next two years of divided government. A close congressional ally of Trumps on Friday sent a tweet suggesting more partisan confrontation lies ahead. To Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats: No Wall Money, No Deal, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter. The dispute over Trumps wall has led to the shutdown of non-essential operations at numerous agencies because of lack of funding, including the departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Justice. Trump is demanding that Congress include his $5 billion in legislation that must be passed to restore funding to the agencies that expired at midnight on Dec. 21. Firing off angry tweets from the White House early on Friday, the president widened his demands. We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with, Trump tweeted. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border. The US President blamed the Democratic party for the deaths of the migrant children, calling their immigration policies "pathetic" and adding that the US Border Patrol needs a wall in order to prevent tragic incidents, Trend reported citing Sputnik. According to the President, two children that had died at the border "were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol". The comment comes several days after 8-year-old Guatemalan boy died after being apprehended with his father over an illegal attempt to enter the United States. Earlier this month, a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl also passed away after being detained together with her father for illegal entry in the country. In 2017, Trump signed an executive order, initiating the process of building a wall along the US-Mexico border. The administration has requested $5 billion for the project, which Democrats and some Republicans oppose. Earlier this month Trump has declared that the federal government would be in a state of the partial shutdown until he and the Democrats are able to reach a deal on border security issues. KYODO NEWS - Dec 29, 2018 - 23:15 | All, Japan The exodus of people spending the New Year's holidays overseas and outside the Tokyo metropolitan area peaked in Japan on Saturday, filling up seats on bullet trains and congesting roads. As a wide area of the country is gripped by cold weather, the Japan Meteorological Agency also alerted the public to beware of heavy snow and possible disruptions of transportation systems from northern to western Japan, especially along the coast of the Sea of Japan. On Saturday alone, more than 80,000 people are expected to leave the country -- 55,200 from Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and 29,000 from Haneda airport in the country's capital -- according to the airports. The departure lobby at Narita airport was swarmed with families carrying suitcases and other travelers, and airport announcements urged them to complete boarding procedures ahead of time. "I can't wait to swim with dolphins," said Naho Aya, a 9-year-old from Hachioji, western Tokyo, before leaving for Palau with her parents and grandparents. Midori Kurino, a 30-year-old resident of Shiroi, Chiba Prefecture, said she will spend the New Year holidays abroad for the first time. "I heard there will be a New Year's countdown. I'm looking forward to enjoying a different New Year," Kurino said before leaving for Bali, Indonesia, with friends. The Japan Road Traffic Information Center said delays in traffic have been seen in outbound expressways near the Suzuka exit in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, as well as the Toyota junction in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. According to major train service operators, reserved seats on many bullet trains including those of the Tokaido and Tohoku Shinkansen lines departing from Tokyo Station have been almost sold out. Also, 15- to 30-minute delays of schedule were seen between some sections on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines in the morning due to the snow, according to the Central Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. On Saturday morning, Aomori City in northeastern Japan observed an accumulated snowfall of 200 centimeters, while the village of Okura, Yamagata Prefecture, saw over 150-cm deep snow. Snowfall was also seen in parts of central and western Japan, including Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture and Matsue in Shimane Prefecture. Heavy snow is expected to continue through Sunday in areas along the Sea of Japan coast, from northern to western Japan. By Junko Horiuchi, KYODO NEWS - Dec 29, 2018 - 16:25 | All, Japan Japanese companies may come under more pressure to ensure transparency on executive pay in 2019 after Nissan Motor Co.'s former boss Carlos Ghosn was arrested on suspicion of underreporting billions of yen in remuneration. Attractive pay that matches global standards is a must in hiring the best talent available. But hefty compensation to top foreign managers can still trigger a backlash in Japan, where Japanese executives are far less well paid than their peers in the United States and major European countries while the disclosure requirement for companies is deemed weak. [Gamma-Rapho/Getty/Kyodo] Having built a successful career in saving the major Japanese automaker from bankruptcy, Ghosn has often been singled out for his high salary, being paid as much as 1.1 billion yen ($10 million) in fiscal 2016 based on the company's securities reports -- the 30th largest remuneration package on record in Japan. Following his arrest in November, Ghosn, who has been ousted as Nissan chairman but remains CEO and chairman of Nissan's largest shareholder Renault SA, has denied falsifying securities statements. Investigations have shown so far that Ghosn believed he did not have to report his planned post-retirement remuneration in the securities reports. He also told prosecutors that he did not want company workers to lose motivation after learning about his large pay packages, according to sources close to the matter. "In Japan...when it comes to remuneration, many companies focus on in-house fairness between employees and executives, who have often built up their careers in the same company," said Yu Asai, manager at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC. In the United States and European countries, however, executives brought from outside are distinguished from employees and regarded as deserving larger pay as long as they deliver and make profits, Asai said, while noting that those countries have well-established disclosure of the decision-making process behind executive remuneration. In the case of Nissan, the company had effectively given Ghosn, who had been in the automaker's leadership for nearly two decades, discretion over executive pay, which critics say, in turn, may have allowed him to engage in the alleged financial misconduct. Nissan also had no compensation committee, a body that generally comprises mainly external directors, to assess executives' performances and decide on their remuneration. More Japanese companies have been introducing such a system in recent years as part of efforts to improve corporate governance. But an industry ministry survey released in March showed that less than 40 percent of companies listed on the First Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange had set up compensation committees. The disclosure system on executive remuneration in Japan compared to U.S. and European standards also remains "inferior," said Daiki Fujino, a researcher at Daiwa Institute of Research. In Japan, a rule came into effect in fiscal 2009 requiring companies to disclose the names of executives and the breakdown of their compensation packages when annual pay amounts to 100 million yen or more. But explanations on the issue in annual securities reports usually amount to a single page or two, compared to dozens of pages in the United States and Europe, according to Fujino. "If the process of deciding remuneration is explained in detail by the company, including how pay reflects past business performances, it would lead to acceptance by the public, investors and other stakeholders," Fujino said. Japan's financial watchdog, for its part, is seeking to enhance transparency over remuneration following Ghosn's arrest, eyeing a Cabinet Office ordinance revision to oblige listed companies to disclose how they decide executives' remuneration from next April. The Financial Services Agency is also considering urging companies to promote setting remuneration that reflects business performance. A Justice Ministry panel, meanwhile, is preparing to compile a plan to revise legislation that currently allows shareholders to set the total amount of executive remuneration but has been interpreted as giving representative directors the sole discretion to decide how the total is shared out. Analysts say the level of executive pay has been on the rise in Japan amid an increase of mergers and acquisitions of foreign firms and the recovery of the economy in recent years, with the upward trend set to continue as companies compete globally and look for the best possible talent. The median value of a president's remuneration at 41 Japanese companies with annual sales of 1 trillion yen or more totaled 98.55 million yen in 2018, up 34 percent from 2015, according to a survey by Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting. But compared globally, the Japanese level remains low, with the median remuneration figure of chiefs of major companies in the United States 17 times higher at 1.68 billion yen in the United States, 593.84 million yen in Britain and 336.32 million yen in France. Takaki Nakanishi, CEO at Nakanishi Research Institute, expressed concern that Ghosn's case may cast a shadow on the country's quest for talent. "I'm really afraid that this incident will discourage excellent talents globally who have a passion to come to Japan and be part of Japanese corporations and make Japan successful," Nakanishi, an automobile industry analyst, said. "Japan essentially has good engineers but the management capability is not that good. We need many, many talents to run businesses here," Nakanishi said, calling for enhanced disclosure on the decision-making behind remuneration setting and appropriate accounting at companies in exchange for offering higher pay for executives who deserve the rewards. The highest-paid CEO in the United States in 2017 was Hock Tan at semiconductor maker Broadcom Inc. at $103 million, according to data by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Meanwhile, the highest-paid executive in Japan since comparable data became available from fiscal 2009 was SoftBank Group Corp.'s former Vice Chairman Nikesh Arora, a former Google LLC executive, who received 10.35 billion yen in fiscal 2016, according to Tokyo Shoko Research. The champion athlete who has been fighting the case of her friend, has attacked the state government machinery for failing to defend the victim. Sport Third Entisar for Mheiri at Meydan after Fresu rides For The Top to victory Inaugurated in 2013, the 2000m Listed feature was won by subsequent Group One winner Special Fighter in 2015, the first of what is now three victories in the race for Musabbeh Al Mheiri who also saddled Military Law to claim the prize in 2018, also under Fresu. Apples AAPL iPhone XR launched on Oct 26 has been successful in attracting a higher number of Android users in the United States per a survey. Notably, Android is owned by Alphabet GOOGL. A Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report stated that 16% of users migrated from the Android platform during the 30-day period after the launch of the iPhone XR. This compares favorably with 11% users who switched from Android after the launch of iPhone X in November 2017 and 12% after the launch of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in September 2017. CIRP Partner and Co-Founder, Mike Levin notes that the lower-priced model and its features might have attracted Android users. Another CIRP report stated that Android users primarily incline toward low-cost iPhones due to the availability of cheaper Android phones. However, 40% of the switchers tend to pick Plus-sized iPhones due to larger displays of the Android models. This follows reports that state Apple is battling production cuts due to lower demand for its iPhones. Apple Inc. Revenue (TTM) Apple Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Apple Inc. Quote Cost Cuts, Brand Value to Boost iPhone Sales Apple boasts a loyalty rate of 70% per a Merrill Lynch report while its major Android counter parts Samsung and Huawei had about 54% brand loyalty. Notably, the availability of low-priced Android sets might have caused a brand loyalty problem among users. To cash in on its brand loyalty, Apple is introducing lower-priced models and slashing prices to encourage user switch and to eliminate any user churn. The company has also adopted new marketing strategies like promotional discounts and trade-ins to bolster iPhone sales in the holiday season. Moreover, Apples move to initiate production of its high-end iPhones in India by partnering with Foxconn, per Economic Times, may further reduce iPhone prices in 2019 for users in India. The move by Apple comes at a time when iPhone is struggling in the country. Sales of iPhone were flat in India in fourth-quarter 2018. Moreover, Counterpoint Research points out that sale of iPhone may further drop in the country by a quarter to 2- 2.5 million units due to significant competition from Chinese smartphone makers. Although iPhone is struggling at the moment in India, its initiatives coupled with Indias growing smartphone user base may help the company attract more Android users. Android commands a market share of about 66% in India. Notably, the number of smartphone users in the country is expected to reach 337 million in 2018 and grow to 490.9 million by 2022, per eMarketer. Qualcomm Lawsuit Hits in China and Germany However, Qualcomms QCOM ongoing feud with Apple may hinder its growth in China. A court in China banned the import and sale of most iPhone models for infringement of two Qualcomm patents. Notably, Greater China, one of Apples major markets, accounted for roughly 18% of Apples fourth-quarter 2018 revenues. Moreover, the iPhone maker suffered another blow as a court in Germany found iPhones violating one of Qualcomms "envelope tracking" patents. Per Reuters, Apple said it will withdraw iPhones including iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 after it was prohibited to sell phones that have Qorvo, Inc. QRVO and Intel chips. Apple currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Qorvo, Inc. (QRVO) : Free Stock Analysis Report QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Sales of cannabis surge 313% in the January to March period, but Canopy Growth recorded a steep loss due to rising costs (AFP Photo/Don MacKinnon) Montreal (AFP) - Canadian cannabis producer Aphria on Friday rejected a proposed Can$2.8 billion ($2.1 billion US) takeover bid by US-based Xanthic Biopharma, calling it hostile and under-valued. Green Growth Brands, a division of Xanthic Biopharma, presented a conditional offer of Can$11 per share on Thursday after markets closed. It is offering to buy one of the biggest producers of cannabis in Canada, which in October legalized recreational use of the drug, drawing major investment to an industry previously focused on medical marijuana. The US group, which has cannabis operations in Nevada, said the combined firm would be the only North America-wide firm in the business, and the largest by market capitalization in the United States. It said its offer represented a premium of 45.5 percent over Aphria's December 24 closing price on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Green Growth said the offer was conditional on obtaining necessary financing. Aphria responded on Friday by saying that the US firm's offer is "based on a hypothetical valuation of its own shares, with no relation to the current price." Aphria shares jumped more than 10 percent in early trading Friday on the Toronto bourse to Can$8.36 a share while Xanthic Biopharma dropped one percent to Can$3.69. One of Canadas largest marijuana growers is harshing the buzz of a U.S. cannabis retailer, rejecting a hostile takeover offer. Ohio-based Green Growth has offered $2.8 billion Canadian (roughly $2.1 billion in U.S. dollars) to buy Canadas Aphria, but the board of the pot producer said Friday the unsolicited bid significantly undervalues the company. While we appreciate GGBs interest in the value we have created at Aphria and our significant growth prospects, their proposal falls short of rewarding our shareholders for participating in such a transaction, said chairman Irwin Simon in a statement. Aphria says the C$11 per share bid is roughly 23% below its average share price over a 20-day period. Aphria found itself in the crosshairs of potential acquirers earlier this month after its share price fell almost 50% when it was accused of overpaying for certain Latin American assets. (The company has denied the allegations and says it has asked independent directors to review the purchase.) But the Green Growth offer has given Aphria stock a bump. Shares were up 11% in early afternoon trading Friday. And theyve climbed 36% this week. Marijuana is an industry thats showing explosive growth, and some feel next year could be its best yet. Canada has seen tremendous demand since legalizing the drug, almost running out of weed in its early days. That hasnt escaped the notice of Big Tobacco, either. Earlier this month, Altria took a stake in a Canadian cannabis firm for $1.8 billion. Facebooks FB troubles continue to mount due to concerns over security of the platform. A recent New York Times article brought to light the irregularities of the companys content standards. The article states that moderators who are responsible for regulating the content on the platform rely on some outdated and incorrect information. Third-party moderators are required to monitor huge amount of content produced by Facebooks 2.6 billion users in a very limited time. Facebooks approach of one size fits all is not working as the guidelines to identify and monitor hate speech are not proper and a bit vague. This has led to a wrongful ban on appropriate content while problematic content continues to exist on the platform. Lack of adequate moderators, their limited knowledge on important policies and the bigger impact on communities are major issues. Although Facebook has employed a few local moderators, it is not enough to support its vast presence and the amount of content the platform generates. Facebook is probably looking at temporary solutions instead of relying and partnering with subject matter experts to solve its security issues. We believe that the task of regulating and monitoring content requires tremendous efforts and cannot be handled through a few boardroom discussions. A larger consideration of the communities and the respective policies need to be monitored closely to prevent such malpractices. Facebook, Inc. Revenue (TTM) Facebook, Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Facebook, Inc. Quote Intense Scrutiny to Hurt Investor Confidence Facebooks increased data privacy issues attracted unnecessary attention and probe by regulatory authorities. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is now investigating Facebook for allegedly violating General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) across Europe. Additionally, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also looking into the companys data breaches, per Bloomberg. Facebook has also received warning from the Indonesian government and its practices have been criticized by regulators from countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Latvia, Singapore, France, Belgium and the U.K. Notably, the warning was not only directed at Facebook but also applicable for other key social media players such as Twitter TWTR and Alphabets GOOGL Google owned YouTube. Facebook, which has already paid 500,000 in fines in the U.K because of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, is likely to face a fine of $1.63 billion from the European Union (EU) if the company is found to have violated Europes GDPR. Although this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has invested in improving transparency and security, it does not seem to be enough. This is evident from its declining popularity, while its competitor Snap SNAP is gaining traction among younger users. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Snap Inc. (SNAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Twitter, Inc. (TWTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Reuters) - Headsets maker Plantronics Inc said on Wednesday it has entered an agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to settle an investigation into Polycom Inc, which it acquired in July. Plantronics will pay $36 million to settle the investigation, which began after Polycom reported it discovered evidence of "possible improper behavior" by former employees at its China unit. Plantronics, which bought Polycom in a $2 billion deal in July, said the incident happened prior to the video conferencing equipment maker going private in 2016. The company in August said the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) were investigating into possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by Polycom. Polycom has neither admitted nor denied the SEC's allegations, Plantronics said in a statement. The company said the DOJ cited Polycom's voluntary disclosure and full cooperation to close its investigation. (Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) Will the Denver Broncos, currently 6-5 after Sunday's win over the Chargers, qualify for the playoffs? You voted: DENVER The Colorado State Patrol and police around the state are cracking down on drunken driving as the year draws to a close. The Colorado Department of Transportation says saturation patrols and extra law enforcement officers will be on duty Friday through Wednesday, with more than 100 agencies participating. Colorado Springs police will ramp up enforcement Friday evening through Tuesday morning. "We would like to go through this entire holiday season without one DUI arrest," said Colorado Springs police spokesman Lt. Howard Black. "We are looking for voluntary compliance with the law, especially given that we've had too many fatalities in the city and the county." Last year, 357 impaired drivers were arrested during the five-day period around New Year's in Colorado. The increased enforcement comes as the head of the State Patrol is urging drivers to be more careful throughout the year. As of Thursday, 600 people had died on the state's roads in 2018, including nine in less than 72 hours. In a video posted on social media, Col. Matthew Packard blamed "selfish driving" from impairment to not paying attention for the latest deaths. Jason Crow, the first Democrat to represent Colorados 6th Congressional District, on Friday announced that hes hired Maytham Alshadood, an Iraqi immigrant who served as a military translator and combat interpreter, to be his district director. Crow, an attorney and Army Ranger veteran who unseated five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in November, said his campaign manager, Colorado native Alex Ball, will be his chief of staff and Katrice Traylor will be his director of constituent services. As we work together to build a new generation of leadership in Washington, Alex and Maythams knowledge, talent, expertise and deep love of Colorado and its people put us in a position to succeed, Crow said in a statement. Im thrilled to welcome them onboard to lead our team and look forward to working with them to take on the most important issues in our community and country. Before he immigrated to the United States and settled in Arapahoe County, Alshadood worked with U.S. forces in Iraq as a translator during the formation of a new Iraqi army and the effort to rebuild the Iraqi government, including combat missions in northern Baghdad and military intelligence work, Crows office said. Crow served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although his service overlapped with Alshadood in 2005 and 2006, they didnt know each other until recently. After arriving in Colorado, Alshadood founded the nonprofit DRIVE Project, an organizing and advocacy group that works with refugee and immigrant communities in Aurora. Hes served on the Denver Immigrant and Refugees Commission and worked as a nurse with University of Colorado Hospitals transplant unit. Colorados 6th District wouldnt be the community that it is without the diversity within it, Alshadood said in a statement. As [an] immigrant, combat interpreter, and refugee advocate, Im thrilled to join Jasons team and see those experiences build and inform upon each other to create a better future for the families of 6th district. He became a U.S. citizen in August 2014. As soon as I was eligible, I submitted my naturalization application, he added. Alshadood will run Crows district office at 3300 S. Parker Road in Aurora. Ball, who grew up in Littleton and is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, has managed congressional campaigns around the country. In the last midterm election, she was finance director for U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, who was recently named to chair the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Traylor, who will work out of the district office in Aurora, has worked for the abortion-rights advocacy group NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado and is a member of the Arapahoe County Citizens Budget Committee. Crow will be sworn in to the new 116th Congress on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. sd0007 wrote: Does Yale reimburse travel costs for attending Welcome Weekend? Quote: Travel Reimbursement will be offered via check. Reimbursement is available for only airline or train tickets of the admitted student. Yale University does not cover upgrades for airline and train seats (i.e., economy class to business class). The reimbursement process takes approximately 8-10 weeks once all materials are received and after the event has occurred. Please upload your itemized receipts (vendor name, date of purchase); receipts should include the travelers name, amount paid and proof of payment (last 4 credit card digits). All reimbursement materials must be submitted via this form by March 1 for the Winter Welcome Weekend and by June 1 for the Spring Welcome Weekend. The reimbursement will be processed after students have attended Welcome Weekends. Students who register for Welcome Weekend, but do not attend the weekend are not eligible to receive reimbursement. The reimbursement can only be applied one time for students participating in both Welcome Weekends. Yes, when you register there's a link to the Reimbursement request form, which you have to submit by March 1 to get reimbursed: Skywalker18 wrote: Parent: It is as misleading to conclude that decreasing attendance in after-school extra classes shows that our childrens academic requirements are finally being fully met in regularly-scheduled classes as it is to reason that teachers do not get negative ratings from students because students respect and admire teachers. The real cause behind the decreasing attendance is that the same teachers who teach the regular classes teach the after-school ones, and students dont like the methodology used by these teachers in the first place. The parents statements, if true, best support which of the following conclusions? A. The reason teachers do not get a negative rating is that the students are scared about the repercussions their votes could have on their academic assessments. B. Teaching methodologies across schools need to be evaluated to best cater to the students needs and requirements. C. The management of the school wants to cover up for their lack of an effective teaching methodology by implementing the rating system. D. The students academic needs are not being fulfilled in the regular classes. E. If the school changes its teaching methodology in regular classes, most of the students will be motivated to attend the free after-school extra classes why "D" is right? it's been clearly mentioned in the statement that parents claim childrens academic requirements are not finally being fully met in regularly-scheduled classes. why conclude the same statement again? Grand Old Partisan salutes John Ingalls, born this day in 1833. The ambitious attorney relocated to Kansas from Massachusetts at age twenty-four. Within a year, he was elected a member of its constitutional convention. His leadership ensured that slavery would be banned. It was this young Republican who authored the state motto Ad Astra per Aspera (to the stars through difficulties) and designed the state seal. Ingalls was secretary of the territorial council in 1860 and secretary of the state senate in 1861. During the Civil War, he served briefly as the militia's judge advocate. He won election to the state senate and edited a newspaper, Freedom's Champion. In 1872, the legislature elected him to the first of three U.S. Senate terms. For six years, he was its president pro tempore. There is a statue of John Ingalls in National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7NYxFajleYY Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement. Each day, his grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far. He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar. Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision. Buy the book at Amazon See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party. "This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!" "Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP." "Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan." "Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before." and "one of the best books I ever read" IceViking strongly condemns physical attacks and harassment directed towards them. They are also often victims of the Islamic idea. This is true when it comes to the cruel and tragic treatment of Muslim women and children when it is in accord with the Koran, the example of Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia, which may be applied regardless of where a Muslim male may find himself in the world, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country. However, in no way, shape or form should one judge all Muslim men because of what is in Islamic scripture and what constitutes the Islamic law, Sharia. "Race", ethnicity or basically anything that you are "merely" born with should never be a basis for bigotry and discrimination. Apostates from Islam have been executed for 1400 years in accord with the Koran and the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia. They should be lovingly helped. Furthermore, approximately as many as 11,000,000 Muslims may have been killed by other Muslims since 1948. To quote the website The Religion of Peace (TROP), edited by Glen Roberts: While it may be safe to say that a true Muslim would not intentionally kill another true Muslim ( 4:92-93 ), the Quran places no such value on the life of a Muslim who is not true. Consider verse 9:73 : Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell. The Arabic for strive hard uses the same root as Jihad - and the context in this sura is holy war (see v. 86 and 91). Thus, there are two distinct classes of people that a true Muslim is to target with harshness: disbelievers and hypocrites. A disbeliever obviously refers to a non-Muslim, so a "hypocrite" must be a Muslim of some sort. In fact, hypocrites are those who say they believe, but do not act as they should. In other words, they are "Muslims", but not true Muslims. They will go to hell just as unbelievers do, and so, according to the verse, their lives matter for naught. The same sura says that a hypocrite can be recognized not just by lack of piety (reluctance to follow Sharia), but by fear of death ( 9:56 ), reluctance to fight ( 9:44-45 ) and even friendliness toward non-believers ( 9:67 ). A true Muslim would thus be a pious person who relishes martyrdom, is eager to fight, and shuns non-believers. Even the Quranic passage that warns against killing "believers" ( 4:88-94 ) is more complicated than it first appears. It never says that a true Muslim is incapable of killing another Muslim, just that it should not be done. In fact, it makes exceptions for the unintentional killing of "believers" in war and mandates the killing of "hypocrites." Verse 17:33 says, "Do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause" . The greatest cause of all is that Islam be superior ( 9:33 ), which is exactly what Islamic terrorists say is their goal. Thus believing Muslims are allowed to be collateral damage in the war on unbelievers. There is sadly a phenomena that I`ve noticed in Sweden and elsewhere of people using true facts about Islamic doctrine and history as a cover for all sorts of irrational targeting of Muslims, ranging from xenophobia and racism to verbal abuse and physical attacks. This is strongly condemned by this website and does not in any way serve serious criticism of orthodox Islam and other important work. It`s also important that one tries to express oneself in a civilized way. Words matter. In this bloggers humble opinion the root cause of the problem is the ancient doctrine of orthodox Islam. In simple terms a non-Muslim is a Kafir. " The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. A kafir is not merely someone who does not agree with Islam, but a kafir is evil, disgusting, the lowest form of life." An exact quote, as stated in the writings of Dr. Bill Warner in the article "Kafir" at http://www.politicalislam.com/kafir . In the perfect Koran (Allah`s direct and literal word as revealed to Mohammed through the angel Jibril), Muslims are told 89 times to emulate Mohammed in all ways (see Koran 33:21 for instance). Mohammed`s example, the Sunna, is found in the Hadith (stories of what Mohammed said and did) and the Sira (biographies of Mohammed). Islamic law, Sharia , is directly derived from these unchanging scriptures. It is based on the Koran`s numerous commands to obey Allah and obey the Messenger, that is Mohammed (see Koran 4:59 for instance). Islam is Sharia. Sharia is Islam. It is a capital crime for Muslims to deny Sharia in any way. A Muslim is someone who submits to Islam and submitting to Islam means obeying the Sharia of Allah. Sharia law includes pronouncements for both Muslims and non-Muslims (Kafirs). Islam is a "complete way of life", a "complete code of life", a "complete system of life". Islam is not just a religion but also a comprehensive ideology. Islam is a supremacist ideology. Islam is a totalitarian and imperialistic ideology akin to Communism and Nazism. Islam is a civilization. Islamic law, Sharia, is a manual for a civilization. Islamic law, Sharia, governs every aspect of life. It has a say about every conceivable human act . Non-Muslims are morally and legally inferior in Islam. Women are morally and legally inferior in Islam. The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer is the first one-volume history of jihad in the English language and a great book on the topic. Allah guarantees Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for him (Koran 9:111). A hadith depicts a Muslim asking Muhammad: "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." Muhammad replied, "I do not find such a deed." (Bukhari 4.52.44) Muhammad himself said: I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. (Sahih Muslim 30) Freedom of speech, human rights, democracy, science and human lives are all at stake in the fight against the Islamic Jihad. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe The Los Angeles teachers union has denounced the decision by Los Angeles Unified School District to hire 400 substitutes who will stand in for full-time teachers if they go on strike in January. In a statement, representatives from United Teachers Los Angeles wrote that it is "irresponsible to think that 400 substitutes can educate more than 600,000 students," and added that the organization believes "it is illegal for the district to hire people outside our bargaining unit to teach in LAUSD classrooms." In response, LAUSD issued a statement today at 5:00 p.m. stating that, "We have a duty to provide an education to our students, and we will take appropriate measures to do so." The substitutes' hiring was reported Friday by the Los Angeles Daily News, and follows the announcement earlier this month that LAUSD teachers will strike as of Jan. 10, 2019 if they can't come to an agreement with the district about their contracts. Those contract talks have been ongoing between UTLA and LAUSD since July, and have only become more and more contentious. READ MORE: Why LAUSD's 30,000 Teachers Might Go On Strike UPDATES: Dec. 28., 5:10 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from the LAPD. This article was originally published at 4:46 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2018. Hey, thanks. You read the entire story. And we love you for that. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you, not advertisers. We don't have paywalls, but we do have payments (aka bills). So if you love independent, local journalism, join us. Let's make the world a better place, together. Donate now. New Laws are Putting California Further at Odds with Trump SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. Jerry Brown is leaving office Jan. 7 after signing more than 1,000 laws in his last year, further positioning the state as a bastion of liberal activism and goad to President Donald Trump. The laws, most of which take effect Tuesday, ease criminal sentences, tighten gun restrictions and address climate change, gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The Democratic governor approved 1,016 laws, the most in any of his last eight years in office. His 201 vetoes also were the most during his final two terms, as lawmakers passed a record number of measures. Counting his two terms from 1975 to 1983, the states longest-serving governor vetoed 1,829 bills and saw 17,851 become law. Here are some of the laws taking effect with the new year: ADVERTISEMENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE Sweeping new laws bar juveniles younger than 16 from being tried as adults, even for murder, and keep children under 12 out of the criminal justice system unless they are charged with murder or rape. Other laws allow many defendants to ask judges to dismiss their charges if they show mental illness played a major role in their crime and limit the states felony murder rule, which holds accomplices to the same standard as the person who carried out the killing. A new law responding to police shootings of young black men broadens public access to officers personnel records. A police union is challenging whether the law is retroactive. Repeat drunken drivers and first-time offenders involved in injury crashes must install an ignition interlock device, which blocks their vehicle from starting if the driver isnt sober. GUNS ADVERTISEMENT Spurred by mass shootings, lawmakers further tightened Californias already tough gun laws. Anyone convicted of certain domestic violence misdemeanors will be barred for life from possessing a firearm, while those under age 21 will be banned from purchasing a rifle or shotgun unless they are members of law enforcement or the military or have a hunting license. Several other laws already took effect, including measures explicitly banning rapid-fire bump stocks that attach to guns; requiring eight hours of training for concealed carry applicants; and allowing police to seize ammunition and magazines under domestic violence restraining orders. A lifetime firearm ban goes into effect in 2020 for anyone who has been hospitalized for a mental health issue more than once in a year. WILDFIRES Utilities may bill customers for future legal damages and for settlements from the deadly 2017 wildfires that caused more than $10 billion in insured losses, even if the companies mismanagement caused the blazes. The measure is among more than two dozen wildfire-related laws. Others make it easier to log trees, build firebreaks and conduct controlled burns of vegetation that would fuel wildfires; require investor-owned utilities to upgrade equipment so its less likely to cause fires; safeguard residents insurance coverage following disasters; and improve emergency notifications. GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT California becomes the first state to require publicly held corporations to have at least one woman on their boards of directors by the end of 2019 and two or more by 2021. Spurred by the #MeToo movement, another new law bans private and public employers, including the state Legislature, from reaching secret settlements over sexual assault, harassment or discrimination. A law preventing businesses from requiring employees to sign liability releases to keep their jobs or receive bonuses is among several expanded protections. Californians also can list their gender as nonbinary on their drivers licenses, designated as the letter X. CLIMATE CHANGE Californias utilities must generate 60 percent of their energy from wind, solar and other renewable sources by 2030, which is 10 percent higher than a previous mandate. Lawmakers set a goal of phasing out electricity from fossil fuels by 2045. This is historic because there is no economy larger in the world that has committed to pure clean energy, former Democratic state Sen. Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles wrote when Brown signed the bill into law. It was Californias latest ambitious reaction to Trumps decisions to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and revive the coal industry. Other new laws study ways to ease the impact of climate change, encourage the use of biomethane and protect Obama administration targets for removing super pollutants called hydrofluorocarbons from refrigerants. Another law bars the Trump administration from expanding oil drilling off the California coast by blocking new pipelines and other supporting construction in state waters. OTHER LAWS Dine-in restaurants may only provide drinking straws at customers request. Restaurants that advertise childrens meals must include water or unflavored milk as the default beverage, though customers can still order other options. Elections officials must provide prepaid return envelopes for vote-by-mail ballots. They also must give voters a chance to correct a ballot signature that doesnt match the one on file and let them track mail-in ballots. The minimum wage rises to $12 for companies with 26 or more employees and $11 for smaller businesses as California phases in a $15 base hourly wage. A bill protecting net neutrality rules was set to take effect Jan. 1 but was blocked until a federal lawsuit is resolved. Friday, December 28, 2018 The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reinstated claims brought by U.S. citizens arising from the Holocaust in Hungary that had been dismissed by the district court Nowhere was the Holocaust executed with such speed and ferocity as it was in Hungary. Simon v. Republic of Hungary, 812 F.3d 127, 133 (D.C. Cir. 2016) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). More than 560,000 Hungarian Jews68% of Hungarys pre-war Jewish populationwere killed in one year. Id. at 134. In 1944 alone, a concentrated campaign by the Hungarian government marched nearly half a million Jews into Hungarian railroad stations, stripped them of all their personal property and possessions, forced them onto trains, and transported them to death camps like Auschwitz, where 90% of them were murdered upon arrival. Id. at 133134. Fourteen of the very few survivors of the Hungarian governments pogrom (collectively, Survivors), including four United States citizens, filed suit against the Republic of Hungary and Magyar Allamvasutak Zrt. (MAV), Hungarys state-owned railway company. As relevant here, the litigation seeks compensation for the seizure and expropriation of the Survivors property as part of the Hungarian governments genocidal campaign. See Simon, 812 F.3d at 134. Majority holding Winston Churchill described the brutal genocidal expropriations, deportations, and mass extermination of Hungarian Jews at Nazi death camps as probably the greatest and most horrible crime ever committed in the history of the world. Simon, 812 F.3d at 132. The district court erred in declining to exercise statutorily conferred jurisdiction over the Survivors effort to obtain some measure of reparation for those injuries both by wrongly requiring them to adjudicate their claims in Hungary first, and by misapplying the law governing the forum non conveniens analysis. We deny the Survivors request that the case be reassigned, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. KATSAS, Circuit Judge, dissenting: The district court concluded that this foreign-cubed caseinvolving wrongs committed by Hungarians against Hungarians in Hungary should be litigated in Hungary. In so doing, the court permissibly applied the settled law of forum non conveniens. The majority opinion is authored by Circuit Judge Millett joined by Circuit Judge Pillard. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/the-united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-district-of-columbia-circuit-reinstated-claims-brought-by-us-citizens-arising-fr.html Friday, December 28, 2018 The Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed with its Board of Bar Examiners that admission was properly denied on character and fitness grounds This is a review, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 40.08(7), of the final decision of the Board of Bar Examiners (Board) declining to certify that the petitioner, Daniel R. Hausserman, satisfied the character and fitness requirements for admission to the Wisconsin bar set forth in SCR 40.06(1). The Board's decision was based primarily on Mr. Hausserman's conduct in 2015, and his failure to disclose certain matters on his bar application. The issues There are, essentially, two concerns here. The most significant involves Mr. Hausserman's conduct over a period of approximately seven months during and after his final year of law school. The other involves certain shortcomings with his application for admission to the Wisconsin bar... We have, as counsel for Mr. Hausserman urged, focused carefully on the facts of this record. Mr. Hausserman attended Drake University Law School. In February 2014, when he was 25 and in law school, Mr. Hausserman met B.F., a Drake University undergraduate student, and they began dating. The relationship was serious. In December 2014 the relationship ended. Some communication continued, however, and Mr. Hausserman thought the relationship would resume. On March 5, 2015, B.F. filed a complaint with Drake University stating that she was receiving unwanted communications from Mr. Hausserman. Mr. Hausserman's actions between March and September 2015 are the primary reason his Wisconsin bar application was denied. On March 9, 2015, Drake University officials advised Mr. Hausserman of the complaint and directed him to cease any further contact with B.F. Within two weeks Mr. Hausserman had contacted B.F. by email at least twice. On March 27, 2015, Mr. Hausserman sent B.F. three more emails and had called her. On March 30, 2015, Drake University again directed Mr. Hausserman to have no contact with B.F. On April 2, 2015, following a meeting between University officials and Mr. Hausserman, the University sent a letter to Mr. Hausserman stating that he had violated the harassment provision of the school's code of conduct. Mr. Hausserman was barred from campus except for his academic classes. On April 15, 2015, Mr. Hausserman sent B.F. another email which began: "I am aware this is in violation of the no communication/contact order and places me at risk of certain arrest." Two days later and in an apparent attempt to reach B.F., Mr. Hausserman sent a text message to her mother, also in violation of Drake University's no-contact directive. Thereafter, Mr. Hausserman was banned from the University except for completing his final exams and attending his graduation ceremony. He was advised that after his law school graduation, he would be barred indefinitely from the university campus. On May 16, 2015, hours after his law school graduation, Mr. Hausserman left B.F. a telephone message. B.F. contacted the City of Des Moines Police Department. A few days later, the police spoke with Mr. Hausserman, who said that he thought his graduation terminated the restrictions on communicating with B.F. The police told him to cease all contact with B.F. and warned him that if he violated that directive he would be criminally charged. Approximately one week later, B.F. contacted the City of Des Moines Police Department again, to report that Mr. Hausserman had sent her several more text messages. On May 28, 2015, Mr. Hausserman was criminally charged in Iowa with Harassment in the Third Degree. He pled guilty in June of 2015 and received a deferred judgment, was placed on probation for 12 months, and ordered to have no contact with B.F. He graduated but was not permitted to sit for the Iowa Bar. Then In late September 2015, B.F. reported to police that she had received a Snapchat friend request from Mr. Hausserman. Following an interview with police, Mr. Hausserman admitted that he had contacted B.F. again because he had reason to believe she was involved in derogatory internet postings about him, and he wanted to discuss that with her. He acknowledged this action violated the terms of his deferred judgment. He was arrested and his home searched. He was found to be in possession of four firearms, two of which were loaded, in violation of his deferred prosecution agreement. Mr. Hausserman was found in contempt of court, sentenced to 30 days in jail, given a year of probation and supervision, and ordered to complete a mental health assessment. The mental health evaluation revealed no drug or alcohol issues, but recommended that Mr. Hausserman undergo treatment to address his behavior. The record indicates that Mr. Hausserman has not attempted any further contact with B.F. since September 2015. He applied in Wisconsin in November 2015 and took and passed the bar exam. When Mr. Hausserman first applied to take the Wisconsin Bar Exam in November 2015, he responded affirmatively to Question 20 which asks, in part, whether the applicant has been disciplined or placed on probation by a law school. Mr. Hausserman explained that he had been placed on academic probation for one semester. He failed to disclose the restrictions Drake University imposed on him related to B.F. There were other disclosure concerns Mr. Hausserman disclosed an underage drinking ticket from 2007 and a 2012 citation for failing to have proof of automobile insurance in connection with a traffic stop. However, the Board was troubled by his description of these events. He explained the ticket this way: while at a Badger football game he was "grabbed by police because he had one foot on the sidewalk." He explained the traffic citation like this: he was driving his father's car and was pulled over because "police don't like young kids driving nice cars." Mr. Hausserman failed to report an incident from 2003 (when he was 15) in which he and a friend were cited for destroying a mailbox. He had reported the incident on his law school application. The court looked to prior cases where admission was granted such as Most recently, we admitted an applicant who had submitted a heavily plagiarized paper in law school, failed a required Professional Responsibility class, and failed to report three underage drinking citations on his law school application. That decision is linked here. The Journal Sentinel reported on the case. In contrast Crucial to these decisions are several common factors that are not present in the record before us. These factors include excellent character references, particularly from people who are aware of the troubling conduct compromising the application. These cases also include some affirmative evidence of rehabilitation. In some cases, where mental health or substance abuse issues may have been causally related to the underlying conduct, and the applicant provided evidence of having sought and pursued counseling or treatment. In other cases the applicant has demonstrated an interest in and commitment to the community, through the investment of time which also speaks to character. And, a critical factor is the passage of time. As time passes with no concerning conduct, we are increasingly likely to be persuaded that the applicant has addressed whatever concerns initially precluded admission... In closing, we observe that nothing in SCR 40.04 or elsewhere in SCR Ch. 40 precludes Mr. Hausserman from again seeking admission to this bar when he believes he can demonstrate his character and fitness to the satisfaction of the Board and this court. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/the-wisconsin-supreme-court-this-is-a-review-pursuant-to-supreme-court-rule-scr-40087-of-the-final-decision-of-the-bo.html Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. In 2006, a private museum in the African country of Benin presented artifacts from the ancient Dahomey kingdom. Almost 250,000 people came to see them. But even though the pieces are part of the countrys history, they did not belong to Benin. They were on loan from France, which colonized and ruled the country for over 60 years. Now, France has promised to give Benin back 26 artifacts taken by the French army in 1892. This may prove a major change for other African countries asking for their art to be returned. Marie-Cecile Zinsou is French-Beninese. She is among Africas strongest supporters of returning African art that has been taken. Her Zinsou Foundation hosted the Dahomey exhibit in 2006. She told VOA she believes if Benin succeeds in showing its cultural history, major changes will be possible. "Then you'll have a real example of how African countries are getting their heritage back and showing it to the public. Then people will believe," said Zinsou. Change may be coming Up to 90 percent of African artifacts are located outside the continent. That includes in France, where an estimated 90,000 African artifacts are housed in French museums. Most are in the Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum in Paris. But some recent events show change may be coming. Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to temporarily or permanently return artifacts to the continent within five years. And in November, two researchers delivered a report asked for by Macron. It recommended France permanently return objects taken through "theft, looting, despoilment, trickery and forced consent." Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Benedicte Savoy wrote the report. In it they noted that 60 percent of the population of the African continent is under the age of 20. Young people should be able to enjoy and learn about their own culture, creativity and spirituality from other eras," they wrote. The report has had an effect. In December, the United Nations General Assembly put a resolution in place supporting returning objects to their home countries. The British Museum has also promised to return priceless metal artifacts to Nigeria. And Germany is helping Kenya find its valuable stolen artifacts that ended up in western museums, including German ones. Questions Some experts are not so sure about the moves. "We know the shortage in African museums" of quality conservation, art expert Alexandre Giguello told Agence France-Presse news agency. France's culture minister supports loaning artifacts to Africa rather than permanent returns. Quai Branly Museum head Stephane Martin described the report on returning art as a bad answer. He told Le Figaro newspaper there were other ways to support cultural exchange with Africa. Meanwhile, new museums are either being built or planned to be built across Africa. Supporters say the new museums disprove the arguments that the continent cannot properly house its heritage. Returning art to places whose borders have changed over the years presents still other problems. Charline Kopf is a doctoral researcher at the University of Oslo. She noted that current claims for the return of artifacts are being made by a number of African nations. But sometimes such claims are also made by indigenous communities who do not accept some border divisions. Robert Jonard sells African artifacts in Paris. He says smaller dealers like himself are not worried they may lose ownership of their most valued pieces. "It's mostly a discussion at a higher level, among leading experts and museum heads," he says. Instead, Jonard is worried about returning valuable artifacts to places where they risk being stolen or badly cared for. "Consider what might happen to French museums if all the art Napoleon plundered in Italy was sent home?" Jonard adds. "What will remain in the world's museums if each country asks for its art back?" Im Kelly Jean Kelly. And Im Pete Musto. Lisa Bryant reported this story for VOA. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. How should former colonial powers answer these requests to return artifacts to their home countries? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story artifact(s) n. a simple object, such as a tool or weapon, that was made by people in the past colonize(d) v. to take control of an area and send people to live there heritage n. the traditions, achievements and beliefs that are part of the history of a group or nation theft n. the act or crime of stealing despoilment n. the removal of belongings, possessions, or value consent n. permission for something to happen or be done priceless adj. extremely valuable or important conservation n. the things that are done to keep works of art or things of historical importance in good condition indigenous adj. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment plunder(ed) v. to steal things from a place, such as a city or town, especially by force New Migrant Caravan of 15,000 Set to Leave Honduras in January A new migrant caravan with an estimated 15,000 people is set to leave Honduras in mid-January, but migrants will attempt to stay in Mexico instead of heading to the United States. Spanish-language media and groups that support illegal immigration are circulating stories of the caravan, which would be much bigger than any of the four caravans that traveled toward the United States this year. They say they are even bigger and stronger than the last caravan, Irma Garrido, a member of the pro-migrant group Reactiva Tijuana Foundation, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. They will stay in the south of Mexico in Chiapas and Oaxaca. Their aim is to request work there. The Mexican government offered the previous migrant caravans temporary asylum along with education, jobs, and healthcare but the offer was rejected by most migrants, who instead trekked to Tijuana. A mob of migrants from the caravan tried to storm the United States border on Nov. 25, but were turned back by Border Patrol agents, who fired tear gas to disperse them. Thousands of the migrants who traveled with the caravans are still in northern Mexico as they wait to see if their asylum requests are granted by the United States. Many of the migrants who have spoken with news agencies describing why they left their homes described conditions that would not grant them asylum under current U.S. policy. Mexicos new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said in his inauguration speech that public works projects will help employ Mexicans so they dont have to go to other countries in search of a job. The projects include an $8 billion construction of the Maya Train, a 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) railroad that will link numerous cities. El Diario de Chiapas, a newspaper for the southern state of Mexico, was among the Spanish language media outlets to report on the planned new caravan. The previous caravans were coordinated by leftist groups, officials said in October. One of the caravan organizers was Bartolo Fuentes, a former lawmaker for the Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) party, which controls almost a quarter of the Honduran legislature and advocates socialism. Fuentes was detained in Guatemala and returned back to Honduras. The groups are seeking to undermine Americas sovereignty, Col. Fred Peterson, former chief public affairs officer of Joint Task Force North, the Defense Departments counter-drug and anti-terrorist operation, told The Epoch Times. This is a very well-funded operation. Its not spontaneous at all, he said. The migrants themselves are being exploited for political purposes, he said. Theyre just props in a political, staged play. President Donald Trump addressed the latest caravan on Twitter on Dec. 28, amid a standoff with Democrats over government funding. Trump has insisted that the budget include funding for a border wall, while Democrats refused to negotiate with the president. Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countriestaking advantage of U.S. for years! he said. Epoch Times reporter Petr Svab contributed to this report. From NTD News Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly paraphrased remarks Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made in his inauguration speech about public works projects. Obrador said the projects will provide jobs to Mexicans. Qatar Petroleum has entered into an agreement with an ExxonMobil affiliate to acquire a 10% participating interest in three offshore exploration blocks in the Angoche and Zambezi basins in the Republic of Mozambique. The agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals by the government of Mozambique. Following such approval, the various partners composing the consortium will be made up of affiliates of each of ExxonMobil (operator) with a 50% participating interest, Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) with a 20% participating interest, Rosneft with a 20% participating interest, and Qatar Petroleum with a 10% participating interest, Qatar Petroleum announced. Minister of State for Energy Affairs, and President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, said: We are pleased to sign this agreement, with our long-time partner ExxonMobil to participate in exploring these frontier offshore basins in the Republic of Mozambique. This is a milestone for Qatar Petroleum as it marks its first foray into Mozambiques promising offshore basins. We hope that the exploration efforts, which will commence soon, will be successful, and we look forward to collaborating with ExxonMobil, Rosneft and ENH on this opportunity, Al-Kaabi said, adding This signature is very much in line with our growth strategy in Qatar Petroleum with a new country entry to prospective frontier basins with significant hydrocarbon resource potential. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will invest $200 million in 18 agricultural technology centers in Angola. The investment, to be executed in about 5 or 7 years, aims at training the staff of the Agriculture and Forestry sector and the peasants in techniques of production, processing and commercialization of agricultural goods. The project will be implemented in the countrys 18 provinces under a memorandum of understanding signed between the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Forestrys Institute of Agrarian Development (IDA) and the Sheiki Ahmed Office Dalmjook Al Maktoum of the UAE. In a first phase, the centers will be set up in the provinces of Bie, Huambo, Luanda and Bengo. All technological centers will have laboratories to analyze the soils of the different provinces in order to assess the need for nutrients, since there will be a fertilizer mix processing structure to satisfy each region. IDA director David Tunga said each province will have a major center, while smaller centers will be set up at the level of some municipalities. The centers management will be under the responsibility of the investors and after consolidation, they will be delivered to the Government of Angola for autonomous management. mmm-yoso!!! welcomes you reading this food blog over the busy holidays. Kirk is working on some end of year stuff and Cathy is writing. The Mister has a new favorite restaurant. Three times in December (so far) Szechuan Chef was his number one choice. I wrote about Szechuan Chef in 2017, 2015 and 2016. Kirk had an unfavorable post in 2013 and a slightly favorable post in 2017. Located in the corner of a strip mall on Convoy Street (Next to Shan Xi Magic Kitchen with It's Boba Time also on the edge of the mall), Szechuan Chef has withstood the test of lasting in San Diego for more than five years. {noting that on one of our visits here, two busloads of tourists were dropped off for a quick snack at the back tables} A hot pot of tea is brought out as you are seated, a rarity these days to have no charge. We ordered a scallion pancake($2.99) on this visit and it was flavorful, flaky, not oily and freshly made. The fish filet ($10.99) was not spicy, nicely garlic-y and had a nice crispness to the breading, even though there was a (non-sticky) sauce covering it. The sizzling chicken ($9.99) was quite nice and provided some vegetables with our meal-garlic, Chinese celery, red and green bell peppers. This was a pleasant dish. On our next visit, our same waiter came out and took our order without writing it down (as he had the previous visit). However, after a while, another waitress was poking him and pointing at us...and he walked over with this little plate of snacks from the liang cai- cold vegetable area, near the cash registers. He had forgotten to put in our order and asked what the second item was...so we enjoyed the garlicky smashed cucumbers and delicious smoked pork pieces while waiting a bit longer. The Westlake Beef Soup ($9.99) was out first and was wonderful. Minced beef, chicken broth, rice wine, tofu and egg with some scallion. Simple yet hearty and filling. We had ordered a braised yellow croaker with noodle ($14.99) and this turned out to be a great choice. A slightly sweet and tangy/sour sauce complimented the meaty whole fish. The noodles (which we had never ordered here before) were plump and flavorful, a great accompaniment (instead of rice). Will order again. The croaker remnants will someday be part of soup stock. The spicy cumin deep fried fish ($11.99)was my choice the other day. I really enjoy the spice, heat and fry of this dish here. The onions, Chinese celery, red and green peppers are complimentary and can be tasted despite the heat of the chile and cumin. The 'Spicy Beef in a Pot"($12.99) was great-you could taste the (very tender) beef as well as the vegetables in addition to enjoying the (different from the cumin fish) chile heat. There were lots of leftover chiles. We decided to order our own liang cai on this visit (it's $7.99) and enjoyed the garlic cucumbers, smoked pork and tofu sheets (which had a nice sesame oil mix). Szechuan Chef 4344 Convoy Street San Diego 92111 (858) 279-8881 Mon-Th 11:30-3:00, 4:30-9:30 Fri-Sat 11:00-10 Sun 11:00-9:30 The computer security world started the year off at a sprint when security researchers disclosed details about processor-level vulnerabilities they dubbed Meltdown and Spectre. Later in South Africa, Liberty became the victim of a data breach and extortion attempt in 2018, which dominated headlines. Here are the top security stories of 2018. Cambridge University academic Aleksandr Kogan developed an online personality test as a Facebook app called YourDigitalLife. The app allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect data on Facebook users who took the test. Facebook confirmed that 80 million users were affected, including 96,121 people in South Africa. Bloomberg reported that China had developed a chip it implanted on Supermicro motherboards used in Amazon, Apple, and US Department of Defence servers. Security experts have questioned the accuracy of the report, and Supermicro stated that an independent test found no malicious hardware in its motherboards. Apple, Amazon, and Supermicro denied the story. Google Project Zero researcher Jann Horn identified three types of attacks on CPUs which other researchers classified into two types of attacks Meltdown and Spectre. At the start of December, researchers released information on a new variation of the Spectre vulnerability which they said was easier to exploit. It was called SplitSpectre. More data leaks While the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal dominated headlines for months, there were several other significant data leaks in 2018: Financial services provider Liberty informed clients in June that it had been hit by hackers who were demanding payment for their services. Subsequent reports revealed that the attackers were demanding millions under the threat that they would release sensitive client data unless they were paid. Liberty later confirmed that an email server had been compromised and that the attackers were trying to extort the company. For nearly two years, messaging app Signal beat censors in Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE through a technique known as domain fronting. Telegram has used a similar approach to ensure its app remains accessible in Russia, despite the regulators shotgun approach to block it. Google and Amazon said they never intended for domain fronting to be possible on their platforms. South African developer Lionel Chetty discovered a security flaw in Pizza Huts website which allowed users to view the information of clients who used it to place an order. The flaw allowed an attacker to get a list of order numbers, then retrieve the information relating to that order such as the clients name, delivery address, and contact information. Researchers at the US Naval War College and Tel Aviv University found evidence to suggest that China Telecom is using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to hijack Internet traffic and route it through computers under its control. The BGP hijacking conducted by China Telecom involved traffic to a large Anglo-American bank headquarters in Italy from the United States, as well as traffic from Canada to Korean government sites. Now read: Biggest South African tech stories of 2018 They can come anytime and ask ... Advertise Here Be seen advertise here. Contact us. The household median income in the U.S. in 1950 was $2,990 roughly 40% of the median home value of $7,354 at the time. Here's a breakdown by state. Napa County in 2018 celebrated the 50th birthday of its landmark agricultural preserve and also had a bitter debate over how the spirit of that law should translate to today. Board of Supervisors Chair Brad Wagenknecht said as the year began that the United States is divided into red states and blue states. People in the two camps sometimes seem to lack a common purpose to bring them together. In Napa, we have one, Wagenknecht said. Its our ag preserve. The agricultural preserve prevents land on the Napa Valley floor from being subdivided into parcels less than 40 acres. That is designed to keep the heart of rural, world-famous wine country safe from subdivisions and strip malls. But some say the modern-day battle is over what they see as runaway vineyard growth in the local hills and mountains. They fear the clear-cutting of oak woodlands for new vineyards will harm water quality in reservoirs that serve local cities. Rural residents Mike Hackett and Jim Wilson co-authored Measure C on the June ballot to address issues in the agricultural watershed. It sought to cap the amount of oak woodlands that can be removed for vineyards at 795 acres, which Wilson and Hackett said should accommodate expected vineyard growth through 2030. It sought to strengthen stream setbacks. The thing we have in common is we both have a spiritual desire to maintain this world that we live in for everyone and for the future of our grandchildren, Hackett said before the election. The wine industry disagreed that Measure C was needed, with Napa County Farm Bureau, Napa Valley Vintners, Winegrowers of Napa County and Napa Valley Grapegrowers opposing the measure. Our issue with this all along has been that ag should be the highest and best use of land, as the general plan states, said Ryan Klobas of the Napa County Farm Bureau during the campaign. Measure C opponents said Napa County has some of the strictest conservation laws in the nation. Supporters said they are not strict enough. The opposition sent out a barrage of mailers claiming such things as Measure C would lead to more winery event centers and more traffic. Measure C supporters were outraged by what they saw as lies. Thats an insult to the citizens and voters of Napa Valley, Hackett said. They see through this flipped reality. There can only be one reality. There can be lots of opinions, but only one reality. Klobas said Measure C had no exemption to its oak-cutting cap for agriculture while still allowing oak removal for homes and event centers. Into the mix stepped best-selling author James Conaway. He released Napa at Last Light, the latest book in his Napa trilogy, early in the year. Conaway during a March Measure C forum said the countys good laws were being changed or subverted by corrupt and spineless officials. He said the wine industry was making a mistake by opposing Measure C. This is a chance to show how much they care, Conaway said. They dont have that much to lose; lets face it, they dont. The big boys in the organizations are the ones who want access to the hills. Voters had the final word in the June 5 election, with Measure C receiving 50.9 no votes and 49.1 yes votes for a close defeat. Its hard for me to get past the fact that our opponents ran a campaign that essentially tricked voters into voting against their own best interests, Hackett said in the elections wake. Klobas said the complicated Measure C issues shouldnt be decided at the ballot box. I think that message resonated with people, Klobas said. Now that Measure C has been defeated, we can start the work of addressing issues with the Board of Supervisors, where these issues should have been addressed in the first place. That left county officials trying to pick up the pieces. Supervisors launched a strategic effort to look at county priorities for the next three years. It held about 40 meetings on a variety of topics in the fall, including environmental issues. County Executive Officer Minh Tran said bringing the community together over watershed and oak protection issues is a Herculean task. We must do this, he said. We all will continue to be living in the valley. Nobody is going anywhere. We all have to make it work. The Board of Supervisors also worked on its effort to deal with winery scofflaws that do such things as produce too much wine and entertain too many visitors. Critics for years have said that the county doesnt adequately enforce its laws. On Dec. 4, the Board passed a new policy. It set March 29 as the deadline for rule-breakers to voluntarily come forward and submit applications to revise their use permits. If they do so, they can keep operating as they are until the Planning Commission decides their request, except for health and safety violations. After March 29, they must immediately comply with their permit for a year before having a Planning Commission hearing. Planning, Building and Environmental Services Director David Morrison said the March 29 deadline creates a transition period to the stricter enforcement. But Hackett called the new rules a whitewash. Grapegrower Yeoryios Apallas called them papal absolution. A roomful of citizens at the Dec. 4 meeting criticized the approach. Supervisor Diane Dillon seemed taken aback by the response, given the Board had held several earlier meetings on the topic without the backlash. She also saw much of the criticism as being based on confusion as to what the new rules do. How have we gotten this far disconnected? Dillon said during the meeting. Trying to make the reconnections on wine country growth and enforcement issues is an effort that will continue into 2019. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Ralph Anzellotti retired to Napa five years ago, but he isnt spending his days basking in the Napa Valley lifestyle like some might expect. Rather than sipping the latest vintages while taking in wine country views, Anzellotti, 67, spends his free time on his hands and knees fixing leaky toilets, repairing broken drawers and doing whatever else low income seniors in Napa County may need done around the house. It might not be the version of a Napa Valley retirement most people think of, but Anzellotti says he enjoys helping others even if it means getting his hands dirty. His desire to make a difference in the community led him to Share the Care, a network of volunteers that offers assistance and resources to senior citizens in need. All the volunteers at Share the Care have a particular skill set a specialty something they really like to do, so when someone calls asking for help, we typically have someone we can send out or we know where to direct them, Anzellotti said. When I signed on to help, I became the fix-it guy. Share the Care Director Yvonne Baginski said she was excited to have Anzellotti on board. We often got calls from people needing small things done around their home, but they just couldnt afford the services or didnt have the knowledge of who to hire as a handyman, Baginski said. As Share the Cares home repair handyman, Ralph has helped expand our reach into the community. As Share the Cares resident Mr. Fix It, youd think Anzellotti has decades of experience in home repair, but he is a self-taught handyman. He retired from a career in sales and marketing not home maintenance. Anzellotti owns property in Oregon where he used to live before coming to Napa, and as a landlord, he realized it was easier to learn how to make household repairs on his own rather than hire people to come in and fix every little thing. As the years went on, Anzellotti learned how to take on most basic home repairs by talking to people at hardware stores and watching videos on YouTube. When Anzellotti and his wife Linda moved to Napa, he spent the first year keeping busy by fixing things around their house, but as he knocked things off his to-do list, he began wondering what to do with his time. His wife suggested getting a part time job at a winery which he did but he was still looking for something else to do with his newfound free time. I dont really like to just sit around, Anzellotti said. I like to tinker. I like to know how things work. Im still not sure I consider myself a handyman, but I do enjoy fixing things, and Im pretty good at it. Regardless of what title Anzellotti prefers for himself, Ruth Marsh is a fan of his work. Marsh, a Napa resident, reached out to Share the Care because she noticed her water bill had gone up unexpectedly, and she was afraid she might have a leaky pipe. Anzellotti was sent out to investigate. Ralph is absolutely wonderful, Marsh said. Hes fixed both of my toilets. I cant imagine anyone who would want to spend their retirement going around fixing other peoples toilets, but he sure is nice to have around. Anzellotti said he never knows what to expect when he makes visits on behalf of Share the Care, so he brings two toolboxes when he makes house calls. If it turns out he needs a special part, he takes a quick trip to a local hardware store to get what he needs. But not all repairs are that easy. Anzellotti was sent to help a man who reported his back door lock was broken. Upon inspection, Anzellotti determined the lock was too old and rusted to be repaired, but replacing the lock wasnt going to be easy. The back door was the original that came with the mobile home in the 1960s, Anzellotti said. I looked up the lock manufacturer online, but theyd gone out of business. No one made that lock anymore, so I knew I was going to have to get creative. It took some detective work, but Anzellotti eventually sought the help of an RV salesman who was able to sell him a lock he could modify to install at the mobile home. That was a tough one, Anzellotti said. Ive come across that type of thing at a few of the homes Ive visited. Sometimes in the older houses, the parts you need to fix whats in need of repair dont exist anymore, so I have to figure out a way to jimmy-rig something to make it work. In the case with the mobile home, Im just glad I was able to figure it out because about three weeks later I got a call that the front door lock was broken. That time it only took me about 45 minutes to replace the lock, which was a lot easier than the three hours it took the first time. Anzellotti is known as a jack of all trades, but his latest specialty is installing grab bars in showers. When the Area Agency On Aging, serving senior citizens of Napa and Solano counties, folded this summer, the organizations fall prevention program was suspended and wasnt adopted by any other service agencies in the area. One of the services offered through the fall prevention program was the free installation of grab bars, which give seniors a handhold to use for stability when getting in and out of the shower. Share the Cares Baginski asked Anzellotti if he could learn to install grab bars in an effort to keep the fall prevention program going until a more permanent option could be found. Anzellotti consulted with the man who used to install the grab bars for Area Agency On Aging and brought the special equipment to drill through tile. He practiced drilling holes in spare tiles he had at home before making his first house call. Its a little nerve wracking, Anzellotti said. Drilling a hole in tile, it takes patience and a steady hand. It can take three to five minutes to drill a hole in tile unlike drilling a hole in a wall which takes no time at all. I was nervous the first few times I went out, but Im getting more confident each time I do it. Ive probably installed a dozen grab bars in the past four months. Anzellotti installed a grab bar at Darlene McDannalds home in St. Helena, and she said the addition of a grab bar in her shower has been a life saver. McDannald broke a bone in each of her hips when she fell earlier this year. She gets around with a cane these days, but the grab bar allows her to get in and out of the shower without assistance from her husband, who used to have to help her. Its really helped me a lot, McDannald said. The difference is night and day. It makes me feel so much better knowing that I can do this for myself. I was in really bad shape for a while. Ralph, he helped me out and its made such a difference. Anzellotti said he doesnt mind filling in as Napa Countys unofficial fall preventions specialist. He said hes glad hes learned a new skill he can use to help make peoples lives a little easier. Knowing that Im helping someone gain a sense of independence in their lives is an incredibly rewarding feeling, Anzellotti said. Uncle Sam is back to unveiling its bag of dirty tricks in Bangladesh, where successive American administrations have made no secret of their dislike for Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League . As secretary of state, Hilary Clinton tried to bring huge pressure on Hasina to reinstate Mohammed Yunus, not only because he was donating generously to the Clinton Foundation (something already well documented) but also because they had seen the Nobel Laureates potential as an American stooge. They tried to boost him to bring down the two Begums during the 1/11 takeovers backed by the army. Yunus had announced his intention to float a new political party in a press conference in Calcutta, which I attended as a BBC correspondent. US ambassador Earl Robert Miller has now started pressurising the Hasina government for permission to meet the army chief, the air chief and the naval chief ahead of the elections. He is meeting the Chief Election Commissioner on Thursday but the proposed meeting with the service chiefs may have a different purpose, on which later in this column. Millers embassy staff has been whipping up a furore, using media assets, over the delay in granting visas to 32 observers of the Asian Network for Free Elections ANFREL). US envoy during the Jan 2014 polls Dan Mozena had openly got into the act of bringing down the Awami League government and Khaleda Zia made the huge mistake of boycotting the polls on his advice, imagining Western pressure would make it impossible for Hasina to last beyond a few months. That did not work but the Americns never give up and Miller is back to that game again. The US intelligence community is known for its not-so-subtle use of human rights groups to target regimes that are not seen as friendly by the Americans. ANFREL is funded by the US State Department through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID, Open Society Institution (OSI) ( funded by financial criminal George Soros who has bankrolled many CIA-sponsored regime change operations ), and even the Australian government and the British Embassy. According to ANFRELs own 2010 annual reports, it admits that: Regarding the budget for 2010, NED has provided supported for administration expenses while other activities have been supported on a project by project basis by AusAid, USAID, OSI, Euro-Burma, Netherlands Embassy, TAF, Misereor and the British Embassy. ANFRELs 2011 report also makes mention of US State Department NED subsidiary, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), on page 5 as a source of funds. . In all of ANFRELs annual reports, none of these organizations are mentioned by their full names, and in no part of the annual reports are ANFRELs financial sponsors fully and transparently enumerated. Studies by independent American scholars on CIA have identified the National Endowment for Democracy as a useful front for opinion mobilization in countries targeted for regime change. Jeff Richelson, author of Wizards of Langley says in his book The US Intelligence Community that CIAs support of political parties or broadcasting that would have been conducted as covert operations are now often done overtly. Thus the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) provided support to Nicaraguan political parties who ran against the left wing Sandinistas in the 1990 elections. This funding through the NED was made possible by National Security Directive dated 22 Sept 1989 which declared that the US would undertake a vigorous overt program to ensure a free and fair election to oust the Sandinistas from power. (p.414) In 2016, Western researcher Tony Cartalucci exposed the ANFRELs nefarious efforts to influence the referendum in Thailand that year for a new national charter meant to put the country back on track after over a decade of political conflict revolving around US-backed proxy Thaksin Shinawatra. Cartalucci said the US, on behalf of Shinawatra, increased pressure on the Thai government before the vote in August 2016. Much as they are now doing on the Hasina government. This includes manoeuvring into place overt fronts engaged in political agitation, and leveraging the Wests monopoly over the international media to portray any attempt to crackdown on such fronts as heavy-handed and unjust, wrote Cartalucci (.https://journal-neo.org/2016/07/30/thailand-us-funded-monitors-exposed/). So much like many in Bangladesh media now fretting and fuming over the delay in visas for ANFREL observers, the Bangkok-based English newspaper The Nation had reported that The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) said that repeated attempts to gain accreditation to monitor the August 7 referendum, Thailands first trip to the polls since the military took power in 2014, were met with silence. (emphasis mine) What the Nation did not report, like the Bangladesh media has not done this time, is who ANFREL is, who funds them, or the obvious conflicts of interest involved in their monitoring work across all of Asia, including Bangladesh, Thailand and Cambodia. ANFRELs local affiliate in Thailand, PNet (under the Open Forum for Democracy Foundation (GNDEM)), is also openly funded by the US government. On GNDEMs own website, it states: GNDEM appreciates the support provided by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the support that the NED and USAID have provided to the process surrounding the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations. One wonders whose best interests are served by such monitoring groups who apparently cannot find any support in the very region they supposedly serve, and instead rely entirely on foreign funding from nations who have historically sought to control and subjugate Asia, its people, and their resources, wrote Tony Cartalucci. The US groups such as the NED, the NDI, and the Open Society are engaged in funding and supporting opposition groups including the so-called Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong, the Bersih street movement in Malaysia headed by now-jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, and deceptive media fronts like Prachatai in Thailand, who openly and repeatedly attack Thailands indigenous institutions, while providing cover for US-backed opposition groups, including Thaksin Shinawatras Peua Thai Party (PTP) and his ultra-violent street front, the so-called red shirts. The ANFREL was also shut out of the July 29 polls in Cambodia this year where they made a huge effort to resurrect the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which is strongly backed by the West against the pro-Chinese Hun Sen regime. Interestingly, ANFRELs current chairperson is a Cambodian Koul Panha. Bangladeshs ODHIKAR, founded by Adilur Rahman Khan, is one of the founding members of the ANFREL. Khan, a Supreme Court advocate, was deputy attorney general of Bangladesh during the BNP-Jamaat reign between 2001 and 07. On ANFRELs website, ODHIKARs report on Bangladesh election is prominently displayed. Without getting into the cases filed by the government against Khan, one can safely say he is no neutral person but one close to BNP-Jamaat regime. The US is desperate for a regime change in Bangladesh because they know for a fact that Sheikh Hasina, who remains deeply convinced of the CIAs nefarious role in the assassination of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, will never allow the Americans fulfil their long-cherished strategic objective of setting up a naval base with listening posts in the St Martins islands aimed at China. The Americans had conducted a survey on the suitability of the St Martins Islands for such a base under cover of providing relief after the 1991 cyclone just after the BNP came to power in the first democratic polls that year following the ouster of the Ershad led military junta. Miller, like his predecessors, may be trying to intensify lobbying for the base with military chiefs in Bangladesh, but Sheikh Hasina stands firmly against such a proposal, much as she has refused the Chinese proposal for a deep sea port in Sonadia when the terms did not suit her. Hasina, an intense nationalist, is keen not to get caught in the Sino-US competition for influence in Asia, but that is exactly why the US would prefer a different dispensation more amenable to the idea. In what might indicate growing ties between Nepal and China, prominent Nepali journalist Arun Budhathoki said that while Nepal has banned most of the Indian currencies, one can shop easily with Chinese Yuan in the country. School children in Nepal have to learn three languages Nepali, English and Mandarin Chinese. Students at different levels are also flocking for higher education in China. To encourage this flow, Beijing has instituted a generous scholarship programme, said Arun Budhathoki, Editor-in-Chief of Kathmandu Tribune while speaking to scribes at Guwahati Press Club through video-conferencing. Elaborating further on the growing Chinese influence upon various sectors in the Himalayan kingdom, Budhathoki said that Chinese citizens can now shop in Nepal with their currency Yuan. This can be contrasted with the Nepal governments ban on rupee which requires Indian tourists to use American dollars as foreign exchange there, he added. These developments indicate how Nepal has been distancing herself from India to move closer into Beijings embrace, which can be attributed to the emergence of Maoists as a political force and their stints in power at Kathmandu. Dwelling on the relatively stable situation in Nepal presently, Budhathoki said that peace talks with the Maoists and their participation in government have paid dividends, even though a split in the Maoist leadership has pushed some hardliners into the path of confrontation. While the political influence of former prime minister and supreme Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has waned, he continues to be socially relevant, commented Budhathoki. As for the print media in Nepal, there has been significant growth with several Nepali dailies coming up in recent years, even as the few English dailies continue to hold steady; in electronic media, private TV channels have emerged to offer more choices to viewers long serviced by the government channel. Budhathoki pointed out that most of Indian newspapers are available in Nepal. However, journalists in Nepal operate under certain restrictions and have to be mindful about security, which naturally makes them more cautious in their reporting, he further said. YEREVAN. Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is not going to weaken his power, Armen Badalyan, a political consultant, told Armenian News- NEWS.am. According to him, being an opposition leader, hecriticized the institution of super-premiership, but today he is not taking steps that would weaken him. The expert referred to the results of the so-called optimization, as Nikol Pashinyan did not want the Police to become the part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since it would also be accountable to the National Assembly and will weaken the system of super-premiership. The project presented by the Government cannot be called an optimization project. Optimization implies a conceptual approach to solving the problem. While there is neither a conceptual approach, nor logic in the presented project. The government conducts a mechanical reduction and unification of the ministries, Badalyan said. Asked to comment on the consequences of closing the Diaspora Ministry, the expert noted that such a decision would actually lead to the loss of a very important resource. The Armenian diaspora, which in quantitative terms is larger than the population living in Armenia, is a quality resource. With proper use of it, the serious development of the state could be ensured, the expert said. According to Armen Badalyan, it will be necessary to reconsider the decision of new ministries. Many specialists will emigrate, and there will be a problem with personnel training. Training new staff will require financial resources and time, the expert concluded. Armenian FM meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Putin and Erdogan discuss Azerbaijan, Armenia, Syria, Libya, and Ukraine Armenia and Poland FMs discuss regional security issues Erdogan and Putin support coordination of efforts on Karabakh UN launches campaign against Gender-based violence online NEWS.am daily digest: 03.12.21 Azerbaijanis kill Nagorno-Karabakh resident captured today Armenia deputy FM: Azerbaijan blatantly ignores core principles of international law (PHOTOS) 2-day workshop on Inclusive Development kicks off in Armenia Armenia Prosecutor General to head for Egypt Dollar ascent continues in Armenia Union Against Genocide founder, chairman Ali Ertem dies in Germany Karabakh resident captured by Azerbaijan is cattle breeder Writer, statesman Vano Siradeghyans wake is held in Yerevan The Packaging of ARARAT Nairi Wins a Master Medal on a Famous British Competition Armenia official on unblocking: Routes, procedures for crossing border still being discussed at this phase Azerbaijan takes Karabakh citizen captive Armenia President, Russia ambassador discuss regional security, stability Canada FM expresses solidarity with Armenian people EU envoy to Armenia on another Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting: We are in touch with both sides UAE signs contract for 80 French Rafale fighter jets Statements on Armenia army falsification of wartime orders to be sent to the investigative body Armenia FM briefs Netherlands colleague on situation as result of Azerbaijan military aggression Protest staged outside Armenia consulate in Los Angeles (PHOTOS) Benny Gantz believes US will support Israel in attack on Iran Armenia MFA spokesman: FMs Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting possible in Stockholm today Armenia appoints permanent representative to Council of Europe Passenger, 53, dies in hospital after accident on Goris-Stepanakert motorway Young Karabakh filmmakers movie wins at Cannes Film Festival President: 178 births registered in Artsakh in November 9th Khachaturian International Festival to be held in Yerevan 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh Switzerland launches reform project for modernization of Armenia Vocational Education System in Agriculture Nikol the traitor banner is placed on gate of Armenia consulate general in Los Angeles Armenia, Greece FMs discuss need for returning all Armenian captives in Azerbaijan 399 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia PM makes new appointment Large fire breaks out in Armenias Charentsavan, burnt body of elderly woman found in apartment (PHOTOS) Artsakh President meets with relatives of soldiers who died in 44-day war last fall Armenias Mirzoyan briefs Croatia FM on latest developments in Karabakh peace process Armenia FM lauds Austria position on comprehensive settlement of Karabakh conflict (PHOTOS) London Christmas tree becomes subject of ridicule Newspaper: Armenia parliament ruling majority faction holds night meeting Newspaper: What did Armenia ex-President Kocharyan discuss with his political teammates? 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 The Daily Beast Courtesy Mykayla BolieuThe family of Sativa Transue, a 26-year-old American woman from Spokane, Washington who was found dead in her Cancun hotel room while on vacation with her boyfriend, said she looked like she had been beaten to a bloody pulp when Mexican authorities discovered her body on Saturday.I received a call from the Mexican consulate letting me know my daughter has passed away and that shes been found dead, Jayme Bolieu, Sativas mother, told The Daily Beast in an interview. H Companies with performance dips following Brexit could face major scrutiny leading to action against board members. Source: Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock The majority of UK company directors could face significant liability risks for failing to adequately prepare for Brexit particularly a No Deal Brexit, according to an insurance consultancy firm. Mactavish, the UKs leading expert on commercial insurance governance and disputes, said it believes directors have massively overlooked Brexit-related liabilities which are not covered by most existing insurance policies, and therefore could leave them open to legal action. The firm said that there are limitations to Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance cover. So far, the focus in the financial sector has been on protecting European passporting rights, which allow businesses in any EU or European Economic Area (EEA) state to trade freely in any other with minimal additional authorisation, Mactavish told the Press Association (PA). READ MORE: A no-deal Brexit could jeopardise financial stability as stats show finance pays 75bn in tax Critical new insurance risks as a result of Brexit highlighted by Mactavish include: Any company suffering a dip in performance which would almost every company in the event of a no deal Brexit will be liable to major scrutiny of whether its preparations were adequate If its preparations compare badly with those of competitors or peers, a company could see a flood of new D&O actions against board members The regulatory disruption caused by Britains withdrawal from the EU could leave long-term uncertainty about the details of new regimes applying on a sector by sector basis increasing the risk of unanticipated regulatory action or censure Bruce Hepburn, chief executive officer of Mactavish said an important insurance challenge affecting almost every UK business has remained under the radar when Brexit has been discussed. He told the PA: D&O insurance policies are extremely complicated and cover is bound up in a labyrinth of inter-connected policy definitions, policy triggers and cost categories, so that most company directors are far from clear on what they are actually covered for. Story continues This situation is becoming even harder for insurance buyers to manage in recent months because corporate D&O is one of the first areas of the insurance market to show signs of higher premiums and less flexible terms. What this means in practice is that once claims come in, it is usually too late to make any changes to policies and directors may not be covered. READ MORE: UK businesses are totally unprepared for Brexit, warns Bank of England In November this year, the Bank of England (BOE) warned that British businesses are totally unprepared for a no-deal Brexit despite having years to plan ahead. Survey and other evidence suggests that many UK businesses are not well advanced in planning for a sudden transition to new trading rules, the central bank noted in a report released at the end of last month, outlining the potential economic impact of Brexit under different scenarios. In a report by Yahoo Finance UKs senior economics correspondent Alanna Petroff, businesses began triggering their Brexit contingency plans as they saw the UK government in disarray and the Brexit deadline is around the corner. READ MORE: British businesses are triggering their Brexit contingency plans Rome (AFP) - Italian lawmakers passed Saturday the populist government's revised 2019 budget before a year-end deadline, despite complaints from the opposition that it was dictated by Brussels and had been rammed through without debate. The coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League party expressed their approval with a vote of confidence that saw 327 deputies for and 228 against, with one abstention. Key measures in the big-spending budget were watered down as the government tried to avoid being punished by the European Commission and financial markets. Senators passed the draft last week with a vote of confidence that avoided discussing around 700 amendments put forward by the government but provoked acrimonious scenes over the lack of substantive debate. Similar scenes were repeated on Friday in the lower house, where the session was suspended after copies of the budget were thrown around, and in the chamber on Saturday. If next year's budget had not passed before December 31, the government would have been forced to continue to function on a monthly basis using the 2018 budget. "There was no deliberate wish by the government to avoid discussion," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told an end-of-year press conference on Friday as the opposition Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court over the sidelining of parliament. Conte, a lawyer, is not a member of either of the ruling parties and has worked to achieve compromises between the parties and with Brussels since the government was formed in June. 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. But Italy last week 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. - 'End poverty' - Story continues In the latest hiccup to the tightly balanced revised budget, charities were on Thursday up in arms over a sudden decision to double their tax rate from 12 to 24 percent. M5S leader and Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio bore the brunt of criticism as he had said the budget would "end poverty". He said there was no time to remove the measure before the end of the year and so the law would have to be changed again in January. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini's League has also had to climb down on costly pension reform. The government has struggled to come up with a budget that pleases their voters, Brussels and the market, with many Italians complaining about measures being watered down to placate the European Commission. 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. "It's not at all true that the budget was written in Brussels, it was written in Italy," Conte insisted on Friday. 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. Strong demand in Telecommunication business along with consistent contract flow bode well for Dycom Industries, Inc.s DY. However, soft 2019 earnings projections and stiff competition raise concerns. Meanwhile, Dycom's shares have lost 52.8%, underperforming its industrys decline of 30.8% in the past year. Lets delve deeper into the factors that substantiate its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Factors Driving Growth Solid Telecommunication Business: During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, the companys telecommunication business added a significant 91.1% to total contract revenues. This was mainly driven by higher demand for network bandwidth and mobile broadband. In fact, it has been benefiting immensely from extensive deployment of 1-gigabit wireline networks by major customers. Contracts to Bolster Top Line: Dycom continues to experience strong 12-month backlog. As of Oct 27, 2018, its 12-month backlog came in at $7.313 billion, up from the fiscal 2018 level of $5.847 billion. Of this backlog, more than 35% of the work is expected to be completed over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, Dycom has successfully increased the long-term value of maintenance business over the past few years. Inorganic Moves to Expand Business: In March 2018, Dycom acquired notable assets and assumed certain liabilities of a telecommunications construction and maintenance services provider in the Midwest and Northeast United States. In fact, it has an ardent eye for acquisitions to expand its geographic presence in fiscal 2019 as well. Causes of Concerns Dismal 2019 View: Dycoms non-GAAP earnings declined 28.7% year over year in the last three quarters. Gross margins were down 233 basis points in the same period, reflecting under-absorption of labor and field costs of large customer programs. The overall performance was impacted by large-scale deployments that were slower than expected due to customer timing and tactical considerations. Story continues Again, the company anticipates these factors to affect its performance in the upcoming quarters. The company now expects adjusted earnings for fiscal 2019 within $2.70-$2.92 versus $2.62-$3.07 per share expected earlier. Adjusted EBITDA, as a percentage of contract revenues, is now expected in the range of 10.7-10.8% (versus 10.7-11.1% projected earlier). Seasonal Fluctuations: Dycoms business is prone to severe weather conditions, as a major portion of its operations is outdoor-based. Its fiscal fourth-quarter results are likely to be impacted by inclement weather, fewer available work days due to holidays, reduced daylight work hours and the restart of calendar payroll taxes. Given these downturns, the company has lowered its fiscal fourth-quarter view. The company expects total contract revenues within $695-$745 million, lower than the prior-year level of $780.2 million. Also, earnings are anticipated within 2-24 cents per share for the quarter, lower than $1.47 reported in the year-ago period. Competition Persists: The telecommunication industry is highly dynamic in nature, and experiences rapid technological, structural as well as competitive changes. Dycoms earnings are likely to get affected by incremental R&D costs, as well as reduced service requirements. Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked stocks in the Zacks Construction sector are Altair Engineering Inc. ALTR, Lennox International, Inc. LII and EMCOR Group, Inc. EME, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Altairs earnings are expected to grow 23.1% in 2018. Lennoxs 2018 earnings are expected to grow 18.3%. EMCORs earnings for the current year are expected to increase 20%. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lennox International, Inc. (LII) : Free Stock Analysis Report Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY) : Free Stock Analysis Report EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME) : Free Stock Analysis Report Altair Engineering Inc. (ALTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Aftermath of the terror attack on a tourist bus near the Giza pyramids - 007Nadia/Twitter Egyptian police say they have killed 40 suspected "terrorists" who were planning a spate of attacks on churches and tourist sites, following a deadly roadside bombing of a tour bus on Friday. The alleged terrorists were killed in raids in the Sinai Peninsula and the Giza governorate, which was also the scene of the tour bus attack where three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed. Two raids in the Giza governorate killed 30 "terrorists", while the remaining 10 were killed in the North Sinai, the Egyptian interior ministry said in a statement. It said the authorities took action after receiving a tip-off about the suspects preparing a series of attacks against state buildings, tourist attractions and churches. "Information was received by the national security that a group of terrorists were planning to carry out a series of aggressive attacks targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship," the statement said. Tourists ride horses past the Great Sphinx at the historical site of the Giza Pyramids, near Cairo, Egypt Credit: Jon Gambrell Early on Friday evening, a roadside bomb hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids. A statement from the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, the first attack to target tourists since 2017. Saigon Tourist, the tour company that organised the trip, said the Vietnamese tourists were "on their way to a restaurant for dinner" when the bomb exploded. Company officials travelled to Cairo on Saturday and plans were made to allow some relatives of the victims to also fly to Egypt. The attack came as Egypt's vital tourism industry is showing signs of recovery after years in the doldrums due to political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Hosni Mubarak. It will likely prompt authorities to tighten security around churches and associated facilities ahead of the New Year's Eve celebrations and next month's Christmas celebrations of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the dominant denomination among Egypt's estimated 10 million Christians. Over the past two years, militant attacks against Christians in Egypt - usually targeting churches or buses carrying pilgrims to remote desert monasteries - have killed over a hundred people. By Ruma Paul, Krishna N. Das and Zeba Siddiqui DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina considers being called authoritarian by the western media a "badge of honor", the leader's son told Reuters on the eve of a national election on Sunday. Hasina, who is widely expected to win a third straight term in office, has been hailed domestically for fast economic growth in the past decade and internationally for providing refuge to Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in neighboring Myanmar. But her government has been accused of suppressing dissent and jailing critics, including many supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Many journalists say she has intimidated the media by using vaguely worded laws against them. Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed, however, told Reuters there was space for dissent in the Muslim-majority country of 165 million people, and that the Western media was unfair in its portrayal of his mother. "You know what my mother told me this morning? 'Branded authoritarian by the Western media now is a badge of honor'" Wazed, who lives in Washington D.C. and runs an IT business in the United States, said in the prime minister's official residence in Dhaka. "Don't you see anti-government posts on Facebook? Do you not see that? You are free to write whatever you want but you are not free to hurt someone. If you write something false and that causes an attack on someone, should there be no consequences?" He said the ruling party would reconsider a tough new media law it introduced and another it has tightened if it retains power. The 47-year-old, who entered politics reluctantly and has declined to take a senior position in the ruling Awami League, said he was not keen on becoming prime minister. "Anything is possible, but interested? No. Possible perhaps, but only time will tell," said Wazed, who is also the information and communication technology adviser to the prime minister. OPPOSITION, INDUSTRIES The BNP, which is fighting this election as part of an alliance after boycotting the last one in 2014, says more than 8,200 leaders and activists of the alliance have been arrested since the election schedule was announced early last month. It added four workers had been killed and more than 12,300 injured in various assaults in that period. The Awami League has denied any role in the violence. Wazed dismissed accusations that the ruling party had "manipulated" police and the judiciary to get BNP chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia jailed in February on corruption charges to weaken the opposition before the election. Khaleda's son and acting BNP chief Tarique Rahman, who lives in exile in London, faces imprisonment if he returns home after a court in October sentenced him to life in jail over an alleged plot to assassinate Hasina in 2004, when she was in the opposition. He denies any such plot. "If courts and police are manipulated why did it take a decade to convict Khaleda Zia and her son? Why did it take us so long?" said Wazed, who speaks with a U.S. accent. He said if the Awami League formed another government, it would look at raising the minimum wage for workers in the garments industry, which generates sales of more than $30 billion a year and is the biggest after China's. It only recently raised the level for the first time in five years, though workers have asked for more. But he said the ultimate goal was to divert some of the garment workers to mobile phone and electronics manufacturing. He said South Korea's Samsung Electronics had already started a mobile phone assembly plant in Bangladesh and its South Korean rival LG had acquired land to open an electronics assembly plant. "Our goal is to move up the value chain," he said. "We don't want to stay stuck on the garments sector." (Editing by Martin Howell and David Evans) BERLIN (AP) A man forced open a locked gate on the security perimeter of Hannover Airport in northern Germany and drove a car onto the airfield Saturday before coming to a halt underneath an airliner and being detained, police said. No one was hurt in the incident, but flights were suspended for more than four hours. Police said a test suggested that the driver, who told them he was a 21-year-old from Poland, was under the influence of drugs and there were no indications that his actions were terror-related. The man drove his BMW onto the airport apron after forcing open a gate, and was pursued by police until he came to a stop underneath a Greek airline's Airbus A320 that was standing on the tarmac with 172 passengers on board, a police statement said. Officers then overpowered the man in his car and arrested him. Takeoffs and landings were halted while police experts examined the car. They found no traces of explosives, and flight operations resumed shortly after 8 p.m. about 4 hours after the man drove onto the airfield. No other dangerous substances were found in the vehicle or on the driver. The man was believed to have acted alone. He apparently has no official residence in Germany. Federal police told the German news agency dpa that the driver tested positive for amphetamines and cocaine. They said the man wasn't carrying an identity card. The police statement issued later Saturday said authorities had taken a blood sample and were still working to be certain of his identity. Police opened an investigation on suspicion of dangerous interference in air traffic and resisting officers, and were considering whether to have the man taken before a judge Sunday to try to have him kept in custody. His motive remained unclear. The international airport in Hannover handled 5.87 million passengers last year, though it isn't one of Germany's top hubs. Quito (AFP) - Fireworks have been banned on the Galapagos Islands to protect the archipelago's unique fauna, the local government said on Friday. The local council said in a statement that it had agreed "unanimously a resolution that prohibits the importation, sale, distribution and use of fireworks or pyrotechnics in the Galapagos province." Those fireworks that produce light but no noise have been excluded from the ban. The islands are home to thousands of residents as well as being a tourist destination, and the measure comes just days before New Year celebrations in which many people traditionally set off fireworks. "Ecosystems as sensitive as the Galapagos Islands are affected (by fireworks), principally its fauna that is unique," said the council. It also wants to avoid any potential deterioration in air quality or pollution of water sources. Animals have suffered from elevated heart rates, nervous stress and anxiety, which have "notably" changed their behavior and affected the survival of species inhabiting this World Heritage Site that belongs to Ecuador. "This is a gift to conservation for Ecuador and the world," Lorena Tapia, president of the local council, said on her Twitter account. A campaign to limit the use of fireworks on the Galapagos Islands was launched in 2017. Single-use plastics have also been banned on the archipelago, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador. Known for its endemic species, the volcanic Galapagos Islands played a crucial role in British naturalist Charles Darwin's studies before he came up with his theory of evolution. A Government department has spent more than 100 million on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit (Picture: Getty) A Government department has spent more than 100 million on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Department for Transport (DfT) has signed contracts worth a total 107.7 million with French firm Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and the UKs Seaborne for extra crossings hoped to ease pressure on Dover. The additional crossings are understood to be the equivalent of around 10% of the current traffic on the Dover Strait and will see ports in Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe used. The move comes as documents outlining the deals say increased border checks in UK ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit could cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed. The contracts were not put out to tender as the DfT said it was a situation of extreme urgency brought about by unforeseeable events. Brittany Ferries has won a contract worth 46.6 million (Picture: Chris Ison/PA Wire) The contract with DFDS is worth 47.3 million, Seaborne Freight was given a 13.8 million deal and the contract with Brittany Ferries is worth 46.6 million. Brittany Ferries is adding 19 return sailings to three routes between the UK and France. More sailings will travel between Roscoff and Plymouth, Cherbourg and Poole, and Le Havre and Portsmouth, representing a 50% increase on its current schedule. MORE: Number of casualties caused by SLOW drivers up by nearly a third last year, figures show MORE: CCTV captures moment of devastating shop explosion in Leicester Brittany Ferries chief executive Christophe Mathieu said: Our priority is to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and to create additional capacity. By increasing the number of rotations on routes like Le Havre Portsmouth we will be able to meet the Department for Transports Brexit requirement. We will also work hard to minimise impact on existing Brittany Ferries freight customers and passengers, although there may be some changes to some sailing times, for which we apologise in advance. A spokesman for the DfT said: This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transports no-deal Brexit planning. While remaining committed to working to ensure a deal is reached successfully, the department is helping ensure the rest of Government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes. craig wright nchain bitcoin cash A motion by the self-declared creator of Bitcoin and the chief scientist at blockchain firm nChain, Craig Wright, to have a multi-billion dollar lawsuit accusing him of stealing bitcoins belonging to an alleged business partner dismissed has been denied. Wright Loses Bid to Dismiss Lawsuit over Alleged Bitcoin Theft In a ruling delivered on Thursday by Beth Bloom in South Florida, the United States District judge dismissed two counts that had been brought forth by the plaintiff, Ari Kleiman, while maintaining that the defendant, Craig Wright, will answer seven counts before or on January 10 next year. The case stems from a business partnership Wright had with Aris brother, the late Dave Kleiman, as previously reported by CCN. At one point, the suit was worth as much as $10 billion, though the crypto bear market has eaten much of that valuation. $10 Billion: Dave Kleimans Estate Files Mammoth Suit Against Bitcoin Creator Craig Wright https://t.co/G41lAbuktE via @cryptocoinsnews Crypto Surfer (@andreas_stock) April 5, 2018 The multi-talented Kleiman was a cryptographer, author, and computer forensics scientist and had co-founded a firm with Wright known as W&K Info Defense Research LLC for the purposes of mining bitcoin. Craig Wrights Multiple Roles Per the articles of incorporation of W&K as noted in Judge Blooms ruling, Kleiman was the registered agent as well as the managing member of the firm while Wrights various roles included authorized representative, lead researcher, technical contact, legal agent and representative and Director/Australian Agent. After the death of Kleiman five years ago following a long battle with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Wright is alleged to have fraudulently transferred bitcoins owned by W&K to himself. According to the plaintiff, Kleimans estate is entitled to a minimum of 300,000 bitcoins plus forked assets such as Bitcoin Gold and Bitcoin Cash. Story continues Initially, when the case was filed in February this year, Wright was alleged to have stolen as many as 1.1 million bitcoins which at the time were worth over US$10 billion. Depending on the ownership structure of W&K, the lawsuit at the time estimated that the estate was owed between 550,000 and 1,100,000 bitcoins. Objections Raised In a bid to have the lawsuit dismissed Wright had raised various objections including lack of standing, the failure to bring this action as a derivative suit, res judicata (claim preclusion due to the fact that a matter has already been judged), forum non conveniens (a legal doctrine allowing certain courts to dismiss a case in order for another more appropriate court to hear it), the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, international abstention, lack of personal jurisdiction and the failure to state legally sufficient claims. Other than the financial implications of the case, the discovery process of the lawsuit might end up assisting in shedding light on one of the biggest mysteries in the bitcoin universe the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. Dave Kleiman has been cited as perhaps being the famed Bitcoin creator, and this was as recently as last month by an early developer of the cryptocurrency, Jeff Garzik. Who Created Bitcoin? Early Developer Jeff Garzik Gives His Best Guess https://t.co/wlpqQpbLJ5 CCN (@CryptoCoinsNews) November 9, 2018 Featured Image from nChain/YouTube The post Judge: $1 Billion Bitcoin Lawsuit against Craig Wright Will Continue appeared first on CCN. The number of casualties from crashes caused by slow drivers increased by almost a third last year, figures show (Picture: PA) Car crashes are often associated with driving too fast, but driving too slow can be just as dangerous. The number of casualties from crashes caused by slow drivers on Britains roads increased by almost a third last year, figures show. According to Department for Transport data analysed by the Press Association, 175 people were injured and two killed in accidents relating to people driving too slowly in 2017 up 31% from the previous year. The figures take into account crashes when someone is driving too slow for the conditions or a slow moving vehicle was a contributory factor. The results prompted AA president Edmund King to remind motorists that driving like a snail can be as dangerous as driving like a cheetah. According to DfT figures, 175 people were injured and two killed in accidents relating to people driving too slowly in 2017 up 31% from the previous year (Picture: Getty) He said too many motorway users hog the middle lane and drive far below the speed limit which can lead to undertaking, tailgating, congestion and road rage, and said he often sees motorists slow down and hesitate when joining a motorway rather than matching their speed to the traffic flow. I was in a queue of five cars joining the M3 recently when the lead driver was driving at approximately 25 mph, he added. It was incredibly dangerous. MORE: Son of Derbyshire police and crime commissioner jailed for smashing parents TV in drunken rage MORE: CCTV captures moment of devastating shop explosion in Leicester A poll of 2,000 UK drivers commissioned by carmaker Hyundai earlier this year found someone driving too slowly in front of you is the seventh most common reason motorists swear when they are behind the wheel. Minimum speeds are rare on UK roads, but do exist in some high-risk locations such as tunnels. These are displayed by a round blue sign with a white number. Driving too slowly on any road can result in the motorist being penalised for careless driving, which normally carries a 100 fine and three points on a licence. If a case goes to court the maximum penalty is 5,000, up to nine points on a licence and disqualification from driving. A DfT spokesman said: Careless driving including driving too slowly is an offence and anyone caught faces prosecution. Antananarivo (AFP) - Thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets in the capital of Madagascar on Saturday to protest against the victory of ex-president Andry Rajoelina in last week's elections. Around 2,000 supporters of defeated candidate Marc Ravalomanana gathered in the May 13 Square in the heart of Antananarivo, demanding a recount of the vote in the Indian Ocean island state. The protest, the first in a series of planned demonstrations, came as the country's top court reviews a petition filed by Ravalomanana challenging Rajoelina's win because of fraud allegations. Opposition lawmaker Hanitra Razafimanantsoa, told the crowd gathered in the square that if there's a vote recount "you will find that our candidate Marc Ravalomanana won this election". Supporters of Ravalomanana, who came second in the December 19 run-off, are planning to stage daily protests in the square, until the High Constitutional Court formally pronounces the winner. "We will come here every day, from January 2, 2019", until the HCC finalises the case, vowed Razafimanantsoa. The court has until January 7 to formally name the new president after it has reviewed the petition. Early this year, hundreds of both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina's supporters occupied the same central square for weeks protesting electoral legislation which they had said was crafted to bar their candidates from participating in the elections. The Constitutional Court ordered the then president Hery Rajaonarimampianina to form a government of national unity and to name a consensus prime minister in a bid to end the political crisis sparked by controversial electoral reforms. Results published by the electoral commission on Thursday showed that Rajoelina had won 55.66 percent of the vote against 44.34 percent for Ravalomanana. Ravalomanana immediately went to court challenge the results complaining about missing serial numbers on some ballots, among other allegations of fraud and irregularities. Story continues In a statement on Friday, Ravalomanana's party alleged that "several hundred grave anomalies have been identified" and mentioning among other examples, ballot box stuffing and use of non-compliant voting materials. It called on the people of Madagascar "to defend their choice and fight against fraud". At the square, protesters held placards calling for the disqualification of Rajoelina and denouncing "corruption" and "fraud". "Any electoral fraud is a serious crime" read one placard inscribed in red. The two former presidents were both banned from running in a 2013 election as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since it gained independence from France in 1960. By David DeKok HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - A Philadelphia judge has allowed convicted police-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal to launch a new appeal, ruling that a former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should have recused himself from the inmate's previous appeals. Abu-Jamal, 64, a former black nationalist and public radio reporter, was sentenced to death for the 1981 killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. His sentence was commuted to life without parole in 2011. Judge Leon W. Tucker said former Chief Justice Ronald Castille should have stepped aside because his past service as Philadelphia District Attorney the office which prosecuted Abu-Jamal created an appearance of bias. "True justice must be completely just without even a hint of partiality, lack of integrity, or impropriety," Tucker wrote in his opinion issued late on Thursday. "Petitioner is entitled to an unbiased tribunal, without even the appearance of impropriety." Lawyers for Abu-Jamal now have 30 days to begin a new appeal, which would first be heard by the Pennsylvania Superior Court and then, if necessary, by the Supreme Court. Castille, who could not be reached for comment on Friday, retired in 2014. Four new justices have joined the seven-member high court since Abu-Jamal's last appeal was denied in 2012. Abu-Jamal, a past president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, sought permission for a new appeal after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that Castille's refusal to recuse himself from an appeal of a different death penalty case created an impermissible risk of bias. Tucker said Abu-Jamal was unable to prove Castille's direct involvement in his prosecution and death sentence he was then an assistant district attorney but noted Castille campaigned for the Supreme Court in 1993 touting the number of defendants he sent to death row. "This was a straightforward application of federal and Pennsylvania law requiring cases to be decided by judges whose impartiality cannot reasonably be questioned," said Judith Ritter, one of Abu-Jamal's attorneys. Story continues Dustin Slaughter, a spokesman for the Philadelphia District Attorney's office, said they are examining the ruling and have not yet decided whether to appeal. Abu-Jamal was once described by the New York Times as the world's best-known death row inmate. Tucker called his case "one of the most polarizing criminal cases in Philadelphia history, the nation, and perhaps worldwide." Maureen Faulkner, the officer's widow, was removed from Tucker's courtroom in October after an outburst during the hearings that preceded his ruling. (Reporting by David DeKok; Editing by Tom Brown) Dalit homestay blazes a trail in fighting untouchability Homestays have become a common sight in rural Nepaltourists pay to spend a few nights with locals in their homes, eating what they eat, living how they live. But in Vyas Municipality of Tanahu district, there is a homestay with a differencethis institution is run completely by Dalits, a group once considered untouchable. A rare New Mexico blizzard brought a shocking amount of snow to Albuquerque and other areas of New Mexico on Thursday night and Friday as strong winds reduced visibility caused extensive travel issues and shut down large areas of the state. "The majority of the snow that fell around Albuquerque came on Thursday night, when two inches were reported at the airport but four to five inches in the far eastern heights of the city," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said. "Then, strong winds increased on Friday morning and that shut the snow mostly off for the city. Those winds, however, blew the snow that fell around and dramatically reduced visibility," Pydynowski said. Pydynowski added that the visibility dropped down to "one-quarter of a mile at the city's international airport early on Friday morning." Albuquerque Snow Storm AP Photo/Garret Fischer First, at vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui voluptatum. 1/12 (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Retiree Roy Olson digs out from a fresh #snowfall on December 27 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Twitter: Jose Martinez-Claros @xatruchNMT) (Twitter: @ShuberL) (Twitter: Jose Martinez-Claros @xatruchNMT) (Twitter: Jose Martinez-Claros @xatruchNMT) (Twitter: Jose Martinez-Claros @xatruchNMT) (Susan Montoya Bryan/AP) A Bernalillo police officer directs traffic as a state transportation truck spreads cinder on an icy roadway in Bernalillo, N.M., on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Albuquerque through Saturday morning and most of the rest of New Mexico is under a winter storm warning through Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) (Twitter: @_CuteJessica_) (Twitter: @angelsavant) Elsewhere in New Mexico, areas around the Manzano Mountains received up to 18 inches of snow on Friday morning. In El-Paso, temperatures got low enough for a wintry advisory warning to be posted until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The heavy snowfall and severe driving conditions caused a 16-mile stretch of US-82 to close. Story continues #NMSP is highly encouraging everyone to avoid I40 between Albuquerque and Santa Rosa. Extreme winter weather and driving conditions. Seek alternative routes around the storm or find a local hotel to shelter. Tune in to local news for updates. pic.twitter.com/HdCztoUBvk NMSP (@NMStatePolice) December 28, 2018 Following the last 24 hours of precipitation, Pydynowski said she expects the majority of the heavy snowfall to wind down, but some will continue into Saturday. "The snow will wind down early tonight across northern and central New Mexico, but will persist into Saturday morning in southern areas," she said. "Even El Paso, could get cold enough for a coating to an inch or so during that time." By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A suspected illegal immigrant accused of shooting to death a California police officer was arrested on Friday after a two-day manhunt that President Donald Trump cited in his push for building a wall on the border with Mexico, officials said. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, a Mexican national, was arrested in Bakersfield, a city less than 200 miles (320 km) south of Newman where the officer was shot on Wednesday, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said at a news conference. The shooting and manhunt in California's agricultural Central Valley entered the national debate over immigration, after Trump tweeted about it in his advocacy for a border wall and Christianson criticized California's sanctuary law for immigrants. Arriaga is accused of shooting to death Newman police corporal Sonil Singh after Singh pulled him over on suspicion of driving under the influence. The suspect, who exchanged fire with Singh, has claimed to be involved with a criminal gang called the Surenos and was trying to escape to Mexico, Christianson said. On Friday, heavily armed police officers surrounded the Bakersfield home where they believed Arriaga was hiding and he walked out with his hands up, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told reporters. It was not immediately clear if Arriaga, who was transported in Singh's handcuffs from Bakersfield to Stanislaus County, had an attorney. He was expected to be formally charged next week. Christianson said the case highlighted the dangers of a California law passed in 2017 that placed limits on how closely law enforcement can cooperate with federal agents seeking to deport illegal immigrants arrested for crimes. Christianson had initially given Arriaga's age as 33, but authorities later said he was 32. Arriaga, a farm laborer who had been in the United States for a number of years after illegally crossing the border into Arizona, had prior arrests for driving under the influence, Christianson said. Story continues "Why are we providing sanctuary for criminals, gang members?" Christianson said at the news conference. "It's a conversation we need to have." California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, in signing the bill into law said it provided reassurance to undocumented immigrants without sacrificing public safety. State law "fully permits the sharing of information on dangerous gang members," Brown's spokesman Evan Westrup said in an email on Friday. Trump tweeted about the shooting on Thursday, days after the Dec. 22 partial shutdown of the federal government. The ongoing shutdown was triggered by Trump's $5 billion demand, opposed by Democrats and some lawmakers in his own Republican party, for the wall. Trump, during his campaign for president and in the White House, has denounced a number of crimes by illegal immigrants to press for stricter immigration enforcement. Ahead of the congressional elections in November, a TV campaign ad endorsed by Trump focused on an undocumented Mexican immigrant convicted of killing two sheriff's deputies in California. However, multiple studies have found immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born Americans. Stanislaus County law enforcement officials have highlighted Singh's own background as a legal immigrant. The 33-year-old native of Fiji came to the United States to become a police officer, they said. At least five people were arrested on suspicion of lying to investigators about Arriaga or helping him evade law enforcement, including some people at the Bakersfield home where he was arrested, authorities said. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Grant McCool) Really sorry Sussex Polices Chief Constable has said he is really sorry for the couple who were held for 36 hours over the disruption of Gatwick Airport (Picture: REUTERS/Toby Melville) Sussex Polices Chief Constable has said he feels really sorry for a couple who were held for 36 hours over the disruption of Gatwick Airport by drones before being cleared of any involvement. But Giles York said the ability of police to declare that Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk were no longer suspects should allow them to get their lives back on track. Mr York also revealed that two drones found by police near the airport have now been ruled out of responsibility for chaos which saw around 1,000 flights cancelled or diverted from December 19-21. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that police have not yet found the drone involved and do not know its model but insisted he was absolutely certain that a drone was flying near the runways during the three-day period. The Chief Constable said he was really sorry that Mr Gait and Ms Kirk, from Crawley, West Sussex, were detained in the wake of the disruption, but the grounds for arrest were well founded. Flights were disrupted for three days after sightings of a drone near Gatwick Airport (Picture: PA) He said: Im really sorry for what he has experienced and the feeling of violation around it. I am really sorry for what he went through, but the reason why we held him was so that we could dispel everything in the first instance. What might have been worse as an experience for him would have been to be released under investigation still. MORE: Immigration Minister to meet Dover MP and border force officials to discuss escalating migrant issue MORE: Police name man killed in Andover house explosion as James Kirkby We are able to exhaust all our lines of inquiry on that first instance and, however hard it is, able to release him from police custody saying he is no longer a suspect in this line of inquiry. Thats why we took the time in order to allow him the best opportunity to put his life back on the rails. Mr York said police had received 115 reports of drone sightings in the area, including 92 confirmed as coming from credible people, but admitted there may have been some confusion after Sussex Police launched its own drones. Story continues He said a Sussex officer who suggested police were not sure whether there was a drone flying at Gatwick at all was simply trying to explain the investigative approach taken by the force, adding: I am absolutely certain that there was a drone flying throughout the period that the airport was closed. He confirmed that military technology had been installed at Gatwick, dramatically improving security at the airport, but he could not rule out future disruption of the same kind. I dont think you can ever rule out anything happening again, he said. But what we can say is what is at the heart of this is ensuring it is safe for the aircraft to take off and thats the different position that Gatwick Airport finds itself in today. By Mike Spector, Jessica DiNapoli and Harry Brumpton (Reuters) - Sears Holdings Corp Chairman Eddie Lampert submitted a $4.4 billion takeover bid for the bankrupt U.S. retailer, representing its only chance of escaping liquidation and laying off tens of thousands of workers, a spokesman for the billionaire's hedge fund said on Friday. Lampert's bid is backed in part by $1.3 billion in financing from three different financial institutions, the spokesman for his hedge fund, ESL Investments Inc, said. It would preserve about 425 stores that Sears has yet to close, and secure the jobs of up to 50,000 workers out of the 68,000 employed by the retailer. An affiliate of ESL, Transform Holdco LLC, submitted the bid, the spokesman said. People familiar with the matter said the financing comes from Sears' existing lenders Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc, as well Royal Bank of Canada, which was not previously a lender, which together agreed to provide a $950 million asset-based loan and a $350 million revolving credit line. Some of Lampert's bid relies on $1.8 billion of Sears debt that ESL already holds and plans to forgive to back the offer, the sources said. The bid also includes about $400 million in financing from non-bank lenders, the sources said. The bid contemplates assuming protection agreements Sears has previously sold to reassure customers who have bought appliances, televisions, lawn tractors and other big-ticket items, the ESL spokesman said. "Factoring for all considerations, we believe that our going concern bid provides the best path forward for the company, the best option to save tens of thousands of jobs and is superior for all of Sears stakeholders to the alternative of a complete liquidation," the ESL spokesman said. "Much work remains and there is no assurance our proposal will be completed." Sears will now evaluate the bid to determine whether it is viable, and there remains a possibility the company could reject it, some of the sources said. Story continues A Sears spokeswoman declined to comment. Bank representatives either had no immediate comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge must approve any sale of Sears. The judge will weigh the opinions of other stakeholders, including unsecured creditors who have argued they could recover more of their investment if the department store operator winds down. Without the financing or another buyer, Sears faces the prospect of closing its doors for good and putting roughly 68,000 people out of work. The 125-year-old retailer filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 15 and developed plans to restructure around the sale of 500 stores and businesses including Kenmore, DieHard and the company's home services division. Only Lampert's ESL offered to buy the entire company. The only other bids Sears has received are from suitors interested in pieces of the company and liquidators prepared to run going-out-of-business sales at stores and shut down the retailer. Sears dates back to the late 1880s. Its mail-order catalogs with merchandise ranging from toys, medicine and gramophones to automobiles, kit houses and tombstones made it the Amazon.com Inc of its time. But the iconic retailer gradually lost its shine as consumers increasingly favored brick-and-mortar rivals such as Walmart Inc and Target Corp and e-commerce. Lampert, who through ESL is Sears' biggest shareholder and creditor, formed Sears Holdings in 2005 by acquiring Sears Roebuck in an $11 billion deal and combining it with discount chain Kmart, which he had also taken over. Lampert had pledged to restore Sears to its glory days, when it owned the Sears Tower in Chicago, then the world's tallest building, and companies that included a radio station and Allstate insurance. But the company stopped turning a profit in 2011, and it gradually started to sell assets, such as its legendary Craftsman brand and many of its properties, to stay afloat. Sears Holdings listed $6.9 billion in assets and $11.3 billion in liabilities in documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York. The largest U.S. toy retailer, Toys R Us, tried to emerge from its 2017 bankruptcy filing but was forced to liquidate six months later after creditors lost confidence in its turnaround plan. (Reporting by Mike Spector and Harry Brumpton in New York, Jessica DiNapoli in Puerto Rico; Editing by Leslie Adler) A boy carries a photo of Guatemalan 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin, who died two days after being taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol, as her coffin is carried to the cemetery on Dec. 25, 2018. (Photo: Johan Ordonez/AFP/Getty Images) The death of an 8-year-old Guatemalan immigrant in custody on Christmas Eve is a sign that U.S. officials need to make dramatic improvements to health and sanitation conditions at the border, especially for children, according to a physician familiar with medical issues faced by migrants. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator announced Thursday that nasal and lung swabs from the child, Felipe Gomez Alonzo, tested positive for influenza B, although there was no official determination of the cause of death. Felipe was the second migrant child to die this month while in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). On Christmas Day, hours after Felipe was pronounced dead, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin was buried in the rural Guatemalan village where she had lived with her family before she and her father embarked on the long and arduous trek to the United States. Like Jakelin, Felipe had also made the journey north from Guatemala with his father. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen ordered a number of measures to address the medical needs of children in Border Patrol custody. Among the actions outlined in a statement from Nielsen were requests for help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as U.S. partners in Mexico to investigate the uptick in sick children crossing our borders. That was the first public mention of such an uptick, and Alan Shapiro, a New York City pediatrician who runs a program for immigrant children and families and has recently visited the border, is skeptical. To say this is a new issue is disingenuous, he told Yahoo News. Its the winter. Theres an uptick everywhere in the country of viral illnesses in winter. Thats not specific to migrants. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, left, walks next to a section of the border wall fortified with razor wire separating San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 20, 2018. (Photo: Gregory Bull/AP) The threat of migrants bringing disease (as well as crime and drugs) from other countries has been a theme of much of the Trump administrations campaign for tighter border security. Shapiro is a co-founder of Terra Firma, a Bronx-based program that provides medical and legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children and asylum-seeking families. He has visited and observed conditions at all three of the family detention facilities operated by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) as well as the Ursula Border Patrol Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, and the sprawling tent city in Tornillo, Texas, that, as of last month, held upwards of 2,000 unaccompanied immigrant teens. Earlier this month, Shapiro, who is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Immigrant Special Health Interest group, visited migrant camps and shelters in Tijuana on behalf of the AAP. Story continues Nielsens statement alluded to the medical challenges faced by children making the journey across Mexico on foot or aboard crowded buses or trucks. To put this in perspective, there were six migrant deaths while in CBP custody during FY 2018 none whom were children. In fact, it has been more than a decade since CBP has had a child pass away in their custody, read a statement issued by Nielsen on Wednesday. It is now clear that migrants, particularly children, are increasingly facing medical challenges and harboring illness caused by their long and dangerous journey. Asked to provide more details about the uptick described by Nielsen such as when it began, how many cases have been reported, and what kinds of illnesses are involved a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined to provide any information on the record. A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention referred questions about possible work with DHS to the Department of Health and Human Services, which did not respond to requests for comment by late Friday. Shapiro said he could not speak to the specifics of these two latest cases, but he said the conditions migrant children endure, both en route to the border and once in U.S. custody, can make them susceptible to influenza, upper respiratory infections and other viral illnesses common in this part of the world during winter. If not treated promptly, they can be fatal. Felipe Gomez Alonzo is shown in a photo provided by his half sister, Catarina Gomez, taken in Guatemala shortly before his trek to the U.S. border. The 8-year-old became ill and died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve. (Photo: Catarina Gomez via AP) The trip from Central America, which can take weeks or even months, is a really important element of childrens health and well-being, from the traumatic experience of fleeing home to exposure to natural elements, human threats, and often hunger, Shapiro said. He noted that children often travel to the border in large groups that include other children who may be ill. When they get to the border theyre oftentimes in a weakened state. So what they need more than anything is to be cared for in a humane way. Instead, the first place migrants are typically taken upon crossing the border are temporary holding facilities commonly referred to as hieleras, the Spanish word for icebox, because of their notoriously cold temperatures. Inside these facilities, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the lights are kept on 24 hours a day and toilets are communal and public, often located in the same confined space where migrants are held in large groups with nowhere to sleep but the ground. Sometimes they come into these centers wet after crossing a river or being caught in the rain and have to wait half a day before being given dry clothes, said Shapiro. Being forced to sit in a freezing-cold facility in wet clothes is not good for any of us, but these kids are especially tired and weakened. The biggest problem in Shapiros view is that CBP processing centers are staffed by law enforcement personnel, not child welfare workers or health-care providers. As CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan has acknowledged, the facilities were designed to hold single men who in years past made up the majority of unauthorized border crossers. But the agency has done little to improve its facilities or change its procedures to account for the fact that children and families now predominate. Its mind-boggling, said Shapiro. At CBP processing centers, he said, they check migrants for lice and for chickenpox. [Theyre] not doing thorough medical intakes, so of course things are going to get missed. Families have to wait a long time before [illnesses are] taken seriously, or just taken care of. Migrants wait at the Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, on June 17, 2018. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection via Getty Images) Shapiros descriptions of the conditions at CBP processing centers and other facilities that are used to hold recently apprehended migrants are consistent with other, earlier accounts, indicating that the problems have been going on for years. In 2016, amid an ongoing lawsuit by the ACLU of Arizona and a number of other immigrant and civil rights groups alleging unconstitutional conditions at such facilities, the U.S. District Court in Arizona ordered the release of video stills and expert testimony corroborating descriptions of overcrowded, unsanitary cells and freezing-cold cells where the Border Patrol holds migrants, including asylum-seekers and mothers with small children and even infants, for several days at a time. The absence of medical screening upon arrival is unthinkable, the former head of prisons for Washington State, Eldon Vail, said in a declaration filed in the case. Sufficient food, water and clothing are fundamental to safe, secure and humane operation, but I have never seen the challenges the CBP creates for detainees for access to these basic necessities. In a detention facility where detainees are held in overcrowded conditions, it is my opinion this creates an unreasonable risk for the spread of disease or infection among the detainees and the staff who work there, Vail wrote of detainees lack of access to showers or even hot water in the Border Patrol facilities he visited. I would think that CBP administrators would want to do more to protect their own staff if for no other reason. In September, the Guardian interviewed dozens of asylum-seekers who received emergency medical care from a team of volunteer doctors and nurses upon their release from Border Patrol custody in McAllen. They too provided consistent accounts of the conditions at various detention facilities on the border, from freezing temperatures and round-the-clock lighting to sparse and unpalatable food, as well as water that tasted like chlorine. A Honduran woman who had been detained with her husband and 3-year-old daughter described waiting for hours at a hospital with no place to sit before receiving medication for her daughter after the toddler became sick with the flu, only to be separated from her husband and placed in isolation upon their return to the detention facility. Doctors and nurses who treated the asylum seekers after their release said they saw a lot of boils and skin rashes, attributable to the lack of hygiene, and severe constipation, attributable to dehydration and poor food intake, read the Guardians report. Almost everybody who came through the clinic attended by the Guardian, run by a San Antonio-based group of volunteer doctors, nurses and social workers called Suenos sin Fronteras (Dreams Without Borders), complained of flu symptoms or respiratory problems or both. Immigrant families seeking asylum stand in line at the bus station after they were processed and released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on June 29, 2018, in McAllen. (Photo: Eric Gay/AP) Wendy Young is president of Kids in Need of Defense, or KIND, which provides pro-bono legal representation to unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings and also recently sent a number of staffers on a fact-finding trip to Tijuana. I havent heard anything like that at all, she said, when asked about the supposed uptick in migrants crossing the border with illness. She suggested that DHS is trying to pass the buck by blaming the recent deaths of children in their custody on other circumstances. Young argued that by implementing policies that force asylum-seekers to spend more time in Mexico, where she described migrants living in very substandard conditions [with] inadequate food, water and shelter, the Trump administration is actually creating circumstances in which children are certain to become ill. In her statement Wednesday, Nielsen also announced additional measures to ensure more thorough medical screenings for all children in Border Patrol custody, calling on the U.S. Coast Guard Medical Corps and the Department of Defense for assistance. But Shapiro argued that unless they bring in pediatric experts, theyre not going to meet needs of children. In the aftermath of Jakelins death earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics and 13 other professional medical organizations wrote to Nielsen and McAleenan urging the implementation of specific meaningful steps to ensure that all children and pregnant women in CBP custody receive appropriate medical and mental health screening and necessary follow-up care by trained providers. Professional organizations around the country are clamoring, are begging our immigration officials to allow us to work with them to provide the proper care for children, said Shapiro. Its important that we can monitor the situation in these facilities and provide expert guidance to CBP and to DHS on the care of children in custody. AAP President Colleen Kraft, MD, told NBC News that shed received a call from CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan this week. He recognizes that this is a problem, Kraft told NBC News. He was willing to start the conversation; we dont have any details beyond that. Nielsen traveled to El Paso on Friday, where she was expected to visit several facilities run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and hold meetings with local officials, medical professionals and emergency medical technicians. Her border tour was set to continue in Yuma, Ariz., on Saturday. Read more from Yahoo News: Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A has plans to commence the development of Argentina's Vaca Muerta basin, in order to boost output from the country. It targets a production of 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOED) by 2025, primarily from the Coiron Amargo Sur Oeste, Cruz de Lorena and Sierras Blancas blocks. The daily output from the blocks is recorded at 4,500 BOE during this year, per media report. Shells Plan of Action Shell sees long-term growth potential in the Vaca Muerta basin. By 2021, the company plans to reach an output level of 40,000 BOED from the region, where it wants to drill more than 300 wells in 38 locations. The blocks mentioned above cover around 98,800 acres. The company intends to improve the infrastructure in the said basin through building a crude processing plant, water storage facilities, 75 kilometers of pipelines and 100 kilometers of roads. Shell is starting the development project 18 months ahead of its scheduled timeline of 2020. Moreover, Shell expects that developing the oil assets in the region will enable the company to generate enough cash flow, which can later be used for enhancing natural gas operations. Shell has 90% stake in the Cruz de Lorena and Sierras Blancas blocks, whereas Gas y Petroleo del Neuquen holds the rest. Shell has 80% stake in the Coiron Amargo Sur Oeste block, with Gas y Petroleo and Vista Oil and Gas holding 10% stake, each. Vaca Muerta: New Hot Destination? The Vaca Muerta basin is one of the worlds biggest shale plays. Per Argentinian Energy Secretariat, oil and natural gas production from the basin is expected to reach 1 million barrels and 260 million cubic meters per day in 2023. One of the biggest integrated energy companies in the world, Chevron Corp. CVX, and Argentinean state-run YPF Sociedad Anonima YPF have plans to jointly invest $800 million in the basin to drill 20 wells next year. While Chevron plans to spend $200 million to drill eight wells in the El Trapial oil field, YPF Sociedad intends to allocate $600 million in the three blocks located in the northern part of the province. Story continues Price Performance Headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, the stock has lost 13.1% in the past year compared with 13.2% collective decline of the industry it belongs to. Zacks Rank and A Stock to Consider Shell currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Investors interested in the energy sector can opt for a better-ranked stock as given below: Calgary, Canada-based Gran Tierra Energy Inc. GTE is an international oil and gas exploration and production company. Its bottom line for 2018 is expected to surge more than 300% year over year. The company delivered a positive average earnings surprise of 24% in the trailing four quarters. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (GTE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report YPF Sociedad Anonima (YPF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research After a two-day manhunt, California authorities say they have tracked down a man they suspect killed a small-town police officer during a traffic stop the day after Christmas. Kern County sheriff's deputies, FBI agents, Homeland Security and other law enforcement officials arrested Gustavo Perez Arriaga in a home in Bakersfield, California, about 280 miles southeast of Newman, where Cpl. Ronil Singh was shot. SWAT deputies surrounded the residence and Perez Arriaga surrendered without trouble, the Kern County Sheriff's Office said. Perez Arriaga was arrested on a warrant for murder. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said authorities identified the man on Thursday. We were never more than a step behind this guy," Christianson said in a press conference. Christianson said Perez Arriaga, 32, was living in the United States illegally. Two other men, Adrian Virgen, 25, and Erik Razo Quiroz, 27, were arrested on Thursday. Authorities say they were trying to help Perez Arriaga escape to Mexico after Singh was shot and killed. "We had them in custody, asked them for their cooperation and they lied to us," Christianson said. Virgen is Perez Arriaga's brother, authorities said. Quiroz was a coworker. Three other people from the Bakersfield house charged with aiding and abetting, according to Kern County Sheriff's Office. They were 59-year-old Bernabe Madrigal Castaneda, 36-year-old Erasmo Villegas and 57-year-old Maria Luisa Moreno, all of Bakersfield. Perez Arriaga, who is from Mexico, worked sporadically as a laborer, authorities said. They said he had known gang affiliations and had two prior drunken driving arrests. The following pictures of the suspect including a name & birth date have been circulating on social media. We can confirm these are pictures of the man who murdered Corporal Ronil Singh. We CANNOT, however, confirm that the correct name or birth date is being put out. pic.twitter.com/cSCvE1DhEF Stanislaus Sheriff (@StanSheriff) December 28, 2018 Christianson said Perez Arriaga went by multiple aliases and operated Facebook pages under different names. He also said that Perez Arriaga was attempting to escape back to Mexico Story continues This suspect is in our country illegally," Christianson said. "He doesnt belong here. He is a criminal." Authorities said Virgen and Quiroz were also in the U.S. illegally. President Donald Trump weighed in on the officer's slaying, using the manhunt to double down on his demand that Congress approve $5 billion for a border wall, the issue at the center of the partial government shutdown. "Time to get tough on Border Security," Trump tweeted. "Build the Wall!" There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2018 Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson fought back tears as he pleaded for help in the search. He loved being a police officer, Richardson said, shaking. He loved being a husband. He loved being a father." My department is hurting. Were struggling through this. Singh, 33, is the first Newman officer to die in the line of duty. He was shot at about 1 a.m. Wednesday after pulling over a suspected drunken driver 100 miles southeast of San Francisco, authorities said. Singh fired back at the suspect to defend himself, Christianson said. The suspect fled the scene. Authorities found an abandoned silver pickup truck. Singh, an immigrant from Fiji, died at a local hospital. Authorities say surveillance photos from a nearby convenience store show the suspect, a heavyset man with short dark hair wearing a chain necklace, dark T-shirt and jacket. Singh came to the United States to pursue a career in public service, authorities said. He joined the Newman police force in 2011. He is survived by his wife and 5-month-old son. This undated photo provided by the Newman Police Department shows officer Ronil Singh of Newman Police Department. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Singh was conducting a traffic stop early Wednesday when he called out "shots fired" over his radio. "He will never see his son walk," Richardson said. "He doesn't get to hold that little boy, hug his wife, say goodnight anymore because a coward took his life." Singh's younger brother, Reggie, spoke at a press conference with police on Friday. "Hes not coming back, but there is a lot of people out there that miss him," he said. He tearfully thanked law enforcement "from the bottom of my heart" for working quickly to make an arrest. Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sheriff: Man arrested in killing of California cop has known gang affiliations Elephant menace hits Saptari A herd of elephants from the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve has been wreaking havoc in different parts of Saptari district. In the past one month, around 40 houses were destroyed and about two dozen families displaced by the elephant menace. The locals are terrorised as the elephants continue to destroy houses and crops and attempt to attack people. Joaquin Mexicans living in the state of Sinaloa have received a delivery of Christmas parcels, with a message wishing them well from a leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Wrapped in clear plastic, the baskets came with a card bearing a short message: Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from your friend Cholo Ivan. El Cholo Ivan is Orso Ivan Gastelum Cruz, who was the cartels former chief lieutenant, senior hitman and head of security for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman - currently on trial in New York. Gastelum is one of the most infamous of Mexican "narcos", and has had numerous ballads dedicated to him. His fame only rose with his relationship with Miss Sinaloa, Maria Susana Flores, who died in a shootout with police in October 2012, an AK-47 in her hands. A wildly popular television series detailing his life, called El Desconocido, sealed his infamy. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is currently on trial in New York Gastelum was arrested with Guzman in January 2016, and remains in prison. The Christmas baskets arrived in a series of trucks, driven by men in black, making deliveries in the towns and villages around Mocorito and Salvador Alvarado, in central Mexico. The gifts are not the first time that the cartel has attempted "social work". In September, after a tropical storm ravaged Sinaloa, supplies were sent - mattresses, cooking stoves and rations - with the initials JGL, for Guzman. And last month, a witness for the prosecution in Guzman's trial in New York told how the cartel leader had bought 50 luxury cars in the 1990s, for distribution to his friends, families and supporters. London (AFP) - Britain's Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said Thursday that a spike in migrants crossing the Channel by boat was "deeply concerning", after dozens of people were rescued overnight. British border officials found 23 Iranians in three locations in Kent on England's southeast coast early Thursday, hours after French maritime authorities intercepted 11 migrants in a small boat near Sangatte. "The number of incidents over recent days is deeply concerning," said Nokes. "Some of this is clearly facilitated by organised crime groups while other attempts appear to be opportunistic." Nine Iranians, including three children, were the first to be found early Thursday on a beach near the Kent port town of Folkstone, after sailing from northern France in a 13-foot (four-metre) inflatable boat. Matt Crittenden, of the Littlestone-on-Sea lifeboat station, told AFP its search and rescue helicopter had spotted them and alerted police. "We realised they were safe and sound, and the police took over," he said. Britain's interior ministry said each migrant had been given medical assessments. "All of the adults have been transferred to immigration officials for interview and the three minors have been transferred to the care of social services," it added. The ministry said two more boats were discovered at around 8:30am (0830 GMT), both near the port of Dover, carrying 14 Iranian males. It said they had also all received medical checkups and been taken for immigration interviews. Authorities on both sides of the Channel are worried about the sharp increase in the number of migrants trying to reach Britain by sea. Attempts to cross the Channel -- one of the world's busiest shipping lanes -- have multiplied since October, with a particular spike recorded over the Christmas period. British authorities took in 43 people in English waters on Christmas Day and December 26. Nokes said officials on both sides of the Channel were coordinating efforts through a joint information centre opened in Calais in late November "to tackle criminality at the border". Sometimes a Starbucks barista has something to more offer than a Frappuccino and a smile. Nicole McNeil, a barista at the DuPont, Wash., Starbucks knew something was going on with long-time customer Vince Villano when he seemed down during his trips to her store.. So she she sat down with him and asked him what was wrong, KIRO-TV reports. Turns out, Villano, an Army veteran, needed a new kidney. He was suffering from polycystic kidney disease his kidneys were only functioning at about 4% and he was facing a life on dialysis. The debilitating condition has no treatment and the only option is a kidney transplant. The story stuck with McNeil, who went home and shared the heart-breaking tale with her husband, Justin McNeil. The story struck a chord with Justin, too, and he ultimately decided to donate a kidney to Villano. I said, Ive got a kidney, you know, we could do this. I think Im willing to do that, Justin McNeil told KIRO. It didnt take long. The couple gave Villano the news and as they embarked on the long journey of medical testing to confirm the donation would work, the three struck up a close friendship. Villano and Justin McNeil, who is also an Army veteran, spent months traveling back and forth from DuPont, which is between Olympia and Tacoma in Washington State, to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. In general, having them as friends, family, I wouldnt want it to not be this way. I cant imagine not having them in my life, Villano told KIRO. Both Villano and Justin McNeil had their surgeries on Wednesday and, according to an update posted by Starbucks, The doctors told [Nicole McNeil] the kidney Justin McNeil donated to Villano looks great, and a post-surgery ultrasound confirmed it is functioning well. EL PASO, Texas (AP) A shelter director in the Texas border city of El Paso says his agency has served 1,300 people in the last five days after they were released by U.S. immigration authorities. Ruben Garcia of Annunciation House said Thursday that nonprofit groups have had to expand their services because more people are crossing the border and the government doesn't have the space to hold them. Garcia estimates his organization spends $150,000 a month renting rooms because there isn't enough shelter space. More than 500 people arrived on Wednesday. Sister Norma Pimentel of Catholic Charities in Texas' Rio Grande Valley says her respite center is also serving more people than usual. The Department of Homeland Security has come under harsh scrutiny after the second death of a migrant child in U.S. custody in three weeks. A DHS spokeswoman says the U.S. is in "an immigration crisis." A fitting model enters data in a laptop. Photo: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Most of us know that taking a break from work does us the world of good. But for many, a week or two away from the office simply doesnt cut it an extended period away is the answer. A sabbatical is a temporary break from work which is usually paid and lasts anywhere from several weeks to a year. Sabbaticals used to be offered mainly to academic professors or researchers, but a number of UK companies now offer sabbaticals. Deloitte offers two sabbatical programmes an unpaid one-month break that can be taken for any reason, and a two-to-six month sabbatical that can be taken to pursue personal or professional growth. On the longer break, employees received 40% of their salary. For many employees, though, there is no automatic right to time off from work other than their annual leave, as there are no laws that cover taking a career break. Most will only get paid time away for maternity leave, which is certainly no break to recuperate or pursue professional development. And if you choose not to have children and arent offered paid time away for any other reason, theres little scope to take more than an occasional week off for a holiday. Sabbaticals should never take away or replace maternity leave, of course, but arguably everyone should have the opportunity to take a temporary break from work. Whether its to study, do voluntary work or simply get out of a work rut, there are many reasons why people take sabbaticals. For some, its a safer, easier option than quitting when they need time away from their job. For others, its about improving their health. Burnout is a serious problem and companies risk losing some of their hardest-working employees due to high stress and its detrimental impact on health. Earlier this year, a survey of 1,000 US workers by the University of Cambridge found that nearly half of all employees were moderately to highly engaged in their work but also exhausted and ready to leave their organisations, said co-author Dr Jochen Menges. This should give managers a lot to think about. Story continues In the UK, research published in 2017 by Opodo found half of respondents (49%) said they would take a sabbatical to get away from the stress of working life, with 41% taking a break for their mental health. Although it is a cost to businesses, the argument for a paid sabbatical is one that should be discussed in most sectors, especially from a health perspective, says Keith McNiven, personal trainer and founder of Right Path Fitness . The risk of burning out is becoming more and more apparent, with mental health and health issues on the rise, and many dont take time out for fear that they wont have a job when they return. By incorporating a paid sabbatical into a contract, or at the very least offering this to long-term employees, businesses could end up with a healthier, more productive workplace. Companies might balk at the thought of employees taking an extended period of time off work, but research has shown sabbaticals have benefits for both employees and employers. A 2010 study compared 129 university professors who had taken a sabbatical with 129 who didnt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those who took a break reported an improvement in their wellbeing, lower stress levels and an increase in psychological resources benefits which continued long after they returned to work. A study published in 2009 surveyed the impact of taking a sabbatical on 61 leaders at five non-profit organisations. The majority of those who took a break said it allowed them to think outside the box, gave them greater confidence in their role and ultimately, raise funds for their organisations more effectively. Despite these benefits, many employees still fear that taking a sabbatical will harm their career prospects. According to the Opodo research, 21% thought taking time off could make them less employable. In 2014, a survey found 70% of women fear taking a career break, whether it is to have children, travel or study. If you want to broach the topic of sabbaticals with your employer, the legal and workplace relations advice service Acas recommends checking your companys policy before speaking to your boss about why you want time off. Dont make demands, ensure agreements are made in writing and make sure you know what will happen when you return and if youll be doing the same job. To listen to more workplace tips, download Yahoo Presents Its a Jungle Out Therepodcast on Apple Podcasts, ACast, or Google podcasts to listen while on the go. Students walk across the campus of the University of Missouri, where a grad student was suspended for sexually harassing and stalking a female classmate. (Photo: Getty Images) A former University of Missouri grad student allegedly sexually harassed and stalked a woman then sued the school for racial discrimination when he was banned from campus. In 2016, the school in Columbia, Mo., ruled that Jeremy Rowles, 40, an African-American PhD student in cultural anthropology had violated Title IX, a law that protects students against sexual harassment, by harassing and stalking classmate Annalise Breaux. After an investigation, Rowles was suspended for a period of four years (later reduced to two) and banned indefinitely from the campus residence halls and the Student Recreation Center. Rowles filed a lawsuit in December 2017, arguing that other students found guilty of sexual harassment and stalking received much lighter sentences because they are white. On Monday, Rowless attorney J. Andrew Hirth filed a motion asking the judge to rule in the exiled students favor, allowing him to return to the University of Missouri with a clean record. According to the motion, Rowles and Breaux met in fall 2015 at Kaldis coffeehouse, where Breaux was a barista. Rowles didnt receive his correct order, so Breaux gave him a token for a free drink. Jeremy Rowles, a former student at the University of Missouri, is suing the school for racial discrimination after he was suspended for allegedly stalking and sexually harassing a classmate. (Photo: Courtesy of Andrew Hirth) In the spring, the two met again Rowles enrolled in dance classes taught by Breaux at the Student Recreation Center, and he asked her out on a date. His advance made Breaux feel extremely uncomfortable, so she declined; however, the next week, Rowles started sending her Facebook messages which became more frequent and increasingly romantic in nature. Breaux responded over Facebook: Jeremy, I really appreciate your feedback about my class and choreography, but these messages are getting excessive. I think our friendship needs to remain in the professional setting. Many of the things you say, like that Instagram comment for example, is over the top and I wouldnt be comfortable hanging out outside of my places of work. I still want you to come to Tiger Tease and enjoy your time there, but I need my space outside of class and I think a line has been crossed here. Story continues Rowles was apologetic. Oh my god, I am so sorry Annalise!! he responded. I thought I am so sorry. I took our conversation last Tuesday as you agreeing to a date. I am so sorry, I read your reaction completely the wrong way. I feel so bad that I caused you to be uncomfortable, I really apologize. He promised to keep it strictly friendly from here on out. A few months later, Rowles got in touch again, asking Breaux where he could take private dance lessons, and she referred him to the Student Recreation Center. Later, he asked her to give him private lessons, and she said no. The campus of the University of Missouri, where Jeremy Rowles was a student. (Photo: Getty Images) After an October class, Breaux dashed off to the bathroom to avoid [Rawles], so he gave her co-teacher a note for Breaux. It contained the lyric Take me back to the start from the Coldplay song The Scientist and the free-drink token he had saved from their first meeting. Breaux called the note bizarre. A week later, Rowles handed Breaux a three-page letter that contained apologies and a confession of love' which she said made her extremely uncomfortable, and she filed a complaint with the schools Title IX office accusing Rowles of harassment on the basis of sex. This was the second investigation of Rowles for behavior that was considered inappropriate. In September 2015, a student complained that as a teaching assistant, Rowles invited her to his office at night and suggested that her grade would improve with sexual favors. Rowles wasnt found guilty of sexual harassment; however, according to documents in Hirths motion, it was deemed concerning that [Rowles] failed to learn from the previous incident. On Friday, some media outlets cherry-picked a small detail from the motion a compilation of four different lengthy depositions. While Hirth attempted to prove that Rawless behavior did not fit the definition of sexual harassment because he was a student of Breauxs and therefore not in a position of power, he asked Cathy Scroggs, the former vice chancellor for student affairs, whether Rawless size was a factor. Was it just his size? Scroggs was asked, to which she answered: His physical size. Some publications ran with this detail. The College Fix wrote, Mizzou official: Asking a smaller woman on a date violates Title IX, and the Daily Wire wrote, Mizzou Official Claims Tall Men Asking Out Short Women Could Constitute Sexual Misconduct. The National Review focused on the same angle calling Rawless behavior merely pestering then retracted the article for omitting important details such as Rowless repeated unwelcome advances. A representative of the University of Missouri told Yahoo Lifestyle: The information regarding a recent Title IX case at the University of Missouri presented in the Daily Wire and other media is out of context and incomplete, creating an inaccurate picture of the situation. These reports left out important facts that can be found in court records regarding the suspended students repeated conduct both in person and on social media. Multiple complaints and concerns were expressed by at least four female students, and they provide important contextual information about this situation. The University of Missouri stands by its decision a decision that was made to protect the welfare of our students. Hirth acknowledges that recent headlines are a gross oversimplification of a very complicated case. The pretrial motion is only a portion of a lawsuit taken in which both parties seek information from the opposing side, he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Its also not a deposition its a request for the judge to rule in favor of the plaintiff given the evidence. Rowless legal team is arguing that the two white students found guilty of stalking and sexual harassment received minor punishments of counseling and a six-month suspension, despite the fact that one was accused of nonconsensual sexual contact, nonconsensual sexual intercourse and threatening or intimidating behaviors, none of which they say apply to Rawless interaction with Breaux. The university cant provide an explanation for why Jeremy, a black man, was treated so differently than his white peers, Hirth tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Hes arguing that Title IXs definition of sexual harassment is vague, allowing universities too much power in determining guilt. Hirth agrees that Rawless behavior was gushy and excessive but says he just failed to read social cues. Jeremy didnt take the hint. The date for Rawless lawsuit is set for June. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Emphasis on public awareness of statutory rights National Assembly (NA) Chairman Ganesh Timilsina has insisted that peoples awareness level should be increased to fully implement provisions in the constitution and acts. By any normal political logic, the partial government shutdown should be long over by now. Polls show that more people blame President Donald Trump than congressional Democrats for the ongoing crisis, while the presidents national approval rating continues to tank. Meanwhile, Trump is no closer to securing funding for a border wall with Mexico the sticking point that led to the shutdown and a goal that remains consistently unpopular among a majority of Americans. Results like these would have led most past presidents to call off the fight. But Trumps intransigence is illustrative of his larger political philosophy, which has often hinged on performing for the Republican base rather than gauging the mood of the country. This strategy has worked for Trump in the past, but may provide an opportunity for Democrats as they take the the House in 2019 and prepare to face off against him in 2020. Trumps rapid rise in politics has been the result, in part, of his willingness to embrace political tribalism. In the 2016 and 2018 elections, he made very little effort to reach out to Democrats and encouraged purity tests among his fellow Republicans. In November, Trump responded to the results of the midterm election in which his party lost the House of Representatives by becoming more entrenched: instead of expressing contrition or pledging to work with Democrats, he mocked the moderate Republicans who lost on the grounds that they did not embrace him enough. Trumps position on the shutdown is a continuation of that same strategy: he is placing his political prospects squarely on the loyalty of the Republican base. In essence, hes never stopped running the formative race of his political career: the 2016 Republican primary. By that measure, Trumps obstinance this week, despite declining approval in the polls, makes perfect sense. Nearly a week into the shutdown, polls of registered Republicans show overwhelming support for Trumps handling of the shutdown, and his approval rating among the GOP remains a sky-high 89 percent. Meantime, more than three-fourths of Republicans favor building the border wall. Story continues Trump has also publicly embraced his role as stubborn fighter for the Republican hardline. Under normal political logic, presidents facing a potential shutdown might attempt to pin the blame on the other party. Trump, instead, announced that he would be proud to shut down the government in front of TV cameras in a White House meeting. And when seeking to end a shutdown gracefully, a typical president might have looked for ground to compromise. So far, Trumps biggest concession has been to suggest that he would be open to steel slats instead of an actual wall, a suggestion that addresses approximately none of the Democrats concerns over a border wall. In this way, Trumps decision to double-down on the shutdown is reminiscent of Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs push to close the government in 2013 over the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. That move raised Cruzs profile among conservatives but ultimately proved disastrous for Republican leaders in Congress. The same may be true of Trump. In 2019, Democratic lawmakers, and especially those in the U.S. House, will be playing a national political game. While theyll attempt to thwart the Trump agenda where possible, theyll also remain focused on persuadable voters in battleground districts and states in the 2020 eletions. The shutdown fight allows the Democrats to reflect the desires of the majority of Americans who want neither the shutdown to continue nor a border wall while appealing to the Democratic base by appearing to stand up to Trump. Polls show that congressional Democrats supporters, as well as the independents they hope to keep on their side in future elections, generally agree with ending the shutdown and refusing to fund a border wall. The President said more than 25 times he wanted a shutdown and unfortunately, he has unnecessarily caused one because he has chosen to ignore any viable proposal that would secure the border and pass both the House and Senate, including those that Leaders Pelosi and Schumer supported, Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said in a statement Thursday. Instead, the President continues to push proposals to fund the ineffective and expensive wall, which he knows cant pass the Senate. Congressional aides on both sides of the aisle seem resigned to the fact that the shutdown will last at least until Jan. 3, when Democrats will officially assume control of the House of Representatives. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells office has said that the upper chamber would vote before then on a deal if there is an agreement, but noted that the Democrats have not even given the White House a counter-offer. If the shutdown lasts through the new year, Democrats will introduce a bill to re-open the government, but negotiations are ongoing about what that would look like. And as long as Trump and Democrats are using different strategies, the fight will likely be a draw, with both sides claiming victory by their own metrics. But the real test will come when the next fight begins in 2020. If the normal political rules apply, the Democratic nominee should find Trump easy to beat. But if his bet on political tribalism pays off, that may become the new normal. With Alana Abramson in Washington A month has gone by since the last earnings report for VMware (VMW). Shares have lost about 1.9% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500. Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is VMware due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. VMware Q3 Benefits From Robust NSX and vSAN Growth VMware reported third-quarter fiscal 2019 non-GAAP earnings of $1.56 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by six cents and increased 26.8% from the year-ago quarter. Revenues of $2.20 billion also surpassed the consensus mark of $2.17 billion and improved 13.5% on a year-over-year basis. Strong top-line growth was primarily driven by robust performance from NSX and vSAN product lines. Enterprise agreements were 42% of total bookings. VMware stated that nine deals were worth more than $10 million. Management raised fiscal 2019 guidance based on solid third-quarter results. The company also provided initial fiscal 2020 guidance. Region wise, U.S. revenues (47.8% of total revenues) increased 8.5%, while International (52.2%) grew 18.6% from the year-ago quarter. Services revenues (59.8% of total revenues) increased 11.5% to $1.32 billion. License revenues (40.2% of total revenues) grew 16.6% year over year to $884 million. Hybrid Cloud and SaaS represented 10% of total revenues and grew 35% year over year. VMware Cloud Provider Program (VCPP) increased 30% from the year-ago quarter. Robust Bookings NSX license bookings, including VeloCloud, increased more than 40% year over year and its adoption continues to expand. Notably, nine out of the top 10 enterprise agreements in the quarter included NSX. Moreover, vSAN license bookings soared 50% on a year-over-year basis. Notably, eight of the companys top 10 deals included vSAN. EUC license bookings were up high-single digits, driven by robust performance from Workspace ONE, VMwares platform that securely delivers any application to any device. Notably, eight out of the top 10 enterprise agreements included EUC. Core SDDC license bookings (combination of compute and management) grew high-single digits on a year-over-year basis. Compute grew low-single digits and management bookings were up in the high-teens range. VMware exited third-quarter 2019 with almost $144 million of license backlog, which is $3 million higher on a sequential basis. Portfolio & Partnership Expansions, Acquisition Details VMwares partnership with Amazon is expanding rapidly. During the quarter, data center expansion across multiple regions in Asia-Pacific, including Sydney and Tokyo, were open for VMware Cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS). At VMworld 2018, the company announced the new Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) on VMware. Most recently, VMware announced two new offerings for AWS Outposts. It also announced VMware Cloud Foundation for EC2 that provides AWS native Outposts customers a software-defined data center experience, supported by NSX, vRealize Automation and Network Insights, and AppDefense. Moreover, partnership between IBM and VMware expanded during the quarter. The expansion includes a new IBM Service offering to help migrate and extend mission-critical VMware workloads to the IBM Cloud. It also encompasses new integrations to help enterprises modernize applications with Kubernetes and containers. Further, partnerships with Alibaba and Rackspace are expected to drive VCPP growth in the long haul. VMware expanded its integrated hybrid cloud offering, VMware Cloud Foundation 3.5, to deliver greater deployment flexibility and choice, including new Kubernetes support. Other enhancements included the new VMware vSphere Platinum Edition along with updates to VMware vSAN and the VMware vRealize Cloud Management platform. The company also added innovative features to Workspace ONE platform and extended modern management and security across the platform. Moreover, VMware NSX SD-WAN by VeloCloud is targeting integration with Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN in the first half of 2019. VMware continued its acquisition spree in the quarter. The company acquired CloudHealth Technologies, a cloud operations platform across AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and VMware environments. VMware also inked definitive agreement to buy Heptio, a leader in the open Kubernetes ecosystem. Operating Details Non-GAAP gross margin contracted 10 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis to 87.7%. License gross margin contracted 70 bps. Services gross margin contracted 10 bps in the quarter. Research & development (R&D) expenses as percentage of revenues remain unchanged at 18.2%. While sales & marketing (S&M) expenses as percentage of revenues increased 20 bps, general & administrative (G&A) expenses declined 130 bps. Non-GAAP operating expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased 110 bps to 54%. As a result, non-GAAP operating margin expanded 100 bps to 33.7% in the quarter. Balance Sheet & Cash Flow At the end of third-quarter fiscal 2019, cash & cash equivalents were $13.53 billion compared with $13.30 billion in the year-ago quarter. Operating cash flow was $769 million in the quarter, while free cash flow was $712 million. In the previous quarter, operating cash flow was $787 million and free cash flow was $726 million. On Jul 2, VMware announced an $11-billion one-time conditional special dividend that it expects to pay toward the end of December. Guidance For fourth-quarter fiscal 2019, revenues are anticipated to be $2.5 billion, up 12.3% year over year. License revenues are expected to increase 12.9% from the year-ago quarter to $1.15 billion. Non-GAAP operating margin is anticipated to be 37.3%. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be $1.87 per share. For fiscal 2019, revenues are projected to increase 13% (up from 12.2%) to almost $8.882 billion (up from $8.820 billion). License revenues are expected to increase 15.9% year over year to $3.708 billion. Non-GAAP operating margin is anticipated to be 33.8%, up 10 bps from prior guidance. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be $6.22 per share, better than prior guidance of $6.14. VMware projects cash flow from operations of $3.6 billion, up from $3.575 billion expected earlier. Capital expenditures are expected to be $250 million and free cash flow to be approximately $3.35 billion. For fiscal 2020, VMware expects revenues to grow 12% year over year. Non-GAAP operating margin is anticipated to be approximately 33%. Story continues How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then? Fresh estimates followed an upward path over the past two months. VGM Scores Currently, VMware has an average Growth Score of C, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy. Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in. Outlook VMware has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report VMware, Inc. (VMW) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Ethereum is at best a $13 billion science experiment, believes Tuur Demeester. The Austrian economist, known for his anti-Ethereum remarks, explained why he has been overly pessimistic about the blockchain project in a 50-pointer thread. A majority of these points referred to the Ethereum teams earlier promises of improving the main chains scalability. Ethereum Cant Scale? Demeester, for instance, touched upon a peer review report of Ethereums Casper/sharding whitepaper, a solution that was proposed to scale the mainnet in 2014. The review, as the economist pointed out, concluded that the Casper protocol was at most a theoritical solution which, in practical terms, can neither provide the Ethereum blockchain any meaningful security, nor can solve its scalability issues. In another example, Demeester reminded followers that the Ethereum developers were exploring a second-layer solution, similar to the Bitcoins Lightning Network solution. However, he doubted whether or not main-chain issued ERC20 type tokens would be compatible with Ethereums second layer. Proof-of-Stake Solution Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin in 2017 proposed another scalability solution, but it had to do with a complete infrastructural overhaul of the project. He recommended that Ethereum should transit from being a Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake project. In PoW, each miner has to compete with other miners in the network to solve a mathematical problem by providing its compting power. The more the computing power is, the better is the probability of the miner to solve the problem and win the block reward. On the other hand, PoS protocol allocates the right to mine to those the most that have more coins. In return, the rich miner takes away a transaction fees instead of a block reward. Demeester questioned why PoS, which has not a new concept, was picked at such a later stage of the Ethereum development. If this was the plan all along, why create a proof-of-work chain first? he asked and added that such an upgrade would change the economy of the system. Story continues Keep in mind that [PoS] is not a new concept at all. PoW actually was one of the [biggest] innovations that made Bitcoin possible, after PoS was deemed impractical because of censorship vulnerability. Overbought Demeester also said that Ethereum is an extemely overbought asset because of the hype it garnered since its inception. According to him, Buterin promised Ethereum followers a utopia an unproven future of a perfect proof of stake system based on social consensus-based hard forks and perpetual income to every Ether holder. Demeester also highlighted Ethereums efforts to brand itself as JavaScript-on-the-blockchain, referring to the smart contract technology that saw mentions in almost every blockchain project in the past four years. This was criticized by P2P and OS developers as a reckless notion, given that amat contracts are actually a de nova cryptographic protocol, he added. In other words, its playing with fire. The economist also made references to reports mentioning Ethereum as the worlds supercomputer, the perfect censorship resistant solution. The Complete Thread Thread by @TuurDemeester: 1/ People often ask me why Im so against Ethereum. Why do I go out of my way to point out flaws or make analogies that put it in a bad li [] Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Yahoo of Crypto: Bitcoin Economist Makes Case Against Science Experiment Ethereum appeared first on CCN. Dubai (AFP) - Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the port of Hodeida, under a truce agreement, a UN official said Saturday, amid doubts over the handover process by pro-government forces. The UN official, who requested anonymity, said the Huthi rebels began to pull back from the Red Sea port at midnight (2100 GMT Friday). But a pro-government official told AFP that the loyalists were "surprised" by reports of a port handover. "Who is that that they handed the port to and how," the official said. "The Huthis have taken advantage of their control of Hodeida and placed their fighters in both the navy and coastguard, something that has been a major source of concern for the legitimate government. "The UN has to have a clear mechanism in place to ensure that there is a proper recruitment process for these crucial infrastructures." In a statement carried by Yemen's Saba state news agency, another pro-government official said that it was "a clear attempt by the rebels to warp the contents of the agreement" reached at peace talks in Sweden earlier this month. The port is the entry point for food aid to 14 million Yemenis on the brink of famine, according to UN figures, and the rebel withdrawal is a key part of a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched on June 13 with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition. The Huthis began "the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port", a rebel official told the Huthi-run Saba news agency. The UN Security Council last week unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to oversee the hard-won truce for Hodeida. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint truce monitoring committee, which includes both government and rebel representatives, and chaired its first meeting this week. Story continues The UN-led panel addressed "the first phase of the implementation of the agreement... based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment," a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss "detailed plans for full redeployment". Despite the start of the Huthi withdrawal, the agreement hit a stumbling block later on Saturday with the coalition saying the rebels had not allowed an aid convoy to leave the port. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said that the insurgents "denied the exit of the UN humanitarian convoy... headed to (rebel-held) Sanaa that was carrying 32 tonnes of flour," in a statement carried by state-run Saudi Press Agency. The Huthis, in turn, said in a statement that the road was "not yet unblocked because the other side has not withdrawn" from Hodeida city. - Shaky truce - The truce has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations. A resident reached by telephone on Saturday told AFP pro-government and rebel forces had exchanged fire briefly overnight. The resident added that coalition jets were heard overhead on Saturday morning. The pro-government official told AFP on Saturday that the Huthis have violated the truce 246 times, in which 21 loyalists were killed and 174 wounded. "The coalition has not launched a single airstrike in Hodeida province since the ceasefire went into effect.," he said. "Since the ceasefire, the Huthis have erected eight new checkpoints, 109 barrier and dug up 21 new trenches. "The impunity with which the Huthis are violating the ceasefire in Hodeida is deeply worrisome." In addition to the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida, the agreement included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees. A "mutual understanding" was also reached to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under the control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides have agreed to meet in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population -- now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Civil servants and teachers have been left without salaries for months, owing to the country's collapsed economy, but those in Hodeida are set to finally receive their wages after Hadi on Thursday instructed the government to pay them. By Abduljabbar Zeyad HODEIDAH, Yemen (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi forces have started to redeploy from the port of the Red Sea city of Hodeidah as part of a U.N.-sponsored peace agreement signed in Sweden earlier this month, a U.N. source and a spokesman for the group said on Saturday. The Iranian-aligned Houthis have agreed with the Saudi-backed government to implement a ceasefire in Hodeidah province and withdraw their respective forces. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, the head of a United Nations advance team charged with monitoring the ceasefire, arrived in Hodeidah this week. Under the deal, international monitors are to be deployed in Hodeidah and a Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) including both sides, chaired by Cammaert, will oversee implementation. The committee started its meetings this week. A U.N. source said the Houthi forces, which control the city and its strategic port, had started to redeploy overnight. Hodeidah's Houthi governor, Mohammed Ayash Qaheem, told Reuters that the group's fighters had withdrawn from the port as specified in the peace agreement, handing control to local units of Yemeni coast guards who were in charge of protecting ports before the war. These will be under U.N. supervision. A Reuters camera operator saw the U.N. team led by Cammaert witnessing the fighters' withdrawal. The Houthis' withdrawal from the three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Rass Issa is intended to be the first step in the implementation of the agreement, to be followed by both sides pulling their forces out of the city and the surrounding province. BUILDING CONFIDENCE Military officials from the government forces, which control some southern parts of the city of Hodeidah, said they needed time to establish if the Houthi forces had really withdrawn from the ports. The government fears that the coast guards may remain loyal to the Houthi-controlled Sanaa government after the withdrawal. It is still unclear how far the forces will withdraw and who will eventually control the three ports and the city, or if the two sides will share control with U.N. monitors positioned between the two fronts. Cammaerts team will not be uniformed or armed, the United Nations has said, but it will provide support for the management of and inspections at the ports, and strengthen the U.N. presence in the city. The agreement, the first significant breakthrough in peace efforts in five years, was part of confidence-building measures intended to pave the way for a wider truce and a framework for political negotiations. The international community has been trying for months to avert an all-out government assault on Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemens commercial goods and aid supplies, and a lifeline for millions of Yemenis on the verge of starvation. The truce came into force on Dec. 18. On Friday, the United Nations said both parties had agreed to begin opening humanitarian corridors, starting with the key coastal road between Hodeidah and the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. The parties are due to present detailed plans for a full redeployment to Cammaert at the next RCC meeting on Jan. 1, the United Nations said in a statement. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi and Mohammed Ghobari, writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Kevin Liffey) By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City police will use an aerial drone for the first time to monitor the crowds gathered in Times Square on Monday for the New Year's Eve ball-drop celebrations, officials said on Friday, adding there was no known threat to the night's festivities. The camera-carrying drone will be tethered to the roof of a building and will not fly directly over the hundreds of thousands of revelers in the area, but it will add an additional vantage-point alongside the 1,225 fixed video cameras that police will deploy. Using counter-drone technology, the New York Police Department will also work with federal agents to thwart any civilians tempted to fly their own drones through Manhattan's canyons as 2019 dawns. "Don't fly a drone that night," Police Commissioner James O'Neill told reporters at a news conference. "If you fly one, there's a good chance you're going to end up getting arrested." Rogue drone operators recently crippled London's Gatwick Airport for three days by sending the flying machines repeatedly into the airfield. The security plan includes closing off the blocks around Times Square to traffic and deploying thousands of police officers, uniformed and plainclothed, in the crossroads and the surrounding streets. Sharpshooters will take up positions on rooftops, and officers with long guns will stand guard at pedestrian checkpoints. Revelers will be screened before being admitted into security corrals for viewing the ball drop. Large bags and lawn chairs are banned. Crews have even sealed shut manholes to prevent the sewers being used as a means of bypassing the checkpoints. Police have also taken special precautions at high-rise hotels around Times Square, aiming to prevent any would-be attacker from using a hotel room as a sniper's nest. In October 2017, a man spent days amassing an arsenal in a hotel suite in Las Vegas before breaking a window and shooting into a crowd at a music festival, killing 58 people. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade. The U.S. and China may be ready to stabilize trade relations, with a U.S. government delegation traveling to Beijing during the week of Jan. 7 to hold trade talks with Chinese officials. Two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish will lead the Trump administrations team, and the U.S. team will also include Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs David Malpass. The U.S. didnt respond to requests for comments, but China did confirm a meeting has been scheduled. Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng confirmed that talks will take place next month, although he didnt provide a date for the meeting. The stakes are high for U.S. and China trade relations to stabilize. The Trump administration launching the trade war which added more than $200 billion worth of imports from China by the third quarter of 2018 is considered a key factor in destabilizing oil prices this year. Its also hurting Chinas weakening auto sales, which is seeing its first decline in two decades. Chinas import tax on U.S. liquefied natural gas also caused market upheaval in Chinas growing LNG market. Its considered to have thrown a wrench into the market, giving sellers in China an opportunity to hike prices. The two countries have held face-to-face discussions to reconcile the trade war. President Donald Trump met with Chinas Xi Jinping and agreed on a 90-day truce in Argentina. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week that U.S. and Chinese representatives have held phone meetings since then. Teslas CEO Elon Musk and other automotive executives were pleased to see China reduce tariffs to 15 percent from 40 percent after that meeting. Tesla was able to lower prices for its Model S, Model X, and Model 3, which are scheduled to be delivered to customers early next year. BMW AG and Daimler AG were able to cut prices on their U.S.-made luxury vehicles, bringing prices down to the level there were at before the extra duty was added last July. Related: $50 Oil Wont Kill U.S. Shale Tesla believes the China market to be integral in its strategy of becoming a thriving global automaker and getting through a rough year coming from the high cost of mass producing the Model 3, and from Musks comments about possibly taking the company private. The company this week registered a financial leasing company in China, according to a local business registration filing. The electric carmaker wants to speed up its presence in the worlds largest electric vehicle market and sees China vital to competing with BMW and Daimler. Tesla has opened a wholly-owned financial leasing unit in Shanghais free trade zone with registered capital of $30 million, according to Chinas National Enterprise Information Publicity System. Chinese officials and auto executives have been troubled by new vehicle sales dropping in the country. The trade war has been part of the decline, along with a weakening economy in China, keeping potential buyers away from auto showrooms. Its the first annual sales decline in at least two decades, and auto executives both Chinese and from global automakers in joint venture partnerships with Chinese makers want to see the market come back with vehicles sales returning to what theyd been before. Related: Chinese Refiners Arent Buying U.S. Crude Trade tensions are starting to cool. China this week announced a third round of tariff cuts, which will lower import taxes on more than 700 goods from Jan. 1. Its part of its efforts to open up the economy and lower prices for consumers to fuel market demand. China wants to see Trump back off his aggressive stance on China imports, and implement U.S. tariff reductions. The costs have been high for the U.S. in taking this aggressive stance. The Center for Automotive Research earlier this year released a report warning that auto sales could plunge up to two million vehicles a year over the huge tariff increase launched by Trump. That could mean a loss of about 715,000 American jobs and a $62 billion hit on U.S. GDP. In September, Ford CEO James Hackett said at a Bloomberg conference in New York that steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the Trump administration had cost the company about $1 billion. On Nov. 27, Trump publicly chastised GM CEO Mary Barra over her decision to close four plants in the US because of sagging demand for sedans (that includes ending production of the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt). That came from Trumps emphasis on keeping U.S. manufacturing alive and well, and keeping Americans working in the plants. The reality is that GM and other automakers have been investing heavily in global production and sales while staying as profitable as possible. The trade war with China hurts those strategies as China remains the largest auto market by far in gasoline-powered and electric vehicles. By Jon LeSage for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Irans oil sales to the four major crude buyers in Asia plunged in November to the lowest level in more than five years, as Indian imports slumped and South Korea and Japan had halted purchases before the U.S. sanctions on the Iranian oil industry returned. The combined oil imports from Iran of China, India, South Korea, and Japan dropped by 12.7 percent annually in November to 664,800 bpd, Reuters reports, citing data from governments and ship-tracking sources. The November Iranian imports of the four major Asian buyers are also down from Octobers 762,000-bpd average. Chinas oil imports from Iran edged up in November compared to October to average nearly 390,000 bpd last month, up from a low of 247,000 bpd in Octoberthe lowest in more than five years. Indian oil imports from Iran, however, plunged by 40 percent in November compared to October, as the second-largest buyer of Iranian oil had scaled back nominations for November hoping to win a U.S. waiver to continue importing oil from Tehran. South Korea and Japan had completely stopped imports from Iran even before the U.S. sanctions snapped back. For a third consecutive month in November, South Korea didnt import any Iranian crude oil, and neither did Japan. Yet, all four major Asian buyers of Iranian oil were given U.S. waivers to continue importing oil from Iran until early May. Therefore, Asias imports from Iran are expected to tick up in the next few months, probably until March, when those four countries will want to have completed all loadings and transactions before the current waivers expire. Japan and South Korea will resume Iranian oil imports in January, while Chinese oil imports from Iran are on course to rebound in December from the lows of October and November as Chinas state-held companies have already started to use the U.S. waivers to continue importing Iranian oil at reduced volumes. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The global scramble for a little-known metal called vanadium is officially underway. The metal, which when used in small amounts can help strengthen steel significantly, is in high demand following new Chinese regulations on infrastructure and buildings. The new rules, which came as a result of a 2008 earthquake that devastated part of China, are aiming to phase out the use of low strength steel in building projects, according to the Wall Street Journal. The market for the metal is very small, with about 80,000 metric tons produced each year. Roughly 90 percent of that is used in small amounts in projects like bridges and skyscrapers. While two years ago it cost less than $5 per pound, it surged as high as $29 per pound last month. (Click to enlarge) Supply of vanadium globally has been "drawn down to nearly nothing, according to Jack Bedder, director at a London-based research and consulting firm. The new Chinese regulations set out specifications for three high-strength grades of steel that each require vanadium. While many of the miners of this metal have been shut down, the surge in pricing is reinvigorating the interests of numerous companies. Macquarie group said that global demand for the metal could be up 25 percent in coming years. About 14 percent of the world's vanadium comes directly from mines and it is usually found alongside of minerals like iron ore, coal and aluminum. Its relatively abundant but it hasnt been mined on its own because prices have been too low to make it worth it. As a result, the new boom has brought in smaller miners that are setting up next to major mines, like Energy Fuels' Utah mill. Related: Interest Rate Hike Hits Oil Hard Curtis Moore, vice president of marketing and corporate development at Lakewood, Colorado's Energy Fuels Inc., stated: Its hard to say whether we will have enough capacity to bring in other miners. Certainly we are open to it. The surge is also helping fuel and re-energize mining projects worldwide. At Energy Fuels, Inc., they plan to start collecting discarded vanadium from its mill in Utah. In addition to this, the miner is also going to be revisiting old mines that it has already shut down, but that also likely contain significant amounts of the metal. Additionally, Largo Resources Ltd. in Brazil is spitting out record volumes of the metal from its Maracas Menchen mine and is aiming to lift its production capacity by 25 percent. The company, based in Toronto, is considering adding to its infrastructure and placing a new facility near its mine simply to focus on vanadium them. Mark Smith, Largos chief executive said: "The market needs new production in a big way." By Zerohedge More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Caltex recently announced the results of a borescope test conducted in October of this year, achieving an average of 9.7 out of 10 score rating in Asia and 9.8 out of 10 in the Philippines on the cleanliness of engine intake valves when Caltex with Techron, now with Clean & Glide Technology is used regularly. Caltexs borescope test was conducted in four Asian markets (Philippines, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Thailand) where they inspected 694 valves from 94 cars. The test utilized a Karl Storz borescope to examine the interior of a vehicles fuel system, comparing against the industry standard Co-operative Research Council (CRC) Intake Valve Deposit (IVD) rating system, where 10 denotes perfectly clean. A clean engine is important as when there is dirt buildup, the mixture of air and fuel is disrupted, impacting performance, power, acceleration, fuel economy and emissions. The showcase event in Makati City on December 13 was attended by car club members and enthusiasts. Greg Engeler, Chevrons Product Engineering Manager for Asia Pacific, shared the findings of the borescope test. The recent borescope test once again helps demonstrate to local motorists that not all fuels are created equal. Since our last test in 2013, Caltex fuels continue to work at keeping parts clean, thereby contributing to five performance benefitsmaximized power, better fuel economy, lower emissions, a smoother drive, and reliable performance, shares Engeler. This is also the first time the new Caltex with Techron formulation has been tested under the local marketwith local fuels, under local climatic, driving, and traffic conditions. We are delighted that the latest Clean and Glide technology is proven to deliver unbeatable cleaning power to help our customers cars perform at their best. Caltex Borescope Test Vehicles that used Caltex with Techron achieved an average score of 9.7 out of 10 across all four Asian markets, surpassing the average 8.9 score of vehicles using lower quality fuel. In comparison, some vehicles using lower quality fuels recorded valve readings of as low as 5.0, 5.0, 6.5, and 8.5 for Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong respectively. Story continues Vehicles selected represent a cross-section of the market fleet to reveal an unbiased and true state of local passenger cars. We are extremely proud of the borescope test results as these provide concrete evidence of the consistent performance of Caltex with Techron. Achieving such a high score in valve cleanliness reflects our commitment to providing only the best-quality fuel products. We are thrilled to be sharing this news with our media and car club friends, said Chevron Philippines Inc. Country Chairman Louie Zhang. The borescope test demonstrates Caltexs commitment to cleaner engines, while staying true to the evolving nature of Techron in anticipation of future engine technology and local market needs. All grades of Caltex gasoline contain Techron, a fuel additive package backed by over 30 years of research and development, which has a polyetheramine component designed to clean up fuel system deposits and prevent them from reforming. Filipinos can head down to any Caltex service station to experience the benefits Caltex fuels with Techron. Caltex Borescope Test The post Caltex Fuel Delivers Proven Cleaning Power in PH and Across Asia appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. Attorneys for a former policeman accused of murdering an Australian in the US city of Minneapolis last year were granted permission by a judge to borrow a squad car to test conditions surrounding the shooting. Mohamed Noor fatally shot Justine Damond in 2017 as she approached his police car, having alerted authorities to what sounded like a rape taking place in a dark alley behind her home. Noor was fired from the police department and charged with second-degree and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter. The former officer's attorneys on Thursday asked the presiding judge in the case to grant them access to a police car "to independently gather information, make measurements and allow testing and analysis." City attorneys on Friday objected to much of the defense's request, saying authorities would allow access to a police car, but were concerned that "the specific nature of the proposed 'testing and analysis' is not identified." Judge Kathryn L Quaintance later ruled in favor of allowing the test but said it must occur "at or near" a police station in the city rather than the requested location of near the scene of the shooting. Media reports said the defense was looking to recreate and measure lighting conditions when the moon would have been at the same phase as during the fatal shooting nearly two years ago. But the night sky was overcast in Minneapolis on Friday and the moon was not visible. Noor shot Damond once from the passenger seat of his police cruiser in July 2017. His partner told investigators they had been startled by a loud sound moments before they saw a figure approach them. The shooting provoked outrage in the United States and in Damond's native Australia. The 40-year-old had moved to the US to marry her American fiance, Don Damond, whose name she had already legally adopted. Her relatives and the Australian government demanded an explanation, while protests in Minneapolis led to the resignation of the city's police chief. Noor's jury trial is scheduled to begin April 1. Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha decried "opportunists" on Saturday after a wave of coordinated bomb attacks by suspected insurgents hit Thailand's Muslim-majority "deep south" in the lead-up to the New Year holidays. The region bordering Malaysia has been in the grip of a low-level but bloody insurgency for more than a decade as ethnic Malay militants battle the Buddhist-majority state for greater autonomy. Since 2004, insurgents armed with homemade bombs and grenades have clashed with Thailand's powerful military, killing nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians, of both Muslim and Buddhist faith. However, 2017 saw a record low of 235 people killed in clashes. The latest attacks occurred Friday night in a series of seven separate incidents in three different districts of Narathiwat province, said police commander Major General Dussadee Choosungkit. Two bomb attacks occurred in Sri Sakhon district, four in Chanae district, and militants "ambushed a base in Rangae district" using grenades, he said. The homemade bombs were "detonated by radio", he said, adding that no one was injured. The attacks prolong a bout of violence that began late Monday evening when a policeman died in an explosion from a detonated roadside bomb hidden in a gas cylinder. In nearby Songkhla province on Wednesday night, two bombs rocked popular tourist site Simila beach, causing no fatalities but damaging to two seaside statues. Songkhla provincial police are still investigating the beach bombings, and no arrest has been made, police told AFP Saturday. Major General Dussadee said the Songkhla bombings were not connected to his province's troubles -- which he said is payback for a December 12 raid on the insurgents' camp in Narathiwat. "I think the militants are retaliating at authorities after the raid on their camp earlier this month," he told AFP. Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha has instructed officials to step up security measures after the attacks, said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punakanta Saturday. "(Prayut) called them the works of ill-intentioned people and opportunists for staging attacks during New Year holidays," said Buddhipongse, adding that the junta head asked for locals to "tip off" authorities on any irregularities. The three southernmost provinces -- Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani -- are predominantly Muslim and have long chafed against Bangkok's rule, calling for greater autonomy or independence. The latest attacks come as the Thai junta renews talks with an umbrella group claiming to represent the rebels, with the aid of Malaysia as facilitator. The shadowy Barisan Revolusi Nasional faction is believed to be behind most of the violence in the region, with its leadership living along Malaysia's border. Familiar streets, novel adventures The sun sets over the Howrah Bridge as fishermen reel in fresh batches of Hilsha. Nearby, a young, bespectacled, curly-haired poet in a Punjabi spouts Marx and Tagore in the same breath as he eats a dinner of maach-bhaat, ending it with a syrupy roshogolla. Austrian leader Kurz said his finance minister was working out the details of the new tax and will unveil the basic framework in January Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz vowed Saturday to press ahead with a tax on large internet and technology companies, following France's example, as the European Union struggles to finalise a new EU-wide levy. France, which is pushing for a new so-called "GAFA tax"named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazonis advancing with its own tax from January 1 to ensure the global giants pay a fair share of taxes on massive business operations in Europe. "It is only fair that internet giants in Europe pay a proper amount of tax," Kurz said, according to a statement. "In addition to a EU-wide move, we'll also act on a national level. We will introduce a digital tax in Austria." Kurz said that EU member states "agree in principle that there is a need for such a tax." He said Finance Minister Hartwig Loeger was in the process "of working out the details and their implementation and will unveil the basic framework at the beginning of January." The tax would then come into force as part of the government's planned tax reforms in 2020. "The aim is clearto tax companies that generate huge profits online, but pay hardly any tax on them, such as Facebook or Amazon," Kurz said. In addition to taxing direct sales, France will also require the companies to pay a levy on advertising revenues, websites and the resale of private data, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced earlier this month. Under EU law, US technology titans such as Google and Facebook can choose to report their income in any member state, prompting them to pick low-tax nations like Ireland, the Netherlands or Luxembourg. Such firms, on average, pay a nine-percent levy, compared to 23 percent for other businesses, according to Margrethe Vestager, the EU competition commissioner. The low tax rates have caused anger among voters in many European countries, but the 28-member bloc is divided on how to tackle the issue. Explore further France to push ahead with digital tax starting January 1 2018 AFP Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has been hit by a series of strikes in recent months in several European countries Unions for Ryanair's 1,800 cabin crew in Spain threatened Friday to strike in January unless the Irish low-cost airline agrees to improve work and pay conditions. It was just the latest setback for the airline, which has faced a wave of strikes in several European countries in recent months. The two unions representing the staff, USO and Sitcpla, called for 24-hour strikes on January 8, 10 and 13 because Ryanair had failed to reach an agreement with them during mediation. The unions are demanding local contracts under local law rather than the Irish contracts Ryanair uses widely. It was "disgusting" that Ryanair "continues to refuse to accept national law with all its consequences", USO representative Jairo Gonzalo said in a statement. Europe's biggest low-cost airline only began recognising unions for the first time in its 30-year history in December last year, to avert mass strikes during the busy Christmas period. In July, strikes by cockpit and cabin crew disrupted 600 flights in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, affecting 100,000 travellers. Then on September 28, cabin crew walked out again in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain and in some countries pilots' unions also took action. The budget carrier has so far managed to clinch labour agreements with staff in several countries including Britain, Germany, Portugal and Italy. Spain is Ryanair's third biggest market. The airline has 13 of its 89 bases in the country. 2018 AFP Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, seen at a congressional hearing in 2018, said in his annual message that the social network has made progress toward fixing problems despite a series of data protection scandals Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said Friday the world's biggest social network has "fundamentally" changed to focus on securing its systems against manipulation and misinformation. Capping a tumultuous year marked by data protection scandals and government probes, Zuckerberg said he was "proud of the progress we've made" in addressing Facebook's problems. "For 2018, my personal challenge has been to focus on addressing some of the most important issues facing our communitywhether that's preventing election interference, stopping the spread of hate speech and misinformation, making sure people have control of their information, and ensuring our services improve people's well-being," he wrote on his Facebook page. "We're a very different company today than we were in 2016, or even a year ago. We've fundamentally altered our DNA to focus more on preventing harm in all our services, and we've systematically shifted a large portion of our company to work on preventing harm." He said Facebook now has more than 30,000 people "working on safety" and invests billions of dollars in security. Zuckerberg's comments come at the close of a year when Facebook was roiled by revelations about the misuse of personal data by the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica in the 2016 US election and on data sharing with business partners. But he said the questions around Facebook are "more than a one-year challenge" and that the California giant was in the process of "multi-year plans to overhaul our systems." "In the past we didn't focus as much on these issues as we needed to, but we're now much more proactive," he said. The comments follow a message from Zuckerberg in January, before many of Facebook's troubles emerged, when he outlined his goals of stemming abuse and hate and foreign interference, among other things, on the network used by more than two billion people. "My personal challenge for 2018 is to focus on fixing these important issues," Zuckerberg said in January. In Friday's message, Zuckerberg enumerated a series of steps taken over the past year, including fact-checking partnerships, advertising transparency and artificial intelligence to remove harmful content. He added that Facebook's systems were also being retooled with the aim of helping "improve people's well-being," based on research it conducted. The research, he said, "found that when people use the internet to interact with others, that's associated with all the positive aspects of well-being... But when you just use the internet to consume content passively, that's not associated with those same positive effects." One of the changes aims to reduce "viral videos" that are shared across the Facebook platform. "These changes intentionally reduced engagement and revenue in the near term, although we believe they'll help us build a stronger community and business over the long term," Zuckerberg said. Explore further Facebook's Zuckerberg says he is not considering resigning 2018 AFP Federal Affairs Ministry asks local governments not to enact laws on their own The federal government has asked the local governments not to formulate any laws without its consent, which has reportedly hampered their efforts to improve the quality of school education. Ad Investing Trends New this week - 305 interested How This Rare Metal Is Going To Solve A $173 TRILLION World Problem And Could Benefit Investors According to Bloomberg NEF, changing the world to "All Green Energy" could cost about $173 trillion. And without this rare metal, going green would be IMPOSSIBLE. That's why there's a literal "gold rush" to find it. (HINT: It's not electric vehicles, nuclear power, or wind energy). Federal laws must include concerns of local bodies Local government representatives have suggested the federal government to incorporate the suggestions of concerned stakeholders while formulating new federal laws and amending the existing ones. Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. Solar makes sense. Its cost efficient, its eco-friendly and has no carbon footprint, electricity is generated in the same grid where it is consumed, and the price of installing panels on residential rooftops is a fraction of what it cost just ten years ago, even after Donald Trumps prohibitive tariffs slapped on imported solar panels earlier this year. So why hasnt it taken off? According to opinion polls the majority of homeowners in the United States like the idea of rooftop solar and love the idea of seeing their electricity bills drop. And indeed, in 2017 overall rooftop solar gigawatts of capacity were almost ten times higher in 2017 than they were in 2010, with more than 2 million US homes now sporting solar panels. However, despite these considerable gains, residential rooftop solar panels still account for less than 1 percent of the United States total electricity, and growth has slowed considerably in recent years, with volumes actually dropping by 15 percent in 2017. While volatility is nothing new for the solar industry, the peaks and valleys of recent years are particularly marked thanks for unpredictable regulation and the inconsistent if not erratic business models of solar energy firms. In some cases regulation has been extremely friendly to solar. Just this month the California Building Standards Commission gave final approval to a mandate requiring new homes to include rooftop solar panels starting in 2020, which will provide a big uptick in demand. This is on top of sizable subsidies, just one of which is a 30 percent federal tax credit. These generous subsidies, however, are a big part of what makes demand for solar panels so variable. This year the solar industry was confronted with the unpredictable specter of tax reform and considerable uncertainty of how it would impact the solar sector on the whole. This is compounded by the fact that solar regulations vary greatly state by state, not to mention that the fact that sunlight itself is not a constant. Solar panels may be cleaner, greener, and cheaper than almost all of the alternatives, but not everyone is happy with that. As homeowners are able to create their own energy and even their excess, the very same diminishing electricity bills they are celebrating are being lamented by the power companies that used to provide that energy for them. Big power companies are losing out on profits thanks to rooftop solar panels, but still bearing the costly burden of maintaining the power grids. However, if these power companies then raise their rates in an effort to make up for the money lost to solar, they will be punishing those without solar panels, therefore pushing more of their customer base away from traditional power and toward installing solar panels themselves, a classic catch-22. Related: North Americas Largest Diamond Ever Discovered In Canada In addition to rankling traditional power companies, rooftop solar incentives and mandates like Californias are not universally popular among energy economists either. To be clear, everyone is in agreement that this will help California make good on its extremely lofty goal of dropping their carbon footprint for energy usage to zero by 2045. Homes built under the new mandate will use approximately 53 percent less energy than homes built under the 2016 standard and could cut the states greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 700,000 metric tons over the next three years, according to projections made by the CEC. This is all good news, but it will not be cheap, and its still not enough. 700,000 metric tons is less than 1 percent of the Golden States annual emissions. Furthermore, other green ventures like building more solar and wind farms would be more cost efficient--up to three times cheaper if done correctly and developed in ideal locations--and just as effective. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com Government hikes export cash incentives to 5 percent Nepals exportable goods will now be eligible to receive up to five percent cash incentive from two percent, as per the new provision introduced by the government in a bid to boost export earnings. Cambodia's strongman leader Hun Sen lashed out at Western governments for pushing "democracy and human rights" on his country, capping off a tumultuous political year with a fiery speech on Saturday. The 66-year-old prime minister has ruled Cambodia for over three decades, with the Southeast Asian country tilting towards China in recent years thanks to loans for infrastructure and few complaints on human rights issues. His administration was renewed for another five years in July following elections critics condemned as a sham, inciting threats from the European Union to revoke duty-free access to EU countries. But Hun Sen remained defiant Saturday as he inaugurated a monument with carvings showcasing his government's achievements. "Don't make war by using what is called democracy and human rights, in which democratic countries used to make the mistake of supporting Lon Nol's coup," he said in a speech to thousands of officials. Lon Nol's US-backed regime was ousted by the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge in 1975, jumpstarting four years of horror as Cambodians were forced to live on farming communes, endure hard labour, and were tortured and murdered if they were suspected of plotting against leader Pol Pot. Hun Sen was a former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected and had a role in toppling the genocidal regime in 1979, although the US later sought to keep the ousted Khmer Rouge at the table in the United Nations. "You as a democratic country ... supported Pol Pot, who used to kill people with no regards for respecting human rights," Hun Sen said, without naming the US. "You supported them to keep a seat at the UN." Cambodia's government dissolved the main opposition party and jailed its leader ahead of July elections in which it won every seat in parliament, transforming the nation into a one-party state. Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg jailed in China to be retried after court deems 15-year sentence too lenient As tensions continue to simmer between Beijing and Ottawa, a high court in northeast China on Saturday ordered convicted Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg to be retried on the grounds his original sentence was too lenient. Prosecutors said at an appeal hearing at the Liaoning Provincial High Peoples Court that it was wrong for a lower court to have sentenced Schellenberg to only 15 years in prison. The Canadian was convicted in 2016 but no details of his initial trial or sentencing had ever been made public. The high court said in a statement that it had ordered the case to be returned to the Intermediate Peoples Court in Dalian, also in Liaoning, for a retrial. The statement said that Schellenberg was tried at the intermediate court on November 20, 2016 on a charge of drug smuggling. As well as handing down the prison term, the court ordered the seizure of 150,000 yuan (US$21,800) worth of the defendants assets. Schellenberg lodged an appeal against the verdict. The prosecutor at Saturdays hearing said the evidence suggested that Schellenberg was highly likely to have been involved in organised international drug crime, and had played a key role in the smuggling of the narcotics. It was wrong for the court of first instance to regard Schellenberg as an accomplice in an unsuccessful crime and impose a light sentence, the high court statement quoted the prosecutor as saying. Under Chinese law, anyone found guilty of smuggling or manufacturing more than 1kg (2.2lbs) of opium, or 50 grams (1.7 ounces) of heroin or methylaniline faces 15 years to life imprisonment or, in extreme cases, the death penalty. In 2009, Briton Akmal Shaikh was put to death after he was caught smuggling 4kg of heroin into Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Story continues Schellenbergs appeal hearing came just weeks after the arrests of two other Canadians accused of posing a threat to Chinas national security. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained separately after Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese technology company Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, at the request of the United States. Meng is sought by the US for allegedly lying to banks as part of an effort to evade sanctions on Iran. She is currently free on bail. While China warned Canada of grave consequences following Mengs arrest, neither side has said if the Schellenberg appeal and retrial were in any way related. Canadas foreign ministry said it has been following his case for several years and was providing consular assistance. Canadian teacher Sarah Mclver, who was also detained by Chinese authorities earlier this month, had now returned home, Ottawa said. This article Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg jailed in China to be retried after court deems 15-year sentence too lenient first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Canadian Robert Lloyd Shellenberg risking death sentence in China is latest foreigner to fall foul of countrys harsh drug laws Saturdays appeal hearing for a Canadian man convicted of drug smuggling in China has attracted particular attention because of the recent diplomatic row between Beijing and Ottawa. The dispute flared after Canada arrested Huawei executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou on the back of a US arrest warrant and China subsequently detained two Canadian citizens on charges of endangering national security. But Robert Lloyd Schellenbergs case long predates that dispute. Shellenberg, whose case has been followed by Canadian diplomats for several years, was reported by state media to have been convicted of smuggling an enormous amount of drugs into China a country known for its harsh drugs laws. Under Chinese law, anyone convicted of smuggling, selling, transporting or producing more than 1kg (2.2lbs) of opium, or 50 grams (1.7 ounces) of methamphetamine or heroin, or a large amount of other drugs, can be sentenced to death. China is the worlds biggest executioner and its judicial system has long attracted international criticism. However, it is unclear exactly how many foreign nationals have been sentenced to death in the country. In 2015 one state media report said a dozen foreigners had been given death sentences for drug offences, most of them from Japan, South Korea or Southeast Asia. Here are some of the most notorious cases of foreigners executed for drug offences in China. 2009: Akmal Shaikh Shaikh, a 52-year-old Briton, was put to death in 2009 despite an outcry from the British government over his possible mental state. The 52-year old, who was reported to have had a long history of bipolar disorder, was caught smuggling 4kg of heroin into Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in 2007. His daughter said he had been tricked by Polish drug smugglers, who promised to make him a pop star in China. The British government, which made 27 separate representations to Beijing in his case, said it had done everything within its power to secure a fair trial and clemency for Shaikh, who was executed after losing a final appeal. Story continues The British Foreign Office slammed Beijing for not taking his mental health into account when making the decision, and also for inadequate professional interpretation during the trial. 2014: Two South Koreans The pair identified only by the surnames of Kim and Back were convicted of smuggling methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth, from North Korea. The duo, aged 53 and 45, were reportedly arrested for smuggling in 2011 and sentenced in 2012. Kim reportedly smuggled 14.8kg of methamphetamine, and sold 12.3kg to Baek to sell to a South Korean drugs gang. A court in northeast Chinas Jilin province, which borders North Korea and where smuggling is rife, ordered the execution. The sentence was carried out in 2014 despite Seoul claiming to have continuously requested a suspension of the sentence on humanitarian grounds. 2017: Ismael Arciniegas In one of the most recent cases of China executing foreign drug smugglers, Arciniegas became the first Colombian, and possibly the first Latin American, to be executed for the offence last year. The 74-year old was arrested in 2010 arriving by plane to the southern port city of Guangzhou trying to smuggle almost 4kg of cocaine in exchange for US$5,000. He was a retired journalist who joined the criminal underworld while researching a book on South Americas drug cartels in the 1980s. Despite diplomatic efforts paid by Colombias government to save the mans life he was executed by lethal injection. This article Canadian Robert Lloyd Shellenberg risking death sentence in China is latest foreigner to fall foul of countrys harsh drug laws first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. By Alison Bevege SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government has stripped citizenship from a man it believes is a top recruiter for Islamic State, Australia's home affairs minister said on Saturday. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said Melbourne-born Neil Prakash had been central to Islamic State's efforts in the Middle East, was "a very dangerous individual" and had his citizenship stripped. "If given the opportunity Mr Prakash would harm or kill Australians and our country is a safer place for him having lost his Australian citizenship," Dutton said in a televised news conference. Prakash has been in Turkey on trial for terrorism-related activities since being caught there in October 2016 after leaving Islamic State-controlled territory. He is wanted in Australia over terrorism-related activities including an alleged plot to behead a police officer. Under Australia's citizenship laws, a dual national can lose their Australian citizenship if they act contrary to their allegiance to Australia by choosing to be involved in terrorism. Islamic State was declared a terrorist organisation in May 2016 for this purpose, the Home Affairs Office said in a statement, and Prakash is the 12th person to be stripped of citizenship so far. Dutton said the law prevents the government from rendering somebody stateless so they must have Australian citizenship and citizenship of another country. Prakash, whose mother was Cambodian and father was Fijian, held both Australian and Fijian citizenship through his father. Dutton said Australia's internal spy agency the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had thwarted 14 attempted attacks including a plan to smuggle explosives onto an A380 flight to the Middle East. "The threat is very real," he said. "The priority for us is to make sure that people like Neil Prakash dont come back to Australia. We dont want them here." Prakash has been notified of the decision by letter, and the Fijian government has also been notified, according to a source close to the Australian government. Story continues Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and has appeared in Islamic State videos and magazines. Australia says he actively recruited Australian men, women and children and encouraged acts of militancy. Australia has been pressing Turkey to extradite Prakash since he was first detained, but the request was rejected in July. It will remain in place until the conclusion of his case and any custodial sentence, The Australian newspaper reported. Canberra cancelled Prakash's passport in 2014 and announced financial sanctions in 2015, which cover anyone giving him financial assistance, with punishment of up to 10 years in jail. (Reporting by Alison Bevege; Editing by Leslie Adler) Hong Kong authorities seize more than 230 tonnes of endangered wood this year five times that of last years total Hong Kong authorities confiscated more than 230 tonnes of endangered wood from Central America and South Asia between January and November this year, about five times that of last years total haul. The shipments, meant to be imported into mainland China, were intercepted in the city. The rare wood was likely to be used for high-end furniture to meet demand from housing developments in mainland cities in the region, the Post learned. Over 11 months this year, customs officers thwarted nine wood smuggling cases with the seizures of 225.9 tonnes of rosewood worth HK$16 million and 5.7 tonnes of red sandalwood worth HK$6.9 million. The biggest haul was made last month when law enforcers discovered 83 tonnes of Guatemalan rosewood hidden in three shipping containers from Panama. According to customs, the other shipments came from Honduras and Guatemala in Central America, and Jakarta, Malaysia and Thailand in Southeast Asia. Sources familiar with the matter said investigation indicated all the wood was bound for the mainland and intended for use in the manufacture of luxury furniture and carvings. In the whole of last year, more than 47 tonnes of red sandalwood worth over HK$31 million was seized. But no rosewood was found. Red sandalwood and rosewood are listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. One source said some red sandalwood, also known as red gold for its high value, were usually shipped into Dubai or Malaysia from India before being smuggled into mainland China sometimes through Hong Kong. Red sandalwood with an average log weight of 30kg to 35kg is classified as grade A and can be bought for less than US$33,000 per tonne in India, one source said. After being smuggled into mainland China, importers can sell it for US$120,000 per tonne on the black market. Story continues After being smuggled into mainland China, importers can sell it for US$120,000 per tonne on the black market Source He said the wood in random sizes was classified as grade C, and could be bought for US$20,000 per tonne in Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The source believes a surge in the seizure of endangered wood was the result of high demand for luxury furniture in new housing developments in mainland cities. An Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department spokeswoman said a permit was needed to import or export endangered wood. Offenders of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance are liable to a maximum fine of HK$10 million and imprisonment of 10 years upon conviction, she said. To avoid detention, smugglers used different tactics and changed shipping routes to deliver the precious wood into mainland China, according to another source. He said sometimes, rare wood was declared to be second-hand furniture and products to throw off authorities. The Customs and Excise Department said they were committed to fighting smuggling activities and conduct checks on passengers, cargo, postal packets and conveyances at various control points across the city. The operations are done through intelligence exchange and joint work with local and overseas enforcement agencies. To further strengthen action against the illegal trade of endangered species, a department spokesman said: Hong Kong customs has also been participating in the Task Force on Wildlife Crime through working closely with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Environment Bureau and police to develop strategies and coordinate cross-departmental joint operations. Customs hands all seized goods to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for verification and follow-up action. The department spokeswoman said the seized wood would be donated to appropriate institutions and organisations for scientific, educational, enforcement, identification or other possible non-commercial purposes. This article Hong Kong authorities seize more than 230 tonnes of endangered wood this year five times that of last years total first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the port of Hodeida, under a truce agreement, a UN official said Saturday, amid doubts over the handover process by pro-government forces. The UN official, who requested anonymity, said the Huthi rebels began to pull back from the Red Sea port at midnight (2100 GMT Friday). But a pro-government official told AFP that the loyalists were "surprised" by reports of a port handover. "Who is that that they handed the port to and how," the official said. "The Huthis have taken advantage of their control of Hodeida and placed their fighters in both the navy and coastguard, something that has been a major source of concern for the legitimate government. "The UN has to have a clear mechanism in place to ensure that there is a proper recruitment process for these crucial infrastructures." In a statement carried by Yemen's Saba state news agency, another pro-government official said that it was "a clear attempt by the rebels to warp the contents of the agreement" reached at peace talks in Sweden earlier this month. The port is the entry point for food aid to 14 million Yemenis on the brink of famine, according to UN figures, and the rebel withdrawal is a key part of a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched on June 13 with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition. The Huthis began "the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port", a rebel official told the Huthi-run Saba news agency. The UN Security Council last week unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to oversee the hard-won truce for Hodeida. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint truce monitoring committee, which includes both government and rebel representatives, and chaired its first meeting this week. The UN-led panel addressed "the first phase of the implementation of the agreement... based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment," a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss "detailed plans for full redeployment". Despite the start of the Huthi withdrawal, the agreement hit a stumbling block later on Saturday with the coalition saying the rebels had not allowed an aid convoy to leave the port. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said that the insurgents "denied the exit of the UN humanitarian convoy... headed to (rebel-held) Sanaa that was carrying 32 tonnes of flour," in a statement carried by state-run Saudi Press Agency. The Huthis, in turn, said in a statement that the road was "not yet unblocked because the other side has not withdrawn" from Hodeida city. - Shaky truce - The truce has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations. A resident reached by telephone on Saturday told AFP pro-government and rebel forces had exchanged fire briefly overnight. The resident added that coalition jets were heard overhead on Saturday morning. The pro-government official told AFP on Saturday that the Huthis have violated the truce 246 times, in which 21 loyalists were killed and 174 wounded. "The coalition has not launched a single airstrike in Hodeida province since the ceasefire went into effect.," he said. "Since the ceasefire, the Huthis have erected eight new checkpoints, 109 barrier and dug up 21 new trenches. "The impunity with which the Huthis are violating the ceasefire in Hodeida is deeply worrisome." In addition to the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida, the agreement included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees. A "mutual understanding" was also reached to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under the control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides have agreed to meet in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population -- now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Civil servants and teachers have been left without salaries for months, owing to the country's collapsed economy, but those in Hodeida are set to finally receive their wages after Hadi on Thursday instructed the government to pay them. Government to send back faulty electric buses The government has decided to send back the electric buses that it had purchased for the Lumbini Development Trust after a host of technical issues were reported on these vehicles. 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #52 Posted on 29 December 2018 by John Hartz A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Dec 23 through Sat, Dec 30 Editor's Pick Green New Deal: what is the progressive plan, and is it technically possible? The idea, central to Ocasio-Cortezs campaign, aims to eliminate greenhouse gas pollution but lacks key political support Members of the Sunrise Movement advocate for the Green New Deal in Nancy Pelosis office on 10 December. Photograph: Michael Brochstein/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock Most US voters would support a Green New Deal, for the country to transform its infrastructure with a rapid shift to clean energy. But while the idea is gaining attention on Capitol Hill, it lacks key political support. According to a survey from the Yale Climate Change Communicationprogram, 81% of voters backed its description of a Green New Deal. Similar plans vary in detail, but all are inspired by the New Deal that Franklin Delano Roosevelt launched to battle the effects of the Great Depression. The idea was central to the high-profile campaign of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young Democratic socialist from New York who won a US House seat in November. Ocasio-Cortez and the youth-led Sunrise Movement are encouraging Democrats, who will retake the House majority in January, to produce a blueprint. Their Green New Deal would center around creating new jobs and lessening inequality. Aiming to virtually eliminate US greenhouse gas pollution in a decade, it would be radical compared with other climate proposals. It would require massive government spending. Dozens of Democrats have signaled support, including potential 2020 presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker. This month, New Yorks Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state would launch its own Green New Deal, seeking carbon-neutral electricity by 2040. But Nancy Pelosi, Democrats nominee to run the House, has not agreed to direct a select committee on climate change to focus on the strategy. Green New Deal: what is the progressive plan, and is it technically possible? by Emily Holden, Environment, Guardian, Dec 29, 2018 Links posted on Facebook Sun Dec 23, 2018 Mon Dec 24, 2018 Tue Dec 25, 2018 Wed Dec 26, 2018 Thu Dec 27, 2018 Fri Dec 28, 2018 Sat Dec 29, 2018 Get More Slate Money Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Slate Money Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to Slate Money via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. On this weeks episode, Slate money talks with Adam Fisher about his book, Valley of Genius, an oral history of Silicon Valley. Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley, by Adam Fisher Wired: Dr. Elon & Mr. Musk: Life Inside Teslas Production Hell In the Slate Plus segment: how Steve Jobs got the Apple engineers to understand what the iPhone really was about. Email: slatemoney@slate.com Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck, @AdamcFisher Podcast production by Max Jacobs. Bird Box is not a particularly good movie. But with a major star, a holiday release, and an apocalyptic plot that could be described as a poor mans A Quiet Place, it doesnt need to be. Based on Josh Malermans novel of the same name, Netflixs new (apparent) hit horror movie shows the advantages of its data-driven programming, and the formula that led to its success can tell us something about the information that drives the streaming services creative decisions. Advertisement Netflix has said that Bird Box had the most successful first week of any of its films. Took off my blindfold this morning to discover that 45,037,125 Netflix accounts have already watched Bird Box best first 7 days ever for a Netflix film! pic.twitter.com/uorU3cSzHR Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) December 28, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Set in an apocalyptic world in which people become instantly suicidal if they catch a glimpse of a mysterious, never-seen presence, the film follows Malorie (Sandra Bullock), a cold and somewhat detached woman who knows how to handle a gun. In recent years, actresses have questioned the idea of the strong female character, instead advocating for layered roles where strength does not come at the cost of vulnerability. Netflixs solution is to make Malorie, who was described in the book as young, both a kick-ass heroine and a 50-something, reluctantly pregnant woman whose main emotional arc is learning how to be maternal as she becomes the mother of two children, one of whom is quasi-adopted. Advertisement Malorie finds refuge in a large craftsman house with a group of survivors composed of every type of person Hollywood would have you believe there isnt an audience for: a Latinx female police officer (Rosa Salazar), a plus-size woman (Danielle Macdonald), another woman over 50 (an underused Jacki Weaver), a gay Asian man (BD Wong), two black men (Trevante Rhodes and Lil Rel), and two white men for good measure (John Malkovich and Machine Gun Kelly). This is an expansion of the group of escapees in the book, and due to the groups diversity, characters of color or women are often the ones acting heroically, giving the minorities groups represented a consistent opportunity to be a vital part of the narrative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At 28, Rhodes is almost half Bullocks age, a reversal of the usual age difference between big-screen love interests. But this gap between the characters is barely addressed, and the pairing feels natural. As the film jumps ahead in time, Tom is shown to be the more loving parent out of the two, showing the type of gentle and engaged manand black man in particularrarely shown on-screen. The film also has two love scenes, both of which are between interracial couples, yet these differences are never addressed in the narrative. When Malorie and her children finally arrive at the sanctuary, they discover it is a school for the blind, and many of its inhabitants are blind, making them immune to the detrimental effects of monster that has wiped out the society around them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netflix is a company driven by data, even though for the most part it keeps that data shrouded in secrecy. But looking at some of the streaming services most-touted titleswhich should logically also be its most popularsuggests that a diverse cast yields a diverse audience. Though Netflix does not release its numbers, the success of Orange Is The New Black, Black Mirror, To All the Boys Ive Loved Before and now Bird Box contradicts Hollywoods history of insisting that there is not an audience for these stories. Bird Box may not be a perfect film, but it works because Netflix is delivering to an audience that their data, in defiance of conventional wisdom, has told them exists. They are delivering to an audience who wants to see themselves surviving the apocalypse, that wants to see relationships they recognize, and that wants to see heroes who look like them. Bird Box may not deliver much else, but it certainly delivers that. Dogs have walked, dozed, and cuddled by our sides for as long as 30,000 years, but Dogs couldnt have existed before the current streaming era. Set in disparate locations and contexts, Netflixs handsome six-part docuseries invites both cynicism and admiration. Its to-the-point title, family-friendly subject, and holiday-adjacent arrival suggest a crass commercialism appropriate for the Christmas season; its an easy click for families whove run out of things to talk about and in need of wholesome, non-polarizing distractions. You cant get any more feel-good than the first episode, which centers on a girl with a life-threatening type of epilepsy and the seizure-sniffing service dog that transforms her existence. If the naturalistic pace adopted by Oscar-nominated documentarian Heidi Ewing (co-director of Detropia, Jesus Camp, and The Boys of Baraka) proves poky, chances are that Netflix, with its edict to keep users on the site, wont mind the series bloated length. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hard not to laud the experiment that Dogs represents. Netflixs deep pockets, artists-first ethos, consistently solid production values, and endless desire for content seem here to have given filmmakers a canine-related prompt and a shot to pursue the subjects that interest them. The result is several unexpected stories, some with few natural target audiences. Director Amy Berg (West of Memphis, Deliver Us From Evil), another Oscar nominee, follows the arduous efforts of a Syrian refugee to bring his husky to Berlin in the second episode, arguing with poignant persuasiveness that broken bonds between people and pets are all too easily forgotten in discussions about the costs of war. The series other standout installment, its fifth, asks whether a Costa Rican refuge for abandoned dogs with over 1,000 canines in its care can truly do right by the animals it aims to serve. In contrast, the third episode, about an Italian fishing clan caught between tradition and opportunity, has hardly anything to do with the family pet, though it does feature the golden Lab rather prominently. Often, Dogs strives to update the overlooked genre of heartwarming tales with arthouse legitimacy. Call it Chicken Soup for the A24 Soul. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that exploratory spirit doesnt necessarily yield pleasure or prestige. In fact, it arguably leads to Dogs most uninviting qualities: its sedate pacing and inflated running times. At least half of the installments dont have enough material to sustain an hours worth of storytelling, even when padded with gorgeously lit and composed scenes of doggos being doggos. At its worst, the series feels smothered by tastefulness. That theres no overarching thematic approach robs the series of a larger sense of purpose. A lighthearted episode about cultural clashes in the international competitive dog grooming world flirts with Japan is so weird stereotyping. The hoped-for evolution of uplift into something more artful never quite takes place. Advertisement Advertisement But if Dogs has a mixed record on the feel-good side, it wildly succeeds in its more conventional feel-bad mode. The series doesnt need to remind us of the inherent worth of dogs, but it does rightly evoke the vulnerability of the animals we call our best friends. We love dogs when theyre loyal companions and against-the-odds saviors and goofy social-media stars, but the dogs that arent so readily apparent are defenseless and myriad. Its only by chance that the husky trapped amid the Syrian civil war has survived two poisonings (no thanks to the people striving to kill all the dogs in its neighborhood). The 1,200 canines (and counting) in the Costa Rican sanctuary can speak to the cruel negligence of their former owners. The network of New York City dog-rescue volunteers profiled in the finale might boost your spirits, or they might highlight the enormity of the problem theyre trying to solve. By focusing on the love and dependence that humans have for dogs (rather than the dogs themselves), the series questions whether sheer affection is enough. Anyone who watches documentaries with some regularity will find themselves in a familiar place with Dogs: wondering why human beings always seem to be the worst species. The Environmental Protection Agency doesnt think its really worth it to control the emissions of mercury from coal-fired power plants. So may as well get rid of the regulation. In the latest effort to undo an Obama-era regulation, the EPA says the benefits to health and environment are really not worth the cost of the regulation itself. Nothing is changing as of yet in the regulation known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards but the move could make it easier to do so by removing a key legal justification for the measure. As the EPA sees it, the Obama regulation only produced a couple of million dollars a year in health benefits and was not appropriate and necessary, which is an important legal benchmark in the Clean Air Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond that one regulation itself though, there could be a significant long-term impact as well. It would weaken the ability of the EPA to impose new regulations in the future by adjusting the way the agency measures the benefits of curbing pollutants, giving less weight to the potential health gains, notes the New York Times. Delaware Sen. Tom Carper from said that EPAs move amounted to a dangerous precedent because it will no longer factor in all the clear health, environmental and economics benefits of clean air policies, such as reducing cancer and birth defects. Environmentalists have obviously objected to the language. But opposition also came from some in the industry. A coalition of electric utilities, for example, criticized efforts to nix requirements on mercury by saying they had already invested in the technology to slash emissions. And some insist these efforts have been successful. A study published this month by Harvard Universitys School of Public Health found that coal-fired plants are the main source of mercury and these standards have markedly reduced mercury in the environment and improved public health, details Reuters. Some however have been pushing the EPA to act and correct what Hal Quinn, head of the National Mining Association, characterized as perhaps the largest regulatory accounting fraud perpetrated on American consumers. As Quinn sees it, theres no way the health benefits to Americans outweigh the cost of the necessary upgrades in equipment. According to the EPA, the cost of complying with the regulation was between $7.4 billion and $9.6 billion per year, while the clear benefits added up to somewhere between $4 million to $6 million. Indian firm to build 220kV power line Tanahu Hydropower Limited, the wholly owned subsidiary of state-owned power utility Nepal Electricity Authority, has selected KEC International to construct the transmission line to evacuate electricity generated by Tanahu Hydropwer Project. At a press event two weeks ago, CNNs Wolf Blitzer asked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to elaborate on his notorious assertion from 2007 that there were no homosexuals in Iran. My position hasnt changed, replied the defiant Ahmadinejad. He then acknowledged to Blitzer, begrudgingly, the tiny sliver of a possibility that there could be such monsters living amongst even the Sharia-centric Iranians. Perhaps there are those who engage in [homosexual] activities but these are not known elements within Iranian society. Rest assured, this is one of the ugliest behaviors in our society but as the government, I cannot go out in the street and ask [my people] about their specific orientation. Advertisement Id take considerable pleasure in using this column to expound on Ahmadinejads intellectual deficiencies. (Lets be honest, any leader who believes in a supernatural entity that finds gay people icky isnt exactly the deepest thinker.) Yet this arrogant theocrat unwittingly raises a more interesting issue for us to consider: Does homosexuality exist in every human society? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For anyone with even a modest scientific background, the answer seems obvious hence the widespread disbelief of Ahmadinejads initial claim of a gay-free Iran. Although LGBT Iranians live under constant threat of severe legal and social sanctions, we do know that there is no shortage of them. Still, that doesnt mean that homosexuality can be found in every other corner in the world. A husband-and-wife team of anthropologists at Washington State University named Barry and Bonnie Hewlett believe that theyve found a society without gay sexand that there other societies, too, in which some presumably universal behaviors, such as homosexuality and masturbation, are nonexistent at all levels of analysis. Advertisement Advertisement The Hewletts work amid a group of peaceful net-hunting foragers in central Africa known as the Aka, who live in migratory camps of about 25 to 35 individuals. Other ethnographic details, such as the Akas sociopolitical organization (minimal-control chiefdoms) and gender relations (men and women are relatively equal) certainly arent irrelevant to their sex lives, but in a report published last year in African Study Monographs, the researchers focused on the Akas bedroom behaviors. It was the Akas apparent hypersexuality that inspired the Hewletts research. We decided to systematically study sexual behavior, they explain, after several campfire discussions with married middle-aged Aka men who mentioned in passing that they had sex three or four times during the night. At first we thought it was just men telling their stories, but we talked to women and they verified the mens assertions. Thats rightthree or four times per night. Advertisement Advertisement But campfire talk is one thing, actual behaviors quite another. So the anthropologists conducted a more rigorous series of interviews in the Akas native language (Diaka) using a local interpreter. They also interviewed nearby farmer-villagers known collectively as the Ngandu. To get at the patterns of sexuality in these two groups, the Hewletts interviewed 56 people, ages 18 to 70, whod been married at least once. Given the sensitive subject matter, the husbands were interviewed by the male anthropologist, Barry Hewlett, while Bonnie Hewlett spoke with the wives. The Aka and Ngandu were very open and willing to talk to us about sexual behavior, note the authors, but this was in part due to our long-term relationships in these communities. (At the time of their interviews, 35 years for Barry and a decade for Bonnie.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, before we get to the nitty-gritty, there a few important things to first point out about the Aka and Nganduand indeed, about the anthropologists motives in examining these peoples sexuality in the first place. Over the past half-century or so, a lot of impressive work has been done on cross-cultural differences in sexuality. But for a host of reasonsethical, practical, personal and professionalits still a subject area at the outermost margins of mainstream anthropology. Anthropologists who choose to study sexuality, writes Carole Vance of Columbia University, are often cornered into the world of sexology, itself an intellectual ghetto of disciplinary refugees. As a result, enormous gaps in our knowledge remain, particularly with regard to sex in small foraging societies like the Aka. That we know so very little about sex in other cultures, however, hasnt stopped many scientists from claiming that there are indisputable sexual universals on the basis of data collected from large Euro-American samples, such as the famous Kinsey findings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of our fears in writing this paper, emphasize the Hewletts, was that the Aka and Ngandu might be viewed as others with unusual and exotic sexual practices [but] overall, the Euro-American patterns are relatively unusual by cross-cultural standards. In other words, although widespread Westernization creates the impression of a species-wide sexual homogeneity, when one takes the sheer number of living and extinct cultures into perspective, its usnot themwho are weird. The other important thing to note with the Aka and Ngandu is that, by Western standards, they are extremely open with respect to sexuality. Children mimic intercourse publicly and without being reproached by their parents, the lyrics to a popular Aka childrens song are the orgasmic vocalizations of two people having sex, and adults discuss sexual matters freely in camp. Furthermore, the Aka are known for their extremely flexible gender roles and near absent gender stereotypes. The women are just as likely to hunt as are the men, and men are heavily involved in childrearing. (In fact, the Guardian dubbed Aka men best fathers in the world a few years ago.) This is hardly an oppressive environment, which is why the apparent absence of homosexuality and masturbation in these societies came as a surprise to the Hewletts. [These behaviors] are rare or nonexistent, observe the authors, not because they are frowned upon or punished, but because they are not part of the cultural models of sexuality in either group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But were getting ahead of ourselves. Lets have a closer look at what the Aka and Ngandu are (and are not) doing with their genitals. To begin with, theyre having a lot of married sex. On averageand remember, this isnt just newlywed teenagers, but also middle-aged couples were talking aboutthe Aka reported having sex three times per night, and the Ngandu twice per night. According to the Hewletts, these groups consider sex as being more like work than recreational activity. Given the importance placed on having many childrencoupled with a high infant mortality ratethe Aka and Ngandu view sex as an exercise in gathering offspring, a form of nocturnal labor that is just as important as their subsistence activities during daylight. The work of the penis is the work to find a child, said one Aka informant. I am now doing it five times a night to search for a child, said another. If I do not do it five times my wife will not be happy because she wants children quickly. Its not that sex isnt pleasurable to these people, the Hewletts emphasize. Rather, pleasure just isnt their primary motive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As evidence of this secondary role of pleasure, theres not a lot of foreplay in Aka sexuality. For example, one woman remarked that a man never puts the clitoris in his mouth; if he does he will vomit. Thats not necessarily a sign of prudery. Given their general attitude toward the subject of sex, its more likely an indication that such nonreproductive behaviors just arent part of their script. This is relevant to current debates in our own culture about sexual libertarianism, such as those dealing with the naturalness of monogamy. The Western cultural emphasis on recreational sex, the investigators observe, has led some researchers to suggest that human sexuality is similar to bonobo apes because they have frequent non-reproductive sex, engage in sex throughout the female cycle, and use sex to reduce social tensions. The bonobo view may apply to Euro-Americans, but from the Aka and Ngandu viewpoint sex is linked to reproduction and building a family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another reason the Aka, especially, are having so much sex is because theyre convinced that semen is a nutritive substance that enhances fetal development and leads to healthy babies. This helps to explain why Aka women report that they do not have orgasms with each bout of intercourse overnight, but Aka men are ejaculating into them every few hours. The concept of seminal nurturethat semen is a kind of milk for developing embryosis found in many other cultures across the world as well, most notably in South America. Still, thats a lot of semen being churned out by your average set of middle-aged testes. (Couples take a few nights off during the week, presumably for men to replenish their seed.) Fortunately, the Aka do have access to some natural, and seemingly potent Viagra in the form of a chewable tree bark they call bolumba, which goes down best while drinking palm wine. Ngandu men also say that simple enemas are effective sexual stimulants. Advertisement Advertisement But while they may be comfortable enough infusing liquid into their anuses to give force to the penis, its apparently never occurred to them to insert an actual penis into that particular orifice. The tribespeople, like Ahmadinejad, claimed there was no homosexuality of any kind in their culture. The Aka, in particular, had a difficult time understanding the concept and mechanics of same-sex relationships, the Hewletts write. No word existed and it was necessary to repeatedly describe the sexual act we thought that maybe they were shy or embarrassed, but this would have been uncharacteristic of the Aka that we had known for so long. Apparently, the Aka arent alone in their homo-naivete. In 1976, another team of anthropologists sifted through the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample data for attitudes toward homosexuality and found that people in five of 42 cultures listed had no concept of same-sex desire or behaviors. Its not that these cultures penalized or disapproved of homosexuality. Rather, they didnt even know what it was. Advertisement Advertisement The absence of homosexuality in the Aka and Ngandu is hard enough to fathom, yet consider their unfamiliarity with another natural sexual behavior, masturbation. Like homosexuality, explain the Hewletts, it was difficult to explain self-stimulation to the Aka. They found it unusual and said it may happen far away in Congo, but they did not know it. People from other ethnic groups, too, are deeply confused about this mysterious principle of self-induced orgasm. The anthropologists mention a colleague of theirs who was tracking fertility among the Lese people in the Ituri forest of central Africa, and found it extremely difficult to instruct men how to collect their own semen samples by masturbating. Even with rather explicit instructions, nearly all of the samples that were brought back to him were mixed with vaginal secretions! The only reasonable assumption to make here is that such frequent copulation, at least among married Aka adults, has obviated the need for self-gratification. Still, one would think that masturbation would occur in adolescents and that, like riding a bike, adults would remember the general motor pattern. But alas, no luck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In any event, the point is not to suggest that homosexuality and masturbation are unnatural and therefore wrong, but that deviance is a relative term. Lets not forget there are certainly cultures for which homosexual behavior is the norm rather than the exception. In the 1980s, anthropologist Gilbert Herdt stunned the Western world with his reports on the semen ingestion ritual of the Sambia of Papua New Guinea. In that society, boys are separated from their families from the ages of 7 to 10 and forced to fellate older adolescent boys and ingest their semen. Ironically, the Sambia havent really a concept of homosexuality, either. Rather, they believe that only by swallowing prodigious amounts of semen can boys become fierce warriors. Not until theyve completed several years of semen-swallowing and then another four or five years of being fellated by boys themselves can Sambia males become fully adult and enter into exclusively heterosexual marriages. And in certain parts of Lesotho, South Africa, a related, albeit semen-free pattern of sex between adolescent females and younger girls has been reported as the norm. Advertisement Advertisement The examples above should remind us that there are as many sexual differences between cultures as there are similarities. It may astonish Westerners to realize that societies with these practices exist elsewhere in the world, but just imagine all of the other variations in human sexuality that must have been lost through the ages. Even today, there really are societies in which homosexuality does not exist; Irans just not one of them. Still, Im sure there are more than a few Iranians who wouldnt mind dropping Ahmadinejad into the jungles of the Central African Republic, so he might live out his days in the perfect, gay-free world of his dreams. But how cruel that would be to those peaceful Aka. Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now... Conflicting reports, claims and counter claims have created a state of uncertainty in Manbij, as the fate of the city hangs in the balance. Mixed reports are coming from the city of Manbij in northern Syria, which has been a target for both Turkey and the Syrian regime for months now. The Syrian Army Says It Has Entered the City of Manbij The Syrian regimes army says it has entered the city of Manbij, according to state media, after the countrys main Kurdish armed group invited government forces to take control of the northern area and protect it from a threatened Turkish offensive. On Friday, the State-run SANA news agency said that stemming from the complete commitment of the Syrian Army in assuming its responsibilities to impose sovereignty over each inch of the Syrian territory and in response to the calls of locals in Manbij city, the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces announced the entry of the Syrian Arab Army to Manbij city and the hoisting of the Syrian Arab flag. However, an Al Jazeera reporter from Gaziantep on the Turkish border, said residents of Manbij, which lies 30km south of the Turkish border, dispute the Syrian armys claim. Manbij residents who we spoken to have said that they have not seen any sign of Syrian forces in their city but we know that Syrian government troops have already been on the outskirts of the city, where they were part of the International Coalition fighting the Islamic State (ISIS), he said. In addition, a resident of Manbij who spoke to The Associated Press from the town on condition of anonymity said there was no sign of government troops. The Turkish-Backed National Army Refutes the Governments Story Major Yousef Hammoud, the military spokesman for the National Army has denied the entry of the regimes forces into the city of Manbij, accusing the regime of lying. What happened, he said in a statement to Orient.net, was that the regime had brought military reinforcements the area of al-Taeh, which is already under regime control, and about 16 km away from Manbij. Inside the city, the Syrian regime flag was raised by some PKK members on one official building, Hammoud explained. SDF Deny Reports About Their Support for the Entry of the Syrian Army to Manbij The spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Cihan Ahmed, denied media reports attributed to them welcoming the entry of the Syrian army to Manbij. Media reports had said earlier that the SDF support the entry of the Syrian regimes army to Manbij in order to maintain Syria, and attributed this position to the SDF spokesperson Cihan Ahmed. We support the entry of the Syrian army into Manbij, in order to preserve Syria, Ahmed was quoted as saying. Ahmad, however, denied unequivocally in a statement to Russia Today these media reports and said that the reports are totally untrue. The Turkish Army and Its Syrian Opposition Allies Are Moving Towards the City On Friday, the main Turkish-backed Syrian rebel force said that its convoys, along with Turkish forces, were moving towards the frontlines with the Syrian town of Manbij, in full readiness to start military operations to liberate the town, according to The Daily Star. In the current situation, we are still supporting the integrity of Syrian soil. These areas belong to Syria. Once the terrorist organizations leave the area, we will have nothing left to do there, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul. Its not just about Manbij, we are aiming to wipe out all terrorist organizations in the region. Our main goal is that the YPG learns the necessary lesson here, Erdogan said. Erdogans comments came after the Turkish Defense Ministry said the YPG has no authority to invite other elements into Manbij, and warned all parties to refrain from destabilizing the region. Based on a report by galaxyclub.nl, the Samsung Galaxy A50 is expected to come equipped with a large 4000mAh battery similar to that of the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Not only that, but the device is also reported to come with a 24MP rear camera as well. It is not officially known whether the device will come with a dual-camera rear. Other than that, the Samsung Galaxy A50 will be sold somewhere around the first half of 2019 with tech specs such as the Exynos 7 9610 chipset, 4GB of RAM, up to 128GB of internal storage, and 4000mAh non-removable battery. The screen dimension, screen resolution, and front-facing selfie camera is not known as of now. Other than that, there is no official information on when the device will officially be available in Malaysia as well as the official price of it for now. On that note, stay tuned to TechNave.com as we provide more updates regarding the device. Integrity policy gathers dust at PMs Office The much hyped National Integrity Policy is gathering dust at the Prime Ministers Office after a face-off between government agencies and the donor community and non-government organisations working in Nepal. Kin of missing appeal state to intervene Families of the three missing disciples of Ram Bahadur BomjanFulmaya Rumba, Sancha Lal Waiba and Chunmo Dolma Tamanghave appealed to the government to search the whereabouts of their relatives. One dead, another injured in Rukum road accident A 16-year-old boy died when a tractor fell off the road at Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality in East Rukum on Thursday. According to the District Police Office, the tractoren route to Kol village from Takserafell some 300 metres down the road after it skidded on the snow at Garkhanu village. Abani Malla is culture and arts reporter at The Kathmandu Post, who focuses on the arts and lifestyle. She is also an illustrator and blogger. In order to accommodate the number of drug users, the country would require three to four 'Fixerstuffen' (facilities that provide a safe space for drug users to inject), say sources from the social sector. The government programme envisages three facilities for safe drug consumption: one in the City, which already exists, and then one in Esch and Ettelbruck. At Abrigado, Luxembourg City's facility, there were 175 daily users in 2015. This number rose to 182 and then 208 person in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The numbers is expected to stay the same for this year. Rapport dactivites 2017 - Comite National de Defense Sociale As about a quarter of drug addicts come from the south of the country and roughly a fifth from areas other the Luxembourg City and the south, the aim is the decentralize and widen the offer of safe facilities. While the talks with Ettelbruck seem likely to be on the tough side, the facility in Esch is scheduled to open its doors before summer 2019. Plans for a permanent facility in Luxembourg City are no longer on the table. The current, temporary facility - built with containers in 2012 - is staying and will be reinforced with the addition of three employees, allowing longer opening hours. The authorities, as well as actors from the social sector, are looking into what measures should be taken in response to the developments in drug consumption. Numbers of cocaine users are currently on the rise. While a heroin addict only needs a few doses per day, a cocaine addict can need up to 15 doses per day. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, safe use facilities could also have a positive impact on cocaine related issues. On the one hand, drug users will be in a safer environment, and on the other, the general public will have less exposure to drug use. A second Fixerstuff in the City would be out of the question until those in Esch and elsewhere in the country have become a reality. Police fired tear gas at "yellow vest" demonstrators in Paris on Saturday but the turnout for round seven of the popular protests that have rocked France appeared low. Several hundred people wearing the symbolic hi-visibility vests had gathered near the offices of several state-run television stations and the BFM TV channel in the centre of the capital shouting "Fake news" and calling for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron. Protesters spilled onto tram lines and lobbed projectiles at police who replied with tear gas grenades and detained several people. Several cars were also set alight outside the offices of the Le Parisien newspaper, although a fire service spokesman said it was not clear if the blaze was linked to the protests. Tear gas was also fired in Nantes, western France, and protests were expected in Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse. In the southern city of Marseille, police said around 1,000 protesters turned out, amid cries of "Macron out". The official turnout numbers have plunged with the passing weeks, with police saying some 12,000 had joined Saturday's rally by midday. The government recorded 38,600 demonstrators on December 22 compared to 282,000 for the first major demonstrations on November 17. But leading figures within the movement that has flourished outside of trade union and political groups, say the low numbers are due to the holiday season and January will bring a resurgence of the street protests. The focus of the protests has morphed from anger over fuel taxes to a broad rebuke of Macron, accused by critics of neglecting the rising costs of living for many in rural and small-town France. "We want to get our purchasing power back and have a say in the decisions," said Priscillia Ludosky, who launched the yellow vest petition against fuel price hikes. Government tax concessions to boost disposable income among the low paid "are not enough", Ludosky said in Marseille. The movement has increasingly targeted Macron and 40 "yellow vests" on Thursday tried to storm the medieval fort of Bregancon that serves as his official summer retreat on the Mediterranean before being turned back by police. Die-hard yellow vest supporters believe the movement will live on in 2019 and plans are underway for New Year's Eve protests. Nearly 8,000 people are listed on Facebook as intending to attend, insisting it will be "festive and non-violent". Paris officials said preparations would continue for a fireworks display and sound and light show on the Champs-Elysee, the epicentre of repeated violent action against the government, with the Arc de Triomphe ransacked on December 1. Tens of thousands of tourists and locals traditionally ring in the new year on the wide shopping boulevard, which rises to the Arc monument. sbur-cld-mig-asl/har/nla/rox Bet on Everton and get a deposit bonus with bet365 at TheFreeBetGuide.com As lucky money envelopes that look identical to the Vietnamese banknotes are widely advertised online ahead of the Lunar New Year, local lawyers have warned that these products can be regarded as a violation of the currency law. Lucky money, or li xi in Vietnamese, are often given to children and elders in red envelopes as a way of wishing good luck for both children and senior people during Tet, the way Vietnamese people call Lunar New Year, in Vietnam. In recent years, beside the red color that is said to symbolize good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits in Vietnamese belief, many out-of-the-box designs for lucky money envelopes have also been introduced in the market on every Tet. This year, the envelopes designed in the form of Vietnamese banknote look-alikes have been the new trend. The products bear the same appearance as Vietnamese bills with denominations of VND50,000, VND100,000, VND200,000 and VND500,000. (US$1 = 23,256) Lucky money envelopes are printed in form of VND500,000 ($21.5) banknotes. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to some sellers, this type of red envelopes is printed in C150gsm paper, with full and clear color, in 7.3x16.5cm size, so the circulating real banknotes can easily fit in. Both sides of the envelopes are identical to real money. They are sold for VND1,000 VND apiece or VND800 per set of ten, according to N. Nga, who advertises the lucky money envelopes both for use and resale. T.T, a resident in Hanoi, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that she had just sourced 7,000 pieces of these lucky money envelopes, but most of them were sold out so quickly that only the VND500,000-note look-alikes are left. Little did these sellers know that their sale activities violate the Vietnamese law, according to lawyer Nguyen Ngo Quang Nhat. The act of copying Vietnamese currency for any purpose without the prior written approval of the State Bank of Vietnam is prohibited as per prescription in Clause 3, Article 3, Decision of the Prime Minister No. 130/2003 / QD-TTG dated June 30, 2003 on the protection of Vietnamese currency, lawyer Nhat said. Accordingly, if any organizations or individuals print lucky money envelopes in resemblance to real money, they may violate the provisions on the protection of Vietnamese money as mentioned above. This behavior may lead to a fine between VND40,000,000 ($1,720) and VND80,000,000 ($3,440) and additional penalties, the lawyer elaborated. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Born in a low-income household, a Vietnamese millennial has climbed the ladder from selling balloons on the street to running a successful bike rental and homestay business. Cao Thi Hoai Thu, 29, is a well known name amongst tourists and adventure tour guides in Dong Hoi town in the north-central province of Quang Binh. Thus journey to the top of the tourist scene in Quang Binh has been more than a decade in the making. At the age of two, her parents divorced and she went to live with her mother in Cam Lo, a town in Quang Tri Province, 130km from Quang Binh. In her junior year of high school, she sold balloons to children in her neighborhood. A year later she moved on to selling vegetables. During college Thu earned money from a part-time job and commissions from several side gigs, including replacing cooking gas cylinders and water jugs. After witnessing the skyrocketing demand for motorbike rentals in Vietnam, Thu used all her savings to purchase two second-hand motorcycles and begun a rent-a-bike business in Dong My Ward, Dong Hoi, the capital of Quang Binh. She dropped out of university during her second year, and devoted herself to the hospitality industry. Thu then relocated her business to Bao Ninh, a seaside town located 40km from the heart of Quang Binh and opened a homestay in 2015 where she continued renting out motorbikes. She named her business Tungs homestay. She has now grown her motorbike fleet to more than 80 bikes for rent and boasts customers from all over the world. Thu's says she owes her success too quality service and her great personality. Travelers, mostly from Europe, come to Dong Hoi en route to the caves in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, she said. If you cannot speak their language, then its difficult to do business with them. Thu taught herself English and managed to speak the language fluently after six months, which helps her business continue to flourish. Many tourists and travelers say they are in awe after hearing her story. I only found out about her through the Internet. After we met in person I came to appreciate what shes built, Andrew John, a British tourist, shared. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam on Saturday condemned a bomb blast that killed three and injured ten Vietnamese in Cairo, demanding that Egypt soon opens a probe into the act of terror. A roadside bomb blast hit a tour bus carrying 14 Vietnamese and an Egyptian guide on Friday, less than 4km from Egypts world-famous Giza pyramids. The blast killed three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide, while injured the other ten passengers. Vietnam vehemently condemns such an act of terror and demands that Egypt investigate to find and punish those responsible for the attack, Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Vietnamese foreign ministry, said on Saturday afternoon. Hang added that Vietnam appreciates the Egyptian government and peoples efforts in providing medical treatment and protection for affected Vietnamese citizens. Vietnam calls on governments and people of countries to show solidarity against terrorism to build a peaceful life and ensure safe travel for civilians around the world, Hang underlined. Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has extended his condolences to families of the victims, according to the spokesperson. The premier has asked the foreign ministry to employ immediate measures needed to protect Vietnamese citizens in Egypt, as well as to provide support to the victims. PM Phuc also demanded that Egyptian authorities create favor conditions for families of the victims to travel to Cairo. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong visits victims of a deadly bomb blast in Cairo on December 29, 2018. Photo: Vietnamese foreign ministry Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong has visited the site of the blast as well as the Al Haram Hospital in Cairo to check on the Vietnamese victims being treated there. The ambassador has also established contact with the Egyptian tourism minister and health ministry to request assistance for the victims and support in repatriating them safely as soon as possible. The Vietnamese foreign ministry has requested that the Egyptian Embassy in Vietnam grant urgent visas to families of the victims to visit their closed ones in Cairo, as well as work closely with parties involved to protect the victims legal rights. The foreign ministry has also instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Cairo to monitor the situation closely and coordinate with local authorities to protect Vietnamese citizens. The Vietnamese tourists were on their last day of the Egypt package organized by Ho Chi Minh City-based travel firm Saigontourist. Here are todays leading stories: Society -- A 30-year-old sex buyer stabbed a 45-year-old prostitute to death as the woman asked the man to give VND100,000 (US$4.3) more than the agreed price in a threatening tone after their sexual activity. Both reside in Ho Chi Minh Citys Hoc Mon District, with the male killer once having a criminal conviction of robbery. -- Ho Chi Minh City on Friday launched a voluntary blood donation campaign and Xuan Hong (Red Spring) Festival of 2019, amidst a shortage in blood reserve for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. -- Two kids died while different cases in several Vietnamese localities reported side effects after the vaccination of ComBE Five, a five-in-one vaccine that can help fight against five common, potentially fatal diseases affecting infants - diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type B. The vaccine was stipulated to be used nationwide to replace the Korean-made Quinvaxem vaccine from late December after it was tested in seven provinces. Business -- In the face of a series of local petitions that report difficulties with the temporary suspension of public payment to investors in build-transfer (BT) models, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed at a national conference between the government and localities in Hanoi on Friday that he will sign a Government Resolution on BT investments on Saturday, December 29. -- Jerry Lim, Grabs CEO in Vietnam, said the ride-hailing firm would appeal to the countrys appellate court after the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court ordered it to compensate Vietnamese taxi firm Vinasun for more than VND4.8 billion ($206,985) on Friday, in conclusion of an 18-month legal battle between the two firms where the latter had sued its tech-based rival over profit losses. -- Asian countries are the major market of Vietnams tourism sector in 2018 with over 12 million departures, up 23.7 percent over last year, according to the General Statistics Office. -- National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has planned close to 54,000 extra seats, while budget carrier Jetstar Pacific will add nearly 93,000 seats between now and January 2, 2019 to meet increasing demand for domestic flights during the New Year holiday. -- Japan took the lead among 112 countries and territories with investment in Vietnam in 2018, with $8.59 billion, making up 24 percent of the nations total FDI, according to a report by the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Lifestyle -- A photo exhibition on 320 years of Saigon Ho Chi Minh City development, featuring 200 photos of the journey during which the city has evolved from reclaimed land into the southern economic-cultural hub of Vietnam, opened at the citys Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on Friday and will last until January 8. -- As New Years Eve 2019 is just two nights away, the capital city of Hanoi will organize a wide range of art shows in celebration of the holiday, including a dazzling New Year countdown party at the Ly Thai To Statue Square near Hoan Kiem Lake and various art performances across the citys public places on December 31, while fireworks set off above Nguyen Van Troi bridge will light up the sky of the central city of Da Nang to welcome New Year, and a countdown party is also scheduled for Nguyen Hue Walking Street in Ho Chi Minh City until midnight. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A court in Vietnam has handed five people jail terms of seven to eight years each for food safety violations after they were discovered in April to have been mixing a battery-dyed compound of gravels and coffee bean skins into black peppers to sell for more profit. Phan Thi Dung, 56, Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan, 43, Nguyen Xuan Bao, 33, Le Thi Hong Tho, 39, and Tran Nguong, 42, were found guilty of violating regulations on food safety. They had in October been sought jail terms of seven to ten years by prosecutors in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong. Dung and Tho are both directors of companies involved in producing and selling black peppers. The business partners in 2015 came up with the idea of mixing ground gravels and coffee bean skins into black peppers to increase the weight of their shipments, thereby reaping higher profits. Loan and Bao were paid to provide them with the dirty mixture, while Nguong was the transporter. The couple broke open old batteries for the black powder found in their cores, which is manganese dioxide, and use it to mix with water to create their own dye, an idea they got from Nguongs suggestion. An indictment shows that Loan and Bao had produced 33,100 kilograms of the battery-dyed mixture in the two months before their facility was busted by police officers in April 2018. Lab tests conducted by the forensic department under Vietnams Ministry of Public Security shows that dirty ingredients made up 18.34 percent of black pepper samples confiscated at Dungs warehouses. Among the chemicals found are manganese dioxide, zinc chloride, and ammonium chloride, which are not allowed in food production according to Vietnams regulations. Judges ruled that the defendants were fully aware that the mixture of battery power was toxic and could lead to adverse health effects if consumed by humans. Despite this knowledge, they persisted with the crime, judges found. Bao was sentenced to eight years behind bars while Loan received a jail term of seven and a half years. The remaining three defendants were each handed a prison term of seven years. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A university in Vietnam has vowed to tighten security after an outsider managed to sneak into its main campus in Ho Chi Minh City and died from jumping off a tall building in an apparent suicide attempt on Friday, the latest in a string of similar incidents involving non-students this year. The victim is a woman around 25-30 years old who has not been identified, Dr. Phan Hong Hai, vice rector of the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) where the suicide took place, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday. Footage from CCTV cameras shows the woman standing outside the schools campus in Go Vap District at around 3:00 am on Friday. At around 3:25 pm, she sneaked into the campus through a door that had been left open by a sanitation worker who came to collect garbage. She climbed all the way to the ninth floor of the tallest building on campus, where she sat on the balcony for a while before throwing herself off the building. Her body was discovered at 4:15 am the same day by a janitor, who notified security guards. We have been able to confirm that the victim is not one of our students, Hai said. As she didnt carry any identification paper, we have not been able to identify the victim, he added. The campus of IUH is notorious for suicides by both students and outsiders, having been the site for four successful suicide attempts since the start of this year. All of them, including three non-IUH students, died on the spot following the suicide jumps. Hai said the school is looking to tighten security and install new fences on its top floors to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. We will also offer more psychological counseling to students to help reduce suicidal tendencies, Hai said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Vietnamese foreign ministry said on Saturday it is working closely with Egyptian authorities to provide assistance to victims of a roadside bomb blast that hit a tour bus, killing three Vietnamese tourists, in Cairo on Friday. The blast happened at 6:15 pm local time on Friday less than four kilometers from Egypts world-famous Giza pyramids in Cairo, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The bus was carrying 14 Vietnamese tourists who were on a tour organized by Ho Chi Minh City-based travel firm Saigontourist. Three Vietnamese tourists have been confirmed dead while 11 others were injured in the blast, including ten who remain hospitalized for severe injuries. An Egyptian tour guide was also killed in the blast. Two tourists who sustained minor wounds are being cared for at the Embassy of Vietnam in Cairo, according to the Vietnamese foreign ministry. No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong visits victims of a deadly bomb blast in Cairo on December 29, 2018. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong has visited the site of the blast as well as the Al Haram Hospital in Cairo to check on the Vietnamese victims being treated there. The ambassador has also established contact with the Egyptian tourism minister and health ministry to request assistance for the victims and support in repatriating them safely as soon as possible. The Vietnamese foreign ministry has requested that the Egyptian Embassy in Vietnam grant urgent visas to families of the victims to visit their closed ones in Cairo, as well as work closely with parties involved to protect the victims legal rights. The foreign ministry has also instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Cairo to monitor the situation closely and coordinate with local authorities to protect Vietnamese citizens. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper has requested comment from the Embassy of Vietnam in Cairo on information from a source that a fourth has died at the hospital. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong visits victims of a deadly bomb blast in Cairo on December 29, 2018. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! 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Besides the famous faces and celebrities, the people receiving honours are the British divers involved in the rescue of the group of Thai boys who were trapped in a cave, paramedics who were involved in the aftermath of terror attacks, the first female firefighter in Northern Ireland, Emmeline Pankhurst's great-granddaughter, a Welsh rocker fighting cancer and a nurse turned businesswoman. Their seven moving stories are included here. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Named only as Nesma, her first name, a 25-year-old woman is accused of sexually assaulting a monkey in a pet shop in Mansoura city. According to local reports, Nesma was sentenced on Thursday to three years behind bars. She is a resident of a village in Dakahlia. The Mansoura Misdemeanor Court charged her with provoking emotions, inciting debauchery and lewd acts in public. This was after a video went viral on social media in October, which showed Nesma touching the monkeys genitals. Woman visits pet shop and abuses a monkey Egypt Independent reports that the woman has asked a friend to record video of the incident, as she fondled the monkeys genitals in public in a pet shop, intending to arouse the animal. That report said she was also trying to incite the public to commit adultery. Investigations of Nesma uncovered the fact that she had previously been charged in a case involving prostitution. She was allegedly making the video to promote herself. Egyptian woman Basma Ahmed is imprisoned for three years for sexually harassing a monkeyhttps://t.co/me0GdavZaG pic.twitter.com/cONKDwRIIv Ashoka News (@Ashokanews1) December 29, 2018 After the 90-second video went viral, she was arrested by police and confessed to the incident involving the monkey. In court, the woman told prosecutors that she was merely petting the monkey and had no ill intentions. She also said she had no knowledge of the video being posted online and that it had all been a joke. She added that she was not aware that her friend was filming the incident. Human or monkeys Don't touch ... https://t.co/PlbcvtFODt Yedukondalu C (@yedukondalu_c) December 29, 2018 NDTV reports that the Egyptian news outlet Al-Ahram had reported that the womans name is Basma Ahmed. Whatever her real name is, one Twitter user expressed outrage over the womans sentence, saying the same country rarely lifts a finger when women are regularly raped and harassed. Woman sentenced to 3 years in jail for sexually harassing monkey in Egypt. The same Egypt hardly lifts a finger when women are routinely harassed and raped. https://t.co/knIJ1SoL1y Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) December 29, 2018 Guard accused of sexually assaulting a monkey in India The International Business Times reports that in 2017, a watchman western Indian state of Maharashtra stood accused of assaulting a female monkey. The man had kept the monkey tied up to a tree for nearly two years. An Animal Welfare Officer told police that he saw the animal in a compromising position with the guard. However, he faced no charges and no action was taken against him. The founder of Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare, Pawan Sharma, said at that time that monkeys are the most exploited and ignored species" when it comes to their welfare and management tasks. Sharma said his organisation was working with the forest department on the issues to ensure they are addressed. He said they were seeking alternatives until an independent rescue centre for the city is ready. The young porters who work in the main produce market in Dakar, Senegal, carry roughly more than three tons on their shoulders every day. The porters make a living selling their physical strength to fruit and vegetable vendors. In one working day, they load and unload close to 150 bags, each weighing 25 kilos. One of our Observers spoke to us about their working conditions. In Thiaroye, one of the biggest produce markets in Dakar, porters are a common sight. Most of these men come from neighbouring countries, especially Guinea, and they make their living doing this back-breaking work. These men form groups of five or six people and wait for the trucks carrying fruit and vegetables to pull into the market. The men then offer to load and unload the produce for a fixed fee. Its a simple system. The more bags they carry, the more they are paid. Camara Mahmoud moved from Guinea to Dakar about six months ago. He works as a nurse in the health centre in Thiaroye, which is next to the market. One day, he dropped by the market to say hello to a friend of his, who works as a porter. Astonished by the weight that he saw them carrying, he got out his phone and filmed the porters. These men spend their days going back and forth between the trucks and the warehouses, carrying bags of more than 100 kilos of onions slung over their necks and their shoulders. This worker carries five 25-kilo bags through Thiaroye market to load into a waiting truck. (Video by Camara Mahmoud) "He told me that his entire body hurts Camara decided to send the video to the Observers team. > I really felt for the porters when I saw the weight that they carry. They must really suffer. I asked them why they did this work but they said that they didnt have another choice and that they were forced to do this work in order to be able to eat. > > Many of them come to the health centre where I work. A lot of them suffer from back pain. The man who you see carrying onions in the video told me that his entire body hurts. The workers tend to negotiate how much they will be paid with the truck driver after it pulls into the market. However, it is normally around 25 CFA francs for one bag of onions. If the workers carry on average 150 bags, each weighing 25 kilos, then they can make about 3,500 CFA francs per day. In Senegal, the average monthly salary is about 96,000 CFA francs, which averages out to about 4,800 CFA francs per day. Our team checked these numbers with our Observers who live in Dakar. They agreed that this was the going rate for this back-breaking work. They dont make enough to pay for treatment for the injuries caused by this dangerous labour. > These men are day labourers so they have no contract or any medical coverage. The man in my video said that he couldnt afford medicine for his aches and pains but that he drank a lot of orange juice, which he thought helped. Even though all of the vendors depend on the porters, there is no regulation of this industry, says Khadim Ndiaye, the head of the department of commerce in Pikine, the body that is meant to oversee activity within the Thiaroye market. Ndiaye told the FRANCE 24 Observers team that the working conditions are discussed between the vendors and the labourers. This article was written by Pierre Hamdi (@PierreHamdi). The young porters who work in the main produce market in Dakar, Senegal, carry roughly more than three tons on their shoulders every day. The porters make a living selling their physical strength to fruit and vegetable vendors. In one working day, they load and unload close to 150 bags, each weighing 25 kilos. One of our Observers spoke to us about their working conditions. In Thiaroye, one of the biggest produce markets in Dakar, porters are a common sight. Most of these men come from neighbouring countries, especially Guinea, and they make their living doing this back-breaking work. These men form groups of five or six people and wait for the trucks carrying fruit and vegetables to pull into the market. The men then offer to load and unload the produce for a fixed fee. Its a simple system. The more bags they carry, the more they are paid. Camara Mahmoud moved from Guinea to Dakar about six months ago. He works as a nurse in the health centre in Thiaroye, which is next to the market. One day, he dropped by the market to say hello to a friend of his, who works as a porter. Astonished by the weight that he saw them carrying, he got out his phone and filmed the porters. These men spend their days going back and forth between the trucks and the warehouses, carrying bags of more than 100 kilos of onions slung over their necks and their shoulders. This worker carries five 25-kilo bags through Thiaroye market to load into a waiting truck. (Video by Camara Mahmoud) "He told me that his entire body hurts Camara decided to send the video to the Observers team. I really felt for the porters when I saw the weight that they carry. They must really suffer. I asked them why they did this work but they said that they didnt have another choice and that they were forced to do this work in order to be able to eat. Many of them come to the health centre where I work. A lot of them suffer from back pain. The man who you see carrying onions in the video told me that his entire body hurts. Story continues The workers tend to negotiate how much they will be paid with the truck driver after it pulls into the market. However, it is normally around 25 CFA francs for one bag of onions. If the workers carry on average 150 bags, each weighing 25 kilos, then they can make about 3,500 CFA francs per day. In Senegal, the average monthly salary is about 96,000 CFA francs, which averages out to about 4,800 CFA francs per day. Our team checked these numbers with our Observers who live in Dakar. They agreed that this was the going rate for this back-breaking work. They dont make enough to pay for treatment for the injuries caused by this dangerous labour. These men are day labourers so they have no contract or any medical coverage. The man in my video said that he couldnt afford medicine for his aches and pains but that he drank a lot of orange juice, which he thought helped. Even though all of the vendors depend on the porters, there is no regulation of this industry, says Khadim Ndiaye, the head of the department of commerce in Pikine, the body that is meant to oversee activity within the Thiaroye market. Ndiaye told the FRANCE 24 Observers team that the working conditions are discussed between the vendors and the labourers. This article was written by Pierre Hamdi (@PierreHamdi). Bangladesh has tightened security ahead of Sunday's elections, deploying some 600,000 police, army and other security forces. Security forces including the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the navy, border and coast guards, as well as auxiliary police units will guard some 40,000 election booths across the poor South Asian nation. Bangladesh's communications regulator ordered the country's mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday "to prevent the spread of rumours" a spokesman said. With more than 100 million voters registered for the December 30 polls, Sunday's vote represents one of the worlds largest democratic exercises. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to win a record fourth term. But the opposition says its candidates have been disqualified and supporters jailed in a pre-election crackdown Political rallies turned violent almost as soon as campaigning began. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in skirmishes between Hasina's supporters and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists. Main opposition party BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving a 17-year jail term, says more than 14,000 of its activists have been detained since the election was announced on November 8. The BNP said over 1,100 people were rounded up on Friday alone. The party also alleges that around 12,000 activists were injured in attacks by members of the ruling party Awami League who, in turn, denies the allegations. Sixteen international human rights groups released a joint statement Saturday saying the crackdown "compromises the integrity" of the vote. The United States has raised concerns about the elections while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the offices of French media organization BFMTV on Saturday, December 29, as part of a seventh week of action by the Yellow Vest movement. An estimated 700 demonstrators stood outside the television studios in Paris and chanted slogans calling for the the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron and deriding the news channel as fake news, according to reports. Video shows the crowd chanting as well as the extent of the police presence at the scene. Two people were reportedly arrested during the protest on Saturday. The number of protesters has decreased since the movement gained notoriety for their opposition to a proposed increase in the gas tax in November. On November 17, 282,000 were estimated to have protested throughout France. Nationwide protests on December 22 attracted 38,000, according to the government. Credit: @WarDefinesMen via Storyful Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 HUNGARY OFFICIAL: MASS MIGRATION DANGEROUS, INTEGRATION FAILED LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 433529 12-29-2018 03:12 AM Post: #1 HUNGARY OFFICIAL: MASS MIGRATION DANGEROUS, INTEGRATION FAILED Advertisement This is the take home point: MASS MIGRATION DANGEROUS, INTEGRATION FAILED "Mass migration is dangerous not only regarding terrorism, public security, culture and social security, but also the whole healthcare system, State Secretary Bence Retvari told Hungarian daily Magyar Hirlap. According to Retvari, European epidemiological organisations have recorded a significant rise of communicable diseases, including those which had already disappeared from Europe thanks to vaccinations. Such cases have been documented in Malta, Italy and even Germany. According to the German Robert Koch Institute, since 2015 theres a 300% rise in Hepatitis B and measles, and a 200% in malaria and syphilis cases. The frequency of diseases of unknown origin has grown from 14 to 26%. According to Retvari, by supporting the migrant visa (humanitarian visa), the European Parliament gave green light to millions of illegal and economic migrants, bringing even more dangers to Europe. If we compare how much would Brussels spend on integrating one immigrant in Europe, which is clearly a failed attempt based on the experiences of the recent decades -, and how much it costs to restore a home in a crisis zone, its clear that with the same amount of money we can help a lot more people in their areas than in Europe, Retvari stressed. He reminded that with the Hungary Helps programme the government was able to help thousands of people to restart their lives in Iraq. So this solution is better considering effectiveness, social peace and the actually persecuted people too, he added. According to the politician, this is the solution chosen by those who really want to help, unlike the hypocritical Brussels elite." Think for yourself and read more here: "Mass migration is dangerous not only regarding terrorism, public security, culture and social security, but also the whole healthcare system, State Secretary Bence Retvari told Hungarian daily Magyar Hirlap.According to Retvari, European epidemiological organisations have recorded a significant rise of communicable diseases, including those which had already disappeared from Europe thanks to vaccinations. Such cases have been documented in Malta, Italy and even Germany. According to the German Robert Koch Institute, since 2015 theres a 300% rise in Hepatitis B and measles, and a 200% in malaria and syphilis cases.The frequency of diseases of unknown origin has grown from 14 to 26%.According to Retvari, by supporting the migrant visa (humanitarian visa), the European Parliament gave green light to millions of illegal and economic migrants, bringing even more dangers to Europe.If we compare how much would Brussels spend on integrating one immigrant in Europe, which is clearly a failed attempt based on the experiences of the recent decades -, and how much it costs to restore a home in a crisis zone, its clear that with the same amount of money we can help a lot more people in their areas than in Europe, Retvari stressed.He reminded that with the Hungary Helps programme the government was able to help thousands of people to restart their lives in Iraq. So this solution is better considering effectiveness, social peace and the actually persecuted people too, he added. According to the politician, this is the solution chosen by those who really want to help, unlike the hypocritical Brussels elite."Think for yourself and read more here: https://www.infowars.com/hungary-officia...on-failed/ LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 433529 12-29-2018 04:30 AM Post: #2 RE: HUNGARY OFFICIAL: MASS MIGRATION DANGEROUS, INTEGRATION FAILED Any follow up? Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread By David Morgan and James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to close the southern U.S. border with Mexico unless he gets the money he wants for a wall, raising the stakes in a standoff that will present an immediate test next week for the new U.S. Congress. When Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, they plan to quickly approve a spending measure meant to end a partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22, triggered by Trump's demand for $5 billion in funding for his proposed wall. Democrats have made clear that the House measure, which would then have to go to the Republican-controlled Senate, will not include $5 billion Trump says is needed for the wall, a central part of his tougher positions on immigration than his predecessors. "Democrats are united against the president's immoral, ineffective and expensive wall ... that he specifically promised that Mexico would pay for," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement, referring to a Trump 2016 presidential campaign pledge. Trump has previously threatened to close the border to prevent Central American immigrants reaching the United States. Asked about Trump's threat on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters it was an internal U.S. government matter. Lopez Obrador added, however: "Of course we will always defend our sovereignty ... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights." Whether Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Pelosi and Trump can find a way forward to fully reopen the government will say a lot about the next two years of divided government. A close congressional ally of Trump's on Friday sent a tweet suggesting more partisan confrontation lies ahead. "To Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats: No Wall Money, No Deal," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter. The dispute over Trump's wall has led to the shutdown of "non-essential" operations at numerous agencies because of lack of funding, including the departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Justice. Trump is demanding that Congress include his $5 billion in legislation that must be passed to restore funding to the agencies that expired at midnight on Dec. 21. Firing off angry tweets from the White House early on Friday, the president widened his demands. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Trump tweeted. "Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border." 'PROUD' TO SHUT DOWN Earlier this month, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over border security. But since the shutdown started, he has tried to blame Democrats. In television interviews on Friday, Trump aides said Democrats have refused to negotiate over the matter. "We're here, and they know where to find us," White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "Where is Chuck Schumer? Where is Nancy Pelosi? They're not even talking right now," he said. Schumer is the top Democrat in the Senate. Pelosi's spokesman said the White House has not reached out formally to her since Dec. 11, when she and Schumer had a contentious, televised Oval Office meeting with Trump. Pelosi is expected to become speaker of the House on Jan. 3 because Democrats won a House majority in November's elections. Since their victory, House Democrats have talked about seeking common ground with Republicans, while also promising numerous investigations of Trump, who has painted himself and Republicans in the Senate into a political corner. Rejecting next week's spending measure from House Democrats would put a Republican stamp on the shutdown. But accepting it would mean backing away from Trump's proposed wall. THREE OPTIONS Pelosi and Schumer have been discussing three options for Democratic legislation, according to a senior Democratic aide. One is a stop-gap funding bill that would run through Feb. 8. Another is six full 2019 appropriations bills for all but the Department of Homeland Security, which would be funded through a measure known as a continuing resolution maintaining current funding through Sept 30. The third is a continuing resolution for all shuttered agencies that would expire on Sept 30. The aide said the legislation expected for a full House vote on Jan. 3 could be a variation on any of the three options. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday, 47 percent of Americans hold Trump responsible for the shutdown, while 33 percent blame Democrats in Congress. The shutdown affects about 800,000 employees. Most of the federal government, which directly employs almost 4 million people, is unaffected. Even agencies that are affected never totally close, with "essential" workers still on the job. Trump, who scrapped plans to spend Christmas at his private resort in Florida and stayed in Washington, has now also canceled his New Year's plans, Mulvaney said. (Reporting by Mohammad Zargham, Ginger Gibson and David Morgan; Additional reporting by Anthony Esposito in Mexico City; writing by Kevin Drawbaugh; Editing by Frances Kerry and Grant McCool) We and our partners use cookies as indicated in our cookie policy . With your consent, we process data such as IP addresses, identifiers, and geolocation data to identify you as a user, track your browsing habits, provide personalized ads and content based on your interests, and measure website performance. To consent to cookies, you can I) click Accept or II) continue browsing this site. For more information, or to revoke your consent (in part or in whole), or modify your previous settings, click Preferences Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 3 Vote(s) - 3.67 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... 7 Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474729 12-29-2018 03:37 AM Post: #1 Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers Advertisement https://sputniknews.com/europe/201812261...-coverage/ ... SVT, however, chose another angle, warning fellow Swedes not to share the graphic clip, informing that violation of the law may be punished with up to four years' imprisonment. .... "Happened to watch the movie clip that is being circulated. The one where one of them gets her head cut off. I wish I could unsee it. I've seen many horrible things. For a while I felt a responsibility as a journalist to see the movie clips that Daesh (and AQ*) released. Still, this was much worse. It is the worst I have ever seen. It will haunt me", Svenska Dagbladet columnist Ivar Arpi wrote on his Facebook page, calling the murderers "beasts". ... ...SVT, however, chose another angle, warning fellow Swedes not to share the graphic clip, informing that violation of the law may be punished with up to four years' imprisonment....."Happened to watch the movie clip that is being circulated. The one where one of them gets her head cut off. I wish I could unsee it. I've seen many horrible things. For a while I felt a responsibility as a journalist to see the movie clips that Daesh (and AQ*) released. Still, this was much worse. It is the worst I have ever seen. It will haunt me", Svenska Dagbladet columnist Ivar Arpi wrote on his Facebook page, calling the murderers "beasts".... seasnake Registered User User ID: 67904 12-29-2018 03:48 AM Posts: 19,324 Post: #2 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers I'm in the U.S.A. and when I was in high school they would show us film clips in class of WWII Jews being rounded up and shot in concentration camps. The instructor had to pause the film cause we kept laughing when all their hats popped off of their heads and flew in the air as they were shot. How times have changed. Corosive Resident Time Wizard User ID: 464108 12-29-2018 04:09 AM Posts: 3,785 Post: #3 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers The video was light enough (incomparison to other similar videos) that they should show every single tourist before they agree to travel to certain parts of the world. So if that pretty blonde girl is still OK with going to the middle east after seeing another pretty blonde girl in her underwear getting her head cut off by a local muslim then by all means! Feel free to travel to the murder capital of the world. All this sh*t is why Trump won. It wasn't even that bad. You can see much worse at freedomsafespace. People need to stop being so sensitive and afraid of the real world. Human behaviour is a very disgusting thing and pretending that people aren't out there raping and killing each other is just going to get more people killed.The video was light enough (incomparison to other similar videos) that they should show every single tourist before they agree to travel to certain parts of the world. So if that pretty blonde girl is still OK with going to the middle east after seeing another pretty blonde girl in her underwear getting her head cut off by a local muslim then by all means! Feel free to travel to the murder capital of the world.All this sh*t is why Trump won. \_( )_/ If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474439 12-29-2018 04:12 AM Post: #4 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers Apparently people were posting this video on the Facebook profiles of the victims' mums. Yeah, that lot deserve jail. women are nice. Xenojunk Australia User ID: 439508 12-29-2018 04:22 AM Posts: 854 Post: #5 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers Swedish are sheep. They're mainly concerned with not upsetting the flock and their sweet tax dollars. That is why I don't respect the Swedish and many of the Eurotard countries. They've been defeated. By themselves. they are a lesson on what is to be avoided. Especially these days. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474729 12-29-2018 04:31 AM Post: #6 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers seasnake Wrote: (12-29-2018 03:48 AM) I'm in the U.S.A. and when I was in high school they would show us film clips in class of WWII Jews being rounded up and shot in concentration camps. The instructor had to pause the film cause we kept laughing when all their hats popped off of their heads and flew in the air as they were shot. How times have changed. massacres in which people were rounded up and shot were carried out by the jewish communists, not the nazis Katyn forest massacre in Poland for example massacres in which people were rounded up and shot were carried out by the jewish communists, not the nazisKatyn forest massacre in Poland for example LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474729 12-29-2018 04:34 AM Post: #7 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers Corosive Wrote: (12-29-2018 04:09 AM) It wasn't even that bad. You can see much worse at freedomsafespace. People need to stop being so sensitive and afraid of the real world. Human behaviour is a very disgusting thing and pretending that people aren't out there raping and killing each other is just going to get more people killed. The video was light enough (incomparison to other similar videos) that they should show every single tourist before they agree to travel to certain parts of the world. So if that pretty blonde girl is still OK with going to the middle east after seeing another pretty blonde girl in her underwear getting her head cut off by a local muslim then by all means! Feel free to travel to the murder capital of the world. All this sh*t is why Trump won. I think europeans who haven't experienced the third world themselves have no idea how stupid , prejudiced and brutal these people are its comical really, to see female German politicians who think the solution to gang rape and 3rd world savages grabbing women asses in public is to educate them on European beliefs about equality of the sexes ... wtf I think europeans who haven't experienced the third world themselves have no idea how stupid , prejudiced and brutal these people areits comical really, to see female German politicians who think the solution to gang rape and 3rd world savages grabbing women asses in public is to educate them on European beliefs about equality of the sexes ... wtf LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 476189 12-29-2018 04:42 AM Post: #8 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers Why threaten incarceration? What is their to hide? If their is nothing to hide why threaten incarceration? Something smells in this story. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 480412 12-29-2018 04:49 AM Post: #9 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers Now now. Musn't say bad things about the murdering raping immigrants jews are flooding our lands with. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 480536 12-29-2018 09:07 AM Post: #10 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers So they've been encouraging beheadings??[/align] LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 477286 12-29-2018 09:37 AM Post: #11 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers I have read some sources say the videos are faked. I just wonder about why there would be Swedish and Danish and Norwegian women on some galavant across Morocco. It seemed unlikely and just that these were cast to portray nice white women that the bad newly revived fear of al Ques, and Daesh, whoever named that and ISIS or just whatever. I see a pattern of this when ever anyone even talks about pulling out or stopping this 18 year phony war thing. Somebody whips up a fake beheading video. I've seen it time and time again used because it is a hot button scare tactic. I just knew when damn Lynn Cheney was piping up in the media in the past few days that we need to be reminded to fear al Queda and their cartoon villainry. I guess people who think that her husband and the fellow admins were war criminals need to keep trying to validate their lies with more lies. What cinched that for me was that these alleged perps were heard to say something about how mad they were about some Syria thing. Really? Oh and we aren't leaving Iraq ever even though that was based on lies too, and will just conduct our war on Syria from there instead. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 477286 12-29-2018 09:49 AM Post: #12 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers I meant to add that I think the media is minimizing the videos is because they KNOW this is faked. They don't want to stir some uncontrolled backlash over some propaganda hype. They want to control the narrative how they want to in giving rationales for continued war in the middle east by the US. I never believed the darn IKEA beheading videos either. Synthetic terror ginned up. PC McGraw lop guest User ID: 304026 12-29-2018 10:40 AM Post: #13 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers LoP Guest Wrote: (12-29-2018 09:37 AM) I have read some sources say the videos are faked. I just wonder about why there would be Swedish and Danish and Norwegian women on some galavant across Morocco. It seemed unlikely and just that these were cast to portray nice white women that the bad newly revived fear of al Ques, and Daesh, whoever named that and ISIS or just whatever. I see a pattern of this when ever anyone even talks about pulling out or stopping this 18 year phony war thing. Somebody whips up a fake beheading video. I've seen it time and time again used because it is a hot button scare tactic. I just knew when damn Lynn Cheney was piping up in the media in the past few days that we need to be reminded to fear al Queda and their cartoon villainry. I guess people who think that her husband and the fellow admins were war criminals need to keep trying to validate their lies with more lies. What cinched that for me was that these alleged perps were heard to say something about how mad they were about some Syria thing. Really? Oh and we aren't leaving Iraq ever even though that was based on lies too, and will just conduct our war on Syria from there instead. Your opinion is rendered utterly invalid by the fact that the western media bends over backwards to coverup acts of Islamic terrorism. If it wasn't for the video circulating, this one would have been swept under the rug like all the rest. Notice how they don't even acknowledge decapitation, they simply say 'cuts to the neck'. Your opinion is rendered utterly invalid by the fact that the western media bends over backwards to coverup acts of Islamic terrorism. If it wasn't for the video circulating, this one would have been swept under the rug like all the rest.Notice how they don't even acknowledge decapitation, they simply say 'cuts to the neck'. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 480405 12-29-2018 10:44 AM Post: #14 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers LoP Guest Wrote: (12-29-2018 04:12 AM) Apparently people were posting this video on the Facebook profiles of the victims' mums. Yeah, that lot deserve jail. women are nice. It was the supporters of the killers who did that so they won't be punished because.... Islamophobia. It was the supporters of the killers who did that so they won't be punished because.... Islamophobia. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 442998 12-29-2018 10:49 AM Post: #15 RE: Sweden threatens 4 years jail for sharing video of beheading of backpackers or in other words....don;t you dare spread the truth around because then some big strong swedish citizens might actually get pissed, band together, grab chains,bats and knives and come and hunt down us sluckcaves who forced all this globalist sh*t down our throats and kill em all and turn all of europe into a no go zone for anyone brown and against their culture... Advertisement Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Matt Wilstein in Daily Beast: Theres a question I get asked a lot, Jimmy Kimmel said at the beginning of a recent monologue. Now that we have this president, people ask, Is it easy now? It must be easy to write jokes, theres so much material, the jokes must write themselves. And its not true. We still write the jokes ourselves. And in fact, in a way, it makes it harder to be funny when nonsense and stupidity is pouring on your head at all times. Kimmels comments were merely a set-up to explain that his jokes didnt write themselves until today, when Kanye West visited the White House. But aside from those rare instances, his sentiment echoes what several late-night hosts have expressed during the first two years of the Trump presidency. And especially in 2018, it seemed, the late-night men and still-too-few women frequently struggled to find the best ways to joke about this president and the madness that surrounds him. The daily onslaught of crazy from the White House, combined with a viewing public increasingly eager to call out any perceived transgression on social media, led to an unprecedented level of outrage, often of the faux variety. Here, in chronological order, are the most controversial late-night clips of 2018. John Olivers Trolls Mike Pence with Marlon Bundo Book Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian: On Friday afternoon, a text arrived from Israel letting me know of the death of Amos Oz, hailed for decades as that countrys greatest novelist. The last, best voice of an Israel that is all but gone, it read. Oz himself would doubtless have found a way to wave aside such talk, dismissing it as melodramatic. But theres truth in it. For he was indeed the embodiment of a particular Israel, one that dominated in the first years of the states life but which has steadily receded to the margins. To his internal critics, he was the face of the mainly-Ashkenazi, European Jewish elite that built the country, a bleeding-heart liberal constantly scolding the nation for its ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands, a founder of the Peace Now movement who never stopped demanding his fellow Israelis behave more wisely and more justly. More than once he was denounced as a traitor, an insult he once told me he regarded as nothing less than a badge of honour, putting him in the same company as Jeremiah, Abraham Lincoln and Israels first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. Outside the country, however, he could make diaspora Jewish audiences swoon; they saw him as a pin-up for the Israel of their dreams. Ruggedly handsome, his face battle-scarred by service in Israels 1967 and 1973 wars, he could have been a model of the new Jew the first Zionists longed to forge in the Mediterranean sun. They wanted the new Israeli to be a soldier, farmer and poet. Oz was all three, a member of Kibbutz Hulda where he took his turn picking fruit and washing dishes, turning over the proceeds of his novels to the collective coffers. In a way, that man was Ozs first invented character. He was not born an Oz, but a Klausner, growing up not on a kibbutz, but in Jerusalem. His father was a scholar and librarian; the future novelist was raised in what he called a house full of footnotes. He fled to the kibbutz aged 15, renaming himself Oz Hebrew for strength. More here. Rachel M. Cohen in The Intercept: ASIDE FROM BEING a way to address inequality, the impending silver tsunami the wave of baby boomer retirements expected over the next decade is another reason ESOPs are gaining traction. According to a 2017 study by the worker ownership group Project Equity, 2.3 million businesses are owned by baby boomers who are approaching retirement, and these companies employ almost 25 million Americans. While many of these business owners will fold quietly and sell their companies to competitors or private equity firms, ESOPs offer owners another alternative: selling the company to its workers. Advocates say this can help to better ensure that jobs remain in the local community, while still allowing the retiring owner to cash out. According to Project Equity, one-third of business owners over age 50 report having a hard time finding a buyer for their company. As a result, many just quietly close up shop, often without even considering selling their company to the staff. But if ESOPs really can yield such positive results for workers, owners, and local economies why do they remain so obscure? More here. Stephen Walt in Foreign Policy: Americas leaders may have had the best of intentions, but the strategy they pursued was mostly a failure. Relations with Russia and China today are worse than at any time since the Cold War, and the two Asian giants are once again colluding against us. Hopes for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians have been dashed, and the rest of the Middle East is as divided as it has ever been. North Korea, India, and Pakistan have all tested nuclear weapons and expanded their nuclear stockpiles, while Iran has gone from zero enrichment capacity in 1993 to being nearly a nuclear weapons state today. Democracy is in retreat worldwide, violent extremists are active in more places, the European Union is wobbling, and the uneven benefits of globalization have produced a powerful backlash against the liberal economic order that the United States had actively promoted. All of these trends were well underway long before Trump became president. But many of them would have been less likely or less pronounced had the United States chosen a different path. In Europe, the United States could have resisted the siren song of NATO expansion and stuck with the original Partnership for Peace, a set of security arrangements that included Russia. Over time, it could have gradually drawn down its military presence and turned European security back over to the Europeans. Russias leaders would not have felt as threatened, would not have fought Georgia or seized Crimea, and would have had little or no reason to interfere in the U.S. election in 2016. As the European Union took on a greater security role, states like Poland and Hungary might have been less inclined to flirt with authoritarianism under the safety blanket of U.S. security guarantees. A wiser United States would have let Iraq and Iran check each other instead of attempting dual containment in the Persian Gulf, eliminating the need to keep thousands of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia after the first Gulf War. Had Washington also made its support for Israel and the Palestinian Authority conditional on both sides making steady progress toward two states for two peoples, the two principal sources of Osama bin Ladens murderous antipathy toward America would have been removed, making the 9/11 attacks much less likely. And with no 9/11, we almost surely would not have had invaded and occupied Iraq or Afghanistan, thereby saving several trillion dollars and thousands of U.S. and foreign lives. More here. Born in 1906, Richard Overton's life spanned 20 U.S. presidents, and up until his death Thursday, the 112-year-old was believed to have been the oldest living man in the U.S. and the oldest World War II veteran. The grandson of a slave, Overton volunteered for the U.S. Army when he was in his 30s, and he was part of the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion that served on several Pacific islands. "He was there at Pearl Harbor when the battleships were still smoldering. He was there at Okinawa. He was there at Iwo Jima, where he said. I only got out of there by the grace of God,' said then-President Barack Obama while honoring Overton at a Veterans Day ceremony in 2013. Born in Texas, Overton returned home to Austin after serving his country and lived a fairly low-key life at least until he got into his 100s and others began realizing his deep history. Then, people began stopping by his home, just to have the privilege of talking with him often on his front porch, according to the Washington Post. "With his quick wit and kind spirit he touched the lives of so many, said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Overton once attributed his longevity to smoking cigars and drinking whiskey. I still walk, I still talk and I still drive, he told a crew that filmed a short documentary on him three years ago. In the film, he also bragged about renewing his drivers license and passing the eye exam. Ive seen lots and lots of living, but Im still living good. I aint suffered or nothing. I get what I want, so Im still living alright, he told the filmmakers. In April, Overton mentioned that he would love to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the next day a group of people made the trip possible for him and he was off to Washington, D.C., according to the Post. Id seen some of it before, but Ive never seen it all at once, he said following the tour. All of it is important. Overtons death came days after he was hospitalized with pneumonia. They had done all they could, said Shirley Overton, whose husband was the veterans cousin and longtime caregiver. Five things to know before applying for a medical marijuana license Thinking about applying for a medical marijuana license in Aberdeen? Here's what to know. More high school seniors in the state turned their tassels this year than ever before, outgoing Gov. Susana Martinez announced Friday. In her announcement, she said the 2018 class graduation rate was 73 percent, touting it as an all-time high and a 10 percentage point jump since 2011 when she took office. The 2018 rate translates to approximately 19,000 students, who graduated within a four-year cohort, out of roughly 26,000 students. New Mexico saw a slight uptick two percentage points in its 2018 graduation rate compared to the year prior. That represents about 450 more kids graduating in the class of 2018 compared to 2017s class. Still, the state lags behind the national average. The National Center for Education Statistics 2015-2016 data puts the national average at 84 percent. State Public Education Department Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski told the Journal hes critical of national comparisons, as each state has different graduation requirements. Some other states simply require kids to show up and take classes, he said, adding New Mexican students have to demonstrate competency. He credits this years grad rate uptick to an investment into advanced placement and dual credit programs as well as a focus on meaningful assessment. Ruszkowski said the foundation of the Martinez administrations work in education has functioned on the principle that when expectations are high students will work to meet them. He said the state has upped the rigor in high school graduation requirements and academic assessments multiple times. New Mexicos students continue to rise to the occasion, and todays announcement is a testament to the potential that each and every student possesses, Martinez said in a statement. Our children are better prepared to enter the workforce, college and beyond. We must stay committed to high standards and meaningful reforms that are having some of the greatest positive impacts weve ever seen for New Mexicos children. District- and school-specific data is expected in February. Whats happening? Depends on which of the seven days of Kwanzaa the question is asked. A cultural celebration within the African-American community, Kwanzaa begins the day after Christmas. Each day the question habari gani? or whats happening? is asked in the Swahili language, and each day the response varies from umoja to nia to imani, which are among the seven core principles of the celebration. A group of friends gathered at the Albuquerque home of Ed Plunkett and his wife, Mable Orndorff-Plunkett, to observe this melding of African heritage and African-American culture. Kwanzaa, which means first fruits, was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a California author, educator and cultural curator, Orndorff-Plunkett said. He felt that the descendants of the African diaspora needed something to focus on and make us feel that we had some heritage, because so many of us feel we dont. Karenga, born Ronald McKinley Everett, was active in the black power movement of the 1960s and 70s. Borrowing from images, symbols and the Swahili language, his notion of Kwanzaa evolved into a secular celebration of family, community and culture, rather than as an alternative to Christmas. Kwanzaa is about the past, present and future, so we look at where we have come from, whats going on now, and the principles that will guide us into the future for the benefit of our children and those who havent yet been born, Orndorff-Plunkett said. Each of those principles, the Nguzo Saba, are represented by one of the seven branches on the candelabra, or the kinara, said Brian Eady, a project manager with the U.S. Forest Service. On the first day, one candle is lit; on the second day, two are lit; and so on. Translated from the Swahili, the principles are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Like the Passover seder table, everything on the Kwanzaa table has meaning. The straw place mat is the foundation of our tradition, Eady said. On top of it is the candelabra, with candles of black, red and green, the colors of the pan-African flag, and representing the people, their blood and the fertile lands of Africa. An ear of corn is set for each member of a family. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, gourds or a live plant represent the harvest. A libation cup honors ancestors and is symbolic of unity. Educational gifts for children represent the labor and love of parents and the commitments made by children. Ed Plunkett, a retired naval officer and software writer for the New Mexico Department of Health, said he and Mable began celebrating Kwanzaa 21 years ago when their son, then 8 years old, asked us why we dont have a celebration for our people. Mable was more familiar with the celebration, and they began learning more and honoring it yearly, motivated by their sons enthusiasm for it. Brians wife, Tryphenia Peele-Eady, an associate professor in the University of New Mexico College of Education, said she has celebrated Kwanzaa since she was a child growing up in North Carolina. To me, it was about understanding the virtues of personhood, and what it meant to be a contributing member to my community and to my society. What has changed is now, as an adult, there is the responsibility to teach and pass it forward. Kwanzaa has become fairly mainstream, she said. Black churches have celebrations, stores have displays and sell Kwanzaa items, the U.S. Postal Service has stamps to honor it, and it has spread to Canada, France, Great Britain, Jamaica and Brazil. Snow wasnt the only thing that came down in my neck of the woods this week. So did the internet. For the better part of Thursday, we were isolated, ensconced in our own silent bubbles devoid of social media, Google, news, hashtags, contact with the outside world if that outside world is reached via iPad, cellphone, laptop, computer, Alexa. We could not check the internet to find out why we could not check the internet. We did not know that the outage was widespread across much of the country and that it was affecting banks, businesses, courts, 911 callers and police. In short, we were cut off, isolated, disconnected, alone. Ah, First World problems. Verizon users, too, we learned later, were also affected by the outage which, as I write this, has yet to be explained, aside from the company blaming a network element. Although we are not Verizon users, we felt their pain. Our landlines crackled and sputtered, likely because of the snow here in the East Mountains. And because our cellphones rely on WiFi to work since theres no cell coverage here, they were no longer smartphones but dumb, useless, expensive paperweights. But we survived. And we learned things, like how we couldnt do things. We could not look up how long the snow was supposed to last, that a blizzard was in the forecast, how to spell Dom Perignon (I spelled it correctly, but my iPad disagreed) or whether a murder of crows is also a murder of ravens. We could not ask Alexa to play music, order more printer ink or turn on a light. We could not check NMroads.com to decide whether traveling to the city was worth the risk. We could not post cool snow pictures or whine about the snow. We could not whine publicly in general. We could not research recipes, check on prescriptions or package deliveries. We could not Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime. We could not YouTube or Wikipedia or Pinterest. We could not Pandora or Spotify. We could not check in with Facebook friends the Messenger-coordinated search for a missing dog named Luna, the well-being of a young niece who just announced her divorce, the progress of a neighbor trying to get home from Christmas in Texas, the health of a friend in the hospital. We could not become outraged at the latest political debacle, the government shutdown, the swampier swamp, the bizarre rumor of a nude selfie, the stock market seesaw, the Trumpian tweets. I could not see whether my column had run in the Journal and thus couldnt send out links for you to read it. I couldnt read the Journal online or any newspaper. And I realized I dont know where we keep the dictionary or phone books in my house. That day, we were reminded how much too much we depend on our techie gadgets and the invisible threads that connect them and us to everything imaginable. And so we talked. To one another. No screens, no FaceTime, no texts. We read books, watched the snow falling, the fire flickering in the wood stove, the dogs lolling on the floor. I wrote a letter to an old friend, and it wasnt email. We learned to be present, in the now, not transported to someplace or some time via our tablets. We survived quite nicely. Around 4 p.m. Thursday, the rings and dings and beeps of online notifications signaled the return of the internet. It was like waking up from a long nap and realizing that everybody around us had been asleep, too. Id like to say we kept on talking and doing non-wired things, that we realized that day we can do just fine without the internet. But this is the real world virtually, at least. Off we all went to share our experiences of what turned out to be a widely shared experience. We went back into the internet to see what we had missed. But maybe, just maybe, we appreciated what we missed a little more. And maybe, I hope, we appreciated what we have when the outside world is a world away. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Citing the general rule of transparency and the absence of a clear legislative statement, the state Supreme Court has rejected a set of proposed rule changes that would have sealed records in many juvenile criminal cases. The amendments were approved and implemented last year only to be suspended days later to allow more time for public input. In a Dec. 20 order, the Supreme Court rescinded that amendment altogether; Justices Judith Nakamura, Petra Jimenez Maes, Charles Daniels and Gary Clingman concurred, and Justice Barbara Vigil dissented. The rules committee that crafted the proposed amendments had written that automatically sealing records in delinquency proceedings is consistent with the trend of protecting the privacy of children who come in contact with the courts, particularly in the digital age. But the Supreme Court order said: In the absence of a clear legislative statement of public policy requiring the automatic and immediate sealing of any court record filed in a delinquency proceeding, and in light of the general rule of transparency that guides all New Mexico courts, this court declines to adopt the proposed amendments recommended by the committee and wishes to rescind the amendments that were suspended by order of the court on January 9, 2018. Comments submitted to the court before its decision were split on the proposed amendments. The collateral consequences of a public juvenile record are crippling, wrote Mary Ann Scali, executive director of the National Juvenile Defender Center. Public access to juvenile records creates overwhelming obstacles to a young persons future opportunities to fulfill their education, social, and professional potential contradicting the goal of juvenile court to be rehabilitative rather than punitive. Opponents said the changes would deprive the public of its right to follow juvenile cases and to assess those involved in the justice system, including judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and law enforcement officials. Some cited past high-profile cases involving serious crimes committed by juveniles in which the public would have been barred from most information. Melanie Majors, executive director of the Foundation for Open Government, said Wednesday that the group concurs with the Supreme Court that the public must have access to court records including delinquency proceedings. She said openness ensures that proceedings are fair to all parties and that the public has confidence in the process. The court did approve a small amendment to one section of the existing rule in an attempt to clarify that the only records that are to be sealed automatically are those already outlined in state statute, including diagnostic evaluations, social records and psychiatric and medical reports. The rules committee behind the proposal wrote that portions of the existing rule had been subject to varying interpretations. The result was a patchwork of public access to court records in delinquency cases, according to the committee. Access to courts In a separate order Dec. 20, the Supreme Court approved an amendment that allows the broadcasting, photographing and recording of proceedings in magistrate courts, which usually hear the less serious cases. Cameras and recordings were already allowed in Metropolitan Court, which serves Bernalillo County, as well as in state district and appeals courts. In a letter endorsing the amendments, NMFOG wrote that there is no sound public policy reason for the camera blackout in magistrate courts. Allowing cameras and broadcasting gives access to people unable to attend the proceedings in person. When Nancy Grace Roman requested permission to take a second algebra course in high school, a teacher demanded to know what lady would take mathematics instead of Latin. In college, a professor remarked that he often tried to dissuade women from majoring in physics. And after receiving a doctorate in astronomy, she concluded that a female professor in the field had little hope of obtaining tenure. Undeterred by the barriers to women in the sciences, Roman found a professional home at NASA. Even there, she recalled in an interview years later, she felt compelled to use the honorific Dr. Otherwise, she said, I could not get past the secretaries. After joining the fledgling space agency in 1959, Roman became the first chief of astronomy at NASA headquarters, a role that made her one of the agencys first female executives. She remained in that position for nearly two decades before her retirement in 1979. Roman, who was celebrated as a trailblazer for female scientists and a driving force behind advances including the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, died Dec. 25 at a hospital in Germantown, Maryland. She was 93. A cousin, Laura Bates Verreau, confirmed the death but said she did not yet know the cause. Roman spent much of her career helping develop, fund and promote technology that would help scientists see more clearly beyond Earths atmosphere. Astronomers had been wanting to get observations from above the atmosphere for a long time. Looking through the atmosphere is somewhat like looking through a piece of old, stained glass, Roman told Voice of America in 2011. The glass has defects in it, so the image is blurred from that. NASA credited her with leading what it described as the agencys first successful astronomical mission, the launch of Orbiting Solar Observatory-1 in 1962 to measure the electromagnetic radiation of the sun, among other things. She also coordinated among scientists and engineers for the successful launch of geodetic satellites, used for measuring and mapping Earth, and several orbiting astronomical observatories that offered an early glimpse of the discoveries that might be reaped by sending observational technology beyond the veil of the atmosphere. But she was perhaps most associated with the early legwork for the Hubble Space Telescope, the first major telescope to be sent into space for the purpose of gathering photographs of and data from the universe. Hubble is widely considered to have yielded the most significant astronomical observations since Galileo began using a telescope in the early 1600s. The design and launch of Hubble was fraught by scientific, financial and bureaucratic difficulties that Roman worked to resolve. Lobbying for early funding for Hubble, whose price tag reached $1.5 billion, she recalled arguing that every American, for the cost of one ticket to the movies, could be assured years of scientific discoveries. During the 1960s and early 1970s there was no one at NASA who was more important in getting the first designs and concepts for Hubble funded and completed, space historian Robert Zimmerman wrote in The Universe in a Mirror, an account of the creation of Hubble. More importantly, it was [Roman] more than anyone who convinced the astronomical community to get behind space astronomy. The telescope did not launch until 1990, more than a decade after Dr. Roman retired, but when it did, its photographs of the cosmos electrified the world. In 1994, when NASA announced the repair of a faulty mirror and other problems that had caused its early photographs to be blurry, Roman was in the audience, knitting. Edward Weiler, then Hubbles chief scientist, surprised her by recognizing her publicly, according to Zimmermans account. If Lyman Spitzer was the father of the Hubble Space Telescope, Weiler said, referring to the noted astrophysicist, then Nancy Roman was its mother. Nancy Grace Roman was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 16, 1925. Her father was a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Her mother was a former music teacher and a nature enthusiast who took her daughter outside at night to view the stars. Roman, who recalled founding an astronomy club at age 11, moved frequently for her fathers work before landing in Baltimore, where she graduated from high school. She received a bachelors degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in 1946 and a PhD from the University of Chicago in 1949, both in astronomy. After early work at the University of Chicago and the Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin, she was hired by the Naval Research Laboratory in 1955, working in radio astronomy. NASA was formed three years later, with Roman among its earliest employees. She spent the final part of her career at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where she oversaw the Astronomical Data Center. Her honors included the Women in Aerospace Lifetime Achievement Award and the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award. She helped promote professional opportunities for women through the American Association of University Women and spoke frequently in schools to encourage children to take on the challenges of science. Roman resided in Chevy Chase, Maryland, at the time of her death and had no immediate survivors. In 2017, Lego released a set of figurines honoring four pioneering women of NASA: Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel in space; Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space; Margaret Hamilton, a computer programmer who created the software necessary for the Apollo missions; and Roman. I am glad, she once told Science magazine, I ignored the many people who told me that I could not be an astronomer. (CNN) - American endurance athlete Colin O'Brady became the first person to cross Antarctica solo without help after 54 days traversing the barren, frigid continent, he said in an Instagram post. O'Brady revealed Wednesday that he covered the final 80 miles in one continuous push to the finish line that lasted more than 32 hours. "FINISH LINE!!! I did it!" he wrote. A wooden post in the background of the photo O'Brady shared on Instagram, he said, is the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, which marked the end of his trip. "As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided," he wrote. "While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced. I was locked in a deep flow state the entire time, equally focused on the end goal, while allowing my mind to recount the profound lessons of this journey." O'Brady began his trek at the Ronne Ice Shelf, traveled from there to the South Pole, and then crossed to the Ross Ice Shelf, he said. He documented much of the trip on his Instagram page, even as he fought fierce wind storms, subzero temperatures and whiteout conditions. To complete the trip, he needed to cross several mountainous areas and travel over miles of sastrugi, which are hard wavelike ridges in the snow and ice formed by wind. O'Brady is not the first to attempt the trip. British explorer Henry Worsley tried a solo trek of Antarctica in 2016, but he had to be rescued 30 miles from the finish and later died of an infection. He had traveled for 71 days unaided before that point. Worsley launched the attempt a century after Ernest Shackleton, the famed Antarctic explorer, survived a failed attempt to cross the continent. Another explorer, Lou Rudd, began a solo trek of Antarctica without help on the same day as O'Brady did. Rudd reached the South Pole on Dec. 13 and is about 90 percent done with the trip, according to a Shackleton brand webpage set up to track his expedition. SHASTA COUNTY, Calif - Just one year ago, Californians were celebrating the legalization of recreational marijuana. Now one year later, The Los Angeles Times is reporting that California failed to meet expected revenue. Based on taxes collected since January first, the state is expected to bring in $471 million dollars in revenue for 2018. That's $159 million less than governor brown projected in his budget. Retailers and growers say high taxes, complex regulations, and decisions by most cities to ban cannabis shops were at fault. "It's just obviously tough for any legal business with the taxes, said Katie Rabinowitz from Magnolia Oakland Although the state didn't meet its targeted goal with cannabis sales in Shasta County businesses say its edibles and concentrates like these that are keeping the business booming. I don't think that its necessarily an issue here in Shasta County and especially considering that there have been more dispensaries open especially in the Redding area, said 530 Collective assistant manager Gyasi Davis. This year Synergy opened its door as the first dispensary in Redding. City of Redding Building Official Jim Wright says that's only the start. In a statement, he wrote, What we currently have is one retail cannabis outlet that is open for business. We have three other retail outlets that are in the plan review and permitting process. We have five other cannabis facilities that are a mixture of cultivation, processing, and retail that are still in the licensing stage. Showing although cannabis sales statewide didn't meet their goal sales in Shasta County only have room to grow. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Jerry Brown will leave office Jan. 7 after a record 16 years leading the nation's most populous state. The son of former Gov. Pat Brown first became governor at 36 and will leave at age 80. He's gone from an idealist who resisted the traditional trappings of money and power to a fiscally minded elder statesman known as a global leader on climate change. Brown plans to retire to a ranch in rural Colusa County on property that once belonged to his great-grandfather, a German immigrant. He plans to keep advocating for urgent action on climate change and caution against the threats of nuclear annihilation on a global stage. PASO ROBLES, Calif. - Department of Corrections officials have apprehended an inmate who walked away from San Quentin State Prison on Dec. 26, 2018. Shalom Mendoza was taken into custody by CDCRs Office of Correctional Safety, Special Service Unit agents at approximately 12:30 p.m. at a fast food restaurant in Paso Robles. A civilian observed Mendoza at a Taco Bell, and contacted CDCR agents. Mendoza was taken into custody without incident. Mendoza, 21, was reported missing during an institutional count at approximately 9:35 p.m. on Dec. 26. He was assigned to work outside the secured perimeter of the prison, as some inmates are. Officials say he took advantage of the opportunity to escape from prison. Mendoza is the suspect in a carjacking that happened in a Home Depot parking lot in the San Rafael area. The car, a Toyota RAV4, was found abandoned off the 101 Freeway north of Paso Robles on Friday. Mendoza was received by CDCR from Los Angeles County on December 20, 2017 with a five-year sentence for use of deadly weapon during a carjacking/attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly. He has been transported to the California Mens Colony and his case will be referred to the Marin County District Attorneys Office for consideration of escape charges and carjacking. Since 1977, 99 percent of all offenders who have left an adult institution, camp or community-based program without permission have been apprehended, said DCR officials. San Quentin State Prison, Californias oldest prison, opened in 1852 and houses more than 4,200 inmates and employs 1,870 people. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on the killing of a California officer (all times local): UPDATE 1:20 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, 2018 - Authorities say a man accused of killing a California police officer surrendered without incident. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told reporters that Gustavo Perez Arriaga came out of a home in Bakersfield with his hands up after SWAT officers came to arrest him Friday. He says that besides Perez Arriaga's brother and co-worker, three others were arrested on suspicion of helping the suspect elude authorities. Perez Arriaga is accused of killing Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Newman Police Department on Wednesday after being stopped on suspicion of drunken driving. A day later and nearly 200 miles (320 kilometers) south, Youngblood says he received information that Perez Arriaga was between Modesto and Bakersfield and heading to Mexico. Surveillance teams were set up in different communities, and authorities got a search warrant for the home where Perez Arriaga was found. --- UPDATE 12:25 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, 2018 - The sheriff leading the investigation into the shooting death of a California police officer took aim at so-called sanctuary laws that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters Friday that the suspect was in the country illegally and that if he had been deported for previous DUI arrests, Cpl. Ronil Singh would still be alive. Christianson blamed California's sanctuary law for preventing local authorities from reporting Gustavo Perez Arriaga to federal immigration officials. He spoke at the news conference about making laws stricter as the Singh's brother wept beside him. The sheriff says Perez Arriaga was a native of Mexico and had been in the U.S. illegally for several years. He says Perez Arriaga's brother and a co-worker also have been arrested for misleading investigators. --- SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Authorities say the man accused of killing a California police officer during a traffic stop has been captured. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters Friday that Gustavo Perez Arriaga was arrested in Bakersfield in the death of Cpl. Ronil Singh. The sheriff says Perez Arriaga was in the country illegally after crossing the border in Arizona. He didn't say when that happened but that he has been in the U.S. for several years. Christianson says Perez Arriaga is from Mexico and was trying to cross back over the border before his arrest. The sheriff says Perez Arriaga had two prior drunken driving arrests and known gang affiliations. CNN - Whether they are disrupting flights at London's Gatwick Airport or racing around stadiums in one of the world's newest sports, drones are being put to use in an ever wider variety of ways. Now, India may join a growing list of countries that use the unmanned aerial vehicles for transporting medical materials. Officials are looking into using drones to beat traffic and get organs to transplant patients faster than ever. The idea comes as the country works on introducing regulations on drone flights. Although the plan is in its early stages, Jayant Sinha, a junior aviation minister, said that one possible use of the technology is "drone corridors" between drone ports built on the roofs of hospitals. "One of the applications for drones that has come forward is an application to transport organs using drones," Sinha said, "so that is something that we have discussed with a large hospital company that is transporting organs right now and has found it to be very difficult to transport organs, given how crowded Indian streets are." Because of the time-sensitive nature of organ transport, Indian authorities sometimes organize "green corridors" that part traffic to allow vehicles carrying donor organs to reach their destination in good time, Sinha said, but drones offer a better alternative. "You do it with drones, then it just goes in the sky, and nobody's impacted. Organ transport happens very efficiently and in a very safe way," he said. Sinha said that such an initiative would rely on the private sector rather than the Indian government, with private hospital chain Apollo Hospitals in discussions over a possible drone trial in the city of Chennai. US trial suggests drones are safe for organ transport Dr. Joseph Scalea of the University of Maryland School of Medicine has carried out a successful trial of organ-transporting drones in the United States. Scalea and his team made a number of test flights carrying a human kidney in March and published their findings in the IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine in November. Scalea said his institution once paid $80,000 to transport one liver on a charter flight, and he believes that drones could cut costs while revolutionizing the use of transplant organs. Barriers to wider adoption of civilian drone flights fall into three broad categories, he said: human impact, technological and regulatory. The first is the least tangible, concerned with the effect on the doctor-patient relationship if organs are transported by drone; the second covers worries about speed, range and safety in a sphere that is in continuous development; and the third concerns the rules and regulations covering drone flights, about which authorities have been wary. "Organ transport is an ideal initial use for civilian drone flights," Scalea said, explaining that a small number of time-sensitive flights would be easier for authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration to control than other potential applications such as grocery deliveries, which would involve a far larger number of drones and flights. "I think the FAA would appreciate a program like the one I am suggesting," he said, given that unmanned vehicles cut costs and reduce the risks posed by crewed aircraft such as helicopters and light aircraft that are currently used to transport organs. With drone technology advancing quickly and signs of movement in the regulatory environment, Scalea said, his main concern is convincing organ donors, recipients and their families that drone transport is the future. Medical deliveries by drone are increasingly common If organ transport drones become a reality, India would become the latest country where drones have been tested for health care and humanitarian missions. Unmanned aerial vehicles have transported blood samples during tests by academics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, and teams at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands are testing them to deliver emergency equipment, such as defibrillators, to quickly care for patients after a heart attack. Researchers at William Carey University in Mississippi are studying how drones could carry medical kits to disaster victims before ambulances arrive, and on December 19, the United Nations children's organization, UNICEF, organized the transportation of a vaccine across mountainous terrain in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. The delivery was carried out by an Australian company called Swoop Aero. "Today's small flight by drone is a big leap for global health," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore said in a statement. "With the world still struggling to immunize the hardest to reach children, drone technologies can be a game changer for bridging that last mile to reach every child." California startup Zipline has become one of the trailblazers in a burgeoning medical drone transport industry, with successful operations in Rwanda since 2016 and a new agreement to start transporting 148 medicines and vaccines by drone in Ghana from January. Despite some local controversy over its cost, Zipline is optimistic about the plan, which will serve 14 million people at 2,000 health facilities, company spokesman Justin Hamilton wrote in an email. "At full tilt, we'll have 4 bases in Ghana and close to 120 drones in operation, making it the world's largest drone delivery network of any kind," Hamilton wrote. However, other sources are more cautious in their predictions on the immediate impact of drones. Although Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) has used drones to create enhanced maps as part of a humanitarian mission in Malawi, David Moeneclaey, a geographic information system drone technician with the organization, said that the use of drones has been limited by official authorization, concerns about the potential for crashes with other aircraft and the association of these devices with military operations in some parts of the world. "I'm sure that in the future, we will use them more and more," he said, "but today, for us, it's complicated." Providing a friendly regulatory environment In December, the Indian aviation ministry announced that owning and using drones would no longer be illegal. The ministry's move allows people to register and document their equipment. Indian authorities plan to introduce a second set of drone regulations in mid-January, said Sinha, the aviation minister, and aim to take advantage of the technology to boost the economy. "Today, we have taken the first step towards our vision of seeing millions of drones fly in India," he said in a statement. "Drones are a frontier technology which has the potential to leapfrog India's economic growth." While India forges ahead in providing a set of rules, it remains to be seen whether other conditions encourage drone companies to start flying. "Now, when it's exactly going to happen, that really depends on the drone operators," Sinha said. "Our job is to provide the regulatory framework within which it can be done safely and securely, and that's what we are providing." -- The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. Ending the year on a positive note, iProspect India, the digital performance agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has launched an initiative LEAD. LEAD, an acronym for Leadership, Empowerment and Development, is a career development initiative. After almost 3 months of discussions, the senior management at the agency devised a structured plan to understand and counsel its employees. In its first session, held on 20 Dec 2018, the leadership Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India and Sunil Seth, Head, HR Business Partner South Asia spoke to 14 hand-picked employees. Over the course of the next year, similar sessions will be held in batches across the centres Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Commenting on the initiative, Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India said, The dynamic digital world will create success for dynamic people who constantly upgrade their skills and expertise. Our LEAD program has been specifically designed to help members of the iProspect family meet that objective and remain best of the best. With a futuristic lookout, the initiative aims to provide a complete solutioning when it comes to any doubts related to career. By Ginger Taylor, MS It is a phrase that I first read in a comment by cmo here on Age of Autism in 2010, and we should have been using it this whole time. We have all heard it from our peers (and our elders) when we say that we are not vaccinating any more because the vaccine program is corrupt and high risk. But I was vaccinated and I am fine. Then we attempt to launch into a 30 minute educational session on the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, Hannah Poling, Poul Thorson, William Thompson, Thomas Verstraeten, Julie Gerberding, HHS's failure to do their legally mandated vaccine safety research for 32 years, and no this is not really about Andrew Wakefield. In an attempt to stop having to tell my story over and over again, I even managed to get a Johns Hopkins bioethics journal to print my very wordy reason for No, so that I could just hand it to people rather than explaining over and over and over. Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics: Families are Under No Obligation to Put Their Children at Risk By Participating in the Corrupt Current US National Immunization Program I ended my piece with this statement: The controversy surrounding vaccinations will never be resolved until the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act is repealed, and until families 7th amendment rights to have their complaints heard in civil court, under established legal procedure and ruled on by a jury, is restored. Until there is a way to force public health officials, vaccine industry representatives and medical professionals to testify under oath, and under penalty of perjury, to either defend or retract their fraudulent claims, to pay for the damages done to children (including my child) for their institutionalized abuse and negligence, I will never consent to another member of my family participating in the vaccine program under any circumstances. I could have put it more succinctly by just saying, we won't use liability-free vaccines any more. After doing this for 15 years I am a bit exhausted by the whole exercise of explaining, and expounding, and reminding, so as we here in Maine start up our fight against what promises to be an SB277 type bill coming to our legislature, I have decided there is a more simple way to make this case without a 30 minute conversation, 30 times a day. As there has not been a simple vaccine administered to a child for school entry since the 80s, I am going to stop talking about vaccines, and talk about liability-free vaccines. I am going to point out that what the Maine mandatory vaccine law was written before 1985, was applicable to vaccines, when families had legal recourse against vaccine makers for corruption and hidden risks, and that current law should not apply to Liability-Free Vaccines. Which is what we have now. I am philosophically opposed to my child receiving liability-free vaccines. Boom. Done. But you HAVE to! Do you want polio to come back?! No, I don't have to. If you were really afraid of polio coming back, you would replace liability to vaccine makers and fix the corruption in the vaccine program. You have not done your job to protect my children for the last 30 years. I'm out. What I received as a child, even though in some cases they may be sold by the same company under the same brand name, was a fundamentally different product than what my children were given. Vaccine makers were subject to liability to harm from their products. That ended the year I graduated from high school. Justice Sotomayor and Justice Ginsburg have correctly pointed out that vaccines free from liability when they are defectively designed, give no reason for vaccine makers to improve design, to mind how they are distributed, or to even keep up with basic or emerging science: SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES No. 09152 RUSSELL BRUESEWITZ, ET AL., PETITIONERS v. WYETH LLC, FKA WYETH, INC., FKA WYETH LABORATORIES, ET AL. ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT [February 22, 2011] JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR, with whom JUSTICE GINSBURG joins, dissenting. Vaccine manufacturers have long been subject to a legal duty, rooted in basic principles of products liability law, to improve the designs of their vaccines in light of advances in science and technology. Until today, that duty was enforceable through a traditional state-law tort action for defective design. In holding that 22(b)(1) of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (Vaccine Act or Act), 42 U. S. C. 300aa22(b)(1), pre-empts all design defect claims for injuries stemming from vaccines covered under the Act, the Court imposes its own bare policy preference over the considered judgment of Congress. In doing so, the Court excises 13 words from the statutory text, misconstrues the Acts legislative history, and disturbs the careful balance Congress struck between compensating vaccine-injured children and stabilizing the childhood vaccine market. Its decision leaves a regulatory vacuum in which no one ensures that vaccine manufacturers adequately take account of scientific and technological advancements when designing or distributing their products. Because nothing in the text, structure, or legislative history of the Vaccine Act remotely suggests that Congress intended such a result, I respectfully dissent. Legislatures are ignorant of vaccine liability protection, and think vaccination has not changed since the mid-20th century. But I was vaccinated and I am fine. US President Donald Trump's surprise visit to Iraq on Dec. 26 and his break with protocol by not meeting his Iraqi counterpart has caused an uproar among politicians in Baghdad, with parliamentarians demanding the expulsion of US troops. The US president landed directly at al-Asad US military base in Iraq's Anbar province to meet troops for the Christmas holiday. He did not, however, visit Baghdad nor meet any Iraqi officials. Trump's first visit to Iraq comes after he faced criticism at home from the public and some in the US military for not visiting American troops in conflict zones since taking office in January 2017. This visit was brief, with Trump spending only a little over three hours at the base, and he visited no other sites in the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was the only Iraqi official to spoke with Trump during the visit, in a phone conversation at the end of his trip. The two had planned to meet, but the meeting was canceled due to disagreement over the location. Trump wanted Abdul Mahdi to meet him at the US base, while the Iraqi premier insisted Trump come to Baghdad. During various trips to Iraq between 2003 and 2008, former US President George W. Bush met with the former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the Ain al-Asad military base. But as the country's security situation and political stability improved, Iraqi officials have pushed for visiting US officials to meet in Baghdad instead of at American military bases. According to a source in Abdul Mahdi's office who spoke to Al-Monitor in the condition of anonymity, Abdul Mahdi expressed his discontent over Trump's not visiting Baghdad. Trump expressed regret at not being able to visit Baghdad due to security concerns and invited Abdul Mahdi to visit the White House. The pro-Iran military faction in the Popular Mobilization Units, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, praised Abdul Mahdi's refusal to meet with Trump at the base. The head of the group, Qais al-Khazali, slammed the US president for breaching Iraqi sovereignty" and said his bloc will work in the parliament on a plan to eject US troops from Iraq. He added that his military forces know how to kick the US troops out through "other means" if US refused to do so. A day after Trump's visit, a number of rockets were fired on the Green Zone close to the US Embassy in Baghdad. There were no causalities. Trump has stated that the United States has no plans to withdraw from Iraq despite his recent decision to pull all troops from Syria. Prominent Sadrist Movement leader Hakim al-Zameli also demanded that the Iraqi government and parliament work on constraining the government's relationship with US troops and formulate a plan to eject them from Iraq. The Bina Coalition that formed the current government in alliance with Muqtada al-Sadr's Sairoon alliance also asked the government to summon the US ambassador to express Iraq's rejection of Trump's visit. It also called for a complaint to the UN about the visit not being organized with the Iraqi government, though Abdul Mahdi claimed in a statement that Trump's visit had in fact been organized with his government. Former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was among the Iraqi officials who spoke out against the way the US president conducted the visited, saying that Trump's trip does not fit with diplomatic norms" and that it harmed US-Iraqi relations. Maliki's State of Law Coalition citicized Abdul Mahdi's weak position against the Trump visit and demanding that the Iraqi government eject US troops, as Maliki did in 2011. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also condemned the United States for "disrespecting Iraqi sovereignty." While most of the Shiite political parties complained about the visit, Kurdish and Sunni politicians largely remained silent. In a Facebook post, prominent Sunni blogger Amir Ibrahim compared the trip to Qasem Soleimani's regular visits to different locations in the country, asking why politicians who complained about Trump's visit remained silent about Soleimani's. Trump's unorthodox conduct in his visit to Iraq, coupled with his indifference toward Middle East developments, could well weaken the US position in the region and as a result empower US rivals. Almost everyone agrees that President Donald Trumps decision to pull US forces out of Syria was an unexpected but warmly welcomed New Years gift to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This decision effectively pulls the carpet from under the People's Protection Units (YPG) and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), in northern Syria, depriving them of the backing of a major power. Ankara says both groups are terrorist organizations linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and considers them to be a threat to its national security. Turkey has been demanding that the United States severs its ties with these groups, but the expectation that this would happen was never high. This was evident when Erdogan signaled recently that Ankaras patience with Washington over this matter had run out. He announced that Turkey would be launching a major operation in northern Syria that would target the YPG east of the Euphrates River, where around 2,000 US forces are also deployed. Trumps ultimate reasons for deciding to pull out of Syria at such a time may be open to debate, but this has not stopped Turkish officials from basking in the belief that it was Erdogans resolute stand that forced the United States to back down. Turkey is the most important actor that prompted the US to pull out of Syria with the decisions it took, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a group of university students earlier this week. This may be a diplomatic victory for Erdogan, but many questions about the US pullout remain outstanding. This is why the Turkish government is approaching the matter cautiously, despite the self-congratulatory mood in Ankara. Turkey has put its planned operation in northern Syria on hold for the time being, and is cooperating with Washington to facilitate a coordinated and orderly withdrawal of US forces from the region. A delegation led by Trumps national security adviser John Bolton is expected in Ankara next week to work out the details. Meanwhile, another delegation comprising Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan will travel to Moscow, also next week, to discuss the future of northern Syria. Ankara clearly does not want its enthusiasm to go after the YPG to blind it to the political and military risks it may face if it were to move too hastily. It is also aware that it faces a new situation that was not in the cards previously. Trump has effectively tasked Turkey with the responsibility of fighting what is left of the Islamic State (IS) east of the Euphrates River, as a condition for pulling US forces out of the region. Ankara appears keen to take on the job, having called on Washington on numerous previous occasions to drop its reliance on the YPG, and cooperate instead with Turkey against IS. Under Trumps formulation, though, Turkey will have to do the job alone, enjoying only the support of its Free Syrian Army allies on the ground. What support it will get from Russia, which is clearly not enamored with the idea of Turkey moving into new Syrian territory, also remains uncertain. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow on Dec. 26 that the areas evacuated by the United States in northern Syria should be taken over by the Syrian regime. This is in line with remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as far back as April, when he said lands captured by Turkey from the YPG and IS, including the city of Afrin, should be handed over to the regime. Lavrovs remark elicited an angry response from Erdogan, who said it was Turkey that would decide if and when to pull out of Syria, and no one else. Eyeing its close ties with Ankara, Moscow has not pressed this point, but its position remains the same, which has left the Turkish side wary. The delegation traveling to Moscow next week will try to iron out such differences. The question in many minds concerns the risks to Turkey that will attend Ankaras commitment to fight IS after the United States pulls out of Syria. Hurriyet columnist Sedat Ergin, for example, sees a potential problem in the fact that Turkish forces, to fight IS, will have to penetrate deeper into Syria than ever before. Operations by the Turkish army in Syria and Iraq in the past have generally been executed along the border or close to the border. This time, however, there could be a problem of depth because Daesh at this stage is effective in the south of the Euphrates basin, in an area close to the Iraqi border, Ergin wrote, using the Arabic acronym for IS. The Independents Patrick Cockburn, an expert on the region, believes that IS, which once held territory stretching from the Tigris River in Iraq to Syrias Mediterranean coast is no more and cannot be resurrected because the circumstances that led to its spectacular growth between 2013 and 2015 are no longer there. If this assessment is correct, Turkeys job of fighting IS and the YPG simultaneously may prove not to be as difficult as some fear. There are voices like professor Ilter Turan from Istanbul Bilgi University, however, who counsel caution. According to Turan, the notion of defeating a terrorist organization in the way that Trump claims IS has been defeated is a fuzzy one. Saying that Daesh has been defeated refers to the fact that, geographically speaking, it has no land under its control any more. Having said that, though, terrorist organizations are capable of existing for a long time by changing their appearances and strategies, Turan told Hurriyet in an interview. Turan pointed to urban terrorism as one of the tactics that IS may use from now on, and said the fight against this group might require means other than using the regular army. Meanwhile, there are regional developments that are being monitored by Ankara because of the bearing these might have on its military plans for northern Syria. Reports in the Arab media indicate that PYD representatives have been holding talks in Moscow and Damascus in an effort to work out a deal that will forestall a Turkish incursion into northern Syria. Questioned about the possibility that the PYD may come to terms with the Bashar al-Assad regime in northern Syria, Cavusoglu told reporters on Dec. 26 that Turkey was prepared to do whatever it took to eradicate this group, regardless of what measures were taken to protect it. Other developments being watched carefully in Ankara include the decision by the United Arab Emirates to reopen its embassy in Damascus, which appears to be a prelude to Assads normalizing ties with rival Arab states. The UAE decision comes only a week after Sudan's Omar al-Bashir visited Assad in Damascus. There is even talk of Syria returning to the Arab League soon. The Arab League had condemned Turkeys past incursions into northern Iraq against the PKK as a violation of Arab sovereignty. A Turkish incursion into Syria could, therefore, cause an Arab backlash. Given Turkeys currently strained ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, there is little incentive for these, and other regional countries like Egypt which has its own ax to grind with Ankara to support Turkey in Syria. Most Arab powers remain wary of what they see as Turkish meddling in Arab affairs. Judging by Erdogan and Cavusoglus remarks, though, none of this appears set to deter Ankara from entering northern Syria to rid it of the YPG, regardless of who may try to prevent this, whether it is France, the Syrian regime or Russia. The risk, however, is that Ankaras plans that look good on paper may not materialize in the real world. It has to be recalled, after all, that most of Ankaras calculations regarding Syria since 2011 have proved to be badly off the mark. JARABLUS, Syria As the many parties invested in Syria were considering how they might be affected by the United States withdrawing its troops, the Syrian regime made its own move Friday. Syria amassed its troops at Manbij in northern Syria, near the Turkish border a city Turkey has been threatening to attack for more than a year, and with increasing frequency of late. Manbij is currently occupied by US troops and the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF is an alliance of primarily Kurdish and Arab militias that have helped the United States fight the Islamic State (IS). The Syrian regime reported early Friday that its troops had entered Manbij, though subsequent accounts from the United States said Syrian fighters had not yet entered the city. Other late reports said regime forces had established a barrier between the city and nearby Turkish troops. President Donald Trumps sudden announcement Dec. 19 that he will withdraw US soldiers from Syria has shuffled the cards and raised several questions about potential changes in the military map of control and the political balance of power in Syria following the withdrawal. The SDF is potentially the player most affected by this decision, since it is losing a guarantor that protected it from any attackers vying for its areas of control. However, it's harder to categorize the Syrian opposition as winners or losers as a result of the US withdrawal. The repercussions of the decision need to be carefully studied in many respects. The United States has been a political supporter of the oppositions quest to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This effort won't be affected by the US troop withdrawal, according to Yasser Farhan, a member of the political committee of the Syrian National Coalition, formally known as Etilaf, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces. Americas power can't be reduced to the 2,130 soldiers deployed on Syrian territory, Farhan told Al-Monitor. Americans have several means to help the Syrian people and to reach a political solution if they want to. They can simply show their seriousness through political pressure on the regime, pushing it to respond to international resolutions. This alone is enough to solve the problem in Syria." Syrian opposition factions are waiting for an opportunity to participate in Turkey's planned military operation east of the Euphrates, though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan postponed the action Dec. 21. The opposition wants more geographical control on the ground; it currently controls about 10% of Syria's total area. Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud, spokesman for the opposition's Syrian National Army, which has Turkey's backing, believes the withdrawal of US troops will be benefit the opposition. The Syrian National Army, along with the Turkish army, will enter all the areas from which the US withdraws and will liberate them from the terrorist forces of the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] and PYD [the US-supported, Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party], he told Al-Monitor. Turkey considers both groups to be terrorist organizations. In a tweet Dec. 23, Trump said he had a long and productive phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which they discussed a slow & highly coordinated pullout of US troops" from Syria. Initially Trump had called for a "full" and "rapid" withdrawal. Hamoud said that Turkey's increasing role in Syria gives the Syrian National Army more strength because Ankara is the only party still supporting the Syrian revolution "in all its forms, be it political, military or relief." The Syrian rebels hope the US withdrawal will speed up their movement east of the Euphrates, but at the same time, they fear losing the strategic al-Tanf area at the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border triangle. This is where opposition fighters are deployed under the umbrella of the US-led international coalition against IS. The United States has a military base near al-Tanf crossing on the highway connecting Baghdad to Damascus. The Syrian regime and Iranian-backed militias have been repeatedly attacked by the coalition whenever they get near the area. Iran seeks to control the area to secure arms transfers to Hezbollah members near Damascus and Lebanon. Just as it offers us a range of opportunities, the US withdrawal also places us in the face of several threats, Farhan said. Farhan believes the United States can still stop the Iranian expansion, even after withdrawing its troops. The US has aircraft and missile weapons. When it wants to block the Iranian tide, it can do so without troops on the ground. It is enough to have the support" of the Free Syrian Army, which is affiliated with the Syrian National Army. The Free Syrian Army "will take it upon itself to ward off Iran from Syria and the entire region, he said. As mentioned, the US withdrawal will allow Turkish forces and the Syrian opposition to move east of the Euphrates. But it will also open the door for Iran and Russia, which support Assad, to interfere in the oil- and gas-rich area that is considered Syrias food basket. Ankara's declared goal for its "east of the Euphrates" operation is to eliminate SDF, which it sees as a threat to its national security. The pertinent question, however, is: Why would Turkey mind Iran and Russia intervening if this would achieve the same goal? Turkey is trying to avoid a clash with Russia and Iran and gain more approval from them to keep the cease-fire standing in rebel-held Idlib, to proceed with forming the Syrian Constitutional Committee and most importantly to prevent a deal between the Syrian regime and the SDF which looks to be happening now. The SDF wants to avoid losing its areas of control to the Turks and the Syrian opposition. The Syrian regime retains control over the Qamishli airport and two security squares in the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli in northeast Syria. SDF controls the entire surrounding area. The security squares house government and security buildings and offices. Hundreds of citizens from the city of Qamishli took to the street Dec. 23, condemning Turkey's intervention in the country and calling for regime forces to protect their areas. Should this scenario play out, it would pose a real threat to the Syrian opposition, which sees Assads regime as its main enemy. The Kurds, on the other hand, don't have a problem with the regime," SDF spokeswoman Jihan Ahmad said in a press statement Dec. 21. "Negotiating teams representing the Syrian Democratic Council [SDC, the SDF's political wing] have sat on several occasions with representatives of the regime. In tandem with the diplomatic efforts, SDF has sent military reinforcements to the Syrian-Turkish border, digging trenches and setting up barricades in anticipation of a possible Turkish offensive. We are part of Syria and we are not advocates of separation. We, however, wish to have an agreement on self-management of our own affairs, she added. Perhaps lost among all these conflicting interests and objectives is one party that's of no small concern. IS might find an outlet to try to expand once more. IS still controls 2% of Syrian territory in two strongholds in Deir ez-Zor governorate: one within a regime-controlled area, and another pocket inside an SDF-held area. This year, US Defense Department and UN estimates pegged active IS fighters in Syria at 20,000 to 31,600. In 2015, at the height of IS' power, US intelligence estimated the group had 33,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq. This leaves many observers fearing that IS could use its expertise in guerrilla tactics to expand from the desert areas it controls. An Alabama company announced it has recalled 11,654 pounds of imitation sausage because of possible metal contamination. R.L. Zeigler Co., Inc. recalled its 24-ounce packages of Red Hots and 24-ounce packages of Extra Hot Red Hots. Only packages of those sizes that are marked with Use By JAN 24 2019, are being recalled, the company said. No other products of any other size or similarity were affected, a company press release says., A consumer discovered possible contamination with pieces of metal, prompting the recall, said Jeff Berry, a Zeigler spokesman. no medical illnesses or harmful effects have resulted from this product thus far, Berry said in a news release. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. Anyone who purchased the recalled products should not open the packages or use the contents. The product can be thrown away or returned to the retailer of purchase, the company said. Anyone with questions about the recall is asked to call 205-758-3621. The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles today sent Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall an amendment to the boards corrective action plan, including more specific restrictions on how inmates are scheduled for parole hearings earlier than guidelines normally allow. Ivey and Marshall had requested those changes. Members of a review committee that can grant early parole consideration will have to document their reasons. The review committee does not grant parole but can put inmates on a docket for consideration by the three-member parole board earlier than normal. Under the new rules, a deputy attorney general or assistant attorney general would monitor the review committees decisions and could reverse them. The board said it will begin meeting early next year with an advisory panel that will include victims advocates, law enforcement, prison officials and inmate advocates. The board said it plans to hire consultants to assess the organizations leadership, structure, employee morale, caseload management and other parts of its operations. The board said it did not plan to make any changes in its executive leadership at this time. In October, Ivey and Marshall met with the three-member parole board after victims advocates and prosecutors raised concerns that the board was giving too many inmates early parole consideration without justification. Ivey placed a 75-day moratorium on early parole consideration and ordered the board to submit a corrective action plan. The moratorium expires on Saturday. The parole board submitted its corrective action plan in mid-November and it included tighter restrictions on who was eligible for early parole consideration. Two weeks later, Ivey and Marshall released a 10-page letter to the parole board saying the plan was not sufficient. They said it left unanswered questions and ordered the board to take specific steps and respond within 30 days. Todays amendment to the plan comes in response to that letter. In a letter attached to the amendment today, Pardons and Paroles Board Chair Lyn Head said the board and staff tried to respond to all the unanswered questions. Head said a substantial portion of the plan had been shared with victims' advocates, law enforcement and inmate advocates. Head asked that the amendment submitted today, along with the initial plan sent in November, stand as substantial compliance with the governors executive order. Marshall will review the plan with senior staff before meeting with the governor about it, his office said. The governors legal staff is reviewing the plan, the governors office said. Throughout the day on Friday, Alabama school officials were busy sharing newly-released 2017-18 report card results with their communities. Across the state, grades were up, with more As and Bs, and fewer Cs, Ds, and Fs than the previous years report cards. Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as president of the state school board, in a statement to AL.com, wrote, I am pleased to see marked progress across the state during the 2017-2018 school year. Thousands of educators, parents, and students who work hard every day to attain academic excellence are to be commended for their efforts. "As we enter 2019," Ivey continued, "this is a great opportunity to remember that we cannot rest on our laurels, because there is much work left to be done." That sentiment was echoed by Mobile County Superintendent Chresal Threadgill in a press conference held Friday afternoon. "These improvements to me means our kids are capable," Threadgill said. "It signifies to me that our students, our faculty, our staff, can and will continue rising to high expectations." Thirty-one schools in Mobile County received As and Bs, up from 23 last year, while 10 schools received Ds and Fs, down from 23. Mobile's is the largest district in the state with nearly 54,000 students and 87 schools "Were going to celebrate the results for a second, and then were going to get back to work," he said. "We will not become complacent. We will use these improvements as our motivation to work even harder." Mobile County is the only district that can claim two schools, Council Traditional and Eichold-Mertz School of Math and Science, with perfect '100' scores. Eichold-Mertz earned a '100' last year, too, while Council raised their score from a 99 last year. Birmingham City school officials are celebrating, too, after grades showed 17 of the 22 schools that earned an 'F' on last year's report card raised their grade to a 'D' or 'C.' Birmingham City Schools is on an upward trajectory, said Birmingham Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring. Following last years results, we committed to own our data. We declared that in a years time, we would not be standing in that same space. I am proud to say we honored that commitment. Herring is in her second full year as superintendent of the 23,000-student district. The district saw a big shift toward higher grades for all of their schools, even though many were starting at the low end of the grading scale. This year's full set of grades for Birmingham looked like this: 1 A, the same number as last year, 4 Bs, also the same number as last year, 7 Cs, up from 1 last year, 26 Ds, up from 15 last year, and 5 Fs, down from 22 last year. #ForcingForward: @BhamCitySchools made significant progress according to @AlabamaDeptofEds newly released A-F Report Cards with a more than 75% decrease among the number of schools receiving a grade of F #from22to5. View story: https://t.co/PuoqCsMVq9 pic.twitter.com/K7cRVE5jtc Birmingham City Schools (@BhamCitySchools) December 28, 2018 Baldwin County, the states third-largest and fastest-growing school system with more than 31,000 students in 42 schools, saw that same shift from lower to higher grades. This year, 19 schools earned As, up from 8 last year. The one school that earned an 'F' last year brought their grade up to a B. We are seeing the great academic strides we put in place three years ago pay off, Superintendent Eddie Tyler, in a statement to AL.com, said, and we will discuss those accomplishments in detail and celebrate the successes soon after school resumes from the Christmas/New Years break. Stay tuned. Jefferson County schools saw a similar shift toward higher grades, with 24 Jefferson County schools earning As and Bs this year, up from 14 last year. Superintendent Craig Pouncey, in a statement to AL.com, said the new report cards show continued improvement in the district, With 57 schools, we had a wide range of scores, some of them being the highest in the area. We also had no failing schools, which is due to the hard work and dedication of our educators in the classroom and the relationships they build with their students' parents and communities. Saraland City Schools, a 3,100-student district with four schools, raised its district grade from a 'B' to an 'A' this year. Superintendent Aaron Milner, in a statement posted on the districts website, gave credit for the accomplishment to the collaborative effort of teachers, parents, administrators and most importantly, students along with unparalleled community support and a school board that focuses every decision on what is best for the children in Saraland schools. In the letter, Milner asked his community to "tell a teacher or support staff member that you appreciate their efforts and the impact they are having on students." In Vestavia Hills City Schools, all eight schools received A's, one of only six districts in Alabama that can claim that designation. The others are: Madison City 11 schools, Mountain Brook City 6 schools, Trussville City 5 schools, Arab City 4 schools, and Oneonta City 3 schools. In a news release, Vestavia Hills Superintendent Todd Freeman said he was pleased with the results. "The Alabama State Report Card is a snapshot of our schools and is one of many measures we use to determine the success of our school system and the opportunities for students to learn without limits." Madison City Schools Superintendent Robby Parker, in a statement on his district's website, said while he is pleased with all schools earning an 'A' for the second year in a row, "We celebrate this with the understanding that a letter grade is only a symbol." The most accurate measure of our effectiveness is how well we are preparing our kids for their future, he said, adding that what he sees in the districts schools every day assure him great things are happening. Details of school and district grades will be online on Monday, state officials said. All of Alabama's schools are currently on winter break, and more celebrations and reactions to grades are expected when students and teachers return beginning next week. Heres a sampling of how school and district officials shared their success through social media. 8:00 p.m. - This post was updated to include information about Jefferson County schools and remarks from Superintendent Craig Pouncey. WE MADE A B! Next.... keep doing what we do and supporting student learning!!!! Alabama school report cards: More As, Bs and Cs, fewer Ds and Fs https://t.co/ehyqaOMMFe Halcyon Elementary (@SchoolHalcyon) December 28, 2018 Geneva County Schools made remarkable improvements on state report card! Cause for celebration! We arent where we want to be, but we are proud of the hard work our students, teachers and administrators have put in to make these gains! #achievingexcellencetogether pic.twitter.com/CtEGCM0meZ Geneva Co Schools (@genevacoschools) December 28, 2018 The AL Dept of Ed has released the State A-F Report Card. @MadCoSchools received an 86 - up 1 point from last year. All 27 schools received an A or B and collectively MCSS schools averaged an 88.6 - a 5.3 point increase from LY. ALSDE portal here: https://t.co/I1iLFsRQfs pic.twitter.com/Yf6tsmHx1u MadCoSchools (@MadCoSchools) December 28, 2018 CONGRATULATIONS! Sheffield City Schools for a DOUBLE DIGIT improvement on your annual school report card. @AplusCR is a proud partner of your district! Great work by students, teachers and leaders. High expectations pay off! @SHSBulldogs_ @Burch15 @Sheffield_HS @LankfordKeith A+ College Ready (@AplusCR) December 28, 2018 Coldwater Elementary receives an A on the newly released AL state Report Card. This wouldn't be possible without great teachers, staff, students, parents, community support, and many others that support CES! This is a team effort from all levels.#CESLEADhttps://t.co/iVOTouoNmE Coldwater Elementary (@ColdwaterEleme1) December 28, 2018 Tuscumbia City Schools made improvements on our state report card! Our system improved from a 79 C to an 82 B. We are proud of the hard work our students, teachers, and administrators have put in to make these gains! @DeshlerHS @deshlermiddle @_REThompson @GWTPrimary pic.twitter.com/zsblspTovq Tuscumbia City Schools (@TuscumbiaCitySc) December 28, 2018 Principal Joy Gould of @FondeElementary shares how a year-round calendar helped her school improve 2 letter grades on this year's state report card: pic.twitter.com/kPbh9tOUCT MobilePublicSchools (@MobilePublicSch) December 28, 2018 .@EicholdMertzMST & @CouncilComets are 2 of the 4 schools in the state to earn perfect scores on the state report card. Eichold-Mertz Principal Michelle Adams shares how her school earned a 100 for the 2nd straight year: pic.twitter.com/N7SQvbvPJ5 MobilePublicSchools (@MobilePublicSch) December 28, 2018 Majority of HCS Schools Show Improvement on Latest Al. School Report Card-Supt. Finley noted that a single letter grade does not define a school & so much more goes on in our classrooms that is not reflected in a state report card. Great things happen in our schools every day." HSVcitySchools (@HSVk12) December 28, 2018 Attorney General Steve Marshall today announced a $575 million settlement between the 50 states and the District of Columbia and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. The settlement resolves claims the bank violated consumer protection laws of Alabama and other states. Alabama will get $7.9 million, which will cover attorneys fees and assist in funding the consumer protection efforts of the Attorney Generals Office, officials said. The settlement resolves claims that Wells Fargo violated these laws by: opening millions of unauthorized accounts and enrolling customers into online banking services without their knowledge or consent Improperly referring customers for enrollment in third-party renters and life insurance policies Improperly charging auto loan customers for force-placed and unnecessary collateral protection insurance Failing to ensure that customers received refunds of unearned premiums on certain optional auto finance products Incorrectly charging customers for mortgage rate lock extension fees The settlement says Wells Fargo will also create a consumer redress review program. The program will allow consumers who have not been made whole through other restitution programs already in place to seek review of their inquiry of complaint by a bank escalation team for possible release. To date, this settlement represents the most significant engagement involving a national bank by state attorneys general acting without a federal law enforcement partner. More than 3.5 million Wells Fargo accounts were opened, funds transferred, credit card applications filed and debit cards issued without the customers knowledge or consent. The bank also identified 528,000 online bill pay enrollments nationwide that may have resulted from improper sales practices at the bank. In addition, Wells Fargo improperly submitted more than 6,500 renters insurance and/or simplified term life insurance policy applications and payments from customer accounts without the customers knowledge or consent. The states in the lawsuit allege Wells Fargo imposed aggressive and unrealistic sales goals on bank employees and implemented an incentive compensation program where employees could qualify for credit by selling certain products to customers. The states further allege the banks sales goals and incentive programs cause employees to engage in improper sales practices in order to satisfy such sales goals and earn financial rewards. The states allege those sales goals became increasingly harder to achieve. Employees who failed to meet them faced potential termination and career-hindering criticism from their supervisors. Wells Fargo was also accused of improperly charging premiums, interest and fees for force-placed collateral protection insurance to more than 2 million auto financing customers despite customers already having current insurance and complaints, states allege. The bank has agreed to provide remediation of more than $385 million to approximately 850,000 auto finance customers. The remediation will include payments to more than 51,000 customers whose cars were repossessed. The bank has also agreed to provide refunds totaling more than $37 million to certain auto finance customers whom the bank failed to ensure would receive proper refunds of unearned portions of optional guaranteed asset auto protection (GAP) products as part of vehicle financing agreements. Wells Fargo has refunded or agreed to refund more than $100 million of rate extension lock fees improperly charged to residential mortgage loan consumers. Wells Fargo has previously entered consent orders with federal authoritiesincluding the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)related to its alleged conduct. Wells Fargo has committed to or already provided restititution to consumers in excess of $600 million through its agreements with the OCC and CFPB as well as through settlement of a related consumer class-action lawsuit and will pay over $1 billion in civil penalties to the federal government. Additionally, under an order from the Federal Reserve, the bank is required to strengthen its corporate governance and controls and is currently restricted from exceeding its total asset size. The bank has agreed to implement within 60 days a program through which consumers who believe they were affected by the banks conduct, but fell outside the prior restitution programs, can contact Wells Fargo to be reviewed for potential redress. Wells Fargo will create and maintain a website for consumers to use to access the program and will provide periodic reports to the states about ongoing restitution efforts. More information on the redress review program, including the dedicated website address and escalation phone numbers will be available on or before Feb. 26, 2019. Read the states agreement with Wells Fargo below. For the second time this year, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed a Dothan judge to the state Supreme Court. Brad Mendheims appointment as an associate justice of the Alabama Supreme Court is effective Jan. 15, 2019, the governor announced in a news release Friday. Mendheim fills the vacancy left by Tom Parkers election as chief justice. After reviewing all of those interested in the position, Justice Mendheim is clearly the most qualified, with impeccable legal credentials and with unquestioned character and integrity, Ivey said in a statement. Before becoming a judge in 2001, Mendheim worked in private practice in Dothan then served as a prosecutor. He served as a district and circuit judge in Houston and Henry counties. In January, Ivey appointed Mendheim to the state Supreme Court after the resignation of Justic Glenn Murdock. Mendheim lost the position to Sarah Stewart in a July primary runoff. With more than 17 years of judicial experience, Justice Mendheim brings the experience of having served on the Alabama Supreme Court, Ivey said in the statement. Every applicant was given appropriate consideration, but Justice Mendheim exceeded them all. I appreciate his previous service to the state of Alabama and know that in this continuing opportunity he will again follow the law and serve with honor. Mendheim is a graduate of Auburn University and the Cumberland School of Law. Supporters of Larry Langford had their prayers answered on Friday when a federal judge reversed course and granted the former Birmingham mayor released from prison. But that didnt mean Langfords backers were going to stop praying. About 20 Langford supporters marched down the corridor between Boutwell Auditorium and the Birmingham Museum of Art to pray for Langfords health and rejoice in the decision to free the former mayor, who is serving a 15-year sentence on bribery and public corruption charges stemming from his role in the Jefferson County sewer scandal. Although it wasnt needed, marchers carried signs saying Please Mr. President, Free Larry Langford, -- an old sign that was made up when local leaders petitioned the Obama administration for Langfords release. Some marchers also wore T-shirts with the phrase. Im so excited I could do cartwheels, said Brenda Ward, adding that she used to meet Langford for breakfast when he was mayor of the Magic City. Im so excited that hes coming home. After being turned down for compassionate release last month, Langford, whose health deteriorated earlier this week, had his sentence commuted to time served on Friday and is scheduled to be released when his health permits. Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, who helped organize the rally along with activist Frank Matthews, said Langford deserved mercy. I feel like if we have sinned all of us have done something wrong and if you are one of the perfect persons on this earth then I want to know who you are. And forgiveness is part of black peoples DNA, because we have forgiven people that has brutalized and mistreated us for hundreds and thousands of years, and we all make mistakes in life, she said. But I want you to understand that even though Larry is out, if hes not healthy, he might as well be in jail. If hes out we want him to be healthy. We want his health to improve. We want him to have a long life, have longevity. Ollie Davison, an aide to U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham), who was working on Langfords release, thanked the former mayors family, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Jay Town and U.S. District Court Judge Scott Coogler for coming around and agreeing to this decision. Its a great day for the city of Fairfield, for the city of Birmingham and the county of Jefferson, Davison said. This is great because Mayor Langford is a staple in Birmingham history, Jefferson County history and Fairfield history, so were happy and were elated that this is happening. Birmingham activist Carlos Chaverst said Langford was one of the best mayors in Birminghams history. Im grateful for his release, he said. Were ready for him to be back home. We want to do a big cookout somewhere when Larry touches down. Matthews said he was grateful to the Republicans involved in the decision, like Town, and the Republicans who decided not to intervene and influence Cooglers decision, like President Trump. I want to say thank you to this president of this country, Donald John Trump, Matthews said. That dont make me like him, but I like his actions or action he didnt take today. Former Fairfield and Birmingham mayor Larry Langford is coming home. A federal judge Friday afternoon reduced Langfords sentence for corruption to time served. It is unclear when he will be freed from the federal medical center prison in Lexington, KY, where he has been serving his time. Langford, 72 and in critical health, served eight years and eight months of a 15 -year sentence for bribery and corruption convictions stemming from his time on the Jefferson County Commission. He was convicted in October 2009 of taking about $235,000 in bribes in exchange for giving county sewer bond business to investment banker Bill Blount. He was not scheduled to be released, until May 2023. In a release, the family said: "Mr. Langford has reached a point medically where there is nothing more that can be done for him in the facility. We are all grateful that the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice saw fit to exercise compassion and allow him to return home with his family. "We are most appreciative of the hard work and collective efforts of the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District, the offices of U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell and U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, Alabama state Sen. Bobby Singleton, Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, as well as all those who issued press releases, wrote letters, and said prayers. "One family member said., 'There have been many prayers and a true outpouring of support by the citizens of Fairfield, Birmingham and the State of Alabama to which we are eternally grateful. But most importantly and in the words of Larry, To God Be the Glory. It is not yet clear when Langford will be transported to Birmingham. U.S. District Court Judge Scott Coogler, who originally sentenced Langford, granted the reduction in sentence after a request by Hugh J. Hurwitz, Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons through Jay E. Town, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. Langfords sentence was reduced to time served and once he leaves prison he will begin the 36 months term of supervised release previously imposed, which will include home confinement and possible electronic monitoring. Coogler also ordered that Langford shall be released from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons as soon as his medical condition permits, the release plan is implemented, and travel arrangements can be made. The defendant has been diagnosed with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, sickle-cell trait, plantar fascial fibromatosis, bursitis, esophageal reflux with esophagitis, dysphagia secondary to a cricopharyngeal bar and esophageal stenosis, sensorineural hearing loss, pterygium, and anemia. The defendant is considered debilitated under Federal Bureau of Prisons policy and, based upon recent deterioration in his health, his condition is considered by the Bureau of Prisons to be terminal, with a life expectancy of 18 months or less. Town, in a statement to AL.com, said that After reviewing the information provided by the Bureau of Prisons, it was our judgement that compassionate release and reduction of sentence was appropriate under these limited circumstances. Efforts to free Langford by family attorney and Birmingham native Tiffany Johnson Cole, Birmingham attorney Reginald McDaniel and Alabama state representative and attorney Juandalynne Givan and others have been in the works for eight years. A recent, large effort to free Langford was supported by numerous politicians, including U.S. Rep. Sewell, U.S. Sen. Jones, Alabama Rep. Juandalynne Givan and Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin. As I have said before, justice should be fair, but merciful. I am deeply grateful to all those who heeded our renewed call for the immediate compassionate release of Mayor Larry Langford, Sewell said in a statement. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Jay Town, Senator Doug Jones, our federal partners, and all those who worked side-by-side with our office despite the government shutdown to secure Mayor Langfords release. The holiday season is a reminder of the importance of family, and the commutation of Mayor Langfords sentence means that our former Mayor can spend his final days at home in Alabama with loved ones. My prayers are with the whole Langford family as they reunite and provide comfort to Mayor Langford in the days and weeks ahead. Family is important, and I know that Mayor Langfords wife and so many relatives and supporters look forward to reuniting with him in Alabama, said Woodfin. I have maintained that Mayor Langford was the ideal candidate for compassionate release. Im glad that federal officials saw fit to grant his immediate release. My prayers are with him and his family. Fridays motion by the Bureau of Prisons is a turnaround from when, in November, the BOP denied Langford a compassionate release/reduction in sentence, despite its finding that he met the criteria for a reduction/release due to his diminished health. Mayor Langford, wrote Ken Hyle, BOPs assistant director and general counsel, ...has a history of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. pulmonary hypertension, right-heart failure, sickle-cell trait, plantar fascial fibromatosis, bursitis, esophageal reflux, dysphagia, hypertension, sensorineural hearing loss, pterygium and anemia. He was issued an oxygen concentrator and nebulizer and ambulates with the use of a wheelchair. Yet, Langford was denied the release/reduction, Hyle wrote, Due to the nature and circumstances of Mr. Langfords offense, his release at this time would minimize the severity of his offense and pose a danger to the safety of the community. Since the denial, several politicians lobbied the White House and President Trump in an effort to gain executive clemency for Langford. Full coverage of Larry Langford On Wednesday, Woodfin sent a two-page letter to Trump in support of a compassionate release, referring to the First Step Act, a bill recently signed into law by the President that reforms punitive federal sentences. Please understand it is not my intention to minimize the serious nature of the underlying conditions. As a former prosecutor, my very core is centered on fair play, integrity and honesty," the mayor wrote. "Still, I believe Mr. Langfordin every wayis the ideal candidate for compassionate release Upon signing of the First Step Act, you said, and I could not agree more, that the {FSA] and its sensible sentencing reform bring much needed hope to families during the holiday season. The Langford family is in need of hope today. I humble ask, Mr. President, that you consider providing that hope to them. In his application for release/reduction, Langford stated: I will forever bear the responsibility for my actions, whether I am incarcerated or at home. It is my prayer that after [eight] years and the totality of my circumstances that you will give me a chance. A vigil was held Wednesday for Langford in Fairfield and another vigil was already planned for Friday afternoon in downtown Birmingham. AL.com reporter Carol Robinson contributed to this story An Alabama prisoner, who escaped from a work-release assignment this week, has been recaptured in Baldwin County, authorities said. Curtis Cleveland Singleton was taken into custody just before 9 a.m. today, records show. He surrendered to the Baldwin County Sheriffs Department, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced. Singleton, 31, was reported missing from the Mobile Work Release Center on Thursday evening. Singleton is serving a seven-year sentence for a drug-manufacturing conviction in Baldwin County, according to prison officials. Singleton is held in the Baldwin County jail, pending transfer back to the custody of the state prison system, records show. Further details werent released. Tornadoes have claimed 10 lives across the U.S. in 2018 a record-low year without any violent twisters so far. With 2019 just days away, the U.S. in on track to finish this year without any violent tornadoes, which are those ranked EF4 or EF5 on the Enhanced Fajita 0-5 scale. Violent tornadoes have estimated wind speeds of at least 166 mph. This is set to be the first year without any violent tornadoes since the modern record began in 1950, according to The Washington Post. With only 10 people killed by tornadoes in 2018, its the fewest annual fatalities since unofficial records began in 1875, USA Today reported. None of the 10 deaths happened in Alabama, where 11 people were injured by tornadoes this year, according to the National Weather Service. Forty-six tornadoes have hit Alabama this year. According to the weather service, these are the storms that caused 11 injuries statewide: An EF0 storm that hit Winston and Cullman counties the evening of June 22 left three people injured inside a destroyed mobile home. An EF0 tornado in Baldwin County injured three people when it overturned five RVs at the Anchors Aweigh RV Resort in Foley the afternoon of April 22. Several tornadoes touched down that day in central and lower Alabama. Five people were injured by two tornadoes that hit Calhoun, Cleburne, Etowah and St. Clair counties on March 19. Several tornadoes touched down across the state that day, when Jacksonville State University buildings were damaged by an EF3 storm. Although annual tornado deaths fluctuate, in an average year twisters kill 69 people in the U.S., according to The Weather Channel. In 2011, more than 500 people were killed by U.S. tornadoes, including 253 who died on April 27. That day alone 62 tornadoes hit Alabama a state that averages about 65 per year, AL.coms Leigh Morgan reported, citing data from the weather service. Authorities have released the names of a man and a woman killed Thursday night when both were hit by vehicles at the same time on Interstate 59/20 in Birmingham. The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victims as Walter William Tate, 27, and Lonnetia Cardelia Townsend, 23. Both lived in Birmingham. Authorities said the victims were struck at 11:32 p.m. on I-59/20 at the Avenue I exit. They were pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. Initial information indicated one of the victims was struck in the northbound lanes and the other in the southbound lanes. Coroner and police officials said Friday they were still trying to determine what happened and where. There were heavy rains at the time and investigators have yet to sort out the details. Endeavor Philippines mentor Jaime Zobel de Ayala welcomes the Endeavor network to an evening discussing the entrepreneurship networks four years of the multiplier effect. Endeavor Philippines managing director Manny Ayala discusses four years of the multiplier effect through Endeavor Philippines first Impact Report. In the celebration of Endeavors fourth year of operations in the country, the local chapter of the global entrepreneurship network shared how it has enabled the local start-up community to thrive, and how it intends to continue doing so in the years to come.Endeavor has been leading the high-impact entrepreneurship movement in the country since 2015. Since it was founded, 20 entrepreneurs from 16 companies across various industries have become part of the local network. Having received support from global and local business mentors, access to professional services, and growth capital, these companies have truly scaled. After joining the Endeavor network, the entrepreneurs have created over 1,700 jobs, and have increased their annual revenues by P3.6 billion leading to over P6.3 billion in revenues generated as of 2017. Since we started in the Philippines in 2015, we have been steadfast in fulfilling our mission of creating an economic multiplier effect by accelerating the growth of high-impact entrepreneurs. We are also proud to have a diverse mix of companies in our network as we have a range of tech companies and those that follow traditional brick and mortar format. This is a testament to how even traditional businesses are able to prove their high-impact in todays tech-driven society, says Endeavor Philippines managing director Manny Ayala.Endeavor has been successful in fostering the growth of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country as the network abides by a pay it forward philosophy.We recognize the importance of sharing our knowledge and resources with other local businesses to be able to aid in the growth of both the entrepreneurs and their businesses. Our members have been able to do this by mentoring, personally investing in companies, and connecting them to industry contacts in a bid to help them scale, and eventually, pay it forward as well Endeavor Entrepreneurs themselves have invested in and mentored over 50 local companies, and have taken seats at several advisory boards of these businesses. At the same time, most of the Endeavor entrepreneurs have been sought after thought leaders in their respective industries being invited to speak in conferences locally and internationally. Endeavor continues to welcome more high-impact entrepreneurs into the network in order to fulfill its mission of catalyzing economic growth. Endeavor entrepreneurs receive support from global and local business mentors from Fortune 500 consulting firms, access to world-class professional and customized services, and growth capital.In the Philippines, Endeavors board members include chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, vice chairman Jasen Ko, Cezar Consing, Anton Huang, Eugenio Lopez III, Roberto Panlilio, Edgar Injap Sia II, Wilfred Steven Uytengsu and Julio Sy Jr. Originally Posted by Judy Originally Posted by No it isn't fact. He thinks it's excellent advice. And he isn't "funnelling", Congress did that, he put a hold on it, and hasn't released it yet, because he's demanding security conditions be met, conditions that secure the United States. Congress got all upset and said "he can't do that". Well, he sure can do that. From limiting the number of refugees welcomed to the US to cutting aid to Pakistan, here are some things Trump did in 2018 that you may have missed. Washington, DC This year was full of a lot of surprises from US President Donald Trump and his administration. From a number of high-level departures to his recent decision to pull US troops out of Syria, despite opposition from many within his own party and inner circle, Trump never ceased to abruptly interrupt the news cycle with a new development or announcement. But its also the things that didnt make the front page or the top story that may also have you surprised. Here are 10 things the Trump administration did this year that you may have missed: 1. Fewer Refugees In 2018, fewer refugees made it into the US than any time during the previous 40 years. Thats because the Trump administration followed a campaign promise to cap the number of people coming to the United States. In September, the Trump administration reduced that limit again from 45,000 to 30,000. The year 2019 could see the lowest number of refugee admissions in US history. 180917225659912 The move follows remarks the president made throughout 2018 aimed at immigrants and refugees. In one closed-door White House meeting, according to the Washington Post and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, Trump referred to Haiti, African countries and some Latin American countries as s***holes and wondered aloud why the US was letting anyone in from those regions. His administration has also sought to put limits on who can request asylum. This month, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Trump, refusing to allow the administration to implement new rules prohibiting asylum for people who cross the US border between official ports of entry. A lower court has also blocked policies put in place by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year that made it harder for individuals fleeing domestic violence and gang violence to claim asylum. 2. Trump cuts Pakistan aid In a New Years Day tweet, Trump took aim at Pakistan arguing, the United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years. He vowed that would end. And, it did. In September, during the Labor Day holiday, military assistance to Pakistan ended. The $300m, according to a Pentagon spokesperson, would be reprogrammed for other urgent priorities. 180902060147916 The US military has accused Pakistan of giving safe haven to groups that target US soldiers in Afghanistan. Islamabad has persistently denied the charges even though al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in Abbottabad in 2011, less than a mile from a Pakistani military training academy. 3. Possible sexual assault rule change In November, while Washington, DC, was distracted with Jim Acostas White House credentials and the Russia investigation, Trumps Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a Friday proposal to alter the rules when it comes to how sexual assaults and harassment are handled on school campuses. Although DeVos said the changes were designed to make reporting more transparent, consistent, and reliable in their processes and outcomes, groups advocating on behalf of sexual assault survivors decried it as an attempt to give more power to the accused and lessen the legal burden on schools. One controversial provision allows the person who is accused to cross-examine the accuser through representatives. If these draft rules become law, said Sage Carson, manager for Know Your Title IX, more survivors will be forced out of school by harassment, assault, and their schools indifference to their complaints. 4. Climate change report buried Normally, US administrations use the day after the Thanksgiving holiday (a Friday) to bury uncomfortable news. 181126210505194 In 2018, that news came in the form of an annual government report on climate change. Since his election to office, Trump has repeatedly questioned whether climate change is real. Whatever happened to Global Warming? he tweeted in November after a spate of cold weather hit the US. That thinking may have guided the decision to bury the report, released the day after Thanksgiving when most Americans werent paying attention, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It not only declares climate change is real but it is getting worse, threatening coastal communities in the US. The severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur, the report states. In 2017, Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord, a historic international agreement on climate change aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 5. The election was rigged or not Just three days into 2018, Trump quietly got rid of a commission ending a taxpayer-funded venture that many people considered a waste of time and money. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity was formed in May 2017 to investigate one of Trumps main claims about the 2016 Presidential contest: it was rigged. 181101162845044 Although Trump won the election, his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, earned nearly three million more votes. Under the American electoral college system, the popular vote does not guarantee victory. Nevertheless, Trump disliked the idea that more people wanted Clinton to be president. The commissions official mandate was to study vulnerabilities in voting systems used for federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations, improper voting, fraudulent voter registrations, and fraudulent voting. It was created around Trumps unfounded claim that millions of people voted illegally for Clinton in 2016. However, the commission was marred with infighting and legal battles and, in the end, found zero evidence of voter fraud. After it disbanded, the commissions vice-chair, former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, was found in contempt of court by a federal judge in a voter suppression case. 6. National debt soars As a businessman-candidate, Trump ran for president on the premise he knows how to save money and cut waste. More importantly, he promised to get rid of the US national debt, a sore spot for many Republican legislators for many years. As president, the debt has continued to inflate under Trump. As of mid-December, US national debt was roughly $21.8 trillion. When Trump took office in January, 2017, it was $19.9 trillion. Spending on the military and programmes like social security and Medicare increased in 2018 and there is no indication Trump will take any significant action to reduce it. According to the Congressional Budget Office, interest on the debt is one of the fastest growing payments in the annual budget. They also project overall spending to increase by 5.5 percent a year over the next 10 years. Ironically, Trumps Republican Party made spending controls its signature issue throughout the administration of President Barack Obama and orchestrated a partial government down in 2013 as a result of it. 7. Endangered species under attack? Ever since Trump took over, environmentalists and animal-rights activists have warned that protections for wildlife are on his target list. The president has persistently criticised government regulations that get in the way of big business. In July, the administration announced a proposal to strip the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of some key provisions. 181124070729255 While only a proposal, the request has set off alarm bells within some of the biggest environmental organisations. The Sierra Club, which boasts 3.5 million members, bluntly warned the law is under attack. If implemented, the Sierra Club argues, the regulation changes would loosen protections for certain animals and fish like the gray wolf, right whale and sage-grouse. In a Washington Post op-ed in August, Interior deputy secretary David Bernhardt called aspects of the ESA an unnecessary regulatory burden. 8. Trump boosts overseas military spending In August, Trump signed off on one of the largest budgets for the US military in history. At a whopping $717bn, the 2019 American defence budget is bigger than that of China, India, the UK, France and Russia combined. We are going to strengthen our military like never ever before, the president boasted after authorising the spending during a ceremony at Fort Drum in New York. Within that budget is money for the same overseas military spending Trump once criticised his predecessors. Trump has consistently wondered aloud why Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama spent trillions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his 2019 budget, Trump increased military spending in both countries. 9. Calls to end chain migration except for Trump family Trump hates chain migration. He has said it many times. Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives, Trump told Americans in his annual state of the union address in January. Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. 180810135040869 This apparent distaste, however, did not apply to his own family. In August, Amalja and Viktor Knav, the parents of First Lady Melania Trump, walked into a New York government building and took their oath to become American citizens. They are both from Slovenia. How did they get their citizenship? Through their daughters marriage to Trump or, put another way, chain migration. When asked whether the Knavs case was a textbook example of the practice, their own lawyer replied, I suppose so. 10. Trump poses in photo with conspiracy theorist Theres no doubt the current occupant of the White House sometimes traffics in falsehoods. He has claimed, then retracted, his belief former US President Barack Obama wiretapped him, said people were rioting in California over sanctuary cities and suggested midterm election voters put on disguises so they could cast ballots multiple times. All those claims are incorrect. 181030150744871 So, in August, when Trump posed for a photo in the Oval Office with the proponent of a conspiracy theory, he seemed to be taking his false assertions to a new level. The visitor, Lionel Lebron, is one of the biggest advocates for a theory that gained significant traction in 2018. Known as QAnon or Q, its a conspiracy pushed primarily by pro-Trump social media stars and makes all sorts of unfounded claims about the presidents opponents, centring around a fictitious belief that prominent Democrats are running a paedophile ring. In August, Q posters and t-shirts followed the president everywhere. Lebron later tweeted that he never brought up QAnon with Trump. Over the past year, there was a noticeable increase in attacks on freedom of expression and human rights in Pakistan. Sneaky, sinister and Orwellian are just some of the words Pakistani journalists and human rights defenders used to describe the censorship and growing clampdown on dissent, mainstream and social media in their country over the past year. Although previous Pakistani governments also put pressure on civil society and the media, this year, many Pakistanis working in these fields I talked to felt that direct and indirect repression has increased significantly. Attacks on the media As we were wrapping up 2018, there were a number of incidents that solidified the perception that the situation in the country has really gotten worse. In early December, the Pakistani authorities blocked the website of Voice of Americas Pashto language radio service. Then on December 8, a police case was filed against dozens of people in the aftermath of a rally organised by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (Pashtun Protection Movement PTM), which campaigns for Pashtun rights. Among them were two journalists Sailaab Mehsud, affiliated with Dawn newspaper and Radio Free Europe Radio Libertys Mashaal Radio, and Zafar Wazir of the local channel Khyber TV, who had been covering the rally. On December 14, Pakistans electronic media regulatory authority (PEMRA) issued an advisory note calling on media outlets not to report excessively on topics such as violence, kidnapping, sexual abuse, terrorism and natural disasters. This document came after a similar one was issued in advance of the July parliamentary elections, which called on the media not to air derogatory and malicious content against the judiciary and the army. These regulatory letters purportedly aim to build a positive image of the country and address the negative perception of Pakistan globally, but many see them as a form of pressure on the media. Then on December 15, Jang Group, the countrys leading media house, fired hundreds of staffers en masse, closing down a number of its outlets. Over the past year, a number of media organisations have had to downsize or close down due to declining advertising revenue or other financial constraints. Journalists I have talked to believe that this is a tactic to control the media and impose more friendly reporting on the authorities. They also say that printing presses have been pressured to stop from publishing certain newspapers, cable operators have been asked to cease broadcasting certain channels and big businesses have been advised against putting up advertisements with certain media outlets. The media have also been pressured to fire certain employees who have been too critical of the Pakistani establishment. This year, leading prime-time news show hosts Talat Hussain, Murtaza Solangi, Mateeullah Jan, and Nusrat Javed either quit or lost their jobs. What they have in common is that they all questioned the transparency of the July elections and openly criticised the jailing of the former PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Mariam Nawaz. Journalists I talked to also shared their frustration with the increasing pressure and censorship in Pakistani newsrooms. It was ridiculous how we had to keep beeping off Nawaz Sharif when he would appear in court and during the election coverage. Election day was one of the worst days in my career as a producer in the newsroom, and I have seen the Musharraf era. We were not allowed to counter the official narrative of the authorities, a senior producer of a news bulletin of a prominent cable news network told me. An editor of an English-language daily complained that a screening process was set up in his newsroom under the explicit directions of the publisher which resulted in everyday interference and forced removal of editorials and op-eds. Pressure on civil society In addition to an intensifying clampdown on the media and the resulting self-censorship, the authorities are now pushing hard to further suppress the civic space and impose the official narrative on the human rights situation in the country after the July election. In 2018, the authorities escalated pressure on human rights defenders and activists peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression. They faced arrests, disappearances, accusations of treason, and violent threats from hardliner groups. The government has also stepped up filing complaints with social media companies against its online critics. Recently, Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry admitted that the authorities want to regulate social media. Over the past several months, a number of human rights defenders and activists have received emails from Twitter that their tweets violate the countrys law; some accounts have even been suspended. There have also been a number of human rights defenders, journalists and members of the legal profession who have either had to go into hiding or move to another country. Journalist Taha Siddiqui, for example, had to leave with his immediate family after narrowly escaping an abduction attempt. The current government also continued the campaign the previous one started against non-governmental organisations (NGOs). As a result, this year some 18 international NGOs were forced to discontinue operations in the country, including Action Aid and Plan International. Another prominent target of the Pakistani authorities assault on civil society this year was the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement. Many of its members, including two MPs, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, are facing police cases for taking part in rallies and corner meetings of the PTM. In July, Hayat Preghal, a Pashtun human rights defender, was detained for a few days. He later faced charges of anti-state online expression via social media for his posts in support of PTM. Preghal, who worked as a pharmacist in the United Arab Emirates, was in Pakistan on leave. Following the court hearing, his name was put on a no-fly list and as a result, Preghal, who is the primary breadwinner of his family, lost his job. He is yet another victim of what appears to be a campaign of targeted economic pressure against political dissidents and human rights activists. Over the summer, Wrranga Lunri, a Pashtun womens rights advocate and supporter of PTM, also faced an intimidation campaign and had to relocate from her hometown in Balochistan. She was targeted for being a woman and an organiser, speaking out in public about her cause. These are just a few of many examples of people who have fallen victim to the increasing intolerance for freedom of speech and human rights activism in Pakistan. It is clear that this year the Pakistani authorities not only failed to abide by their constitutional and international commitments to ensure respect for rights and freedoms, but they actually actively engaged in campaigns of intimidation and censorship. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that 2019 would be any different in this regard. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Abdullah Hassan died on Friday in a hospital in Oakland, 10 days after her mother was granted a visa to visit him. The two-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died, the Council on American-Islamic Relations has announced. Abdullah Hassan died on Friday in UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland in the United States, where his father Ali Hassan brought him to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. Ali Hassan is a US citizen who lives in Stockton, California. He and his wife Shaima Swileh moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016. Swileh is not an American citizen and remained in Egypt while fighting for a visa. The light of our lives We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives, Ali Hassan was quoted as saying in the statement published by the council. 181220060047657 A funeral is scheduled for Saturday. Swileh had been trying to get a visa since 2017, so the family could move to the US. Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the US under President Donald Trump s travel ban. Rights groups sought to overturn the ban in the US Supreme Court, claiming it was biased against Muslims. But the top court rejected the petition in June. Muslim body demanded waiver When the boys health worsened, the father went to California in October to get their son help, while Swileh remained in Egypt hoping for a visa. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time, said Ali Hassan, choking up at a news conference earlier this month. He started losing hope and was considering pulling his son off life support to end his suffering. But a hospital social worker reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which sued on December 16, said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the group in Sacramento. The State Department granted Swileh a waiver the next day. With their courage, this family has inspired our nation to confront the realities of Donald Trumps Muslim Ban, said Saad Sweilem, a lawyer with the council who represents the family. In his short life, Abdullah has been a guiding light for all of us in the fight against xenophobia and family separation. Home ministry says ISIL member Neil Prakash has acted inconsistently with his allegiance to Australia. The Australian government has stripped the citizenship of a man it believes is a top recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said on Saturday that Melbourne-born Neil Prakash was a very dangerous individual, who had acted inconsistently with his allegiance to Australia. If given the opportunity, Mr Prakash would harm or kill Australians and our country is a safer place for him having lost his Australian citizenship, Dutton said in a televised news conference. Prakash, who Dutton said had been central to ISILs efforts in the Middle East, has been held in Turkey where he is charged with terrorism-related activities since being caught there in October 2016. The 27-year-old is wanted in Australia over an alleged plot to behead a police officer. Prakash, whose mother was Cambodian and father a Fijian, held both Australian and Fijian citizenship through his father. Under Australias citizenship laws, a dual national can lose his Australian citizenship if he acts contrary to his allegiance to the country by choosing to be involved in terrorism. ISIL, also known as ISIS, was declared a terrorist organisation in May 2016 for this purpose, the Home Affairs Office said in a statement, and Prakash is the 12th person to be stripped of citizenship so far. Real threat Dutton said the law prevents the government from rendering somebody stateless so they must have Australian citizenship and citizenship of another country. A former rapper, Prakash has previously admitted being a member of ISIL but said he had nothing to do with the group in Australia. Dutton said Australias internal spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), had thwarted 14 attempted attacks, including a plan to smuggle explosives onto an A380 flight to the Middle East. The threat is very real, he said. The priority for us is to make sure that people like Neil Prakash dont come back to Australia. We dont want them here. He has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and has appeared in ISIL videos and magazines. Australia says he actively recruited Australian men, women and children and encouraged violence. Prakash has been notified of the decision by letter and Fijis government has also been notified, a source close to the Australian government told Reuters news agency. Australia has been pressing Turkey to extradite Prakash since he was first detained, but the request was rejected in July. It will remain in place until the conclusion of his case and any custodial sentence, The Australian newspaper reported. Canberra cancelled Prakashs passport in 2014 and announced financial sanctions in 2015, which cover anyone giving him financial assistance, with a punishment of up to 10 years in jail. At least 10 people killed in clashes, media reports say, as polls closed in Bangladeshs general election. Dhaka, Bangladesh Millions of Bangladeshis voted on Sunday to elect a new parliament amid reports that at least 10 people were killed in deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the countrys ruling party. Polling stations closed at 4pm (10:00 GMT), and counting is expected to begin soon afterwards. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is seeking a third straight term in power, cast her ballot in the capital, Dhaka, earlier in the day. We believe in democracy and we will accept the peoples mandate, Hasina said. More than 104 million people were registered to vote in the elections to choose 299 representatives to parliament, known as the Jatiya Sangsad. 181226193113181 A total of 1,841 candidates from the Grand Alliance, led by the ruling Awami League (AL) party, and the opposition alliance, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), are competing in the countrys 11th general elections. Around 600,000 security personnel, including soldiers, were deployed across the country in a bid to prevent violence following a bloody campaign. But on Sunday, at least 10 people were killed in clashes, according to the leading Bengali-language daily, Prothom Alo. The Daily Star, a popular English daily, put the figure at 12. Al Jazeera is awaiting a response from the police. Meanwhile, mobile internet has been completely shut down until midnight of Sunday to prevent rumours that could trigger unrest, the Daily Star reported. Despite the reports of deadly clashes, Abdul Malik, secretary at the Ministry of Information, said the election was held peacefully and successfully. He added: Results will be announced in collaboration with the election commission. Festive In Dhakas Badda area, Mohammad Shanto, a first-time voter who was waiting to cast his vote, told Al Jazeera he felt safe and hoped to be able to cast his vote without any problems. Jahidul Islam, an AL member, said voting was taking place in Badda in a festive atmosphere. Badda is a strong base of Awami League. We hope we will win, he said. In the Dhaka 1 constituency in the capital, independent candidate Salma Islam announced she was withdrawing from the race, saying her representatives at the polling stations had been driven out from the centres. The BNP, meanwhile, complained that its agents were obstructed in some 221 constituencies, the Daily Star reported. Voting in one constituency was also suspended due to the death of a candidate. Voters queue at a voting centre during the general election in Dhaka [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera] A group of 16 human rights organisations criticised the government on Saturday for cracking down on civil society, the opposition and the media. At least five people have been killed and 2,682 others injured in election-related violence since December 10, according to the group, which includes the Asian Human Rights Commission and Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL). 181229092433528 These attacks are meant to instil fear in the minds of Bangladeshi voters, and thus undermining the prospects of a level electoral playing field, the group said in a statement. Golam Mawla Rony, a BNP candidate in the polls, said he has been confined to his house by ruling party members. Rony, who is contesting the southern Patuakhali 3 constituency, said he was attacked by AL members when he ventured out for prayers on Friday. One hundred of my supporters have been arrested. Police and Awami League people are going from house to house and threatening BNP supporters to not come out on Sunday to vote, Rony told Al Jazeera over the phone. The situation is terrifying. I could never imagine that such a situation can exist during an election, Rony added. Exaggerated KM Nurul Huda, the chief election commissioner, asked law enforcement agencies on Saturday to act with an iron fist to check violence. If we find any negligence or insincerity during poll-time duty, we will take legal action against them after investigation, Huda said during a press conference at his office in Dhaka. A total of 160 foreign observers will observe Sundays polls, alongside 25,900 local monitors and journalists, the elections commission said. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland urged Bangladesh to conduct free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks to the media persons after casting her vote in Dhaka [Anupam Nath/AP Photo] Gowher Rizvi, an adviser to Hasina, said the oppositions claims of police harassment and restrictions on their movement were exaggerated. Its despicable. Its really worrying that there is violence. But if you look at the last seven days, seven people have been killed all from Awami League. This is real violence, people have lost their lives, he told Al Jazeera. 181226060639803 Asking the media to investigate the oppositions claims, he said: Yes, there are some isolated incidents, I have no doubt. It has happened in the past, its happening now. But do not accept it without corroboration. Afsan Chowdhury, a political analyst and journalist, said Bangladesh has not seen such a conflict-ridden election before. The political parties dont see each other as political rivals. They look upon each other as enemies, he said. Interestingly, this is the first election under a civilian government in 18 years, since the 2008 election was under martial law and the 2014 election was boycotted by the opposition, he added. Opposition BNP has alleged intimidation by the government [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera] Hasinas contentious rule Hasina, who has become the South Asian nations longest-serving leader, is seeking re-election on the back of high economic growth during her 10-year rule. I request the voters to cast their votes All the people will have to watch out so that no one can make the elections questionable in any way, Hasina was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. Hasina has led the ruling AL since 1981. The party was established by her father and the countrys founding President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 181228093827764 She was praised globally last year for her handling of the Rohingya crisis, when nearly one million people fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar sought refuge in Bangladesh. The controversial War Crimes Tribunal against people involved in atrocities during the countrys 1971 liberation war against Pakistan also began during her tenure Mahbubul Alam Hanif, ALs joint general-secretary, highlighted the countrys record economic under Hasina. Economic growth increased from 5.57 percent to 7.28 percent. Per capita income increased from $500 to nearly $1,800 now. Export income increased from $16bn to $35bn, he said. Chowdhury, the analyst who also teaches at BRAC University, said Hasinas achievements were quite extensive. Nobody has achieved as much as she has done. She has carried out socioeconomic development, he said. The lower class has benefited most under her. This is her great power base and that has not changed. BNPs support base is those that are unhappy with the Awami League. It is the anti-incumbency party. It does not have its own support base. Not a significant one, he said. The opposition fight was no match to the high-decibel campaign led by the ruling AL party in the absence of the BNP leader and former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, who is serving a 17-year jail term for corruption. Her BNP forged an alliance, Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front), with a former Hasina ally and a well-respected jurist, Kamal Hossain, to mount a challenge to the prime minister. On the eve of the elections, Hossain had called on his supporters not to be intimidated by threats. Vote tomorrow. Dont let them intimidate you. Evil forces will flee before you. They cant fight peoples strength, said Hossain. A woman casts her vote during the general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera] Additional reporting by Saqib Sarker from Dhaka Kamal Hossain says the election commission has a responsibility, which requires neutrality, impartially and fairness. Dhaka, Bangladesh The opposition alliance in Bangladesh has accused the government of arresting its leaders and supporters before Sundays parliamentary elections. Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front) has cast doubt on the impartiality of the elections, with its leader, Kamal Hossain, raising fingers at the chief election commissioner. Nearly 2,000 candidates from the ruling Awami League and the opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are competing for the 300 seats up for grabs. 181228093827764 Fifty seats are reserved for women in the 350-member parliament, called as Jatiya Sangshad. Al Jazeera spoke to Hossain on issues facing the elections and his concerns regarding the conduct of the electoral process. Al Jazeera: Why did you go against the Awami League, a former ally? Kamal Hossain: Its because of peoples unanimous urge for change. People say they want change which means the United Front. I also must reflect what everyone now says: time has come for a change. I have been instrumental in the Hasina government, and her return [from exile]. I was with her on the day her father was killed. I am not someone who wants to bring her down, but I would say 10 years is enough, you have done five years with a proper election and five years without a proper election (the last election was boycotted by the opposition). Al Jazeera: Do you have faith in state institutions? You have raised fingers against the election commissioner. Hossain: We have faith in institutions, but there are some individuals who are pulling down the institutions and doing the bidding for the government to get temporary gain. 181226193113181 Those who go to constitutional offices such as judges and election commissioners, they should be above personal temptation. So, we have asked them to bear in mind that they have a very important constitutional responsibility, which requires neutrality, impartially and fairness. Al Jazeera: Is the police biased against the opposition? Hossain: These are actions of a nervous regime, which feels that power is slipping from its hands. Now, they are doing these extraordinary things of arresting people right, left and centre using police in a way that shames me because I have been part of the writing of the original constitution in 1972. And every speech I have made said: Our police is not like the police we had before, this police fought for our liberation. Every time I meet them (police), I remind them of their glorious past. But to see the police being misused for personal party gains is shameful. Police are a critical organisation in a multiparty democracy. If police are not impartial, then that is the end of rule of law. I am not critical of the police but those who misuse the police. Al Jazeera: Hasina says she has delivered development and only people with vested interests are speaking out against her. Hossain: We have lived longer than she has with the reality of Bangladesh. We remember, just before Bangladesh was born in 1971, Ayub Khan was the military ruler of Pakistan. https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2018/bangladesh-elections-2018/index.html And we were sick and tired of hearing him: These Bengalis talk about democracy but am I giving them development. Hasina may not remember that, she was too young then. What she is saying is not original. She has used exactly the same rhetoric used by Ayub Khan. Bangabandhu, our revered leader, used to tell him (Ayub Khan) this is not what people want when you take away their democratic rights. Growth for whom, development for whom? Al Jazeera: But the country has seen a high growth rate in the 10-year rule of the Awami League government. Hossain: Its a very inequitable distribution of wealth. Farmers are not getting a just price for their produce. And the price they get in the market is very, very little. Middlemen are appropriating. Why are salaries of garment workers, despite an increase in exports, stuck at 5,500? Now, its gone up to 7,000-8,000 taka. But we need a minimum of 12,000 for a living wage. Economic growth for whom? If development does not include political and civil rights, democracy and fair elections, it does not mean much to people. People are being evicted from slums. They do not have a roof on their heads. Government calls them miscreants. But the bulk of them is garment workers, most of them are women. Promises have been made that slum dwellers will be rehabilitated but after 10 years, how many of them have been given alternative shelter? 181225141932212 There has to be a hard-hitting assessment as to why 47 years after independence, garment workers have to live in slums amid threats of eviction at short notice. You cant understand the reality of Bangladesh by only seeing the one percent at the top. Bulk of basti (slum dwellers) people are garment workers, and the government has offered no programme for their housing. The government claims that they have improved the power situation. But the cost at which electricity has been acquired, no one could buy it. Compare this with other South Asian neighbours such as India or Sri Lanka. Al Jazeera: Whats your take on the Digital Security Law? Hossain: After 47 years of independence, you do not expect to see a law like Digital Security Act (DSA). When [Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan], you had a law, which allowed the government to lock up without giving any further ground. Your liberty was always in suspense. We fought against this. We have this nasty experience of laws that allow this kind of power of detention. Preventive detention is really an instrument of colonialism. Thats a legacy we want to relieve ourselves from. DSA has similar provisions, which allows the government to detain someone indefinitely for expressing their opinion. These kinds of laws have no room in Bangladesh where rule of law and democracy is one of the pillars of the constitution. Al Jazeera: Do you think there will free and fair elections? Hossain: If you support free and fair elections you do not go around right, left and centre throughout the country arresting people. I have been in legal profession for 55 years, I have done many cases but never seen this kind of absolutely wanton arrests that are going on. Moinul Haque Chaudhury, four times former member of parliament, has been arrested. No reasons were given. He could have been an effective leader during the election campaigning. Oregon senator calls for inquiry into claims Saudi Arabia helped citizen in hit-and-run killing escape US justice. A senior US senator has called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to clarify if Saudi Arabia helped a citizen of that country flee the US before his manslaughter trial. In a letter on Friday, Senator Ron Wyden expressed strong concern over a local media report that said the Saudi government may have issued a new passport to its citizen, Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, in order to help him leave the US and escape justice over a hit-and-run killing in the state of Oregon. The Saudi student was accused of killing 15-year-old Fallon Smart, and was facing a 10-year jail term if found guilty of manslaughter charges. In a report last week, the Oregonian newspaper said US investigators believe Noorah, who was released on bail, fled the country in June last year on a private jet using a Saudi-issued passport under a different name. Wyden said the claims were shocking. The allegations, in the wake of the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdoms Istanbul consulate in October, suggest a brazen pattern of disregard for the law and abuse of diplomatic privileges, said Wyden. These claims must be thoroughly investigated. If they are accurate they would require significant restrictions on Saudi Arabias diplomatic privileges and call into question the future of Americas bilateral relationship with the Saudis, he added. The Oregonian newspaper said it was Saudi authorities who had provided Noorah the $100,000 he needed to post bail. When the 21-year-old Portland Community College student was released, his passport was confiscated and he was required to wear an electronic bracelet on his ankle, the daily said. But in June last year, just two weeks before his trial, Noorah cut the tracking device and disappeared. He arrived in Saudi Arabia seven days later. But the Saudi government only informed the US of Noorahs return to the country more than a year later, in July, the Oregonian said. The two countries do not have an extradition treaty, which means that the chances of Noorah facing justice in the US is low. Saudi Arabia has come under increased scrutiny from the US Senate following Khashoggis killing by Saudi officials inside the kingdoms consulate. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a resolution accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of ordering the murder, and called for an end to US military support for a Riyad-led war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia denounced the resolution as blatant interference. YPG fighting ISIL may keep US-supplied weapons, US commanders recommend, a move that is likely to incense ally Turkey. US commanders planning for the withdrawal of troops from Syria have recommended that Kurdish fighters be permitted to keep US-supplied weapons, a move that would incense NATO ally Turkey. Three officials, speaking to Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity, said the recommendations were part of discussions on a draft plan by the US military. While talks are at an early stage, no decision has yet been made, the officials noted. The Pentagon said it would be inappropriate and premature to comment on what will happen with the weapons. Planning is ongoing, and focused on executing a deliberate and controlled withdrawal of forces while taking all measures possible to ensure our troops safety, said Commander Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesperson. It is unclear what the Pentagon will ultimately recommend to the White House in the coming days. But the final decision will be made by President Donald Trump, who ordered the withdrawal of about 2,000 US troops from Syria earlier this month. The move prompted Jim Mattis, the US defence secretary, to resign. The US officials said Trumps announcement has upset American commanders, who view his decision as a betrayal to the northern-based Kurdish fighters. The Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which embodies the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been the backbone of an alliance that has spearheaded the US-backed fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in Syria. They are perceived as a terrorist group by Turkey, which has vowed to launch an operation in Syria targeting areas under the control of YPG fighters. Fight isnt over The US told the YPG that they would be armed by Washington until the fight against ISIL was over, one of the officials said. The fight isnt over. We cant simply start asking for the weapons back, he said. The proposal to leave US-supplied weapons with the YPG, which could include anti-tank missiles, armoured vehicles and mortars, would reassure Kurdish allies that they were not being abandoned. But Turkey wants Washington to take the weapons back, so the commanders recommendation, if confirmed, could complicate Trumps plan to allow Turkey to finish off the fight against ISIL inside Syria. The Pentagon keeps records of the weapons it has supplied to the YPG and their chain of custody. But the US officials said it would be nearly impossible to locate all of the equipment. How are we going to get them back and who is going to take them back? one of the officials said. The debate over whether to leave weapons with the YPG coincides with Trumps NSA John Boltons visit to Turkey and Israel next week for talks on Syria. In May 2017, the US began distributing arms and equipment to the YPG for an offensive against Raqqa, the de facto capital of the self-proclaimed ISIL caliphate. Washington told Ankara that it would take back the weapons after the defeat of ISIL, which has lost all but a few slivers of territory in northeastern Syria. The idea that wed be able to recover them is asinine. So we leave them where they are, said a US official. A person familiar with the discussions of the US withdrawal plan said the White House and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would oppose the proposal to allow the YPG to keep its US-supplied weapons. The recommendation is a rejection of Trumps policy to withdraw from Syria, said the person, who requested anonymity. Turkey has said weapons supplied to the YPG have in the past ended up in the hands of Kurdish separatists, and described any weapon given to the fighters as a threat to Turkeys security. Meanwhile, the Kurds have welcomed a Syrian government advance in the city of Manbij in the northeast of Aleppo Governorate, a pragmatic shift in alliances that will dash their aspirations for autonomy but could help them cut their losses. We invite the Syrian government forces to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, particularly in Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion, the YPG said in a statement. After three years, how successful has Germany been in integrating more than a million migrants and refugees into society? Its three years since more than one million refugees and migrants entered Germany. Angela Merkel once said that integrating so many new people would be one of the biggest challenges that modern Germany has faced. In Berlin, Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane looks at the successes, and the struggles, of migrants in Germany, three years later. Three days into the New Year, the Health department have already recorded at least 43 firecracker-related injuries. The department said 38 of the 43 were injured due to blasts burns and eye injuries, five had to be amputate, while two ingested firecrackers. It added that 91 percent of injuries or 39 victims were male aged between 2 and 69 years old. Half of the number of victims, meanwhile, were injured after using illegal fireworks such as boga and piccolo, the report said. The number, however, is 51 percent lower compared to the same period last year. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier called on parents to check their childrens rooms and belongings for fireworks they may be hiding and to supervise minors during the New Year revelry next week. Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte is batting for the passage of a law limiting the sale of firecrackers and other pyrotechnics to a maximum of P5,000 for a single-receipt purchase by individuals and local government units identify designated zones where the devices could be used. In filing House Bill No, 8085, the lawmaker said such stringent measures are necessary to prevent injuries and tragedies arising from the irresponsible use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, especially during the Christmas and New Years Day festivities. Under the bill regulating the sale of such devices, any corporation or entity requiring an amount higher than the P5,000 limit for firecracker purchases shall have to apply for a special permit from the Firearms and Explosives Office of the Philippine National Police for its fireworks display subject to the regulations that may be imposed. The use of firecrackers or pyrotechnic devices shall also not be allowed in densely populated residential areas. The city or municipality government shall, in coordination with the barangays in their jurisdiction, conduct massive advocacy and information dissemination in the observance of the safety guidelines for fireworks or pyrotechnic use and exhibition. It shall conduct roving inspections and confiscate and destroy firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices being sold to the public which are prohibited by law, HB 8085 read. Villafuertes bill aims to improve Republic Act 7183. Stores, outlets, dealers, distributors and resellers are also required to secure a permit to sell from the PNP before they can engage in the sale or distribution of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices. There shall be a one-store, one-permit policy, the lawmaker said. Children using firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices must be strictly under adult supervision, he said, adding parents and guardians who shall knowingly instigate the purchase of fireworks or pyrotechnic devices by their minor child or ward shall be punished with a fine of P10,000. In Makati City, residents were reminded on the total ban of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices in the areas of Barangays Bangkal, Pio del Pilar and Magallanes. Based on City Ordinance No. 2010-A-020, the city bans the sale, manufacture, storage, possession or use of all types of firecrackers or pyrotechnic devices and other explosive materials in the said barangays, which were affected by the petroleum pipeline leak at West Tower in Bangkal in 2010.Mayor Abigail Binay called on all city residents to avoid using firecrackers or pyrotechnic devices, and choose safer noisemakers or go to popular sites of fireworks displays to welcome the New Year. Let us all start 2019 right by ensuring the safety of our loved ones before, during and after the New Years Eve revelry. There are many safer noisemakers that are readily available in our homes, like pots and pans, and trumpets and horns that can be bought at affordable prices, Binay said. She also said residents can bring their families to popular venues of New Years countdown celebrations where they can watch spectacular fireworks displays free of charge. It is my fervent wish that there will be zero incidence of firecracker-related injuries in our city as we usher in the New Year, she added. The city chief executive also warned establishments, including sari-sari stores, to strictly comply with a 1994 ordinance prohibiting the sale of any kind of firecracker to minors aged 15 years old and below throughout Makati. The police and barangay authorities are under orders to strictly monitor stores and other outlets for compliance. Parents of young children should also watch them closely to make sure they do not have access to firecrackers that can harm them, she said. Violators of the 2010 ordinance face a fine of P5,000 or six months imprisonment. If the violator is an establishments (corporation or partnership), the president or general manager, or any person acting on their behalf, shall be held liable. For single proprietorship, the owner or proprietor shall be held liable for the violation. Meanwhile, violators of the 1994 ordinance will be fined P1,000 and/or imprisoned for 15 days, or both at the discretion of the court. According to a list released by the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), prohibited firecrackers include Piccolo, Super Lolo, Atomic Triangle, Large Judas Belt, Large Bawang, Pillbox, Bosa, Goodbye Philippines, Bin Laden, Mother Rocket, Lolo Thunder, Coke in Can, Atomic Bomb, Five Star, Pla-Pla, Giant Whistle Bomb, Kabasi and Watusi. Meanwhile, firecrackers allowed inside a designated firecracker zone include Baby Rocket, Bawang, El Diablo, Judas Belt, Paper Caps, Pulling of Strings, Sky Rocket or Kwitis, and small trianggulo. Pyrotechnic devices that can be used outside the firecracker zone are Butterfly, Fountain, Jumbo Regular and Special, Luces, Mabuhay, Roman Candle, Trompillo, Whistle Devices, All kinds of pyrotechnic devices (pailaw), and other types equivalent to the said devices. Since 2010, the city government imposed a total firecracker ban in barangays Bangkal, Pio del Pilar and Magallanes, the communities near the West Tower condominium in Bangkal where the affected pipeline was located. The leak came from the 117-km long pipeline owned by the First Philippine Industrial Corp. Experts said benzene, a component of products from coal and petroleum, is found in gasoline and other fuels and used in the manufacture of plastics, detergents, pesticides, and other chemicals. They added exposure to high levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and death. Voters in the DRC will head to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to long-time President Joseph Kabila. Kinshasa, DRC Millions of voters in the Democratic Republic of Congo will head to the polls tomorrow to choose a successor to long-time President Joseph Kabila. President Kabila is stepping down after ruling the mineral-rich country for 17 years and his handpicked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is one of 21 candidates competing for the countrys top job. What are the five things you should know about DRC and its election? Peaceful power transfer? Kinshasa is trying to buck past trends by ensuring a peaceful transfer of power for the first time since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Kabila, 47, came to power following the assassination of his father by one of his bodyguards in 2001. Kabila, then 29 years of age, became the worlds youngest leader. His father was a rebel leader who overthrew the long-serving Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997 with the help of troops from neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. Mobutu was a larger-than-life leader known for expensive shopping trips to the French capital, Paris. The former army chief came to power in 1965 through a coup backed by former colonial power Belgium. He overthrew the countrys first democratically elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. Lumumba a Pan-Africanist was imprisoned by the Mobutu regime and then executed firing squad, his body chopped up, and dissolved in acid. Ebola The central African country is currently in the midst of an Ebola outbreak in its eastern parts. The outbreak, declared in August, is the second deadliest in history. According to the World Health Organization it has claimed more than 330 lives. The electoral commission (CENI) delayed the December 23 vote by a week in part because of the Ebola outbreak. On Wednesday, CENI said voting will not take place in Beni and Butembo in the eastern North Kivu province until March 2019 because of the deadly viral disease. Peace and security DRC, home to more than 60 percent of the worlds cobalt, continues to face security challenges especially in the eastern part of the country. Ongoing conflicts in areas like North Kivu, Ituri and Kasai provinces have uprooted hundreds of thousands. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, the conflict displaced 1.7 million people in 2018. 181224192731025 An average of 5,500 people fled their homes every day in the country this year, according to a report released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The UN has its largest and most expensive peacekeeping mission in the country with about 18,000 uniformed personnel. The mission has been instrumental in the defeat of the M23 rebel group one of the largest armed groups in DRC. In the run-up to the vote, ethnic violence increased significantly. CENI has postponed voting in Yumbi in the western Bandundu province until March next year following the conflict that left more than 100 people dead. Logistics DRC is roughly the size of Western Europe and that is proving a challenge when it comes to transporting voting materials to far-flung parts of the country. The country doesnt have a road network connecting its eastern to western part or southern to northern part. The United Nations has offered logistics support to the electoral body but that has been turned down. Voting machines For the first time, DRC voters will use voting machines to cast their ballot. Voters will elect the candidate of their choice using a tablet-like machine before their choice is printed out on a ballot paper. The voter then submits their ballot paper, which is then counted after polls close. CENI wants to deploy more than 100,000 of the South Korean-made voting machines across the country. The electoral commission says the devices will cut costs and speed up the voting and counting process. But the opposition, civil society groups and some observers fear the machines could be used to rig an election. The machines have not been tested in the DRC previously. Officials worry surge in number of migrants and refugees using dinghies to cross aided by human smugglers. Britains Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes is due to meet border officials in the port city of Dover over a sharp increase in the number of migrants and refugees trying to cross the English Channel in small boats. The move follows the interception of two vessels carrying 12 migrants and refugees off the southeast English coast. In one incident, eight Iranian men were spotted in a small boat near Dover on Friday and brought ashore for medical assessments and immigration interviews. About six hours earlier, border officials detained a Syrian and three Iranians found on a dinghy nearby. There were several children among the 40 migrants and refugees from Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan rescued by British and French authorities on Tuesday. Nokes called the trend deeply concerning. Attempts to cross the English Channel, one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes, have been rising since October, with authorities on both sides struggling to stop them. Enormous jump Al Jazeeras Sonia Gallego reporting from Dover said: Theres been a surge of more than 220 people who have arrived since the start of November. When you consider that it was only a dozen last year, that is an enormous jump. Officials are worried that another route could be opening up [along the Channel] with the aid of human trafficking gangs. Reporting from the other side of the English Channel, Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith said desperate conditions at the camps in Calais may have pushed people to pay smugglers to help them cross the waterway in dinghies. The authorities dont know why people have suddenly turned to dinghies. One theory is that millions of euros spent on strengthening the seaport has made it difficult for people to get on the back of trucks [and other means] used to get across. Britains Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared the increase in the channel crossing attempts a major incident, and requested an urgent call with his French counterpart. Javid is also assessing whether to deploy additional border enforcement vessels in the channel amid fears it could encourage more people to try to make the crossing, according to the Home Office. Fighting comes as the region reels from the fiercest clashes in a decade in which over 500 have been killed. At least four rebels were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday, officials said. The clash took place in the village of Hajin Payeen in the Pulwama district when the Indian Army launched a search for rebels after receiving intelligence. The rebels fired on the security personnel, sparking a four-hour gun battle. The bodies of four fighters were found following the encounter, a defence spokesperson said. As news of the fighting spread, local protesters gathered near the site of the gunfight and threw stones at the security forces, which lobbed tear gas to disperse the mobs. Indian-administered Kashmir has witnessed a spike in violence since the killing of Burhan Wani, a popular rebel commander, in 2016. Kashmir-based rights group Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) said 528 people have been killed this year in armed conflicts in the disputed Himalayan territory, including 145 civilians. JKCCS spokesman Khurram Parvez said it was the bloodiest year since 2009 and blamed it on the political weakness of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indias main ruling party. India and Pakistan claim the divided territory of Kashmir in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian control since 1989. Most Kashmiris support the rebel cause that the territory stays united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown. Moscow and Ankara will coordinate military activities in the war-torn country as the US decides to withdraw its troops. Russia and Turkey have agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria after last weeks announcement of a United States military withdrawal, Turkish and Russian foreign ministers said. We paid special attention to new circumstances which appeared in connection with the announced US military pullout, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow on Saturday. An understanding was reached on how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue to coordinate their steps on the ground under new conditions with a view to finally rooting out terrorist threats in Syria, Lavrov said. 181229063446665 Cavusoglu confirmed the two countries would coordinate Syria operations, adding they also discussed plans to help refugees to return home. We will continue active work (and) coordination with our Russian colleagues and colleagues from Iran to speed up the arrival of a political settlement in the Syrian Republic, he said in remarks translated into Russian. He reminded that Turkey and Russia, as guarantors of the Astana peace process, are defending Syrias territorial integrity and political unity from all efforts to harm them. Turkey and Russia have a joint will to clear all terrorist groups from Syria, Cavusoglu added. 181228092705808 Besides Lavrov and Cavusoglu, Turkeys Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin held talks on Saturday with Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump last week said he was pulling all 2,000 troops from Syria, declaring that Washington achieved its objective with the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). The ISIL group, which in the past held large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq, has lost nearly all its areas, although thousands of its armed members are thought to remain in war-battered Syria. Three-way summit early next year On Friday, Russia said it would host a three-way summit with Turkey and Iran on the Syrian conflict early next year. Turkey had threatened a military operation against Manbij to remove the Kurdish-led forces, which Ankara calls terrorists. Turkey and its allied fighters have been amassing troops around the city in recent days. 160505084119966 The Turkish threats coincided with the US announcement that it would withdraw troops from Syria. Russia, Iran and Turkey have been working together to bring about peace in Syria under what is known as the Astana process, named after the Kazakh capital where the talks take place. Each country plays a key role in the conflict that started in March 2011. Russia and Iran have intervened on the side of Syrias government, ensuring its survival. Turkey supports rebel groups against Assad in northern Syria, which is also to prevent Syrian Kurds from establishing and expanding territory along its border. Various so-called de-escalation zones were agreed among the three guarantor powers in Syria as a result of multiple rounds of talks. A new ceasefire in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and government forces begins on Saturday. A new ceasefire in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and government forces is due to begin on Saturday. Its one of the several ceasefires since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in violation of international laws. It follows the construction of a border fence built by Russia, sealing off Crimea. Several European leaders have condemned the barrier and called for a definitive end to the conflict. Al Jazeeras Katia Lopez-Hodoyan reports. Riyadh offered child survivors from Sudans bloody Darfur conflict as much as $10,000 to fight in Yemen, says the NYT. Saudi Arabia recruited children from Sudans conflict-ravaged Darfur region to fight on the front lines in Yemen, the New York Times has reported. The kingdom offered desperate Sudanese families as much as $10,000 to enlist their children to fight in the nearly four-year-old war against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the NYT said on Friday. Led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Sudan joined the Saudi-led alliance, deploying thousands of ground troops to Yemen. Five Sudanese fighters who had returned from Yemen told the NYT that children made up 20-40 percent of their units in Yemen. Many of the child soldiers were aged 14 to 17, the report said, and were often sent off to war by their parents, some of whom were so eager for money that they bribed officers of the Sudanese units in Yemen to let their sons go to fight. Families know that the only way their lives will change is if their sons join the war and bring them back money, Hager Shomo Ahmed, who was recruited to fight in Yemen in 2016 when he was just 14, told the NYT. At any time in the past four years, as many as 14,000 Sudanese people have been fighting in the Gulf country alongside Yemeni-armed groups backed by the Saudis, the newspaper said, quoting returnees as well as Sudanese legislators. Darfur survivors The NYT report said almost all of the Sudanese fighters apparently come from the impoverished region of Darfur, where some 300,000 people were killed after mostly non-Arab rebels rose up against Khartoum in 2003. Most of them belonged to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group known as Janjaweed, which was blamed for the systematic rape of women and girls, indiscriminate killing and other war crimes. The fighters told the NYT that while in Yemen, the Saudi and Emirati commanders overseeing the Sudanese units ordered them almost exclusively by remote control so that they could keep a safe distance from the battle lines. They never fought with us, Mohamed Suleiman al-Fadil said. A 25-year-old fighter, identified as Ahmed, told the newspaper: They treat the Sudanese like their firewood. Hundreds of Sudanese fighters have been killed in Yemen, according to the report. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition denied recruiting Sudanese children in a statement to the newspaper, labelling the allegations fictitious and unfounded. The NYT said Babikir Elsiddig Elamin, a spokesman for Sudans Foreign Ministry, declined to comment on troop levels, casualties or paychecks in Yemen. He told the newspaper that Sudan was fighting in the interest of regional peace and stability. The Sudanese ground troops have made it easier for the Saudis and Emiratis to extend the war in Yemen, by insulating them from casualties that might test the patience of families at home, the NYT said. The war in Yemen has killed more than 60,000 people, according to the war monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, and has pushed the already impoverished country to the verge of famine. According to the United Nations, the conflict has triggered the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Police broke up protests held after Friday prayers, as opposition called for more demonstrations. Sudanese security forces have arrested a top opposition leader following a crackdown on new anti-government demonstrations held in several cities on Friday. The protests were the latest in a wave of demonstrations that began across much of Sudan on December 19 first against a rise in prices but later against the government of President Omar al-Bashir, in power since a 1989 military coup. The demonstrations coincide with worsening economic woes that saw a currency devaluation, fuel shortages and a steep rise in the price of bread, a main fare for most Sudanese. The opposition Sudanese Congress Party said that a few hours after protests began in Omdurman on the west bank of the Nile on Friday, its chief, Omar el-Digeir, was arrested by security forces. He has been taken to an unknown location, the party said in a statement. 181227154036544 The Sudanese Writers Association said that well-known poet, Mohamed Taha, had also been arrested on Tuesday after he participated in a protest in Khartoum, the capital. We dont know his whereabouts, the association said. The Sudanese journalists network said that two scribes were also detained. As many as 19 people have been killed so far in the crackdown on protesters, the government said, but Amnesty International put the death toll at 37 since December 19. The United Nations on Friday called on the authorities in Sudan to investigate the deaths. Police on Friday fired tear gas at hundreds of worshippers who staged demonstrations in the railway city of Atbara north of Khartoum, Obeid in the western North Kordofan province, and Senar and Wad Madani south of the capital. Photographs posted by activists on social media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from some neighbourhoods in Khartoum as protesters burned rubbish and tyres. In Omdurman, crowds of worshippers chanted Freedom, Peace, Justice as they poured out of a mosque belonging to main opposition National Umma Party, a witness said. But they were quickly confronted by anti-riot police, the witness added. 181226171713677 Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said the demonstrations against the price rise are morphing into a national movement against the government. It is not only these protests that people have been carrying out to try to voice their demands, some of them have also been on strike, doctors have announced that they are going to go on a strike until the government steps down. Many journalists are also marching in solidarity of those who were harassed and arrested while covering the protests, they also said they will go on a national strike against the government, Hiba said. A group of opposition parties met late on Thursday and agreed to push for more protests in the coming days, the Sudanese Communist Party said in a statement. It is not the first time Bashir has faced protests against his rule. There were demonstrations in January over the same issues, with police using tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters in Khartoum. Similar protests were held in Sudan in late 2016 after the government cut fuel subsidies. The oil-rich countrys economy was badly affected when it split with South Sudan in 2011 and the government is also battling several rebel groups. March to presidency, the second since protests began, coincides with Sudans 63 years of independence celebrations. A coalition of professional associations in Sudan has again called for a march on the eve of the countrys 63rd anniversary of independence to demand that President Omar al-Bashir step down immediately. In a statement on Friday, the Association of Sudanese Professionals, an umbrella coalition of unions, said the march would commence on Monday from Qandil Square in the capital city Khartoum to the presidential palace. Again, we demand Bashirs immediate resignation [and the] formation of a transitional government. We ask all our citizens to dedicate this day and night to protesting and to making it a special welcome of the New Year, the coalition said. 181227154036544 It had organised a similar march to the presidential palace on December 25, when riot police used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the crowds of several hundreds of protesters. A wave of demonstrations began across much of Sudan on December 19, first against a rise in prices but later against the government of Bashir, who has been in power since a 1989 military coup. The protests have coincided with worsening economic conditions, a currency devaluation, fuel shortages and an increase in the price of bread. At least 19 people have been killed in the protests, according to government estimates, but Amnesty International puts the death toll at 37 since the demonstrations began. Several journalists, activists and opposition leaders, including chief of the Sudanese Congress Party Omar el-Digeir and senior leader of Sudans Communist Party Siddiq Youssef, have been arrested according to civil society groups. The head of the media office at the National Intelligence and Security Service has denied knowledge of the arrests. Strikes continue In solidarity with the demonstrations, Sudanese lawyers announced on Saturday a general strike to be held on the day of the march. We call on all lawyers across the country to take part in the strike and to hold protests outside courts, a statement released by the Sudanese Professionals Association said. On Thursday, the Sudanese Journalists Network announced a three-day strike against what it described as the Sudanese governments crackdown on journalists. In a statement, the network said the strike was also in response to the detention of a group of its members who held a sit-in outside the office of independent newspaper al-Tayyar. Two journalists among the detainees were reportedly later released. The announcements come after Sudanese doctors launched an indefinite strike on Monday, while trade unions and other professional associations called for a nationwide work stoppage. 181226182021425 The doctors strike will continue until we see a peaceful handover of power. We are not putting any patients at risk as all emergency cases are being treated, Sara Abdelgalil, president of the Sudanese Doctors Union in the UK, told Al Jazeera. The journalists network has joined us and we hope that more professionals will do so, as well, she added. On Saturday, the Sudanese Doctors Union published on its Facebook page a list of at least 40 hospitals and medical centres across the country that are part of the strike. According to Abdelgalil and a statement published by the Doctors Union, its chairman, Ahmed al-Shaikh, was arrested during the protests on Tuesday. His family tells us he is being held in Khartoums Kobar Jail along with the unions vice president, said Abdelgalil. Al Jazeera could not independently verify these reports. Commenting on the march planned for Monday, Abdelgalil said: We (Sudanese doctors) are very worried about the number of casualties that may arise from the protests planned for December 31. Cases received at hospitals over the past week have shown many gunshot wounds to the head, neck and chest. Peaceful protesters are being targeted to be killed. Sudans top Islamist party, a member of Bashirs government, called on Wednesday for a probe into the killings of protesters. Although the protests initially appeared to be tied to a recent increase in the price of a loaf of bread from one Sudanese pound to three, analysts believe the peoples grievances run deeper than that. 181224114651302 The trigger of the protests was the rise in bread prices, but underlying these protests is a long-standing public discontent over the economic and political policies of Bashirs regime, Mohamed Osman, an independent Sudanese analyst, told Al Jazeera earlier this week. Earlier this week, the Sudanese government affirmed it will carry out economic reforms to ensure a decent living for citizens, according to the official Sudan news agency, in its first comment since the protests began. The ruling National Congress Party said it understands the peoples anger over the economic situation, but spokesman Ibrahim el-Sadik accused Israel and left-wing parties of being behind the protests. Abandoned by the US and threatened by Turkey, the Kurds turn to Bashar al-Assad for protection. The northern city of Manbij is one of the last remaining flashpoints in Syrias war And yet another example of the complicated Syrian jigsaw puzzle. It was under the control of Kurdish forces, but Syria says its army is now in the city for the first time in six years at the invitation of the Kurds. The US-backed Kurdish YPG group considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey fears an all-out offensive on Manbij by Turkish forces. The threat level was heightened when President Trump announced he was pulling all American troops out of Syria. A high-level meeting has taken place between Turkeys defence and foreign ministers with Russian officials in Moscow, with the countries agreeing to coordinate on fighting what they call terrorism in Syria. So, what changes will we see in the dynamics of the near eight-year-long war? Presenter: Richelle Carey Guests Mehmet Celik Managing editor of Daily Sabah Newspaper. Dmitri Babich Political analyst at the Voice of Russia. Elias Farhat Retired Lebanese army general and strategic analyst. Two natural disasters this year have the Greek government carrying out a spate of demolitions that have traditionally been put off. Greece is demolishing thousands of illegal buildings in an effort to bring the rule of law to the construction industry. Previous governments have tended to avoid the issue, even offering periodic amnesties to illegal properties, because imposing the law is seen as a vote-loser. But the Syriza government says it is determined to do the right thing after natural disasters more than one hundred people. Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos reports from Athens. There should be no talk of partisanship or politicking in the cases filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government against Iloilo 1st District Rep. Richard Garin and his father, Guimbal Mayor Oscar Garin, for allegedly mauling a police officer, Secretary Eduardo Ano said. Ang gusto nating ipakita dito (What we want to show here is that) no one is above the law. Kahit anong posisyon mo sa government (Whatever Y our position is in government), whether you are a small ordinary citizen or you are a high-level government official, pare-parehas lang tayo sa batas (we are all the same in the eyes of the law), Ano said in a press conference on the sidelines of the 2018 National Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Award, held at the Manila Hotel Friday. He said the DILG has already filed criminal cases of direct assault, grave coercion, grave threats, physical injuries, slander by deed, alarm and scandal, and serious illegal detention against the Garins. Administrative cases have also been filed at the Ombudsman for grave misconduct, oppression, abuse of authority, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public, he added.We will not tolerate that kind of abuse of authority and arrogance on display of power. Kung may pagkakamali man ang police officer (If the policeman committed any wrongdoing), there are so many bodies that can investigate the policeman but you do not beat up and humiliate a police officer in front of the public, Ano said. The National Police Commission, he said, is also discussing the removal of Mayor Garins authority over the local police. We cannot entrust [in] his hand the PNP [Philippine National Police] unit. We cannot be sure of his actuations and behavior, Ano said. A UN source said the Houthi forces, which control the city and its strategic port, had started to redeploy overnight. Yemens Houthi rebels have started to redeploy inside the port city of Hodeidah as part of the United Nations-sponsored peace agreement signed in Sweden earlier this month, a UN source and a spokesperson for the group said on Saturday. The Houthis have agreed with the Saudi-backed government to implement a ceasefire in Hodeidah city and withdraw their respective forces. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition on June 13. The Houthis began the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port, a rebel official told the Houthi-run Saba news agency. Hodeidahs Houthi governor, Mohammed Ayash Qaheem, told Reuters that the groups fighters had withdrawn from the port as specified in the peace agreement, handing control to local units of Yemeni coast guards who were in charge of protecting ports before the war. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, the head of a UN advance team charged with monitoring the ceasefire, arrived in Hodeidah earlier this week. Under the deal, international monitors are to be deployed in Hodeidah and a Redeployment Coordination Committee represented by both sides and chaired by Cammaert will oversee the implementation. The committee started its meetings this week. The UN-led panel addressed the first phase of the implementation of the agreement based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment, a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss detailed plans for full redeployment. 181225104212165 A UN source said the Houthi forces, which control the city and its strategic port, had started to redeploy overnight. It was unclear if the government forces, which control some southern parts of the city, had started to redeploy. The agreement, the first significant breakthrough in peace efforts in five years, was part of confidence-building measures that aim to pave the way for a wider truce and a framework for political negotiations. The truce came into force on December 18. The war between the Houthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people three quarters of the population now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. It is regarded as a duty that all men over 18 should be proud to fulfil, and that no one should skip. President Donald J. Trump's recent announcement that he is withdrawing the 2,000 American troops stationed in Syria has sent shockwaves throughout the nation's capital. A bipartisan consensus has formed that Trump not only erred, but has abandoned America's erstwhile friends, the Kurds, to be slaughtered by America's NATO partner, Turkey. This is simply inaccurate. The Kurds do share close ties with the United States. Despite this, however, no American president has ever vindicated the Kurdish dream of an independent sovereign state. Trump is not at all different. The Kurds are the largest stateless people in the world, sharing a contiguous landmass that cuts across territory controlled by Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Like so many oppressed ethnic minorities before them, the Kurds have long envisaged their own country. Unfortunately, partitioning the requisite territory for creating such an independent state would mean disaster. (After all, the partitioning of India, of the Mandate of Palestine, and Sudan have led to nothing but trouble for the world.) Turkey sits atop the largest part of the Kurdish population. Relinquishing the Kurdish-dominated southern part of Turkey would mean kissing nearly two thirds of the Turks' massive country goodbye. Northern Iraq, northeast Syria, northern Iran, and southwestern Azerbaijan would also suffer massive territorial losses. Many people sympathetic to the Kurdish cause (such as this author, for the record) have often lamented the injustice that such a large ethnic group with a shared culture, history, and language should be subdivided among five countries that are mostly hostile to them. Few of us have taken the time to consider the geopolitical implications of such notions. It would be a moral good to midwife Kurdish independence. But the costs specifically to American servicemen would be onerous. Do you believe that Iran, Syria, Turkey, or even Iraq or Azerbaijan would simply shrug as large parts of its country were removed by the United States and handed over to a Kurdish government only just getting itself together? We shouldn't forget also that Turkey is an actual ally a NATO partner, no less whereas there is no Kurdistan. Unfortunately, the time for imposing such a new order in the chaotic Middle East has come and gone. That moment was in 1991, when George H.W. Bush decided to "liberate" autocratic Kuwait from the clutches of the (until that time) nominal American client, the equally autocratic Iraq. When Bush opted to (prematurely) end Desert Storm, leaving Saddam Hussein in power in Iraq, the decision was also made to abandon the Kurds to their fate. Because of this cold decision, the Kurds were slaughtered en masse by Saddam's forces. Yes, America spent the 1990s providing a no-fly zone in northern Iraq, which allowed for the creation of a quasi-independent Kurdish state there. Yet no American leader ever embraced the concept of an actual independent Kurdish state especially given the implications for Turkey. Another moment came and went for an American-backed Kurdish state in northern Iraq when George W. Bush toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. Despite the resounding victory the Bush administration enjoyed in 2003, there was no plan to fundamentally redraw the borders of the region to make it more egalitarian (by recognizing the sovereignty of the various ethno-religious groups that existed in the Mideast). Failure to do that consigned the Kurds to nothing more than a subordinate population in the various countries whose territory they lived in. When President Donald Trump took over the government, he too had the opportunity to honor the Kurds by granting them a state. After all, they had done much fighting on America's behalf against ISIS. Their commitment to that fight was hardly selfless: they had hoped that standing against ISIS as vociferously as they did would win the hearts and minds of Americans, who would, in turn, support Kurdish independence after the defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Plus ISIS was disproportionately slaughtering the Kurdish populations of the region meaning that the Kurds had little choice but to defend themselves. Also, the Kurds are not entirely Americans in waiting. They have a long track record of terrorism and kidnapping. While they are mostly Muslims, they are ideological Marxists. Until recently, the various Kurdish groups supporting Kurdish independence were also listed by the State Department as terrorists for decades. The souring of U.S.-Turkish relations can almost entirely be attributed to America's support of the Kurds. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the United States enjoyed its position as the unipolar power. Today, however, the world is a multipolar system, in which many great powers vie for dominance. In such a scenario, then, the United States must take a step back from expensive foreign entanglements and engage in diplomacy meant to align itself with other great powers (such as Turkey). I have firm faith that the Kurds will one day get their independence. The day for that is not now. The best solution for the benighted Kurds would be to hunker down in their enclaves and lie in wait until their host nations particularly those in Syria, Iran, and Turkey become weak and unable to prevent the call for Kurdish independence. President Trump has made the right decision to acquiesce to the brutal autocrats in Turkey on the matter of the Kurds, if only because the United States needs autocratic Turkey to balance against Russia, China, and Iran more than it needs the Kurds at present. Welcome, great power politics. Brandon J. Weichert is a geopolitical analyst who runs The Weichert Report. He is also a contributing editor at American Greatness and a contributor at The American Spectator. Recently, Brandon became an associate producer for America First with Sebastian Gorka, which is set to premiere nationwide on Salem Radio Networks January 1, 2019 from 3 P.M. to 6 P.M. EDT weekdays. Brandon is a former congressional staffer who is working on his doctorate in international relations. As the government shutdown goes on over the Senate's failure to fund a border wall (and a new caravan is forming to enter illegally because of it), the man most responsible for the political gridlock, New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer, has dug in his heels and insisted there will never be a border wall. On principle, and as a "moral issue," and all that. Away he piously intones. There's just one problem. He doesn't believe any of it. Journalist Ryan Saavedra has found him saying the exact opposite in a windy speech less than a decade ago, showing how phony his current argument is. Get a load of him then: Chuck Schumer in 2009: -Americans don't like illegal immigration -"Illegal immigration is wrong" -People illegally in the U.S. are "illegal aliens," not "undocumented" -Border fence made the southern border "far more secure...created a significant barrier to illegal immigration" pic.twitter.com/zoVyEgdrTC Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 28, 2018 This would be the same Chuckie Schumer who was caught exploiting the interns for free labor, not long after he piously intoned about the "moral issue" of the $12 or $15 hourly minimum wage. Hypocrisy, it seems, is a way of life for the creepy Senate minority leader. Here's what he said in 2009, via Daily Wire: "The first of these seven principles is that illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple," Schumer said. "When we use phrases like 'undocumented workers,' we convey a message to the American people that their government is not serious about combating illegal immigration, which the American people overwhelmingly oppose." "People who enter the United States without our permission are illegal aliens, and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who entered the United States legally," Schumer continued. "Any immigration solution must recognize that we must do as much as we can to gain operational control of our borders as soon as possible." Here's what he's saying now about the wall and shutdown, from a recent CNN report: The bottom line is simple. The President made clear that he wants a shutdown. His position, if he sticks to his position for a $5 billion wall, he will get no wall and he will get a shutdown. The bottom line is very, very simple. That is, we want border security. We offered him border security. But Americans know that the wall, not paid for by Mexico anymore, is not the way to border security. Really? A wall is "not the way to border security," yet before, he plainly said walls work? He's got quite a pattern on the hypocrisy front, and he ought to be asked about it, if not from the incurious press, then by another pol, with the cameras around. As a kid, I watched over the backyard fence enviously as heavy equipment began digging where the next-door neighbor's back lawn had once been. They were putting in a swimming pool a pool, of course, being the ultimate status symbol of our Los Angeles suburban neighborhood. And what a swimming pool it was. A stone waterfall, a hand-laid brick deck, lush greenery my brother and I couldn't wait for an invitation to dive on in. Many hot L.A. summers were spent in that pool, owing to the benevolence of neighborly neighbors. ...until a front-page L.A. Times article was printed, that was. Turns out a homeowner was successfully sued by the parents of a child who had drowned in his backyard pool. The child did not have permission to enter the property or the pool. The "attractive nuisance" doctrine was the tort. This was my first exposure to absurdity in law. You could be punished if you simply had nice things that other people wanted. Sure enough, more trucks came to the neighbors' house. They began drilling and welding and putting up a black wrought iron monstrosity of a fence around that gorgeous pool, complete with a locked gate. "Attractive nuisance." I watch the news blame Trump and our border policy for the two immigrant children who have died while in custody. I think to myself that Trump is the only person who is trying to unwind the executive orders and misinterpretation of our immigration laws that deal with children at the border. A. Obama's "unaccompanied minors" immigration loophole. B. The Democrats and the media twisting themselves into conniptions over "separating families" while in detention, regardless of the fact that this incentivizes immigrants to proffer children forward at the border even if unrelated due to the special consideration offered them under interpretations of current asylum law. Obama, the Democrats, and even John Roberts are all complicit in making America an "attractive nuisance," and blame for these children's deaths ought to be ascribed accordingly. My childhood neighbor found out that the cure for an "attractive nuisance" is a fence. Just as Donald Trump has been saying all along. See also: 'Attractive nuisance' legal doctrine is why we must build the border wall The week between Christmas and New Year after an election is usually filled with retiring (or defeated) politicians summing up their careers and giving the benefit of their wisdom or lack thereof to their colleagues. Outgoing Indiana senator Joe Donnelly made an appearance on CNN, where he warned his liberal Democratic colleagues that pushing "Medicare for All" in 2020 will doom the party's chances. CNN: When asked by CNN's Dana Bash on "The Lead With Jake Tapper" if Democrats could be viable without appealing to interior state votes, Donnelly replied, "I don't know how you do that." Donnelly said that during President Donald Trump's visits to Indiana in the weeks before the midterms in which Donnelly lost his seat the President made not voting for Republicans seem like a personal betrayal by voters. "We have not made enough of a connection ... that the people of my state understand culturally, we (Democrats) want to make sure you succeed," he said. "But when you talk 'Medicare-for-all' ... you start losing the people in my state," Donnelly added. "When we start talking about, 'Hey, we're going to work together with the insurance companies to lower premiums,' that's what connects." "The talk on the coasts just doesn't get it done in the middle," he said. What Donnelly is saying is that a Democratic candidate for president who wins the nomination by pushing "Medicare for All" won't necessarily do well in the general election. While he declined to name a specific candidate he thought would fare best, Donnelly said the ideal candidate would engage directly with people in the interior states on issues such as manufacturing and health care. They would be the "kind of person who can go into Michigan and go to the auto plant" and have "talked to the workers there, and have talked to the families at the churches and have talked to them about how important it is for their kid to get decent health care," he said. "Medicare for All" appeals to the far left and to those who already receive government subsidies. But most voters see it for what it is: a ruinously expensive boondoggle that would lower the quality of American health care to third-world levels. I don't think Democrats will be able to resist the impulse to nationalize the health care system. They failed with Obamacare and are ready for a second bite at the apple. Their spin merchants and wordsmiths might have to change the name to something more palatable, but whatever they call it, it will be a disaster. Despite the current caravan migrant privations in Tijuana, most notably the business of having to wait one's turn to file for asylum for free at the border, obviously, there has been enough in it for the caravan migrants to entice formation of a new caravan, this one bigger and probably better organized than the last one. Here's the news: Another migrant caravan with estimates of as many as 15,000 participants is preparing to leave Honduras on January 15, according to migrant rights advocates and Spanish-language media. "They say they are even bigger and stronger than the last caravan," said Irma Garrido, a member of the migrant advocacy group Reactiva Tijuana Foundation. There's also this: Using social media sites such as WhatsApp and Facebook, people are spreading the word about another, bigger caravan planning to leave Honduras on Jan. 15, larger than the October caravan that stalled out in Tijuana in the hopes of reaching the U.S. Karen Valladares, who works at the Foro Nacional para las Migraciones en Honduras (the National Forum for Migration in Honduras), said the caravan forming in Honduras has even more support and interest than the caravan that recently arrived in Tijuana because people saw how traveling together improves chances of survival and safety. Word is getting out that all you have to do is come here, and either await your zero-cost asylum application as the Mexicans house, feed, and medically treat you or else cross over illegally, sometimes with the aid of a Democratic congressperson, for instant customer service, turning yourself in to the Border Patrol, and then soon become free to walk around the country. No need to worry about that criminal record or those diseases you may be spreading to citizens; U.S. law says that what you want is paramount and your interests come above the interests of the citizens. And if you manage to insult your Mexican hosts and make them angry, heck, you're in the States, dining in a chic Dallas restaurant, ahead of the others, scot-free. Apparently, that's what's gotten out in places such as Honduras, and that's why it's been so easy to form a newer, bigger caravan. Let's thank the person most responsible for this: New York's Senate minority leader, Charles Schumer, who is willing to countenance a government shutdown over a piddly $5 billion for a border wall. That battle is likely a factor in the current caravan formation: the U.S. government is shut down over the building of a border wall, and it doesn't particularly look as though any funds for it are going to ensure that it gets built, what with Schumer blocking the matter in the Senate. No wall, easier entry. Or maybe there will be a wall, in which case, you want to slip through as quickly as possible, before the slats go up. Either way, word it out that the time to roll in is now. Once in, illegal aliens and asylum-seekers can avail themselves of legal U.S. jobs at U.S. wages as they wait for their cases to be decided by a judge some three years out, and then avail themselves of vast taxpayer-paid benefit packages, particularly if their asylum requests are approved. That's tens of thousands in free money for housing, food, medical care, and pretty much everything else. The entitlement sense is quite amazing. The migrant organizers are claiming that the group will go only as far as southern Mexico, to take advantage of pro-offered jobs there, but they've issued conditions for that that Mexico really does deliver those jobs. That's a big if, because who knows if these unvetted people are even employable? This new caravan plans to stop in Chiapas, a southern state in Mexico, if work is guaranteed there, she said. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged visas and work in Mexico for Central American migrants. In his inauguration speech, he pledged public works projects like planting two million trees and construction of his Maya Train, a 1,500-kilometer railroad. The $8 billion project is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in southern states of Mexico. Otherwise, it's off to the States, where the prospect of assimilating into the underclass and living for free is, for quite a few, more attractive. It's likely that's the real plan, but the organizers don't want Tijuana's officials to know that, given Tijuana's disgust with migrant criminality and anger over the shutdown of the U.S. border, which imposes a tremendous cost onto Tijuana's law-abiding people. But the caravan is coming, and that's because the incentives for it are there. Apparently, enough cases are being approved at U.S. border stops to entice more phony asylum-seeking and, for those who don't want to wait in line, illegal entry with catch and release. That's why, so we now see the new caravan forming. What's more, President Trump's threat to cut off aid to Central America is kind of hollow, given that he made that earlier if the caravan wasn't stopped, and everyone can see that actually, Central America got promised more aid. A president can go to that well only once. Somehow, there's reason to doubt that the caravan is really going to be content staying in southern Mexico, given the high hopes the organizers have used to whip up enthusiasm for the free stuff. Once again, Americans have just one line of defense: the angry Mexican people, who don't want thousands of military-aged young men without jobs or education foisted upon them. This time, it's the Chiapas people who are protesting: On Facebook, reaction in Chiapas to news of a second caravan was not all favorable. "Well, now the government does something. That work is for Mexicans that need it," said Anna Perez from Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico on Facebook. "Opportunistic people who just want to take advantage of the Mexicans." Obviously, the Tijuana people were to a certain extent ignored, and it's just as likely that the Chiapas people could be as well. But Mexico City doesn't like this kind of unrest spreading to multiple cities, and that may be a cue for them to stop this. For now, all that's to be done is to wait and see. What we see here is incentive upon incentive out there to migrate illegally, with no end in sight...at least until these countries empty out. Stand up and take a bow, Chuckie Schumer. Image credit: Screen shot from CBS Morning News. United NationsUN experts are accusing a warlord in the Democratic Republic of Congo of leading horrific gang rapes in South Kivu during which women were held captive in a cave and treated as sex slaves, according to a confidential report obtained by AFP on Friday. The group of experts on the DR Congo said in the report to the Security Council that the overall situation was volatile as the country heads toward elections to be held on Sunday. While the upcoming elections have continued to raise security concerns, the group has not found evidence of direct involvement of armed actors in the electoral process, said the 61-page report sent to the council earlier this month. Based on interviews with victims, a witness, local authorities and other sources, the experts found that the Raia Mutomboki Kokodikoko faction had gang-raped 17 women in September and subjected them to torture and sexual slavery. The group concluded that Masudi Alimasi Kokodikoko, leader of a Raia Mutomboki faction in Shabunda territory, was a lead perpetrator of the gang rapes of at least 17 women in September 2018, said the report. The armed group abducted the women, aged between 15 and 70, during raids on villages in the Lubila region of South Kivu on September 8-9, the report said. The women and girls were held captive in a big stone cave in the forest and repeatedly raped during four days by the Raia Mutomboki fighters, it said. They also introduced various tools into the vaginas of several of the women, severely injuring some. Women who had resisted being assaulted were additionally mistreated, said the report. Raia Mutomboki elements shouting Tchai!Tchai! (Tea!Tea!) usually announced the beginning of the rapes. Rebels would then dance and sing songs described as full of insults and praising their chief.Kokodikoko chose the women he preferred, usually selecting the youngest ones, and raped them first. He raped at least nine women. It was only after he had raped the selected women that he authorized or ordered his elements to rape the women, the report said. The mass rapes allegedly involved child soldiers, according to victims who said boys aged 15 and 16 were in the cave during the violence. South Kivu has been wracked by sexual violence in the decades of conflict involving armed groups in the eastern DR Congo. Congolese surgeon Denis Mukwege was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year for helping women recover from the trauma of rape. During a phone call with the UN experts, Kokodikoko denied any wrongdoing and rejected allegations of mass rapes by his faction, the report said. The experts recalled that perpetrators of sexual violence could face sanctions under UN resolutions and urged authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Earlier on Friday, the DR Congo army said it had arrested a militia chief accused of systematic rapes in South Kivu. Isaac Chirambiza, who was detained on Tuesday, heads another faction of Raia Mutomboki, which portrays itself as defenders of the Congolese against the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu group that has been fighting in eastern DR Congo for decades. The Philippines today pauses yet again to observe the martyrdom of Jose Rizal, whose persecution and nationalism in the 19th century highlighted the raising of the tricolors and wreath-laying rites in various national and urban parks. As the nation marks Rizal Daythe 122nd anniversary of his execution at what is now called Luneta by the often restful Manila Bay against the backdrop of current problems confronting majority of the 106 million people, questions have risen whether Rizal, born Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, remains relevant. Observance of this date in the countrys Gregorian calendar dates back to the decree issued by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo on Dec. 20, 1898 declaring Dec. 30 as the anniversary of the death of Rizal at 35 years old as a national day of mourning for him and other victims of the Spanish dominion throughout its 377 years rule. We join the rest of this multi-ethnic, multilingual country in taking this occasion, a regular public holiday, to recognize once more Rizals nonpareil sacrifice. We join other Filipinos, from Tawi-Tawi up to Batanes, in reflecting on his patriotism as, with the governments lead, we continue to build a more united, more peaceful and more prosperous Land of the Morning.During the Spanish colonization of this Perla del Mar de Oriente, the writings of Rizal, a multi-talented author, scholar, man of letters and learned man of medicine, acted as light that led the ancestors of todays generation in the fight for true equality and independence. With his pen, he scrawledfor the colonizers and his countrymenhis censure of the corruption, greed and other social ills that, in the eyes of many political and social observers, continue to infest our society. That Rizal fought for reforms, social equality and freedom, far above the possibility of a longer life, should continue to inspire the generations of Filipinos. That remains his relevance. Buildings at 404 Park Ave. will be torn down for a new affordable housing project. Developer Peter Fornell, who has been working on the project since 2014, said he is preparing to proceed in May. Even though its been upgraded for the 2019 model year with Tire Fill Alert and a new paint option called Shock, the Bolt EV is struggling. Hyundai and Tesla are taking the competition to General Motors with the Kona Electric and Model 3, translating to a nosedive for the electric hatchback from the Orion Township in Michigan. Image: Mike McBey CC BY 2.0 Drones Close Gatwick Regarding your question, we dont have enough accurate information. There are conflicting reports. There were two or more drones. Or there were no drones. But what surprises me is that any airport, especially an important hub like Gatwick, would be surprised by a drone incursion and not already have a plan of action. Ron Drones are going to be a major threat for aviation in the near future. This can be our next 9-11 because there is no defense. Charles Lamb If drones are illegal at certain heights near or on airports, why not shoot them down. Look at all the problems the present Gatwick drone has caused financially and for so many people. Gatwick could use one of their own drones, armed, go find the offending drone and shoot it down. Robert D. Yates I imagine well eventually discover that this was caused by the Russians deliberately interfering in order to force the Brits to show what anti-drone technology theyve developed. Another act of war by Putin. Neil Robinson Proposed Piper AD This blog writeup doesnt accentuate the fact that the time point where an inspection is required is 5000 FACTORED SERVICE HOURS. Factored hours has an A&P IA looking through the logbooks to determine the number of 100 hour inspections the airplane has undergone and the total number of hours. Someone in the FAA decided that 100 hour inspections (required when used for hire) is an indicator of the harshness of service (can you read ERAU, e.g.). Factored hours use the number of 100 hour inspections and the total time on the spars to determine when it reaches 5,000 weighted hours. The AD narrative gives an example of an airplane used mostly privately with 12,100 hours that has only 711 factored hours on the spars. Age is NOT used in the calculation. SO anyone who thinks the sky is falling with this AD rest easy. Unless your airplane has a lot of hours on it AND was used for hire youre likely never going to have to do this AD. Furthermore, the inspection involves ONLY removing the two outer lower bolts and doing an eddy current inspection. The cost doesnt appear too great but finding a shop with the equipment and a certified inspector will likely be THE problem. I suppose a cottage industry will now evolve around doing these inspections. As an A&P, I have a certain trepidation over removing the two bolts in the lower spar. Even the AD talks about doing damage in the removal process. I dont see another way to do this but I still worry when critical structural items have to be disassembled in order to do an inspection. Bottom line all PA28 and PA32 airplanes will now have to have the FACTORED HOURS calculated at each 100 hour (if required) and annual inspection. Most airplanes will not have to have this inspection done. The FAA could change the AD as data from the field trickles in to them. Larry Stencel Jet Engine Failures The AA B777 engine failure story was one of the best aviation reports Ive read, I have flown for more than 50 years including international B747 so I feel Im qualified to make that comment. Ron Krantz I am an enormous fan of both Pauls (Bertorelli and Berge) writing styles. I told Bertorelli at one Oshkosh show that I would continue subscribing to Aviation Consumer for so long as he writes. I now have extended my commitment to Berges tenure as well. So now the deal is: so long as *either* Paul is with you, I am with you. The piece on Matthews was sparkling and a delight to read. Keep it up, fellows! Alan Gordon Lion Air Thanks for making the Accident report available on Avweb. Interesting reading and fairly understandable. There seems to be a lot going on and for a human pilot to keep up with; it is difficult. This is an example where when everything is working it is simple to fly but when there are interconnected problems it becomes unmanageable very quickly. 0n the takeoff roll they had a config warning and stick shaker. This would erode confidence and create an atmosphere of trying to diagnose during climb out. This was a cascading series of issues and they seem to have come at a rapid rate. In this case I think the airplane killed them by going squirrely and by overloading them with problems. What stands out for me is the increased complexity of the modern airliner in attempting to make it easier/safer to fly. I see the problems I have with my laptop and cell phone software as it becomes more complicated becomes more prone to conflicts. Maybe the Max is one step to far? Its like the Apollo 13 issue: sometimes good enough is good enough. Interesting report. I think I know more now than I should. IMHO. Ray Toews Concerns are growing over possible further election-related violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo not only for its potential to hurt the country's chance for its first peaceful transfer of power, but for the likelihood it would escalate the deadly Ebola outbreak there, experts tell Axios. What we're watching: Prior and frequent violent attacks by rebels in DRC already have set back progress made in efforts to stem the outbreak any significant uptick could not only temporarily halt health measures but could cause longer-term damage by forcing the UN and others to pull back from the epicenter of the outbreak. "If we have local violent reactions to the elections because they are seen as fraudulent... that will further aggravate an already insecure environment, and cause further setbacks to health care efforts on Ebola." J. Stephen Morrison, SVP, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Threat level: Violent episodes have increased recently, such as fires burning election voting machines, which prompted a delay of the election to Dec. 30. (The election had been scheduled for Sunday.) "Unrest during the election period could delay some of our field operations so we are closely monitoring the situation," Jessica Ilunga, spokesperson for the DRC Ministry of Health, tells Axios. Morrison warns that any serious escalation of violence, particularly toward health care workers, could cause the UN to raise its security level from 4 to 5 and force their personnel to leave and the U.S. embassy to evacuate, which would be "catastrophic." Julie Fischer, co-director of Georgetown University's Center for Global Health Science and Security, says the elections are another layer of concern on top of an epidemic that's shown no signs of slowing down. Yes, but: While there are also actively voiced community concerns that touch-screen voting machines could spread the virus, since it remains active outside the body for several hours, the risk is minimal considering the precautions they are taking at each polling station, DRC's Health Minister Oly Ilunga told AP There will be health controls at polling stations with temperature control and hand-washing stations, Jessica Ilunga says. Fischer says there's been little research showing if Ebola could spread widely through something like voting machines, but she believes the chances are low with the precautions being taken. Estimates of the outbreak duration continue expanding, with the World Health Organization's top emergency response official tweeting last week that he expects Ebola response efforts to last for "at least 6 more months." A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. The good news: The ring vaccination, which has been administered to at least 49,384 people in DRC, has been an effective deterrent when officials are able to locate contacts of the known infected, Morrison and Fischer say. Community outreach has been touted as successful, as the Health Ministry tackles misinformation and distrust through a variety of methods. A baby born to a woman infected with Ebola has been released after successful recovery at an Ebola Treatment Center, Ilunga says. Georgia State University researchers report they found a new human protein, called RBBP6, that naturally inhibits replication of the Ebola virus that they hope will lead to a new drug. "Clearly, RBBP6 does not stop the virus. We envision a drug that inhibits Ebola virus in a manner similar to RBBP6 but that works more potently to fully stop virus growth," study author Christopher Basler tells Axios Go deeper: President Trump has not issued an order to the Pentagon directing U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, White House National Security Council spokesperson Garrett Marquis told Bloomberg. The backdrop: Multiple news outlets, citing defense and administration officials, reported that Trump had ordered about half of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be withdrawn the same week he announced the U.S. would withdraw from Syria. On Sunday, the U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Scott Miller, told Voice of America that he hadn't received any such orders. By Trend Growth in Azerbaijan's non-oil exports is expected to be 10 percent in 2018, Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at an event on the development of industry and entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The minister noted that last year the growth was 30 percent. Speaking about the development of Azerbaijan's economy in recent years, Mustafayev added that over the past 15 years, the country's economy has grown over three times, the non-oil sector - by 2.8 times, industrial production - by 2.6 times and the non-oil industry - by 2.2 times. "The volume of investments directed to fixed assets increased threefold and the state budget revenues went up 13.5 times. The country's strategic currency reserves, having increased by about 28 times, exceeded $45 billion," the minister said. He further added that the share of the private sector in the country's GDP reached 84 percent. As for industrial parks, according to the minister, their number has reached 70. "The residents have invested about 5 billion manats. Along with this, as a result of using investment promotion mechanisms, 330 projects have been implemented or are being implemented in the country. Moreover, 2.8 billion manats were invested, as a result of which up to 22,000 new jobs were created," Mustafayev added. The minister stressed that the reforms carried out in recent years have shown serious results. "I would especially like to mention the measures taken in the field of entrepreneurship. Thanks to these reforms, Azerbaijan in the latest Doing Business report, rising by 32 steps, ranked 25th among 190 countries," he added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Next express trains in Azerbaijan may run in the directions of Gabala and Yalama, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov said, Trend reports Dec. 29. "If construction work goes according to schedule, then the railway services to Gabala will be launched by the end of 2019. Technical capabilities allow this to be realized. The next destination will be Yalama," he added. The chairman of the company further added that a tender has already been announced for the construction of the Baku-Yalama railroad for the movement of express trains. "Due to the rough land of the area, the process is expected to take two years," Gurabnov said. "There will be underground and land crossings along the route." Commenting on the Baku-Ganja-Baku express train, which started its operation today, Gurbanov said that its test speed was chosen at 159 km/h. "The speed is periodically changed. Now it is 130-135 km/h. The technical capabilities of the train allow to increase the speed up to 300 km/. When the project was implemented, the maximum speed was calculated to be 160 km/h. The speed is planned to increase in the future," he added. The Baku-Ganja-Baku express train departed from the Baku Central Railway Station for the first time today at 09:00. Travel time of the train on the route is 4 hours 28 minutes. The express train will also stop at Bilajari, Yevlakh and Goran stations. The express train, consisting of four cars, has 367 seats - nine seats for the first class, 62 seats for the business class and 296 seats for the standard class. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Hungary would welcome Azerbaijani investments in various sectors of its economy, Hungarian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Viktor Szederkenyi told Trend. "Naturally, we would welcome Azerbaijani investments in various sectors of the Hungarian economy. In general, Hungary is an ideal country for investment in the tourism, logistics and information sectors. Hungary has an attractive, multi-level system for encouraging foreign investment, including tax breaks, direct government incentives," said the diplomat. As for the prospects for creating joint ventures between Azerbaijan and Hungary in the pharmaceutical sphere, Szederkenyi said this issue was discussed during the meeting of the co-chairmen of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. "Apart from the increase in trade turnover, our primary goal is the promotion of mutual investments, to develop the long-term project-based cooperation and to create joint ventures. One obvious choice is the pharmaceutical industry where Hungary is present on the Azerbaijani market. Our companies are evaluating the further steps. But our ministers support the creation of joint ventures generally," he added. Hungarian envoy noted that both countries encourage mutual investments. "We have a lot of work to do here. Our two relevant agencies AZPROMO and HIPA have an agreement about cooperation and exchange of project information. From our side, the most promising area for Hungarian investments are the agrarian, ICT and service sectors. I would like to say that the Hungarian government promotes these processes through making available a credit line for Azerbaijan to finance joint projects," said Szederkenyi. Earlier, Azerbaijans Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at a meeting in Baku with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto that cooperation between the countries in such areas as transport, information technology, energy, and agriculture is continued successfully, and there are great opportunities for further expansion of cooperation. "Azerbaijan is interested in using the potential available in this area and further development of relations between the countries. In particular, there are opportunities for cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals. Hungarian companies can benefit from the infrastructure created in the Pirallahi Industrial Park for joint production of medicinal preparations, as well as from the capacities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Baku International Sea Trade Port and Free Trade Zone projects," Mustafayev said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The leadership of the Ministry of Defense, according to the instruction of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, visited military units located on the Fuzuli direction of the frontline and met with military personnel on the eve of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and New Year, Trend reports via the defense ministry's message. The ministry officials visited the memorial of the martyrs died in the April 2016 battles with Armenian invaders, paid tribute to the memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Azerbaijan. During the meeting with the teachers and pupils of the school in the village of Jojug Marjanli, the Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov congratulated them on the upcoming holidays and presented holiday gifts to the schoolchildren. Hasanov met with military personnel who are on combat duty, checked the defense stability, combat and moral-psychological training of servicemen, as well as observed the enemys positions from the command and observation post. After talking to the soldiers, Hasanov inquired about the progress of work carried out in connection with improving the social conditions of the military personnel serving on the front line and gave relevant instructions. Colonel General Hasanov, expressing his best wishes and congratulations on the upcoming holidays, awarded servicemen who distinguished themselves in the service and handed them valuable gifts. Then, the minister met with military personnel undergoing treatment at a military hospital located in the frontline zone and inquired about their health. The minister handed gifts to the servicemen and wished them a speedy recovery and return to service. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend During the sanctions, Iran's Bushehr province may have a more active role both in imports and exports of the country, Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said, Trend reports via ISNA. Bushehr has crucial economic potential, the minister said, adding that the province plays a huge role in the implementation of economic projects in the country. He further added that there a number of problems in the transport sector of the province, however, some measures are planned to be taken on the matter. Elsewhere in his remarks, the minister mentioned the problems in the province's exports of tomatoes and some other agricultural products. and noted that the farmers of Bushehr are interested in exporting their tomato harvest. Therefore, the government will consider eliminating issues related to the matter. Some special permissions should be given in order to improve the exports and imports of the province, the official added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC. New law could lead to closure of Mesa Verde, but outcome remains unknown after decision by McFarland to end agreement with ICE NGOs on Request by the Prosecutors Office to Human Rights Organisations to Disclose Source of Information Non-Governmental Organisations, signatory to this statement, express their utmost concern regarding the contents of the statement made by the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia on 21 November 2018. The statement contains an indirect message about imposing criminal responsibility on our colleagues and comes across as a warning to us, i.e., various organisations working in the field of human rights as well as every individual cooperating with us under the condition of confidentiality and providing us with significant information on human rights violations.We believe that the statement of the Chief Prosecutors Office is the continuation of the targeted policy that the Georgian authorities have been maintaining actively against those NGOs that are independent of the formers influence, actively fight to protect human rights, strengthen the rule of law in Georgia and promote Euro-Atlantic integration of the country. The authorities exceeded long time back the limits of acceptable criticism of NGOs in a democratic society and the said statement unequivocally demonstrates that the authorities are already planning to put their repressive instruments in motion to intimidate our colleagues and those persons cooperating with us.We are unable to recall a single occasion since the enactment of the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression in Georgia, in 2004, where any state agency questioned the right of those defending human rights to enjoy absolute protection for their sources of professional secrets. We believe that this right is guaranteed by Article 24 of the Constitution of Georgia and is an integral aspect of freedom of expression. The Law of Georgia on Freedom of Speech and Expression guarantees in unambiguous terms the right of those protecting human rights to decline divulging their source of information, in particular: The sources of professional secrets shall be protected in absolute terms, and nobody shall have the right to require disclosure of the source.The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia, through unsystematic application of the Criminal Procedure Code that contradicts the Constitution, is attempting to question this right and shackle our activities through courts. It is unfortunate that, despite the interpretation given by our colleagues, the prosecutors office does not want to acknowledge that procedures and competences under the Procedural Code will not become the ground for limiting this right. We believe that neither the prosecutors office nor the judiciary will be able to deny this right to us and we emphasise that we shall never place the competence of any state agency before human rights.The state authorities ought to understand that their competences eventually serve the full and adequate realisation of human rights within constitutional framework; this is the ultimate goal of the authorities and the three branches of government; this is the constitutional duty of the authorities that stems from the rationale of human rights. The competence of any state agency cannot curtail, alter or diminish substance of any right since statutory determination of competences of state agencies aims at securing full respect for constitutional rights. Therefore, the means for achieving this goal should not negate this very goal.Therefore, we call upon the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia to appreciate fully integral principles of a democratic society and consider its competences and functions in harmony with human rights. It should not distance itself from human rights the way law-enforcement agencies of authoritative states do. The prosecutors office should also reflect on those irreversible prejudicial effects for human rights protection activities in Georgia and its still fragile democracy that their measures can cause; the measures that according to their own statement might be taken in future. A man was issued a citation after he allegedly failed to control his speed and struck two vehicles resulting in a woman being airlifted to the hospital, according to information from the Orange Police Department. At approximately 4:45 a.m. Saturday police responded to a call in reference to a major vehicle crash at the Texas Travel Information Center in the 1700 block of Interstate 10 East. The Port Arthur Police Department are investigating after two men shot at each other in a Kentucky Fried Chicken parking lot, according to information from the department. At approximately 7:29 p.m. Friday officials responded to a call in reference to shots fired at a KFC located in the 3600 block of FM 365. Accused package thieves in Texas would be prosecuted the same as home burglars if two Texas lawmakers get their wish. State Rep. Ina Minjarez, D-San Antonio, and State Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, both authored bills in the house and senate that would make package theft at least a state jail felony in Texas. RELATED: Package theft a growing problem in Houston during holidays According to the filing, theft of 10 or fewer pieces of mail would be a state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Theft of more than 10 and less than 50 would be a third-degree felony with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. And theft of 50 or more would be a second-degree felony with a 20-year maximum prison sentence. Right now, the punishment level for any theft depends on the value of the stolen property. Theft of property worth fewer than $2,500 is treated as a misdemeanor, while anything greater is a felony, according to the Texas Penal Code. A recent Houston Chronicle article showed that unfortunately many Houston residents are familiar with such thefts. Local police say package thefts have increased in the city by 80 percent since 2015, when HPD started tracking the crime. RELATED: Houston, other Texas cities rank in top 10 for porch pirates About 20 out of every 1,000 homes in Houston were targets of package theft, making the city No. 7 in the nation for such crimes, according to home security research firm SafeWise. Police say the crimes increase over the holidays. "It's easy pickings," said Sgt. Eugenio Gonzalez of the Houston Police Department's burglary and theft division. If passed, the bills would go into effect September 2019. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message A man is dead Friday after crashing into a highway light pole along the Southwest Freeway, according to Houston police. Police say the man was driving a green Toyota SUV inbound near Buffalo Speedway when he veered off the main lanes and slammed into the light pole, bending the SUV's frame and trapping the driver. Geneva, N.Y.-based Finger Lakes Health is requesting permission from the New York State Department of Health and the Office of Mental Health to close the inpatient behavioral health unit at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital, according to The Chronicle-Express. The Penn Yan, N.Y.-based hospital will continue to operate the unit during the review process, though it services an average of two patients per day. If closed, the hospital would continue to offer outpatient behavioral healthcare through the John D. Kelly Center. Finger Lakes Health is also looking to close the acute rehabilitation unit at Geneva (N.Y.) General Hospital. A federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule that reduces payments to hospitals under the 340B drug discount program, ruling Dec. 28 that the government overstepped its authority in its effort to address high prescription medication costs, according to STAT. The decision by Judge Rudolph Contreras, a district court judge in Washington, D.C, is a win for the more than 2,000 hospitals that participate in the program, most of which treat high volumes of low-income patients. In 2017, the HHS cut its reimbursements for some drugs by about 28 percentage points ($1.6 billion) beginning on Jan. 1, 2018. The administration framed this 340B change as part of an attempt to lower prescription drug prices. The HHS said the reimbursement reductions were intended to make drugs less expensive for some Medicare patients, but hospital groups said cuts to the program would hinder their ability to care for low-income patients. The groups have fought the policy in court since it was first announced, and lost a previous legal battle to block the policy over the summer. However, in Judge Contreras' Dec. 28 ruling, he said while the HHS secretary does have the authority to make "adjustments" to the program, "he cannot fundamentally rework the statutory scheme," which is what he did in this case. Although the judge said the change was in violation of the law, it is unclear what will happen as a result of the ruling. The judge asked for more information on what should be done from the government and hospital groups that brought the lawsuit, which includes the American Hospital Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. "The court's carefully reasoned decision will allow hospitals and health systems in the 340B Drug Pricing Program to serve their vulnerable patients and communities without being hampered by deep cuts to the program," the AHA said in a statement. The HHS did not immediately respond to STAT's request for comment. They vanished without a trace, but their absence is a constant source of anguish for heartbroken families. As another year draws to a close without any definitive answers about what happened to their loved ones, two people tell Leona O'Neill why they will never stop searching for the missing. The period between Christmas and the new year is traditionally a family time when loved ones come together to exchange gifts and celebrate the holidays. But for those who are missing loved ones, the festive season is always tinged with sadness. The Quigley family, from Armagh, and the Arkinson family, from Castlederg in Co Tyrone, each have people missing from around their dinner tables this year. Peter Quigley disappeared in 2013, while Arlene Arkinson, who went missing in 1994, is presumed murdered. Their families have lived through days, weeks and years of worry, frustration, grief, brief flashes of hope cruelly dashed and desperate devastation that not many of us could even comprehend. For Kevin Quigley (65), the father of missing Peter, this time of the year intensifies his feelings of loss and helplessness. His son was last seen at Moira railway station on September 26, 2013, and despite extensive searches, he has never been found. For Kevin, there is no closure, and at Christmas time the absence of his beloved son is acutely felt. "Peter was a very quiet young man ... he would be 37 years old now," he says. "It was such a shock when he disappeared, and no one has seen him in five years. "He had no passport, no driving licence and no money with him, so we wonder where he has gone. "Peter had been living in Mullaghbawn, not far from the family home. "He did something stupid - pinching something from Sainsbury's - and they (the authorities) locked him up. "He had done it three times before just to get in jail and released within a week or two, and then they'd give him money. He was a bit silly like that. But the last time he was released from prison, he never came back. "Peter was released from Maghaberry on September 26, 2013, but he disappeared off the face of the Earth. We never saw him again. We were really worried. "We thought he might have gone to London to see his mum, but he couldn't get there because he didn't have any ID, let alone any money. "There were a few times we had our hopes raised - people said they might have saw him in Newcastle, but it was someone else. They kept giving me hope that he was there somewhere. But it came to nothing. He has been missing now for five years." The past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for Kevin, and the lack of closure only amplifies his pain. "Christmas is a special family time, but it is particularly hard for us," he says. "Our children were close and we all think about Peter all the time, particularly at Christmas. "My children all grew up together. Peter was four or five when I started a new family here in Northern Ireland with my wife, Beth. "We had four children, and Peter followed me over here from England. He would have come over every summer and we'd all go camping. "I think about him all the time, not just at Christmas. At this time of year I'll be thinking that if he is out there, he is probably freezing cold. "But I don't think he is out there. I just can't see him sitting there in Ireland in the cold on his own. Why would he do that to himself or to us? "I just don't know where he would be, or how he would get off the island of Ireland." Kevin deals with his turmoil by throwing himself into work. He has also relocated to London to find work away from the family home in Armagh. "I deal with it by working all the time," he says. "I work for myself here in London now, and I work hard all day. I have a few pints on the way home, I get home in time for dinner and then I go to sleep. I'm back at the work the next day. "We are constantly contacting the police and asking if there is anything going on, but no one has seen him. "What I miss about Peter the most is his sense of humour. He was always happy. He did his own thing and had so much affection. We used to enjoy getting together. He enjoyed being with the family "When someone goes missing, there is no closure. I just want to know where he could be. I just can't go walking around Ireland looking for him because I don't even know where to start. "But I will never give up looking for him. I will keep trying to get to the bottom of what happened. "I think about Peter every single day, not just at Christmas." Kathleen Arkinson's 15-year-old sister, Arlene, disappeared in Donegal in 1994. The Castlederg girl was last seen in the company of a convicted child killer, the late Robert Howard. Howard was the prime suspect in her disappearance, but her body has never been found. A long-running inquest into her murder is scheduled to finish next year. If Kathleen could have one Christmas wish, it would be for her sister's body to be found, so that her remains can finally be buried beside her mother and father. "The family is never the same," she says. "At this time of the year it is particularly hard because it's a family time. "We would have bought presents, but there is no present to buy for Arlene. I didn't even put a Christmas tree up this year. "Our sister, Nita, died last November and it just devastated me - she wasn't just my sister, she was my best friend. "Me, Nita, Mary and Paula fought for Arlene for all those years, but Mary and Nita are now gone. It's so hard. At times I just do nothing but cry and stay in my bed." When the family learned of Arlene's disappearance 24 years ago, it was like "time stood still". "It's like I lived in two different worlds - one before she went missing and one after," Kathleen explains. "It feels like I can't breathe sometimes ... it's like claustrophobia. It has just taken part of my life away and taken a terrible toll on the family. "I am on medication, and at times I end up crying at the kitchen table. My children are used to this because they have grown up with it. "Christmas is a terrible time for us. As I said, my sister died last November. The anniversaries of my other sister, Mary, and my father are at this time also. "I remember Arlene's last Christmas. We brought Santa to Mary's house. She (Arlene) was 14 years old then and she enjoyed herself there with all the other children ... those are nice memories to have. "My sister, Paula, and I often sit with photographs and imagine what Arlene would be like now... we think about how many children she would have had and of the Christmases that we could have spent together." While this time of year is especially hard, Kathleen doesn't like people wishing her a happy Christmas because she knows she "won't have a happy one" and doesn't allow people to send her cards with those kind of sentiments written on them. She also feels the pain of Arlene's loss the entire year round. "I don't think about Arlene more at Christmas than at any other day of the year," Kathleen says. "The truth is that it's the same every day of the year. "Christmas is nice for the children. I like to see them with their presents and coming in and out, but there is no sparkle or magic there. I have to pretend there is for the children. People say that time is a healer, but I don't believe that." And at Christmas, as every other day of the year, Kathleen holds to one belief. "I still believe that Arlene will be found," she says. "My Christmas wish was that she is found and we will be able to bury her in beside our mum and dad. "Over Christmas we went to my mother and father's grave and laid flowers for them and for Arlene. We remember them all." A man who absconded while accused of domestic abuse more than a year ago wept at Dungannon Magistrates Court when a judge refused to re-grant bail after a Christmas drinking binge A man who absconded while accused of domestic abuse more than a year ago wept at Dungannon Magistrates Court when a judge refused to re-grant bail after a Christmas drinking binge. Police were alerted after his grandfather, with whom he resides, wanted him removed. John Stephen McDonagh (22), of Sydney Lane, Aughnacloy, is charged with assaulting his former fiancee on December 14, 2017, and damaging her clothing. Now with a new partner, whom he said is pregnant, McDonagh's pleas did not impress District Judge John Meehan due to the contempt shown to the court against a backdrop of serious alleged domestic abuse. The case was delayed when McDonagh skipped bail shortly after his first appearance. A warrant was issued, and in March he presented to have it executed. That hearing was told the victim had withdrawn her statement, making Judge Meehan suspicious. While a defence solicitor accepted the allegations were domestic, he emphasised the withdrawal statement. Judge Meehan replied: "Surprise, surprise. So the defendant turns up a few days later to have the warrant executed and that's the end of it? No. Once a suspected perpetrator of domestic violence, charged with attacking a woman, gets the chance, it's game on. "They know the best chances to persuade victims to withdraw is by sustaining the closest possible guard on her. "This is perhaps one of the most serious instances for failing to appear on the specimen charges - given what has emerged - this court has dealt with." But McDonagh was back in the dock after police were called by his grandfather seeking his removal. He was intoxicated, a breach of bail conditions. A police officer expressed concerns of potential reoffending as well as previous convictions, breaches of bail and a court order. A defence barrister said his client initially understood the withdrawal statement ended the matter, but now realises it didn't and he is not excused from adhering to bail conditions. The defence explained the Christmas breach happened after four relatives arrived from Dublin, all of whom were drinking. McDonagh joined in against his grandfather's wishes, who then called police and asked officers to remove him. The defence said the grandfather was happy to have McDonagh return. But Judge Meehan ruled: "Bail is refused. There are too many risks. This is a case in which the defendant absented himself for some months until the injured party made a withdrawal statement, only presenting after believing he was no longer charged. "He absented again and was not found until November. Bail involved residence with his grandfather, where such was his behaviour police were involved to remove him." At this, McDonagh summoned his lawyer, who said: "My client wishes me to point out he is in a new relationship and his partner is pregnant. He wants to be with her at this time." But Judge Meehan said: "Bail is absolutely refused." McDonagh then broke down in tears. The case will be mentioned by video-link next month. Police believe the two incidents may be linked. A pregnant woman who went missing on Saturday afternoon has been found safe and well. Police and the family of Judith Barr launched an appeal after she went missing in the Antrim area on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday evening police and her family confirmed she had been found safe and well. Police thanked the public for their assistance in the appeal. An association which represents the hundreds of Northern Ireland councillors is calling for a review of pay to represent increased work loads. Northern Ireland has 462 councillors on its 11 local authorities with each paid 14,000 plus expenses and extras for holding certain positions. That was increased for the review of public administration in 2014 when councils numbered 26 reflecting the additional work for councillors and the larger mandate they represented. However, with the collapse of Stormont, councillors say they are considered the first port of call and as a result doing more work. On Saturday The Irish News reports the Northern Ireland branch of the National Association of Councillors is calling for an "urgent review" of pay and benefits. The association has complained of a "huge disparity between renumeration of councillors and MLAs, even though councillors work just as hard". In documents seen by the Irish News, it calls for "equality" between councillors and other political representatives". It has lobbied civil servants and the main political parties for support. MLAs are paid 42,075 - reduced from the 49,500 due to the collapse of the Stormont institutions. They face a further reduction to 35k from January 1. MPs are paid 77,379. UUP chair of the National Association of Councillors in Northern Ireland, Michael Henderson told the Irish News a review of councillor pay was needed as roles had "matured and developed". He said pay "should reflect the work you are doing". "We are not saying we want more money," he told the paper. "We are saying we want a review carried out and proper judgment... we are not asking for anything that has not been promised to us but everything has stalled because there is no Assembly." Graduates here overpaid nearly 8m in student loans in five years. Graduates here overpaid nearly 8m in student loans in five years. Overpayments have been rising steadily, with thousands of people affected, figures show. A student organisation said it was "deeply troubling". In 2016/17 - the most recent year for which figures are available - around 3,200 graduates overpaid a total of 1.7m, with an average overspend of 540 each. The details were released by the Student Loans Company (SLC) after a Freedom of Information request. It said all money is repaid with interest, and it is working to address the issue. The SLC is a non-profit making Government-owned organisation that provides loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK. In each of the two years previous to 2016/17, 2,900 graduates were affected, with a total of 1.56m and 1.58m overpaid respectively. In 2013/14 around 2,600 graduates overpaid 2.6m, with 2,300 overpaying 1.3m in 2012/13. A graduate may be included in more than one year's figures. A report from this newspaper in 2012 showed the figure was substantially lower in previous years. In 2005/06 just 430 graduates in Northern Ireland overpaid a total of 215,000. This increased every year between 2006/07 to 2009/10, when 1,530 graduates overpaid 822,400. Olivia Potter-Hughes, the president of the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI), said the level of overpayments was very shocking. "It is deeply troubling that there is a situation where students here are overpaying student loans," she said. "It is staggering that around 3,200 people are overpaying an average of 540 as regards the 2016/17 year. Think how many weeks' income that represents for students." She said it was important that those who overpaid were reimbursed as a matter of urgency. "We want to see moves to reduce student debt through the provision of additional public funding for student support and higher education," she added. "Investing more in tertiary education will deliver significant benefits to the economy by driving the economy with skills and qualifications, while also helping remove barriers to people commencing courses." Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton said the arrangements had become "ridiculous", adding: "The system is clearly broken." She said: "This obviously isn't a one-off or a blip, the problem is getting worse with every passing year and unfortunately increasing numbers of graduates are getting caught up by it. "It's ridiculous that the problem has been going on for so long and these latest figures would suggest that nothing whatsoever has been done to resolve it." Ms Barton called on the SLC to get to the root of the problem and sort it out. "It is also long past time that the Government should step in and intervene, given its responsibilities," she added. The SLC said student loan over-repayments occur due to the nature of the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) student loan repayment scheme, which has been in place since 1998, where repayments are made through the UK tax system via Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE). ICR student loan repayments are collected through the UK tax system where borrowers remain in the UK. The SLC said it receives student loan repayment information annually from HMRC, and the result of this process means that some borrowers nearing the end of their repayments may over-repay. The SLC said it proactively contacts borrowers to advise them they have over-repaid their loan. It said that if an over-repayment is identified on a borrower's account, money over-repaid will be refunded, plus interest. The borrower can also contact SLC to request a refund. The SLC said it was working with HMRC to consider how repayment information can be shared more frequently between the two organisations. The SLC said the percentage of borrowers overpaying their loans had not increased significantly since 2009/10. "There is no need for customers to over-repay their loan," it said. "Providing they have kept their contact details up to date on their online account, they will receive a letter from us when they are within 23 months of repaying the balance of their student loan account in full, inviting them to manage their final repayments by opting into our direct debit scheme. "This moves them out of the PAYE scheme and on to a direct debit which means that their repayments stop immediately when their loan is repaid." The SLC said any person who goes into credit by 5 or more in a particular year will be included. Controversy over an alleged shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland caused grave implications to cross-border co-operation while Anglo-Irish relations suffered a "serious setback", newly-released files reveal. The Republic's Justice Minister Gerard Collins told a special meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in February 1988 that it was "impossible to exaggerate the seriousness of the shoot-to-kill policy". Read More Mr Collins said the meeting, at Stormont Castle in Belfast, was called in response to "very serious concerns" shared by all sides of political opinion. It came after the British Attorney General made a public statement about the Stalker Inquiry. Two senior UK policemen, John Stalker and Colin Sampson, investigated a series of incidents which resulted in the killing of three RUC officers - John Quinn, Allan McCloy and Paul Hamilton - in October 1982 and, weeks later, six unarmed nationalists. Sean Burns, Eugene Toman and Gervaise McKerr were killed by police near Lurgan after the car they were travelling in allegedly crashed through a checkpoint in November 1982. That same month Catholic teenager Michael Tighe was shot dead by police at a hay shed near Craigavon, while INLA men Roddy Carroll and Seamus Grew were shot dead near Armagh in December 1982. Read More The incidents became known as shoot-to-kill deaths and occurred during the darkest days of the Troubles in the mid-1980s. Two highly-classified reports by Mr Stalker and Mr Sampson on the incidents have never been published. The episode is detailed in previously-classified files released in Dublin under the 30-year rule. Files from 1994 have also been released in London and Belfast. Mr Collins, referring to the Attorney General's intervention, wrote: "This statement, which admits evidence of obstruction of justice, amounts to declaration that in Northern Ireland, at any rate, the rule of law takes second or possibly third place to non-defined public interest and matters of national security. Read More "That's the scene as it is and how my government sees the implications of failing to prosecute." During the special meeting with a series of Irish and British senior ministers, Mr Collins said: "It casts a dark shadow over the RUC and has the gravest implications for cross-border co-operation with the gardai, apart altogether from its impact on relations between the RUC and nationalists in Northern Ireland." Mr Collins said that while he sympathised with RUC members who had been killed during the Troubles, he urged the British authorities to ensure that their security forces do not "descend to the level and methods of terrorists". He also warns that if the RUC is known to have and be shielding officers who are "strongly suspected of serious crime", this will have an impact on community support in the Republic. Read More "There is also the question about the attitude of individual gardai. They will have reservations about making information available to the RUC if they are not fully confident about the use that may be made of it," he added. "The British Government has done very serious damage to confidence and co-operation and I believe there is a very great responsibility on it to put the matter right." A memo from the Irish Government states that the failure to publish the report in full "contributes to the political problem by creating even greater unease". "I think we all accept that this affair has seriously undermined the confidence among the minority in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland," it said. Secretary of State Tom King said it was a police investigation and it was "not the practice" to publish these. "The fact is that there is a public interest and national security responsibility. It is simply not practicable to make it public," he said. "Any such decision would require a very exceptional change in policy." The Northern Ireland Assembly speaker suggested that the Church should excommunicate IRA members in a bid to limit their funerals to "modest affairs", state papers in Dublin have said. The call by Unionist MP Jim Kilfedder came days after Army corporals Derek Wood and David Howes were beaten and shot dead by a mob after they drove into an IRA funeral in March 1988. Read More The two soldiers were surrounded by the crowd when they joined the funeral cortege of Caoimhin Mac Bradaigh, an IRA man killed in Milltown Cemetery by the loyalist Michael Stone while attending the funerals of the three IRA members shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar. The double killings provoked outrage among MPs at Westminster. A memo written by an Irish Government official following a debate in the House of Commons about the murders said that Mr Kilfedder raised the possibility of a Church excommunication of IRA terrorists, which "might in consequence reduce their funerals to very modest affairs". Moments before the two corporals were dragged from their car Wood drew his pistol and fired a warning into the air, but it did not deter the crowd from surrounding the vehicle. Read More Former DUP leader Peter Robinson suggested that the soldiers had refrained from opening fire because of fear of repercussions. "He had asked the Secretary of State (Tom King) to make clear that he would stand behind any members of the security forces who had to defend their lives in such circumstances," the Irish official said in the memo. It also emerged from the state papers that the British Joint Secretary told an Irish Government official there was a prospect of a public controversy "looming between the RUC and ITN and BBC" over RUC access to the television tapes of the killings. Many broadcast networks that were covering the funeral refused to hand over the footage to the RUC, saying it would endanger the lives of journalists. Read More "He said that ITN had agreed to give the RUC access while the BBC had refused (and was also expressing scepticism about ITN's alleged readiness to comply)," he wrote. "I understand from him that the RTE office here have also been asked for their tapes and have adopted the BBC line. "I have said I assumed the matter was one for RTE and expressed the hope that the public controversy he foresaw would not present the matter in any way as a British-Irish issue." The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] A top American politician attempted to introduce legislation directly aimed at a Northern Ireland company which would prevent it receiving US contracts over its religious imbalance. Correspondence from Irish government officials about Short Brothers aircraft factory in 1988 shows US political figures tried to ensure more Catholics were employed at the Belfast plant. Read More Shorts was the largest employer in Northern Ireland at the time with a workforce of 7,000 people. The firm had an overwhelming majority Protestant workforce, with Catholics making up just 11%, despite Catholics making up 40% of the general population. Employment legislation was introduced at the time to ensure that companies adhered to fair employment practice. In a bid to ensure that Short Brothers signed up to the legislation and committed to supporting equal opportunities, the US Defence Appropriations Bill included a provision that would prevent the company from receiving funds from a $60m (47.3m) aircraft contract. Part of the bill was aimed at prohibiting the award of US defence contracts to foreign or domestic companies that discriminated against workers in foreign countries where the contracts are fulfilled. State papers, released in Dublin, show congressman Joe Kennedy proposed an amendment to the bill that would direct legislation towards Short Brothers. However, this provoked anger with US Democrat Jim Wright as he was friends with the lobbyist employed by Short Brothers. As a result, the amendment included all foreign companies. At the time, Dick Sinnott, Short's lobbyist, said the firm was committed to employing a minimum of 130 Catholics immediately in the Dunmurry factory and would set aside $5m (4m) for predominately Catholic subcontracting firms. In a confidential note from an Irish official, it emerged there was disagreement on the timetable of recruiting Catholics. "Their understanding is that it would be 17.5% for 1988 and 25% for each of the two years, 1989 and 1990 and a goal of 33% thereafter was no specific timeframe," the official wrote. Margaret Thatcher never gave the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland role to anyone with a promising political future, the files claim. The former Prime Minister is said to have always opted for what was described as an "unspectacular appointment" - one designed to "keep things ticking over" in Northern Ireland. Read More Irish State papers revealed that top officials in the Government said Mrs Thatcher had only modest expectations of improving the situation in Northern Ireland in 1988. In July of that year, during a lunch between Ferdinand Mount - a former head of the Policy Unit at No 10 - and an Irish government official, Mrs Thatcher's position on Northern Ireland was discussed. After the meeting, the Irish government official wrote to Dermot Gallagher, then the assistant secretary at the Anglo-Irish Division, to outline the main points which had been raised during the meeting. He said: "The Prime Minister, however, has never focused for very long on the Northern Ireland problem, despite the assiduous efforts of (Thatcher's adviser Charles) Powell and (Peter) Utley over the years to interest her in it." According to the documents, which were released under the 30-year rule, Mr Mount, who was described as a "noted right-wing journalist", worked on domestic and economic issues, but he also had a strong interest in Irish affairs. He told the Irish official that Mrs Thatcher had "very modest expectations" about her chances, or any other Prime Minister's chances, of bringing about a "fundamental improvement of the situation" in Northern Ireland. Vatican officials noted that Ireland was one of the few "friendly" countries where the head of state had not paid a formal visit to the Pope in Rome. The revelation came as files in the 1988 State Archive in Dublin indicated the Irish Government view that any return visit by Pope John Paul II to Ireland was contingent on the Irish President making a full state visit to the Vatican. Read More Pressure for Pope John Paul II to be formally invited back to Ireland mounted within Irish political circles in 1987/88. In a confidential letter between the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs chief of protocol Thelma Doran and the assistant secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach Frank Murray, it was noted that a number of representations were made about a repeat of the 1979 papal visit. Ms Doran noted that the representations were "all remarkably similar". "The thrust of these representations... is that such a visit cannot take place until the President (Patrick Hillery) has made a return visit to the Holy See," she wrote. Read More Irish Government officials indicated that the 1979 visit to Ireland by Pope John Paul II was seen as pastoral rather than a formal state visit. A Department of Foreign Affairs briefing note indicated that, despite President Hillery attending the inauguration of the Pope in 1978 and visits to the Vatican by Peter Barry, Brian Lenihan and Dr Garret Fitzgerald between 1977 and 1987, Vatican officials now viewed a formal state visit as important. "It appears to be that, at official levels in the Vatican, it is noted and commented on from time to time that Ireland is one of the few friendly states of which the head of state has not as yet paid a visit to the Pope," it added. Seals, squirrels and butterflies enjoyed a record year in Northern Ireland, but extreme weather has been harder on bird life. The National Trust said volatile temperatures, ranging from -14C to 35C, resulted in a rollercoaster year for local wildlife. A prolonged cold snap at the start of 2018, a scorching summer and the high winds of Storm Ali in September all contributed to the uncertain conditions. Rare butterflies boasted record numbers while the highest ever figures for other species, like the migrant silvery moth (355) were recorded at Mount Stewart. Experts were baffled in October by the first-ever discovery in Northern Ireland of the 5mm white-speckled micro moth near the Giants Causeway. It is suspected that strong winds may have helped the new arrivals cross the Irish Sea. The records continued at Mount Stewart with up to 38 red squirrels being recorded in 2018, thanks to a restoration project led by rangers. In Strangford Lough, the seal population was thriving with a record 169 pups being born this year. Several bird species, however, reported poor breeding seasons. Terns in Strangford Lough were affected by a storm in June as well as predators like otters and gulls. The light-bellied brent goose peak count revealed only 27,000 birds in October, with just 1.8% of them being young brent geese. There was an unusual sighting on one Strangford Lough island with a nesting pair of Mediterranean gulls. Some butterfly species suffered despite periods of good weather, including the small tortoiseshell, red admiral and comma, which the National Trust says may be because of parasites and pesticides, or they were affected by climate change. Dr David Bullock, head of species and habitat conservation at the National Trust, said: This years unusual weather does give us some indication of how climate change could look and feel, irrespective of whether this years was linked to climate change. Its becoming less predictable every year to gauge what sort of weather we are likely to experience and what this means for our wildlife. Dr Bullock added: We need to ensure that we continue to look after the land in our care and work with others to create joined up areas of the countryside, in effect nature corridors, to enable wildlife to move around easily if needed, to survive any type of weather. Senator Paudie Coffey has called for a ban on election posters (Brian Lawless/PA) A Fine Gael senator has called for parties to unite over a ban on posters. Senator Paudie Coffey first called for the poster ban back in October. Now he has renewed his call ahead of the next general election in Ireland, which is expected to take place in 2020. Expand Close Election posters in Cork during the 2016 general election (Chris Radburn/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Election posters in Cork during the 2016 general election (Chris Radburn/PA) Senator Coffey said support has been growing for his proposed ban, with backing from politicians in Galway, Mayo, Kildare, Laois and Leitrim. It is certainly time we had a national discussion and debate about the proliferation of environmentally harmful posters in our cities, towns and villages come election time, he said. The vast majority of people are in favour of getting rid of them, and we as politicians should lead by example. The political veteran, who has fought five election campaigns, said he believes growing concerns over the environment and the huge rise in social media use means there is little moral justification for election posters across the country. The days of erecting these expensive glossy posters, which are damaging to the environment and are becoming a major turn-off for many voters are surely numbered, he said. Senator Coffey has been selected as a Fine Gael candidate for Waterford. Deals have been agreed with Brittany Ferries, DFDS and Seaborne (Andrew Matthews/PA) A Government department has spent more than 100 million on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Documents outlining the 107.7 million agreements say increased border checks in UK ports after Brexit could cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed in the event of no deal. The move was described as complete madness by the Liberal Democrats, who said it showed public money was being spent recklessly in a last-minute bid to prepare for a no-deal outcome. The Department for Transport (DfT) has signed contracts with French firm Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and the UKs Seaborne to ease pressure on Dover. The additional crossings are understood to be the equivalent of around 10% of the current traffic on the Dover Strait and will see ports in Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe used. Contracts were not put out to tender, with the DfT saying it was a situation of extreme urgency brought about by unforeseeable events. DFDS was awarded a contract worth 47.3 million, while Seaborne Freight was given a 13.8 million deal. The contract with Brittany Ferries is worth 46.6 million, with the company adding 19 return sailings to three routes between the UK and France. Our priority is to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and to create additional capacity.Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries More sailings will travel between Roscoff and Plymouth, Cherbourg and Poole, and Le Havre and Portsmouth, representing a 50% increase on its current schedule. Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries chief executive, said: Our priority is to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and to create additional capacity. By increasing the number of rotations on routes like Le Havre Portsmouth we will be able to meet the Department for Transports Brexit requirement. We will also work hard to minimise impact on existing Brittany Ferries freight customers and passengers, although there may be some changes to some sailing times, for which we apologise in advance. A spokesman for the DfT said: This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transports no-deal Brexit planning. Expand Close The move aims to ease pressure on Dover in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The move aims to ease pressure on Dover in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal (PA) While remaining committed to working to ensure a deal is reached successfully, the department is helping ensure the rest of Government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: It is complete madness to see the Government recklessly handing over 100 million on preparing British ports for a no-deal scenario. The Government has the power to stop no-deal at any time but instead is spending millions on last-minute contracts. Eloise Todd, leader of the Best for Britain campaign for a second EU referendum, said: The truth is no-deal is not inevitable. This Government has a real choice to make for our country and it does not have to toy with a cliff-edge Brexit. The only way forward for the country right now is to put the decision back to the people and put the public at the heart of the decision over our future. People have been locked out of the Brexit process since the 2016 vote its time to bring them back in and let them decide our future. Scottish National Party economy spokeswoman Kirsty Blackman said: The Tory Governments waste of over 100 million into extra ferries in the event of no-deal is utterly ridiculous. Its in the UK Governments gift to rule out a no-deal scenario, so they should stop wasting time and taxpayer money by committing to taking a no-deal Brexit off the table. The best economic scenario for Scotland and the UK as a whole is to remain in the EU, and its a democratic outrage that Scotland is being held to ransom by paying for a hard Tory Brexit that it didnt vote for. The US Capitol is mirrored in the Reflecting Pool in Washington as a partial government shutdown heads into a second week (J Scott Applewhite/AP) President Donald Trump and the Democrats are trading blame for the partial shutdown of the US government but doing little substantive talking with each other as the disruption in federal services and public employees pay enters a second week. Mr Trump upped the brinkmanship by threatening again to close the border with Mexico completely to press Congress to cave in to his demands for money to pay for a wall. Democrats vowed to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that will not accomplish anything unless Mr Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it. The impact on the public of the impasse grew as the Environmental Protection Agency, which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight on Friday night. Agency spokeswoman Molly Block said many of its 14,000 employees are being told to stay at home, while disaster-response teams and certain other employees deemed essential will stay on the job. Also running short on money, the Smithsonian Institution said its museums and galleries popular with visitors and locals in Washington will close from midweek if the partial shutdown continues. Mr Trump appears no closer to securing money for his signature border wall, which he vowed during the presidential campaign that he would make Mexico pay for. He has failed to do that and now Democratic leaders are adamant they will not authorise money for the project, calling it wasteful and ineffective. They show no signs of bending, either. We are far apart, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Friday. Mr Trump tweeted: We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. He also threatened to cut off US aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, among countries he deems have not done enough to combat illegal immigration. Expand Close Donald Trump is demanding 5 million US dollars for the Mexican border wall (AP) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump is demanding 5 million US dollars for the Mexican border wall (AP) He has made similar threats in the past without following through, and it is Congress, not the president, that appropriates aid money. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay at home or work without pay. Mr Trumps incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier offer by the White House to accept less than the 5 billion US dollars (3.9 billion) the president wants for the wall. Democrats said the White House offered to accept 2.5 billion US dollars (1.9 billion) for border security, but Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told vice-president Mike Pence that was not acceptable. It was also not guaranteed that Mr Trump would settle for that amount. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacted cautiously to Mr Trumps threat to close the border, calling it an internal affair of the US government. He added: We are always seeking a good relationship with the United States. We do not want to be rash. Police escort arrested supporters of the Bangladeshi opposition at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka, Dec. 26, 2018. The head of Bangladeshs Election Commission insisted Friday that the Dec. 30 general election would be free and fair as the campaign deadline for Sundays vote expired amid reports of ongoing political violence on all sides. Meanwhile, criticism and statements of concern over whether the polls would unfold in an open and non-hostile atmosphere poured in from abroad, with just hours to go before the South Asian nation of 160 million people holds its first contested election in a decade. A huge number of candidates are taking part in this election and the voters will cast their votes in a free, fair and festive atmosphere, embattled election chief K.M. Nurul Huda said as the campaigning blackout period began, according to the state-run BSS news service. Earlier this week opposition parties walked out of a meeting with him, accusing him of bias toward the ruling Awami League, whose leader, Sheikh Hasina, is seeking a record fourth term as prime minister amid widespread criticism that she has grown authoritarian. Her longtime rival, Bangladesh National Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia, has been sidelined from the race because she is serving a prison sentence on corruption-related convictions. Attacks On Friday, BNP Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters in Dhaka that party leaders, candidates and activists had been targeted in nearly 2,900 attacks by Awami supporters since polls were first announced Nov. 8. The armed Awami League men have been parading in the villages, Rizvi said, adding that intimidation and violence had prevented opposition politicians from campaigning. They are not permitted to work freely. Everything has been happening with instructions from the prime minister and under the supervision of the chief election commissioner, Rizvi alleged. Eight BNP supporters have been killed in political violence during the run-up to the polls, according to Agence France-Presse, which cited opposition officials. The Awami League shot back, alleging that 445 of its members had been attacked and nine of them killed, party official Jahangir Kabir Nanak Nanak told reporters Friday. But not all of the reports have been confirmed by police. On Friday, police in northeastern Sylhet said BNP followers had killed an Awami activist, bringing to three the number of ruling party supporters killed since Nov. 8, AFP reported. Also Friday, a local NGO reported that 972 violent political incidents had occurred between Dec. 1 and 25, with most of them targeting the opposition. At least 2,623 opposition and 539 ruling party members, 28 police personnel and 28 journalists were injured in the incidents, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) said. Asked to respond, Helal Uddin Ahmad, the secretary of the election commission, told BenarNews, We have asked the police and other law enforcers to investigate all the allegations of violence and let us know. Bangladeshis board a train at the Central Railway Station in Dhaka as they head home to cast their votes in the Dec. 30 general election, Dec. 27, 2018. [Newsroom Photo] Subversive activity Hasina, 71, the daughter of Bangladeshs assassinated founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is facing an opposition front led by Kamal Hossain, 84, her fathers former protege who drafted Bangladeshs first constitution at the nations birth in the early 1970s. Hossain spearheads the National Unity Front but he is not vying for any seats in the election. On Thursday, the last official full day of campaigning, he told reporters in Dhaka that a combing operation had targeted NUF supporters nationwide and that the government, courts, police and other law enforcement officials were behind the sweep. We achieved victory on Dec. 16 [1971]. In the same way, we will gain another victory on Dec. 30, Hossain said as he urged people to throng to polling centers on Sunday. Hasina, for her part, called on Awami supporters to remain careful about any subversive activity of BNP and their cohorts. We want every political party to contest in the election. Its their right and people will give vote according to their choice . . . so every political party should conduct their election campaign freely and fairly, Hasina said Thursday, according to BSS. International consternation Bangladesh has faced growing international scrutiny in the final days before its 11th general election. On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all stakeholders in Bangladeshs election to ensure an environment free of violence, intimidation and coercion before, during and after the elections. Electoral observers and civil society groups should be fully supported to play their role in making Bangladeshis feel safe about voting, he added. The same day, the new U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh said he had met with the chief election commissioner and the rest of the commission because the United States was concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks. All parties have been victims of violence, including minorities and female candidates. However, it appears opposition party candidates have borne the brunt of most violence, Ambassador Earl Miller said in a statement issued by the embassy. On Friday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticized Bangladesh for having a totalitarian-style grip on media reporting on the election. The free press watchdog deplored what it described as attacks by 30 masked individuals that left 12 journalists from two Bangladeshi news outlets injured. This latest episode of extreme brutality against journalists has already destroyed the credibility of the results of Sundays elections, Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk, said in a statement. The Paris-based group also slammed an order issued by Bangladeshs telecommunication regulatory agency on Thursday that instructed mobile phone and internet service providers to reduce broadband speeds to 2G from 4G. RSF said this was an attempt by regulators to tightly control reporting around the election. This will hit media coverage of the elections badly, RSF quoted Elias Hossain, president of Dhaka Reports Unity, as saying. Online news portals and media with Facebook pages will be severely affected, and live-streaming on social media will be impossible. Rescuers lift a young girl onto an Indonesian Navy ship as she and her family are evacuated from their homes on Sebuku Island after it was battered by Saturdays tsunami, Dec. 28, 2018. Another 20,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas along Indonesias Sunda Strait, officials said Friday, as the volcano that caused last weeks tsunami continued to rumble. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), said 40,386 people had been pulled out of coastal communities of Banten and Lampung provinces, which were devastated when a huge chunk of the Anak Krakatau volcano collapsed into the sea on Dec. 22, spawning waves that surged inland and killed over 400 people. He said the evacuation doubled Thursdays figure of 20,000 after scientists had increased the volcanos alert level to the second-highest and required residents to stay at least 5 km (3 miles) away from the crater. There is a danger of more eruptions, Sutopo told reporters. People [near the volcano] could be hit by hot rocks, pyroclastic flows and thick ash. Residents in coastal areas of the Sunda Strait have also been warned to stay at least a kilometer away from the shorelines. Sutopo said the confirmed death toll from the tsunami was 426, revising previous reports of 430 fatalities. Authorities blamed the error on double-counting of bodies, but said figures could still climb in the next few days. "The data is temporary, Sutopo said. It is estimated it will increase even though it may be small. The number of injured rose sharply from over 1,400 people to 7,202, he said, adding that at least 23 people were still missing. Scientists said satellite images showed that a 64-hectare (158-acre) chunk of the crater of Anak Krakatau collapsed after an eruption on Dec. 22, sliding into the ocean to produce a deadly wave that swept beachfront homes and hotels in coastal areas. We cannot force them Anak Krakatau began erupting in July, with continual small eruptions, but the volume of magma released and the crater size have increased since Dec. 22, a BNPB statement said. Since then it has erupted without pause. Sounds of eruptions are heard several times per minute, it said. The volcano sits in the middle of the Sunda Strait, about 25 to 30 miles (40 to 50 kilometers) from the Java and Sumatra coastlines. About 2,300 people of the total 2,814 who live on Sebesi, the island nearest Anak Krakatau, have been evacuated to South Lampung in Sumatra, the BNPB spokesman said. Evacuation will be carried out until the activity of Anak Krakatau has decreased, he said. But local officials told BenarNews that about 500 residents had refused to board ships since authorities began evacuating people on Wednesday. Some of them want to stay, and we cannot force them, said I Ketut Sukerta, chief of the South Lampung Disaster Management Agency. It was the second time in three months that a tsunami has clobbered Indonesia, which frequently suffers earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. On Sept. 28, a tsunami spawned by a major quake slammed Sulawesi island, killing more than 2,000 people. Among the ruins Almost a week after the disaster, survivors began rebuilding their shattered lives. It is a test, we have to accept it, said Muhidin, a 37-year-old resident of Sumur village in Pandeglang regency, on the western end of Java, one of the hardest-hit areas. What we can save, we will bring, he told BenarNews as his wife tried to salvage items clothes, kitchen utensils and several plastic chairs from the debris-strewn ruins of their home on Friday. ID cards, the family card, and other important documents are missing, he said. Another resident, Supriyatna Ata, 41, was doing the same thing. I have to accept this test from God, he told BenarNews. We have to rise up, he said. Maybe there is a silver lining behind all of this. Keisyah Aprilia in Pandeglang, Indonesia contributed to this report. PR Newswire SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 29, 2018 SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Ipe Woods USA, the leading online direct to consumer wholesaler of exotic wood is proud to announce its official acquisition of Buy Ipe Direct, adding to the already great company's strong exotic wood footprint in the United States. Buy Ipe Direct, a direct to consumer website, has been a leader in the Ipe and Garapa markets since they began entering the online market in 2014 and launched its website in 2015, selling specifically Ipe and Garapa and accessories to online consumers. The company was near and dear to the President of Ipe Woods USA, Steven Rossi, as he was involved in its launch as far back as 2014. The website since that time has helped consumers find low cost, high-quality exotic lumber. Ipe Woods USA had to step up to the plate for this acquisition as it was not the only company making offers for its purchase. In the end, they won out against some fierce competition. "It is an exciting time in our company as we go into 2019 with a clear vision of our mission to provide the highest quality exotic lumber such as Tigerwood, Ipe and Cumaru to customers all over the USA. With this newest acquisition we will not only be able to reach more customers, but also to help distribute faster and more efficiently," said Steven Rossi, President of Ipe Woods USA. While the acquisition is complete, the merger might take some more time. The core of the Buy Ipe Direct distribution was on the East Coast and will remain on the East Coast of the United States while the businesses try to merge and utilize Ipe Woods USA's strong nationwide shipping network. This model was created to help reduce shipping time and potential problems, the first of its kind for the lumber industry. Ipe Woods USA knows that customers loyal to the Buy Ipe Direct brand will have high expectations, as the company has had a great reputation with its core customers. The businesses can rest easy and rely on the same great customer service and materials when working with Ipe Woods USA in the future. Along with this is the addition of other types of wood being offered to consumers for 2019, including Ipe, Cumaru, Garapa, Massaranduba, Tigerwood, Purple Heart and Sapele, to name a few. With over 20 Million Dollars of inventory to choose from, consumers looking for high-end decking need not look far. About Ipe Woods USA Ipe Woods USA is a hardwood lumber supplier that distributes direct to consumer and job-site. They moved their headquarters recently from Cheyenne, WY to Salt Lake City, UT in an effort to streamline its business model. Ipe Woods USA started in the middle of 2017 and has already set the bar for the direct to the consumer market of exotic lumber. This is not expected to be the last acquisition to be announced in the near future, as the company has grown by leaps and bounds in such a short period of time. SOURCE Ipe Woods USA Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION Canada NewsWire VANCOUVER, Dec. 28, 2018 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this document, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this document. Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. (a joint stock limited company incorporated in the People's Republic of China with limited liability) (Stock code: 2899) VANCOUVER, Dec. 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd. (SH:601899, SEHK:2899) ("Zijin") today announced that an aggregate number of 276,820,575 common shares ("Deposited Shares") of Nevsun Resources Ltd. ("Nevsun") representing approximately 89.37% of all issued and outstanding common shares of Nevsun ("Nevsun Shares") have been deposited and not withdrawn under the offer to purchase all of the Nevsun Shares for C$6.00 per Nevsun Share (the "Offer") satisfying the minimum tender requirements under Canadian securities laws. Zijin thanks all the shareholders who have tendered their shares for their overwhelming support of the Offer. All of the conditions to the Offer, as amended by the notice of variation dated December 5, 2018, have been satisfied or waived. Zijin, through its subsidiary, has taken up all of the Deposited Shares and will pay the depositary the aggregate consideration of $1,660,923,450 for the Deposited Shares within three business days. As of December 27, 2018, Zijin exercised control over 3,197,191 common shares of Nevsun which have been tendered under the Offer. As a result of the take up of all of the Deposited Shares (which include the shares previously controlled by Zijin) and upon payment in full thereof to the depositary within three business days, Zijin will own over 89% of the total issued and outstanding shares of Nevsun. Zijin, through its subsidiary, has filed and will be mailing shortly thereafter a notice of variation and extension (the "Notice of Extension") to Nevsun shareholders extending the period upon which Nevsun shareholders can tender their Nevsun Shares to the Offer. The Offer has been extended to, and expires on, January 7, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) ("Expiry Time"). Zijin, through its subsidiary, will immediately take up any Nevsun Shares that are deposited as of the Expiry Time and pay the depositary the aggregate consideration for such shares pursuant to the terms of Offer, in accordance with securities laws. If Zijin is successful in acquiring 90% of Nevsun Shares (on a fully diluted basis) under the Offer, Zijin intends to acquire the balance of the Nevsun Shares by way of compulsory acquisition, as more fully described in the Offer circular. If Zijin does not acquire 90% of Nevsun Shares (on a fully diluted basis) under the Offer, Zijin will be implementing a subsequent acquisition transaction to acquire the balance of the Nevsun Shares, as more fully described in the Offer circular. Nevsun shareholders are urged to tender their Nevsun Shares, to the extent they have not already done so, prior to the expiry of the Offer at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on January 7, 2019, in order to receive payment for their shares sooner rather than later. The Nevsun Board of Directors continues to recommend that Nevsun shareholders ACCEPT the Zijin Offer by tendering their shares as noted in the Zijin circular. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements and information in this press release, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to the anticipated completion of the proposed Offer and the completion of a compulsory acquisition or a subsequent acquisition transaction, as applicable. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "projects", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. While Zijin may elect to update the forward-looking statements at any time, Zijin does not undertake to update them at any particular time or in response to any particular event, other than as may be required by applicable securities laws. Investors and others should not assume that any forward-looking statement in this press release represent Zijin's estimate as of any date other than the date of this press release. Cautionary Statement Respecting the Offer THE TAKE-OVER BID CIRCULAR AND THE DIRECTORS' CIRCULAR CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER AND SHOULD BE READ IN THEIR ENTIRETY BY NEVSUN'S SHAREHOLDERS. NEVSUN'S SHAREHOLDERS MAY OBTAIN, AT NO CHARGE, A COPY OF THE TAKE-OVER BID CIRCULAR, DIRECTORS' CIRCULAR, AND VARIOUS ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS UNDER NEVSUN'S PROFILE ON THE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ANALYSIS AND RETRIEVAL (SEDAR) AT WWW.SEDAR.COM AND ON THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC) WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV. NEVSUN'S SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ SUCH MATERIALS AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT NEVSUN SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER OR INVITATION TO PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE, SUBSCRIBE FOR, SELL, OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF OR ISSUE, OR ANY OTHER SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO SELL, OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF, ISSUE, PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR ANY SECURITY. THE OFFER WAS NOT MADE IN, NOR WILL DEPOSITS OF SECURITIES BE ACCEPTED FROM A PERSON IN, ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE MAKING OR ACCEPTANCE THEREOF WOULD NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. HOWEVER, ZIJIN MINING MAY, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, TAKE SUCH ACTION AS IT DEEMS NECESSARY TO EXTEND THE OFFER IN ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. About Nevsun Resources Ltd.Nevsun Resources Ltd. is the 100% owner of the high-grade copper-gold Timok Upper Zone and 60.4% owner of the Timok Lower Zone in Serbia. The Timok Lower Zone is a joint venture with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation ("Freeport") which currently owns 39.6%. Upon completion of any feasibility study (on the Upper or Lower Zone), Nevsun Resources Ltd. will own 46% and Freeport will own 54%. Nevsun generates cash flow from its 60% owned copper-zinc Bisha Mine in Eritrea. Nevsun is well positioned with a strong debt-free balance sheet to grow shareholder value through advancing Timok to production. Nevsun Resources Ltd. 1750 - 1066 West Hastings StreetVancouver, BC V6E 3X1 About Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd.Formed in 1993, Zijin is based in Fujian, China and is a leading global mining company specializing in gold, copper, zinc and other mineral resource exploration and development. It manages an extensive portfolio, primarily consisting of gold, copper, zinc, and other metals through investments in China and overseas across nine countries. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Zijin has a market capitalization of approximately US$10 billion. Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd.No. 1 Zijin Road, Shanghang County, Fujian Province, China As at the date of this announcement, the Board of Directors of the Company comprises Messrs. Chen Jinghe (Chairman), Lan Fusheng, Zou Laichang, Lin Hongfu, Fang Qixue, and Ms. Lin Hongying as executive directors, Mister. Li Jian as non-executive director, and Messrs. Lu Shihua, Zhu Guang, Sit Hoi Wah, Kenneth, and Cai Meifeng as independent non-executive directors. By Order of the Board of Directors Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd* Chen Jinghe Chairman 28 December 2018, Fujian, the PRC* The Company's English name is for identification purpose only SOURCE Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd. PR Newswire VANCOUVER and FUJIAN, China, Dec. 28, 2018 VANCOUVER and FUJIAN, China, Dec. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX: NSU) (NYSE AMERICAN: NSU) ("Nevsun") and Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd. (SH:601899, SEHK:2899) ("Zijin") announces that Zijin has been successful in its offer to purchase all of the issued and outstanding Nevsun common shares for C$6.00 per share (the "Offer"). The number of Nevsun common shares (the "Nevsun Shares") tendered as at the deadline of 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) on December 28, 2018 totals an aggregate of 276,820,575 Nevsun Shares (the "Deposited Shares"), representing approximately 89.37% of the total issued and outstanding Nevsun Shares on a fully diluted basis. All of the conditions to the Offer, as amended by the notice of variation dated December 5, 2018, have been satisfied or waived. Zijin, through its subsidiary, has taken up all of the Deposited Shares and will pay the depositary the aggregate consideration of $1,660,923,450 for the Deposited Shares within three business days. Chen Jinghe, Chairman of Zijin, comments, "We are very pleased to have acquired Nevsun and will continue with the company's strong focus on safe, efficient and sustainable mining practices. Zijin has significant expertise in mining construction, operations and management, and strong innovation capabilities. We will also work with our partner in Eritrea to further extend the life of the Bisha mine and explore for new deposits. At the Timok Project in Serbia we intend to rapidly develop the Upper Zone and bring it into production as soon as possible." Peter Kukielski, CEO and a director of Nevsun added, "On behalf of Nevsun's Board of Directors, I would like to thank our stakeholders, partners and our management team for achieving this excellent outcome for Nevsun and its stakeholders." Mandatory ExtensionIn addition, pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, Zijin has extended the period shareholders of Nevsun have to tender their shares under the Offer by 10 days to 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) January 7, 2019 ("Expiry Time"). Shareholders who tender their Nevsun Shares in the extended period will receive the same C$6.00 per share which will be paid within three business days of the Expiry Time. Zijin has provided notice of extension to the depositary, Computershare Trust Company of Canada effective December 28, 2018. There can be no assurance that Zijin will further extend the Offer after the Expiry Time, and Nevsun shareholders are encouraged to tender as soon as possible to receive their consideration in a timely manner. Full details of the extension of the period during which additional Nevsun Shares may be tendered under the Offer will be included in a notice of variation and extension (the "Notice of Variation and Extension"), which Zijin expects to file on SEDAR (under Nevsun's profile) at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov on December 28, 2018 and mail to registered Nevsun shareholders shortly thereafter. How to tender to the OfferRegistered Nevsun shareholders who wish to accept the Offer must properly complete and execute the Letter of Transmittal (printed on pink paper) accompanying the Zijin takeover bid circular, and deposit it, together with certificate(s) or DRS Statement(s) representing their Nevsun shares at or prior to the Expiry Time at the office of Computershare Trust Company of Canada at 100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, as further described in the Letter of Transmittal. Detailed rules and instructions are contained in the Letter of Transmittal. Alternatively, Nevsun shareholders may follow the procedure for guaranteed delivery described in section three of the Zijin takeover bid circular, "Manner of Acceptance Procedure for Guaranteed Delivery", using the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (printed on green paper). Beneficial Nevsun shareholders whose Nevsun shares are held in an account with a broker, investment dealer, bank, trust company or other Intermediary should contact their representative if they wish to accept the Offer and instruct their representative to tender their shares to the Offer. Intermediaries may establish tendering cut-off times that are up to 48 hours prior to the Expiry Time. As a result, beneficial shareholders wishing to tender their Nevsun shares should promptly and carefully follow the instructions provided to them by their broker, investment dealer, bank, trust company or other intermediary. For assistance in tendering Nevsun Shares to the Offer, contact D.F. King at 1-866-822-1238 toll free in North America or 1-212-771-1133 outside of North America or [email protected] Cautionary Statement Respecting the Offer THE TAKE-OVER BID CIRCULAR AND THE DIRECTORS' CIRCULAR CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER AND SHOULD BE READ IN THEIR ENTIRETY BY NEVSUN'S SHAREHOLDERS. NEVSUN'S SHAREHOLDERS MAY OBTAIN, AT NO CHARGE, A COPY OF THE TAKE-OVER BID CIRCULAR, DIRECTORS' CIRCULAR, AND VARIOUS ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS UNDER NEVSUN'S PROFILE ON THE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ANALYSIS AND RETRIEVAL (SEDAR) AT WWW.SEDAR.COM AND ON THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC) WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV. NEVSUN'S SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ SUCH MATERIALS AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT NEVSUN SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER OR INVITATION TO PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE, SUBSCRIBE FOR, SELL, OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF OR ISSUE, OR ANY OTHER SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO SELL, OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF, ISSUE, PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR ANY SECURITY. THE OFFER WAS NOT MADE IN, NOR WILL DEPOSITS OF SECURITIES BE ACCEPTED FROM A PERSON IN, ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE MAKING OR ACCEPTANCE THEREOF WOULD NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. HOWEVER, ZIJIN MINING MAY, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, TAKE SUCH ACTION AS IT DEEMS NECESSARY TO EXTEND THE OFFER IN ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. About Nevsun Resources Ltd.Nevsun Resources Ltd. is the 100% owner of the high-grade copper-gold Timok Upper Zone and 60.4% owner of the Timok Lower Zone in Serbia. The Timok Lower Zone is a joint venture with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation ("Freeport") which currently owns 39.6% and upon completion of any feasibility study (on the Upper or Lower Zone), Nevsun Resources Ltd. will own 46% and Freeport will own 54%. Nevsun generates cash flow from its 60% owned copper-zinc Bisha Mine in Eritrea. About Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd.Formed in 1993, Zijin is based in Fujian, China and is a leading global mining company specializing in gold, copper, zinc and other mineral resource exploration and development. It manages an extensive portfolio, primarily consisting of gold, copper, zinc, and other metals through investments in China and overseas across nine countries. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Zijin has a market capitalization of approximately US$10 billion. NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD. "Peter Kukielski" Peter Kukielski President & Chief Executive Officer ZIJIN MINING GROUP CO. LTD. Lan Fusheng President & Vice Chairman View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zijin-mining-succeeds-in-bid-for-nevsun-resources-and-announces-mandatory-extension-of-tender-period-300771371.html SOURCE Nevsun Resources Ltd. The measures follow the recent wave of bloody attacks that hit the Christian minority. Armored personnel, armed men, plainclothes officers guard the most important places of worship. Security expert: Coptic "easy" objective and guarantee of "wide visibility" on an international level. Cairo (AsiaNews) - The Egyptian authorities have strengthened checks and security measures around the churches and the most important Christian places of worship in the capital, Cairo, and the main cities of the country for fear of attacks. Police and army patrol the areas in front of the buildings in view of the end of year celebrations and the Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. The measures follow the bloody attacks, even recent ones, that have hit the Coptic minority at the hands of Islamic extremist groups. Security officials have initiated inspection procedures on churches in the various provinces of Egypt, in an attempt to counter the escalation of attacks by jihadist groups. Attacks that have increased in the last period, in response to the "Sinai 2018" operation launched by the authorities against Islamic terrorist organizations. Egyptian army sources quoted by the newspaper An-Nahar claim that "most" extremist groups are targeting "places of worship". In addition, many of these "church attacks" are launched concurrently with major holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Hence the decision to allocate armored vehicles, armed men and troops in uniform - as well as security agents in civilian clothes - in sensitive places "as never before" in Egypt. From President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the government authorities, the goal is to convey an image of security and full control of the country, which aims - also - on religious tourism and not to revive an economy in difficulty. Intelligence environments add that, to the protection of places of worship, they are flanked by undercover operations aimed at dismantling the extremist cells ready to strike. Among the sensitive objectives there are Christian churches and places of worship, seen as a "weak link" in the chain and an accessible target for fundamentalists. Munir Adib, security expert, stresses that the Coptic minority "is an easy target" and "an attack against it also guarantees wide visibility" at an international level. In a Muslim majority nation of almost 95 million people, Christians [especially Orthodox Copts] are a substantial minority of around 10% of the total population. Between 2016 and 2017 a series of bloody attacks targeted the Christian community itself. President Trump makes remarks at the Department of the Interior with Secretary Ryan Zinke and Vice President Mike Pence on April 26, 2017. Photo: Mike Theiler - Pool/Getty Images The Trump administrations policies are leading to wholesale destruction of certain birds and other wildlife. This fact has escaped most public notice amid the broader damage the Cabinet is causing to the environment. Among other measures, regulatory agencies have been working to lift protections on endangered animals, open up vast animal habitats for drilling, encourage more trophy hunting, and repress treatment standards for farm animals. Granted, Republican administrations since Ronald Reagans, with their contempt for federal regulation, have often been unfriendly to the animal kingdom. George W. Bushs administration, for instance, only added 62 kinds of animals to the endangered species list over the course of 8 years, compared to 700 animals each under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. But several veteran policy advocates we reached for interviews this week said Trumps team has been unusually aggressive about regulatory rollback. I think that whats different this time is an across-the-board, no-stone-left-unturned, no-holds-barred approach to rolling back environmental safeguards including for wildlife, said Andrew Wetzler of the Natural Resources Defense Council. George W. Bushs advisers, he added, picked their targets more selectively. It was more like a rifle-shot approach. This is more of a shotgun approach. Ryan Zinke, the secretary of the Interior, has made his office a shrine to the pointless killing of animals, decking it out with a taxidermied grizzly bear, a bobcat, and the heads of bison and elk. One of his first moves in office was to sanction the use of lead bullets in national parks a triumph of ignorance and stupidity, in the opinion of Noah Greenwald, of the Center for Biological Diversity. Using lead ammunition for hunting if you bring that food home, youre poisoning your own family, Greenwald said. Its astounding to me that thats even an issue. The Humane Society estimates that lead bullets also cause the deaths of 10 to 20 million non-targeted animals each year. However, Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt who has been floated for the top position, now that Zinke is stepping down appears to be the architect of the departments most sinister work. Bernhardt was the Interiors top attorney during the last three years of George W. Bushs administration, and by all accounts, he knows better than anyone there how to effectively navigate the bureaucracy. He spent the Obama years working for a lobbying firm that represents oil and gas interests, leading Democrats to call him a walking conflict of interest at his confirmation hearing last year. Under Bernhardts leadership, the department has enacted the biggest changes to the Endangered Species Act since it was passed in 1973. It has moved to drop most protections for threatened animal species, i.e., species that are dwindling in number but not quite at the point of facing imminent extinction. It has said economic costs should be taken into account anytime a species is being considered for endangered status; and like the Bush administration, it has been ignoring petitions to add new animals to the endangered list such as the American wolverine, which Greenwald said has fallen to critically low population levels. It has also eliminated a number of small conservation programs, such as a breeding project for whooping cranes, of which there are only 500 left in the wild in North America. Oil companies arent the only groups that dont like the Endangered Species Act its also a nuisance to safari hunters. Though Trump once called trophy hunting a horror show, it didnt sound sound like his heart was in it; his own sons, after all, are avid safari-goers and have posted photos of themselves with dead leopards, bulls, rams, and alligators on social media. Trump didnt stop Zinke from reversing a ban on importing elephant and lion carcasses from Africa. The Interior Department also tried to kickstart the first grizzly bear hunt at Yellowstone in more than 40 years, only to have it halted by a judge. All the while, Zinkes wildlife conservation council stacked not with wildlife conservationists, naturally, but with gun and trophy-hunting lobbyists is making the improbable case that safaris are somehow good for animals. Less horrific on its face, but more destructive overall, is the administrations opening of animal habitats for drilling, mining, logging, and other industry uses. For instance, it has announced plans to strip protections for the sage grouse, an awkward bird with an overgrown breast and a peacock-like tail, which is native to the American West. There are only 200,000 to 500,000 of the creatures left, said Sarah Greenberger, the Audubon Societys policy director. Currently some 9 million acres of western land, rich with oil deposits, have been kept off limits to industry, for the sake of protecting the birds. The Interior Department has also reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante so that 2 million more acres can now be leased to oil and gas companies, to the peril of countless animals, including a number that are endangered. And its working to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, likely the site of the biggest untapped oil reserve in North America, but also home to 800 or 900 polar bears, not to mention porcupine caribou and other species that native peoples depend on for food. To Greenberger and other bird-rights advocates, the most galling development is the dropping of penalties for recklessly endangering birds out in the wild. Greenberger said the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, on the books since 1918, is responsible for all kinds of protective measures at sites around the country. Its one reason companies often put blinking lights on their towers, or place nets over oil pits: so that birds wont fly into them and die, triggering corporate fines. But in the spring, the Department of the Interior announced companies wont be held responsible anymore, so long as killing birds isnt the culprits primary goal. To clarify, the department sent around a memo with some rather grotesque examples. Say, for instance, someone wants to burn down a barn that happens to be full of owls. So long as the deaths of the owls are merely collateral damage and not the purpose of setting the farm on fire, they wont be subject to fines. All that is relevant, the memo reads, is that the landowner undertook an action that did not have the killing of barn owls as its purpose a startling conclusion from the standpoint of legal theory alone. Greenberger called this rule change totally unnecessary, even for economic growth. Its not the Migratory Bird Treaty Act thats driving the ups and downs of the oil and gas market, she said. But she noted that two oil companies, Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon, have borne the vast majority of the fines and were no doubt eager to have the rule reversed. Beyond these broad environmental measures, the disregard toward animals also affects Trumps USDA. The Obama administration had created a rule, set to take effect in 2017, that would have raised the requirements for a farm to be certified as organic. It said birds would have to be kept in cages large enough for them to move freely and stretch their wings, and cows would have to get year-round access to the outdoors. Of course, the rule would have hurt large-scale organic egg farms, some of which house three hens per square foot. The Trump administration halted it in the spring. Often over the course of this administration, liberals have comforted themselves with the thought that an army of bureaucrats career workers, with no party attachments might be able to quietly blunt the worst excesses of Trump and his advisers. Greenwald, the advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said this is decidedly not the case when it comes to animal rights and conservation. Across his 20 years working on policy, hes noticed that Republicans tend to be more strategic than Democrats on environmental matters. They tend to pick their own administrators, down to the state level, to make sure their priorities are being carried out everywhere. With Clinton and Obama, its been like, Well, leave them alone. Were not going to interfere with their jobs or their science, but were not going to go in and bring new leadership either, he said. Its been hard to watch. Polls bear this out; when questioned by the Union of Concerned Scientists, workers at the Fish and Wildlife Service tend to report at a higher rate than most that politics get in the way of their work. Trumps stealth war on wildlife has gone under the radar. Its hard to get worked up about the gratuitous death of, say, 200,000 sage grouse. But Greenberger argues that everyone has a stake in what happens to the sage grouse. They are an indicator for a much bigger landscape where there are pronghorn and mule deer and other iconic species, she said. If we allow these birds to go extinct, what that signals is something much bigger that will impact all of us. The CBI has registered four separate cases related to alleged bank fraud to the tune of nearly Rs 74 crore in the Union Bank of India, officials said Friday. All these cases have been reported from mid corporate branches in Kaushambi and Ghaziabad against separate companies, they said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked promoters and directors of SM Enterprises, Geneius Impex, JBR Impex and JR Foods for causing loss to the bank by alleged loan defaults, the officials said. All the defaults were reported as non-performing assets and then frauds by the bank. The bank later asked the CBI to take over the investigation. Also Read: ATC helps avert mid-air collision of three planes close to Delhi flight information region Also Read: RBI extends enhanced single borrower limit facility for NBFCs till March 31 Also Read: M&M Financial Services gets approval to raise Rs 10,000 crore The Delhi Police on Friday become the first police force in the country to digitize all malkhanas, rooms for keeping seized arms and ammunition, across every police station in the state, an official release said. Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik inaugurated the e-malkhana project of the remaining 10 districts at Chinamaya Mission here. Underlying the importance of the project, Patnaik said that digitization of service delivery mechanism will definitely make the whole system faster, smoother and easier, the release stated. The Commissioner of Police also commended the efforts of the personnel involved in the project and presented certificate of merit to 14 personnel -- one from each district. A booklet on e-malkhana functioning was also released on the occasion and a short film on how the project was executed was shown. Speaking at the event, Sandeep Goel, Special Commissioner of Police, said digitisation of case properties would give a boost to the prosecution and the judicial system by making it easier to maintain, locate and retrieve case properties, the release stated. According to the release, around 3,11,600 case properties have been encrypted in digital form across all the police stations in the state. Also Read: ATC helps avert mid-air collision of three planes close to Delhi flight information region Also Read: RBI extends enhanced single borrower limit facility for NBFCs till March 31 Also Read: M&M Financial Services gets approval to raise Rs 10,000 crore OTTAWA - A timeline of the Meng Wanzhou case, and rising tension between Canada and China. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou talks with a member of her private security detail after they went into the wrong building while arriving at a parole office, in Vancouver, on Wednesday December 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - A timeline of the Meng Wanzhou case, and rising tension between Canada and China. Aug. 22: A New York court issues a warrant for the arrest of Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Dec. 1: Canadian authorities arrest Meng at Vancouver's airport while she is en route from Hong Kong to Mexico, after an extradition request from the Americans. The news becomes public on Dec. 5. Dec. 6: China demands Canada release Meng and "immediately correct the mistake" officials made in arresting her. The Chinese also say they were not briefed on the reasons for Meng's arrest. In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Meng's case is part of an independent legal process with no outside political influence. Dec. 7: Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada's envoy to China has briefed Chinese officials about Meng's case. She declines to comment on suggestions from analysts and former diplomats that China will likely retaliate by jailing Canadians. In Vancouver, Meng appears in court, where allegations of fraud are laid out. The U.S. alleges Meng misled American banks in a bid to get around American sanctions on Iran. Dec. 8: Canada's ambassador to China, John McCallum, is summoned to a meeting with China's assistant foreign minister so the country can register complaints about Meng's arrest. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained Huawei executive ... or face grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for," the assistant minister, Le Yucheng, says in a statement. Dec. 9: China summons the American ambassador to China to lodge similar complaints about Meng's case and demand the U.S. rescind the order for her arrest. Dec. 10: Chinese authorities arrest two Canadian men. Michael Kovrig, who was on leave from Global Affairs Canada, and entrepreneur Michael Spavor. Kovrig's arrest becomes public on Dec. 11. Spavor's becomes public on Dec. 12. Meanwhile, China's vice premier, with responsibility for the domestic economy, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin talk about the ongoing tariff battle between the two countries. Dec. 11: In the morning, Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, tells reporters it is "absolutely false" to assume a political motive behind the Meng's arrest. Later in the day, Meng is released on $10 million bail. In an affidavit submitted for a bail hearing, Meng, 46, details a lifetime of health issues, including thyroid cancer, sleep apnea and high blood pressure. The day ends with U.S. President Donald Trump telling Reuters in an interview that he would "certainly intervene" in Meng's case "if I thought it was necessary" to help forge a trade deal with China. Dec. 12: China's foreign ministry says it has no information about Kovrig, but says the organization he worked with the International Crisis Group was not registered in China, making its activities in the country illegal. The Liberals spend the day outlining how the extradition process will work, reiterating that it is an independent process. Trudeau reaffirms Canada's commitment to the rule of law, "regardless of what goes on in other countries." Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she takes her "extradition responsibilities and obligations very seriously" and that the final decision on extraditions lies with her. Freeland warns any comments made in the United States could be used by Meng's lawyers before Canadian courts, which would have to judge their relevance in deciding whether to follow through on the American extradition request. Dec. 13: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer accuses Trudeau of taking a "naive approach" to China, leaving Canada without "the leverage that we might otherwise have" to resolve the situation. He calls on Trudeau to reach out to the highest levels of the Chinese government. Earlier in the day, Trump's trade adviser, Peter Navarro, says the arrests of the two Canadians were plainly a response to Meng's arrest: "That's the Chinese playbook and again the problem we always have with China is when we launch legitimate concerns over whatever it is, China comes back and does these kinds of actions." China's foreign ministry says Kovrig and Spavor have been detained on suspicion of "endangering national security." Dec. 14: Canadian officials are granted consular access to Kovrig, and McCallum meets with him in Beijing. Meng's case comes up during a meeting between Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with the two agreeing that no politics be injected into the extradition process. Pompeo publicly calls on China to release Kovrig and Spavor. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau says Canada will shortly be granted consular access to Spavor. Dec. 16: Canadian diplomats in China are granted consular access to Spavor. Dec. 19: Global Affairs Canada says a third Canadian has been detained in China. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government has no reason to believe the case is linked to the detention of Kovrig and Spavor. The next day, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says the Canadian woman, Sarah McIver, received an administrative penalty for illegal employment. Dec. 20: Indictments unsealed in the United States allege two Chinese citizens targeted companies in Canada and around the world as part of a years-long hacking campaign to steal data. Dec. 21: Kovrig's employer, the International Crisis Group, says he has not been given access to a lawyer while in custody. A source familiar with the conditions of Kovrig's detention says he is questioned three times a day and kept in a room with the lights on continuously. Freeland formally demands both men be let go, calling in a statement "for their immediate release." Similar statements come out from the United States, Britain and the European Union. Dec. 22: During a visit to Canadian peacekeepers in Mali, Trudeau says countries around the world are "extremely disturbed" by China's detention of Spavor and Kovrig. Dec. 24: China's foreign ministry calls out the U.S., Britain and EU, saying the trio should be condemning Canada for Meng's arrest. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying says Canada should "correct its mistakes" and stop acting at the behest of the United States. She says Kovrig and Spavor's rights are being respected in custody. Dec. 27: Chinese state media bring up the case of a Canadian man charged with drug smuggling. The Global Times, an English-language publication of the official People's Daily, says Robert Lloyd Schellenberg appeal of his conviction will be heard on Dec. 29. Global Affairs says the case has been ongoing for several years. Dec. 28: Global Affairs confirms that McIver has returned to Canada after being released. DRUMHELLER, Alta. - The aunt of an Alberta woman who has been released from custody in China says she believes it was a mistake by her niece's employer that resulted in her arrest. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. DRUMHELLER, Alta. - The aunt of an Alberta woman who has been released from custody in China says she believes it was a mistake by her niece's employer that resulted in her arrest. Sarah McIver was detained earlier this month over a work-permit issue related to her teaching job, but her aunt Rhona McIver says Sarah is now on her way back to her hometown of Drumheller, Alta. Rhona McIver said she believes her niece arrived in China to learn that the school she'd planned to teach at no longer had a job for her, so officials gave her work at another school. "That's where the mistake got made," McIver said from Drumheller in an interview Saturday. "She probably didn't even think about it." McIver's arrest followed those of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians living and working in China, on allegations they were harming China's national security. China arrested Kovrig and Spavor separately after Canadian authorities detained a Chinese technology executive in Vancouver. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of electronics giant Huawei Technologies, is wanted in the United States on allegations she lied to American banks as part of an effort to get around sanctions on Iran. China and Canada both insisted McIver's case was different from Kovrig's and Spavor's. Rhona McIver said Sarah's mother and sister have driven to B.C. to pick her up. She explained that while in China, McIver adopted a puppy, and even though she was able to fly from China to Canada with the dog, there was a problem flying it to Calgary. "One morning she was going to school and somebody threw out some pups, so she rescued one," McIver said, adding they could be back in Drumheller by Saturday evening. McIver said her niece like to travel and had been to China before, but only as a tourist. A spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry said last week that a Canadian woman had received an administrative penalty for illegal employment but did not provide further details. A spokesman with Global Affairs Canada confirmed Friday that a Canadian citizen who was detained in China this month was released and has returned to Canada, but would not release further information due to provisions under the Privacy Act. The first North Atlantic right whale calf of the winter season has been spotted off the Florida coast heading north with its mother, a known resident of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The first North Atlantic right whale calf of the winter season has been spotted off the Florida coast heading north with its mother, a known resident of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on Facebook that the two endangered whales were sighted near the mouth of the state's St. Johns River. It says the mother referred to by her catalogue number, 2791 was spotted five days earlier off the Georgia coast. Right whales typically migrate south from the North Atlantic to give birth off the coasts of Georgia and Florida from December through March. Melissa Munro, a spokeswoman for the Sierra Club Canada Foundation, says in a statement that no newborns were recorded last year, and the population sits at a critically low number. She says the population has been downgraded to 411 only 71 of which are females that could potentially reproduce. "This one baby represents a whole lot of hope," Munro said, adding that five females have been identified as possibly expecting calves. But despite the "joyful" news, she said right whales are "not out of the woods. Not by a long stretch." U.S. federal officials said earlier this month that last year was slightly worse than average for the entanglement of large whales, which is a major threat to marine populations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said entanglement in fishing gear, such as traps, nets and fishing lines, is a major concern for jeopardized species such as the North Atlantic right whale. The Canadian government put in place measures to protect right whales after 17 of the endangered aquatic mammals died last year a dozen of them in Canadian waters. Fishing areas were closed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, speed limits were reduced for vessels and the Fisheries department increased surveillance of the area to look out for the whales. The income tax department seized assets worth Rs 992.52 crore during 2017-18, while 582 search and seizure operations were conducted during the financial year, Parliament was informed Friday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said the income tax department seizes unaccounted/ undisclosed/ unexplained assets during the search and seizure operations. The values of assets seized during the past two financial years are Rs 1,469.62 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 992.52 crore in 2017-18, Shukla said. The total number of search and seizure operations conducted by the I-T department stood at 1,152, and 582 during 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively. In a separate reply, Shukla said the direct tax-GDP ratio improved to 5.98 per cent in 2017-18, from 5.57 per cent in 2016-17 and 5.47 per cent in 2015-16. The central indirect tax-GDP ratio was at 5.43 per cent in fiscal 2017-18, against 5.65 per cent in 2016-17 and 5.16 per cent in 2015-16. "As per Budget Estimate, the indirect tax (including CGST, IGST and compensation cess) to GDP ratio for 2018-19 has been fixed at 5.96 per cent," Shukla said. He added that several legislative steps, including simplification of tax collection rules, have been taken to increase the tax-GDP ratio. The measures include tax collection at source at 1 per cent on the sale of minerals such as coal, lignite and iron ore for trading purposes and 1 per cent tax deduction at source on the acquisition of immovables worth Rs 50 lakh or more. Also, a new tax in the form of equalisation levy at 6 per cent has been imposed on e-commerce transactions and a 5 per cent TDS on rent payment of over Rs 50,000 a month has also been brought in to improve the tax-GDP ratio. "Further, to improve revenue collection, steps which are being taken include introduction of e-way bill, simplification of measures for filing tax returns, steps to capture invoice details of transactions so that the same could be matched with credit taken and verification of transition credit availed by taxpayers," Shukla said. He said the tax base has significantly increased after the rollout of the goods and services tax and over 1.16 crore taxpayers are registered under the new indirect tax regime. Also Read: ATC helps avert mid-air collision of three planes close to Delhi flight information region Also Read: RBI extends enhanced single borrower limit facility for NBFCs till March 31 Also Read: M&M Financial Services gets approval to raise Rs 10,000 crore Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. New Brunswick Liberal Leader Brian Gallant answers questions from the media after meeting with Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau at Government House in Fredericton on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Gallant has always had a plan. But now, at 36, the future of New Brunswick's youngest ex-premier is a question mark. THE CANADIAN PRESS/James West Brian Gallant has always had a plan. But now, at 36, the future of New Brunswick's youngest ex-premier is a question mark. "Throughout my whole life, I've known what I want to do," Gallant said in an interview with The Canadian Press following Friday's surprise announcement that he would be stepping down as leader of the provincial Liberal party earlier than expected. "Now I really don't know. It's just a blank canvas." The lawmaker was unequivocal that his time in provincial politics is coming to an end he will not reoffer in the next election. But he didn't entirely rule out a run for federal office. "There's really no plan for me to run in any level of government ... but I do want to continue to contribute to the province and to the country," said Gallant, the MLA for Shediac Bay-Dieppe. "I will certainly look for opportunities to be able to do that, whether it's through my work or volunteer time." With 10 "phenomenal" Liberal MPs in the province, he said there doesn't currently appear to be a need for a new federal Liberal candidate ahead of October's election. "I look forward to supporting them in any way that I can, and to support the federal Liberals on what I think will be a successful election campaign," Gallant said, adding that he'll do the same for the provincial Liberals when an election is called which could be sooner than later. The province's legislature is currently held together by an informal 18-month agreement between the Progressive Conservatives and the right-leaning People's Alliance, which agreed to prop up the Tory minority government after September's election. The deal has seen the Tories who won 22 seats following the Sept. 24 provincial election earn an extra three seats for a 25-seat majority in the 49-seat house. "We're in a different situation than we've been in here in New Brunswick for a hundred years," Gallant said. "Political parties especially the two so-called traditional parties, the Liberal Party and the Conservatives are used to these four year cycles." But he said the pattern of taking a year or more to rebuild and hold a leadership convention won't work under a minority government. With the possibility of a snap election looming with every confidence vote, Gallant said the Liberal party will have to move quickly to find its next leader. Liberal caucus chair Jean-Claude D'Amours said he's working with party colleagues on the next steps for choosing an interim leader by mid-February the winter caucus meeting as well as making suggestions for leadership convention dates. Gallant did not put forward any names for the party's potential next leader, saying he didn't want to influence the outcome. Meanwhile, the outgoing Liberal leader expressed concern with right-wing populist political movements taking hold in the western world. "It's worrisome to see the division being created," he said. "There are populist movements in countries in the western world that have gained momentum." Although Gallant said the movements often start off with legitimate concerns such as increasing income inequality they can be exploited by politicians "without necessarily respect for the facts and very much focused on preying on peoples concerns." He said New Brunswick's election is a sign that Canada is not immune to such populist movements. However, Gallant said he doesn't believe the trend will repeat itself during the federal election. "I do think that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government have done a good job trying to address a lot of the concerns that are at the heart of these movements," he said. Meanwhile, Gallant said though he intends to stay on as MLA for the riding he was born in for now, he may eventually return to practising law or working in business. "When I step back and put it in perspective, I had the opportunity to be the premier of our province, to make decisions that have a real impact and can make a difference," he said adding that although stepping down as leader was a "sombre" moment for him, "I really have been incredibly lucky." Looking back to our business note a year ago, it is interesting how many urgent issues affecting small enterprises back then remain so this year. By most estimates, we are 18 to 24 months from the next global downturn. The chances of its magnitude being comparable to that of the Great Recession are low, but not negligible. The US Treasury yield curve has inverted. The last adult in the room in President Donald Trumps cabinet has handed in his notice. Oil is falling. Italy remains deep in debt. Thats all before mentioning the B word: Brexit not merely endures, its effects have worsened. As you can see, it is difficult to write a business commentary this year without being pessimistic, or political. Looking eastwards at the meltdown in the UK, it is easy to be conceited at our own so-called political stability But that stability has come at a huge fiscal cost. In a grim echo of the run-up to the budget of the late Brian Lenihan in 2008, Paschal Donohoe has experienced annual windfalls in exchequer income. Fine Gael has been swamped with corporation tax receipts which could again prove ephemeral. Mr Trumps wooing of the multinationals with corporation tax cuts is working but hasnt hit Irish corporation tax revenues, at least not yet. Current spending increases like topsy. We have to get value for money. And we have to reform the non-performing health and justice sectors. But Mr Donohoe, like former taoiseach Brian Cowen in the past, is surrounded by deputies crying for more. We reiterated our main argument in this years pre-budget submission. If the trade unions choose to grind the country to a halt, let them do so. But the pain of the fiscal crisis borne in the last recession by the 300,000 who lost their jobs must never be suffered again. Our hopes for insurance reform remain unfulfilled. We pay 4.4 times the amount paid next door in the UK for soft tissue injuries. Official figures show a decline of 18% in motor insurance costs since 2016. It sounds great. But motor insurance costs have soared by over 50% since 2008. The legal lobby has played a blinder defending the insurance status quo, running rings around hapless Minister of State Michael DArcy. Social welfare spending in 2011 was 20.9bn. There has been no fiscal dividend from reducing our unemployment rate from over 15% to 5.3%. Where will the money come from to fund the jobseekers benefit or allowance in the next downturn? December retail sales have been sluggish, with bad weather, Black Friday, sterling weakness, and online sales all sharing the blame. Hopefully, this weekend will turn the retail tide. There remain reasons for optimism but tempered with realistic optimism. Its a good time to be an employee: If you are thinking of moving in 2019, pick a business that has built-in resilience, and a workplace culture you can live with for at least five years. Enterprises that can market their products or services in a post-Brexit EU will likely enjoy a bounce if they can bear the bumps on the journey. The penny has dropped in Government circles that theyre not doing enough for small enterprise. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development will formally spell this out next year, and we expect SMEs to get a bigger share of the pie. Wily economists said the 2007 general election was a good one to lose. Will an election in 2019 or in 2020 turn out to be an election more favourable for the vanquished? Time will tell. Neil McDonnell is chief executive of business group Isme Holiday traffic across NSW is easing but there are still significant delays if people are heading up the North Coast on Saturday afternoon. Motorists heading north on the Pacific Highway are being warned to allow for an extra 30 minutes, with congestion particularly bad around Woodburn, Transport Management Centre spokesman, Marco Spadaccini, said. "There are also delays down south at Milton and Ulladulla, about 10 minutes at the moment," he said. Meanwhile, one northbound lane of the Hume Highway at Yerrinbool is closed due to an earlier crash between a car and trailer. The New England Highway at Hexham is also experiencing delays for northbound motorists of about 15 minutes due to an earlier four-car crash. Bike- and scooter-sharing company Lime, which failed to remove its electric scooters from footpaths on the Gold Coast after a warning from council, has had them confiscated less than 24 hours since rolling them out. Lime scooters on the Gold Coast. Photo: Seven News Credit:Seven News Gold Coast The launch of the Lime scooters on the Gold Coast on Friday, which was not approved by council, has sparked a crackdown on all electric scooters with 22 Lime and one I-Ride products being taken by council. Lime scooters were placed on the Gold Coast on Friday after a trial that launched in Brisbane and a trial of electric bikes in Sydney last month. A council spokesman said Lime was given two hours to remove the scooters before council took matters into their own hands as the operation was in breach of local laws nine and 11 in relation to public spaces. EPA has closed off four sites in northern Melbourne over dangerous liquid waste. Dangerous waste chemicals were being illegally stored at four industrial sites across Melbournes northern suburbs, an environment watchdog blitz has revealed. Security remains at an Epping warehouse and three Campbellfield warehouses after the Environment Protection Authority discovered a concerning amount of liquid chemical stored at the sites on Friday. The waste is currently contained on site with authorities working with the site owners to arrange a staged removal. The waste was discovered yesterday as EPA led targeted inspections of industrial sites in Epping and Campbellfield in partnership with fire agencies, Victoria Police and Worksafe, the EPA said in a statement. Prosecutors have frozen $703,000 held in a superannuation account belonging to former education department boss Nino Napoli, who is facing trial next year for allegedly conspiring to steal millions of dollars from the public school system. Mr Napoli has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, dealing with proceeds of crime, furnishing false documents, and perverting the course of justice over allegations he diverted school funds to himself, family members and associates from 2007 to 2014. Nino Napoli outside the Magistrates Court in 2017. Credit:Darrian Traynor The scheme allegedly involved using the funds to pay fake or inflated invoices that were issued to Victorian schools. Some of the money was allegedly spent on personal expenses, meals, travel, alcohol and Mr Napolis trademark toupee. Mr Napoli controlled a $5.5 billion budget as the director of school resources for the Department of Education, a position he held from 1992 to 2015. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has suggested he would rather see Neil Prakash, Australia's most infamous Islamic State recruit, serve a lengthy jail term in Turkey than have him return to Australian soil under an extradition request. Mr Dutton stated the preference which suggests the government's extradition request is now being treated as a fallback option after Prakash was stripped of his Australian citizenship over his association with the terrorist group. Neil Prakash, who is also known as Abu Khalid al-Cambodi. The 27-year-old Prakash, who is currently imprisoned in Turkey on multiple charges, is the 12th dual citizen to lose their Australian citizenship because of terrorism-related activities. The Melbourne-born man has featured prominently in Islamic State propaganda videos and has been linked to terrorism plots and recruitment activities in the Western world, including Australia. Our company is looking to buy 50,000 mt x 12 months of UCO on CIF Italia. Send your offers with price. Today, the Galileo Museum, as it was renamed after a 2010 restoration, has doubled its floor space, draws around 300,000 visitors a year and produces specialised multimedia exhibitions that tour the world. For Galluzzi, the dawn of the internet age brought an epiphany of sorts. "Compared to the Uffizi, this little institution just couldn't compete," he said in his wood-panelled office. "But I had the impression that using these novel instruments, it was possible to create a new playing field in which we could grow." Paolo Galluzzi shows a reproduction of Leonardo's notebook. One of his great achievements has been to give the two great thinkers' documents a home online. Credit:New York Times Back in the 1990s he embraced what were then unfamiliar technologies with gusto (and not without some mishaps, he acknowledged, recalling the unreliability of the earliest data storage systems). The museum was the first in Italy to have its own website, in early 1995, "and not just a home page, there were contents, too". Today, it has more online viewers than the Uffizi, he boasts. "It's certainly unique in Italy, and rare elsewhere, for a museum to have such a powerful digital presence," he said. Galileo Galilei first spotted Mars with a primitive telescope in 1609. It strives to remain current. The catalogue can be downloaded in PDF format, and the museum can be "visited" by Google Street View, while an online virtual tour includes detailed descriptions of some 1000 instruments. The mobile phone app does much the same, with the addition of videos on how things work. A significant number of the books in the institute's library, one of the best in Europe on the history of science, are also available online, including most of the rare volumes and manuscripts on the early modern history of science and technology. In many ways, Galluzzi and the museum were travelling in two orbits destined to cross. After high school studies in the humanities, he studied philosophy at the University of Florence under Renaissance scholar Eugenio Garin, obtaining a degree in the history of philosophy. He was one of the first students in Italy to specialise in the history of science, a discipline that had not been formally recognised at the time. His passion for Galileo dates back to that period. A portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, the archetypal Renaissance man. Credit:Alamy "I received my degree in 1968, the years of student unrest, and Galileo was seen as a hero because of his battle for the autonomy of reason from the control of the Church," he said. His decades-old fascination with Leonardo, on the other hand, was a matter of "fate", he said. After college, he was hired as director of the Biblioteca Leonardiana in Vinci, the artist's hometown. "If I hadn't gotten the job, I probably would never have become a Leonardo scholar," he said. "Maybe I would have studied Newton, or some other thinker." It worked out well in the end. "Leonardo is a prey that's hard to capture, but then he fascinates you and completely engages you," he said. Even as he navigated the Leonardo museum into a new era, he embarked on an academic career, teaching the history of science first at the University of Siena, then the University of Florence, interspersed with many short-term appointments at a number of universities. Under his guidance, the museum embarked on a new venture, pioneering the era of multimedia, interactive exhibits. Leonardo's intricate musings on a host of contraptions were a good fit for this burgeoning project, and his sketches and drawings were brought to life on computer screens to show how they operated. The museum's growing reputation began attracting young engineers. Currently, it invests a third of its budget, and a third of its staff, to information technology. One staff member's sole task is guaranteeing long-term digital preservation, keeping up-to-date with new systems and moving data to new platforms when necessary. Paolo Galluzzi, right, with digital experts Andrea Bernardoni and Francesco Barreca at Museo Galileo. Credit:New York Times "We want to ensure that our archives will be accessible in 300 years," Galluzzi said. "At first we thought that digital would last forever, but it turns out it's much less durable than a book, which can last centuries," he said, adding with a laugh: "Not to mention stone inscriptions." Cairo: Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide have been killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus less than four kilometres from Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids. The bombing is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for over a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, recovers from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country's 2011 uprising. The tourist bus after a roadside bomb near the Giza pyramids. Credit:AP No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Islamist extremists, including militants linked to Islamic State, are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past. On a visit to a US air base in Iraq this week, Trump said that military commanders had repeatedly requested extensions for the 2000 US troops in Syria - requests that he finally turned down because he said Islamic State was largely beaten. "We've knocked them silly. I will tell you I've had some very good talks with President Erdogan who wants to knock them out also, and he'll do it," he told American troops. RISK FOR TURKEY For Turkey, Trump's decision offers opportunity and risk. Ankara has complained bitterly for years that the US, a NATO ally, had chosen the Kurdish YPG militia as its main partner on the ground in Syria against Islamic State. Turkey says the YPG is a terrorist group, inseparable from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency in south-east Turkey in which 40,000 people have been killed. The US withdrawal potentially frees Turkey's military to push the YPG back from 500 kilometre of border without risking a confrontation with American forces. It also removes a main cause of this year's diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Loading But it also opens up an area of Syria far larger than anything Turkey had expected to fill, potentially pitting it against not just Kurdish forces but also the Damascus government - which is committed to regaining control of all of Syria - and its Russian and Iranian backers. The YPG on Friday asked the Syrian government to take over the town of Manbij, which the Kurdish militia currently controls with US support, to protect it from Turkish attack. And if Turkish forces are to take on Islamic State in its last pocket of Syrian territory near the Iraqi border, they would first have to cross 250 kilometres of territory controlled by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces. "Erdogan got more than he bargained for," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Program at the Washington Institute. "He had asked the US to drop the YPG, but not withdraw from Syria". Erdogan has for years backed rebels who once hoped to topple Bashar al-Assad, but the Syrian president's survival has been assured by support from Tehran and Moscow even though the north and east - including Syrian oilfields - remain beyond Assad's control for now. As it takes stock of the new challenge, Turkey is launching intensive talks with Washington and Moscow. Ankara expects U.S. military officials to visit within days, as well as Bolton and possibly the U.S. special Syria envoy, James Jeffrey. Turkey's intelligence chief and defence and foreign ministers are also due in Moscow on Saturday, the spokesman for Erdogan's AK Party said. "Of course it will be difficult. The whole issue needs to be planned again from the start," a Turkish security official said. A US official said military planners were drafting plans that could see a withdrawal over the course of several months. One of the proposals under consideration is a 120-day withdrawal period, according a person familiar with discussions. Washington is also grappling with what to do with weapons it provided to the YPG militia and promised to take back after the campaign against Islamic State ended. Turkey says the weapons must be collected so they are not used against Turkish troops, but US officials say they cannot disarm their own allies when the fight is not yet over. Erdogan announced last week Turkey is postponing its planned military operation against the YPG in light of Trump's decision. The Turkish military has already carried out two incursions into north Syria, backed by pro-Turkey Syrian rebels. In 2016 they targeted Islamic State and Kurdish fighters, and earlier this year took control of the YPG-held Afrin region. But Ankara and its Syrian rebel allies alone do not have the capacity to take over the whole region which the United States is abandoning, Cagaptay said. Turkey's priority therefore may be to secure its southern frontier. "Distancing the YPG from the border and wiping out these elements is of critical importance," the security official said. He stressed the need for careful coordination over who should fill other areas which departing U.S. forces will leave, and warned of problems ahead if agreement could not be reached. "Is it a big victory for Turkey?" another official said. "I'm not sure right now." Cairo: Thousands demonstrated on Friday in nearly two dozen neighbourhoods of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, calling for President Omar Bashir to step down, according to activists, keeping up the pressure on the autocratic general-turned-president who has been in power for nearly 30 years. The activists said hundreds also took to the streets on Friday in the railway city of Atbara north of Khartoum, Obeid, in the western North Kordofan province, and Senar and Wad Madani south of the capital. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals. They said police used tear gas to disperse protesters in the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman, a traditional hotbed of dissent. There were no reports of casualties. Sudanese activists are demanding Omar Bashir, the country's President for 29 years, to step down. Credit:AP Friday's protests were the latest in a wave of demonstrations that began across much of Sudan on December 19, first against price rises and shortages but which later turned against Bashir, in power since a 1989 military coup he led. They coincide with worsening economic woes that saw a currency devaluation spiking prices, fuel shortages and a steep rise in the price of bread, a main fare for most Sudanese. 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 Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor As many as 2,946 tourists are stranded in due to heavy snowfall which is hindering vehicular movement, an official said on Saturday. "Heavy snowfall occurred in the upper reaches of Nathula, Changu, Ganeshtok and other places on Friday," he said. Around 400 tourist vehicles were stranded. The tourists are being evacuated through joint efforts of the Army, check-post police and General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF). According to him, troops had vacated their barracks to accommodate some tourists to ensure their safety throughout the night. The snow is being removed and the evacuation will start once the road is cleared. Vehicles will be moved with great precautions and tourists will be brought to Gangtok, the official said. "Presently, it is very cold and windy and the roads are dangerous for normal vehicles," he added. The on Saturday demanded a judicial probe into the December 3 Bulandshahar violence that led to killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, saying the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in was "shielding" the perpetrators. Expressing alarm over law and order situation in the state, chief Raj Babbar alleged that under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), "mobocracy was flourishing". "It has been nearly four weeks and the police are still clueless about the killers of Singh. Chief Minister Adityanath, at times sniff a political conspiracy and at times pats his own back, but has done nothing to catch the killers. "Bulandshahr is not an isolated incident. Ever since the BJP came to power, there have been numerous incidents where BJP leaders and their goons have threatened, humiliated and insulted and attacked police officers," Babbar told the media here. Pointing to the Adityanath focusing only on cow slaughter instead of probing Singh's killing, Babbar said only a judicial enquiry headed by either by a Supreme Court judge or the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice can provide justice and unravel the truth. "Since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, mobocracy has been steadily gaining grounds. There have been numerous incidents of violence and killings across the country but no action has been taken in any case. When the rulers give patronage to mobocracy, administration is rendered helpless," he said. Babbar pointed to the remarks of BJP MLA Devendra Singh to emphasise how the Adityanath regime was trying to shield Singh's killers. ALSO READ: Bulandshahr violence: BJP MLA claims cop Subodh Kumar shot himself in haste Singh, on Friday had claimed that "Inspector Subodh shot himself in haste when the mob got too aggressive". Claiming that under BJP rule there was complete anarchy in and women, as well as ordinary citizens were not safe, Babbar said the Adityanath government has lost the right to continue and demanded that a judicial probe be immediately ordered in to the Bulandshahr incident. To avoid repeat of the violence witnessed near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district on January 1, 2018 one year later, police have taken preventive action against over 1,200 people. The action includes barring some persons from entering the area and 'externment' (eviction from the district) of some others, senior police officials said here Saturday. Those who have been prohibited from visiting Koregaon Bhima and the surrounding area, 40 km from here, include right-wing Hindu leader Milind Ekbote and members of the left-leaning cultural group Kabir Kala Manch (KKM). Clashes had broken out on January 1, 2018 when Dalits visited Koregaon Bhima to commemorate 200th anniversary of the victory of the East India Company's forces -- which included Dalit Mahar soldiers -- over the Brahmin Peshwa's army. One person lost life in the violence. Dalits, who look upon the defeat of Peshwa's army as a symbol of their emancipation, visit the Jay Stambh (victory pillar) at the site on January 1 every year. Right-wing organisations had opposed the celebration of the British victory on its bicentennial anniversary last time. Addressing a joint press conference here, Pune rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil said "preventive action" has been taken against 1,211 people under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). It includes action against 64 people who have been barred from visiting the surrounding area, he said. Some of these people are facing serious cases in connection with the January 1 violence and "such people will be kept away from the event" this time, said the SP. ALSO READ: Bhima Koregaon violence: Cops file chargesheet in Elgar Parishad case Special Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur range) Vishwas Nangare-Patil and Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram also addressed the press conference. When asked if a notice has been served to another rightwing leader Sambhaji Bhide, who alongwith Ekbote is accused of instigating the violence of January 1, 2018, the police officials did not give any specific reply. A senior police officer said later that Ekbote and members of the KKM have been barred from visiting the area. Some members of the KKM are accused in the Elgar Parishad case. According to the police, provocativespeeches at the Parishad (conclave), funded by Maoists, on December 31, 2017 triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima the next day. ALSO READ: Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima violence a deep-rooted conspiracy: Bombay HC Six persons have been "externed" from the district, the officials said. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act has been invoked against a gang operating in the district. District collector Ram said that seven to ten lakh people are expected to visit the war memorial on January 1. The administration has held several meetings with local people and taken measures to create a "positive environment", he said. Nangare-Patil appealed people not to believe or spread rumours. Two months ago, several hate messages were making rounds on social media, following which the police took action against 45 people for spreading rumours, he said. Asked if Internet services will be suspended on January 1, he said it will depend on the situation. Police check posts have been set up along the border of Pune district, he said. Besides large-scale police deployment, 500 CCTV cameras, 11 drone cameras and 40 video cameras will monitor the area, he said. Not more than 500 Sikh pilgrims will be allowed per day through the and a database of the pilgrims with their travel history will be maintained, Pakistan has said in a draft agreement that it plans to send to the Indian Government for signing. In the agreement, Pakistan government has also said that a three -day prior information of the visiting pilgrims and security clearance by the Indian side will be needed before the entry of Sikh pilgrims through the planned According to the proposed agreement, which is widely circulated in the Pakistani media, Islamabad will reserve the rights to refuse entry into its territory, reduce the period of stay or terminate the stay of any pilgrim despite the grant of permit if it considers him/her a threat to the country or finds undesirable for security or other purposes. The draft also underlines that entry in Pakistan territory will be permit based and a passport is compulsory and the pilgrims will not be exempted from the obligation to respect laws and regulations of Pakistan after entering in its territory. "All laws must be respected not just concerning entry and exit," the proposal stated. The pilgrims will be subjected to several terms and condition including creation of a database which contains information about their names, travel history and other relevant information. The draft added that while the purpose of the agreement is to facilitate a visa-free travel, still India will have to give three-day prior information of the visiting pilgrims and they will need to Indian passports and individual security clearance issued by Government of India. ALSO READ: India stance on Pak to stay unchanged despite opening of Kartarpur corridor The agreement also proposes establishment of infrastructure on the both sides, including facilitation centres and counters for running security check and issuance of permits for the facilitation of the pilgrims. The proposal states that the corridor will remain open from 8 am to 5pm ever day. On November 28, Pakistan Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, it would allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539. A 15-member team of divers and 21 firefighters from Odisha have Meghalaya's Ksan village on Saturday to assist the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers in evacuating 15 miners who are trapped inside a flooded illegal coal pit for over two weeks now. The district administration has temporarily suspended pumping of water from the coal pit since December 24 with the two 25 horsepower pumps became ineffective due to continuous operations. Nevertheless, a rescue team dived inside the main shaft of the coal pit, but could not locate any of the miners. Surveyors and mining technical experts of Coal India Limited (CIL) began surveying the tragedy site before dewatering lakh gallons of water from the 370-feet coal pit. A project manager of Kirloskar Brothers Limited, told IANS that the India's leading pump manufacturing company has already dispatched 10 high-capacity pumping machines to the site. The CIL is also planning to airlift its high capacity submersible pumps of 100 horsepower each that can pump out 500 gallons of water per minute from various locations to Guwahati airport and thereby transporting by road to Ksan village in East Jaintia Hills district. NDRF's Assistant Commandant, Santosh Kumar Singh briefed Lieutenant Commander Khetwal, the team leader of the Divers and Sukant Sethi, Chief Fire Officer of Odisha Fire Services on the rescue operation conducted so far by and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescuers in the past 17 days. "I have updated them ( and Odisha Fire Services) on our rescue operations and the equipment, including SONAR system used by us to locate the trapped miners but it did yield positive results," Singh told IANS. ALSO READ: Odisha Fire Services team to help rescue miners trapped in Meghalaya Requisitioned by Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Odisha firefighters equipped with several high-tech equipment, including 10 high-power pumps reached the tragedy site after travelling 220 km from Guwahati airport. The biggest challenge for the rescuers to evacuate the trapped miners to the higher grounds from the day one of the rescue operations was the non-availability of the "mining map or blue print" with the district authorities. "We we don't have the mining map. This is going to be very tough challenge for all of us," General Manager of CIL's Northeastern Coalfields J. Borah told IANS. "Six of the eight submersible pumps of 100 horsepower each are on the way to the site from Nagpur, Bilsapaur, Dhanbad and Ranchi. We are also planning to airlift the pumping machines to Guwahati airport," Borah said. Meghalaya Police arrested Jrin alias Krip Chulet, the owner of the coal mine from Narwan village. Police said that a hunt is on to arrest the other members, including the manager of the illegal coal mine. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and sought immediate Central support to evacuate the trapped miners. Sangma had also promised that "appropriate action will be taken at appropriate time against the people who are involved in the illegal mining and this is not acceptable to us". As operation to rescue 15 trapped miners continue at the 370-foot-deep illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, a survivor of the December 13 accident said Saturday there is no way the trapped miners will come out alive. Sahib Ali, hailing from Assam's Chirang district, is one of the five men who narrowly escaped the flooding coal mine a fortnight ago. He said four others who made it alive had fled to their homes in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. "There were 22 of us who went in that day. I had worked for two weeks. Many are diggers who went to the farthest part of the mine. Some are cart pullers like me and we all work in synchronised manner in small holes that barely fit a big man," Ali told PTI over phone Saturday. He said four of those who escaped were the men who were tasked with loading coal into the metal box. Recounting the December 13 nightmare, Ali said," all men started work early at about 5 am. By about 7 am, the entire mine was full of water." "I was about 5 to 6 feet inside the mine pulling a cart full of coal. For some unknown reasons, I could feel a breeze inside the mine which was unusual. What followed was big sound of water gushing in. I barely made it to the opening of the pit," Ali said. "There is no way the trapped men will be alive. How long can a person hold his breath underwater?," he added. Going by Ali's story, at least 17 people are still trapped inside the illegal coal pit as only five narrowly escaped the flooding mine out of the 22 men who went in. "My only hope is to see that their bodies pulled out and last rites be carried out as per traditions," a sobbing Ali said. ALSO READ: Navy divers join firefighters in rescue operation for Meghalaya miners On December 13, he spent the entire day at the flooded mine and slept in a nearby active coal mine in the night, he said. The ill-fated mine is roughly 370 feet and as of December 29, the rescue officials have calculated that about 170 feet is full of water, an official said. In Lumthari village where Ali and his fellow miners went to work, coal is found roughly between 200-500 feet underneath the ground. Asked on what prompted him to go and work in the dangerous coal mines of Meghalaya, Ali said the mines promised a big amount of money at the end of the week. "I earn between Rs 800-1500 on a full day of work at the mine. I had in mind that I will work for sometime only and return home," he said. ALSO READ: Odisha Fire Services team to help rescue miners trapped in Meghalaya Family members of at least 7 trapped miners, hailing from West Garo Hills district of the state, have already given up hope to rescue their kins alive and requested the government to retrieve the bodies for the last rites. Shohor Ali who hails from Magurmari village in West Garo Hills district and whose son, brother and son-in-law were among the victims at Lumthari village, told PTI, "We have lost all hope to see them alive. I just wanted the authorities to help retrieve the dead bodies for their last rites." The three were allegedly lured to the coal mines at Lumthari as it involves bigger wages and on an average each miner gets paid Rs 2000 per day, he said. Kins of four other victims also did not sound optimistic of seeing their dear ones alive Shohar Ali was among the first people who came to know of the accident when he received a call within minutes when the mine was flooded. One of the 5 persons who narrowly escaped the flooded mine called him up to inform of the accident. Ali in turn called up his MLA (Rajabala constituency) Azad Aman to find out about the accident and who later called up the SP of the district to verify. It took the police several hours before finally locating the place where the accident took place, the MLA said. In all, 7 persons from Rajabala in West Garo Hills district, 3 from Lumthari village itself, and the other 5 from Assam have been confirmed to have been trapped inside the ill-fated mine. The state government had announced a Rs 100,000 interim relief on December 22 to the family members of each of the 15 miners trapped and feared dead, 10 days after the accident took place. Chief Minister on Friday announced the setting up of an advisory board to enable detention of drug smugglers for a year without trial. He also announced creation of a separate drugs division under the state health department to centralise and synergise the de-addiction efforts of the government and private centres. The measures are among a series of fresh initiatives announced by the chief minister to take his government's fight against drugs to the next level, an official spokesperson said after a meeting to review the functioning of the special task force (STF), which was set up to wipe out the menace of drugs from the state. The proposed advisory board will be constituted under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic of the NDPS Act. The state government had decided a month ago to invoke the stringent law that allows detention of suspected narcotics smugglers up to a year without trial and attachment of properties of proclaimed offenders. has asked Nirmal Singh Kalsi, the additional chief secretary of the department home affairs and justice, to work out the modalities in this regard, according to the official spokesperson. Kalsi has also been asked to convene coordination meetings with the enforcement agencies of neighbouring states to check cross-border smuggling of drugs into The chief minister announced at the meeting that officers posted in the respective police stations will now be held directly accountable, the spokesperson said. Stressing on the need to centralise and integrate the various functions involved in promoting de-addiction, the chief minister said the drug division in the health department would oversee the opening of new drug centres, issuance of licences to private de-addiction centres and distribution of necessary drugs in government hospitals. The division will be headed by a secretary. has further asked the additional chief secretary of health, Satish Chandra, to simplify the licensing procedure for private de-addiction centres. The chief minister directed STF chief Mohammad Mustafa to regularly update him on the progress of the anti-drug campaign. He also asked Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar and Kalsi to hold a meeting every fortnight to review the progress. The chief minister asked the deputy commissioners, commissioners of police, inspector generals of police of different ranges, senior superintendents of police and the STF to undertake regular field visits, especially in rural and border areas, for reviewing the progress and seeking feedback from the common people. Mustafa said at the meeting that the STF, district police and the state special operation cell had arrested 13,756 people till December 24, 2018, and recovered 381-kg heroin, 370-kg opium and 38,739-kg poppy husk, besides the seizure of 60,805 injections and 76.77-lakh capsules. Satish Chandra apprised the meeting that 166outpatient opioid-assisted treatment clinics were functional across the state, where 59,993 patients had been registered and as many as 56,380 re-visited the clinics, thus registering a retention rate of 93.97 percent. The number of such centres would be increased to 200 by the end of March 2019, he added. Four militants were killed Saturday in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, the Army said. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Hanjan area Saturday morning after receiving specific information about the presence of militants there, an Army official said. The search operation turned into an encounter after the ultras opened fire at the search party, who retaliated. Four militants were killed in the gunfight. Weapons and other warlike stores were found at the encounter site, the official said. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants was being ascertained, he said. The search and sanitisation operation is underway. US national security advisor John Bolton said Friday he would visit and to coordinate on Syria, after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US forces. Bolton said he would head in January to both -- which has enthusiastically backed Trump's sudden move -- as well as Israel, a close US ally where the pullout has caused concern. "We will discuss our continued work confronting security challenges facing allies and partners in the region, including the next phase of the fight against ISIS, as the US begins to bring troops home from Syria," Bolton tweeted. Trump last week unexpectedly said he was pulling all 2,000 troops from Syria, declaring that the United States had achieved its objective as the extremist movement had been "knocked" out. Islamic State, also known as ISIS, has lost nearly all of its territory, although thousands of its jihadists are thought to remain in war-battered Syria. The United States, meanwhile, robustly defended Israel's right to strike inside Syria after criticism from Russia, which backs President Bashar al-Assad and will see its clout grow with the US pullout. Moscow condemned Israel's alleged Tuesday missile strikes near Damascus, the latest of hundreds of raids says are aimed at Iranian forces and their Hezbollah allies. "The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against the Iranian regime's aggressive adventurism, and we will continue to ensure that has the military capacity to do so decisively," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement. "The commitment of the Trump administration and the American people to ensuring Israel's security is both enduring and unshakable," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been delighted by Trump's hard line on Iran and landmark move of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, but the pullout from Syria has caused unease concern in the Jewish state. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to meet next week in Brazil with Netanyahu in the wake of the Syria pullout decision, which triggered the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis. China has opened the door to imports of rice from the United States for the first time ever in what analysts took to signal a warming of relations between the world's two biggest economies after a frosty year marked by tensions and tit-for-tat tariffs. The green light from Chinese customs, indicated in a statement posted on the customs authority's website on Friday, comes in the run-up to talks between the countries in January after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a moratorium on higher tariffs that would affect trade worth hundred of ... President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to close the southern US border with Mexico unless he gets the money he wants for a wall, raising the stakes in a standoff that will present an immediate test next week for the new US Congress. When Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, they plan to quickly approve a spending measure meant to end a partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22, triggered by Trumps demand for $5 billion in funding for his proposed wall. Democrats have made clear that the House measure, ... US President on Friday threatened to close the southern border amid an ongoing partial government shutdown, resuming his push for the funding of a long-promised US-Mexico border wall. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall and also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Trump tweeted on Friday morning, reports Xinhua. "We build a Wall or close the Southern Border," the president said, accusing Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador of "taking advantage" of his country for years." "No end in sight to the President's government shutdown," Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois tweeted Thursday. "He's taken our government hostage over his outrageous demand for a $5 billion border wall that would be both wasteful and ineffective." Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, tweeted on Thursday, "Democrats have offered Republicans three options to re-open government that all include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security -- but not the President's immoral, ineffective and expensive wall." The US Senate convened briefly Thursday afternoon before adjourning until next week, with no signs of a deal to end the budget impasse that has shut down a quarter of the federal government. The upper chamber will convene on Monday, December 31, for a pro forma session only, and then return to the Capitol Hill to renew budget deliberations on Wednesday, January 2, a day before Democrats are set to take control of the House. "We will vote swiftly to reopen government and show that Democrats will govern responsibly in stark contrast to this chaotic White House," Pelosi, the incoming House Speaker, has said in a statement. In an earlier tweet, Trump accused the Democrats of opposing his border wall just for political gain. "This is only about the Dems not letting and the Republicans have a win," he said. Trump's approval rating dropped slightly to 44 per cent in December amid the shutdown, a two-point fall from last month, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey, The Hill reported on Friday. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday, 47 per cent of Americans hold the president responsible for the shutdown, while 33 per cent blame Democrats in Congress. Seven percent of Americans blame congressional Republicans. The shutdown, currently in its seventh day, has affected nine federal agencies, forcing about 420,000 federal employees, who are deemed essential, to work without pay, while 380,000 are expected to take unpaid leave. The Environmental Protection Agency, which had enough funding to remain open for a week after the shutdown, is prepared to begin furloughing employees midnight Friday, US media reported. Coast Guard officials said earlier this week that they need emergency legislation by the end of Friday in order to process paychecks on time for their regular release on January 1. The Office of Personnel Management issued draft letters Thursday for federal employees to hold off creditors during the shutdown. The office's guidance suggests that workers call their landlord, mortgage company or creditor to speak about their situation before sending a letter. The Smithsonian, which has been operating on prior-year funds, said Thursday that all of its museums, research centers and the National Zoo will close starting January 2 unless the stalemate is resolved. Trump has cancelled his New Year's plans in order to stay in Washington DC until a deal over border wall funding is reached, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told "Fox & Friends" on Friday. --IANS vc As many as 15 Taliban fighters were killed in Afghan forces operations here, stated local officials on Saturday. Tolo News quoted Herat governor's spokesman Jailani Farhad as stating that the operation was conducted in Zarkoh district where 15 Taliban militants including nine commanders of the group were killed. He also said that Taliban's shadow district governor Mullah Abdulrahman, along with his five fighters, were killed in a separate airstrike in Ghorian district. Different parts of the Obe and Pashtun Kot districts were cleared of Taliban, Farhad asserted. However, the Taliban is yet to comment on the report. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Giving a dramatic twist in the Rs 36-billion AgustaWestland chopper deal case, the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday brought in the name of 'Mrs Gandhi' and 'big man R', an apparent reference to and her son Rahul Gandhi, in a special court when it got a seven-day extension of custody of British Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the deal. Citing from a note of Michel, the agency, however, did not specify who the "Mrs Gandhi" or 'big man R' it was referring to. During arguments, the ED counsel L.D. Singh also referred to Michel saying "big man 'R', son of an Italian lady who is going to be the next Prime Minister in a communication between Michel and AgustaWestland," an apparent reference to Congress President "We need to decipher the documents to decrypt such codes," the counsel said. In its remand application, the agency claimed that during interrogation on Thursday, Michel gave his lawyer a "folded paper" which the lawyer hid under his mobile phone. This incident took place when a medical team had come to check Michel's health when his lawyer was also present. "During the medical examination, Christian Michel stood up and turned towards his advocate Aljo Joseph standing next to him and acted like shaking hands with the advocate and saying him good-bye and extended his hands for handshake. "It was noticed that Michel secretly handed over a folded paper to his counsel Joseph. Joseph was carrying his mobile phone under which he hide the folded paper and put it discreetly in pocket of his jacket and acted as if nothing took place," reads the ED remand paper. ALSO READ: AgustaWestland case: Christian Michel's CBI custody extended by 4 days The remand paper said "immediately after the incident was noticed by the Deputy Director present in the room that Michel has handed over a paper to his counsel". "On this, counsel Joseph was asked to give the paper back. He took out a folded paper from his jacket and returned the same to Ms Ramanjit Kaur. On perusal of the same, it was found that it was having the typed form of questions to be asked on it. "The paper was then handed over to Naresh Malik, Assistant Director ED. Perusal of the folded paper revealed that it pertained to a set of questions with regard to follow up questions on 'Mrs Gandhi'. It is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield and or to tamper the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused. "The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused and needs to be discontinued henceforth," it said. However, the court allowed continued legal assistance to Michel, though the timing was reduced to 15 minutes from 30 minutes both in the morning and the evening. The ED said Michel's custody was needed as an investigation was still to be conducted with regard to the places where the meetings between him and other people used to take place with regard to the proceeds of crime and money trail to decipher the voluminous documents, confrontation with other persons and with documents. The agency also said the questionnaire, which has already been prepared for investigation by the Investigating Officer, has not yet been completely answered by Michel. How he was able to access classified information protected under the Official Secrets Act also needed to be probed, it said. Michel's lawyer Joseph submitted that he was in custody for a long time and already sufficient time was given to ED to complete the probe. "The accused is suffering from dyslexia. So putting a number of questions for hours together to the accused is unnecessary harassment. A request is made that the custody of the accused may not be extended to the ED." Vacation Judge Chandra Shekhar said that it was in the interest of justice to extend Michel's ED custody for a further seven days as voluminous documents were required to be put to the accused. Enforcement Directorate on Saturday told a Delhi court that Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, had named 'Mrs Gandhi', but did not specify in which context the reference was made. ED informed the court that Michel had taken Mrs Gandhi's name but in what reference can't be affirmed right now. "He has also spoken about "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country"," told ED's counsel to the court. The court later sent Michel to seven-day remand. The court's decision came following ED's demand to probe further about the 'big man' referred to as 'R'. ED argued that there was a need to confront Michel with others to decode some portions of the communications. "We need to decipher who the "big man" referred to as "R" is in the communication between Christian Michel and other people. We need to confront Michel with other people to decipher who "the big man" or "R" is," said ED's counsel. ED told the court that Michel had identified how Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was removed from the deal and the deal was offered to Tata instead. ED also sought an order to ban Michel's lawyer's access alleging he is being tutored. Arguing on the charges, Michel's lawyer Aljo K Joseph told the court that they won't dispute that he (Christian Michel) had handed them the papers, but it's the fault of the ED that they allowed it to happen. Michel's lawyer also informed the court that his client had a query regarding something and how legal response needs to be given. "He tried to give us something, we didn't see what it was, it was immediately pointed out that he was slipping us a paper and paper was taken away," said Joseph. After hearing the day's arguments, the court also ordered Michel's lawyers to maintain a distance while meeting him. The court also restricted the time limit of lawyers to meet Michel to 15 minutes every morning and evening. The AgustaWestland helicopter deal finalised during the previous government headed by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got mired in the allegations of kickbacks. According to the ED charge sheet, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law, Aparna Yadav, has welcomed the passing of Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha stating that it is a major move by the government adding that the bill should also be passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill which proposes to make the practice of instant Triple Talaq an offence under the Indian Penal Code with the provision of three-year jail term for the erring husband. While talking to ANI on Friday, Arpana praised the Centre's effort in passing the Bill in Lok Sabha. She further stressed that if we will look at Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), we will find that women are not safe in our country, especially in Uttar Pradesh. Not only women, but even men should also be aware of the laws and punishment meant for women protection. Notably, the Triple Talaq bill was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court termed unconstitutional the law that allowed Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering the word "talaq" three times in quick succession. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Army has rescued around 2500 tourists who were stuck near the India-China border in Sikkim's Nathu La due to heavy snowfall. The tourists including women and children who were stranded between the 17 Mile area and Nathu La in Sikkim have now been provided food, shelter and warm clothes by the Army, a Defence Ministry official said. "300 to 400 civil vehicles were stranded near 17 Mile carrying over 2500 tourists who were returning after visiting Nathu La Pass along the Indo-China border. The Indian Army immediately swung into action to provide rescue and relief to the stranded tourists including food, shelter, warm clothing and medicines," the official said. 1500 tourists have been accommodated at 17 Mile, while the remaining tourists were shifted to 13 Mile. The Indian Army has also provided two sets of JCBs and Dozers of BRO for snow clearance and restoration of road connectivity. As per Indian Army, the evacuation operation will continue till all stranded tourists are safely moved out towards Gangtok. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight people have been arrested from different parts of the capital city for allegedly spreading rumours regarding the 11th general election. According to Dhaka Tribune, they were allegedly spreading fake news on social media platforms. The suspects were arrested on Friday from Moghbazar and Mouchak areas by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). A team of RAB2 conducted raids in the areas and arrested the suspects in connection with the case, stated an SMS issued on Saturday. Video making equipment, laptops and mobile phones were also seized from their possession. Security in the south-Asian nation has been beefed up ahead of the general election which is scheduled for December 30. Armed forces have been deployed in 389 'upazilas' or administrative region till January 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dhaka [Bangladesh], Dec 29 (ANI): If the predictions are not in the end proved wrong, Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League, in alliance with a few small parties, will win a third consecutive term in power at the general election on Sunday. The Prime Minister and her supporters are in buoyant mood not merely because they are confident of gaining a fresh five-year term in office but also because of the undeniable economic progress the government has presided over in the decade since January 2009. Massive infrastructure projects as well as programmes aimed at lifting people out of poverty have in the past decade injected a growing sense of satisfaction among the population, a reality which even foreign governments have grudgingly appeared to acknowledge. In the campaign leading up to the election, Sheikh Hasina and her party have consistently emphasized continuity, warning that if the Opposition, symbolized largely by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of the currently jailed former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, were to return to office, all development works would come to a screeching halt. The political opposition to the government, now shaped around the personality of the elderly Dr. Kamal Hossain in the form of the Jatiyo Oikya Front or National Unity Front, certainly has no arguments with the economic aspects of Sheikh Hasina's leadership over the past ten years. But what it has been focusing on is the authoritarian nature, as it sees it, of the government in suppressing dissent and jailing hundreds of Opposition activists. Kamal Hossain remains a respected political veteran in Bangladesh, having served in his younger days as constitutional advisor to the country's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina's father, before taking over as Law Minister and then as Foreign Minister in his government. In the early 1980s, Hossain was instrumental in bringing Hasina back home from exile in India, where she had been living since the assassination of most of her family in a violent coup in August 1975, and seeing her take over as the chief of a faction-ridden Awami League. By the 1990s, though, Hossain and Hasina went for a parting of the ways over political differences. In recent years, Kamal Hossain has been a strident critic of what he perceives to be Sheikh Hasina's undemocratic means of pursuing in the country. Now 82, Kamal Hossain heads an Opposition alliance which, under present conditions, struggles to keep itself in the election against a mighty, even intimidating Awami League machine determined to seize victory at the polling stations. Hossain has of course had much flak coming his way because within his alliance is the BNP, whose period of misrule and distortion of national history is a baggage it has carried for years without any demonstration of contrition. Making matters embarrassing for Hossain is that the BNP has handed out nominations to as many as 25 candidates from the Jamaat-e-Islami, a political party notorious for its active collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army during Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971 and responsible for the abduction and murder of scores of leading Bengalis in various professions on the eve of victory in December 1971. In a recent interview with an Indian newspaper, Hossain made it known that had he been aware the Jamaat would be given nominations, he would not have provided leadership to the Opposition alliance. That said, the Opposition faces an uphill battle in the elections. Khaleda Zia currently serves time in prison after her conviction for corruption. Her son Tarique Zia, who has been in exile in London for the past decade, has also been convicted for corruption. The BNP, which boycotted the election in January 2014, is thus without its dynastic leadership in this year's election, the task for keeping the party's hopes alive falling to party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The Opposition through Kamal Hossain and Alamgir have been urging people to make their way to the polling stations despite all the impediments put in their way by the authorities and cause what they have called a vote revolution. For their part, the authorities have placed severe restrictions on the movement of all forms of vehicles on Election Day, raising the very valid question of how voters will make their way to the polling stations. Road transport between Dhaka and the outlying districts will remain suspended till after the elections. In a nutshell, the election pits the ruling Awami League, with its claims of having engineered remarkable economic progress in the past ten years, against the Opposition National Unity Front, with its emphasis on the violation of human rights and political dissent by what it considers an authoritarian government. An optimistic Awami League has its sights on forming a new government once the election is over. The Opposition waits for a miracle to happen, one that will propel it to power. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad alias Ravan, would be holding a rally in the Jambori Maidan here on Saturday, despite police orders that have denied from granting his request. Azad will be visiting the Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai, a memorial dedicated to B.R. Ambedkar, the founder of the Indian Constitution, after which he was scheduled to hold a rally here ahead of the anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon on January 1. The Mumbai police have beefed up security in Chaitya Bhoomi ahead of the scheduled rally by the Bhim activists tomorrow. The Bhim Army chief, who was sent to jail, on June 8, last year in connection with 2017 Saharanpur caste violence case was released from the prison on September 14. He was booked under Security Act (NSA) charges. Ravan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) from Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie for inciting caste clashes in different areas of Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district. After coming outside the jail, Ravan had further said that he will urge people to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power in 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) vice president Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha along with over 1200 supporters, including workers and leaders joined Janata Dal (United) on Friday in Patna. ' Kushwaha and his supporters joined the JD(U) in the presence of party state unit chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh and Education Minister Krishnandan Prasad Verma. Adressing media on the occasion, Bashishtha Narayan Singh said: "We welcome Kushwaha's entry. There were several issues raised by Kushwaha while working for RLSP and when his voice wasn't heard, along with over 1200 supporters and 35 state committee members, he decided to quit RLSP and join JD(U)." Kushwaha said, "We will work under the leadership of Nitish Kumar and put our best to bring prosperity and development in the state." Notably, it is an important move which comes a few days after the Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced its seat-sharing pact in Bihar for forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Interestingly, there are 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Both BJP and JD(U) will contest elections on 17 seats each and the remaining 6 seats will be contested by the candidates of Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran U.S. Army Colonel, Lawrence Sellin, has expressed concerns over growing economic and military alliance between Pakistan and China. Sellin, who has served in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Africa, said that Americans need to recognise that Pakistan is not a friend of the United States, but a staunch ally of China. "The threat is from China in the form of the Pakistani-Chinese alliance. China's aim is to dominate South Asia, first economically based on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and then militarily using its alliance with Pakistan to establish military bases on the Balochistan coast. Those bases would provide a critical link between China's military facilities in the South China Sea and its naval base in Djibouti at the entrance of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal" Sellin told ANI. "Chinese naval and air bases on the Balochistan coast would control the vital sea lanes of the Arabian Sea and northern Indian Ocean and threaten another strategic chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz. A successful implementation of the Chinese-Pakistani plan would mean isolation of India, which is not at all advantageous to the international order," he added. Sellin believes Pakistan's target is to make CPEC project, the flagship of China's Belt and Road Initiative, as successful, which is why Balochistan is a strategic centre of gravity. Since the launch of multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, there has been a sudden rise in the human rights violations in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "The human rights violations against the Baloch are a global-scale abomination. It originates from official Pakistani state policy to suppress ethnic self-determination. Pakistan is the Yugoslavia of South Asia, a collection of ethnic areas that never significantly interacted, cobbled together after the partition of British India to form a state using religion as a basis of identity", said the U.S. Army veteran. "The policy for societal cohesion, largely promoted by the Pakistani military, has been opposition to India and additional "Islamization," the latter being accelerated by Zia ul Haq starting in the late 1970s and fueled by the Iranian Revolution of 1979," he added. "Ethnic suppression has been conducted either directly by the Pakistani military and intelligence service, the ISI, or through proxies, mainly Islamic extremist groups and common criminals. The campaign of oppression has been widely used against the Baloch, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Muharjirs, Hazaras and religious minorities", said Sellin. He strongly criticized Pakistan for targeting ethnic minorities and providing safe haven to dreaded terrorists. "The Taliban and Haqqani Network are multinational proxies of Pakistan employed to wage war against Afghanistan in order to make it a client state of Pakistan. Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba are terrorist groups given safe haven in Pakistan and used as instruments of Pakistani foreign policy". Sellin believes that instability in Afghanistan is the creation of Pakistan. "Former chiefs of the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI, and some Pakistani politicians have admitted and sometimes bragged that they created the Taliban. After the U.S. and NATO invasion of Afghanistan, most of the Taliban fled and were given safe haven in Pakistan. The Taliban are not solely Afghan or Pashtun. At the time of the invasion, it was reported that most of the Taliban were Pakistani nationals. Since then, the Taliban have maintained a huge support infrastructure inside Pakistan for housing, training, command and control, financing and medical treatment, for example, reportedly in the Quetta Civil Hospital and private clinics", said the Afghan war veteran. "It has been a tough and inconclusive fight for the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan for reasons including Pakistani support for the Taliban; Pakistani control of the supply routes to Afghanistan; and the U.S. and NATO mistakenly conducting a counter insurgency operation in Afghanistan when it was actually a proxy war waged by Pakistan", said Sellin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Saturday asserted that alleged middleman in VVIP chopper scam, Christian Michel's revelation about the 'son of Italian lady', 'big man' and 'R' to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), pointed towards the Gandhi family. Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate told a Delhi court that Michel had named 'Mrs Gandhi', but did not specify in which context the reference was made. "He has also spoken about "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country." Union Minister Prakash Javadekar claimed that Congress was a "government of corruption" that compromised the country's interests. "Revelations by ED shows that there is 'son of Italian lady', 'big man' and 'R' involved. It points towards a family. Congress was a government of corruption that compromised with security," Javadekar told reporters here. Echoing similar sentiments, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that truth was revealed and alleged that the top leaders of Congress were now embroiled in corruption. Training his guns at the Congress, Prasad told ANI: "Today, Christian Michel has taken Sonia Gandhi's name in AgustaWestland case in front of investigating authority. Rahul Gandhi's name has also been taken. Today the truth has been revealed. Congress is involved in so many scams and their top leaders are now embroiled in corruption. The country wants an answer." The court has sent Michel to a seven-day ED remand. The decision came following ED's demand to probe further about the 'big man' referred to as 'R'. The AgustaWestland helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government headed by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, got mired in the allegations of kickbacks. According to the ED charge sheet, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three employees of a casino here were held hostage for days and brutally thrashed owing to an alleged discrepancy of over Rs 1.80 crore in the accounts, claimed Congress party on Saturday. Addressing a presser here, Congress MLA Nilkanth Haldankar claimed that the three staffers at Casino Strike were kept hostage in a room from December 16 to 20 before the police rescued them. Demanding a home ministry-led probe, Haldankar said: "While the police are quick to act in Tarun Tejpal case, why are they slow now?" Haldankar further alleged that the police was bribed by the casino management to let them go scot free. He demanded justice for the three employees. One of the hostages from the casino, Chandan Pant, who is a resident of Nepal denied any wrongdoings and threatened to file a complaint in his country if the Goa government did not give him justice. Stressing that he was rescued by Panaji and Agaciam police in a joint operation, Pant alleged: "We were held captive and beaten up mercilessly by casino management. They alleged that I was involved in some 1.83 crore scam". "The management forced me to give an undertaking before the police that I have no complaint against them," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He also said that "thieves" had lost their sleep since he was acting as a "chowkidar"(guard) and that he would be ensuring that such people reach their "rightful" place. He was addressing a rally here after laying foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postage stamp on king Suheldev. Modi said his government was committed to uplift the poor and the farmers while others were eyeing "instant political benefits" by offering "lollipops" like loan waivers. "To get votes, lucrative promises are made," he said. "What kind of promises are being made? For instant political benefits, promises are made, decisions are taken. But these can't be permanent solution (to the problem)," the prime minister said, clearly referring to the loan waiver announced by the newly-formed Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. "Even before the 2009 (Lok Sabha) polls, they (then Congress government at the Centre) offered lollipop like loan waiver," he said. "After the (UPA) government was formed (again), how much (farm loan) was waived? They gave only, only, only Rs 60,000 crore against the promise of Rs 6 lakh crore," Modi said. "Was your loan waived? Did you get money into your accounts? Will you believe such people, such lollipops, such people who cheat the public," the prime minister asked. He said the CAG had later observed that many of those given waiver may not have been farmers. "Who got benefit of such loan waiver? Not farmers at least... Your money was stolen," Modi said. "Many were not even given certificates (about loan waiver) and their interest continued to mount and farmers continued to suffer," he charged. He said the previous Congress-led UPA government did not even implement the Swaminathan Commission report which has recommendations for addressing the farming sector woes. "The Congress sat on it (the report). Had the Commission report been implemented 11 years back, there would have been no need for loan waiver," Modi said. "So beware of loan waiver promises made by such people, "he added. Referring to Madhya Pradesh, Modi said soon after the government changed there, there have been queues for urea and baton charge on those wanting to buy urea. "Loan waiver was also promised in Karnataka where the Congress formed government through the back door. Shall I tell you how many farmers got the waiver? Only 800 when it was promised to lakhs of voters," he alleged. In Karnataka, the Congress, despite emerging as the single largest party in the Assembly polls held earlier this year, allowed its smaller ally JD(S) to form the government there. Modi said his government was implementing programmes, including bringing innovation in the farm sector, which are aimed at empowering the farmers and other sections of the society. The BJP government's programmes are for listening to the farmers and benefiting the entire society, he said. "Yeh chowkidar bahut imandari se, bahut lagan se, din raat kaam kar raha hai. Aap apna vishwas rakho (this guard is working day and night with full honesty and commitment. Keep your faith)," the prime minister said. "Iss chowkidar ki wajeh se, choron ki neend ud gayi hai (because of this guard, the thieves have lost their sleep), he added. He asked people to keep faith in him as he promised to ensure that "the thieves are taken to their rightful place". Later addressing a meeting in Varanasi, the Prime Minister said for cleaning Ganga, the intentions of the government should also be clean. "We are doing this task of cleaning the Ganga with full honesty and clean intentions... When the governments work with full transparency and involve the people, then only it can ensure positive results," he said. He took a dig at the governments of the past saying that the people are aware that how they had come up with several projects ranging from the Ganga Action Plan to the Ganga Basin Authority in which several thousand crores were wasted. He said the scientists have now given a report after testing the Ganga water in which they have stated that the pollution levels in the river have come down drastically and his government's Namami Gange project is taking the country closer towards a cleaner Ganga. He said due to government efforts, one can see the reports that the number of fish and crocodiles are increasing in the river and expressed happiness that his government's efforts are now producing results. Taking up the issues of artisans and small businesses, the Prime Minister said to ensure that they get maximum out of their business, the government has eradicated middlemen from there. "People must be feeling bad (about removing middlemen)... But even if we have to suffer, we will make sure that we eradicate middlemen from this country," the Prime Minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has come across cases of sexual abuse at a private shelter home for girls in capital's Dwarka. Divulging the gory details, DCW chief Swati Maliwal told ANI that the staffers at the shelter home abused the girls by administering chilli powder in their private parts as punishment. "DCW along with the Delhi Police conducted a surprise inspection of shelter homes in Delhi. In one of the shelter homes in Dwarka area, we were completely shocked to know that little girls were tortured and beaten up by the shelter home staff. Chilli powder was put into the private parts of two girls who were barely six-seven years of age, to scare and punish them," said Maliwal. She demanded stringent action against the NGO which is running the organisation. She also called for revamping the entire staff employed at the house. This comes a day after an expert committee set up by the DCW visited a private shelter home for minor girls in the capital. Cases under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act have been registered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The panel headed by former Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General (retired) DS Hooda has recommended that the Army and the Air Force should sort out their issues such as the ownership of attack helicopter and utilisation of air defence assets which are common for both the services in a big way. Lt Gen Hooda had overseen the surgical strikes conducted across the Line of Control (LoC) in 2016. "The way information warfare is being carried out against us and the way it is emerging on a global scale, the Hooda panel has suggested that the Army and defence forces set up specialised information warfare units in the areas where we are carrying out counter-insurgency operations," sources who have dealt with Lt Gen Hooda's report, told ANI. Lt Gen Hooda submitted his report to the NSAB recently and held discussions with the members of the NSAB including noted China expert Lt Gen SL Narasimhan about 10 days ago. The panel was set up by the government based on the recommendation of Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra about five months ago and utilise Lt Gen Hooda's expertise for carrying out a study on the restructuring of the armed forces. Sources said the panel has recommended that the Army should set up these specialised information warfare units on an experimental basis and evolve them as per the output received from their operations. Lt Gen Hooda has also suggested restructuring of the cyber warfare operations. He has also recommended scaling down the size of regular Army by about 20 per cent and instead, have a reserve Army which can be called upon for warfighting in case of conflicts. Four different studies on force restructuring have been initiated by the Army Chief. The studies that aim to set up a lean and mean fighting unit may curtail around 50,000 soldiers. The panel has also suggested for a better utilisation of the Army Special Forces which are generally used for tactical operations against terrorists in both Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeastern states. Sources said the report by Lt Gen Hooda has also been shown to the Army headquarters including Army Chief General Bipin Rawat along with the senior leadership of the force including Director Generals of Military Operations, Perspective Planning, and Military Intelligence to discuss the changes suggested by him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a passenger in Shamshabad here on Friday carrying 20 kilogram of gold plates coated with silver hidden in a microwave oven. The investigation was carried out on specific intelligence along with the help of state police and DRI officers. The accused passenger had come to India by Oman Airlines Flight Number WY-0239 from Dubai on December 27. Further examination in the case concluded that 46 gold plates coated with silver were fixed in the transformer of a microwave oven which the accused was carrying. After melting the plates, 2045 grams of gold was recovered. Inquiries revealed that the passenger received the microwave oven at Dubai, which was to be handed over to an unknown person in Hyderabad. The gold was smuggled into the country by concealing it in the micro-oven as the accused did not carry any documents to prove the licit purchase of the said gold. A total of 2045 grams of gold valued at Rs. 66,05,350 has been seized under Customs Act, 1962. The passenger has been apprehended and further investigation is still underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Families of four Hyderabadi youth stranded in Malaysia for last 10 months have sought help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for their return. The four stranded in Malaysia are Syed Zubair Ur Rehman, Ravindra, Asif and Venkateshwarlu. Elder brother of Syed Zubair Ur Rehman, Syed Ubaid told ANI: "Syed Zubair is a mechanical engineer and was looking for a job along with his friends. Meanwhile, the four met a travel agent named Rajender Naik, who offered them jobs in Malaysia. They all accepted the offer as they were promised a monthly income of INR 75,000 each. For this, the agent had taken Rs 2 lakh each from them and sent them Malaysia on March 12, 2018." Elaborating on the whole incident and how his brother along with three friends were tricked by the agent, Ubaid said, "Surprisingly, when they landed in Malaysia, they came to know that they were deceived by the agent and they were sent to Malaysia on visiting visas and their visas were not converted into job visas as the agent promised them before departing for Malaysia. It's been around ten months and they are still stranded there without any employment, due to which, they don't even have access to proper food." Talking about the trap set by the agent, Ubaid stated, "They all have been harassed by the agent, who has also taken their passports in his custody." "We tried to approach the agent several times but he gave us no proper response and when we reached local police, the agent threatened my brother and his friends, stating that he will never send them back to India," he said further. Ubaid also informed that the families of four have written a joint letter to Swaraj seeking their rescue and immediate action against the agent. Speaking to ANI, brother of Ravindra, Sai Charan asserted: "The four have been cheated by the agent and now facing difficulties in a foreign land as their visas have already expired." Notably, the four victims have also shot a video from Malaysia appealing Swaraj to rescue them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One witness, Miguel Angel Martinez, told the jurors that Mr. Calderoni provided Mr. Guzman with secret information on an almost daily basis, including an invaluable tip in the early 1990s that the United States government had built a radar installation on the Yucatan Peninsula to track his drug flights from Colombia. Mr. Martinez also testified that Mr. Calderoni once informed Mr. Guzman that the Mexican authorities had discovered a smuggling tunnel he had dug beneath the Arizona border. Before the police could raid the tunnel, Mr. Guzman was able to make off with a huge supply of cocaine. But as useful as he was to the kingpins operation, Mr. Calderoni met a violent end. In 2003, a gunman approached his silver Mercedes, as it sat parked on a street in McAllen, Tex., and shot him in the head. The authorities have never identified his killer. Mexico is not the only country to emerge from the trial with its reputation stained. Last month, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia , one of Mr. Guzmans Colombian suppliers, appeared in Federal District Court in Brooklyn and admitted to having paid off everyone from journalists to tax officials in his country. A former chief of the North Valley drug cartel, Mr. Ramirez calmly told the jurors that an entire wing of his organization was devoted to doling out payments. Its impossible to be the leader of a drug cartel in Colombia without having corruption, he explained. They go hand in hand. The list of those who took his money was impressive: prison guards, border agents, lawyers and several officers with Colombias national police. Mr. Ramirez boasted from the stand that in 1997, he spent more than $10 million bribing what amounted to the entire Colombian Congress to change the countrys extradition laws in his favor. He also claimed to have paid as much as $500,000 to Ernesto Samper, the former president of Colombia, when he was running for office. US commanders have recommended to the Pentagon that Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State in Syria be allowed to keep US-supplied weapon after the exit of US troops from the regions, say reports. According to Sputnik, at least four White House officials have confirmed that the recommendations were part of discussions on a draft plan by the US military. However, it is unclear whether White House would implement it. "It would be inappropriate to discuss the disposition of weapons at this time. Planning is ongoing, and focused on executing a deliberate and controlled withdrawal of forces while taking all measures possible to ensure our troops' safety", said Commander Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman. The ammunition could include anti-tank missiles armor vehicles and mortars. If implemented, the proposal would be a major setback for US President Donald Trump's policy to withdraw completely from Syria. Moreover, according to a White House official, it will also upset Turkey, which considers Kurdish forces as an extension of outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers Party. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in last talks with the US President promised to eradicate "whatever is left of ISIS" in Syria. Last week, the US President announced the withdrawal of the troops Syria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aircraft crew swung into action and wrapped him in a blanket, sources in the airline told ANI. Two crew members held him and kept him seated as the flight kept moving, they said. The provocation for such an act by the passenger was not clear. The incident occurred on flight IX-194, which had over 150 passengers on board. The flight landed at Lucknow airport at 12.05 hours and the nude passenger was handed over to the security. "As per the direction of the Captain of the flight, the passenger was handed over to Airlines Security at Lucknow Airport where investigation is underway," Air India Express spokesman told ANI. The same flight later departed from Lucknow to Dubai at 1405 hrs on Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly-appointed Madhya Pradesh Law and Legislative Affairs Minister PC Sharma on Saturday stated that he will soon roll out a proposal to withdraw "politically-motivated cases" registered against Congress leaders and workers during Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government. Speaking to media in Bhopal, Sharma stated, "A proposal will be sent to the Chief Minister (Kamal Nath), since the cases were political, we used to protest against things that were wrong, there are cases against me, my fellows in the cabinet, now there is rule of law, these cases should definitely be removed." In the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh assembly elections the Congress headed by Rahul Gandhi emerged as the single-largest party by bagging as many as 114 seats, while the BJP only got 109 - both political quarters were falling short of the magical majority mark of 116. With outside support, the Congress later formed the government with 121 MLAs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If wasn't stressful enough for children, schools in China have introduced smart uniforms which track the exact location of the younger ones so they don't end up bunking their classes. Chinese schools are using chip-equipped smart uniforms to encourage better attendance rates. The washable uniforms have chips in the shoulders to track when and where the students enter or exit the school, The Verge reported. If that wasn't unsettling enough, there's also facial recognition embedded at the school entrances to make sure there are no proxy attendances and only the right student is wearing the intended outfit. If a naughty one attempts to escape, an alarm would go off. Other than this, there are also a few features that parents can be thankful about such as the uniform is washable, it can endure up to 150 degree Celsius temperature, it will detect if the child falls asleep during class, and most importantly, kids who want to make payments to their friends can do so using facial and fingerprint recognition software. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the ongoing economic crisis, Pakistan held an 'Envoy Conference on Economic Diplomacy' to scale up trade and investment in the country. The two-day conference which was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad was attended by Pakistan's Ambassadors to Japan, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE, Turkey, UK, Spain, Italy and Germany. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan attended the concluding session of the conference where the recommendations based on inputs of the participants were presented to him. In his remarks, Pakistan Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed that economic diplomacy should constitute the core of Pakistan's foreign policy in a changing global environment. The South-Asian nation is going through an economic crisis as the United States decided to cut off the financial aid to the country in the view of terrorist attacks. The US views Pakistan as a safe haven for the terrorists and insurgents responsible for the 17 years old war going on in the neighbouring country Afghanistan. Pentagon, in September, had cut off aid worth 300 million USD due to the growing concerns regarding the Islamabad's failure to tackle the militants. In August, the Congress had also slashed the security-oriented financial aid to Pakistan. Pakistan, however, has sought help from several countries including Saudi Arabia and China as its economy has been in limbo for a long time. However, Pakistan secured loans up to USD 6 billion from Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh in October. Islamabad has been seeking commercial loans of 2 billion USD from Beijing amid the debt-ridden country seeking a bailout package from International Monetary Fund (IMF). China has already refused to provide balance of payment (BoP) support to Pakistan. It was already speculated that Pakistan would have to seek a loan package from IMF following the elections held on July 25. Pakistan had formally approached the funding organisation seeking financial assistance to address its economic challenges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the Telangana High Court directed that Panchayat elections should be completed within 100 days, state Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) said on Saturday that Panchayat elections will start from January 10, 2019. Addressing a press conference, KCR also stressed rising demands of Backward Class reservations. "The Opposition parties are making unnecessary demands on BC reservations. BJP has lost their deposits in 103 constituencies out of 118 constituencies in Telangana for giving useless statements in their election campaigns. Congress leaders went to court to demand reservation for BCs, however, both High Court and the Supreme Court have dismissed the case. Congress is the party, who wants more than 50 per cent reservation for BCs just to come into the power. It was under Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government that 69.19 per cent reservation was issued on the basis of the notification. Appreciating his government for playing a key role in Telangana's development, the Chief Minister said, "There were only 192 schools in the state and when TRS formed the government here the number of schools touched 261. It is the government's credentials that have given the reservation to BCs in market committees. 74 lakh sheep were distributed to shepherds to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore. Telangana is the first government to give reservations for the BCs in the country." KCR further launched a scathing attack on Chandra Babu Naidu stating that "he is one of the dirtiest politicians in the country. Babu is not a leader but a manager of Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He grabbed the TDP party from Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR). Naidu has copied Telangana schemes. He can't even speak proper English and Hindi and can he enter into He has done nothing for the IT development in Hyderabad". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A patient here kept on reciting Hanuman Chalisa for hours while doctors performed a surgery to remove tumour from his brain. The 30-year-old man was suffering from epilepsy seizures. Hulasmal Jangir, a computer accountant hailing from Bikaner initially hesitated when doctors apprised his that they would conduct brain surgery keeping him awake in the operation theatre. Later, he agreed as the doctors claimed that was the only way his speech would remain unaffected. The surgery took place on November 14 at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital here. This makes it amongst the first few reported cases in Rajasthan, wherein a unique neuro-surgical procedure - "Awake Craniotomy" or "Awake Brain Surgery" has been successfully performed. Jangir was suffering from epilepsy seizures since the last three months. Although biopsy results had confirmed Grade 2 Brain Tumor diagnosis, he was refused surgery at a few other hospitals citing enormous chances of loss of speech and possible paralysis upon surgery. He then came to Narayana Multispeciality Hospital where the neurosurgery team led by Dr KK Bansal successfully performed the surgery on the patient. Recalling the moments before the surgery, Bansal told ANI: "On October 20, the man was suffering from epilepsy seizures. He was tested for blood pressure at a clinic but was found to be normal. Then again on October 24, the problem recurred again, following which he was admitted to a private hospital. CT scan showed he had a brain tumour. The hospital authorities said they will not do the surgery. Then, he went to Ahmedabad, where a biopsy was conducted and Grade 2 tumour was detected. But, doctors said that they will not conduct the surgery as it could lead to loss of speech." Elucidating on the surgery process, he said: "His relatives came to our hospital and apprised us of the problem. It was a huge risk in conducting the surgery. We did a special type of surgery called awake brain surgery used by some neurosurgeons to remove tumours that are located close to areas that control vision, speech and body movements. In the patient's case, the tumour was in that area of the brain which controls speech. Even a slight error could have led to speech impairment for life." Bansal underlined that the patient was reading the Hanuman Chalisa during the surgery as he was a devotee of the deity and would give him more strength. "We gave him some newspapers to read, asked him to identify photos of common political figures. We also asked him certain questions to test his speech and he answered normally. Later, we did an MRI scan where the tumour was successfully removed and the report came normal. The procedure took time as it was a three-hour long surgery. There were seven to eight doctors in the team. He was discharged on the third day," he further said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The police on Saturday refused to grant permission to a Pakistani organisation, Dawat-e-Islami, to hold a public event in the Old Hyderabad. Speaking to ANI over the phone, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Zone, Amber Kishore Jha, said: "We have received a letter from Dawat-e-Islami seeking permission for an event to be held today and tomorrow here in Hyderabad's old city." Opposing the event, many local religious organisations like All India Ulaima Mashaik Board, Quadria International, Sunni United Forum of India and Seerat un Nabi and some others had earlier written to the DCP South Zone requesting him not to grant permission for the event as it will pose a threat to the law and order situation. "We had received letters from many local religious organisations requesting us not to allow Dawat-e-Islami organise the event in the old city. After evaluating and examining the claims and counterclaims, we decided not to grant permission to the organisation," the senior police official added. Dawat-e-Islami had requested to hold a two-day event in Hyderabad on Saturday and Sunday. It had been organising this event for the past two years in Hyderabad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanaswamy on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while asserting that during the Congress regime, there was no meddling with the investigative agency. Speaking to reporters here, Narayanaswamy said: "During the Congress regime, there was no interference in the investigations, in any matter. Today, the CBI is being misused by the BJP. It is very clear by the case filed by the CBI Director against the Additional CBI Director. This is a wrong interpretation that BJP is giving." In October, the CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against its Special Director Rakesh Asthana in an alleged bribery case. Thereafter, the central government sent him and agency director Alok Verma on leave after both traded bribery charges against each other. Stepping up their attack against the Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, the Congress party demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly destroying the image of the investigating agency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ABC/Image Group LAFor Carrie Underwood fans, 2018 began shrouded in mystery, as the American Idol winner disappeared from public view after a November fall that left her with a broken wrist. In a January letter to her fan club, Carrie revealed that shed needed between 40 and 50 stitches on her face as well, and warned she might look a bit different when she returned to the spotlight. But in early April, the Oklahoma native posted her first post-accident photo, and she looked pretty much the same, except for maybe a small change around her upper lip. The picture was a precursor to the new album Carrie was working on, and the records first single, Cry Pretty, arrived shortly before she made her first major public appearance performing the song at the ACM Awards in Vegas. We soon learned the album would be called Cry Pretty as well, and for the first time, Carrie was co-producing it herself. But there was even bigger news to come: In August, Carrie revealed that she and husband Mike Fisher were expecting their second child, following the birth of their son Isaiah in 2015. Her all-female Cry Pretty 360 Tour -- with Maddie & Tae and Runaway June -- would have to wait until May of 2019. But there was a heartbreaking footnote to Carries joyful news: In September on CBS Sunday Morning, she revealed shed suffered three miscarriages over the past three years. Later that same month, Carries triumphant return was complete, as Cry Pretty topped the all-genreBillboard 200, making her the only country female ever to do so four times. The title track spent two months in the top ten, followed by the release of her current hit, Love Wins. In November, Carrie returned to host the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley for the eleventh time, though she admitted her famed wardrobe changes were considerably more difficult because of her pregnancy. She also reclaimed the Female Vocalist title, taking home the trophy for the fifth non-consecutive time. First up for Carrie in 2019: the birth of her second little one, whom she revealed during the CMA monologue will be another little boy. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. by Wang Zhicheng According to the prosecution, "state secrets" are involved. Wang is accused of collaborating with a Swedish activist, publishing human rights reports on China and defending Falun Gong members. His wife, Li Wenzu, is under house arrest, unable to attend the trial. Foreign correspondents and diplomats have been barred from the courthouse. Xi Jinpings words appear empty. Tianjin (AsiaNews) - Wang Quanzhang, a 42-year-old human rights lawyer, is expected to get 15 years in prison. He went on trial on Wednesday at the Tianjin No 2 Intermediate Court. The trial is being held behind closed doors because it involves "state secrets". The verdict will be made public "on a selected date ". Wang (picture 2 with his family) is accused of "inciting subversion of state power" based on his "collaboration" with a Swedish activist, receiving overseas funding for legal assistance and training, and publishing human rights violations reports on China. His legal representation of Falun Gong practitioners was also cited as criminal activities. Wang is the last of a group of about 300 human rights lawyers put on trial. Known as the 709, the lawyers were arrested on 9 July 2015. At least 50 per cent are Christian (Protestants and Catholics) who tried to use Chinese law to defend communities, priests and pastors from abuses by local authorities. Several of them defended communities in Zhejiang during the cross-destruction campaign. Many, after detention, the trial and forced "confessions" of their "crimes" show signs of mental problems resulting from torture and enforced medication. Wang has been held in isolation in prison without charges for almost three and half years in violation of Chinese law. Wang's wife, Li Wenzu, has been forbidden from visiting her husband. She could not travel to Tianjin for the trial after being placed under house arrest in Beijing. Before the trial, police placed many activists and lawyers under house arrest. Despite this, dozens of Chinese activists and journalists showed up before the court with placards and slogans demanding Wangs release, but were taken away by the police (pictured). Even foreign correspondents and diplomats who had come to observe the trial were denied entry. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled in August 2018 that the Chinese governments detention of Wang Quanzhang was arbitrary and demanded his immediate and unconditional release, with state compensation for the harm done to him. Many activists note that when he came to power, President Xi Jinping pledged that China would be governed by the rule of law. Wangs trial shows that such a pledge is but empty words. Guwahati: City based journalists will get an opportunity to enroll their names in Aadhaar at the city centre adjacent to Guwahati Press Club for five days starting from the first day of 2019 thanks to the initiative of Kamrup (Metro) district administration. Interested media families may arrive at the centre (office of the assistant director of Handloom & Textiles, Ambari, GN Bordoloi Path, Guwahati- 781001) during the office hours (11 am to 5 pm on 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 January 2019) for enrolling their names in the unique identification number process. It may be noted that the Union Government has proposed this unique identification number for the citizens of India that would act as an identity. Aadhaar has a 12-digit identification number that is allotted to the Indian citizens, which is unique to the holder. For getting enrolled to Aadhaar, individuals need to visit the prescribed centre, where biometrics and demographic details are captured from the individuals after they fill the enrolment form along with their proof of identity and address documents. Days after a bill criminalising instant triple talaq was passed in the Lok Sabha, a woman in Bengaluru was allegedly given triple talaq by her US-based husband through a text and voice message. Reshma Azeez told ANI, "He left me at my parents' place, went back to the USA, and divorced me through a message. I am not able to meet my kids also." The text message of Azeez's husband Javeed Khan reads, "I am sending this message in my full sense and I am not under any influence of anger or intoxication. ALLAH as my witness. I, Dr. Javeed Khan (dob 01/19/1976), son of late Taj Ahmed pronounce TALAQ (divorce) to RESHMA Azzes (dob 12/06/1978), daughter of Mr. Azeezuddin, according to ISLAMIC LAW OF SHARIAH. Meher has been completely fulfilled." The victim also sought External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's help in the matter. Union Minister Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi also took note of the matter and said that the ministry has taken up the case on absolute priority. "My ministry @MinistryWCD has taken up the case of #TripleTalaq on absolute priority. The first instance post the passing of the bill, criminalising the act of instant divorce in the Muslim community will be dealt with and we shall ensure that justice is done," Gandhi wrote on Twitter. On December 27, the Lok Sabha passed the Triple Talaq bill which makes the practice a criminal offence with a provision of three-year jail term for the erring husband. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The USA has strongly condemned the Giza bomb blast which has claimed the lives of four people and injured 11. "US strongly condemns the attack carried out today on a tourist bus in Giza. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those killed and we wish a quick recovery for those injured," Robert Palladino, the State Department's Deputy Spokesperson tweeted on Friday (local time). A statement issued by the State Department further said, "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice." Palladino also mentioned that the United States is unaware of any American citizen casualties at the moment. As many as four people including three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide lost their lives in a roadside bombing that targeted a tourist bus near Giza on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The year proved to be a remarkable one for women from the legal point of view, that is. Apart from allowing women of all ages to enter Kerala's Sabrimala shrine, Justice Indu Malhotra became the first woman to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court from the bar. Also breaking a decades-long barrier, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court got its first woman judge in Justice Sindhu Sharma, daughter of retired High Court judge O.P. Sharma and history was again made when Justice Geeta Mittal was appointed the Chief Justice. In all these years, none of the 107 judges of the High Court have been women. Then, Supreme Court advocate Madhvi Diwan was appointed an Additional solicitor General (ASG) of Supreme Court, becoming only the third woman to get to wear the coveted senior gown. And, championing the cause of gender equality and delivering a remarkable judgement, the apex court said that "devotion cannot be subjected to gender discrimination" as, by a 4:1 verdict quashed the ban that prevented women in the age group of 10-50 to enter the Sabrimala temple in the name of customs and traditions. It also came as a surprise when the lone women on the bench, Justice Indu Malhotra however, held that courts shouldn't determine which religious practices should be struck down or not. The decision did create a furore amongst the traditional devotees of Lord Ayappa, who have been up in arms ever since the verdict, determined not to allow any breach in the temple's traditions. Again reflecting upon gender equality and underlining that the "husband is not the master of women" a five-judge Supreme Court bench decriminalised adultery, striking down the colonial era section 497 of the Indian Penal code. However, the offence still remains a valid ground for divorce and if it leads to someone committing suicide, the act will be treated as a crime -- abetment of suicide. The Supreme Court, in another landmark decision, also decriminalised gay sex, holding that consensual sex between two adults was covered under the right to privacy. The court held that section 377 of the IPC was a weapon to harass members of the LGBTQ community, resulting in discrimination against them. The judgment brought cheer to India's sexual minorities, who have been discriminated against and threatened with the spectre of section 377 for decades. (Mamata Aggarwal can becontacted at mamata.a@ians.in) --IANS ma/vm/hs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Council of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "corruption" and "dictatorship", and decided to extend the terms of all its office-bearers, including party Convener Arvind Kejriwal, by a year. Addressing the media after the meeting, AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta said that the proposal to extend the term of the current council by a year was passed unanimously and without amending the party's constitution. "With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Delhi Assembly elections around the corner, the members have decided to extend the tenure of the National Council for a year. The elections for the new council will be held before the end of the extended tenure," Gupta told the media. The tenure of the National Council was to end on April 23, 2019. Now Kejriwal will continue to remain party chief till April 2020. Kejriwal was elected as the National Convenor of AAP for a second time in April 2016 for a period of three years. According to the AAP's constitution, no member can hold the same post as an office-bearer for more than two consecutive terms of three years each. The National Council also decided that the party will utilise all its power and energy for contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Chandigarh, AAP Delhi Convener Gopal Rai told the media. The AAP also hinted at the possibility of an alliance with other parties for the 2019 elections as Rai said: "The party will contribute in whatever way it can to ensure the end of the Modi government, including cooperating with others." The party leaders in their speeches attacked Modi and the Central government for their scams, non-fulfilment of promises and his "dictatorship". Addressing the National Council meeting, Kejriwal accused the Central government of scanning over 400 files related to the Delhi government and dared Modi to show four files of the Centre, including those of Sahara-Birla and Rafale deal. "The Centre took and examined our 400 files to find irregularities, but could not find any. Modi himself gave us a certificate of honesty. I always say if PM Modi shows us four of his files, he will end up in jail," Kejriwal said. "You took our 400 files, show us Sahara-Birla and Rafale files and we can send you to jail with just these two files," he challenged Modi. Kejriwal also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the past four years has not left any stone unturned to ensure that the AAP government does not perform. Calling the Rafale jet fighters deal "a mega scam of Rs 36,000 crore", AAP MP Sanjay Singh in his address said the Centre is misleading the people and is not telling the people as to "why the country has to buy the jets at the cost of Rs 1,670 crore instead of the earlier cost of Rs 540 crore and why they preferred a private firm over the government firm". He also said the Centre is also misleading the Supreme Court over the Rafale deal. Rai, too, attacked the BJP over corruption, saying: "The BJP said that they will not allow corruption, but Rafale has turned out to be the biggest scam. The (party) members have agreed to expose the truth of the BJP before the public." The meeting also finalised the issues to target the ruling BJP on during the 2019 elections. "AAP, in its campaigns, will take up the issues related to farmers before the public. The BJP had promised to implement the Swaminathan Commission report after coming to power. The Modi government should fulfil its promise soon. "The Modi government has also failed in ensuring women's security. The BJP leaders themselves were found involved in crime against women. This shows the BJP only gave slogans of women's safety and not worked on it. The AAP members have condemned the acts of BJP and demanded that it should clear its stand on women safety," Rai said. Singh added to expose the pseudo-religious policies of the BJP, the AAP will run a campaign from Ayodhya to Kashi on January 12 and 13. The members have also decided to target the dictatorship of the Modi-Shah duo by contesting on seats where the party can win the elections on its own including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Chandigarh, Rai said, adding that the party has asked the other states' heads for a report to assess the party's status there. "The state committees will submit their reports to the political affairs committee, which will decide about the seats to contest the elections," he said. Speaking about the hardships faced by the AAP government in Delhi, Kejriwal said: "The public has voted for us but powers are with the Centre. Only we know how we handled the dictatorship of the Centre. They also used all possible agencies against us including the police and the CBI to humiliate us." He said that the Central government posted the worst officers in the education and health departments, soon after the two departments started doing good work. "But Manish (Sisodia) and Satyendar (Jain) ensured that these officers delivered." He accused the two parties -- the BJP and the Congress -- of not doing any work in the last 70 years. Kejriwal said that the country can become number one in the world if a good party comes to power at the Centre. He said the formation of the party was not an end to the revolution. Echoing the same sentiment, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the common intention of the party formation was to stop corruption, "be it corruption in a Rafale deal or in a ration scam". "We wanted to check the misuse of political position. I am happy that we have stopped this in Delhi," he said. "The Anti Corruption Branch was with the Delhi government from the past 20 years, but soon after we came to power, it was taken away. This shows that we were hitting at the right place." --IANS nks/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About 70 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers were allegedly detained in Haryana late on Friday night for calling Manohar Lal Khattar "a Chief Minister of Punjabis", the party claimed on Saturday. The AAP claimed the workers were detained allegedly for their Facebook posts claiming the Khattar-led government in Haryana was working only for Punjabis. "What kind of dictatorship is this? Last night 70 youths were detained for calling Khattar a CM of Punjabis," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. --IANS nks/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the eve of the general election in Bangladesh, opposition leaders on Saturday decried widespread arrests and violence amid a massive military deployment to contain mounting political tension. Bangladesh will vote on Sunday amid an increasingly violent atmosphere which would see 104 million people going to the ballot boxes in the largely Muslim country. Voters will cast ballots for 299 parliamentary seats between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The main opposition party -- the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia who is currently in prison serving 17 years on corruption charges -- said the elections could be rigged in favour of the ruling Awami League. The current Prime Minister and leader of the Awami League, 71-year-old Sheikh Hasina, is expected to win which would pave the way for her third mandate since she came to power in 2009. Khaleda's party has accused the Awami League of targeting BNP activists and fostering a climate of violence and intimidation in the lead up to the vote. In a message from prison, Khaleda urged her supporters to "guard voting centres", bdnews24.com reported. Her message was read out by BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi during a media briefing. "She said, 'tomorrow will bring us the opportunity to free the nation from dictators, so go to your voting centres in groups and disregard every intimidation. Each vote you cast will pave the way for freedom of democracy and people'," said Rizvi. Khaleda also instructed polling agents not to sign any document without first finding out the exact number of votes received by each candidate, he said. Clashes between the opposition and Hasina supporters have been taking place since the date for the election was announced. Bangladesh authorities, meanwhile, instructed mobile network operators to shut down 4G and 3G data services across the country ahead of the election, bdnews24.com reported. Mobile phone operators said they were "instructed" to shut down services for 33 hours. Bangladesh Army chief General Aziz Ahmed called on voters to go to the polling stations without fear. Over 600,000 security forces, including personnel from the Bangladesh Army, marines and the police, have been deployed for the polls. "They are conducting constant patrols to ensure that nobody attempts to terrorise or cause unrest. They are also working to ensure that voters are safe," said the Army chief. The BNP has accused the government of a harsh clampdown which it claims has seen 10,329 opposition leaders and activists arrested. At least nine persons have been killed and over 13,000 injured in politically motivated attacks targeting the opposition, BNP leaders said. The Awami League Secretary General Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the violent clashes were due to internal struggles within the BNP. Hanif dismissed accusations of lack of transparency and excessive use of force stating that it was obvious from the offset that the BNP were struggling to appoint candidates. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering called on President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Saturday, the concluding day of his three-day visit to India. Welcoming Tshering and his delegation on the golden jubilee year of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Kovind said India welcomed the successful conduct of the third general elections in Bhutan and congratulated Tshering on the victory of his party, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement. "The President reiterated India's commitment to partner in the socio-economic development of Bhutan and to support its 12th Five-Year Plan based on its priorities," the statement said. Tshering's DNT, formed in 2013, won 30 of the 47 National Assembly seats in the elections held in October. The country of 800,000 people, located between India and China, has chosen a different party to rule at each election since the end of the absolute monarchy in 2008. Tshering arrived here on Thursday on his first official visit after assuming office on November 7. On Friday, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks following which the latter announced that India would contribute Rs 4,500 to Bhutan's 12th Five-Year Plan, that runs from 2018 to 2023. The two leaders also reviewed progress of work on various hydro-power projects being built in the Himalayan kingdom with India's aid and reiterated their commitment to jointly develop 10,000 MW of hydro-power generating capacity there. New Delhi has already set up three hydro-power projects in Bhutan with a total capacity of 1,416 MW, which are operational. About three-fourths of the power generated is exported to India and the rest is used for domestic consumption. India is a leading development aid partner for Bhutan. There are a number of institutional mechanisms between India and Bhutan in areas like security, border management, trade, economy, hydroelectricity, development cooperation and water resources. India is also Bhutan's largest trading partner. --IANS ab/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dubbing Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy an "accidental CM", the opposition BJP on Saturday mocked at him for going abroad with his family to celebrate the New Year at a time when many parts of the state were reeling under drought. "If there was a movie titled #AccidentalCM, who will play the role of @hd_kumaraswamy?," asked the party's state unit in a tweet. The tweet was in response to a statement from the Chief Minister's office that Kumaraswamy was going abroad on late Friday night with family on a personal visit and would return to Bengaluru on January 1. An official, however, told IANS that the Chief Minister flew to Singapore with his wife Anita and son Nikhil on a holiday, as "he has been going every year-end over the years". "After the new government was formed (in May), 377 farmers have ended lives; 156 talukas (sub-districts) are declared drought-hit, (farm) loan waiver has not been done and Karnataka has slipped to a debt-ridden state... and here we have the so-called son of soil CM @hd_kumaraswamy celebrating new year in Singapore," said the party in another tweet. A hung verdict in the May 12 assembly elections forced the Congress to forge an alliance with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and form a coalition government on May 23 after the 3-day BJP government fell on May 19 due to lack of a majority. It fell short of seven members for a simple majority (111) in the 224-member House, with two vacancies and one Speaker. The BJP has coined the phrase 'Accidental CM' on the lines of a yet-to-be released Bollywood biopic 'Accidental PM' on the life of former UPA Prime Minster Manmohan Singh, played by Hindi popular star Anupem Kher. --IANS bha-fb/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its allies in Uttar Pradesh -- Apna Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) -- have decided to stay away from events to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Ashish Patel, the state unit chief of Apna Dal, said his party was "immensely hurt by the arrogant attitude of the BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh" and charged them with "insulting party leaders and the weaker sections of the society". He also announced that till the matter between the two allies was not settled, Apna Dal will not attend any government programmes. Demanding Modi's intervention in sorting out the matter of the increasing divide between the two parties, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 state Assembly polls together, Patel said his party leaders will not attend the events scheduled to be in Varanasi and Ghazipur. This is the first time that Apna Dal has taken such a tough stance. Other than being miffed at the continuous neglect by the Yogi Adityanath government, the party is also angry at the fact that Union Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel is not invited to events related to her ministry. The SBSP has also announced that it will "boycott" Prime Minister's programmes. This announcement comes as a big blow to the BJP as Modi is scheduled to release a postal stamp in the name of Maharaja Suheldev. The SBSP has claimed that the party chief and state Minister for Backward Classes Welfare Om Prakash Rajbhar's name has been "deliberately omitted from the invitation card". While the Apna Dal has two Lok Sabha MP's and 9 seats in the 403-member state Assembly, the SBSP has four legislators in the state. --IANS md/mag/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will hold its two-day national council meeting beginning January 11 in the national capital, which would be attended by all ranks and files of BJP and its elected representatives, party leaders said on Saturday. The venue for the council meeting will be central Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. THe meeting, the party said, is expected to be attended by over 12,000 party workers and leaders. To discuss the preparations of the national council meeting in the national capital, a meeting under the chairmanship of Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari was held at the party's Delhi unit office. Speaking in the meeting, BJP national general secretary Anil Jain said the national council to be held in Ramlila Maidan will be the largest meeting before the Lok Sabha elections. Jain said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party President Amit Shah, Union Ministers, National and state office-bearers along with other leaders will participate in the meeting. Tiwari said 24 departments have been formed for the preparations of the meeting. --IANS aks/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chandigarh Police on Saturday registered a case after a woman of British nationality alleged that she had been raped by a staff member of the spa of a leading hotel where she was staying. The victim, who arrived in Chandigarh on December 19 and was staying in the hotel with a companion, alleged that she was raped by the spa staff member when she went for a foot spa service. The victim is reported to be around 50 years old. Police officials said that the matter was being investigated. The accused, who has been booked for rape, is absconding. The hotel is located in the Information Technology (IT) Park area of Chandigarh. --IANS js/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Canadian citizen who was detained in China earlier this month amid frosty relations between the two countries has been released and returned to Canada, officials said. Teacher Sarah McIver, from Alberta, was held for "unlawfully working in China". She was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the December 1 arrest in Vancouver of Chinese telecom giant Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, the Guardian reported on Saturday. Meng was arrested at the request of US prosecutors and faces extradition on charges of violating sanctions on Iran. She denies the allegations. McIver's detention was confirmed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 19, who said at the time that the detention was more "routine" than the previous two cases. He denied the detention was linked to Canada's arrest of Meng. Global Affairs Canada Department confirmed that their citizen had been released, but did not name the person. "Global Affairs can confirm that a Canadian citizen, who was detained in China this month, has been released and has now returned to Canada," spokesman Richard Walker said. "Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed." Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said McIver had received an "administrative penalty (for) illegal employment". Hua also added that the teacher's situation was different from the two other Canadian detainees. Previously, two Canadians -- Michael Spavor who is a consultant on North Korea, and former diplomat Michael Kovrig -- employed by thinktank International Crisis Group, were detained by China on suspicion of "harm to national security". But their detentions were seen by many as retaliation for Meng's arrest. 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. Further testing tense relations, another Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, was due to appear before a court in China on drugs charges. A Chinese government news portal, runsky.com, identified Schellenberg as Canadian and said he was accused of smuggling an "enormous amount" of drugs. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 11 persons were injured on Saturday in clashes between the security forces and civilian protesters near the site of a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Reports from the area said stone pelting youth attacked the security forces near the gunfight site in Hajin Payeen village where four militants were killed earlier in the day. Security forces used tear smoke and pellets to disperse the protesters. Police has advised civilians not to visit the site till it is declared safe as there is possibly of unexplored explosive material there. --IANS sq/mag/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Denied forest rights, over 1,000 people of remote Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday held a protest in Rekong Peo against the government for not implementing the Forest Rights Act. The protest was held under the banner of the Zila Van Adhikar Samiti and the Him Lok Jagriti Manch, which have been struggling for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act for five years. The district administration on December 17 rejected 47 individual forest rights claims of Lippa village in the district. "The decision of the district-level committee is not just about one village. This is about bureaucratic ignorance on the provisions of the Forest Rights Act as well as officers' attitude towards common people," said Jiyalal Negi of the Zila Van Adhikar Samiti. For quite some time, Kinnaur district, dominated mainly by tribals, is echoed with slogans 'van adhikar kanoon Lagoo Karo (implement the Forest Rights Act)' and 'hamare gaon mein hamara raj (self-rule in our village)'. Daulat Ram, a non-official member of the district-level committee who participated in the protest, said: "The Forest Rights Act is getting violated at each procedural step, and the voice of the non-official members are ignored." In the Lippa village case too, all three non-official members had refused to accept the decision of the official members. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 aims to redress the historical injustice that forest-dwellers have experienced, particularly the denial of their rights to forest land and resources. "The law lays down all procedures for claim-filing and verification, but the administration is unwilling to understand the provisions of the Act and is using the law as per its own convenience," said Akshay Jasrotia, who has been advocating implementation of the Act. Prakash Bhandari of Himdhara Research and Action Collective said: "When they have implemented section 3(2) of the Act for diversion of forest land for development activities, why not for section 3(1) which recognises individual and community rights?" --IANS vg/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Giving a dramatic twist in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal case, the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday brought in the name of 'Mrs Gandhi' and 'big man R', an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, in a special court when it got a seven-day extension of custody of British national Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the deal. Citing from a note of Michel, the agency, however, did not specify who the "Mrs Gandhi" or 'big man R' it was referring to. During arguments, the ED counsel L.D. Singh also referred to Michel saying "big man 'R', son of an Italian lady who is going to be the next Prime Minister in a communication between Michel and AgustaWestland," an apparent reference to Congress President Rahul Gandhi. "We need to decipher the documents to decrypt such codes," the counsel said. In its remand application, the agency claimed that during interrogation on Thursday, Michel gave his lawyer a "folded paper" which the lawyer hid under his mobile phone. This incident took place when a medical team had come to check Michel's health when his lawyer was also present. "During the medical examination, Christian Michel stood up and turned towards his advocate Aljo Joseph standing next to him and acted like shaking hands with the advocate and saying him good-bye and extended his hands for handshake. "It was noticed that Michel secretly handed over a folded paper to his counsel Joseph. Joseph was carrying his mobile phone under which he hide the folded paper and put it discreetly in pocket of his jacket and acted as if nothing took place," reads the ED remand paper. The remand paper said "immediately after the incident was noticed by the Deputy Director present in the room that Michel has handed over a paper to his counsel". "On this, counsel Joseph was asked to give the paper back. He took out a folded paper from his jacket and returned the same to Ms Ramanjit Kaur. On perusal of the same, it was found that it was having the typed form of questions to be asked on it. "The paper was then handed over to Naresh Malik, Assistant Director ED. Perusal of the folded paper revealed that it pertained to a set of questions with regard to follow up questions on 'Mrs Gandhi'. It is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield and or to tamper the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused. "The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused and needs to be discontinued henceforth," it said. However, the court allowed continued legal assistance to Michel, though the timing was reduced to 15 minutes from 30 minutes both in the morning and the evening. The ED said Michel's custody was needed as an investigation was still to be conducted with regard to the places where the meetings between him and other people used to take place with regard to the proceeds of crime and money trail to decipher the voluminous documents, confrontation with other persons and with documents. The agency also said the questionnaire, which has already been prepared for investigation by the Investigating Officer, has not yet been completely answered by Michel. How he was able to access classified information protected under the Official Secrets Act also needed to be probed, it said. Michel's lawyer Joseph submitted that he was in custody for a long time and already sufficient time was given to ED to complete the probe. "The accused is suffering from dyslexia. So putting a number of questions for hours together to the accused is unnecessary harassment. A request is made that the custody of the accused may not be extended to the ED." Vacation Judge Chandra Shekhar said that it was in the interest of justice to extend Michel's ED custody for a further seven days as voluminous documents were required to be put to the accused. --IANS aks-rak-vsc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Soon after the ED said in a court that arrested British national Christian James Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, took the name of 'Mrs Gandhi' during interrogation and also used "big man 'R', son of an Italian lady", Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday said that the "finger is pointed towards a single family". He also accused the previous Congress government of corruption, saying it compromised with the national security. "What Enforcement Directorate (ED) has told the court has stunned the nation because Michel in chopper scam has named Congress leader 'Mrs Gandhi' as per ED," Javadekar said addressing a press conference here. He said that Michel's interrogation has revealed "a few new adverbs, few new nouns in this saga of chopper scam". "First there were only two words AP and family that we debated. But today it is more clear. He (Michel) has said son of an Italian lady, he has said 'R', he has said party leader, he has said 'big man'," the minister said. His remakrs came after the ED brought in the name of 'Mrs Gandhi' and 'big man R', an apparent reference to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in a special court when it got a seven-day extension of custody of Michel. Citing from a note of Michel, the agency, however, did not specify which "Mrs Gandhi" or "big man R" it was referring to. Javadekar said all this was coming out "what ED has said to court". "This shows Congress looted left, right and centre when they were in power," he alleged. Slamming former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Javadekar said, "The accidental Prime Minister presided over a loot raj. And that is why it was thrown out by people as it was a government of scams." "This chopper scam shows that the government at that time was compromising with the national security," he said. He said the Congress government did not sign any defence deal without involvement of middlemen. Hitting out at the Congress over the leak of the sensitive material to Michel, Javadekar said "what is shocking is Michel has access to all the sensitive files". "The files, which were unavailable to even officers and ministers, were available to Michel. It appeared he received a copy of every letter signed and sent to a ministry, as if, it was the rule," he said. "That is why Michel has said that we have not given proper respect to the Finance Minister. And that is why he is angry," he said. The BJP leader said that one thing is clear that the NDA facilitated Michel's extradition while the Congress helped him by sending a lawyer. He also accused the Congress of temporarily suspending its party leader Aljo Joseph, who is representing Michel in the court. Pointing towards a slip being passed by Michel to his lawyer Joseph in the ED custody which referred to a set of questions related to Mrs Gandhi, he said, "They have given a chit and they were tutoring him. So the court today gave seven-day custody to the ED and also limited the timing of meeting of Michel's lawyer for 15 minutes, both in morning and evening." "And that also from a distance so that he do not exchange any letter," he said. Launching an attack on the Gandhi family, Javadekar said, "The sum and substance of the story is that a thief makes noise. Those who are involved in corruption are charging others of corruption without any basis without any proof." "The mother and the son (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) are on bail in a corruption case, the Income Tax department has issued a notice asking them to explain about Rs 6 crore investment in National Herald and National Herald has been asked by court to vacate the premises. "All this tells the story and points finger at one family," he said. Slamming Congress President, he said, "Rahul Gandhi repeatedly mentions about HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) but it was disclosed today that how HAL was bypassed. These are the incessant revelations that is why we understand the thief is making a noise." --IANS aks/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saying goodbye to one of his toughest years filled with several controversies, CEO said he is "proud" of the progress in 2018 and the company has now established multi-year plans to overhaul its systems and is executing those roadmaps. In a year-end note on Friday, the 34-year-old Zuckerberg said his personal challenge has been to focus on preventing election interference, stopping the spread of hate speech and misinformation, making sure people have control of their information and ensuring his services improve people's well-being. This, however, does not mean will catch every bad actor or piece of bad content on its platform, he said. "To be clear, addressing these issues is more than a one-year challenge. For some of these issues, like election interference or harmful speech, the problems can never be fully solved," the CEO lamented. "But we've now established multi-year plans to overhaul our systems and we're well into executing those roadmaps," added Zuckerberg who faced intense scrutiny over data scandal in 2018. Scandals surrounding Facebook started surfacing in such higher frequencies that industry observers began questioning if the giant with over two billion users would be able to survive in the long term. Leading the charge of the attack on Internet "monopolies" was American billionaire investor George Soros, who warned that can have adverse consequences on the functioning of democracy and that the days of the US-based IT giants were numbered. Scrutiny of Facebook increased manifold since it revealed earlier in 2018 how a London-based political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica, that worked for US President Donald Trump's campaign, improperly got access to data of up to 87 million users. Appearing before a US Congress Committee in April, Zuckerberg apologised for the data leak scandal. "We're a very different company today than we were in 2016, or even a year ago. We've fundamentally altered our DNA to focus more on preventing harm in all our services," the Facebook CEO stressed. "We now have more than 30,000 people working on safety and invest billions of dollars in security yearly," he added. In May, he appeared before the European Parliament to respond to questions surrounding the company's business practices, its plans on fighting misinformation on the platform and protecting user privacy among others. "For preventing election interference, we've improved our systems for identifying the fake accounts and coordinated information campaigns that account for much of the interference -- now removing millions of fake accounts every day," said Zuckerberg in the year-end note. "For stopping the spread of harmful content, we've built AI systems to automatically identify and remove content related to terrorism, hate speech, and more before anyone even sees it," he said, adding that these systems take down 99 per cent of the terrorist-related content before anyone even reports it. More than two billion people use one of Facebook services every day. "People have come together using these tools to raise more than $1 billion for causes and to find more than 1 million new jobs. More than 90 million small businesses use our tools, and more than half say they've hired more people because of them," said Zuckerberg. Retaliating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest attacks, the Congress on Saturday asked him to resolve the agrarian crisis and waive farmers' loans instead of blaming the grand old party. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Modi billed the Congress a "lollipop company" that had no real concern for farmers and asked people to be wary of the sops and promises assured by the party. Modi has been vicious in his attacks against the Congress which after coming to power in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, waived farm loans. Iterating Congress' assertions that it will not let Modi sleep until nationwide farm loans were waived, party leader R.P.N. Singh reminded the Prime Minister of his 2014 Lok Sabha election promises of doubling farmers' income and waiving their loans. "Modi perhaps should read more so that he knows that the Congress government in 2008 had waived farmers' loans across India to the tune of Rs 77,000 crore. Since the BJP came to power (in 2014), it is the Congress which is raising farmers' issues and Modi has preferred to remain insensitive to their plight," former Union Minister Singh told the media here. "Instead of blaming the Congress for ills, Modi should focus on the promises he made and how he miserably failed to fulfill them," he said, adding "neither the Congress will sleep nor allow Modi to sleep unless farm loans are waived and farmers' issues resolved". "Modi came to power promising the moon to the farmers and after doing nothing all these years, he has suddenly woken up because the elections are not very far," he said. Singh also accused the BJP-led Centre of creating urea crisis in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by diverting trains carrying the fertiliser. --IANS and/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An explosion on Friday targeting a bus carrying Vietnamese tourists on an excursion to the Giza pyramids left four people dead and 10 others wounded, Egyptian authorities said. Three of the tourists were killed along with the tour guide, an Egyptian citizen, Attorney General Nabil Ahmed Sadeq said in a statement. The bus driver and nine other Vietnamese visitors were wounded, reports Efe. A makeshift explosive device placed next to a wall on Al-Marioteya Road was detonated at 6.15 p.m. as the bus rolled past, according to the interior ministry. While the three tourists were pronounced dead at the scene, the guide died on the operating table at El Haram hospital, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuli told reporters. The Vietnamese were visiting the pyramids for the nightly spectacle of music and illumination put on by Sound and Light, company chief Sameh Saad told EFE. Without advising authorities, the bus deviated from the route established by the interior ministry for vehicles bringing visitors to Giza, Madbuli said. This is Egypt's first attack against tourists using explosives since late 2015, when a bomb blew a Russian airliner out of the skies above the Sinai peninsula, killing all 224 people aboard. The country has been under a state of emergency since April 2017, following a series of terrorist attacks against Coptic Christian churches in the Nile delta. --IANS vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. Four militants were killed on Saturday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said. Defence Ministry spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said: "Four terrorists have been killed in Hajin Payeen village. Weapons and warlike stores have been recovered." Some reports mentioned that the slain militants belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit, although their exact identities are being ascertained. Security forces had surrounded Hajin Payeen village after receiving information about the presence of militants there. "As the cordon was tightened, the militants who were hiding opened fire. That triggered an encounter in which four militants have been killed," a police officer said. The police said the encounter has ended, and advised people not to visit the site of the gunfight as there is an apprehension of some explosives being present there. Meanwhile, clashes broke out near the gunfight site between protesters and the security forces immediately after the encounter ended. --IANS sq/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court entered 2018 on a tumultuous note with four senior-most judges, on January 12, going public over its functioning and the allocation of cases, including certain cases being selectively allocated to select benches. What was not said then was recently revealed by Justice Kurian Joseph -- one of the four "rebel judges" -- that they felt the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra was being "controlled from outside". The press conference by the four judges, including Ranjan Gogoi, who was elevated to Chief Justice later in the year, created ripples in judicial and political circles which Justice Amitava Roy said left the top court with a "fractured face" and dented its credibility and the paramountcy of the judicial process. Though the four judges addressing the media on the issues that were internal to the court did not find favour with the legal fraternity, including former judges, it did jolt the institution's majesty, image and credibility. The memory of the "sensational press conference", senior counsel K.V. Vishwanathan said, has fortunately receded to the background because of the import of a series of judicial pronouncement through the year pushing to forefront the doctrine of "constitutional morality", "gender justice" and the limits of state intrusion in the private domain of citizens, to mention just a few issues. However, activists lawyer Prashant Bhushan said that "nothing much has changed" except that the allocation of cases to different benches is better and things are "not as bad as in the past." Buttressing the point, Bhushan said the Chief Justice continues to be the Master of Rolls and PILs are not being listed before the benches headed by five senior-most judges of the top court and were largely confined to the court of the Chief Justice. The last assault, as it were, in this chain of events was the failed attempt by the Congress to initiate impeachment of the then Chief Justice Misra -- a move that had few takers in judicial circles as some former judges felt that there was no merit in the move. However, senior advocate Kapil Sibal asserted that the grounds for the impeachment were "justified" and not "frivolous" as he sought to dispel the impression that he was the inspiration behind the move. It was moved by the "Congress party and 50 MPs had signed it", Sibal maintained. Assessing as "average" the top court's performance in 2018, senior counsel Dushyant Dave took a dim view of its failure to even order an enquiry into the sad demise of Judge B.H. Loya -- who was conducting the trial on the alleged staged shootout of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, killing of his wife Kausarbi and encounter of his associate Tulsiram Prajapati in 2002. (All the 22 accused in the case were acquitted earlier this year. Amit Shah, then the Gujurat Home Minister and now the BJP President, was at one time named in the case but was later discharged.) "The year 2018 has been one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Supreme Court. The abject failure of the Court in even ordering an enquiry into the sad demise of Judge Loya reflects the lack of independence on its part. The court missed a golden opportunity to send a powerful message to subordinate judiciary, the backbone of the administration of justice, that it stands by them, come what may," Dave told IANS. Hailing the emergence of the "doctrine of constitutional morality and the triumph of gender justice", as its "crowning glory", Vishwanathan said the court has in "no uncertain terms asserted that there is no place in our country, for what I may say, the 'hecklers of morality'". "Vested interests, under the guise of social morality" had been "attempting to undermine valuable constitutional rights of the individuals," Vishwanathan said, adding that women and the marginalised "will no longer be subjected to moral policing of the others' notions of morality". "Victorian Morality was buried nine fathoms deep," he asserted. Some recent appointments, transfers and elevations in higher judiciatry by the top court's collegium did raise eye-brows. Its functioning was "far from satisfactory" and "hugely disappointing", Dave said. Pointing to the flaws in the selection of judges for appointment to higher judiciary, Dave faulted the collegium's seniority-centric approach and not picking "the best from amongst those available" as mandated by the court's own judgements. The year also saw court telling the government that Aadhaar was not panacea of all that ails governance and restricted it from demanding the Unique ID (UID) number for each and every scheme. Another area of serious concern where top court left its indelible stamp was environment. It was unsparing in hauling the administration for not doing enough for curbing an alarmingly high level of air pollution and the handling of the piling mound of solid waste. Describing the ban on the use of pet coke and furnace oil in the NCR as a "huge, huge step", Supreme Court lawyer and amicus curiae in environmental matters Aparajita Singh said the court's order had blocked American pet coke from reaching India's shores after China banned it. Referring to the several order of the court relating to environment which were not being acted upon by the authorities on the ground level, Aparajita Singh said: "The consistent monitoring of the implementation of its orders infused fear amongst the authorities and they fell in line and started acting on them." Other landmark judgements durinng the year were advancing the deadline for the introduction of BS VI fuel from 2024 to April 1, 2020 across the country, issuing long-awaited guidelines on witness protection, guarding the identity of the victim of sexual assault and rape including the rehabilitation of the victim and payment of compensation. (Pramod Kumar can be contacted at saneel2010@gmail.com) --IANS pk/vm/hs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Himdhara Research and Action Collective, a Himachal Pradesh-based watchdog, has asked the River Rejuvenation Committee and the Special Surveillance Task Force to look into ecological issues facing the Sirsa river, a tributary of the Satluj river. In a memorandum on Friday to state-level bodies set up by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Himdhara has highlighted that industrial effluents from Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh industrial areas in Solan district, the discharge from a common effluent treatment plant, illegal dumping of garbage and unlawful sand mining are the chief sources of threat to the Sirsa river. In September, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in its report "River Stretches for Restoration of Water Quality" identified 351 polluted stretches on 323 rivers. In Himachal, seven river stretches have been identified as "critically polluted" where the "biological oxygen demand" levels of the rivers are above permissible limits. These rivers are: Sukhana, Markanda, Sirsa, Ashwani, stretches of the Beas, Giri and Pabbar. Following the release of the CPCB report, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on September 20 issued order to states to form the River Rejuvenation Committees for identifying the sources and nature of pollution of rivers and make time-bound action plan for reviving them. The River Rejuvenation Committee for Himachal comprises of the Director of Urban Development Department and teams from IIT Kanpur and National Institute of Hydrology in Roorkee. The committee has to identify nature and sources of pollutants, device an action plan to mitigate the pollution and revive the health of the river in collaboration with the State Pollution Control Board for implementation of the plan. In a follow up order on December 19, the NGT gave all states two months time to complete their action plans. "This is a very critical order of the NGT and perhaps goes to show that the crisis has assumed huge proportions because today almost 80 to 90 per cent of our surface water sources are lost," Himdhara member Sumit Mahar said. He said the common effluent treatment plant in Kenduwal village in Baddi has failed to address the problem of pollution. He said thousands of litres of effluents find way to the Sirsa river every day, causing great damage to the aquatic life and leading to fish kills. The memorandum highlighted the issue of municipal garbage dumping on the floodplains of the Sirsa river in violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016. "Sand mining has been most detrimental to the health of the Sirsa, impacting the flow of the river and causing structural damage to the bridges across the river. It is shocking that the NGT order in 2013 banning sand mining on river beds has been grossly violated," another Himdhara member Ramanathan S. said in a statement. The memorandum has sought inclusion of testing for heavy metals like arsenic and mercury in the samples for water quality. --IANS vg/mag/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi said all Iranian military advisers have left Iraq after the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) militants, Tehran Times daily reported on Saturday. "Unlike Iran, the US forces have remained in Iraq despite the end of IS" and are "building new military headquarters" there, Masjedi was quoted as saying on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported. The Iranian ambassador called the US military presence in the region "not justified," saying the regional countries have enough local forces to protect themselves. "The US strategic policy in the region is to create instability and crisis. So it impedes any effort that results in peace," he noted. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq, which was his first trip to US troops deployed in a combat zone since he assumed the presidency in 2017. --IANS vc/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu here on Friday agreed to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries. "More than an association, we want to be brothers in the future, in areas such as economy and technology, and in everything that may bring benefits for the two countries," Bolsonaro said in a brief statement after the meeting. Describing his visit to Brazil as "historic," Netanyahu spoke of a "brotherhood" with the potential to "carry us to great heights," reports Efe. The prime minister made the planned trip to Brazil for Bolsonaro's January 1 inauguration despite a political crisis back home that forced him to schedule early elections. Netanyahu said he wanted to respond to the positive overtures from Bolsonaro, a right-winger who promised during his campaign to pursue closer ties with Israel and even spoke of moving the Brazilian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as the US did back in May. The leaders said that the talks initiated Friday will continue when Bolsonaro travels to Israel in 2019. "I intend to visit Israel before March with a large delegation so that we can put into practice as quickly as possible this strategic partnership with the State of Israel," Bolsonaro said. The person tapped to serve as agriculture minister in the Bolsonaro administration acknowledged last month that the president-elect's talk of moving the Brazilian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem had created concern among firms who export to the Arab world. "I have received calls from people who are concerned. From exporters, industrialists, especially from the meat sector, which is a major exporter to the Arab market," Tereza Cristina da Costa told reporters November 8. Brazil exported $13.5 billion worth of goods to Arab nations in 2017, according to official figures. --IANS vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rome, Dec 29 (IANS/AKI) The Italian government backs a halt to the selling of arms to Saudi Arabia and intends to announce its position the issue "soon", populist premier Giuseppe Conte told reporters in Rome on Friday. "We are not in favour of the sale of these weapons," Conte said at his end-of-year press conference. "I can confirm that discussion of this question is on the agenda." "We are assessing the possible consequences and will soon reach our conclusions," Conte stated. He was answering a question on Italy's ongoing arms exports to Saudi Arabia given the devastating Saudi-led aerial bombardment of Yemen and the Kingdom's suspected involvement in the brutal murder of dissent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October. --IANS/AKI vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) supremo Hyderali Shihab Thangal on Saturday asked for an explanation from its most powerful leader and Malappuram Lok Sabha MP, P.K. Kunhalikutty, for skipping the Lok Sabha proceedings on Thursday when the House debated and passed the crucial triple talaq bill. His absence created a furore in Kerala with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and its recently inducted ally, the Indian National League (INL), criticising Kunhalikutty for skipping the proceedings to attend a marriage ceremony in the Middle East. Ironically, Kunhalikutty, who is the party's general secretary, had earlier demanded the a debate on the bill in parliament cautioned against any undue haste in issuing an ordinance. On Saturday, the INL marched to his house, near here, shouting slogans against the MP who is facing criticism from several quarters for letting down the community by abstaining from the debate on the bill in parliament. Higher Education Minister K.T.Jaleel, who was attacked by the IUML in the past two months over the appointment of a relative, said that the IUML should ask Kunhalikutty to resign. The IUML had earlier accused Jaleel of nepotism and had demanded his resignation. Jaleel further said that Kunhalikutty remained absent to please the BJP. Reacting to the controversy, Kunhalikutty, however, said that the issue is being blown out of proportion. He further added that initially both the Congress and the IUML had decided to boycott the bill, but later some parties changed their stance and so did the IUML and his party colleague E.T. Mohammed Basheer in the Lok Sabha did the needful by voting against the bill. Kunhalikutty is expected to give an explanation in the coming few days. --IANS sg/oeb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With another policeman killed in Uttar Pradesh by a mob on Saturday, the Congress said there was "jungle raj" under the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP regime, and that "mobocracy" has replaced democracy. The incident happened in Ghazipur hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally there, when protestors demanding reservation for the Nishad caste, threw stones at a police party killing constable Suresh Vats. According to the police, protestors belonging from the Nishad Party were behind Vats' killing. This is the second instance of a policeman being lynched by a mob within a month in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed during a mob violence in Bulandshahr on December 3. Condemning the incident, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said there was "jungle raj" in the state where neither public nor the police were safe. "In Adityanath's jungle raj, neither the public is safe, nor the police. Democracy in BJP is mobocracy," tweeted Surjewala. The killing of another policeman comes at a time when Adityanath has been facing flak from several quarters over Singh's lynching. Besides the Congress and other parties accusing the BJP of shielding the inspector's killers, a host of former bureaucrats demanded the Chief Minister's resignation. Besides questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "stony silence", a group of over 80 ex-bureaucrats had expressed alarm over Singh's killing saying "politics of hate has taken the most dangerous turn". --IANS and/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The day before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) waxed eloquent on the triple talaq bill in parliament, saffron bullies confronted a group of Muslims offering namaz (prayers) at a park in Noida, UP. The attitude of the storm-troopers was both mocking and threatening. Today you are offering namaz, tomorrow you will build a mosque here, they said jeeringly to the obviously intimidated Muslims. The BJP's television warriors supported the saffronites during a debate on the subject, arguing that permission has to be taken before "occupying" a public place. Where the BJP and the Sangh parivar are concerned, there is no question of showering petals from helicopters on the namazis as was done in UP on the kanwariyas or the worshippers of Lord Shiva as they marched along the roads and highways with or without formal permission. These contrasting attitudes of the party in power at the centre towards Hindu and Muslim devotees - lenience towards the former and sternness towards the Muslims - do not conform to the BJP's outpouring of concern for the Muslim women who may be victims of the admittedly ludicrous and abhorrent practice of Muslim men summarily divorcing their wives on flimsy grounds. If the BJP is genuinely concerned about the welfare of Muslim women, its feelings of benevolence and sympathy should be reflected in its attitude towards the entire community and not only towards a particular section. Since this isn't the case as the vituperation directed at Muslims by the trolls shows, along with the advice of saffron stalwarts like Vinay Katiyar who want the Muslims to leave India for Pakistan or Bangladesh, or the urging of a BJP MP to dig up the Jama Masjid to uncover the hidden temples, the suspicion wiill be that the BJP's focus on the triple talaq issue is guided more by political than humane, gender-based considerations. The party's calculation apparently is that since the Muslims as a whole are unlikely to vote for it in view of the parivar's nine-decade-long preference for a Hindu rashtra, it can be politically useful to wean away at least some of the women. Another objective of the party is to offer a Hobson's choice to its opponents where opposing the bill will depict them as anti-women while supporting it will mean meekly endorsing their adversary, the BJP's stance, much to its delight. For the present, sections of the opposition evaded the trap by walking out of the Lok Sabha before the voting took place. But the issue will come up again in the Rajya Sabha where a clear-cut stance will have to be taken. As of now, the opposition wants the bill to be sent to a joint select committee since some of the provisions need to be modified, especially the one relating to criminalising the "offence" of divorcing the wife. Undoubtedly, this is the sticking point, for it is absurd to criminally prosecute a man for a divorce even if his act is whimsical and has no sanction even in other Muslim countries. For such a practice to be prevalent only in India brings no glory to the Muslims. Ideally, the "reform" in this respect should have come from within the community. However, since the organisations which claim to look after the Muslim interests in India had taken no interest in the matter all these years, it had to be left to the Supreme Court to ban the practice of triple talaq although it did not call for a law. If the BJP has favoured the legal process, it is for two reasons - both political. One is to look for votes by championing the cause of women's empowerment, and the other is to send a message to the Muslims (and other minorities) that the present government will not hesitate - unlike its "secular" predecessors - to legislate in matters which fall within the purview of their personal laws even if the triple talaq issue is little short of an outrage which should have been ended long ago. If the "secular" governments had been hesitant in this regard, the reason undoubtedly was that they were unwilling to interfere in the affairs of a community which suffered from a guilt complex for having caused the country's partition - a "sin" for which they were accused of being unpatriotic, especially by the Hindu Right. However, now that a Hindu nationalist government has done what the Left-Liberals were reluctant to do, the latter can rectify some of their earlier lapses such as overturning the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano case on maintenance for divorced women and help in fine-tuning the triple talaq legislation in a manner which will make it acceptable to the political class as a whole. The BJP's defeats in the Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh elections have shown that the triple talaq issue hasn't been of much help to the party. If it has now rushed through the bill in the Lok Sabha, it is perhaps with the general election in mind. However, the endeavour of all parties should be to keep the matter as far above politics as possible and ensure that the new law does not penalise either men or the women or the children of divorced parents. (Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com) --IANS amulya/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI saw the worst crisis in its over 70-year history in 2018 as the bitter acrimony between its top two officers -- akin to a Kilkenny cat fight -- led to a public showdown, intervention by the central government and legal cases as the country's investigative agencies remained on their toes chasing frauds and fugitives. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) were also involved in handling some politically sensitive cases, including thse of former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra. A series of bank loan defaults kept the CBI busy for much of the year. It began on January 31 when the agency started a probe against diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi for defrauding Mumbai's Brady House branch of the Punjab Bank of a staggering Rs 135 billion during 2011-17 by illegally issuing Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit. As both the businessmen had left India before the CBI started its investigations, the agency, along with the ED managed, to managed to get Red Corner notices against them. Choksi's location was initially traced to Antigua and the CBI has been attempting to get him extradited. In the midst of all this December 4 was a positive moment for the CBI when it, with the central government's help, secured the extradition from the United Arab Emirates of British Christian Michel, the middlemen in the Rs 36 billion AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. The CBI scored another success when a British court ordered the extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who fled India in March 2016 over a Rs 9,000-crore bank loan fraud. However, in spite of these two successes, the CBI found it hard to remove the blot on its reputation due to bitter fight between its Director, Alok Verma, and his second-in-command, as they hurled corruption charges against each other. This prompted the government to send both officers on forced leave, the first time this has happened since the CBI's inception in 1941. ALSO READ: CBI vs CBI: The turf war between 2 directors was public in all its ugliness The CBI Joint Director, M. Nageshwara Rao, was named its interim director. In a first of sorts, the CBI registered a case against Asthana for allegedly accepting a Rs 3 crore bribe to settle a case against meat exporter Moin Quereshi. On his part, Asthana levelled bribery allegations in more than a dozen cases against his boss. The ugly fight within the CBI became a political potboiler, with opposition parties pointing fingers at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for institutional decay. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Prime Minister, calling the CBI "an institution in terminal decline that's at war with itself". ALSO READ: CBI vs CBI case: Special judge grants bail to middleman Manoj Prasad The CBI is now facing a biggest credibility crisis as the interim Director is not authorised to take any policy decisions affecting most of its cases. A former CBI Director, on condition of anonymity, told IANS that the turmoil severely impacted the agency's functioning. "The fight between top two CBI officers really impacted the agency. But it is for a short period. There will not be longer impact on its functioning as it is a very professional organisation. Things will go like this until a new Director takes charge of the agency. As the agency has been divided in two groups, one supporting and other Rakesh Asthana, there is some bitterness. But the work is going on. "The CBI managed to extradite Christian Michel," he pointed out. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said it was a serious crisis squarely brought on by the government. "Asthana was pushed through despite the Director pointing out that they are investigating a case against him. He seems to be very close to Modi and (BJP President)Amit Shah. The CBI is today used for political purposes against political opponents. The agency should not be under the administrative control of the government." A former Police Commissioner, requesting anonymity, said the murky war has damaged the image of the CBI and this needs to be restored by sacking both the two officers. "The controversy has an impact not only on CBI's reputation but also on PM's image. Today, the government has to face the flak for the mistake." So grave is the situation that Verma has put his own government in the dock. Verma, whose tenure as CBI Director ends on January 31, presented a plea in the Supreme Court against the centre's decision - raising the question whether the government can remove him inside the two-year fixed tenure of a CBI chief without the acquiescence of the committee that appointed him. The government has clarified that the action was taken as an interim measure since Verma and Asthana were "fighting like Kilkenny cats". The Supreme Court has reserved its order in the case and has observed that the CBI Director must continue in his post for two years. And, with the rift at the top overshadowing its investigations, the CBI organised a three-day Art of Living synergy programme to improve positivity and generate a healthy atmosphere in the agency. A top Maharashtra agrarian expert on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi "to appoint experts and knowledgeable persons" to handle the proposed bail-out package for farmers being considered by the NDA government. "The team drafting the proposed farm relief initiative -- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, or the babus in Niti Aayog -- does not have any knowledge of the existing rural distress," said Vasantrao Naik Swavalamban Mission Chairman Kishore Tiwari. In a sharp statement, while welcoming the government's proposal for a new package to bring relief to the agrarian sector before the end of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, Tiwari said Modi should follow the steps of Telangana and Jharkhand governments in this regard. He said the voters in the five states which the BJP lost have given a clear "wake-up call" and expressed their anger over the anti-farmer policies of the NDA vis-a-vis the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) headed by K. Chandrashekar Rao, the Chief Minister of Telangana. "The Prime Minister should immediately appoint a 'knowledgeable' agriculture minister before implementing the upcoming new farmers bail-out package, in consultation with grassroots activists working among farmers," Tiwari said. He also sought direct cash subsidy of Rs 5,000/acre in crop season to all farmers in rain-fed areas besides fulfilling Modi's own 2014 poll-promises like unconditional loan waiver, protected irrigation facility, subsidised foodgrains, free healthcare, monthly pension to aged farmers. "All crop loans must be given a one-time blanket waiver, including from micro-finance companies and private money-lenders, so farmers can make a fresh start on a clean slat and fresh crop loans upto 50 per cent of the land prices must be extended to the farmers," Tiwari urged. The VNSSM chief sought universal reforms in the existing crop insurance schemes which should be implemented at the village level and damage assessments as conducted by the local Gram Sabha to benefit the genuinely distressed sections of farmers. Incidentally, Tiwari, who enjoys a Ministerial status in Maharashtra, kicked up a major controversy earlier this month when he demanded that the BJP should get rid of both Modi and Shah if it wanted to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He also followed up with a letter to the RSS top brass demanding that they should replace Modi with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as the face of the party going to the crucial elections early 2019, though Shah ruled out any such possibility last week in Mumbai. --IANS qn/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Saturday, will view a detailed presentation on the proposed 400 metre Kashi-Vishwanath Corridor project, an official said. The official said the Prime Minister will be viewing a 12-minute documentary on the ambitious multi-crore project which envisions a widened and beautified corridor to the fabled temple. The official told IANS that the detailed project report (DPR) for the corridor will be presented in the first week of January 2019 after which the project will be moved in the Union Cabinet for approval. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kashi Vishwanath temple Vishal Singh said that tenders will be floated for the project after it is cleared by the cabinet. The foundation is likely to be laid in February 2019. The proposed corridor between the temple and the banks of river Ganga will have two pathways around 400-metre-long and 50-feet-wide. According to the blueprint, the corridor will have an open auditorium between the Lalita Ghat and the famous Manikarnika Ghat, a rest house, a hospital, Vedic study centre, restrooms for the priests and other staff, a library, 150-175 shops, cafeteria, toilets, visual library and help desks. In view of the proposed project, 80 per cent of the buildings in the area of the corridor have been registered. Of the 270 buildings and houses in the area 210 have registered in favour of the Temple Trust and currently demolition of 140 houses is underway. Officials also informed that before the foundation is laid, as many as 10,000 square metres of land of the total 25,000 square metres would be cleared. --IANS md/mag/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of misusing central agencies to malign the Gandhi family, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) mentioned the name of "Mrs Gandhi", an apparent reference to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, while seeking the custody of Christian Michel, accused in the AgustaWestland chopper deal case. The ED, which got a seven-day extension of custody of Michel from a special court here, made references to one "Mrs Gandhi" and "big man 'R', son of an Italian lady who is going to be the next Prime Minister", perceived as being Sonia Gandhi and her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Reacting to the development, Congress leader R.P.N. Singh said the Modi government is pressurising Michel to implicate the Gandhi family. "The 2019 Lok Sabha elections are not far away... The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) devoid of any issue is shamelessly misusing and abusing central agencies to malign the Gandhi family," Singh told the media here. "It is already known that Michel was being pressurised to do so even before he was extradited to India," said Singh citing Michel advocate's July 17 statement, saying the Modi government is forcing Michel to sign a false confessional statement naming Sonia Gandhi in return for complete exoneration. Singh also targeted Prime Minister Modi over the Rafale deal which the Congress claims to be India's "biggest defence scam". "The entire country knows what the chowkidar is. Instead of hiding behind the ED and the CBI, the Prime Minister should come out and face questions on the scam," added Singh. --IANS and/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 15-member team of Indian Navy divers and 21 firefighters from Odisha arrived in Meghalaya's Ksan village on Saturday to assist the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to rescue 15 miners trapped inside a flooded illegal coal pit for over two weeks now. The district administration has temporarily suspended pumping out water from the coal pit since December 24 with the two 25 horsepower pumps became ineffective due to continuous operations. A NDRF rescue team dived inside the main shaft of the coal pit, but could not locate any of the miners. Surveyors and mining technical experts of Coal India Limited (CIL) began surveying the site before pumping out lakhs of gallons of water from the 370-feet coal pit. A project manager of Kirloskar Brothers Limited told IANS that India's leading pump manufacturing company has already dispatched 10 high-capacity pumping machines to the site. The CIL is also planning to airlift its high capacity submersible pumps of 100 horsepower each that can pump out 500 gallons of water per minute from various locations to Guwahati airport and transporting them by road to Ksan village in East Jaintia Hills district. NDRF's Assistant Commandant Santosh Kumar Singh briefed Lieutenant Commander Khetwal, the team leader of the Indian Navy divers and Sukant Sethi, Chief Fire Officer of Odisha Fire Services on the rescue operation conducted so far by the NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)in the past 17 days. "I have updated them (Indian Navy and Odisha Fire Services) on our rescue operations and the equipment, including sonar system used by us to locate the trapped miners but it did not yield positive results," Singh told IANS. Requisitioned by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Odisha firefighters equipped with high-tech equipment including 10 high-power pumps, reached the site after travelling 220 km from Guwahati airport. The biggest challenge for the rescuers in evacuating the trapped miners to higher ground from day one of the rescue operations was the non-availability of the "mining map or blue print" with the district authorities. "We don't have the mining map. This is going to be very tough challenge for all of us," General Manager of CIL's Northeastern Coalfields J. Borah told IANS. "Six of the eight submersible pumps of 100 horsepower each are on the way to the site from Nagpur, Bilsapaur, Dhanbad and Ranchi. We are also planning to airlift the pumping machines to Guwahati airport," Borah said. Meghalaya Police arrested Jrin alias Krip Chulet, the owner of the coal mine from Narwan village. Police said that a hunt is on for more people including the manager of the illegal coal mine. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had met union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and sought immediate Central support to rescue the trapped miners. Sangma had also promised that "appropriate action will be taken at appropriate time against the people who are involved in the illegal mining and this is not acceptable to us". --IANS rrk/pgh/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To show the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it is reigning in Elon Musk from sending out irresponsible tweets, the electric car company Tesla has named Oracle heavyweight Larry Ellison and top-ranked HR executive Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to its board. A long-time Musk friend, Ellison is Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Oracle and Wilson-Thompson is the global Chief Human Resources Officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance, the Seattle Times reported on Friday as Tesla shares rose 5.6 per cent. The US SEC in September announced a deal with Tesla after it sued Musk in federal court for misleading investors over his post on Twitter in August that he had "funding secured" for a buyout of the electric-car company at $420 a share. His tweet about taking his company private, along with attacks on critics on social media, raised concerns with investors about whether Musk has become too focused on criticism from so-called short-sellers who had been making bets against him and Tesla. Musk stepped down as Chairman in November and both he and Tesla agreed to pay $20 million penalties to the SEC. Tesla later appointed Robyn Denholm, an executive at Australian telecommunications firm Telstra, to take become the Chair of the Tesla Board. Musk remains as Tesla's chief executive and the biggest investor. "In Ellison, Tesla has added another larger-than-life technology titan lauded for his business accomplishments but not without his own corporate-governance controversies," said the report. Tesla also said it is setting up a committee on the board to oversee compliance with the SEC agreement regarding public disclosures and public statements, and to review potential conflicts of interest, employment and compensation disputes. "Ellison went off-script during an Oracle meeting with analysts in October to announce that he had been building a personal stake in Tesla and that it was his second-largest holding," the report added. Ellison owns 3 million shares of Tesla stock. In October, Ellison said he is "very close friends to Elon Musk" and defended him against the ongoing criticism of his behaviour. --IANS na/pgh/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahmedabad Smash Masters had a good start to this season of the Premier Badminton League (PBL), winning all their three fixtures, and will aim to continue the momentum when they take on the Chennai Smashers here on Sunday. In what promises to be a high-octane clash, Chennai Smashers will have a lot at stake, as they are at the bottom of the points table. On the other hand, with wins over North Eastern Warriors, Delhi Dashers and Bengaluru Raptors, the Viktor Axelsen led Smash Masters will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak. With 12 points from 3 matches, the Smash Masters have a 100 percent win record so far and are placed second in the table. Meanwhile, Pune, who are playing their second home game here, will be extra motivated to go all guns blazing when they take the court against the Bengaluru Raptors. Last edition runners-up Bengaluru Raptors will seek to do everything right in this season. Having played just one match, the team's full potential is yet to be tested, but with the squad boasting of some of the finest shuttlers, the Raptors will be a force to reckon against. The Raptors have won their trump match and are currently 6th in the standing with three points. Playing their second home game in the city, the Pune 7 Aces will be more motivated to come out all guns blazing when they take the court against the Raptors. --IANS ajb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan International Airlines has sacked over 50 employees, including pilots and cabin crew, for holding fake degrees, the media reported on Saturday. A statement by the country's national carrier said that the employees were fired on the instructions of the Supreme Court in a fake degrees case. Three pilots and 50 crew staff were sacked, Geo News reported. Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had taken notice of alleged appointment of pilots holding fake qualifications in January this year. A two-member bench headed by the Chief Justice had issued a deadline of December 28 to the Civil Aviation Authority for completing the verifications of the degrees of pilots. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Workers of a political party stoned an Uttar Pradesh police constable to death in Ghazipur district on Saturday, police said, adding the constable was part of a police team trying to control a crowd gathered to greet Nishad Party state president Sanjay Nishad who was on his way to Gorakhpur from Ghazipur. The constable's death is the second such incident this month. On December 3, police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed in Bulandshahr in western UP when he tried to stop a mob of right-wing activists and villagers from keeping cattle carcasses to block a road from where a large number of Muslims were to return after a religious congregation. An official on Saturday said a police team was trying to manage traffic after Prime minister Narendra Modi's rally in Ghazipur. "Some supporters of Nishad entered into an argument with policemen trying to clear the road of vehicles," said a police source. The workers hurled stones at the policemen and torched some vehicles. "While more policemen arrived to chase the mob away and detained a few of them, it was too late for Surendra Vats who bled to death after being hit in the head by a stone. The deceased was posted at Kareemuddinpur police station", the source said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the death of the policeman and has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 40 lakh to his widow, a government spokesman said. "He has announced Rs 40-lakh compensation for the wife of the deceased and Rs 10 lakhs to his parents if alive", said the spokesman. The Chief Minister has also announced "extraordinary pension for the wife of the deceased and government service for one person of his family". He has also directed the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police to take strict action against the unruly elements and immediately arrest them, the spokesman said. --IANS md/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday called on visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering here and held discussions with him on political and other matters of common interest. "I had an excellent meeting today with the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dr Lotay Tshering. We discussed the political situation in the region and other matters of common interest. I look forward to continuing our dialogue in the future," Gandhi tweeted. Tshering arrived here on Friday on a three-day visit to India, his first official trip abroad after assuming office in October. --IANS rak/mag/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday announced a ban on Ukrainian products in retaliation to similar measures Ukraine had adopted in an escalation of tension between the two countries. The Russian embargo included products manufactured in Ukraine as well as those that reach the Russian market via the neighbouring country, according to an official statement. "Russia is introducing an import ban on a range of Ukrainian goods," Medvedev tweeted, adding that it was a retaliatory measure to Ukraine's sanctions. The banned products included turbines -- except those that are used in civil aviation -- machinery, transformers, chemical products and limestone, among others, Efe news reported. Moscow also banned the import of wheat, sunflower oil, canned fish, fruit and vegetables, chocolate, bread, pastries, caviar and wine, according to the statement. The Russian government said it would lift the ban if Ukraine also abolished the embargo it had imposed on certain Russian goods. Russia had already enforced an import ban on meat, fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and salt from Ukraine in January 2016. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko banned the import of Russian products after Moscow propped up elections conducted in the self-proclaimed people's republics -- Donetsk and Lugansk -- in eastern Ukraine which are not recognized by the international community. Tensions between the two countries escalated further during a naval clash that saw Russia seize three Ukrainian vessels and detain two dozen sailors in the Black Sea. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said his government has performed "far better" than most other states despite "low" funds flow from the Centre. "Being a small state with a small population, we do not have a presence at the national level. The funds flow from the Central government is low as compared to the funds flow to bigger states, though the needs of our state are of equal magnitude. "But inspite of such drawbacks, our Government has performed far better than most other states," he said during the 24th anniversary celebrations of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government on Friday. Appealing for a decentralised and democratised administrative system, he directed all the secretaries of various departments of the state government to submit proposals by the middle of next month regarding filling up of vacancies, giving promotions to employees and regularising ad-hoc staff. Chamling, the country's longest serving Chief Minister, announced a reduction in the qualifying period for promotion for group C and D employees to five years. Also, employees working in the Group C and D grade in the state government for five years and above will be regularised. The government will grant six months maternity leave to all female employees, he added. "I have directed all the secretaries/HoDs to submit proposals on the above announcements by January 15, 2019, and these decisions should be implemented by January 31, 2019," Chamling said. Chamling said various pending political demands have been "fulfilled" and overall his government "managed to bring about all-round progress and development, perhaps not seen anywhere else". "There is peace and security prevailing in our state. Our government employees can live with dignity and respect without any kind of fear of extortion or threats whatsoever," he added. --IANS bdc/ssp/oeb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An American social worker who died of cancer has left behind $11 million for children's charities in the US city of Seattle. No one who knew Alan Naiman could have guessed he had amassed a fortune. The frugal social worker bought his clothes at Costco, cut coupons and liked to take thrifty road trips for his holidays, the BBC reported on Friday. But when he left $11 million to the charities, friends say they were not surprised by his generosity. Naiman died in January 2018 of cancer at age 63 in Seattle, Washington. "I think everyone was shocked, I mean really shocked that he had so much money to give away," says his friend Mary Monahan, who worked with Naiman at Washington state children's services. Soon after being diagnosed with cancer, he told her that he would donate everything he had to charity upon his death."People will be surprised at the amount," she recalls him saying."Yeah, people were -- I'm sure -- very surprised," she told the BBC. Naiman left a lucrative banking career to work with children 30 years ago. Monahan believes his experiences working with children in social services, many of whom had disabilities, inspired him to put others first."I guess he thought he had what he needed, and a lot of other people didn't have what they needed," she says. "The kids that came into care got into Alan's heart." Naiman inherited some of his wealth from his parents, but he also saved and invested most of his earnings throughout his life. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Thandie Newton is set to receive an OBE for services to film and charity, as she led the stars on The Queen's New Year's Honours List. The "Line Of Duty and Crash" star joins fellow actress Sophie Okonedo, "Monty Python" star Michael Palin and "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan in being awarded for their various contributions to arts and charity, reports dailymail.co.uk. Thandie's honour comes after she was awarded an Emmy earlier this year for her role as host Maeve Millay in the HBO hit "Westworld". Thandie first rose to public attention in the 1990s with roles in films such as "Interview With A Vampire", "Jefferson in Paris" and "Beloved". The 46-year-old earned critical acclaim for her role in 2004's "Crash", which famously won the Oscar for Best Picture - beating out favourite "Brokeback Mountain". Following on from various other film roles, Thandie began appearing in "Westworld" in 2016, and was also nominated for a BAFTA in 2018 for her performance as corrupt DCI Roseanne ''Roz'' Huntley in "Line Of Duty". After receiving her Emmy earlier this year, Newton said: "I don't believe in God, but I'm going to thank her tonight." She joins several other stars who are to be honoured for their work in 2019, including actress Sophie Okonedo, who will receive a CBE for services to drama. The 50-year-old was already made an OBE in 2010, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for "Hotel Rwanda". --IANS nv/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress, the main opposition party in Goa, on Saturday said that three employees of a casino in North Goa were taken hostage, beaten up and deprived of food for five days, following a discrepancy of Rs. 1.80 crore in the accounts of the casino. Congress MLA Nilkanth Halarnkar, who addressed a press conference at the state party headquarters, demanded a home ministry probe into the incident. "We are demanding a home ministry probe into this inhuman act. How can anyone lock employees in a room for five days, beat them up and deprive them of food, holding them hostage?" Halarnkar told reporters at the press conference. The three employees, Halarnkar said, were kept hostage from December 16 to 20 in the casino, which is functioning from a five star hotel, before they were eventually rescued by a North Goa district police team. "Our question is why was no FIR filed against the casino, which had taken these boys hostage? This is despite the fact that a police team had to rescue the three persons from the custody of the casino," Halarnkar said. One of the hostages, Chandan Pant, who is a Nepali and worked as a cage supervisor at the casino's cash desk, in a complaint to the state director general of police has said that after being rescued by the police team, he had been coerced not to file a complaint against the casino management by the police. A spokesperson for the North Goa district police said that police action was not taken after a request by the three individuals not to formally pursue the complaint. --IANS maya/oeb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Keen on enacting the legislation, the government has got the bill on criminalising triple talaq listed in the Rajya Sabha for consideration on Monday, giving it the top priority notwithstanding the fact that it may find it difficult to get the bill through. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 has been listed as the number one item under the head legislative business in the Upper House where the opposition has greater numbers, given the fact that BJP's friendly party, AIADMK, has also opposed the legislation. The bill and the statutory legislation opposing the ordinance, which it seeks to replace, have been listed together to be taken up on Monday after the weekend recess. The Opposition wants the bill to be referred to a select committee of both Houses of Parliament for detailed consideration which the government is not ready to concede. With numbers on its side, the Opposition can succeed in getting the Bill referred to a select committee. Exactly, a year ago the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but its passage was scuttled in the Upper House by the Opposition. In the Lok Sabha, when the bill was passed on Thursday, Congress and other opposition parties and AIADMK walked out of the House when it was about to vote the Bill after government rejected the demand for referring to a joint select committee. The AIADMK, which is a potential election ally of the BJP, has also signed the demand for reference of the Bill for the committee's consideration in the Rajya Sabha. The AIADMK apparently believes that supporting the Bill would not go well with its supporters in the Muslim community, which the late Jayalalithaa had assiduously built. AIADMK sources said that the party's opposition to the Bill in the Lok Sabha was its considered decision and not the decision of its member Anwar Rajhaa, who spoke on the Bill. --IANS vsc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that great progress has been made in trade negotiations between the US and China, though he gave no specific details. "Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!," Trump wrote on Twitter. The US and China are in the midst of a 90-day trade truce reached by Trump and Xi at the G20 Summit in Argentina in early December, reports Efe. If no solution has been found by the end of the truce that satisfactorily allays Washington's concerns, US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will soar from 10 per cent to 25 per cent. China's finance minister announced in mid-December that Beijing will suspend additional tariffs on vehicles and vehicle parts made in the US for three months starting January 1. At the same time, the Xi government approved the renewal of imports of US soybeans, while Chinese lawmakers agreed to come up with a bill banning the forced transfer of technology. For his part, Trump said two weeks ago that his country could soon reach a trade agreement with China. The White House wants the talks with Beijing to lead to structural changes in the Chinese commercial system, particularly with regard to what it considers a forced transfer of technology and the scant protection for intellectual property. The Trump administration also hopes that these negotiations lead to an opening of the Chinese market to US agricultural and manufactured products. --IANS vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two militants were killed on Saturday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said. According to police, the security forces surrounded Hajin Payeen village after receiving information about the presence of militants there. "As the cordon was tightened, the militants who were hiding opened fire. That triggered an encounter in which two militants have been killed," an informed source said. Reports from the area mentioned that the slain militants belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit. Searches are underway in the area. --IANS sq/pgh/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh government has made extensive arrangements to host millions of people in the city of Prayagraj (earlier known as Allahabad) for the 2019 Kumbh Mela starting on January 15, a minister said here on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Rajesh Aggarwal told media here that an amount of Rs. 2,800 crore was earmarked for the Kumbh Mela. "The state government is endeavouring to provide a devotional and spiritually charged atmosphere to pilgrims coming for the Kumbh. Over 5000 NRIs (non-resident Indians) and people from over six lakh villages of India will participate in the Kumbh," Aggarwal said. "The state government earmarked an amount of Rs 2800 crore for Kumbh Mela 2019. Besides, development works of Rs 4300 crore is also being carried out. Works related to roads, bridges, drinking water schemes, electricity, tourism, and so on have been done," he added. It will be the largest temporary city of the world, Aggarwal said. The Mela area has over 1.22 lakh toilets, 250 km of new roads, 22 pontoon bridges and over 40,000 LED lights. The Ganga Pandal set up at the venue has a capacity of 10,000 people. "Following the efforts by the state government and the cooperation extended by the Ministry of Defence, the devotees coming to the Kumbh will have an opportunity for the first time in the last 450 years to pray at 'Akshay Vat' and 'Sarasvati Koop'. "Keeping this in view, the state government has beautified all the places directly or indirectly linked to the Kumbh," he said. Aggarwal said that the state government is making efforts to realize the vision of making the Kumbh a representative of India's inclusive culture. "The objective of this event is to make efforts to familiarise the world with the high quality life, conduct and thoughts of Indian culture," he said. Ardh Kumbh is held every six years, while the Maha Kumbh Mela comes after 12 years. The Maha Kumbh is held at Prayagraj while Ardh Kumbh is organized on a rotational basis in the four riverside cities of Haridwar, Prayagraj, Nasik and Ujjain. Magh Mela is held every year. Under the Kumbh related works, 671 people welfare projects have been completed during the last one and a half years under the Prayagraj Mela Authority. "For smooth traffic movement, the state government has constructed nine flyovers in the last one and a half years. The Bridge Corporation has created a record by constructing a 4-lane wide and 1325 metre long flyover on a single pillar in 14 months in front of the High Court in Prayagraj city area," he said. Ambassadors of around 71 countries have witnessed the preparations for this grand event, Aggarwal added. --IANS js/oeb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yemeni Houthi rebels began to pull out their forces from the strategic port city of Al Hodeida under the recent ceasefire agreement reached between the warring parties, the rebels' spokesman said on Saturday. The withdrawal took place in the presence of Gen. Patrick Cammaert, president of the coordination committee of relocation, a body led by the UN which supervises compliance with the ceasefire agreement that was reached in Sweden earlier this month. "In accordance with the provisions of the Stockholm agreement and with the implementation of the directives of the command, our forces began Friday night to implement the first phase of the withdrawal from the port of Hodeida," Brig. Gen. Yahya Saria, the Houthi's military wing spokesman, said, according to the rebel-held news agency SABA. The spokesman said that the Houthis now hope the coordination committee will secure a commitment from the Yemeni government to fulfil its part of the first phase of the agreement, which would involve the withdrawal of troops from the east of the city and other neighbourhoods considered of "critical" importance. The UN-mediated agreement foresees the application of an immediate ceasefire in Hodeida and the gradual withdrawal of troops from both factions in phases. The agreement also stipulates a withdrawal of all military forces within 21 days of the ceasefire in Hodeida. However, the fine details of the implementation of the pact depend on the coordination committee of relocation, a committee in which members of the Houthi and the Yemeni government both participate. The ceasefire officially came into effect on December 18 in Hodeida, a strategically important city because of its vital port -- which is the entry point for the majority of Yemen's imports and aid. However, hostilities have ensued with sporadic exchanges of artillery fire recorded every day. Yemen has been caught up in a power struggle between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthi rebels since late 2014. The conflict intensified when Saudi Arabia began a military intervention in Yemen in March 2015 in support of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi against the Houthi rebels, leaving over 30 million people in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Calling Karnataka Chief Minister an "accidental CM", the opposition BJP has taken a jibe at him over his Singapore visit to celebrate the new year, at a time when most parts of the state are reeling under drought. "After new govt was formed 377 farmers have ended their lives 156 talukas declared drought-hit, loan waiver has still not been done, Karnataka has slipped to a debt ridden state & here we have the so called son of soil CM @hd_kumaraswamy celebrating in Singapore (sic)," the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said in a tweet. "If there was a movie titled #AccidentalCM who will play the role of @hd_kumaraswamy?," it said in another tweet. After new govt was formed 377 farmers have ended their lives 156 talukas declared drought-hit Loan waiver has still not been done Karnataka has slipped to a debt ridden state & here we have the so called son of soil CM @hd_kumaraswamy celebrating in Singapore. BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 29, 2018 If there was a movie titled #AccidentalCM who will play the role of @hd_kumaraswamy ? BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 29, 2018 Kumaraswamy would go abroad with family Saturday night on a personal visit and return on the night of January 1, 2019, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement on Friday. According to CMO officials, it has been a practice for the Janata Dal (Secular) leader to celebrate the with family for the last few years. The chief minister's foreign visit comes at a time when voices of displeasure have emerged from his own party, the JD(S), against the ruling alliance partner, the JD(S) workers and leaders have openly expressed their unhappiness against the on a host of issues, including the appointment of heads to boards and corporations that are yet to be finalised. According to sources, the is said to have forwarded its list of 19 legislators to head boards and corporations to the chief minister. The move has irked the JD(S) leadership as they were not consulted. Also, the Congress recommending the names of some of its legislators as heads of boards and corporations under departments controlled by JD(S) ministers has angered the regional party. : A 18-month-old baby from Maharashtra was abducted by a man in Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, a police official said Saturday. The baby was taken away from his parents while they were sleeping in an open area before offering prayers on the hill shrine on Friday morning, superintendent of police KKN Anburajan told mediapersons here. Based on a complaint from the baby's parents, police registered a case and examined the footage of CCTVs which showed the boy being carried away by a man wearing a monkey cap. Police teams have been sent toAndhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka to catch the abductor and rescue the baby. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian population is a result of four major migrations, including that of the Aryans, into the country in prehistoric times, says a new book. "Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From" looks at how and when modern humans first arrived in India; what evidence they left behind; who their descendants are today; who else followed them as migrants to this land; how and when farming started and the world's largest civilisation of its time was built; when and why this civilisation declined; and what happened next. Based on recent genetic studies using ancient DNA as well as findings from disciplines such as archaeology and linguistics, journalist Tony Joseph writes that these migrations, including that of the Aryans from central Asia, were part of global population movements that affected not just India but many regions of Asia and Europe. The first modern humans arrived in India around 65,000 years ago as part of an Out of Africa migration that populated the entire world ultimately. The genetic lineage of these first migrants that the book calls First Indians' still dominate the Indian population and accounts for 50-65 per cent of the Indian ancestry today. The second major migration happened 9000 to 5000 years ago, when agriculturists from the Zagros region of Iran moved into India's northwestern part and mixed with the First Indians and helped speed up the farming experiments that were already beginning in the subcontinent. As a result, farming - especially of barley and wheat - spread like wildfire across the northwestern region, thus laying the foundation for the Harappan Civilisation that in its mature phase lasted from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. The Harappans, therefore, were a mixture of Zagros agriculturists and First Indians, the book claims. The third major migration happened from southeast Asia around 2000 BCE, when farming-related migrations originally starting from the Chinese heartland overran south-east Asia and then reached India, bringing the Austroasiatic family of languages, such as Mundari and Khasi spoken in the eastern and central parts of the country. The last major migration between 2000 and 1000 BCE brought central Asian pastoralists, who spoke Indo-European languages and called themselves Aryans, to India. The scientific evidence for all of these migrations - for long the subject of vigorous debates among both scientists and lay persons - is now coming from analysis of ancient DNA, or DNA collected from the skeletons of individuals who lived thousands of years ago. By looking at DNA from the same location at different periods, or from different locations at the same period, geneticists can work out which populations moved where and when. India's current population mix also includes many minor migrations that happened during the historical period, says the book, published by Juggernaut, though these did not leave a significant genetic impact. 'Early Indians' uses the metaphor of a pizza to explain the Indian population structure today. The First Indians form the base of the pizza, it says, since their ancestry is present in all population groups, no matter what region they live in, what caste they belong to, or what language they speak. Then comes the sauce that is spread all over the base of the pizza - the Harappans, who moved all over the country in search of new, fertile land when their civilization declined around 1900 BC. The rest of the migrants are the cheese, the capsicum, the tomato and other vegetables spread on top of the pizza, though not in a uniform manner - some pieces have a larger share of one and less of the other. Apart from the formation of the Indian population and the development of the Harappan Civilisation, the book also looks into when and how the caste system began. Genetic evidence suggests that the caste system did not begin with the arrival of the Aryans', Joseph says, adding that it began nearly two thousand years later, around 100 CE, probably due to a shift in political ideology at that time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dutch and German police on Saturday arrested five people suspected of preparing a terrorist act in the Netherlands. Dutch police said in a statement that four suspects were detained in Rotterdam and officers searched multiple locations. The statement said the investigation would continue to determine the nature and scale of the alleged threat. It provided no details. In neighbouring Germany, police announced the arrest of a Syrian man suspected of involvement in preparations for a terror attack in the Netherlands. Police said the 26-year-old was arrested Saturday in the western city of Mainz following an extradition request from the Netherlands. They didn't name him. A statement from police said the suspect has neither an official residence nor a criminal record in Germany. The apartment where he was found was searched. German police said they couldn't give further details, which they said are a matter for the police in the Dutch city of Rotterdam who are leading the investigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The national council of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saturday unanimously decided to extend the terms of all of its office-bearers, including party convener Arvind Kejriwal, by a year. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the AAP national council, party leader Pankaj Gupta said a proposal to extend the term of the current council by a year in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha election and the Delhi Assembly polls was passed unanimously. "The extension of the national council's term means that the terms of the national executive and convener Arvind Kejriwal are also extended by a year," he told PTI. The term of the national council was to end on April 23, 2019, Gupta said. "In the coming days, there will be the (2019) Lok Sabha election and after a few months, the Delhi Assembly polls. In view of this, we have decided that the term of the national council will be extended by a year. "The proposal was passed unanimously," he told reporters. Asked whether the term of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal as the party's national convener was also extended, AAP leader Gopal Rai said the terms of all the national council members were extended. Kejriwal was elected as the national convenor of the AAP for the second time in April, 2016 for a period of three years. According to the party constitution, "No member will hold the same post as an office-bearer for more than two consecutive terms of three years each. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The national council of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saturday unanimously decided to extend the terms of all of its office-bearers, including party convener Arvind Kejriwal, by a year. Hinting at the possibility of the AAP becoming a part of the Grand Alliance of opposition parties in the 2019 general polls, senior party leader Gopal Rai told reporters, "Besides playing our role in the Lok Sabha election, we will cooperate with others (parties) to remove the (Narendra) Modi government." The party would contest the Lok Sabha election in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Goa and Chandigarh with all its might, he said. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the AAP national council, party leader Pankaj Gupta said a proposal to extend the term of the current council by a year in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha election and Delhi Assembly polls was passed unanimously. "The extension of the national council's term means that the terms of the national executive and convener Arvind Kejriwal are also extended by a year," he told PTI. The term of the national council was to end on April 23, 2019, Gupta said. "In the coming days, there will be the (2019) Lok Sabha election and after a few months, the Delhi Assembly polls. In view of this, we have decided that the term of the national council will be extended by a year. "The proposal was passed unanimously," he told reporters. Asked whether the term of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal as the party's national convener was also extended, Rai said the terms of all the national council members were extended. Kejriwal was elected as the national convenor of the AAP for the second time in April, 2016 for a period of three years. According to the party constitution, "No member will hold the same post as an office-bearer for more than two consecutive terms of three years each." Briefing reporters after the national council meeting, Rai, who is the AAP's Delhi convener, said the council had decided that the party would contest the Lok Sabha polls to end the "autocracy of Narendra Modi". In other states, the respective state committees will submit their reports to the party's Political Affairs Committee on the strength of the organisation and candidates, Rai said. He added that the Political Affairs Committee would then take a decision on which seats to contest in these states. The council discussed issues like the farmers' condition, women security and the Rafale fighter jets deal, which would be raised by the AAP during the campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rai said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attended a meeting of his JD(U) here on Saturday, in which the top leaders of the party discussed the ways and means to improve its prospects in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting was held at the residence of Janata Dal (United) state president and Rajya Sabha member Vashishtha Narayan Singh. A host of senior leaders, including the party's national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, spokesperson Sanjay Singh, minister Jai Kumar Singh and MLA Lesi Singh, were among those present. JD(U) sources said the meeting that lasted for nearly three hours focussed on making the party more popular among the upper castes, who have traditionally supported the BJP or, earlier, the Congress. The JD(U) enjoys tremendous popularity among the Extremely Backward Classes and the Mahadalits -- numerically large but politically submissive social groups -- thanks to the schemes of Kumar's government that have aimed at the betterment of these segments. The support base of the JD(U) remained intact in the worst of times, but the votes failed to translate into seats whenever the party decided to go it alone like the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when it managed to win only two of the 40 seats in Bihar. The JD(U) is looking forward to putting up a sterling performance in next year's general election, which it will be contesting in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Last week, BJP president Amit Shah had announced the seat-sharing formula of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, wherein his party and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each while the LJP will fight the remaining six. Kumar had said at Shah's press conference that in 2019, the NDA would better its previous record of 32 seats in Bihar, which was achieved in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Being at the helm of affairs in Bihar for long, Kumar has the responsibility to ensure that the NDA romps home successfully in the 2019 polls. However, opposition parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) have mocked the claim, saying Paswan's decision not to contest the Lok Sabha polls but enter Parliament through the Rajya Sabha was "out of fear that the NDA may not be able to open its account in Bihar". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Army has rescued more than 1,500 tourists stranded near the 17th Mile in East Sikkim close to the India-China border following heavy snowfall, an official said. The tourists were returning from Nathu La and Tsomgo (Changu) Lake on Friday evening when snowfall in the region blocked roads, leaving over 300 to 400 civil vehicles stranded at various points on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, East Sikkim District Magistrate Kapil Meena said. "The Army immediately swung into action and rescued the tourists. They were then brought to a camp in 17the Mile area and served food and medicines. Arrangements were being to transfer the tourists to the state capital," Meena said. As of now, no tourist vehicle will be allowed to ply on Jawahar Lal Nehru road on way to the border region, he said, adding operations are underway to clear the snow and restore road connectivity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Neil Prakash, Australia's most wanted jihadist who became a recruiter for the Islamic State terror group, has been stripped of his Australian citizenship. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton described the 27-year-old former rapper from Melbourne as "a very dangerous individual". Through his father, Prakash had joint Australian and Fijian citizenship. Under Australian law, a dual national can be stripped of their citizenship if they are convicted or suspected of terror offences. He had featured in ISIS videos and has been linked to a failed Melbourne plot to behead a police officer and another attack in which two officers were stabbed outside a Melbourne police station, the SBS reported, Prakash left Australia for Syria in 2013, taking the name Abu Khaled al-Cambodi. He was mistakenly reported to have been killed in a US air strike in Mosul, Iraq, in 2015. He was a recruiter for the Islamic State (IS) group and encouraged terrorist plots in Australia. Prakash who is currently in jail in Turkey over charges related to being a member of Islamic State, has become the 12th dual national to have their citizenship annulled over associations with offshore terror groups, the website said. Australia is seeking extradition of Prakash in relation to several serious terrorism charges but the Kilis Criminal Court in southern Turkey earlier this year rejected Australia's extradition request. His Australian passport was cancelled in 2014 and he was added to a sanctions list in 2015. Prakash has previously admitted being a member of Islamic State but said he had nothing to do with the group in Australia. He faces a potential life sentence if convicted in Australia of terrorism offences. The government announced in November that it planned to change legislation to make it easier to strip dual Australian citizens of their citizenship, if they are convicted of terrorism. The Australian government said it is examining the cases of dual nationals who could lose their Australian citizenship over their activities as foreign fighters. "I will do whatever I can neturalise that threat," Home Affairs Minister Dutton was quoted as saying by the website. He said the government is working with Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States to get intelligence on other foreign fighters. Dutton said the government's priority is the safety and security of Australians. "Dual citizens who choose to be involved in terrorism forfeit the privileges of Australian citizenship, and I remain committed to enforcing the legal provisions that remove them," Dutton said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to carry out a Constitutional amendment so that the state can have a bigger council of ministers. In a letter sent to the prime minister Friday, Baghel said the Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution should be amended in Chhattisgarh's case. The article limits the number of ministers to 15 per cent of the strength of the state's legislative assembly. A press release quoted Baghel as saying in the letter that in view of the area and population of Chhattisgarh, this limit should be raised to 20 per cent for the state. Under the current provision, Chhattisgarh cabinet can have a maximum of 13 members including the chief minister. The state is spread over 1.35 lakh sq km, or 4.4 per cent of India's area, and is bigger than Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal, the release said. Around 32 per cent of the state's population is tribal, 12 per cent people belong to Scheduled Castes category while around 45 per cent fall in Other Backward Class (OBC), it said. In view of these circumstances, a bigger cabinet is needed for a smooth functioning of the administration, it added. The Congress, which ended BJP's 15-year reign in the last month's election, has 68 members in the newly-elected 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly. The new state cabinet has 12 members including the chief minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh stepped up security Saturday with thousands of army troops patrolling the streets along with paramilitary forces and police as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term in Sunday's general elections. Security agencies have been asked to keep an extra vigil on religious minority communities during the voting on Sunday as media reports said at least three Hindu households were set on fire by miscreants between December 16 and 26, Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda said. Law enforcement agencies in major cities are checking vehicles as part of their vigil as some 600,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards were deployed across the country. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and activists of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The opposition parties have alleged that thousands of its leaders and activists have been arrested to weaken them. The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB on Friday night arrested eight people for circulating "provocative videos and rumours" on social media relating to parliamentary election. Video-making materials, laptops and mobile phones were seized from the detainees, officials said. Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council spokesman Kajol Debnath said minority community leaders held a series of meetings with the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies who promised to pursue a 'zero tolerance' policy against any attack or intimidation. Prime Minister Hasina is seeking to return to power for a third consecutive time in the elections, the 11th since Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, 73, Hasina's archrival and the head of the BNP, who is serving a 10-year jail sentence on corruption charges, has been barred from contesting the polls. The BNP has stayed out of the parliamentary process since 2014 when it boycotted the general election over its demands for a poll-time non-party government. It has returned to parliamentary as part of a new alliance - National Unity Front (NUF) - that was cobbled together three months ago with eminent lawyer Kamal Hossain as its convener. But the party is in a state of disarray in the absence of its two top leaders Zia and her fugitive son Tarique Rahman who is the acting party chief. Zia is serving a 10-year prison term on graft charges while Rahman is living in London ostensibly to evade the law as a court has sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack on a rally in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. Election Commission last week allowed hardline Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of BNP, to contest the general elections, two months after it scraped the fundamentalist party's registration. Awami League's election posters are plastered on walls and poles across the country but those of opposition candidates are barely visible as they alleged that the police have created an atmosphere of fear to debar their supporters from staging street campaigns. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Saturday said "big progress" is being made on trade talks with China, following a long telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The US has imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese goods worth USD 250 billion per year. In retaliation, China imposed tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods. A standstill agreement reached between Trump and Xi on the margins of the G20 summit at Buenos Aires in November 30 and December 1 deferred the imposition of tit-for-tat tariffs by the two countries till March 1 to allow for negotiations. "Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!" Trump tweeted. After the two countries agreed to resolve their trade disputes in 90 days, American and Chinese officials held several round of telephonic calls over the last few weeks. Details of the trade deal is not yet out. Trump wants China to address the issue of massive trade deficit in bilateral trade along with the issue of theft of intellectual property. In recent weeks, China has showed signs of some relaxation in its trade policies with the US as it opened up its market for some American products. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP Saturday seized on ED's statement in court that AgustaWestland case accused Christian Michel had made a reference to "Mrs Gandhi" and the "son of an Italian lady" during its probe and attacked the Gandhi family, alleging that the truth about it is coming out now. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Prasad accused him of showering Prime Minister Narendra Modi with abuses and asserted that "today is the time for the Gandhi family to explain" following the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) statement in court. The Congress has rejected the charge, saying the central government has been using agencies to implicate the Gandhi family. In a sharp attack, Javadekar told reporters that the statement of Michel, who is accused of being a middleman and is under arrest, points to one family which, he claimed, has now been caught. "The ED's disclosure in the court has made it clear that truth can no longer be suppressed. The truth about the Congress and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul is coming out before the people. The people will give the Congress a befitting reply," he said. The country was earlier aware of two words, "family" and "AP", about the VVIP chopper case but Michel has now taken a few more names by referring to "Mrs Gandhi, big man, son of Italian lady, party leader and R", Javadekar said. Prasad claimed Michel was a very key player in the case who was brought to India with due deportation process. "He has taken Sonia ji's name and also given indication about Rahul Gandhi in a chit passed to his lawyer. The raajdar (one carrying secrets), Michel, is disclosing the involvement of others. Today is the time for the Gandhi family to explain. As far as the Congress is concerned no deal is complete without a deal," he claimed. Referring to Rahul Gandhi's attacks on Modi over Rafale in which he also used the thief barb at him, Prasad said the Congress president showered abuses at the prime minister who, he asserted, is an epitome of integrity and honesty. Rahul Gandhi should now explain his position on Michel's statement, he said. With the Congress accusing the government of pressuring investigation agencies to implicate the Gandhi family, Prasad claimed the Congress had caged them but they are now allowed to do a fair job. Javadekar said the UPA government "looted" the county and also compromised with the national security. "The Congress never finalised a transaction without a middleman. While it is busy in saving the likes of Michel, the Narendra Modi government is working to save the country's money and bring back what was looted earlier," he said. The BJP had accused the Congress of providing lawyers to Michel. The Congress had removed a party functionary after he appeared as a lawyer for the citizen of the United Kingdom. Javadekar also described the Congress' attack on the government as a case of "thief making noises" and claimed that Michel had also spoken about the public sector firm, HAL, being removed from the Rafala contract during the UPA rule. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav on Saturday held a meeting with leaders of its West Bengal unit and discussed various organisational issues. "It was a routine meeting. We discussed many organisational aspects," Yadav told PTI. The meeting comes at a time when the Bengal BJP has been organising law violation programs across the state, in protest against the Trinamool Congress government's decision to disallow the saffron party's proposed Rath Yatras. The three-phased Rath Yatra, also being called the 'Save Democracy Rally', was scheduled to be held this month, covering all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The rallies were to be flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah. The Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on a BJP plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order disallowing its yatras in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Accusing the government of carrying out a malicious propaganda, the Congress on Saturday referred to AgustaWestland case accused Christian Michel's statement before his extradition that Indian probe agencies were pressuring him to name a member of the Gandhi family and alleged it was a "fixed match". Congress spokesperson R P N Singh, during a press conference, said that in Dubai, when journalists had talked to Michel's lawyer, he had given a statement about how government agencies were trying that he name a particular family. Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said that in fact Michel had said before his extradition "on record in court that he was being pressured to name a member of the Gandhi family and that is what they were planning and have done". "The motive is clear. What he said is prophecy and this has happened. This is an outright fixed match fraudulently aimed at planting something on the Gandhi family," Vadakkan said. Michel was produced before a special court Saturday which extended his ED custody by seven days. Asked about the development, Singh said, "We have seen what the BJP has been doing in this matter." On the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) claim that Michel had spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country, he said, "The BJP scriptwriters are working overtime." Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter jets deal, Singh said action should be taken against him as there was "complete proof". He alleged that the Modi dispensation was "trying to pressure government agencies to name a person". "But the person who has done the biggest 'chori' (theft) cannot be spared," the Congress leader said, in an apparent reference to the opposition party's allegation against Modi of corruption in the Rafale deal. "We know that elections have come and they (BJP) do not have any issues, so through the ED, they are trying to put pressure on people," he said. Slamming the government over the issue, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters that, "The Modi government is guilty of a malicious and vicious propaganda." "There is brazen and shameless abuse of agencies of the state," he said. Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader and MLC Suraj Nandan Kushwaha died here in the wee hours of Saturday at his home following cardiac arrest, party sources said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, state BJP chief Nityanand Rai, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and a host of other leaders condoled the death of Kushwaha. Kushwaha (61) is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. CM Nitish Kumar announced that his cremation would be held with full state honours, an official release said. In his message, Kumar said that he was deeply pained with the death of Kushwaha and termed his death as his personal loss. Kushwaha's death has caused an irreparable loss to the field of education and politics, he added. Kushwaha, who is known for his gentle behaviour, had returned from Sri Lanka Friday evening and went back home after attending a reception party in the capital, Bihar BJP's media-incharge Pankaj Singh said.he said. Kushwaha's body was brought at party office where union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, party spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain and a host of Bihar ministers and party leaders paid their tributes to the departed soul. Earlier, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and several ministers reached Kushwaha's residence at Bazar Samiti and expressed their condolences. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP national council will meet at the Ramlila grounds here on January 11-12 to discuss a host of issues, including the 2019 Lok Sabha election, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) discussed the preparations of the national council meet at a meeting on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari. Besides Modi and Shah, several Union ministers and senior office-bearers of the saffron party are likely to participate in the national council meet. BJP national general secretary Anil Jain, secretary and Delhi BJP co-incharge Tarun Chugh were among those who attended the Saturday meeting. Jain informed that the national council meet at the Ramlila Maidan on January 11-12 would be the largest meeting of the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls. "About 12,000 delegates from every district of the country will participate in the meeting. This has become more important in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha election," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is unease in the Maharashtra Congress over the BJP's win in the Ahmednagar mayoral election with NCP support, and there is a feeling that the "pattern" could be replicated at the state level. With state unit chief Ashok Chavan out of the country, the Congress has, however, not yet reacted officially to the development. BJP's Babasaheb Wakale was elected Ahmednagar mayor after polling 37 votes despite the party having just 14 seats in the 68-member civic body as 18 NCP corporators, four from the Bahujan Samaj Party and one Independent voted for him. The Shiv Sena is the largest party in the civic body with 24 seats. The five Congress corporators in the civic body had abstained from voting. A Congress office bearer, on condition of anonymity, said the NCP's move in the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation had the blessings of the party's state leadership. "Unless the party (NCP) takes action against its local leaders, its credibility will be in doubt," the Congress office bearer said. Explaining the intricacies of Ahmednagar district politics, he said, "The Shiv Sena's five time MLA from Ahmednagar city, Anil Rathod, was defeated in 2014 by Sangram Jagtap of the NCP. Sangram is son-in-law of Shivaji Kardile who is BJP MLA from neighbouring Rahuri Assembly seat." He added, "Allowing the Shiv Sena to have its own mayor would strengthen the party as well as Anil Rathod and this the NCP did not want. Rathod is the local rival of Jagtap, Shivaji Kardile and BJP's Ahmednagar MP Dilip Gandhi," the Congress office bearer said. By supporting the BJP in the mayoral election, the NCP's plan is to secure its assembly seat in Ahmednagar city, the Congress leader claimed. He further pointed out that the NCP's observer in Ahmednagar for the mayoral election, Ankush Kakade, had publicly stated that the party strategy for the mayor poll would be decided by the local district leadership. "Even though the NCP has said it has sent show cause notices to the 18 corporators, the latter are saying no such notice has been received. The pattern could be replicated at the state level too," the office bearer observed. The Congress has, so far, maintained that since the NCP has assured action (against its corporators), it had no option but to wait and watch. "We will take a call on this issue after Ashok Chavan returns," he added. The Congress and the NCP are in an advanced stage as far as Lok Sabha and Assembly seat-sharing talks are concerned. According to party functionaries, a decision on only eight out of 48 LS seats, including Pune and Ahmedanagar, is pending. The NCP's state unit chief Jayant Patil, meanwhile, has said that the decision of the local leaders to align with the BJP was unacceptable. "We had fought the civic polls in alliance with the Congress. A show cause notice has been served to all the corporators. A decision on action against them will be taken after the response is received," Patil said, adding that the "Ahmednagar pattern" to attain power will be crushed. Patil attributed this move to local and also claimed that the BJP's attempts to create confusion about the NCP's ideology would not succeed. Meanwhile, in another development, senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who hails from Ahmednagar, has invited President Ram Nath Kovind and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to release a book on his father Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. The book release function is scheduled for January 7. A Congress leader, on condition of anonymity, said party workers in Ahmednagar felt that inviting party chief Rahul Gandhi or the chief ministers of the states where the party won recent Assembly polls would have been better to build a momentum for the party in the run-up to general polls scheduled next year. Vikhe Patil's office, meanwhile, clarified that the book release function would have leaders from all parties in attendance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday attacked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the probe into killing of a policeman during mob violence in Bulandshahr, saying over 25 days have passed, but no concrete action has been taken, and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. Mob violence broke out near Chingrawathi police post on December 3 after cattle carcasses were found strewn in a field near Mahaw village. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar were shot dead as the mob attacked police. Hitting out at the state government, UP Congress chief Raj Babbar, at a press conference here, said: "Over 25 days have passed and the government is still dilly-dallying. Some times Ajay Kumar Bisht's government seeks praise for itself, at other times it says it was a conspiracy." A "mobocracy" has prevailed in the country since the formation of the BJP government at the Centre, he alleged. "Earlier someone else was accused, now someone else is the culprit. The people whose names are coming out (in the investigation) are those who are close to the BJP leaders there," he claimed. His remarks come a day after a court sent to 14-day judicial custody the man who allegedly shot dead Singh. Prashant Nat was not named in the FIR but was held based on local intelligence, eyewitness accounts and assessment of the video footage that was gathered, Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhakar Chaudhary had said. Slamming the Yogi Adityanath government over inaction, Babbar said: "Ajay Singh Bisht had assured the family of the police inspector that they will get justice. He had called them. In all religions when someone dies, people go to their home, but here he called them." "Will there be justice done... in today's circumstances, it doesn't look like," he said. The Congress party wants that considering the circumstances prevailing in UP, there should be a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge, he said. Asked at what level the inquiry should be conducted, Babbar said it would be preferable that it is done under the supervision of the Supreme Court, but added that a probe under the UP chief justice would also bring out the truth. Alleging that UP was moving towards "anrachy", Babbar asked that should such a government continue. He also slammed the UP government over FIR being filed on court orders against the Unnao rape victim, her mother and an uncle for allegedly producing a forged age certificate to prove she was a minor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda Saturday said the coalition government in Karnataka was functioning "smoothly", as he indicated that the party was looking for 12 out of 28 seats in the state to contest during next year's Lok Sabha polls. The statement comes days after local JDS leaders and party workers asked the leadership to contest all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, unhappy over the Congress party's "big brother attitude" in the ruling coalition. Gowda expressed confidence about arriving at a consensus on seat sharing with the Congress without any "hurdle" and said it was likely to be finalized by January 15. "Let there be no unnecessary confusion regarding sharing for Lok Sabha seats...Kumaraswamy has expressed his opinion about JD(S) contesting from 12 seats, we (Congress and JD(S)) will sit and decide, we will do the seat sharing smoothly," Gowda said. He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi was busy after his party's victory in three states and ministry formation exercise there. Leaders of both parties would discuss seat sharing and try to finalise it by January 15 as Parliament session is on till January 8, Gowda said. Suggesting that seat sharing would be done without any "hitch" between Congress and JD(S), Gowda said "We may get some seats in Mumbai Karnataka, some in Hyderabad Karnataka and some in old Mysuru region.. though old Mysuru is our base, all the seats cannot be expected from there." He said the poll notification was expected by February end or early March. Gowda also gave clear indication about his grandson Prajwal Revanna contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Hassan, the JD(S) bastion that he has been representing. Pointing out that he has been associated with the constituency for the last 58 years in some way or the other, including as MP, Gowda said "People there have got some respect and love for me, but I cannot go on. Prajwal Revanna has been working for about last eight years in the constituency, naturally there is opinion towards him there (Hassan)," he added. Prajwal is the son of Gowda's elder son and senior JD(S) leader, PWD minister HD Revanna, who was last year appointed party's state general secretary, which was then seen as a push to his political aspirations. Asked about him contesting the Lok Sabha polls, Gowda, citing health reasons and that age was catching up, said he has "not decided yet." The former prime minister had in March said he would not be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. However, recent reports suggest that pressure is mounting on him to contest from Bengaluru North and Mandya constituencies. Complimenting the coalition government on farm loan waiver and other development works, Gowda said seven months had passed and the government was running smoothly despite some "small irritations." He said the JD(S) national executive would meet on January 29 and 30, which would discuss Lok Sabha poll preparations in the states where the party has presence. The State executive meeting involving party legislators, former legislators and office bearers would be held on January 3. Gowda said at the meeting appointments of MLAs as heads of boards and corporations in one go and also filling of two vacant posts in the cabinet would be discussed. JD(S) workers and leaders have been openly expressing their unhappiness against the Congress on a host of issues, including appointment of heads to boards and corporations that are yet to be finalised. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Opposition Congress in Meghalaya has urged the state government to take steps for legalising coal mining, alleging "rampant" unlawful mining activities in the region. The demand comes following the coal mine disaster in Meghalaya in which 15 people are still trapped in a flooded illegal rat-hole mine at Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district since December 13. "Why the state government is not taking up the matter of regularising coal mining in the state with the Centre? Legalising mining and strong regulations to surround the activity is the only way out," senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said. Lyngdoh had on Friday led a six-member opposition team to the accident site and made recommendations to the state government for rescue efforts. "Fresh coal dumps are seen on both sides of the road from Khliehriat till Lumthari. This is evident of the rampant illegal mining that is still going on in the state," she alleged. "It seems lawlessness is becoming supreme here. There were not enough forces to implement the ban either," the Congress leader said. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 imposed a blanket ban on mining and transportation of coal in the state for its adverse environmental effect and the absence of safety measures for the miners. The Shillong East MLA said Meghalaya government has failed to call an all-party meeting to discuss on the need to resolve the ongoing ban. "The government should call us, as we need to fight for legalising (coal mining) since we cannot stop it," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A police constable was killed Saturday in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Superintendent of Police (Ghazipur) Yashveer Singh said the protesters were workers from the Rashtriya Nishad Party who were prevented by the administration and the police from going to the rally venue. When the Prime Minister had left Ghazipur, the party workers blocked traffic at various places and started pelting stones on the vehicles returning from the programme venue," he told PTI. Constable Suresh Vats (48) from Karimuddinpur police station was hit on the head by a stone when he went to end a traffic jam caused by the protests. "He was immediately taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said. He said about 15 party workers were detained. The police are trying to identify other protesters through the video footage of the incident. The constable was from Raniganj in Pratapgarh district. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the dead constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents, the state government said. He also directed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to take strict action against unruly elements and immediately arrest them. The death comes less than a month after the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot dead during mob violence in Bulandshahr district over alleged cow slaughter. The man who allegedly shot the Bulandshahr inspector was arrested this week. Modi had addressed a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postal stamp on Maharaj Suheldev. He had left for Varanasi when the violence in Ghazipur took place. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police have denied permission to Dawat-e-Islam, an organisation, to hold a two-day religious meet 'Ijtema' from Saturday in view of the law and order situation here. The organisers have been informed that it would not be appropriate to give permission because of the prevailing law and order situation, a deputy commissioner of police Amber Kishore Jha told PTI. Asked if the organisation is Pakistan-based, the official said it is registered in India but enquiries showed that it claims to be a wing of an international organisation. ''However, I am not concerned about whether it is from Pakistan or not. Our concern is that the prevailing situation does not allow any kind of statement which will vitiate the peaceful atmosphere,'' he said. ''So, we have refused the permission on the grounds of law and order,'' he said. BJP MLA-elect Raja Singh told PTI that he had voiced opposition to the event, claiming that Dawat-e-Islami is from Pakistan and that its programmes were banned even there. He said he had submitted a representation to the city police commissioner opposing permission to the proposed programme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who has been making efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP front, said Saturday the country needed new economic and agricultural models as the present system did not work. "We are not in a hurry for the election. It is in the process. I say it will certainly have its implications on the present political system. 100 per cent! Definitely, we will achieve some goal much before the election and we will continue to pursue the cause. It's a national cause," Rao told reporters. The chief minister, who met his West Bengal and Odisha counterparts, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik respectively, this week, alleged that the Congress and the BJP have failed miserably in meeting the expectations of people. "The country needs a new economic model, the country needs a new agricultural model. The present system does not work. These parties have miserably failed. I am very, very open. I am not afraid of anybody. It will continue. I think another 15 days to go. Some of my friends told me that wait for some time. We will sit down and chalk out a programme," he said. Hitting out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Rao said the TDP chief was the "dirtiest politician" in the country who does "cheap politics" for power. "What I started is not for cheap like you.... What I talked about was an Indian federal front. I am stressing that the federal front (should be) without Congress, without the BJP. I am meeting people and leaders for that," he said. Naidu was earlier critical about Rao's efforts over the federal front. "Does Naidu have any idea about the models for governance that he was proposing?" the TRS chief asked. Rao alleged that Naidu did not have any consistency in as he was part of the NDA and later criticised the coalition after coming out of it. Naidu, who once questioned the benefit of special status for Andhra Pradesh, is now claiming to be fighting for it, Rao said. The TDP president is "not a leader, but only a manager," he alleged. Saying that the IT sector grew in Hyderabad because of the geographical and other advantages of the city, Rao accused Naidu of falsely claiming credit for it. Commenting on the TDP-Congress alliance against the TRS in the recent Assembly election, Rao said Naidu would certainly get a "return gift" from him and claimed that the TDP would lose in the upcoming Assembly election in Andhra Pradesh. He dismissed criticism against the TRS government over protecting the interests of backward classes in the coming rural local body elections and said the Congress and the BJP were not sincere in their cause. The Congress leaders are behaving with "idiocy" on the issue, he alleged. Rao said he had been asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also former prime minister Manmohan Singh to form a ministry for the welfare of the backward classes, but, he added, they did not do it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Saturday said it favoured a broader alliance of Left parties and other secular forces like the Congress and the RJD in Bihar to ensure the BJP's defeat in 2019 general election. The party intends to be a part of such an alliance and has formed a committee to hold talks with like-minded, secular and democratic parties for the purpose, CPI Bihar secretary Satya Narayan Singh told reporters. "We, the Left parties, have finalised our electoral alliance in Bihar (for 2019 Lok Sabha polls). There is no dispute or problem in Left unity," he said after the conclusion of a three-day CPI state council meeting, which was attended by the party's National Secretary K Narayana. "But our party feels the need for a greater Left and secular democratic front to defeat the BJP. We are of the opinion that the Left parties should ally with the RJD and the Congress," the CPI's state secretary said. "We have not had any talks with the RJD so far but we had talks with Bihar Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha and its campaign committee chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh with regard to having a broader opposition alliance to take on the BJP. We also held talks with Hindustan Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi," Singh said. The CPI (Marxist-Leninist), another Left party, had on December 21 expressed its support for a broader opposition alliance comprising all Left and other secular and democratic parties. It has also constituted a three-member committee to hold parleys vis-a-vis seat sharing with the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), which comprises the RJD and the Congress. The CPI wants to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Begusarai, Khagaria, Madhubani, Motihari, Banka and Gaya seats, Singh said. The CPI(ML) too wants to contest as many seats. The CPI(Marxist) has made it clear that it would field its candidate from the Ujiarpur seat, from where BJP leader Nityanand Rai won last time, with or without alliance. Asked whether the alliance would be possible given the number of seats the Left parties want to contest, Singh said the CPI has been a "force to reckon with in Bihar" and no party can ignore this. "Even Lalu Prasad understands this fact. But if an electoral alliance is stitched, then we may consider leaving some seats in the larger interest. There is no rigidity in the matter of number of seats," he said. Currently, the CPI has no MPs either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha from Bihar. Singh said the CPI would support the nationwide general strike called by 10 central trade unions on January 8 and 9 to protest against "anti-worker policies" of the government. The Left parties have also given the call for a 'Bihar Bandh' on January 9 over various issues including the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, he said. Singh said the party would also organise a Vidhan Sabha march on February 18 in which around one lakh farmers from 25 different farmers associations are expected to participate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Saturday accused the Maharashtra government of repression and claimed that several activists, including Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, had been detained by police over the past two days. A statement issued by the party said that after Azad's "detention" on Friday, activists like Subodh More, state committee member of the Jati Anta Sangharsh Samiti (affiliated to the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch) and Bhim Army leaders Ashok Kamble, Sunil Thorat, Mahadu Pawar and others had been held Saturday. The statement alleged that the mobile phones of these activists had been confiscated by authorities. They had gone to meet Azad at Manali Hotel in suburban Malad when the detentions took place, it claimed. Azad has been held at the hotel under heavy police presence after being denied permission to hold a 'Save the Constitution' rally at Worli's Jamboree Maidan, the CPI (M) statement said. This latest crackdown has been launched on the eve of the attacks on Dalits at Bhima Koregaon on New Year's Day last year, the statement claimed. It further alleged that hundreds of false cases had earlier been lodged against several Dalit and human rights activists. The CPI(M) and the Jati Anta Sangharsh Samiti, in a statement, demanded the release of all those detained as well as permission for the public meeting as requested by the Bhim Army. "We also reiterate our demand for strong action against Manohar Bhide and Milind Ekbote, the perpetrators of the Bhima Koregaon attacks," the statement by CPI (M) central committee members Ashok Dhawale, Narasayya Adam, Mahendra Singh and Jati Anta Sangharsh Samiti convener Shailendra Kamble said. Bhide and Ekbote have continually refuted allegations of their involvement in the Bhima Koregaon violence. Meanwhile, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad Saturday tweeted that he met Azad at the hotel where he was allegedly detained. Awhad dubbed Azad's "detention" as "murder" of the latter's fundamental rights. A police official, however, said that no activist, including Azad, had been detained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cyprus police rescued five injured crew from the water following an explosion on a Maltese-flagged oil tanker off the island's south coast on Saturday, authorities said. Two Indian crew were taken to the capital Nicosia for treatment for burns of between 30 and 70 percent, the head of the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), Andreas Charalambides, told reporters. The other three, all Greek citizens, had symptoms of hypothermia and were briefly hospitalised in the island's main port of Limassol before being discharged, he said. The remaining crew managed to put out the fire but the Athlos tanker was listing some 200 metres (yards) off the fishing village of Zygi, the JRCC said. The ship was carrying around 100 tonnes of fuel for its own use but the rescue centre scrambled boats to contain any oil spill. There was no other dangerous cargo on board. The Athlos had been headed from the island to Greece with a crew of 17 -- one Georgian, seven Greeks and nine Indians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The DMK Saturday said a meeting of its legislators, chaired by party chief M K Stalin, would be held on January 2, the same day that the Tamil Nadu assembly is being convened. The MLAs should attend the meeting at the party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' without fail at 5 PM,, a brief party release said. Sources said the meeting would deliberate the strategy to be adopted in the House and issues to be raised to corner the government like relief for those affected by cyclone Gaja. Cyclone Gaja that struck the Tamil Nadu last month left a trail of destruction in 12 districts, particularly in the Cauvery delta region. Days ago, the government said the Assembly will meet on January 2 and Governor Banwarilal Purohit will deliver his first address of 2019 to the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two opposition frontrunners in DR Congo's long-awaited presidential election refused Saturday to sign a peace pact on the eve of a poll that has stirred fears of violence in the volatile nation. With tensions rising before the vote, Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi rejected a proposed pledge aimed at averting post-election violence, saying election officials had failed to make suggested changes to the text. They announced their decision after a brief meeting with African election observers. Voters are to cast ballots Sunday to decide who will replace President Joseph Kabila, stepping aside after nearly 18 years at the helm of the vast, resource rich nation that has not known a peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960. The country's Independent National Election Commission (CENI) had sought to persuade the two opposition heavyweights, and Kabila's preferred successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, to sign a pact aimed at preventing violence after the result was announced. The text, which had not been seen by AFP, was a "commitment to peace, for transparent, calm and non-violent elections", according to the head of the commission, Corneille Nangaa. Fayulu, until recently a little-known legislator and former oil executive, said earlier that both he and Tshisekedi declined to sign an initial draft but had promised "to sign the agreement incorporating the amendments." Fears of unrest have soared after a warehouse fire destroyed thousands of voting machines earmarked for the capital Kinshasa, prompting the election commission to order a last-minute postponement of the vote from December 23 to 30. They had already been delayed by two years. On Wednesday, CENI declared the vote would be postponed again in violence-hit parts of the country, while insisting the rest of the national vote would go ahead. The announcement prompted Lamuka, a coalition of parties supporting Fayulu, to call for cities to be brought to a standstill on Friday. Those protest calls did not gain much traction, but there was violence in the eastern province of North Kivu, one of the regions where voting has been postponed. Around 1.25 million people in North Kivu and the southwestern territory of Yumbi are affected by the postponement, out of a national electoral roll of 40 million. One demonstrator was shot dead in the city of Beni and four were wounded, local sources said. However, Kabila said he was confident that Sunday's vote would go ahead. "I have the firm conviction that everything will go well on Sunday," he said in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde on Saturday. "Post-election violence can't be excluded but the security threat is under control." Polling stations are to open at 0400 GMT and close at 1600 GMT. DR Congo is mired in poverty, despite mineral riches ranging from gold and uranium to copper and cobalt. The nation has been a battleground for regional wars twice in the past 22 years. Kabila took office in 2001 at the age of just 29, succeeding his president father, Laurent-Desire, who was assassinated by a bodyguard. The presidential election -- its first in seven years -- coincides with voting for municipal and legislative bodies. A question mark now hangs over whether the vote will be credible. The authorities have permitted some election monitors from fellow African countries but refused any financial or logistical help from the UN or western countries. Tshisekedi, head of a veteran UDPS opposition party, has encouraged voters to remain near polling stations after voting ends. But Congolese police on Saturday warned they would arrest anyone loitering near polling stations after they close. "We appeal to the understanding of our fellow citizens to trust the various witnesses of the candidates, who have received accreditation for the vote and counting operations," colonel Pierrot Mwana Mputu said in comments broadcast by state television. Earlier Saturday, church leaders from the country's powerful Christian denominations held a service calling for peace. "Worries still loom over our heads and fear covers our hearts," said archbishop of Kinshasa, Fridolin Ambongo. "The divergence of ideas is no reason to set fire to the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr Sudha Seshayyan, a senior faculty of the prestigious Madras Medical College (MMC), was Saturday appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. Governor Banwarilal Purohit issued the order appointing her to the post for a term of three years, a Raj Bhavan release here said. Seshayyan, presently the Director and Professor of Institute of Anatomy in the over a century old MMC, has an outstanding academic record with a teaching experience of more than 30 years, it said. She also has rich administrative experience having held various posititions, including the post of the Vice-Principal of the MMC, and been a member of premier Editorial Review Board for Grays Anatomy and continues to be a member of the International Advisory Board for reviewing the publication. She had led the team that embalmed late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaas body in 2016. Noted for her Hindu religious discourses and oratory in Tamil, she has for long been a master of ceremonies of key government events, including swearing in functions of new governments. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress' Gandhi family, claiming the ED's statement in a court that alleged middleman Christian Michel made reference to "Mrs Gandhi" and "son of an Italian lady" pointed toward its involvement in the AgustaWestland deal. It is, however, not clear in what context Michel, who is under arrest, mentioned this to the investigation agency. The Congress has rejected the charge, saying that the central government has been using agencies to implicate the Gandhi family. Hitting out at the Congress, Union minister told reporters that truth was coming out of the probe into the alleged corruption in purchase of VVIP choppers during the UPA government, and that Michel's comments point towards one family. "The story of loot of public money is coming out, Everything went to one family," he alleged, accusing the Congress of compromising with security during its rule. ALSO READ: AgustaWestland case: Christian Michel named 'Mrs Gandhi', ED tells court He claimed that Michel has made reference to 'Mrs Gandhi', 'son of Italian lady', 'big man', 'R' and added, "This all points to only one family". Taking a dig at the Congress, he said it should answer who all Michel was referring to and claimed that people know of one 'R', a reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who had torn an ordinance of the Manmohan Singh government. Referring to Gandhi's attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, Javadekar described it as a case "thief making noises" and claimed that Michel has also spoken about the public sector firm, HAL, being removed from the Rafala contract during the UPA rule. The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday told a Delhi court that alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, was misusing the liberty of legal assistance during his interrogation by passing chits to his lawyers asking how to tackle questions on Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Michel was produced before a special court which extended his ED custody by seven days. The ED said that his custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the larger conspiracy in the case. Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the scam after he was produced in a court here. He was earlier lodged in Tihar Jail in the related CBI case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa Saturday said he has reviewed preparedness of authorities in Goa to conduct Lok Sabha elections, which are due next year. He held a series of meetings with Election Commission of India (ECI) officials here on Friday. "My visit was to see the state of preparedness for Lok Sabha elections, especially because work of voters' registration is going on," he told reporters. He said the ECI has taken stock of the situation. "We find that chief electoral officer and his team are doing their work as per procedure. Most of the work is complete and publication of the draft (voters list) will take place on January 4," Lavasa said, adding that the poll officials also reviewed availability of EVMs and VVPATS. Responding to a query, Lavasa clarified that holding of bypolls for Shiroda and Mandrem assembly constituencies was not on his agenda during his visit to Goa. "The visit is not connected with by-elections. It was meant to review the general state of preparedness for Lok Sabha polls," he said. Shiroda and Mandrem fell vacant after sitting Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who represented the constituencies respectively, resigned and crossed over to the BJP in October this year. Goa has two Lok Sabha seats, which are currently held by the BJP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has directed the to ensure the apex court order on burning firecrackers on New Year is complied with. In a notice earlier this week, CPCB Chairperson S P Singh Parihar asked the police commissioner to ensure the court order on burning green firecrackers for a stipulated period of two hours is complied with. The court had directed that bursting of crackers on Diwali and other festivals be limited to two hours and only "green firecrackers" be sold in Delhi and the Capital Region. However, gross violations of the order were observed during Diwali with rampant burning of toxic firecrackers across the country. The CPCB on November 9 sought an explanation from the police commissioner on violations of the apex court order. It said it has received a response from the police commissioner on its notice issued on November 9, in which the said no temporary license was issued and inspection of premises of all 18 license holders was carried out and show-cause notices were issued against two of them. The also informed the CPCB that for violating the apex court directions, as many as 613 people have been arrested and 8,286 kg of explosives seized. A thick haze had engulfed Delhi the morning after Diwali as the city recorded its worst air quality of the year. The pollution level in the capital had entered the "severe-plus emergency" category or 10 times the permissible limit. The CPCB has sought reports on the issue by January 7. A man was arrested for allegedly impersonating an IAS officer to get work of his relatives and friends done, police said Saturday. Mani Tyagi, in his late 20s, had recently called up the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal and said that he is an IAS officer, pressuring him to get the work of an acquaintance done quickly, they said. The officer said that he felt something was fishy, so he put the phone number on surveillance and it was tracked down to Ghaziabad. After a probe, the accused was arrested by a team from the Badalpur Police Station in Greater Noida, Jaiswal told reporters. "At times he would say he is a district magistrate posted in Tripura and cite his batch and cadre to build pressure on police officials," he said. Tyagi, a resident of Sahibabad in Ghaziabad and a BA graduate, claims to be working as a supervisor in a private company, but this is yet to be verified, the officer said. Tyagi told reporters that he had used the name of an IAS officer, a distant relative of his, currently posted in Tripura. "I have only done it a few times to help some people with their work, I have never taken money from anyone," Tyagi said and added that he had called up Jaisawal, officials in a sales tax office and Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow. Tyagi was booked for fraud and related offences and remanded in judicial custody, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) said Saturday that it has requested the government to intervene in the on-going dispute between online travel aggregators (OTA) and hotels. FHRAI has written to Tourism Minister K J Alphons outlining major issues concerning the industry and sought urgent intervention for redressal of hoteliers' grievances, a release said here. "The hotel industry, especially the budget and mid-market hotel segment is reeling under the adverse business tactics of the OTAs. The OTAs' malpractices are affecting the hoteliers' livelihood and business. These hoteliers who are part of the local and city hotel associations across the country have approached FHRAI seeking consultation and support, and are in solidarity with the Federation," FHRAI vice president Gurbaxish Singh Kohli said. The FHRAI tried to resolve the issue directly with the OTAs, however, OTAs have chosen to dismiss FHRAI's role in the matter, he said. "It leaves us with no choice but to ask the government to step in and create a norm for the OTAs just as the Commerce Ministry has done for the e-tailers recently," he added. Early this month, hoteliers in Gujarat boycotted OTAs citing biased and unilateral business conduct by them. "One of the most glaring irregularities is the illegal and unlicensed bed and breakfast (B&B), motels or accommodations hosted by the OTAs on their platforms. More than 40 per cent of the room inventory available on the OTAs is illegally operated," FHRAI vice president (north) S K Jaiswal alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sierra Leone's former defense minister has been arrested by for alleged corruption in a deal to procure military supplies, an anti-corruption commission said Saturday, the latest former government figure to be nabbed in a sprawling graft probe. Alfred Paolo Conteh was detained along with Sannah Marrah, the defence ministry's former director general, at the Criminal Investigation Department on Friday. Both are awaiting charges, the Sierra Leone Anti Corruption Commission said. The commission said officials are investigating allegations of corruption over procurement of military vehicles, uniforms and rice in 2015. The procurement contract was reported to be worth USD 10 million. "We are recovering monies stolen from our people," anti-corruption commissioner Joseph Ben Kelfalla told reporters in Freetown, adding that authorities had recovered more than one million dollars from corrupt officials. Most of the military supply deals were done in China, according to a report published in 2015 by the Sierra Leone audit services that identified flaws in procurement procedures. President Julius Maada Bio took office in early April after a tumultuous election campaign in which he targeted corruption, ending a decade-long rule by the All People's Congress (APC). Soon after he took office a report commissioned by the new government charged that "rampant corruption" in the former administration had led to the "near collapse" of the West African nation's economy. The government has approved a commission of enquiry, with hearings expected to begin in January 2019. Several former government ministers including the ex-vice president Victor Bockarie Foh have been arrested this year on corruption allegations. The APC has slammed the probe, calling it a "witch hunt" and vowing not to cooperate with the commission of enquiry. "The government will not tolerate any intimidation, indiscipline and incitement from any political party," a senior official at the Ministry of Information and Communication told AFP. "The fight against corruption will continue and the commission of enquiry will commence in January," the senior government official said. One of the world's poorest nations despite huge mineral and diamond deposits, Sierra Leone's fragile economy is still recovering from war and disease, including a 2014 Ebola epidemic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four (JeM) militants, including one suspected to be from Pakistan, were killed on Saturday in an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the Hanjan area, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the morning, a police spokesman said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, the hiding militants opened fire at them. The forces retaliated, leading to an encounter in which four militants were killed, the spokesman said. He said the slain militants were identified as Muzamil Ahmad Dar, Waseem Akram Wani, and Muzamil Nazir Bhat, all belonging to Pulwama. From the incriminating materials found at the encounter site, one militant is learnt to be from Pakistan, the spokesman said. "All the terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM and wanted for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities," he said. Arms and ammunition, including rifles, were found at the encounter site. The seized items have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe the militants' complicity in other terror cases, he added. Goa, Mizoram and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have agreed to the Health Ministry's proposal of creating All India Medical Service (IMS) on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, while Kerala and Sikkim have not supported it. Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that the ministry had referred the matter to a committee constituted for cadre review of the Central Health Service (CHS) to examine, among others, the need for creation of an All Indian Medical Service. Following the recommendations of the Cadre Review Committee, the ministry had sought comments from all states in June last year so that it could firm up its proposal. The comments of six states -- Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Sikkim, Goa and Mizoram and Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been received so far. "While the governments of Goa, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have supported the proposal, the Kerala and Sikkim governments have not supported it. "The Andhra Pradesh government has requested to come up with a comprehensive proposal incorporating the best practices of other countries for addressing the manpower needs in the sectors of health services and medical services," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-owned Saturday said the government has decided to infuse Rs 100.86 billion in the bank as part of Rs 286.15 billion capital infusion to be done in about half a dozen public sector lenders. The Ministry had informed the bank about the capital infusion on Wednesday (December 26), said in a regulatory filing. The fund infusion would be by way of preferential allotment of shares, it said. The board of directors would be considering by way of circular resolution on or after January 2, 2019, the proposal for raising capital by this infusion and further issue of equity shares at an appropriate time and other incidental matters, it said. According to sources, the government has decided to pump Rs 286.15 billion into seven public sector (PSBs) through recapitalisation bonds soon. Out of these seven PSBs, United Bnak of India also announced about the capital infusion communication from the ministry. The government had earlier announced an infusion of Rs 650 billion in PSBs in 2018-19, of which Rs 230 billion has already been disbursed, while Rs 420 billion is remaining. Earlier this month, Minister said the government would put an additional Rs 410 billion in PSBs over and above what was announced earlier. ALSO READ: United Bank of India gets Rs 21.59 bn as part of govt capital infusion plan On December 20, the government sought Parliament's approval for infusion of an additional Rs 410 billion. The recapitalisation, the finance minister said, would enhance the lending capacity of PSBs and help them come out of the Reserve Bank of India's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. Eleven out of the total 21 PSBs are under the RBI's PCA framework, which imposes lending restrictions on weak These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, and These are the top stories from the northern region at 6.30 pm GHAZIPUR DEL19 UP-3RDLD-PM-GHAZIPUR Ghazipur (UP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday accused the Congress of misleading farmers on loan waivers, saying its governments had handed out lollipops instead of what was promised. VARANASI DEL18 UP-PM-RICE Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday dedicated the International Rice Research Institute's South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) campus to the nation in Varanasi. LUCKNOW DES9 UP-SUHELDEV-LEGACY Lucknow: With the Lok Sabha elections slated for early next year, the legacy of Maharaja Suheldev, who is said to have killed the Ghaznavid general Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud in the early 11th century is up for grabs for the NDA partners in Uttar Pradesh. NEWDELHI DEL12 CONG-UP-ALLIANCE New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday said it was open to an alliance in Uttar Pradesh with any party that wants to "free" the people from BJP rule and urged all such forces to not weaken each other. JAIPUR DEL3 RJ-YEARENDER Jaipur: After being reduced to just 21 seats in the last assembly elections, the Congress bounced back in Rajasthan in 2018. This was also the year when the Zika virus struck, the law caught up with actor Salman Khan and godman Asaram Bapu, and a man was beaten to death after being branded a cow smuggler. CHANDIGARH NRG12 PB-PANCHAYAT-POLLS Chandigarh: The polling to elect sarpanchs and panchs for 13,276 villages in Punjab will be held Sunday amid tight security arrangements. AMBALA DES2 HR-FOG-ACCIDENT Ambala (Har): Seven people were killed and four injured when a vehicle rammed into two SUVs due to heavy fog on the Ambala-Chandigarh national highway on Saturday, police said. CHANDIGARH NRG7 HR-AAP-ARREST Chandigarh: Three Aam Aadmi Party leaders were arrested Saturday for allegedly circulating "fake news" on social media attributed to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar even as the AAP accused the BJP of "jungle rule". SRINAGAR DEL15 JK-2NDLD ENCOUNTER Srinagar: Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, including one suspected to be from Pakistan, were killed Saturday in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of former Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) students will come together for a 'nostalgic' run along a 10-km stretch from the city as part of charity. The 2018 edition of 'Route 55' -- a tribute to the lone bus route between the campus in Howrah district and central Kolkata's Esplanade area till 1999 -- will see participation of alumni from 15 cities in India and abroad on December 30. First started in 2013 by 10 former students of IIEST, earlier known as Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), the initiative strives to give back to society as well as advocate personal fitness, the organisers said. The pre-requisite to participate in the run is a donation of USD 55 (about Rs 3,800) to Sramajibi Hospital in Howrah. "It is great feeling to see my students from around the world coming together to do their bit for the community," IIEST Director Prof Parthasarathi Chakrabarti told reporters on Friday evening. Sandeep Chatterjee, a former student based in Hyderabad, said a portion of the donation is used to provide discounted healthcare to the drivers and conductors of Bus 55. "We believe in giving back to the community that had formed an important part of our student lives ... Bus 55 has been an important part of the IIEST lore and those living in the community," Chatterjee said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Buoyed by increase in tourist footfall over the recent years, the Jharkhand government is building a "Santhal village" in East Singhbhum district to promote the lifestyle and traditions of the community. The tribal hamlet is being set up at a cost of Rs 2.35 crore,under National Rurban Mission, a top official said. "The hamlet, in Ghatshila subdivision, will provide an authentic experience to the tourists with its traditional food options and community activities. The project is expected to draw domestic and international visitors alike," Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amit Kumar maintained. The "adarsh Santhal village" will be ready in a year's time, he said, adding that the administration has plans to develop the district on the pattern of Kerala's "Bread and Bed Model" for seasonal guests. Jharkhand, with its natural beauty and rich culture, has the potential to be developed into a major eco-tourism spot, while generating livelihoods, the DC stated. The Union government has recently given its green signal to develop Burudih-Dalma-Chandil as a tourist circuit under its Swadesh Darshan Scheme, he said. An artificial lake surrounded by lush green forest and hills, the Burudih Lake, about 45 kms from here, is a popular picnic spot, the Dalma hill has a wildlife sanctuary and the picturesque Chandil Dam, in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, has a boating facility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (NPP) president Bhim Singh Saturday called for a ceasefire for at least three months beginning the new year to end "bloodshed" in the state. He also demanded that the Army be withdrawn from populated areas and an advisory committee be set up to deal with circumstances and situation during the President's rule with a new approach and working order. "Bullets from all sides have only resulted in death and destruction and nothing else... there should be a ceasefire for at least three months from the first day of the new year," Singh told reporters here. He praised the Army and suggested that soldiers be withdrawn from the populated areas during the ceasefire period and assigned the primary task of defending the borders. "The military shall do a great job defending our borders which have been disturbed by foreign power," he said. Police are competent to look after the disturbed areas. Thy should deal with the law and order, he added. The NPP supremo made a fervent appeal to the "gun-wielding youths" to deposit the weapons in respective police stations and join the mainstream for reconstruction and prosperity of the state. Pleading for the setting up of an advisory committee, Singh urged President Ram Nath Kovind to ensure that justice is done to people residing in Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu regions of the state. "Fresh approach should be initiated with fresh thinking in order to involve people, particularly the youth, towards progress and development through construction and not destruction. "It is possible only if the government involves youth from all regions of the state as well as the social and political thinkers from all schools of thought who are committed to peace, progress, secularism and nationalism," he said. He said all youths against whom cases are registered or are wanted by the police should not be "killed" but persuaded to surrender. Singh said his legal aid committee, set up in 1975 to help the boys in the jails, would take up the cases of all those who would surrender during this period. "The Legal Aid Committee shall provide free legal aid from the district to the state High Court and up to the Supreme Court. Justice shall be done," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Katrina Kaif, who was all set to team up for the first time with Varun Dhawan for a dance film, to be directed by Remo D'Souza, Saturday announced that she has decided to opt out of the project due to date issues. The film to be produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, is touted to be India's biggest dance film. The yet-to-be-titled film also features actor-choreographer-director Prabhudeva, Dharmesh Yelande, Raghav Juyal and Punit Pathak. The project was scheduled to release in November, 2019. "Katrina Kaif had to opt out of Remo D'Souza's upcoming dance film owing to her hectic schedule for 'Bharat'. Katrina has always been a thorough professional. She decided to step out of the film as her dates were clashing with 'Bharat', which she is currently shooting for," Katrina's official spokesperson said in a statement. "Bharat", an official remake of the Korean film "An Ode To My Father", will depict the history of India through the life of an ordinary man. Reportedly, Salman Khan will be sporting five different looks, spanning over 60 years. Salman, had recently revealed that, the shoot of the film will go on for 30 days. Katrina was roped in as the leading lady for the film after Priyanka Chopra walked out of the project owing to personal reasons. "Bharat", also starring Disha Patani, Nora Fatehi, Sunil Grover and Tabu in pivotal roles, is slated to arrive in theatres on Eid 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was arrested Saturday for allegedly hacking his elderly father and brother to death over a land dispute in Nirwari area here, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Agarwal said that police arrested Sumit alias Babloo from Sherpur trisection here and recovered a spade which was used in commission of the crime on December 23. The accused had killed his father Pritam (70) and elder brother Subhash (35) when they were working in their field. Their bodies were spotted by passers-by who informed the police. The investigation revealed that Pritam was owner of 30 bigah ancestral agricultural land and only 4 bigah was given to Babloo. Due to this reason, both the brothers were having dispute, police said. Later, Pritam had disowned Babloo from land rights, and since then the accused was having a feeling of hatred against the two, police said. An FIR was lodged against him by his elder brother's wife Sudha. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Orthodox Cathedral of St. Thomas has collected 125 thousand euros, canceling "superfluous" events. Most faithful come from the Indian state. The church often launches charitable initiatives to support the weakest. Dubai (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A church in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has decided to hold low key celebrations of the 50th anniversary of its construction to donate the proceeds to Kerala, the Indian state hit in August by the "worst flood in 100 years". This is the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Thomas, which has raised 10 million Indian rupees (125 thousand euros), eliminating the "superfluous" from festivities. In mid-August, Kerala, on the southwest coast of India, suffered the worst humanitarian and environmental catastrophe in its history. There were over 400 victims, more than 800 thousand displaced. For weeks the waters left whole villages submerged; the road network has been devastated; houses and buildings destroyed. The population is still struggling to recover from the disaster. Most of the faithful of the church in Dubai come from Kerala, who have taken the form of aid and financial support to respond to the humanitarian emergency exploded in the State of origin. They collected a total of 20,000 rupees (2,500 euros) to be allocated to the Emergency Support Fund opened by the Indian Chief Minister. Fr Ninan Philip Panackamattom, vicar of the cathedral, said that the sum raised by the faithful, together with that saved by the ecclesiastical authorities that canceled some events planned for the anniversary, directly helped 130 families suffering from the flood. Most of the beneficiaries had their homes destroyed ". The cathedral of Dubai, located in the neighborhood of Oud Mehta, is the reference parish of the Orthodox churches scattered throughout the Emirates. Born from the impulse of four families in 1958, ten years later it obtained official recognition of the congregation of Orthodox faithful. Today it brings together more than 3 thousand families. The church is not new to charitable initiatives: to honor 2018 as "the year of Zayed" (the sultan father founder of the nation), it organized a campaign of blood collection; next January 4th, another charity event is scheduled to help cancer patients. RJD national president Lalu Prasad's estranged brothers-in-law Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav on Saturday sought to fish in troubled waters by accusing the former Bihar chief minister of having ignored his elder son Tej Pratap when naming Tejashwi as his political successor. Brothers of Prasad's wife Rabri Devi, who succeeded him as chief minister, they used to wield tremendous clout in the state's politics and administration when the RJD was in power. They were also elected to Parliament when Prasad moved to Delhi and became a Union minister in 2004. Over the years, however, the two fell out of favour with the RJD supremo. Talking to a regional channel separately, Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav squarely blamed Lalu Prasad for the perceived struggle for supremacy between Tej Pratap who of late has shown greater interest in the RJD's affairs and Tejashwi Yadav who was declared the party's chief ministerial candidate last year. "It was his (Lalu's) excessive fondness for Tejashwi that led him to turn his back on us. Now he is doing the same to his elder son. Being the elder child, Tej Pratap too must get something," Sadhu Yadav said. Similar views were echoed by Subhash Yadav, who suggested that in the event of the RJD winning power in Bihar, one of the brothers should head the government while the other should lead the party. Sadhu Yadav recently made an appearance at a dharna staged by Tej Pratap at a police station, triggering speculation that the maternal uncle was egging on his mercurial nephew to take on the younger brother who enjoys a greater clout within the party. However, Tej Pratap Yadav sidestepped queries about his being goaded by his maternal uncles to embark on a collision course with Tejashwi Yadav. "If the uncle does not act in a way that benefits the nephew, he gets finished like Kansa was slain by Krishna," Tej Pratap Yadav, known for his fondness for mythological metaphors, remarked cryptically. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The leaders of France and Germany on Friday reiterated their call for a "solid, full and permanent ceasefire" in Ukraine's conflict-torn east ahead of a planned cessation of hostilities. Their remarks came a day after representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) announced that a fresh ceasefire would start Saturday morning. More than 10,000 people have been killed since the Moscow-backed insurgency broke out in eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions in April 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The 2015 Minsk summit laid out a ceasefire and international monitoring in eastern Ukraine, but a pro-Russian insurgency has persisted. In a joint statement, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the latest ceasefire announcement. "The approach of the New Year's and Orthodox Christmas holidays must serve as an opportunity for the stakeholders in the conflict in eastern Ukraine to focus on the needs of civilians, who have suffered all too long as a result of this conflict and its consequences," the leaders said. "The guarantee of a safe and secure environment should enable the implementation of crucial humanitarian measures. We now call on the parties to assume their full responsibilities, especially with regard to civilians in the area." On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced the end of martial law in the country's border regions, which was introduced last month after Russia's seizure of three of Kiev's navy vessels in the Sea of Azov. Russian border patrol boats fired on, boarded and seized the three Ukrainian vessels, along with 24 sailors, in November off the coast of Crimea. The sailors are still being held in detention by Russian authorities. Macron and Merkel said these "excessive inspections" were a source of "deep concern". "We call for all ships using the Kerch Strait to be given safe, free, and unhindered passage, and for the immediate and unconditional release of the Ukrainian sailors. They too must be allowed to spend the holidays with their families." In a separate statement, Merkel's office said the chancellor had also discussed the Ukrainian issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call Friday and urged the release of the sailors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kishore Tiwari, chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Swavlamban Mission (VNSM), said Saturday that the BJP may take a leaf out of Telangana government's agricultural polices. VNSM is a task force appointed by the BJP-led government in Maharashtra to address agrarian distress. Tiwari said in a release here that while rural voters in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh threw out the incumbent BJP in recent elections, it was pro-farmer policies of the Telangana government which ensured the victory of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in the southern state. Saying that the BJP should appoint a "knowledgeable" agriculture minister in the Centre, he said that on the lines of Jharkhand and Telangana, a cash subsidy of Rs 5,000 per acre be given to every farmer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was arrested for allegedly killing an Indian-origin police officer in California's Newman County, when he was planning to flee to his native Mexico, police said. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Gustavo Perez Arriaga and living illegally, was arrested from a home in the Kern County, about 200 miles south from the place of the shooting, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson was quoted as saying in the CNN. Corporal Ronil Singh, 33, pulled over the suspect just before 1 am on Wednesday and a few moments later he called out "shot fired" over the radio. Other officers who reached the spot found Singh shot and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Singh was a native of Fiji and joined the force in July 2011. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said at a Friday conference that this has never happened in the history of the 12-member department. Arriaga came to the US illegally and was believed to have been fleeing to Mexico, he said, adding the suspect was arrested twice previously for driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and has known gang affiliation. Arriaga's brother, Adrian Virgen, 25, and coworker, Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, were arrested Thursday for felony. Virgen was arrested in Hanford and Quiroz in Modesto, Christianson said. He said they were trying to protect Arriaga, who was trying to go to Mexico. Christianson said Virgen and Quiroz were also in the US illegally. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said two men and a woman were also arrested from the home where Arriaga was found. The three have been identified as Bernabe Madrigal Castaneda, 59; Erasmo Villegas, 36; and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57, he was quoted in as saying in the report. Youngblood said he could not confirm whether the three were in the country illegally. At the conference, Christianson had strong words about immigration and border security. "We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable," he said, adding that California Senate Bill 54 -- which became law last year -- prohibited his department "from sharing any information with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) about this criminal gang member." The bill bars law enforcement agencies from detaining a person due to a hold request, responding to federal immigration enforcement's requests for notification or providing information about a person's release date unless that's already available publicly. It also requires notification to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement of scheduled releases of people who have been convicted of violent felonies. "This is a criminal illegal alien with prior criminal activity that should have been reported to USICE," Christianson said. "Law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws and that led to the encounter with Officer Singh. I am suggesting that the outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasn't restricted, prohibited or had their hands tied because of political interference. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindustani Awam Morcha president Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday said he would go to Ranchi next week to meet RJD national president Lalu Prasad for discussing seat-sharing in Bihar ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2019. He sought to distance himself from the aggressive stance of HAM state president Vrishan Patel, who had earlier this week said the party would boycott the general elections if it was not given a "sizeable" number of seats to contest. HAM is part of the opposition alliance in Bihar along with RJD, Congress, RLSP, VIP and LJD. Prasad is in jail in Ranchi, after his conviction in three fodder scam cases. He is lodged at the Rajendra Instute of Medical Sciences on health grounds. Manjhi said only three people are allowed to meet the RJD supremo on Saturdays. "Today, his younger son Tejashwi Yadav and our alliance partners Upendra Kushwaha of RLSP and Mukesh Sahni of Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP) met him. Next week it is going to be me", he said. Responding to queries on Patel's seat-sharing stance, Manjhi said, "He may have vented his anxieties resulting from unsubstantiated media reports. We enjoy the support of 90 per cent of Dalits in the state. This is a fact which the RJD leadership is aware of." It was due to HAM's support that the RJD won the Jehanabad assembly by-poll and the Araria Lok Sahba seat in March by a good margin, even though a sizeable number of Yadavs, its traditional supporters, had gravitated to the BJP, Manjhi, a former chief minister, claimed. The opposition alliance is now reportedly exploring the possibility of an electoral understanding with the Left parties in order to take on the NDA which has been bolstered by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's return to the grouping last year. Kumar heads the JD(U). Seat sharing among the opposition parties in Bihar is likely to be a thorny issue. Tejashwi Yadav, who is seen as Prasad's political successor, had sought to downplay the difficulties being faced by the Mahagathbandhan. He had told reporters in Ranchi, "Our (Mahagathbandhan's) priority is to defeat the NDA. Whoever seems to be in the best position to defeat the BJP-led coalition in a given seat will be fielded as the joint candidate of the Mahagathbandhan". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani has attacked the BJP-led governments in Centre and Maharashtra over their "misplaced priorities". Addressing a meeting of Paryavarn Samvardhan Samiti at Vasai in Palghar district Friday night, Mevani took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the proposed bullet train project linking Mumbai with Ahmedabad. "Modi is a bluffer, a 'natasamrat' (dramatist) who makes only tall claims on development", he said. The MLA also appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to improve suburban train services. "What is the use of costly projects like Bullet Train when the common people cannot afford it? The government thinks of costly projects but not of common people", he alleged. Without naming the BJP, Mevani alleged that the issue of construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya is being purposefully raised as Lok Sabha polls are approaching. "Precious land of farmers is being acquired for projects like express ways and corridors", he said. He also questionned the need for construction the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat. Mevani said that farmers and land-owners in the Vasai-Virar belt should not surrender their land for the bullet train project. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court hearing the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case on Saturday imposed restrictions on alleged middleman Christian Michel meeting his lawyers in ED custody after the agency said that he was misusing legal access by passing chits to the advocates asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi'. In its application seeking extension of Michel's remand, the Enforcement Directorate also claimed that he has spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he is going to become the next prime minister of the country. The ED also sought that Michel be barred from meeting his lawyer during its custody, alleging that he was tutored from outside through his lawyers. The agency told the court that Michel had made a reference to 'Mrs Gandhi' during interrogation on December 27. During medical examination, the accused had handed over a folded paper to his advocate AljoK Joseph and it was noticed by ED officials. After perusal of the paper, it was revealed that it pertained to a set of follow-up questions on 'Mrs Gandhi'. Though the agency did not make any clear reference Sonia Gandhi, the Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of using agencies to put pressure on Michel to "name a particular family" as elections were near and it has no real issues. The ED told the court that it is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield or to tamper with the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused. "The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused. It should be stopped henceforth," the agency said. The court directed that the three defence counsel will be able to meet Michel one at a time at a distance from the accused and legal assistance will be only for 15 minutes at 10 am and at 5 pm during a day. The direction came after Michel was produced before vacation judge Chandrashekhar, who extended his ED custody by seven days. Michel's custody was required for "unearthing the deep-rooted conspiracy and identification of all his accomplices including the IAF officials, MoD (Ministry of Defence) officials, bureaucrats and politicians who gained undue advantage for getting the contract in favour of AgustaWestland," the ED said in the remand application. The accused is trying to introduce new alibis to save himself and his aides who have received/facilitated in laundering of proceeds, it said. Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the scam after he was produced in a court here. He was earlier lodged in Tihar Jail in the related CBI case. The CBI has alleged that he was paid a huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP Helicopter deal. It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million - about Rs 2,666 crore - to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million. The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million - about Rs 225 crore - from AgustaWestland. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court hearing the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case on Saturday imposed restrictions on alleged middleman Christian Michel meeting his lawyers in ED custody after the agency said that he was misusing legal access by passing chits to the advocates asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi'. While seeking extension of Michel's remand, the Enforcement Directorate claimed that he made a reference to 'Mrs Gandhi' during questioning and spoke about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he is going to become the next prime minister of the country. The agency, however, did not state in what context Michel had made these references during interrogation. The ED sought that Michel be barred from meeting his counsel in its custody, alleging that he was tutored from outside through the lawyers, following which the court directed that the three defence counsel will be able to meet Michel one at a time at a distance from the accused and legal assistance will be only for 15 minutes at 10 am and at 5 pm during a day. The order came after Michel was Saturday produced before vacation judge, Chandrashekhar, who extended his ED custody by seven days. The agency told the court that Michel had made a reference to 'Mrs Gandhi' during interrogation on December 27. During medical examination, the accused had handed over a folded paper to his advocate Aljo K Joseph and it was noticed by ED officials. After perusal of the paper, it was revealed that it pertained to a set of follow-up questions on 'Mrs Gandhi', the ED said. The development intensified the war of words between the BJP and the Congress on the issue with the ruling party attacking Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the ED's statement pointed towards involvement of their family in the alleged scam. Rejecting the charge, the Congress hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of using agencies to put pressure on Michel to "name a particular family" as elections were near and "it has no real issues". The ED told the court that it is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield or to tamper with evidence that could be brought forth from questioning of the accused. "The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused. It should be stopped henceforth," the agency said. The agency said it has discovered fresh evidence relating to new entities, used for laundering the proceeds of crime and Michel's custodial interrogation was needed for confrontation with his Indian connections identified till date. It said he was also required to be taken around Delhi to identify the places where he held meetings and used them as hide outs to give bribes or to entertain officials and public figures. His custody was required for "unearthing the deep-rooted conspiracy and identification of all his accomplices including the IAF officials, MoD (Ministry of Defence) officials, bureaucrats and politicians who gained undue advantage for getting the contract in favour of AgustaWestland," the ED said in the application, adding he remained evasive to some questions during the investigation. The accused is trying to introduce new alibis to save himself and his aides who have received/facilitated in laundering of proceeds. Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the scam after he was produced in a court here. He was earlier lodged in Tihar Jail in the related CBI case. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The ED said that investigation has revealed that Michel was the key middleman for AgustaWestland, pursuing the deal at different levels and was instrumental in circulation of sensitive information and payment of kickbacks. The agency said his custodial interrogation was essential to further determine the role of various accused persons in the commission of the offence for money laundering, the money trail and payment of kickbacks, etc. It was also required to unearth how the kickbacks were routed and laundered, the carriers involved in facilitating the money laundering, the places where the proceeds of crime are parked and how/by whom. The key issues being investigated by the ED are the modus operandi adopted by the accused to eliminate TATA and HAL from competition in an Italian deal and the steps undertaken to mask the present deal as a British deal instead of an Italian deal to gain advantage in Light Observation Helicopters. It also includes the modus operandi adopted in managing to influence the German deal and how the accused violated, misused information leading to actions under the Official Secrets Act. The agency said the questions prepared for Michel have not been answered as he was writing slowly and his statement remains pending on various key aspects. The ED said it needs to ascertain the quantum of commission received by Michel from AgustaWestland and the kickbacks forwarded to other middlemen, IAF official, Indian bureaucrats and politicians. The agency needs to determine the exact quantum of money laundered through Media Exim Pvt Ltd, the roles of co-accused/ other aides and for unearthing the proceeds of crime parked through this channel. The ED had filed a charge sheet against Michel in June 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Swiss man living in Morocco was arrested in Marrakesh on Saturday, for alleged links to suspects in the recent murder of two female Scandinavian hikers, authorities said. The man is "suspected of teaching some of those arrested in this case about communication tools involving new technology and of training them in marksmanship", Morocco's central office for judicial investigations said in a statement. It said he subscribed to "extremist ideology" and also had Spanish citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Swiss man living in Morocco was arrested in Marrakesh on Saturday, for alleged links to suspects in the recent murder of two female Scandinavian hikers, authorities said. The man is "suspected of teaching some of those arrested in this case about communication tools involving new technology and of training them in marksmanship", Morocco's central office for judicial investigations said in a statement. The counter-terror organ added he subscribed to "extremist ideology" and also has Spanish citizenship. The ongoing investigation into the double murder uncovered the man was involved in the "recruitment of Moroccans and sub-Saharans to carry out terrorist plans in Morocco", the statement said. Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland were found dead at an isolated hiking spot in the High Atlas mountains, south of Marrakesh on December 17. The two women were beheaded, authorities have said. Ahead of Saturday's arrest, Moroccan authorities had previously arrested 18 people for alleged links to the murders. The four main suspects were arrested in Marrakesh and belonged to a cell inspired by Islamic State group ideology, Morocco's counter-terror chief Abdelhak Khiam told AFP this week. But none of the four had contact with IS members in Syria or Iraq, he said. The head of the suspected cell is 25-year-old street vendor Abdessamad Ejjoud, according to investigators. He was identified in a video filmed a week before the double-murder, in which the four main suspects pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to authorities. The killings have shaken Norway, Denmark and Morocco. Another video circulated on social networks allegedly showed the murder of one of the tourists. Morocco, which relies heavily on tourism income, suffered a jihadist attack in 2011, when a bomb blast at a cafe in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square killed 17 people, mostly European tourists. An attack in the North African state's financial capital Casablanca killed 33 people in 2003. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Saturday called for "educational and social empowerment" of the weaker sections of the society to stop their "political exploitation". He also said that "development without discrimination" is the priority of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Naqvi Saturday laid the foundation stone for a school building, library, laboratory facilities etc. at Dr MIJ Girls High School and Junior College in suburban Bandra which is run by Anjuman-e-Islam. He said scholarships have been provided to more than 3.11 crore students belonging to minority communities, including about 60 per cent girl students, in the last three-four years. "This year, a 'National Scholarship Portal Mobile App' (NSP Mobile App) was launched which will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students from the poor and weaker sections", the minorities affairs minister said. He said amount of scholarships is now deposited directly into bank accounts of students though the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) mode in a transparent manner that has eliminated middlemen. Naqvi further said Modi government's efforts for educational empowerment of all weaker sections, including minorities, have yielded results at the ground level. He said the school dropout rate among Muslim girls fell to 35-40 per cent from previous high of over 70 per cent, due to awareness and launching of the educational empowerment programmes. "Our government is working with a mission to bring it (the school dropout rate) down to zero per cent in the coming years. is an effective step towards empowerment. The government is successfully moving forward towards educational and social empowerment of all weaker and backward sections of the society, which will stop their political exploitation," Naqvi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepal-India relations saw an upward trend in 2018 as high-level bilateral visits gradually helped remove the mistrust, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying New Delhi was ready to be the 'Sherpa' in the land-locked Himalayan nation's quest to scale the mountain of success. India was able to recover its lost ground in Nepal in recent months after a period of unease in bilateral ties following the violent agitation in 2015 by Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, who blocked Indo-Nepal border demanding more representation in Parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries. The economic blockade severely affected Nepal, its economy and its ties with India. India's bilateral engagement with Nepal in 2018 began with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in February meeting Left alliance leader K P Sharma Oli days before his swearing in as prime minister. After Nepal witnessed political instability for several years, the Left alliance came to power in the historic polls in December, 2017. Known for his pro-China stance, Oli became Nepal's Prime Minster for the second time in February. His first term as the premier from 2015 to 2016 saw straining of ties with New Delhi over the 2015 blockade. Oli, who publicly criticised New Delhi for allegedly interfering in Nepal's internal matters and accused it of toppling his government, however, changed his tone after his sweeping poll victory and said he wants to "update" relations with India "in keeping with the times". Oli said he favours a review of all special provisions of the Indo-Nepal relations. He also vowed to deepen Nepal's ties with China to explore more options and get more leverage in his dealings with India. The prime ministers of Nepal and India agreed to review, adjust and update the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 and other bilateral agreements. China, which has been investing heavily in Nepal blunting India's influence in the country, was quick to congratulate the new Nepalese government and said that India, China and Nepal should step up "sound interaction for win-win outcomes". The highest level of visit between India and Nepal came in April when Prime Minister Oli, leading a 53-member jumbo delegation, visited India for a three-day visit which, he said, helped in clearing misunderstanding and mistrust, and strengthening mutual trust between the two neighbours. During talks between Oli and Modi, the two countries agreed to conduct feasibility studies regarding construction of Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line and operating Nepalese steamers to transport goods and people from Nepal to other countries. In May, Prime Minister Modi travelled to Nepal for a two-day state visit, his third visit to the country in four years. Modi visited the famed 20th century Janaki temple in Janakpur, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita. He and his Nepalese counterpart jointly inaugurated a direct bus service between Janakpur and Ayodhya - the two sacred cities for Hindus - to promote religious tourism in Nepal and India. Describing his trip to Nepal as a reflection of his government's commitment to "neighbourhood first" policy, Modi said Nepal has entered a new era and India would continue to support it. He said India supports a "united, prosperous and strong" Nepal as he called for transforming the land-locked Himalayan nation into a land- and water-linked country. Oli said Nepal is sensitive to India's interests and would not allow its territory to be used against it. Modi said India was ready to be the 'Sherpa' -- a member of the Himalayan community renowned for mountaineering skills -- to help Nepal scale the mountain of success, hailing the Himalayan nation's successful journey from bullets to ballots. Oli, briefing Nepal's Parliament on Modi's state visit, said the visit has elevated bilateral ties to new heights. In August, Modi visited Nepal for BIMSTEC conference and held talks with Oli during which India and Nepal exchanged a memorandum of understanding to build a strategic railway line connecting Bihar's Raxual city to Kathmandu. This was the third meeting between Modi and Oli in 2018. China made inroads into Nepal as Kathmandu started accessing internet through a Chinese optical fibre link laid across the Himalayan mountains, ending its sole dependency on India for connecting to the cybre space. Nepal and China signed the protocol of Transit and Transport Agreement in September according to which the Communist giant agreed to allow Nepal to use four of its seaports and three land ports for third-country trade, reducing its dependence on India to conduct international commerce. The Madhesi agitation in 2015 forced Nepal to explore trade links with China and reduce its long term dependence on India. In September, Nepal decided not to participate in the first-ever joint military exercise of BIMSTEC nations in Pune, amid reports that Nepal's political parties had expressed concern over the drill. In December, Nepal banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation where Indian currency is widely used. Notwithstanding differences in India-Nepal ties and the growing Chinese influence in the Himalayan nation, the frequent high-level visits by the leaders of the two countries have helped promote goodwill, trust, understanding and cooperation and have injected fresh momentum to further consolidate age-old and multi-faceted relations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajasthan government on Saturday abolished the condition of a minimum educational qualification to contest local body elections and also decided to set up a committee to frame rules for its farm loan-waiver scheme. The state government will review the decisions taken by the previous BJP-led dispensation in the last six months, Health Minister Raghu Sharma told reporters after the first meeting of the new cabinet. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot were sworn in on December 17, and the other ministers got inducted in the cabinet on Monday. The cabinet decided to abolish government letter pads, where the logo of Ashoka pillars were replaced with photographs of Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya. "Pillars of Ashoka will be in the centre of the letter pads and there will no photograph of any leader or public representative," Sharma said. The cabinet abolished the minimum educational qualification needed for contesting civic polls and the decision was taken considering the constitutional right of every individual to take part in the democratic process, the minister said. The Raje government had introduced the condition in 2015. Candidates were required to have passed Class X for contesting municipal elections, Class VIII for contesting panchayat polls for the post of a sarpanch, and Class X for contesting zila parishad or panchayat samiti elections. Sharma said the election of mayors and chairmans in corporations would be held through the direct system instead of the indirect method introduced by the previous BJP government. It was decided to revive Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Law University and Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, which were floated by the Congress but were shut down by the BJP government, he said. The cabinet approved constitution of an inter-departmental committee to decide on the eligibility and criteria for waiving short-term loans of farmers, Sharma said. "Efforts to make spread confusion have been made. Very soon, the situation will be crystal clear and the loan-waiver promise of the Congress government will be implemented." Saying that the refinery at Pachpadra of Barmer district was a dream project of the state, the minister said the Congress government would ensure that the work of the refinery was expedited and completed in a time-bound manner. In another decision, the cabinet increased old-age pension slabs of Rs 500 and Rs 750 per month to Rs 750 and Rs 1,000 per month respectively. The cabinet decided that members of the council of ministers would hear the problems of people from 9-10 am whenever they are in Jaipur, fulfilling a promise of Congress president Rahul Gandhi that doors of the government would remain open for the common man, Sharma said. Accusing the previous BJP government of sending the MNREGA to cold storage, the minister said directions had been given to the chief secretary to come out with a work plan for effective implementation of the rural wage scheme. The election manifesto was tabled in the meeting and it has now become a government document. It was handed over to chief secretary and a committee constituted by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot would look after its implementation. Another committee was approved by the state cabinet which will take up and resolve the issues of contractual employees, Sharma added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai Congress unit president Sanjay Nirupam has sought a judicial probe into recent fire mishaps in the megapolis in which "20 people died". He also sought action against Mumbai civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta. Nirupam said a comprehensive enquiry should be set up in the fire incidents that have claimed 20 lives in the past 12 days. He demanded a judicial probe under a sitting judge of the Bombay High Court. "The 15-storey residential building in Chembur which caught fire Thursday did not have any fire extinguishers in place. Residents of the building are agitated because the builder didn't obtain mandatory fire NOC and ran away," he said. Five people, including four senior citizens, were killed and two others injured in a major fire that broke out in the high-rise residential society Thursday evening. "Fire Department comes under BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and the fact that people are losing their lives every day in Mumbai, indicates failure of the civic chief. Mehta seems to be keen on giving concessions to builders rather than working towards ensuring a safe life for Mumbaikars. It seems that despite being the head of the civic body, Mehta has not given a thought to the increasing fire incidents killing people across the city everyday, Nirupam said in a statement. The Congress leader accused the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine in the BMC of trying to help builders rather than providing safety to the average Mumbaikar. He demanded that civic officials responsible for negligence in fire accidents be booked irrespective of their seniority. "The fact that almost two people are losing their lives every day in the city is not a normal phenomenon. The seriousness of the issue needs to be understood, acted upon and a comprehensive enquiry must be set up immediately," he said. On December 17, a massive fire swept through ESIC Kamgar Hospital in suburban Andheri, killing 11 people. In another mishap, four people were charred to death in a fire in a garment factory in suburban Kandivali on December 23. Nirupam said the civic body seems to have not learned lessons from the Kamala Mills fire incident which had claimed 14 lives last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Apna Dal (Sonelal), a constituent of the ruling NDA in Uttar Pradesh, has no plans to field candidate from the prime minister's Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in 2019, its chief Ashish Patel said Saturday, asserting that Narendra Modi is "our leader". Denying media reports that said his party was planning to contest 10 Lok Sabha seats in the next general election, including Varanasi, Patel claimed he has not made any such statement. "I have not given any such statement that the Apna Dal is planning to contest 10 Lok Sabha seats including Varanasi in 2019 general elections. There are no such plans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is our leader and we will back his candidature on Varanasi seat," Patel said. He said his party has not yet decided which Lok Sabha seats it will contest. He, however, said the state government and the BJP leadership were neglecting his party and its leaders were not invited to functions organised by the Yogi Adityanath government. Patel recently had alleged at a press conference in Mirzapur that smaller parties were feeling "ignored" by the bigger NDA partner the BJP. The Apna Dal (S) has presence in over 15 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh with its core voter base of Kurmi-Patel, and nearly one lakh of them only in the prime minister's constituency. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the party had contested two seats in a pre-poll alliance with the BJP. It has nine MLAs in the state assembly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan has sent recommendations to India for facilitating visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims through the upcoming Kartarpur corridor, according to a media report here on Saturday. Islamabad has given a 59-page document with 14 key recommendations to New Delhi, Express TV reported quoting Pakistani diplomatic officials. The recommendations call for Indian pilgrims to be given free entry and that facilitation centres and security check-posts to be set up on both sides of the border. The pilgrims shall be allowed in groups of a minimum of 15 people and Pakistan shall issue special permits to them. Both countries will compile a record of visitors which will include their names, travel records and other details, according to the recommendations. The Indian government shall provide a list of pilgrims to Pakistan three days in advance and it will be mandatory for all visitors to bear a standard Indian passport. The recommendations further say that all visitors shall be required to obtain a security clearance certificate from Indian authorities. Pakistan shall issue permits to 500 visitors per day and local authorities shall reserve rights to admission. On November 28, Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone for the corridor on the Pakistani side that will connect Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak situated in Indian Punjab's Gurdaspur. Two days earlier, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone for the corridor on the Indian side of the border. Pakistan has said it will complete and open the corridor before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All 116 police stations in Patna and Nalanda districts will have a petitioner response officers from now on, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Central Range, Patna, Rajesh Kumar, said Saturday. According to the DIG, the petitioner response officers (PROs) will take prompt action on various types of complaints. This has been done for quick redressal of grievances/complaints of victims/applicants, he said. The PROs will start functioning from Saturday across all police stations in Patna and Nalanda districts, Rajesh Kumar said. An order regarding this was issued on Friday to all superintendents of police, deputy superintendents of police, sub-divisional police officers and station house officers of both the districts. "The idea behind appointment of PRO at every police station is to provide a friendly environment to the victims and applicants coming to police station by giving them patient hearing followed by necessary, and quick action for redressal of their complaints," the DIG said. "The PRO will offer a chair and a glass of water to the victims/applicants who would come to the police station with their grievances and listen to their complaints. The PRO would either note down a victim's complaint or help the victim in writing the complaint, he said. Neither 'the 'munshi nor the 'chowkidar' of the police station will meet the complainant or complainants at any cost, Kumar added. A PRO would also enter the name, address and mobile phone number of the applicants/victims in the register, he said, adding that the PRO, after taking lawful action on the complaints, would also make an entry into the register about victim's feedback - on how much they are satisfied with the PRO's work. The applicant would give his or her feedback according to a grading system - very good, good and bad, Kumar said, adding, the PRO's performance would be reviewed on the basis of gradings given by victims or applicants. Based on their performance, the PROs would either be rewarded or punished, the DIG said adding that he would personally monitor PROs work and would also conduct surprise inspections to see how they are functioning. The DIG said he may also send his men, posing as common people, to a police station to check whether the PROs are properly discharging their duties or not. The station house officers (SHO) of the police stations would depute, either a sub-inspector (SI) or an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), to function as as PROs, the DIG said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said the people trying to "dilute the spirit of nationalism" by raising certain issues are "still active" on campuses of colleges and hostels in the country. Addressing former and current workers of the BJP's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) here, Shah urged them to work towards finding a solution to this issue. "Even today, there are many challenges before ABVP. Some people are deliberately raising issues which are aimed at diluting the spirit of nationalism. People involved in it are still active in colleges and hostel campuses. We have seen this earlier in many parts of the country," Shah said. Though he didn't elaborate, Shah was apparently referring to the 2016 incident in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi where controversial slogans were allegedly raised. To come out of this situation, ABVP workers should work towards spreading our ideology and ensure that it continues for a longer period, Shah said. The event was organised by the ABVP as part of its 64th national conference, which was inaugurated on December 27. Shah also lauded the ABVP for its contribution in "protecting democracy" and raising issues concerning the society and students. On a lighter note, the BJP chief said, "though some successful media professionals in Delhi were once associated with the ABVP during their student life, they shy away from admitting it today". "However, when you meet them in person, they will admit their old association with the ABVP," he said. Shah said India's image in other countries has improved significantly in recent times. Gujarat Governor O P Kohli and Anjali Rupani, the wife of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who both were once associated with the ABVP also attended the event. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Saturday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing it of misleading farmers on loan waiver promises, saying that he is remembering farmers now after losing elections in five states. Congress spokesperson R P N Singh, at a press conference, also asserted that neither will his party sleep, nor let the prime minister sleep until farmers' loans are waived and all facilities provided to them. His remarks came in response to Modi's allegation, during his day-long visit to Uttar Pradesh's Purvanchal region, that the Congress was misleading farmers on loan waiver promises. "What was he (Modi) doing in 2008 when the Congress waived loans worth Rs 77,000 crore. We did not make any propaganda about it...we went and directly remitted the money into the accounts of farmers who had loans," Singh said. "It is unfortunate that after five years, the prime minister today is thinking about the farmers. We have continued to raise issues about them," he said. After losing in five states and the Congress waiving loans within hours of coming into power in three states,the prime minister is now remembering farmers, Singh said. "This is the very prime minister, who in 2014 in every electoral speech of his, promised the farmers the moon. "What has happened to the farmers? We have seen them walking in Maharashtra...in Noida, they were beaten up mercilessly by police and today the prime minister is talking of farmers," he said, adding that they will reach Modi a lesson. The prime minister, in his remarks in Uttar Pradesh, said Congress governments had handed over "lollipops" to farmers instead of what was promised. "Be wary of the Congress and its lies," he said at a public meeting in Ghazipur after laying the foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postal stamp on legendary king Suheldev. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The PMK on Saturday sought the resignation of Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijayabaskar owning moral responsibility for negligence and not protecting the women from HIV infection transfusions. PMK Youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters here that HIV and Hepatitis test should be done by blood banks during blood donation to prevent such incidents. He was referring to the incident in which HIV infected blood was transfused to a pregnant woman in Sattur in Virudhunagar district and the claim of a Chennai woman about a similar lapse affecting her. Ramadoss, a medical doctor himself and a former union Health Minister said it was a big mistake on the part of the health department personnel. "As a doctor it is not acceptable to me and is a big mistake on the part of health deparyment...," he added. Owning moral responsibility, the health minister and senior health department officials should resign, he said. Ramadoss was speaking on the sidelines of PMK's state executive and general council meet here to take stock of the political situation in Tamil Nadu. He said the government should not allow the expansion of NLC India and added that the govenrment should at least talk to the farmers, who are agitating against the installation of power lines in the fields. On the entry of film star Rajinikanth's political entry, Anbumani said mere announcement was not enough. "Let him enter politics, we will see and respond," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A postal stamp and a special carried cover on rasogolla, Bengal's famed sweet, has been released here to mark the 150th year of the syrupy dessert's invention. The stamp was launched at the inaugural function of 'Baghbazar-O-Rasogolla Utsab', a festival to celebrate the renowned sweet here on Friday. Baghbazar is a locality in the northern part of the city where the creator of rasogolla, Nobin Chandra Das lived and worked. He had invented the sweet in 1868. West Bengal had won the Geographical Indication (GI) for 'Banglar Rasogolla' on November 14, 2017 after a 26-month legal tussle with neighbouring state Odisha. City Mayor and Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Firhad Hakim said at the programme, "We had heard that there was another claimant (Odisha) as the inventor of sponge rasogolla but knew that none could take away something which rightfully belongs to Bengal. "Nobin Chandra Das, the creator of rasogolla was one of us and the sweet belongs to us," he said adding the government will do everything to promote the sweet globally. "The West Bengal government thanks the GI authorities once again for vindicating its stand," he added. The Trinamool Congress MP of Kolkata North, Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the people are happy that Bengal had won the "battle" for rasogolla and the TMC government will always work to protect the cultural identity of the state. "If Gujarat and Maharashtra are called the economic capitals of the country, Bengal can very well be described as the cultural capital," he said. Great-great-grandson of the inventor rasogolla and the owner of a Bengali sweets chain, Dhiman Das said, "I am very happy that the 150th year of the great invention is being celebrated so elaborately." "The 'utsav' is an effort to honour the inventor and also to uphold the history of Bagbazar," said Shashi Panja, the chief convenor of the organising committee. Kolkata Post Master General J Charukeshi was present during the release of the postal stamp. A total of 25 stalls had been put up at the programme ground by different sweet shops, offering rasogolla and an array of other sweets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind visited the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat Saturday. On a two-day tour of Gujarat, Kovind reached a 'Tent City' set up near Dhordo village of Kutch district this morning, a state tourism department official said. A special cultural programme was organised at the venue in the white desert for the president in the evening. He would stay at the Tent City tonight and undertake a lion safari in the Gir forest in Junagadh district Sunday. The president is also likely to visit the Somnath temple during his visit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there is "pro-incumbency" in favour of the AAP-led government because of the work it has done in the last three years. The AAP government's tenure in Delhi shows that a good government at the Centre can make India number one country in the world, Kejriwal asserted. Addressing party's national council meeting, AAP national convener accused the Centre of creating hurdles before the Delhi government and trying to humiliate the party. "In Delhi, there is no anti-incumbency but pro-incumbency. There will be no anti-incumbency if you serve the people and do not indulge in corruption," Kejriwal said. The AAP has given hope to the people that the country can improve, he said, adding the people are forced to vote for the BJP and the Congress due to limited options. He said the the assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh -- show that it was defeat of the BJP not a victory of the Congress. People have no option therefore they alternatively vote for both the parties. "People in Delhi believe the AAP will again come to power in 2020," he claimed. Kejriwal said the AAP and its government was victimised by the Centre through raids by agencies and arrests of its MLAs. "In four years they created hurdles in our work. There would be no chief minister in the history who could not transfer a peon. We have faced autocracy of the Centre in the last three years. I have faced the CBI and police raid. Police have searched bedroom and kitchen in my house," he said. He said that despite these raids, the central government could not find anything against the party and its leaders. Accusing the BJP-led central government of humiliating the party, Kejriwal said, the BJP leaders even intimated his coughing. "But we stick to Anna's lesson to bear personal insult," he said. National Council, the topmost decision making body of the party, is called to discuss various issues, including the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After being reduced to just 21 seats in the last assembly elections, the Congress bounced back in in 2018. This was also the year when the struck, the law caught up with actor and godman Asaram Bapu, and a man was beaten to death after being branded a cow smuggler. The year started well for the Congress, when it won the three bypolls held in January, wresting Alwar and Bhilwara Lok Sabha seats and the Mandalgarh assembly seat from the BJP. The Congress built on this over the months even as the Bharatiya Janata Party stepped up its own act. As chief minister, Vasundhara Raje led a Gaurav Yatra' that crisscrossed the state. When the assembly polls drew nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah launched a series of public meetings. These were matched by rallies by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in some high-pitched electioneering, which ended with his party winning 99 of the 199 seats where polling took place. A tussle followed within the Congress between veteran Ashok Gehlot and party's state unit chief Sachin Pilot first for the chief minister's post and then over the allocation of portfolios. Gehlot is now CM and retains nine main portfolios, including home and finance. Earlier in the election-year, Raje faced her share of dissent. Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari accused her of corruption and misgovernance and wrote several letters to the party's top leadership. He went on to launch his own 'Bharat Vahini Party', but faced a drubbing in the December 7 elections. Veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh's MLA-son Manvendra Singh, who had old scores to settle with Raje, also quit the party and switched over to the Congress just ahead of the elections. But tribal leader Kirori Meena returned to BJP-fold after about a decade and was made a Rajya Sabha MP. Raje's BJP government courted controversy over a Bill that barred the prosecution of public servants without official sanction. It would have also put curbs on the media on identifying the accused in such cases. Facing protests, her government withdrew the Bill. In July, cow vigilantism claimed a life in Alwar district. Rakbar Khan (28) was lynched by a group of people who suspected him and a companion of smuggling cows. The police faced flak for allegedly not rushing the badly injured man to hospital, and focusing instead on taking the cows found with him to a cattle shelter. An assistant sub-inspector was suspended and two constables were shunted to police lines for this. Three men were arrested for attacking Rakbar Khan even as BJP MLA Gyan Deo Ahuja appeared to defend the cow vigilantes, arguing that the death should be blamed on the police and not on them. Courts in Jodhpur dealt with a couple of high-profile cases. Bollywood star was sentenced to five years in jail in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Dabangg actor spent two days in Jodhpur jail as prisoner number 106 before being released on bail. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam were acquitted in the case that goes back to the days when they were shooting together in Jodhpur for 'Hum sath sath hain'. A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur awarded life imprisonment to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and 20-year sentences to two co-accused for the rape of a teenager at his ashram in 2013. An outbreak of in Jaipur rang alarm bells in Delhi. The city reported 144 cases. Teams from the Centre and the Institute of Virology in Pune camped in the state capital to help contain the virus. There were no deaths. Prime Minister Modi also travelled to to launch the commencement of work on the Barmer oil refinery and petrochemical complex. The Congress cried foul as the foundation stone for the project in 2013 by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. But the BJP government said it had renegotiated the stalled project. For 68-year-old Gajanand Sharma, 2018 could not have been better. He returned home to Jaipur, 36 years after crossing the border by mistake and landing in a Pakistani jail. All this while, his family had no idea about his whereabouts. Russia and Turkey on Saturday agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria after last week's shock announcement of a US military withdrawal, Moscow's top diplomat said. "Of course we paid special attention to new circumstances which appeared in connection with the announced US military pullout," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow. "An understanding was reached of how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue to coordinate their steps on the ground under new conditions with a view to finally rooting out terrorist threats in Syria," Lavrov said. Cavusoglu confirmed the two countries would coordinate Syria operations, adding they also discussed plans to help refugees to return home. "We will continue active work (and) coordination with our Russian colleagues and colleagues from Iran to speed up the arrival of a political settlement in the Syrian Republic," he said in remarks translated into Russian. Besides Lavrov and Cavusoglu, Russian and Turkish defence ministers Sergei Shoigu and Hulusi Akar also attended the talks. President Donald Trump last week unexpectedly said he was pulling all 2,000 troops from Syria, declaring that the United States had achieved its objective as the Islamic State group had been "knocked" out. The extremist movement, also known as ISIS, has lost nearly all its territory, although thousands of its jihadists are thought to remain in war-battered Syria. On Friday, Russia said it would host a three-way summit with Turkey and Iran on the Syrian conflict early next year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asian Games gold medallist Saurabh Chaudhary was in sublime form, winning the first men's 10m air pistol trial (T1) with a final round score of 248.2 at the ongoing National shooting Trials here on Saturday. Saurabh's score was a massive 4.6 points above the present world record score of 243.6, set by Ukranian Oleh Omelchuk in Munich earlier this year. The 16-year-old from Utar Pradesh also won the Junior men's event, shooting 245.5 in the final, which is equal to the present junior world record score that he holds. Saurabh, who had won a gold at the Youth Olympic Games, also qualified for the eight-man final with a qualification score of 578, which made him seven best. Achal Pratap Singh topped the table with a score of 582 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. The likes of Jitu Rai shot 579 to qualify fourth but eventually finished eighth in the final. Anmol Jain of Haryana came second to Saurabh in the men's final with a score of 242.3, while statemate Nikhil Chandila came second in the junior men's final with a score of 242.4. In other events, Parul Kumar of the Air Force won the men's 50m rifle prone trials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Secularism is safe in India as it is in our DNA, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said Saturday, however adding that aberrations must be condemned. Speaking at the 64th national convention of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad here, he said, "Some people complain about secularism being in danger. Secularism is safe in India, not because of politicians, not because of the government, (but because) it is part of the DNA of all Indians. "There will be certain aberrations here and there, certain instances may happen. Those instances should be condemned." He added people living in India irrespective of caste, sex, religion, and region "are one -- one nation, one people, one country". "So we must take care of our fellow citizen, we should not discriminate against him," he said. The vice president said other countries are looking at India as it is on the growth path. "Discuss, debate, decide, do not disrupt. That should be our thought process. We must develop a constructive attitude" he added. He asked ABVP members to spread the message of "nation first" and asked people to be willing to "change according to climates" and "preserve, propagate and protect" Indian culture. "We should be proud of being Indian. A country which forgets its culture and history cannot progress," he said. The vice president asked the youth to promote their mother tongue, but not at the cost of engaging in linguistic tussles. "Promote your mother tongue. We must protect Indian languages. We should not allow any fight between Bengali, non-Bengali, Telugu, non-Telugu, Tamil, non-Tamil, Hindi, non-Hindi. We should never ever allow such things to happen," he said. Naidu was the chief guest at the ABVP's Yashwant Rao Kelkar Youth Award function, which was part of the student organisation's national convention being held here. A teacher from Rajasthan, Sandeep Joshi, was chosen for this year's award. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 22-year-old Pakistani national, who crossed over the border to meet Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, returned home after spending 22 months in Indian jail. Abdullah, a resident of Mingora of scenic Swat district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was arrested by the Indian authorities on May 25, 2017 when he had come to witness the Beating Retreat Ceremony held every evening at the Wagah border gates. He crossed the Zero Line after the ceremony and told the Border Security Force officials that he wanted to meet Shahrukh and Kajol. He was repatriated on Wednesday through the Attari-Wagah border on the basis of an emergency travel certificate issued by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, officials said. Upon arrival at his native home he was garlanded by his relatives, neighbours, friends and well wishers. Speaking to local media in Swat, Abdullah said he crossed the border in a bid to meet Shahrukh and Kajol of whom he is a great fan. "I was arrested by the India's Border Security Force and shifted to a police station before being sent to Central Jail Amritsar," he said. "I wrote a letter to Indian Government through jail authorities for arranging a meeting with Shahrukh and Kajol but no reply was made to his request," he added. Stating that his wish of meeting the duo Bollywood stars could not be fulfilled, Abdullah said that earlier he had applied for Indian visa to meet the two Bollywood stars, but the application was turned down. Abdullah appealed to the Pakistani citizens not to enter India through illegal ways. "I will not try again to enter India through illegal way," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The sharp political differences between Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been further reflected in the allocation of key departments under various ministries. According to the subjects gazette published on Saturday, Sirisena has kept control of the police department under him as the minister of defence. The UNP led by Wickremesinghe argues that the police cannot be controlled by Sirisena whereas the 19th amendment to the Constitution has restricted the president to just one ministry in addition to the defence ministry. Sirisena had also kept the government printer under him which is the authority which publishes government-gazetted decrees. Sirisena's differences with Wickremesinghe led to a collapse of the unity government between the two leaders on October 26 as Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe as premier and withdrew his UPFA alliance from the unity government, triggering a constitutional and political crisis never before seen in the island nation. Both Wickremesinghe and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who was appointed prime minister by Sirisena, were claiming the premiership. Wickremesinghe citing the 19A said Sirisena had no power to sack him. After a 50-day standoff, Wickremesinghe was restored to office. The country's highest court has termed Sirisena's action to dismiss parliament and his call for a fresh election as illegal. Since Wickremesinghe's reinstatement a new Cabinet was sworn in. The UNP wants the Cabinet to consist of 30 members apart from Sirisena and Wickremesinghe. "We have asked for the opinion of the attorney general on the number of ministers. The president and prime minister who hold portfolios must be excluded in our view," minister Mano Ganesan said. The 19A amendment has restricted the Cabinet to 30 members when a single political party holds power without any coalition arrangement with another party. Sirisena had ignored the names of those who had crossed over from his SLFP to join Wickremesinghe when the prime minister recommended them for ministerial posts. Under the Constitution, Cabinet ministers are appointed by the president under advise from the prime minister. Significantly, Sirisena has also appointed his own representatives to state media directorates while giving Wickremesinghe's UNP control over institutions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An innovative destination development drive is drawing more foreign tourists to Kerala's northernmost districts of Kannur and Kasaragod, largely benefiting local communities. The project, Small and Medium Industries Leveraging Experiential Tourism (SMiLE), has so far created 93 entrepreneurs offering homestays, resorts, houseboats and other tourism services, a press release said. They played host to 4,488 foreigners, mostly Europeans, so far and the authorities expect that the new year would bring more cheer to them. SMiLE had targeted 25 per cent foreign tourists arrivals in 2018 in the destination, but it already crossed 72 per cent in North Malabar; 199 per cent in Kasaragod district and 44 per cent in Kannur district, the release added. Not only its beaches, backwaters and hill stations but folk and martial arts, traditional systems of healing and newly introduced watersports also attract visitors. "The region has some unique attractions, and the SMiLE entrepreneurs introduced some exciting products adding value to it," Managing Director of the state-run Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) spearheading the campaign, TK Manzoor said. "Some were so thrilled that they extended their holidays, thanks to their hosts who had undergone training under the SMiLE in leveraging experiential tourism. In the process, they were inventing new products attractive to the visitors." One of the attractions in Kasaragod was Suranga, the unique water harvesting system of a horizontal tunnel in the laterite hills existing in the region for years for drinking water and irrigation. In Kannur, the holidaymakers are taken through the rich mangroves ardently preserved by the environmental activists, and performance of Theyyam, the dancing gods of north Malabar. Now there are facilities for accommodating 400 tourists a day under the SMiLE, spread across the two districts. The BRDC helps them not only in developing the facilities but marketing globally. Early this month, BRDC brought some 40 tour operators from across India and introduced them to the SMiLE entrepreneurs and their products. Excited by the unique experience, they filmed them and posted it on social media. Many of the tourism facilities they visited, some run by women entrepreneurs, are in remote villages. Some of their video stories are attracting a lot of visitors, and there's a spurt in enquiries since. BRDC has also launched a virtual tour guide mobile app, SMiLE VTG for the holidaymakers to create their itinerary and book destinations of choice. "Despite having so many attractions, the tourists were so far turning away from the region. That trend is changing. The sector will see more activities with better air connectivity," Manzoor said. "We link these entrepreneurs, who have become real ambassadors of the regions unique culture and cuisine, to tour operators, and the growth so far was exponential. It also creates a lot of jobs." Some tour operators even suggest that Kerala should replicate the model across the state, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha decried "opportunists" on Saturday after a wave of coordinated bomb attacks by suspected insurgents hit Thailand's Muslim-majority "deep south" in the lead-up to the New Year holidays. The region bordering Malaysia has been in the grip of a low-level but bloody insurgency for more than a decade as ethnic Malay militants battle the Buddhist-majority state for greater autonomy. Since 2004, insurgents armed with homemade bombs and grenades have clashed with Thailand's powerful military, killing nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians, of both Muslim and Buddhist faith. However, 2017 saw a record low of 235 people killed in clashes. The latest attacks occurred Friday night in a series of seven separate incidents in three different districts of Narathiwat province, said police commander Major General Dussadee Choosungkit. Two bomb attacks occurred in Sri Sakhon district, four in Chanae district, and militants "ambushed a base in Rangae district" using grenades, he said. The homemade bombs were "detonated by radio", he said, adding that no one was injured. The attacks prolong a bout of violence that began late Monday evening when a policeman died in an explosion from a detonated roadside bomb hidden in a gas cylinder. In nearby Songkhla province on Wednesday night, two bombs rocked popular tourist site Simila beach, causing no fatalities but damaging to two seaside statues. Songkhla provincial police are still investigating the beach bombings, and no arrest has been made, police told AFP Saturday. Major General Dussadee said the Songkhla bombings were not connected to his province's troubles -- which he said is payback for a December 12 raid on the insurgents' camp in Narathiwat. "I think the militants are retaliating at authorities after the raid on their camp earlier this month," he told AFP. Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha has instructed officials to step up security measures after the attacks, said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punakanta Saturday. "(Prayut) called them the works of ill-intentioned people and opportunists for staging attacks during New Year holidays," said Buddhipongse, adding that the junta head asked for locals to "tip off" authorities on any irregularities. The three southernmost provinces -- Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani -- are predominantly Muslim and have long chafed against Bangkok's rule, calling for greater autonomy or independence. The latest attacks come as the Thai junta renews talks with an umbrella group claiming to represent the rebels, with the aid of Malaysia as facilitator. The shadowy Barisan Revolusi Nasional faction is believed to be behind most of the violence in the region, with its leadership living along Malaysia's border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha and new entrant to the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) Mukesh Sahni met in a Ranchi jail Saturday as part of the process for seat-sharing in the opposition coalition in Bihar for the 2019 general election. Prasad is lodged at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on medical grounds, after his conviction in the multi-crore-rupee fodder scam cases. Sources close to the jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo said preliminary talks were held between Prasad and the three leaders regarding seat-sharing in the anti-NDA grouping. The RJD is the pivot of the "Mahagathbandhan" in Bihar and hence, Prasad's approval in finalising the allocation of seats is required. The ruling Janata Dal (United), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, poked fun at the leaders going to the Hotwar jail in Ranchi to "prostrate" before the imprisoned RJD supremo for finalisation of the seat-sharing. At present, the Grand Alliance in Bihar comprises the Congress, the RJD, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Sahni's fledgling outfit, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). Sahni, a Bollywood set designer-turned-politician who has launched the VIP, joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) grouping last Sunday, hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the JD(U) and the Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Delhi announced the seat-sharing formula among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents for the 40 Lok Sabha segments in Bihar. After the meeting with Prasad, Kushwaha, accompanied by Sahni, told reporters in Ranchi that the talks were primarily about the RJD supremo's health. "There were some political discussions also, the details of which we need not make public. But, of course, we discussed the strategy to defeat the BJP-led NDA in both Bihar and Jharkhand," he added. To a pointed query on seat-sharing among the Grand Alliance constituents, the RLSP chief said it would be discussed at a later stage. "All the alliance partners were not present today. A seat-sharing formula must be arrived at in the presence of representatives of all the constituents," he added. Asked whether he hoped for a bigger share in the Grand Alliance compared to when the RLSP was in the NDA, which had offered him only two of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, Kushwaha, who also reportedly wants the Chatra seat in Jharkhand for his confidant Nagmani, said, "Wait for the opportune time, you will get to know." Prasad's younger son and RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav also met the party supremo after Kushwaha and told reporters that there was no hurry to announce a seat-sharing formula. "Our priority is to make the NDA bite the dust and not to make the number of seats a prestige issue," he said. Meanwhile, Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha told a regional news channel in Patna that the seat-sharing formula would be worked out only after January 14. "We think the Congress should get at least 12 (seats), but we will also have to take into account that we have to accommodate many constituents," he said. ALSO READ: From VVIP chopper scam to Lalu, cases that kept Delhi courts busy in 2018 January 14 is the date on which "Kharmas", a month considered inauspicious, ends. Prasad had reportedly sought the deferment of a decision on seat-sharing until that date, Jha said. Meanwhile, the JD(U) launched a stinging attack on Prasad and former Union minister Kushwaha over the meeting of the two leaders in Ranchi. JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar issued a statement referring to Prasad as the "prisoner no. 3351" of the Hotwar jail and accused Kushwaha, whom he did not refer by name, of going to the Jharkhand capital to perform a "dandwat" (prostration) before the imprisoned RJD supremo. "I had predicted that seat-sharing in the Mahagathbandhan will have to follow a dandwat by all the constituents at the Hotwar jail. It has been proved right," he said. In a dig at Prasad over the allegations of illegal land deals levelled against him, most notably by Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, the JD(U) spokesperson hoped that those visiting the "prisoner no. 3351" had carried the records of their assets as they would have to part with some of those in return for an assurance of a ticket from Prasad. Three Aam Aadmi Party leaders were arrested Saturday for allegedly circulating "fake news" on social media attributed to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar even as the AAP accused the BJP of "jungle rule". During the Municipal Corporation elections in the state recently, had appeared in media in which Khattar was quoted saying that his party should be voted to power as he belongs to Punjabi community. AAP social media in charge Harpal Kranti and Sanjeev Jakhar were among the three persons arrested for circulating the "fake news" attributed to the Haryana chief minister," Haryana Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mohammad Akil said. The arrests were made under relevant sections of the IT Act after the BJP had Friday lodged a complaint against some persons for allegedly circulating the "fake news", police said. The AAP claimed that around 70 party workers were picked up by the Haryana Police from different parts of the state. "It's not a democracy, but jungle rule," Haryana AAP president Naveen Jaihind said. Hitting out at Khattar, he said that the AAP workers were picked up by police for allegedly putting a post of the CM on social media. "The BJP had given an advertisement that for the first time the state had got a Punjabi CM and the opportunity should not be lost. The AAP workers only put the post on social media," he said. He alleged that the AAP workers were picked up by police as if they were terrorists. "We are not afraid of Khattar... we will not bow down by such tactics of his government," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Saturday that results of the Assembly elections indicate that the BJP was on its way out even at the Centre. Addressing a rally at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat, Patel said the verdict in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh showed that people were disenchanted with the BJP. "When you came to power in 2014 by making false promises and spreading lies, you may not have thought that you will become unpopular within just four years. People are disenchanted with BJP now. That is why Congress won the assembly polls in three states," Patel said. "When you came to power in 2014, you thought you will rule forever. That was your ego. You did not realise that if people can put you in power, they can also oust you," Patel said. "Time has come for you (Modi) to vacate the throne in near future. If you do not step down, people will make you do so," the Congress veteran said. Referring to Modi's sartorial choices, Patel said one can not become a leader like former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru just by wearing a "Nehru jacket". "You can also not become Indira Gandhi by going on foreign trips. You can not become Rajiv Gandhi by donning designer jackets and kurtas. To be in the league of such leaders, you have to make sacrifices like them. Do you have the courage to do that?" Patel asked. To Modi's recent jibe that Kartarpur in Punjab went to Pakistan at the time of Independence because of "lack of vision" in Congress leaders, Patel asked if Modi was also blaming Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Congress stalwart of that period. "On one hand you are building Sardar Patel's statue and on the other you are insulting him," the Congress leader from Gujarat said. Modi and the BJP are trying to erase history and present a "distorted version" to claim that Congress leaders did nothing for the country, Patel alleged. Modi failed to fulfil any of his pre-poll promises such as depositing Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account by bringing back black money, he said. "They claim they have done all those things which the Congress could not do in the last 70 years....Congress never looted the country in 60-70 years of its rule. But they (the BJP) looted the country through demonetisation during their four-year rule," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The contentious seeking to criminalise instant divorce is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha even as the Congress said it will not allow the passage of the proposed legislation in its present form. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will table the bill in the Upper House after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by the Opposition. The bill was passed by the Lower House with 245 voting in favour and 11 opposing it. Prasad had on Friday claimed that the bill will find support in Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA lacks numbers. It is listed in the Rajya Sabha's legislative agenda for Monday. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters in Kochi that the party would join hands with others to prevent the bill from getting passed in the House, he told reporters in Kochi. He said 10 opposition parties had openly come out against the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Even the parties which support the government on various issues, including AIADMK, have opposed the bill, said Venugopal, who is also a Congress floor strategist. Condemning the bill, he said the stringent provisions like criminalisation of a civil wrong were there in the and it was not at all acceptable to the opposition parties, including the Congress. "...The bill will not help empower women," the Congress leader said. Venugopal claimed there was no confusion in the Congress-led UPA or party-led UDF in Kerala regarding the bill. The Alappuzha MP said the government could not push the bill in its initial form in the Upper House due to stringent opposition from the Congress and other opposition parties. "That is the reason why the government brought the ordinance and re-introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha. But the Congress will oppose its passage in the present form in the Rajya Sabha," Venugopal said. The Congress had earlier accused the NDA government of getting the passed in haste in the Lok Sabha in view of 2019 general election. The party has said its provisions are against the Constitution and violate the fundamental rights. The Opposition has been demanding that the bill be referred to a 'joint select committee' of Parliament for further scrutiny. On Thursday, the government rejected the Opposition's contention that it was aimed at targeting a particular community. Piloting the bill, Prasad had said there should be no on the bill, stressing that it was not against any particular community. Describing the passage of the triple talaq bill as a historic step to ensure equality and dignity of Muslim women, BJP chief Amit Shah had demanded an apology from the Congress for decades of injustice. US President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed opposition Democrats for the death of two immigrant children who died in US custody, in comments set to heighten tensions as the second week of a government shutdown began over his demands for a border wall. "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They can't. If we had a Wall, they wouldn't even try!" Trump said on Twitter. His comments came after the separate deaths of two Guatemalan children, aged seven and eight, who crossed the border illegally with relatives who were taken into custody by US Border Patrol. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed opposition Democrats for the death of two immigrant children in US custody, comments set to heighten tensions as the second week of a government shutdown began over his demands for a border wall. "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They can't. If we had a Wall, they wouldn't even try!" Trump said on Twitter. His comments came after the separate deaths of two Guatemalan children, aged seven and eight, who crossed the border illegally with relatives who were taken into custody by US Border Patrol. The tweet hardened his tone after an earlier message on Twitter Saturday which said the next move in the eight-day budget standoff over border wall funding belonged to the Democrats. "I am in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security," Trump tweeted. But members of Congress, most of them home for the holidays, continued to keep low profiles, and there were no evident signs of any imminent breakthrough. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Saturday was in Yuma, Arizona, on the second day of a trip to witness border operations firsthand after she last week said the US will take "extraordinary" protective measures to deal with a surge of immigrant children in custody. Eight-year-old Felipe Gomez, who collapsed after running a fever, died in US custody after traveling with his father Agustin Gomez from an indigenous community in Guatemala. He died on the same day that Jakelin Caal, a Guatemalan girl who died in US custody under similar circumstances earlier this month, was buried in her home village after the repatriation of her body. In the last two months, US Border Patrol agents have apprehended 139,817 people on the southwest border, compared with 74,946 during the same period a year earlier, Nielsen said. More than 68,500 were "family units" while almost 14,000 others were unaccompanied children, she said, and the system has been pushed to the "breaking point". When the shutdown began on December 22, affecting one-quarter of the federal government, Trump canceled his plans to spend the year-end holidays in Florida and vowed to remain at the White House -- though he made a quick, unannounced trip to visit US troops in Iraq. But as he tries to build pressure on Democrats to help fund the US-Mexico border wall he sees as an urgent priority -- threatening even to close the border if no deal is reached -- Democrats appear adamant in their refusal to pay for a project they view as a waste of money. Some conservative Republicans, meantime, appear equally determined to press for the wall. Trump has demanded USD 5 billion for wall construction -- though the White House reportedly has shown flexibility on that number -- while Democrats have offered to spend no more than USD 1.3 billion for border security measures not including a wall. Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to be House speaker in the new Congress, has vowed to "swiftly" reopen the government once her Democrats take control of that chamber from the Republicans next Thursday. She said Democrats "will govern responsibly in stark contrast to this chaotic White House." The effects of the shutdown have been slow to appear -- many of the 800,000 government employees sent home or working without pay would have been off for the holidays anyway -- but once the New Year arrives, pressure is sure to grow. The popular Smithsonian museums in Washington, for example, found money to stay open through New Year's Day but, according to their website, will close on January 2 if the standoff continues. While most of the US military is unaffected, about 42,000 Coast Guard members are working without pay. That branch falls under the Department of Homeland Security, not the Pentagon. This is the third government shutdown of the year, following a three-day closure in January and a brief event in February. Shutdowns have rarely been popular with the public. A recent NPR/PBS/Marist Poll found that Americans -- by 57 per cent to 36 per cent -- favoured Trump seeking compromise rather than standing firm on his wall demand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Swatantra Dev Singh Saturday reached Jammu to invite people from all walks of life to join the Kumbh Mela at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad from January 15. "I am here on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to extend invitation to people, including sadhus, for the Kumbh. I am meeting Governor Satya Pal Malik tomorrow in this connection," Singh told reporters at a Ram temple here. Singh met the temple's head priest Mahamandleshwar Rameshwar Dass Maharaj and other representatives from the 'sant samaaj' at the temple and extended invitation to them. The Maharaj thanked the minister and urged the people of Jammu to visit the Kumbh. Earlier Saturday, the minister visited the BJP office in Jammu and held a meeting with the senior party leaders including state general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul and general secretaries Narinder Singh and Yudhvir Sethi. Singh said this is for the first time that an official invitation has been sent to the 'sadhu samaaj' and other social and political leaders for the Kumbh Mela. "The Uttar Pradesh chief minister is taking all measures for a smooth and successful Mela. Prominent persons from across the globe will visit the Mela to take holy bath and seek blessings of the almighty," he said. He said every care has been taken to ensure comfort to the devotees visiting the Kumbh Mela, beginning January 15. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress party will not let the passage of the in its present form in the Rajya Sabha, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said here Saturday. The party would join hands with those parties with which it can ally with to defeat the bill in the present form, he told reporters here. He said 10 opposition parties had come out openly against the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Even the parties, including AIADMK which supports the government on various issues and the Trinamool Congress, have come out openly against the bill, said Venugopal who is also a Congress floor strategist. Condemning the bill, he said stringent provisions like criminalisation of a civil wrong were there in the and it was not at all acceptable for the opposition parties, including the Congress. "...The bill will not help empower the women", Venugopal said. The bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday, is expected to be considered by the Rajya Sabha next week. He claimed there was no confusion in the Congress-led UPA or party-led UDF in Kerala regarding the bill. Recalling the passage of the bill in another form in the Lok Sabha in 2017, the Alappuzha MP said the then government could not push the bill in the Upper House due to the stringent opposition from the Congress and other opposition parties. "That is the reason why the government brought the ordinance and re-introduced the bill again in the Lok Sabha. But the Congress will oppose its passage in the present form in the Rajya Sabha," he said. The Congress had earlier accused the NDA government of getting the passed in haste in the Lok Sabha keeping in mind the 2019 general elections. ALSO READ: SC declares Triple talaq unconstitutional; Good verdict, bad law? The party has said its provisions were against the Constitution as well as fundamental rights. The Lok Sabha Thursday passed the bill criminalising the practice of instant triple talaq, with the government rejecting the contention that it was aimed at targeting a particular community. The opposition, which had been demanding that the bill be referred to a 'joint select committee', staged a walkout when its demand was rejected by the government. ALSO READ: Wedded to the cause: Lok Sabha passes revised triple talaq Bill The bill was passed by the Lower House with 245 voting in favour and 11 opposing the legislation. It would now go to the Rajya Sabha for passage and if passed would become the law. Piloting the bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said there should be no on the bill, stressing that it was not against any particular community. Describing the passage of the triple talaq bill as a historic step to ensure equality and dignity of Muslim women, BJP chief Amit Shah had demanded apology from the Congress for decades of injustice. At least six deaths were attributed to severe weather in the US as heavy snow and high winds snarled air and ground transportation during a busy holiday travel period. More than 500 flight cancellations and 5,700 delays were reported Friday as the winter storm blanketed areas from the north central plains and the Midwest with eight to 12 inches of snow. As much snow, if not more, was forecast to fall in the coming days in the southwestern state of New Mexico, along with a deluge of rain in some southern and eastern states -- ruining New Year travel plans for thousands of Americans. Millions more in the South were warned of potential flooding from heavy rains. A 58-year-old woman in Louisiana was killed Wednesday evening when lightning struck a tree which then fell on her home, according to TV station WDSU. In Kansas, police said icy roads caused a fatal car crash Thursday on an interstate highway. Another crash involving a snowplow and a car in North Dakota claimed one life. A woman on a camping trip in Tennessee with two men died while attempting to cross a creek in the state's Marion County, a local ABC affiliate reported. Two people were killed in Minnesota. A 51-year-old man died Thursday when his car was struck by a pickup truck with a plow blade in poor visibility conditions, a local Fox affiliate quoted officials as saying. A 47-year-old woman meanwhile died in the state's Sherburne County after a bus she was on collided with an SUV on Thursday, a CBS affiliate station said. Nine others were injured. More than 6,500 flights were delayed and some 800 more were canceled on Thursday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Some airline passengers reported being stranded for days. "I didn't want to spend three days in the airport, missing out on the holidays -- New Year's and all that," Anthony Scott told Texas television station KDFW at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. "I have to go back to work the first of the year. So this is my time," he said. "This was my little vacation. I'm not trying to spend it in the airport." Numerous roads were closed Thursday in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Kansas and Iowa. Ground crews worked to clear affected areas, but many remained packed with snow and ice Friday. The South Dakota Department of Transportation said advisories warning against travel remained in effect. "Roads are icy, blowing snow is still limiting visibility," the agency said. "Crews are working but mother nature is making safe travel tough." North Dakota on Friday lifted a no-travel advisory that had been issued for the entire east side of the state, even as drifting snow continued to frustrate drivers. National Weather Service (NWS) officials in Minnesota cautioned that roads in the upper Midwestern state were cloaked in snow. The weather service predicted the treacherous conditions would continue through the weekend across the country. Heavy snow was expected in the southwestern state of New Mexico from a new storm, with as much as 18 inches possible, NWS said. To the south, heavy rains were forecast in the central Gulf Coast, in the Florida Panhandle, and stretching east to the mid-Atlantic. A risk of flash flooding was possible in a few areas. The nasty weather was still no match for a colossal blizzard that smothered the eastern United States in January 2016. That storm shut down New York and Washington, leaving 15 people dead and impacting some 85 million residents. Forecasters said the storm -- dubbed "Snowzilla" -- dumped 22.2 inches in Washington and 25.1 inches in New York's Central Park, the third highest accumulation since records began in 1869. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday promised to take tough measures to avert major economic risks in 2019 as the country grappled with a continued slowdown largely due to the effects of the trade war with the US. The US has imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese goods worth USD 250 billion per year. In retaliation, China imposed tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods. A standstill agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart on the margins of the G20 summit at Buenos Aires in November deferred the imposition of tit-for-tat tariffs by the two countries till March. With the country witnessing an economic slowdown due to the trade war, China has pledged to take measures to step up American imports and investments to meet US' demand of bringing down USD 375 billion trade deficit between the two countries. March 1, 2019 is the deadline for implementing the measures. Addressing a gathering of senior leaders of the ruling Communist Party here, Xi said people in China have enjoyed a stronger sense of fulfilment, happiness and security in 2018 due to reforms launched by his government. For the year 2019, Xi spoke of the need to pursue supply-side structural reform as the main task, take tough steps to forestall and defuse major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation, prevent and control pollution, and promote sustained and sound economic development, according to state-run Xinhua agency. A total of 1,932 reform schemes have been carried out since 2013, the president said, adding, "We showed our resolve to carry through the cause of reform and opening-up in the new era." Xi also pledged efforts to support Hong Kong and Macao in integrating their own development into the overall development of the country and maintain their lasting prosperity and stability. He also vowed to work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations with Taiwan, which China claims as part of it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The leaders of both the United States and China want "stable progress" in ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a phone call on Saturday with his American counterpart Donald Trump. The Xinhua agency quoted Xi as saying China and the US are working to implement the terms of the trade war truce reached between the two leaders earlier this month. During the call, Xi expressed the hope that "both teams can meet each other halfway and reach an agreement beneficial to both countries and the world as early as possible", according to Xinhua. Washington and Beijing have imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods, and the bruising trade conflict has spooked markets worldwide. Relations between the world's top two economies are "now in a vital stage", Xinhua quoted Xi as saying during the Trump call. "China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and appreciates the willingness of the US side to develop cooperative and constructive bilateral relations," Xi said, according to Xinhua. Tensions have eased since Trump and Xi met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina and agreed to a 90-day truce as they try to negotiate an end to the trade war. Signs of progress since that meeting include the absence of new threats from Trump. And China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, after its major state-owned grain stockpiler said it had resumed buying US soybeans. Beijing also announced it would suspend extra tariffs added to US-made cars and auto parts starting January 1. China is also targeting intellectual property theft in the country -- one of the main sticking points in the dispute with the US. Trump initiated the trade war because of complaints over unfair Chinese trade practices -- concerns shared by the European Union, Japan and others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the port of Hodeida, the country's key aid lifeline, under an agreement reached in Sweden earlier this month, a UN official said Saturday. The official, who requested anonymity, said the Huthi rebels began to pull back from the Red Sea port at midnight (2100 GMT Friday). The rebel withdrawal from the port, which is the point of entry for food aid to some 14 million Yemenis UN agencies say are on the brink of famine, is a key part of a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition on June 13. The Huthis began "the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port", a rebel official told the Huthi-run Saba agency. The rebels held a ceremony to mark the occasion, an AFP correspondent reported. The UN Security Council last week unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to oversee a hard-won truce for Hodeida that was agreed by the Saudi-backed government and the rebels in Sweden this month. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint truce monitoring committee, which includes both government and rebel representatives, and chaired its first meeting this week. The UN-led panel addressed "the first phase of the implementation of the agreement... based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment", a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss "detailed plans for full redeployment". The UN also said that a humanitarian convoy was expected later Saturday to leave Hodeida port and travel along the main road that links it to the rebel-held capital Sanaa. Its destination was not immediately clear. "As a confidence building measure, the parties have agreed to begin opening blocked humanitarian corridors, starting with the Hodeida-Sanaa road, followed by other routes, in a phased manner," said the statement. The truce has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations. A resident reached by telephone on Saturday told AFP pro-government and rebel forces had exchanged fire briefly overnight. The resident added that coalition jets were heard overhead on Saturday morning. In addition to the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida, the agreement included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees. A "mutual understanding" was also reached to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under the control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides have agreed to meet again in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population -- now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Yemenis struggling to survive such conditions are also confronted with a collapsed economy, leaving civil servants and teachers without pay for months. On Thursday, Hadi instructed the government to pay the salaries of civil servants in the rebel-held city of Hodeida starting this month, a move that was welcomed by the UN. "President Hadi's decision is an important step towards improving the economic situation, and alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people," the office of the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of youngsters, carrying ISIS flags, forcibly entered the historic Jamia Masjid here and created a ruckus, evoking condemnation from the mosque's management committee and the separatists. The incident occurred after the congregational Friday prayers when most of the people had left the mosque, officials said, adding that the youngsters were later chased away by those present there. The video of the incident went viral on the social media on Saturday. The officials said moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivered the Friday sermon at the mosque, had also left before the incident took place. "A group of youngsters, wearing masks, forced their entry into the mosque and rushed to the pulpit where the Mirwaiz delivers the sermon. One of them stood atop the pulpit and shouted slogans. They were carrying ISIS flags," said an official. The youngsters were subsequently chased away by those present there, he added. The managing committee of the mosque -- the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid-- has condemned the incident. "A group of masked boys entered the mosque and rushed to the pulpit. One of them stood atop the pulpit with his shoes on, screaming slogans and creating a ruckus. In the meantime, his associates videotaped it and the video has been put on the social media. "This clearly indicates that the incident was deliberate and planned. It has naturally led to shock and outrage and a deep resentment among people. It has deeply hurt their sentiments associated with the mosque," the committee said in a statement. It added that the attempt to "desecrate the Jamia mosque by this group of hooligans, whose identity is not known yet as they were wearing masks, nor at whose behest they were indulging in these shameful acts is condemnable". "It shows the utter disregard of this group of miscreants for Islamic institutions, values and teachings. Such elements not only malign the name of Islam, but also abuse it," the committee said. The Anjuman Auqaf said it had taken a strong note of "this shameful incident" and warned "those elements or agencies behind this incident" that people and the Auqaf would not tolerate anyone violating the sanctity of the mosque and the pulpit at any cost. "The Jamia Masjid is the spiritual, religious and political centre of the people of Kashmir and our collective cultural heritage and any attempt to harm it will be firmly dealt with," it said. The separatists, under the banner of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), also condemned the incident. "We strongly condemn the incident that took place after the Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, in which some masked elements, violating all Islamic teachings, values and sanctity of the mosque and exploiting the Kalima and the name of Islam, attempted to desecrate the pulpit of the mosque. Such anti-Islamic acts will not be tolerated at any cost," the JRL -- comprising the Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik -- said. The separatists said this was not the first time that such a "shameful act of hooliganism" was carried out. They alleged that some "elements are being used to divert this just movement by changing its basic nature and character under the pretence of perusing some global agenda". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, Christian Michel, named one 'Mrs Gandhi' during his interrogation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed. The counsel representing the probe agency stated this before the Patiala House Court on Sunday while seeking eight-day custody of Michel. The court extended Michel's custody to ED for another week. The ED lawyer told the court that Michel said he was in touch with one Mrs Gandhi and "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become "the next prime minister of the country", which might refer to Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The counsel, however, did not clarify who were the individuals Michel mentioned while in ED custody. ALSO READ: Who is Christian Michel and what is the AgustaWestland chopper scam? The ED counsel also claimed that Michel has told the agency how HAL was removed from deal to be replaced by Tata. The agency also asked that Michel's lawyer should not be allowed to meet him, claiming that he was being "tutored from outside". The ED told the court that Michel handed over a piece of paper to his lawyer Aljo K Joseph during yesterday meeting, which when checked had questions about Sonia Gandhi asked during the interrogation. The 57-year-old Michel is a British national and an established arms dealer who allegedly helped AgustaWestland - owned by Italian defence company Finmeccanica (now Leornado) - to bag the February 2010 deal for 12 AW101 choppers, mainly meant for VVIP use. The Enforcement Directorate's charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, accusing him of receiving 30 million euros or about Rs 225 crore from the helicopter manufacturer for bribing Indian bureaucrats, politicians and Indian Air Force officials. His diaries, seized by the Italian police and later handed over to the CBI, reveal that he might have paid six million euros to Indian Air Force (IAF) officers, 8.4 million to bureaucrats in addition to 15-16 million to an unidentified political family. Edited by Vivek Punj ALSO READ: Not just Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi, govt trying to extradite 56 more economic offenders Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a Rs 4,500-crore financial assistance to Bhutan to help the country implement its 12th five-year plan after he held wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering. In his media statement, Modi said he has assured the Bhutanese prime minister that India, as a "trusted friend", will continue to play an important role in Bhutan's overall development. The prime minister also thanked the Bhutanese leader for deciding to introduce in Bhutan the Indian RuPay card which is a debit and credit card payment network. On his part, Tshering said the main mission of his visit here was to take Indo-Bhutan ties to greater heights, adding Prime Minister Modi has given him assurance of helping Bhutanese traders hit by the implementation of GST in India. "We are very very happy that Prime Minister Modi Ji has personally committed to being with us, to support us...Government of India has extended full support for our XII Five Year Plan and also to our traders who are being affected by the GST that has come into action in India," the Bhutan PM said. In the talks, the two sides focused on further ramping up the already close bilateral relationship, particularly in the areas of hydropower and trade. The two sides are understood to have also deliberated on security cooperation. Bhutan is a strategically important neighbour for India and both the countries have robust military cooperation which was reflected during Doklam face-off. "India will contribute Rs 4,500 crore in Bhutan's 12th five-year plan," Modi said. The new five-year plan of Bhutan began this year and will continue till 2022. Identifying hydropower cooperation with Bhutan as a crucial aspect in the bilateral ties, Modi said work on the Mangdechhu project will soon be completed. Mangdechhu is a 720-MW hydroelectric project (HEP) on the Mangdechhu River in central Bhutan, which is being implemented by India. "Today, we discussed this crucial sector and reviewed cooperation on all the major projects. Work on the Mangdechhu project will be completed soon. We have agreed on the tariff for this project. Work on other projects has been happening at a very satisfactory pace," he said. Tshering said hydropower has been the main source of revenue for Bhutan. "We are very very happy that the Government of India is fully committed to supporting whatever negotiations that are going on for determining tariff for power from Mangdechhu project as well as to make Sankosh (hydropower) project happen as soon as possible," Tshering said. The Bhutanese prime minister arrived here on Thursday on his first foreign visit after taking charge as PM of the Himalayan nation last month following his party's victory in the general elections. Modi said space is another area where the cooperation between the two neighbours is growing. Under the South Asian satellite launched by India for its neighbours, of which Bhutan is one of the beneficiaries, the ground station is being prepared by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Modi said. This, he added, will assist in giving messages related to weather in far-flung areas of Bhutan, facilitate tele-medicines and help in disaster relief. Tshering noted that Prime Minister Modi was the "first and the only head of the government" who personally called and congratulated him on his electoral victory. He also thanked India for its continued support to his country's developmental needs. Earlier in the day, Tshering was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also called on the Bhutanese premier this morning. Swaraj congratulated Tshering on the assumption of the high office of Bhutan's prime minister and the two leaders had a "warm exchange of views" on important aspects of the bilateral relationship, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Ravesh Kumar said. Also Read: ATC helps avert mid-air collision of three planes close to Delhi flight information region Also Read: RBI extends enhanced single borrower limit facility for NBFCs till March 31 Also Read: M&M Financial Services gets approval to raise Rs 10,000 crore The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) has warned that sustaining success in the Irish tourism sector in 2019 will be a challenge. Tourism in Ireland hit new highs in 2018 with a record number of international visitors and the industry worth 9.2 billion annually. However, the umbrella group representing Irish tourism interests, flagged that Brexit, VAT hikes, and weakened competitiveness will put significant pressure on the industry in the year ahead. ITIC stressed that more needs to be done to support Irish tourism and has called on the Government to match the industrys ambition for the sector. Ireland earned an estimated 6.9 billion from overseas tourism this year which was made up of 5.2 billion spent by overseas visitors when in Ireland and 1.7 billion spent with Irish airline and ferry companies. An additional 1.9 billion is likely to have been generated in domestic tourism revenue with a further 350 million earned from Northern Ireland visitors. Expenditure by international visitors to Ireland was up 7% on the previous year with 25,000 new tourism jobs created in 2018 and the sector now employing 270,000 people nationwide, confirming its position as Irelands largest indigenous industry. ITIC estimates that earnings from tourism for 2018 accrued 2.1 billion to the exchequer in direct tourism-related taxes. Numbers are based on latest CSO data and it is expected that 9.6 million international tourists will have visited Ireland in 2018 with double digit growth from North America and Europe. Commenting on the figures, ITICs Chairman, Maurice Pratt said, "It has been another strong year for Irish tourism with record visitor numbers in both volume and value terms. 25,000 new jobs have been created in the sector in the last 12 months and tourism remains Irelands largest indigenous employer. This is testament to the quality of Irelands tourism product and the ability of the industry to deliver a fantastic experience." He added, "Brexit is a major ongoing concern for Irish tourism. Weak sterling and continued uncertainty over the shape of the UK withdrawal agreement has meant no growth from our nearest neighbour and biggest singles source market. Thankfully other markets such as North America and Germany have been particularly buoyant." Source: www.businessworld.ie Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal can be passed by the British parliament if the European Union provides clarification that the Northern Irish "backstop" will be temporary, foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Friday. The backstop is an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of border checks between Ireland, an EU member, and British-ruled Northern Ireland. It is proving the biggest obstacle to a divorce deal between Britain and the EU. May pulled a vote on her divorce deal earlier this month after admitting that parliament would reject it. Lawmakers are set to discuss the agreement again next month, with a vote in the week starting Jan. 14. Parliament is deeply divided, with both supporters and opponents of Brexit opposed to May's deal, which seeks to maintain close ties with the EU. Britain is due to leave the bloc on March 29 and the impasse has increased the chances of a no deal Brexit and led to growing calls for a second referendum. Hunt said May's withdrawal agreement could be passed by lawmakers if the EU made clear that the Irish "backstop" would be time-limited. Critics fear the backstop will trap Britain in a customs union with the EU indefinitely, while European leaders have said they would not renegotiate the treaty. "If it is temporary, then parliament can live with that," Hunt told BBC radio. "We can get this (the deal) through, absolutely can." If May's deal fails, senior ministers are themselves split on what should happen. Some suggest that another referendum should be considered, while others, including Hunt, favor a "managed" no-deal Brexit. May herself has said neither option is viable. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said May should recall parliament early to allow a vote on her Brexit deal, and warned it was a matter of "when, not if" his party tried to force an election by proposing a vote of no-confidence in the government. Lawmakers (MPs) are not due to return until Jan. 7 and Corbyn said the government was using the delay as a ploy to put pressure on parliament to accept her deal or risk a no-deal Brexit. "What I suspect is that it's a completely cynical maneuver to run down the clock and offer MPs the choice of the devil or the deep blue sea," Corbyn said in an interview with the Independent newspaper. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie news, latest-news Sweltering temperatures in the capital have seen Canberrans kick off their annual pilgrimage to the NSW south coast earlier than usual, with large crowds packing Eurobodalla beaches and keeping lifeguards busy. The majority of people already rescued from the beaches around Batemans Bay since Saturday, December 22 were from the Canberra region. Of the 14 people rescued, 12 were from the Canberra region and two of them were foreign nationals. Lifeguard Meggan Pritchard said on Friday it was just a matter of people learning more about water safety. "They're really unsure and they really want to learn; they want to do the right thing," she said. Ms Pritchard said she got lots of questions about the black-and-white checkered flags, which meant people could only use surf craft outside those flags. Another was whether it was safe to swim near dangerous current signs and how people could spot rips themselves. But she said the coast in the summer was a good atmosphere with lots of families on the beaches. "That's really good to see in the holidays," Ms Pritchard said. "I love it. You get people coming up to you and saying thank you for looking after them." Being a female lifeguard, Ms Pritchard said sometimes the bigger beachgoers would ignore her but for the most part, it didn't make a difference. "People really respect the uniform I find," she said. Lifeguarding Services Australia chief executive Stan Wall said his lifeguards patrolled eight beaches across 150 kilometres of coast in the Eurobodalla Shire Council area. Mr Wall said the sweltering temperatures meant he'd had to call in extra lifeguards on Friday afternoon, with larger crowds and an extended season. Mr Wall said to avoid rips people could follow the simple rule, 'white is nice and green is mean'. But he said the main thing for Canberrans to learn was to stay between the red-and-yellow flags and never to swim at unpatrolled beaches. Mr Wall said Canberra's favourite holiday spot could sometimes be the most dangerous stretch of coast in NSW. "It's very different from watching it on TV or talking about it in the swimming pools and actually coming to the beach, being in the water and seeing how currents move," Mr Wall said. At the end of summer in 2017, 84 per cent of people rescued by lifeguards in the Eurobodalla were from the ACT. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/7cc54f14-170a-42da-99e0-05a6aec6b7cb/r0_271_5000_3096_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The basis for the ACT government's urban infill offensive has been called into question, as new figures show the territory might have enough housing in the construction pipeline to meet demand for the next 15 years. The government's new planning strategy, unveiled this month, outlines an aggressive push for more high-density housing to accommodate the predicted growth in Canberra's population from 412,000 in 2017 to 589,000 by 2041. The new plan calls for the construction of 12 homes a day to meet the target, with 70 per cent of properties to be built in urban areas. The strategy flags changes to planning rules to encourage greater housing density in residential areas, as the government seeks to centralise the bulk of the population around public transport links, jobs, schools and services. But figures sourced from the government's environment, planning and sustainable development directorate suggest the territory might already be well stocked to meet forecast population growth - without the need more urban infill. The housing stock statistics, obtained by The Canberra Times, showed there were 171,300 private dwellings in the territory at June this year, with another 55,000 homes either under construction or in the development pipeline. The pipeline includes 20,310 units in multi-storey developments, according to data the government sourced from real estate firm Colliers International. Those dwellings, which include developments in town centres as well as in Weston Creek, the inner north and inner south, are either under construction, have been granted development approval or are awaiting assessment. About 40,000 new dwellings are planned as part of housing estates in greenfields sites across the ACT, including in Coombs, Wright, Molongolo, Taylor, Throsby and Whitlam, according to the figures. The government's planning strategy notes Canberra's population is expected to grow by about 7000 a year, which would create demand for about 3000 to 3500 new homes annually. Based on those figures and the number of dwellings in the pipeline, the ACT would appear to have enough supply to accommodate the ACT's housing needs for at least the next 15 years. Inner South Community Council chair Marea Fatseas said the government should reevaluate its planning strategy in light of the figures, warning Canberra could be soon be saddled with an oversupply of high-density housing. Rather than accelerate the capital's growth, the government should focus on ensuring that new developments were well planned and designed, Ms Fatseas said. "There is a lot of concern about building quality at the moment, and [the figures] show there is no rush to just whack up more developments," she said. "There are recommendations from previous reviews into building quality and they should be implemented first - there is no rush here." Research by the Australian National University last year found Canberra had the biggest oversupply of housing of any jurisdiction in the nation, with 6700 more homes than its population required. The report's co-author, associate professor Ben Phillips, said Canberra's population had grown considerably in the past 12 months, meaning demand was now more in line with supply. Mr Phillips said the government's figures did not necessarily indicate Canberra would be overwhelmed with new housing, but emphasised it was difficult to forecast potential oversupply given it was unclear how many, and when, if ever, the new dwellings would be built. "If you've got 60,000 new homes in a year then, yes, you would have an oversupply," Mr Phillips said. "But then if they were to be built over 50 years then you would probably need more [homes]." Mr Phillips said while urban infill presented challenges in terms of the retaining the character of suburbs, there were clear economic and social benefits to increasing population density in inner-city areas. A spokeswoman for the government's environment, planning and sustainable development directorate said the housing pipeline included dwellings on greenfield sites which had yet to be released, meaning construction was unlikely in the near future. She said urban infill would help make Canberra a "more sustainable, accessible and liveable" city, while also protecting the territory's "valued natural resources". "If our current density continues unchanged, Canberras urban footprint would increase by about 46 per cent by 2041," the spokeswoman said. "Continued urban sprawl will put pressure on infrastructure and continue to increase travel times between where people live and where they work, study or access services." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/6ac141d6-97a5-4dc5-8a4c-6b208621eb03/r22_0_1978_1105_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news It would the easiest thing in the world to while away the afternoon with Ken Helm. Hes opened a riesling, the sun is shining and theres a cool breeze blowing between the old-school house that serves as his cellar door and the back sheds. To our left are the vines he first planted in 1973. On the right are ones he planted last November - the last Ill plant in my lifetime, he says. But at 73, hes showing no signs of slowing down. Helm admits to being easily distracted, and the conversion jumps from his time at the CSIRO, to the early days of the wine industry in the Canberra region, to how he wants to learn Cantonese so he can talk to his grandchildren when they come home for Christmas. He can talk. And he can make wine. When he first came to Canberra from Albury in 1967, he was working at the CSIRO with the likes of Edgar Riek and John Kirk. The three scientists went on to become pioneers of the Canberra wine industry. I was working at CSIRO doing research into insect pest management. The people there liked wine and food and so a few of us decided to grow grapes, he says. I was the only one who had any kind of experience my great-great-grandparents planted the first vines in Rutherglen. I grew up as a kid pruning the grapes vines around the house in Albury where we lived and my work with pest management helped. People told us we were mad, that it would never work, that it was too cold, that grapes were only grown in the Hunter Valley or the Barossa, you didnt grow grapes near Canberra. But I knew that Robert Campbell had grown grapes at Duntroon House, that Hamilton Hume was making wine near Yass in the 1850s. I knew it could be done. In the early 1970s he started discussions with the Yass Shire Council, hoping to purchase five acres to build a house and plant some vines. They told him he had to buy 200 acres. I said I only want 25 acres all up, what I am going to do with the other 175 acres, and they said run sheep and I laughed," he says. Helm owns 30 acres now. Theres 11 acres of vines, and a few sheep. There are dedicated processing sheds for the riesling and the cabernet, and a house where he and his wife Judith raised their three children - Matthew, Natalie and Stephanie - after they moved to the vineyard in 1978. He remembers the first time someone outside the family tasted his wine. Somewhat fittingly, I think as Im enjoying the second sample of riesling, it was a Canberra Times journalist, Jan Hodgkinson, who lived near him in Murrumbateman at the time. Jan came over for a visit and I said 'Ive just made our first riesling, did you want a taste?" he says. I liked it, but I was scared about what she might think, wondering if shed like it. She took a sip and said, I can drink that. We entered that wine in the Forbes wine show and it won a trophy. There were only five wineries in the show mind you, but it was our first win. In the 2019 edition of the Halliday Wine Companion, James Halliday had this to say of Helm: Over the years he has achieved many things, through dogged persistence on the one hand, vision on the other. Riesling has been an all-consuming interest, evidenced by his rieslings of consistently high quality. He has also given much to the wine community, extending from the narrow focus of the Canberra District to the broad canvas of the world of riesling: in 2000 he established the Canberra International Riesling Challenge. Helm attributes a lot of his success to his early days at the CSIRO. I worked there for 20 years - it was the halcyon days when the CSIRO was there to break down the barriers of knowledge," he says. We would sit around at morning tea, we would question everything about our research, ask 'why?' about everything we were doing. Even now I question everything. I want answers to all sorts of things: where did the word trivia come from? Why is it called Antarctica? "I count steps when I walk up them, I can name every Australian prime minister and their birth date [and he can, I note, when John Gorton (September 9, 1911) randomly comes up in conversation later]. That probably sums up my attitude towards things, ask lots of questions. I look at the CSIRO now, three-year programs funded by industry. We were there in the days when it was fully federally funded and it was 15- to 20-year programs. You had time to think about things and ask questions. In 1988 he took an early retirement and made the stupid decision to work full-time on the winery. He was distracted again, over the years, by the local council, on which he served for 12 years including two terms as mayor. He also lobbied government to make changes in the wine industry and helped establish the Independent Wineries Association to help smaller winemakers have a say. He cant choose his best or worst years. Stephanie was born in 1986, the year Halleys Comet came by. We opened some wines at her wedding [to Ben Osborne, Helms vineyard manager] and they were fantastic. But it hasnt always been easy. Im an optimist, but it was a big struggle early on. There were some pretty tough times, we were living pretty close hand to mouth at times. I dont think many other people would have persisted but I had this faith in it, in what we were doing, how the district would go. Judith and I have been married for 50 years next year. Shes been a patient woman, bringing up the three children with me running around the countryside. But we take great pride in this district and what people have achieved. We sit up on the deck up at the house on a summers evening and look out over the vineyard. "People talk about million-dollar views from Sydney Harbour and things, but we look out across the vines, down to the creek - we could be in Tuscany. Its beautiful and were very lucky. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/57abd6ba-5597-41d1-be12-735a5dd58f41/r0_117_5492_3220_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news When Matt Comyn, now chief executive of the Commonwealth Bank, was a slightly more junior bank executive, he had qualms and scruples about the banks shameful practice of selling virtually useless personal loan insurance to its customers. His then boss, Ian Narev told him to temper your sense of justice. Mr Comyn, the successor and protege of Narev, apparently followed this advice. It wasnt until about 10 months ago, after it was clear that the banking royal commission was on to these rorts, that the bank stopped the practice. That was about a month before Comyn took over. Comyn, and Commonwealth Bank chairman, Catherine Livingstone, have blamed Narev for any ethical lacuna in how the bank did business up until the royal commission was called, unwillingly, by the then treasurer, now Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. Morrisons view was that any such inquiry was entirely unnecessary. First, there was not much skulduggery going on, second, he and the treasury had put in place tough cops on the block to stop it ever happening, and anyway, chaps like Ian Narev and other senior bankers were splendid citizens unlikely ever to do the wrong thing. Heavens the banks were Liberal Party donors. The governments absolute conviction on the last point might be demonstrated by the way that when it sought advice on reform of the Australian financial system, it went straight to another former managing director of the Commonwealth Bank, David Murray. Perhaps not coincidentally one of Australias better known climate sceptics he is also noted for his belief that company directors have no responsibility to the public and the public interest, other than in obeying the law, and that their sole responsibility was to their shareholders. Anyone who has followed the history of the Commonwealth Bank since its privatisation in 1991, and of its latter day embarrassments over a pattern of putting profit and bonuses before customers and simple decency, would know that the bank still bears the DNA of David Murray. How odd it was, but perhaps how typical of banking best practice that David Murray was the man to whom the AMP turned when it became clear that their cultural problems were nearly as bad as the Commonwealth Banks, and that their board and senior managers had to go. David Murray, no doubt, is finding out now at least, that restoring shareholder value, if it can be done, involves hard work on a culture destroyed by relentless greed, a focus on profit and shareholder interest at the expense of good citizenship, honest dealings with employees, customers, public interest regulators and the public. Reputation is everything, as we were reminded in the week before Christmas, when Andrew Broads text condemning Barnaby Joyce was retweeted. Once lost it is hard to recover. (I do not know if there is another nation like Australia where the drawing of bills of indictment against busted public figures needs only to draw on their own earlier hypocritical comments about others, or about the standards they proclaim they follow. Particularly with sex scandals. I have written before how in Australian public life and politics, the cardinal and abiding sin is hypocrisy. In the US, the appetite for sex scandal is primarily a prurient puritan one; in Britain, a sense of the ridiculous.) A good many critics of the modern public service are very fearful that its original guiding principles have been diluted by the modern culture of responsiveness, that governments are being deprived of the benefits of frank and fearless advice, and notions of public stewardship. This is not merely a fear that advice to ministers is being tempered. In some bureaucratic hierarchies opinions differing from the secretary are not welcome. All must sing from the same song-sheet and departments are remade with clones of the secretary. Taking concerns to the public, or to custodians of the public interest, is the ultimate sin. The public administration was not intended merely as an instrument for mindlessly carrying out the will of the government. It was supposed to be a repository of experience, independent views, not only an academy of ideas, but one which nurtures and develops alternative ways of looking at things, people willing to advance alternative approaches, and people able and willing to inject more than technical advice into policy and program discussion, but also morality, common sense and a feeling for the temper of the community. But if the public service is tarnished, and not in conspicuously good hands, its reputation still stands higher than that of the major banks, the financial advice industry, insurance and the private sector superannuation funds the banks fostered. There have been so many scandals, and so much political tumult this year, that it might seem churlish to put banking culture, and the clear and present risk of its infusion into the public service in pride of place. The conjunction of these risks does not only come from the fact that the public service review is largely comprised of an array of old mates of Malcolm Turnbull. Most of them, except the noble Glyn Davis, happen to have, like Turnbull, strong backgrounds in banking, and in making very large sums of money from their participation in it. Most, like Turnbull, share a tendency to think that it is from the private sector that government will learn most of what it needs to know about better outcomes for the public, the best advice about what to do, and structures that are efficient and effective. It might be the other way around. The public administration has been changing, including by adapting and adopting some things from the private sector, particularly over the period 1983-2000. It is not so clear that private industry has learnt much, or much good, over the past 40 years. So far as the public sector was concerned, the past 20 years have also involved some regress, but the general direction was forward. There were high spots but many many low ones, not least in leadership, in addiction to meaningless managerial slogans, and the willingness of officials to bend with the wind. But if we can all sneer, and jeer, at the bankers who thought that moral considerations, or sense of justice should not temper pursuit of profit and personal bonuses, can we be certain that the public administration is an altogether more robust organisation? Can we be sure that no official certainly of senior executive service level or above would temper her sense of justice for impure motives? And, when scruples cannot be overcome or tempered, do they resign or otherwise bring matters to a head? We are somewhat familiar with a few brave medical professionals who have spoken out about the conscious brutality and medical neglect in our overseas concentration camps, as required by government and enforced with extra added venom by officials in the department of home affairs. But if there are dissidents with the computerised pauperisation of welfare recipients, on the innocent until proven guilty principle, the steady decline of quantity and quality of service in indigenous affairs, or the comprehensive rorting of schemes in which National Party ministers have been involved, it seems to have mostly passed without anybody much noticing. The British Committee for Standards in Public Life reports regularly to government and parliament about issues affecting standards of conduct by politicians, public servants and others involved in the provision of services, including, in a very recent report, efforts to require an ethical framework when private sector bodies provide outsourced public services. The committees charter is based on the so-called Nolan principles similar to, if better phrased, and with better mechanisms of enforcement than, the APS code of conduct. The seven principles are selflessness (holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest); integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty (including truthfulness) and leadership (the charming idea, like all the others an outrage to National Party practice, that holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour.) Like an overwhelming proportion of the population, here and in Britain, the committee thinks that firms and non-government organisations who provide public services under contract should be subject to the same rules as public officials and government departments. That includes being subject to the FOI Act, having accountable customer complaint systems, and having the ethical rules in the contract documents. Perhaps even with living wills by which the contractors agree what will happen if there is non-compliance. Britain, like Australia, has privatised jails and concentration camps, as well as much work once done directly by government agencies. In Britain, as here, central agencies, and major agencies letting out enormous contracts pay only lip service to such notions. But they pretend otherwise in the screeds they put out praising themselves for their actions. Here, as there, the record is very patchy, and many contracts do not even refer to ethical principles, let alone show that government and businesses have common concepts of what is expected from a customer rights point of view. Wheezes like claiming national security, or commercial-in-confidence and respect for personal privacy are also used to evade transparency and accountability. After four years of pretend implementation, the British committee has identified three ethical tensions that affect the public-private interface. The first is a potential conflict between the selfless principle and corporate obligations perhaps the David Murray idea of a boards holding profit as the sole consideration. This led some providers to create an artificial distinction among the applicability of the principles to them, and even to become dismissive of the seven principles altogether, or to adopt a pick and mix approach, which, the committee said, is not in the public interest. As some observers of bank, or public service behaviour here might feel, the British committee wonders how the many professionals in such bodies adhere to their professional bodies ethical standards and codes of conduct. And its not just accountants. Its lawyers, doctors, social workers, any group claiming (and getting) professional status in their jobs. One such British body, representing auditors, expressed concern that auditors and financial professionals managing tender processes were not considering ethical standards in conducting due diligence, framing contracts, establishing pricing and setting contractual terms. The same body also referred to wider concerns that value for money had come to mean pricing alone, or a race to the bottom. Heaven forfend that there could be similar problems in Australia, whether at the Commonwealth level, or, perhaps, with ACT government relationships with the private sector. But the big nagging question, as alive in Australia as in Britain, and as alive in the public service as in banking involves the question of moral courage. Thats the Narev-Comyn problem about not tempering ones sense of justice. Or not having the courage to speak up. The committee cited a British survey of 28,000 folk in the bank industry which suggested that it too had no shortage of Narevs and Comyns. A third of respondents feared negative consequences for them if they raised concerns of an ethical nature. 18 per cent reported seeing senior managers turning a blind eye to inappropriate behaviour. 13 per cent thought it difficult to get ahead in their careers without being flexible with their ethical standards. Two per cent said they saw instances where unethical behaviour was rewarded. Our surveys of bank culture in Australia and the 2018 hearings of the bank inquiry show that, if anything, the problem is far worse here. But now we know that, as do Scott Morrison, Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg, as well as the light-touch regulation folk in the financial regulatory agencies. But anyone who has read recent reports on the state of the APS knows that significant sometimes higher proportions of public servants see the same ethical shortcomings among their public service peers and superiors. Its one of the many reasons why most public servants, like most Australians, favour anti-corruption bodies with teeth. But, as in Britain, we do not see a lot of moral courage from our public service lawyers, accountants, engineers and other professionals, even, in certain respects police and intelligence officials. Wheres the public sector moral courage here? Wheres the leadership? Whos making it an agenda item in their pep talks to public servants, even public service leaders. Wheres the sense of urgency? Perhaps we should all feel relieved that the question of ethical fit figures only indirectly in the terms of reference of the bankers panel on adapting the public service to a new age. Even in a vacuum that industry has little to contribute. Jack Waterford is a former editor of The Canberra Times. jwaterfordcanberra@gmail.com /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/302163d1-2199-4a2b-90ff-7143dbf3d84e/r0_101_2000_1231_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Two parcels of white powder have washed up on a Queensland coastline, with fears it could be hazardous and many more could be floating nearby. Beachgoers reported to police after discovering two separate one-kilogram packages, containing a powder substance on Bundaberg beaches at Elliott Heads on December 21 and Mon Repos on December 27. Police are awaiting forensic examination results of the powder. Superintendent Craig Hawkins of the Wide Bay Burnett District said police were worried the contents of the packages could become a health risk. He said police believe there could be other packages that might wash up along the coast due to tidal flows and ocean currents and found the packages suspicious and concerning. Superintendent Hawkins said he was urging anyone with information or had found further packages to contact police and to avoid opening them as the substance could be hazardous. Any further information we can get from the public may help us establish the locations of further packages, he said. Anyone who was at sea or on the coastline near these locations and saw anything suspicious in the water or other suspicious activity is urged to contact police." Call Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/81e785b6-6162-477d-88ab-f02299d86542/r2_0_728_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The first few months of 2019 will be a dangerous time economically in Australia. A Government on the ropes will be out to buy votes and an Opposition sacred of blowing it at the last minute will be almost forced to match every bribe. And economically it is a bad time to pour money into voters pockets because the economy is going along reasonably well and does not need any stimulus. A further difficulty is that any new spending in the form of tax breaks will be very difficult to reverse. Once you give voters lollies, it is very hard to take them away. Former Treasurer Peter Costello once said that the best savings measures a Treasurer can make is not to launch a spending program in the first place. He was talking about Labors National Disability Insurance Scheme. But his homily applies equally to tax breaks, perhaps more so because at least the NDIS has some moral underpinning. Some of the richly undeserved tax breaks the Howard-Costello Governments handed to superannuation accounts and self-funded retirees have been notoriously difficult to unwind, such as the cash tax rebate for franked share dividends to people who are paying no tax in the first place. The scheme should never have been introduced the idea of a tax deduction for people paying no tax is laughable. Other Howard-Costello tax breaks (notably halving the capital gains tax) and inefficient spending on private health and private education are so ingrained that the likely voter backlash is preventing any sensible reversal. The Howard Government squandered far too much of the mining boom on vote buying. It is frightening that the Morrison Government now has nearly $10 billion in uncommitted and unexpected windfall tax receipts. These have come in as companies deductions for losses carried over from the global financial crisis wash through the system. That money should not be blown away on voter bribes. But I suppose the best we can hope for is that the bribes are not permanently embedded, but temporary one-off hand-outs. That said, evidence is coming in that the reversal of foolish election-time hand-outs is not as difficult as previously thought. For example, Labor has promised to partially or fully reverse the Coalitions freebies on capital-gains tax; negative gearing and the cash rebate for franked dividends paid to untaxed or low-tax people. Standard political thinking is that this would cost Labor votes among those most affected, typically Australians over 50. However, this weeks Newspoll suggests that this is not happening. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, have been hammering Labor over its promise to end the franked-dividend freebie for months. They have called it the retirees tax. Alas for the Coalition, the retirees are not listening. The poll has 45 per cent of people over 50 disapproving of Morrisons performance, a steady decline since last October. Support for the Coalition among those over 50 has been steadily declining from 50 per cent at the 2016 poll to 44 per cent in July, 41 per cent in August and a further point lower at the latest poll. Perhaps the over-50s are not as selfishly attached to their hip-pocket nerves as the political class imagines. The self-imposed shyness by politicians on both sides to do anything which leaves anyone worse off seems misplaced. A better view might be that a lot of voters do not mind governments raising some extra revenue provided it is done fairly and the money goes to worthwhile things, particularly public health and public education. But that has not happened for decades. The hallmark of the Howard years was tax concessions to the well-off or the grey vote. The hallmark of the Abbott years was unfair cuts on those who could least afford it. The hallmark of the Turnbull years was tax cuts for the big end of town and an inexcusable flattening of the income tax regime so that someone on $37,000 is on the same marginal tax rate as someone on $89,000. Meanwhile, wages stagnate and inequality rises. The French economist Thomas Picketty has shown that inequality is bad for a nations economic performance overall, especially when it gets extreme. And it affects social cohesion. We are not there yet but we are heading that way. Only governments have the power to do a bit of redistribution. So how do we deal with this vast legacy of tax escapes for the wealthy superannuation, capital gains, negative gearing, no GST on private health and private education spending, and so on and the consequent build-up of wealth for the fortunate few, especially through the housing boom? Well, it will be politically difficult to unpick it bit by bit, because each unpicking would still invite a storm of protest. However, when you look at where all this wealth ends up, there is an obvious single-hit way of clawing some of the wealth back for broad public purposes an inheritance and gift tax for estates above, say, $5 million indexed. Australia is one of the very few developed countries in the world without inheritance taxes. Queensland abolished them in the 1970s and the other states and the Commonwealth quickly followed. No government has shown any inclination to wind back this largesse. However, if a government pledged to spend everything raised on, say, affordable housing, schools, hospitals or roads, it might get a bit of support. The case for restoring inheritance taxes gets stronger as time passes. In the 1970s, when they were abolished, everyone had a reasonable prospect of owning their own home. These days luck of birth counts for much more than hard work in the housing market. An inheritance tax would go some way to changing that. Once one state started, the others would inevitably follow and some of the tide of inequality would be reversed. Meanwhile, in the next few months we will see whether a Government can irresponsibly try to buy an election and lock the Opposition in to the same irresponsibility, or whether one or both sides opts for more fairness and economic good sense. www.cripsinhull.com.au /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/538bc964-e63b-458a-81af-23c313052826/r0_107_2000_1237_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. So help me this is the truth if I have ever told it: I was sitting in my rocking chair Friday morning about 10:30 a.m. when my eye happened to catch a squirrel walking out on a limb. It was clearly going to leap onto another branch on the next tree. I have no idea what caused me to pause and watch but I give you my word! the squirrel leaped and missed! Ive never seen that in my life but, oh, what happened next was so funny Ill never forget it. It wasnt a long fall for the squirrel maybe 15 feet into a thick bed of soft ivy but what made me laugh so hard I almost split my sides is the squirrel did the exact thing in each of the following milliseconds that we humans do, Im talking every time. That squirrel got into a sitting position easily he was not hurt and then he looked slowly to his right as far as his neck would turn, and then just slowly to his left. Thats how I could tell it was a boy and I know for certain his prayer was simply that none of his friends were watching. So help me, he then looked skyward up at the branch he had just misjudged, this in such a similar way that Ive cast such a longing glance in hindsight at all of my misses, that I acted on pure reflex. As if on que -- I uttered an audible Damn, for the critter. So help me, Ive worn an identical expression on my face too many times to know a cuss word is the only thing that fits in such an embarrassing situation. My newly-adopted squirrel had that look on his face Ive seen reflected on mine at least 100 times. Honor bright true story and it made me laugh all day long! Everybody knows I dont write The Saturday Funnies, I just gather some of the funny stuff I get in emails and let her rip. But the squirrel that missed is indeed an original and, Lordy, that was funny. Lets see what weve got as we brace for tomorrow, which will be the last day in the states history you wont be able to buy wine on Sunday in a grocery store * * * HERES EXACTLY THE PROPER WAY TO HANDLE A DEMOCRAT SOCIALIST A plane is on its way to Washington, D.C., when a Democrat, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is seated in Economy Class, gets up and moves to the First Class section and sits down. The flight attendant watches her do this and asks to see her ticket. She then tells the future congresswoman that she paid for Economy Class and that she will have to sit in the back. Cortez replies, "Im a Democrat, Im beautiful, Im socialist, Im going to D.C. and Im staying right here." The flight attendant goes into the cockpit and tells the pilot and the co-pilot that there is a Democrat congresswoman sitting in First Class, she belongs in Economy and she won't move back to her seat. The co-pilot goes back to Ocasio-Cortez and tries to explain that because she only paid for Economy she will have to leave and return to Economy. Ocasio-Cortez replies, "Im a Democrat, Im beautiful, Im socialist, Im going to D.C. and Im staying right here." The co-pilot returns to the cockpit and tells the pilot that he probably should have the police waiting when they land to arrest the future congresswoman who won't listen to reason. The pilot says, "You say she is a Democrat Socialist? I'll handle this, Im married to a liberal. I speak socialist." He goes back to the Democrat and whispers in her ear, and she says, "Oh, Im sorry." She then gets up and goes back to her seat in Economy. The flight attendant and co-pilot are amazed and ask him what he said to make her move without any fuss. "I told her, 'First Class isn't going to D.C.'" * * * THE DRUG STORE TEST REVEALED OUR GIRL IS PREGNANT An 18-year-old Jewish girl tells her Mom that she has missed her period for 2 months. Very worried, the mother goes to the drugstore and buys a pregnancy kit. Yep! The test result shows that the girl is pregnant. Shouting and crying, the mother says, 'Who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know!' The girl picks up the phone and makes a call. Half an hour later, a Mercedes stops in front of their house. A mature and distinguished man with grey hair and wearing a yarmulke steps out of the Mercedes and enters the house. He sits in the living room with the father, mother, and the girl and tells them: 'Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the problem. I can't marry her because of my personal family situation but I'll take charge. I will pay all costs and provide for your daughter for the rest of her life. "Additionally, if a girl is born, I will bequeath 2 retail furniture stores, a deli, a condo in Miami, and a $1,000,000 bank account." If a boy is born, my legacy will be a chain of jewelry stores, and a $25,000,000 bank account. "However, the distinguished gentleman paused just so If there is a miscarriage, I'm not sure what to do, what do you suggest?" the man said. All choked up at this point, the mother, who had remained silent until now, places a hand firmly on the man's shoulder and tells him... "You'll try again, right?" * * * SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IN THE SHOWER Eleven teens die each day because of texting while driving. Maybe it's time to raise the age of Smartphone ownership to 21. If gun control laws actually worked, Chicago would be Mayberry. The Second Amendment makes more women equal than the entire feminist movement. Legal gun owners have 300 million guns and probably a trillion rounds of ammo. Seriously, if we were the problem, you'd know it. When JFK was killed, nobody blamed the rifle. The NRA murders 0 people and receives $0 in government funds. Planned Parenthood kills 350,000 babies every year and receives $500,000,000 in tax dollars annually. I have no problem with vigorous background checks when it comes to firearms. While we're at it, let's do the same when it comes to immigration and voter I.D. You don't need a smoke detector; that's what the fire department is for. Now...If you think that sounds stupid, you know how I feel when you say I don't need a gun. Folks keep talking about another Civil War. One side knows how to shoot and has a trillion bullets. The other side has crying closets and is confused about which bathroom to use. How do you think that's going to end? * * * YOU GONNA LOVE ROME MAKE SURE TO ORDER PIZZA A woman who was at her hairdressers getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband mentioned the trip to the hairdresser. Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? asked the hairdresser. Its crowded and dirty. Youre crazy to go to Rome . So, how are you getting there? Were taking Continental, she replied. We got a great rate! Continental? exclaimed the hairdresser. Thats a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and theyre always late. So, where are you staying in Rome? Well be at this exclusive little place over on the Tiber River called Teste. Dont go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks its gonna be something special and exclusive, but its really a dump. Were going to go to see the Vatican and maybe get to see the Pope. Thats rich, laughed the hairdresser. You and a million other people trying to see him. Hell look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. Youre going to need it. A month later, the woman came in for another hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome. It was wonderful, explained the woman, not only were we on time in one of Continentals brand new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot. And the hotel was great! Theyd just finished a $5 million remodeling job, and now its a jewel, one of the finest hotels in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owners suite at no extra charge! Well, muttered the hairdresser, thats all well and good, but I know you didnt get to see the Pope. Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if Id be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet me. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me. Oh, really! Whatd he say? He asked me, Who screwed up your hair? * * * BEST VIDEO THIS WEEK In the ceaseless clamor of the Christmas week, I overlooked a video that is in the Top 25 that I have ever adored in my life. In 2015 Coca-Cola USA teamed with adverting giant J. Walter Thompson Brasil to create a most-magical short story of sorts, called Uma Ponte para Noel (A Bridge for Santa). Created by author, journalist and moviemaker Jose Roberto Torero, it tells the saga of Mathias, a boy who dreamed of the day Santa and the Christmas Caravan would visit his town, all it lacked was a bridge. Before you watch this, fasten your seat belts and double up on the Kleenix. CLICK HERE ROYEXUM@AOL.COM When Jacks Family Restaurant opens in Chickamauga at 5 p.m. on Saturday, the goal is simple: southern hospitality in an inviting, modern setting. Chickamauga will be the home of Jacks 160th local restaurant and only the second Store of the Future in the entire franchise. The new store is at 12622 North Highway 27, Chickamauga, Ga. 30707. The store will welcome the community by celebrating Five Days of Jacks, which features a different giveaway each day for customers making a purchase (while supplies last). ? 12/29/18 - Free Breakfast for a Month (first 50 customers only). The first night will also feature a $500 giveaway. Customers can enter at the store and must be present to win. ? 12/30/18 - Day Two - Free Pie Coupon. ? 12/31/18 - Day Three - Free Butter Biscuit Coupon. ? 1/1/19 - Day Four - Free Single Scoop Ice Cream Coupon. ? 1/2/19 - Day Five - Free Cheeseburger Coupon. Jacks Store of the Future design features a wrapped porch with outdoor seating, large round dining tables inside, an old-fashioned ice cream counter, and a spotlight on the restaurants biscuit maker. The Chickamauga store is the second store Jacks has built with the new store design, the first one being in Etowah Countys Southside. Jacks worked with San Francisco brand strategy and retail design firm Tesser to develop the new design after evaluating customer feedback regarding what they most enjoyed about their Jack's dining experiences. Vice President of Marketing Jake Taylor said, The new design highlights the role of Jacks as more than a restaurant were an important meeting place for Southern communities, from Little League parties to Sunday night gatherings. We want our restaurant to reflect the community we are in. Mr. Taylor adds that the company looks forward to each new grand opening: Every time we open a store, we like to let folks know how excited we are to be a part of their community. This will be our sixth store in Northwest Georgia, and we look forward to continuing to grow and serve communities in this region. Our mission at Jacks is to serve quality handmade food and Southern hospitality, every day. Thats something that should fit right in to Chickamauga. Megastar Carrie Fisher will always be known as Princess Leia from Star Wars. And at the time of her death on December 27, 2016, she had amassed quite a fortune as a result. Fisher came from a film dynasty. Her mother was famed actress Debbie Reynolds and her father was crooner Eddie Fisher. During a transatlantic flight, Fisher suffered a heart attack. And passed away a few days later at age 60. Tragically, her mother followed, dying the next day at age 84. Sue Cameron, Reynolds longtime friend told People Reynolds had a premonition of her daughters untimely death. She said I dont know what will happen to Carrie if I go and that is my only worry, she said. The day Carrie got on the plane from London, Debbie told her assistant and caretaker that she did not believe Carrie was coming home. She did not say Carrie is going to die today, but she said Carrie is not coming home. With both her mother and grandmother gone, Fishers daughter Billie Lourd posted about the grim day on Instagram. So what kind of fortune did Fisher leave behind and how did Lourd honor her mom? Fishers career spanned 40 years She got her first acting break in 1969 and never looked back. Fisher made her big splash on Hollywood in 1977 with the Star Wars series as Princess Leia. She admitted later in her autobiography she was supposed to lose weight for the role. Unfortunately, she hadnt so she compromised with director George Lucas. And permitted the bagel bun hairstyle to become part of the character. However, she was not a fan of the style. Following Star Wars, Fisher took roles in films like The Blues Brothers, Hannah and her Sisters, and When Harry Met Sally Fisher also won a Grammy Award for The Princess Diaries and was nominated three times for a Primetime Emmy Award. She also had 11 writing credits to her name, plus 13 soundtrack nods. At the time of her death, Fisher was worth $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Her daughter was the recipient of the majority of her fortune. Details included the sale of Reynolds and Fishers Beverly Hills estate, which amounted to $18 million. However, some assets were donated to charities, like The Jed Foundation. Lourd chose the foundation because it is designed to prevent teen suicide. Lourd is alone at her piano Now Lourd is alone and wanted to mark this difficult time with an amazing song. She uploaded a video to Instagram, playing the piano and singing. She wrote It has been two years since my Mombys death and I still dont know what the right thing to do on a death anniversary is (Im sure a lot of you feel the same way about your loved ones). So I decided to do something a little vulnerable for me, but something we both loved to do together sing. Lourd says shes going to keep moving forward. This is the piano her father gave her and this was one of her favorite songs. And as the song says, we must keep on moving. Ive found that what keeps me moving is doing things that make me happy, working hard on the things that Im passionate about and surrounding myself with people I love and making them smile. I hope this encourages anyone feeling a little low or lost to keep on moving. As my Momby once said, take your broken heart and turn it into art whatever that art may be for you. 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 ". Falconcity Markets has opened its first hypermarket branch within the Falconcity of Wonders residential community in Dubai, UAE, with an aim to offer a unique shopping experience to residents. With a Quality Comes First approach, the hypermarket will cater to the Falconcity residents and neighbouring communities by providing daily essentials and household items, bringing together nearly 15,000-20,000 items under one roof. The new hypermarket offers a convenient lifestyle to Falconcity residents and will ensure the very best quality of daily essentials and household items within an easy reach. Besides, the home delivery option allows shoppers to call, place orders and get the essentials delivered to their door steps. Unlike other supermarket brands that take a standard approach towards their customers, Falconcity Markets will deliver a personalized experience with a variety of goods that are catered towards the community needs and wants. Salem Almoosa, chairman of Falconcity Markets LLC, said: We are confident that the new facility, will make lives easier for the residents by eliminating the need to venture out of the community to get daily essentials and household items. Furthermore, an even larger number of residents will benefit from the home delivery option. The hypermarket has been designed to cater to the diverse needs of both residents and neighbouring communities. Built over an area of 2,330 sq m, more than 600 households at FCW community in Dubai will benefit from the facility, a statement said. TradeArabia News Service Two years ago, Ohio Governor John Kasich had the support of the states biggest pro-life group when he vetoed a bill to ban abortion after about six weeks, once an unborn babys heartbeat is detectable. Last week, the pro-life politician again vetoed a state heartbeat billonly this time Ohio Right to Life (ORTL) took a different stance. The organization wanted to see the state legislature override his decision. Though lawmakers failed to do so yesterday, ORTL plans to lobby his successor to sign the ban, considered the most restrictive abortion policy in the country, into law. What changed over the past few years to prompt their new stance? In short, the Supreme Court. For years, the pro-life movement has taken on different tactics toward a shared goal of eliminating abortion. ORTL adopted a strategic incremental approach, at times supporting more feasible abortion regulationssuch as the ban on abortions after 20 weeks Kasich signed in ... 1 Sherri Shepherd says Jehovah's Witness religion broke up her family Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Before she became a Christian, Sherri Shepherd, a former co-host of The View, says she was forced to stop talking to her father, whom she dearly loved, because he questioned Jehovahs Witness leaders about their policies after she was punished by the church for committing a sin. I was told as a young girl we had to stop talking to my dad even though he lived in our house," Shepherd said in an interview with ABC News correspondent Paula Farish on the "Journeys of Faith" podcast. He worked three jobs to take care of us and I remember my two sisters telling him, We cant talk to you anymore. I saw him breaking down and crying, Shepherd said. Her father had been disfellowshipped from the religion because he questioned their practices and admittedly didn't believe all of their teachings. Shepherd recalled having two different lives as a teenager: one as a girl who went to Kingdom Hall and the other as a young Sherri who was living a worldly life. One of her sisters read her diary and found out that she had lost her virginity. Her sister tore out the scandalous pages to show them to her mother and church leaders. After being questioned extensively by three men in front of her father about losing her virginity, Shepherd was put on reproof for six months and everyone she knew was barred from talking to her because she had committed sexual sin. And my parents got divorced because of that, and that was another thing that kind of drew me away from the Jehovah's Witnesses," she said. I think that was the last straw because in the Bible it says, the greatest of these things is love, and you telling me that the man that I love, who's giving everything to take care of me, I cant talk to? she questioned. Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their door-to-door evangelism, and growing up in that faith Shepherd also went out on field service every Saturday. "It was a very strict upbringing that I had," she said, reflecting on her life from the ages of 11 to 18. In her late teenage years, she stopped being a Jehovah's Witness and got saved at a black Pentecostal church. She said she found it fascinating because of how strict her former religion was. When you're a Jehovah's Witness you don't go into churches because churches are of the devil, she said she was taught to believe. But I tell you, I had such a sense of peace when I was in that [Pentecostal] church. Shepherd said she really needed the peace she received from going to the Pentecostal church because her mother was battling type 2 diabetes at the time and later died from the disease. Reflecting on the differences between the Jehovahs Witness religion and Christianity, Shepherd said Jehovahs Witnesses believe 144,000 chosen people will be going to Heaven to help Jesus rule. They also don't celebrate holidays or birthdays and don't believe in blood transfusions. Whereas "Christians," she said, "believe in the Trinity: Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, three individuals but they are all one. Jehovah's Witnesses, she added, don't believe in the Trinity in the same way as Christians. At age 19, after her mothers death, she became a Christian. Shepherd said she loves being a Christian girl and is no longer living two different lives. She was most compelled by the fact that God still loved her despite her past sins. While Shepherd admits she's not perfect and still curses at times, she knows God is working on her. The entertainer says her goal in life now is to reflect her faith in Christ in everything she does. I pray that every day you see Jesus in me, Shepard said. Your life is ministry! Shepherd concluded the interview by saying that shed be dead without her faith because she would have succumbed to drugs or illicit sex. Christian Parents Lose Custody of Child Because They Oppose Gender Transition Hormone Treatments Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A judge in Ohio has legally permitted a 17-year-old teen girl, who identifies as a boy, to undergo hormone therapy despite opposition from her Christian parents, sparking criticism from conservatives. On Friday, Sylvia Hendon, a visiting Juvenile Court judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, issued a ruling granting legal custody to the teen's grandparents, who according to a prosecutor "accept their grandson for who he is" and support the teen's desire to transition in gender, CNN reports. Hendon said hormone therapy can begin at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and the grandparents can petition to change the child's name in probate court. The teen will now be covered by the grandparents' insurance, allowing them, rather than parents, to help make future medical decisions for the child. The case stems from November 2016, when the unnamed teen emailed a crisis hotline claiming that one of her parents had told her to kill herself and made her listen to Bible passages for more than six hours. At the time, the teen was receiving psychiatric treatment from Children's Hospital for depression and anxiety until the parents decided they wanted their child to receive counseling from a Christian therapist. While the therapy later resumed, the teen's parents were "still opposed to the transition issue," according to court documents. Based on what the teen told doctors, the hospital refused to return her to the custody of her parents and contacted Hamilton County Job and Family Services, who subsequently placed the teen in the custody of her maternal grandparents. Speaking on Friday, Hendon said that before the teen is permitted to transition, she must be evaluated by a psychologist not affiliated with the hospital to look at "the issue of consistency in the child's gender presentation and feelings of nonconformity." Hendon pointed out that when the teen's Christian parents took her to Children's Hospital, the "diagnosis rather quickly became one of gender dysphoria." She expressed concern that the director of the hospital's Transgender Health Clinic said 100% of patients seen by the clinic "who present for care are considered to be appropriate candidates for continued gender treatment." Hendon said it was understandable that the teen's parents "were legitimately surprised and confused when the child's anxiety and depression symptoms became the basis for the diagnosis of gender dysphoria." "The family would have been best served if this could have been settled within the family after all parties had ample exposure to the reality of the fact that the child truly may be gender nonconforming and has a legitimate right to pursue life with a different gender identity than the one assigned at birth," she said. A number of conservative leaders have expressed concern over the long-term implications of the case. Andrew T. Walker, author and Director of Policy Studies for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said that in most circumstances, parents should have the right to make medical decisions for their kids. "This case ought to send a chill down the spine of every parent in observing what the state can do to tamper with parental rights in order to further the Sexual Revolution," he tweeted. "This is a *major* setback for parental rights and religious liberty." Dr. Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow in American Principles and Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation, warned that "at stake are not only parental rights, but the well-being of children who suffer from gender dysphoria." He argued that most children (80 to 95 percent of children) grow out of gender dysphoria, but hormone blockers which, he points out, are not FDA approved for that particular diagnosis due to their negative long-term effects interfere with this process. "Starting a young child on a process of 'social transitioning' followed by puberty-blocking drugs was virtually unthinkable not long ago, and the treatment is still experimental. Unfortunately, many activists have given up on caution, let alone skepticism, about drastic treatments," he said. "A more cautious therapeutic approach begins by acknowledging that the vast majority of children with gender dysphoria will grow out of it naturally," he continued. "An effective therapy looks into the reasons for the child's mistaken beliefs about gender, and addresses the problems that the child believes will be solved if the body is altered." Karen Brinkman, the parents' attorney, had argued that the child was not "even close to being able to make such a life-altering decision at this time" due to her age and mental state. Brinkman contended that the parents "have done their due diligence contacting medical professionals, collecting thousands of hours of research," and believe that the administration of hormones are not a "medically necessary form of treatment" and that it "would do more harm than good." In the custody decision, Hendon said the parents will have visitation rights and are "encouraged to work toward a reintegration of the child into the extended family." She also said that because such a case will appear again, Ohio lawmakers must create legislation giving judges a framework in which they can evaluate a patient's right to gender therapy. "What is clear from the testimony presented in this case and the increasing worldwide interest in transgender care is that there is certainly a reasonable expectation that circumstances similar to the one at bar are likely to repeat themselves," she wrote. "That type of legislation would give a voice and a pathway to youth similarly situated as (the teen) without attributing fault to the parents and involving them in protracted litigation which can and does destroy a family unit." According to the hospital website, the Transgender Health Clinic at Cincinnati Children's "provides an accepting atmosphere and services for patients 5-24 years old," including "puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormones, assistance navigating transition needs," and more. Transgender children and teens have been the focus of considerable media attention in recent years and have seen an increased visibility in film and television. It's estimated that 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17, or 150,000 youth, identify as transgender in the United States, according to a new study released by The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Dennis Quaid on performing song for free speech documentary: 'Our culture has become intolerant' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Award-winning actor Dennis Quaid is lending his talents to an upcoming docudrama on efforts to ban free speech. Quaid and his band The Sharks released their first-ever studio album in November and it's his rock song "Out of the Box" that will be featured in the film, "No Safe Spaces." According to the New York Post, the actor wanted to be a part of the documentary created by Adam Carolla and Dennis Prager because he fears Americans are becoming intolerant of opposing views, which is evident in Hollywood and on college campuses. Its not just Hollywood. Our whole culture has become intolerant, Quaid told the Post. The 64-year-old explained that his song is about being open to other points of view and not mindlessly giving yourself over to an ism." I dont give myself to any party or ism," Quaid asserted. "I dont march lock step with anything or anybody except for God and the values my mom taught me back in Texas." Quaid starred in the blockbuster hit I Can Only Imagine and spoke about his Christian upbringing during promo runs for the film. He grew up attending a Baptist church and was baptized at age 9. As he grew older he sought answers to the question: "Who is God?" While he's politically independent, Quaid will be portraying the late Republican President Ronald Reagan in a new movie and said he believes Reagan was the best president of his lifetime. If a president does great things I can acknowledge that no matter his party," Quaid told the Post. "Ive voted for candidates from both parties. "No Safe Spaces" Indiegogo page says the film exposes the dangerous trend of suppressing free speech, and how our future depends on stopping it. It features commentators Van Jones, Alan Dershowitz, Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, Dave Rubin, Cornel West and "Last Man Standing" star Tim Allen, among others. The movies producer, Mark Joseph, believes Quaids song for No Safe Spaces is a perfect fit. When I heard Out of The Box it was so obvious that this belonged in the film, Joseph said. "Think out of the box ... Your life is not your own/ God owns your very bones," Quaid sings in the song. Doctors speak out: Lupron and the 'diabolical' push to sterilize, gender-transition confused kids Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pediatric endocrinologists, whose voices are being stifled, are sounding the alarm about a "diabolical" push to put children confused about their bodies on puberty suppressants and hormone blockers like Lupron to change their physical sex. According to Drs. Paul Hruz, Michael Laidlaw and Quentin Van Meter, all of whom spoke recently with The Christian Post, Lupron a hormonal agent that's employed to fight prostate cancer in men and is sometimes used to treat sex offenders is now being injected into children who suffer from gender dysphoria. The drug has never been green-lighted by the FDA for that purpose, nor have there been any peer-reviewed studies done on the drug's long-term physical and psychological side effects on children. Lupron and synthetic hormones are ravaging their developing bodies, altering their psyches, and putting them on a pathway to permanent sterilization, these doctors say. Many of the long-term repercussions will not be felt for years. At present, endocrinologists who refuse to back these experimental treatments struggle to be published, and many in the medical field remain unaware of what is going on in dozens of transgender clinics at children's hospitals across the nation. Pushing 'pause' on puberty? To many people, the sheer fact that gender has been medicalized with high-powered drugs is nothing short of horrifying, and they wonder how this can be legal or allowed to happen. "It's not unusual, actually, in pediatrics to prescribe a drug off label. However, whenever a physician does that they are taking on significant risk because if something goes wrong without the evidence, they are liable," Hruz, who is an associate professor of pediatrics and endocrinology at Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, told CP, when asked how it was possible that a high-powered drug like Lupron could be given to a dysphoric child given the lack of governmental approval for that purpose. "There's just a lot we don't know about this form of intervention. It's often claimed that medical blockade of puberty allows a child more time to sort out issues of their gender identity, that it alleviates dysphoria in affected children, and that it makes it easier if and when they choose to go on and get other treatments, namely [sex change] surgery. It's also claimed that it's completely safe and reversible." But among the many problems with that approach is that a normal developmental process is interrupted. Even if the hormone treatment is stopped after administering it for a few years and the normal signals for puberty resume, it's impossible to go back in time, he explained. As a class of medications, hormone blockers like Lupron are indeed approved for and are used in children to treat precocious puberty where kids go through puberty at an abnormally early age. It's given to children to delay the pubertal signals so that they, among other reasons, are not socially pressured into acting their pubertal age or subjected to hormonal drives that they are not prepared to handle. But when used to suppress the normally-timed pubertal processes, the drug actually causes a pathological condition. "So on its face value, what [transgender activists] are saying is really contradictory from what we know about normal development," Hruz said. Clear evidence exists that the drug influences bone density, he continued. During adolescence and teenage years, youth accumulate bone mass, which is important for the rest of one's life. "And there is conflicting information about how much of that bone density can be gained back" after going off the drug. Strong ideological influences driving this entire paradigm cannot be ignored, he said, when asked how this is happening, especially given that most people expect doctors to govern their practices based solely on medical science. The first ideological error many make is trying to redefine what "sex" actually is, Hruz said. "In much of the discussion, people have lost sight of what sex is in relation to reproduction and that is the only way you can make these claims about someone being born in the wrong body or make assertions about sex being 'assigned' at birth. It's not assigned; it's recognized," he maintained. The vast majority of the children who are being put on these puberty blockers have normally functioning sex organs. Physicians prescribing this kind of treatment are doing so under the understanding that it's benefiting patients but are simply not looking at the evidence, he said, and they are willing to dismiss the evidence when contrary to the prevailing politically correct narrative. Overwhelming evidence exists that the vast majority of affected children will spontaneously realign their gender identity with their biological sex when left alone, Hruz said of the relevant medical literature on the subject. And if they do realign, they're not going to be tethered to the medical establishment for the rest of their lives because their bodies are not dependent on the chemicals. "The reality is that there is no long-term data about treating children, and the only data that we have in adults indicates that medical interventions to align the appearance of the body to a transgendered identity does not fix the problem," he said. The manipulation of infertile kids What's often said in public opinion forums and even within some medical circles is that despite the risks, it's better, necessary even, that children receive this controversial medical treatment rather than wind up dead by suicide. Worse still, if parents express hesitation or opposition, activists and some physicians will hint at or tell them they will be guilty of "medical neglect," Hruz noted. But that's patently untrue. "[Parents] need to continue to love their children. They need to continue to affirm their human dignity. Yet they shouldn't have to jettison biological reality to be able to put what they're being told into practice, in terms of disrupting normally timed puberty." He added that the largest studies that have been done in post-transition adults continue to show rates of death by suicide that are markedly above the background population. "We need to be very objective, thoughtful. We can't close the door on what I would say are alternative hypotheses, other ways we might be able to address this very real and concerning problem. And the dialogue has shifted really far away from that," Hruz said. How Lupron works The first well-documented case report of a puberty blocker like Lupron (a similar medication called triptorelin which has an identical mechanism of action) being used in a young patient with gender confusion was published out of Holland in 1998 where a pediatric endocrinologist, working together with a psychiatrist, decided to use the medication on a 13-year-old girl suffering from gender dysphoria, according to Dr. Michael Laidlaw, a Rocklin, California-based board-certified physician who specializes in endocrinology and diabetes. The rationale was that the patient should have the drug because the effects of going through puberty would be too traumatic to endure and that "pausing" those signals in the brain would give the person time to adjust and then later decide whether to move toward surgical transition. When puberty is initiated in the human body, the hypothalamus increases its pulsatile release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. This, in turn, triggers the pituitary to release LH and FSH hormones into the bloodstream. These hormones then affect the gonads and cause the release of testosterone from the testicles of boys or estrogen from the ovaries of girls. These same LH/FSH hormonal signals from the pituitary are released in adults to maintain testosterone or estrogen levels. Lupron, also known as Leuprolide, blocks the release of LH/FSH, thereby stopping testosterone from being produced and released from the testes or estrogen from the ovaries. It is used to treat prostate cancer because testosterone will grow prostate tissue, including prostate cancer tissue. The therapeutic idea is that when the hormone is decreased to a very low or undetectable level, cancer growth is prevented. The drug is also used to treat endometriosis in women by lowering estrogen levels through the same pituitary mechanism. Intimidation games Being from Rocklin, Laidlaw got a swift education into the world of transgender medicine when an area charter school read the I am Jazz transgender children's book and reportedly facilitated a gender transition ceremony for one of the 5-year-olds during class, traumatizing other students, as CP previously reported. The school put out a statement disputing that this happened. "The awareness of what is going on today, even within the medical community, has been very low," he explained, speaking of his own journey. Behind the push toward this particular medical paradigm is a highly politicized group called the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, an organization that has effectively overhauled the entire conversation. "What they did very cleverly was get involved with the largest global professional organization representing the field of endocrinology, called the Endocrine Society," of which Laidlaw is a member, he said. "The Endocrine Society put out guidelines for everything to do with gender affirmative therapy from medications to surgical treatments for adults and children in 2009 and then revised them in 2017." Pro-transition recommendations were given the group's formal stamp of approval. Laidlaw knew of no organized opposition to the change. Other medical groups have since published similar guidelines, lending further professional-sounding credence to them. Thus, when someone sees that a prominent group like the Endocrine Society or the American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed this, they think it's fine when it's not, he pointed out. But these professional organizations have been co-opted by WPATH and other radical activists. "And then there is the fear factor, of course, where physicians who are leery about this treatment are afraid to say anything because maybe they work for say [health care provider] Kaiser. I have been told by a Kaiser doctor: 'Well, I can't say anything about this or I may lose my job. I have a family to feed.'" "There have been few physicians willing to stand up and say, 'We need to question this, there is something wrong here. Why are we using cancer drugs on kids without cancer and stopping normal puberty?" he said. Many times parents who initially thought it was a good idea to help their children transition later change their minds, but are strong-armed into continuing by being told that their child might commit suicide without the treatment, he said. "It's another bully tactic," Laidlaw emphasized. "It's a gun to parents' heads, the way I look at it. These kids should be getting psychological therapy and counseling, not hormones." Such bullying has also been legally used in courts to remove children from their parents. Earlier this year, Judge Sylvia Hendon in Hamilton County, Ohio, ruled that a 17-year-old should be removed from the custody of her parents due to their objections to transgender medicine. "Gender dysphoria is not an endocrine condition, but is a psychological one and should, therefore, be treated with proper psychological care. But it becomes an endocrine condition once you start using puberty blockers and giving cross-sex hormones to kids," Laidlaw stressed. While admitting he's not a psychologist, he knows of no psychological condition that is treated by putting hormones out of alignment from their normal levels. "In other cases, like hyperthyroidism, for example, patients might have high anxiety and even psychotic features due to high thyroid hormone levels. What we're doing as endocrinologists is bringing those hormones back into balance to in turn balance their psyche. With gender affirmative therapy they are doing exactly the opposite, taking hormone levels from being in most cases in balance, to then extremely out of balance." "And there is a form of psychological addiction happening when they are giving puberty blocking medications either because of a direct psychotropic effect or because the child can reassure themselves that they are not growing into an adult male body or an adult female body. It continues the illusion." The endocrinologists with whom CP spoke explained that the average endocrinologist in the United States doesn't know what's going on because it's an area where they haven't had any experience and therefore feel inadequate. They then scramble to find resources and what many end up doing is going to their Endocrine Society guidelines, which are now in favor of transitioning children. Why would a national society publish guidelines based on low to very low-quality scientific evidence, they ask themselves. Doctors are usually preoccupied enough with their practices so they ultimately defer to the guidelines and send patients to the transgender specialist. This is, unfortunately, a standard situation and a weakness in the endocrine community, they say. Historic all-girls college is now accepting men if they identify as female Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment America's second oldest women-only college has announced it will begin accepting admission applications from some trans-identified candidates, explaining that the school has expanded its definition of womanhood. In a statement, Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, announced that it will be admitting male students who identify as women but will exclude women who identify as men beginning in the fall of 2019. The college's new policy says, "The colleges undergraduate residential womens program will continue to admit and enroll students who are women and who live as women, just as it always has. It will also admit and enroll students who were not born female, but who identify and live as women; those students will need to provide legal documentation that they are legally women or that they are transitioning to female. Because the college has expanded its definition of womanhood to include both sex and gender, it is logically consistent that it also acknowledges both sex and gender in its definition of manhood. As a result, the college will stop admitting and enrolling students who were born female but who now identify as men or who are transitioning from female to male." The updated policy goes on to explain that the worlds understanding of and definition of womanhood is changing, and Stephens is evolving just as it always has to ensure that it continues to provide the extraordinary experience of a Stephens College education to all women who seek and will benefit from it. In recent years, issues of gender, identity and inclusion have become front and center at women's colleges across the U.S. Since 2014, over half of such institutions in the country have developed formal admissions policies for trans-identified students, according to Vox. The decision to include transgender and non-binary students at Stephens College, a 185-year-old institution, was made unanimously by the board of trustees, according to an explainer released by the school. A timeline from the college shows that the policy has been under consideration since 2014, shortly after the Obama administration issued new administrative guidance defining gender identity as an individual's internal sense of being male or female, and defining a person suffering from gender dysphoria as someone with a gender identity that is different from the sex assigned them at birth. "It asserts that transgender students are protected from gender discrimination under Title IX (backed by a 2016 statement by the Justice Dept.)," the website continues. These actions led "women's colleges to begin exploring the legal issues related to the admittance (or not) of transgender students," the school's website says. Admitting that the decision will satisfy some and displease others, the school board says it aims to prepare women for the lives that have awaited them. Today, she is evolving into a womens college for the world in which we live one ready to admit, educate and empower women for generations to come, it states. While some students at the college applauded the move, others took issue with the newly announced policy. We are required to live on campus, so how are the dorm arrangements going to go? Stephens College student Sally Russell told news station KOMU-TV. If someone has male genitalia and is living within the womens dorms, people have been really scared since a lot of people on campus have roommates and share bathrooms. Russell added that the details of the policy remain murky, leaving students with questions about what it will mean long-term. Since the school has been so quiet about it, I feel like people haven't been able to learn about it, which has been a problem. This was announced and we've heard nothing really other than the announcement, she said. Ohio fails to override Kasich's veto of 6 week heartbeat abortion ban Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Ohio state legislature has failed by one vote to override Gov. John Kasich's veto of a bill banning abortion as early as six weeks, which is when a baby's heartbeat can first be detected. Had it passed it would have been one of the most restrictive measures on abortion in the country. The fetal heartbeat bill would have made it illegal for doctors to perform surgical abortions at that stage, subjecting them to one year in prison if found guilty of doing so. The state Senate needed 20 votes for an override. Without debate, only 19 senators voted to do so and 13 voted against the veto on Thursday. The bill is likely to return next year and Governor-elect Mike DeWine, a Republican and longtime pro-life voice, has indicated he would support it. Should he sign it into law it's expected to be challenged in court. In vetoing the bill, Kasich, a Republican who has supported pro-life measures in the past, said the state would be mired in expensive litigation. Last year, Kasich signed a bill into law banning abortions solely on the basis of a Down syndrome diagnosis. "The key vote was cast by Republican Sen. Bill Beagle, R-Tipp City, who is term-limited out of office in a week and will join the treasurer's office. Earlier this month he voted for the bill; Thursday he joined four other Republicans in voting against an override," Cincinnati.com reported Wednesday. Pro-life advocates are voicing their disappointment with Kasich and the legislature's failure to override his veto, but are hopeful for what is likely to occur in 2019 with DeWine in office and Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature. "To blame his decision on the overtly unconstitutional Supreme Court abortion decision is a terribly weak excuse; and meanwhile, babies keep dying," said Jenna Ellis, director of public policy for the James Dobson Family Institute in a statement to The Christian Post on Friday. "[B]ut we remain encouraged that Ohio will pass the Heartbeat Bill in the next session and we encourage them to do so as quickly as possible to save the lives of our smallest children. We are also hopeful that more states will gain courage and conviction to pass similar legislation. Abortion should not just be illegal; it should be unthinkable, she said. Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof said of those gathered in the Senate gallery cheering the demise of the Heartbeat Bill that their celebration "will be short-lived." The National Abortion Rights Action League Pro-Choice Ohio put out a statement saying Thursday's vote was a "small and brief" victory. The proposed Ohio bill is being seen as potential legislation that could trigger a Supreme Court review of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case legalizing abortion nationwide. Proponents of the measure have not hidden this goal and are more hopeful now that the high court appears to be headed in a more conservative direction following the retirement of long-time swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy and subsequent installment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the bench. This legislation is 100-percent crafted to be an arrow that goes at the heart of Roe v. Wade, Republican Rep. Christina Hagan, the primary sponsor of the legislation, said last week. Phoenix Global DMCC has signed a cooperation agreement with Vietnam-based Loc Troi Group to enhance sustainable rice production and to strengthen good economic relations between the two companies. In a joint statement, the companies said the agreement will benefit 10,000 Viet small holder farmers enhance sustainable rice farming over 10,000 hectares of paddy field. Witnessing the ceremony were present officials and diplomats- Franco Bosoni, Director Innovation Hub, DMCC, Antony Furtado of Food Trade Group, DMCC and Le Phuong, commercial counsellor and head of Vietnam Trade Office in Dubai. They said that consumers of UAE and Middle Eastern region would also be the beneficiary by way of imports of low chemical residue and sustainable rice which will be produced in Vietnam as a result of this partnership. Gaurav Dhawan, chairman and CEO of Phoenix Group said: Phoenix has participated in many initiatives in the world, particularly in Africa, the CIS, the Middle East, India, and South East Asia to address and tackle the challenges of sustainable development in the value chain from cultivation to agribusiness. The cooperation agreement with Loc Troi Group will enhance Phoenixs footprint in Vietnam on food safe rice production, food security, economic prosperity of Vietnamese youth, and environmental issues in mass agricultural production and meanwhile gently help Loc Troi to market Vietnamese rice globally. The agreement also aims to help the small holder farmers in Vietnam achieve resilience to cushion the adverse effects of climate change, pest infestation, drought, floods and other calamities that are being experienced quite frequently over the past few years, the statement said. Huynh Van Thon, chairman of Loc Troi Group explained, This cooperation is a major step forward with strategic importance to LTG in widening the access for farmers rice in the Sustainable Rice Platform program, to reach the best opportunities which will help them connect and expand consumer markets and subsequently join more rapidly into the international rice trading network. Also, it expresses the great efforts from both Phoenix and LTG in our commitment to promoting the sustainable development of Vietnams rice sector in particular and significantly contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals in general. Through this cooperation, Phoenix and Loc Troi Group will collaborate to work together for the development of sustainable rice projects in Vietnam to be able to support the Vietnamese farmer to achieve sustainable growth. TradeArabia News Service UK Schools Acting Too Swiftly to Change Kids' Gender; 11-Y-O Girls on Puberty Blockers, Expert Warns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A psychologist at the only U.K. clinic for children seeking to change their gender has said that girls as young as 11 are being placed on puberty blockers and hormone treatment, and warned that schools act "within minutes" to register a child as the opposite sex. Bernadette Wren, consultant clinical psychologist at the Gender Identity Development Service clinic in London, revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times that the youngest child receiving such treatment there is an 11-year-old girl who identifies as a boy. Wren warned that schools in the U.K. are moving too fast in labeling a child as a member of the opposite sex. "Schools might wait for the parents to approach them before changing things like names in the register, uniforms, pronouns, toilets, sports," she said. "If a school just gets a whisper of a child who may be querying their gender and within minutes they are doing everything to make sure that child is regarded as a member of the opposite sex right from the word go that may not be the best for that child," she added. The psychologist revealed that about one in 10 of the children who are referred to the London clinic decide to opt out of the treatment. GIDS says that GPs, schools, and support groups referred more than 2,000 children to its services in the space of nine months last year, which is a 20-fold increase from previous years when in 2009 there were only 97 referrals. Wren warned that future generations may not think that the current way of handling the issue has been wise, noting that young people sometimes regret their decision to undergo gender change, which creates serious problems later on in life. "Perhaps the choices they make when they are 16 look different when they are 30," she said. "You can accept their feeling about gender difference but you do have to say alongside that and without being transphobic that there are really difficult treatment choices to be made." One of the main concerns she identified is infertility, with people who are born males losing their capacity to father children as a result of treatments. Gender change issues concerning children have been highly controversial in the U.K. In December, shocked parents demanded that the National Health Service remove questions aimed at primary school children asking them if they "feel different" to the gender they were born with. "At a time when children are growing up and having to deal with all sorts of challenges of the modern world, now they are being asked to confront their gender, which for many will be unsettling," Tim Loughton, a Conservative Party politician and former children's minister, said at the time. "Clearly we need to be sensitive about the issue of gender and sexual orientation but forcing children to question whether they are the right gender so early on can be deeply destabilizing," he added. The Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said at the time in a response to the controversy that it will no longer be widely asking the question. Debate also swirled around Girlguiding U.K., the country's leading organization for girls and young women, which in November announced that transgender members who are born male but identify as females will be allowed to use the same shower facilities as girls. Feminist campaigner Julie Bindel said at the time: "This is not a moral panic. The concern that I and many feminists have about boys invading bedrooms, tents and showers, is that disproportionately the victims of sexual violence are girls and women, and overwhelmingly, the perpetrators are boys and men." Anti-Catholic bigotry? Judicial nominee grilled by Senate Democrats over Knights of Columbus ties Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Senate Democrats recently questioned a federal judicial nominee over his ties to the noted Catholic charity the Knights of Columbus, an act which some have described as anti-Catholic. Brian C. Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer, was nominated by President Donald Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. Earlier this month, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent on-the-record questions to Buescher on a variety of issues. Senator Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii, the Senate's first Buddhist, took issue with the fact that Buescher had been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1993, stating that she believed that the Catholic organization had taken a number of extreme positions. For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to Californias Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage, explained Hirono, referencing Californias 2008 referendum in which a majority of state voters passed an amendment to their state constitution defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. If confirmed, do you intend to end your membership with this organization to avoid any appearance of bias? Buescher responded that the Knights of Columbus are an international Catholic service organization and that he has not drafted any policies or positions for the national organization. If confirmed, I will abide by the Code of Conduct of United States Judges and will not affiliate with any organization in violation of the Code, he added. When Hirono asked Buescher if he will recuse himself from any cases tied to the Knights of Columbus, the nominee replied that the Catholic organization does not have the authority to take personal political positions on behalf of all of its approximately two million members. Hirono also questioned whether Buescher can be expected to deal with reproductive rights and abortion issues fairly and impartially given his membership in this organization. Senator Kamala D. Harris of California, a potential 2020 presidential candidate, also questioned the appointee over his ties to the Knights of Columbus, asking questions regarding the Catholic organizations stated opposition to abortion and gay marriage. Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a womans right to choose when you joined the organization? Sen. Kamala asked. Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when you joined the organization? Kathleen Blomquist, spokesperson for the Knights of Columbus, denounced the line of written questions in an interview with the Catholic News Agency that was published last Friday. Our countrys sad history of anti-Catholic bigotry contributed to the founding of the Knights of Columbus, and we are proud of the many Catholics who overcame this hurdle to contribute so greatly to our country, said Blomquist. We were extremely disappointed to see that ones commitment to Catholic principles through membership in the Knights of Columbusa charitable organization that adheres to and promotes Catholic teachingswould be viewed as a disqualifier from public service in this day and age. Also in response, Cardinal Patrick OBoyle of the Washington, DC Knights of Columbus sent an open letter to Harris, Hirono and their staff, inviting them to join in one of its charitable endeavors in order to learn more about the organization. "We wish to formally invite you all to join us for any social or charitable event. In fact, this February we are doing the Polar Plunge to raise funds for DC Special Olympics. You and anyone you know are more than welcome to join us either jumping in the cold water or sponsoring our team," the letter stated in part. In an op-ed for National Review, Ramesh Ponnuru urged Harris and Hirono to simply state the true intent of their questioning. "Among the many stupidities of this campaign against the Knights is its superfluity. Buescher is voluntarily affiliated with two even larger organizations that are on record in opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage: the Catholic church; the Republican party. When running for attorney general of Nebraska in 2014, he called himself an avidly pro-life person. If Harris and Hirono want to maintain that all judicial nominees must support abortion, beyond just saying that they will respect existing law, then they should just say that there are scores of millions of Christians they would never allow on the federal bench on account of their beliefs. There is no need to launch an attack on the Knights," he wrote. Senate Democrats were also accused of expressing an anti-Catholic bias during the confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett, who now sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. "I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for years in this country," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in reference to Barrett's faith commitments. Hirono followed Feinstein with a similar line of questioning, suggesting that Barrett's Catholic beliefs disqualified her. Hirono also made controversial remarks amid the contentious hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, now a Supreme Court judge. Kavanaugh was accused of attempted rape. In an interview with CNN, Hirono suggested that his judicial philosophy made it more likely that he was guilty. "I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about him in terms of how he approaches his cases," she said. Apple pulls Christian ministry's 'ex-gay' app Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Apple pulled a Christian ministry's app after LGBT advocates said it portrayed being gay as a "sickness," a charge the ministry says is false. NBC News reported that the tech giant removed the app that was developed by Living Hope Ministries, a Texas-based organization, following a Change.org petition from gay rights group Truth Wins Out. The petition called the "ex-gay" app "dangerous," "bigoted" and "hateful." "The app falsely portrays being gay as an 'addiction', 'sickness', and 'sin,'" the petition argued. Living Hope Ministries is expressing disappointment over the move but says their work will continue. "We are saddened by Apples and Microsofts removal of our app because of a single persons false accusations. Regardless of their decision we will continue to make the app and our services available to those who seek them," Ricky Chalette, executive director of the group, said in an email to The Christian Post Thursday. "We are a ministry that for nearly thirty years has helped individuals resolve their feelings they deem incongruent with their faith. We help people deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ through Bible study and accountability. We walk with them to align their lives with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Through support groups they realize they are not alone and are able to share honestly and openly in a noncondemning atmosphere about their struggles, passions, and victories. From chaos and confusion they often find peace, hope, and a deeper sense of personal wholeness. Our ministry is free and strictly voluntary." He added, "In a day when diversity and tolerance is celebrated I would hope it would be extended to issues of faith and practice." Chalette told NBC that the ministry only helps those individuals who seek them and that they function like a "discipleship ministry" that is "very much like a church." Living Hope Ministries developed the app three years ago. In 2011, Truth Wins Out launched a similar effort to get Apple to pull an app by the now-closed ministry Exodus International. The group's most recent petition urges Apple to "do the right thing" again "so LGBT youth won't be tormented by hateful bigots and bullies." We thank Apple for exemplifying corporate responsibility and taking swift action to remove a dangerous app that stigmatizes and demeans LGBT people, said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen in a statement Friday, calling groups such as Living Hope Ministries "consumer fraud" and that they harm people they purport to help. In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook became the first Fortune 500 company leader to announce he was homosexual, and told CNN in an interview earlier this year that being gay was "God's greatest gift to me." Dallas school bus driver on mission from God buys Christmas gifts for all 70 kids on his route Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A school bus driver in Texas bought Christmas gifts for every child on his route by using money that he saved as a way of fulfilling his "mission from God." Curtis Jenkins surprised students from Lake Highlands Elementary School in Dallas the last day before winter break with a bus filled with Christmas presents. Overwhelmed by what they saw, one student asked if he was Santa Claus. "I'm not at a job, I'm on a mission from God," Jenkins told NBC's Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate. "I don't say anything about religion to the kids. I just let them know whatever they love is fine with me, just love somebody on the way." Jenkins said his job also gives him an opportunity to show each child that they have value and are loved. The gifts he gave the students included electronics, puzzles, games and even a bike. "Seeing the faces of those kids was more than anything that I could ever do with the money," Jenkins exclaimed. "We talked about the things that they would want and I made a mental note of it and wrote it down," he said. Eleven-year-old Ethan Ingle, one of the 70 children who received a gift from Jenkins, was elated to receive a pair of headphones in red, his favorite color. It makes me feel like I belong and I mean something to this community, said Ethan's mom, Katrina Clift, in response to Jenkins' gift to her child. The generous bus driver also gifted their family a turkey for Thanksgiving. Lake Highlands Elementary School PTA President Jennifer Wilcox said Jenkins heart to give is rubbing off on others. She said families across the district are now inspired by his Christmas giving. Jenkins' co-worker chipped in to buy the bike and another parent gave $100. "We are just so thankful for his spirit, and his kindness and his generosity to the kids," Wilcox said. "Thank you for being a wonderful example for all of us." Jenkins has worked for the school district for seven years and remembered the times as a child when he didn't get much for Christmas. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Over 3 years ago, God started to speak to me deeply on the great sin of division, slander, and gossip in the body of Christ. God started to have me in situations where great hurt was being done and I saw first hand the way the enemy used these tactics to destroy and hurt the testimony of Jesus Christ in others lives. One of many devotional articles I wrote during that time was called: Gods Church Is Sacred In This Earth. The premise of the devotion was a warning that when we speak against the body of Christ we speak against Gods Sacred Church of whom we are all a part. A Sobering Warning Against Division Recently, God spoke to Francis Chan on that exact same verse (1 Corinthians 3:17) to give us a loving warning to the body of Christ against division. Here is a recent statement Francis made in regards to people who divide and leave Church fellowship: There is this terrifying verse in 1 Timothy where Paul talked about two men who rejected the faith. Paul said that he had handed them over to Satan, by which he meant that hed put them outside of the church (1:20). Basically, these men were actively opposing the works of God, so rather than pretending everything was fine, Paul removed them from the safety and blessings of the fellowship of believers. He was hoping that the misery of being separated from the church would lead them to repent. Are you catching the weight of this? Paul equated removal from the church with being handed over to Satan! It is crazy to me that we live in a time when people are voluntarily doing this to themselves! No church has placed them outside of the fellowship; instead, theyve handed themselves over to Satan! What a sobering thought that those in our day in North America being critical of so much that is called Christian are doing to themselves what Paul the Apostle had to recommend Timothy to do to others as a last resort to have them repent of their pride and sins. We are living in a day where we are judging others and not ourselves. We are finding it easy to be critical of everything but our own sins we ourselves struggle with. Real Unity in the Church Francis again shares on how God wants to send real unity to the body of Christ: Real love, unity and blessing were supposed to be found in the church. Many are having a hard time finding that, so theyre setting off on their own. Jesus said that the world would see the supernatural unity and love we share in the church and believe in Him through that. But were not experiencing it. Weve given up on it. We no longer believe it is possible. Perhaps we can start to change our minds and start looking towards others with seeing their good and not bad, speaking blessings over others and not curses. Remember we are fitted together in a temple of God with all saints of all ages. And Francis gives the example of someone taking a sledgehammer to this temple. What a fearful thing to do, of course we would depart from such an individual for fear of what God Himself would do to him. As the Scripture says, Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them (Titus 3:10). You can watch the full video message by Francis Chan, Are You Destroying The Church where he gives this loving warning against division in the Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJph3Z6cfxM Weekly briefing: Christmas, ex-gay app, Lysa Terkeurst Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know: Christmas celebrated Christians around the world marked the birth of Jesus Christ this week with church services and events that emphasized what Christmas is all about the coming of the Savior. Many churches held multiple services (Life.Church held 265 services), given that church attendance peaks during Christmas. We often say that people are more likely to accept an invitation to church during the Christmas season, more than any other time throughout the year, said Bobby Gruenewald of Life.Church. Ex-gay app pulled Living Hope Ministries, based in Texas, had an app that offered teachings and devotionals. But after gay rights group Truth Wins Out launched a petition, calling the app a hateful ex-gay app that portrays being gay as a sickness, Apple pulled it from its online store. Now Truth Wins Out is pressuring Google and Amazon to remove it as well. In a day when diversity and tolerance is celebrated I would hope it would be extended to issues of faith and practice, said Ricky Chalette of Living Hope. Lysa Terkeurst and husband share personal vows In a powerful testimony, Lisa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries shared the vows she and her husband wrote to each other when they resolidified their marriage weeks ago (and over a year after being on the brink of divorce). Art told her: The way that you have loved me with grace and forgiveness gives me an undeniable understanding and perspective of how much God loves me and what He did for me on the cross, you have lived out in my life. You never gave up, you disarmed all of the dark with your grace and forgiveness. Lisa Terkeurst also revealed what made her fight for her marriage despite Arts infidelity, saying its hard to understand and forgiveness is a process but in the end, feeling the shoreline was safe again, she took the chance that was given to her. YouTube changes abortion search results ranking When searching abortion on YouTube, more pro-life videos were reportedly ranked on top, according to a liberal website. But after a writer at Slate complained, YouTube changed its ranking so that the top results are more pro-abortion. The top three videos are now: Kids meet someone whos had an abortion, The fake abortion clinics of America: Misconception, and I carried out my own abortion. Pray for Christians in Nigeria, seven of whom were killed the day after Christmas by Islamic Fulani radicals Those struggling with depression during the holidays New releases Book: I Am a Christian, This Is Why: A Logical Response to the Skeptic by Kinite A. McCrae (Dec. 23) Oscar Pistorius running Bible study group in prison, says father Oscar Pistorius is holding weekly Bible studies with 'hardcore' inmates in prison, his father has said. Pistorius, a former Paralympian, is serving life in a South African prison for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Henke Pistorius told The Times that his son, now 32, is 'making a difference' behind bars by meeting with other prisoners to study the Bible. Despite being found guilty of Steenkamp's murder after a trial that gripped the world, Henke said his son had 'always been a true child of God'. He told the newspaper things had improved for Oscar as a result of the weekly Bible meetings that he said were being attended by some of the most fearful inmates in the prison. 'I have no doubt that Oscar has changed the environment in the prison for the better, he is helping to mediate between people and is having a positive influence,' he said. 'He can feel he is making a difference to others who really needed a difference to be made to give their lives meaning, purpose and some hope. As a result, things have also improved for him. It's a wonderful story. 'They are hardcore chaps, the problem people in the prison, but now they are all meeting to follow the Bible once or twice a week.' During the trial, the court heard how Steenkamp's mother, June, had forgiven Oscar but still wanted to see him serve time for her daughter's death. Reeva's father Barry Steenkamp told the court: 'She feels it's right in her heart to forgive Oscar. It still does not exonerate you for the crime that you committed. He must still understand that he has to pay for that. 'June has forgiven him so that she can carry on with her life.' In April this year, Pistorius exhausted all of his legal options to have his sentence reduced after South Africa's highest court rejected his application for leave to appeal. Syria's Christians are begging Trump not to withdraw US troops Donald Trump is being warned that the withdrawal of US troops from Syria will put Christians and other minorities at risk of an ISIS resurgence. The US president's unexpected move shook allies and was quickly followed by the resignations of General James Mattis as Defense Secretary and Brett McGurk, the president's special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. UK defence minister Tobias Ellwood has cautioned against a US pull-out, saying the threat from ISIS is still 'very much alive'. Now Christians in the region are begging the US not to withdraw troops. The Syriac Military Council has issued a statement appealing to the Global Coalition to protect religious and ethnic minorities. 'Turkey's mercenary troops, who fought with al-Qaeda and ISIS, are waiting to get the green light to move into Syria, so that they can kill all 'infidels' of the region. That means Christians, Yazidis, Kurds, and other minorities,' it said. They pleaded with the US 'not to leave abruptly' before security is ensured, warning that churches will be destroyed while Christians and Yazidis are 'killed and massacred'. Sanharib Barsoum, President of the Syriac Union Party, said in an open letter to the US that 'ISIS is far from dead'. 'If Turkey is allowed to destroy us, America will be standing by as the only glimmer of hope in the Middle East is crushed,' he said. 'All the gains of US effort will be lost and two thousand years of history of Christianity in north-east Syria will be erased forever.' It added: 'If the US pulls out now and Turkey invades, ISIS will return.' Amy Austin Holmes, an associate professor at the American University in Cairo and a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Weatherhead Scholars Program, shares their fears. Writing in The Hill, she said that if Trump moved ahead with the withdrawal of troops, it could prompt Turkey to launch another assault and lead to a potential 'free-for-all' in north-east Syria. 'Trump's unilateral decision to withdraw US troops from Syria will embolden our adversaries, including Iran, Russia and Syrian leader Bashar al Assad, and weaken and betray our Kurdish and Arab partners in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),' she said. 'A withdrawal would also endanger the civilian population living inside the safe haven that is now under SDF control approximately 35 percent of the country and home to some 6 million people. 'The inhabitants of this area are ethnically and religiously diverse, including Kurds, Arabs, Muslims and a Christian minority estimated to include some 100,000 people.' The chairman of Sears submitted a bid to buy his company out of bankruptcy and save the storied retailer from liquidation at least for now, according to news reports. Eddie Lampert made the offer late Friday afternoon, Reuters and CNBC reported, citing unnamed sources. Lampert lined up about $1 billion in financing to acquire the company and save about 425 stores and 50,000 jobs, Reuters reported. Lampert, the only potential buyer aiming to keep the business running, proposed earlier this month to buy Sears through his hedge fund, ESL Investments, for $4.6 billion. The bid, however, must still be reviewed and approved by the bankruptcy court, which could decide to that selling off Sears assets is the best way to satisfy creditors. Sears has also solicited liquidation bids. Lampert, his hedge fund and Sears did not respond to requests for comment. Lamperts bid came just a few hours after Sears, headquartered in Illinois, said it would close 80 more stores next year, including seven in Texas. Only one, in Port Arthur, is in the Houston region. Six other Sears stores remain open in the region: its locations at Willowbrook Mall, North Shepherd, Deerbrook Mall, Plaza Paseo Mall in Pasadena, Mall of the Mainland in Texas City and Parkdale Mall in Beaumont. Sears, which also operates Kmart-branded stores, filed for bankruptcy in New York in October, listing $6.9 billion in assets and $11.3 billion in debts. It has sold much of its best real estate and shuttered some 400 stores in an effort to stay afloat. Locally, Sears has closed stores at Baybrook Mall; Greenspoint Mall; Memorial City Mall; its longtime location in Midtown; San Jacinto Mall; The Woodlands Mall; West Oaks Mall; and Westwood Mall. Sears, of course, is not the only department store chain struggling because of competition from online retailers and big-box stores. One longtime rival, J.C. Penney, watched its stock fall below $1 share earlier this week. The stock closed Friday at $1.03. Sears, founded 125 years ago, survived the Great Depression and two world wars. It joins other brick-and-mortar retailers that have filed for bankruptcy in recent years, including Toys R Us, Gymboree, Payless ShoeSource and rue21. John Roper and Bloomberg News contributed. A Galveston County veterinarian was arrested Wednesday night in Hitchcock on a felony warrants for rape and battery from Louisiana, Texas Department of Public Safety officials said. Todd Michael Glover, 36, who owns and operates the Animal Hospital of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, was arrested by Texas Rangers at his residence around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset. News station KPRC reported that the charges against Glover stem from a trip to the Coushatta Casino Resort in early December in which two 17-year-old girls that Glover knew were allegedly sexually assaulted. Christopher Sylvia, an attorney for the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, which owns and operates the Coushatta Casino Resort, declined to confirm those details, saying that until Glover is officially charged in Louisiana he could not give any information about the alleged victims. Sylvia said the Tribal Court of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana issued the arrest warrant for Glover. Paul Darrow, Glover's attorney, said that he hasn't seen a charging document yet and that "we know very little" about the allegations at this point. "I can tell you this, there's two sides to every story and we look very forward to dealing with this in court and the truth coming out," Darrow said. "Dr. Glover is absolutely innocent of these charges and we intend to fight it aggressively." Glover has a history of domestic violence arrests, according to Galveston County court records, none of which resulted in convictions. He was arrested in April 2014 on a third degree felony charge of assault of a family member for "recklessly impeding the normal breathing" of his wife, Lacey Glover. That charge was dismissed upon Lacey Glover's request. Glover was also arrested in March 2017 on a misdemeanor assault charge for assault and causing bodily injury to Lacey Glover. That case ended in a mistrial and the charge was dismissed. Glover was also arrested on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge in May 2014 for allegedly breaking into a woman's home, but the charged was later dismissed at the complainant's request. Another misdemeanor assault charge in October 2016 was dismissed after Glover completed a 3-step counseling program. Glover was being held in Galveston County jail as a fugitive from justice, but was extradited into the custody of the Allen Parish Sheriff's office on Friday. Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com Samsung Electronics has announced that it will showcase eight innovative new projects related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), developed from its C-Lab (Creative Lab) program, from January 8 through 11 at CES 2019 Eureka Park. In addition, eight start-ups which have been spun off from C-Lab will showcase their newly released commercial products at CES to explore new business opportunities. The eight new C-Lab projects include: an in-video virtual ad service Tisplay, an ASMR sound recording solution aiMo, an instant video making service Medeo, an AI news analysis service Prismit, a custom perfume making service Perfume Blender, an auto-adjusting monitor Girin Monitor Stand, an AI desk light alight, and a hearing assistant solution SnailSound. At CES 2019, C-Lab will introduce the biggest number of projects it has ever unveiled in a single show since its CES debut in 2016. This will help to refine the projects and prepare the prototypes that will eventually become finished products to take to market. We will present promising C-Lab projects leveraging AI technologies in the field of video content creation, perfume making and more. These are deeply related to our daily lives and we hope to catch the eyes of attendees, remarked Inkuk Hahn, the VP and head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. In addition to these projects, eight start-ups which have been spun off from Samsung C-Lab Mopic, Linkflow, Lululab, Welt, Cooljamm company, Monit, Bluefeel and analogue plus - will participate at CES 2019 to showcase their newly released commercial products and explore global business opportunities. Three of these C-Lab spin-offs have been recognized as CES 2019 Innovation Awards winners. One notable example is the wearable camera FITT360 by Linkflow, which was given an award in the Digital Imaging category for two consecutive years. Mopic and Lululab also received awards in the Portable Media Players and Accessories, and Biotech categories. Since 2016, C-Lab spin-off companies have been named winners six times and have proven their marketability and technology. Created in December 2012, C-Lab is an in-house idea incubation program that encourages a creative corporate culture and nurtures innovative ideas from Samsung employees. The program supports the development of ideas from all areas of the business. Introduced in 2015, the C-Lab spin-off policy helps Samsung employees who have successfully completed C-Lab projects to launch their own start-ups. Samsung supports the spin-off companies through seed money investment and business consulting to accelerate their growth, while guaranteeing their independent management.-TradeArabia News Service Houston Methodist West Hospital received Magnet recognition for nursing excellence recently, becoming one of a select group of hospitals nationally to be awarded this distinction. There are only 482 Magnet hospitals in the world (including 43 in Texas, of which, four are other Houston Methodist facilities), and only 8 percent of hospitals in the United States have achieved Magnet designation. This designation is a tribute to each and every one of our team members who have dedicated themselves to our patients and their families, said Vicki Brownewell vice president and chief nursing officer at Houston Methodist West. The American Nurses Credentialing Center announced the award after Houston Methodist West demonstrated it met or exceeded standards in the areas of nursing administration, education, clinical practice, research and quality. This is the highest level of recognition a hospital can receive from the ANCC for excellence in nursing services. Magnet designation shows our patients they can count on our nurses to provide them with the very best care, said Wayne Voss, chief executive officer of Houston Methodist West. It is also important to our hospital because it helps us attract and retain top talent, improve safety, patient care and satisfaction, and foster a collaborative culture. Studies show that Magnet hospitals have lower mortality rates and higher patient satisfaction compared to hospitals without the designation. This is attributed to nursings sense of autonomy, and their professional relationships with physicians and other team members. According to the ANCC, the award recognizes the management philosophy and practices of nursing services; adherence to standards for improving the quality of patient care; leadership of the chief nurse executive in supporting professional practice and continued competence of nursing personnel; and attention to the cultural and ethnic diversity of patients and their families. As 2018 draws to a close, we take a look back at the biggest and most interesting news stories in The Woodlands Township. From the departure of the iconic Waterway Cruisers, which were irreparably damaged in Hurricane Harvey, to the monster house and a controversial dispute between residents and a local church, The Woodlands saw its share of news and interesting events in the past 12 months. Here are some of the most prominent stories of 2018. Incorporation studies One of the biggest issues facing The Woodlands is the issue of incorporation, or the township becoming a city. In 2018, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors embarked on what has been the most thorough and comprehensive analysis of incorporation an ongoing series of studies done for the entirety of 2018 by two different consulting groups, the Matrix Consulting Group and the Novak Consulting Group. The Woodlands has explored the idea of incorporation before, in 2011, but those studies were less intensive and according to many, included erroneous information that in 2018 was known to be inaccurate. The process of incorporation, said township Board Chairman Gordy Bunch during the September public forum on the process, has been triggered by several events that township leaders and residents feel affect the future of the community, notably a lack of control over many of the roads and mobility projects around The Woodlands, the flooding and resulting quest for a drainage solution in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and the possibility of The Woodlands being split into two segments and annexed by Houston, Conroe or both in 2057. The township technically could be annexed by the other cities earlier than 2057, but only if the township defaults on the agreement between the three communities, something Bunch said is highly unlikely. The incorporation study and planning sessions were scheduled roughly twice a month for most of 2018, with consultants providing information, data, analysis and reports to the Board of Directors on topics such as municipal utility districts, road and pavement maintenance, financial models, law enforcement issues and other topics. While the township had hoped to get more resident engagement, as the process continued through the year there was a lack of residents present at many of the meetings. Those who did attend often spoke in public comment against the process, with some saying there was no need, it was a waste of taxpayer money and that the township was moving too fast with the process. Whether or not The Woodlands incorporates is still up in the air. According to Bunch, the township Board of Directors would first have to vote to approve placing an incorporation question on the ballot. If that happens, then residents would vote yes or no to incorporate. While no timeline has been set, some officials said the vote on the issue could come as early as November, 2019, depending on various elements that have yet to be discussed, most importantly the potential financial model for a new city. Waterway Cruisers depart Although The Woodlands is considered one of the most famous master-planned communities in the nation, many people have identified the community over the years by the Waterway Cruisers, a fleet of six European-style canal boats that ferried tourists, residents and others up and down The Woodlands Waterway from The Woodlands Mall to Hughes Landing. The cruisers suffered a severe blow during Hurricane Harvey, with the massive rain system leaving the boats flooded and damaged. By December of 2017, the operator of the boats had managed to repair one of the watercraft and put it back into service. However, that didnt last long, as with five weeks, the lone cruiser broke down and its electrical motor proved too difficult to repair. After the last cruiser was deemed unusuble, township officials began to examine if the boats were salvagable or not and if the watercraft could not be restored to working conditions, what would replace them as a watery recreational opportunity. By summer, the six cruisers were officially declared dead by township officials, who moved quickly to add a new amenity to the water: pedal-powered swan boats. The new swan boats can seat two people and are rentable for use by anyone. The Waterway Cruisers were removed from their longtime home dock near The Woodlands Mall and transported to their new home in Florida, where a marine salvage company will attempt to put them back into service in the future in Florida. Former Villager publisher dies Ray Biggerstaff had a larger-than-life presence in The Woodlands as the published of The Woodlands Villager. For nearly three decades, Biggerstaff was an integral part of the Houston Community Newspapers publications, The Villager and The Courier. He took over as publisher of the two papers in 2011, before retiring two years later. His positions with HCN made him not only integral to the newspapers, but to the community itself - the go-to man for community members and leaders. On Sunday morning, the day before Christmas Eve, Biggerstaff passed away at the age of 74 after a years-long battle with a chronic inflammatory lung disease, COPD. Ray Biggerstaff had a larger-than-life presence in The Woodlands. For nearly three decades, Biggerstaff was an integral part of the Houston Community Newspapers publications. The Villager and The Courier. He took over as publisher of the two papers in 2011, before retiring two years later. His positions with HCN made him not only integral to the newspapers, but to the community itself - the go-to man for community members and leaders. On Sunday morning, the day before Christmas Eve, Biggerstaff passed away at the age of 74 after a years-long battle with a chronic inflammatory lung disease, COPD. Ray is known by one and all in The Woodlands, said Paul Lazzaro, former vice president of marketing for The Woodlands Township. He was a fabulous, honest, trustworthy, intelligent man. According to Lazzaro, a memorial service for Biggerstaff is scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, Jan.12, at Brookside Funeral Home, located at the intersection of FM 1960 and TC Jester. LGBT Pride comes to community Jason Rocha, CEO and founder of The Woodlands Pride, is a U.S. Army veteran who said he wants to bring acceptance, inclusion and unity to Montgomery County for everyone in the LGBTQIA community as well as their supporters. Rocha founded the inaugural The Woodlands Pride Festival, creating a team of volunteers who worked diligently for several months leading up to the early September festival that celebrated LGBT culture and pride. Several thousand attendees descended on Town Green Park for the festival, which featured live music, food booths, speeches and drag queens. St. Anthony of Padua controversy finally ends After more than two years of contentious disputes, angry residents and picketing, the controversy over the expansion of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church finally came to an end in November. The church had been accused by township DSC officials of a raft of issues that violated township covenants, but it was the improper chopping down of dozens of trees and shrubs in a mandatory forest buffer between the church and residents of the Laurelhurst neighborhood that had ignited the passions of many residents. After feisty meetings at the DSC in April, May and June, township officials threatened legal action against the church if officials did not remedy eight to 10 different issues, including replanting dozens of trees and shrubs in the buffer zone as well as around the property. After complying with all the requirements, the church was cleared by township officials and no legal action was taken. Challenging year for fire department The year of 2018 at The Woodlands Fire Department will remembered for additional equipment, new trucks, but also controversy and sadness. Julie Thomas, a former employee of The Woodland Fire Department, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the township and President and General Manager Don Norrell for alleged sexual harassment and wrongful termination of employment. She worked as a customer service representative for the department and has said in the lawsuit that during her employment she was subjected to frequent sexual harassment with pervasive comments about her appearance, clothing and body. Thomas later settled the case out of court, receiving slightly less than $100,000 in compensation. Then, in October, Nicolas Daniel, a firefighter with The Woodlands Fire Department, was shot numerous times and killed in a struggle at a rural Montgomery County home. The incident is under investigation and no arrest has been made. In other fire department news, a new dual-steering wheel fire truck was unveiled and is now in use. The truck allows firefighters more flexibility when responding to incidents in tight spaces, as the dual steering system allows for better turning. The truck has a ladder that can reach up to more than 100 feet, important when a fire may happen in one of the many high-rise offices in the township. The fire department also was able to buy numerous high-water vehicles and boats to supplement their existing fleet, which was put to the test in Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Community mourns death of Bush As the holiday season was just getting going, sad news hit both the Houston region as well as the entire nation when former President George H.W. Bush died on Dec. 2. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, and father to numerous other politicians and elected officials, including his son, former President George W. Bush, had left a powerful impression on Montgomery County, notably local House of Representatives member Kevin Brady. After Bushs death, accolades and old stories of the eloquent Texas statesmen flowed in from all corners of the county. Bush was fondly remembered by officials at the John Cooper School, who had hosted the former president at the schools first graduation more than two decades earlier. And, Brady now chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in Congress shared his recollections of a life helped and in-part guided by the mentorship of Bush, who had retired to Houston after his one term in office. After Bushs body lied in state in Washington, D.C., his casket was flown back to Houston and put on a ceremonial train which traveled from Spring to College Station, along a route filled with tens of thousands of locals paying their tribute to the 41st president. Egypt's security forces have killed 40 militants in raids on their hideouts in Sinai Peninsula and Greater Cairo area hours after a roadside bomb targeted a tourist bus in the capital, killing three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian guide. In a Saturday statement, the Interior Ministry said 10 of the militants were killed when the forces stormed their hideout in El Arish, a coastal city in the turbulent north of Sinai, reported AP. Another 14 were killed in the Cairo suburb of October 6 and 16 more in a housing project on a highway heading west from the Egyptian capital. It said the militants were preparing for attacks on government and tourism facilities, army and police personnel as well as churches, it said. The area of attack, Marioutiyah, near the famed Giza Pyramids, has seen a series of attacks over the past two years, mostly targeting the police, the report added. Swissotel Al Ghurair has appointed Ali Sadiq, a industry veteran, as the new director of revenue at its new hotel property located at Deira in Dubai. Swissotel Al Ghurair and Swissotel Living Al Ghurair opened its doors in February this year. It was officially launched as the first-ever Swissotel in UAE and comprises 620 luxurious rooms, suites and apartments. The property boasts three food and beverage outlets with wide choice of delightful dishes and well-appointed Swissotel Spa & Sport, the perfect escape to unwind your body, mind and soul. Reporting to General Manager Emiel van Dijk, Sadiq will play a vital role in achieving targeted goals and drive maximum revenue for the hotel. He brings extensive experience with international hotels in revenue management, sales and marketing and food and beverage - all enhanced by a passion for guest services. Welcoming the appointment, van Dijk said: "We are delighted to welcome Ali Sadiq in our team. His experience in hospitality is perfectly suited to the role. I look forward to working closely with him." Sadiq had earlier held management positions at Marriott Hotels in UK and Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa, he stated. Most recently, he was the director of revenue at Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah where he increased revenue metrics by double-digits along with enhancing employee engagement and guest satisfaction. On his new role, Sadiq said: "With over 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I am looking forward to the challenge ahead." "Swissotel is a wonderful collection of hotels and it is an exciting time to be more involved in their one and only property in Dubai, particularly as were heading towards the peak season," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A Galveston County veterinarian was arrested Wednesday night in Hitchcock on a felony warrants for rape and battery from Louisiana, Texas Department of Public Safety officials said. Todd Michael Glover, 36, who owns and operates the Animal Hospital of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, was arrested by Texas Rangers at his residence around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset. Galveston County court records show that Glover has been charged with one count of rape and three counts of sexual battery in Louisiana. News station KPRC reported that the charges against Glover stem from a trip to the Coushatta Casino Resort in early December in which two 17-year-old girls that Glover knew were allegedly sexually assaulted. Christopher Sylvia, an attorney for the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, which owns and operates the Coushatta Casino Resort, declined to confirm those details, saying that until Glover is officially charged in Louisiana he could not give any information about the alleged victims. Sylvia said the Tribal Court of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana issued the arrest warrant for Glover. Paul Darrow, Glovers attorney, said that he hasnt seen a charging document yet and that we know very little about the allegations at this point. I can tell you this, theres two sides to every story and we look very forward to dealing with this in court and the truth coming out, Darrow said. Dr. Glover is absolutely innocent of these charges and we intend to fight it aggressively. Glover has a history of domestic violence arrests, according to Galveston County court records, none of which resulted in convictions. He was arrested in April 2014 on a third degree felony charge of assault of a family member for recklessly impeding the normal breathing of his wife, Lacey Glover. That charge was dismissed upon Lacey Glovers request. Glover was also arrested in March 2017 on a misdemeanor assault charge for assault and causing bodily injury to Lacey Glover. That case ended in a mistrial and the charge was dismissed. Glover was also arrested on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge in May 2014 for allegedly breaking into a womans home, but the charged was later dismissed at the complainants request. Another misdemeanor assault charge in October 2016 was dismissed after Glover completed a 3-step counseling program. Glover is currently being held in Galveston County jail as a fugitive from justice, but Darrow said he would be extradited to Louisiana in the next several days. nick.powell@chron.com By midnight Monday, the Houston sky will likely be filled with dazzling fireworks. But bottle rockets, bullets and booze could turn the celebration from magic to tragic, With 2019 fast approaching, authorities are hoping Houstonians will slow down and remember to be safe during the long weekend. Drinking and driving, fireworks and guns all of which (for whatever reason) are associated with New Year's Eve celebrations are what officials hope people will think twice about as we kiss 2018 goodbye. Year after year, Dr. Pablo Tovar, medical director for Ben Taub Emergency Department, helps treat patients injured in drunk driving crashes. 'UNBELIEVABLE CRISIS': New Year's Eve could be terrible for DWIs, prosecutors say "It's incredibly difficult to see something like that, especially knowing that these are most definitely preventable," Tovar said. "The decisions we make can have long-term effects, not just on ourselves but those who we love." Tovar, as well as Houston law enforcement, urged Houstonians to be responsible when ringing in the new year by delegating a designated driver or using a ride-share, such as Lyft. WET AND COLD: New Year's Eve could be chilly and damp Shooting guns and rifles into the air is also a tradition that can have deadly consequences. Celebratory gunfire killed a Houston man in 2015 after a bullet shot into the air careened back to the ground, hitting him in the head. "Whatever goes up must come down," Acevedo said in a video posted to Twitter. "Every year across our country, we see tragedy from innocent people being struck by celebratory gunfire. Not only is it illegal, not only is it dangerous, it's irresponsible (and) immoral." Fireworks also tend to be an injurious celebration on New Year's Eve, Tovar said. "Fireworks come with their own set of dangers," Tovar said. There are obvious dangers with the explosive properties of fireworks, but Tovar pointed out how sparklers can cause burns to users and could even have incendiary properties. Fireworks can also cause eye damage, Tovar said, a common but not well-known danger. "It's really sad to see somebody who was previously seeing just fine," Tovar said. "From one day to the next, starting the new year, they're potentially blind in both of their eyes." Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message A Houston police officer will be in the hospital for the next few months after being severely burned in a drunken driving crash on Dec. 23. Officer John Daily, 25, had his fourth surgery on Friday, said Houston Police Officers' Union President Joe Gamaldi. It is a very long road ahead, he said. Daily was driving his police SUV to a scene when another car crashed into him, causing the SUV to hit a utility pole, flip several times and burst into flames. The officer, who started with the department about a year ago, has burns on 50 percent of his body, Chief Art Acevedo said at a press conference. DEADLY COLLISION: Motorcyclist dies in crash near Magnolia A second officer in the car, 25-year-old Alonzo Reid, sustained less severe burns than Daily. He and a civilian helped Daily out of the car, police said. Reid is now recovering at home, Gamaldi said. The man behind the wheel of the car that allegedly caused the wreck is in jail in lieu of $250,000 bond. Cesar Collazo, 23, has been charged with two counts each of intoxicated assault of a peace officer and failure to stop and render aid after causing serious bodily injury. Prosecutors said Collazo caused the wreck while intoxicated in 10100 block of Telephone Road, about a block from his apartment. He was picked up by police walking away from the crash, about 12 minutes after the collision. He apparently told police he drank eight beers. He had a blood alcohol level of .157, almost twice the legal limit of .08, prosecutors said. The police officers union is holding a blood drive at 1600 State St. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3. Donors can schedule an appointment at www.giveblood.org by clicking on Donor Log In, creating an account and entering the code 3886PD06. Monetary donations can also be made at Assisttheofficer.com 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. Regarding Executions R Us, (Editorial, Sunday), the editorials well-studied argument for dumping Texas death penalty also underscores reasons to retain it. One of the quoted studies says only 1 of every 24 given the sentence over a 30-year period was wrongly convicted. This doesnt appear to be an epidemic of injustice. The editorial also effectively details the costly appellate process in the Lone Star State. If there is bad evidence or an overly ambitious prosecutor, convictions are generally reversed, and new trials granted. Ronald Clark OBryan got all the appeals the system allowed after he poisoned his son with cyanide-laced Halloween candy. The appeals took about a decade. Carl Wayne Buntion remains on death row with successful appeals after he murdered Houston Police Officer Jim Irby. He has been there going on 30 years. Appeals add years of life to the convict, even on death row. These two examples happen to be white guys. Lets address the current inclinations of juries in Harris County. A Houston Police Department prisoner fatally shot an officer. He was an Hispanic immigrant living in Houston illegally, the officer was an African-American. A jury assessed the killer life without parole. Maybe race is one factor in these cases, maybe not. Another point: Often rapists most of whom studies show are serials easily get away with their crimes and currently experience a low conviction rate. Maybe re-implementation of capital punishment for rape should be considered. After all, rape victims serve a life sentence of sorts and dont get what amounts to the decades-long appeals that their attackers are entitled to. Tom Kennedy, Houston Value rising Regarding With help from Permian oil, UT endowment hits $31B (Business cover, Wednesday): Its great that the University of Texas endowment has reached $31 billion but the important question is: What are they going to do with it? Since education is the key to prosperity for students and countries, I propose that most of that money be allocated for scholarships for needy students. The high cost of college education is putting many of our young people in serious debt that could hound them for many years. I know a young man who had a debt of $186,000 after graduating from the University of St. Thomas. We need free tuition in public colleges, which seven countries in Europe already have. UT should also sell its pile of gold, which costs money to store, and invest the proceeds in high-dividend stocks. The state should also kick in more money to our public colleges, stipulating that it go to scholarships for deserving students. Jimmy Dunne, Houston Real longshot Regarding Ignore the skeptics: Beto has the chops to run for president (Outlook, Dec. 16): I believe that it would be premature for U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke to run for the presidency in the 2020 election. He should run again for U.S. senator, this time against John Cornyn. This would then give him the opportunity to gain national experience and exposure, which would put him in a far better position to run for president within the next couple of decades. Brian L. Hope, Bryan CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three people, including a Heartless Felon gang member charged with murder, were hospitalized early Saturday after someone shot them at a gas station on Clevelands East Side, according to police. Officers responded around 3 a.m. for a call about a shooting at Hanini Petroleum on Woodland Avenue near East 55th Street in the citys Central neighborhood, police said. Richard Pinson, 24, was sitting on the ground outside the gas station bleeding from gunshot wounds to his hip and groin. Officers went inside the gas station and found a 27-year-old man who had been shot in his mouth and leg. Employees told police to go into the employee entry hallway, where they found a 36-year-old woman with gunshot wounds to both of her knees. Officers also found a 9 mm Luger handgun on the floor outside the employee entry door, according to the report. Cleveland EMS brought all three victims to MetroHealth, where they are in stable condition. Prior to leaving in the ambulance, the 36-year-old woman told police she was in line for a sandwich when two men began to argue, according to the police report. One of the men pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots. Someone saw the woman had been shot and pulled her to the back hall. Employees said they did not witness the shooting. The owner is providing surveillance camera footage to the police. The 24-year-old victim, Richard Pinson, had a warrant issued for his arrest through the Cleveland polices homicide unit. He was charged with murder on Nov. 27 in connection with a Sept. 5 robbery turned shootout that killed Deandre Wilson. Pinson, 28-year-old David Wagner, 26-year-old Devaughnte Rice, and another member of the Heartless Felon gang are charged with aggravated murder in the case. Pinson, Wagner, Rice, Wilson and the fifth gang member walked up to a 36-year-old man who had just pulled into a parking space at an apartment complex at East 30th Street and Project Avenue, according to police. The quintet pointed guns at the man and stole a gun from him. They repeatedly punched, kicked and pistol-whipped him while he was on the ground, police said. The man pulled out a second gun and fired several shots at the group, who returned fire. One of the bullets hit Wilson, 26, in the chest. He was taken to MetroHealth where he died. No one else was hurt in the shootout. The 36-year-old man who shot Wilson has not been charged with a crime. Pinson was convicted in 2014 of being a member of the Heartless Felons street gang. He and four others were charged after gang members attacked a man at a Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority apartment complex on Cedar Avenue and East 28th Street. The group chased a man and woman into their apartment and threatened to kill them and shoot up their apartment. Four hours later, the group fired eight shots into the apartment. No one was hurt. Pinson was sentenced to three years in prison. After his release from prison, Pinson was convicted in 2017 of possessing a gun in a car and drug trafficking, court records show. He also has prior convictions for robbery, drug trafficking and drug possession. To comment on this story, visit Saturdays crime and courts comment section. NORWOOD, Ohio -- A Cincinnati-area police officer was expecting to find drunk or speeding drivers while on patrol early Thursday, so he was surprised when he came across an Australian marsupial -- a young kangaroo named Scooby-Roo. Officer Phil Harvey pulled over a pickup truck with an enclosed trailer just after 1 a.m. for a marked lane violation on Interstate 71 northbound, between Ohio 561 and Ohio 562, Norwood police told cleveland.com. The driver said there were two ostriches in the trailer, and then Harvey noticed an animal in a pouch in the passenger seat. A young kangaroo peeked out from the pouch, to Harveys apparent surprise and delight. The officer knew this moment was worth sharing, so with the drivers permission, he took a Snapchat video later posted to the departments Facebook page. Hi bud, Harvey says in the video. Oh, my gosh. The driver said the kangaroos name is Scooby-Roo. Harveys caption for the video joked that the driver was cautioned for having a pet kangaroo not properly restrained. In reality, the driver was cautioned for the marked lane violations, police said. The man driving the truck did not own Scooby-Roo or the ostriches, but was delivering them, police said. Kangaroos and ostriches are not considered dangerous wild animals under Ohio law. Watch the video here. Saving money doesn't have to be complicated. And it doesn't mean you have to give up your daily Starbucks. CNBC Make It has rounded up five easy savings tricks that can help you pad your bank account in 2019 without feeling like you're sacrificing. Automate everything If you want to save more money, start by getting out of your own way: Automate the process. Set up your savings accounts, retirement funds and debt-repayment plans to draw money from your paycheck or checking account each month so that you never have to make the choice to spend or save those dollars. As self-made millionaire David Bach writes in "The Automatic Millionaire," automating your finances is "the one step that virtually guarantees that you won't fail financially. You'll never be tempted to skimp on savings because you won't even see the money going directly from your paycheck to your savings accounts." It can also be a smart way to get a headstart on a financial goal, such as building up your emergency fund. Think about purchases in terms of units of time Don't underestimate the difference a mindset shift can make. For J.P. Livingston, who retired at 28 with $2.25 million in the bank, the trick is to think of your purchases in terms of units of time rather than dollar amounts. "Instead of saying a new unlocked iPhone costs $800, you might do the math to figure out it would cost you 60 hours of work, or a week and a half of your life," she tells CNBC Make It. It's a concept she first learned about in Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez's "Your Money or Your Life." "This is great for big purchases," Livingston says. "To buy a home with an extra bedroom or one with fancier finishings might cost you $50,000 or $100,000. Is that worth working three extra years to you?" Considering the time value of each purchase forces you to pause before buying and decide if it's really worth it. Don't sweat the small stuff Worrying about the cost of every cup of coffee or takeout meal can be tedious and doesn't always lead to a big payoff. To save a larger chunk at once, try focusing on the three major expenses Americans spend 70 percent of their average budget on: housing, transportation and food. "If you can limit those expenses, that's where your big time savings will come," Sean, a millennial with $250,000 in the bank, tells CNBC Make It. Grant Sabatier, who went from broke to a millionaire in five years, agrees that cutting your housing expenses can make a huge impact and even help put you on the path to retire early. "Live in the least expensive apartment that you can, get roommates, house hack, buy a two-bedroom apartment and rent out the other room to keep your housing expenses as low as possible," he says. "If you can cut your housing expense from $2,000 down to $600 or $700, all of the sudden, you've 10 or 15 years off the time that it will take you to retire." Pay your mortgage more often Switching to a bi-weekly payment plan is a painless way to save tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your mortgage, says David Bach, co-founder of AE Wealth Management. It's simple: If your mortgage costs $1,000 a month, switch to paying $500 every two weeks. Over the course of a year, you'll end up making an extra payment since you're paying every other week, rather than once a month. Making more payments means paying your mortgage off sooner, which means forking over less in interest. It depends on your interest rate, but "on an average mortgage in America, you'll save over $44,000 in interest payments," Bach estimates. Swap out your car for a bike A Chinese soldier stands guard in front of Tiananmen Gate outside the Forbidden City in Beijing. A Canadian citizen who was detained in China this month has returned to Canada after being released from custody, a Canadian government spokesman said on Friday. The spokesman did not specify when the Canadian was released or returned to Canada. Earlier in the day, broadcaster CBC identified the citizen as Canadian teacher Sarah McIver. China's Foreign Ministry said this month that McIver was undergoing "administrative punishment" for working illegally. McIver was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies, but a Canadian official said there was no reason to believe that the woman's detention was linked to the earlier arrests. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mention the woman in calling for the release of the other two Canadians last week. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, a Chinese court will hear an appeal in the case of a Canadian citizen held on drugs charges, that could further test the tense relations between the two countries. The high court in the city of Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning will hear the appeal of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg from 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), it said in a statement this week. A Dalian government news portal said Schellenberg was a Canadian and that this was an appeal hearing after he was found by an earlier ruling to have smuggled "an enormous amount of drugs" into China. Canada's government said this week it had been following the case for several years and providing consular assistance, but could provide no other details, citing privacy concerns. Drugs offences are usually punished severely in China. China executed a Briton caught smuggling heroin in 2009, prompting a British outcry over what it said was the lack of any mental health assessment. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Civil servant accuses Government of Project Fear III over no-deal preparations T he Government is failing to be frank with the public about the extent of no-deal preparations because it wants to shore up support for Theresa Mays disastrous Brexit deal, a civil servant says. The official, who is involved in drawing up contingency plans, writes in The Telegraph that claims that Britain will crash out in the event of a no-deal Brexit are absolutely untrue. Describing the claims as Project Fear Mark III, the civil servant says that very detailed plans have been made are now being executed to ensure that a cliff-edge Brexit is simply not going to be an option. The civil servant writes: If the Government was to be frank with Parliament and the country, what justification would be left for its disastrous Withdrawal Agreement? What would Remainers do without a Project Fear? They would need to think up convincing positive arguments for staying in the EU, something that has so far proved beyond them. T Government charged with misleading public to win Withdrawal Agreement vote Daily Express Ministers buy 100 million of ferry capacity to cope with no-deal Brexit The Times Business backers of Mays deal win awards FT Hard Brexit will trigger rate cuts, warn 52 economists The Times BBC confirm Linekar is above the law on impartiality rules Daily Express he official accuses Remainer Cabinet ministers of attempting to scare us into swallowing the Prime Ministers Brexit deal while their friends campaign publicly for a second referendum. Daily Telegraph Editorial: Economists agree on the risks of no deal The Times as Hunt talks up chances of May getting her deal passed Theresa May will manage to push her Brexit deal through Parliament, Jeremy Hunt predicted today. In a boost for the under-fire PM, the Foreign Secretary insisted she has a good chance of success in next months Commons vote. Mr Hunt called on Brussels to fix the hated Irish backstop saying that would be the key to getting the deal done. Dozens of MPs say they fear the backstop, meant to keep the Irish border open, will tie Britain to EU rules forever. Mrs May is scrambling to secure a time limit for the proposal to reassure Brexit rebels the UK will be able to leave it. Mr Hunt told the BBC: The EU has agreed that the backstop is temporary and what we need them to do is define what temporary is. So my view is this is not the time to be talking about what other major changes we might be faced with making because actually we can get this through. We can get this through, absolutely can Mrs May had to call off the original vote, scheduled to take place before Christmas, because she was on course for a heavy defeat. But she is increasingly confident of winning this time around as nervous MPs worry about a No Deal outcome or a second referendum. The Sun Anti-Brexit group urges Remainer MPs to topple government The Sun EU should have interfered in referendum, says presidential hopeful Daily Express >Yesterday: ToryDiary: A second referendum remains deeply unpopular among Conservative Party members and Redwood accepts knighthood, but still urges no deal departure Prime Minister wielding shameless patronage Daily Mail May accused of desperation over honour The Guardian Anonymous: The Civil Service has prepared for Brexit. Why doesnt the Government want you to know? One of the Conservative Partys longest-standing Eurosceptics will be knighted in the same year that Britain is expected to leave the European Union. John Redwood, part of the group of cabinet ministers labelled bastards by John Major in the early 1990s, has been appointed a knight in the honours list. On the same day of the announcement that one of her fiercest critics had been rewarded, Theresa May was accused of a shameless use of patronage for appointing three Tory MPs to the privy council. Sir Edward Leigh, the former public accounts committee chairman who has suggested that he will vote against her Brexit deal, will be styled the right honourable with two loyal MPs: Philip Dunne, a former health minister, and Sir Roger Gale. Sir John, who said that the knighthood was a great honour, shows no signs of softening his stance on Brexit. Yesterday he published 12 big wins if Britain left the EU on World Trade Organisation terms. The first was: Far from crashing out, we will be cashing in. We will get our money back to spend on our priorities. We will be better off. Sir Edward, 68, was an outspoken critic of Mrs Mays Brexit deal in parliament but after she postponed the vote he said that he would back the deal if she won concessions on the Irish backstop. The vote will be held next month. The Times A disorderly no-deal Brexit on 29 March 2019 is not compatible with the principles of good government in which the civil service takes justified pride. It handles seismic change in much the same way as it handles a decision on the design of a new online form or whether to allow pot plants in the staff kitchen in a very deliberate, considered, consultative manner. So of course no-deal preparations have been made. Very detailed plans have been proposed, assessed, analysed to death and finally agreed by working groups and steering groups and directors boards and cross-Whitehall talking shops. They have then been sent to ministers for approval. And they are now being executed. To claim otherwise is to equate the United Kingdom with a tinpot dictatorship where officials tote machine guns and use dummies for target practice. And we would never allow that. It is even more ridiculous that this claim of unpreparedness is still being parroted across the media and by MPs when some of the most crucial elements of no-deal planning have now been made public. In a very surreptitious way, of course. Almost as though the Government didnt want even its own backbenchers to know Daily Telegraph MPs must be brave and tell us we were wrong to vote Leave Matthew Parris, The Times Shameless MPs should apologise to Leave voters Mark Wallace, Daily Telegraph >Today: ToryDiary: Our survey. Three in five Party members expect a Conservative-led Government after the next election. Ministers 1) Javid rules out extra resources to tackle Channel crossings a conference call with officials in Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the National Crime Agency. He received the latest intelligence, will be given daily updates and has asked to speak to his French counterpart this weekend. Today Caroline Nokes, the immigration minister, will visit Border Force officers in Dover with Charlie Elphicke, the towns Tory MP, who has urged ministers to put out more high-speed patrols. The Times Furious MPs urge Home Secretary to call in the Navy The Sun Sajid Javid declared a major incident last night over the influx of migrants trying to reach Britain across the Channel but was poised to rule out extra resources to tackle the crisis. Pressure was mounting on the home secretary from Labour and his Conservative colleagues to explain how the government would tackle the situation as fears grew that there may soon be fatalities. The number of migrants saved in the Channel by British authorities since Christmas Day has reached 94. Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, urged the government to work with France to dissuade migrants from making the perilous crossing. Mr Javid, who has been on holiday in South Africa, has set up a gold command to deal with the situation and yesterday led Comment: Javid is a politician with guts Brendan ONeill, The Sun Ministers 2) China accuses UK of prejudice over Williamsons security concerns about Huawei China has accused the UK of harbouring deep-rooted pride and prejudice about the telecoms giant Huawei that have led to security fears about the company. The chairman of Huawei also complained about what he said had been incredibly unfair treatment of his company abroad. He said the experience would serve only to motivate it to become the global leader in the sector. The two complaints were made after Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, expressed grave concerns this week about Huawei being involved in the development of the superfast 5G mobile network in Britain. He accused President Xis regime of sometimes acting in a malign way, citing the announcement by British and American authorities last week that Chinese state hackers had been pinpointed as the culprits behind a malicious espionage campaign. Alex Younger, the head of MI6, and Andrus Ansip, the European Commissions technology chief, have also spoken recently of security risks linked to Huawei. Australia, New Zealand and the US members of the Five Eyes intelligence network, with Britain and Canada have banned the company from supplying the infrastructure for their mobile network upgrades. Washington has urged other western nations to follow suit. The Times We need a tech truce, not a trade war, with Beijing Anne McElvoy, The Guardian Ministers 3) Hunt criticises Trump over withdrawal from Syria Jeremy Hunt has criticised President Trumps declaration that Islamic State is defeated in Syria and insisted that Britain will not be complacent about the Middle East. The foreign secretary said that the war against Isis was not over despite the presidents claim that the group had been largely defeated. Mr Trump said that Turkey and other countries in the region should be able to easily take care of whatever remains as he announced that American troops would be withdrawn from Syria. Mr Hunt told theprogramme on BBC Radio 4: President Trump makes a speciality out of talking in very black and white terms about whats happening in the world. The UK assessment is that we have made massive progress in the war against Daesh but its not over and, although they have lost nearly all the territory they held, they still hold some and there are still some real risks. Foreign Secretary says Iran jailed dual national for diplomatic leverage The Guardian So we have to continue to be vigilant. We dont believe we can be at all complacent in the situation we are in. Told of reports that American troops were set to be pulled out of Afghanistan very soon, Mr Hunt said: We will continue to do everything we need to do to make sure the streets of Britain are safe, and this is a security issue for the UK as well as Afghanistan. The Times Editorial: The West has failed in Syria Daily Telegraph >Today: Lord Ashcroft in International: America the mid-terms and beyond >Yesterday: Benedict Rogers in Comment: Hunts review of British policy on the persecution of Christians is crucial and courageous Disgraced ex-Labour MP for Peterborough vows not to quit The Labour MP found guilty of lying to police to avoid a speeding charge has vowed to go on as Peterboroughs representative in the corridors of power. In an almost 500-word review of her year Fiona Onasanya did not mention her conviction once, but signalled her determination to continue in parliament, saying there is still much more to be done. Onasanya, 35, was suspended by the Labour Party, which also urged her to quit the Commons, after her conviction earlier this month for perverting the course of justice. The solicitor lied persistently and deliberately to police about who was driving her car in an attempt to avoid penalty points after it was recorded driving at 41mph in a 30mph zone near Thorney in her Peterborough constituency. By urging her to resign, Labour effectively called for a by-election in the seat that she won from the Conservatives last year by 607 votes, although the party cannot force Onasanya to stand down MPs are disqualified from holding their seat if they are sentenced to more than a year in jail. Onasanya will be sentenced at the Old Bailey at a future date. Under laws introduced in 2015 any prison term, even a suspended one, can trigger a recall petition. This can force a by-election if signed by 10 per cent of voters in a constituency. The Times Phillips calls on regulator to probe Greens lawyers Daily Telegraph New centre party hope to create volunteer army are committed to bringing together this divided nation and giving whatever it takes to unlock its potential. Mr Franks, the sole director of Project One Movement, the registered company underpinning United for Change, is a film producer who set up LoveFilm, the online rental service that was sold to Amazon. He donated to Labour under Mr Miliband. Leading Labour opponents of Jeremy Corbyn such as Chuka Umunna have distanced themselves from the party. The Times News in Brief: Why the Home Office cannot create a hostile environment for EU nationals Fraser Nelson, The Spectator The EUs war on what makes the internet great Oliver Wiseman, CapX How have we let scientific study become hate speech? Meghan Murphy, UnHerd A new centre party will be launched in the new year with a vow to win the next general election. United for Change, founded by the millionaire entrepreneur Simon Franks, wants to create a true grassroots movement that will practise politics without tribalism, confrontation, yelling and finger pointing. The party has been developed in secret for almost two years by businesspeople and political donors who want to take advantage of anti-political sentiment in Britain. In an 800-word message to early supporters sent before Christmas, the party declared: It is as clear as ever that Britain can do better than this. Ryan Wain, its new chief executive, wrote: Britain deserves better than this. That is the message United for Change will launch with in 2019. We For many months before Americas midterm elections, the conventional wisdom was that newly enthused Democrats, Republicans embarrassed by the antics of Donald Trump, and non-voters spurred into action by indignation at the state of their countrys leadership, would join forces to sweep the GOP from Capitol Hill. As we know, this did not quite come to pass. While the Democrats gained 40 districts to take control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans strengthened their hold on the Senate, making a net gain of two seats in the upper chamber. Hardly the rout that Democrats had predicted in fact, more like the tide flowing in both directions at once. Whats going on? The straightforward answer is that the state-wide Senate elections included Trump-friendly small-town and rural voters, with the GOP gains being made in states it had carried in 2016. The competitive House races, meanwhile, were heavily concentrated in prosperous suburbs of big cities, where people take a more sceptical view of the President. My research during the campaign, which included focus groups in some of the key districts across the country, from New Hampshire to California, helped to illuminate some of the deeper dynamics of the race, and offered some signposts for what to look out for next. Much about current American politics is explained by that fact that while criticisms of Trump focus largely on his personal behaviour, his supporters including those who were initially reluctant continue to separate this from his actions in office. Indeed, only one in three of those who voted for him mainly to stop Hillary Clinton say they approve of his character and personal conduct, but nearly nine in ten of them say they approve of what he is doing as President. This was confirmed throughout our midterm focus group research. As one woman in Iowa told us, Its like the CEO of the company I work for. I dont care if youre the nicest guy in the world. I care that were going to be successful and Im going to have a job from day to day. While critics are transfixed by his style, his electoral coalition is more interested in delivery. As for what they think is being delivered, our Iowans example holds true. Again and again our groups mentioned the performance of the economy, which many attribute to a pro-growth, anti-regulation presidential agenda. This was a crucial point for many of those who had voted for him only reluctantly two years ago. I thought he was a joke, a man in California told us. But being a blue-collar worker, being a construction worker, for commercial drivers the work has tripled for me since hes been in office. So for me, OK maybe Trump is immature and hes definitely not a politician, hes a businessman. Maybe thats what we needed. My pre-midterm survey found that when asked about various aspects of his performance, both his stronger and more hesitant supporters, as well as independents and voters as a whole, award Trump the highest marks on the economy and jobs. His combative approach to bringing back jobs to America, renegotiating NAFTA and confronting China over international trade, is an important part of his perceived record in this area as well as being, in the eyes of his coalition, an example of what can be achieved with a more robust attitude to diplomacy than they believed America has adopted for some time. The Presidents face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong-Un and the freeing of American prisoners from North Korea are regularly mentioned as further fruits of a tough and unapologetic stance. Two other issues have had a particularly galvanising effect on the Trump coalition. The first is his nominations to the Supreme Court, a matter whose importance to conservatives cannot be overstated. We found during the presidential election that this was a decisive factor for Republican-leaning voters otherwise sceptical of Trump, and he has fully delivered on their expectation that he would appoint conservative justices. Brett Kavanaughs explosive confirmation hearings in the weeks leading up to the midterms helped propel GOP turnout by reminding Republicans of the battle they were in. The second was border control, perfectly highlighted during the campaign by the migrant caravan wending its way to the American frontier from Honduras. Though Trumps hard-line approach to immigration has appalled its opponents and made some otherwise supportive voters uneasy, for his own people it falls into the category of promises delivered, as it has since the so-called Muslim ban in the very earliest weeks of his administration. All of these things help explain why the Trump coalition has held together as well as it has in the face of the furious controversy surrounding every day of his presidency, and why the midterms did not produce the Republican wipe-out many had predicted. But there has been some erosion, as the House results showed, and we must remember that two years ago he lost the popular vote and won by only a tiny margin in some of the states that gave him the edge in the electoral college. The 2020 race, then, looks wide open and depends on two things outside the Presidents direct control. One of these is the economy. To the extent that his support rests on growth and jobs, greater confidence and higher living standards, it could be vulnerable should these things fade. The point was made succinctly by John Kasich when I interviewed him in the Ohio Governors Mansion shortly before the November election: I know that one guy that I grew up with said the reason he likes Trump is because his 401k [retirement savings plan] is improved. Now I dont know what happens after the stock market tumbles. Does that mean he doesnt like him anymore? The other variable beyond his power to determine is how the Democrats decide to play things. They managed to turn out their supporters, engage previous non-voters (2018 turnout was higher than for any midterm election for more than a century) and persuade enough former Republicans to switch to capture key Congressional districts, but it is as easy to take the wrong lessons from victory as from defeat. The most misguided conclusion for them to draw would be that they are already on course for victory. The legendary Democratic campaigner Bob Shrum told me when I interviewed him in October that this danger was remote: I dont think after 2016 that there is the slightest chance that Democrats will ever again assume a presidential election is in the bag, at least those who were alive in 2016. As one who had declared on TV that no way no how, in no universe, not this one or an alternative one, could Donald Trump be President the United States, I dont think people are ever going to get that complacent again. But as I found in my pre-midterm survey, few Democrats believe the party needs to rethink its ideas, and most think the key to victory is enthusing non-voters and their own base rather than reaching out to those who voted for Trump, however reluctantly. And as we found speaking to Democrats in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, many are torn between the need to reassure moderate independent voters and their own yearning for a more liberal, progressive candidate and platform which could frighten away some of those who helped put them in charge of the House. In 2020, the identity of Trumps opponent will matter as much as his record in office. The next chapter in Americas political story looks set to be as enthralling as the last. Lord Ashcrofts research, commentary and interviews can be found at LordAshcroftPolls.com. Cynicism abounds. Yesterday evening, when the news broke that Edward Leigh is to be appointed to the Privy Council, there was speculation that this long-convinced Eurosceptic would now join his fellow appointees, Philip Dunne and Roger Gale, in supporting the Prime Ministers Brexit deal. Heaven forbid that journalists should be less hard-bitten than others, but there is reason not to jump to conclusions. John Hayes was panned after becoming a knight last month, but said afterwards that he cant support the deal as it stands. Meanwhile, Sir Edward has been promoting a particular take on the Northern Ireland backstop namely, that it cant be permanent under the wider provisions of the Vienna Law of Treaties. Furthermore, the claim that political honours are only being awarded to supporters of Theresa Mays deal is not supported by one of this mornings announcements. John Redwood is just about the last man imaginable to switch sides simply because he is to become Sir John Redwood. Or for any other reason. The Prime Minister has been careful not to recommend knighthoods for MPs from the same wing of the Party. The other Parliamentarian to be so honoured, Gary Streeter, is left-of-Tory-centre, a committed Christian and a social justice Conservative. He gave his fellow Tory MPs some shrewd advice via this site immediately after the last election. Being so, it has thus been more or less ignored apart from the glorious, concluding sentence: Dont die unless you have a majority of over 25,000. Sir John, as we must learn to call him, is a two-time Conservative leadership contender, has a first-rate mind, and isnt afraid to strike out on his own. He has been the most effective head of a Downing Street Policy Unit appointed to date, serving under Margaret Thatcher during the mid-1980s. There is no reason why either man should not be knighted and we thus send congratulations to both. Tim Dawson is a writer. He created and wrote three series of the hit BBC sitcom Coming of Age, and has contributed to several other comedy programmes on the BBC and elsewhere. The BBC has done it again. As the nation seeks a few days respite from division and argument, the BBC has launched their Yuletide adaptation of Agatha Christies The ABC Murders. Sadly, it exhibits much of what is wrong with both the Corporation and our wider cultural discourse. Naturally, the story has been reimagined as an anti-Brexit parable. Everything that makes Christie entertaining the wit, the twinkle, the twee contemporaneous details have been shorn away. The picture has been washed out: we have been treated to a portrait of a 1930s Britain overrun by fascism. (In reality, unlike on the continent, fascism gained little foothold in Britain; and was more likely to be mocked with its Spode-like popinjays in their preposterous uniforms than admired). Christie herself was of course a Conservative, of the even-tempered Burkean variety. So its hard to believe shed have sympathised with scriptwriter Sarah Phelps own strident, Junckerphile left-wing politics. To an BBC executive, this new mini-series conspicuous rejection of the source material may confer freshness: to many others, it will seem disrespectful. Packaging in an anti-Brexit crusade particularly now seems tin-eared and crass. There is an assumption amongst the high priests of the corporation that another sermon on the evils of Brexit/Conservatism/Fatcha (delete as applicable) is welcome. Yet the relationship between the BBC and its audience is growing ever more fractious. Perhaps the way in which the BBC is funded is fuelling the acrimony we are supposedly a liberal democracy, but we are forced to pay a regressive tax to maintain a state broadcaster. More likely, it is the nature of the broadcasting we are compelled to pay for. The corporation has never been more political. From its Christmas blockbuster drama to its woefully underperforming comedy output, to its obsession with diversity quotas the corporations left-wing, metropolitan agenda is at the heart of everything it does. And viewers are switching off in droves. This is part of a wider cultural trend. Our universities once world-leading beacons of critical thought have been reformed by thousands of low-grade academics into left-wing madrassas. On social media, militant campaigners hunt down any defiance of the New Orthodoxy, and organise punishment pile-ons. It is ironic that, 50 years after the abnegation of the Lord Chamberlains role in censoring live theatre, actors and academics, students and socialists, find themselves at the forefront of a new movement to curtail free thought and expression. State industry quickly begins to operate in the interests of the producer rather than the consumer. Both the BBC and our higher education sector now reflect this universal rule. Some University Vice-Chancellors are earning three or four times the Prime Ministers salary. An Executive Producer may expect to earn 200-250,000 a year. Meanwhile, graduates are leaving inauspicious institutions with valueless degrees; and the BBCs Christmas viewing figures have been so poor that, even in the upper echelons of Broadcasting House usually impervious to anything so vulgar as public opinion alarms bells will be ringing. Conservatives are squeamish about a culture war. But the hard left is waging one, and our only choice is whether to cede more territory or enter the fray. Achieving a cultural rebalance will mean tackling the corporation and higher education simultaneously. The truth is that we have far too many universities, offering far too many degrees which will be of little value to an employer. Attempting to corral 50 per cent of school-leavers into university has been a mistake; unsuitable for many, and creating a bloated and unwieldy sector which is not delivering to the needs of either students, companies or wider society. Reform should pivot around marketisation. Universities should be forced to publish details of what graduates from each of their courses can expect to earn and the chances of finding gainful employment in the months after theyve left. We should encourage sponsorship of individual students by potential employers. Such institutions as the University of Buckingham a successful private university which offers many undergraduate degrees in two years instead of three should be learned from, and public universities incentivised to follow their example. The BBC must also drag itself into the modern world. That doesnt mean employees wandering around in LGBT+ ally badges (how appallingly patronising), but the organisation engaging with the reality of its position. As Anthony Jay (producer, Thatcherite and co-writer of Yes, Minister) noted in his 2008 Centre for Policy Studies report How to Save the BBC, a corporation run by a liberal elite for a liberal elite will lose the faith of those who pay for it. He suggested that quality should be at the heart of the BBCs output and, since quality can only be measured by viewing figures, this meant dropping the left-wing cant and catering to popular tastes. He also proposed that the license fee should be reduced, and funnelled into a slimmed-down range of channels. We could go further switching to a subscription model which would allow the BBC to continue to pursue its political agenda unfettered, as it would only be beholden to those who choose to pay for it. Ultimately, the corporation can only expect to sit at the heart of our cultural life if it is aware of its audience. That means bringing salaries under control; abandoning the relentless identity politics; and creating programmes which reflect, rather than lecture, the nation. Entering the cultural melee on behalf of ordinary voters represents an obvious opportunity for Conservatives. The luvvies may not appreciate it; but taxpayers will. Its as easy as ABC. We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. 100% Website webdigitronix.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Boostrap. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 58854 bytes (57.47 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-08-29, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The trend began in the late 1970s thanks to Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Rohingya militants developed close ties with Bangladeshi, Afghan and Pakistani groups. Today's main Rohingya military organisation has its roots in Karachi. Dhaka (AsiaNews/Agencies) Rohingya refugees are being courted by Middle East and South Asia extremist groups, a trend that could turn Bangladesh's overflowing refugee camps into a new source of regional instability, this according to many observers, including Bertil Lintner. The Swedish journalist notes out that the radicalisation of Rohingyas, which began in the late 1970s, finds fertile ground in a permanent refugee population. The border region is thus exposed to possible new cross-border attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which in August 2017 led to a violent offensive by the Myanmar military in the Rohingya areas of the Rakhine State. According to Lintner, the danger is that various local Islamist groups might come together, with serious implications for the internal security of Bangladesh, which is set to hold elections on Sunday. The situation today is not new. In 1978 and 1991-1992, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to escape sectarian violence. In 1978, the immensely wealthy Saudi charity Rabitat-al-Alam-al-Islami sent aid to the refugees and built a hospital, mosque and madrasa for them at Ukhia, south of Coxs Bazar in south-eastern Bangladesh. Saudi religious teachers arrived in Ukhia, setting off the radicalisation of some Rohingya leaders and activists. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), the main militant group among them, forged links with the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and, especially, its even more radical youth wing, the Islami Chhatra Shibir. With these new connections, the RSO contacted Hizb-e-Islami in Afghanistan and likeminded groups in Pakistan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Afghan instructors came to an RSO camp near Ukhia, whilst about a hundred RSO militants went to Afghanistan for military training with Hizb-e-Islami in Khost province. Todays main political and military organisation among the Rohingyas, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) or, as it is better known locally, Harakah al-Yaqin (the Faith Movement), has its roots in radical milieus in Karachi, Pakistan. There, several hundred thousand first, second and third generation Rohingyas, many descendants of Muslims who left Myanmar after World War II, live in impoverished suburbs, involved in illegal activities, some recruited to fight in Afghanistan. ARSAs leader, Ataullah abu Ammar Junjuni, also known as Hafiz Tohar, was born in Karachi and went to a madrasa in Saudi Arabia. According to recent reports from the camps in Bangladesh, the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), an Islamic organisation operating in Bangladesh which is listed as a terror group in the United Kingdom, is trying to build links with the Rohingyas. The Bangladesh Daily Star reported on 13 December that the countrys Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit had arrested three JMB members for providing training to Rohingya refugees. If proven, these accusations could provoke a militant response if Myanmars civil and military authorities refuse to grant refugees their demands, like citizenship and justice. BRIDGEPORT City detectives have re-arrested the 15-year-old they say is responsible for the shooting of three people Tuesday night. The teen was arrested on a warrant and charged with three counts of first-degree assault and weapons offenses, Bridgeport Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said in a statement Friday. Due to his age, the suspects name was not provided. Six shots were fired Tuesday in the area of 915 North Ave., the location of a gas station and convenience store. Three people were hit by gunfire, Fitzgerald said, and treated at St. Vincents Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. Police arrested the 15-year-old that night, but he was released into the custody of his parents. In cases like one this, Police Chief Armando Perez said earlier this week, police generally work with a judge to ensure the juvenile is kept in custody because of the seriousness of the crime. But that didnt happen with Tuesdays assailant, and Perez said he was unsure why. The 15-year-old, police said, is the brother of one of four people arrested in connection with the recent murder of 12-year-old Clinton Howell. But, Fitzgerald said, the two shootings are unrelated. Howell was killed Dec. 18 when he was struck by a bullet during a drive-by shooting in front of his Willow Street home. Police repeatedly said he was not the intended target and was not connected to an ongoing dispute between the assailants and the intended victim, his cousin. Police have charged 18-year-old Tajay Chambers, 16-year-old Alexander Bolanos and a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old in connection with Howells homicide. Being 18, Chambers will face the charges as an adult. A judge also ordered Bolanos to be tried as an adult for his role in the killing. The cases for the other two are being processed in state juvenile court. DURHAM - A local man was arrested after police said he beat his former girlfriends puppy to death and buried it in the backyard. Clinton Stewart, 38, was charged with cruelty to animals, sale of narcotics and use of drug paraphernalia. Connecticut has entered into a landmark agreement with neighboring states to help battle climate change and reduce auto emissions by creating a new system to fund regional transportation improvements. The nine states and Washington D.C. pledged to spend the next year developing a cap-and-invest system in which the worst pollution emitters will pay into a pool thats used to lower overall emissions. Do not be fooled by the climate change deniers in Washington, climate change is real and if we do not take significant action now to reduce carbon emissions the harm to our economy, communities and the planet will be irrevocable, said outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Claire Coleman, a climate and energy attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said the regional approach established by the Transportation & Climate Initiative is a good way to lessen climate change. Transportation is the largest contributor of emissions in Connecticut, and pollutants from dirty cars hurt our residents especially those in low-income communities, Coleman said. The states Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont agreed to create caps on transportation related emissions and require fuel distributors to buy pollution permits for the carbon they produce. New York and Maine are also expected to join the initiative; its not yet clear if New Hampshire will also join. The initiative runs counter to President Donald Trumps stance on climate change and auto emissions. Trump has questioned whether climate change science is accurate and proposed relaxing auto emission standards nationwide, a move being opposed by Connecticut and other states. Limits and fees The multistate agreement is expected to result in a program similar to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a nine-state cap-and-invest system for power plant emissions. Since 2005, the RGGI has lowered power plant emissions by about 40 percent by requiring companies to pay a fee if they exceed emission limits. That money is used to help fund carbon-free projects such as solar and wind power and upgrades at existing power plants. Applying the concept to auto and transportation emissions could increase costs to motorists by an average of about $6 a month, some experts believe. The states would use the revenue to help fund a variety of transportation projects, including infrastructure for electric vehicles, expanding public transit, carpooling, driverless cars and bike lanes. A cap-and-invest program could unleash billions of dollars to deliver the overdue improvements this region needs, said Jordan Stutt, carbon programs director for the Acadia Center, an environmental advocacy group based in Boston, which is active in Connecticut. A spokesman for Gov-elect Ned Lamont did not respond to a request for comment on the initiative. Lamont so far has been supportive of Malloys environmental moves and is expected to deploy similar policies. His transition group on environment issues called for Connecticut to take the lead in regional carbon-pricing programs and said in its report, Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time. Bruce Ho, a senior advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said transportation emissions are key to combatting climate change. This commitment from Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to transform and modernize our aging transportation from cleaner cars and trucks to more efficient buses, trains, and walkable and bikeable communities will make us safer and healthier and help meet the transportation needs of all residents, Ho said. Clean energy Malloy announced last week that the state accepted new bids from the Millstone Nuclear Plant to directly sell carbon-free electricity to the states electric distributors. A bid from the Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire was also accepted. Millstone has sought higher priced, clean energy contracts for some time, arguing that the low price it now receives from the commodities market threatens the long-term survival of the facility. Coleman said the Connecticut Fund for the Environment is disappointed the clean energy projects selected by the state are dominated by nuclear plants. The future is off-shore wind, solar, geothermal and smart strategies for efficiency and energy storage but the small investments in these newer resources compared to the heavy investment in nuclear largely dont reflect that, Coleman said. Rob Klee, outgoing commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, defended the decision by stressing the future of Millstone is at stake. We agreed with [electric regulators] that the Millstone nuclear facility is at risk of early retirement, Klee said. We remain committed to keeping this valuable zero-carbon resource, provided that it is affordable. DEEP has directed Eversource and United Illuminating to negotiate a price with Millstone that reflects a reasonable rate of return for its owner, Dominion Energy. bcummings@ctpost.com Collect college credit for growing weed? The dreams of generations of potheads are coming true at UConn, starting in January. In the upcoming semester, UConn undergraduate students hundreds of them will study how to grow cannabis, though not necessarily the kind that can get people high. Professors believe theirs is the nations first university course on the horticulture of cannabis and several others in the industry could not identify another one. Its either rare or unique, said Karen OKeefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group. Over 400 eager students are enrolled in the new class, said Gerald Berkowitz, a plant molecular biologist at the University of Connecticut who is teaching the course at the main Storrs campus. The course will apply agricultural science - germination, grafting, irrigation, plant diseases - to cannabis from seed to harvest, the syllabus released Friday says. The course isnt designed to help potheads grow a stash. On the contrary, in Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems 3995, students will cultivate hemp cannabis, not the marijuana strains that contain high levels of THC, the psychoactive compound. The course is part of a push at UConn and many other universities to work more closely with employers. Connecticut has recently expanded its medicinal marijuana program and lawmakers who favor full legalization are preparing a strong effort in the upcoming legislative session. And its fitting, as UConn was founded as an agricultural college. Berkowitz asked: If not here, where? If not now, when? He decided to start the course after taking students to the greenhouses of Cure A Leaf, a marijuana grower in Simsbury. Company executives told him their head growers were self-taught experts - the kind who grew weed in their basements as rebellious teens. It was pretty much a no-brainer to go the university and go lets jump on this, Berkowitz said. There is a virtually a black hole of cannabis horticulture in the United States. There is no refereed science about all the claims people make about products. None of it is subjected to scholarship For a university professor, its pretty clear we need to turn the lights on. To that end, universities across the United States have offered courses on marijuana, but teaching students the best ways to grow cannabis represents a new frontier. Possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana is an infraction in Connecticut, not a misdemeanor. Growing marijuana, the psychoactive kind, remains illegal here for all but a small handful of licensed producers. But the 2014 federal Farm Bill gave universities permission to grow hemp cannabis for research purposes. And like the plants UConn students will soon grow, the cannabis industry is flourishing. The 2018 Farm Bill, signed by President Donald Trump last week, expanded legal hemp production to farmers. Connecticut farmers want in on the action and are pushing Governor-elect Ned Lamont to help them get started. And when they need cannabis horticulturalists, UConn will have them. Other colleges are getting on board, too. Northern Michigan University launched a four-year degree program in 2017 in medicinal plant chemistry. Other universities, including Harvard, the University of Denver, Vanderbilt and Ohio State, offer marijuana policy and law classes. And the industry fully backs turning students on to cannabis studies. Berkowitz received two grants for several hundred thousand dollars from cannabis companies to support his research and the class, he said. In class, students will hear from cannabis businesses, too. Matthew Debacco, a former UConn graduate student who has worked in the industry, will co-teach the class with Berkowitz. Lecturers will include medical growers, a vendor of cannabinoids various derivations of the plant and a Canadian marijuana venture capitalist. Hemp is already growing at UConn for undergrad and graduate research projects, said Berkowitz, whose lab has blossomed in popularity with the new addition. Trending in High Times magazine does wonders for a plant biologists name recognition, Berkowitz quips. It helps, too, when his research students are getting jobs growing and testing cannabis after graduation. Canada, Massachusetts, and nine other states have legalized adult-use marijuana without a medical reason. Connecticuts leading opponent of full legalization said he doesnt oppose the horticultural class. Generally speaking, if it is a course to teach hemp, which is a recognized agricultural product, then I do not see an issue, said state Rep. Vin Candelora, R-North Branford. With the debate we are having around the legalization of marijuana, obviously, it is going to be a politically charged course. Candelora understands that the skills students learn could be used to grow weed on their own. But he said, We hope people follow the law. Joseph Giulietti has walked every mile of the Metro North railroad track in his three decades working in Connecticuts rail industry. After bootstrapping his way up from foreman and engineer, the 66-year old, former Metro North president sees commuter rail as a states economic driver. That belief will now drive his policy as Connecticuts next Department of Transportation commissioner, where he will also supervise the states roads. The choice of Giulietti is a sign of that rail is a centerpiece of Gov.-elect Ned Lamonts plan for Connecticuts revival. Lamont highlighted his opinion that substantially reducing travel time from New Haven and our other towns to New York City is crucial, with Giuliettis appointment. On an average weekday, 135,000 people board Metro North trains, DOT data shows. I am really looking forward to working with this governor. He comes off very, very progressive," Giulietti said in an interview Friday. "I believe this is a relationship that is going to work very well because I know what he wants to see going forward. Giulietti, who grew up in New Haven, played coy with his exact priorities for DOT, but improving rail speed and reliability on Metro North seem to be high on the list. That could be achieved by analyzing and adjusting the Metro North tracks to minimize curves and drawbridges that cause trains to slow down, Giulietti said. A deal with the Long Island Rail Road to allow Metro North trains into New Yorks Penn Station in 2022 or 2023 could expand the lines near-bursting capacity, too. The son of a post office superintendent, he gave a long, hearty laugh when asked why he wanted the job of transportation commissioner. You cant find someone who is more invested in the state, he said. I enjoy a challenge. Hands-on in crisis Giulietti is widely respected among transportation observers for improving Metro Norths safety after a series of accidents in Bridgeport, New Haven and the Bronx in 2013 and 2014, bolstering his reputation and the railroads as a result. He got his first job at Penn Central, which ran the Connecticut rails in 1971, when he was a Southern Connecticut State University student, thanks to a neighbor who was a union leader. Giulietti wanted to be a teacher and was in the SCSU education program until the school ended it. After college, Giulietti became a locomotive engineer and moved to Boston with his wife, another SCSU graduate. He returned to his home state in the late 1970s to become Stamfords trainmaster system superintendent, dealing with a host of daily disruptions as the railroads transitioned from focusing on freight to passengers. In 1998, he relocated to South Florida to run Tri Rail, anticipating he would only stay a few years. He stayed 16. In 2014, he came back north to run Metro North amid a safety crises, burnishing his reputation as a hands-on and at times undercover boss. After his retirement in 2017, he worked as an independent consultant for several state transportation agencies and studied ways to improve speeds on Metro Norths New Haven line. At odds with boss? Indirectly, Lamont asked Giuletti to join his transition team for transportation after the November election. The request led to a conversation and finally a job offer. To get someone of the caliber of Joe Guilietti who is highly respected in the transportation field is real get for the governor, said Joe McGee, vice president of the Fairfield County Business Council. Ironically, it is Giuliettis transition team work that may put him at odds with his new boss. The group, including Giuletti, supported highway tolls on all cars and trucks, while Lamont has repeatedly said he only wants to toll tractor-trailer trucks. It also called for a possible increase in the gasoline tax, which Lamont opposes. The team also said the state should consider expanding Tweed-New Haven Airport and possibly Sikorsky Memorial Airport, perhaps under an expanded Connecticut Airport Authority. Its all items that are being discussed, Giulietti said. Were sitting down and making recommendations and Im sure you are going to be hearing from the governor on those items. High subsidies or cheap dollars? Giulietti, who expanded the Floridas Tri Rail System, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, from 28 trains a day to 50, believes when it comes to transportation, if you built it, they will come - a phrase he repeated more than once Friday. He applauded Connecticuts investments in the Springfield-to-New Haven CTRail trains, which cost $769 million to build, and an estimated $44 million to run in this, its first year. Thats a subsidy per passenger that could exceed $60, but if ridership multiplies and the line spurs massive development, it will pay off. At some point in the future, those will seem like cheap dollars, Giulietti said. The investments expanded the CTRail line to 17 round trips a day between New Haven and Hartford, more than the old limited Amtrak-service. Weekday ridership since June averaged 1,945 boardings, DOT spokeman Judd Everhart said, exceeding expectations. Opening the CTRail line, as well as CTFastrak buses and completion of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on I-95 in New Haven, stand among DOTs top accomplishments during the Malloy administration, Everhart said. These feats, performed by a Department short staffed by nearly 500 people, prompt some to wonder why the current DOT commissioner, Jim Redeker - himself a former rail man for NJ Transit - could not continue his work, as he told some people he had hoped to do. I think that Jim Redeker was an excellent commissioner and I am disappointed that Gov.-elect Lamont did not keep him on, said Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a Hearst Connecticut Media columnist. He has been the best commissioner in the last couple of decades. But state Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, co-chair of the legislatures transportation committee, said, Everyone wants to come in with a new slate, their own people. Giulietti and Redeker have not met since the announcement of Giuliettis appointment on Dec. 20, Everhart said. Giulietti will have a new tool unavailable to Redeker: a lock box, approved by voters in the November election, guarding the states special transportation funds from other budget raidings. Since 2005, roughly $500 million was diverted from the Special Transportation Fund by lawmakers that instead put the money toward general government spending. Despite that, he will face the struggle of trying to find upwards of $1 billion a year needed to unlock several times that amount in potential funding from Washington to bring the states aging infrastructure up to good repair. That in includes more than 300 structurally deficient bridges. Rail, too, needs improvements to grow. Schedules between the New Haven and CTRail lines need to be aligned for a shorter journey from Stamford to Hartford, McGee and Cameron said, and that requires track work. The CTRail line needs more train cars. Bringing the Metro North rails up to a state of good repair at least a $100 million project could improve reliability and cut times, McGee said. This has got to be one seamless system that works for the rider, he said. Now we have someone whos real expertise is in rail and how to make rail work well, and thats a real economic driver for Connecticut. Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Giuliettis father was a police sergeant. He was a post office superintendent. Erie has a child care 'crisis.' But help could be on the way I have been meaning to write a column extolling the work of Barbara Underwood, who has been the New York state attorney general for several months now. She has proven herself to be one of the best occupants of that office ever. Her work following up on the misdeeds of the Trump Foundation has been extraordinary. Unfortunately, her time has been limited and she will be replaced by the incoming AG, Letitia James. James promises to work assiduously, presumably in the same fashion as Underwood. Well just have to see about that. As a result of some criticism because Andrew Cuomo backed her, James has been somewhat defensive, claiming that she will be fiercely independent and her own person. We can only hope so and will keep our eyes open as to whether that protestation ends up ringing true. In the meantime, like Andrew Cuomo, James seems to be signaling that her fire will be concentrated on Donald Trump. Thats good. But since New York politics has proven to be quite a cesspool of corruption and she will be the cop on the beat when it comes to going on sleaze patrol, we can only hope that she keeps her eye on New York, where, after all, she will be the chief attorney, right? Dont hold your breath. A recent news item caught many of our eyes. We heard that New York will drop its state charges against Alain Kaloyeros, who was recently convicted on federal corruption charges. Some folks are concerned about that move for a number of reasons. The first is that Kaloyeros is appealing the federal conviction charges and may beat the rap. If he does, why would New York have dropped its charges? Doesnt make any sense. Thats why we have something in this country called dual federalism. Law enforcement in the state is different from that in the federal government. Different crimes, different laws. After all, if Kaloyeros broke state law, why wouldnt the state want to pursue its own charges? While I have great regard for Attorney General Underwood, this move does seem pretty premature. In fact, I am sure that it has occurred to all watchers of anti-corruption practices in New York that it seems to fall to the feds to police the politicians. Thats why so many folks have been suspicious of the incoming Tish James. While many of you have high regard for the work of Governor Cuomo on some major policy issues, there are still some names like Joe Percoco, Todd Howe and the aforementioned Kaloyeros. These were not federal officials, they were players smack in the center of New York politics. You will remember that Kaloyeros was convicted in July on wire fraud and bid rigging charges in matters around awarding of contracts as part of the Buffalo Billions program, a signature effort of the Cuomo administration. Clearly all of this was well known to New Yorkers who overwhelmingly voted for Cuomo in the last election. Although these corrupt players were close to Cuomo, he said that these crooks let him down and he was personally distressed. We can take the governor at his word. He will not be the first person who was let down by top aides, but it still reminds us that the office of the attorney general has to be fiercely independent from the major players in government, and that, of course, includes Cuomo. We have a state constitution that divides up government so that the different officers like the attorney general and the comptroller can watch each other. Thats one of the reasons why the governor and the Legislature had no business cutting the pre-audit function of the state comptroller. Many people believe that Percoco and Howe would have been stopped in their tracks had Tom DiNapoli been allowed to do his job. I get the governors role in this but the Legislature? That was disgraceful. An article recently appeared in the Daily Local News which described an Attempted Homicide in graphic detail that occurred in a residential community for senior citizens in East Goshen Township, Chester County. Since the appearance of that article, I have received numerous inquiries from residents concerned about the dramatic differences in the information released by the police department in comparison to the graphic information that was in the newspaper article. The purpose of this letter is to provide an explanation to the citizens served by this police department. It is important to understand that the contents of the article were based upon the charging document filed by the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department with the court system. In accordance with the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions, a police officer is required to provide specific detail in the charging document when criminal offenses are filed against an individual. Once the criminal charges are filed with the court system, they become public information. Subsequently, any person can access that information and publicize it in any manner that they choose. The newspaper article is a result of that ability. Police departments across the nation are currently faced with the dilemma of demonstrating transparency while simultaneously protecting the right to privacy of victims of crime. It is a delicate balance that our department has sought to establish through the use of its press releases, website, and social media. Citizens who visit these sites will note that we include only general information regarding crimes and arrests that will help them to be aware of the criminal activity that is occurring in their community. However, it is equally important to note what information our police department does not provide to the public. We do not provide the names of victims, graphic details of crimes, or any information that would be embarrassing or harmful to the victim and their families. For example, we provide limited information for sexual offenses, domestic violence offenses, offenses against children, etc. This omission is intentional and is specifically designed to ensure that we do not further traumatize the victim. The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department is cognizant that most of our calls for service occur when something has gone wrong in someones life. Our officers are consequently fully aware that they are interacting with citizens at a time when they are vulnerable. The information that we release to the public is based upon this awareness. We were therefore disappointed that any entity would choose to publicize such graphic information because it is unfair to the victim and the victims family. These individuals did not commit any crime and yet deeply personal details of their lives were shared with an entire community. The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department would like to assure the citizens that we serve that we will continue to exercise discretion in what information is released to the public. However, as indicated above, we cannot control what is disseminated by other entities. In summary, it is our opinion that simply because you can release information does not always mean that you should. Brenda M. Bernot Westtown-East Goshen Chief of Police For Christmas this year, a Georgia grandmother decided to participate in a sexy boudoir shoot for her husband. But while Lisa Bishop gamely dressed up in lacy lingerie and put on her best sultry poses, the 55-year-old also insisted on featuring her fabulous sense of humor, too. So while the avid crocheter from Bremen played up her sex appeal, she did so in a bathtub filled with colorful yarn. Saucy! Lisa Bishop from Bremen, Georgia agreed to let her photographer daughter stage a boudoir shoot Too funny! The avid crocheter did it on the condition that she could showcase her sense of humor She posed in lingerie in a bath tub full of yarn, holding up a darning needle Lisa decided to do the shoot as a Christmas gift for her husband Mike, at the suggestion of their daughter Samantha Bishop. Samantha is a photographer at Roaming Magnolias Photography and floated the idea to her mom. 'Theyve been together about 32 years. They drive each other crazy like any couple, but they definitely love each other,' Samantha told the Huffington Post. 'My moms an avid crocheter, and so when I said she should do a boudoir shoot, she said only if she can do it in a bathtub full of yarn. 'She thought it was hilarious, and wanted to do it for my dad for Christmas.' Granny fave! In one frame, she had Werther's Originals rain down on her legs Snap, snap! Her daughter, Samantha, took the pictures after suggesting the boudoir theme Something special! The photos were a gift for Lisa's husband Mike for Christmas 'Theyve been together about 32 years. They drive each other crazy like any couple, but they definitely love each other,' Samantha said So the two set the whole thing up. Lisa put on a black lace bra but kept her hair in rollers. She slipped into a tub which had been filled with yarn in different colors, while crocheting magazines sat on the edge. They even put a lamp on the side of the tub for better light, and Lisa held a darning needle up to her mouth. In one shot, Lisa kicks up her feet while Werthers Originals butterscotch candies rain down on her. Samantha was also there when her mom gave her dad the photos, in order to capture his reaction. Loving it! Samantha was there to capture her dad Mike's reaction 'He laughed, and smiled like a schoolboy,' she said, adding that when he noticed there were blank pages in the back, he exclaimed, 'Oh good, theres room for more' Mike loved it, flipping through a book containing all the pictures. 'He laughed, and smiled like a schoolboy,' Samantha said, adding that when he noticed there were blank pages in the back, he exclaimed, 'Oh good, theres room for more.' The photographer also shared the images on Facebook, where they've been liked 57,000 times so far. 'I call this series "Grandma: Gone Wild,"' she wrote. 'Peep his adorable schoolboy reaction at the end. Literally made this whole thing 1000x better.' Following a skincare routine is a daily ritual for most women. But with so many lotions and potions on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to find the right product that actually works for your skin. And among them have been a huge number of cult favourites that have been praised by beauty aficionados the world over. From a facial cleansing device that promises a 'younger-looking complexion' to an $11 spray loved by celebrities, Sephora Australia reveals the best-selling skincare products of 2018. Sephora Australia reveals the best-selling skincare products of 2018 Touted as the night cream of lip balms, women are raving about the 'Lip Sleeping Mask' by Korean beauty brand Laneige Laneige - Lip Sleeping Mask: $26 Touted as the night cream of lip balms, women are raving about the 'Lip Sleeping Mask' by Korean beauty brand Laniege. The product promises to rejuvenate your dry chapped lips overnight by removing dead skin cells while infusing them with intense hydration. 'Inject ultra-dry lips with intense hydration overnight with this new vitamin-rich, moisture-locking mask,' the brand said. 'While you sleep, the sweetly fragrant formula removes dead skin cells while infusing lips with berry extracts, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid so lips are supple and smooth by the time you wake up.' One woman posted: 'This lip mask saves me from dry chapped lips every time. No matter the issue you have with your lips, this sleeping mask will have your lips plump and kissable the next day guaranteed! Love it.' Dr. Jart+ - Mask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution: $7 The Mask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution by Dr.Jart+ deeply hydrates, replenishes, and protects skin's own moisture The Mask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution by Dr.Jart+ deeply hydrates, replenishes, and protects skin's own moisture. Made of fine cellulose fiber, the lightweight, transparent mask allows pores to fully absorb essential nutrients and moisturizing ingredients for an ultimate hydration therapy. It immediately hydrates dry skin due to lack of moisture while aquaxyla patent moisturising ingredient - enhances moisture retention and strengthen barrier function. 'This mask is absolutely amazing! It really locks the moisture in. I put on the mask before I go to sleep and the next day my skin feels really moisturised. The dry patch on my skin was gone too! Left my skin feeling soft and flows. Loved it,' one wrote. Foreo - Luna Mini 2: $219 Foreo Luna Mini 2 is a waterproof device that deeply cleanses all skin types for a younger-looking complexion Foreo Luna Mini 2 is a waterproof device that deeply cleanses all skin types for a younger-looking complexion. The product uses pulsations to effectively purify the skin with a non-abrasive silicone brush that gently washes the face. The touch-points are ultra-flexible to glide across skin without overstretching it and ultra-long to reach areas that are typically hard to cleanse. With eight intensity settings, it's easy to create a completely customised cleansing routine. 'I look forward to using this every night... It doesn't feel harsh on my skin but my face feels so so soft after using this. Definitely worth the investment,' one shopper raved. Pixi - Glow Tonic: $28 Pixi's Glow Tonic has been described as a 'gently exfoliating toner' for 'more even, brighter and clearer' complexion, ideal for all skin types Pixi's Glow Tonic has been described as a 'gently exfoliating toner' for 'more even, brighter and clearer' complexion, ideal for all skin types. The cult-favourite product removes dead skin cells to reveal healthy glowing skin and a refined texture that looks and feels smooth. The hypoallergenic formula is made with botanical extracts, including aloe vera and ginseng, to soothe sensitive skin. 'I love it!! This glow tonic changed my life. Definitely feels my face getting more bright and glow than usual,' one shopper said. Ole Henriksen - Banana Bright Eye Creme: $55 Ole Henriksen's Banana Bright Eye Creme targets signs of ageing, reduces the look of dark circles and improves concealer application and wear Ole Henriksen's Banana Bright Eye Creme targets signs of ageing, reduces the look of dark circles and improves concealer application and wear. The product instantly targets fine lines and wrinkles and reduces the look of dark circles, delivering age-defying results. Collagen-boosted, it firms and deeply hydrates even as it feels deliciously lightweight. Formulated with powerful vitamin C, it helps revive and illuminate the entire eye area over time. 'Love this eye cream! Great texture and love the banana shade which does help to reduce the appearance of dark circles. Overall a great eye cream to keep your eye area hydrated and keep dark circles plus wrinkles away,' one woman wrote. Tarte - Drink Of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturiser: $48 Designed to replenish dry complexion, Tarte's Drink Of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturiser helps restore natural hydration for skin that's fortified, refreshed, and healthier-looking Designed to replenish dry complexion, Tarte's Drink Of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturiser helps restore natural hydration for skin that's fortified, refreshed, and healthier-looking. The lightweight formula absorbs into skin, leaving no oily or greasy residue behind. Powerful marine antioxidants help skin defend itself against everyday aggressors like pollution and sun exposure, while skin-balancing properties help boost the firmness, tone, and vitality over time. 'I absolutely love this moisturiser. I used to have very dry skin that peels often. But ever since using this, my skin has become better and more moisturised. it's my daily morning regime to include this in,' one beauty buff said. Fresh - Soy Face Cleanser: $20 Fresh's Soy Face Cleanser is an 'extra-gentle gel cleanser' that instantly whisks away everyday impurities and makeup-even mascara-without stripping the skin of essential moisture Fresh's Soy Face Cleanser is an 'extra-gentle gel cleanser' that instantly whisks away everyday impurities and makeup-even mascara-without stripping the skin of essential moisture. Perfect for all skin types, the multi-tasking formula also works to tone, soothe, and soften the skin for a radiant, healthy-looking complexion. 'This is probably my sixth time getting this. I can't live without it. Highly recommend. Super gentle and cleansing!! It's so refreshing and my skin feels so clean and fresh after using,' one woman wrote. Caudalie - Grape Water: $11 A cult favorite among makeup artists and celebrities, Caudalie's Grape Water provides immediate benefit of +127 percent hydration and -61 percent skin sensitivity upon use A cult favorite among makeup artists and celebrities, Caudalie's Grape Water provides immediate benefit of +127 percent hydration and -61 percent skin sensitivity upon use. Perfect for sensitive skin, the versatile product can be used as a toner after cleansing, as a setting spray before applying makeup, or to refresh and hydrate the skin throughout the day. Extracted directly from pure grapes, the water soothes rosacea and reduces redness. One beauty lover said: 'This leaves my skin fresh, moisturised and it minimised some of my redness. It sprays evenly each time with a face covering fine mist. I also use this as a setting spray and it gives a dewy natural finish without disturbing the makeup.' Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion: $29 Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ helps strengthen skin's own moisture barrier by 54 per cent, so more moisture stays in Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ helps strengthen skin's own moisture barrier by 54 per cent, so more moisture stays in. Dermatologist-developed formula combines all-day hydration with skin-strengthening ingredients to help skin look younger, longer and protects from premature ageing. 'I stumbled across the lotion a year ago and have never looked back. I've gone from oily acne prone skin to clear skin almost overnight. Makes a massive difference for sensitive skin as it's light but super moisturising,' one shopper posted. Peter Thomas Roth - 24k Gold Mask: $108 Peter Thomas Roth's 24k Gold Mask promises to soften fine lines and wrinkles for a younger, brighter appearance Peter Thomas Roth's 24k Gold Mask promises to soften fine lines and wrinkles for a younger, brighter appearance. The luxurious gold mask pampers skin of all types for the lift needed to look extra radiant and refreshed. It re-energise the complexion for a gorgeous and smooth look daily. The product contains peridot - an exquisite gemstone rich in magnesium, that re-energises and helps reduce the aging effects of stress. One beauty buff wrote: 'This is by far my favourite anti-ageing mask on the market and I've tried out a fair few of them! It helps do brighten the skin, diminish fine lines and wrinkles and overall tightens the skin! I would definitely recommend.' Holly Willoughby has been crowned Beauty Icon of 2018, beating off favourites such as Kate Middleton and the Queen. In a new poll among Superdrug customers, the mother-of-three, 37, topped the chart with 25 per cent of the vote, beating the likes of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton to the top spot. Appearing on screens across the nation with her low-key, fresh-faced makeup looks and love for a high street hair dye, the This Morning and I'm a Celeb presenter has become a daily dose of beauty inspiration for women across the country. Others who were recognised for their beauty and proving that age is nothing but a number were the Queen, 92, and Helen Mirren, 73. Mum-of-three Holly Willoughby has been named beauty icon of the year in a new poll amongst Superdrug customers. Topping the charts with 25 per cent of the vote, the public loved her fresh-faced makeup looks and penchant for a high street hair dye. Above, Holly looking natural in the Australian jungle Flying the flag for growing old gracefully, Helen Mirren took a well-deserved second place with 12 per cent of the vote, while the ever elegant Duchess of Cambridge, placed joint third, with nine per cent alongside Adele. Back in 2008, the 73-year-old actress broke the internet when a photo of her looking toned in a red bikini on holiday in Puglia surfaced. Since then, she has been a vocal advocate of women embracing the ageing process and putting their foot down at fighting wrinkles. The oldest icon on the list, Her Majesty the Queen, came in joint fifth place with Jennifer Lopez - with five per cent of the vote. Helen Mirren, 73, flew the flag for growing old gracefully and received 12 per cent of the vote - beating the Duchess of Cambridge in the poll. Above, pictured at 'The House that Ghosts Built' film photocall in Rome, Italy on 13th February The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured in Sandringham on Christmas Day) has updated her style since returning from maternity leave and placed third in the poll Despite being 92 years old, the Queen is proof that age is nothing but a number as she is still considered a beauty icon. Above, photographed on Christmas Day at the church service in Sandringham, Norfolk The Queen beat Meghan Markle by one percent in the poll. The Duchess of Sussex was all smiles on October 26 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga during her official 16-day Autumn tour with the Duke of Sussex It just goes to show that her iconic and glamorous look is still admired by many some 65 years after she came to the throne. Joining the other two royals in the top ten is Meghan Markle. The full top 10 Holly Willoughby 25 per cent Helen Mirren 12 per cent Kate Middleton 9 per cent Adele 9 per cent Michelle Keegan 8 per cent Jennifer Lopez 5 per cent The Queen 5 per cent Meghan Markle 4 per cent Rihanna 4 per cent Katie Piper 3 per cent Advertisement But while she has always embraced minimalist make up and even inspired freckle tattoos, which became a permanent beauty craze, the 'Meghan effect' still wasn't enough for the Duchess of Sussex to beat Kate and the Queen in the survey. Despite staying out of the limelight for much of the past year, singing sensation Adele tied in third place with nine per cent, just pipping actress Michelle Keegan to the post. With her recent appearance on Strictly Come Dancing catapulting her even further into the beauty stratosphere, campaigner and presenter Katie Piper just squeezed her way into the top 10, receiving the same amount of votes as Beyonce. 'Holly really is the celeb of the moment following what's been an incredible year for her! said Simon Comins, Superdrug Commercial Director. 'She's become a beauty star renowned for her effortless, natural look which our customers can clearly relate to.' He added: 'This year we've seen concealers outperform beauty staple foundations for the first time, indicating our customers are choosing a more understated look in comparison to the heavily contoured styles sported by the biggest reality stars on social media.' Katie Piper received the same amount of votes as Beyonce - and it's likely her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing catapulted her further into the beauty stratosphere. Katie appeared on Loose Women back on 18th October Despite staying out of the limelight for much of 2018, Adele (pictured in 2015) tied in third place with Kate Middleton - receiving just nine per cent of the vote While Michelle Keegan (pictured in July) may have been named sexiest woman in the world several times, she didn't make it to number one on the new poll voted for by Superdrug customers It's no surprise that Jennifer Lopez made the top ten. Above, pictured on December 12th in New York How was your Christmas? Did you get everything you wanted? Or did you get a load of stuff that you unwrapped, smiled politely, gave effusive thanks for and put to one side, thinking that itll come in useful at a tombola or to re-gift next year? Youre not alone. According to research from Action for Children, a third of us will have received a Christmas present that we dont want. And little wonder really. At a time when the queen of the clear out Marie Kondo has her own show on Netflix, when the newest middle class trend is not acquiring stuff, but getting rid of it, its no surprise that despite the best intentions of kind relatives, Christmas has left us feeling stuffocated, and overwhelmed with things we dont really want or need. Well I come bearing glad tidings. Whatever it is, theres no need to stick it in the present drawer and hope it proves useful at some point. Instead, there are a number of charities that are desperate for the stuff that you want to get rid of. Beauty Banks founders Sali Hughes (left) and Jo Jones (right) set up the non-profit organisation in February 2018 to help those who cannot afford essentials such as deodorant Beauty Banks take various skincare donations from numerous brands, including Dove, Nivea, Simple, Tresemme and Johnsons Yes, of course, there are probably local charities and charity shops that will be happy to take things off your hands, but there are also a number of charities dedicated to redistributing unwanted gifts. Lets start with smellies. After all, theyre usually a safe bet, hence the abundance of coffrets, palettes and beauty box sets that flood into the shops pre-Christmas. But what if youre the recipient of some body lotion in a fragrance you havent worn for decades, a set of soaps that you just know arent right for your skin type, or even some makeup in shades that you know youll never wear? Thats where Beauty Banks comes in. Established in February 2018, Beauty Banks is a non-profit organisation that works like food banks work, but rather than taking donations of food, takes donations of brand new, unused essential personal care and beauty items instead. They then re-package and distribute parcels to charity partners who ensure donations get to those who need them. The Beauty Banks team will repackage and redistribute the donations and sent out to charities, homeless shelters, NHS trusts and other places The concept was the brainchild of two women in the beauty industry, PR Jo Jones, and journalist Sali Hughes. The pair had become aware that teacher friends of theirs were buying toiletries for their pupils, who couldnt afford basic essentials such as deodorant, or sanitary protection. You hear these stories and you think Surely thats not happening in the UK? says Jo. Women rationing their babies nappies, girls skipping school as they cant afford sanitary towels. That shouldnt be happening. But it is, because if people have so little money that they have to choose between buying food and buying soap, they buy food' she continued. Jo admits that they had no idea of the scale of the project when they first came up with the idea. Sali and Jo came up with the idea when they discovered their friends, who are teachers, buy deodorant and sanitary products for some students We didnt know that wed get thousands of packages every month, she says. Weve had to learn and adapt. Weve got friends and family helping out, driving boxes to where theyre needed, and helping to sort and package up products. You feel like youre failing your children, failing yourself. You feel useless and worthless when you dont smell fresh and look fresh. And when you cant even afford basic hygiene, you wouldnt dream of treating yourself with something extravagant. These products are then distributed via food banks, schools, community centres, NHS trusts, and homeless shelters. Alice Baird works for a charity called Superkidz, who receive products from Beauty Banks. We work with deprived communities and have a lot of families choosing between heating and eating, she says. Those very basic needs have to be met yes, they need toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner but they just dont have the money. Can you imagine being a child in school who hasnt washed? Or wanting to go to a job interview, but not having clean hair? Beauty Banks allows them to exist in society without being ostracised for the way they look or smell. The duo have recruited the help of family and friends to help drive the deliveries and package the products too Shes in no doubt about the impact that the donations have on the lives of the people she works with. Alice continued: People dont like to talk about needing hygiene products. But I know who I can give products to and how to do it in a way that wont embarrass them. You see the relief on their faces when you tell them they can have what they need. 'One woman I know burst into tears the first time I gave her some products. Shes the carer for ten of her grandchildren, five of them are girls and she cant afford the sanitary products that they need. This sort of help is invaluable. Sali and Jo have been flooded with praise for their initiative as one woman 'burst into tears' when she received her first package from Beauty Banks Dawn, 38, lives in Greenwich, south London, and for the last five months has been receiving products from Beauty Banks, via Superkidz. She explains what its like not to be able to afford basic toiletries. Dawn said: Some weeks I just wouldnt have the money to buy things like soap. And that feels really degrading. You feel like youre failing your children, failing yourself. You feel useless and worthless when you dont smell fresh and look fresh. And when you cant even afford basic hygiene, you wouldnt dream of treating yourself with something extravagant. What to do with your unwanted Christmas presents Unwanted clothes Alicas is a social venture that collects unworn clothes with the labels still on from individuals and retailers to create beautifully packaged boxes of outfits that are delivered to women who have escaped abusive relationships, with a handwritten note of support and solidarity. The idea was conceived after the founder, Rachael Bews, herself escaped an abusive relationship and found that women who ran away with nothing but the clothes on their backs were often given bin bags of unwashed, out of date clothes. Although well-intentioned, Rachael says that this sort of thing didnt convey a message of their own worth. In her first job Rachael remembered meeting a woman called Ali who after leaving her abusive partner maintained that the two things that kept her going were a good coat and a good pair of shoes. She said: They let her take her kids to school and feel like she belonged in the playground, they meant she could go for job interviews.' Donate to Alicas at Alicas, F10 Internal, Edinburgh Palette, 525 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2FF, alicas.co.uk Unwanted video games and consoles OK, its unlikely that you or your kids are going to donate the latest hi-tech, exceedingly sought-after PlayStation 4 Pro to charity, but the likelihood is that anyone who gets a new console or game for Christmas will have an old console or game hanging around the house. Rather than leaving them to gather dust, Get Well Gamers will take them off your hands. Theyre a charity that give them to hospitals across the United Kingdom, providing much-needed entertainment (and proven and effective pain management) for young people during long hospital stays. To donate, simply go to their website getwellgamers.org.uk, fill in your details and the information about what you have to donate, and theyll try to find a volunteer nearby to do a pick-up. Unwanted sports kit and equipment Grown out of old kit, changed allegiance, or found a new whizzy exercise gadget that replaces last years? Sports Traider has a chain of charity sports shops that aim to ensure that all children and young people can take part in sports. The charity also accepts donations of unwanted sportswear and equipment, which can be given to disadvantaged children and young people to help them participate in their chosen sport. Go to the contact section of their website sportstraider.org.uk/contact-us to let them know you want to take part in their #kitamnesty, and theyll take it from there. Advertisement 'Beauty Banks have helped out with the basics, which has meant Ive been able to give my girls sanitary protection, and keep us all clean, but whats really lovely is that every now and then you get something thats a real treat some makeup, or an expensive shower gel. Thats amazing, it really picks you up. Frances Beecher is CEO of Llamau, Wales leading homeless charity for young people and women. Llamau recently worked with Beauty Banks, and volunteer beauticians and hairdressers to give makeovers to 25 homeless people who had upcoming interviews for training or jobs. It sounds frivolous, but the difference it made to peoples self-esteem and their ability to connect with prospective employers was phenomenal, she says. 'Every single one of those 25 people is now in training, employment, or on an apprenticeship scheme.' Frances realises it can be hard for people who take basic hygiene for granted to imagine what its like not to have access to this. Frances added: You know how grotty you feel when you wake up and havent washed your face or brushed your teeth? You dont feel human. Imagine that ten times over, and how that would make you feel as a person. 'Toiletries shouldnt be luxuries. It should be a fundamental human right to have the sense of dignity that being clean gives you. Beauty Banks also distributes cosmetics and, as Frances points out theres not a woman in the land who doesnt feel more able to face the world with some foundation or lipstick on. Why shouldnt the most vulnerable in society have what we dont even think twice about? Courtney is 17 and lives in a housing project in Cardiff. She is currently working towards an apprenticeship in hairdressing and has received shampoo, conditioner, soap and makeup from Beauty Banks. Courtney said: These were things I couldnt afford to buy. Before I used to just have to wash with water. People would keep their distance from me, probably because I did smell. 'Now, I feel like people speak to me more, like I have friends. Its made a real difference to how I feel about myself. I dont feel like a tramp any more, I feel like me again. Frances points out that while the products themselves are crucial, what they represent is also important. She said: We live in a society where if you are poor or destitute, you are blamed for it. So to have people, such as those who run, and give to Beauty Banks, giving their time and attention to making sure you have the things that you need to function as a human, because they think you are important, is invaluable. I wish I had the words to describe the look in someones eye, the way they light up, when you give them something as simple as shampoo or conditioner. It makes my day. Want to make someones day? Take your unwanted, unopened Christmas smellies as well as any other toiletries, sanitary products, baby products, minis from hotels and planes and send them to Beauty Banks, c/o The Communications Store, 2 Kensington Square, London W8 5EP (after 4 Jan please as the office is closed until then.) If you havent got anything to donate, but want to contribute, you can shop the Beauty Banks wishlist at easho.co.uk/beauty-bank. Whether its the sound of a popping cork or the sight of bubbles bursting in a glass, champagne is the quintessential New Years tipple. But when it comes to picking the top of the pops, it pays to know what youre looking for. Plump for any old bottle and you might be left feeling a little flat, not to mention out of pocket. In a taste test last month, Which? Magazine crowned an own-brand champagne costing 19 from the Co-op as its winner, beating other leading brands costing nearly twice as much. In the same test, the bargain bottle from Spar for 17.50 was dubbed bland. Turns out some deals really are too good to be true. So of the hundreds of brands currently on the supermarket shelves, where do you find the best bottles this New Year? Here, Femails wine expert Helen McGinn puts the latest supermarket offerings to the test . . . Fizz favourites Les Pionniers Brut NV Champagne, now 17.99, Co-op The secret of really good champagne is in the balance, specifically between the fruit and the acidity (known as freshness). And this ones really beautifully balanced. Made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, its fantastically fresh with citrusy fruit flavours, a hint of honey and long-lasting, gentle bubbles. Fizz on top form. Les Pionniers Brut NV Champagne, now 17.99, Co-op Abel Charlot Champagne Brut NV, 17, Marks & Spencer This isnt just champagne. This is a gorgeous, elegant champagne with light, lemony flavours, just-right toastiness and a delicate nutty character. Made from a blend of the three classic champagne grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this has got a fair amount of reserve wine (a blend from previous years) in it, adding wonderful weight and flavour. Classy and amazing value. Abel Charlot Champagne Brut NV, 17, Marks & Spencer Comte de Senneval Champagne Brut NV 75cl, now 9.99, Lidl The packaging is as slick as the champagne inside the bottle. Lemony with a touch of crushed digestive biscuits, its a relatively light take on champagne, but at this price Im not complaining. Made from a blend of the three classic champagne grapes, theres a touch of creaminess to it too, so its not too cheek-suckingly crisp. A proper crowd-pleaser. Comte de Senneval Champagne Brut NV 75cl, now 9.99, Lidl Les Pionniers Vintage Champagne 2012, 26.99, Co-op When you buy a vintage champagne rather than a bottle of (usually cheaper) non-vintage, youre buying something made from grapes harvested in one particular year. And because weather conditions vary from year to year, so vintage champagnes vary in style from one vintage to another. It was a fantastic year in 2012 and this particular offering is a knockout, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir aged for four years in the bottle before being released. A relative bargain. Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2009, 34.99, Waitrose This ones got everything going for it its made from grapes from top quality grand cru vineyards, a great vintage and in the elegant Blanc de Blancs style, meaning it contains only the Chardonnay grape. In this bottle, it all comes together very neatly indeed. Rich, round and biscuity, this would cost a lot more if it had a big name on the label. Andre Carpentier Brut NV, now 10, Tesco Another great under-the-radar fizz, this is one for those who like their wines on the creamy, rather than the very crisp, side. Theres a lovely lemon meringue pie character to it, with a light, floral note. Its easy to miss on the shelf with its simple, understated label, but whats inside is great value. Andre Carpentier Brut NV, now 10, Tesco Waitrose Blanc de Noirs Brut NV, 22.99 This being a Blanc de Noirs, its made only from red grapes. In this case, its 100 per cent Pinot Noir from the Aube region in the south of Champagne. And its so good, ripe and round with red fruit flavours and a hit of just-popped toast. Theres a touch of the savoury fifth taste, umami, too. Waitrose Blanc de Noirs Brut NV, 22.99 Charles Lecouvey NV Brut Reserve, 15.99 (reduced from 23.99), Waitrose The name might not be a big hitter but this is another great bargain as champagne goes. A classic blend of the three Champagne grapes, this ones relatively light in style with crisp, citrus flavours and a subtle hint of marzipan. And it looks far more expensive than it is. Veuve Monsigny 2011 Blanc de Blancs, 19.99, Aldi Bypass the disappointing non-vintage version of this wine and pick up a vintage bargain instead. This is a smart wine made from the Chardonnay grape, with lemony fruits, a hint of brioche and a fine mousse (in other words, good bubbles). Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne, 19 This ones been a little off-form in recent years but now its back with a bang, or rather a pop. Its made by a great producer in the grand cru village of Avize from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. It gets a bit of extra time to age in the cellars, allowing the lemon biscuit flavours to develop into something lovely. ... And those that fall flat Veuve Monsigny NV, now 9.99, Aldi It might be the cheapest in the line-up but, as is so often the case, you really do get what you pay for. Theres an unripe, green edge to the aromas (think unwanted nettles) and the flavours lack freshness and character. A real shame; Ive tasted much better bottles of this particular brand in the past. NO STARS Veuve Monsigny NV, now 9.99, Aldi Extra Special Premier Cru Champagne Brut, 19, Asda The thin wire cage (or muselet as its called) covering the cork on this bottle broke when I tried to remove it. Not a good sign, as it turns out. The champagne inside was rather too sharp, with a distinct lack of fruit or appealing freshness to it. Thank you, next. HIIII n Helens new book Homemade Cocktails: The Essential Guide To Making Great Cocktails, Infusions, Syrups, Shrubs And More is out now (10.99, Robinson). A cancer survivor has released an incredible photo gallery of her recovery following life-saving surgery to rebuild her face with bone from her shoulder. Jen Taylor was told she had a tumour in her upper jaw last year and needed seven months of gruelling chemotherapy and a 16-hour operation to survive. Since the mammoth surgery, which successfully removed her cancer, the 30-year-old has had to relearn how to eat, drink and talk. As a way of helping her cope with her transformation, Ms Taylor kept a remarkable photo diary of her face over time, as the swelling slowly went down. Ms Taylor, who remains convinced she doesn't look 'normal', says she is happy to be alive and can't believe she survived the transformation. Jen Taylor took regular photos of herself during her recovery so she could track how her face has changed since the operation When surgeons operated, cancer had to be removed from Ms Taylor's jaw, cheek, eye socket, the back of her nose and almost to the back of her skull Ms Taylor, an account manager in London, was told she had cancer on the right side of her face after having tests on what her dentist thought was a tooth abscess. It turned out the swelling on her mouth was sarcoma, a rare type of cancer which can affect any part of the body. Ms Taylor said she had no idea she was so ill, but had just noticed a lump on her top jaw. 'I had no pain, I could just feel something on the front of my face,' she told MailOnline. 'There was a lump behind my nose and teeth, but it was too big to be a spot maybe the size of a grape. 'My dentist said it was an abscess but I didn't think it was. You can't expect the dentist to diagnose a very rare cancer, so I was referred to Guy's hospital for a biopsy.' There was just a two-week gap between Ms Taylor's first test and the beginning of her intense chemotherapy. 'It all happened so quickly,' she said. 'I had my biopsy on August 1, saw an oncologist on August 7 and had my first chemo on August 15. 'As soon as the doctors knew it was cancer they rushed to start treatment.' Ms Taylor, pictured before her operation, posted old pictures of herself on Instagram saying she wondered if she would ever look the same again the top comment said in support: 'None of us look like we used to my love' Ms Taylor had chemo after she was diagnosed with sarcoma a bone cancer and needed the therapy five days a week for seven months, during which time she lost her hair Carrying chemotherapy drugs and water in a rucksack on her back, Ms Taylor was put up at a four-star hotel in central London as she had treatment 'pretty much 24 hours a day'. After the chemotherapy, Ms Taylor needed a 16-hour operation in March this year to remove the cancer, which had spread from her jaw further into her cheek and skull. Once the huge section of bone and tissue had been removed, surgeons used part of her shoulder blade and muscles from her back to rebuild her face. 'They cut out most of my top jaw, the bottom of my eye socket, and a hole through the roof of my mouth,' Ms Taylor told MailOnline. 'It was incredible they took out a lot of tumour and bone. Then they flipped me over and cut out the outside of my scapula on the right side. 'Then they flipped me back and put that in my face.' Veins from Ms Taylor's neck were connected to the new flesh to give it a blood supply but the procedure left her face extremely swollen and disfigured. Doctors believe all the cancer was successfully removed during the op earlier this year and are now monitoring Ms Taylor with regular MRI scans Surgeons managed to complete Ms Taylor's surgery without making any incisions on her face, but because they removed so much bone and tissue from underneath it remained swollen for a while after the operation In the weeks after her treatment Ms Taylor's hair started to grow back and the swelling went down the 30-year-old admits to still feeling that she looks 'a bit odd' but a catalogue of photos show how far she has come since being in hospital Ms Taylor, pictured in the summer, said the part of her jaw where the tumour was has 'sunk' since her surgery and people sometimes ask her if she has a cleft palate but she was astonished to have been able to survive the gruelling cancer treatment Doctors believe they successfully removed all the cancer and are now monitoring Ms Taylor with regular MRI scans. The recovery wasn't plain sailing, however, and after five days the new flesh in her face began to die in what was a dangerous complication. Her doctors and surgeons were rushed back to the hospital for a 10-hour emergency operation to graft a vein from her leg onto her head. 'My parents were freaking out,' Ms Taylor said. 'But I had so much faith in my surgical team. 'The surgeons said it would take four hours but my parents didn't hear anything for 10 hours.' After her surgical ordeals were over, Ms Taylor had to begin the road to recovery and get used to her new face. She lost all but six of her top teeth in the operation and her face became dramatically swollen. Ms Taylor lost all but six of her top teeth in the operation, and is now trying out implants to restore her mouth to normal pictured recently, she is trialling teeth implants which could be inserted permanently at the beginning of next year She said: 'I knew it would be bad but when I looked in the mirror afterwards I thought "I don't look like a person, who's this?".' Surgeons managed to perform the entire operation without cutting Ms Taylor's face, but they removed a substantial amount of bone and tissue from underneath. 'It's getting better but I still look a bit weird and talking is hard,' she said. 'They might have to do more reconstruction in future to see if they can build some teeth on what's there. It's a bit sunken behind my nose. WHAT IS SARCOMA? Sarcomas are uncommon types of cancer which can grow anywhere in the body on muscle, bone, tendons, blood vessels and fatty tissue. Bone sarcomas are rare and affect approximately 670 people per year but there are other types of bone cancers. There are around 100 different types of sarcomas and about 5,300 people are year are diagnosed with them in the UK. Sarcomas can be treated well if people catch them early, but many people do not get diagnosed until their tumours are about the size of a tin of beans. Only slightly more than half of people with sarcomas (55 per cent) survive for five years or more after their diagnosis. Symptoms of sarcomas can include bone pain, swellings or lumps, and restricted movement if it is growing near a joint. Treatment may involve typical cancer therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Source: Sarcoma UK Advertisement 'It's hard because I'm incredibly lucky but I look at my face and see that it's changed it's a constant reminder that I had cancer. 'People are generally fine about it but some people ask what's wrong with my face. Some people tell me I have a cleft palate.' To help her cope with the huge transformation, Ms Taylor took photos of herself every few days so she could look back on them throughout her recovery. It helps put in perspective how far she has come, and how much better life is now than at the lowest point, she said. Ms Taylor shared many of the pictures and her thoughts on the process from the start 13 months ago to the present day, on her blog, Jen's Cancer Chronicles. 'The worst part was my time after surgery,' Ms Taylor said. 'I was in so much pain, was so swollen and I couldn't close my mouth or talk. 'I was wondering if I'd ever look normal again and wondering if it would ever get better. It was despair. 'Writing down a little every day and the pictures really helped. And the people who I've met are incredible and I wouldn't give that up for anything.' She will soon be going back to work, which she says she owes to the help she has had from Macmillan Cancer Support. During her treatment, Jen was supported by Macmillan professionals and used resources provided by the charity. Macmillan receives no government funding and relies on public donations for 99 per cent of its income. To find out more about the charity and how you can support it visit the website. THE RUMOUR by Lesley Kara (Bantam 12.99, 320 pp) THE RUMOUR by Lesley Kara (Bantam 12.99, 320 pp) This captivating debut is loosely based on the real murder of two toddler boys by the 11-year-old Mary Bell in Newcastle in 1968. Bell was given a fresh identity and moved to a small British seaside town after her release from prison in 1980. Karas heroine, Joanna, has recently relocated to Flinstead-on-Sea with her young son Alfie when she hears a rumour at the school gates that Sally McGowan, who killed a toddler when she was ten, may be hiding in the town under a new identity. Is the rumour true and, if so, who is she now? So begins a subtle examination of the damage that gossip can do and of the murky waters that can swirl around in a small town. Kara skilfully charts the destruction that vigilantism causes, then asks the difficult question of whether true redemption is ever possible. NIGHT OF CAMP DAVID by Fletcher Knebel (Vintage 8.99, 352 pp) NIGHT OF CAMP DAVID by Fletcher Knebel (Vintage 8.99, 352 pp) Originally published in 1965, and now republished, Washington insider Knebel who died in 1993 poses a very contemporary question in this era of Donald Trump: what would happen if the President of the United States went stark raving mad? What if an out-of-control president saw conspirators all around him, had paranoid outbursts and was gripped by erratic ideas that threatened national security? Could he be stopped and how? Junior senator Jim MacVeigh suddenly finds himself invited to spend time with charismatic President Mark Hollenbach late at night at the Presidents country retreat, Camp David. The more the President rambles on in the small hours, the more the young MacVeigh begins to believe the man has taken leave of his senses. Even more confusing is the fact that Hollenbach seems to have chosen MacVeigh as his vice-presidential running mate in this election year. What should he do? When it first appeared, this first-rate thriller was termed a little too plausible for comfort. It still is. FRIENDS LIKE THESE FRIENDS LIKE THESE by Sarah Alderson (Mulholland 14.99, 320 pp) by Sarah Alderson (Mulholland 14.99, 320 pp) Becca apparently has it all: the job everyone lusts after at a glamorous London talent agency, as well as a handsome lawyer boyfriend and a life thats packed with exotic holidays. Whats more, she flaunts it all on social media, adding insult to injury for her mousy, timid co-worker Lizzie, who secretly envies her dreadfully. Then Becca has an accident and she disappears from Lizzies life. Time passes and, one night, Lizzie finds Beccas dashing (now ex) boyfriend James on the dating app Tinder and resolves to meet him. She also tracks Becca on social media, only to make the mistake of sending her a message meant for a friend, describing Becca in distinctly unflattering terms. Soon, Lizzie discovers just how manipulative Becca truly is and what a terrifying enemy she can make. Fast-moving and beautifully told, it is hard to put down. SIEGE OF STONE by Terry Goodkind (Head of Zeus 20, 512 pp) SIEGE OF STONE by Terry Goodkind (Head of Zeus 20, 512 pp) Book number three of The Nicci Chronicles sees our eponymous sorceress heroine holed up in the eternal city of Ildakar, under threat of annihilation by a petrified army petrified as in turned to stone. Except the stone warriors have woken up after a millennium or so and their general is miffed at having missed centuries of potential slaughter. Making matters worse are the marauding sea-raiders, the ghastly, grinning Norokai, and tensions within the city itself, with a melee of slaves who have revolted, forgotten spells and errant wizards. This rip-roaring epic sweeps us from lofty citadel to sea-girt pirate stronghold, from pestilential swamp to hidden library. And Nicci soon realises she must do more than rescue herself, or the city: she must gather her wits and her strongest magic to save the world. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next THRILLERS MUST READS Share this article Share BURNING ASHES by James Bennett (Orbit 9.99, 416 pp) BURNING ASHES by James Bennett (Orbit 9.99, 416 pp) What the world needs is a dragon with a short fuse and a burning need to do good. The dragons problem is finding out quite what to do. In this magnificent tale melding the mythic and the modern, an age-old pact has been broken and legendary creatures, called Remnants, are stomping through our world, tearing up London like its a toy town. Smelly ogres? Fraid so. Complicated vampires? Check. A sarky, all-conquering, talking sword? It has to be Excalibur. But, best of all, King Arthur himself has awoken from the sleep of ages as an evil revenant at the head of an army of ghouls. Ben Garston half-dragon, half-man, all hero must lead an army of gnomes, hunky punks and tiddy muns against him. THE LOST PUZZLER by Eyal Kless (HarperVoyager 8.99, 528 pp) THE LOST PUZZLER by Eyal Kless (HarperVoyager 8.99, 528 pp) A coming-of-age story with a difference, The Lost Puzzler takes us to a future where humans have swapped utopian perfection for dystopian mess. Meet young Rafik, who is blighted or blessed with strange skin markings that show him to be a puzzler. In his village, theyre enough to get him killed. Out in the world, they make him very valuable indeed. Ruthlessly traded, he must prove himself by solving puzzles of increasing complexity. Soon, he is unlocking mysterious doors under an abandoned city to find technological wonders. But is Rafik simply a super-scavenger or far more than that? Intriguing and involving, we are confronted by the biggest conundrum of all: why do civilisations sow the seeds of their own destruction and what can be done to save them? HMV, one of the great names of the British music industry, is once again on the brink of collapse and its downfall is a symbol of the failure of successive governments to protect our retailers and our creative industries from the ravages of online rivals. For many who are, like me, in the 40-plus bracket, the demise is tinged with teenage nostalgia, memories of Saturday afternoons spent flicking through albums in record shops. The logo, of a little terrier named Nipper listening intently to an old-fashioned gramophone, dates back even further and is based on a 19th century painting, His Masters Voice, which gives the company its name. HMV's downfall: A symbol of the failure of successive governments to protect our retailers An illustrious past counts for little in the battleground that is todays High Street. HMV has already fallen into administration once, in 2013, when it was rescued by restructuring firm Hilco, which has now admitted defeat. It has suffered some familiar bugbears: business rates that are disproportionately heavy compared with the likes of Amazon, along with competition from online retailers such as the aforementioned US giant. The company has also lost out to streaming businesses such as Spotify and Netflix and will have suffered, along with the artists whose work it sells, from online piracy. Despite receiving less publicity recently, this remains widespread. The immediate focus, rightly, has been on the 2,200 people who work in the stores and the risks to their jobs and pensions. But the potential ramifications are wider. In the past few years, as HMV has tried to segue from the physical market of CDs and DVDs to the digital world, it has paid more than 1.3billion to film studios and music labels in the UK. If the chain does go under, that is money which could be lost to our creative industries for ever. New trends: HMV has suffered due to the rise of streaming businesses including Spotify & Apple Music Arguably, two of the greatest names in British music, the Beatles and Sir Edward Elgar, would not have made such an impact on national consciousness without HMV. The Fab Fours manager Brian Epstein visited the flagship Oxford Street store in 1962 with the then unknown band to use its recording facilities to cut a demo. The tracks were heard by a publishing company in the same building and the rest is history. That store was opened by Elgar in 1921, who, according to contemporary newspaper reports, said modern gramophone recordings of virtuosi would be a welcome alternative to the wild and virulent piano-playing by suburban amateurs. It certainly helped build an audience for his works. New companies have arrived with technologies as novel as the gramophone once was. The question is whether they will play anything like this role in backing the creative talent of the future and shaping national culture. Administrators from KPMG are looking for a buyer. Would any purchaser want to take on such a challenging business, and why might they succeed where Hilco failed? A successful rescue is not impossible. Few would have put money on Waterstones, which was owned by HMV until 2011, surviving the onslaught of Amazon and its Kindle. Yet under the leadership of visionary bibliophile James Daunt, it has gone from basket-case back into profit. It has recently been sold to the private equity arm of Elliott Advisors, who are not known for backing duds. Perhaps a similar miracle will happen for HMV. It will be a sad day if His Masters Voice is finally silenced. Good for Gadhia After the precedent set by Fred Goodwin and former HBOS chief executive James Crosby, there is good reason to be wary of giving honours to bankers. At the least, it might be prudent to wait a decade or so after they retire, just to be sure they have not left behind any unexploded bombs. Jayne-Anne Gadhia, who was until recently the chief executive of Virgin Money and who is being made a dame in the New Years Honours List, may be the exception. She is one of the few financiers who emerged from the credit crisis with an untainted reputation, perhaps proving the suggestion at the time that if only Lehman Brothers had been Lehman Sisters, the disaster wouldnt have happened. In a sometimes soulless industry, Gadhia has spoken out bravely about the difficulties of being a working mother. Well done to her and the other women in banking Alison Rose at RBS, Shriti Vadera at Santander and Anne Boden at digital bank Starling who are breaking the mould. Heroes... Emma Walmsley: To say the Classics graduate has put her own stamp on GSK since succeeding Sir Andrew Witty as chief executive would be an understatement. Walmsley has embarked on a dizzying array of deals, three in the past month alone. The blockbuster 10billion consumer healthcare tie-up with rival Pfizer now paves the way for the companys consumer and pharma divisions to be split in two. Brian Roberts: When it comes to battles, Rupert Murdoch doesnt usually end up on the losing side. CEO: Emma Walmsley has put her own stamp on GlaxoSmithKline since succeeding Sir Witty But when Comcast mogul Roberts entered the bidding war for Sky this year he was determined to come out on top. His 30billion valuation blew Foxs offer for the broadcaster out of the water resulting in a highly satisfactory outcome for shareholders. Tim Steiner: The grocery man finally delivered. After years of procrastinating over his business model, the Ocado boss at last signed some long-promised international tie-ups, including a deal with Swedens ICA and Kroger in the US. With his stake now worth 200million, Steiner also made his debut appearance in the Sunday Times Rich List. Perhaps hell now cheer up a bit. Alison Brittain: Her 3.9billion sale of Costa Coffee to Coca-Cola, for which she will pocket 3.3million, was not only decisive but has also been delivered quickly and efficiently. Today she also bags a CBE to boot. Now its time for the bubbly Whitbread boss to get its tired-looking Premier Inn chain up to snuff. Judith McKenna: The former Asda bean-counter was named head of Walmart International, making her arguably the most powerful woman in global retail. The position is widely seen as a stepping stone to the overall top job. A Brit in charge of Walmart? Quite a feat for someone who attended her local comprehensive in Middlesbrough. Simon Wolfson: Retail isnt much fun these days, but the Next boss was still able to report expected profits of 727million thats 10million more than the company predicted several months previously. Lord Wolfson is a wise owl. His demand for a rethink on business rates is something the Government should be listening to. Elon Musk, the Tesla boss, has squandered his public goodwill with his unhinged behaviour Zeros... Jeff Fairburn: Nothing quite summed up the arrogance of the Persimmon boss over his absurd, 100million share-based bonus (later reduced to 75million) like his decision to walk away from a BBC interview in October. It proved the final straw for the housebuilders board, which decided it was best that Fairburn took his millions and left. Luke Johnson: The fingers-in-every-pie entrepreneurs reputation as one of Britains premier business gurus came crashing down after a 20million black hole was discovered in Patisserie Valeries accounts. Johnson has injected 20million of his own funds to keep the company afloat, but his days of pontificating on matters financial are surely kaput. Elon Musk: Where to start with the Tesla boss? The bizarre, not to say offensive, pedo rant at Thai cave rescue diver Vernon Unsworth who has threatened to bring legal action over the false allegation? The reckless claim he was taking Tesla private? No other entrepreneur enjoys as much public goodwill, yet Musk chooses to squander it with his unhinged behaviour. The South African needs reining in. Getting him off Twitter would be a start. Carlos Ghosn: The former Nissan chairman spent the Christmas period in a Japanese detention centre following allegations that he has under-reported his pay. With tales surfacing of hubris and corporate greed, the automotive titans downfall contains all the elements for an HBO docudrama. Spanish heart-throb Antonio Banderas could frump up to play the mercurial monsieur Ghosn. Paul Pester: When TSBs botched IT meltdown in April left 2million customers locked out of their accounts, the banks chief executive insisted that he would sort out the mess. When account holders were still having problems five months later, the banks Spanish owners Sabadell decided it was time for fitness freak Pester to go and spend more time on his surf board. Philip Green: No, not that one. After outsourcer Carillion collapsed in January, resulting in 20,000 job losses, a report by MPs deemed that its chairman, former P&O boss Green, had presided over a rotten corporate culture. As the building firm tottered under the weight of massive debts, executive bonuses had been increased while pension obligations neglected. Greens namesake had a year to forget too... It has been a rollercoaster year for stock markets as global trade tensions reached fever pitch and Brexit worries piled up. The FTSE 100, the index of blue-chip British firms, hit all-time highs of 7877.5 points in May, but has since slumped below 7,000 points, wiping almost 250billion off its value. It has suffered one of the worst Decembers since its launch in 1984. Worry: The FTSE 100 has slumped below 7,000 points, wiping almost 250billion off its value The FTSE 250, which comprises Britains mid-sized stock market-listed companies, hit a record 21,324 in June but is now below 17,500. Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: The stock market has definitely felt the heat of the Brexit burn in 2018, with domestically focused UK companies finding themselves under pressure as politicians seem unable to agree on the UKs withdrawal from the European Union. Despite the rocky road which companies have been travelling this year, some clear winners and losers have still emerged. On the FTSE 100, publishing and education company Pearson made a dramatic comeback after a tumultuous 2017. It generated a total return, which includes the share price rise and reinvested dividends, of 27.2 per cent for investors this year, as of its market closing price on December 27. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: A cost-cutting programme helped to convince investors that the future looks brighter, as did the lack of any further profit warnings. Takeovers also helped investors rake in the returns. Sky, now owned by US media giant Comcast after a 30billion bidding war, returned 70 per cent. Glaxosmithkline was the second-strongest FTSE 100 performer, giving investors a 17.8% return Engineering giant GKN, bought out by investor Melrose for 8billion, returned 51 per cent. Drugs company Glaxosmithkline was the second-strongest FTSE 100 performer, helping investors pocket a 17.8 per cent return, while rival Astrazeneca saw a 16.2 per cent climb. But some suffered. British American Tobacco slumped, hitting shareholders with a negative total return of 48 per cent, as regulatory pressure on tobacco products and flavoured e-cigarettes proved relentless. Software firm Micro Focus struggled, making a 43.7 per cent negative return, as it bungled a 7billion takeover of Hewlett Packard Enterprises software business. Mexican silver miner Fresnillo was also one of the poorest performers, with a 37.8 per cent negative return, as prices of the precious metal slid and investors fretted over Mexicos political situation. Back at the beginning of the year, grocery company Ocado was listed on the FTSE 250, but was soon promoted to the elite FTSE 100. Anyone who took a punt will not be regretting their choice, as it managed to notch up a massive 91 per cent total return. Russian steel producer Evraz also started out on the FTSE 250. It zoomed on to the FTSE 100, with a 59.4 per cent return. Trading firm Plus500 staked its claim on the FTSE 250 with a 78.3 per cent total return. But fortunes headed south for some businesses. Thomas Cooks annus horribilis, which resulted in a 77.5 per cent negative total return, pushed the travel firm out of the FTSE 250. Alfa Financial Software was the indexs worst performer, with a negative 78.8 per cent return. Bets on what 2019 will bring are still up in the air, but rival stock exchange Aquis dubbed the Spotify of exchanges as it allows traders to pay a subscription rather than charging per trade could be one to watch. It was the strongest performer of any company which floated this year, and its share price has already more than doubled in value. The German military, plagued by a shortage of recruits, is considering accepting foreign citizens to help fill out the ranks, the countrys top soldier said Thursday. In times of skilled labor shortage, we have to look in all directions, Gen. Eberhard Zorn, Germanys chief of defense, told the countrys Funke Media Group. As Stars and Stripes writes in an article "Germany wants Poles, Italians and Romanians to beef up its military", Zorn said the military is particularly interested in recruiting foreign nationals to fill jobs such as doctors and information technology specialists. However, a much broader enlistment campaign could be under way. Der Spiegel, a prominent German magazine, reported Thursday that internal government documents reveal that Defense Minister Ursula von Der Leyen wants to bolster the force by tapping into the countrys large population of Poles, Romanians and Italians. In Germany, there are about 255,000 Poles, 185,000 Italians and 155,000 Romanians between the age of 18 and 40. Attracting a portion of that group could generate about 50,000 possible new applicants, Der Spiegel reported, citing the government documents. Other world militaries recruit or accept foreign applicants under certain criteria, including the United States and Australia. U.S. nationals have also served in foreign militaries such as the French Foreign Legion. The German plan would only allow residents of European Union countries to join the German ranks. Recruits also would need to be fluent in German. The push comes more than seven years after Germany did away with compulsory military service, which ended in 2011. Since then, Germany has struggled to build out its all-volunteer force, which now stands at roughly 180,000 troops. A robust economy and a general historical reluctance to enlist in the military are among the obstacles to boosting recruitment. Unlike the U.S., where military service ranks as one of the most respected professions, many Germans are ambivalent about their own military. The mixed feelings are deeply ingrained and stem from the countrys militaristic past and crushing defeat in World War II. Still, Germany has sought to establish a more substantial role on the world stage during the past several years and has gradually increased its military spending. Leaders in Berlin have called for a more assertive foreign policy and emphasized the need for Germany to get more involved in global security debates. Von der Leyen also has sought to reverse a post-Cold War slide in defense spending, troop numbers and overall military readiness. But the country still falls short of a NATO defense spending benchmark that calls for all allies to dedicate 2 percent of gross domestic product to military matters. Germanys persistent shortcomings have been a source of tension with U.S. President Donald Trump, who frequently blasts Germany as a security free-rider. A quarter of a million NHS staff have shunned its lucrative pension scheme, with fears growing that many cannot afford to pay into it. The opt-outs over the past three years are around 16 per cent of the total membership, says insurer Royal London. It comes after NHS staff faced a freeze on pay for several years and the Government reduced the amount of tax relief available for savers. The pension opt-outs over the past three years are around 16 per cent of the total membership Overall more than 245,000 staff opted out, around 30,000 of them aged 26 to 35. Jon Restell, chief executive of union Managers In Practice, told Health Service Journal that younger staff on lower salaries are under particular pressure. A typical nurse on 25,000 per year saves 1,420 by opting out of the NHS pension scheme, but could miss out on 13,000 a year in retirement. NHS pensions are far more lucrative than those in the private sector, where retirement benefits have been slashed to save money. Steve Webb, director of policy at Royal London, said: The NHS as an employer needs to take urgent action to tackle this epidemic of opt-outs. 'All public sector workers have faced a squeeze on take-home pay in recent years, but it is in the NHS where this has translated into shockingly high numbers of people leaving the scheme. A Department of Health spokesman said: The NHS pension scheme is among the very best available, providing deservedly generous retirement benefits for NHS staff. Around nine in ten nurses, midwives and health visitors participate in the scheme. Victoria Prendergast, 35, with her daughter Amelia, who suffered a deep cut to her head in the scrum to get on board a Ryanair flight An angry mother has hit out at Ryanair's 'appalling' response after her five-year-old daughter suffered a bleeding head injury while boarding a delayed flight. Amelia Prendergast suffered a deep cut to her head when she was knocked into a sharp piece of plastic protruding from a corridor wall in the scrum to get on. The injury was so bad it continued to bleed on the flight from Gran Canaria to Glasgow - and was eventually glued by a nurse who helped once they had landed. The traumatic incident took place in August but single mother Victoria Prendergast, 35, has chosen now to speak out about the ordeal. She was firstly left to struggle to find their seats with an upset Amelia and her two-year-old son Alfie - all with a broken arm. And was then mortified to find she and Alfie were sitting apart from Amelia, but then noticed during the flight that her daughter was bleeding - and could not get to her. It was an hour before Ms Prendergast, an HR administrator who works for the Army, could finally comfort her daughter after the seatbelt light was switched off. Now, she has decided to speak to MailOnline after getting no acknowledgement or apology for the firm, despite sending more than 30 emails of complaint. The mother-of-two from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, first put in a complaint the day after she came home from her holiday to Gran Canaria on August 21 this year. Ms Prendergast took this photograph of Amelia's injury and blood-stained top during the flight She told how she was unhappy about the way she was treated, the lack or care for her daughter and the inadequate first aid box she was eventually given to tend to her daughter - which she said contained just an antiseptic wipe and cotton wool. Ms Prendergast, who comes from Inverness but now lives in Barnsley, told how her problems first began when her 6.55pm flight on August 20 was delayed. The divorcee, who is also writing her own memoirs, said: 'I'd gone away on my own with the kids so I could concentrate on my second book. 'We'd had a lovely time away but when we were coming home the flight was delayed for over an hour. When staff started letting passengers onto the plane there was a mad dash to get on. 'My daughter was knocked in the mayhem and she ended up hitting her head on a piece of plastic that was jutting out from the wall of the corridor. The mother discovered that she and Alfie were sitting apart from Amelia (pictured together), but then noticed during the flight that her girl was bleeding - and could not get to her 'Amelia was holding her head and complaining of the pain so when I got on the plane I asked an air hostess if she could help me with the kids, but she went away and she never came back to me. 'I am having continual problems with breaking my arm in three places when I slipped while running in December last year and needed help with Amelia's injury, because I had Alfie in my arms. I am trained in first aid and this had to be the worst first aid box I'd ever seen Victoria Prendergast, on the box with an antiseptic wipe and cotton wool 'But we had to then quickly sit in our seats - it was then that I realised we weren't even seated together. 'I had no choice but to sit down and, before I knew it, the seatbelt lights came on and we were getting ready for take-off. 'Amelia was sitting two rows behind me and it was only then that I realised she had blood dripping from her head. She was crying and upset. It was awful.' It was around 9pm when the seatbelt lights went off again and Ms Prendergast could tend to her daughter. The mother had been sitting apart fom Amelia, but then noticed her daughter was bleeding 'By this time my stress levels were through the roof. I was very anxious about my injured little girl, I could see she was still bleeding and nobody was helping at all.' She flagged down another air hostess who took the family-of-three to the back of the plane to sit in the stewardess's seats. The hostess gave Ms Prendergast some ice in a napkin for the deep wound and handed her a first aid box. She said: 'I was so disheartened to see there was just an antiseptic wipe and some cotton wool in the box. I am trained in first aid and this had to be the worst first aid box I'd ever seen. Food was being served while Ms Prendergast was tending to Amelia, but by the time staff had got to the back of the plane there were no children's meals left. Amelia's injury did not need any further medical attention and she is now over her ordeal 'So, after all this time and stress, the kids then had to go without anything to eat. They didn't want to eat the lasagne on offer,' she said. It was only after they had been at the back of the plane for another hour, two hours into the four-and-half hour flight, that a passenger who had been sat at the side of Amelia came to the back and said they would move so the family could sit together. I was getting no help whatsoever, the customer care on that flight was absolutely appalling Victoria Prendergast Ms Prendergast said: 'I was very thankful but that could have been done by the staff in the air. I was getting no help whatsoever, the customer care on that flight was absolutely appalling.' A nurse who was on the flight approached Ms Prendergast and told her she had some surgical glue in her bag in the hold - and would help Amelia when they landed. Ms Prendergast said: 'I just got the impression that the staff were concerned about the late flight and just wanted to get on with serving drinks and food, not giving a care to what was going on on board.' Amelia's injury did not need any further medical attention and she is now over her ordeal. But, three months on, Ms Prendergast refuses to let it lie. The incident happened while Amelia was boarding a Ryanair flight on August 20 (file picture) She said: 'I first wrote an email of complaint the following day and have still not heard anything back. 'I want some form of acknowledgement about what happened to us. I want an apology and for them to realise they can't get away with this terrible service. 'My daughter was injured and crying, we did not know how badly she was injured, a bit of compassion would have been nice.' Ms Prendergast has even travelled to the airline's head office in Dublin to ask for answers, but was told nobody could see her. 'I refuse to let them fob me off. I am absolutely appalled at the service I have received and I will not go away,' she said. But a Ryanair spokesman told MailOnline: 'Having attained detailed reports from our crew, we can confirm that this customer advised crew that her daughter had injured her head prior to boarding. 'Our crew provided the necessary assistance and this customer chose to continue with her flight. 'Our crew continued to check on the customer and her child during the flight, and had further medical assistance been required, it would have been arranged either prior to departure or upon arrival in Glasgow. 'We wrote to this customer in early October acknowledging receipt of her claim and to advise that we would be in touch once the investigation was complete. A member of our customer care team has now been in contact with this customer directly.' The airline insists that all Ryanair aircraft carry first aid equipment, complying with European Union safety regulations - and all of its crew are fully trained in first aid. Ms Prendergast booked her flights on June 6, and was said to have chosen the two window seats despite there being others together available at the time of booking. Sitting deep inside a museum is an unique exhibit which both delights modern art lovers and helps scientists battle bowel cancer. The Cloaca Professional, better known as the 'poo machine', has been enjoyed by visitors to the MONA museum in Hobart since it was first installed in 2010. The unique coming-together of engineering and artwork replicates the gastro-intestinal process in the human body, consuming food daily at 11am and 4pm and excreting it at 2pm. Scroll down for video Sitting deep inside a modern art museum is an unique exhibit (pictured) known as the poo machine Cloaca Professional replicates the gastro-intestinal process in the human body, consuming food daily at 11am and 4pm and excreting it at 2pm The mechanical exhibit, designed by European artist Wim Delvoye, is more than simply a satire of the modern art world, however, and has been recently been used in bowel cancer testing education. Tasmania-based pathologist Dan Owens put on a demonstration at the museum at the end of last year where he showed how waste product could be analysed to find extremely small blood particles. Advertised under the hashtag #justpooit, the event was largely intended to encourage Australians over 50 to go for bowel cancer screenings. He told the ABC: 'Once people get their head around putting the stick in their poo they'll realise it's very simple and easy.' Mr Delvoye has spared no details when it comes to his invention's authenticity, and has even recreated the smell of human faeces. Named Cloaca in a fitting translation from the Latin word for sewer, the machine is described as 'fundamentally' straightforward by senior research curator at the museum Jane Clark. She said: 'Food goes in at the mouth, is chewed (in Cloaca by an InSinkErator) and travels down a long tube where it is mixed with sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and gastric enzymes. 'It is then kept at just the right temperature of 37.2C, worked on by gut bacteria, somewhat dehydrated and finally excreted.' Mr Delvoye created the Cloaca after eight years spent consulting with plumbers, computer technicians and gastroenterologists. The wacky artist has devised a handful of versions of his iconic Clocoa machine, with the iteration at MONA being the first to appear in a museum's permanent collection. Advertisement To the casual observer, the X-ray of a hand, seen below, appears unremarkable. However, it is in fact the world's first X-ray taken of a human, in December 1895 - and belongs to the wife of the man who accidentally changed the face of medical diagnosis. Such was the shock Anna Bertha Roentgen felt upon seeing the skeletal picture of her left hand, complete with wedding and engagement rings, that she exclaimed: 'I have seen my death.' On November 8 that year, her husband, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, had been conducting an experiment in his lab - the effects of passing an electrical current through gases at low pressure - when something caught his eye. Photographic plates near his equipment had started to glow. Scroll down for video The first ever X-ray taken of a human (above, on December 22, 1895) was the left hand, complete with wedding and engagement rings, of Anna Bertha Roentgen - the wife of the man who accidentally discovered a form of radiation that would change the face of medicine Pictured left is Anna Bertha. In November 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (right, circa 1896) was conducting an experiment in his lab when he noticed that photographic plates near his equipment had started to glow. This would lead to his eureka moment and the discovery of X-rays - the 'x' indicating that they were of an unknown type Then aged 50, Roentgen had discovered a new kind of ray: X-radiation, which is composed of X-rays and is a form of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. Although some labelled the beams Roentgen rays, he preferred the term X-rays Roentgen, a professor of physics at Wurzburg University, in Bavaria, realised the phenomenon was due to strange beams being emitted by a glass tube he was using during his investigation. Some of the rays were penetrating solid objects and exposing sheets of photographic paper, creating shadowy images. Above, left, an X-ray of his wife's hand; right, one of the first X-rays taken in the UK, of a woman's hand with ring, bracelet and chain of keys circa 1896 Roentgen, a professor of physics at Wurzburg University, in Bavaria, realised that the phenomenon was due to strange beams being emitted by a glass tube he was using during his investigation. As electricity passed between two electrodes in the tube, the rays had an effect on the photographic plates. It was his eureka moment. Some of the beams were penetrating solid objects and exposing sheets of photographic paper, creating shadowy images. The 50-year-old had stumbled upon a new kind of ray: X-radiation, which is composed of X-rays and is a form of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. Roentgen referred to the radiation as 'x', which is used in mathematics to represent an unknown quantity. He then began making X-ray images - or radiographs - of inanimate objects such as weights and a piece of metal. A close-up of the Roentgen tube used for X-ray production - named after the physicist. Before his breakthrough, Roentgen had been studying the effects of passing an electrical current through gases at low pressure. He noticed that as electricity passed between two electrodes in the tube, the rays had an effect on the photographic plates Equipment, including a Roentgen X-ray machine, used by German surgeons in an open-air surgery tent, during the First World War. With their ability to penetrate solid objects, Roentgen's rays would go on to have a wide range of uses, notably in medicine, archaeology and astronomy An illustration of Roentgen at work in his lab. Despite his success in the field of X-rays, he abandoned his work on them a year after their discovery - to focus on examining crystals On January 5, 1896, his findings - which included the picture of the bones of his wife's hand - were published to wide acclaim. His discovery earned him the first Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901. With their ability to penetrate solid objects, Roentgen's rays would go on to have a wide range of uses, notably in medicine, archaeology and astronomy. Despite his success in the field of X-rays, he abandoned his work on them a year after their discovery, and instead focused on examining crystals. Within a year of the beam's discovery, the world's first radiology department opened, in Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Roentgen died in Munich in 1923, aged 77, from bowel cancer. In a Science Museum poll in 2009, the X-ray was voted by the British public as the most important modern discovery. The antibiotic agent penicillin came second followed by the DNA double helix. Physicians diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis - with the aid of X-rays - circa 1900. Within a year of the beam's discovery, the world's first radiology department opened, in Glasgow Royal Infirmary A man who crept into a woman's home in the dead of night and raped her was let go after police failed to check his telephone calls from prison. Ricky Hoskins, 33, of the inner-Melbourne suburb of Thornbury, thought he had got away with the sickening crime until his own stupidity came back to haunt him. After being released from jail due to a lack of evidence, Hoskins spent 18 months thinking he had got away with the crime until police took him back into custody. A digital image of Ricky Hoskins created by his victim helped nab the rapist He was caught by chance after a detective decided to review his calls from prison while investigating a completely separate crime. 'It was an aggravated burg and the f**king chick woke up and I took off out the f**king back door,' he told his partner. Hoskins had made the call from jail just days after committing the crime in April 2014. The crook should have known calls from prison were all recorded. But police had failed to check the records. Hoskins had been aged 29 when he crept into the 26-year old woman's Northcote home at 4am. The woman was asleep in a front bedroom when the veteran thief broke his way in through the backdoor. He stole a computer and his victim's purse before arming himself with a large knife from the kitchen. He then entered her bedroom, tearing her covers and clothes off. The terrified woman awoke to find Hoskins raping her. The confused woman begged to know who Hoskins was and why he was in her bedroom. The questions stunned Hoskins, who told her she had invited him in. Ricky Hoskins armed himself with a knife and approached the woman's bedroom She asked him to leave, but the rapist just sat there on the bed. He eventually left when his victim pulled back on her clothes and made a dash. It was only after he left that she discovered the knife. The criminal was later identified by DNA and arrested. Hoskins spent two years in jail waiting to go to trial before prosecutors dropped the case against him. The County Court of Victoria heard it was the ninth time Hoskins had been convicted of an aggravated burglary, which carries a 25-year maximum sentence. The attack had deeply affected his vulnerable victim, who has struggled to piece back together her life. 'Experiencing such a shocking thing in this safe space shattered every sense of safety in my life. If this could happen here, then where am I safe,' she said. The court heard Hoskins' victim was so distraught from the attack that she wanted to kill herself. Judge Meryl Sexton said the woman felt her assault had happened all over again when prosecutors discontinued their original case. The judge hit out at police for failing to listen to the tapes following Hoskins' arrest in 2014. 'There is no reason put forward as to why those recordings were not listened to earlier and I accept that when the case was discontinued in February 2016 you would have thought the case was over,' she said. Ricky Hoskins' victim only noticed the knife after her attacker had fled the house The court heard Hoskins had been a shocking drunk, consuming a case of beer and a bottle of vodka a day at the height of his habit. He then switched to heroin and methylamphetamines. Judge Sexton described a disgraceful criminal history, which included 54 dishonesty offences that had seen Hoskins jailed in every year of the past 12. Hoskins told the court he hoped his victim would not think that all Aboriginal men were like him because of 'one bad egg'. He said he felt 'sick and stupid' about the rape and conceded his victim would probably be terrified for the rest of her life. Hoskins was sentenced to seven years in jail with a non-parole period of five. With time already served, he will be eligible for parole in a little over three years. Jared Kushner took a walk through the rain after joining President Donald Trump and incoming acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney for dinner at Vice President Mike Pence's home on Friday. The senior adviser was pictured climbing out if his vehicle following the meal at the Washington Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC as the partial government shutdown continued with 800,000 federal workers furloughed. Kushner was sent on his way by a smiling staff member who opened his car door before he walked through the gate of his home in the capital with a slight smile on his face. Jared Kushner was pictured arriving at his Washington DC home Friday night after having dinner at Vice President Mike Pence's home Kusher walked through the rain as the government shutdown closed day 6 The Washington Naval Observatory meal was with his father-in-law, President Donald J Trump who arrived with a motorcade But perhaps he was simply putting on a brave face as the shutdown showed no sign of ending. His father-in-law Trump - whose motorcade was pictured traveling to the dinner - had called off his vacation to his private Florida club because of the shutdown. The budget impasse centers on Trump's demand for money for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall and the refusal of Democrats to provide that. Both sides expect the stalemate to last into the new year. The Environmental Protection Agency will keep disaster-response teams and other essential workers on the job as it becomes the latest agency to start furloughing employees in the government shutdown. Spokeswoman Molly Block says the EPA will implement its shutdown plan at midnight Friday. That will mean furloughing many of its roughly 14,000 workers. The furloughs exclude emergency response workers for disasters. Other EPA employees who will be staying on the job include workers deemed essential to preventing immediate public health threats at more than 800 Superfund hazardous-waste sites across the country. Pence also hosed acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney (right) at the dinner on Friday President Trump tweeted Friday: 'We build a Wall or ... close the Southern Border' The EPA had enough funding to keep running a week longer than some other agencies. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacted cautiously to a threat by President Donald Trump to close the border. Trump tweeted Friday: 'We build a Wall or ... close the Southern Border.' On Friday, Lopez Obrador said: 'We are always seeking a good relationship with the United States. We do not want to be rash. we have not commented on this issue, because it is an internal affair of the U.S. government.' Trump also threatened to cut off aid to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, countries from which many migrants have fled. Lopez Obrador said Mexico will defend migrants. Democrats are holding firm in the standoff over a border wall, saying they won't seriously consider any White House offer to end the government shutdown. The White House is seen on Friday in Washington. The partial government shutdown will almost certainly be handed off to a divided government to solve in the new year Both parties traded blame Friday and President Donald Trump sought to raise the stakes in the weeklong impasse Drew Hammill, spokesman for House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Democrats will not fund Trump's 'immoral, ineffective and expensive wall.' Hammill said Democrats are waiting for Trump to publicly endorse a proposal to end the shutdown because he 'has changed his position so many times'. The White House is accusing Democrats of walking away from the negotiating table. Mulvaney said Democrats are ignoring an offer for border wall funding below Trump's original $5billion request. 'There's not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal,' he claimed. 'My gut was that (Schumer) was really interested in doing a deal and coming to some sort of compromise. But the more we're hearing this week is that it's Nancy Pelosi who's preventing that from happening.' He alleged that if Pelosi 'cuts a deal with the president of any sort before her election on January 3 she's at risk of losing her speakership, so we're in this for the long haul'. Democrats brushed off the White House's attempt to cast blame. 'For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn't pass the laugh test,' said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer. A monitor in the House of Representatives displays a schedule update on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday Pelosi has vowed to pass legislation to reopen the nine shuttered departments and dozens of agencies now hit by the partial shutdown as soon as she takes the gavel, which is expected when the new Congress convenes. Hammill added that Democrats 'are united against the President's immoral, ineffective and expensive wall' and said Democrats won't seriously consider any White House offer unless Trump backs it publicly because he 'has changed his position so many times'. 'While we await the President's public proposal, Democrats have made it clear that, under a House Democratic Majority, we will vote swiftly to re-open government on Day One,' Hammill said in a statement. But even that may be difficult without a compromise because the Senate will remain in Republican hands and Trump's signature will be needed to turn any bill into law. The shutdown began December 22 and is idling hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The Office of Personnel Management is advising furloughed federal workers to speak directly with landlords, mortgage companies and creditors to explain their lack of funds and work out reduced or deferred payment plans. The Senate Reception Room is idle at the Capitol in Washington, Friday The OPM suggests that federal workers follow up the calls with letters that recount the conversation and share their phone number, address and the details of the call. President Donald Trump canceled his New Year's plans and will not be traveling to Florida amid the shutdown. Mulvaney said during a Friday morning appearance on Fox News Channel that the president was in D.C. 'all weekend, all Christmas' and is 'staying in Washington D.C. over New Year's'. Trump cancelled a planned trip last week to his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he usually spends the holidays and many winter weekends. Mar-a-Lago typically hosts a large, ticketed New Years' Eve party for dues paying members and their guests. In past years guests have included romance novel cover model Fabio and actor Sylvester Stallone. Press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS Friday of Democrats: 'They've left the table all together, so of course we are far apart.' Three young siblings were killed and their mother was hospitalized after she tried to save them from a house fire early on Friday in a small southern Indiana city, officials said. Fire crews and police officers tried to enter the burning two-story home, but were driven back by flames, Tell City Fire Chief Greg Linne said. Firefighters arrived to find 'fire shooting from almost every window on the ground floor,' he said. Eleven-year-old Danielle Plock Sims, 6-year-old Thomas Plock Sims and 3-year-old Roseanna Plock Sims died in the fire, officials said. The children's mother, Selina Applegate, had tried unsuccessfully to get the siblings out of the home. Applegate and two other children escaped the blaze with non-life-threatening injuries, and one of the children called 911 about 3.25am Central. Danielle Plock Sims, 11 (left), Thomas Plock Sims, 6 (right), and Roseanna Plock Sims, 3 (center), died in a house fire in Indiana early on Friday after their mother, Selina Applegate, was unable to save them 'I'm not sure how she escaped,' Tell City Police Chief Derrick Lawalin said of Applegate, who was hospitalized in fair condition. 'We do understand there were efforts made by her to reach her children.' The Indiana State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire in the Ohio River city about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Louisville, Kentucky. Hours after the fire, a small memorial that included an angel and a teddy bear had been erected next to a tree outside the fire-gutted house. 'I'm not sure how she escaped,' Tell City Police Chief Derrick Lawalin said of Applegate, who was hospitalized in fair condition. In this photo provided by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, firefighters work to extinguish the deadly fire on Friday in Tell City, Indiana Fire crews and police officers tried to enter the burning two-story home, but were driven back by flames, Tell City Fire Chief Greg Linne said, with 'fire shooting from almost every window on the ground floor.' The aftermath of the destruction done to the home is shown 'Last night the community lost three wonderful children, full of potential. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family in this trying time,' Tell City-Troy Township Schools said in a statement. It said counselors and social workers were available for anyone affected by the fire that occurred just three blocks from Tell City Junior Senior High School. Tell City Mayor Jim Adams called on the community of about 7,300 to support the family during the tragedy, coming only days after Christmas. 'This is supposed to be a joyous time,' he said. 'I want to let everybody know we, as a city, we want to just wrap our arms around these family members because we want them to know they're not alone.' One of the leaders of the Democrats taking power in the U.S. House says they would reject seating a Republican candidate in an unresolved North Carolina race next week because of fraud concerns. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer issued a statement Friday indicating that House Democrats wouldn't allow Republican Mark Harris to take a seat in Congress next week because of an ongoing investigation into ballot fraud allegations. Hoyer said that 'given the now well-documented election fraud' in the district election, Democrats would 'object to any attempt by Mr. Harris to be seated.' Harris holds a slim lead over Democrat Dan McCready, but the state elections board has refused to certify the race because of ballot irregularities. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (pictured above on June 13 in Washington, DC) issued a statement Friday indicating that House Democrats wouldn't allow Republican Mark Harris to take a seat in Congress next week because of an ongoing investigation In this Nov. 7, 2018 file photo Republican Mark Harris speaks to the media during a news conference in Matthews, N.C. Hoyer said that 'given the now well-documented election fraud' in the district election, Democrats would 'object to any attempt by Mr. Harris to be seated' The U.S. Constitution states that the House is the judge of the elections of its members and the final arbiter of contests. North Carolina's governor plans to appoint a temporary elections board to complete investigations of potential ballot fraud in a still-undecided U.S. House race even if Republicans don't participate. The legal adviser to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday that if Republicans won't nominate people for the interim state elections board, the governor is entitled to appoint people to the vacant slots. In this May 8, 2018 file photo, Ninth Congressional district Democratic candidate Dan McCready smiles outside Eastover Elementary School in Charlotte, N.C. The North Carolina board investigating allegations of ballot fraud in a still-unresolved congressional race between McCready and Harris North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes said earlier Friday that the GOP won't help fill its two seats on the rebuilt five-member elections board. The elections board was disbanded at noon Friday under orders from a state court that found its previous makeup unconstitutional. The board has been investigating claims of ballot fraud by supporters of Republican Mark Harris, the unofficial leader in the 9th Congressional District race. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating a nationwide CenturyLink Inc network outage that has affected service on 911 emergency phone calls across the country, agency chairman Ajit Pai said on Friday. 'The CenturyLink service outage is ... completely unacceptable, and its breadth and duration are particularly troubling,' Pai said in a statement. 'Ive directed the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau to immediately launch an investigation into the cause and impact of this outage.' Asked about the FCC investigation, a spokeswoman for CenturyLink said the company had been in contact with the federal agency and would cooperate fully. 'We have made substantial progress in restoring and stabilizing services across the network over the last several hours,' CenturyLink spokeswoman Linda Johnson said in a statement. 'We remain focused on resolving all remaining issues.' U.S. officials and at least one state said Friday that they have started investigations into a nationwide CenturyLink internet outage that has disrupted 911 service. CNBC said customers from New York to California reported outages. It said 911 outages were reported in parts of Washington state, Missouri, Idaho and Arizona. Old is best: The Boston Fire department said that they were alerted to a fire by a member of the public using the antiquated fire box system - which has been in use since 1852 The Monroe, Louisiana-based telecommunications company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the FCC investigation or provide information as to how many customers were affected. Pai said he had spoken with CenturyLink 'to underscore the urgency of restoring service immediately.' 'This inquiry will include an examination of the effect that CenturyLinks outage appears to have had on other providers' 911 services,' he said. The FCC has previously fined carriers for 911 outages that it deemed preventable. CenturyLink agreed to a $16 million settlement after an April 2014 outage. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Mohammad Zargham; writing by Mohammad Zargham; editing by David Gregorio and G Crosse) A Florida couple is accusing a retired Vermont doctor of artificially inseminating the woman with his own sperm rather than that of a donor in the 1970s. Cheryl Rousseau and her husband Peter filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Burlington, Vermont on December 4 against Dr. John Boyd Coates III and then-named Central Vermont Medical Center seeking at least $75,000 in damages. The complaint says Coates agreed to inseminate Cheryl Rousseau with donor material from an unnamed medical student, who resembled Rousseau's husband, Peter, and had characteristics that she required. Coates performed the artificial insemination but inserted his own genetic material, the lawsuit said. 'Defendant Dr. Coates knew that the child born as Barbara Mary Frances Rousseau was his biological daughter but chose to never disclose this fact to Plaintiffs nor to Barbara Mary Frances,' the suit said. The alleged injury was discovered when the Rousseau's adult daughter, Barbara, was working with a geneticist and publicly available information pointed to Coates as her biological father. Coates has denied that he is her father, the lawsuit said. Cheryl Rousseau and her husband Peter filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Burlington, Vermont on December 4 against Dr. John Coates and then-named Central Vermont Medical Center seeking at least $75,000 in damages for Coates allegedly inseminating Cheryl with his own sperm rather than that of their selected donor more than 40 years ago. Coates worked at what was then-called Central Vermont Medical Center at the time. The medical facility is pictured, and is now named University of Vermont Health Network at Central Vermont Medical Center Coates' choice to insert his own genetic material into Rousseau in March of 1977 'was harmful, offensive and constituted a battery upon Plaintiff Cheryl Rousseau,' the lawsuit said. Rousseau had wanted a child with her husband, who she married in 1974, but they were told at the time that his vasectomy could not be reversed, according to the complaint. The lawsuit says the couple recently discovered that Coates appeared to be the father of their child when their now-grown daughter who was born in December of 1977 sought information about her biological father through DNA testing. The daughter determined in October that Coates was her father through services like Ancestry.com and 23 and Me, according to the complaint. O'Neill said that Coates made it a point to remain close to the Rousseau's during the pregnancy, though he maintained a professional relationship. 'He made sure that he did the delivery of the child himself as opposed to someone else in his practice, he made certain he was there,' O'Neill said. 'It's fraud and it's a question of inserting genetic material in a woman, not of an anonymous donor but rather the physician who is engaging in the conduct it self,' O'Neill said. The family's attorney noted that had it not been for the curiosity of their daughter, the Rousseaus might never have found out about this alleged nefarious conduct. Dr. Donald Cline (pictured) is one example of a retired Indianapolis fertility doctor who used his own sperm to impregnate possibly dozens of women after telling them the donors were anonymous 'Unless Dr. Coates were to have contacted her and told her that he was in fact her genetic father, she would have never known,' he said. Coates declined comment when reached by phone on Friday. His lawyer, Peter Joslin, was out of the office and not available for comment. The hospital where Coates worked at the time, now named University of Vermont Health Network at Central Vermont Medical Center, said it could not speak to the lawsuit but noted that Coates had a private practice and wasn't employed by the medical center, the Barre Montpelier Times Argus reported. The lawsuit alleges Coates is responsible for medical negligence, failure to obtain informed consent, fraud, battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional inflection of emotional distress, breach of contract, consumer protection act violation and negligent supervision. Jerome O'Neill, a lawyer for the Rousseaus, said he didn't know if other women were possibly affected but referred in general to other cases nationwide, where when it was found that one woman had been wrongfully inseminated by her doctor, it turned out that more than one woman had suffered the same injury. Dr. Donald Cline is one example of a retired Indianapolis fertility doctor who used his own sperm to impregnate possibly dozens of women after telling them the donors were anonymous. Cline was given a one-year suspended sentence last year after he pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice related to the allegations. US President Donald Trumps abrupt announcement last week of the withdrawal of American troops from Syria caught many people off guard, including his own administration officials. It actually prompted the resignation of Defence Secretary James Mattis. As The Middle East Monitor writes, the surprise, however, was perhaps greater in Tehrans corridors of power. Less than two months earlier, US national security advisor John Bolton had affirmed ahead of Trumps speech at the UN that the US would not leave Syria so long as Iran and its proxies operated in the country. While Tehran arguably feels relieved and triumphant about the sudden reversal of Washingtons Syria policy, it is waiting patiently to see how the pullout will unfold and what, if anything, will replace it. The withdrawal might be a harbinger of a larger-scale American military drawdown in the region, but it might also be a prelude to a more systematic focus on, and greater trouble for, the Islamic Republic. Shortly after Trumps announcement, Rodney Hunter, the US political coordinator in the UN, tolda Security Council meeting on Syria that Washington will use all instruments of our national power to press for a withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces. Moreover, during his unannounced visit to Iraq on 26 December, Trump revealed that he intended to keep roughly 5,200 American troops in the country understood to act as a counterweight to the Iranian presence and use Iraq as a base if we wanted to do something in Syria. Needless to say, the likelihood of a military conflict with Tehran in the future will rise dramatically if an anti-Iran hawk succeeds Mattis. Either way, the upcoming US absence from Syria has presented Iranian leaders with another significant dilemma, involving Turkey and its anti-Assad Islamist allies on the one hand, and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the oil-rich northeast who have served more or less as a reliable brake on Turkish and rebel ambitions on the other. In a joint statement issued after President Hassan Rouhanis latest meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on 20 December, Tehran and Ankara emphasised their joint commitment to fight against the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Iran-based Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). For Ankara, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including its major military component the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), is an extension of the PKK, which it considers as a terrorist organisation. A working relationship with Turkey is vital for the Islamic Republic today, as comprehensive US sanctions against its oil industry and banking sector re-imposed after the Trump administrations withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal have already started to bite. Tehran is therefore unlikely to oppose explicitly a planned military intervention by Ankara to cleanse northern Syria of armed Kurdish forces. Yet, what worries Iran is that the possible fall of Kurdish-held areas in north-east Syria to Turkey and its Islamist proxies might create a complicated situation similar to that in Idlib, where some rebel groups aspire to establish a republic of north Syria with Turkeys blessing and support. This would seriously undermine Syrian sovereignty and set back efforts to restore its territorial integrity. As in the past, it could also allow Turkey to revive an expedient level of collaboration with the Daesh remnants in the Deir Ezzor governorate and use them against the Assad government for political gains. However, Iran is not comfortable with autonomous Kurdish rule in north-east Syria either. For a start, it has hindered Iranian attempts to carve out an uninterrupted land corridor through north-west Iraq to the Mediterranean Sea. Such a route would be safer and more convenient than central and southern areas closer to the borders of Israel and Jordan. A self-ruled Kurdish region in Syrias north-east would also deprive the central government of vast oil resources and fertile agricultural land around the Euphrates, spread over roughly a quarter of all Syrian territory. Before the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Damascus produced 387,000 barrels of crude per day, most of which came from eastern and north-eastern Syria including Al-Omar, Shadadi and Suwayda oil fields currently under SDF control. In February, up to 300 pro-government forces and Russian mercenaries were killed by US air strikes near the city of Deir Ezzor, in one of the wars deadliest assaults against Kurdish fighters. Lastly, the widely acclaimed model of governance implemented in Rojava or Syrian Kurdistan which follows a gender-aware version of democratic confederalism poses an ideological challenge to the Islamic Republic. Tehran is arguably concerned about the ripple effects of Rojavas unique socio-political experiment as it continues to inspire many people in already restive Kurdish regions in northern Iraq and western Iran. The ideal scenario for the Islamic Republic and its Revolutionary Guards Corps in the wake of a US troop withdrawal from Syria would be the restoration of relative, if not full, government control over Kurdish-held areas. To that end, Tehran will likely resort to whats commonly known as strategic hedging by trying, with Russian assistance, to keep Turkey at bay as much as possible and curtail the full realisation of Kurdish autonomy in Syria at the same time. Along these lines, it is no wonder that the Assad government has deployed troops near the flashpoint city of Manbij in coordination with the Kurdish-led SDF. Further south around Al-Tanf crossing, however, pro-government forces backed by Iran will likely act with greater certainty and latitude to recapture rebel-held territory once American troops leave. An 11-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter for allegedly shooting and killing his 14-year-old friend while they were wrestling. Carter Palm fatally shot Jadon Vaughn in Lake City, Florida, then tried to cover up the slaying with the help of his 13-year-old brother. The suspect, who has not been named because he is a juvenile, found the gun in his parents bedroom before the tragic incident unfolded, according to police. A Columbia County Sheriff's Office news release said Palm was arrested on the evening of the incident at his family home and said he initially lied about what happened. Scroll down for video Authorities say a Florida boy, 11, fatally shot his visiting friend Jadon Vaughn, 14 (top right) on Wednesday Investigators say the boys wrestled, and one got a pistol from his parents' room and shot Vaughn Palm was arrested on the evening of the incident at his Lake City property on Anastasia Street near Sandia Way Palm's parents went out for the evening and left the boys alone. Investigators say Palm and Vaughn wrestled at around 7pm to see if the family dog would react to the 11-year-old being attacked. Deputies state Palm eventually retrieved a pistol from his parents' room. The boy removed the magazine, but left a single round chambered. Officials say the gun discharged when the boy pointed it at Vaughn. Detectives say the boy and his older sibling initially claimed Vaughn had threatened them with a knife but later admitted that they placed a knife next to Vaughn's body in hope they would be in less trouble. His mother posted on Facebook: 'My love fly high baby boy I love you so much' Vaughn's grandfather said he was trying not to cry in the aftermath of the shooting 'It's one of those things where he had a great Christmas, got everything he wanted, life is going good, and then in a blink of an eye, everything changed,' Columbia County Sargeant Murray Smith said. It's illegal to have an unsecured firearm within reach of a minor in the state of Florida. No charges have been made against the parents so far but it's possible. Another neighbor Nancy Coker told Action News Jax: 'I heard a lady screaming, I could tell something bad had happened.' Another neighbor said the family had moved in just weeks ago. Jones Cox said: 'That is the hardest thing to understand, and I feel sorry for the parents that has to go through this, the grandparents, or if he has any brothers or sisters, Im praying for them, what can we do it hurts.' The State Attorney's Office is looking into whether anyone will face neglect charges. 'In this area - it is a very rural area - it is hard to find a home that does not have a gun and that's perfectly fine. I mean, that's their right to have, but the law states you have to secure it if there's children there that can access it,' Smith continued. 'If you got a child at home, you need to make sure that the weapon is secured.' Sheriff Mark Hunter said in a news release: 'This is a tragic and avoidable death. Our hearts are broken for both families; one has lost a son and the other will struggle with these events for the rest of their lives. 'I want to stress the importance of securing your firearms so a child cannot get to them.' Palm was being held at a juvenile facility. Law enforcement said Thursday that all the families are receiving assistance from the agencys Victim Advocate and the School Resource Deputies. Columbia County School District has made arrangements to have counselors available when classes at Vaughn's Lake City Middle School are back in session on January 8. His mother, Brandi Sherrod, posted a picture of the two on Facebook Thursday: 'My love fly high baby boy I love you so much.' Vaughn's uncle, Wesley Harrington started a GoFundMe page this week to help the deceased boy's devastated mother. Vaughn's viewing is this forthcoming Monday evening, and the funeral is on Wednesday 'On the day after Christmas, December 26th 2018 Jadon was involved in a tragic accident that resulted in the loss of his life at just the age of 14,' he wrote on the crowdfunding page. 'I cannot even believe Im here doing this but times are extremely difficult and Im doing this on behalf of my sister, as the financial hardship of Christmas has just endured my family. 'Jadon was a very caring and loving little boy who was ready to take on the world headfirst. I remember him just telling me yesterday that he had got everything he wanted for Christmas and he was so happy.' Harrington shared how his Vaughn's father took his own life a few years ago and the money would help the family give the child a proper resting place. He invited those who wanted to say goodbye to a viewing this forthcoming Monday evening, and to the funeral on Wednesday. 'He loved me and his mother even our entire family to death being that he lost his father to suicide just a few years ago when he was a young boy,' he continued. 'I do not expect a lot of donations but anything helps so we can give my sweet nephew a proper burial and tombstone. 'Please help my family and most importantly my sister as she is at a complete loss and doesnt know where to turn. We thank you for every cent raised and Jadon would be very happy.' Fifty years after the Woodstock festival became a highpoint of 1960s counter-culture, featuring performances by Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin and other icons of the era, an anniversary event is planned at the same site in New York. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts announced on its website 'a new festival of music, culture, and community' from August 16-18 next year at the original location of the 1969 concert, which took place on Max Yasgur's farm about 100 miles north of New York City. In conjunction with major concert promoter Live Nation, the event will span the same dates as the original festival and will include live performances from 'prominent and emerging artists spanning multiple genres and decades', alongside TED-style talks from leading futurists and 'retro-tech experts', the website said. 'Fifty years ago, people gathered peacefully on our site inspired to change the world through music. As the stewards of this historic site, we remain committed to preserving this rich history and spirit, and to educating and inspiring new generations to contribute positively to the world through music, culture, and community,' Darlene Fedun, chief executive officer of the Bethel Woods Center, said on the website. Woodstock will return to its original location in upstate New York for a 50th anniversary festival in August 2019. A monument next to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - which is hosting the event with Live Nation - marks the site of the original Woodstock festival (above) Some 400,000 people attended the original Woodstock festival in 1969 (pictured), which featured performances by Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin and other era icons While stars like Joplin and Hendrix died soon after Woodstock, other legendary artists from the original event - including Joan Baez and The Who - are still performing. The Bethel Woods Center did not reveal who will play at the anniversary event but said details will come soon. Michael Lang, one of the promoters of the original Woodstock, told a local newspaper that he also intended to mark the anniversary, although no details have been announced. Woodstock took place in a United States convulsed over its involvement in the war in Vietnam, the sexual revolution, the emergence of a drug culture, and the Black Power movement. The concert, which expected fewer than 50,000 people, eventually drew about half a million, a crowd which overwhelmed organizers, who turned it into a free show that took place largely in peace. In August, 2009, a 40th anniversary event in Bethel, New York, included Joe McDonald and Canned Heat among performers who sang at the original event. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts announced the festival on its website this week (above) Revellers are pictured at the original Woodstock Music & Art Festival, hailed one of the high points of 1960s counter culture in America Mr Hawke has suffered a number of health scares of late and is wheelchair bound Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke fears he may not live to see the next federal election due to his deteriorating health. The 89-year-old former Labor leader has no doubt Bill Shorten will lead the party to victory against Scott Morrison's Liberal Party, but conceded he has 'had his time'. He and his wife, Blanche, attended Queensland's popular Woodford Folk Festival on Friday for the 10th consecutive year. But he told The Courier Mail he would not be delivering his speech or singing his rendition of Waltzing Matilda as he had in the past. Bob Hawke (pictured) has attended Queensland's popular Woodford Folk Festival for 10 consecutive years (right delivering his annual speech) Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke and his wife Blanche d'Alpuget attended the festival together (pictured) 'I've sung my last song, or last verse of Waltzing Matilda. That's been done,' he said. Mr Hawke, who is now bound to a wheelchair, has suffered a number of health scares in recent months. He was taken to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital by an ambulance in May after he reportedly had 'the wobbles'. Only weeks later in July, he was again admitted to hospital for an unknown condition. Bob Hawke served as prime minister of Australia from 1983 through until the end of 1991 He said his health had been 'terrible' and wasn't sure what the future holds for him. 'I'm just... I've had my time, just stick around for a little while,' he said. Mr Hawke and his wife both cherish the festival, saying that it gives thousands in the community an opportunity to enjoy high-quality and diverse talents. 'That's why I've kept coming back, and unfortunately it'll be my last visit I reckon,' he said. But he is certain, despite his current condition, his former party will be successful come election time. In particular, he thinks Mr Shorten is a great candidate to lead the Labor party to victory. The 999 and medical staff heroes who dealt with last year's terror attacks in London and Manchester were given a total of 43 gongs in this year's list. They include OBEs for Joy Ongcachuy, a theatre nurse at Barts Hospital in London who helped care for the injured after the Westminster Bridge and Borough Market attacks and Paul Woodrow, director of operations at the London Ambulance Service. A British Empire Medal goes to Detective Chief Inspector Theresa Lam, of Greater Manchester Police. She was responsible for dealing with families after 22 were killed in the Manchester Arena attack. Nominations can take 18 months to be considered, meaning some of the heroes of the 2017 terror attacks can only now be rewarded with official honours. Police and emergency services on the scene after the London Bridge and Borough Market attack in June 2017. The 999 and medical staff heroes who dealt with last year's terror attacks in London and Manchester were given a total of 43 gongs Special Sergeant Jared Simpson, one of the first officers on the scene, receives the British Empire Medal. Doctor Malik Ramadhan, who was in charge of A&E at the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel and operated through the night on 12 victims of the London Bridge terror attack, receives an OBE. Peter Boorman, head of emergency response for NHS England in London, helped deal with the fallout from the Westminster and London Bridge attacks, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Wannacry cyber-attack on the health service and the Croydon tram crash in 2016. He gets an OBE. PC Stephen Marsh, who also received a British Empire Medal for his role in the aftermath of the Westminster attack, said he was 'shocked and surprised' to receive it. He said: 'I can think of nothing that has filled me with more pride than to receive a British Empire Medal. 'The timing of the award is wonderful because it has coincided with the end of my service with the Metropolitan Police.' Detective Sergeant Zac Idun receives an OBE for his work in family liaison after the terror attacks. Scotland Yard said he had 'delivered outstanding support for the families over many years' and 'supported hundreds of people during his distinguished career'. PC Stephen Marsh (left) receives a British Empire Medal; Detective Sergeant Zac Idun (right) receives an OBE for his work in family liaison after the terror attacks He said: 'Most police officers will tell you they are just doing their job and I am no different, but receiving the OBE for services to policing brings home to me the significance of the role. 'During my time in family liaison and involvement in terrorist investigations, I have been truly humbled by the sheer courage and strength of the families and survivors we have assisted. 'I remain in awe of the many people we have supported who have suffered but survived the loss of the people dearest to them with both dignity and bravery.' Britain was hit by a series of terror attacks in the space of a few months in 2017, beginning at Westminster in March where a police officer was stabbed to death and four others were killed. In Manchester 22 people including many children were killed by a bombing after an Ariana Grande concert in May that year. Just two weeks later eight people were killed in an attack on London Bridge and the nearby Borough Market, days before the general election. On 19 June Darren Osborne drove a van into worshippers at a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London, killing one person. In September a bomb partially exploded on a London Underground train at Parsons Green station, although no-one was killed. Theresa May has been accused of a shameless abuse of patronage for appointing a Eurosceptic MP to the Privy Council after he backed her Brexit deal. Sir Edward Leigh, a Tory former chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, was previously an outspoken critic of the PMs proposal and tabled an amendment to it. But he revealed his unfashionable support for her plan shortly before Christmas when she faced a vote of no confidence from Tory MPs. Theresa May has been accused of a shameless abuse of patronage for appointing a Eurosceptic MP to the Privy Council after he backed her Brexit deal Sir Edward Leigh, a Tory former chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, was previously an outspoken critic of the PMs proposal and tabled an amendment to it Yesterday it emerged that Sir Edward was being made a privy counsellor. Former health minister Philip Dunne and Sir Roger Gale, head of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, were also appointed to the body of advisers to the Queen. Both plan to back Mrs Mays deal when MPs vote on it next month. Labour MP Virendra Sharma said: Using the cover of Christmas recess to appoint MPs to the Privy Council is a shameless abuse of patronage. It raises serious questions about how the Government are using all the perks at their disposal. They are clearly doing this in a desperate attempt to try to twist arms for the vote. A No10 source denied that the appointment was linked to the Brexit vote. The Henry County Police Department said that officer Michael Smith died on Friday at the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital A Georgia cop has died three weeks after he was shot in the face in the line of duty. Henry County Police Department officer Michael Smith passed on Friday at the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital after succumbing to injuries he sustained when he was shot on December 6. 'I want to thank the public for all their thoughts and prayers,' Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman said, according to ABC News. 'Please continue to pray for Michael's family during these difficult times.' On the day of the incident, Smith was responding to a disturbance call at a local dentist. The officer spoke with the suspect, Dimaggio McNelly, but 'at some point the subject became combative,' Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said. Smith tried to use his taser multiple times but it proved to be ineffective. On December 6, Smith was responding to a disturbance call at a local dentist A scuffle unfolded and one shot was fired, striking both men. Ammons detailed that it is unknown whose finger was on the trigger at the time of the incident. McNelly died at the scene while Smith was shot in the face and rushed to the hospital. The officer spoke with the suspect, Dimaggio McNelly, but 'at some point the subject became combative' and a scuffle unfolded where one shot was fired, striking both men The officer - who had been with the force for seven years - makes 145 police officers who have been killed in the line of duty in 2018. That figure is up from the 129 in 2017, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released in a preliminary report on Thursday. The 2017 number marked a decrease in the total number, falling from a whopping 159 from 2016. 'The rising number of law enforcement officer deaths in 2018 is disappointing news after a decline in 2017,' declared National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Craig W. Floyd. 'Sadly this reminds us that public safety is a dangerous job and can come at a very steep price. 'We must never take the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers for granted, and we must remember the families of the fallen who are left behind.' Two Irish nationals have been charged after allegedly assaulting a 66-year-old man who remains in a critical condition in hospital. Emergency services were called to an intersection in Summer Hill in Sydney at 12:30am on Saturday. He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Emergency services were called to an intersection in Summer Hill in Sydney at about 12:30am on Saturday morning A 21-year-old and 24-year-old were arrested close by and charged with reckless grievous bodily harm in company and affray. Neither of the attackers were known to the victim. Both men were refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday. The 37-year-old actress shared her experience as a child star while talking about her latest film, Vox Lux Natalie Portman has shared that as a child star in Hollywood more than 20 years ago, she often felt 'unsafe' and hyper aware of the sexualization she was exposed to as a minor. The 37-year-old actress shared her experience as a child star while talking about her latest film, Vox Lux. In the movie, which is currently in theaters, Portman plays a troubled pop icon who survived her own bout of childhood trauma. 'She is such a wild character, but she's also someone I felt was a real person, who is the product of this life that has happened to her,' Portman explained to People. 'You see in this film how a young girl is packaged into this brand, and it's kind of separate from her. 'I experienced a different degree of it, in a different way, and obviously I have very different support system than the character in the movie, but you see what the culture wants from you, or demands from you and wants to put out there.' Portman - who made her film debut in 1994's Leon: The Professional - spoke at the 2017 Women's March about how her first piece of fan mail was a man's rape fantasy letter. Scroll down for video Portman spoke at the 2017 Women's March about how her first fan mail was a rape fantasy letter 'I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually I would feel unsafe and that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort,' said Portman - who made her film debut in 1994's Leon: The Professional 'I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually I would feel unsafe and that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort,' she said. 'I felt the need to cover my body and to inhibit my expression and my work in order to send my own message to the world that I'm someone worth of safety and respect.' Portman, now understands that the powers at be in charge of her career helped shape how she was perceived. 'I know I was sexualized in the ways that I was photographed or portrayed, and that was not my doing,' she added. 'That becomes a part of your public identity.' 'I know I was sexualized in the ways that I was photographed or portrayed, and that was not my doing,' she added. 'That becomes a part of your public identity' The Black Swan star felt that the distinction for young women in the industry falls on who they want to be versus who others want them to be. She said: 'It's complicated to have your own private development and maturation alongside that [pressure] as a person, kind of having these double identities. And I think that it's a big conversation about how many different kinds of things girls and women can be.' Recently, Portman came under fire for admitting that as a teen she was confused as to why Jessica Simpson was on a magazine cover in a bikini while highlighting that she was a virgin. After Simpson said that she felt shamed by the comments, Portman clarified that she was commenting more so on the mixed messaging presented by the shoot. The first winter snows came to Serbia last week, falling thickly around a sprawling migrant camp in Adasevci, a few miles from Croatia and the gateway to the European Union. In the bitterly cold camp, 400 young men fleeing oppression in the Islamic Republic of Iran await their chance to smuggle themselves illegally across the EU border to make a new life in England. Talk to them and you will hear how they dream of reaching the French port of Calais, some 22 miles from the White Cliffs of Dover, before sailing across the Channel to Kent. Daily Mail reporter Sue Reid spoke these Iranian migrants who are trying to make their way into the UK having left the Middle East and arrived on mainland Europe My younger brother, Ali, is in Calais now, says Iranian graphic designer Mohammed Azizi, after he sneaks out of the camp to talk to me. He left here hidden under a lorry, got through the Croatian border and arrived in France two weeks ago. The 28-year-old adds: He is waiting to pay a trafficker to send him by sea to your country. I will follow him on the same route. I have a friend from here in Serbia who reached Calais and is now in Liverpool. We know the way. Next to chat to me is Arash Avazzadeh, 30, a Christian who worked in a clothes shop in Iran. He has been at the camp for two months. My friend, Abol Fazl, hid under a lorry and got through the border from here one week ago, he explains. He is already in Calais after travelling right through Europe by train. He was lucky. For every 20 of us who try to get through the EU border, 18 are caught by the Croatian border police. They take your phone, they steal your money. They try to break your spirit, so you dont attempt it again. Arash, a handsome English speaker who might be a credit to any country, adds: A friend of mine, Pedram, who was only 38 with two small daughters he left behind in Iran, died of despair the other day. He tried many times to get across the Croatian border, but was caught each time. The last time, the police destroyed his phone in front of his eyes. Pedram was stuck in this camp, where we sleep in rows of bunk beds full of lice, for two years. He became mad with desperation and depression. He walked into the forest nearby, lay down and never got up. These migrants, who are mainly Iranian are standing in the Adasevci migrant camp in Serbia Whats happening here in this isolated border village has a direct link to the extraordinary rise in Iranians being trafficked over the Channel to Kent. For this is the new migrant route into Britain and the numbers are increasing all the time. Last night, Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared the growing number of migrant Channel crossings a major incident and suggested that Border Force ships in the Mediterranean could be sent to the Channel to deal with the crisis. In November, Dovers RNLI lifeboat, as well as English coastguard vessels and Border Force cutters, were called out to 18 vessels carrying scores from the north French coast to England. This month, it has been the same story. On Christmas Day, 40 arrived on five different boats after crossing the Channel. Twenty-four hours later, three more Iranians were rescued on a perilous craft trying to reach the UK. They were followed by the arrival in Dover of five Iranians who, having made it ashore, lit a fire to keep warm on the beach, before marching to the local police station to claim asylum. On Thursday, nine more people, including three children, were intercepted on a beach in Sandgate, Kent, having been spotted in a 13ft inflatable vessel. As of last night, 94 migrants had been detained since Christmas Eve. Iranian migrants are fleeing Tehran and trying to get into the UK ahead of Brexit Little wonder Tory MP Tim Loughton said this week Britain is being made to look a soft touch. Meanwhile, David Wood, former head of Home Office immigration enforcement, said it was crucial migrants were taken straight back to France, to stop people smugglers taking them half way across the Channel and leaving them to be picked up by a taxi service of British rescuers. The Home Office acknowledged this week that people smugglers (many of Albanian or Afghani origin, operating in France and the UK) are provoking this seaborne surge. A spokesman said: We are working with the French to target the gangs behind illegal migration attempts which put lives at risk. Mike Williams, who runs charter boats out of Dover, knows the Channel well. He is very surprised Iranians make it from France to England when overloaded with passengers. He believes very few of the small rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RIBs) bringing in Iranians travel the whole way. He told Sky News he believes the migrants are being dropped off from bigger boats on to the RIBs half way across the Channel, in a highly organised trafficking operation. Sailing the Channel in a small vessel is treacherous and may explain why many of those I spoke to who tried it from Calais beaches have failed to reach the UK. All of those detained on Channel waters in the 24 hours to Thursday night were Iranian. There are now 400 of them living in dire conditions under blue charity tents on rough ground not far from the ferry towns centre and, every day, more arrive. The migrants want to take their chances and cross the Channel into the UK on small boats But there are other disturbing factors at play. In the past few weeks, the Mail has talked to Iranians making the 1,120-mile journey from the Serbia-Croatia border to the French coast. From there, they hope to travel on to cities in England Liverpool, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent among them to be housed in migrant hostels while their Home Office asylum applications are processed. What we have discovered is that growing religious fundamentalism in Iran is driving many young people, mostly men, to flee the reign of the mullahs. At the same time, Americas imposition of sanctions over Tehrans nuclear weapons programme has seen Irans currency plummet and life become all the harder for its people. Of course, in recent decades, there was little choice for ordinary Iranians but to make the best of life in an authoritarian state where women are beaten even for removing their headscarves. But all that changed with a decision last year by Serbia to become the first country in mainland Europe to offer Iranians visa-free travel. This has meant that many have taken the opportunity to fly to Serbia, ostensibly as tourists. Indeed, many cheap apartments and hotels are now packed, thanks to this influx. The trouble is that while plenty fly in to Belgrade, not so many are keen to return home. Up to 40,000 Iranians flew to Belgrade before the visa-waiver was halted in October this year. Flights had arrived full and departed empty. Serbian police estimate that 12,000 disillusioned Iranians, many young men who have protested at the countrys strict rules against homosexuality, sex outside marriage, oppression of women, the use of alcohol and free speech, never returned. Today, many remain stranded in Serbia at migrant camps such as snowy Adasevci, 70 miles from Belgrade. Others, thought to be in their hundreds at this point alone, have made it through the border in the past few months. This young migrant is stuck in the Adasevci camp in Serbia, unable to cross into Croatia and the European Union which will give him easier access to the Channel coast They use fake EU passports to fool Croatian border guards, then pay thousands of euros to smuggling gangs who put them aboard vehicles driving across Croatia or take matters into their own hands by hiding on lorries. Of course, once they are inside the EU, they can travel relatively easily, pushing up by train or bus to the northern French coast. Though Croatia is not inside the so-called Schengen Area, which allows virtually unfettered movement, the checks on its borders with neighbouring countries such as Hungary and Slovenia are relaxed because they are all within the EU. Once the migrants cross those borders into the Schengen zone, it is simple to reach northern France. Last week, having myself travelled to Calais, I spoke to Iranians who have arrived there from Serbia. One, Abol Fazl, 30, was at the Adasevci camp until a few weeks ago, when he secretly jumped on to the undercarriage of a freight lorry and got through to the EU. This is the man described to me by Arash Avazzadeh in snowy Serbia. Abol is now living rough near Calais, trying to find a trafficking agent to put him on a small boat to the UK. I am with friends and I try every way I can, he told me, with hope in his voice. Despite the favourable weather conditions on the Channel, in Serbia, the first snows have fallen as temperatures plummet dangerously In the Calais camp, another Iranian, 33-year-old Mehsan, explained why he, and so many of his kinsmen, have escaped their country and now dream of becoming UK citizens. My friend reached England from here in a boat and is now in a three-bedroom flat in Birmingham. He likes it very much, he says. Mehsan speaks perfect English because he studied the language at Tehran University and worked as an English teacher at a private college. I had a good life. My family were middle-class and I made decent money from my teaching work. I used old copies of the Daily Mail to teach my students English [though he does not explain how he got these, English newspapers brought into the country by aid workers or the trickle of tourists are treasured by Iranians if they find them and kept for years]. In the evenings at our apartment, my family who were all born Muslim would enjoy wine or beer, which is against Islamic rules. The neighbours could be your enemy. We were afraid they would find out and report us to the mullahs and the secret police. I applied for jobs teaching English in the state colleges. I never got one because my family had not fought for Iran against Iraq when it invaded our country in the Eighties. At my college, the secret police would come and check the books I was using to teach my students to make sure they were not against Islam. Every one of us here has attended political demonstrations against the regime there. Many are well-educated, engineers and doctors. These migrants are living rough on the outskirts of Calais, waiting for people smugglers But the mullahs back home have photos of our faces. They can easily find us, which is why we are scared even here in France. Innocent people in Iran simply disappear in the name of religion. No one knows where you are when you are taken away by the police. Some families dont even dare ask when their son does not come home. It is a life full of fear. Mehsans surname is known to the Mail. However, he asked us not to use it in case his family are persecuted by the Iranian regime because he has escaped. He finally decided to leave Iran when he was talking innocently to one of his female students in his car on the street in Tehran. Both of them were taken to court and formally admonished for associating with the opposite sex. For Mehsan, it was the final straw. He slipped over the border to Turkey and, from there, managed to make his way into the EU country of Hungary via Romania smuggled by a trafficker with 63 other migrants in one truck, all sitting on a load of cakes. The Iranians took temporary tourist visas to Serbia before crossing into the EU The Hungarian border police found us. They gave us no food or water. They sent us back to Romania where I was questioned for two days and forced to sign papers without a translation, then fingerprinted. It means that if I reach the UK and fail to win asylum I will be deported back to Romania under EU rules. In Romania, Mehsan was put in a camp in the city of Timisoara from where he and 15 other Iranians hired three taxis and were driven by traffickers hundreds of miles to Austria. Some are in England now. But I had been fingerprinted in Romania, so I claimed asylum in Austria and began taking Christianity classes to show I wanted to live a Western life. When I failed to get asylum in Austria, I ran away before the appeal because I was afraid of going back to Romania. He went from Austria to Calais by train four months ago. Now, living like a primitive man in the mud, he waits for a boat like the other Iranians here. One, huddling in the camp with Mehsan is called Hossain. He is 28 and has tried five times to sail to Kent. Six months ago, Hossain stole a tiny boat from the Calais port and headed off with 13 other Iranians towards the UK coast. The English police stopped us and brought us back to France, he says. We did not have a skipper. We did not know which direction we were going. We only had our mobile phones to tell us which way to go. In late November, Hossain made another failed attempt. He paid 4,000 to a trafficking gang for a place on a boat to England. He was picked up by one of the gang members at the Iranian camp and taken to a beach near Calais. I dont know which one, because the smugglers dont tell you, he explains, shivering from the cold. It was night-time. On the beach there was a big group of other migrants I had never met before. We got on the boat and set off, but in the middle of the sea the engine failed. We called 999, the number in England the traffickers had told us to ring if we got into trouble. They did not give us a boat driver. The English police answered our distress call, but could not find us for nearly an hour. When they did, we were brought back here to Calais. Now I will try again. I will never stop trying. I want to get out of this hell. Many others have been luckier. The Government estimates up to 300 Iranians and a few Iraqis have reached Kent in the past two months. After being interviewed by Border Force officers, some have been despatched to live in Liverpool at a migrant holding centre called Birley Court. It is a red-brick building, and in the courtyard groups of young men, in their mid-20s, congregate and chat in Iranian language Farsi. They will now wait up to two years for their asylum claims to be assessed by the Government. When we visited, one young Iranian in smart clothes said: I had no option but to come to the UK. Life in Iran was horrendous. His friend added: Getting here has been a bad experience. I do not know if I will get asylum and be allowed to stay. I only want to work and never want to return to Iran. These young migrants are clearly nervous of speaking publicly, and are often told by immigration officials not to communicate with journalists. After all, they come from a country where free speech is condemned and worry that if they break British Government rules it will mean their asylum claim is turned down. Not far from Birley Court is Liverpools Anglican Cathedral. Here they are giving Iranian newcomers a warm welcome. Dozens are converting to Christianity and some services, where the majority of the congregation are Iranians, are now held in Farsi. The migrants have been crossing from Calais, pictured, across the English Channel to the UK People-smugglers advise Iranians coming to the UK that if they say they are Christians it will smooth their asylum claim. They can argue, too, that they cannot be returned to Iran, where they would face persecution and even death at the hands of the strictly Islamic country where Christianity is abhorred. This turn of events has led dubious Home Office officials to quiz the new converts about their faith. During their asylum application process, they can face such questions as, How many chapters are in the Bibles Book of John? and Can you name Jesuss 12 disciples? Back in Serbia, this religious test is far from the minds of those still plotting a route into the EU. A 32-year-old Iranian called Amir calls to me over to the wire fence surrounding the Adasevci camp. He is wearing a red bandana round his head and whispers that he was a barber in Tehran. Poking his mobile phone up to the wire, he shows me an official-looking document he has photographed, which states his name. I am atheist and this is the summons for me to attend an Iranian court for punishment because I dared to say I was not Muslim, he says sadly as he pleads with me for help to get to Calais and then England. No wonder Amir and so many young men like him run from the country of their birth. And now they are arriving in ever-greater numbers across the perilous English Channel. AJ Pritchard (left), 24, and brother Curtis (right), 23, were set upon by yobs at a club in Nantwich, Cheshire A star of Strictly Come Dancing has been beaten up in a nightclub attack. AJ Pritchard, 24, and brother Curtis, 23, had been socialising and posing for selfies with fans. But they were then set upon by eight yobs, who started to circle them. The attackers began to throw punches at the pair 'like they were possessed'. 'Curtis had fallen to his knees and was being punched in the face and body,' a witness said. 'They were also punching AJ in his face, in his ribs and legs. 'AJ dragged Curtis out of the circle and pulled him to another part of the club.' The witness said that AJ was left carrying the marks on his face from the rings the thugs wore as they struck him. Curtis is said to have appeared to have passed out in the attack. Bouncers later brawled with the group in a scene reminiscent of a 'Wild West film'. AJ was recovering at home after receiving severe bruises and cuts after the attack in the club in Nantwich, Cheshire. Curtis will need surgery in the next few days because his knee was badly injured, according to his agent. A spokesman for the Pritchard brothers, who come from nearby Stoke and were visiting their parents over Christmas, said: 'AJ and Curtis were assaulted whilst on a night out with two friends in an unprovoked attack in Nantwich, Cheshire. 'Curtis is due to undergo an emergency operation in the next few days to correct the damages he has sustained to his knee, he is also recovering from injuries to his eye and face. AJ received bruising to his face, arms, body and legs. 'Statements have been given to Cheshire Police and they are currently undergoing an investigation.' AJ, whose real name is Alex Joseph, won plaudits for his partnership with paralympian Lauren Steadman, 25, in this year's BBC series of Strictly (pictured together in a promotional image) Police said four people were taken to hospital for treatment but had all since been discharged. A spokesman said: 'Officers arrested a 20-year-old man from Crewe on suspicion of assault. He has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.' AJ, whose real name is Alex Joseph, won plaudits for his partnership with paralympian Lauren Steadman, 25, in this year's BBC series of Strictly. Steadman, who was born missing the lower part of her right arm, said AJ was accommodating and encouraging. She said he 'made me face a fear and be really, really proud of myself and my body.' She told The Sun: 'I have been self-conscious my whole life with my arm. We'll do moves and he'll be like 'No, you can be sexy', and he's helped me fall in love with myself for the first time.' The duo made it to the semi-finals but were eliminated, losing to this year's champion Stacey Dooley. AJ competed on Britain's Got Talent with long-time dance partner Chloe Hewitt in 2013. His brother appears in the Irish version of Strictly. U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said he would visit Turkey and Israel in January to coordinate on Syria, after President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw all U.S. forces. "We will discuss our continued work confronting security challenges facing allies and partners in the region, including the next phase of the fight against ISIS, as the U.S. begins to bring troops home from Syria," Bolton wrote on his Twitter page. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to meet next week in Brazil with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the Syria pullout decision. A surgeon has recalled the moment a drunk driver, who was still holding his vodka and coke, nearly killed his pregnant wife and two-year-old son. A luxury vehicle driven by a 39-year-old drunk Gold Coast man hit a kerb and veered toward surgeon Sam Dowthawaite's family car on December 22 as they left a Christmas party. His four-year-old son was in the car as his pregnant wife changed their two-year-old son's nappy at the back of the vehicle at 10pm. Dr Dowthwaite's wife, who asked to remain anonymous, narrowly avoided the out-of-control car after grabbing her son and running out of the way. 'She was missed by literally centimetres,' said Dr Dowthwaite. Tha man was driving through the intersection of Main Road and Lighthouse Parade (pictured) when it struck a kerb and headed towards the family car A luxury vehicle driven by a 39-year-old drunk Gold Coast man, which hit a kerb, went up two wheels and headed towards surgeon Sam Dowthawaite's family car The couple was unable to reach their four-year-old son, who watched the incident unfold from inside the car, reports the Gold Coast Bulletin. The vehicle initially struck a car parked next Dr Dowthawaite in a street at Fingal Head. The parked car spun around and hit Dr Dowthwaite and his friends, including a woman who left bleeding on the ground. She spent the night at Tweeds Heads Hospital, where she was treated for cuts. 'There were two cars parked nose to tail and the car behind us was the one that was knocked. It was crazy,' he said. The incident occurred as Dr Dowthwaite and others were standing outside after leaving a Christmas party. The car that was struck spun around and hit Dr Dowthwaite (pictured) and his friends, including a woman who left bleeding on the ground The surgeon claims the drunk driver was holding an alcoholic drink as he climbed out of his wrecked car after the crash. 'He was literally still drinking from his Vodka and Coke. It was taken away by the cops,' he said. Tweed-Byron District Police Chief Inspector Luke Arthurs said the man had a recorded blood alcohol reading more than twice the legal limit. His license was suspended and he was bailed to appear at Tweeds Heads Local Court on February 11. An animal rights group that filed a habeas corpus petition in October appealing for an Asian elephant named Happy to have the same rights as human beings could soon accomplish its goal. The Nonhuman Rights Project argued that Happy, who has lived at the Bronx Zoo since 1977, has rights like any human and should be relocated to a large sanctuary where she can socialize with other elephants and roam more freely. Earlier this month, the New York Supreme Court in Orleans ruled that the petition should be heard in Bronx County, since the elephant lives at the Bronx Zoo, according to a news release. The group filed its court petition in Orleans County, 280 miles away from the zoo in western New York, because judges elsewhere in the state have taken a dim view in past legal proceedings of the idea that animals have legal rights like people. Bronx Zoo elephant Happy arrived at the Bronx Zoo in New York in 1977, but has lived alone in an enclosure since 2006 Happy is seen strolling inside the zoo's Asia display, Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018, in New York. An animal welfare group has brought a legal action against the Bronx Zoo on behalf of Happy Above shows an Instagram post by the Nonhuman Rights Project. Nonhuman Rights Project Founder and President Steven Wise is pictured Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said in a statement seen in the news release: 'The NRP has chosen to exploit Happy and capitalize on the Bronx Zoo name to advance its failed political agenda. 'They continue to waste court resources to promote their radical philosophical view of 'personhood.' He added: 'The NRP's own filings do not question Happy's care or our facilities, but seek to have her recognized as an autonomous being and transferred to an elephant sanctuary. 'As we work through this process initiated by the NRP, we are forced to defend ourselves against a group that doesn't know us or the animal in question, who has absolutely no legal standing, and is demanding to take control over the life and future of an elephant that we have known and cared for over 40 years. 'We are pleased our motion for change of venue to Bronx County was granted, and we are confident that the courts will continue to do the right thing in this matter.' Nonhuman Rights Project founder Steven Wise said: 'Our world-class experts say that, like all elephants, Happy is an autonomous being who evolved to walk 20 or more miles a day as a member of a multi-generational large social group. 'The entirety of the zoo's elephant exhibit provides far less than even 1 percent of the space she would roam in a single day in the wild.' Zoo officials say Happy appears to be content, is cared for by loving handlers and might suffer from a transfer to an unfamiliar facility. For 25 years, Happy was paired with another elephant named Grumpy. But in 2002, Grumpy was fatally injured in a confrontation with two other Bronx zoo elephants, Maxine and Patty. Happy was then paired with a new friend, Sammy, who died in 2006. After that, the Wildlife Conservation Society said it would no longer acquire new elephants. Since then, Happy has been without a partner and kept apart from Maxine and Patty due to concerns they won't get along. Breheny said Happy doesn't share the same holding pens as the other elephants but is in 'tactile and auditory contact with them' and spends several hours a day interacting with keepers, according to a statement posted on the zoo's website in 2016. 'Happy is healthy and comfortable in the home she has known for nearly four decades. 'Our animal care professionals say she exhibits no signs of physiological or psychological stress with virtually no stereotypical behavior. 'We don't think moving Happy from familiar surroundings and the people to whom she is bonded is in her best interest,' he wrote. If Happy left the Bronx Zoo, there are several sanctuaries in the United States that accept elephants, including ones in Tennessee, Georgia and California. A man who repeatedly raped his girlfriend while he slept and taped the horrific acts has been sentenced to nine years jail. Jack Morrison, 23, was found guilty of 18 counts of rape and three aggravated indecent assaults last week after a lengthy jury trial in Western Australia. The court heard his girlfriend had been raped several times over the course of nearly a year up to July 2016, The West reported. She had only discovered she had been assaulted after accidentally plugging in his external hard drive into her computer. A woman discovered her boyfriend, 23, had been raping her in her sleep and filming it after accidentally plugging his external hard drive into a computer (stock image) The woman saw footage of herself being abused by her partner and sometimes with objects. The clips showed eight assaults over 10 months and 'invasive, repetitive, obsessive penetration'. In handing down her sentence, Judge Troy Sweeney said the horrific assaults would leave the woman, who had been living with Morrison, with lasting trauma. 'Women know that violent strangers are the enemy and to be avoided,' Judge Sweeney said. 'A woman can try and watch out for that sort of man but for (this woman) sleep is now the enemy. 'And she also knows that the man she loved and trusted and chose to live with is the enemy.' The man was sentenced to nine years jail and will be eligible for parole in 2025 (stock image) Judge Sweeney said Morrison treated the woman like a 'blow up plastic sex doll which you used for your own pleasure'. She likened the videos to 'trophies' for Morrison, whose internet search history revealed an interest in sleep-sex porn. While prosecutors had alleged the woman was drugged before Morrison's assaults, Judge Sweeney said there was not enough evidence. Morrison will be eligible for parole in 2025. House Republican say their investigation into the FBI's handling of Hillary Clinton's email server and the Trump campaign's alleged Russian ties, which quietly wrapped up this week, uncovered concerns about its 'impartiality' - yet Democrats have blasted the probe as being little more than a distraction from Robert Mueller's investigation. Republicans have said since the election that they believe Justice officials were biased against President Trump when they started an investigation into his ties to Russia and cleared Clinton in a separate probe into her email use. In a letter released Friday evening, less than a week before Republicans cede the House majority to Democrats, the chairmen of two House committees described what they said was the 'seemingly disparate treatment' between the two probes and called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate further. House Judiciary Chairman Robert Goodlatte and Rep. Trey Gowdy, House Oversight and Government Reform chairman, both of whom are retiring next week, sent a letter to the Justice Department and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying they reviewed thousands of documents and conducted interviews that 'revealed troubling facts which exacerbated our initial questions and concerns.' But Democrats have blasted the GOP-led congressional probe, saying it was merely meant as a distraction from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. California Rep. Adam Schiff, who does not sit on either panel but is the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, tweeted Friday evening: 'This is how the House Republican effort to undermine Mueller by 'investigating the investigators' ends. House Republican say their investigation into the FBI's handling of Hillary Clinton's email server and probe of the Trump campaign's alleged Russian ties, which quietly wrapped up this week, uncovered concerns about its 'impartiality' yet Democrats have blasted the probe as being little more than a distraction from Robert Mueller's investigation On Saturday, Trump appeared to take a swing at the Mueller investigation's probe into the texts between and Page - many very critical of his presidency 'Not with a bang, but with a Friday, buried-in-the-holidays whimper, and one foot out the door. New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, and Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, top Democrat on the oversight panel, are expected to end the investigation when they take power in January. Nadler has called it 'nonsense.' The GOP lawmakers insist the investigation was not an attempt to undercut special counsel Robert Mueller. So far, the Republican House have only released the letter although they do plan to release transcripts of the 19 interviews that were conducted as part of the probe, including with former FBI Director James Comey, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and FBI official Peter Strzok and his lover Lisa Page. On Saturday, Trump appeared to take a swing at the Mueller investigation's probe into the texts between and Page - many very critical of his presidency. 'The Mueller Angry Democrats recently deleted approximately 19,000 Text messages between FBI Agent Lisa Page and her lover, Agent Peter S,' he tweeted. 'These Texts were asked for and INVALUABLE to the truth of the Witch Hunt Hoax. This is a total Obstruction of Justice. All Texts Demanded!' The investigation's most public day was a 10-hour open hearing in July in which former FBI special agent Peter Strzok defended anti-Trump texts he sent to a colleague as he helped lead both investigations. Strzok fought with Republican lawmakers in a riveting spectacle that featured Strzok reading aloud from his sometimes-lewd texts, and Democrats and Republicans openly yelling at each other. Republicans believe officials were biased against Trump when they started an investigation into his ties to Russia, and cleared Clinton of her email use During the investigation, they had interviews with former FBI Director James Comey (right), former Attorney General Loretta Lynch (left) Goodlatte and Gowdy laid out several concerns in the letter, many of them echoing a report issued this year by the Justice Department's internal watchdog. That report concluded that Strzok's anti-Trump text messages cast a cloud on the agency's handling of the probe and also that fired FBI Director James Comey repeatedly broke from protocol, including when he announced his recommendation against charging Clinton. But unlike the congressional investigation, the report also found there was no evidence that Comey's or the department's final conclusions were motivated by political bias toward either candidate. The Republicans have insisted that they were not trying to undermine the Mueller probe. 'Contrary to Democrat and media claims, there has been no effort to discredit the work of the special counsel,' Goodlatte and Gowdy wrote in the letter. 'Quite the opposite, whatever product is produced by the special counsel must be trusted by Americans and that requires asking tough but fair questions about investigative techniques both employed and not employed.' Republicans have repeatedly asked for a special counsel to look into the 2016 questions, but former Attorney General Jeff Sessions never granted their request. The department is now led by Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, a Trump ally who has not weighed in on the issue. The Republicans sent the letter not only to McConnell but to several other Republican Senate committee chairmen, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who will become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Goodlatte and Gowdy wrote that 'while Congress does not have the power to appoint a special counsel, Congress does have the power to continue to investigate. They said they believe 'the facts uncovered thus far' warrant continued oversight. Goodlatte and Gowdy have also asked for the Justice Department release transcripts from their investigation. The committees sent the transcripts to the department last week so they could be reviewed for any classified information, but they have not been released. An Oregon senator demanded to know on Friday what President Trump's administration is planning to do about the United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia after it emerged the country may have helped one of their citizens flee a week before his trial. Ron Wyden said in a letter, first obtained by The Oregonian, to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, Friday that the new theory from authorities Abdulrahman Semeer Noorah, 21, used an illicit passport to jet home on a private jet provided by the Saudi consulate should be reason to push forward with action. Noorah is believed to have taken off in June 2017, 10 months after mowing down and killing Fallon Smart, 15, in Portland, and more than a year before the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia denied knowing anything about the murder of a dissident journalist - to the disbelief of many. Oregon senator Ron Wyden (right) has asked what Donald Trump's administration will do after Saudi Arabia allegedly helped one of their citizen's flee the US on a private jet Courtesy of KOIN Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, 21, escaped two weeks before he was due to stand trial for the manslaughter of Fallon Smart (left) 'These are shocking claims in any event, but with the barbaric murder of US resident Jamal Khashoggi, they suggest a brazen pattern of disregard for the law and abuse of diplomatic privileges,' Wyden wrote. 'If they are accurate, they would require significant restrictions on Saudi Arabias diplomatic privileges and call into question the future of Americas bilateral relationship with the Saudis.' The Saudi government recently confirmed to US Marshals this July that Noorah had returned to Saudi Arabia by June 17, 2017, just seven days after he went missing. Officials said they were doing everything they can to get Noorah back to the United States. Wyden continued: 'Since the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia, what steps is the Trump administration taking to ensure Mr. Noorah is accountable for the death of Ms. Smart?' He wanted a response from the State and Justice Departments by the end of January. The CIA said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have ordered Khashoggi's killing. Wyden addressed the 'barbaric murder' in his letter He wanted a response from the State and Justice Departments by the end of January Wyden penned the letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker It came after the furious stepmom of Smart questioned Noorah's bail deputy's involvement in his disappearance. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia posted $100,000 bail - the 10 percent of Noorah's $1million required to release him for the manslaughter charges of Smart, who was hit by his gold Lexus when he illegally swerved around stopped traffic letting the teenager cross the road in August 2016. He was given permission from his bail release supervisor, Deputy Kari Kolberg, to study at college the afternoon he vanished. Reports say Kolberg only learned of his disappearance after returning from a weekend trip where she didn't have cell phone service. Officials believe Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah fled the US on a private jet with help from the Saudi consulate last year after being given permission to leave his home by his bail release supervisor. He was accused of manslaughter for the death of Fallon Smart, 15 Her family didn't want Noorah to get bail for fear he would flee the country which he later did Noorah has denied the manslaughter of the 15-year-old. The Portland Community College man is believed to have 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. Investigators used sniffer dogs to search a nearby park and the location where Noorah's 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. Noorah skipped bail in Portland, Oregon after the Saudi consulate bond in 2016. 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 Deputy Kolberg, Willamette Week reports. He denied manslaughter despite admitting being behind the wheel at the time The Saudi Arabian embassy posted his bail in 2016 and he was placed under house arrest 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 $5million bail for a Saudi princess accused of human trafficking. 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 helped 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. The CIA said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have ordered Khashoggi's killing. His body was dismembered and has not been returned to his family. Reports have claimed it was dissolved in acid. A bold pigeon baffled commuters when he walked off a train in Sydney's CBD after travelling through the bustling city. The small bird managed to make its way on the City Circle line as the train travelled from Central Station to Wynyard. The video opens with the pigeon calmly hopping up the stairs as the train waits at the platform. A bold pigeon has baffled commuters when he walked off a train in Sydney's CBD after travelling through the bustling city He then paces toward the open doors and stops for a moment before politely 'minding the gap' and hopping off the train. The video was posted to Reddit with 'I legit just watched this little dude travel from Central to Wynyard' sprawled across it. Many people were quick to point out the pigeon was able to use the service for free, as he wasn't seen carrying an Opal card. 'Where's his opal card though?' one user commented. Another person joked that animals were getting away with free services: 'Animals are such freeloaders'. 'Thought I saw an Opal card under his wing,' another person said. Other users joked that the bird even managed to 'mind the gap', as it's written on the platform in front of him. Many people were quick to point out the pigeon was able to use the service for free, as he wasn't seen carrying an Opal card 'HE EVEN MINDS THE GAP,' one person wrote. 'He's better than some of the humans using transit,' another user replied. Some noted that with Sydney's scorching weather, they may want some relief from the sun. 'Even the birds are too hot to walk,' one user said. This isn't the first time a pigeon has been caught using Sydney's train network, with two other images being posted to Reddit within the past month. Friends of a single mother-of-two who vanished after wading into flooded water have described her as a 'wonderful, bubbly girl' and are clinging to hope she could still be alive. Ebony King, 34, has not been seen since she waded into a fast-flowing creek in Rossville in Queensland's far north on Thursday evening desperately needing to retrieve her medication from home, her friends say. Her disappearance comes as the remote region of the sunshine state is inundated by heavy rain and braces for a cyclone over the weekend. Friends of single mother-of-two Ebony King, 34, (pictured) who vanished after walking into flooded water have described her as an 'wonderful, bubbly girl' and are clinging to hope she could still be alive A friend, who also lives in the rural township and knew Ms King (pictured) growing up, said she may have been able to survive the current It wasn't until Friday the volunteer fire fighter was reported missing to police after friends went to her home but could not find her. A close friend in Rossville said there were a lot of people in the small community praying for Ms King - who she described as her 'good mate' and an 'exceptional person'. The friend told Daily Mail Australia: 'She was a really strong and good person. She's lived here all her life so she knows the dangers of flooded waters. 'But she had to get across because she needed her medication. 'She could be deceased or she could be alive and clinging to a tree. We just don't know.' 'There have been people who survive for days by doing that.' The hotel owner said she herself was concerned for her safety and her business as the floodwaters were rising close to her property. She said: 'We still hope for the best. She has been fighting the fires in Queensland and was a strong swimmer' (police search pictured) Another friend of the family who also lives in the rural township and knew Ms King growing up said she may have been able to survive the current. She said: 'We still hope for the best. She has been fighting the fires in Queensland and was a strong swimmer.' The friend said Ms King was separated from her partner, and was 'just by herself' at the moment with her two children Corey and Carly. A worried social media message was also posted by friend Ben Paterson - who wrote: 'Terrible news hearing of Ebony being lost in Rossville floods. The unstable weather system heading towards northern parts of the state could become a cyclone over the Cape York Peninsula on Sunday morning, according to The Bureau of Meteorology (pictured fallen tree blocking road near Cairns) 'Hoping she's been stranded and will be returning soon. 'Eb is as tough they make them and at home in the bush so if someone has a chance ... then she does.' Rossville is located around 300km north of Cairns and there is only one road linking the area to The Mulligan Highway a few kilometers away. The unstable weather system heading towards northern parts of the state could become a cyclone over the Cape York Peninsula on Sunday morning, according to The Bureau of Meteorology. California's top prosecutors could charge Pacific Gas and Electric Co. with murder, manslaughter and other crimes if their power lines are deemed to have caused the deadly wildfires. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office described to a federal judge on Friday that the utility firm could face a series of consequences, depending on what he described as their 'mental state'. The possible charges fall under both misdemeanors and felonies, according to filing documents obtained by SF Gate. Those charges include minor offenses, but range to implied-malice and involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors added. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office sent a list of possible charges against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Friday U.S. District Judge William Alsup is currently looking into what the possible charges could mean from the utility's probation from a criminal case in connection to the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. The recent Camp Fire, California's deadliest fire in the state's history, is the motivating event that has moved prosecutors to look into the possible charges. Alsup made the move to consult with state prosecutors after asking PG&E, the U.S. attorney's office and the utility's federal monitor about whether recent wildfires could affect the probation terms. The judge gave a Monday deadline that has only been met by Becerra's response. Alsup is looking into what the charges could mean from the utility's probation from a criminal case in connection to the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion fire (pictured) PG&E released a statement saying that it is working to 'further enhance safety' for customers. 'PG&E's most important responsibility is public and workforce safety. Our focus continues to be on assessing our infrastructure to further enhance safety and helping our customers continue to recover and rebuild,' spokesman John Kaufman said in an email. 'Throughout our service area, we are committed to doing everything we can to help further reduce the risk of wildfire.' PG&E has not been found to have been the force behind recent disasters yet, according to Becerra's brief. Using a hypothetical question posed by Alsup, prosecutors analyzed 'the extent to which, if at all, the reckless operation or maintenance of PG&E power lines would constitute a crime under California law' if it was found to have sparked the wildfire. That would ultimately be defendant on the utility's mental state, according to Becerra's office. PG&E has not been found to have been the force behind recent disasters yet, according to Becerra's brief Alsup originally demanded an 'accurate and complete statement' of any role PG&E played in the Camp Fire, which killed at least 86 people while destroying close to 19,000 buildings 'These mental states resemble a sliding scale,' prosecutors added. 'As the mental statebecomes more culpable, the applicable offense becomes more serious.' The brief further stated that implied-malice murder charges would need to show that ab 'abandoned and malignant heart' was present by the guilty party. The party must also do something life-threatening with 'conscious disregard for life'. Involuntary manslaughter charges would need to show that PG&E could have foreseen death as a natural and likely consequences of its actions, the brief added. Crimes related to vegetation maintenance and starting wildfires would need to look at the degree of negligence. Alsup originally demanded an 'accurate and complete statement' of any role PG&E played in the Camp Fire, which killed at least 86 people while destroying close to 19,000 buildings. The judge also pondered if any 'inaccurate, slow, or failed reporting of information about any wildfire by PG&E' would violate its sentence terms from the 2010 case. President Trump is still in the White House as the partial government shutdown rolls into its seventh day with a deal between the president and the Democrats appearing far from reach. Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to explain why he did not get his bill for the wall to pass through the Senate. 'For those that naively ask why didn't the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us ''NONE'' for Border Security! Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown. Too bad! @FoxNews,' he wrote. In an earlier tweet, he lamented about his time spent in Washington DC over the holidays, as he missed Christmas the rest of his family in Mar-a-Lago and is likely to stay in the White House through the new year, while adding the Democrats are 'spending so much time on Presidential Harassment' and have left important tasks fall by the wayside. Trump is still in the White House after cancelling Florida vacation and may remain in Washington DC into the new year Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to explain why he did not get his bill for the wall to pass through the Senate Trump tweeted Saturday that the Democrats are 'spending so much time on Presidential Harassment' Both sides are continuing to trade blame for the shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other Cooped up in the White House after cancelling his planned vacation to his private Florida club, Trump tweeted that he's 'waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security.' 'I am in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security,' he wrote. 'From what I hear, they are spending so much time on Presidential Harassment that they have little time left for things like stopping crime and our military!' But there has been little direct contact between either side during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. The president did leave the White House on Friday night to join the three men at the center of the negotiations, Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, for dinner at Pence's residence at the Naval Observatory. The effects to the public of the impasse grew as the Environmental Protection Agency, which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight Friday night. EPA spokeswoman Molly Block said many of the agency's 14,000 employees were being furloughed, while disaster-response teams and certain other employees deemed essential would stay on the job. Also running short on money: the Smithsonian Institution, which said its museums and galleries popular with visitors and locals in the capital will close starting midweek if the partial shutdown drags on. But federal flood insurance policies will continue to be issued and renewed, in a reversal prompted by pressure from lawmakers, said Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. The partial government shutdown will almost certainly be handed off to a divided government to solve in the new year, as both parties traded blame Jared Kushner was pictured arriving at his Washington DC home Friday night after having dinner at Vice President Mike Pence's home Trump appeared no closer to securing money for his signature border wall, which he vowed during the campaign that he would make Mexico pay for. He's failed to do so. Now Democratic leaders are adamant that they will not authorize money for the project, calling it wasteful and ineffective. They show no signs of bending, either. 'We are far apart,' White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS on Friday. Trump tweeted: 'We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with.' He also threatened to cut off U.S. aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, among countries he deems have not done enough to combat illegal immigration. He's made similar threats in the past without following through, and it is Congress, not the president, that appropriates aid money. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. Trump's incoming chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, said Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier offer by the White House to accept less than the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall. Democrats said the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security, but that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Vice President Mike Pence that it wasn't acceptable. It was also not guaranteed that Trump would settle for that amount. 'There's not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal,' Mulvaney said Friday Speaking on Fox News and later to reporters, he tried to drive a wedge between Democrats, pinning the blame on House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Tourists arrive to visit the U.S. Capitol on a rainy morning in Washington, Friday, December 28 during a partial government shutdown Mulvaney said Schumer was 'really interested in doing a deal and coming to some sort of compromise' but he understood that Pelosi was at risk of losing the speakership of the House if she went along. 'So we're in this for the long haul,' he said. In fact, Pelosi has all but locked up the support she needs to win the speaker's gavel Thursday and there has been no sign that she and Schumer are in conflict. 'For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn't pass the laugh test,' said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer. Pelosi has vowed to pass legislation to reopen the nine shuttered departments and dozens of agencies now hit by the partial shutdown as soon as she takes the gavel, which is expected when the new Congress convenes. But that alone won't solve the shutdown, absent Senate approval and Trump's signature. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill added that Democrats united against the wall and won't seriously consider any White House offer unless Trump backs it publicly because he 'has changed his position so many times.' Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacted cautiously to Trump's threat to close the border, calling it an 'internal affair of the U.S. government.' 'We are always seeking a good relationship with the United States. We do not want to be rash,' he said. As for EPA, workers needed for preventing immediate public health threats at more than 800 Superfund hazardous-waste sites will remain on the job as well as emergency response workers for disasters. The murder of Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh, 33, by suspect Gustavo Perez Arriaga (above), who is an illegal immigrant, has sparked debate over California's sanctuary laws The sudden and tragic murder of California policeman Corporal Ronil Singh has reignited a fierce debate over sanctuary laws in the state. Newman police officer Singh, 33, was shot dead on Wednesday morning, just after Christmas, by suspect Gustavo Perez Arriaga after he was pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence. After a massive two-day manhunt led by multiple local law enforcement agencies, Arriaga, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was finally arrested on Friday in Bakersfield, California, and is being held without bail. He was caught as he was trying to flee back to his native country. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson led the investigation and blamed California's sanctuary law for preventing local authorities from reporting Arriaga to immigration officials in the past. Arriaga had two previous drunken driving arrests, but was never reported to ICE as a result of California's sanctuary law, which limits cooperation between local authorities and U.S. immigration officials. The law includes more than 800 exceptions for violent crimes and felonies and bars police from asking people about their citizenship status. Christianson identified Arriaga on Friday afternoon at a press conference saying he illegally entered the U.S. via Arizona several years ago and had two previous DUI arrests. He said if California's sanctuary laws didn't exist, Singh's murder would have never happened 'We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable,' Christianson said during a press conference on Friday after Arriaga's arrest During a press conference on Friday, Officer Ronil Singh's brother Reggie Singh wept as he thanked local law enforcement for capturing the suspect, Gustavo Perez Arriaga 'We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable,' Christianson said during a press conference on Friday after Arriaga's arrest. He also asked why the state was 'providing sanctuary for criminals (and) gang members. It's a conversation we need to have.' 'This is a criminal illegal alien with prior criminal activity that should have been reported to ICE. Law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws and that led to the encounter with officer Singh,' Christianson said. 'I'm suggesting that the outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasn't restricted, prohibited or had their hand ties due to political interference,' he added. The devastating shooting has intensified the political fight over immigration. President Donald Trump took to Twitter after the tragic murder to rally once again for a wall to be built at the U.S.-Mexico border. 'There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!' he tweeted. Trump saw the government descend into a partial shutdown just before Christmas after refusing to sign off on a financial budget that didn't allocate a whopping $5billion to building the border wall. Ronil Singh, 33, of Newman Police Department was killed just past 1am on Wednesday December 26 after he pulled over suspect Arriaga's car on suspicion that he was drunk driving. When he approached the car he was shot multiple times and killed Arriaga, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested Friday morning in Bakersfield, California suspected of killing Singh just after Christmas. He is pictured above being taken in Christianson said that Arriaga had entered the U.S. by crossing the border in Arizona several years ago and held a variety of farm larborer jobs. He was affiliated with the Mexican-American street gang Surenos and had two previous DUI arrests. He also had multiple Facebook pages under different aliases. California Governor Jerry Brown has said the law strikes a balance between protecting families and ensuring consequences for serious criminals. His spokesman said Friday that if the suspect was a known gang member, police could have informed federal authorities. 'California law fully permits the sharing of information on dangerous gang members,' spokesman Evan Westrup said. Former state Senator Kevin de Leon, the Democrat who wrote the legislation, said it's 'highly irresponsible' to blame the law for the officer's death. 'The type of tone and attitude that Sheriff Christianson has taken instills fear and panic in all immigrant communities' that could make people afraid to report crimes, de Leon told KNX-AM radio in Los Angeles. The suspect (pictured left and right) has a flaming skull tattoo on his right arm with the phrase '$ur3no$' which means Surenos, the name of a Mexican-American street gang linked to murders and human smuggling along the U.S.-Mexico border Cops also arrested Arriaga's brother Adrian Virgen, 25, (left) and co-worker Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, (right) on Thursday for allegedly trying to divert police from capturing Arriaga On Friday evening Arriaga's girlfriend Ana Leyde Cervantes, 30, (left) and his brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, (right) were also arrested for helping him evade arrest Seven other people have also been arrested for helping Arriaga evade police capture. They include Perez Arriaga's brothers, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen and 34-year-old Conrado Virgen Mendoza; his girlfriend, 30-year-old Ana Leyde Cervantes; and a co-worker, 27-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, authorities said. Three people were arrested at the home near Bakersfield. All are accused of helping Perez Arriaga, who's expected to be arraigned on charges Wednesday, authorities said. Singh, 33, was also an immigrant, who came legally from his native Fiji to fulfill his dream of becoming an officer, authorities said. He lived in Modesto, Northern California with his wife Anamika and their five-month old son. He had been with the Newman police force for seven years, joining it in 2011. The townspeople honored the memory of the seven-year police veteran. He was from Fiji and joined the Newman Police force in 2011 Hundreds gathered to share memories of Cpl. Singh and light candles Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson called him a patriot. 'This is a man that loved his country. This is a man that worked hard for what he believed in. He believed in this community,' the chief said at a community vigil Friday night honoring Singh. Hundreds of residents, friends, relatives and fellow officers attended the candlelight memorial, where many cried and some spoke emotionally about the officer. 'Ronil loved his job,' said Reggie Singh, holding his brother's 5-month-old son. Singh's wife, son, and K-9 partner led the vigil that saw the community gather at the Newman Downtown Plaza and place white and blue flowers and ribbons around the police station. Thirty Russian children will be evacuated from Iraq to Russia on December 30, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel. "On December 30, the children will be taken from Iraq to Russia. A plane with 30 boys and girls onboard will land at one of the airfields in the Moscow Region. These are three children from Chechnya, one from Moscow and Penza, and 24 others from Dagestan," TASS cited Kadyrov as saying. According to the Chechen leader, this is "the result of a tremendous effort carried out throughout the entire year" at the instruction of the Russian president. He thanked Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Childrens Rights Anna Kuznetsova for their assistance. Advertisement A cyclone is brewing off Western Australia's Kimberley coast while much of the country is set to swelter in heatwave conditions. Every state and territory will cop the heat on Monday when temperatures soar with some regions to experience severe and extreme hot weather. Scroll down for video Sydneysiders have flocked to the beaches to sweat through a sweltering heatwave captivating the entire state Bondi Beach (pictured) was filled to capacity on Saturday, only days after 30,000 flocked to the landmark on Christmas Suburbs in Sydney's west have been told to prepare for five days above 40C The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts low intensity heatwave conditions in parts of central WA to southern parts of the Northern Territory, southwestern Queensland and across NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. It will be worst in South Australia where multiple days of temperatures above 40C, an unusual event even for summer, meteorologist Dean Narramore said on Sunday. Every state and territory in Australia has been warned to prepare for the heatwave Australians have been reminded to slap on the sunscreen before heading into the sun The foreshores have been packed since Christmas, when about 30,000 beachgoers made their way to Bondi to celebrate the festive season "Particularly northern South Australia, they're looking at maybe five days in a row above 45 and normally they might only get five or 10 a year," he said. Melbourne can expect to see a few days in the mid to high 30s, while temperatures in Sydney's west will peak above 40C for four or five days. Nearly 100 swimmers were stung by bluebottle jellyfish on Gold Coast beaches in the Christmas period Those swimmers who didn't want to brave the surf at Bondi could be seen at the adjacent wave-free paddle pool Politicians have called on those making their way to the beach to enjoy the warm weather to 'be smart' and avoid taking risks An eating competition between rival gang members has been rocked by claims of cheating. Two men from notorious New Zealand gangs, the Mongrel Mob and Black Power, filmed themselves attempting to devour 13 packs of noodles the fastest. The video began with both men staring into the camera before one said: 'Are you ready to get your a*** kicked?' Halfway through filming a technical error sees the heavily tattooed man's camera cut out. And then moments later he also drops his phone. When the screen returns he appears to be missing a significant amount of noodles Victorious: A heavily-tattooed Mongrel Mob member tips the remains of instant noodles into his mouth Troubles begin right away with one of the men accusing the other of not having the full amount of noodles that they agreed, saying the bowl is too small to hold 13 packets of noodles. But the competition still goes ahead and the pair begin gobbling down forks full of food. Halfway through filming a technical error sees the heavily tattooed man's camera cut out. And then moments later he also drops his phone. When the screen returns he appears to be missing a significant amount of noodles - this is when the serious cheating accusations start. The heavily tattooed man continues to shovel copious amounts of noodles into his mouth, smiling as he nears the end of his bowl 'Your bowl looks lower, you're cheating,' his competitor says. 'You took some out bro.' The heavily tattooed man continues to shovel copious amounts of noodles into his mouth, smiling as he nears the end of his bowl. 'You dropped your camera three times and out of the blue you won?' the loser asks. 'That ain't even fair, rematch,' he says. But the winner refuted the allegations. 'Why would I lie, I'm the Mongrel Mob.' A mysterious Australian has risen the ranks of ISIS to whisper in the ear of the terrorist organisation's leader, leaked documents claim. The Australian, who goes by the pseudonym 'Abu Abdullah al-Australi', is believed to have become the 'emir' - or leader - of ISIS's media department this year. If the claims are true, the Australian would be the most senior ranking Australian-born in the terrorist group's history. Scroll down for video A mysterious Australian is believed to have risen through ISIS's (pictured) media department If the claims are true, the Australian would be the most senior ranking Australian-born in the terrorist group's (pictured) history The claims have been made by prominent British researcher Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, according to The Australian. A researcher for the Middle East Forum think tank, Mr al-Tamimi claims he has come across written exchanges from within the terror group which criticises the Australian and his predecessor, while also outlining his new role. Security agencies, including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, declined to comment on the security matter. Mr al-Tamimi said no biographical details about Abu Abdullah had been released, besides the references in the documents. He and other international terror experts in Australia said they barely knew of him. Should the Australian's position be correct, he would correspond with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured) Professor Greg Barton from Deakin University said there was 'no question' that Abu Abdullah would be the highest ranking Australian in the group, should the documents be found true. 'Even the people who are regarded as the most famous and influential were basically being used,' he said. 'They were never really in the brains (of the group), so this is a bit strange.' He also said that anyone in that position would likely be able to communicate with the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over the future of the organisation's media presence. The Australian rose the ranks through the organisation's media department, previously saying there was a 'black cloud' covering the team. Pictured is a social media post from alleged members of the group The correspondence, which was reportedly sent to ISIS's governing body in April or May, named Abu Abdullah as the 'deputy' to the previous media coordinator, who was of Jordanian descent. They claim the Australian had told those below him that 'there was a black cloud covering the Media Diwan (department) and it had now dispersed'. He also allegedly said said there was more funds than the department actually needed and some of it would be spent on a barbecue. The parents of a baby girl with facial disfigurements have hit back after vicious online trolls branded her a 'monster' and said she should be 'killed'. Naffi and Racheli Goldman, of Manchester, have revealed their heartbreak at comments left by strangers' after they posted pictures of their daughter Batya on Facebook. The couple have come to the defence of their little girl who was born with a rare condition that has left her with a malformed skull and a twisted spine, as well as leaving her deaf, blind, and unable to breathe on her own. The parents of a baby girl with facial disfigurements have hit back after vicious online trolls branded her a 'monster' and said she should be 'killed' A 3D scan in Tel Aviv, Israel, during the pregnancy revealed the health issues, with Doctors telling the parents that Batya, who will be aged one in less than a week, was 'not compatible with life'. Seven months into the pregnancy which had taken two years to happen, Naffi and Racheli were given the option of aborting their child. They refused, and insist they don't regret bringing their little girl into the world and are now raising 500,000 to pay for her care costs. Naffi and Racheli Goldman, of Manchester, have revealed their heartbreak at comments left by strangers' after they posted pictures of their daughter Batya on Facebook Jewelry dealer Naffi, who admits he was initially 'frightened' by his daughter's bulging eyes and unusually-shaped head, said: 'When we saw the comments on our photographs we were horrified. We didn't think people like this existed. 'What people were saying was dreadful. People said they have never seen such an ugly child. They said our child is a creature. One person said what we are doing is abuse and someone told us she looks like some kind of monster. 'People said "why bring a creature into this world, you should have killed her". It broke our hearts.' He added: 'We were told to abort straight away and the doctors knew she would be born with a serious medical condition. The couple have come to the defence of their little girl who was born with a rare condition that has left her with a malformed skull and a twisted spine, as well as leaving her deaf, blind, and unable to breathe on her own A 3D scan in Tel Aviv, Israel, during the pregnancy revealed the health issues, with Doctors telling the parents that Batya was 'not compatible with life' 'They weren't sure what, but they knew Batya would be seriously disabled. We were told she wouldn't make it through birth and if she did, would die in infancy. 'They said caring for her would make our lives unbearable. It was absolutely heartbreaking to hear and our world came crashing down. But we will look after the gift we have been given.' Born on January 3, the baby was rushed to intensive care and suffered respiratory failure during infancy and is now kept alive by a ventilator. Seven months into the pregnancy which had taken two years to happen, Naffi and Racheli were given the option of aborting their child They refused, and insist they don't regret bringing their little girl into the world and are now raising 500,000 to pay for her care costs Naffi said: She had an enlarged head and her eyes were bulging. I could see straight away that her spine wasn't straight. She was frightening to look at. It was scary for us. We knew straight away that the future was going to be very, very hard for us. This month, mother Racheli, shared photos of her baby on Facebook and received messages like do you think keeping this creature alive is the right thing to do?. Another troll called Batya a sick fetu whilst one person said Racheli's baby looked like medusa, known in Greek Mythology as a monster. Jewelry dealer Naffi said: 'When we saw the comments on our photographs we were horrified. We didn't think people like this existed' Born on January 3, the baby was rushed to intensive care and suffered respiratory failure during infancy and is now kept alive by a ventilator Both Naffi and Racheli have had to give up their jobs and spent 24/7 - in alternate shifts - caring for their daughter. She requires 80 procedures a day that keep her alive - including round-the-clock medication and feeding via a tube. Around 80 per cent of children worn with Batya's disabilities die within 12 weeks but she has found a way to survive. The couple had planned to live in the UK full time and had begun applying for citizenship for Israeli born, Racheli. They hope to one day return to the UK to live if Batya is ever well enough to travel abroad. They receive medical equipment from the Israeli government but are trying to raise money to pay for extra care. Fans of Hercule Poirot are already incensed with the latest TV adaptation for replacing the private detective's upturned moustache with a goatee, and losing his Belgian accent. Now, the BBC has gone one step further in the finale of The ABC Murders - by revealing that Poirot trained as a priest. The episode, which was shown last night, stars John Malkovich as the famous sleuth created by Agatha Christie. Poirot's traditional background sees him as having once worked in the Brussels police force but in the latest adaptation, this was dispensed with. Instead, Malkovich's character trained as a priest only to relinquish his vows after realising that he would rather bring serial killers to justice. In the BBC's adaptation of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders, Hercule Poirot (played, above, by John Malkovich) trained as a priest - a backstory which does not feature in the canon. Pictured, he tries to prevent a German soldier from attacking his church in his native Belgium in 1914 Frustrated viewers - familiar with the Belgian private detective's traditional former role in the Brussels police force - vented their anger on Twitter In the show, he reveals that he witnessed his congregation burned alive by invading Germans in 1914. The storyline for the BBC yarn is set in 1930s England, pitting Poirot against ABC - a serial killer who leaves an edition of The ABC Railway Guide at the scene with his victims in Andover, Bexhill and Churston. The TV mini-series has been adapted by Sarah Phelps, who previously worked on Christie's The Witness For The Prosecution and And Then There Were None. Phelps admitted she had never read or watched a Poirot story before working on the screenplay, according to the Daily Telegraph. The latest TV adaptation (pictured) also saw the sleuth's upturned moustache replaced with a goatee - and he'd lost his Belgian accent, further enraging fans However, last year, James Prichard, Christie's great-grandson and custodian of her literary estate, said of Phelps's approach to the canon: 'We have this amalgamated view [of Poirot in previous screen incarnations] whereas she has pared it back to exactly the one described in The ABC Murders, and that is very different from probably anything that has gone before'. Despite some viewers' frustration with the new take on Poirot, there are references to the detective and religion in some of her books - where he often mentions 'le bon Dieu' (the good God). Christie, who was a practising Anglican, wrote that he was Catholic by birth. Furthermore, in the 1948 Poirot mystery Taken At The Flood, he prays in church and declares that he was educated and raised by nuns. Meanwhile in an adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express, his character - then played by David Suchet - is seen on his knees with a rosary in his hand. Councils have been accused of 'street cleansing' after offering thousands of rough sleepers one-way tickets out of towns and cities. A Guardian investigation found that some 6,810 travel tickets, including trains, flights and bus, have been purchased across 83 councils in England and Wales since 2015. Councils defended the 'reconnection policies' that aim to link the person with family in an another area, accepted on a voluntary basis - but the paper found that some people were offered transport to unfamiliar areas they'd never been and felt they had no choice in the matter. Shoppers walk passed tents on Queen Street on December 27, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales The investigation, based on figures acquired through freedom of information requests, suggests that the methods merely moves homelessness to different areas, rather than solving it. The reconnection policies are supposed to offer a move based on a link to another area in the form of family or solid accommodation there. Philip Sempers, 35, told The Guardian that when he was homeless two years ago he was offered a one-way train ticket to Birmingham, his only option. 'I split up with my ex and was sofa surfing for a few months I got to the end of my tether the council said: 'The only thing we can do is give you a train ticket to go to Birmingham so you can stay in a hostel there,' he told the paper. A pedestrian walks by a rough sleeper in London, where 4,159 tickets were purchased 'They said there was no accommodation for me in the whole of the county I was in, in south-eastern England. There was nowhere for me to go. They tried looking for hours and hours and said the only thing on offer was a train ticket to get me to Birmingham. I said: 'I just need somewhere to live. This is supposed to be a first-world country.' He added that he felt 'lost' in England's second city, having never been in his life. The Homelessness Reduction Act, new as of April, suggests that if a council is going to move someone it must do so to an area where said person has connections. Before the implementation of the act, local authorities were only required to help homeless people with local ties. The report also suggested that people from Eastern Europe are often offered flights with no return, with one homeless Hungarian interviewee telling The Guardian that 'they send you back to nothing.' It has been dubbed 'street cleansing' by rough sleepers in Bournemouth according to Claire Matthews who runs a soup kitchen in the reconnection hot spot. It has seen 119 in three years. Oxford city council said its 'reconnections' were aways done with full cooperation from them and the party concerned, adding that 'there was a 'legitimate and verifiable offer of a bed and support'.' The former health minister Norman Lamb, vocal on such issues, told the paper what's happening is 'inhumane'. Alison Saunders (pictured), 57, was forced to stand down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) earlier this year after the Government declined to extend her contract A former head of the Crown Prosecution Service has become the first not to receive a damehood in the New Year's Honours List - after a series of blunders while in post. Alison Saunders, 57, was forced to stand down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) earlier this year after the Government declined to extend her contract. She had been under scrutiny over a raft of scandals including the collapse of a series of rape trials after late disclosure of evidence to defence lawyers, which led to a review of every case in the country. In a break from tradition, Ms Saunders will not receive a senior honour this New Year - unlike her predecessors, all of whom received a knighthood or damehood during or soon after their tenure. She was earlier this year slammed by MPs for the series of blunders which led to her leaving the post of DPP. A report found that she did not spot the extent and seriousness of failures to disclose vital evidence to defence lawyers, a damning report said. In some instances, the accused were days away from trial when they were told that texts, emails or messages on social media had been uncovered which proved their innocence. The CPS reviewed 3,637 cases in England and Wales between January and mid-February and identified disclosure failings in 47, all of which were halted. Alison Saunders (pictured), who stepped down as director of public prosecutions, has come under fire over failures to disclose evidence which led to the collapse of numerous rape cases Liam Allan, 23, was accused of rape spent almost two years on bail ahead of a trial at Croydon Crown Court. It collapsed in December after messages undermining the case were found, with prosecutors later apologising for their errors in not disclosing them earlier. A review into the collapsed case found more than 57,000 messages were recovered from the complainant's phone, but only some were served in evidence. While Samuel Armstrong, 25, who worked as as senior aide for Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, was cleared in a trial last year of raping a woman in his boss's Westminster office. He said that crucial evidence had been disclosed to his defence team just eight working days before the trial at Southwark Crown Court. A committee of MPs found earlier this year that Saunders 'did not sufficiently recognise the extent and seriousness' of failures in the disclosure process. The Justice Commitee said the correct disclosure of evidence by the police and CPS is too often seen as an 'administrative headache'. The CPS said in a statement: 'It's fundamentally untrue to suggest the CPS has ever sought convictions at any cost. 'In fact the conviction rate over the last five years has remained steady despite a more complex caseload and challenging financial climate. 'The police and CPS apologised to Liam Allan for the investigative and disclosure issues in his case. Samuel Armstrong was acquitted by a jury after trial. 'We have worked with police to tackle the long-standing and system wide issues around disclosure. Putting this right is our top priority and a comprehensive programme of work is under way to drive lasting improvements.' Liam Allan (left) and Samuel Armstrong (right) who were both put on trial accused of crimes they had not committed - urged a break with precedent and slammed Alison Saunders Mrs Saunders was also forced to apologise after her decision not to prosecute Lord Janner was overturned. A report by High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques later found police and prosecutors missed three chances to charge Lord Janner over historic sex abuse claims after allegations first surfaced in 1991. In April 2015 the CPS announced that the peer should not be charged as he was suffering from dementia, but this was overturned by a review two months later. A judge then ruled that he was unfit to stand trial and instead ordered a trial of the facts to be heard at the Old Bailey. These proceedings were dropped when he died in December 2015. A drug plot involving more than $1million worth of cocaine and ecstasy, a west African, three Poles and a Russian sailor has been thwarted by international investigators. The mysterious criminal gang which sprawled across the globe caught the attention of authorities when two Polish men, Ryszard Wilk and his son Ralph, travelled to New Zealand for a holiday in September 2016. They cut their vacation of 30 days short, spending a minuscule two days on New Zealand soil before travelling back to the European continent, the NZ Herald reported. But they were back in New Zealand two months later, again claiming they were visiting for a holiday. The mysterious criminal gang which sprawled across the globe caught the attetnion of authorities when two Polish men, Ryszard Wilk (pictured) and his son Ralph, travelled to New Zealand for a holiday in September 2016 The story caught the attention of New Zealand authorities and the Police National Organised Crime Group and Customs launched an investigation called Operation Moa. In the year proceeding, investigators tracked a network across New Zealand, Germany, eastern Europe, Ecuador and Venezuela. The investigators used phone taps and covert surveillance to unravel thousands of dollars and a plan to saturate New Zealand with ecstasy and cocaine. The plan involved at least 10 people working for a West African mastermind and a treasure map to locate hidden cash at Auckland's Bastion Point. In the Wilk's first venture to New Zealand, they met Russian sailor Aleksandr Cherushev who was on board the food vessel Discovery Bay which docked in Auckland, from South America, the same day the Polish pair arrived. Cherushev planned to use the vessel as a cover for his cocaine haul trafficked by the Wilks and a third Polish man Patryk Lukasik. The Wilks paid Cherushev $1.2million worth of cocaine, about four kilograms, and cash for his courier services. The Polish duo also left a large amount of cocaine at an undisclosed location and distributed about two kilograms to a New Zealand contact, before returning to Poland. In the Wilk's first venture to New Zealand, they met Russian sailor Aleksandr Cherushev (pictured) When they arrived the second time and investigators began Operation Moa, it was revealed they returned to retrieve a remaining payment and to organise further supply drops. Investigators were led to a local builder Bryan Williams, 53, who acted in the plot as the bag man. They were then lead to a mysterious West African man, who lived outside of New Zealand using an Ecuadorian number. The man was understood to be the mastermind who organised for the Polish father and son to travel to New Zealand. The Wilks exchanged $7878 in their second visit to New Zealand and sent $17,856 overseas. On November 20, the Polish duo were due to return home but had not collected all their cash. The son left his father behind and police seized $40,000 hidden in Chinese noodle packets in his suitcase during a covert search at the Auckland International Airport unknown to Ralph. The third Polish man Patryk Lukasik arrived in New Zealand in December 2016 with Simon Kenmuir and conspired with IT engineer Mohammad Naseem Khan and Quinnan (Christina) Tang by transferring cash. Cherushev planned to use food vessel Discovery Bay (pictured) as a cover for his cocaine haul trafficked by the Wilks and a third Polish man Patryk Lukasik When Lukasik and Kenmuir left New Zealand a short time later their luggage was searched by customs revealing over $70,000 between the pair - cash that Operation Moa revealed was owed to the Wilks. Ryszard Wilk left New Zealand in April 2017, a day after cash was seized from him at customs. Operation Moa found from November 2016 to April 2017, while Ryszard Wilk was in New Zealand, $775,000 was sent abroad. Ralph Wilk returned to New Zealand in June 2017 with police suspecting he arrived for more cash. Ryszard and Lukasik remained at large, leading Interpol to release global wanted notices (pictured) Investigators watched him hand cash to Williams - leading the officers to search Ralph's hotel room where they uncovered $116,100 and 10,000 USD. Ralph was arrested and police seized three mobile phones which he had been using to contact his father - to orchestrate further trafficking of drugs into New Zealand. Ralph Wilk, Williams, Khan and Tang were all expected to face the High Court in Auckland this year but on the eve of the trial they all decided they would enter guilty pleas. Ralph was sentenced to nine years and four months and will be deported after serving his sentence. His father and Lukasik remained at large, leading Interpol to release global wanted notices. Lukasik was eventually arrested in Germany and Ryszard in Maiquetia, Venezuela, and are both expected to be extradited to New Zealand. Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza. The ministry of interior revealed the news this morning, after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people yesterday. The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Friday's attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza. Tourist bus which was attacked being towed away from the scene, in Giza province south of the Egyptian capital Cairo They said 'terrorist elements' were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry in the hideouts. Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State. State news agency MENA said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle. Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli speaks to journalists as he arrives at the hospital where Vietnamese victims of an attack on a tourist bus were taken The ministry did not give any details about the suspects' identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously. The ministry published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them. Egypt's Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly (R) visits a Vietnamese injured at a hospital after the bomb explosion Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids. Egypt's military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the 'Arab Spring' protests of 2011. Vietnam's ambassador to Egypt (C) arrives outside the hospital where Vietnamese victims of an attack on a tourist bus Egypt's military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February A man died after a rockfall on Snowdon on Christmas Eve, it has emerged. Llanberis mountain rescue team, Britain's busiest, were alerted during the morning by a walker on the popular Pyg Track, to the rockfall below Bwlch Y Saethau. 'After looking through a high-powered camera lens the informant was concerned that a person may have been caught up in the fall,' a team spokesman said. Rescuers said recovery of the body was, at times: 'Highly technical and dangerous.' A coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon flew to the scene with a winchman paramedic but the man was found dead. North Wales police have given no details about the tragedy. Llanberis mountain rescue team said : 'Our condolences go to the family and friends of the casualty, at any time a tragic incident, more-so given the time of year.' Rescuers said recovery of the body was, at times: 'Highly technical and dangerous.' The news comes after two teenagers were airlifted to safety after finding themselves stranded on a notorious 3028ft high ridge on Mount Snowdon in September. The drama unfolded after a family of five took a wrong turn on a ramble on the Welsh mountain and ended up on the east ridge of Crib Goch - a knife-edge section on the 3,560ft tall Welsh mountain. The teenagers felt unable to navigate the ridge, which has sheer drops on either side of hundreds of feet, so the group called mountain rescue volunteers for help. The rescue team is a fully voluntary organisation which responds to those in need on Snowdon and the surrounding mountains, and is on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A climber died after he plunged more than 800ft from a cliff on Mount Snowdon in February. Two people saw the male walker fall from the Snowdon Railway track and the Llanberis Mountain Rescue team were called to the notorious cliffs of Clogwyn Coch. The apostolic administrator, Mgr Jerzy Maculewicz, highlighted the events that marked the life of the Catholic community in 2018, as well as the challenges and hopes for the future. At Christmas Muslims also came to Mass to receive the blessing. Tashkent (AsiaNews) The Catholic Church in Uzbekistan "is at the service of everyone, and it is precisely this that attracts people of every religion who seek God," said Mgr Jerzy Maculewicz, apostolic administrator of Uzbekistan. The prelate spoke to AsiaNews about the main events that marked the year and expressed hope for the future of the local Catholic community, which is not growing much but whose members are strong in their faith. The community has to deal with emigration to more affluent countries like Russia and Germany, "which leads to a drop in the number of members and with the constant need for spiritual training and the lack of priests, which leaves parishes without a pastor." Despite difficulties, "we look at the future with great hope. We are optimistic and have faith in the ordination of new local priests, in new altar boys, in the education of the laity who can assume greater responsibilities, for example in the distribution of the Communion." The Catholic community in the Central Asian country is small, notes the bishop, but it is characterised by "a family atmosphere, where everyone knows each other, and help each other as well as others." The capital Tashkent is home to some 350 Catholics. The country has five parishes with some 11 priests, including nine Franciscans, one bishop and a diocesan from Venezuela. The priests are assisted by three non-consecrated religious and ten sisters of Mother Teresa. "Our goal is not to leave any community alone. We always celebrate Sunday Mass and the liturgy of the Word. Sometimes a priest can celebrate up to four times a day. "The summer was the hardest time because an elderly priest had to take a leave of absence for health reasons and another, for over 20 years in Uzbekistan, asked for a sabbatical. Now one parish has no a priest but we hope that a permanent one will arrive by March." The local Church, notes the apostolic administrator, is committed first of all "to catechumens and catechesis, to Bible meetings to explain the Gospel message in a non-Christian society and culture, and spiritual training. Every day we preach the Gospel because the homily is an opportunity to deepen our faith. We work with groups of children, young people and adults." It is a simple, constant commitment, "like that of the women who go to convents to prepare the food because they have no cook. Or like listening without judging people who come to church and just want to talk to the priest, get his advice. "It is important that many non-Catholics come to me seeking my advice on things they consider fundamental to their lives, but feel unable to confide in others. Like a young Muslim man who told me he was hurting because he had fallen in love with a young woman, but their union was hampered by her father. He was crying and I prayed for him." Many people are attracted by the fact that bearing witness to the Christian faith is open and undemanding to others who have questions about faith and are in search of God. Such was the case of students who, on a school trip, came to the church and asked questions or the young woman whom the bishop met whilst travelling by train to Samarkand. "We were five in the same compartment: a Muslim woman, two Orthodox women, a nuclear physicist who had read the sacred texts of different religions and me. A discussion followed. "The Muslim woman asked questions about the Vatican and the cardinals. One of the Orthodox women, a student, told me she was surprised that visits to Catholic churches are free, as opposed to the services offered by the Orthodox." With respect to the events that marked the life of Catholics in 2018, Mgr Maculewicz mentioned three of them: "The first, Easter; the second, a three-day meeting centred on prayer, brotherhood and reflection on the theme 'Christian Vocation', which took place in June and brought together a hundred people; the third, the celebration of Christmas, which was preceded by a meeting for spiritual renewal reserved for priests, in which we exchanged the traditional white bread, as a sign of sharing. Many non-Catholics came to Christmas Mass. Everyone wanted to receive the blessing of a priest, even Muslims." Finally, "This year ten people were baptised, including six children aged 9 to 11 years. Eight people baptised in another Church completed their year-and-half-long catechumenate and performed the profession of faith in the Catholic Church." European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said that no US threats can stop the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Oettinger said that he was never a fan of Nord Stream 2, but the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been underway for a long time, and it cannot be so easily stopped. "Trumps threats are no reason for that," Oettinger told Der Spiegel magazine. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier it was not right that Germany would be paying billions of dollars to Russia. Instead, he has been trying to force Europe to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas, saying this would diversify EUs energy supply. Giles York (pictured above) has apologised to Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk and now says two drones that were first discovered have been ruled out of the investigation A chief police constable has apologised to the couple wrongly arrested over the Gatwick drone Christmas chaos earlier this month, as he admits that the drones spotted may have been owned by his own force. Sussex chief constable Giles York apologised to Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk who said they felt 'violated' after being questioned for 36 hours in custody before being ruled out from causing the disruption. Mr York has now said that police drones had been flown at the time of the investigation, with a view to survey the area looking for the drones being flown illegally. He said: 'Of course, we will have launched our own Sussex Police drones at the time with a view to investigate, with a view to engage, with a view to survey the area looking for the drone, so there could be some level of confusion there.' This is while the two drones discovered by police near the airport have been ruled out of involvement in the incident which disrupted hundreds of flights before Christmas. He added that police in the area have searched 26 potential drone launch sites near the airport but have not yet found the drone believed to have be flown near runways on December 19 and 20. Earlier this week finger prints on a damaged drone found close to the airport were found not to have matched any known 'eco warriors' who could have been responsible. A police source told the MailOnline that the fingerprints were of someone 'not known by police'. Paul Gait (left) and Elaine Kirk (right) said they felt 'violated' after being arrested Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr York said he didn't think the force had found the drone responsible for the chaos. 'I think the fact that we have found two drones so far as a result of this does show the extent of the search that has been carried out. I am led to believe that we are able to rules those drones out of this investigation at this time.' 'I'm absolutely certain that there was a drone flying throughout the period that the airport was closed'. Police received 115 reports of sightings in the area, including 92 which have been confirmed as coming from 'credible people', he said. Elaine Kirk (left) and Paul Gait (right) were arrested following the incident at Gatwick Mr York went on to say that he was 'really sorry' to Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, who said they felt 'violated' after being questioned for 36 hours in custody before being ruled out of involvement in the disruption of Gatwick. However, he said he was 'convinced that the grounds for arrest - the lawful suspicion - in the first instance was well founded'. 'I'm really sorry for what he has experienced and the feeling of violation around it. 'I am really sorry for what he went through, but the reason why we held him was so that we could dispel everything in the first instance. What might have been worse as an experience for him would have been to be released under investigation still. 'We are able to exhaust all our lines of inquiry on that first instance and, however hard it is, able to release him from police custody saying he is no longer a suspect in this line of inquiry. Passengers at the airport were left stranded (pictured above) after various drone sightings at the airfield 'That's why we took the time - in order to allow him the best opportunity to put his life back on the rails.' Mr York confirmed that military technology was now in place at Gatwick, though he declined to identify the nature of the equipment. 'The systems that are in place today are dramatically different to what was in place a week ago,' he told said. Asked whether he could rule out a repeat of last week's disruption, Mr York said: 'I don't think you can ever rule out anything happening again. 'But what we can say is what is at the heart of this is ensuring it is safe for the aircraft to take off and that's the different position that Gatwick Airport finds itself in today', he added. Earlier this week finger prints on a damaged drone found close to Gatwick airport were found not to have matched any known 'eco warriors' who could have been responsible. Officers revealed last weekend they had found a broken drone in a field near the airport that they thought may have been responsible for the disruption. However police source revealed: 'The fingerprints found on that drone belong to a clean skin - someone unknown to the police. 'Sussex Police have been working alongside the Met, who hold the National Fingerprint Database, which contains, among others, the biometric information of thousands of extremists from terrorists to far right activists and eco warriors. 'The prints found on the drone did not match any of those on the Yard's database. Counter drone equipment was deployed on a rooftop at Gatwick airport following the incident and airlines worked to clear the backlog caused by the incident 'It's a blow because police were hoping this may give them a new lead in the case.' Sussex cops were criticised for arresting married couple Paul and Elaine Kirk-Gait on December 21 before releasing them without charge 36-hours later. Mr Gait, who lives a mile from Gatwick, used to fly drones and model aircraft outside his house. However his boss was able to confirm that he was at work - as part of a three man team fitting windows - during most of the drone sightings. Sussex Police are pictured at Gatwick Airport. Detectives are no nearer to tracking down the culprit who grounded 760 flights at Britain's second biggest airport The couple said their 'privacy and identity' had been 'completely exposed' after being named in the media and their home searched. Mr Gait said: 'We are deeply distressed, as are our family and friends, and we are currently receiving medical care. 'The way we were initially perceived was disgusting. Mr Gait and his wife, from Crawley, West Sussex, later added: 'Those that knew us didn't doubt us for a second.' In the wake of the arrests, Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley of Sussex Police made the bizarre claim that there may never have been a drone but quickly followed it up by saying another theory was that the disruption may have been sparked by the damaged drone. More than 350,000 people had their Christmas travel plans thrown into chaos, with several forced to sleep on the terminal floor at Gatwick for two nights after local hotels reached full capacity. The runway was shut down and airport bosses had to warn passengers not to come before checking with their airline. Despite a huge manhunt, the mystery drone pilot continued to taunt Army snipers dotted along the runway, helicopters and 20 police units. The person behind the chaos, is rumoured to be a 'lone wolf eco-warrior' or an organised expert rather than a 'hobbyist'. Transport secretary, Chris Grayling, said police had 'not handled their communication response well' while Tory MP John Woodcock said: 'This whole sorry episode shows why we need a nationally agreed and understood robust procedure for dealing with incidents like this. 'The country has been caught on the hop. There may be a case for a different police force [to get involved].' A father-of-two has been exposed as a serial cinema groper who hissed at his victims to get their attention. Attul Kumar Patel was found guilty of his fourth count of indecent assault last month, for incidents which saw him target women across Auckland, New Zealand. The Indian national was sentenced to five months' home detention after the latest in a string of assaults dating back to 2013, the The New Zealand Herald reported. In his most recent offence, Patel, an accountant, targeted a pair of sisters while they watched a movie in Massey, north-west Auckland. Despite his prolific offending, a court order has prohibited media from publishing Patel's photograph until now. Self-proclaimed family man Attul Kumar Patel (left) has been exposed as a serial cinema groper who hissed at his victims to get their attention The High Court heard Patel walked past several empty seats before choosing one next to his young victim. After looking toward her several times he slid his hand under her bottom, the Herald reported. The victim then asked Patel to move, which led him to choose a seat one further away before the woman's sister told him to leave the cinema. In 2014, Patel, from Flatbush in the city's south, is said to have lurked around another cinema at Henderson, west Auckland, before assaulting a 13-year-old girl. According to stuff.co.nz, he sat next to the youngster when the lights dimmed and began rubbing her bare thigh. Patel continued to harass the girl despite her attempts to move her leg and eventually began 'hissing' to attract her attention. CCTV footage showed Patel move between different screenings for the next four hours for varying lengths of time. In 2014, Patel, from Flatbush in the city's south, is said to have lurked around another cinema at Henderson, west Auckland, before assaulting a 13-year-old girl (file image) During sentencing for that crime Patel's then-lawyer said the offending was 'anxiety-related' and he was in cognitive behavioural therapy to treat it. But almost four years later the court heard how his 'fleeting touch to the (woman's) buttocks', had been highly distressing for his most recent victim. Ultimately it was a psychiatric report which detailed strong compulsion issue which led him to and touch others and stroke their hair that saw him spared jail. The terms of Patel's home detention will see him ordered to take medication but will still be allowed to work as an accountant. A church community is in mourning after their much-loved pet donkey was savagely mauled to death by a pack of roaming dogs. Angel was found dying on Christmas Day at the back of St Matthews Anglican Church in Morrinsville, on New Zealand's North Island. She had severe injuries to her legs and her backside and her ears were mangled. Angel, the donkey, was found dying on Christmas Day at the back of St Matthews Anglican Church in Morrinsville, on New Zealand's North Island A church community is mourning after their much-loved pet donkey was savagely mauled to death by a pack of roaming dogs Her owner Val Riches told Stuff she suspects a pack of roaming dogs had squeezed under the gate where she was kept and attacked. The heart-wrenching decision was made to euthanize her. Angel had suffered for hours before she was discovered after a Christmas Day church service and Ms Riches thought it was the kindest option. The 'sweet yet sassy pet' was the much-loved mascot for the church. The 'sweet yet sassy pet' was the much-loved mascot for the church in Morrinsville, on new Zealand's north island 'She liked company. She thought she was a princess. She would go around our place and tell the horses that she was boss.' Ms Riches has now raised safety concerns after the incident. 'I do think for them to have hunted her down and savage her like that, I think it is a concern for safety. 'She wouldn't have been running around, she wouldn't have been exciting them.' The local council and police have been notified of the attack. A mother has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after the 'completely senseless' death of her daughter from diabetes. Emily Hampshire, 14, died last month after suffering an attack brought on by the disease. Prosecutors alleged that her mother, Amber, kept family members in the dark about Emily's diagnosis and kept it untreated - inadvertently causing her death. Prosecutors alleged that her mother, Amber, kept family members in the dark about Emily's diagnosis The 39-year-old, from Madison County, Illinois, USA, was charged on Thursday with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the life or health of a child. Emily was diagnosed as a nine-year-old and her mother was 'fully aware' of her condition and even allegedly stockpiled medicines, found in the family's home. Prosecutor Tom Gibbons, told Fox News 2: 'Amber Hampshire had all of the information and all of the resources available to take care of this and instead chose to conceal it from even the closest family members'. He added that her disease would have been 'absolutely survivable' had she received treatment. Emily was diagnosed as a nine-year-old and her mother was 'fully aware' of her condition The 39-year-old, from Madison County, Illinois, USA, was charged on Thursday with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the life or health of a child Emily became ill in February when she suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication from diabetes. Intravenous fluids and insulin are used to treat ketoacidosis but no treatment was given, according to police. No treatment was given in November either, when Emily suffered another attack which she died from. Emily became ill in February when she suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication from diabetes Her mother then posted on Facebook, saying: 'My girl gained her wings and is now an angel. I miss her more than words can express.' Prosecutors switched their focus to why the seemingly loving mother would not allow Emily medical treatment, looking at possible religious factors. But Prosecutor, Tom Gibbons said: 'Investigators looked into that angle and I don't think there's any reason to believe that's a claim or defense in this case.' Her mother then posted on Facebook, saying: 'My girl gained her wings and is now an angel' He added: 'I think there will be substantial evidence to the contrary.' A trial date is yet to be set after the mother handed herself into police on Thursday. She is no longer in custody. Primary school children will be challenged to ditch gadgets and go on nature trails under a drive launched by the Education Secretary. Damian Hinds is urging schools to embrace old-fashioned pursuits in the great outdoors to help pupils develop 'character and resilience'. Recommended activities include looking at the stars, building dens, having teddy bears' picnics, hiking, flying a kite, searching for butterflies, exploring caves and picking blackberries. Children will also be encouraged to partake in traditional indoor pastimes such as board games, cooking, playing cards and writing poems and letters. The move follows concerns that children's development is being hampered by too much time playing games on tablet computers. Primary school children will be challenged to ditch gadgets and go on nature trails under a drive launched by the Education Secretary. (File photo) Damian Hinds is urging schools to embrace old-fashioned pursuits in the great outdoors to help pupils develop 'character and resilience' Many parents use electronic devices as 'babysitters' but experts say they are preventing children from learning about the world and limiting vocabulary. While Mr Hinds believes technology can be a useful learning tool, he says it should not replace real-world exploring. Mr Hinds said: 'I regularly hear from teachers that it's important children have the chance to try things out, to get a taste of the world, to see and do things they wouldn't normally do, or go to places they wouldn't normally go. 'Experience is a great teacher and can equip children with skills that prepare for any challenges. What's on the inside someone's character, drive, resilience, and the ability to stick to a goal is just as important as their academic achievements.' Mr Hinds is today sending a list of suggested activities to primary schools to encourage them to broaden children's horizons. The move to get children outside follows concerns that their development is being hampered by too much time playing games on tablet computers. (File photo) He also hopes it will inspire families to spend more time together. Other items on the list include making a pinhole camera, birdwatching, making a cake, learning to knit, singing a French song and climbing a tree. The activities are geared towards building confidence and curiosity, and are endorsed by the Scouts, Girlguiding and National Trust. The list was inspired by Mr Hinds' visit to St Werburgh's Primary School, in Bristol, where every child is encouraged to take part in a list of tasks and experiences, with key achievements for each school year to tick off. He added: 'Within this list, children may find something they want to come back to again, but I hope that, whatever they do, they will enjoy and learn from them.' Matt Hyde, chief executive of the Scouts, said: 'We know how much young people get out of enrichment activities broadening their experiences, having fun and developing skills for life. Not everything can be taught in a classroom.' Experts are urging Sydneysiders to brace themselves with repellent as millions of mosquito eggs are due to hatch over the new year. Medical Entomologist Cameron Webb explained wild weather is to blame for the plague as the harbour city braced storms, rain and sweltering conditions over the past month. 'Mosquitoes love summer they love the warm weather but they also like wet weather and we've had plenty of rain to start the summer,' Dr Webb said. Medical Entomologist Cameron Webb (pictured at Georges River wetlands) explained wild weather is to blame for the plague as Sydney braced storms, rain and sweltering conditions over the past month 'We've had some recent tides that have flooded our local wetlands and what that means is there are plenty of mosquitoes about buzzing around.' Dr Webb said the adult mosquitoes would emerge in early 2019 and hoped the city would survive new years eve before the influx. 'High tides, it means that a lot of water gets into our coastal wetlands and prompts a hatch of those mosquito eggs. The bigger the more wetland that is flooded the greater the mosquito populations,' he said. While mosquito populations vary each year, they're typically noticed between October/November until the end of April - when they begin to decline. Research found that Sydney Olympic Park, Alfords Point, Bankstown and Parramatta were hot spots for large mosquito numbers. The mosquito control program at Sydney Olympic Park helped to reduce the abundance of the insect in the area. While mosquito populations vary each year, they're typically noticed between October/November until the end of April - when they begin to decline (stock image) Dr Webb said targeted and strategic control can be effective in reducing populations up to 80 per cent without adversely affecting local ecosystems. He added that mosquitoes are adaptable and in many parts of the world are becoming resistant insecticides, forcing scientists to create new technologies to control outbreaks of mosquito-born disease. Luckily, mosquitoes in Australia remain susceptible to insecticides. Dr Webb recommended that people who are spending time outdoors over the new year prepare themselves with repellent. Mosquitoes are a health hazard Mosquitoes can transmit a number of serious human diseases. Viruses and mosquito-borne diseases are not common in Australia but those travelling overseas are warned to be wary. Those travelling overseas to areas prone to mosquito-borne diseases should check for available vaccinations and use repellent. Some serious mosquito-borne diseases include: malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya or zika. Authorities recommend minimising the amount of exposed skin and using repellent to avoid mosquito bites. Source: NSW Government Advertisement Two Scandinavian tourists killed in Morocco were slaughtered by a 'lone wolf, hastily organised terrorist cell' who travelled to the village of Imlil knowing it was popular with foreign hikers. Moroccan police yesterday arrested five more people for the murders of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, of Norway, bringing the total in custody to 19. At a press conference in the country's capital, Rabat, domestic intelligence spokesman Boubker Sabik labelled the suspects 'lone wolves'. Maren Ueland, 28, of Norway (left) and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark The news follows a candle-lit vigil in memory of Louisa and Maren at the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen yesterday and one in Rabat, Morocco earlier this week. Sabik added that 'the crime was not co-ordinated with Islamic State'. The revelation is in contrast to the killers pledging allegiance to Isis after stabbing their victims multiple times and filming a beheading of one of the women. There were four main suspects all arrested within days of the murder. A portrait of Louisa and Maren are seen at a makeshift memorial among flowers and candles, in Town Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark yesterday It has also emerged that the two women were 'happy and sociable' in their final days, according to Rachid Imerhade, a mountain guide who had met the two friends a few days before their deaths. He said: 'They were smiling, chatty and sociable. They talked a lot with the other people around.' Jespersen's mother, Helle Petersen, told the Danish newspaper B.T. that her daughter was 'always happy and positive. Everyone loved her and she saw the best in everyone'. 6 Cristobal Lopez Romero Archbishop of Rabat and People hold and photos depicting the murdered tourists as they gather to pay tribute, in front the St. Peter's Cathedral in Rabat They recruited up to fifteen others and pledged allegiance to Islamic State, but authorities said this was without any prior agreement with the terrorist organisation. 'The emir of the group' - noble military leader - was Abdessamad Ejjoud, a 25-year-old street vendor living near Marrakech, the others were acting on his command, according to Sabik. Ejjoud had 'formed a kind of cell that discussed how to carry out a terrorist act inside the kingdom,' he told AFP. A general view of Imlil, a village nearby popular trekking area in the Atlas mountains where the women were killed Investigators claim that Ejjoud is one of the men pledging allegiance to ISIS in a video shared a week before the brutal killings. Two prior the murders, the killers travelled to the mountainous Imlil region 'because it is frequented by foreigners' and 'targeted the two tourists in a deserted area', Sabik added. Other men suspected of direct involvement included a plumber, a carpenter and a second street vendor. Police arrest two individuals for their alleged involvement in the women's killings Sabik said none of these men had contact with 'IS operatives'. The men were all arrested during police raids that also uncovered weapons and bomb making materials. Investigators said on Monday that the dismantled 'cell' was made up of 19 members, including three with terror-related criminal records. New Year's Eve revellers are being urged to avoid cheap and dangerous fake alcohol being sold by rogue retailers and pubs ahead of the biggest social night of the year. The Local Government Association (LGA) warning follows recent council seizures of counterfeit vodka including from home-based sellers, shops and even some pubs. Some of the seized bottles of vodka have contained industrial strength levels of alcohol which can lead to vomiting, permanent blindness, kidney or liver problems, and in extreme cases, death. The Local Government Association (LGA) warning follows recent council seizures of counterfeit vodka including from home-based sellers, shops and even some pubs (stock photo) Councils are also warning sellers of illegal alcohol they face prosecution and losing any relevant licences after a series of recent raids on rogue premises. With partygoers stocking up on alcohol at home and attending big celebrations in towns and city centres, councils are issuing safety advice to help people avoid harm from illegal alcohol. The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, is urging shoppers to look out for tell-tale signs that bottles are fake. These include unfamiliar brand names, crooked labels, spelling mistakes, very low prices which are 'too good to be true', different fill levels in bottles of the same brand and sediment in the liquid which should not be present. People being served vodka in pubs and clubs should be aware that fake vodka will often smell of nail varnish. They are also advised to only buy alcohol from reputable outlets and be wary of any items being sold at suspiciously cheap prices, as they could be counterfeit. Cllr Morris Bright, Vice Chairman of the LGA's Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: 'It's appalling that rogue traders selling illegal alcohol are willing to play roulette with the health and wellbeing of their customers by prioritising quick profits above safety. Some of the seized bottles of vodka have contained industrial strength levels of alcohol which can lead to vomiting, permanent blindness, kidney or liver problems, and in extreme cases, death (stock photo) 'We want people to enjoy their New Year's Eve celebrations, but anyone buying alcohol needs to look out for signs it could be fake because it could leave them seriously ill and, in extreme cases, cost them their life. 'Councils target businesses selling fake alcohol all year round, but generally step up operations in the run-up to the festive period when rogue sellers often seek to exploit demand. 'Anyone selling illegal alcohol should think twice about stocking these dangerous drinks as we will always seek to prosecute irresponsible traders and encourage the public to report any suspicious business activities. 'Counterfeit alcohol is not only a serious danger to health, it harms legitimate traders and threatens livelihoods, with the counterfeit market funding organised criminal gangs.' Alcohol fraud is reported to cost the UK around 1 billion a year. Because they don't pay tax, fraudsters can undercut legitimate companies. Retailers selling illegal alcohol could lose their licence, be fined up to 5,000, be jailed for up to 10 years, get a criminal record, ruin their reputation, seriously harm their customers' health and be liable for the consequences. Anyone who thinks they have consumed fake alcohol should seek medical advice. The incident should also be reported to the local environmental health officer, by calling Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06, or the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000. Rumours are swirling disgraced politician Barnaby Joyce is expecting a second baby with partner Vikki Campion in 2019. National Party MPs have reportedly claimed a second baby is the talk of the town ahead of the new year, according to the Daily Telegraph. The former Nationals leader, 51, shares eight-month-old Sebastian with Ms Campion following a controversial affair with the former staffer and the break down of his 24-year marriage. His political career took a hit when the love child scandal broke, leading to Mr Joyce resigning from his role as Deputy Prime Minister in February. Rumours are swirling Barnaby Joyce (right) is expecting a second baby with partner Vikki Campion (left) in 2019 National Party MPs claim a second Barna-baby is the talk of the town ahead of the new year The couple have not commented on the rumours but reports suggest they spoke to friends about wishes to grow their new family. Mr Joyce, who had four daughters with Natalie Joyce, appears to have taken to his renewed role as a father figure. The staunch Catholic shared a picture on Twitter of him washing his son on Christmas Eve. 'Bathing Seb and staring out window. Happy Birthday Jesus!' Mr Joyce wrote. Mr Joyce and Ms Campion told their side of the love affair in June in a tell-all interview with Seven Night where they earned $150,000 - which went into trust fund for their new baby son. Ms Campion said she considered getting an abortion but ultimately decided to keep the child. The Nationals leader, 51, shares eight-month-old Sebastian (left) with Ms Campion (right) following a controversial affair with the former staffer and the break down of his 24-year marriage Mr Joyce doesn't believe in abortions. 'Boy, man you caused me some problems,' Mr Joyce said of his baby son Sebastian during the interview. 'But it's all worth it. I just want him to be that little boy in the country.' The couple revealed their relationship became romantic in late 2016 after becoming close while working together. Mr Joyce admitted to 'living a lie' by continuing his public relationship with his wife while secretly being involved with Ms Campion. Mr Joyce (left), who currently sits on the backbench, is rumoured to be preparing for a political comeback amid the demise of Nationals leader Michael McCormack In an interview with Women's Weekly in June, Ms Joyce said she was 'proud she stood up' to Ms Campion at his Tamworth electorate office last March. 'I was very measured. I didn't raise my voice. She and Barney were smoking outside. He bolted when he saw me,' Ms Joyce said. 'I turned to her and said, ''My husband is out of bounds, off-limits, he's a married man with four children'', and then I called her a home-wrecking wh***. It was not one of my finer moments but, looking back, I'm proud I stood up to her.' Mr Joyce, who currently sits on the backbench, is rumoured to be preparing for a political comeback amid the demise of Nationals leader Michael McCormack. Mr McCormack has reportedly lost support from colleagues following the 'sugar babe' scandal and revelations he knew about the incident before the story broke. Reality television star Bethenny Frankel used her social media platform to blast a luxury hotel chain that wouldn't accommodate her changing travel needs following an almost fatal allergic reaction. The Real Housewives of New York star, 48, complained over Twitter on Friday that Rosewood Hotels wouldn't cut her a break on a reservation she had to cancel. 'It was quite disappointing that @RosewoodHotels wouldnt even issue a future credit when I had a medical 911 and had to cancel a room,' she wrote. Frankel nearly died earlier in December when she suffered a severe allergic reaction after eating soup which contained fish. The incident landed her in a Massachusetts hospital. Rosewood Hotels responded to her publicly on Twitter less than an hour after she published the post, asking her to message them directly for help. Neither Frankel or the company have updated their followings on any resolution. The hotel and resort company did not immediately return a message from DailyMail.com seeking additional comment. Scroll down for video Bethenny Frankel (pictured out in New York City on Wednesday for the first time since her near death scare on December 22) used her social media platform to blast Rosewood Hotels on Friday after it wouldn't credit her for a canceled reservation due to a near-death allergic reaction 'It was quite disappointing that @RosewoodHotels wouldnt even issue a future credit when I had a medical 911 and had to cancel a room,'Frankel wrote on Friday on Twitter, sharing the tweet at around the same time she posted a photo of herself in Mexico on Instagram Rosewood Hotels responded to her publicly on Twitter less than an hour after she published the post, asking her to message them directly for help Rosewood has 24 properties in 15 countries, but not in Massachusetts, so Frankel had presumably planned a trip after her illness to one of the luxury chain's properties that had to be canceled. Dailymail.com has reached out to Rosewood Hotels for comment. Some of her followers on Twitter appreciated the Skinny Girl mogul calling out what they thought amounted to terrible treatment. A person listed as Bonnie House Coakley under username @BonnieCo tweeted: 'Agreed, you shouldnt have to be a celebrity to get good service, a hotel where a wealthy business woman and celebrity would stay should already have great service.' Others, however, saw the use of her 1.6million-strong following to get the attention of the company as entitled. 'Welcome to the rest of the world. So sorry you have to operate within the real world rules,' wrote a Twitter user identified only by the handle, '@IKnowThings4.' Meanwhile, in the past week she's been to the Dominican Republic with her new boyfriend, Paul Bernon, who she said saved her life, and now appears to be in the Riviera Maya in Mexico, where Rosewood does have a property, according to the company's website. Frankel is pictured in a photo shared on Friday from the Rivieria Maya in Mexico, where Rosewood has a property Meanwhile, in the past week Frankel (right) has also been to the Dominican Republic with her new boyfriend, Paul Bernon (left), who she said saved her life. Frankel is shown with Bernon in the Dominican in a photo shared to Instagram on Christmas day Some of her followers on Twitter appreciated the Skinny Girl mogul calling out what they thought amounted to terrible treatment Others, however, saw the use of her 1.6million-strong following to get the attention of the company as entitled She was spotted out in New York City for the first time since her near death scare on December 22. The allergic reaction happened the weekend before that, while in Massachusetts with Bernon, who the star later revealed to be the reason she is still alive. 'He saved my life', the RHONY star, 48, tweeted while discussing the major health scare with fans on Twitter. Speaking with People, a source backed up the reality star giving credit to her beau for keeping her alive. 'It was that serious,' said the insider. 'Her blood pressure was through the roof and she was unconscious. She went into anaphylactic shock. Her boyfriend saved her life.' Frankel and Bernon went public with their romance in October, and were seen last month enjoying an outing in the Hamptons along with the RHONY star's daughter, Bryn. The reality star shared the news of her horrible health scare with fans, over social media on December 17. Frankel said she had an extremely allergic reaction over the previous weekend after consuming fish. She had to be rushed to a hospital in Massachusetts in order to save her life. 'I have a rare fish allergy. Sunday, I had soup, itched & was unconscious for 15 mins then to ER & ICU for 2 days w BP of 60/40,' Frankel tweeted. The allergic reaction happened the weekend before that, while in Massachusetts with Bernon, who the star later revealed to be the reason she is still alive The reality star shared the news of her horrible health scare with fans, over social media on December 17, saying she had an extremely allergic reaction over the previous weekend after consuming fish It's hard on her: She also tweeted to a fan that the allergy is 'very unusual & confusing' so she keeps it to herself as it's 'hard to describe' 'I couldn't talk, see, thought I had a stroke & dying & told if 5 mins later I'd be dead. 911 & EPI saved me. I'll never not carry an #epipen.' She also tweeted to a fan that the allergy is 'very unusual & confusing' so she keeps it to herself as it's 'hard to describe.' The Blast obtained the dispatch audio for the medical response after a 911 call was made alerting emergency responders to her condition on Sunday afternoon in Massachusetts. According to the audio, officials noted that she was suffering from a fish allergy, and was 'losing consciousness.' It was added she had very low blood pressure. Rosewood has 24 properties in 15 countries, but not in Massachusetts, so Frankel had presumably planned a trip after her illness to one of the luxury chain's properties that had to be canceled. Frankel is pictured attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Pier 94 in New York City on November 8 Fish is one of eight allergens with specific labeling requirements under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. Under that law, manufacturers of packaged food products sold in the U.S. and containing fish or a fish product as an ingredient must identify on the ingredient label, in clear language, the specific type of fish used. This is not the first time Frankel has had a fish scare. During a season 10 episode of RHONY she suffered an allergic reaction when in Cartagena, Colombia. 'Is there fish in that soup? Frankel asked during her dinner. 'Im itching. My throat is itching. I thought it was chicken, f***.' The star then vomited. 'Its the worst feeling, your throat gets itchy, you feel like youre going to throw up,' she said. 'It's like poison inside of you.' The Israeli military has deployed a helicopter to attack Hamas positions in the southern Gaza Strip, in retaliation to an earlier rocket attack on Israeli territory. "In response, an IDF attack helicopter targeted a Hamas military post in southern Gaza," the Israeli military said on Twitter. Earlier, a rocket launched from Gaza landed in Israel, in the first such attack in over a month, the IDF spokespersons office said. The projectile allegedly hit an open area in southern Israel and so the Red Alert alarm warning system was not activated, Sputnik reported. The exchange of fire followed the killing of a Palestinian during Friday's border protest clashes with the IDF. Hamas had earlier warned that it will retaliate with rocket and sniper fire if Palestinians are killed on the Gaza border. China has denied its government has an agenda to seize African assets by giving out huge loans they know will be defaulted. The communist country has been accused of loaning African governments vast sums of money for major infrastructure projects, then seizing ports and railway lines when the billion payments are not met. The Chinese government insists its economic relationships with African countries are mutually beneficial and rejects suggestions it is using debt to expand global influence. Earlier this year President Xi Jinping pledged up to $60billion in new loans to African countries. China was accused of trying to gain control of Mombasa port after it was said to have been used as collateral for a 2.5billion (327 billion Kanyan Shilling) loan for the new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying denied the Port of Mombasa risked being taken over by her government if loan repayments for a railway defaulted A leaked report by the Kenyan auditor general's office showed that in 2013, the Kenya government had waived the port's sovereign immunity in order to use it as a security for the loan from China Exim Bank. Other assets related to the shipment of goods from the port, including the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), may also be at risk if the Chinese take control of the port, local media reported. But China yesterday denied having attached the Port of Mombasa as collateral to its contract for funding of a new Mombasa-Nairobi SGR railway line, which would link the port to the capital Nairobi. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said suggestions the port risked being taken over by China if Kenya defaulted on the loan were not true. In a statement to Daily Nation she said: 'We have checked with the relevant Chinese financial institution and found that the allegation that Kenyan side used the Mombasa port as a collateral in its payment agreement with the Chinese financial institution for the Mombasa-Nairobi railway is not true.' Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the government will continue to borrow from China despite the country's mounting national debt She also refuted claims that African countries were at risk of bring overburdened with China loans and said due diligence had been carried out before the capital was loaned. Chunying added: 'When cooperating with African countries including Kenya, Chinese companies and financial institutions will always conduct joint and thorough scientific study on the feasibility of the projects and then proceed to determine construction and funding plans and scales to guard against causing debt risks and fiscal burdens for Africa.' Kenya has reportedly taken huge loans from China to develop major highways linking Nairobi to the port to transport goods through Mombasa. Last month the Overseas Development Institute said that almost 40 per cent of sub-Saharan African countries are in danger of falling into a 'major debt crisis'. Djibouti, Republic of Congo and Zambia were said to be the most at risk of debt from these Chinese loans, the China-Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at John Hopkins University said in 2015. Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said the government will continue to borrow from China and the rest of the world despite criticism over allegations of unsustainable levels of national. President Xi Jinping pledged up to $60billion in new loans to African countries for major infrastructure projects He denied claims port has been mortgaged to the Chinese bank over the railway loan and claimed his government is ahead on its repayment schedule, according to Kenyan outlet Citizen TV. Kenyatta said at a press conference: 'You have seen the Chinese government say that nothing like that exists. 'If you want a copy of the contract we have with China I can get it to you tomorrow. 'We are opening up roads across the country and a railway line that never existed 50 years ago. 'The debt we are incurring is for development projects that will not only benefit this generation but future ones as well.' In September Botswana became the second African country, after Ethiopia, to announce that Beijing had agreed to extend its loan repayment period for rail and road infrastructure. The illegal immigrant accused of murdering a California cop on Christmas Day was caught while trying to flee to Mexico - and placed in the slain officer's handcuffs. After a two-day statewide manhunt, police arrested Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, a suspected member of the notorious Surenos street gang, on Friday morning. He's accused of shooting dead Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh just before dawn on Wednesday, December 26, after the officer pulled him over suspecting that he was driving drunk. Arriaga's arrest has brought a sense of justice to the Newman Police Department and to the hundreds of Newman, California residents who gathered in the city's downtown plaza on Friday evening for a tearful candlelight vigil. The emotional vigil led by Singh's wife Anamika, who attended with their five-month-old son, and her husband's K-9 partner Sam. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, (left) was arrested Friday morning in Bakersfield, California, accused of shooting dead Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh, 33, (right) on Wednesday Arriaga, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested Friday morning in Bakersfield, California suspected of killing Singh just after Christmas. He is pictured above being taken in The downtown Plaza Square was decorated with white and blue flowers and blue ribbons to honor the seven-year veteran. Singh was a native of Fiji and lived in Modesto with his wife and their baby. He joined the Newman police force in 2011. 'He was a friend to everyone on Facebook and even in person, he was very close to the community,' Newman resident Lupita Quirarte said to ABC. 'He always talked about work and how great the city of Newman was, he always talked about getting a job as an officer. Ronil loved his job and the people of Newman,' Singh's grieving brother Reggie said. 'We are a small, tight knit community. We are all very happy that he is caught, justice will be served,' Newman resident Kimbery Lobo added. The town of Newman gathered in the downtown plaza for a candlelit vigil on Friday evening Hundreds gathered to share memories of Cpl. Singh and light candles The townspeople honored the memory of the seven-year police veteran. He was from Fiji and joined the Newman Police force in 2011 Singh's co-workers shared memories and shed tears as they reflected on the slain officer's life and dedication to the police force Blue and white flowers were laid at the entrance of the Newman Police Department Arriaga was arrested on Friday in Bakersfield, California, about 200 miles southeast of where he shot Singh on Wednesday. Singh stopped Arriaga on suspicion of driving drunk and because the suspect's gray Dodge pickup truck had no license plate just before 1am on December 26. When he approached the car the suspect gunman opened fire. Singh was found with multiple bullet wounds and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. A massive manhunt was launched to find the gunman after he fled the scene. Cops released surveillance pictures of the suspect and social media pictures but did not name him as he had multiple aliases. His Dodge pickup truck was found 13 hours after the shooting, abandoned at a River Road mobile home park. Ronil Singh (pictured) of Newman Police Department was killed early on Wednesday morning Singh's brother cried as he addressed law enforcement and reporters following Arriaga's arrest, thanking police for finding the suspect after a two-day manhunt The suspect gunman was then tracked down on Friday at a home in Lamont, California. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said Arriaga is a Mexican national who illegally entered the U.S. through Arizona several years ago and worked as a farm laborer. He was also a part of the notoriously violent Surenos street gang. Sheriff Christianson added that Arriaga had two previous drunk driving arrests. He blamed California's sanctuary law for preventing local cops from reporting Arriaga to immigration officers. 'We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable,' Christianson said during a Friday press conference. Cops also arrested Arriaga's brother Adrian Virgen, 25, (left) and co-worker Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, (right) on Thursday for allegedly trying to divert police from capturing Arriaga On Friday evening Arriaga's girlfriend Ana Leyde Cervantes, 30, (left) and his brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, (right) were also arrested for helping him evade arrest California's sanctuary law limits the cooperation between local police and federal immigration officers Cops have also arrested a total of eight other suspects for helping Arriaga evade police. Arriaga's brother Adrian Virgen, 25, and co-worker Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly helping Arriaga escape police on charges of accessory after the fact to a felony. 'We had them in custody (Thursday) and asked for their cooperation and they lied to us,' Sheriff Christianson said at a Friday press conference. He added they were also in the country illegally. They also arrested three additional people in South Valley - Bernabe Madrigal Castaneda, 59; Erasmo Villegas, 36; and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57 - for aiding and abetting Arriaga elude capture. They were in the home where he was arrested. Late Friday, Stanislaus County detectives arrested Arriaga's girlfriend Ana Leyde Cervantes, 30, and his brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34. Investigators also said they may have recovered the murder weapon, a handgun, according to the Sacramento Bee. However, police are not giving details as to where or when the handgun was found. The suspect (pictured left and right) has a flaming skull tattoo on his right arm with the phrase '$ur3no$' which means Surenos, the name of a Mexican-American street gang linked to murders and human smuggling along the U.S.-Mexico border This photo compilation on social media shows a closer look at the Surenos tattoo According to social media photos and pictures shared by police, Arriaga was affiliated with notoriously bloody gang Surenos and had a tattoo of the gang's name on his right arm. In one of the photos a flaming skull tattoo with the word '$ur3no$' is visible on Arriaga's right arm, which according to police in Washington is Spanish for 'southerners'. 'Surenos are a group of Mexican-American street gangs with origins in southern California. The gang has allegiance to the [California] prison gang, Mexican Mafia, aka "La Eme," according to a gang recognition guide. The group is located in southern California which is just south of Bakersfield. The gang has been linked to murders and human smuggling crimes along the U.S.-Mexico border. On several of Arriaga's Facebook pages, the Surenos tattoo is visible. One profile shows him in several photos posing with a pistol. A bus driver who was attacked with pepper spray at least six times by a 'cowardly' passenger says he is sick of being abused when he's 'just trying to do his job'. David Yanni, 38, has only been a bus driver in Sydney for nine months, but claims he is constantly abused by commuters. The most recent attack came in Surry Hills late on Thursday evening when a man, speaking with an English accent, tried to enter his packed bus. When Mr Yanni explained the bus was too full and he would have to wait for the next one, the man snapped and sprayed him in the face before running away. Now, the bus driver says he's fed up with the constant ill-treatment he suffers and has a message for abusive passengers. Sydney bus driver David Yanni (pictured) says he's fed up with dealing with drunk commuters Mr Yanni says a recurring part of working night shifts is being racially abused by drunks and dealing with desperate drug addicts. He took the job in March this year when a career as a photographer wasn't paying the bills, but could never have expected to be attacked. At 10.30pm on Thursday, Mr Yanni was driving the Route 392 from Little Bay to Circular Quay. Dealing with throngs of intoxicated passengers, his bus was overflowing when he skipped a stop on bustling Oxford Street in Surry Hills. A well-dressed passenger with an English accent chased the bus before getting on and refusing to get off. Mr Yanni was sprayed in the face at least six times with what's believed to be capsicum spray in an attack described by police as 'despicable' 'He had already told me to get f**ked and called me every name under the sun when he planted his backside on the front windscreen and said "I'm not leaving",' Mr Yanni told The Daily Telegraph. Mr Yanni told the man to 'do whatever you have to do' when he pulled a can from his pocket and sprayed the stunned bus driver in the face at least six times. The man then fled, and has been on the run from police ever since. Mr Yanni, meanwhile, has returned to work and is in good shape, according to State Transit head of safety Wayne Potter. Mr Yanni (pictured) says Thursday's attack is one of many he's experienced since he took up the job in March after a photography career failed to pay the bills Mr Potter says the attack is evidence of an escalation in anti-social behaviour on buses which 'needs to stop'. 'This sort of behaviour is just outrageous,' he told reporters on Friday. Superintendent Police Commander Gavin Woods said the man sprayed the driver in the face at least six times. 'As a result of that spraying, the bus driver was incapacitated, he wasn't able to complete his shift. He wasn't able to complete the route on his bus. 'It is despicable behaviour obviously by a coward. 'The male bus driver was out working hard, working for the community, driving a bus full of commuters and for that, he's attacked.' The State Transit Authority bus stopped on Oxford Street in Surry Hills, Sydney's inner city, about 10.40pm Thursday evening when a man tried to enter the overflowing bus The attack is one of at least 24 assaults - including spitting - at the hands of passengers against bus drivers reported since July. State Transit said 68 bus drivers were assaulted by passengers in each of the past two financial years. But Mr Yanni says the terrifying attack isn't even the worst thing that's happened to him while he's behind the wheel. About three months ago, an elderly passenger got on his bus and racially berated him until he got to his stop. The 38-year-old bus driver told the man he wouldn't be able to enter as the bus was at capacity and it would be safest for him to wait for another to arrive, but was attacked by the commuter 'He stood behind me and he was saying "you f**king Muslim c**t" We should slaughter you like the pig that you are and how would you like it if your kids were raped,' Mr Yanni said. He said the incident left him rattled and opened his eyes to how passengers treat their rides home. As a result, he has a heated message for his customers. 'Stop throwing tantrums like toddlers. Ill drive you home but theres no carry-on like that - Im just a bus driver trying to do his job.' The success of the single-use plastic bag ban has seen the war against plastic heat up with environmentalists preparing for a bigger battle. Coles and Woolworths dropped single-use plastic bags in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia in the middle of this year. However, the stores instead offer thicker, reusable bags costing 15 cents each. Environmentalists are now taking aim at retailers to remove the thicker bag option and other single-use plastic items like cotton buds. Coles and Woolworths dropped single-use plastic bags in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia in the middle of this year Tim Silverwood, co-founder of Take 3, told news.com.au that while there was evidence suggesting fewer single-use bags were ending up in landfills, the thicker ones were still prevalent. Standard plastic bags are 35 microns, whereas thicker one 55 microns. He said the success of the single-use plastic bag ban proved change could be achieved. 'Weve shown that as a nation, we can adapt and we have to. We already have eight million tonnes of plastic go into the ocean every year and that will continue if we cant get rid of single-use plastic items.' Other single-use items they are taking aim at includes straws, cotton buds and coffee cups. The next step would involve legislation to ban plastic bags would make a big difference too. All states and territories, excluding NSW, are planning to introduce a plastic bags ban. While Woolworths and Coles had voluntarily phased plastic bags out, a number of stores still used them, which is why the legislation is necessary, Jeff Angel of the Boomerang Alliance said. Mr Angel told the Herald Sun there were 'plenty of strong reusable bag types' that could be used instead of plastic, such as canvas carriers. Woolworths head of sustainability Adrian Cullen has said shoppers were happy to use the thicker plastic bags, and were also purchasing canvas bags for $1. 'Together with customers we've taken more than 700 million single-use plastic bags out of circulation since June which is great for our waterways and marine life,' he said. Environmentalists said 'plenty of strong reusable bag types' should be used instead of plastic, such as canvas carriers (stock image) Greenpeace campaigner Zoe Deans has said people needed to stop being dependent on plastic bags. 'While reusable plastic bags are much better than the single-use option, we still have concerns about how many of these are being handed out and whether or not people do indeed reuse them,' she said. A Coles spokeswoman has said they intended to continue to offer new, reusable plastic bags for sale to provide for 'customers who forget to bring their bags from home'. Coles and Woolworths' decision to stop offering single-use disposable plastic bags mid-way through the year was initially met with swift public backlash. Three months on the radical change has translated to an 80 per cent drop in the consumption of plastic bags nationwide, according to the National Retail Association. Advertisement The streets of Paris have been set ablaze during 'yellow vests' protests in Paris this evening leaving the Eiffel Tower shrouded in thick black smoke, after riot police fired tear gas at crowds earlier today. Protesters have set cars alight and left them to burn in the streets of the capital city, as a demonstration against the French government's tax policies resumed for the seventh consecutive week. Shocking images show the iconic tower masked by a covering of smoke and cars engulfed by burning flames sit abandoned on the roadside as demonstrators continued their stand off with authorities. The streets of Paris have been set ablaze during 'yellow vests' protests in Paris this evening leaving the Eiffel Tower shrouded in thick black smoke, after riot police fired tear gas at crowds earlier today Protesters have set cars alight and left them to burn in the streets of the capital city, as protests against the French government's tax policies resumed for the seventh consecutive week Earlier today yellow vest demonstrators clashed with riot police who fired tear gas at crowds in Paris today after demonstrators from the grassroots movement turned out this weekend to resume their stand off with authorities. But the turnout for round seven of the popular protests that have rocked France appeared low. Despite it being the seventh weekend of protests, momentum for the movement appears to be waning as only small groups took to the streets in Paris and elsewhere in France. Shocking images show the iconic tower masked by a covering of smoke and cars engulfed by burning flames sit abandoned on the roadside as demonstrators continued their stand off with authorities Cars were left to burn in the streets of Paris following a day of high tension between the yellow vests and authorities Several hundred people wearing the symbolic hi-visibility vests had gathered near the offices of France Televisions and the BFM TV channel in the centre of the capital shouting 'Fake news' and calling for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron. Protesters spilled on to tram lines and lobbed projectiles at police who replied with tear gas grenades and detained several people. Tear gas was also fired in Nantes, western France, and protests were expected in Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse. Yellow vest demonstrators clashed with riot police who fired tear gas at crowds who set fire to barricades in Toulouse, southern France, today French police clash with protesters during a yellow vest demonstration in Toulouse, southern France French gendarmes stand in a cloud of tear gas during a demonstration of yellow vests (gilets jaunes) protesters in downtown Nantes, western France, today A protestor wearing a yellow vest and a gas mask tries to kick a French riot police officer during a demonstration against the rising costs of living, in downtown Nantes, western France Protesters clash with police officers during demonstration called by the yellow vests in downtown Nantes today Protesters run away from a burning Christmas tree in Paris as the seventh consecutive weekend of riots began today Clashes: Gendarmes spray tear gas at protesters on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris today A protestor runs next to burning trash during a yellow vest anti-government demonstration in Nantes, western France In the southern city of Marseille, police said 900 protesters turned out, amid cries of 'Macron out'. The official turnout numbers have plunged with the passing weeks. The government recorded 38,600 demonstrators on December 22 compared to 282,000 for the first major demonstrations on November 17. But leading figures within the movement that has flourished outside of trade union and political groups, say the low numbers are due to the holiday season and January will bring a resurgence of the street protests. The focus of the protests has morphed from anger over fuel taxes to a broad rebuke of Macron, accused by critics of neglecting the rising costs of living for many in rural and small-town France. Priscillia Ludosky, who launched the yellow vest petition against fuel price hikes, said: 'We want to get our purchasing power back and have a say in the decisions.' Protesters walk up stairs as tear gas is fired near the Passy area in Paris as blue flares stream down the steps Gendarmes detain a man on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris as demonstrators clashed with police across the city Demonstrators wearing their yellow vests demonstrate during in Marseille, southern France French police officers arrest a man in central Paris where tear gas was used on crowds during the seventh weekend if clashes French riot police officers detain protesters and scuffle with them on the ground in downtown Nantes, western France Protesters scuffle with gendarmes on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris A protester walks in a cloud of tear gas as white and blue smoke swarms around him in the background Protesters run away as police launch tear gas canisters in Nantes today, as tensions flare in the city as well as the capital Government tax concessions to boost disposable income among the low paid 'are not enough', Ludosky said in Marseille. Hundreds of demonstrators, some chanting 'Journalists - Collaborationists!' traced a path around Paris visiting the central offices of television networks BFM and state-run France Televisions and announced plans to march to other broadcasters. Some members of the broad-based yellow vest movement accuse leading media of favoring President Emmanuel Macron's government and big business and minimizing the protests - even though they've been the leading news story in France since they kicked off November 17 out of anger at fuel tax hikes. The movement has increasingly targeted Macron and 40 'yellow vests' on Thursday tried to storm the medieval fort of Bregancon that serves as his official summer retreat on the Mediterranean before being turned back by police. Die-hard yellow vest supporters believe the movement will live on in 2019 and plans are underway for New Year's Eve protests. Nearly 8,000 people are listed on Facebook as intending to attend, insisting it will be 'festive and non-violent'. A few dozen gathered today on the elegant Champs-Elysees, the scene of rioting and violence between demonstrators and riot police earlier this month. A protester throws a projectile during a yellow vest (gilets jaunes) anti-government demonstration today in Nantes, western France Protesters standing in a cloud of tear gas and wearing masks in Nantes today A demonstrator holds a placard reading RIC, the acronym for 'Citizens initiated Referendum' during a demonstration in Nantes Protesters sit in the street on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris today Protesters push through a gendarmes road block on the Bir-Hakeim bridge as clashes with police break out around Paris Protesters wearing yellow vests face down French anti-riot police officers during a demonstration against high taxes in Paris People wearing yellow vests climb a wall as they take part in a demonstration called by the yellow vests movement, to protest against the rising costs of living they blame on high taxes, in Paris today Tear gas, a water cannon and baton charges were used by riot police around the capital during earlier marches. At its peak at the start of December 89,000 riot police with 750 arrests in one weekend in the capital alone. Around 126,000 'yellow vests' - named after the fluorescent jackets they wear - were counted by the Interior Ministry during the biggest demonstrations. This weekend police have been watching carefully, but both police and protesters appeared to be out in much smaller numbers than previous weekends. The demonstrations have targeted French President Emmanuel Macron, who ceded to several of their demands for tax relief and other economic help. However many people remain frustrated with his pro-business leadership and are continuing to stage roadblocks at roundabouts around the country. Yellow vest protesters clash with riot police armed with shields and batons as demonstrations in Paris resume for a seventh weekend Anti-government demonstrators set fire to garbage bins and other items in the center of a street during a protest in the western French city of Bordeaux Protesters push through a gendarmes road block on the Bir-Hakeim bridge in Paris Crowds wearing yellow vests and holding banners, took part in a demonstration against the rising costs of living they blame on high taxes, in Paris today A yellow vest anti-government demonstrator gestures towards French police in the northern French city of Lille today Mounted police patrol on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris Protesters in Paris stand in front of police officers during a demonstration against the rising costs of living they blame on high taxes The movement began November 17 as a protest over fuel taxes and is named after the fluorescent protective gear French motorists must keep in their cars. Paris officials said preparations would continue for a fireworks display and sound and light show on the Champs-Elysee, the epicentre of repeated violent action against the government, with the Arc de Triomphe ransacked on December 1. Tens of thousands of tourists and locals traditionally ring in the new year on the wide shopping boulevard, which rises to the Arc monument. Yesterday a mob of yellow vest protesters tried to storm the holiday home of President Emmanuel Macron. Around 50 members of the anti-government movement arrived at the medieval fort of Bregancon, on the Riviera coast near Toulon on Thursday, and remained close by on Friday. Fears of escalating violence have been raised as a new gang filled with teenagers causes chaos across Melbourne. The gang named BDK, which stands for 'Blood Drill Killers', is made up of African teenagers, some as young as 14 years old. Most of the members are the younger siblings of members of dangerous African gangs Menace to Society and Apex, The Herald Sun reported. Fears of escalating violence have been raised as a new gang filled with teenagers cause chaos across Melbourne BDK is considered less dangerous than its older counterparts as they focus more on lower-level crimes such as phone robberies. However, police have raised concerns that BDK is becoming increasingly violent BDK is considered less dangerous than its older counterparts as they focus more on lower-level crimes such as phone robberies. However, police have raised concerns that BDK is becoming increasingly violent. A number of members have been linked to the brutal fight in St Albans last week, which left a man in hospital, according to police. Wooden bats and chairs were used in the violent clash on Christmas Eve. The youths are also believed to be involved in a spate of robberies and assaults along the St Kilda foreshore over the past few months. The gang has its own Snapchat account, which detectives have been keeping a close eye on. BDK is now the focus for a group of detectives trying to stamp out thuggery. Most of the members are the younger siblings of members of dangerous African gangs Menace to Society and Apex (pictured) A 17-year-old, who is an alleged associate of BDK, appeared in a children's court on Friday facing a robbery charge relating to an incident in St Albans this month. In court, police raised concerns over the teenagers reoffending if he were released, they requested strict bail conditions. 'I'm concerned that if he is released he will join up with those other members of BDK and engage in (another) affray at (Alfrieda St),' a detective said. The teen was granted bail but has been banned from entering St Albans under his bail conditions. New York governor Andrew Cuomo brought an alien mask to a news conference about a utility equipment failure that caused an eerie flash of blue light in the sky over New York City. Cuomo said on Friday that the incident, which caused power outages and grounded some flights at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday night, was an electrical malfunction. New Yorkers posted eerie photos of the otherworldly flash of light on social media and joked about an alien invasion. Even the New York Police Department tweeted there was 'no evidence of extraterrestrial activity' on Thursday. Cuomo said on Friday that the electrical failure in Queens 'was more dramatic than destructive.' But he said he would ask the state Public Service Commission to work together with the utility company of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Ed) to identify the cause and help ensure that it doesn't happen again. During a news conference streamed from the governor's press page on Facebook, Cuomo had a little fun with the mishap. 'We did find one piece of evidence that was a little peculiar. This was on the site,' Cuomo said, while pulling out an alien mask. Keeping a completely straight face, he went on: 'Which has raised some questions, but I'm told it's a piece of safety equipment for workers, which I believe.' With that, he pulled the mask down and folded it up. No longer able to keep it together, his lips turned up in a big smile. New York governor Andrew Cuomo (pictured) brought an alien mask to a news conference on Friday about a utility equipment failure that cast an eerie flash of blue light over New York City on Thursday Cuomo said on Friday that the incident, which caused power outages and grounded some flights at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday night, was an electrical malfunction. The blue light as it appeared over New York City on Thursday is pictured Even the New York Police Department tweeted there was 'no evidence of extraterrestrial activity' on Thursday This photo shows blue light over New York, as seen from Manhattan borrough of New York on Thursday. The chairman explained that it was a CCPD, or capacitive coupling detection device, that failed and shot 38,000 volts of electricity 20 feet (6 meters) up in the air 'But there is no truth to the alien invasion or alien/UFO landing, whatsover,' he said, still grinning from ear to ear as he placed the mask in his pocket. After his joke was over, Cuomo turned the news conference over to John McAvoy, the chairman of Con Edison electric company to give more specifics about what actually happened in New York on Thursday. The chairman explained that it was a CCPD, or capacitive coupling detection device, that failed. 'Think of it as something that monitors and reports voltage back to our control centers and to protective systems,' McAvoyJohn McAvoy said. Con Ed is still working to figure out what caused the high-voltage equipment failure that unleashed an otherworldly flash of bright blue light in the night sky over Astoria. Although Con Ed initially described a 'brief electrical fire' at its power substation in Queens, spokesman Bob McGee said on Friday that what happened was what's called an 'arc flash' which is somewhat like a bolt of lightning. The 'arc flash' occurred after the malfunction in equipment carried 138,000 volts of electricity 20 feet (6 meters) up in the air. He said the flash subsided on its own. A gay Navy sailor has recreated the iconic Second World War kissing photo with his teacher husband - but the heartwarming moment has been marred by an angry homophobic backlash. Bryan Woodington, 33, returned home to Florida after seven months in the Persian Gulf and Europe on December 21, to greet husband of one year Kenneth Woodington, 30. The couple won a lottery to perform the ceremonial first kiss, a naval tradition that was captured on Jacksonville station News 4 Jax. But the station reports that not all their viewers were pleased with the same-sex couple's intimate moment, and News 4 Jax was 'bombarded' by hate messages. Bryan Woodington, 33, and husband Kenneth, 30, recreated the iconic WWII kiss The original photo was taken in 1945 in New York to celebrate the US victory over Japan Courtesy of News 4 Jax 'When I saw Bryan, I lost all control and ran over to him,' Kenneth, a special education teacher, told Yahoo Lifestyle. According to News 4 Jax, Bryan was one of 300 sailors returning to their families right before Christmas. 'Bryan suggested that I wear all-white because he wanted to redo that famous photo, but he didn't know we won the lottery until the day he came home,' Kenneth added. The couple had won the lottery that allows for one sailor to disembark first and greet their loved ones with a smooch. In 2011, two female sailors were the first same-sex couple to win the lottery. The heartwarming moment was caught on camera as Bryan dipped Kenneth and they shared a smooch. Once it was broadcast on News4Jax, the hate messages began flooding in. 'How sad that your station has dropped to such a low as to show a gay couple kissing on your newscast,' one viewer wrote. 'I'll never watch your news again!!!! So long, News4Jax' another viewer wrote to the station. 'I thought this was a ''family friendly'' news channel.' 'How many people are now trying to explain to [their] young kids why 2 men were kissing. very disgusting. An ex [viewer],' another said. Bryan, a Navy sailor, (left) was returning home to Florida after seven months in the Persian Gulf and Europe when the photo was taken The couple won a lottery to perform the ceremonial first kiss, a naval tradition The happy couple are brushing off the negative comments. 'It didn't really bother me,' Kenneth told Yahoo. 'Honestly, I'm the type of person who doesn't really care that much about what people say.' 'There are people who see the beauty in it. As for those who don't, have a nice day,' he added. But not all the backlash is negative, others have left supportive messages for the couple. On the Naval Station Mayport's Facebook page, one person wrote, 'A new twist on an old favorite! Love it!' Another said: 'I wish my Husband would kiss me like this!' Kenneth said: 'We're showing our love for each other, we're not hurting anyone. I'm just a spouse waiting for his sailor.' Advertisement From soldiers returning home, to war games in Oman, this stunning picture set showcases the inspirational year had by the Armed Forces. One incredible shot illustrates the HMS Protector sailing through the Antarctic on a routine patrol, while another shows the Red Arrows racing through the sky above the Mall as part of the RAF's centenary celebrations. Another remarkable image depicts a female member of the Royal Navy rehearsing ceremonial drills at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, near Portsmouth. She was preparing for the National Day of Remembrance Ceremony, which was held a few days later on November 11 at the Cenotaph in London. And showing the Commonwealth out in force, one photograph shows British, Australian, and New Zealand, along with American, German, and Danish, soldiers celebrating the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The group watched the wedding live in Afghanistan with tea and scones and a large Union Flag cake; before retiring for a menu of traditional British dinner options. With the year coming to a close, we take a look back at some of the most memorable images, captured by service and Ministry of Defence civilian photographers... The Principal Director of Music Wing Commander Piers Morrell conducting the massed military bands and massed pipes and drums at final dress rehearsals for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2018 festival Javelin missile being fired by a soldier from the 1 MERCIAN (or 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment) Anti Tank Platoon at the Fire Power Demonstration Area near the Convoy Support Centre during Exercise Saif Sareea 3 in Oman HMS Protector sailing through the Antarctic on a routine patrol, where it checks to confirm the Antarctic Treaty is being upheld. During these visits the ship sailed to Deception Island, Nelson's Island, Harmony Point, and Port Lockroy HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, currently on operations in the Mediterranean sea, seen here with her Wildcat helicopter test firing it's defensive aid suite Right: Sergeant Lee Coonan landing his Parachute during Exercise Falcon Stack 2018. Falcon Stack is the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team annual pre-season training and development exercise at Lake Elsinore, USA. Left: female member of the Royal Navy rehearsing ceremonial drills at HMS Excellent, Whale Island Lieutenant colonel Rob Hedderwick with his daughters and son, as he returned home to Scotland, after six month training and mentoring Security Forces in Iraq British, American, Australian, German, Danish and New Zealand soldiers celebrating the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they watch the wedding live in Afghanistan enjoying tea and scones and a large Union Flag cake A Chinook helicopter fast-ropes Marines onto a beach assault during the final fire power demonstration on Exercise Saif Sareea 3 in Oman A Challenger Two main battle tank taking part in exercise Saif Sareea 3 in Oman as the sunsets on another day An Army Lynx helicopter of 657 Sqn Army Air Corps (AAC), part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing, landing at RAF Odiham in the UK A RAF Puma HC2 flying over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of a deployment in support of Operation TORAL. The Puma is the main source of transport between different camps within Kabul Royal Navy submarine HMS Trenchant dramatically smashed through the ice of the North Pole during a Polar Ice Exercise This funny shot shows Recovery mechanic Ian Pew (centre), 31, from Wishaw, running out of luck when he crossed paths with Darth Vader at the Stirling Armed Forces Day in June Right: The Red Arrows, flying over the Mall and Buckingham Palace in July. Left: A light-hearted display of a very well-trained horse and two very brave volunteers during the HCMR (The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment) Open Day at Bodney Camp, Norfolk, in July A RAF Chinook helicopter dropping off tons of chalk to help the New Zealand High Commission and local volunteers to restore a kiwi carved into the chalk on Beacon Hill, above the town of Bulford in Wiltshire An 846 Sqn Merlin lands on the flight deck of HMS St Albans. The specialised variant of the Merlin has taken over the duties from the Sea King. The Merlin is a faster and more powerful aircraft than its predecessor A member of C Company, 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment patroling across the Caylus training area during Exercise Falcon Amarante This stunning shot shows the exercise Shamal Storm 16 in action which was an overseas training exercise in the Kingdom of Jordan by Force Troops Command A Weapon Systems Operator (WSOP) looking out of the front crewman's door of his CH-47 Chinook as the setting sun disappears at MCAS Yuma, Arizona Soldiers taking a well earned rest, as they share a few words with a member of the Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Around 100 soldiers from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland were deployed to help control a fire on Saddleworth Moor this year A fun image of children from Spring Nursery at RAF Halton, celebrating their very own Royal Event The HMS Queen Elizabeth, seen here coming into New York Harbour with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground A member of the 2nd Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), is seen here engaging with local Kenyan children in accident prevention RAF photographer Cpl Tim Laurence captured a selfie during a routine training deployment over the coast of Anglesey, Wales in an RAF Hawk T2 F-35 Lightning fighter jets conducting their first night flying trials off the United Kingdom's largest warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth Air Cadets from Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, sharing a joke and smile after performing drills on the parade ground A Merlin Mk3A helicopter of 845 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) operating from Bardufoss, Norway, during Exercise Nordic Eagle A Royal Marine Mountain Leader briefing Royal Marines on Cliff Assault Techniques during Exercise Winter Walker in Snowdonia National Park This shot shows early morning desert moves for the Household Cavalry Regiment on Exercise Saif Sareea 3, Shafa Training Area, in Oman Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, The Rifles, training on the Sennybridge Training Area, despite the onset of Storm Diana Pictured in the foreground is a Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook flying with two USMC CH-53 Sea Stallions during a twilight training sortie in Arizona Two RAF F-35B Lightning aircrafts, flying in formation over the North Sea. Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning jets passed another significant milestone this year by conducting their first exercise with UK based American F-15s and French Air Force Rafales, over the skies of East Anglia and the North Sea A RAF Airbus A400M Atlas taking part in the Royal international Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2018 which is held annually at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire a member of 11 (EOD) Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps deploying a 'Wheelbarrow Mk 8a' by moving it down a ramp form a heavily armoured six-wheeled Mastiff Protected Patrol Vehicle The two-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died, the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced. Abdullah Hassan died in UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, where his father Ali Hassan brought him in the fall to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder. Shaima Swileh is not an American citizen and remained in Egypt while fighting for a visa. 'We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives,' Ali Hassan was quoted as saying in the statement published Friday by the council. A funeral is scheduled for Saturday. Hassan is a U.S. citizen who lives in Stockton, California. Hassan and his wife moved to Egypt after marrying in war-torn Yemen in 2016. Swileh had been trying to get a visa since 2017, so the family could move to the United States. In this recent undated photo, released Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Sacramento, Calif., Ali Hassan kissing his dying two-year-old son Abdullah in a Sacramento hospital. Abdullah Hassan, the son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died. The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Friday, Dec. 28 that Abdullah died in an Oakland, Calif., hospital. He suffered from a genetic brain condition In this December 2018 photo released by the Council on American Islamic Relations, Sacramento Valley, Shaima Swileh, of Yemen, holds her dying son Abdullah Hassan at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, California Abdullah Hassan, a US citizen like his father, suffered from a rare genetic brain condition. His mother from Yemen was granted a visa on December 18, 2018 to see her dying toddler after US officials issued a waiver from its ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under President Donald Trump' s travel ban. When the boy's health worsened, Hassan went ahead to California in October to get their son help, and Swileh remained in Egypt hoping for a visa. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. 'My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time,' Hassan said, choking up at a news conference earlier this month. He started losing hope and was considering pulling his son off life support to end his suffering. But then a hospital social worker reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which sued on Dec. 16, said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the group in Sacramento. The State Department granted Swileh a waiver the next day. 'With their courage, this family has inspired our nation to confront the realities of Donald Trump's Muslim Ban,' said Saad Sweilem, a lawyer with the council who represents the family. 'In his short life, Abdullah has been a guiding light for all of us in the fight against xenophobia and family separation.' Swileh held her son for the first time in the hospital on Dec. 19. Russia and Turkey agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria after the U.S. pullout, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following the talks between top Russian and Turkish officials. "In the development of the agreements that were reached between our presidents, we considered further steps to implement the tasks that were set in the Astana format, primarily in the context of combating terrorism, resolving humanitarian issues, and creating conditions for the return of refugees," Lavrov said. Russia's top diplomat stressed that both countries had "paid special heed to the new circumstances" following the announcement of the U.S. troop withdrawal. "Both sides stressed that all this work would be carried out in strict compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, including unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria", Sputnik cited Lavrov as saying. While military veterans by and large voted for Republican candidates on November 6, more women are joining the military, and they are bucking the pattern, according to data from AP VoteCast. Both current and former female service members were more likely to vote in the 2018 midterm elections for Democrats than Republicans, 60 percent to 36 percent, according to the data from VoteCast. Men with military backgrounds voted Republican by roughly the same margin, 58 percent to 39 percent. A record number of female veterans - four - were elected to the House, all as Democrats. Three won in political swing districts, helping give the party control of the chamber next year. Long seen as a bastion of support for the GOP, the face of the US military and its veterans is changing - and as that happens, perhaps so is its political bent. While military veterans by and large voted for Republican candidates on November 6, more women are joining the military, and they are bucking the pattern, according to data from AP VoteCast In this Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 photo, Michele Fitzpatrick, a retired lieutenant commander in the Coast Guard, poses for a photograph at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut For retired Lt. Cmdr. Michele Fitzpatrick, it had been months since she paid attention to news coverage after being turned off by President Donald Trump's tweetstorms and attacks on critics such as the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a war hero. But as the November midterm elections approached, Fitzpatrick began researching candidates and poring over issues. On Election Day, the member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's Class of 1980, the first to include women, voted without hesitation: all Democrat. 'I just don't think what's happening now is helpful,' Fitzpatrick, of Groton, Connecticut, said in a telephone interview, pointing to the negative discourse in Washington. ' It's almost like watching kids and bullies on the playground instead of people actually doing something about helping this country to survive and to thrive.' The 60-year-old Fitzpatrick recalls suppressing her opinions as a young 'hardcore Democrat' in an overwhelmingly Republican military but finding other ways to promote change, such as supporting other female cadets. Now, women in the military are helping elect new Democratic lawmakers and spur discussion on once little-mentioned topics such as sexual harassment and women in combat roles. For retired Lt. Cmdr. Michele Fitzpatrick, it had been months since she paid attention to news coverage after being turned off by President Donald Trump's tweetstorms and attacks on critics such as the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a war hero, before she did her research and voted all Democrat in the 2018 midterm elections. Trump is pictured at the signing ceremony for the First Step Act and the Juvenile Justice Reform Act in the Oval Office of the White House on December 21 in Washington, DC The 60-year-old Fitzpatrick recalls suppressing her opinions as a young 'hardcore Democrat' in an overwhelmingly Republican military but finding other ways to promote change, such as supporting other female cadets. Fitzpatrick is pictured at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut on December 18 As political candidates, female veterans also had a breakout performance in the midterms, sometimes campaigning as a foil to Trump: empathetic and competent on issues such as health care while also trustworthy on military and defense, typically a GOP strength. I see this as a beginning edge of a larger movement,' said Jeremy Teigen, professor of political science at Ramapo College and author of 'Why Veterans Run: Military Service in American Presidential Elections, 1789-2016.' Democratic Rep.-elect Chrissy Houlahan, a former Air Force captain, said she was motivated to run after organizing a bus trip last year to the Women's March in Washington. She felt her election would serve as a repudiation of Trump, but she avoided sharp rhetoric in favor of a message of service to country and getting things done. She recalled Pennsylvania voters telling her they were exhausted by gridlock and partisan attacks and 'would like our nation and our democracy and our values to stabilize to what we can recognize.' All told, 55 percent of voters who had served in the military backed Republican candidates in the elections, compared to 42 percent who supported Democrats, according to VoteCast data. Trump frequently embraces the U.S. military and veterans in speeches, referring to 'my military,' though he has also insulted war heroes such as McCain and military families who criticize him. 'I think the vets, maybe more than anybody else, appreciate what we are doing for them,' Trump said last month. Not the female veterans, though. Their margin of support for Democrats was comparable to that of women overall, according to VoteCast data. AP VoteCast is a nationwide survey of more than 115,000 midterm voters - including more than 4,000 current and former service members - conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago. Laura Cavallaro, 35, who served on active duty in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005 and on inactive duty until 2009, says she's never voted but thinks she will in 2020. A recent graduate of Rhode Island College, she said she believes Trump has kept his promises about helping the economy and creating jobs. At the same time, "Who knows if he's going to say something to the wrong person and start another war?" she said. That's particularly concerning for military veterans who know what's at stake in combat. When Cavallaro joined the military, she considered herself a Republican because her parents were. Now, she sees herself more as an independent, saying she's pro-gun rights and pro-gay rights. 'I think being in the military kind of opened my eyes to a lot more things,' she said. 'If I had stayed in Rhode Island, I wouldn't have met so many different personalities and people with other political views.' In 2016, the Defense Department lifted all restrictions on the roles women can perform in the military, spurring broader debate about combat missions and even whether women should be eligible for the draft. Currently, there are more than 20 million veterans of the U.S. armed forces, about 10 percent of them female, the fastest growing subgroup. In the U.S. military forces, 16.6 percent of those enlisted are women, up from about 2 percent in 1973. Women now make up 20 percent of the Air Force, 19 percent of the Navy, 15 percent of the Army and 8.6 percent of the Marines, according to Defense Department figures. In the Coast Guard, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, women make up 22 percent of the officers and 13 percent of those enlisted. The Coast Guard Academy, where Fitzpatrick was among the first women to attend in 1976, enrolled a class this year that is 40 percent female, a new high. Teigen, who studies military voting, said that in the context of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, female veterans running for office provided a contrast for voters, 'someone who was willing to volunteer to take time out of their youth to serve their country and stand up for others,' compared to Trump, a New York billionaire with five wartime draft deferments and a fraught history with women. Of the military veterans who ran for the House, 12 were women, the highest number ever. Houlahan will serve her first House term starting in January, along with former Navy pilot Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and Navy veteran Elaine Luria, D-Va., who defeated another veteran, Republican Rep. Scott Taylor, a former Navy SEAL. The women prevailed in tight races by tying their opponents to Trump and the GOP congressional majority while pledging to work on both sides of the aisle. All had stories about being among the only women working among men and used their platforms to speak out about abuses in the military. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, a frequent Trump critic, also won re-election. She is a member of her state's National Guard. In all, seven female veterans will serve in the next Congress, up from four. The veterans in the House will join Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a combat veteran in the Iowa Army National Guard. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., a retired Air Force colonel, lost her Senate bid but was later appointed by Arizona's governor to replace Sen. Jon Kyl in the seat that belonged to McCain. 'I sure hope I get to make history,' Houlahan said cautiously, when asked about her candidacy and the influence female veterans could have on Washington. " 'That would be amazing. And I would be happy to serve everybody, not just the women and the Democrats.' A man has died and 23 people have been taken to hospital after a minibus carrying 24 people ploughed off a road and overturned in the Scottish Borders this morning. The single-vehicle accident occurred at 10.50am on the A6089 between Carfraemill and Gordon, near Lauder, 23 miles from Edinburgh. The private minibus, which was travelling from Newtongrange to Kelso, was carrying 23 adult passengers plus the driver. Police Scotland have confirmed that the man was pronounced dead at the scene, and a number of people have been taken to hospital. The extent of their injuries is not known. A man has died after a minibus he was travelling in, along with 23 others, overturned in the Scottish Borders at 10.50am this morning The accident occurred on the A6089 between Carfraemill and Gordon, near Lauder, 23 miles from Edinburgh The other passengers and the driver were taken to Borders General Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow for treatment. According to Scottish Radio Station TD1, off-duty NHS staff are being asked to attend work at the Borders General Hospital. The fire service said that four fire engines had been sent to the scene. The Road Policing Unit initially declared the collision a major incident and worked with partners in the Scottish Ambulance Service and Scottish Fire & Rescue Service to quickly provide assistance to those involved. The road remains closed in both directions while Road Policing Officers continue to conduct collision investigations at the scene. Colleagues in the NHS and Scottish Borders Council are also currently providing assistance to Police Scotland and those affected. The other passengers and the driver were taken to Borders General Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow for treatment The road remains closed in both directions while Road Policing Officers continue to conduct collision investigations at the scene Chief Inspector Steven Duncan of the Lothians & Scottish Borders Police Division said: 'We're providing ongoing support to the family of the man who tragically lost his life, along with those who have been injured and their families. 'Our Road Policing Unit, together with partners, are currently working to establish the full circumstances surrounding this. 'We'd ask anyone who may be concerned that a loved one has been affected, or anyone who could help with our investigation, to get in touch immediately via 101 and quote incident number 1369 of 29th December.' A man has been accused of murder after he shot dead his Florida neighbor on Christmas Day because he heard him fighting with his girlfriend. Jonathan Velasquez, 24, has been charged with murder and was denied bail at a hearing on Thursday for killing Robert Hugh-Patrick Gray, 38, on December 25. Velasquez was visiting a home he often stays at in Kissimmee on Christmas when he heard two neighboring residents, Gray and his girlfriend Taniqua Kales, arguing in their backyard. Jonathan Velasquez, 24, (left) has been jailed on a murder charge after he shot dead Robert Hugh-Patrick Gray, 38, (right) on December 25 after Gray was arguing with his girlfriend in his backyard Gray and girlfriend Taniqua Kales pictured above with their 10-month-old son a day before he was fatally shot He told deputies he went outside and saw Kales slap Gray in their backyard and go into their house. Gray allegedly responded by smashing the glass sliding door and entering the home. He said that he feared the argument would escalate. Velasquez then ran into the home where he was staying, grabbed his gun, then fired a shot into the ground and ordered Gray to get out of the house, according to his arrest report. Gray, who was unarmed, told Velasquez that he was on his own property and began to approach his armed neighbor, who hid behind a tree in the backyard. As Gray walked toward him, Velasquez called 911. When they were about 10 feet apart from each other, Velasquez fired two shots at Gray. Velasquez was silent during his Thursday court appearance where he was denied bail and charged with murder Velasquez's tearful mother Rosaura Ventos defended her son saying: 'He thought he was doing the right thing' and that he hated domestic violence after seeing her deal with it Velasquez pictured left with mom Rosaura center. He told cops that he was not threatened by Gray nor was the neighbor armed, before Velasquez fired two shots Gray was rushed to Poinciana Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Velasquez admitted to deputies he was never threatened and never saw a weapon. He 'took it upon himself to retrieve his gun prior to calling 911', according to the arrest affidavit. Gray's heartbroken girlfriend Kales, with whom he shares a 10-month-old son, says that they were not arguing prior to the incident. 'His side is wrong. We were not fighting and arguing. We was not fighting or arguing at all,' she said to Click Orlando. 'My son has no dad now,' she added. However, records show that Kales and Gray have a history of domestic violence. Five months ago Gray was arrested by Osceola deputies after his girlfriend called 911 and said he hit her over the head and pulled her by her hair in an argument, according to WFTV. Kales has since moved away from the home on Montclair Way after the shooting, saying it's too painful to live there after her boyfriend's death. Police released the desperate 911 calls that Kales and a witness made after Gray was shot. However Velasquez's 911 call hasn't been released. In Kales' five-minute call she says she's on the floor with Gray. 'Come, come, come. One of the next door neighbors shot him,' she said. 'The guy across the street shot him for no (expletive) reason,' she added. Gray pictured above with his baby on Christmas Eve, a day before he was killed Gray was rushed to Poinciana Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was shot twice as he stood about 10 feet away from Velasquez Gray's heartbroken girlfriend Kales, with whom he shares a 10-month-old son, says that they were not arguing prior to the incident. In July she called the cops on Gray for domestic violence After the shooting Velasquez remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators. A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover Gray's funeral expenses. At Velasquez's Thursday hearing he remained silent and said nothing besides his name. A judge ordered him to stay in jail without bond on a murder charge. Velasquez has been appointed a public defender. His mother has tearfully defended him as a 'good kid' and 'not a criminal'. 'I've been though domestic violence myself. He does not like it. He hates it. He must have just wanted to help. I don't think it was his intention to kill anybody,' mother Rosaura Ventos said to Fox35. She believes he tried to intervene in Gray and Kales argument after growing up seeing his mom deal with domestic violence. 'He's traumatized. That's what it is. He's never been in any sort of trouble or nothing... He thought he was doing the right thing, defending the person,' she said. 'It hurts me to see the other person lost his son, his child. His children lost his parent, but it could have been prevented by not taking your business outside and scream and yell for help,' she added. Sajid Javid is cutting short a family holiday to deal with the rising number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel by boat. It comes as he last night declared a 'major incident' over the surge in Channel boat migrants - with aides refusing to declare whether he would return from South Africa. But speaking today during a visit to Dover, immigration minister Caroline Nokes revealed that Home Secretary was on his way back. She said: 'I can't comment on his whereabouts for security reasons, but he is on his way back and he will be at his desk on Monday. 'He is taking control of the situation and I am in regular contact with him, and we had a conference call just yesterday.' Speaking today during a visit to Dover, immigration minister Caroline Nokes revealed that Home Secretary was on his way back from a holiday in South Africa Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes looks at the tent in which migrants are brought into when they first arrive, during a meeting with Border Force officers in Dover and the local MP Charlie Elphicke to discuss migrants' attempts to reach Britain by small boat UK Border Force boats patrol Dover Harbour as British immigration minister Caroline Nokes visits staff at Dover Marina today Soon after declaring the major incident last night, Mr Javid appointed a 'gold commander' to oversee the response and asked for talks with his French counterpart. In other developments: The Home Secretary resisted pressure from Conservative MPs to reinforce Border Force operations in the Channel, where only one cutter is on patrol; 12 more migrants were rescued from boats off the English coast and taken to Dover yesterday; It emerged that 121 have tried to cross since December 23 90 of them reaching Britain. Politicians from all parties lined up to criticise Mr Javid's handling of the migrant crisis yesterday as he faced accusations of sleeping on the job'. Ed Davey, Lib Dem home affairs spokesman, said: 'It is time the Home Secretary stopped sleeping on the job and woke up to the reality of what is happening at our borders.' A ministerial source said Mr Javid must 'get a grip on the situation' while Tory MP Charlie Elphicke, who represents Dover, said the Home Office had not taken the issue seriously enough. 'The crisis has continued to escalate to unprecedented levels,' he said. UK Border Force cutter arriving at Dover Harbour with eight migrants and their inflatable tied alongside after being rescued from crossing the English Channel Eight migrants brought ashore at Dover Harbour by the UK Border Force officials by a rib He welcomed Mr Javid's intervention but added: 'We need a clear strategy to defeat the traffickers. Let's start by bringing back our cutters to the English Channel.' It is not the first time Mr Javid has faced criticism for being absent during political crises. Last year, as communities secretary, he came under fire for staying on holiday amid uproar over a planned increase in business rates. A year earlier he was forced to return from a trip to Australia when the future of the Port Talbot steel works was in the balance. The Home Office released a detailed statement yesterday outlining the steps Mr Javid is taking after the conference call with officials in Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the National Crime Agency. The eight migrants were wrapped in blankets and brought ashore by Border Force officials Sajid Javid is returning from a family holiday in South Africa - 6,000 miles away - to deal with the rising number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel by boat Mr Javid is thought to be resisting pressure to deploy one of the Border Force's four other cutters because it could encourage more migrants to make the crossing in the hope they would be picked up. Another Tory backbencher, Damian Collins, who represents Folkestone, called for a closer watch to be kept on small vessels leaving the French coast. He said: 'If we spotted them when they were closer to the French coast, under maritime law they should be returned to the nearest safe port.' Yvette Cooper, Labour chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, called for urgent action to prevent illegal crossings, adding: 'The problem is clearly getting worse. 'For families and children to end up in small boats in the Channel in the middle of winter is incredibly dangerous. There is a real risk of tragedy if urgent action isn't taken.' The most senior politician in northern France yesterday called on Britain to provide a permanent maritime surveillance brigade. Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France regional council, said the British should stop leaving all the work to the French. 'When will there be proper surveillance of the Channel?' he demanded. 'When will truly firm action be taken against people smugglers on the British side?' Around 150 migrants are living in squalid conditions on an industrial estate close to the Calais ferry port. The makeshift camp is being raided by police at least every two days. Hundreds more migrants live in small camps dotted nearby. One Iranian, who gave his name as Tariq, said: 'We know how dangerous it is to go out in a boat. But we would rather die at sea then stay here any longer. 'Times are hard, the nights are freezing and getting colder and French police are destroying our homes. They don't care about us. This is all we have anything is better than this. 'I have tried getting on to a boat before. One time I got a boat but tried to fill it up with petrol which spilled on my body and burnt me. 'It's hard to get on the ferry now because the police dogs will catch you, so smaller boats are the better option. But you need a lot of money to pay the people smugglers.' In the first incident yesterday, three Iranian men and a Syrian were found in the early hours in a rigid inflatable boat off the coast of Dover. And at 9am eight Iranian men were rescued from another small vessel and taken to the same port to be processed. Archaeologists in Scotland have unearthed a large stone ball which is thought to have been launched from a powerful medieval catapult during a siege of Edinburgh Castle. The stone appears to be a cannon ball, but experts have dated it back to the 13th century, more than 200 years before the introduction of gunpowder or cannons in Scotland. The stone ball was found during excavations at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh as archaeologist from AOC Archaeology continue to investigate the site, which has been earmarked for Europe's first Virgin Hotel. It is thought that the ball may have been launched from a large wooden catapult known as a trebuchet towards the ramparts of the Edinburgh Castle in the period of the Siege of Edinburgh in 1296. Archaeologist Samuel Kinirons (pictured above) holding the 13th century catapult ball The siege is one of the biggest events in Scottish history and saw Edward I capture Edinburgh Castle and hold it under English rule for 18 years. During this time he plundered treasure from across Scotland, including the infamous Stone of Destiny. The archaeology work is entirely funded by India Buildings Limited, which is developing the site, and managed by CgMs Heritage, which offers independent advice to landowners and developers. Richard Conolly, of CgMs, said: 'As archaeologists, most of our work deals with the remnants of day-to-day life. So, it is really exciting for the team to find something that potentially provides a direct link to an historic event and specific date. 'The siege only lasted three days - we don't often get that kind of precision in our dating. It is also a reminder that it was not just the castle that was involved in the siege; the surrounding town must also have taken a battering.' Experts have been intrigued by the latest discovery at the castle where around 23 different siege attempts have been attempted over the centuries. The stone ball is thought to have been launched from a powerful medieval catapult during a siege of Edinburgh Castle (pictured above) John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Council archaeologist, said: 'It looks like the type of ball which would have been fired by a trebuchet, one of the most powerful catapults used in the Middle Ages. 'Worldwide, the most famous account of a trebuchet is that of Warwolf, the giant catapult used by Edward I's army at Stirling Castle in 1304. The stone ball was found by a team of archaeologists including Samuel Kinirons 'What we've discovered here suggests similar weapons were also used in Edinburgh, possibly even during Edward I's Siege of Edinburgh in 1296, when the Stone of Destiny was stolen and the castle taken out of Scottish hands. 'We always knew this area of the Grassmarket could shed new light on Edinburgh in the dark ages, and here we are with the discovery of a medieval weapon. It's a really exciting find, particularly if we can prove its links to the Siege of Edinburgh.' Archaeologists began digging in the Grassmarket area in May and work is expected to continue into the New Year. It is hoped the new 225-room Virgin Hotel Edinburgh will be open by 2020. Nick Finnigan, executive manager at Edinburgh Castle, said: 'This is an exciting new discovery which helps contribute to our understanding of Edinburgh Castle's remarkable history - particularly during the wars of independence. 'Edinburgh Castle has been besieged more than any other castle in the UK and it's incredible that we are still uncovering artefacts from these historic sieges.' A mother-of-two tragically died just two days before Christmas after falling from a walkway at a Spanish airport when on the way to surprise her father. Judith Coughlan, from Arklow in Co Wicklow, Ireland, dropped 60 feet to the ground and was reportedly killed instantly at Alicante-Elche airport on December 23. The 28-year-old, who moved to the European country around a year ago, was on her way home to spend Christmas with her father when she fell over the railing, according to the Irish Independent. Judith Coughlan, from Arklow in Co Wicklow, Ireland, dropped 60 feet to the ground and was killed instantly on December 23 Judith was on her way to surprise me with a visit home for Christmas. I had no idea she was coming, her distraught father Brian told the publication. 'Instead I got a call on Christmas Eve to say she had died. I can't believe this has happened. Her two little girls are just gorgeous and at least we will still have some of Judith through them.' Brian added: 'I'm told that the authorities have looked at CCTV of the area where Judith had what looks like an awful accident.' The 28-year-old was on her way home to spend Christmas with her father when she fell over the railing, according to the Irish Independent Judiths partner, who dropped her off at the airport, was unaware of the incident until he was later informed by emergency services. Posting pictures in tribute to his loved one on Facebook, he wrote: RIP Judith, wish I was there with you. Others paid their respects to the positive and gorgeous Irishwoman, with one writing: So beautiful inside and out. Another person added: The Queen! So positive and gorgeous and yet the most humble person you could ever meet! The world's a lot less brighter without her in it. Judiths partner, who dropped her off at Alicante-Elche airport, was unaware of the incident until he was later informed by emergency services A third said: We should be celebrating your bday in a little over a week not saying goodbye. Rest in paradise Judy, reported The Mirror. On another post, a friend said: Heartbroken omg, my condolences to you and the girls, I always called her my modern day Marilyn Monroe. RIP Judith. Authorities in Spain are said to have launched an investigation into the exact circumstances of Judith's death. Royal Mail has issued an apology following the release of its 2019 D-Day stamp collection which shows US troops in the Pacific rather than British soldiers in Normandy. The company announced it would bring out a set of 11 commemorative stamps next June to mark 75 years since the Allies invaded Nazi-occupied Europe. However one stamp released by the postal service - labelled 'D-Day Allied soldiers and medics wade ashore' - featured the wrong type of boat. The company's managing director for letters, Stephen Agar has now issued a formal apology which states that the firm had 'let down' consumers. The image on the incorrect Royal Mail stamp is archived on the US National WWII museum website and featured in a 1944 issue of the American naval magazine All Hands It read: 'I am writing to express my deep regret that the preview of our 2019 Special Stamps included a stamp design which was incorrectly associated with the D-Day landings. 'I am sincerely sorry for this mistake and the hurt it has caused, in particular to veterans and those who lost loved ones. I would like to reassure them, our people and our customers that this stamp will not be part of our set to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. 'We are asking veterans associations to share this message with their members. I hope to work with some of them to ensure the final stamps reflect the significance of the D-Day landings and the courage and sacrifice of those who took part. Royal Mail released an apology on social media on December 28 following the release of the stamps 'Nonetheless, we have let you down. On behalf of Royal Mail, I would like to say again how sorry I am.' The company also issued an apology on social media, which they have now pinned to the top of their verified Twitter account. In the post the firm 'sincerely apologised for the blunder and reassured people that the offending stamp would not be part of the final set. 'We sincerely apologise that our 2019 Special Stamp preview included a design which had been incorrectly associated with the D-Day landings. A range of birds of prey have been photographed for Royal Mail, including the red kite (pictured), golden eagle and kestrel, and will be featured on stamps being issued in April 'This stamp design has not been printed. We would like to reassure our customers that this image will not be part of the final set.' Historians pointed out it was actually a photo of GIs landing in what is now Indonesia on May 17, 1944 almost a month before D-Day. The image on the incorrect stamp is archived on the US National WWII museum website and featured in a 1944 issue of the American naval magazine All Hands. Military historian Andy Saunders wrote on Twitter: 'What a shambles... Wrong theatre, wrong date, wrong vessel, wrong troops. This gross insult to veterans and those who didn't make it should be withdrawn.' Mark Simmer, a military history author, responded to Mr Saunders saying: 'Shocking! Can't understand why they don't temporarily hire an historian for these projects. Plenty around who would gladly assist, I'm sure.' Royal Mail will also release stamps to mark the bicentenaries of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert Paul Woodadge, a Second World War Normandy-based filmmaker, added: 'Oh dear oh dear. What's odd about this is that New Guinea landings photos are probably a lot harder to find online than actual Normandy landings photos. 'It's like they have tried to f*** up lol. Hopefully Royal Mail will correct this.' The Royal Mail declined to tell MailOnline whether any historians were consulted on the stamp before it was revealed. According to The Spirit of Normandy Trust this is not the first time an incorrect image has been used in relation to the D-Day landings. Ian Stewart, vice chairman of the trust, said: 'The problem with most of these things is that research has got to be thorough and done well ahead of time. 'It's very unfortunate, but research is absolutely critical and it's not the first time it's been done about D-Day. People think that it doesn't matter who's in the photograph.' The 'Best of British' collection will feature 11 stamps to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. A celebration of the UK's birds of prey was also among the new stamps issued by the Royal Mail for 2019. It will also release stamps to mark the bicentenaries of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and a set to celebrate British engineering. A range of birds of prey have been photographed for Royal Mail, including the red kite, golden eagle and kestrel, and will be featured on stamps being issued in April. Forests and Royal Navy ships will mark special stamps being issued later in the year. Netflix's psychological thriller starring Sandra Bullock has become the internet's latest obsession inspiring a mountain of 'Bird Box' memes. The movie has set a new record, with 45 million Netflix accounts watching it in the week since its release, according to the streaming service. 'Bird Box' tells the story of a mother and her two children forced to wear blindfolds as they search for refuge in a dystopian world overrun by monsters that can drive you to suicide in a glance. If you're not still full on Christmas cookies, feast your eyes on this smorgasbord of memes (beware, many contain spoilers): 'Bird Box' has inspired dozens of hilarious memes in the week since the psychological thriller starring Sandra Bullock was released on Netflix. The tweet above from Tasha Maree shows a man and his two kids posing as movie characters who have to wear blindfolds to escape mysterious monsters that have taken over the world and can kill anyone who looks at them In the meme above, which has been retweeted nearly 9,000 times, a woman pokes fun at the film by pretending that her bangs are a blindfold that can shield her from the monsters One Twitter user shared screengrabs from a scene in The Office where Michael Scott dons a blindfold and goes into the wilderness- passing them off as scenes in 'Bird Box' Another tweet referencing The Office compares Jim Halpert to 'Bird Box' character Douglas 'Bird Box' protagonist Malorie is compared to a recycled meme of buff Kim Kardashian in the tweet above Another recycled meme featuring Ralph Wiggum from the Simpsons mocks a scene in the film The sudden onslaught of memes was deemed suspicious by some social media users who accused Netflix of spreading them through fake accounts to create hype around the movie following its lukewarm reception by critics. The now-debunked theory went viral on Twitter after it was posed by journalist Sam Weinberg, an editor for music website Underground Underdogs. Weinberg attempted to prove the theory by posting a video scrolling through the #BirdBox hashtag and calling out six different Twitter accounts with low follower and following counts that could be run by bots. 'Netflix is using dozens of fake accounts with suspiciously low tweet/follower counts to seed twitter with viral memes about their movie bird box,' Weinberg tweeted. 'Creepiest part is how theyre using pics stolen from real peoples (minors, mostly) social media [accounts] in order to make them seem like real profiles.' The post was retweeted more than 6,000 times - but upon further inspection there appears to be zero evidence to support the theory. In fact, most of the memes that have gone viral were shared by Twitter accounts that have been around for years. Weinberg has since deleted his tweet. Fears Russia could try to swallow up its smaller neighbour Belarus by moving to create a greater political and economic union have intensified after a meeting between the country's leaders today. Tensions between the two countries have been growing as Russian President Vladimir Putin's desire for further integrations continues. Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko is worried a new tax regime for oil planned for the new year could undermine his country's sovereignty. The two leaders met in Moscow today where Putin laid out plans for a working group on further expansion of ties between Moscow and Minsk, the TASS news agency reported. The key issue of the discussion for Belarus was the price of Russian natural gas and the issue of shortfall in revenue for Belarus due to Russias tax changes. Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko greeted each other with smiles during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow today Russia was concerned about violations of the customs regulation between the countries and the illegal supplies of sanctioned goods. The move could cost the Belorussian economy billions of dollars, economists have warned. Putin and Lukashenko have met three times in a month to discuss the future relationship between the two nations. Lukashenko has previously backed closure union with Russia, but suggested earlier this month that the Russian plan is designed to undermine his country's sovereignty and push Belarus towards Moscow by weakening its economy. Putin told reporters today that both countries will work to expand plans for the 'construction of the Union State'. He said: 'As has been agreed we are setting up a working group on further development of our ties in the economic area and other fields. 'In accordance with our proposal, we will work towards expansion of our plans regarding the construction of the Union State. 'I suggest that today we should discuss that issue, saying what has been done from our part. 'You said that you would give a respective instruction to the government so that the colleagues from the Belarusian side will contribute as well.' President Lukashenko said previously he was worried plans for greater integration will 'destroy the country and become part of Russia' Russia and Belarus have notionally been a 'union' state since 1997 but only of limited integration. But wars in Georgia and Ukraine, as well as the annexation of Crimea, have made Belarus nervous about Russia's expansionist intentions. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a Russian press conference earlier this month: 'I can read between the lines and I understand the hints. You should just say it out loud: destroy the country and become part of Russia.' Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order yesterday on creating a Russian-Belarus working group for discussion of various aspects of integration and controversial issues. The pair held four hour-long rounds of talks, during which they discussed the issues of integration between both countries, co--operation over energy, as well as the changes in the Russian tax legislation and the way it influences the Belorussian economy. Putin told reporters today that 'we will work towards expansion of our plans regarding the construction of the Union State' Konstantin Kalachyov, head of the Political Expert Group and Kremlin adviser said some politicians in Russia do not consider Belarus to be a separate nation and want to 'integrate' their closest ally as they did with Crimea. He told the Independent: 'The president is worried about what will come after Lukashenko and already there are big problems. 'The economic relationship is no longer satisfactory for Russia, and ever since Crimea, Moscow has sensed Minsk no longer has its back politically.' Vladimir Putin greeted Lukashenko with a warm handshake when they met at the Kremlin in Moscow, today. President Lukashenko visited Russia for the second time in December - just three days after the first - for talks. Earlier this year Belarus turned down Russian requests for an air force base and closer military co-operation. Since increasing economic sanctions Belarus has increasingly leaned to the West to diversify the countrys economy. Afiery, four-car crash in lower Manhattan has left one person dead and others injured. An unnamed person is in custody in connection with the crash on Saturday morning, which occurred about one block from the World Trade Center, police said. Officers haven't yet leveled any charges related to the tragic incident. Authorities say a fiery, four-car crash in lower Manhattan has left one person dead and others injured, with at least one person hospitalized. Two others suffered apparently minor injuries. The aftermath of the crash is shown here, on West Street, which is a major roadway along the Hudson River in New York City Police say one of the vehicles involved in the wreck caught fire, and a person who was in that car was found dead. A flaming car was seen upside-down in a northbound lane on West Street, a major roadway along the Hudson River, in video broadcast by WABC-TV. The fire department says another person involved in the wreck was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Two others suffered apparently minor injuries. Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev summed up the results of bilateral cooperation in 2018 in a telephone conversation, the press service of Kazakhstans leader reported. The heads of state noted the positive dynamics of development of Kazakh-Russian ties in a wide range of areas, the press service added. Putin and Nazarbayev also discussed pressing regional and global issues, including the current situation in Russian-Ukrainian relations. The Kremlin press service, in turn, reported that the two leaders discussed the key bilateral issues and cooperation within the integration associations on the Eurasian space. Some pressing international issues were raised as well. The heads of state also exchanged warm New Year greetings. A British academic accused of spying has said he feels no resentment towards the Emirati friend who reported him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Matt Hedges expressed a profound disappointment at the second home that he felt 'betrayed' him. Mr Hedges said that the person who had reported him to the state was someone he had met through work and described them as friends. 'It would be easy to feel anger towards him but I have no clue under what circumstance he has got in touch with the state security. I can't blame him. He might not have had another option. It's impossible to hold any form of resentment because he himself is a victim of the system. Matt Hedges (right) and his wife Daniela Tejada (left) are looking to take some down time following their ordeal 'We were friends, yes. He was in court and gave evidence against me. He was someone I met through work.' Mr Hedges then said he was 'really disappointed with the UAE and says he still has no idea why he had been targeted. He now claims he was being watched, followed and his phone bugged from the moment he arrived in the Arab state. 'I put it down to paranoia. I never thought it would get to the extent that it did. 'Looking back it got out of hand at a certain time and their own domestic politics made the situation worse. They took a series of facts and so-called 'evidence' and made it into a Picasso-like picture which makes little sense unless you look at it from a certain angle. It was completely incoherent,' he says. Matt Hedges (pictured above) received an official pardon The Durham University PhD candidate had travelled to the UAE to research his thesis and was sentenced at an Abu Dhabi court in November after he was accused of being a spy. The hearing itself lasted no longer than five minutes. But in a remarkable turn of events and despite the fact that Mr Hedged had no lawyer present, he was officially pardoned after receiving a life sentence. Daniela Tejada, Mr Hedge's wife was present in the courtroom on the day of his conviction and never stopped campaigning for his release. The couple have been back together in England for the last month and have struggled to move past the trauma of the last year. Speaking to The Guardian Mr Hedges said: 'It has been manic. 'It's taken a period of adjustment, to try and know where I am and what's going on. I like to try and keep myself busy.' Following the trauma of the events that unfolded Mr Hedges now takes Valium, a medication he may need to take for the rest of his life. Despite his experiences, Mr Hedges still plans to finish his PhD on the Arab Spring and has just one chapter left to pen. In the shorter term he wants to keep a low profile and do 'nothing too edgy', and focus on casual activities such as visiting family and going to the cinema. Mr Hedges spent almost six months in solitary confinement in a window-less state security office, being regularly threatened with torture and interrogated for up to 15 hours a day. Mr Hedges said while he was at the prison he could hear other inmates being tortured and said he was threatened with rendition to an overseas military base, where he was told he would be 'hung up and beaten'. Mr Hedges' plight began on 5 May when he was detained while trying to leave the UAE after a two-week research visit to interview sources on its security structure after the Arab Spring. Daniela Tejada (pictured above) campaigned tirelessly to help her husband He says he was forced to confess 'under duress' to allegations of spying for the UK, before being sentenced to life. Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt intervened following international outrage and Mr Hedges was then formally issued with a pardon from UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. However Hedges, who bears the bruises of the ankle cuffs he was forced to wear, still can't quite believe he is free. He said: 'All of a sudden they told me to put on some clothes. They told me I was being released nothing made sense. It was not until I got on the plane that I began to relax but even now I still feel anxious. I walk around with Valium in my pocket just in case I get too anxious.' Matthew Hedges (right) with his wife Daniela Tejada (right) have struggled to get back to normality following the incident Since the ordeal Mr Hedges has maintained his innocence and the head of MI6, Alex Younger has since said that he was 'perplexed' as to why Hedges had been accused of espionage on behalf of the agency. From the age of 15 the UAE had been Mr Hedges' second home. He had attended boarding school in Surrey but had family members in the UAE that he would fly out to visit during school holidays. He added: 'I never felt at risk there. 'As a child I would go there every holiday, it was my home somewhere I had fun and had friends. My family lived there for over 15 years and I'd also worked out there more than once, for years at a time.' Following his ordeal he is now determined to help other academics who have been detained. 'I am still a convicted spy which is as ridiculous as it sounds. This will affect my academic integrity It's not right.' Donald Trump says 'big progress' is being made in talks between the U.S. and China to head off further escalation in a yearlong trade war. Trump says Saturday that he had a 'long and very good call' with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the talks, which stemmed from their sit-down early this month in Argentina. Trump tweeted: 'Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute.' Donald Trump says 'big progress' is being made in talks between the U.S. and China Trump says Saturday that he had a 'long and very good call' with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the talks, which stemmed from their sit-down early this month in Argentina (file photo) Chinese state media also said Xi and Trump spoke on Saturday, and quoted Xi as saying that teams from both countries have been working to implement a consensus reached with Trump. Chinese media also quoted Xi as saying that he hopes both sides can meet each other half way and reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial as soon as possible. The two nations have been in a trade war for much of 2018 that has seen the flow of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods between the world's two largest economies disrupted by tariffs. The U.S. wants China to address intellectual property theft and other aggressive measures that have driven Beijing's efforts to supplant U.S. technological dominance. Trump and Xi agreed to a ceasefire in the trade war, agreeing to hold off on imposing more tariffs for 90 days on December 1 while they negotiate a deal to end the dispute following months of escalating tensions. President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on a ceasefire during a dinner in Argentina for G20 The dinner between President Trump and President Xi went 'very well' a White House adviser said The agreement was the culmination of a two and half hour dinner with Trump and Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, temporarily heading off further escalation of the trade war. As part of the truce, Trump revoked a plan to raise tariffs on certain Chinese goods to 25 per cent on January 1, the White House noted in a statement. U.S. officials touted the meeting between the two delegations as 'highly successful.' The White House also said that China has agreed to label the deadly opioid fentanyl, which is behind tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S., as a controlled substance. The White House also touted Beijing's agreement to buy U.S. agricultural products as a win for farmers - a group that heavily supported Trump in the presidential election. Farmers - and the lawmakers who represented them - worried they would suffer the most under the trade war, which saw China tax products like soybeans and oranges. The two leaders also agreed to work together to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula - although no further details were released on that matter. The dinner meeting between Trump and Xi went 'very well,' said White economic adviser Larry Kudlow to reporters before Air Force One left Argentina to return to Washington. Xi said the meeting - the first face-to-face between the two since the show down started - was a 'manifestation of a personal friendship.' A Georgia vape shop worker launched an explosive rant against a Trump-supporting customer and refused to serve him in a shocking incident all caught on video. Ian Furgeson, 36, walked into Xhale City in Tucker on Friday to buy some items but quickly bumped heads with the store employee who asked him to leave just minutes after he entered the shop. Furgeson, sporting a MAGA hat and Trump shirt, then whipped out his phone and began to goad the store clerk. 'I have just been asked to leave the store. He greeted me, that was nice. I did find the item that I wanted and the next thing he said was he'd like me to leave,' Furgeson said. Ian Furgeson, 36, filmed himself getting kicked out of Xhale City, a vape shop in Tucker, Georgia, on Friday. He alluded he was asked to leave because of his MAGA hat and Trump shirt This employee at first respectfully asked him to leave. But he later launched an expletive-filled rant after Furgeson refused to leave and instead whipped out his phone to record him The employee said: 'Get the f*** out of here. I f***ing can't stand y'all racist mother f***ers' and seemed to call his manager for help The young employee then respectfully asks Furgeson to stop recording and threatens that if he doesn't, he'll call the police. Unfazed, Furgeson says he looks forward to releasing the video and continues to provoke the employee. Eventually the employee loses his temper and tries to hit Furgeson's phone out of his hand saying: 'F*** off, f*** off dude. Get the f*** out of here. I f***ing can't stand y'all racist mother f***ers.' Then he calls someone to complain about the customer and says: 'He's wearing some Trump bullsh*t...I'm not serving anyone that has to do with that f***er. I'm going to call the cops and have him leave. The two go head to head, Furgeson ranting on about how he's not racist and how he wants to purchase a vape juice for his wife, speaking over the employee's plea for him to leave. All the while a customer is waiting to be served and quietly observes their fight. Eventually the employee hits a breaking point and starts to yell and roar: 'Leave the store! Leave the store! I don't give a f***! Get out! No!!! Get the f*** out!!!' Furegson then says 'Just sell me the f***ing product so I can leave.' The employee then gives in and fetches what he wants. When Furgeson cheekily says 'God bless America. Capitalism wins again', the employee explodes and says 'F*** your capitalism. F*** your f***ing president. He's a racist stupid piece of sh*t.' At one point Furgeson finally gets the clerk to agree to let him make a purchase for his wife. He says: 'Ring it up. Do my bidding. Sell it to me, punk', leading the employee to yell 'Get the f*** out!' After a while the employee explodes and begins to roar and scream: 'F*** your capitalism. F*** your f***ing president. He's a racist stupid piece of sh*t' At one point he tries to whip Furgeson's phone out of his hand but to no avail Furgeson says 'Ring it up. Do my bidding. Sell it to me, punk'. The employee then reaches a new level of outrage and refuses to give ring up Furgeson and with an earsplitting shriek roars: 'Get out! F*** off! F***!' Finally Furgeson gets the picture and heads out saying 'Check it out, he's still your president. Go f*** yourself' and gave him the middle finger then headed out the door. Furgeson posted the video to Facebook with the caption 'Trump derangement syndrome strikes again', where it went viral racking up over 200,000 shares and 7.5million views. The video sparked outrage amongst Trump supporters, but some say that the clerk was justified to ask Furgeson to leave. 'This place will lose a lot of business now that this is video is viral n i hope he gets fired!' one Facebook user wrote. 'This is the society we live in. "I don't like what your shirt says so I'm going to throw a temper tantrum!" Surprised he didn't fall on the floor kicking and screaming like a child!' another added. 'That store employee should be fired! His personal opinion does not give him the right to act this way to a customer,' another added. 'Why was he calling you racists? What started this because that man seemed to not like you as well? Hm....??? This dude totally flipped a lid but u kept talking down on him so... y'all both were wrong here,' one Facebook commenter said. 'Service Refusal is a right retained by businesses to be used at their discretion. They are not allowed to discriminate based on the protected classes, but political alignment is not among those aforementioned classes. Therefore, as per law, the cashier has the authority to ask the patron to leave,' one Facebook user wrote. The incident took place at vape shop Xhale City in Tucker, Georgia on Friday. The employee was reportedly fired after the incident Furgeson is an adamant Trump supporter and often shares photos and videos of himself on social media in Trump gear Furgeson says Xhale City's corporate office got in touch with him after the incident and told him the employee was fired Furgeson said Xhale City's corporate office got in touch with him afterwards and told him the employee was fired. A Facebook page for Xhale City appeared to confirm the firing before the page was deleted altogether, according to News Flare. 'To our friends and customers, tonight we had an employee act improperly toward a customer. Xhale City does not tolerate this kind of behavior from its employees. When we identified the employee at fault, we fired him immediately,' the since-deleted post said. 'Weve also spoken to the customer and apologized. We value our clients and treat them with respect and dignity, regardless of their political views,' the company added. The company's other social media accounts have also been taken down. Furgeson posted a following video at another smoke shop with a smiling clerk saying: 'This is my friend Casey. I walked in and showed her the video and she was abhorred.' 'See here we are a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican...Man I'm a five-time felon and a convict...here we are coming together. I'm gonna shop here for now on out,' he said. Xhale City is yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. More thorough initial health screenings for migrants, as well as secondary screenings, will be held for every child in Border Patrol custody following the deaths of two Guatemalan children this month, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was visiting Yuma, Arizona, on Saturday, a day after her trip to meet border officials and medical staff in El Paso, Texas. It was in El Paso where an 8-year-old died in US government custody. 'The system is clearly overwhelmed and we must work together to address this humanitarian crisis and protect vulnerable populations,' Nielsen said in a statement. She called on Congress to 'act with urgency'. Late Friday, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said he was among those who met with Nielsen, saying they discussed 'our immigration needs on the border'. The statement from Margo, a Republican, did not mention the deaths of migrant children or whether it was discussed. The trip came days after the death of Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Felipe was the second Guatemalan child to die in government custody in three weeks. Nielsen has called the death 'deeply concerning and heartbreaking' and requested medical help from other government agencies, including the US Coast Guard. More thorough initial health screenings for migrants will be held for every child in Border Patrol custody following the deaths of two Guatemalan children this month, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen (above in November) met Friday with border officials and medical staff in El Paso, Texas, where both children died after being detained at the border Eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo (left) died of not-yet-determined causes on Christmas Eve. Seven-year-old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin (right) died of dehydration on December 8. Many questions about the circumstances of both deaths remain unanswered As Nielsen made the trip to Texas, New Mexico's Democratic senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, sent her a letter Friday seeking answers about the boy's death. 'The timeline, action and factors that led to Felipe's death are still developing, but the information that has become public so far is alarming and demands immediate attention and investigation,' the letter says. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for migrant deaths at the border Saturday. He tweeted the deaths are the fault of 'their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally'. He went on to say: 'The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol.' US Rep Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat whose district includes Yuma and much of the US-Mexico-border, on Saturday issued a statement saying Nielsen was visiting Yuma 'under the dark cloud of a Republican-induced government shutdown, the president's threats to close the border and the tragic deaths of two children in DHS custody. President Trump blamed Democrats and 'pathetic immigration policies' for all migrant deaths at the border in a pair of tweets on Saturday Felipe and his father, Agustin Gomez, were apprehended by border agents on December 18 near the Paso del Norte bridge connecting El Paso to Juarez, Mexico, according to US Customs and Border Protection. The two were detained at the bridge's processing center and then the Border Patrol station in El Paso, until being taken at about 1am Sunday to a facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. After an agent noticed Felipe coughing, father and son were taken to an Alamogordo hospital, where Felipe was diagnosed with a common cold and found to have a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius), CBP has said. Felipe was held for observation for 90 minutes, according to CBP, before being released with prescriptions for amoxicillin and ibuprofen. But the boy fell sick hours later on Monday and was re-admitted to the hospital. He died just before midnight. New Mexico authorities said late Thursday that an autopsy showed Felipe had the flu, but more tests need to be done before a cause of death can be determined. Felipe's death came three weeks after another migrant child, seven-year-old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin, died from dehydration in Border Patrol Custody. Jakelin was pronounced dead in an El Paso hospital on December 8, 27 hours after she was arrested with her father, 29-year-old Nery Caal, and 163 others trying to enter the US at the Antelope Wells Port of Entry in New Mexico. An 18-year-old undocumented Jamaican immigrant charged with murdering a 12-year-old boy in a drive-by shooting has reportedly admitted to the crime. Police in Connecticut arrested Tajay Chambers stemming from the December 18 death of Clinton Howell outside his family's home one week before Christmas. Court documents show that Chambers told officers: 'I didn't know that he was 12 years old,' referring to the victim. Chambers, who has had an ICE detainer placed on him, faced a judge Thursday morning in Bridgeport where he was arraigned on charges of murder; murder with special circumstances; use of a firearm during the commission of a felony; illegal possession of a firearm without a permit; risk of injury to a child; reckless endangerment, and larceny. Scroll down for video Police in Bridgeport, Connecticut, have charged 18-year-old Tajay Chambers (left), from Jamaica, with murder in the drive-by shooting that killed 12-year-old Clinton Howell (right) Tajay Chambers, 18, was arraigned in court Thursday on murder charges for the death of a 12-year-old boy Howell was shot on the front porch of his family's home on the evening of December 18, after he had returned from buying snacks at a nearby store Courtesy: FOX 61 Three juveniles who police said were with Chambers that night, ages 12, 14 and 16, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder; carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit and larceny. According to police, at 9pm on December 18, Howell was returning home from getting snacks at a convenience store around the corner when Chambers opened fire, reported Fox61. Investigators said Howell was an innocent bystander, not Chambers' intended target, who was the victim's older cousin. On the way back from the corner store with Howell, police said the cousin spotted the SUV and fired a pellet gun at the vehicle. The SUV made a U-turn and that's when Chambers shot the real gun, striking the seventh-grader with at least two rounds in front of his home and he collapsed in the doorway. Chambers and the three other arrested juveniles told detectives they went to the location after Howell's cousin sent them a Snapchat video showing the street sign where he was. Howell was a seventh-grader who loved food and playing video games, according to his family. The screenshot on the right shows the 12-year-old opening a Christmas present last year Chambers told police 'they understood this to be a dare or challenge' from the cousin who police said is part of gang known as the BG's or Blitz Gang. CTpost.com reported, citing police sources, that earlier that evening, Chambers and his alleged co-conspirators were driving in a stolen car when they got into an argument with some people walking along Willow Street, among them Howell's relative. Howell was rushed to Bridgeport Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Family members said Clinton was a happy child who stayed out of trouble, loved food and video games. Some have been sharing videos on Facebook showing the boy opening Christmas presents last year. Howell's older brother, Gamel Dawkins (pictured), has launched an online fundraiser to help pay for the child's funeral Chambers has been in jail since December 19, when he was arrested on unrelated charges of second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace stemming from an October 12 attack on a 16-year-old boy at Central High School. In that incident, police said Chambers and two other juveniles punched the victim in the head, then kicked him down a flight of stairs. A judge set Chambers' bond at $500,000, and ICE put a detainer on him because the Jamaican national has been living in the US with a visa, reported WTNH. He is expected to be arraigned on charges in the Howell case on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Howell's older brother, Gamel Dawkins, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the boy's funeral, writing in the description that his younger sibling was 'full of life and joy,' and was looking forward to celebrating Christmas, followed by his 13th birthday on January 13. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fundraiser has drawn more than $22,250 in donations. A former Soviet military intelligence officer has spoken out about living life under two death sentences in an interview with The Guardian. Viktor Suvorov, 71, worked for Russias military intelligence agency, the GRU, for eight years before he decided to defect the Moscow based spy agency. Once highly regarded within the world of Russian intelligence, the former spy also spent four years seeking out foreign agents in Switzerland. He and former Russian spy Sergei Skripal are believed to be the only known living people to have defected the Russian spy agency. Former Soviet military intelligence officer Viktor Suvorov, 71, has spoken about life under a death sentence in an interview with The Guardian While in Switzerland, Suvorov, who was recruited by the GRU in 1970, was sometimes asked to assist illegal agents abroad. However he later became a passionate anti-communist and decided to leave the Soviet system. He has not returned to Russia since and does not believe he will ever be forgiven. He told The Guardian: 'I have two death sentences [from the GRU and the Soviet supreme court]. 'You can't imagine how relaxing this can be. 'You don't worry about money or headaches or getting ill. You think to yourself: "It doesn't matter! I'm dead!"' Suspects Ruslan Boshirov (left), and Alexander Petrov (right) attended an interview with the channel RT following the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury Upon arriving to the UK, the former Russian spy decided to earn his own living by becoming a writer and has since written 19 successful books on the history of the Second World War and on the inner workings of the GRU. He is also the author of the influential book Icebreaker in which he tells the story of the Second World War as started by Stalin. Speaking on the plot to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Suvorov added that there may well have been a small group of people from the Russian embassy in London who were able to provide logistical support without knowing the full details. Now living in the UK, Suvorov, who was born Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun, said there is still a possibility the agency could attempt to end his life. A British grandmother's family was forced to pay more than 5,000 to fly her home from Spain after she suffered a brain haemorrhage. Patricia Reid was left fighting for her life and needed emergency surgery after falling ill in Benalmadena on December 2. She recovered to a stable condition but insurers allegedly refused to pay for her air ambulance home, saying her pre-existing conditions had not been disclosed. The 61-year-old's son, Alan Reid, said he was 'disgusted' with how the firm had responded to her mother's 'life-changing' illness. Patricia Reid, pictured in hospital in a photo shared by her family, recovered after a brain haemorrhage but insurers allegedly refused to pay for her air ambulance home The family has raised more than 4,000 on a fundraising page after pleading for help to get Mrs Reid home. Alan Reid, 32, said he, his sisters and his father had rushed out to Spain on a Sunday afternoon after hearing their mother was in hospital. Fearing a possible stroke, the family flew to Malaga 'not knowing if our mum would still be alive or not', he said. Spanish medics performed emergency surgery the same day in an intensive care unit, and Mrs Reid recovered to a stable condition. Mr Reid said: 'Thankfully, against the odds, she has recovered and is in a stable enough condition to be flown home via air ambulance. 'My mum and dad are keen travellers and have been insured by the same insurers for a number of years. My mum suffers from Cardiomyopathy and mild asthma. Two conditions that the travel insurance company were made aware of. The 61-year-old British grandmother was left fighting for her life and needed emergency surgery after falling ill in Benalmadena (pictured in a file photo) on December 2 'The travel insurance company are now making us sign a disclaimer to pay a proportion of the air ambulance fee as they claim my parents did not disclose the pre existing medical conditions. This is amounting to 5,300.00. 'We are completely disgusted with the way the insurance firm have handled the situation. 'This has been a life changing event for all of the family and in particular my mum and dad. My mum will most probably not walk again and their home will have to be adapted for wheelchair access, with hoists and wet room showers etc. 'My mum's independence and freedom has been taken away by this most tragic event. Any financial help at all would be most appreciated by all the family.' The insurance firm said in a statement to The Sun that they were not liable for the full cost because of the undeclared conditions. They said: 'We're really sorry to hear about Mrs Reid. 'However, when we listened to the sales call relating to her latest insurance policy, we found she didn't declare any medical conditions at all.' Hannover Airport is on lock down and all flights suspended after a man drove through a gate near the runway, German Police have said. German news agency dpa reported that federal police said the man, who was in a Polish-registered car, was detained on Saturday afternoon. Take-offs and landings were suspended while the incident was investigated, though the airport's terminals remain open. Police have said there is no indication of a terror motive. Emergency vehicles are seen at Hannover Airport in Germany after a security breach resulted in flight operations been suspended Hannover Airport in central Germany is on lock down after a man tried to drive onto the facility's apron Police alleged the man was under the influence of drugs when he drove the Polish-registered car through a gate and onto the apron, German news agency dpa reported. They said the man tried to follow a landing plane operated by Greek airline Aegean. Police cars stopped the vehicle and officers overpowered the driver. Bomb disposal experts examined the car but found no dangerous objects. No one was hurt in the incident. Federal police said the man's motive was unclear but there was no indication so far that he had an extremist history or the airport incident was terror-related. They think he acted alone. Passengers were photographed at the airport's terminal after flights were suspended Take-offs and landings of planes resumed shortly after 8 p.m. Federal police said the driver, who is in his mid-20s, tested positive for amphetamines and cocaine. Police said they couldn't give further information on where he came from because he wasn't carrying an identity card. Hannover airport handled 5.87 million passengers last year, though it isn't one of Germany's top hubs. On Twitter the International Flight Network posted: 'Hannover Airport (HAJ) has currently halted operations. 'Arriving flights are diverting, departures have been suspended after a car driver reportedly tried to enter the apron. According to Eurocontrol, the airport remains closed until 20:00 UTC.' A post from the International Flight Network read: 'Arriving flights are diverting, departures have been suspended after a car driver reportedly tried to enter the apron' A New Jersey surgery center that may have exposed more than 3,000 patients to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C used poor drug storage methods, an outdated infection control plan and unacceptable sterilization practices, according to a new state report. Operating rooms at the HealthPlus Surgery Center in Saddle Brook were not properly cleaned and disinfected between procedures, according to the report from the state Department of Health that was made public Friday. In one instance, an inspector saw a stretcher in a hallway with a blood-stained sheet that wasn't properly disinfected even after the inspector pointed it out to staffers. Kristin Debenedictis, who's one of the the 3,778 patients affected, said she was distraught after receiving the letter 'I was just so upset,' said Kristin Debenedictis, who's one of the the 3,778 patients affected, told Pix 11. 'Nobody wants to get news like that. HIV is, like, extremely scary. My friend, you know, he died of AIDS. It's horrible.' 'I needed to be checked for HIV and hepatitis,' the letter said. The letterhead showed that it was from HealthPlus Surgery. 'I started crying. I was just so upset. Nobody wants to get news like that.' State surveyors also found the facility improperly stored sterilized items, jeopardizing their cleanliness, while other sterilized instruments revealed rust-like stains, the report said. During a news conference Saturday, facility representatives said an investigation determined that 'a handful of people who have been removed' were mostly responsible for the lapses that occurred. Two employees were fired after revelations that thousands may have been exposed to the diseases. Nearly 3,800 former patients have been urged to get tested, but authorities say no illnesses have been reported. The health department says the risk of infection is low, noting the recommendation for testing was made out of 'an abundance of caution.' Patients who underwent procedures at HealthPlus Surgery Center in Saddle Brook, NJ, were sent letters urging them to be checked Patients at a surgical center in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV State health officials have said anyone who had a procedure performed at the center from January to Sept. 7 this year may have been exposed. The facility was shuttered for three weeks in September after the state Department of Health received a complaint. The center's nursing director resigned a day before the facility was shuttered. Mark Manigan, a Roseland attorney representing the center, declined to say if that was related to the complaint and closure. He said the center's administrator is not expected to resign. As part of a corrective plan implemented with the center's reopening, HealthPlus must conduct quarterly infection control audits and sterilization audits every six months. Natasha Archer was made a member of The Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the Queen's New Year's Honours List for 2019 Kensington Palace has dismissed speculation that Kate Middleton's top assistant is leaving, saying she is on maternity leave. Natasha Archer was made a member of The Royal Victorian Order (MVO), an honour sometimes given to departing royal staff, prompting rumours she was set to leave her job. But a Palace spokesman tonight rejected the claims, saying: 'This story is totally made up - Natasha is on maternity leave.' The Royal Victorian Order recognizes distinguished personal service to the monarch of the Commonwealth realms. The Order has earned itself a dubious 'kiss of death' title for being awarded to royal staff members on their departure. The announcement of Archer's honour in the New Year's list had sent fans of the royals into a Twitter frenzy, with some suggesting it could be a sign of the assistant's impending exit from the royal family. Prince William (right), Kate Middleton (centre) and Natasha Archer (left) watch a rugby match in Sydney, Australia Gert's Royals, a blogger about the royal family, sought to quell the excitement by tweeting that it was customary for staff members to get an honour after 'some years of service' However Gert's Royals, a blogger about the royal family, sought to quell the excitement by tweeting that it was customary for staff members to get an honour after 'some years of service'. 'And I think when someone is leaving they are typically given the honour after they leave. Not before.' Archer has been at the side of Prince William and Kate Middleton since her joining the Royal Family in 2007. Serving as Kate's stylist and personal assistant, the 30-year-old has become one of the most recognisable faces among the royals. Last week, she and her royal photographer husband Chris Jackson welcomed their son Theo to the world. HMS Echo, a multi-role hydrographic survey ship commissioned by the Royal Navy, has entered Batumi Sea Port today. With the visit of HMS ECHO the UK is expressing support for security in the Black Sea region, the government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara said in a release. "The visit of the HMS Echo reaffirms the dynamic cooperation between the two countries," chairman of the Government of Adjara Tornike Rijvadze said HMS ECHO will leave Batumi on December 30, Agenda.ge reported. President Trump is blaming the recent deaths of two Guatemalan children in US custody on Democrats' 'pathetic immigration policies' and on one child's father as he claims the young migrants could still be alive if his border wall was constructed. Taking a defiant stance on the deaths of seven-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin and Felipe Gomez Alonzo, eight, Trump tweeted Saturday afternoon: 'Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They cant. If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try! 'The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadnt given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit!' His shocking tweets come amid pressure to end the partial government shutdown - which is rolling into its second weekend - due to a battle over his border wall funding. President Trump tweeted Saturday blaming the deaths of two Guatemalan children in US custody on 'Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies' Felipe Gomez Alonzo, eight, (left) lost his life on Christmas Eve after being held at a detention center by the US Customs and Border Protection. The same day, Jakelin Caal Maquin, seven, was being buried in Guatemala after dying of dehydration in US custody Trump blamed the Democrats' 'pathetic' immigration policies for the children's death 'If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try!' Trump said of families attempting to cross into the US via the southern border Jakelin Caal died on December 8 in a hospital in El Paso, Texas, in the early hours of the morning. She was detained along with her father Nery at 9.15pm on December 6th as they crossed into the US in New Mexico illegally. The child died of dehydration two days after being arrested at the border. She stopped breathing on a US government bus and was not taken to hospital for more than an hour later. The Border Patrol agency previously said she 'had not eaten or drank any water' for days but they did not indicate how they knew that. Jakelin was laid to rest in an open casket ceremony in her native Guatemala on Christmas Eve, the same day it was announced that eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died after being detained by US border agents. On Monday morning, Felipe was transported to a local hospital after showing possible signs of influenza. He was given Tylenol and developed a 103 degree fever. The boy was released at 2:50pm. He was removed from the detention facility at 10pm to be taken back to the hospital after he appeared weak and nauseous. He got to the medical center at 11pm and was declared dead 48 minutes later. The body of Jakelin Caal, 7, is seen in a casket as friends and family attend her funeral in the Guatemalan village of San Antonio Secortez on Christmas Day, Tuesday Locals gather around the gravesite as the casket is lowered into the ground on Tuesday President Trump's tweet comes amid his incessant blaming of Democrats for government shutdown in response to not funding his border wall. Cooped up in the White House after cancelling his planned vacation to his private Florida club, Trump previously tweeted that he's 'waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security.' But there has been little direct contact between either side during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. On Tuesday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it would be focusing its medical examinations on children under the age of 10. The agency 'is considering options for surge medical assistance' from the Coast Guard and may request help from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A German magazine has suspended two senior editors in the fallout of a major media scandal. The weekly Der Spiegel magazine said it had suspended the contracts of Matthias Geyer and Ullrich Fichtner following allegations a reporter had 'made up stories'. The magazine revealed journalist, Claas Relotius, 33, 'fabricated' facts in at least 14 articles published both in print and online. The magazine revealed journalist, Claas Relotius, 33, 'fabricated facts' in at least 14 articles published both in print and online. He is pictured as CNN's Journalist of the Year 2014, which was stripped from him after the allegations surfaced An internal letter, reported by RTE news, said: 'The Relotius affair raises the question as to whether [Mr Ullrich and Mr Fichtner] can continue in their jobs after such a disaster.' 'The first discovered it for Der Spiegel, the second hired him and was until recently his superior'. Claas Relotius won the CNN Journalist of the Year in 2014 and won the Reemtsma Liberty Award, a German journalist award, in March last year. He allegedly 'misquoted protagonists' for a piece from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and only last month wrote a 'fabricated story' called Jaeger's Border about Arizona's vigilante border patrols. CNN said its 2014 awards jury met after the allegations were published and voted to strip him of the award. The magazine earlier this month described the revelations as a 'low-point' in its 70 year history. The reporter was sacked earlier this month after the allegations emerged. German prosecutors have indicted a woman belonging to the Islamic State group's 'morality police' in Iraq for letting a small girl die of thirst in scorching heat. The suspect, a 27-year-old German identified only as Jennifer W. due to local privacy rules, was deported from Turkey to Germany in 2016. She was arrested in June and has been charged with murder and committing a war crime. 'After the girl fell ill and wet her mattress, the husband of the accused chained her up outside as punishment and let the child die of thirst in the scorching heat,' read the statement. Destroyed buildings from clashes are seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq July 2017 'The accused allowed her husband to do so and did nothing to save the girl.' Federal prosecutors said Jennifer W. patrolled parks in Fallujah and Mosul in 2015, ensuring women adhered to IS dress and behavior codes. 'Her task was to ensure that women comply with the behavioural and clothing regulations established by the terrorist organisation,' said the statement. A member of Iraqi Federal police walks along destroyed buildings from clashes in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq 'For intimidation, the accused carried an assault rifle of the type Kalashnikov, a pistol and an explosives vest.' Prosecutors said W. and her husband bought a 5-year-old girl as a slave. The husband then left the girl chained outdoors as punishment for wetting her mattress with W. allegedly doing nothing to prevent her dying. After the child's death, W. visited the German embassy in Ankara where she applied for new identity papers. Thereafter, W. was arrested by Turkish security and extradited weeks later to Germany. Due to a lack of actionable evidence against W., she was allowed to return to her home Lower Saxony, a state in Germany. 'Since then her declared goal has been to return to the territory under IS rule,' said the prosecutors. In June this year, W. again tried to travel to Syria before German police arrested her. No date has been arranged for the beginning of her trial. If found guilty, she faces up to life in jail. British tourist hotspot Cancun has broken its own grisly murder record which has more than doubled since last year. Over the course of this year 540 people have been killed in the Mexican city on the Yucatan Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea, which draws in millions of tourists each year. This year the murder total for 2018 has increased by 313 deaths compared to last year's toll of 227, earning it a reputation for violence rather than its non-stop party scene or stunning views. One of the most recent reported deaths came as a body was discovered in black bin liners at the roadside in the popular resort, reported local news site Quinta Fuerza. The Mexican federal police patrol a beach in Cancun, Mexico earlier this year When the bags were torn open by authorities a decapitated head and a pair of arms were found in case the plastic bags. Inside the bags appeared to be the cut up bodies of two unknown victims, who were believed to have been tortured and burnt, said police. Cancun is one of many Mexican regions which has seen an increase in murders, as the drug-related violence in Mexico has risen to a level where murder is now unremarkable, the Sun reports. Police investigators work on the crime scene where a shooting erupted after an attack against the building of the Quintana Roo State Prosecution in January 201 Guerrero saw several morgues close down after being overwhelmed with victims who had died following drug-related violence. Those involved in Mexican gang warfare have been killed over turf battles which are used as routes to traffic drugs from the U.S. In the first quarter of 2018 more than 100 people were killed in Cancun, including a 36 hour period where nine people were killed. In the first quarter of 2018 more than 100 people were killed in Cancun, including a 36 hour period where nine people were killed Gunmen on water scooters shot at a roving vendor on a beach in Cancun's glittering hotel zone in April, an incident believed to be unprecedented for the city. The vendor ran for safety inside a restaurant and was not hurt. Nobody was wounded. According to a police report, the afternoon shooting happened in front of a hotel in the heart of Cancun's resort-studded strip. Days later five bodies were found in a car found outside Hall Gym about 7am on with a dead man in the front and others piled in the back. Police didn't say how the men died but the grisly find stoked fears of yet another drug cartel hit after escalating violence in the popular coastal city. Federal police officers stand on guard at the area where at least five people including a ministerial police officer were killed in Puerto Juarez in July 2018 Following a murder spree in August where eight bodies were discovered, U.S. officials warned travellers to 'exercise increased caution' due to the increase in murder, kidnapping and robbery. Violent crime and murder is rampant in parts of Mexico, especially in Acapulco - a popular beach resort stop that's also known as the nation's murder capital. In 2017 alone there were a staggering 953 homicides in Acapulco, a jump from 918 in 2016. The violence was so dangerous the U.S. State Department warned Americans to stay away. The state of Guerrero, where Acapulco is located, and other Mexican states have Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory warnings, the same as Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, according to the New York Post. Soldiers patrol near the State Prosecutor Office where a group of gunmen attacked the place in Cancun (pictured in January 2017) Last year there were more than 35million visitors to Mexico. In October 2018 Mexico saw 688,000 visitors from the U.S., a seven per cent increase from the year prior. At the same time, the gut-wrenching stories of American tourists being viciously killed or targeted have surged. Mexico murder toll In the first half of the year the murder toll in Mexico rose by 16 per cent, compared to the previous year. Breaking its own record for fatal violence, the country suffered 15,973 homicides in the first six months of 2018. In the same period last year there had been 13,751. The rates put national homicides at 22 per 100,000 population, which is reaching the same levels as Brazil and Colombia at 27 per 100,000. Advertisement In July Tatiana Mirutenko, a 27-year-old from Chicago, was killed by a stray bullet fired by two men on a speeding motorcycle as she was emerging from a bar in an upscale part of the city after a night of dancing. She was visiting to celebrate her one year wedding anniversary with her husband. She had been vacationing in Mexico since she was a little girl. She never thought she would be one of the 16,339 homicides recorded in the country in the first seven months of this year, according to statistics by Mexican law enforcement. 'She loved the culture, loved the people,' her heartbroken father Wasyl Mirutenko said to the Post. When asked if her killers were caught he choked on tears and said: 'I don't really care. Whatever happens, it will not bring her back.' In Acapulco two men were shot by a barrage of gunfire in October as they were on the beach. Police took the corpses away as tourists returned to the beach just minutes later. The U.S. State Department warns that 'armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and may use violence toward travellers.' Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono has pledged to donate her salary to food banks helping federal employees during the partial government shutdown as it enters its second weekend. 'More than 2,500 federal workers in Hawaii are either furloughed or working without pay during the #TrumpShutdown,' Hirono said on Twitter Thursday. 'As long as Donald Trump refuses to re-open the government, I will be donating my salary to Hawaii's food banks - who serve nearly one in eight Hawaii residents in need.' The democratic senator also released a statement on her website, labeling the shutdown 'totally unfair, completely unnecessary, and entirely the President's fault,' as 800,000 federal workers are not receiving regular paychecks. Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono has pledged to donate her salary to food banks that help federal workers so long as the government shutdown persists The democratic senator adamantly blamed Trump for the shutdown, labeling it #TrumpShutdown Hirono released a statement following the shutdown: 'Two nights ago, the Senate did its job by passing a bill to keep the government open with the expectation that the House would pass it and that the President would sign it into law. 'But at the 11th hour, Donald Trump succumbed to pressure from his far right-wing base and chose to shut down the government for a $5 billion down payment on his vanity wall. 'This shutdown is totally unfair, completely unnecessary, and entirely the President's fault. Donald Trump needs to face the reality that he won't get $5 billion for his wall and accept responsibility for keeping the government running.' Trump and Democrats are trading blame for the partial government shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other, as the disruption in federal services and public employees pay slogs into another weekend. Cooped up in the White House after cancelling his planned vacation to his private Florida club, Trump tweeted Saturday that he's 'waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security.' 'From what I hear, they are spending so much time on Presidential Harassment that they have little time left for things like stopping crime and our military!' he added. Trump is still in the White House after cancelling Florida vacation and may remain in Washington DC into the new year due to the shutdown Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to explain why he did not get his bill for the wall to pass through the Senate But there has been little direct contact between either side during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to explain why he did not get his bill for the wall to pass through the Senate, saying: 'For those that naively ask why didn't the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us ''NONE'' for Border Security! Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown. Too bad! @FoxNews.' He upped the brinkmanship by threatening anew to close the border with Mexico to press Congress to cave to his demand for money to pay for a wall. Democrats vowed to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that wont accomplish anything unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it. The Environmental Protection Agency, which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight Friday night. EPA spokeswoman Molly Block said many of the agency's 14,000 employees were being furloughed, while disaster-response teams and certain other employees deemed essential would stay on the job. Jeremy Corbyn and Channel 4 have been left red-faced after championing a homeless veteran who turned out to be a convicted sex offender who had tried to rape a pensioner. The Labour leader pounced on a report from Channel 4 News featuring a sobbing ex-serviceman struggling to find somewhere to sleep for the night. Mr Corbyn shared the video with his 1.9 million Twitter followers and wrote: Time and again this Government fails those who have given so much to our country. In the video that was shared online thousands of times, a former British soldier identified as Steven was seen complaining that he was unable to get into a homeless shelter because you have to fit the criteria. Convicted: Stephen Rowe, who was jailed for eight years for the offence in 2006 Jeremy Corbyn shared the video with his 1.9 million Twitter followers and wrote: Time and again this Government fails those who have given so much to our country However, it quickly emerged that the rough-sleeper was Stephen Rowe, who was convicted of the attempted rape of an 87-year-old woman. He was jailed for eight years and put on the sex offenders register for life. Sentencing Rowe at Lincoln Crown Court in 2006, Judge Michael Heath branded him a danger to women. He told Rowe: You are 5ft 11in and weighed between 16 and 17st. Your victim was an 87-year-old widow, frail and vulnerable, who lived alone. Mr Corbyns video and tweet were hastily deleted, but not before a social media storm erupted over the gaffe resulting in a fundraising effort to help Rowe being abandoned. Last night, Tory Party chairman James Cleverly accused the Labour leader of game-playing with tragedy, saying: Homelessness is both heartbreaking and complicated. Best not to try to make cheap political points from someones suffering. Channel 4 News said: We were made aware of Steven as we believed he was called by a charity supporting homeless veterans. Mr Corbyns video and tweet were hastily deleted, but not before a social media storm erupted over the gaffe - resulting in a fundraising effort to help Rowe being abandoned It has since emerged he previously went by the same name but with a different spelling and that he has a more complicated past in addition to what was broadcast. The spokeswoman added: Under the circumstances, we have decided to remove his story from our website. However, we will remain in contact with the charity to ensure he receives the help that he needs. The Go-Fund-Me page which was set up for him is no longer accepting donations. All funds received will be shared among two charities that support homeless veterans and refunds are also being offered. It is not the first time Mr Corbyn has faced a backlash after attacking the Government on Britains homelessness crisis. He led tributes to rough-sleeper Marcos Amaral Gourgel, who was found dead yards from Parliament in February. It later emerged that the 35-year-old was a paedophile who had been deported to Portugal. Britain's Armed Forces 'stand ready' to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel amid an ongoing crisis as six more Iranians arrived in Kent today. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the military was prepared to offer help after as many as 66 migrants sneaked into the UK on Christmas Day alone. The Border Force has intercepted dozens of bids by migrants to cross the Channel from France in the past three weeks, with the National Crime Agency warning that more attempts were expected in the coming days. This morning saw six more Iranian migrants disembark from a dinghy at Kingsdown in Kent, seven miles north of Dover, at about 7.30am. A dog walker told Kent Online how the men, who were 'in their 30s' and 'sodden', made their way up the beach before they were intercepted by border officials. Border Force officials were also pictured at the scene, near The Zetland Arms pub, providing the men with blankets, before they were loaded into a Transit van at 9am. Home Secretary Sajid Javid was last night forced to cut short a safari in South Africa amid a growing outcry over his 'Dad's Army' handling of the crisis. Scroll down for video Home Secretary Sajid Javid was last night forced to cut short a safari in South Africa amid a growing outcry over his 'Dad's Army' handling of the Channel migrant crisis Britain's Armed Forces 'stand ready' to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel amid an ongoing crisis as six more Iranians arrived in Kent today (pictured) This morning saw six migrants come ashore at Kingsdown in Kent at about 7.30am (pictured) Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'We have a duty to reach out the hand of humanity, support and friendship to people who are in danger and seeking a place of safety.' Writing in the Daily Telegraph, ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Javid could become the next prime minister if he followed the lead of former Australian PM Tony Abbott to 'make it crystal clear that any individual who crosses the Channel by dinghy and illegally enters British waters will not be allowed to stay in our country'. Mr Javid bowed to pressure to abandon his luxury break after MPs from his own party lined up to demand action with one calling for the seizure of the French boats that migrants are using to reach Britain. He was yesterday packing his bags at a 840 per person per night resort in Kruger National Park to race to London for a series of emergency Whitehall meetings. The Conservative MP and his wife and children has been vacationing at the luxury Dulini lodge, which boasts a veranda 'with views of the wilderness beyond', a wine cellar, gym and private plunge pools. Writing in the Telegraph, Home Secretary Sajid Javid admitted that many of the factors behind the increase in crossings are 'outside of our control'. 'The reasons behind the increased crossings are complicated and in many cases outside of our control,' he said. The perilous journeys are being fuelled by instability in the Middle East, organised crime, changes in visa routes and tighter security at Calais, said Mr Javid, adding: 'Unfortunately there are no easy answers.' He added: 'While we have obligations to genuine asylum seekers... we will not stand by and allow reckless criminals to take advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in our global society.' On its website, the Dulini describes itself as a 'tranquil haven enigmatically embraced by its rich riverine setting... on the banks of the Mabrak River'. Friends claimed Mr Javid was initially opposed to leaving his holiday, but risked the humiliation of being ordered to fly back by Prime Minister Theresa May, who spent the weekend in her constituency of Maidenhead. The dash by Mr Javid a frontrunner for the party leadership came as: He assured The Mail on Sunday that he was working urgently to stop the crossings 'before innocent lives are lost'; It was claimed that up to 66 migrants had sneaked into Britain after crossing the Channel on Christmas Day alone; Fingers were pointed at the French authorities for failing to stem the human tide; Three Afghan men suspected of masterminding the cross-channel people-smuggling trade were arrested in France. A dog walker revealed how the six men, who were 'in their 30s' and 'sodden', made their way up the beach before they were intercepted by border officials The six men were spotted disembarking from a dinghy (shown) at Kingsdown in Kent, seven miles north of Dover, at about 7.30am Mr Javid was yesterday packing his bags at a 840 per person per night resort (pictured) in Kruger National Park to race to London for a series of emergency Whitehall meetings The MP and his wife and children has been vacationing at the luxury Dulini lodge (pictured), which boasts a veranda 'with views of the wilderness beyond', a wine cellar, gym and private plunge pools Twelve boats carrying 89 migrants have been intercepted since Christmas Day. It is feared they are taking advantage of calm seas, a full moon, and reduced patrols over Christmas Javid and his French counterpart Christophe Castaner have agreed to launch an 'enhanced action plan' on migrants crossing the English Channel, the Home Office has said. In a phone call on Sunday, the ministers agreed to a face-to-face meeting in January to assess whether further action is needed. Mr Javid will lead a meeting on Monday to discuss further action with senior officials from UK Government departments and agencies including Border Force and the National Crime Agency. Mr Javid will lead a meeting on Monday to discuss further action with senior officials from UK Government departments and agencies including Border Force and the National Crime Agency. Another crossing saw two boats carrying 12 men from Syria and Iran detained off Dover on Friday. It prompted Mr Javid to declare a 'major incident' from his holiday hideaway and appoint a 'gold commander' to take overall charge of the situation. Mr Javid's penchant for ill-timed holidays Mr Javid's holiday dash is the third time that he has been abroad when a crisis has blown up in his department. Last year, when he was Communities Secretary, he came under fire for staying on holiday amid uproar over a planned increase in business rates. A year earlier he was forced to return from Australia when the future of the Port Talbot steel works was in the balance. Advertisement Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Mr Williamson said the armed forces were ready to offer help if needed. He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'We have not had any requests as yet but if the Home Office is in need of armed forces support then our Navy, Air Force and Army stand ready to assist.' Responding to claims that 66 people made it to the UK on Christmas Day, the Home Office said they had records of 40 who had arrived after crossing the Channel. Reports suggest that the number of migrants attempting to cross the Channel to England has hit more than 220 since the start of November. Among those to criticise Mr Javid was shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott, who claimed he had been 'slow to respond' to the Channel crisis. The 'blue-on-blue' attacks on Mr Javid were led by Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, who uses an article in today's Mail on Sunday to condemn the Home Secretary's 'half-hearted Dad's Army type set-up'. Mr Elphicke called for more patrol boats to be deployed in the Channel, and said: 'For too long the Home Office has not been taking this seriously enough, and the crisis has continued to escalate.' Only one of the Border Force's fleet of five specialist 'cutters', which can intercept several migrant boats at the same time, is currently operational in the Dover Strait. Eight migrants brought ashore at Dover Harbour by the UK Border Force officials On Thursday it emerged that one one navy cutter was patrolling the Channel during the Christmas period, aided by two smaller boats Tory MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan went further with her demands, calling for British crime-fighting teams to help the French to seize dinghies and engines being sold to people smugglers. She said her 'invest-to-save-lives policy' would avoid tragedy. 'The Government should offer money and resources to the French to hunt down the traffickers and those selling kit to them in France,' she said. 'If we were to starve this illegal trafficking economy of its cheap boats and engines, the costs of transportation would increase so migrants could not afford it.' She continued: 'The Home Office has an opportunity to change this latest, ghastly trade in human transportation by a coherent effort to stop cheap boats and engines being available in French ports to criminals. 'We need to ensure that we don't now see deaths from unlit boats being ploughed under in the busiest waterway in the world.' Mr Javid hit back, telling this newspaper that he will hold meetings tomorrow with senior officials from the Border Force, the National Crime Agency and a number of Government departments. Inflatable rib dinghies used to smuggle migrants across the channel tied up at Dover docks He said: 'We are working tirelessly and urgently to stop these journeys before innocent lives are lost on our shores. 'There are a number of reasons behind the recent increase, many outside the UK's control. 'There is no simple, single solution to the problem which is why we are taking an international as well as domestic approach.' Referring to the cutters, he said: 'Much has also been made of the number of boats that Border Force has in the Channel. 'While I understand that some people are concerned the current number is not enough, we must carefully balance the need to rescue those in danger with the need to ensure we aren't encouraging more people to put their lives at risk, in the belief they will be picked up and brought to the UK.' He added: 'I want to be clear that this is a situation that I as Home Secretary am taking very seriously. My priorities are clear: to safeguard life and to protect the UK's borders. Mr Javid bowed to pressure to abandon his luxury break after MPs from his own party lined up to demand action 'I utterly condemn the reckless acts and criminal activity which are endangering life. I and my French counterpart are clear that we must stop it.' Lucy Moreton, a spokesman for the Immigration Services Union, said it was 'very difficult to know' how much the French authorities were doing. She said: 'We are being told that those touting for these crossings are absolutely open about it. They are around and about in the camps, they are in the cafes in Calais. 'If it's that obvious to journalists and staff in those areas, then presumably it is obvious to the French authorities too.' Mr Javid's holiday dash is the third time that he has been abroad when a crisis has blown up in his department. British immigration minister Caroline Nokes visits UK Border force staff at Dover Marina Last year, when he was Communities Secretary, he came under fire for staying on holiday amid uproar over a planned increase in business rates. A year earlier he was forced to return from Australia when the future of the Port Talbot steel works was in the balance. Last night, Mr Javid's rivals for the leadership were struggling to show sympathy for his plight. One ally of a likely candidate said: 'Poor old Safari Sajid is not very lucky with his holiday timings is he?' For an ambitious politician hoping to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister, the past fortnight has been a chastening experience for Sajid Javid. First came the debacle of the closure of Gatwick airport following a series of drone sightings and the arrest of an innocent couple. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes speaks with Border Force officers and the HM Coastguard in Dover, to discuss migrants' attempts to reach Britain Now he has had to abandon a luxury family holiday to return to London after his own MPs attacked his department's 'Dad's Army' handling of the migrant crisis. The latest storm has led to anger in Downing Street, where allies of Mrs May complain that Mr Javid has 'taken his eye off the ball' and is failing to 'horizon scan' because he is so preoccupied by his leadership scheming. Mr Javid angrily rejects this claim, telling The Mail on Sunday last night that he was 'working tirelessly and urgently' on the migrant crisis. He said: 'There is no simple, single solution to the problem which is why we are taking an international as well as a domestic approach.' But the problem has been building up for a number of months. Borders watchdog David Bolt warned in a highly critical report in the autumn that the number of clandestine migrants arriving in south coast ports had doubled in a year, and that 'stretched' Border Force guards were failing to keep harbours and marinas secure. British immigration minister Caroline Nokes shakes hands with Uk Border force staff at Dover Marina It was around then that first reports started to emerge of a new wave of migrants crossing the Channel in fishing boats and dinghies. The Home Secretary told MPs in late November that 100 migrants had risked their lives trying to reach the UK coast in three months, but he did not want to deploy a Border Force cutter to the area in case it encouraged more people to make the journey. He claimed at the time that he had called a cross-department meeting and was working with the French authorities, but many will now consider that was not enough as the crossings have increased in number since then. In the eight months since Mr Javid took over at the Home Office he has repeatedly strayed from the line taken by Mrs May and her loyal successor Amber Rudd when they had the job angering Downing Street in the process. One of his first speeches was to the Police Federation 'union' where he made light of Mrs May's repeated clashes with them, promising to undo many of her reforms and win forces more money from the Treasury. This led to a long-running row with Chancellor Philip Hammond over police funding that ended with the announcement that the vast majority of the extra cash would have to come from higher council tax bills rather than Government coffers. Mr Javid has also clashed with Cabinet colleagues over immigration rules after Brexit, leading to the crucial White Paper being delayed for months. Even as it was finally published just before Christmas, Mr Javid declined to reiterate the Prime Minister's long-standing vow to reduce net migration population growth due to new arrivals to the 'tens of thousands'. And he said there would be further discussions on the minimum salary threshold for skilled EU workers arriving in the UK, despite the Prime Minister's desire to set it at 30,000. Even Mr Javid's return from holiday was not enough to mollify some of Mrs May's allies. One supporter pointed out last night that Mrs May had been 'much swifter' to return from her holidays in 2011 and 2012, cutting short Alpine walking breaks during the London riots and when two female police officers were shot dead in Manchester. Traffickers set migrants adrift in middle of the Channel... to be picked up by 'soft' Brits Migrants are being taken halfway across the Channel in dinghies by ruthless traffickers and then ordered to paddle the rest of the way to be picked up by 'soft' British officials. Once near the English coast the desperate families are told to dial 999 and wait for Border Force staff to rescue them. However, in some cases they are simply intercepted by the French and returned to Calais. Many of those on the boats are professionals who claim they are fleeing religious persecution in Iran, and unlike the Africans and Afghans who dominate the port town's refugee camps, they have money to spend. Migrants are being taken halfway across the Channel in dinghies by ruthless traffickers This new group of middle-class migrants first began arriving in Calais six months ago and now numbers around 200. Many have told The Mail on Sunday they will keep repeating the perilous journey until they reach England. Explaining how the operation works, one Iranian said that, typically, some 15 migrants are packed on to each small boat. He said the operation is masterminded by Kurds in the UK who instruct agents in the camps to act on their behalf. The migrants are stripped of mobiles to stop them taking pictures and driven to nearby beaches. As they set off, the group are given a single phone with a British SIM card and told to use it only when they believe they are close to Dover. Initially, a trafficker pilots the dinghy. But at the halfway point he removes the engine and calls a friend who picks him up in a speed boat. As he departs he simply tells the migrants to paddle until they see the shore. Zakaria Mohamed, 37, said three weeks ago he and 11 others made it within 200 yards of Dover but were captured and brought back to France. Mohamed said he paid nearly 10,000 to an Iraqi Kurdish group which 'guaranteed' to take him to the UK. As he abandoned them, the trafficker pointed towards Dover with his pistol. The 'blue-on-blue' attacks on Mr Javid were led by Dover MP Charlie Elphicke (pictured), who uses an article in today's Mail on Sunday to condemn the Home Secretary's 'half-hearted Dad's Army type set-up' With their boat filling with water, Mohamed said they paddled about for seven hours, until they thought they were near the shore. He called 999 thinking British police would rescue them but a boat carrying armed French police arrived instead. One 41-year-old Iranian migrant at the Calais camp called Ali said: 'Here everyone thinks the British are softer, and as soon as they are picked up in the sea by the police, they will be looked after. That's what everyone thinks.' Iranian Ahmad Hajipoor, 34, his wife Shukufa, 30, and their two children made a similar journey with 16 others after paying a Kurdish gang 12,000. But after the smuggler left them their boat's engine stopped working and they were stranded. Eventually they were rescued by the French coastguard and returned to Calais. Hajipoor said: 'I feel worse than an animal. This is not the way humans live. My children cry when the French police come to our camps. They take our belongings and destroy them.' The friends of a man who died of a suspected drug overdose at Lost Paradise music festival were forced to identify his body, police said on Sunday. The 22-year-old man from Toowong in Brisbane was rushed to Gosford hospital about 8pm on Saturday after he ingested an unknown substance. He died soon after he arrived. Two others, a man and a woman, remain in hospital in a stable condition, after ingesting an unknown substance and becoming sick. The young man attended the festival with up to 20 mates, and made the almost 10 hour drive from his hometown to be there for the four-day event. While over 40 officers are stationed at the festival, which is hidden in the pristine Glenworth Valley, monitoring attendees and checking cars before entrance, illicit substances still made their way inside. A man has died and two people are being treated after taking an unknown substance at a music festival west of Gosford on Saturday Brisbane Water Police District Commander Acting Superintendent Rod Peet said festival-goers were becoming more creative when it came to sneaking drugs into the event. 'People aren't carrying it in their pockets. They aren't that careless,' he said. 'We have found drugs in aerosol containers and other items. In one instance, the drugs were in a stuffed barbeque chicken.' 'We tried to insulate the festival as best we could and I think we've done a good job at that. Unfortunately some of those drugs got through, and unfortunately some of those drugs have had fatal consequences,' Supt Peet said. At 12:15pm, another two ambulances rushed through the security check points and into the festival. At 12:15pm, another two ambulances rushed through the security check points and into the festival Security guards were tight lipped on Sunday, as festival goers continued into the festival. A sign along the quiet road into the festival read: 'all vehicles will be searched'. Outside the first security checkpoint were two young men waiting to pick up a female friend, and two entrepreneurs who had been selling hats and t-shirts. Dominique Falco said she thought the festival was a safe environment, and appeared disappointed to hear of Saturday night's tragedy. She said she went for the live music and because she liked yoga. 'It's a pretty chilled out vibe,' she said. While over 40 officers are stationed at the festival monitoring attendees and checking cars before entrance, illicit substances still made their way inside The 22-year-old Queensland man was rushed to Gosford Hospital about 8pm but died soon after A Lost Paradise festival spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the festival implemented multiple policies and procedures to educate the youth in attendance on drug safety. 'This is a very distressing incident and our sincerest thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of the deceased. 'Lost Paradise is a strictly drug-free event that is about celebrating life, love and nature in a fun, safe and welcoming environment. 'A great deal of planning and effort goes into ensuring the safety and welfare of our festival-goers and event staff. 'We work closely with local police to try to ensure festival-goers respect our drug free policy and NSW Ambulance to provide extensive medical support across the festival site. A sign along the quiet road into the festival read: 'all vehicles will be searched' 'This year, we have also engaged DanceWize NSW, a NUAA program that is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health to educate people on the implications of drug use, and offer peer support and health resources. 'The matter is the subject of a police investigation and we will continue to cooperate and provide whatever assistance we can.' Police have conducted searches using drug dogs on 184 people and 97 cars. Of these, 50 people have been issued court attendance notices for drug possession, and seven given cannabis cautions. Three people have been charged with drug supply offences, including a 23-year-old man from Elanora Heights who was allegedly caught with 80 MDMA pills and 65 bags of cocaine. He has been charged with supplying a prohibited drug and possessing a prescribed prohibited substance. Police have conducted searches using drug dogs on 184 people and 97 cars A 21-year-old man from Drummoyne was allegedly caught with 105 MDMA pills and charged with supplying a prohibited drug and possessing a prescribed prohibited substance. Both men will appear in Gosford Local Court on Friday January 18. A 23-year-old man from Glendale was allegedly found with 26 MDMA pills and was issued with a Field Court Attendance Notice for supplying a prohibited drug. He is due to appear in Gosford Local Court on Tuesday 5 February 2019. About 11,000 people have turned out for the Lost Paradise music festival in the Glenworth Valley, 20km west of Gosford. The festival runs from Friday December 28 to Tuesday January 1. A man has died and two people are being treated after taking an unknown substance at a music festival west of Gosford on Saturday The death comes only weeks after Callum Brosnan, 19, died of a drug overdose at a train station near the Knockout Games of Destiny festival at Sydney Olympic Park in the city's west. About 130 people sought medical treatment at that festival while 16 people were rushed to hospital. Three had to be placed in induced comas with suspected drug overdoses. Only months prior to that, a 21-year-old woman and 23-year-old man died of drug overdoses at the Deqfon 1. festival in western Sydney. Joseph Pham, from Edensor Park, was one of four revellers who collapsed at the music festival in Penrith, in Sydney's west. He died shortly after. Diana Nguyen, from Melbourne, also died. The police operation continues on-site, and inquiries into the death of the man are ongoing. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, a 32-year-old illegal immigrant accused of murdering California police officer Ronil Singh, 33, has been identified as a member of Mexican-American street gang Surenos - a group with long history of violent crime across the US The illegal immigrant accused of murdering a California police officer has been identified as a member Surenos, a Mexican-American street gang with an extensive history of violent crimes committed across the US. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, was arrested on Friday following an extensive manhunt in Bakersfield, California. He has been charged with the murder of 33-year-old Newman Cpl Ronil Singh, who was shot dead after he pulled Arriaga over on suspicion of drunk driving on Wednesday. Police say he had seven accomplices, who could all have ties to the feared criminal street gang. Authorities have now confirmed that the Mexican national is affiliated with the Surenos gang, whose members have been linked to an array of illegal activity including murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, human smuggling and robbery. Arriaga allegedly has the word '$ur3no$' tattooed on his right arm. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) targeted the Surenos gang, which is affiliated with the prison gang Mexican Mafia, during a nationwide crackdown in 2014 that resulted in hundreds of arrests. The crackdown was titled 'Project Southbound' as Surenos means 'southerners' in Spanish. The gang, which was estimated at 30,000-strong and growing in 2014, takes orders from the Mexican Mafia prison gang, according to ICE officials. A federal indictment released in April detailed the involvement of 10 alleged Surenos gang members in the murders of seven people dating back to 2006 as well as a number of non-fatal shootings. Scroll down for video Arriaga (pictured left in his mug shot and right in a Facebook photo) was arrested Friday and charged with murder following a two-day manhunt in Bakersfield. Authorities say he shot dead Newman Cpl Singh when the officer pulled him over Wednesday on suspicion of drunk driving This photo compilation on social media shows a closer look at the Surenos tattoo Arriaga has on his right arm Arriaga was caught as he was trying to flee the country after a two-day manhunt led by multiple local law enforcement agencies. Singh's sudden and tragic murder has reignited a fierce debate over California's sanctuary law as Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, who led the investigation, blamed it for preventing local authorities from reporting Arriaga to immigration officials in the past. Arriaga had two previous drunken driving arrests, but was never reported to ICE because the law limits cooperation between local authorities and US immigration officials. The law includes more than 800 exceptions for violent crimes and felonies and bars police from asking people about their citizenship status. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, who led the investigation into Singh's death, identified Arriaga on Friday afternoon at a press conference, saying the suspect illegally entered the US via Arizona several years ago and had two previous DUI arrests. He said if California's sanctuary laws didn't exist, Singh's murder would have never happened 'We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable,' Christianson said during a press conference on Friday after Arriaga's arrest During a press conference on Friday, Officer Ronil Singh's brother Reggie Singh wept as he thanked local law enforcement for capturing the suspect, Gustavo Perez Arriaga 'We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable,' Christianson said during a press conference on Friday after Arriaga's arrest. He also asked why the state was 'providing sanctuary for criminals (and) gang members. It's a conversation we need to have.' 'This is a criminal illegal alien with prior criminal activity that should have been reported to ICE. Law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws and that led to the encounter with officer Singh,' Christianson said. 'I'm suggesting that the outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasn't restricted, prohibited or had their hand ties due to political interference,' he added. The devastating shooting has intensified the political fight over immigration. President Donald Trump took to Twitter after the tragic murder to rally once again for a wall to be built at the US-Mexico border. 'There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!' he tweeted. Trump saw the government descend into a partial shutdown just before Christmas after refusing to sign off on a financial budget that didn't allocate a whopping $5billion to building the border wall. Ronil Singh, 33, of Newman Police Department was killed just past 1am on Wednesday December 26 after he pulled over suspect Arriaga's car on suspicion that he was drunk driving. When he approached the car he was shot multiple times and killed Arriaga, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested Friday morning in Bakersfield, California suspected of killing Singh just after Christmas. He is pictured above being taken in Christianson said that Arriaga had entered the US by crossing the border in Arizona several years ago and held a variety of farm larborer jobs. He was affiliated with the Mexican-American street gang Surenos and had two previous DUI arrests. He also had multiple Facebook pages under different aliases. California Governor Jerry Brown has said the law strikes a balance between protecting families and ensuring consequences for serious criminals. His spokesman said Friday that if the suspect was a known gang member, police could have informed federal authorities. 'California law fully permits the sharing of information on dangerous gang members,' spokesman Evan Westrup said. Former state Senator Kevin de Leon, the Democrat who wrote the legislation, said it's 'highly irresponsible' to blame the law for the officer's death. 'The type of tone and attitude that Sheriff Christianson has taken instills fear and panic in all immigrant communities' that could make people afraid to report crimes, de Leon told KNX-AM radio in Los Angeles. Cops also arrested Arriaga's brother Adrian Virgen, 25, (left) and co-worker Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, (right) on Thursday for allegedly trying to divert police from capturing Arriaga On Friday evening Arriaga's girlfriend Ana Leyde Cervantes, 30, (left) and his brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, (right) were also arrested for helping him evade arrest Arriaga, a Mexican national, is pictured above in a Facebook photo Seven other people have also been arrested for helping Arriaga evade police capture. They include Perez Arriaga's brothers, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen and 34-year-old Conrado Virgen Mendoza; his girlfriend, 30-year-old Ana Leyde Cervantes; and a co-worker, 27-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, authorities said. Three people were arrested at the home near Bakersfield. All are accused of helping Perez Arriaga, who's expected to be arraigned on charges Wednesday, authorities said. Singh was also an immigrant, who came legally from his native Fiji to fulfill his dream of becoming an officer, authorities said. He lived in Modesto, Northern California with his wife Anamika and their five-month old son. He had been with the Newman police force for seven years, joining it in 2011. The townspeople honored the memory of the seven-year police veteran. He was from Fiji and joined the Newman Police force in 2011 Hundreds gathered to share memories of Cpl. Singh and light candles Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson called him a patriot. 'This is a man that loved his country. This is a man that worked hard for what he believed in. He believed in this community,' the chief said at a community vigil Friday night honoring Singh. Hundreds of residents, friends, relatives and fellow officers attended the candlelight memorial, where many cried and some spoke emotionally about the officer. 'Ronil loved his job,' said Reggie Singh, holding his brother's 5-month-old son. Singh's wife, son, and K-9 partner led the vigil that saw the community gather at the Newman Downtown Plaza and place white and blue flowers and ribbons around the police station. Migrants are being taken halfway across the Channel in dinghies by ruthless traffickers and then ordered to paddle the rest of the way to be picked up by soft British officials. Once near the English coast the desperate families are told to dial 999 and wait for Border Force staff to rescue them. However, in some cases they are simply intercepted by the French and returned to Calais. Many of those on the boats are professionals who claim they are fleeing religious persecution in Iran, and unlike the Africans and Afghans who dominate the port towns refugee camps, they have money to spend. Eight migrants brought ashore at Dover Harbour by the UK Border Force officials This new group of middle-class migrants first began arriving in Calais six months ago and now numbers around 200. Many have told The Mail on Sunday they will keep repeating the perilous journey until they reach England. Explaining how the operation works, one Iranian said that, typically, some 15 migrants are packed on to each small boat. He said the operation is masterminded by Kurds in the UK who instruct agents in the camps to act on their behalf. The migrants are stripped of mobiles to stop them taking pictures and driven to nearby beaches. As they set off, the group are given a single phone with a British SIM card and told to use it only when they believe they are close to Dover. Inflatable rib dinghies used to smuggle migrants across the channel tied up at Dover docks Initially, a trafficker pilots the dinghy. But at the halfway point he removes the engine and calls a friend who picks him up in a speed boat. As he departs he simply tells the migrants to paddle until they see the shore. Zakaria Mohamed, 37, said three weeks ago he and 11 others made it within 200 yards of Dover but were captured and brought back to France. Mohamed said he paid nearly 10,000 to an Iraqi Kurdish group which guaranteed to take him to the UK. As he abandoned them, the trafficker pointed towards Dover with his pistol. With their boat filling with water, Mohamed said they paddled about for seven hours, until they thought they were near the shore. He called 999 thinking British police would rescue them but a boat carrying armed French police arrived instead. On Thursday it emerged that one one navy cutter was patrolling the Channel during the Christmas period, aided by two smaller boats One 41-year-old Iranian migrant at the Calais camp called Ali said: Here everyone thinks the British are softer, and as soon as they are picked up in the sea by the police, they will be looked after. Thats what everyone thinks. Iranian Ahmad Hajipoor, 34, his wife Shukufa, 30, and their two children made a similar journey with 16 others after paying a Kurdish gang 12,000. But after the smuggler left them their boats engine stopped working and they were stranded. Eventually they were rescued by the French coastguard and returned to Calais. Hajipoor said: I feel worse than an animal. This is not the way humans live. My children cry when the French police come to our camps. They take our belongings and destroy them. Russia introduced a ban on import of a number of goods from Ukraine. The corresponding decree was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. According to the government press service, the signed decree introduces a ban on imports of goods from Ukraine or transported through Ukraine into Russia, according to the approved list. "The majority of the goods that fall under the imposed ban belongs to the industrial category. The list also includes agricultural products, raw materials and food," the government added. The list of 55 products is in the Cabinet Decree posted on the official website of the government. It includes wheat, sunflower oil, sweets, vegetables, fruits, beer, tractors, paper, turbines, furniture. The ban is also set on chocolate, ethyl alcohol, fruit juices, caviar, fish and canned fish, bread and bakery, equipment for processing of agricultural products, engines and power generators, tractors, gearboxes and variable speed drives, transformers, cables and wires, chipboards, childrens and feminine care products and certain other goods. Russia can decide on canceling these special economic measures if Ukraine abandons restrictions introduced earlier against specific Russian goods. On December 18, the Ukrainian government extended embargo on food imports from Russia until 2020. The blacklist of Russian goods has 30 categories, including bread and bakery, chocolates, meat, fish, coffee, black tea, baby food, filtered cigarettes, beer, vodka and other products. Russia suspended the free trade zone agreement with Ukraine starting from January 1, 2016, after the economic section of Ukraines association agreement with the European Union came into force. Besides, Russias embargo on European goods, which has been in place since August 2014, was expanded to include Ukraine in early 2016. It prohibits imports of meat, sausages, fish and shellfish, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from Ukraine. Kiev responded with a ban on imports of Russian goods, which came into force on January 10, 2016. For an ambitious politician hoping to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister, the past fortnight has been a chastening experience for Sajid Javid. First came the debacle of the closure of Gatwick airport following a series of drone sightings and the arrest of an innocent couple. Now he has had to abandon a luxury family holiday to return to London after his own MPs attacked his departments Dads Army handling of the migrant crisis. The latest storm has led to anger in Downing Street, where allies of Mrs May complain that Mr Javid has taken his eye off the ball and is failing to horizon scan because he is so preoccupied by his leadership scheming. Home Secretary Sajid Javid has battled through a chastening fortnight including Gatwick drone fiasco and a migrant crisis Mr Javid angrily rejects this claim, telling The Mail on Sunday last night that he was working tirelessly and urgently on the migrant crisis. He said: There is no simple, single solution to the problem which is why we are taking an international as well as a domestic approach. But the problem has been building up for a number of months. Borders watchdog David Bolt warned in a highly critical report in the autumn that the number of clandestine migrants arriving in south coast ports had doubled in a year, and that stretched Border Force guards were failing to keep harbours and marinas secure. First came the debacle of the closure of Gatwick airport following a series of drone sightings and the arrest of an innocent couple It was around then that first reports started to emerge of a new wave of migrants crossing the Channel in fishing boats and dinghies. The Home Secretary told MPs in late November that 100 migrants had risked their lives trying to reach the UK coast in three months, but he did not want to deploy a Border Force cutter to the area in case it encouraged more people to make the journey. He claimed at the time that he had called a cross-department meeting and was working with the French authorities, but many will now consider that was not enough as the crossings have increased in number since then. In the eight months since Mr Javid took over at the Home Office he has repeatedly strayed from the line taken by Mrs May and her loyal successor Amber Rudd when they had the job angering Downing Street in the process. One of his first speeches was to the Police Federation union where he made light of Mrs Mays repeated clashes with them, promising to undo many of her reforms and win forces more money from the Treasury. Now he has had to abandon a luxury family holiday to return to London after his own MPs attacked his departments Dads Army handling of the migrant crisis This led to a long-running row with Chancellor Philip Hammond over police funding that ended with the announcement that the vast majority of the extra cash would have to come from higher council tax bills rather than Government coffers. Mr Javid has also clashed with Cabinet colleagues over immigration rules after Brexit, leading to the crucial White Paper being delayed for months. Even as it was finally published just before Christmas, Mr Javid declined to reiterate the Prime Ministers long-standing vow to reduce net migration population growth due to new arrivals to the tens of thousands. And he said there would be further discussions on the minimum salary threshold for skilled EU workers arriving in the UK, despite the Prime Ministers desire to set it at 30,000. Even Mr Javids return from holiday was not enough to mollify some of Mrs Mays allies. One supporter pointed out last night that Mrs May had been much swifter to return from her holidays in 2011 and 2012, cutting short Alpine walking breaks during the London riots and when two female police officers were shot dead in Manchester. Shortly after midnight on January 1, the NASA team that brought Pluto into view for the first time will once again make history. The New Horizons spacecraft is now just a little over three days, or roughly 2,400,000 miles (3,900,000 km), from its faraway Kuiper Belt target, Ultima Thule a mysterious world with ties to the birth of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Not only will it be the most primitive object humanity has ever explored, but at one billion miles beyond Pluto, Ultima Thule is also the most distant. Its an event many years in the making and one that for a brief period appeared hobbled by the government shutdown but, in a last-minute stroke of good fortune, everything is now back on track for the space agencys live coverage next week. Scroll down for video The New Horizons spacecraft is now just a little over three days, or roughly 2,400,000 miles (3,900,000 km), from its faraway Kuiper Belt target, Ultima Thule a mysterious world with ties to the birth of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago HOW TO TUNE INTO NASA'S LIVE EVENT NASA and the New Horizons team will be airing live events about the spacecraft's flyby on Monday, Dec. 31 and Tuesday, Jan. 1. These can be streamed on NASA TV and the APL's YouTube channel. It will also be broadcast across social media, with additional sites listed here. Monday, Dec. 31: 2pm press briefing, followed by Q&A Tuesday, Jan. 1: 12:15-12:45 EST: Live coverage of countdown to closest approach, with real-time flyby simulations 9:45 10:15 am EST: Live coverage of signal-acquisition 11:30 am 12:30 pm EST: Press briefing on spacecraft status, images, and data Additional briefings will be held at 2pm on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the first batch of science results. Advertisement NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted the news Thursday night amid growing concerns about how the government shutdown would affect the New Horizons teams ability to reach the public. According to Bridenstine, 'the contract for these activities was forward funded,' meaning they could carry on as planned. Before the announcement, however, reporters were told there would be no media outreach from NASA, including its social media accounts and NASA TV effectively cutting the teams access to the agencys massive audience, which counts over 30 million followers on Twitter alone. Though disappointed no doubt, the scientists pressed on with plans to broadcast on Facebook Live along with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Labs website and social media. It would be a much smaller crowd, but they, and New Horizons, would nevertheless be making history. No ones crying, were totally excited, New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern told Dailymail.com prior to Bridenstines surprise announcement. Its an amazing opportunity, we just have to go about it in a different way. New Horizons story begins nearly two decades ago, though the effort to send a spacecraft to Pluto started about 12 years earlier, Stern explains. New Horizons has spent more than a decade hurtling through the solar system since it launched on Jan 19, 2006 and passed Pluto in 2015. Its messages take to reach us, despite them traveling at the speed of light The craft was born exactly 18 years ago, in December 2000, and a small team of about 50 individuals has been working on it ever since. Now that the NASA events are back on, excitement across social media has been through the roof. But, theres still much work to be done in the days ahead of the historic flyby. Were pretty busy, Stern told Dailymail.com. Right now were navigating to the target, we are operating the spacecraft, we are analyzing the data thats coming back from it and then theres the public facing side. All of those things are going very well. New Horizons, which is about the size of a baby grand piano, is expected to get within 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) of Ultima Thule. Now three years after its Pluto flyby, New Horizons will make its closest approach to Ultima Thule at 12:33 a.m. (EST) on January 1, though the great distance means it will be another 10 hours before mission scientists find out its fate WHAT IS ULTIMA THULE? The Kuiper Belt object was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2014. Officially known as 2014 MU69, it got the nickname Ultima Thule in an online vote. In classic and medieval literature, Thule was the most distant, northernmost place beyond the known world. Ultima Thule might not be a single object. Scientists say it's possible it's two or many objects. An artist's impression is pictured When New Horizons first glimpsed the rocky iceball in August it was just a dot. Good close-up pictures should be available the day after the flyby. New Horizons will make its closest approach in the wee hours of Jan. 1 - 12:33 a.m. EST. Scientists speculate Ultima Thule could be two objects closely orbiting one another. If a solo act, it's likely 20 miles (32 kilometers) long at most. Envision a baked potato. 'Cucumber, whatever. Pick your favorite vegetable,' said astronomer Carey Lisse of Johns Hopkins. It could even be two bodies connected by a neck. If twins, each could be 9 miles to 12 miles (15 kilometers to 20 kilometers) in diameter. Scientists will map Ultima Thule every possible way. They anticipate impact craters, possibly also pits and sinkholes, but its surface also could prove to be smooth. -Associated Press Advertisement At 31,500 miles per hour (50,700 kph), this is a risky move; colliding with an object even as small as a grain of rice would be the end of New Horizons. But so far, all looks clear for the spacecrafts approach, with no sign of rings or moons in its path. Now three years after its Pluto flyby, New Horizons will make its closest approach to Ultima Thule at 12:33 a.m. (EST) on January 1, though the great distance means it will be another 10 hours before mission scientists find out its fate. Then, the data including the first images will begin to pile in. Immediately after the flyby we begin to dump the data, Stern told Dailymail.com. But because of the distance of 6 billion kilometers, its going to take us 20 months to get all the data back, because data transmission speed is slow from that distance. NASAs New Horizons spacecraft spotted its next flyby target earlier this year from more than 100 million miles away. In the image, Ultima is enveloped in countless stars, appearing as just a tiny speck amidst the bright spots. The yellow box shows its predicted location WHAT'S NEXT FOR NEW HORIZONS? While NASA has said goodbye to a few of its veteran craft recently, including Cassini and Kepler, New Horizons' work may not be ending any time soon. 'The spacecraft is very healthy, it has fueling power to go on for 15, 20 years,' Prinicipal Investigator Alan Stern told Dailymail.com. 'And, we'd like to do another flyby. We dont leave the Kuiper Belt until 2027, 2028. 'So after we get all the data, thats what were going to do. Work on our next exploration phase. 'Were happy about this, its an amazing piece of American workmanship this little spacecraft thats doing so well.' Advertisement Well be sending back data about Ultima Thule for all of 2019 and most of 2020, until August or September,' Stern says. The first picture will get to Earth on the 1st, though this will only reveal Ultima's shape, Stern says. 'It will just be a few pixels, like a smudge,' Stern told Dailymail.com. Finer details are expected to come in the days to follow, with its surface features coming to light on the 3rd and 4th. 'All of next week, Ultima is going to go from a dot in the distance to a real world,' Stern says. As for what exactly theyll find in the data, Stern says its best to just wait and see. At the moment, its unclear whether Ultima Thule is a single object, a binary system, or a collection of many. But, whats certain is that it will be unlike anything humanity has achieved before. No ones been to anything like this not just this far out, but weve never been to an object born so long ago thats never been modified, Stern said. So well just have to see. Its like digging a time piece out, from an archaeological dig, thats from four-and-a-half billion years ago. Its just mind-blowing to even think about the concept. Nearly one in six (17 per cent) Ryanair passengers have been on a flight with a disruptive passenger in the past year, according to a new travel survey. The no-frills carrier tops the Which? Travel 'rankings of shame' in the skies, with Thomas Cook (15 per cent) and Tui (14 per cent) coming in second and third place respectively. EasyJet (13 per cent) was ranked fourth. Overall, one in 10 passengers reported that they had experienced a flight blighted by shouting, drunkenness, verbal abuse or other obnoxious behaviour. Nearly one in six (17 per cent) Ryanair passengers have been on a flight with a disruptive passenger in the past year, according to a new travel survey Which? heard from one holidaymaker who said an enraged fellow passenger had to be 'wrestled to the floor' by an off-duty policeman when they were refused more alcohol after downing four vodkas. Another passenger told of a flight from Newcastle to Alicante where a drunken stag party tried to set fire to a seat cover. The results 'raise concerns about how effectively airlines are managing troublesome passengers, particularly those who are drunk,' said Which? It has received numerous complaints of already drunk passengers being served more alcohol on-board. It said: 'Recent high profile incidents have drawn significant attention to the problem, which isn't confined to short-haul or budget carriers, and it seems to be on the rise.' The Which? survey found that 15 per cent of respondents had experienced obnoxious behaviour on a Thomas Cook flight BAD BEHAVIOUR IN THE AIR Ryanair - 17 per cent Thomas Cook - 15 per cent Tui - 14 per cent EasyJet - 13 per cent Jet2 - 11 per cent Emirates - 8 per cent Virgin - 8 per cent BA - 7 per cent Flybe - 5 per cent Norwegian - 5 per cent Source: Which? Travel. Figures are the percentage of passengers that told the organisation that they had experienced shouting, drunkenness, obnoxiousness, verbal abuse or other problems by fellow passengers on a flight in the past year. Advertisement According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), there was an average of 186 disruptive passenger incidents a year on flights between 2012 and 2016. In 2017, that number had jumped to 417. Which? continued: 'Airlines have acknowledged there's a problem. However, the approach of some carriers - who often incentivise crew to sell a range of products on-board by paying commission - to tackling the issue doesn't stand up to scrutiny.' EasyJet has said that the consumption of duty-free alcohol on planes, which is already banned by airlines, should be a criminal offence. However, Which? has also spoken to an easyJet flight attendant who 'lifted the lid' on the airline's approach to alcohol on flights - claiming the airline only pays 'lip-service' to reducing problem drinking. The attendant also exposed how cabin crew are rewarded for selling the most alcohol and that training on dealing with disruptive passengers lasted just two to four hours. The staff member also revealed that they had been groped by drunk passengers, and reporting disruptive behaviour when the aircraft lands can mean hours of sitting around waiting to fill in additional paperwork, and this is unpaid, it was claimed. Ryanair, meanwhile, recently announced it was calling for new restrictions on serving alcohol at airports, including a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am. Yet in the same week, Which? points out, the airline also tweeted an image of an apparently paralytic young man lying on a beach with an empty bottle at his side. The caption to the photo included the approving tagline 'this could be you'. At the time Ryanair dismissed criticism of the tweet, saying that it was posted by social media staff members reminiscing about holiday antics. The CAA has called for more prosecutions of passengers who break the law on board, and airport schemes, such as one in place at Glasgow where inebriated passengers can be reported to a central number, have had some success in reducing drunken behaviour. Ryanair tweeted an image earlier this year of an apparently paralytic young man lying on a beach with an empty bottle at his side. The caption to the photo included the approving tagline 'this could be you' THE GLASGOW AIRPORT ANTI-DRUNK SCHEME At Glasgow Airport, everybody who works at the airport is given a central phone number to call if they spot someone who's drunk or aggressive. This information is then shared with bars and shops, which can refuse to sell that individual more alcohol. The police will also approach them and warn that they may not be allowed to board the plane. Police at Glasgow Airport told Which? that serious incidents fell to 27 in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 58 in the same period in 2017. Advertisement Which? said: 'While these efforts are a good start, they need to be matched by airlines themselves, who need to accept more responsibility about their contribution to the problem.' Rory Boland, Which? Travel editor, said: 'People should be able to take a flight without having to worry about their trip being disrupted or journey diverted by rowdy passengers who have had one too many. 'Airlines need to take more responsibility for preventing passengers having too many drinks, and incentivising cabin staff to flog more gin and tonics isn't the right way to do that. 'Many of us like to enjoy a drink when heading off on holiday, and any measures taken by the aviation industry and airlines in particular should be aimed at those who go too far.' The ranking came from a poll of 7,901 Which? members who completed a survey about their recent experiences of flying with an airline from the UK. Which? recorded 12,459 member experiences and the question about disruptive behaviour was asked to the full sample. MailOnline Travel contacted Ryanair for a comment but did not receive a reply. A Thomas Cook Airlines spokesman said: 'We want all our customers to have a safe, comfortable and relaxing journey with us. Disruptive passengers can ruin a flight for others on board and cause real issues for our crew. We recognise the role for airlines to play in reducing this type of behaviour, and our staff are trained to identify and stop serving customers who have had one too many. 'However, too often we are left to deal with a problem which began before takeoff. We support measures to make licensing rules in airports consistent with those outside airports, which will help all our customers to have the best experience when flying Thomas Cook Airlines.' Tui said: 'This research represents a very small proportion of the six million customers we fly each year. Whilst instances of disruptive passengers are very rare, we will continue to work with the industry to help tackle the problem and we operate a zero tolerance policy on aggressive and abusive behaviour onboard our flights. The safety and security of all our customers and crew always remains our number one priority.' Passengers need to know they will face the full weight of the law should they be found guilty of disorderly behaviour CAA In response to the flight attendant's claims, easyJet said that it does run on-board sales incentives but that these apply to the entire range carried and alcohol sales are restricted as necessary. It didnt provide a figure for how much training staff are given to deal with disruptive passengers but said they are trained to assess and evaluate all disruptive incidents and act quickly and appropriately. It added: The large majority of incidents of disruptive behaviour on flights are caused by passengers who have consumed too much alcohol before they fly. It also said it encourages staff to report incidents and claims that they are able to do this when on board the flight or immediately afterwards, while still being paid. Richard Stephenson, CAA director, said: 'Passengers need to know they will face the full weight of the law should they be found guilty of disorderly behaviour.' The penalty for endangering the safety of an aircraft can be a custodial sentence of up to five years. Even being drunk on board an aircraft can result in an 80,000 fine, should the plane have to divert. Skye Wheatley gave birth to her son on Christmas Eve. And the 24-year-old former Big Brother star has celebrated the birth of Forest Van Waugh, who she shares with boyfriend Lachlan, with a glass of champagne. Taking to her Instagram story on Tuesday, Skye shared a snap of a champagne flute filled along with the tongue-in-cheek caption: 'Nineteen-hour labour...cheers to me.' 'Cheers to me!' Skye Wheatley, 24, celebrated a 19-hour labour and the birth of her son Forest Van Waugh with a glass of champagne on Tuesday In the background of the shot, her newborn son could be seen sleeping in a wooden bassinet. A later social media post saw her holding the champagne glass as she played with one of her dogs. 'I just want all the dogs and babies in the world,' she cooed in the caption. Celebrating! Taking to her Instagram story on Tuesday, Skye shared a snap of a champagne flute along with the caption: '19 hour labour... cheers to me' Skye began to show signs of labour on Sunday evening, after being overdue by more than five days. The blonde star posted a series of clips documenting her contractions. 'I'm having contractions!' Skye announced in the clip as she filmed her blond beau as they prepared to welcome their baby boy. New family! The 24-year-old former Big Brother star celebrated the birth of Forest Van Waugh, who she shares with boyfriend Lachlan, on Christmas Eve 'I'm having contractions': Skye began to show signs of labour on Sunday evening, after being overdue by more than five days '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 continued to probe his girlfriend, asking: 'Why do you laugh every time you say you're having one?' However shortly the couple were on their way to hospital. Welcome to the world, Forest! On Christmas Day, Skye formally introduced the world to her son On Christmas Day, Skye formally introduced the world to her son. 'Hey lovers! Sorry I've been M.I.A just casually pushed a baby out my c*****r,' she wrote. 'Most rewarding, intense, and wonderful experience of my entire life. We couldn't be more in love. Everyone meet Forest Van Waugh. She said he was born just before 5pm on Christmas Eve, which 'has always been so special' to her. She said: 'Now it's even more meaningful So blessed and lucky I can't believe it. Merry Christmas everyone! I got the best Christmas present of all time.' Their marriage has been far from smooth sailing since they tied the knot back in 2013. But Amir Khan and wife Faryal Makhdoom were the picture of marital bliss as they cosied up for the cameras after a low-key date night in Spinningfields, Manchester. Leaning into her husband's embrace, the 27-year-old model was a vision of beauty as she appeared to ditch her signature makeup look for a more fresh-faced vibe. Loved up: Amir Khan and wife Faryal Makhdoom were the picture of marital bliss as they cosied up for the cameras after a low-key date night in Spinningfields, Manchester Opting for a casual yet stylish ensemble, the entrepreneur looked radiant in grey tracksuit bottoms and a matching hoodie, teamed with a denim jacket. Adding some glitz and glam to her outfit, Faryal accessorised with a black handbag featuring snake skin handles, and dainty silver earrings. Faryal's glossy raven locks were styled into a messy bun as she beamed for the photographers. Amir, 32, also kept things casual as he donned a thick winter coat with a fur hood, paired with jeans and matching black trainers. Gorgeous: Leaning into her husband's embrace, the 27-year-old model was a vision of beauty as she appeared to ditch her signature makeup look for a more fresh-faced vibe The outing comes after Faryal slammed trolls who had accused her of being a 'bad Muslim'. The model uploaded a snap of herself and husband from the OK! Beauty Awards last month, however her followers were none too pleased about her glamorous display days after she completed Umrah - the holy Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Firing back at a critic's usage of Drake lyrics, the mother-of-two noted that his music was 'haram (sinful) too', before going on to call out another commentator for 'judging her'. Divisive: It comes as the entrepreneur uploaded a snap of herself and Amir from the OK! Beauty Awards - however her followers were none too pleased about her glamorous display 'Legs out next day': Faryal's followers appeared furious she attended a red carpet display just days after completing Umrah - the holy Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia Proving their union was stronger than ever following a temporary split last year, Faryal cut an incredibly striking figure as she cosied up with Amir at the red carpet event. Faryal teased her cleavage in a stunning monochrome gown, which featured a black satin skirt with a split. And while the raven haired stunner was clearly feeling her look, it wasn't without criticism as one person commented: 'One day in allah's house wearing nikab and the next with her legs out. Drake wrote 0-100 real quick for you sister.' Not having it: Firing back at a critic's usage of Drake lyrics, the mother-of-two noted that his music was 'haram (sinful) too', before going on to call out another commenter for 'judging her' 'Don't be listening to Drake boo, it's haram too,' Faryal quipped back to the message which pointed out the difference in her attire compared to her head to toe covered up look during her pilgrimage a week before the occasion. Not selling for another comment which read: 'Sad am not judging but you just wasted yr time n money', the Pakistani beauty replied: 'That's definitely not judging babe.' While Faryal was swamped with negative comments, others ensured to leave positive comments in her defence. Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) launched her beauty line, The Base, in 2014. And despite the brand steadily growing in popularity, there were rumours in July that the cosmetics company would be shutting down after an online fire sale. After months of speculation, Lara confirmed on Thursday that The Base isn't closing shop - but she has significantly changed its business model. 'I'm evolving it to support other people': Lara Bingle's beauty brand The Base has become a non-profit organisation following rumours it was closing down. Pictured on March 19, 2014 As reported by Elle magazine, The Base has now been rebranded as Share The Base and is a not-for-profit organisation. Customers can now purchase a single product, The Base's LB Cream, via the company's website. At the checkout, they have the option to choose one of three charities to donate net profits to. Lara, 31, explained: 'When I launched The Base it was a different time in my life. Since then, so much has changed. I like to evolve. So I'm continuing The Base and evolving it to support other people in the community.' Charitable: As reported by Elle magazine on Thursday, The Base has now been rebranded as Share The Base and is a not-for-profit organisation. Pictured: Lara on November 8, 2013 Lara - who is married to Hollywood actor Sam Worthington - revealed she spent a year consulting more than 20 charities, including the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, which buys essential medical equipment for sick and injured children. Share The Base also supports Bowel Cancer Australia, a non-government organisation dedicated to the prevention, research and treatment of the disease. In addition, Share The Base supports the World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund). Helping hand: Lara - who is married to Hollywood actor Sam Worthington - revealed she spent a year consulting more than 20 charities before partnering with just three for Share The Base This latest development will be welcome news for fans of Lara's beauty line, who feared The Base was on the brink of collapse in July. The website had been flogging products at bargain basement prices for months, sparking rumours the company was closing shop. At the time, Goop's former Buying Director Patrick Devlin - who Lara had hired to help grow her business - claimed they were 'working on a relaunch'. Ryan Gallagher has reportedly fallen out with his housemate and former Bachelor in Paradise star Davey Lloyd. And according to Thursday's NW magazine, the MAFS alum is now looking for a new place to live. 'He was practically living in a [Ford] Mustang for a while,' claimed a source. Ryan Gallagher's Christmas nightmare: The Married At First Sight star is reportedly 'living in his car' after falling out with housemate Davey Lloyd After a supposed 'falling out' with Davey recently, Ryan is said to be 'of no fixed address'. 'Ryan made a bit of money from his comedy tour, and he bought a car - it was like a Mustang or something - and he was practically living in a Mustang for a while,' said an insider. However, Ryan told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that there was no falling out with Davey and they are in fact still housemates. Looking for a place to live? After a supposed 'falling out' with Davey recently, Ryan is said to be 'of no fixed address'. Pictured: Ryan and Davey in happier times The reports come after it was revealed Ryan is locked in a bitter feud with Dean Wells and Telv Williams over his ex-girlfriend Ayla Browne. The rivalry began after Dean and Telv attended a party hosted by the Candyman on the Gold Coast earlier this month. Ryan was apparently upset to see footage on Instagram of Ayla, who was also attending the party following their recent break-up, dancing with Dean. The discovery that Ayla was getting close to his friend came at a particularly bad time for Ryan, whose mother was just diagnosed with cancer. Feud: The reports come after it was revealed Ryan (left) is locked in a bitter feud with Dean Wells (centre) and Telv Williams (right) over his ex-girlfriend Ayla Browne Ryan later confronted Dean about his behaviour via text message and was horrified by his friend's response. 'I wouldn't worry about it too much mate. That party was so loose. Everyone was dancing and hooking up with everyone,' Dean wrote. Ryan's two-month romance with Ayla, a model from New Zealand, ended in mid-November, around two weeks before she was filmed dancing with Dean. Case of the ex: Ryan was apparently upset to see footage on Instagram of Ayla (left) dancing with Dean at a party hosted by the Candyman earlier this month Ryan blocked Dean and Telv on Instagram to prevent himself from seeing more footage of his ex-girlfriend with other men. 'I put time into the people that are in my circle of friends and deserve it, and that was a pretty disrespectful thing [of them] to do,' Ryan said recently. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Davey Lloyd for comment. During his Gold Logie acceptance speech in July, Grant Denyer broke down in tears while alluding to his stint at a Thai health facility back in 2013. It was reported at the time that Grant, 40, was being treated for a $200,000-a-year methamphetamine addiction - a claim the TV personality has strenuously denied, insisting that he was actually suffering from 'exhaustion'. Five years later and it is clear the issue still weighs heavily on the Family Feud host's mind, as he spoke about that difficult period of his life during a tell-all interview with The Australian Women's Weekly on Thursday. Scroll down for video 'There are times when people stumble': Grant Denyer (pictured) made a rare comment about his stint at a Thai rehab clinic this week - after denying he was addicted to methamphetamines 'There are times when people stumble and [what matters] is what you do at that point to get back on your feet,' Grant told the publication. 'Going to Thailand was challenging, but it was the smartest thing we [Grant and his wife Cheryl] ever did,' he added, without admitting the purpose of his rehab stint was to address a drug problem. 'It was good for me to recharge and reset because I had chronic fatigue and I was burned out. We had to be pretty disciplined, but we haven't looked back.' Health issues: It was rumoured that Grant (pictured) was being treated for a $200,000-a-year meth addiction at a Thai clinic in 2013 - a claim the TV personality has strenuously denied In February 2014, Woman's Day reported that Grant had checked into the Thai health facility alongside his wife Cheryl to address his '$200,000-a-year meth addiction' - claims he has always strenuously denied. The magazine's source described Grant as a 'mess' and went on to claim: 'He was 45 kilos, really drawn around his face and looked sick. It was a shocking sight.' While Grant admitted that he and Cheryl did visit The Cabin in Thailand, he strongly denied they were there to treat meth addictions and threatened to sue Woman's Day. He eventually did not take legal action against the magazine, which is owned by the same publisher as The Australian Women's Weekly. Candid comments: Grant spoke about that difficult period of his life during a tell-all interview with The Australian Women's Weekly on Thursday. Pictured at the 2018 Logie Awards in July At the time, Grant released a statement via his then-manager Titus Day denying the allegations made by Woman's Day. 'Claims that the couple have a drug addiction and that Grant recently lost his Channel Seven contract are both false,' the statement read. 'Grant and [Cheryl] Denyer are saddened by the highly defamatory article in this week's Woman's Day magazine. The couple have been under immense stress in recent months due to Grant dealing with chronic fatigue brought on by exhaustion and an ongoing unknown stomach illness. Chezzi has also been dealing with PTSD and anxiety issues resulting from Grant's condition.' Speaking out: 'Going to Thailand was challenging, but it was the smartest thing we ever did. It was good for me to recharge and reset,' Grant said, without admitting the purpose of his rehab stint was to address a drug problem. Pictured with his family Claims: In February 2014, Woman's Day reported that Grant had checked into the Thai health facility alongside his wife Cheryl to address his '$200,000-a-year meth addiction' - claims he has always strenuously denied. Pictured: Grant with his daughters Sailor and Scout in 2018 Just 18 months after the scandalous story hit newsstands, Grant appeared to put his history with Woman's Day behind him. In October 2015, he and Cheryl took part in an exclusive photo shoot and interview with the magazine to celebrate the arrival of their daughter Scout. Grant, who rose to fame as the weatherman for Sunrise, is currently hosting Game of Games and Dancing with the Stars on Channel 10. Ivan Krslovic rose to fame on Ali Oetjen's season of The Bachelorette. And it appears as though the Melbourne tradesman could be joining Channel 10's reboot of Dancing with the Stars, according to Thursday's NW magazine. The publication reported that due to the 29-year-old being a trained dancer he may be joining the program as a judge. Tragic Mike's big break? The Bachelorette's Ivan Krslovic, 29, could be joining Channel 10's Dancing With The Stars reboot 'Can this year get any better?' Ivan seemed over the moon at the possibility of being a judge on the show 'It's not exactly fair to let him compete against others who've not had any dance experience - but there is definitely a place for him on the show,' an insider told the publication. 'He found fame on Ali's season of The Bachelorette dancing, so this is a natural progression for him - and a good way for Channel 10 to use their existing talent.' Ivan shared the story to his Instagram page, writing: 'Can this year get any better? Icing on the cake. Thank you! Where he made his name: Ivan rose to fame on The Bachelorette earlier this year after he tried to dance his way into Ali's heart (pictured) 'What an honour and a privilege it would be to be working on such an amazing show and being involved in something that Im so passionate about...DANCE!' He added: '[It] would be so much fun to be a judge...would definitely bring my highest levels of excitement and biggest smile to the table.' Ivan tried to dance his way into Ali's heart earlier this year, by putting on a solo performance for her in front of the other contestants. Too talented? The publication reported that due to Ivan being a trained dancer he may be joining as a judge And while Ali seemed impressed at the time, telling fellow suitors 'that was awesome' it didn't save Ivan in the end. He was eventually sent home following a two-on-one date with Ali and Bill Goldsmith, who would go on to be in the top three. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment. She's the fashionista who is 28 weeks pregnant with her second child. And model Nikki Phillips showed off her growing baby bump in a Moschino bikini, while enjoying the summer sun on Thursday. The 35-year-old took to Instagram to share a photo of herself all smiles as she relaxed in her pool, saying she was giving her 'cankles' a break. Summer mama! Pregnant model Nikki Phillips showcases her growing baby bump in a black Moschino bikini as she relaxes in the pool to give her 'cankles' a break She put her belly on display in a black bikini, accessorising with a black brimmed hat and sunglasses. In the caption the blonde beauty wrote: 'Summer in full swing. Mocktail in hand, bump submerged in water to give the cankles (sic) a break, bbq on high rotation...' She added: 'How long can we pop the do not disturb up for?' along with the hashtags #summerlovin #christmas #pool #moschino #tanlines #28weekspregnant #holidays #home. Relaxing: She wrote in the caption: 'Mocktail in hand, bump submerged in water to give the cankles a break, bbq on high rotation' Very lucky! This comes after the former New Zealand's Next Top Model star revealed her second pregnancy was 'unplanned', and that she and husband Dane Rumble (pictured) were 'completely lucky' This comes after the former New Zealand's Next Top Model star revealed her second pregnancy was 'unplanned', and that she and husband Dane Rumble were 'completely lucky'. Nikki, who was treated for cervical cancer 12 years ago, was told by doctors that she would struggle to get pregnant. 'With Jett (the couple's first son) it took two years, three miscarriages, a lot of testing and this time around I had no idea I was even pregnant until about 15 weeks,' she recently told The Daily Telegraph. Bumping along nicely: Nikki, who was treated for cervical cancer 12 years ago, was told by doctors that she would struggle to get pregnant Miracle babies: 'With Jett (the couple's first son, pictured) it took two years, three miscarriages, a lot of testing and this time around I had no idea I was even pregnant until about 15 weeks' 'This time round it was completely unplanned and completely lucky,' the model said. 'I would say that both my children, this one and Jett, are complete miracles in their own rights,' she added. Nikki and Dane married in 2014 and welcomed their first son Jett in 2017. She is expected to give birth March 2019. The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that the joint statement German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron made on December 28 is regrettable. The ministry noted that Berlin and Paris "flatly" accused Russia of violating human rights in Crimea and raising tensions in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, as well as called the Western demands as unacceptable. The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that attempts to question the legal status of Crimea and Sevastopol as Russian regions are useless. "Russia will continue to resolutely protect its sovereignty and deter provocations," the ministry said. The Snow Wolf: A Winters Tale Rating: Give Auntie Beeb a spade and she will set to work vigorously digging herself into a deep hole. Its no trouble, shell cry, shovelling cascades of earth over the sides, I can make things much worse than this. Just for a change, she was using a snowshovel on The Snow Wolf: A Winters Tale (BBC2), a wildlife documentary that used tame animals and electronic models to create a fictional story that masqueraded as fact. Youd have thought that, during one of the innumerable committee meetings at New Broadcasting House, someone might have piped up: Fake wildlife footage is a stupid idea. Look how hard it is to convince viewers that the real documentaries, the ones that cost millions and take years to make, are not done with trick photography. French photographers used habituated animals and animatronics to produce a dramatised natural history documentary The Snow Wolf was a joint production with French film-makers, telling how wolf packs have spread across the Alps in the past couple of decades. This is fact: from a handful of wild animals on the brink of extinction in Italy, the wolves have now extended their range across the mountains with more than 2,000 at large. These wolves are so bold that they have been spotted scavenging in towns. If you think urban foxes are a problem, wait till youve got a dozen Alsatians on steroids going through your bins. But instead of lying in wait with Alpine hides and long-range lenses for months on end, the traditional way of the BBC Natural History Unit, the French photographers used habituated animals and animatronics to produce a dramatised natural history documentary. That meant plump, dozy wolves that trotted through the snowy woods like overweight labradors working off a surfeit of Christmas dinner scraps. A fight between a wolf and a brown bear looked like a tussle in a playpen between Big Ted and Spot the Dog. The Snow Wolf was a joint production with French film-makers, telling how wolf packs have spread across the Alps in the past couple of decades My colleague Craig Brown has a running joke, in his brilliantly funny column, about luvvie zebras and crocodiles on the African savannah that make their living as extras for the film cameras. Darling, whats my motivation? wails an antelope to the director, who expects her to flee from cheetahs in a panic. It was all too obvious what the snowy stars motivation was in most shots cocking its head, wagging its tail and gazing with puppy eyes, here was a wolf hoping for the dog biscuit that was just off-camera. Apart from making the BBCs job much harder next time theres a real wildlife spectacular to promote, this was a sad waste of some genuinely gorgeous landscape photography, of clouds rolling like waves over mountain peaks. The ABC Murders Rating: The photography is one of the best things about The ABC Murders (BBC1), too, and we get plenty of chance to relish it because this is the slowest Agatha Christie adaptation in years. Or, as many are saying on social media, the most boring. John Malkovich as Poirot is so melancholy, hes practically motionless. But the absence of the Belgian detectives habitual campery allowed dramatist Sarah Phelps to delve much deeper into the killers twisted soul. John Malkovich (above) as Poirot is so melancholy, hes practically motionless. But the absence of the Belgian detectives habitual campery allowed dramatist Sarah Phelps to delve much deeper into the killers twisted soul Eamon Farren as A.B. Cust paid his landladys daughter to walk over his naked body in high heels and if you found that hard to stomach, you really didnt want to see the scene at breakfast. Ill never look at a poached egg the same way again. All the traditional Christie elements are in place: the country house, the dim squire, the conniving servants, the deceitful secretary. But Dame Agathas distinctive touches of glamour are buried under layers of morbid gloom. It seems Tammy Hembrow and her sisters have inherited their stunning looks from their mother, Nathalie Stanley. After Nathalie followed in her daughters' footsteps by joining Instagram recently, her new followers were left gobsmacked by her ageless appearance. The Hembrow family matriarch - who has been compared to Kardashian 'momager' Kris Jenner in the past - shared one particular photo that sent fans into a meltdown. Scroll down for video 'You look exactly like Kris Jenner!' Tammy Hembrow's fans went into a meltdown over her age-defying mother Nathalie Stanley (pictured) recently - so can YOU guess how old she is? Nathalie posted a photo of herself in the family's living room, with a Christmas tree sparkling in the background. She looked remarkably youthful in the festive snap, displaying no visible wrinkles and sporting noticeably plump lips. 'That's one good looking mama,' one follower wrote, which prompted another to comment: 'Wow she's so beautiful! And you look so young!' They really ARE the Australian Kardashians! Earlier this month, Tammy's sister shared a family photograph that appeared to have been inspired by the Kardashians' 2011 Christmas card Several other followers remarked that she resembled Kris Jenner, the glamorous matriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner dynasty. 'She looks like Kris!' one wrote, to which another replied. 'You look exactly like Kris Jenner!' It's not the first time the Hembrows have been compared to the Kardashians. Earlier this month, Tammy's sister Emilee, 26, shared a family photograph that appeared to have been inspired by the Kardashians' famous 2011 Christmas card. Seeing double! The Hembrows are widely considered Australia's answer to the Kardashian-Jenner dynasty. Pictured: The Kardashians' 2011 Christmas card 'A bond that cant be broken #family,' Emilee Hembrow captioned the picture, which showed the photogenic family posing in all-white ensembles. Fans were quick to notice the resemblance between the two famous families. 'You guys are definitely the Aussie Kardashians,' one follower commented. In August, Sara Huegill's shoplifting charge was dropped on mental health grounds after she was accused of stealing a pair of $2,500 leather pants. And on Wednesday, the Sydney-based PR identity and wife of Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill raised eyebrows with her incredibly slim physique. Sporting a black skirt and green crop top, Sara, 35, flaunted her noticeably slender frame in a mirror selfie shared to Instagram. Is everything OK? Sara Huegill flaunted her very slim figure on Instagram on Wednesday after her shoplifting charge was dropped due to 'mental health issues' It appears her photos in the past have prompted discussion about her appearance, as she reminded her followers to focus on the positives. Sara added the hashtags 'life is for living and for giving' and 'no hate', in response to a friend who said 'people don't understand how insulting it is to talk about weight'. It comes after police alleged the former publicist stole a pair of Bassike pants from a boutique clothing store in Byron Bay on Mother's Day earlier this year. 'No hate': It appears Sara's photos in the past have prompted discussion about her appearance, as she reminded her followers to focus on the positives But in August, the magistrate found that Sara has a mental illness and is suffering from 'adjustment, depressive, eating and substance abuse disorder'. The magistrate also acknowledged the socialite's remorse and dropped the charge on mental health grounds. Sara's lawyer had said in a statement in May that she was being treated for issues related to anxiety and depression. It's over! Just two days after posting the Instagram snap of herself looking noticeably slim, her husband Geoff Huegill (left) announced the couple had separated. Pictured in November 2012 Known for her on-again, off-again friendship with Roxy Jacenko, Sara made headlines last year when she left Roxy's company Sweaty Betty PR for the second time. She had initially worked for the 37-year-old businesswoman until 2010, when her employment was abruptly terminated for 'disloyal conduct'. But after rekindling their friendship in 2017, Sara was rehired as a senior publicist, before parting ways with the firm less than three months later. Rivals: Known for her on-again, off-again friendship with Roxy Jacenko (pictured), Sara made headlines last year when she left Roxy's company Sweaty Betty PR for a second time Geoff and Sara married in 2011 and have two young children together: daughters Gigi, five, and Mila, three. It emerged on Friday they had separated, however, with Geoff announcing on Instagram: 'It's with a heavy heart that after 13 years together, Sara and I have made the decision to amicably separate. 'We continue to remain friends as our focus will always be about providing a positive, loving and beautiful future for our girls.' Back in 2014, the couple were arrest for cocaine use at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse. Both pleaded guilty to drug possession and were handed six-month good behaviour bonds. Samantha Harris and Luke Hunt spent the first two years of their marriage apart while he was in prison. And on Christmas Day, the 27-year-old model got into the festive spirit by enjoying a romantic bicycle ride with her husband, 30. Taking to Instagram, the catwalk queen shared a photo of the couple making the most of the scorching weather. Young and free! Samantha Harris enjoyed a Christmas Day bicycle ride with her husband Luke Hunt - after they spent the first two years of their marriage apart while he was in prison In the festive snap, Samantha cut a glamorous figure in a cleavage-baring red top and aviator sunglasses. Meanwhile, Luke showed off his bulging biceps in a khaki singlet. 'Started our Christmas morning with a bike ride to the beach. Merry Christmas everyone,' Samantha wrote in the caption. Familiar face: Samantha is one of Australia's most recognisable catwalk models. Pictured on May 17, 2017 in Sydney The lovebirds celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary earlier this year. Samantha secretly married Luke in 2014, two months before he began serving a prison sentence for his involvement in a fatal car crash which resulted in the death of 78-year-old grandfather Kenneth Lay. Luke was behind the wheel during the May 2012 accident. Bittersweet: Samantha secretly married Luke in 2014, two months before he began serving a prison sentence for his involvement in a fatal car crash which resulted in the death of 78-year-old grandfather Kenneth Lay. Pictured on their wedding day Samantha and Luke's Commodore car crashed into Kenneth's Hyundai Lantra in Narraweena, on the Northern Beaches. Luke was driving above the speed limit and changing lanes. News that the couple had married wasn't revealed until April 2016, after her husband had finished serving his prison term. The lovebirds chose not to make an announcement at the time out of respect for Kenneth Lay's family. She made a career in the spotlight for flaunting her sensational curves and striking good looks. And Kelly Brook, 39, gave fans a glimpse of her incredible figure once again as she flaunted her jaw-dropping curves in an elegant bikini shot for her new 2019 official calendar. The model and actress showcased her ample assets in a white crochet bikini and sheer long-line cover-up as she struck a smouldering pose on a balcony. Gorgeous: Kelly Brook, 39, gave fans a glimpse of her incredible figure as she flaunted her jaw-dropping curves in an elegant bikini shot for her new 2019 official calendar Kelly also flashed a generous glimpse of slender pins in the shot, while teasing at what lay beneath her purple tie-dye robe, which featured floral lace inserts and cut-away shoulders. The British star styled her brunette locks in a dishevelled waves, and enhanced her natural beauty with smudges of brown eyeliner and a slick of nude lipstick on her full pout. The teaser image from the official 2019 Kelly Brook calendar - which is on sale now at all good retail outlets and is available to purchase online Danilo.com - is notably more demure than previous images of the bombshell. Kelly has been dating her boyfriend, Jeremy Parisi, for three years, and she's had her fair share of previous engagements, with four of her former beaus getting down on bended knee. Demure: The teaser image from the official 2019 Kelly Brook calendar - which is on sale now at all good retail outlets and is available to purchase online Danilo.com - is notably more demure than previous images of the bombshell (Pictured in 2010) Incredible: The model made a career in the spotlight for flaunting her sensational curves and striking good looks Kelly recently appeared to throw shade at Jason Statham, Billy Zane, Thom Evans and David McIntosh, as she admitted their proposals weren't 'memorable'. During her radio stint on Heart Drivetime with Jason King last month, the star revealed she'd would like to 'go the whole way' with her engagement next time round. The presenter told her co-host: 'Ive not really had, I mean this is a bit mean to say but Im gonna be honest I havent really had any memorable engagements. Loved-up: Kelly has been dating her boyfriend, Jeremy Parisi, for three years Love life: The glamour model has been in a relationship with model Jeremy, 33, since 2015 'No like big grand gestures of like of romance or anything. So in my mind if I do ever get engaged again, which will be the one and I will go the whole way and get married by the way', she added. Speaking on her dream proposal, the brunette bombshell divulged the fact that she's found the perfect location for Jeremy to pop the question. She said: 'I found this beach [in Iceland], its called diamond beach and its basically this black beach and it is full of these glaciers and it just looks so incredible. Former beaus: She has had had her fair share of engagements in the past, with four of her exes getting down on bended knee (pictured L-R Billy and Jason) She recently celebrated her first Christmas as a mother. And Eva Longoria, who welcomed her son Santiago in June, showed off her stunning post-baby body to her 6.1 million Instagram followers Thursday. The 43-year-old Desperate Housewives star posed by the pool in a busty black one-piece swimsuit by the fashion line Allec. Fabulous: Eva Longoria, who welcomed her son Santiago in June, showed off her stunning post-baby body to her 6.1 million Instagram followers Thursday The actress/producer shielded her face from the rays in a wide-brimmed straw hat and a pair of aviator sunglasses, throwing one of her arms festively in the air. Eva married her third husband Jose Baston in 2016 in the Mexican town Valle de Bravo, which enjoys sumptuous views of Lake Avandaro. He already had three children from a previous marriage, but their new baby Sebastian - born June 19 this year - is Eva's first child. Nostalgia: Later Thursday, she treated her Instagram followers to a throwback GIF of her playing Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives, the show that made her TV royalty Heavenly peace: The GIF is from the 2009 episode Boom Crunch and shows Gaby as part of a choir at a Christmas concert wearing a Santa hat and singing Silent Night Later Thursday, she treated her Instagram followers to a throwback GIF of her playing Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives, the show that made her TV royalty. The GIF is from the 2009 episode Boom Crunch and shows Gaby as part of a choir at a Christmas concert wearing a Santa hat and singing Silent Night. She and Felicity Huffman's character Lynette Scavo get into a heated argument, leading to the action shown in the GIF - Gaby hitting Lynette with her Santa hat. Going at it: She and Felicity Huffman's character Lynette Scavo get into a heated argument, leading to the action shown in the GIF - Gaby hitting Lynette with her Santa hat 'When a family member tries to pick from your plate,' Eva quipped in the caption, adding: 'Hope yall had a fantastic Christmas! #HolidayMood'. On Friday, Eva shared a sweet photo of Sebastian snoozing peacefully in a little red onesie that featured a Union Flag on the back. 'These pajamas are dedicated to you Auntie @victoriabeckham GB We miss you!' captioned Eva, whom Victoria named a shoe after earlier this year. They are known for keeping their romance private. But all eyes were on Katie Holmes on Friday as she was spotted lounging on a mega yacht with Jamie Foxx. The 40-year-old actress made jaws drop while donning a tiny black bikini as she enjoyed an overcast day on the water in Miami. Stunning: Katie Holmes had all eyes on her Friday as she was spotted on a mega yacht with Jamie Foxx Holmes is known for her sartorial sensibilities on and off the red carpet, but it was her lack of clothing and incredible physique that grabbed onlookers' attention. The teensy two-piece highlighted the Batman Begins star's flat stomach and shapely behind as she went about what looked to be a relaxing and romantic grey sky day. She pulled her brunette locks into a messy bun and at times was seen wearing a colorful pink frock on top. The playful dress looked light, made for boat getaways, and features orange, pink, and purple flowers. Jamie opted for a casual look himself, donning a white t-shirt as he sat next to his love. On the dock: The 40-year-old actress left eyes bulging stunned in a tiny black bikini as she enjoyed an overcast day on the water in Miami Flawless: Holmes is known for her sartorial sensibilities on and off the red carpet, but it was her lack of clothing and incredible physique that grabbed onlookers' attention Catching up: She pulled her brunette locks into a messy bun and at times was seen wearing a colorful pink frock on top Pretty in pink: The playful dress looked light, made for boat getaways, and features orange, pink, and purple flowers Date: Jamie opted for a casual look himself, donning a white t-shirt as he sat next to his love Katie recently returned from New Orleans where she was filming her latest movie, The Secret based on the iconic self-help book by Rhonda Byrne. While there, the couple stepped away from their usual opposite coast-relationship and shared a house together. And rumor has it that the two are busy planning a Paris wedding. Warming up: The couple were spotted hanging out and enjoying the views despite the overcast weather Vacation: Katie recently returned from New Orleans where she was filming her latest movie, The Secret based on the iconic self-help book by Rhonda Byrne Changing it up: While there, the couple stepped away from their usual opposite coast-relationship and shared a house together Katie recently returned from New Orleans where she was filming her latest movie, The Secret based on the iconic self-help book by Rhonda Byrne. While there, the couple settepped away from their usual opposite coast-relationship and shared a house together. And rumor has it that the two are busy planning a Paris wedding. Wedding bells? And rumor has it that the two are busy planning a Paris wedding According to Radar Online, the couple are planning to tie the knot next year. 'Paris is the city where they decided to go public with their romance after years of sneaking around,' a source told the media outlet. 'Jamie's been a handful ever since they started secretly dating in 2013 but Katie's convinced him to settle down, and they're ready to make it official.' Reading: According to Radar Online , the couple are planning to tie the knot next year That's a big boat: 'Paris is the city where they decided to go public with their romance after years of sneaking around,' a source told the media outlet By the bay: 'Jamie's been a handful ever since they started secretly dating in 2013 but Katie's convinced him to settle down, and they're ready to make it official.' Harbor: Katie, who split from Cruise back in 2012, is aiming for a winter wedding Katie, who split from Cruise back in 2012, is aiming for a winter wedding. And after the couple say 'I do,' Foxx has ever intention of adopting Holmes' daughter Suri, age 12. 'Jamie will adopt Suri when the time is right, but not before they've said their vows,' the insider claimed. 'They know it won't go down well with Tom, but it's what he and Katie want and also what Suri wants.' Coming up: And after the couple say 'I do,' Foxx has ever intention of adopting Holmes' daughter Suri, age 12 Currents: 'Jamie will adopt Suri when the time is right, but not before they've said their vows,' the insider claimed. 'They know it won't go down well with Tom, but it's what he and Katie want and also what Suri wants' Getting ready: Jamie was spotted wearing a black t-shirt and grey shorts as he headed to the boat Thandie Newton is set to receive an OBE for services to film and charity, as she led the stars on The Queen's New Year's Honours List. The Line Of Duty and Crash star joins fellow actress Sophie Okonedo, Monty Python star Michael Palin and Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan in being awarded for their various contributions to arts and charity. Thandie's honour comes after she was awarded an Emmy earlier this year for her role as host Maeve Millay in the HBO hit Westworld. Amazing: Thandie Newton is set to received an OBE for services to film and charity, as she led the stars on The Queen's New Year's Honours List Thandie first rose to public attention in the 1990s with roles in films such as Interview With A Vampire, Jefferson in Paris and Beloved. The 46-year-old earned critical acclaim for her role in 2004's Crash, which famously won the Oscar for Best Picture - beating out favourite Brokeback Mountain. Following on from various other film roles, Thandie began appearing in Westworld in 2016, and was also nominated for a BAFTA in 2018 for her performance as corrupt DCI Roseanne ''Roz'' Huntley in Line Of Duty. Amazing: The 46-year-old has earned critical acclaim for a slew of roles, and was awarded an Emmy earlier this year for her role in Westworld Sensational: She also rose to public attention for her role in Crash in 2004, which won the Oscar for Best Picture Jaw-dropping: Earlier this year Thandie was also nominated for a BAFTA when she played the corrupt DCI Roseanne ''Roz'' Huntley After receiving her Emmy earlier this year, Thandie said: 'I dont believe in God, but Im going to thank her tonight.' She joins several other stars who are to be honoured for their work in 2019, including actress Sophie Okonedo, who will receive a CBE for services to drama. The 50-year-old was already made an OBE in 2010, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for Hotel Rwanda. Proud: After receiving her Emmy earlier this year, Thandie said: 'I dont believe in God, but Im going to thank her tonight' Incredible: Also among the celebrities set to be honoured was Sophie Okonedo, who will receive a CBE for services to drama And despite many fans insisting he is long overdue an Oscar for Best Director, Christopher Nolan will receive an CBE for services to film. The British film-maker famously fronted the acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy and the war epic Dunkirk. Downton Abbey star Jim Carter has also been awarded a OBE for services to drama, and the actor explained the greatest part of the honour was seeing the reaction of his 99-year-old mum. He said: 'I'm hoping for a 2019 of good news and kindness. It seems perilous times and it would be good to get a bit of kindness, sanity and good cheer back into the world.' Well-deserved: The Dark Knight and Dunkirk director Christopher Nolan will receive a CBE for services to film Period favourite: Downton Abbey star Jim Carter has also been awarded a OBE for services to drama Also among the stars set to receive the top honour was iconic 60s supermodel Twiggy, who will receive a Damehood for services to fashion, the arts and charity. Speaking about the prestigious honour she said: 'It's a very nice, warm feeling, and obviously I am very honoured. The hardest thing has been keeping it a secret. 'I'm a very proud Brit, I feel I'm an ambassador for Britain, I always have... My only sadness with this is my mum and dad aren't here to know. They'd have been so proud.' Legend: Also among the stars set to receive the top honour was iconic 60s supermodel Twiggy, who will receive a Damehood for services to fashion, the arts and charity Truth comes out: Speaking about the prestigious honour she said: 'It's a very nice, warm feeling, and obviously I am very honoured. The hardest thing has been keeping it a secret' Monty Python star Michael Palin, 75, will also receive a knighthood, for services to travel, culture and geography, having spent almost 40 years making various documentaries of his round-the-world exploits. He said: 'That exposure to travellers has taught me a lot about the importance of understanding other people's points of view and learning from other people's lives and other people's cultures, as well as them learning from ours... '[I] may just have a quiet celebration, just myself and a glass of Horlicks and then go to bed.' Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, 74, was also awarded a CBE for services to music, along with TV presenter Chris Packham who was honoured for services to nature conservation. He's won plenty of admirers over the years through his career as a TV chef. And Gino D'Acampo, 42, has admitted some of his female fans get a little carried away when the meet him and can't resist giving him a pinch on the bum. He cheekily told The Sun: 'I'm not going to lie, my bum gets pinched a lot. Cheeky: Gino D'Acampo, 42, has admitted some of his female fans get a little carried away when the meet him and can't resist giving him a pinch on the bum 'Sometimes it gets a bit crazy, especially when I go around my restaurants everybodys started to have a drink and they get over-comfortable and over-confident. 'I just smile and think, "OK..." What can you say?' Gino is one of Britain's best-loved chefs and is recognised often as a result. However, the Italian native admitted he has no sympathy for celebrities who complain about some of the more negative aspects of fame. Naughty: He said: Sometimes it gets a bit crazy, especially when I go around my restaurants everybodys started to have a drink and they get over-comfortable and over-confident' Gino reckons people who put themselves out there on TV in front of millions of people don't have the right to complain about being famous and suggested if they are not happy, they could go and do something else. The TV star also pointed out that many people who work in front of the camera are paid very well and it gives them 'a good life' so there is not much to complain about. Phillip Schofield had a sassy on-screen clash with Gino over the chef's pay from This Morning during his segment on a November episode of the show. Not bothered: He added: 'I just smile and think, "OK..." What can you say?' Success: Gino admitted he has no sympathy for celebrities who complain about some of the more negative aspects of fame Gordon Ramsay's co-star had no qualms pointing out he was showing viewers at home how to do two recipes when he revealed he was only paid for one. However, things got hot in the kitchen quickly when Phil hit back with the cutting joke that Gino should be paying the chat show as he is promoting his new book. 'May I point it out, I'm going to do two recipes for everyone but I'm getting paid for one,' Gino pointed out. 'Martin, you watching the show... I just said yes because I love the viewers but I'm getting paid for one.' The Netflix thriller Bird Box has been terrifying audiences since its release last Friday. And though Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson are at the center of the action, the actresses admitted that they hate being scared themselves during a new interview with People out Friday. 'I dont like to be scared. I hate being scared,' Bullock admitted to the magazine. No scares: Bird Box stars Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson admit they don't like being scared 'I hate, hate people who think its funny to stand behind doors and scare you because they know that you hate being scared,' Bullock, 54, added. Paulson, who plays Sandra's sister in the post-apocalyptic thriller, agreed. And when the American Horror Story actress mentioned how talk show host Ellen DeGeneres likes to scare her guests, Bullock jokingly called out the comedienne. 'Horrible human being. I dont know why I keep going on her show. Shes a horrible human being for that,' Bullock joked. 'No, she knows not to do it with me.' Apocalyptic sisters: The actresses, who play sisters Malorie and Jessica in the post-apocalyptic thriller, said that they aren't fans of being scared When Bullock said that Ellen scares Paulson because she's, 'funny when she's scared,' she blamed her parents for making her watch scary movies when she was young. 'My parents had me very young and I think they wanted to watch scary movies and so they did and I watched them way too young and was absolutely traumatized by it,' Paulson said. She added that, despite her distaste for the genre, she wasn't sure, 'how I found myself sort of working a lot in that genre,' but Bullock had a theory. Not a horror fan: She added that, despite her distaste for the genre, she wasn't sure, 'how I found myself sort of working a lot in that genre,' but Bullock had a theory 'Probably because youre believable,' Bullock suggested. Bird Box is based on Josh Malerman's novel, set in a world where a bizarre epidemic caused most of the world's population to commit suicide, where the only way to survive is to live while blindfolded. 'What I loved about this is it sort of mirrored what I feel about real life, in that my family is not how most people thought it would look, but it's better,' Bullock said. Sandy speaks: 'What I loved about this is it sort of mirrored what I feel about real life, in that my family is not how most people thought it would look, but it's better,' Bullock said Paulson added that she is, 'not a mother in the traditional sense,' but, 'there are plenty of people in my life who I mother.' Paulson also gushed about her co-star Bullock, stating that, 'she makes things look very easy.' 'She's an incredible mother, she's an incredible girlfriend, she's a wonderful producer, she takes care of every single actor on the set, she takes care of every single crew member on the set,' Paulson said of Bullock. Bird Box debuted on Netflix December 21, with the streaming service announcing on December 28 that the film has been watched by its subscribers over 45 million times. Russian envoy to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said that the restoration of Damascus' control over territories between Syria and Iraq will have a positive effect on the fight against ISIS. The Russian envoy added that with the Syrian army regaining control of the Syrian-Iraqi border, the complete eradication of Daesh forces will be imminent due to coordinated actions by the two countries' militaries, Sputnik reported. They're currently enjoying a tropical getaway in the Bahamas. But Sofia Vergara took a break from soaking in the sunshine Friday, when she wished her husband Joe Manganiello a happy 42nd birthday. The 46-year-old Modern Family gushed about her hunky husband on Instagram, sharing a shirtless photo of the actor along with the caption: 'You r amazing!, Your passion for life and for everything u do is inspiring!! To many more with u!! Happy bday!!!' Happy Birthday!: Sofia Vergara shares a new snap of husband Joe Manganiello for his 42nd birthday Vergara and Manganiello have spent the last week at a private island getaway location she only refers to as 'Casa Chipi Chipi.' She shared a photo on Instagram on December 17 stating she was 'finally back' at Casa Chipi Chipi, and she's been there ever since. Before her husband's birthday and the Christmas holiday, Vergara also celebrated her mother's birthday on December 21. Vergara also shared some snaps of her son Manolo's dog Baguette Gonzalez, wearing doggy dress that matches the actress' top. Vergara and pooch: Vergara and Manganiello have spent the last week at a private island getaway location she only refers to as 'Casa Chipi Chipi Sofia and Rafi: She also posted another shot with the actress wearing a flowing black top and black and white pants while posing with her nephew Rafi She also posted another shot with the actress wearing a flowing black top and black and white pants while posing with her nephew Rafi. The Modern Family star also posted a solo shot at the secret location, along with a full family shot. Vergara also shared two new snaps from her husband's nighttime celebration, one with a cake featuring his streetwear brand Death Saves logo, and her son Manolo. The second shot featured Joe, wearing a unique black shirt with numerous tigers and black shorts, and Sofia wearing a blue skirt and a white billowing top. Vergara is on a holiday hiatus from her hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, with its current 10th season originally thought to be its last, but that may not be the case. The Hollywood Reporter revealed a few weeks ago that the six adult leads of Modern Family, Vergara, Ed O'Neill, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, are in talks for an 11th season. Joe, Sofia and Manolo: Vergara also shared two new snaps from her husband's nighttime celebration, one with a cake featuring his streetwear brand Death Saves logo, and her son Manolo Birthday style: The second shot featured Joe, wearing a unique black shirt with numerous tigers and black shorts, and Sofia wearing a blue skirt and a white billowing top. The younger stars, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Rico Rodriguez and Nolan Gould, will reportedly have their contracts negotiated when the main stars' deals are closed. Manganiello starred in Drunk Parents earlier this year, along with Rampage with Dwayne Johnson. He will next portray Sonny Stano in the biopic Stano, which his wife Vergara will also star in. He is also slated to reprise his role as Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke, in The Batman and a Deathstroke spin-off movie. They just enjoyed a snowy getaway with their dogs. But Ariel Winter and boyfriend Levi Meaden were back in sunny Southern California on Friday. The Modern Family actress, 20, and her other half were seen unloading a sizable RV outside of the home they share together. Back from vacation: Ariel Winter was back at home in LA after a trip to the snow earlier this week. She was spotted unloading an RV outside her Southern California home Friday Ariel was dressed down in grey drawstring sweatpants and a black hoodie, which at one point she pulled up to reveal her flat, toned abs. She kept a makeup free face and wore her raven locks long, loose and parted in the center while a pair of clear, square eyeglasses completed her look. Eager to get back into relaxation mode, the star slipped off her shoes while she finished clearing out the car. Keep calm and carry on: The actress had her hands full, seen schlepping a pile of board games and towels back inside their abode Playing footsie: Eager to get back into relaxation mode, the star slipped off her shoes while she finished clearing out the car Her socks repped her alma mater UCLA, where she attended for two quarters before dropping out in spring of 2018. The actress had her hands full, seen schlepping a pile of board games and towels back inside their abode. Levi was seen on the roof of the recreation vehicle, wearing a red shirt and grey sweats. Top man: Levi was seen on the roof of the recreation vehicle, wearing a red shirt and grey sweats Days earlier the duo posted social media from their snowy trip with their three dogs. The caption read, 'Christmas 2018/ This was my first white Christmas and I feel so grateful I was able to share it with my babies.' Ariel and Levi first began dating in 2016 and currently live together. She married actor Sam Worthington in December 2014. And on Friday, Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) celebrated her fourth wedding anniversary with her husband. The 31-year-old mother-of-two took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of a white fondant cake, which was beautifully decorated with a white and fuchsia floral arrangement. Scroll down for video Still going strong! Lara Bingle and husband Sam Worthington celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary with a lavish white cake (pictured) Intimate ceremony: Lara and Sam (pictured) tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Sam's hometown of Melbourne back in December 2014 The decadent dessert also featured 'Happy 4th Anniversary' written across the top to mark the special occasion. Lara and Sam tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on December 28, 2014. Back in 2015, the model revealed details about their intimate nuptials to the Kyle And Jackie O show, saying: 'Sam and I, we got married nearly a year ago. Last December, the 28th.' 'It was very intimate, we just popped in to Melbourne where Sam's family is from. It was just our families, less than ten people.' 'We wrote the whole celebration, we wrote all our vows. I was pregnant as well,' she added, referring to her firstborn son Rocket, now three years old. They later welcomed their second son Racer, in 2016, who is now two years old. Proud parents: The couple are proud parents to sons Rocket, three years old, and Racer, two years old (Lara and Sam pictured walking through Central Park, New York, back in 2015) Her anniversary comes after her beauty line, The Base, underwent a significant change to it's business model following speculation Lara was going to shut the company down back in July, after an online sale. In November 2017, Lara hired the former Buying Director of Goop Patrick Devlin to help relaunch her business, which has since been rebranded as a not-for-profit organisation called Share The Base. Lara explained to Elle magazine: 'When I launched The Base it was a different time in my life. Since then, so much has changed.' Rebrand: Her anniversary comes after her beauty line, The Base, underwent a significant change to it's business model. It has been rebranded as a not-for-profit called Share The Base 'I like to evolve. So I'm continuing The Base and evolving it to support other people in the community.' Customers can now purchase a single product, The Base's LB Cream, via the company's website and at the checkout they have the option to donate to a charity. Her company supports a range of charity organisations including the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, Bowel Cancer Australia and World Wide Fund For Nature. Shanina Shaik has shared unseen images from her romantic Bahamas wedding and reception with husband DJ Ruckus, which took place in May. The 27-year-old took to Instagram Stories on Saturday to look back at her year, with her marriage a highlight. The model shared a romantic photo from her legal marriage ceremony, which took place in April. 'Something blue!' Shanina Shaik (left) shares unseen photos of her Bahamas wedding... and her very casual legal marriage ceremony which included her dog Choppa (pictured with husband DJ Ruckus) In contrast to her luxurious wedding, the beauty was dressed down in a blue denim shirt and matching, relaxed snacks. She holds her dog, Choppa, in her arms and leans back to kiss new husband DJ Ruckus. Shanina captioned the photo: 'Something blue. Legally married!! And Choppa was there!' Pretty: Another photo shows the beauty trying on her stunning wedding dress before her ceremony, admiring herself in a mirror Another photo shows the beauty trying on her stunning wedding dress before her ceremony, admiring herself in a mirror. The off-the-shoulder sheer white lace gown is by British designers Ralph & Russo. On her wedding day, the Victoria's Secret catwalk star posted several pictures of the couple exchanging vows on the beach on her Instagram page. DJ Ruckus meanwhile looked dapper in a black Tom Ford tuxedo. Luxurious: On her wedding day, the Victoria's Secret catwalk star posted several pictures of the couple exchanging vows on the beach. DJ Ruckus (left) was dapper in a Tom Ford tuxedo Thank you! On Instagram, the beauty thanked her new husband, her friends and her family for the special memories On Instagram, the beauty thanked her new husband, her friends and her family for the special memories. 'MR & MRS ANDREWS - I love you so much Gregory Andrews, thank you for choosing me as your wife,' she wrote. 'Thank you to all of our guests who celebrated our love and union as man and wife. It was such a beautiful weekend in the Bahamas filled with love, joy and lots of dancing!!' She's expecting her second child, a daughter, in the New Year. But on Friday, Pretty Little Liars star Tammin Sursok, 35, made sure to get some quality time in with her firstborn daughter Phoenix, five. Taking to her Instagram Story, the Australian TV star shared a short clip of her daughter at a Los Angeles nail salon, looking delighted as she got a pedicure. Scroll down for video 'Mama and daughter date': Heavily pregnant actress Tammin Sursok treats lookalike daughter Phoenix, five, (pictured) to a pedicure at a Los Angeles nail salon Perched in a black leather chair, Phoenix could be seen watching intently as she got a pedicure from a nail technician. In the clip, a relaxed Tammin can be overheard saying, 'What do you think, baby?' to which the excitable youngster can be seen smiling widely. The former Home and Away actress captioned the short clip: 'Mommy daughter date,' along with a red love heart emoji. Doting mother: 'What do you think, baby?' Heavily pregnant Tammin (pictured) gushed over her daughter while spending quality time with her Tammin is obviously enjoying the Christmas break with her only daughter, with her sharing a video of Phoenix playing the piano earlier in the day. The actress is pregnant with her second child with husband Sean McEwan, after announcing her pregnancy in September. Taking to Instagram earlier in the week, Tammin shared a Christmas snap of herself posing with Santa with her daughter and parents. Blossoming: Tammin flaunted her baby bump in a festive family snap earlier this week Wearing an elegant white jumper, Tammin cradled her baby bump in the photograph as she posed with her hunky husband and her parents. It comes after an emotional week for the former Young And The Restless actress, who suffered the tragedy of losing her pet dog Tiger. Tammin was left clearly heartbroken after her dog of 13 years was taken by a coyote from near her home in Los Angeles. 'Rest well my angel, I will always love you' Tammin captioned a throwback snap of herself with the pet pooch. 'Rest well my angel': Tammin shared her grief after a coyote attacked and killed her dog of 13 years, Tiger (pictured) She continued: '13 years together. My first born. Hug the ones you love tightly tonight. It's all so fleeting.' Last 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.' She made an explosive return to Albert Square last year after her daughter was pushed into candles at her school prom by vicious bullies. And now Lisa Fowler has sparked concern amongst EastEnders fans as they fear she is 'dead' after Louise Mitchell received distressing phone call on Friday's episode. The teenager was left devastated after Keanu Taylor ditched her following a passion clinch in the Arches on Thursday. Scroll down for video Drama: Lisa Fowler has sparked concern amongst EastEnders fans as they fear she is dead after Louise Mitchell received distressing phone call on Friday's episode And as such, Louise decided to call her mother, Lisa - who was taken away by medics following a breakdown in 2017, to get some advice. However, the teenager was left distraught and horrified during the phone call as she asked: 'Where's my mum?' Louise then started crying in shock as the mystery person on the phone explained what had happened. Upset: The teen decided to call her mother, Lisa - who was taken away by medics following a breakdown in 2017 (pictured), after Keanu Taylor ditched following a passionate clinch The teen then headed to her mother's best friend's house, Mel Owen, to tell her what had happened, but she wasn't in. Soap watchers were left concerned for Lisa and feared that she could be 'dead' after the distressing phone call. One person tweeted: 'What has happened to Lisa ? Is she dead? #EastEnders.' Shock: However, the teenager was left distraught and horrified during the phone call as she asked: 'Where's my mum?' Upset: Louise then started crying in shock as the mystery person on the phone explained what had happened A different user put: 'Louise called her mum and got so upset, what's up with Lisa? :/ #EastEnders.' Another viewer commented: 'Has anything happened to Lisa? Louise must be crying because of that! #EastEnders.' While a different fan added: 'That phonecall must have been about Lisa #EastEnders @bbceastenders.' EastEnders continues at 8pm on BBC One. They're known for keeping their romance notoriously private. But Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx were spotted enjoying their time aboard a luxurious liner as they holidayed aboard a luxury yacht in Miami on Friday. The actress, 40, stunned in the first of two outfits as she flashed a glimpse of her abs in a stripey two-piece which she styled with pearl slippers. High life: Katie Holmes and beau Jamie Foxx were spotted enjoying their time aboard a luxurious liner as they holidayed aboard a luxury yacht in Miami on Friday She covered up with large sunglasses and kept her brunette locks natural in a scraped back bun. The mother-of-one toted her belongings in a black holdall and carried bags containing nightwear from luxury brand Eberjey. Later in the evening she was spotted with beau Jamie, 51, as the pair worked together to close the window of the $8 million liner. Working together: Later in the evening she was spotted with beau Jamie, 51, as the pair tried to close the window of the liner which was previously on sale for $8 million Style: The actress, 40, stunned as she flashed a glimpse of her abs in a stripey two-piece which she styled with pearl slippers Look of love: The DJango Unchained star, 51, sported a black t-shirt and jeans as he and Katie were seen waving their hands in the air as they were joined by pals on the luxury liner Glammed up: While Ocean's 8 actress Katie slipped into a white frilly number The DJango Unchained star, 51, sported a black t-shirt and jeans as he and Katie were seen waving their hands in the air as they were joined by pals on the luxury liner. While Ocean's 8 actress Katie slipped into another stunning outfit in the form of a white frilly number. She sported the crop top and matching bottoms to perfection which she teamed with toned-down locks and a dab of makeup. The pair showed off their connection as they expertly maneuvered the opening to protect themselves from the December chill. Natural: She sported the crop top and matching bottoms to perfection which she teamed with toned-down locks and a dab of makeup Teamwork: The pair showed off their connection as they expertly maneuvered the opening to protect themselves from the December chill Eyeing up: The pair emerged from the lowerdeck in new outfits The cruiser promises up to ten guests a stay in a chamber of complete luxury with a crew of nine to wait on their every need. Earlier Katie soaked up the sun as she donned a black bikini to lounge around with her beau in the Miami heat. The loved-up couple's outing comes as Radar Online reported the pair are planning to tie the knot next year: 'Paris is the city where they decided to go public with their romance after years of sneaking around,' a source told the media outlet. Enviable: The cruiser promises up to ten guests a stay in a chamber of complete luxury with a crew of nine to wait on their every need Going strong: The loved-up couple's outing comes as Radar Online reported the pair are planning to tie the knot next year Favourite city: 'Paris is the city where they decided to go public with their romance after years of sneaking around,' a source told the media outlet 'Jamie's been a handful ever since they started secretly dating in 2013 but Katie's convinced him to settle down, and they're ready to make it official.' Katie, who split from Tom Cruise back in 2012, is reportedly aiming for a winter wedding. And after the couple say 'I do,' Foxx has ever intention of adopting Katie's daughter Suri, 12, who she shares with ex Tom. 'Jamie will adopt Suri when the time is right, but not before they've said their vows,' the insider claimed. 'They know it won't go down well with Tom, but it's what he and Katie want and also what Suri wants.' Is it time? 'Jamie's been a handful ever since they started secretly dating in 2013 but Katie's convinced him to settle down, and they're ready to make it official' AJ Pritchard, 24, and his brother Curtis, 23, were beaten up in a nightclub attack on Friday night. And, on Saturday morning, the professional dancer saw messages of support flood in from his Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, who took to social media to share their shock at the awful news and to send their best wishes to the pair. Katya Jones, 29, led the troops, tweeting: 'I cant believe what happen to @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard. Sending lots of love your way. Its Christmas people! Where is humanity going? #disappointed.' Strictly supportive: On Saturday morning, AJ Pritchard, 24, saw messages of support for him and his brother Curtis, 23, flood in after they were attacked in a club on Friday night Dianne Buswell, 29, who made it to the final in the latest season of Strictly, tweeted: 'So sad to hear about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard hope you boys are ok xxxxxx.' Dianne's celebrity dance partner-turned boyfriend Joe Sugg, 27, sent his best wishes to the brothers on Twitter. He wrote: Saddened to hear about what happened to @Aj11Ace and his brother @CurtisPritchard the other night. [Fingers crossed] for a speedy recovery boys.' Gorka Marquez was in disbelief over the horrific attack, tweeting: So disgusted at the sad news about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard sending you all my love and support. Supportive: Strictly's Dianne Buswell and Katya Jones led the stars rallying around the brothers after their horrific attack Disbelief: Dianne Buswell, 29, who made it to the final in the latest season of Strictly, tweeted: 'So sad to hear about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard hope you boys are ok xxxxxx' Sad: Dianne Buswell, 29, who made it to the final in the latest season of Strictly, tweeted: 'So sad to hear about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard hope you boys are ok xxxxxx' Supportive: Head judge Shirley Ballas also shared her support, posting a tweet on Saturday Lovely: Stacey Dooley - who won the most recent series of Strictly - also posted a tweet, noting that she would see him on the tour in the New Year 'EIGHT lads on two! Wtf? I hope justice is served properly. Stay strong AJ & Curtis!' In November 2016, Gorka allegedly had two teeth broken when he was 'battered by thugs' following a show in Blackpool, Lancashire. Strictly's Head Judge Shirley Ballas, 58, was also quick to pledge her support, writing: 'My thoughts and prayers are with @Aj11Ace @CurtisPritchard the world has become a dangerous place, my heart is heavy for this family @bbcstrictly send strength and love.' Series champion Stacey Dooley, 31, also wrote: '@Aj11Ace Big love darlin... see you in Jan.' Aljaz Skorjanec, 28, was clearly emotional, furiously tweeting: 'So upset by the news about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard!! 'Two lovely guys that mean no harm to anyone ever!! I can not believe it. To the thugs that did that.. shall we dance???? #fuming.' Giovanni Pernice, 28, raged: 'Wtf is wrong with this people ????? Guys Im so sorry @CurtisPritchard Im with you all the way !! Disgusting !!!!' followed by a string of angry face emojis. Saddened: Dianne's celebrity dance partner-turned boyfriend Joe Sugg, 27, sent his best wishes to the brothers on Twitter Sending love: Gorka Marquez was in disbelief over the horrific attack, tweeting: 'So disgusted at the sad news about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard sending you all my love and support' Katya's husband Neil Jones, 35 tweeted: 'Disgusting what happened to @Aj11Ace and his brother @CurtisPritchard and I hope they catch everyone involved.' Former Strictly pro James Jordan, 40 detailed his thoughts on Twitter, angrily poking fun at AJ and Curtis' attackers. He said: 'My thoughts are with @Aj11Ace and his brother @CurtisPritchard after 8 guys decided to attack them in a night club over the Christmas period. 'So it takes 8 of you to beat up 2 of the nicest people in our business. Real tough guys! I hope Karma comes back to get you! Idiots!' Upset: Aljaz Skorjanec, 28, was clearly emotional, furiously tweeting: 'So upset by the news about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard!! Two lovely guys that mean no harm to anyone ever!!' Angry! Giovanni Pernice, 28, raged: 'Wtf is wrong with this people ????? Guys Im so sorry @CurtisPritchard Im with you all the way !! Disgusting !!!!' followed by angry face emojis AJ's celebrity partner on Strictly's 2016 season, gymnast Claudia Fragapane, 21, shared a photograph of herself with the professional dancer, along with her best wishes. Former Strictly champion Ore Oduba, 33, tweeted: 'Just heard the dreadful news about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard absolutely disgusting!!! 'Hope they find the low lifes and put them away, what is wrong with some people!!! Sending love to the Pritchards, get well soon boys.' Danny Mac, 30, who came second to Ore in Strictly in 2016, sent a heartwarming message to AJ and Curtis after the attack. He wrote: 'Sending big love and a speedy recovery out to & his bro after what happened. AJ is a top lad. Disgusted to hear about the attack. Thinking of you guys and the family.' Disgusted! Katya's husband Neil Jones, 35 tweeted: 'Disgusting what happened to @Aj11Ace and his brother @CurtisPritchard and I hope they catch everyone involved' Hoping for karma: Former Strictly pro James Jordan, 40 detailed his thoughts on Twitter, angrily poking fun at AJ and Curtis' attackers Strictly's It Takes Two presenter Zoe Ball, 48, sent an emotional message to the brothers, tweeting: Sending all the love to @Aj11Ace & his brother @CurtisPritchard wishing him a speedy recovery. 'Horrified to hear about the brutal attack upon them & their friends. Heartbreaking.' Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips tweeted: 'Totally wrong on every level to attack such kind gentle boys. So sorry that @CurtisPritchard will be unable to start work on @DWTSIRL and wishing him and @Aj11Ace speedy recovery. Supportive: New Strictly dancer Luba Mushtuk, 28, also sent her best wishes to the pair Shocked: Strictly's Oti Mabuse, 28, sent love to the brothers after the incident AJ's celebrity partner on Strictly's 2016 season, gymnast Claudia Fragapane, 21, shared a photograph of herself with the professional dancer, along with her best wishes. As a result of the attack, professional dancer Curtis has reportedly been forced to quit Ireland's version of Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing With The Stars Ireland. A spokesperson for the brothers revealed that Curtis is to undergo an emergency operation to correct damage to his knee sustained during the Nantwich nightclub attack. Following the news of Curtis' impending surgery, RTE told The Mirror that Curtis will not have recovered from his injuries in time for the new series of the show, which is set to begin in January. An RTE spokesperson told the publication: 'Dancing with the Stars pro-dancer Curtis Pritchard was involved in an incident on 26 December 2018. Fuming: Former Strictly champion Ore Oduba, 33, tweeted: 'Just heard the dreadful news about @Aj11Ace and @CurtisPritchard absolutely disgusting!!!' Sending love: Danny Mac, 30, who came second to Ore in Strictly in 2016, sent a heartwarming message to AJ and Curtis after the attack 'As a result of the injuries sustained, he will not have recovered in time for the launch of the new series, which will air 6 January 2019. 'A replacement for Curtis on the show is currently being arranged by ShinAwiL and we look forward to welcoming Curtis back when he recovers.' AJ and his brother Curtis had been socialising and posing for selfies with fans before they were then set upon by eight yobs, who started to circle them. An eyewitness said that the attackers began to throw punches at the pair 'like they were possessed'. Horrified: Strictly's It Takes Two presenter Zoe Ball, 48, sent an emotional message to the brothers via Twitter Sad: Former Strictly judge Arlene Phillips tweeted: 'Totally wrong on every level to attack such kind gentle boys. So sorry that @CurtisPritchard will be unable to start work on @DWTSIRL' According to the witness: 'Curtis had fallen to his knees and was being punched in the face and body. They were also punching AJ in his face, in his ribs and legs. 'AJ dragged Curtis out of the circle and pulled him to another part of the club.' The witness said that AJ was left carrying the marks on his face from the rings the thugs wore as they struck him. Curtis is said to have appeared to have passed out in the attack. Curtis will need surgery in the next few days because his knee was badly injured, according to The Sun. Appealing for justice: British astrologer Russell Grant, 67, who participated in the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, sent his support Saddened: Strictly newcomer Graziano Di Prima, 24, tweeted his disbelief A spokesman for the Pritchard brothers, who come from nearby Stoke and were visiting their parents over Christmas, said: 'AJ and Curtis were assaulted in an unprovoked attack. 'Curtis is to undergo an emergency operation to correct damage to his knee. AJ received bruising to his face, arms, body and legs.' Police said four people were taken to hospital for treatment but had all since been discharged. A spokesman said: 'Officers arrested a 20-year-old man from Crewe on suspicion of assault. He has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.' Strictly pro: AJ narrowly missed out on a place in the Strictly Come Dancing 2018 finale when he and his partner Lauren Steadman were knocked out of the competition at the last hurdle AJ made it to the semi-finals in this year's BBC series of Strictly, with his celebrity partner, paralympian Lauren Steadman, 25. His brother Curtis appears in the Irish version of Strictly Come Dancing. AJ is currently preparing his first ever solo tour, Titled Get On The Floor!, set for an eight-date run in 2019. He rose to fame in 2013 as a contestant on Britain's Got Talent, alongside partner Chloe Hewitt. He later joined Strictly, again working each year with a dance partner. She recently compared kissing her co-star Dominic West to a walrus. And Keira Knightley's outspoken remarks didn't stop there as she told The Guardian she think having a penis would be 'so convenient'. The Colette actress, 33, explained that while she's never 'wanted' a penis she does think it's handy to 'p**s up a tree'. Honest: Keira Knightley told The Guardian she think having a penis would be 'so convenient' She added: 'Being able to do that standing up: so convenient. You can just whip it out and whatever. But the idea of something so vulnerable swinging between my legs, I think Im all right without.' The tomboy explained that she has played characters in Bend It Like Beckham and Colette that explore 'the masculine side of the female, stuck in the dresses and makeup'. She added: 'Almost every character Ive played has tried to break out of that image of femininity. Thats why I like period films, because its such an overt cage you put the woman in. 'Thats always something Ive really identified with. I feel like I sit somewhere else.' Outspoken: The Colette actress, 33, explained that while she's never 'wanted' a penis she does think it's handy to 'p**s up a tree' New role: In her latest film Keira stars as Colette in the biographical movie following the story of the French novelist and her tempestuous relationship with husband Henry Gauthier-Villars In her latest film Keira stars as Colette (born Gabrielle Sidonie Colette) in the biographical movie following the story of the French novelist and her tempestuous relationship with husband Henry Gauthier-Villars, known as 'Willy' (played by Dominic). Willy convinces Colette to write novels under his name, but the lack of recognition for her work soon frustrates her and she is set on 'freeing herself' from his grasp, despite Willy being determined to maintain his hold on her. Meanwhile earlier this month the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was awarded with an OBE for her services to drama and charity. Accolade: Meanwhile earlier this month the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was awarded with an OBE for her services to drama and charity and was joined by her parents, Sharman Macdonald and Will Knightley, and husband James Righton Presenting: She received the honour from Prince Charles during a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace earlier in December She received the honour from Prince Charles during a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace earlier in December and was joined by her parents, Sharman Macdonald and Will Knightley, and husband James Righton. Keira and James, 35, tied the knot in 2013 in the South of France, two years after they first began dating. Speaking of when she first received the letter detailing the news about her OBE, Keira confessed she thought she was in 'trouble with tax', so refused to open it for 'three days'. The mother-of-one - she shares daughter Edie with husband James - said: 'I didn't open the envelope for about three day, it was from the Home Office and it was terrifying because I thought I was in trouble with tax, and that I had messed it up, and that they were going to take away the house. She is a blonde beauty who is known for her racy swimwear. And Kimberley Garner sizzled as she took to the beach in Miami, Florida for a festive break this week. The bombshell, 28, slipped her toned frame in a scanty tropical print bikini with thong bottoms which showcased her peachy posterior as she soaked up the sun. Peachy: Kimberley Garner sizzled as she took to the beach in Miami, Florida for a festive break this week The plunging bralet style bikini, decorated with green palm trees, showcased her ample cleavage and slender midriff as she took a dip. The tiny thong bottoms revealed her perfectly peachy posterior as she struck an eye-popping pose. The star also drew the eyes to her tanned and long legs as she strolled in the surf. Leggy: The bombshell, 28, slipped her toned frame in a scanty tropical print bikini with thong bottoms which showcased her peachy posterior as she soaked up the sun Work it: The plunging bralet style bikini, decorated with green palm trees, showcased her ample cleavage and slender midriff as she took a dip Cheeky: The tiny thong bottoms revealed her perfectly peachy posterior as she struck an eye-popping pose Her blonde locks were styled in beachy waves while her pretty features were enhanced with a radiant dusting of make-up. Swimwear design is not the only business in Kimberlys portfolio; she is now following in her familys footsteps of high-end property development. After extensive renovations, the former reality star is said to have increased the value of a house which she bought in 2013 for 1.2 million, by over 1 million. Pouty: Her blonde locks were styled in beachy waves while her pretty features were enhanced with a radiant dusting of make-up Beach babe: The star showcased her incredible figure as she walked along Goddess: The star was a vision of beauty as she strolled along Eye-popping: Kimberley flaunted her pert derriere in the daring bikini The starlet's choice to go into property seems to be a a result of her London pad doubling in value over a five-year period. Kimberley recently split from her ex-boyfriend, who she kept very much out of the spotlight - something she doesn't plan to do with her next relationship. Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'When I take it to the next step and when I decide to be with someone forever I will be more than happy to have them in the public eye. Strike a pose: The star popped her leg as she posed in the surf 'It would be really cool to have my husband and babies in the public eye. It was nice to have a bit of privacy with my ex, but in the future I wouldn't mind.' Speaking of her split with her mystery man ex, Kimberley said: 'We broke up for a year and got back together for a few months and broke up again. He's still lovely and we're really good friends.' Kimberley shot to fame on the third series of Made In Chelsea back in 2012, where she was romantically linked to Richard Dinan and Spencer Matthews. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the Cairo terrorist attack, according to the statement, published on the ministry's website. "We confirm our principal position, as we strongly condemn all terrorist attacks, including those against foreign tourists," the statement reads. The Russian Foreign Ministry also reiterated its support for the Egyptian authorities resolute steps to fight terrorism and extremism. "We offer condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the statement said. On December 28, a roadside bomb hit a bus, carrying 14 Vietnamese tourists, near the Pyramids of Giza. The explosion killed four and left another 12 injured. She transformed him from Love Island's serial womanizer into her devoted boyfriend. And Zara McDermott has revealed she knows her boyfriend Adam Collard is '100% committed to her' because he has turned down deals to star in dating shows worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. The reality star, 21, said Adam, 23, would be much more successful in his career if he dumped her but is proud about how 'seriously' he takes their relationship. In love: Zara McDermott has revealed she knows her boyfriend Adam Collard is '100% committed to her' because he has turned down six-figure deals to star in dating shows 'If Im completely honest, I think Adam would be more successful in his career by himself, he could go on loads of dating shows and be the single player 'lad' type,' she told the Daily Star. 'Hes been offered hundreds of thousands of pounds to go on shows and do certain things that he would have to be single to do. 'He just turns them all down, theres no better way than saying hes serious about me than that.' Smitten: The reality star, 21, said Adam, 23, would be much more successful in his career if he dumped her but is proud about how 'seriously' he takes their relationship It comes after Zara spilled all about her journey on Love Island in her first YouTube video, from being scouted by producers to falling head over heels in love with the hunk. Posted on Christmas Eve, the Essex beauty revealed some of the series secrets and said she initially turned down the offer, saying she couldn't be paid enough to appear on the scandalous show. Sitting on her bed in the apartment she now shares with Adam, Zara told her story of how she was handpicked to be part of the 2018 line-up. 'In February, I got a message from ITV on Instagram, it said: "would you like to have a chat about an upcoming show that's in the summer on ITV2?", she said. 'It doesn't take a brain scientist to work out what that is.' The reality star continued: 'I think the reason I got scouted out was because I had quite a good Instagram, I was a minor influencer and there was some stuff on there about my job.' Zara, who was working as a government advisor for the Department of Education at the time, had littered her social media with an array of bikini-clad snaps and selfies from Downing Street- the combination undoubtedly caught the eye of producers. She elaborated: 'Oddly enough, a couple of weeks before I had a conversation with my mum and she asked me would I do reality TV. Racy display: Zara had littered her social media with an array of bikini-clad snaps (L) and selfies from Downing Street (R), which undoubtedly caught the eye of producers 'I said absolutely never, ever - you couldn't pay me enough. I love my job too much, I would never give that up. 'I had my career planned out in my head and i didn't see myself as a reality star, I think adjusting was really difficult. 'My mum and dad were fully supportive, I made them watch two or three episodes of last year's Love Island. They said it is harmless, fun, I was the more skeptical one. Change of heart: She said: 'I said absolutely never, ever would I do reality TV- you couldn't pay me enough. I love my job too much, I would never give that up' The researcher said I would need to do an interview and an audition tape and I said "no I don't want to do that, its not for me. Sorry bye".' But within minutes Zara explained she got an email back from a producer who was desperate for her to sign up to the show. Fast-forward a few months and the goverment advisor had packed her bags and was heading to Majorca. Off she goes: Fast-forward a few months and the goverment advisor had packed her bags and was heading to Majorca 'I flew by myself out to Majorca, I got picked up by a chaperone and got my phone taken off me. Within a day me and Ellie were walking in together,' she said. During her 10 day stint in the villa, Zara turned heads with Lothario Adam, 23, who ditched solicitor Rosie Williams to be with her. Reflecting on her experience, Zara added: 'Before I went into the villa I felt like I had no confidence in myself or anything really, every guy I spoke to turned out to be horrible. I gave up all hope of finding someone. 'I thought I would never meet someone on Love Island. 'I had my eye on Adam from Day 1, I felt a bit weird thinking "Adam is my number one, I'm going to go for him". 'But from the first five seconds I got that instant click with Adam. I've never had it before. It's weird and so amazing. I'm so lucky to have met him. Since the show came to end, the couple have gone from strength-to-strength as thy moved into an apartment in Brentwood together. Adam also surprised Zara with a trip to the Maldives for Christmas. She's currently enjoying a festive getaway in the Maldives with her family. And Sam Faiers made sure her son Paul celebrated his third birthday in style on Saturday as she took to Instagram to share a sweet picture montage. The former TOWIE star, 27, started her collection with a picture of the moment the youngster was born in hospital. Birthday boy: Sam Faiers made sure her son Paul celebrated his third birthday in style on Saturday as she took to Instagram to share a sweet picture montage She captioned it with: 'My beautiful baby boy. 3 today. We love you soo much more than you will ever know.' Sam went on to share several candid and intimate pictures of Sam, her partner Paul Knightley and the youngster. In one snap, it showed Paul having his first ever bath, while a different picture saw the proud parents holding their son for the first time. Other photos saw Sam's sister Billie Faiers meeting the youngster for the first time, as well as her mother, Suzanne Wells, and Paul's mother, Gaynor, holding the tot. Candid: The former TOWIE star, 27, started her collection with a picture of the moment the youngster was born in hospital Sweet: She captioned it with: 'My beautiful baby boy. 3 today. We love you soo much more than you will ever know.' Doting family: Other photos saw Sam's sister Billie Faiers meeting the youngster for the first time, as well as her mother, Suzanne Wells, and Paul's mother, Gaynor, holding the tot The Mummy Diaries star has been enjoying a festive break with her partner Paul Knightley, his mum Gaynor and their two children. However, Sam was joined by her mother, Suzanne Wells, on Thursday as she took to her Instagram stories to celebrate the moment. Sharing a picture of her mum and Gaynor holding their grandchildren, she said: 'Yay mumma has arrived.' Sleepy?: Sam went on to share several candid and intimate pictures of Sam, her partner Paul Knightley and the youngster Proud grandma: Sam's mother Suzanne Wells pictured with younger Paul and Billie's daughter Nelly Mother-in-law: The TOWIE star's mother-in-law Gaynor pictured cuddling a tired-looking Paul While Suzanne took to her own Instagram to share a candid photograph of herself, taken by Sam, getting out of the idyllic ocean. She said: '@samanthafaiers papping me and @gaynorknightley.' Sam's sweet posts come after she caused a stir amongst her fans, as she shared a picture of herself kissing her son Paul, three, on the lips, to her Instagram. Birthday bath: In one picture, Sam said: 'Birthday bath I love you my baby Paul. Forever & always.' Family: Sam has been enjoying a festive break with her partner Paul Knightley, his mum Gaynor and their two children... with her own mum, Suzanne Wells, joining them on Thursday Grandma duty: Suzanne took to her own Instagram to share a candid photograph of herself, taken by Sam, getting out of the idyllic ocean with Gaynor and Paul According to The Sun, the Mummy Diaries star, 27, had called him her 'lover' in the caption on Thursday, which she has since changed to hearts. Some fans had spotted the caption before she had changed it though, and trolled her for it in the comments section. One wrote: 'Probably edit that, it's not right to call your little boy your lover. Lovely photo tho' While a different person said: 'I wouldn't all my son my lover just say (sic)' Backlash: The former TOWIE star's pictures comes after she caused a stir amongst her fans, as she shared a picture of herself kissing her son Paul, three, on the lips, captioned her 'lover' Criticism: Sam's sweet posts come after she caused a stir amongst her fans, as she shared a picture of herself kissing her son Paul, three, on the lips, to her Instagram But Sam's fans rushed to defend the reality star, as they hit back at the people criticising her. One wrote: 'well right now you just look stupid because all everyone can see if hearts... She probably changed it as people feel the need to comment on something that could have been an error... Even if it wasn't she can call HER SON what she wants. I'm pretty sure she won't miss you if you unfollow her (sic)' While another hit out: 'What is wrong with you? That is her son. Grow up.' One user took a more diplomatic approach, as they said: 'She did put lover but then edited it cos I thought lover was a bit to much prob just ment to put love but corrected it (sic).' Hitting back: But Sam's fans rushed to defend the reality star, as they hit back at the people criticising her for the snap and the 'lover' caption Sam's festive getaway comes as she left scandal at home, as fans have threatened to 'boycott' her ITVBe show The Mummy Diaries after she was accused of shamelessly ripping off a small family business and copying their designs for her new personalised children's clothing company. She has been receiving freebies from Yorkshire-based website Forever Sewing for the past two years, and has posted numerous images of her children, Paul Jr. and Rosie wearing their colourful monogrammed tracksuits. After discussing working on a collaboration with the brand, the reality TV personality has now been accused of stealing their designs for her own new venture. And now Sam's fans have threatened to boycott her series that she stars in with her sister Billie Faiers and even her new clothing line. Controversy: Meanwhile Sam's fans threatened to 'boycott' her ITVBe show The Mummy Diaries after she was accused of ripping off a small family business and copying their designs Spot the difference: Sam has been accused of RIPPING OFF a small business by copying their designs by 'disgusted' fans - (left) her new children's range, (right) the clothing brand she has been receiving freebies from for two years One person said: 'When "celebs" like @SamanthaFaiers get loads of free stuff from small independent retailers then rip off the exact idea and pass off as their own... Shameful !! #boycot #MummyDiaries #foreversewing.' Clearly extremely enraged by the action, another show watcher commented: '@SamanthaFaiers won't be watching Clearly anymore!!!' A different user put: 'Sam Faiers asking for free clothes for her children is just shameful. I don't care that the brand got publicity,surely you want to earn and pay for the clothes on your own kids back!... 'Have some pride and self respect for gods sake. Absolute scrounger. Hope people boycott 'her brand'.' Sam told her fans she was setting up a new children's clothing venture named My Little Darlin' and has started an Instagram page which teases one of the designs, which is near-identical to Forever Sewing's. The page has 11.2k followers already and Sam was thought to be planning to launch in one week, but the comments section has been littered with angry posts from fans, which Sam has been deleting. Just hours after fans started calling out the former TOWIE star for her blatant copycat designs, Sam deleted all of the comments from the Instagram post in question and blocked further comments from appearing. MailOnline has seen countless messages exchanged between Sam and the company, in which she lists an extensive amount of freebies she wants from them. The reality star states that her eldest son Paul, has been 'living in' the designs and has been wearing them throughout filming of The Mummy Diaries. The company has taken to Facebook to voice their feelings of betrayal over Sam's actions after learning that her new children's clothing line is remarkably similar to their own. Kanye West was in an uproar Saturday morning after learning his nemesis Drake followed his wife Kim Kardashian on Instagram in September. The 41-year-old rapper took to Twitter to air his grievances in a series of tweets but quickly deleted his rant. Ye's diatribe began when he shared a screenshot of a Life & Style article that reported three months ago that Drake, 32, began following Kim on Instagram. Feud: Kanye reignited his beef with Drake on Saturday in a series of now-deleted tweets after learning that the In My Feelings rapper followed Kim on Instagram in September 'I never knew till this morning that Drake followed my wife on Instagram back in September,' Kanye tweeted along with the screen shot. 'I had to bring this up because it's the most f***ed up thing of all and I just saw it this morning,' he continued. Adding: 'Imagine having a problem with somebody and they follow your wife on Instagram.' Kim Kardashian is currently the sixth most followed person on the social media platform with 123.5 million followers. Furious: His favorite place to rant, Kanye was back on Twitter expressing his fury over Drake's Instagram follow of Kim Scandal: Back in September, a Life & Style piece pointed out the unusual Instagram follow in the midst of a rumor that Kim had an affair with Drake Rumors: An internet conspiracy was swirling that the line 'KiKi do you love me?' in Drake's hit In My Feelings was about Kim Back in September when it was reported that Champagne Papi was following the reality mogul, it was in the throws of a scandal between the trio. After Drake's infectious hit In My Feelings debuted, an internet conspiracy was born that suggested the line 'KiKi do you love me?' was referring to an affair Drake had with Kim Kardashian. Kim quickly shut it down at the time by posting 'Never happened. End of story' on social media. Nevermind: Within an hour Kanye had deleted all the tweets and replaced them with two more positive messages Currently Drake doesn't appear to follow the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star on Instagram any more. And, within an hour Yeezy had deleted the rant and replaced them with a few uplifting messages that simply read 'love everyone' and 'all positive vibes.' Kanye and the Canadian hip hop star have been embroiled in a long running feud over the last year outside of the Kim incident. Better times: Kanye and Drake have been embroiled in a long running feud all year (Seen here with Kenny Burns in 2015) According to TMZ, Drake recently 'beefed up' security at his Los Angeles home as Kanye lives in the same neighborhood. According to the publication, the rapper has at least two new bodyguards posted outside his house. A prior Twitter rant by the I Am A God rapper appeared to be what prompted Drake to seek additional protection. Beginnings: The bad blood between the rappers began months ago when Drake accused Kanye of spilling the beans about him having a son Earlier in December, Kanye spent an evening posting tweets about what he claimed were 'threats' made against him by Drake. He wrote: 'So drake if anything happens to me or anyone from my family you are the first suspect So cut the tough talk.' In an earlier tweet, addressed to no one in particular, Kanye claimed 'Drake called trying to threatened [sic] me.' Family: Earlier this month Kanye and Kim accused Drake of threatening their famil Another post read: 'Never threaten north saint and Chicago's dad bro'. The Power rapper also took aim at Drake's legacy, writing, 'There would never be a drake without a Kanye west so never come out your mouth with a threat [sic]'. In later tweets, the Gold Digger hitmaker again made claims about threats of violence, writing 'You threatened the safety of me and my family'. 'Never threaten north saint and Chicago's dad bro' Kanye tweeted at the time He also cried foul financially, writing, 'You tried to hurt my pockets' before he then posted a lengthy Bible verse from Revelations 2. Kim even waded in on the dispute, as she tweeted directly to Drake: 'Never threaten my husband or our family. He paved the way for there to be a Drake.' She also added in another post: 'My husband is the most brilliant person, the most genius person that I know. He has broken so many boundaries, everything from music, stage design, fashion and culture and will continue to change the world.' Safety first: It was reported by TMZ that in response to those tweets, Drake beefed up security at his home which is in the same neighborhood as Kanye The issues between the two stars have been going on for months with each accusing the other of wrong doing. The crux of the original beef began with another rapper, Pusha T, who outed Drake for having a secret child before he planned to debut the news in his own album. Drake accused Kanye of being the one who told Pusha about the baby, which was later refuted by several parties but the bad blood was never resolved. Ferne McCann was showing off her washboard abs in stylish black fringed co-ords on Saturday, as she flaunted her incredible figure for a night out in Dubai. The 28-year-old ex-TOWIE star put on a glamorous display in the leggy ensemble as she arrived at the Play Restaurant with her friend Carl. Ferne has been soaking up the sun in Dubai for a post-Christmas break with her one-year-old daughter Sunday, as she celebrates the release of her upcoming fitness DVD. Sensational: Ferne McCann was showing off her washboard abs in stylish black fringed co-ords on Saturday, as she flaunted her incredible figure for a night out in Dubai Highlighting the results of her tough fitness regime, Ferne made sure her toned figure was on full display as she arrived for dinner, teaming the black fringed crop top with a matching high-waisted skirt. The mother-of-one accessorised her ensemble with black thin-strapped heels, and carried her essentials with a sharp black handbag. Styling her blonde tresses into effortless waves, Ferne was also showing off her flawless complexion with a bronzed smoky eye, and added a boost to her plump pout with a hint of nude lipstick. She was seen arriving at the eatery with pal Carl, who was looking sharp in white skinny jeans and marble-style printed shirt. Jaw-dropping: The 28-year-old ex-TOWIE star put on a glamorous display in the sexy black fringed crop top and matching skirt as she arrived at the Play Restaurant Dressed to impress: Accessorising her fun evening look, Ferne wore classic thin-strapped black heels, along with a simple handbag Best friends: Ferne was seen heading out for dinner with her friend Carl, who was looking sharp in a printed shirt and white jeans Ferne has been regularly documenting her Dubai outing on social media as she showed off her amazing figure in a slew of bikinis. The stunning reality TV star has credited her post-baby weight loss with workouts that feature on her DVD, following her pregnancy with daughter Sunday. She said: 'Ellie and I have been working together since I had my daughter Sunday last year and it's this workout that has got me into the best shape that I've ever been in.' The DVD, titled Fit As Ferne, is broken down into seven sections, with each workout designed to 'get your heart pumping and your body sweating'. Transformed: Ferne has been regularly documenting her Dubai outing on social media as she showed off her amazing figure in a slew of bikinis Amazing: The stunning reality TV star has credited her post-baby weight loss with workouts that feature on her DVD, following her pregnancy with daughter Sunday Ferne welcomed daughter Sunday in November last year and has been adjusting to life as a single parent - Sunday's father, Ferne's ex Arthur Collins, is currently serving time in prison for his involvement in an acid attack. The star has often spoken of the struggles she has faced being a single mother, telling Closer magazine earlier this year: 'While I was pregnant, I knew I was going to be a single mum, but it didn't hit me until I actually had Sunday. 'That was tough to deal with - realising I really was totally on my own. I don't have another person to confer with. 'I don't have another person to discuss my day-to-day decisions with - like choosing what food she has. It's tough' Ferne has been filming for the follow-up series to her documentary series First Time Mum. The ITVBe show which captures her adapting to her life as a mother and gives fans an insight into her home life with Sunday. Billi Mucklow has revealed that her fiance Andy Carroll turned up to her sister's wedding on Thursday wearing a tracksuit, having rushed to the reception straight from West Ham's win against Southampton. Taking to Instagram to share a post from the day, Billi gushed that she was proud Andy made it for the end of the reception after helping his team to a 2-1 victory. In the snap Andy, 29, could be seen sporting West Ham's signature claret and blue tracksuit alongside Billi in her bridesmaid's dress, while her sister Giorgie looked equally stunning in a white lace gown. Funny: Billi Mucklow has revealed that her fiance Andy Carroll turned up to her sister's wedding wearing a tracksuit, having rushed to the reception straight from West Ham's match In the caption Billi wrote: 'So Happy AC Made The Last Half Hour Of The Wedding All The Way In A Taxi From Southampton.' Andy seemingly rushed to the wedding - which took place at The Ned in London - after West Ham's tie with Southampton finished at around 9:45pm, and clearly had no time to change on the two hour taxi ride. Billi had documented the day with a slew of social media posts, having acted as maid of honour for Giorgie as she married Lewis Dark. The mother-of-two stunned in a cream gown with her blonde tresses pulled into a delicate up-do. Gorgeous: Acting as maid of honour for the occasion, Billi (far left) stunned in a cream gown as she attended sister Giorgie's nuptials at The Ned in London Sporting star: In her post Billi revealed that Andy drove two hours in a taxi to the reception on Thursday after West Ham beat Southampton Away 2-1 Billi and Andy have been engaged since 2013, when he popped the question on a romantic getaway to Rome. While the couple are yet to marry, they are proud parents to sons Arlo, three, and Wolf, one. Andy is also dad to daughter Emilie Rose and son Lucas from previous relationships. The outing came just weeks after Billi revealed to fans that she had a terrifying cancer scare, having undergone an operation to remove a tumour from her neck. Happier than ever: Billi and Andy have been engaged since 2013, and are also parents to son's Arlo, three and Wolf, one Taking to Instagram to share a selfie of her scar, Billi explained she had just been given the all-clear, after having a lump removed five weeks earlier. She then went on to pay tribute to her friends and family for looking after her, describing husband-to-be Andy, 29, as her 'rock'. Billi rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and left the show six series later. She has since gone on to become a yoga instructor. The Essex star and fitness enthusiast is the owner of Bikram Yoga Essex, Inferno Hiit and Cycle Rhythm. Her brother Sam has since joined the show, with Billi making a brief appearance on the last series of the ITVBe show. They have kept their romance very much in the public eye since confirming they were an item after the Strictly Come Dancing finale. And Dianne Buswell, who has spent Christmas with her family in Australia, seems to be keen to return to the UK to see her beau Joe Sugg as she shared a sweet snap on Saturday. The professional dancer, 29, posted a picture where she had her arms wrapped around the YouTube star, 27, as she shared her impatience for their reunion as she wrote in the caption: 'Soon.' 'Soon': Strictly's Dianne Buswell pined for her beau Joe Sugg as she shared a sweet snap of them on Saturday ahead of their reunion Dianne looked stylish in her blue sequinned gown, which perfectly contrasted her bright red hair which was styled into glamorous curls. She completed her look by adding a touch of glitter with a pair of dangling black and gold earrings, and wearing a glamorous palette of make-up. Meanwhile Joe looked sharp in his jet black suit, which he paired with a white shirt and a chic bow tie. Happy together: Swept up in the early throes of passionate love, no doubt Dianne going home for the holidays has proved difficult for the pair Dianne jetted off to Australia's sandy shores to spend the Christmas period with her family, after she had joined her beau on a getaway to a lavish retreat priced at 2,850 per night. The dancer and her love were joined by his sister Zoella and her boyfriend Alfie Deyes at the plush getaway. Swept up in the early throes of passionate love, no doubt Dianne going home for the holidays has proved difficult for the pair. Joe first went public with their romance when he shared a snap of the two of them following the Strictly final saying he had 'won' the love of Dianne. Must be love: Joe first went public with their romance when he shared a snap of the two of them following the Strictly final saying he had 'won' the love of Dianne He wrote: 'I may not have won the glitter ball, but I've won something a million times more special.' The YouTube star's grandmother Phyllis exclusively told MailOnline that he is 'head over heels' for Dianne. She divulged to us: '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.' Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis is using sexual assault allegations from two separate women against her ex to help bolster her effort to get custody of the couple's two children. The 27-year-old Bravo star filed new court documents in response to her ex, Thomas Ravenel, 56, and his attempt to keep their current joint custody arrangement in place. In the documents, which were obtained by The Blast, Dennis raised allegations that Ravenel sexually assaulted two women and paid one for her silence as proof he should not maintain custody of their little ones. Custody battle: Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis is using two separate sexual assault allegations against her ex, Thomas Ravenel, as part of her effort to gain full custody of their two young children according to a new report from The Blast (Pictured here in 2015) The reality show couple share daughter Kensie, four, and son Saint, two. Kathryn argued in the filing that since their custody agreement was put in place last year, 'many new things have come to light,'The Blast reported. The outlet added that Kathryn brought up the allegation that the father of her children, 'sexually assaulted a woman named Debbie Perkins and that he allegedly paid her $200,000 to keep quiet about the ordeal.' 'She also mentions that Ravenel was accused of sexual assault by another woman the couple's former nanny, Dawn Ledwell, who appeared on Southern Charm.' Accusations: Dennis raised allegations in the documents that Ravenel sexually assaulted two women and paid one for her silence as proof he should not maintain custody The reality star was arrested in September after former nanny Dawn Ledwell claimed she was in his Charleston, South Carolina home in January 2015 when he allegedly took off her pants and fondled her. He now awaits trial over those charges. In addition, Ledwell filed a lawsuit again former Southern Charm star who was subsequently dropped from the show, as well as Bravo and it's parent companies. The woman claims that Bravo, NBC Universal and Comcast 'failed to investigate' after she told employees of the alleged assault. Legal troubles: The 56-year-old was arrested in September and is awaiting trial for the alleged assault of a former nanny from 2015 (pictured with Kathryn in an episode of Southern Charm) Ledwell claims that Haymaker never contacted her despite their public statementI In the midst of the sexual assault allegations, Ravenel submitted his own filing in the custody battle with Kathryn Dennis which was obtained by People. In that filing, he accused her of acting 'for the purpose of garnering media attention, creating material for her storyline on Southern Charm and ensuring her marketability as a 'reality TV star.'' Doing okay: The couple's children appeared happy with their mother in an Instagram post she shared during the holidays In Kathryn's recent response she refuted that claim and, according to The Blast, raised 'other incidents of bizarre behavior arising out of [Ravenel's] intoxication due to a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs.' She also claimed to be concerned with his 'admission that he has locked the kids in their rooms at night on occasion, which she fears is a safety hazard.' Previously, Dennis has lost custody after failing a drug test but had fought hard to win back the joint-custody in their current agreement. David Beckham will no longer plough money into wife Victorias troubled fashion business despite it making staggering losses of just over 10 million last year David Beckham will no longer plough money into wife Victorias troubled fashion business despite it making staggering losses of just over 10 million last year. Becks, 43, has previously come to Poshs rescue, injecting cash into Victoria Beckham Limited to help her books look more healthy. However, I understand David now wants her to take full responsibility for running the company and that he wont bail her out again. Sources say David, pictured right with his wife, is happy she has now found investors who have injected 30 million into the label, so at least her next set of accounts might look more impressive. One said: David is super-proud of what Victoria has achieved but he will no longer be putting money in. She has investors now. Posh, 44, made her biggest loss to date last year, according to accounts released just before Christmas. In 2016, she was 8.4 million in the red and 4.7million the year before that. By contrast, Davids company, DB Ventures, made a whopping profit of 26.5 million before tax in the year to December 2017. In 2016, she was 8.4 million in the red and 4.7million the year before that. By contrast, Davids company, DB Ventures, made a whopping profit of 26.5 million before tax in the year to December 2017 Victoria, who in April made a third of her staff redundant in an attempt to make her business profitable, will be hoping that her post-Christmas sale will be a success. She has slashed prices on 230 items of her high-end clothing many by 50 per cent Victoria, who in April made a third of her staff redundant in an attempt to make her business profitable, will be hoping that her post-Christmas sale will be a success. She has slashed prices on 230 items of her high-end clothing many by 50 per cent. Sale garments include a leopard-print split-sleeve fitted coat, which is down from 2,495 to 1,247, and a drape neck midi dress, now priced at 767.50 from 1,535. Meanwhile, David is currently negotiating a buyout of shares in DB Ventures held by Simon Fuller, his former manager and long-term business partner. Fuller, who is credited for creating the Posh and Becks brand in the 1990s, is understood to want about 60 million in the deal. North Queensland is set for a soggy start to 2019 but in the southern half of the sunshine state, the temperature is rising as a heatwave sets in. Heavy rain and thunderstorms that waterlogged much of the state's north over the Christmas break are likely to increase in coming days. It's prompted a flood watch to be issued for the far north Queensland coast from Rollingstone, just north of Townsville, to Cooktown, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Falls of up to 218mm have been recorded near Cairns and up to 180mm near Cooktown over the past 24 hours, meteorologist Adipi Sharan told AAP on Wednesday. The big wet is likely to be backed ahead of New Year's Eve by a monsoon trough developing in the Gulf of Carpenteria, Ms Sharan said. It will mostly affect the Peninsula district, however, the entire Queensland tropics will be wet right into the New Year, she said. In the south of the state, a low-intensity heatwave is bringing temperatures in the 40s to many inland centres. It's certainly warming up in the far west and it's set to creep into the southeast interior by New Year, Ms Sharan said. Birdsville is forecast to peak at 42C on Wednesday, and the high temperatures will carry through until New Year's Day when 44C is expected. The heatwave conditions are forecast to sweep across all states and territories over the next few days, with NSW and South Australia bearing the brunt. Coastal areas of southeast Queensland will remain dry and comfortable for the next week, with temperatures about 30C forecast for most areas. Ex-Australian swimming champion Rob Woodhouse believes the "door is closing very fast" on besieged world body FINA after more stars threatened a boycott in support of a 2019 breakaway competition. Momentum is building toward the rebel International Swimming League (ISL)'s formation after a two-day meeting in London last week that featured 30 Olympic and world champions. Australians Emily Seebohm and Madeline Groves have backed English breaststroke superstar Adam Peaty's pledge to strike if FINA goes through with a threat to slap two year bans on swimmers taking part in the ISL. The trio were among the star-studded London gathering where details of the $A7.5 million ISL were unveiled by its backer, Ukrainian billionaire Konstantin Grigorishin. Olympic medallist Woodhouse - now a high profile sport agent - attended the meeting and believed the end was nigh for FINA if they did not listen to the angry swimmers. "The door is closing very fast for @fina1908," Olympic medallist Woodhouse tweeted. "Let's hope this does provide the impetus (for change). A big broom to sweep away the well fed cronies in charge would help." The ISL will boast 12 teams - six from Europe and the rest from the United States - in a 12-leg series from August to December. There is no Australian team but Dolphins swimmers are allowed to compete for any outfit. The ISL was initially scheduled to start this month in Italy but was scrapped after the ban threat that would have rubbed swimmers out of the Tokyo Olympics, prompting the London summit. A group of leading swimmers and the ISL are also suing FINA in separate lawsuits after the league's launch was abandoned. FINA have offered a belated olive branch, promising a greater voice for swimmers by granting their athletes committee chairperson official voting powers and providing committee members a direct say at their annual general congress. They have also hastily announced a Champion Swim Series for next year, declaring it as the "richest swimming event in history". The invitation-only, three-leg Champions Swim Series boasting $A5.5 million in prize money to be held from March to May has been dismissed by the ISL as a "shameless cut and paste" of their idea. Swimmers are angry over not receiving a bigger cut from FINA who made $164 million in gross revenue in 2016-17 but spent less than $29 million on prize money. The athletes also want an annual series that will raise the sport's profile outside Olympic competition. Peaty has led the charge for swimmers left outraged over the ban threat. "I don't care, ban me if you've got to," the world and Olympic champion told BBC Sport. "They can't get away with it (bans) because you'll lose all of the respect from the athletes and you can't bully them." Foreign and defence ministers from Russia and Turkey will discuss the United States' decision to withdraw troops from Syria at their meeting in Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. The meeting comes as Ankara says it will launch a military operation against the main U.S.-backed Kurdish militia controlling nearly a third of the country. Shoigu noted that the talks will focus on the situation in and around Idlib, as well as "what can and should be done" when the U.S. withdraws from Syria, the AP reported. The Syrian military entered the Kurdish stronghold of Manbij yesterday as part of an apparent agreement. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Washington would withdraw roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria. Australia is part of a new international tax body that targets those who help people hide their income and evade tax. The group called the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement or J5 includes the US, Britain, the Netherlands and Canada. "The focus is to track down the internationally located enablers of that tax crime, even when they're sitting offshore," ATO deputy commissioner Will Day told The Australian. "Bringing together the five countries is a large part of that, and we've made significant progress in identifying operational targets, utilising the improved partnerships." Among the areas to be covered by the agency are cyber-related identity theft, tax evasion using cryptocurrencies, corporate "phoenixing" and international tax evasion using tax havens. A police chase across Melbourne's southeast has ended with a man being bitten by a dog. Investigators attended Pascal Road, Seaford, after reports of suspicious behaviour about 12.10am on Thursday. During patrols, police tried to intercept a white Toyota HiAce van but it sped off. Police pursued it on the Princes Freeway in Officer, before the vehicle was dumped in Pakenham about 1.30am and three men tried to flee on foot. The trio were arrested, with help of a police dog who bit one of the men on the arm. Two men, aged 26 and 29, both from Cranbourne West, are in custody assisting police while the injured man, aged 29 of no fixed address, was taken to hospital. When he was a young boy of 10, Walid Nawasany's father took him to see the Pyramids of Giza. Gingerly, the pair entered one, descending the cool, dark and narrow tunnels until they were enveloped by the still silence of the subterranean burial chamber. When at last they re-emerged into the harsh light of the semi-desert, something had changed. "When I came out I found people running everywhere, and I learned the earthquake had happened," says Walid. "Some buildings in Cairo and Alexandria had been destroyed. But inside the pyramid, we didn't hear or feel a thing." The 1992 Cairo earthquake killed 545 people and left 50,000 homeless. Understanding for himself the strength of the pyramid and the power of its design, Walid decided to study Egyptology and share the knowledge of his country to tourists. Twenty-six years later, 12 of those spent as a guide for Australia-based Intrepid Travel on their Family and Solo Parent tours, his fascination for the Ancient Egyptians remains childlike. "If the Great Pyramid was chopped into 12-inch cubes and they were laid out in a line, there would be enough to circle the moon three times," he says as we gaze up at the structure before us. When you see with your own eyes something you have known your whole life in pictures, you never know which one will be more impressive. But standing on the hot, shade-less sand that surrounds Cairo, in front of the only wonder of the ancient world still standing, we're mesmerised by the reality. The Great Pyramid is immense and perfectly formed, its stone slabs so huge we still aren't sure how they were moved (although we know there was water here once, so boats would have helped). There are around 80 pyramids remaining in Egypt today, Walid tells us. This one, the tallest and most famous, was built for King Khufu, who reigned from around 2609 BC - 2584 BC. The two smaller pyramids nearby were for Khufu's son, Khafre, and his grandson, Menkaure. Khafre's mausoleum is guarded by the mythical Sphinx. I see how these pharaohs saw these structures as an extension of their life force, sticking out of the desert and pointing skyward. Egyptians at the time had nothing but disdain for them. Khufu demanded so much time and effort be spent on creating his regal tomb that other buildings and services were neglected. If only they could see the hoards of tourists today who fly across the globe in crazy flying machines to see them. My nine-year-old daughter Emmeline and the other children on our Intrepid Solo Parents tour are fascinated; they have learned about the pyramids in school. We head down into the belly of Khafre's tomb. After around 75 metres, we reach the pharaoh's final resting place. It's an empty stone chamber the size of a large shed, deathly silent. It also strikes me as so very lonely. The world - and the nearby resting places of Khafre's father and son - seems unfathomably far away beyond layers of thick stone. What happened to the bodies of these pharaohs, and the treasures that were buried with them, we will never know. Most likely the mummies were stolen, the gold melted down and sold. Today it's even hard to decipher which tunnels were originals and which were dug by grave robbers. If you want to know what a mummy over 4,500 years old looks like, take a trip to the Royal Mummies Hall at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the most important collection of mummified royalty anywhere in the world. The room contains mummies from a variety of dynasties, including Tutmoses I-IV, Seti I, Rameses II-IV and Hatshepsut (who was identified by a missing tooth). The bodies are remarkably well-preserved. There are splayed toes with brown toenails, wisps of hair, bridges of noses, teeth in open mouths. It's a different kind of tomb. Grown-ups and children alike stare in silence. I try to imagine these mummies as people - laughing and loving, working and worrying, feasting and fighting, as humans have always done and always will. But it's almost impossible. But at least these mummies remain surrounded by treasures - themselves. It's a bit like a mummy reunion. Another room in the Egyptian Museum offers a glittering display of the riches found in the tomb of Tutankhamun when it was discovered in 1922. The boy king died at the tender age of 19, his body laid to rest under the weight of a solid gold mask decorated with lapis, coral and turquoise that has become a symbol of Ancient Egypt. Cases of gold and twinkling treasures, not to mention his favourite toys, surrounded him. Sadly Tutankhamun no longer has his favourite things; his body rests in his empty tomb in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. But given his trove of delights on display in Cairo, we can only imagine what treasures older rulers such as Rameses the Great (aged 91 when he died) would have amassed in their lifetimes. Or what on earth has happened to them. But while the gold and trinkets haven't survived, the bizarre mummies and pyramids have. The immense mausoleums of stone, standing empty in the desert as centuries of life go on around them, remain Egypt's greatest treasures of all. IF YOU GO GETTING THERE: Emirates and Qantas fly from most Australian state capitals to Cairo via Dubai. STAYING AND PLAYING THERE: Intrepid Travel's Egypt Family Holiday for Solo Parents trip starts and ends in Cairo. The nine-day trip costs from $1,560 per person twin-share and the minimum age for children on this trip is five years old. A discount of 10 per cent applies on this trip to children 17 years and under at time of travel. Intrepid offers small group adventures on more than 1000 itineraries worldwide. For more, visit www.intrepidtravel.com Queensland could be heading for its first cyclone of 2019 as areas of the the far north report the wettest December on record. Rainfall records have been shattered in Cardwell and Ingham with the towns reporting 1025mm and 902mm, respectively, for the month. Cairns Airport also recorded 490mm making it the wettest December since 1973. Those records will continue to be broken with Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gordon Banks warning "significant falls" were expected in the far north in the coming days. "The concern is that quite widespread rains with some heavy falls are likely to continue for the next several days," he said. A major flood warning is in place for the Daintree River, with a flood watch for the Mossman, Mulgrave and the Russell rivers. Mr Banks said a monsoon trough was developing north of the continent which was expected to move south in coming days. "There is a little bit of uncertainty as to where that trough will move to and what lows may develop on the trough," he said. "There is increased potential for tropical cyclone development over the next few days as well, potentially late in the weekend or early next week." Meanwhile the state's southeast is braced for increased temperatures heading into New Year's Eve with highs in the mid-to-high 30s. Mr Banks said the Gold and Sunshine coasts would enjoy afternoon sea breezes, but farther west in Gatton, Toowoomba and Warwick will swelter with temperatures around 38C forecast. Brisbane is expecting a maximum of 32. "It will be even warmer as we head inland. Essentially from the Darling Downs west and north west it will be in excess of 40 degrees so a really hit spell without any real sign of relief for the interior," Mr Banks said. India's two best batsmen are threatening to grind Australia's star-studded attack into submission, having easily piloted the tourists to 2-277 at lunch on day two of the third Test. Cheteshwar Pujara, who batted for a total of 11 hours at Adelaide Oval in a man-of-the-match effort that helped India to win the series opener, was unbeaten on 103 after facing 294 balls. Virat Kohli is 69 not out and demonstrating similar patience at the MCG. Pujara brought up the 17th Test ton with a sweetly timed straight drive off Nathan Lyon, as Kohli closed in on the outright record for most Test centuries in Australia by an Indian. Kohili, dropped on 47 by Tim Paine late on day one, and Pujara enjoyed a chanceless start to day two as they built an unbeaten 154-run stand. The venue's docile drop-in pitch continues to prove the stuff of nightmares for Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, who have already delivered a combined 68 overs in the match. A lack of wickets in Thursday's morning session is Australia's most-pressing issue as they hunt a 2-1 series lead. But workload concerns are also part of the bigger picture, especially with a three-day break between the third and fourth Tests. Pujara prides himself on batting time and has history when it comes to making Australia toil, notably spending more than 11 hours at the crease in a single dig last year in Ranchi . Pujara's knock of 202 was the highlight of an Indian innings that lasted 210 overs, with Hazlewood delivering 44 overs and Cummins charging in for 39 . "All India have in mind is piling on the pain for Australia," Shane Warne said on Fox. "I think India have said 'we are going to wear the Australians down ... let's just bat as long as we can'. "There's so much time left ... there's back-to-back Test matches." A young girl is in a serious condition following a near-drowning incident at south of Brisbane. Paramedics were called to a home at Jimboomba about 10.05am on Thursday following reports of a child in a near-drowning situation. A rescue helicopter was sent to the residence but the child was driven to hospital in an ambulance. She was in a serious but stable condition at the Queensland Children's Hospital. The incident comes one day after three people, including two children, were taken to hospital following near-drowning incidents near Hervey Bay and Townsville. Queensland Ambulance Service and Surf Life Saving Queensland are urging swimmers to take care in the water. More than 50 units in Sydney's cracked Opal Tower have not been declared safe and their tenants remain displaced, but the building's developer insists they have not been "cutting corners". More than 3000 people were evacuated from the Sydney Olympic Park building and the areas around it after the structure experienced a structural failure on Christmas Eve. It's understood residents on the tenth floor heard "cracking" sounds throughout the day before emergency services evacuated the area fearing the tower could collapse. Hours later much of the building was re-opened but 51 units remain off-limits days later. The displaced residents were only able to return briefly to recover essentials, while being escorted by Fire and Rescue NSW crews. The building's developer Ecove insisted it was "pushing as hard as everyone else" to find out what went wrong. The company's director Bassam Aflak, in a statement on Thursday, refuted suggestions there was a pattern of substandard work in the construction industry. "The city's 'development boom' has not led to cutting of corners. There has been no cutting of corners," he said. Mr Aflak said it appeared there was "one failed panel" but engineers were still working "flat out" to find the root problem. "The requirement from the Sydney Olympic Park Authority was that the building be high quality, and we have delivered on that," he said. "While this incident suggests otherwise, the contract with Icon specified that the building be of high quality Australian design and construction." One law firm said there would be legal questions about the responsibilities of the tower's builders and operators when it came to funding repairs. "A full assessment of liability would need to be investigated to determine if unit owners have a right to recover any loss from those who approved or certified the building or construction and engineering professionals," Shine Lawyers' head of class actions Jan Saddler said in a statement on Thursday. Ms Saddler said the incident could impact the value of the properties and the ability to sell them on. "Properties in the Opal Tower cost a lot of money and any loss of value to the units because of any defects to the property might also be recoverable," she said. NSW Labor leader Michael Daley said he wants to know someone is looking after the displaced residents and called for the cause of the problems to be made public. "Residents have to be looked after and we have to find out the truth about what happened and why that panel cracked," he told reporters in Sydney on Thursday. He said it was "not acceptable" that units were still closed in the four-month-old building. Two cases of measles have been confirmed in people who may have been infectious while in Victoria. Doctors and hospitals have been warned to be on the lookout after the infected people visited a number of busy locations in the greater Melbourne area. Infections are possible among people who were at the UNITE Syro-Malabar National Youth Conference at Phillip Island until 3pm on December 10, acting deputy chief health officer Finn Romanes said on Thursday. Anyone at Melbourne airport between 10.30am and 11.30am on December 11 and on Tiger Airways flight TT665 from Melbourne to Canberra that left at 11.30am is also potentially at risk. An infected person was also at David Jones in Melbourne between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on December 22 and Queen Victoria Market between 2.30pm and 4.30pm the same day. The alert is for patients with fever at the onset of a rash, particularly among people who were at any of the above places within seven to 18 days of falling ill. Rising Australian UFC featherweight star Alexander Volkanovski is confident of claiming his biggest scalp yet this weekend and moving on to a world title shot in the new year. Volkanovski, who has an 18-1 MMA record and hasn';t lost for over five years, will face his hardest test in American Chad Mendes on UFC 232 in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEST). The only MMA losses on the 33-year-old Californian's log are against former champions in Conor McGregor, Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo (twice). He is ranked fifth, five places above the 30-year-old New South Welshman. . . But Volkanovski, who has won 15 straight, including his first five UFC fights, is convinced he will win and get a world title shot in 2019. "Chad Mendes is one of the best in the featherweight division, he's only lost to the greats, but I think his time has come. Now it's my time,'" Volkanovski told AAP. "This is massive for me. This is really going to be the coming out party for me. "After this, I'm going to be very well known around the world. "I'm expecting to go out there and put Chad Mendes away in a wild fashion. "My name is going to be thrown out there for a title contention, I honestly believe that." Neither Volkanovski or Australian featherweight Megan Anderson, who fights fifth-rated bantamweight Cat Zingano on the same show, are fussed about the late move for the promotion headlined by the light heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. An abnormality in a pre-fight drug test collected from Jones forced the switch from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. "I've got some friends and family that are here and it's going to cost them money to do all of this, so it's a pain in the arse that way,"' Volkanovski said. "I'm going to pay a lot more tax in California now but I've got a fight to do ... either way, I'm not going to worry about it too much." A young Brisbane woman has undergone surgery after being smashed in the face with a gun after refusing to hand her keys over during an attempted carjacking. The woman, 19, suffered a broken nose and facial cuts after being repeatedly struck by a man in a stolen Mazda who followed her to her Alderley home in Brisbane's north after she finished work on Christmas Eve. "This is brutal and this is absolutely unnecessary. It unquestionably has been a traumatic event for her," Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming told reporters on Thursday. PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- An inmate at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center was found hanged in his cell Friday night, according to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell. The inmate, identified as 35-year-old Robert Gene Danley Jr., was found dead in his cell shortly after the nightly head count. ADC staff attempted to resuscitate Danley, but were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 7:20 p.m. Danley was a jail trustee who was arrested Nov. 12 by Pascagoula police on a misdemeanor charge. He was already on probation with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, however, and the new charge caused his probation to be revoked. He was awaiting transfer to a state correctional facility. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson County District Attorney's Office are assisting in investigating the death. Turkey's heavy military equipment is being deployed to the border with Syria. Convoys with tanks, howitzers and armored vehicles set off from the republics western provinces toward the border, Anadolu Agency reported. On December 19, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish Armed Forces ended the preparations for a possible operation in Syria. However, following the decision to start the withdrawal of US forces from Syria declared by US President Donald Trump on December 19, Ankara said that Washingtons move postponed the operation. Before that, Turkey already held two military operations on Syrian territory: Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch, as a result of which a buffer zone of security was created between the bordering cities of Azaz and Jarabulus and the Afrin region, which is populated by Kurds, was occupied. All eyes will be on India skipper Virat Kohli on day three of the third Test, even more so than usual given his dodgy back has flared up. Kohli appeared to tweak his back while helping India amass a total of 7(dec)-443 on day two of the contest at the MCG. The superstar received treatment from team physio Patrick Farhart after the setback then was dismissed soon after, guiding a short ball from Mitchell Starc to Aaron Finch at deep third man. Kohli took his customary position in the slips following the change of innings but is likely to be assessed again by Farhart on Friday morning. The 30-year-old, speaking earlier this year after a persistent back problem flared up in England and clearly affected his running between the wickets, admitted the "back can be very tricky when it goes off". "It's sore," Kohli said at the time. "It happened in the latter half or the last leg of the South Africa tour (at the start of the year). "That was very sudden." Cheteshwar Pujara, who shared a record 170-run stand with Kohli, suggested the latest setback is not serious. "Obviously I'm not a physio so I can't say much about it," Pujara said. Kohli didn't move with complete freedom when he took the field on Thursday but was nonetheless in good spirits. The world's best batsman, subjected to 'you are a wanker' chants from Bay 13, doffed his cap and bowed to Australia's fans. Eight people have been charged with allegedly stealing more than a million dollars worth of luxury items from homes across Sydney and sending the ill-gotten gains abroad. The five men and three women, all Chilean nationals, were arrested over the past month following an investigation into 80 aggravated break-ins across Sydney during September and October. Police say the men and women broke into homes across the city, including in Vaucluse, Rose Bay, Five Dock, and Castle Hill, and stole $1.2 million worth of jewellery and luxury items, and cash. It's also alleged they stole luxury items from designer stores across Sydney. All the items and cash were shipped to their home country and investigators have been working with Chilean authorities to seize packages believed to contain the stolen items. "This has been a sophisticated and meticulous investigation; spanning not just across Australia but across the Pacific Ocean," Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said. "We want to hear from anyone who may have information that can assist us in dismantling this syndicate." He also reminded the community to properly secure their homes and cars during the holiday season, and have someone check on the property if it's left empty. Liam Hemsworth's wedding to longtime love Miley Cyrus has been described as "perfect". The Australian star of The Hunger Games movie franchise and the former Disney child star turned Billboard chart-topping artiste tied the knot in front of family and friends, including Hemsworth's brothers Chris and Luke, at the couple's Nashville home on Sunday. In the days, that followed there was no official announcement but the couple posted multiple photos and videos on social media of the nuptials. Some of their famous friends, including British DJ and producer Mark Ronson and romance author Nicholas Sparks, also posted congratulatory messages on Twitter. "They always wanted a small, private celebration with family and close friends and that's what they got," a source told People.com. "Miley seems ecstatic. "She loves her Tennessee home and was very happy about having the ceremony there." Hemsworth, 28, and Cyrus, 26, met a decade ago when they were cast opposite each other in the romantic drama, The Last Song, based on Sparks' novel. Photos and videos posted on social media by the couple and friends show the Hemsworth brothers downing "shotskis", Hemsworth and Cyrus kissing and cuddling, and the bride dancing barefoot in her wedding dress to Bruno Mars' hit Uptown Funk. A NSW prison officer has been charged after allegedly being paid by inmates to smuggle tobacco into a prison in the state's central west. Detectives investigating the introduction of contraband at the Wellington Correctional Centre arrested the 35-year-old male corrections officer on Thursday at a home in the nearby town of Maryvale, police said. The man allegedly trafficked tobacco into the prison on five occasions in return for financial reward from two inmates. The 35-year-old was charged with two counts of agent corruptly receive benefit and five counts of unlawfully deliver anything to an inmate. The man was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Wellington Local Court on February 19. His employment with Corrective Services NSW has been suspended. UNDERWORLD: Former Comanchero boss Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi is gunned down outside a gym, years after he stepped away from his colourful life in Sydney's underworld. (Feb) Two members of the rival Lone Wolf club and a third man are charged with the killing months after Hawi's extravagant funeral. FIRE: Bushfires rip through idyllic holiday village Tathra on the state's south coast, cutting the only road out of town and raining embers down on homes. More than 60 houses are destroyed and asbestos is strewn throughout the town, prompting a massive and ongoing recovery effort. (March) FAREWELL: Family and friends of Matthew Leveson, who disappeared in 2007, lay the young man to rest at an emotional ceremony in Sydney years after their son's then-lover, Michael Atkins, was arrested, prosecuted and acquitted of his murder. (March) MURDER: Millionaire property developer Ron Medich is sentenced to 39 years in prison for the execution-style murder of his business foe Michael McGurk in 2009 and the intimidation of his victim's widow a year later. (June) DROUGHT: NSW is declared 100 per cent in drought as years of below-average rainfall bite across primary production areas. (August) DESPAIR: A three-week search of bushland around the home where William Tyrrell disappeared unearths no trace of the toddler who went missing in 2014. Detectives hoped the fruitless search would put pressure on locals withholding information as they announce the case will be handed to the NSW coroner. (Sept) YOUTH POLITICS: The NSW Nationals are embroiled in political turmoil after young conservative members allegedly pair up with neo-Nazis to stack a branch and assume control of the party's youth wing. Dozens are expelled as the internal war spills into the media spotlight. (Oct) ME TOO: Geoffrey Rush's defamation case opens in Sydney. The Oscar winner is suing Nationwide News, The Daily Telegraph and its journalist Jonathon Moran after two 2017 articles allegedly claimed "King Leer" Rush acted inappropriately towards female co-star Eryn Jean Norvill. (Oct) POLITICS: NSW Labor leader Luke Foley resigns in disgrace after pressure from his political enemies triggers ABC journalist Ashleigh Raper to break her silence about allegations he indecently touched her at a Christmas party. Foley briefly threatens legal action but later backs down as Michael Daley replaces him as opposition leader. (Nov) MURDER: Former Newtown Jets rugby league star Chris Dawson is charged with the 1982 murder of his wife Lynette after new evidence emerged and the cold case was thrust into the public consciousness by The Teacher's Pet podcast. (Dec) HORROR: A two-year-old girl is raped in Tennant Creek, highlighting the town's and the wider NT's child protection and social problems. (Feb) Strict alcohol measures are imposed. The NT Children's Commissioner says the horrific attack was foreseeable, given the family's problems were well known. Former PM Malcolm Turnbull visits the town after pressure by local media. A man is later charged. CYCLONE: Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcus hits the NT and Kimberley. (Mar). It was stronger than Cyclone Tracey, which levelled the town in 1974. Fortunately, unlike Tracey, there are no deaths. Darwin is shut off with school, events and flights cancelled and power cut off to 26,000 homes. FRACKING GREEN LIGHT: The Labor government lifts its ban on fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - in which a rock is fractured by using a pressurised liquid to access natural gas. The government insists it did so only after a scientific inquiry found the risks could be reduced, but there are claims the federal government pressured them do so in order to receive $260 million extra in GST. (April) DISGRACE: The Territory's former police commissioner John McRoberts becomes the second top cop in Australian history to be jailed. (June) He is guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice after he was found to have interfered with an investigation into his former lover, NT Crime Stoppers chairwoman Xana Kamitsis, who was jailed for committing fraud as a travel agent. He is sentenced to three years. VISIT: Shinzo Abe becomes the first Japanese PM to visit Darwin since his country's military bombed the city. The attack 76 years ago, in which at least 243 people were killed, was the biggest assault on Australia. Mr Abe and Australian PM Scott Morrison lay wreaths at the Darwin cenotaph in what's seen as a highly symbolic moment. The two leaders announce closer military ties and strategic partnerships. (Nov) CORRUPTION: Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander delivers a damning report into the Oakden nursing home scandal, declaring it a "shameful chapter in the state's history". (Feb) MYSTERY: In a renewed search for the Beaumont Children, who disappeared in 1966, police converge on a factory site in Adelaide amid speculation it was where Jane, 9, Arnna, 7, and Grant, 4, were buried. The dig only uncovers animal bones. (Feb) POLITICS: Liberal leader Steven Marshall ends 16 years of Labor rule in South Australia. His party wins 25 seats in the 47-seat House of Assembly to Labor's 19, with three going to independents. (Mar) CRIME: Steven Graham Peet is jailed for 36 years for the 2016 murders of his partner Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney and her two children, with a judge describing his actions at deplorable and incomprehensible. (April) TERROR: Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif is found guilty of being a member of terror group Islamic State with evidence against her including 127 video files and communication with three young African women involved in a terror attack in Kenya. (Sept) COLD CASE: The disappearance of Colleen Adams 45 years ago is resolved with the discovery of her skeletal remains under a concrete slab at a Yorke Peninsula property and the charging of her husband, Geoffrey Adams, with murder. (Sept) WA TOP STORIES OF 2018 FAMILY MASS MURDERS: At a farm near Margaret River, a grandfather shoots dead his wife, their daughter and her four children then kills himself. It is Australia's worst gun crime since the Port Arthur massacre. (May) Two months later, a 19-year-old man allegedly kills his mother, sister and brother at their Perth home in Ellenbrook. Another two months later, a 24-year-old man allegedly kills his wife, mother-in-law and three young children at their Bedford home in Perth. ASSISTED SUICIDE: Australia's oldest scientist, 104-year-old David Goodall, did not have a terminal illness but says he stopped enjoying life at about the age of 90. The West Australian travels to Switzerland, where it's legal to take his own life. The England-born Member of the Order of Australia says in an open letter he would have preferred to end his days in "the country of my adoption". (May) CLAREMONT SERIAL KILLINGS: Telecommunications worker Bradley Robert Edwards, 49, pleads not guilty to murdering Jane Rimmer, 23, Ciara Glennon, 27, and Sarah Spiers, 18, in 1996 and 1997, plus separate sexual offences in 1988 and 1995. He is expected to face a lengthy judge-alone trial, starting next year, following what is believed to be Australia's longest-running and most expensive police investigation. (June) QLD TOP STORIES OF 2018 GAMES: The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is hailed a success, however it ends on a sour note with organisers criticised for not televising the entrance of the athletes to the closing ceremony. (April) COURT: Rick Thorburn is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his 12-year-old foster-daughter Tiahleigh Palmer in 2015. (May) JOGGER: The bizarre case of the "poo jogger" who defecated over 60 times on Brisbane footpaths. It turns out to be corporate executive Andrew Douglas Macintosh after a disgruntled neighbour caught him in the act, snapping a picture after lying in wait for three nights. (June) COURT: Shock jock Alan Jones is slapped with a record defamation payout of $3.7 million. (Sept) CRIME: Toyah Cordingley, 24, is found murdered at a beach north of Cairns, sparking a major investigation, with her killer still at large. (Oct) POLITICS: Laws to remove abortion from the state's criminal code pass state parliament. (Oct) STRAWBERRIES: Needles discovered in supermarket strawberries spark a nationwide recall. (Sept) Former strawberry farm worker, My Ut Trinh, is charged over the initial contamination incidents, however police are still hunting for several copycats. (Nov) SHARKS: Victorian doctor Daniel Christidis dies after being mauled by a shark at Cid Harbour in the Whitsundays. (Nov) There are two non-fatal attacks in the same area in September. FIRE: A record-breaking extreme heatwave leads to an unprecedented start to the bushfire season. While numerous buildings and properties are damaged, there are no thankfully no deaths. (Dec) VIC TOP STORIES OF 2018 POLITICS: A damning Ombudsman report finds 21 Victorian Labor MPs breached parliamentary guidelines in a $388,000 rort at the 2014 state election. (March). It leads to an active police investigation into what is now known as the red shirts affair, implicating up to 21 MPs, including six ministers. (Aug) POLITICS: Daniel Andrews' Labor government is re-elected for a second term in a landslide victory. Three days later he unveils his new front bench, with half of ministerial positions going to women. (Nov) Opposition leader Matthew Guy and state Liberal Party President Michael Kroger resign in the wake of the thumping. (Dec) COURT: James Gargasoulas is found guilty of six murders after mowing down pedestrians on Melbourne's Bourke Street in January 2017 after what he described as a "premonition from God". (Nov) TERROR: A knife attack on Bourke Street launched by Hassan Khalif Shire Ali kills Italian restaurateur Sisto Malaspina and injures two other men. The attacker later died in hospital. Malaspina is remembered for his warmth and "out there" fashion sense at a state funeral. (Nov) MEDICAL: Surgeons at Melbourne's Royal Childrens Hospital successfully separate conjoined Bhutanese twins Nima and Dawa in a six-hour operation. A team of up to 25 doctors helped to separate the 15-month-olds, who were joined at the torso and shared a liver. (Nov) COURT: Three men - Hamza Abbas, Abdullah Chaarani and Ahmed Mohamed - are found guilty of plotting a Christmas Day 2016 terror attack in Melbourne. (Nov) The Ukrainian authorities lifted the ban on entry for Russian men, but according to Ukraines customs spokesman, enhanced checks at the border crossings with Russia by Ukrainian border guards continues. "We exercise increased control over the entry of foreigners into Ukraine, spokesman for Ukraines border agency Oleg Slobodyan said. "The State Border Service continues to monitor all Russian citizens, clarifying the purpose of their visit to Ukraine," before allowing them to enter the country, he said. Slobodyan added that Russians might be forced to provide "additional documents," RT reported. Ukraine temporarily banned Russian males, aged 16-60, into the country following the imposition of martial law last month. After Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko ended martial law this week, Kiev also announced the lifting of the travel restrictions for Russians. JANUARY 31 - The government is embarrassed by sensitive cabinet documents found in second-hand filing cabinets bought at a Canberra auction. FEBRUARY 1 - Victorian Labor MP David Feeney quits parliament over citizenship issues, triggering the Batman by-election. 6 - The Daily Telegraph reveals Barnaby Joyce's former media adviser Vikki Campion is pregnant with his child. 13 - PM Malcolm Turnbull says there is "zero" chance of agreement on an indigenous representative body, as parliament marks the 10th anniversary of the Apology. 23 - Barnaby Joyce quits the leadership, citing a sexual harassment complaint by former WA Rural Woman of the Year Catherine Marriott as the "last straw". An inquiry later fails to substantiate the claim. 26 - Michael McCormack becomes Nationals leader. MARCH 3 - The Liberals are re-elected in Tasmania. 8 - Australia and the other 10 nations, minus the US, sign a revamped Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. 13 - Labor proposes ending the practice of allowing investors to claim tax imputations from dividends, but says two weeks later pensioners are exempt after a backlash from retirees. 17 - The Liberals win government in South Australia for the first time in 16 years. 17 - Labor's Ged Kearney wins the Batman by-election. 26 - AAP reveals Peter Dutton used his powers of discretion as home affairs minister to grant visas on public interest grounds to two au pairs in 2015. APRIL 6 - Agriculture Minister David Littleproud announces a review of live export standards after seeing shocking sheep footage. 9 - PM Malcolm Turnbull loses his 30th Newspoll, the test used to depose his predecessor Tony Abbott. 26 - The Turnbull government abandons the Medicare levy hike to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with support from Labor. MAY 2 - Labor rising star Tim Hammond quits parliament to spend more time with his family. 8 - Treasurer Scott Morrison delivers his fifth budget, headlined by personal income tax cuts. 9 - The High Court rules Katy Gallagher ineligible to sit in parliament over dual citizenship, triggering the resignation of four MPs. Labor's Justine Keay, Susan Lamb and Josh Wilson, and Centre Alliance's Rebekha Sharkie announce they will contest by-elections, which they win. 10 - Bill Shorten announces bigger personal tax cuts in his budget reply speech. JUNE 3 - Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion give a tell-all television interview in exchange for $150,000. 14 - One Nation's NSW senator Brian Burston quits the party. Burston then joins Clive Palmer's United Australia Party. 19 - The $3.8 billion national redress scheme for child sexual abuse survivors passes parliament. 28 - Company tax cuts are shelved after the government fails to win support in the Senate. JULY 5 - A new formula for GST distribution is announced. 28 - Super Saturday of by-elections. AUGUST 5 - The government announces a drought aid package worth $190 million. 8 - Labor MP Emma Husar announces she won't contest the next federal election after weeks of claims she bullied staff. She is later cleared of sexual harassment allegations but not of bullying. 20 - Malcolm Turnbull retreats from plans to legislate climate change targets through the National Energy Guarantee. 21- Malcolm Turnbull spills the leadership of the Liberal Party. He wins by a small margin of 48-35. 22 - Peter Dutton's eligibility for parliament is questioned over his child care centre interests. 23 - The Senate refers the Dutton au pair matter to a parliamentary inquiry. 24 - Scott Morrison becomes Australia's 30th prime minister, defeating Peter Dutton. Josh Frydenberg defeats Greg Hunt for the deputy leadership, becoming treasurer. 31 - Malcolm Turnbull resigns from parliament, triggering the Wentworth by-election. SEPTEMBER 16 - Scott Morrison announces a royal commission into aged care. 17 - Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis announces she's quitting parliament, blaming "bullying" branch stackers. 20 - Scott Morrison strikes a $4.6 billion peace deal with Catholic and independent schools. 24 - ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie is sacked. Chairman Justin Milne resigns three days later. 26 - Scott Morrison rejects the idea of an indigenous voice to parliament, claiming it would be a third chamber. OCTOBER 15 - Scott Morrison reveals he is considering moving Australia's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 16 - The government makes an embarrassing backdown after senators voted in favour of Pauline Hanson's "it's OK to be white" motion. 20 - Liberals' Dave Sharma loses the Wentworth by-election to independent Kerryn Phelps. 22 - The government make a national apology to victims of institutional child sex abuse. NOVEMBER 13 - Scott Morrison faces his first major foreign policy test, attending global leaders summits in Singapore and Papua New Guinea. 24 -Labor's Daniel Andrews wins the Victorian state election. 26 - Julia Banks quits the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, bagging her party's right faction. The government announces an April 2 budget will be in surplus, with an election to follow in May. DECEMBER 2- Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young says there should be a strict code of conduct "with consequences" to deter sexualised bullying in federal parliament. 6- Scott Morrison says Australia would now recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital but maintain its embassy in Tel Aviv, thereby backtracking on part of his Wentworth byelection promise. 17- Nationals MP Andrew Broad, who represents the Victorian seat of Mallee, stands down as an assistant minister to Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack after questions were raised about his private life. 18- Broad decides not to recontest his seat and agrees to repay $479.62 for two taxpayer-funded domestic flights after it was revealed they were part of a trip to Hong Kong where the married MP had dinner with a younger woman he met online. pjo/CJB/klm Australian federal politics in 2018 has been a cross between House of Cards and Mr Bean. The year began with a filing cabinet full of sensitive government documents being sold in a Canberra second-hand store. Then in August, a cabinet full of insensitive government ministers sold out a prime minister. A swag of seven by-elections - which began with Labor's David Feeney quitting in February over his citizenship status - ended in the government collapsing into a minority in the final weeks of the parliamentary year. Along the way, the Liberals retained government in Tasmania and ousted a 16-year-old Labor government in South Australia. And Labor comfortably held power in Victoria in November, amid a fractious Liberal Party in Canberra and a lacklustre state campaign. The first major hurdle of the year for the coalition government was the revelation in the Daily Telegraph in February that deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce's former media adviser Vikki Campion was pregnant with his child. Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who instituted the so-called ministerial "bonk ban", put conservatives in his team offside by calling it a "shocking error of judgment" by Mr Joyce. Mr Joyce hit back describing the prime minister's comments as "inept" and hurtful. Michael McCormack stepped into the deputy PM role, leaving a rump of coalition MPs muttering among themselves about the government's leadership and direction. Wins for the Liberals in Tasmania and South Australia - the latter ending a 16-year-old Labor government - were positive news for the government in March. But a 30th Newspoll loss in a row - the benchmark set by Mr Turnbull for ousting Tony Abbott - brought a fresh focus to the federal Liberal leadership. An emboldened Peter Dutton mused out loud in a series of interviews about wanting to one day become prime minister. But keeping a lid on this was public disgruntlement over his handling of offshore detention, his militarization of the immigration system and an AAP story about him fast-tracking visas for European au pairs. A day after the government was hopeful of a popularity boost from a positively received budget chock-full of giveaways such as personal income tax cuts, the citizenship crisis reared its head - forcing out Labor senator Katy Gallagher and bringing into question the eligibility of four lower house MPs. While the personal income tax cuts passed parliament in June, the government was forced to shelve its much-vaunted business tax cuts after Pauline Hanson reneged on her support - losing NSW senator Brian Burston from her party in the process. The July 28 Super Saturday of by-elections - to deal with MP eligibility issues and the retirement of Labor's Tim Hammond for family reasons - took on a national focus when Mr Turnbull framed it as a test of leadership between him and Bill Shorten. With the Liberals failing to win any of the five by-elections, Mr Turnbull played it down. But within a few weeks he was caving in to conservative rebels in his ranks and retreating from plans to legislate climate change targets through the National Energy Guarantee. He won a spill on August 21 by 48 votes to 35, but was mortally wounded. Just days later after botched number-counting by the Dutton forces, Scott Morrison accidentally became the 30th prime minister of Australia, with Josh Frydenberg defeating Greg Hunt for the deputy leadership, paving the way for his elevation to treasurer. Mr Turnbull resigned from parliament, not wanting to be a "miserable ghost", triggering the Wentworth by-election. The new prime minister sought to put his stamp on the government by dumping long-held plans to raise the retirement age to 70 from 67 and elevating the drought to the top national issue. An aged care royal commission, set to start in December, pre-empted a damning Four Corners report. A $4.6 billion peace deal was struck with Catholic and independent schools, heading off another potential election-losing issue, with more money in the kitty for an election year based on the first surplus budget in a decade. A messy week in which Mr Morrison flagged the shifting of Australia's Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and coalition senators voted in favour of Hanson's "it's OK to be white" motion (later backtracking) saw the Liberals' Dave Sharma lose Wentworth to independent Kerryn Phelps. Federal Liberal disunity was blamed on Daniel Andrews securing a landslide victory in the Victorian state election on November 24. In the final fortnight of parliament for the year, the government was rocked by Julia Banks' decision to quit the Liberals and sit on the crossbench, just as Mr Morrison was seeking clear air to talk about delivering the first budget surplus in 12 years. The minority parliament - thanks to Dr Phelps' election - suddenly became a more difficult beast to manage. To reassert at least some semblance of authority, the prime minister secured a change to the leadership spill rules in the Liberal Party room. He also managed to secure a win on national security laws dealing with encrypted communications, but the rest of the final parliamentary fortnight of the year was a shambles. The resignation Nationals MP Andrew Broad from a junior ministry over a sex scandal just before Christmas topped off a horror year. Australians are set to head to the polls five or six weeks after an April 2 budget, with government disunity - seen so clearly during 2018 - front of mind at the ballot box. Royal Dutch Shell says it has completed the sale of its New Zealand oil and gas fields to Austrian oil and gas producer OMV for $US578 million ($A822m). The sale includes the Maui and Pohokura gas fields off the Taranaki coast, Shell Australia said on Friday. It also includes Shell's interest in the Great South Basin, an undeveloped region to the south of the South Island where Shell has been conducting exploratory drilling. The sale was announced in March and the New Zealand Commerce Commission gave its approval in August. "We are proud of having worked in New Zealand for more than 100 years and completion of the sale to OMV marks an important milestone in the company's history," said Zoe Yujnovich EVP, Australia and New Zealand. Employees of Shell Taranaki Limited and Shell NZ 2011 Limited are now part of OMV New Zealand. OMV, which owns production assets in Romania, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is trying to develop Australasia as a core region. 6. FINANCIAL SERVICES ROYAL COMMISSION There's been no shortage of tales of woe since the royal commission into Australia's financial services sector opened in February. Among the shocking evidence were details about the sector's $1 billion fees-for-no-service scandal, with AMP apologising for lying to the industry regulator in a move that could see Australia's largest wealth manager face criminal charges. Details also emerged about how the Commonwealth Bank, NAB and AMP charged thousands of clients fees after they died. Tears were shed when farmers told how they'd been kicked off the land by banks when they hit financial difficulties, while a syndicate of NAB employees was exposed for taking $2800 bribes in white envelopes for fraudulent home loans and ANZ charged thousands customers too much interest on their home loans for a decade. In his interim report in September, commissioner Kenneth Hayne blamed greed and the pursuit of profit for widespread misconduct in the sector. Industry regulator ASIC, which was criticised in the report for rarely going to court to punish misconduct, has flagged plans to launch civil, and possibly criminal, legal cases. Mr Hayne's final report is due by February 1. 7. DUTTON'S AU PAIR SCANDAL Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton spent most of the year dogged by the scandal swirling around his 2015 decision to use his powers while immigration minister to grant visas to two foreign au pairs to save them from deportation. He has repeatedly insisted he didn't know the women and that he only intervened because it was in the public interest. In the first case a young Italian woman had her eVisitor visa cancelled at Brisbane airport, rendering her an "unlawful non-citizen". In the second case, Mr Dutton intervened to grant a visitor visa to a French au pair detained in Adelaide, despite warnings from his department. Leaked internal emails revealed both women planned to do nannying work for families while on tourist visas. The Italian au pair planned to work for a former Queensland Police colleague of Mr Dutton, while the French au pair was linked to friends of AFL boss Gillon McLachlan. The matter is now before a Senate committee, which will scrutinise Mr Dutton's interventions and leaked emails seized by Federal Police during raids on his federal department. 8. ROYALS AUST. Australians were treated to a double dose of royal tours in 2018. Prince Charles clocked up his 16th official visit to Australia in April, equalling the number of tours made by his mother, the Queen. At the end of his seven-day visit, which included opening the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and a trip to the Northern Territory, Charles declared his love for Australia and its people. And it seems the love is reciprocated, with opinion polls showing that opposition to Australia becoming a republic has dipped. Royal newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spread the love during their visit in October for the Invictus Games. Shortly after landing in Sydney the newlyweds generated headlines around the world by announcing they were expecting their first baby. During their 12-day tour, which also took in Fiji and Tonga, they celebrated with drought-stricken farmers as rain fell in the central NSW town of Dubbo, and shone a spotlight on issues close to their hearts - mental health, the environment - while in Sydney, Melbourne and Fraser Island. 9. DROUGHT. NSW and parts of Queensland are going through the worst drought in 50 years, so bad politicians and the media started paying attention. While parts of Queensland received a drenching early in the year, wheat growers along the east coast are facing their fourth year without a crop and need falls of 100mm over several months to turn things around. Many farmers have been forced to sell tens of thousands of sheep while others have relied on convoys of hay from interstate to feed their stock. Towards the end of 2018 parts of rural Victoria fell victim to the dry conditions. The Reserve Bank has warned that if the drought continues for much longer there will be a "significant" effect on the economy and food prices. With a warmer-than-average summer forecast, that warning could become reality in 2019. In the meantime, the NSW and Queensland governments have boosted their drought-relief packages while the federal government has made more than half a billion dollars available to help farmers battle the bone-dry conditions. At his drought summit in October, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised a new $5 billion fund to help during future droughts. 10. CHILD SEX ABUSE APOLOGY AND REDRESS Victims of institutional child sex abuse finally received a historic apology from Prime Minister Scott Morrison in October. The long-awaited "sorry" came after a royal commission heard from 17,000 survivors and made 122 recommendations to the government, which has rolled out a national redress scheme and set up an office of child safety. Schools, churches and other institutions have been told to sign up to the national redress scheme for survivors as quickly as possible. All state and territory governments have announced they will join the scheme, which began on July 1, to provide redress to about 60,000 people who were sexually abused as children while in the care of institutions. The scheme has a maximum payout of $150,000. But there are fears that many abuse survivors will miss out, with some already having passed away and others close to death without having received compensation. Two men and a woman have been charged over more than $90,000 worth of drugs seized from a Melbourne home, along with a gun, cash and tainted goods. Police raided a Ringwood home on Thursday, finding drugs valued at over $92,000, along with cash and tainted property, totalling more than $163,000. A handgun was also found and seized. Two men, aged 25 and 26, and a 23-year-old woman, all from Ringwood, have been charged and remanded in custody for trafficking cocaine, ecstasy and other associated offences. The trio will appear at Ringwood Magistrates Court on Friday. Have fun, but use common sense and don't wake up with regrets in 2019, is the message for Melbourne revellers this New Year's Eve. Up to 30 times as many police as usual will be on the streets monitoring an expected crowd of 350,000 as the city rings in 2019 with 14 tonnes of fireworks. Celebrate with common sense, keep an eye out on your mates and "don't play up, because if you do, you'll pay a significant price for that", Premier Daniel Andrews urged on Friday. An Indian man who drowned at a Victorian waterfall has been recalled as being a "beautiful soul" as efforts are under way to return his body home. Harmanjot Singh Walia, 27, drowned at MacKenzie Falls near Stawell about 6pm on Wednesday after falling into a rock pool. Friend Binoti Vij said Mr Walia, who was visiting Australia with his wife Kirtika Walia, from New Zealand where they are living on a work visa, was a "very beautiful soul" and remembered as a "charming, funny and helpful guy" by his friends. Shares in Adelaide mining company Havilah Resources have resumed trading on the ASX following a voluntary suspension so the company could retract statements on social media about an iron ore find. Havilah had asked for the trading halt on Monday after Havilah's technical director gave optimistic interviews about the size of its recent iron ore discovery in the Grants Basin near Broken Hill. Specifically, Dr. Chris Giles told Proactive Investors that the potential of the find "could be billions of tonnes". Havilah said in a statement on Friday that it retracts these statements and investors shouldn't rely on them. The company said it hadn't defined the scope of the iron ore find due to wide spacing between drillholes. Trading was set to resume on Friday afternoon, the ASX said, but it appeared no shares had changed hands as of 3.30 pm. Havilah has been approached for comment. Participation in the national redress scheme for institutional child sex abuse will take effect in Western Australia from January 1. Legislation enabling survivors to seek compensation under the national scheme passed state parliament in November and applications can start to be assessed in 2019. Other changes that come into effect on January 1 include phase one of the state government's no jab, no play policy. Unvaccinated children will be banned from attending school and child care centres during disease outbreaks, with principals and owners to be fined up to $1000 if they allow under-vaccinated children to enter their facility. Meanwhile, the "point of consumption tax", which replaces two other taxes, will see online and foreign-owned corporate bookmakers pay 15 per cent on profits from bets made in WA, regardless of where they are licensed. The local racing industry will then receive 30 per cent of the total revenue. Finally, retailers who supply banned lightweight plastic bags will face fines of up to $5000 from New Year's Day. Plastic bag manufacturers who provide misleading information when selling bags also risk prosecution. Melbourne Victory have returned to the top of the W-League, shutting out Matildas star Sam Kerr with a 2-1 win over Perth Glory at AAMI Park. Victory captain Natasha Dowie opened the scoring on Friday with a fine solo effort in the 35th minute. The English striker was on hand for Victory's second, bundling in the ball from Christine Nairn's fine cross to the back post. Kerr helped Perth launch a frantic finale by setting up strike partner Rachel Hill for an 89th minute finish, but the effort proved only a consolation. Replays were inconclusive as to whether Dowie or the American midfielder put the ball over the line for Victory's second but the result was the same, an end to Victory's mid-season rut with a win in sticky conditions. The match had been billed as a meeting of Dowie and Kerr, the two captains and international sharpshooters who had hauled their sides to the highest reaches of the W-League. Kerr missed a fine chance to put the Glory on top, rounding Casey Dumont but running out of field to stroke home an opener. Dowie pounced five minutes later, running onto Dani Weatherholt's through ball, turning Kathleen Naughton with ease and sidefooting home at the near post. Dowie might have had a hatful, missing several chances in the hot weather, the best being a chance to tap-in at the back post from Emily Gielnik's centre with the match at 1-0. Kerr, on the other hand, had her moments but never looked her incisive best. She was caught by Sam Johnston's vicious and late studs-up challenge and spent minutes of the second half enraged at referee Rachel Mitchenson's decision not to penalise the Victory defender. Her failure to hit the back of the net was the first time she hasn't scored in six W-League outings. While Lia Privitelli was helped off with an ankle injury, this was otherwise a productive night for Jeff Hopkins' side. Victory were unbeaten and clear on top of the league until dropping matches against Brisbane and Adelaide, shipping seven goals in the process. The win puts Victory back on top of the table ahead of next weekend's Melbourne derby. The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Iranian regional actions that endanger Israeli national security and the safety of the Israeli people, deputy State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino said. "Iranian support of and supply to terrorist groups in Syria and across the region that have the clear intent and capability to strike Israel are unacceptable," the State Department website cited him as saying. "The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against the Iranian regimes aggressive adventurism, and we will continue to ensure that Israel has the military capacity to do so decisively," Palladino said. The commitment of the Trump Administration and the American people to ensuring Israels security is both enduring and unshakable," the spokesperson added. The opening of Starbucks' first store in the Rosebank district of Johannesburg in April 2016 attracted big crowds High operating costs and tight customer budgets have left US coffee giant Starbucks needing a caffeine hit after it abandoned ambitious expansion plans in South Africa -- seen as a foothold for the continent. Starbucks looked set to take the country by storm when the opening of its first store in the Rosebank district of Johannesburg in April 2016 attracted big crowds who queued for hours to taste their famous coffee and enjoy the cafe experience. "We thought they were going to run out of coffee before we could get a chance to taste it," Irshaan Mohammed, who is still a loyal customer at the flagship store, told AFP. "We couldn't believe how many people had actually come here." Mohammed, 23, said he loved "choosing ingredients and hanging out" at Starbucks, but "when it comes to my bill I always worry that I am paying too much." Local licensee Taste Holdings has opened 12 Starbucks cafes across Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. It had hoped to have 45 stores open by 2020 -- with a peak target of 150 countrywide. But further openings have now been ruled out as the company struggles to control operational costs and debt. Taste last month announced it would "pause the expansion", saying "whilst the Starbucks' store network is profitable (before debt interest and tax), it is not producing the required return on the store investments." In its latest financial report, Taste said its food divisions operating costs increased by seven percent in the six months to August, "largely as a result of the operating costs of Starbucks doubling since the comparative period due to the addition of eight stores". - A tough challenge - Michael Trehene, market analyst at Vestact, told AFP that the Starbucks name was strong in South Africa but "the current model is simple too expensive to operate." It costs an estimated $350,000 to $550,000 to open each new store. There is no Starbucks in the country's fashionable tourist hub of Cape Town, despite Taste announcing plans to open there as far back as November 2017. "Places like Cape Town are affluent enough to sustain a few stores... (but) the coffee is expensive, which makes it unaffordable for a large part of our population," Trehene added. Another market watcher, Casparus Treunicht, an equity analyst at Gryphon asset managers, said Starbucks was a tough challenge to make profitable in South Africa. "Sure, it is a big brand, but what does it cost to give that product to your consumer?" he said. "You have to import all your ingredients and materials." The company sources coffee from nine countries in Africa along with small-batch reserve coffees from around the world. "For Starbucks to really make a profit they have to bring the costs down significantly but at the same time you need scale and selling more units,' said Treunicht. But cost-cutting is tricky at Starbucks where prime store locations, branded products and fast wi-fi are internationally standardised -- as well as having your name scribbled on your takeaway cup. The South African coffee market is also competitive with the likes of Bean There, Father Coffee and many independent outfits targeting middle-class consumers in cities. A small cup of Starbucks flat white costs 30 rand ($2), while a similar order at Father coffee costs 22 rand and 26 rand at the Vida e Caffe chain. - Weak economy - South Africa's middle-class has been under pressure from slow economic growth, while the country is one of the most economically unequal in the world with 27 percent of the population jobless. Starbucks, which operates more than 22,000 cafes worldwide, has a presence in only two other African countries -- Egypt and Morocco. Taste's entire food division, which includes brands like Domino's Pizza, has failed to make profit since 2015. It had to be refinanced by shareholders last February to the tune of $27 million to pay off its debt. It has also secured a $14 million loan from its now majority shareholder, the Riskowitz Value Fund, and may seek fresh refinancing in the near future. But Taste is optimistic and says that after securing long-term funding it hopes to reconsider its Starbucks plans. Now they need to convince consumers. "I only come here when me and my mom meet once a month, she loves it," said 25-year-old administration clerk Lerato Sedibeng. "I personally can't afford this coffee on my budget." A child climbs up the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence at Sunland Park, New Mexico, in June 2018 The United States will take "extraordinary" protective measures to deal with a surge of immigrant children in custody, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has said after a second Guatemalan child died in custody. Nielsen plans to travel later this week to the Mexico border region to witness medical screenings and conditions at Border Patrol stations, she said in a statement Wednesday, as Congress and President Donald Trump remain deadlocked over his demands for billions of dollars to fund a wall along the border. "In response to the unprecedented surge of children into our custody, I have directed a series of extraordinary protective measures," she said in a statement after the "deeply concerning and heartbreaking" death of the child. Nielsen has asked experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate "the uptick in sick children crossing our borders" and to identify what further steps border hospitals should take in preparation, her statement said. Nielsen added that she has asked the US Coast Guard medical corps to assess and "make appropriate recommendations" about Border Patrol medical programs, and has sought additional medical professionals from the Department of Defense. Relatives and friends carry the coffin of Jakelin Caal, 7, a Guatemalan girl who died after being taken into custody with her father by US border patrol agents US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan warned Wednesday that the agency was unable to cope with the thousands of arrivals, as most facilities were built decades ago for men arriving alone. "We need help from Congress. We need to budget for medical care and mental health care for children in our facilities," he told CBS News. Eight-year-old Felipe Gomez, who collapsed after running a fever, had traveled with his father Agustin Gomez from the indigenous Chuj Maya community of Nenton, in western Guatemala's Huehuetenango department, near the Mexican border. He was among almost 25,000 migrant children in US custody, according to McAleenan -- the greatest number ever recorded. "That's an enormous flow. That's very different from what we've seen before," he said, adding that the onset of the flu season was putting further pressure on health care services. In the last two months, Border Patrol has apprehended 139,817 people on the southwest border, compared with 74,946 during the same period a year earlier, Nielsen said. More than 68,500 were "family units" while almost 14,000 others were unaccompanied children, she said, and the system has been pushed to "breaking point." Augusto Mendoza, a Guatemalan migrant in El Paso with his one-year-old son, told AFP he would "never" consider making the journey again. "It's been very, very hard. I would never think about doing it again, I regret it for my son," said Mendoza, who was separated from his wife at the border and released from detention on Christmas Day. - 'Increasing' medical challenges - DHS officials said all children in border patrol custody would be given a thorough medical screening, reaffirming McAleenan's commitment to "secondary medical checks" with a focus on those under 10. And Guatemala has called for an investigation into the boy's death, which came just three weeks after a seven-year-old girl from the country died in similar circumstances. Dead and missing migrants at the US-Mexico border Gomez was detained with his 47-year-old father at a crossing in El Paso, Texas, on December 18 and had been transferred to a New Mexico medical center showing signs of sickness on Monday, the CBP said. Staff diagnosed him with a cold but later discovered a fever. He was discharged at midday, with prescriptions for ibuprofen and the antibiotic amoxicillin. The boy was later sent back to the hospital suffering from nausea and vomiting. He died shortly before midnight on December 24. CBP said it had not established the cause of death but would "ensure an independent and thorough review of the circumstances." Nielsen said that in the last fiscal year there were six migrant deaths in custody, but no child had died in Border Patrol custody for more than a decade. "It is now clear that migrants, particularly children, are increasingly facing medical challenges and harboring illness caused by their long and dangerous journey," she said. - 'Disregard for human life' - A Honduran mother holds her two-year-old as US Border Patrol agents review their papers near the US-Mexico border on June 12, 2018 Opposition Democrats reacted to Gomez's death by accusing Trump -- who has made hardline immigration policies a central plank of his presidency -- of demonizing migrants for political gain. "The Trump administration must be held accountable for this child's death and all the lives they have put in danger with their intentional chaos and disregard for human life," Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico tweeted. Nydia Velazquez, a Democratic congresswoman from New York, demanded "accountability" and an end to the White House's "hateful, dangerous anti-immigrant policies." The boy's death came on the same day that Jakelin Caal, a Guatemalan girl who died in US custody, was buried. Her body arrived on Sunday in San Antonio Secortez, the remote village where her family -- members of the indigenous Q'eqchi' Maya people -- live without electricity and other basic services. Relatives of the 189 victims of the Lion Air crash in late October holding a rally to demand further search operations for the remains of the missing in December 2018: a lawsuit has now been filed against the plane's maker, Boeing A lawsuit filed in Chicago blames Boeing for the deadly Lion Air crash off the coast of Indonesia that killed all onboard, claiming the manufacturer's airplane was "unreasonably dangerous," a US law firm announced Wednesday. The suit, filed Monday in the Midwestern city where Boeing is based, alleges the two-month-old plane's safety system improperly engaged and pilots were not adequately instructed by the plane manufacturer on how to respond. Lion Air Flight 610 vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, crashing into waters off the north coast of Indonesia's Java Island and killing all 189 people onboard. About 30 relatives of the crash victims have filed lawsuits against Boeing, alleging that faults with the new model 737 MAX led to the deaths. The Chicago lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family of passenger Sudibyo Onggo Wardoyo, 40, of Jakarta. "Not only did Boeing place sensors that provided inaccurate data, it also failed to provide the plane's pilots adequate instructions. It was like Boeing first blindfolded and then tied the hands of the pilots," the family's attorney Thomas Demetrio said in a statement. The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency suggested that pilots struggled to control the plane's anti-stalling system immediately before the crash. Boeing responded to the November report by pointing to the actions of the pilots and claiming an earlier flight on the same plane ended safely when pilots successfully dealt with erroneous sensor data. "The 737 MAX is as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies," the manufacturer said in a statement. "Boeing is taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident," it added. A Boeing spokesman would not comment on the specifics of the lawsuit. A final crash report is not likely to be filed until next year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits among members of his government during a parliament session in Jerusalem on December 26, 2108 Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections on April 9. Legislators backed the move 102 for and two against after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition agreed Monday on early polls. The premier's coalition was left with a one-seat majority after defence minister Avigdor Lieberman stepped down in November over a controversial Gaza ceasefire deal. Party leaders have failed to agree on a key bill regulating drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews to the army, and that was the immediate reason to move toward elections. Analysts, however, say that Netanyahu wanted the polls before Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announces his decision on whether to indict the premier in three different corruption cases. While no official timeframe has been given, reports say such an announcement could come in mid-April. With politicians now entering campaign mode, Netanyahu met in Jerusalem on Wednesday with leaders of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and made his pitch for why they should stick with him. Netanyahu's current coalition is seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history. "We'll see an attempt by the left-wing to overthrow our rule with the help of the media and others," he said. "They can't succeed, because if they do -- that will pose a clear danger to the settlement movement." Calling on their support in the elections, Netanyahu told the settler leaders they should not take the fate of their enterprise for granted. "We had to work hard, with the current American administration as well, for the great achievements we brought the settlements," he said in remarks relayed by his office. While Netanyahu portrays himself as the champion of the settlements, settler leaders say he has not done enough, with three prominent heads of West Bank settlements boycotting the Wednesday meeting in protest. Key members of his coalition are however strong settlement backers and oppose a Palestinian state. A fire truck and security officers outside Libya's foreign ministry in the capital Tripoli on December 25, after an attack that was claimed by Islamic State Two years after the Islamic State group lost the Libyan city of Sirte -- its last stronghold in the country -- the jihadists continues to launch attacks, including in the heart of the capital, profiting from government weakness and general chaos. The last attack claimed by IS targeted Tripoli's foreign ministry on Tuesday, killing three and causing major damage to one of the capital's supposedly most secure buildings. It followed two similar attacks, one in September against the headquarters of the national oil company that killed two and another that hit the electoral commission in Tripoli in May, when 14 were slain. "IS has proved that it is capable of manoeuvring and of hitting strongly, two years after the loss of its stronghold in Sirte", said Libyan political analyst Jalal al-Fitouri. Its capabilities persist despite "the hunting down (of its fighters) in the Libyan desert by Libyan armed groups and the US military, which has launched numerous strikes against IS in the south", he said. IS has "benefitted from divisions" in the aftermath of Moamer Kadhafi's regime falling in 2011, Fitouri noted. Libya is divided between several rival entities, chief among them an internationally-recognised Government of National Accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli and a parallel administration in the east loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar. - 'The danger remains - The Libyan capital Tripoli, where an attack targeted the foreign ministry on December 25 The political chaos and insecurity benefits jihadist groups, which have carried out numerous attacks in recent years, including more than 20 in 2018 against institutions linked to the GNA and Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army. "In the absence of a monopoly on the use of force in the country, IS has been able to consolidate," said Mohammed al-Agouri, a professor at Benghazi university in eastern Libya. "It targets Haftar's and Sarraj's forces at the same time -- as well as symbolic sites -- in order to say 'We are still here!' and to recruit new foreign and local sympathisers", he said. "If the country's authorities do not unite... a loss of control (over the situation) could come at any moment", Agouri warned. The GNA has sought to improve security in the capital in order to convince Western nations to re-open embassies, which have been shuttered since 2014 due to violence. But Tuesday's attack once again exposed the extreme weakness of the GNA, which has repeatedly failed to impose its authority over militias in the capital since it came into being in 2016, despite promising security sector reforms guided by the UN. These reforms -- announced after deadly clashes in September between rival groups in and around Tripoli -- seek to reduce the influence of militias whose tentacles extend throughout the capital and its state institutions. - 'Fertile ground' for IS - Map showing areas controlled by rival factions in Libya Tuesday's attack against the foreign ministry risks extinguishing the GNA's hopes. "The security situation appears to be good, but in reality it is not," GNA interior minister Fathi Bash Agha admitted to reporters several hours after the attack. He recognised that the promised reforms have not been implemented. He also implicitly accused some armed groups of not obeying orders, and acknowledged the GNA's weakness in the face of supposedly loyal militias. "The security chaos that persists creates fertile ground for Daesh," said Agha, using an Arabic acronym for IS. He spoke of his frustration over the lack of resources available to his ministry, including arms. The GNA on Tuesday renewed a call for a UN arms embargo imposed on the country since 2011 to be eased, "in order to bolster the security situation and fight terrorism". But analysts are dubious about this logic. Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Taher Siala (R) and Interior Minister Fathi Bash Agha (C) at a press conference on December 25, 2018, following an attack on the foreign ministry "The international community will not allow Libya to import arms, because the government is weak in dealing with the militias," said Fayrouz al-Dali, a political science professor in Tripoli. "The fears of seeing these arms finding their way into bad hands persists", she warned. Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in neighbouring Syria since 2013, targeting regime forces along with their allies Iran and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to let Iran -- which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- entrench itself militarily in the war-torn country. Here is a recap of some of the major reported Israeli strikes, which the Jewish state does not always directly confirm. - First strikes - In January 2013 Israeli planes hit a military complex near Damascus suspected of holding chemical agents, according to a US official. Israel later implicitly confirms the strike, for the first time since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. In May 2013, Israel strikes the Jamraya scientific research centre near Damascus, a weapons depot and an aircraft unit, according to a diplomat in Beirut. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor which relies on a network of sources inside the country, says 42 soldiers are killed. - Hezbollah hit - In January 2015, a raid blamed on Israel on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights kills six Hezbollah personnel and a general from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. Hezbollah commander Samir Kantar, who spent almost 30 years in Israeli prisons, dies in a raid blamed on Israel near Damascus in December 2015, according to Hezbollah. In March 2017 Israel says it has targeted "sophisticated" weapons destined for Hezbollah near the central town of Palmyra. In December 2017, Israeli planes again target the Jamraya research centre in Damascus, along with a weapons depot, according to the Observatory. - Iranians targeted - In February 2018 Israeli raids hit Syrian and Iranian targets after an Israeli fighter jet crashes under Syrian fire. In April, Syria and its ally Russia accuse Israel of a dawn bombing raid on a Syrian airbase that kills 14 fighters, including seven Iranians. Later that month, at least 26 mostly Iranian fighters are killed in a raid Syria says bore the hallmarks of an Israeli operation. In May 2018 an attack near Damascus, blamed on Israel, kills 15 pro-regime foreign fighters including eight Iranians. Israel carries out dozens more raids that month on what it says are Iranian targets, as Iranian rocket fire hits the occupied Golan Heights. At least 27 pro-regime fighters are killed, including 11 Iranians, the Observatory says. In July, Syria accuses Israel of bombing a military position in Aleppo province. At least nine pro-regime fighters die, including three foreigners. In September, Syrian air defences responding to an alleged Israeli strike accidentally down a Russian transport aircraft with a crew of 15, sparking tensions between Israel and regime backer Moscow. Israeli bombs hit several positions near Damascus in November and December 2018. In both cases, the targets are Hezbollah or Iranian weapons depots, the Observatory says. - Israel 'determined' - On January 12, 2019, Syrian air defences shoot down Israeli missiles targeting a transport ministry warehouse at the Damascus international airport, state news agency SANA reports. Netanyahu confirms the strike and says Israel is "more determined than ever to act against Iran in Syria." On January 15, he tells Iran to remove its forces from Syria "fast" or face continued attacks. On January 20, Israel announces its Iron Dome aerial defence system has intercepted a rocket fired from Syria by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force. In response, Israeli fights jets carry out further strikes inside Syria, targeting Iranian facilities and Syrian aerial defence batteries. The Observatory says the next day that at least 11 fighters were killed in the raids. US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet members of the US military during an unannounced trip to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq on December 26, 2018 President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday, his first trip to US troops deployed in a war zone since being elected two years ago. Trump landed at 7:16 pm local time at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, an AFP correspondent said. The president spoke to troops and met with military leaders. Although the visit took place in considerable secrecy, speculation had been mounting that Trump might make such a trip following his decision to slash troop levels in Afghanistan and pull out entirely from Syria. "President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders tweeted. Melania Trump's spokeswoman called it "a surprise visit to our brave U.S. service members currently deployed in Iraq." Presidential trips to boost troop morale have been a longstanding tradition in the years of war following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and Trump has taken considerable criticism for declining until now to experience a war zone. But apart from the photo ops alongside uniformed military members, Trump is expected to use the Iraq trip to further explain his decision to end the Syria deployment and cut troops in Afghanistan. The policy changes, defended by Trump as an exit from wars where the United States no longer needs to be expending lives and money, have sparked alarm among US allies. US President Donald Trump, wearing his Commander in Chief jacket, visits members of the US military during his trip to Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq President Donald Trump used a lightning visit to Iraq -- his first with US troops in a conflict zone since being elected -- to defend the withdrawal from Syria and declare an end to America's role as the global "policeman." Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, landed late Wednesday at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq after what he described as a stressful, secrecy shrouded flight on a "pitch black" Air Force One. He spoke to a group of about 100 mostly special forces personnel and separately with military leaders before leaving a few hours later after a visit that sparked controversy in Iraq. A planned meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi was scrapped and replaced by a phone call, the premier's office said. Trump invited Abdel Mahdi to visit Washington and he accepted, according to the White House. The president was seen shaking hands with camouflage-clad personnel, signing autographs and posing for photos at the base. Morale-boosting presidential visits to US troops in war zones have been a longstanding tradition in the years following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Trump has been soundly criticised for eschewing such a trip in the first two years of his presidency. But speculation had been mounting that he would finally make the gesture following his controversial plan to slash troop levels in Afghanistan and his order to withdraw entirely from Syria. Donald Trump sought to defend his "America First" policy of pulling back from multinational alliances Trump sought to defend his "America First" policy of pulling back from multinational alliances, including what to many Americans seem like the endless wars in the Middle East. "It's not fair when the burden is all on us," he said. "We don't want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us and use our incredible military to protect them. They don't pay for it and they're going to have to." "We are spread out all over the world. We are in countries most people haven't even heard about. Frankly, it's ridiculous," he added. - 'Enough time' - Trump told reporters he had overruled generals asking to extend the Syria deployment, where about 2,000 US forces, joined by other foreign troops, assist local fighters battling the Islamic State jihadist group (IS). "You can't have any more time. You've had enough time," he said he told the top brass. Trump's visit appeared to take Iraqi authorities by surprise and prompted criticism including from former prime minister Haider al-Abadi. The way in which Trump visited was "not commensurate with diplomatic norms and relations with sovereign states", Abadi said. "Dealing with Iraq and its sovereignty in this way will harm Iraqi-US relations," he said. Iran-backed groups that make up a key bloc in the Iraqi parliament reacted angrily. Shiite movement Harakat al-Nujaba said the presence of US forces in Iraq was a "violation of the country's sovereignty" and it was "now the duty of the government to expel American forces". US President Donald Trump signs a hat as First Lady Melania Trump looks on while they greet members of the US military during an unannounced trip to Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq "Trump's disrespect of Iraq's sovereignty will not go unpunished," it said, adding it would "not allow Iraq to be a base used to threaten other countries". The head of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq pro-Iran paramilitary group, Qais al-Khazali, tweeted that "Trump's visit to a US military base without regard for diplomatic norms reveals the reality of the American project in Iraq". The Iraqi response, he said, "would be the parliament's decision to remove your military forces" unilaterally. - Disentangling America - Trump's troop drawdowns -- and the abrupt way that they were announced -- helped trigger the resignation of his defence secretary, Jim Mattis, who has been one of the administration's heavyweights. Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi spoke with President Donald Trump by phone after a planned in-person meeting was scrapped But the president has made disentangling America from its wars a priority since his 2016 election and he said in Iraq that the US would no longer be treated as "suckers." IS, which once controlled swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, has been driven mostly into hiding. On Wednesday, Trump said "we've knocked them out," although he added Iraq might be used as a future base "if we wanted to do something in Syria." According to a transcript released by the White House, he thanked troops for the "near-elimination" of IS, and said some US troops from Syria "will come here for a stay, but a lot of them are going to be going back home". According to Trump, the flight into Iraq was unlike anything he'd previously experienced. "If you would have seen what we had to go through in the darkened plane with all windows closed with no light anywhere -- pitch black," he said. After departing Iraq, Trump stopped over at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, before flying on to the United States, with Air Force One touching down early Thursday at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington. A sign pictured on December 22, 2018 announces the closure of a government building due to the shutdown According to President Donald Trump, federal workers affected by the US government shutdown support him as he insists on no deal until Congress funds a wall on the Mexican border. But rather than cheering him on, many of the 800,000 workers forced either to work without salaries or go on unpaid leave are voicing growing anxiety as they wonder how to pay approaching bills or buy holiday gifts for their children. After past shutdowns, Congress quickly ensured that federal workers were retroactively paid. But the end of the month is approaching with no headway on reopening the government. Kevin, a statistician at the Census Bureau, said he recently relocated to Washington with his wife and two-and-a-half-year-old son from North Carolina in search of the long-term stability of a government job. But he said he used up his savings to finance the move and that his son has required early intervention services for delayed development. "Taking care for a kid with special needs is draining physically, mentally and financially," he told AFP in an email. "Our budget is really tight and getting tighter. I no longer purchase clothes for myself and I cut my own hair." He may also have to put his rent on a credit card, added Kevin, asking that his surname be withheld because of rules against government employees speaking on politics. Kevin's colleagues have reassured him that they have survived similar situations. The shutdown is the third this year, after two brief funding gaps, and another stoppage in 2013 was resolved after 16 days. But Kevin is less optimistic this time, saying Trump, facing multiple crises, was acting like a "cornered animal." Asked Wednesday on a surprise trip to Iraq how long the shutdown will last, Trump replied: "Whatever it takes." Syl, who works at the Internal Revenue Service, said she only had enough savings to pay her upcoming rent and a few other expenses after spending on travel and gifts for the holidays. While acknowledging that "I don't have it as bad as other employees" with children, she said that she resented "being used as a political pawn for the wall." - Panic as bills approach - One of the major unions of federal workers, the National Treasury Employees Union, said nearly 80 percent of members indicated in a survey they were "very concerned" about paying for housing and other living expenses. Some government employees and their families shared their predicaments online with the hashtag #ShutdownStories. @katyjb88 wrote that her husband was in the Coast Guard and that they had one child with another on the way. They live in New York where they pay more than $2,000 a month in rent. While active military are exempted from the shutdown, the Coast Guard is affected. Even if they are paid later, she wrote, "that won't help with bills due on the 1st." For others, including @Ancient_Scout, consequences are even more immediate. "Broke my lease to accept new fed job for which I have to attend 7 months of training in another state. Training canceled with shutdown," @Ancient_Scout tweeted. "Homeless. Can't afford short(?)-term housing/have to work full-time for no pay/returning Xmas presents." @juliedotburr said that as a government contractor she will not get paid at all so long as the shutdown persists. "I am a single mom in panic mode. Picking up extra shifts at my 2nd job but it won't pay the rent!" she wrote. - Solidarity with workers - Signs of solidarity are growing in Washington, where lawmakers return Thursday with no deal in sight. The Z-Burger restaurant is offering hamburgers free to federal employees, while Spanish chef Jose Andres, a longstanding critic of Trump, has invited the workers for a free sandwich in all of his Washington restaurants from 2pm to 5 pm. But there are occasional signs of support for Trump, who has made a wall and a tough line on immigration the centerpiece of his 2016 campaign and said Tuesday that federal workers "want border security." @InsiderIRS, a Twitter user with no followers as of Wednesday afternoon, wrote that federal workers bore a constitutional responsibility to defend against "invasion." "As an IRS employee, I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my furloughed comrades to support the sovereignty of our nation," @InsiderIRS wrote. Gabon's President Ali Bongo had a stroke in October and a lack of official news on his health sparked speculation that he was incapacitated or even dead Gabon's President Ali Bongo will deliver a speech on New Year's Day, a source close to his entourage said Wednesday, in what will be the leader's first public address since he had a stroke in October. The 59-year-old leader has not been back to Gabon since he fell ill in Saudi Arabia on October 24 and will address his nation from Morocco's capital Rabat, where he is recovering, the source told AFP. The president has "charged the Prime Minister (Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet) to meet the expectations of the citizens" until his return to Gabon at an unspecified date, the source added. A lack of official news on the leader's health after he first fell ill sparked fevered speculation that he was incapacitated or even dead. It was only revealed earlier this month that he had suffered a stroke. A single photograph of Bongo and two videos without sound are all that has been published in the two months since his stroke, further fuelling rumours about his health. Three opposition party leaders have called for an independent medical team to see Bongo in Rabat to assess whether he can perform his presidential duties. The Bongo family has governed the oil-rich equatorial African nation for five decades. Ali Bongo was elected head of state after his father's death in 2009. He was narrowly re-elected in 2016 following a presidential poll marred by deadly violence and allegations of fraud. The Georgian Military Road is closed for all types of vehicles. More than 1000 cars, including 335 trucks and 630 passenger vehicles are stuck on the Russian side of the border. On the Georgian side, work is underway to clear the roadway, but the weather forecast is disappointing, the press service of the State Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in North Ossetia reported. The weather is expected to deteriorate in Georgia in the period from December 30 to January 10. In this regard, the State Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in North Ossetia strongly recommends those who intend to cross the Russian-Georgian border to take into account the unfavorable forecast and use alternative routes if the situation worsens. Representatives of the Road Department of Georgia's Ministry of Regional Development, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, declined to comment on the current situation and the prospects for the resumption of the Georgian-Russian road service. The latest alleged victim of a sexual assault by Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey filmed part of the 2016 incident, according to court documents A young man who accused Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting him at a seaside restaurant near Boston in 2016 filmed part of the incident, according to court filings obtained by AFP. The 59-year-old star of the "House of Cards" series, who has won two Oscars, is due to be formally charged on January 7 on the island of Nantucket with "indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age." If found guilty, Spacey could face up to five years in jail. The young man, identified as William Little and aged 18 at the time of the alleged assault in July 2016, told police he had sent messages, including a video, to his girlfriend via the Snapchat app from the "Club Car" restaurant in Nantucket, where he was working as a bus boy for the summer, according to the court filing. He had remained in the bar after his shift had finished to see Spacey, of whom he was a fan. After meeting the actor and telling him he was 23 years old -- the legal drinking age is 21 in Massachusetts -- he started drinking first beer and then whiskey with Spacey. Spacey then allegedly invited him back to his place, along with some other friends. The young man declined, suspecting the actor was trying to seduce him. But he stayed in the bar in the hopes of getting a picture with Spacey. "Will only lingered around because he wanted a picture with Spacey, something for Instagram," the filing said. "Spacey had told him, if you come back with me, I will take a picture with you." That was when Spacey began sexually molesting the young man, the filed charges said. "Will tried to shift away with his body and move Spacey's hands away with his hands but Spacey kept reaching down his pants," it said. "Will said his girlfriend did not believe him so that's when he Snapchatted the video," it said. He then left the bar on the advice of a woman who reportedly saw "he was in distress." He returned to work the next day and informed the owner of the bar of the incident, the court documents said. The filing said that police had retrieved the footage and shown it to the young man, who confirmed it showed him and Spacey. Spacey, who was forced out of public life by accusations of sexual misconduct in 2017, has not yet commented on the latest charges. But this week he posted a video online of himself speaking about allegations of sexual abuse in the character of Frank Underwood, the scheming politician he played in House of Cards before the show dropped him. Spacey's lawyer did not respond immediately to an AFP request for comment. Spacey was considered one of the finest actors of his generation but his career nosedived following allegations of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen men in the United States and Britain. The first public report of alleged abuse by him came from actor Anthony Rapp, who claimed that Spacey sexually abused him when Rapp was 14, in 1986. Indonesian authorities raised Anak Krakatoa's status to high alert, the second-highest danger warning Indonesia on Thursday raised the danger alert level for a volcano that sparked a killer tsunami at the weekend, after previously warning that fresh activity at the crater threatened to trigger another deadly wave. Authorities also widened a no-go zone around Anak Krakatoa to five kilometres (three miles) -- up from a previous two kilometres -- and warned shell-shocked residents to stay away from the coast, after more than 400 were killed by Saturday night's killer wave. Plumes of ash burst into the sky as pyroclastic flows -- hot gas and other volcanic material -- flowed down the crater, raising the risk of rough seas for boats in the vicinity. Authorities raised the crater's status to high alert, the second-highest danger warning, while aviation officials ordered flights to be redirected away from the area. "We've raised the status of (the volcano) since this morning because there's been a change in the eruption pattern," Kus Hendratno, a senior official at the Krakatoa observatory, told AFP Thursday. The new flows posed no immediate danger to area towns as the volcano sits in the middle of the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands. But the status change sparked new fears with many local residents already scared and refusing to return to their communities over fears of another tsunami. The hike in the volcano's danger alert level sparked new fears with many local residents already scared and refusing to return to their communities over fears of another tsunami "This worries me," said Ugi Sugiarti, a cook at the Augusta Hotel in hard-hit Carita. "I've already left." Sukma, a security guard at the shattered Mutiara Carita Cottages, added: "Just please pray for us and that everything will be okay." A section of the crater -- which emerged at the site of the Krakatoa volcano, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people -- collapsed after an eruption and slid into the ocean, triggering Saturday night's killer wave. At least 430 people were killed, with 1,495 people injured and another 159 were missing. Nearly 22,000 people have been evacuated and are living in shelters. Indonesia, a vast Southeast Asian archipelago, is one of the most disaster-hit nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide. Agricultural production is chronically poor in North Korea North Korea has acknowledged "drawbacks" in its agricultural sector this year, echoing UN reports of declining crop yields in a country that remains heavily reliant on food imports and aid. Agricultural production is chronically poor in the North, which has periodically been hit by famine, with hundreds of thousands dying -- some estimates say millions -- in the mid-1990s. Premier of the government cabinet, Pak Pong Ju, referred to "drawbacks made by some farms and units in the past" at a national meeting of farming officials that took place in Pyongyang this week, state media said on Thursday. "He said that they failed to conduct seed production and management in a responsible way and also fell short of doing proper strain distribution," Pak was quoted as saying by the KCNA news agency in an English-language report. He "underscored the need to attain the goal of grain production" set out in a five-year development plan that wraps up in 2020. The North has been less hesitant in highlighting shortcomings and policy failures through its state media since leader Kim Jong Un succeeded his late father Kim Jong Il in 2011. North Korea has been less hesitant in bringing out shortcomings and policy failures through its state media since leader Kim Jong Un succeeded his late father Kim Jong Il The young, Swiss-educated leader has occasionally been reported rebuking officials for failing to satisfactorily carry out tasks. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said this month that the isolated, nuclear-armed state would need to import 641,000 tonnes of food in the coming year. The figure is up from 456,000 tonnes this year, when it bought 390,000 tonnes and received 66,000 tonnes in food aid. There was a widespread lack of access to food in the North, it said. North Korea was one of 40 countries -- 31 of them in Africa -- identified by the FAO as in need of external assistance for food. UN agencies estimate that 10.3 million people in the North need humanitarian assistance. But donor funding has dried up in the face of political tensions over its weapons programmes, with critics saying the provision of aid encourages Pyongyang to prioritise its military ambitions over adequately providing for its people. David Beasley, the head of the UN's World Food Programme, said in May that there was undoubtedly a hunger problem in North Korea but it was not on the scale of the 1990s famine. Observers have expressed concern the Independent Election Commission would struggle to organise a presidential election in April Afghanistan's election organisers are again considering postponing April's presidential ballot for two months, an official said Thursday, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of October's shambolic legislative vote. The remarks come at a sensitive time for Afghanistan as the Taliban step up their bloody offensive and President Donald Trump's plan to slash American troop numbers threatens to derail US-led peace efforts. The Independent Election Commission, which was skewered over its handling of the parliamentary vote, was meeting with "relevant sides", including potential candidates, to discuss delaying the ballot. "The purpose is reform and to avoid problems which occurred in the parliamentary election," IEC spokesman Zabi Sadat told AFP. "No decision is final yet, but we will make an announcement soon." The IEC is still finalising results of the parliamentary vote held two months ago and observers have expressed concern that it would struggle to organise a presidential election in April. The IEC has already mulled delaying the poll once, but vowed in November to hold it on time "on the demand of the people and parties". Presidential, provincial council and district council elections are scheduled to take place across the country in 2019. A parliamentary poll, which was held in 33 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces in October, also needs to be carried out in Ghazni where voting was delayed following protests. The Afghan constitution requires the presidential election take place no later than April 22. While there has been no official announcement of a US drawdown, the mere suggestion of the United States reducing its military presence has rattled the Afghan capital. Trump's decision to pull out some 7,000 US forces apparently came last week as US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi, part of efforts to bring the militants to the negotiating table with Kabul. There are fears the hasty move could undermine Khalilzad's negotiating position, embolden the Taliban, and further erode morale among Afghan forces, which are suffering record losses. Many Afghans are worried that President Ashraf Ghani's fragile unity government would collapse if US troops pulled out, enabling the Taliban to return to power and potentially sparking another bloody civil war. Police and emergency services evacuated some 300 people in the 38-storey Opal Tower in the Sydney Olympic Park and other nearby buildings on Christmas Eve Residents in a recently completed Sydney high-rise apartment block that made "cracking noises" on Christmas Eve were moved out again Thursday as engineers work "round the clock" to fix the issue. Police and emergency services evacuated some 300 people in the 38-storey Opal Tower in the Sydney Olympic Park and other nearby buildings on Monday after reports of "cracking noises". The building moved "one to two millimetres" during the incident and authorities said they found a crack on the 10th floor. Some two-thirds of the units were declared safe to return to Tuesday morning, but 51 others were declared "structurally unsafe". The issue threw the Christmas plans of affected residents into disarray, with some telling local media they had to sleep in their cars while waiting to return home. Others said that even though their apartments were deemed to be safe, they were too afraid to live in them. Builder Icon on Thursday defended the tower as "structurally sound". "The temporary relocation is a precautionary measure to allow engineers to work around the clock to comprehensively investigate and remediate the site in the quickest time frame possible, without further disruption to residents," it added in a statement. Icon added that residents would be provided with accommodation and compensation, and investigators from global engineering firm WSP and its majority owner Japanese construction company Kajima would lead the investigation. Residents were told at a meeting on Thursday it could be up to 10 days before they would be allowed back in the tower, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The New South Wales state government is already conducting an investigation into the building's structural integrity. The 392-unit tower opened this year and is near the site of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Supporters of the ruling Awami League paraded through the streets while the opposition BNP said Sunday's vote would not be free and fair The United States and the United Nations on Thursday raised concerns over the looming general election in Bangladesh as the opposition said hundreds more activists had been arrested and attacked. The South Asian nation's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina used the last full day of campaigning to call for a record fourth term from Sunday's vote. The opposition, whose main leader Khaleda Zia is in jail, said the election would not be free and fair. The US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller said opposition parties have been the target of most of the deadly violence that has tarnished the campaign. He raised US worries in a meeting with election commission chief, K.M. Nurul Huda. "I asked for this meeting because the United States is concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks. All parties have been victims of violence, including minorities and female candidates," Miller said in a statement. "However, it appears opposition party candidates have borne the brunt of most violence." Miller said he had questioned the election commission on its security plans for voting day. Everyone in Bangladesh must be able to vote "without harassment, intimidation, or violence", added the ambassador, whose country called off an election observer mission that it financed because visas were not given. Bangladesh has denied that it refused permission. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also appealed for calm. Guterres "calls on all stakeholders to ensure an environment free of violence, intimidation and coercion before, during and after the elections, so as to enable a peaceful, credible and inclusive poll", said a spokesman for the UN chief. Bangladeshis "must feel safe and confident in exercising their right to vote", he added. Thousands of flag-waving supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League marched in Dhaka and other cities bringing the traffic-choked streets of the capital to a standstill ahead of the official close of campaigning early Friday. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party said it had been prevented from holding its closing rally in Dhaka. Thousands of its supporters were allowed to march through the northern city of Sylhet, however. The BNP said eight of its supporters had been killed in election clashes, while police said two from the Awami League had also been killed since the campaign opened on November 8. The opposition party said hundreds more of its supporters were detained Thursday. - 'Blind' opposition - The BNP and its Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami now say more than 12,800 of their followers have been arrested and thousands of activists, including candidates, injured in attacks by ruling party followers. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a record fourth term in Sunday's polls and has shrugged off opposition complaints of authoritarianism Hasina has shrugged off opposition complaints of authoritarianism and said she needs more time to implement ambitious economic plans. Amid a flurry of late campaign appearances on Wednesday, Hasina said the "BNP-Jamaat alliance carried out bomb attacks in 88 constituencies". "There is no doubt that the people will surely reject them," she said. Hasina focused her final speeches on Bangladesh's impressive economic growth over the past decade. She has promised to increase annual growth to 9.0 percent from the current 7.8 percent, expand electricity coverage and put the country on course to raise average income to more than $5,400 by 2030. Hasina slammed the opposition for failing to recognise her achievements. "They are blind despite having eyes," she said. The Awami League leader won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election -- saying it was not free and fair -- gifting her a return to power. But since her last victory, civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina's government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press. BNP leader Zia, a longstanding arch-rival of the prime minister, was jailed for 17 years this year on graft charges. "The election process has turned into a farce," BNP spokesman Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, adding that attacks on party activists were "sponsored by the state itself". Singapore is regularly ranked among the world's least corrupt countries and its leaders are sensitive to accusations of graft A Singaporean blogger is fighting back after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sued him for defamation for sharing an article on Facebook linking the leader to a corruption scandal. Singapore has long been criticised for restricting free speech and other political rights, as well as slapping critics with financially ruinous libel suits. Observers say the government is increasingly targeting online criticism -- the case against blogger Leong Sze Hian comes the same month the editor of a news portal was charged with defamation. The prime minister lodged the defamation suit against Leong earlier in December for posting on his Facebook page a link to an article alleging that Lee was the target of an investigation in neighbouring Malaysia over the scandal at sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Lee said the article, originally published in a Malaysian news portal, was false and without basis and that Leong had reposted the link to smear his reputation. But Leong, a regular critic of government policies, has now lodged a countersuit against Lee for alleged abuse of the court system. "The predominant purpose of the claim is the use of the legal process to chill freedom of expression in Singapore," said Leong in his suit, which was posted on Facebook Wednesday along with details of his defence. He said all he had done was to make the article available on his Facebook page "without embellishment or comment" for less than three days. Malaysia's ex-leader Najib Razak and his cronies are alleged to have stolen billions of dollars from 1MDB in an audacious fraud that spanned the globe. The scandal led to Najib's election defeat in May to a reformist coalition led by Mahathir Mohamad. Najib has since been arrested and charged but denies wrongdoing. Earlier this month, Terry Xu, editor of Singapore news site The Online Citizen, was charged with defamation for publishing a letter that alleged corruption among the city-state's leaders. Singapore is regularly ranked among the world's least corrupt countries and its leaders are sensitive to accusations of graft. With Singapore's media scene dominated by pro-government publications, criticism of the authorities is mostly expressed online. Children displaced by the tsunami play games to take their minds off the disaster Via Sundari Octavia keeps a watchful eye on her small children as they sing and dance -- part of a trauma healing programme for kids displaced by Indonesia's deadly tsunami. Octavia was with dozens of parents lining the edge of a futsal pitch turned evacuation shelter in the town of Labuan Thursday, where relief workers played games with children to take their minds off the disaster. The 30-year-old, her husband and three children -- two sons aged three and five and a baby boy -- survived the killer wave that killed more than 400 people and left many homeless. But they have little left beyond the clothes on their back and some meagre belongings strewn on the floor. Around 22,000 people were forced from their homes by the disaster "My house was swept away by the waves," Octavia told AFP, as she sat on a tarpaulin, clothes drying on a fence behind her. "I only brought few things with me, everything else is gone." At another relief centre in hard-hit Kalianda, volunteers handed out drawings for kids to colour along with stuffed animals and other toys. But volunteers in both places were also keeping a close eye out for signs of distress, with some youngsters eating little and struggling to sleep. "Psychologically, many children have been affected," said Dina Amanah Tayusani from children's aid group Anak Banten. "They lost their parents... Many of them lost their homes and their belongings." An eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano, which sits in the middle of the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, caused a section of the crater to collapse and slide into the ocean, triggering the killer tsunami on Saturday evening. The waves washed over popular beaches, inundating tourist hotels and beachside communities on both sides of the strait -- leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. Young children sleep as older ones take part in a trauma healing programme with songs and games On Thursday, the disaster death toll was at 430 with some 159 still missing, as authorities raised the danger alert level for the rumbling volcano amid fears of another tsunami. Medical workers have warned that clean water and medicine supplies are running low. Children are now the most vulnerable of some 22,000 people forced from their homes, said Michel Rooijackers, an advisor to Yayasan Sayangi Tunas Cilik, a Save the Children partner in Indonesia. The organisation was handing out shelter and hygiene kits for about 10,000 people and setting up spaces to help distressed kids. "The situation in the temporary shelters is improving but not optimal," he said. Still, the healing programmes are an important part of recovery, even if not all of the children understand the gravity of the situation. "It's very useful, my (kids) can get to know other children so they won't be bored," Octavia said. "My son said 'Mom, we're on vacation now'. I started crying because we're actually suffering." The ministry of state security is often described as China's equivalent of the Soviet Union's much-feared KGB Ex-China spymaster Ma Jian was jailed for life over corruption, a court in northeastern China announced Thursday. "Ma Jian's behaviour constituted the crime of accepting bribes, forcing others to trade and insider trading," the Dalian Intermediate People's Court in Liaoning province announced in a statement. Ma pleaded guilty and has decided not to appeal, the court said, adding that his political rights have been revoked for life and all his personal assets confiscated. A former deputy head of China's ministry of state security, Ma was put under investigation for corruption in 2015 and expelled from the Communist Party the following year. The hearing was held behind closed doors in August because of state secrets involved, the court said. From 1999 to 2014, Ma used his position at the ministry to help Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui further his business interests, receiving over 109 million yuan ($15.9 million) in bribes, the court said, detailing several instances where the two had colluded. In 2013, Ma engaged in insider trading through his relatives, selling some 49 million yuan worth of stocks, the court said. "The defendant Ma Jian's bribery amount was extremely large, and the national and peoples interests suffered a particularly heavy loss, which seriously infringed on the integrity of civil servants," the court said in its judgement. Ma's fall from grace was precipitated by a sweeping investigation into other figures in China's security apparatus, most notably Zhou Yongkang who was responsible for the security ministry and Ma's boss in 2012. The ministry of state security is often described as China's equivalent of the Soviet Union's much-feared KGB and is said to be responsible for intelligence gathering and surveillance. Guo, who was repeatedly named in the court's statement, is now a fugitive living in New York since he fled China in 2014. A controversial character, he has been an outspoken critic of the Communist government, making allegations of high-level corruption against officials on his Twitter page. The billionaire is also facing a lawsuit in the United States where nine creditors are suing him for over $50 million in outstanding debt. Robinson had lunch with the princess in Dubai A princess who tried to flee the United Arab Emirates months ago is "a troubled young woman", a former UN human rights chief said on Thursday after meeting her this month. Mary Robinson told BBC radio 4's Today programme that she had been invited by Princess Haya, the wife of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, to help with his daughter, Sheikha Latifa. Latifa has not been seen in public since she was allegedly captured at sea off India in March after leaving the UAE. In a YouTube video at the time, she said she was leaving because of restrictions imposed on her by her family. Robinson, who was seen alongside Latifa in photographs released by the UAE authorities earlier this month, said that she had been asked to "help with a family dilemma". "The dilemma was that Latifa is vulnerable, she's troubled. She made a video that she now regrets and she planned an escape, or what was part of a plan of escape," she said. "I had lunch with her. She's a very likeable young woman but clearly troubled, clearly needs the medical care that she is receiving," said Robinson, adding that her family "don't want her to endure any more publicity". She said that Latifa was suffering from "a serious medical situation" and was receiving "psychiatric care" but did not give further details about her condition. Robinson served as Ireland's president between 1990 and 1997 and later served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002. The 74-year-old said she had spoken to current UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, as well as Human Rights Watch executive director Ken Roth about her meeting with Latifa and would be returning to Dubai in March. Accounts by people involved in Latifa's escape attempt said that she fled first to Oman, before boarding a yacht which was surrounded by the Indian navy and then towed back to the UAE. A source close to the Dubai government told AFP in April the princess had been "brought back" to Dubai. It has recently come to light that a number of significant Japanese aircraft wrecks are currently being disassembled for recovery in the South Pacific. Located at the old Imperial Japanese Navy airfield on Balalae Island, part of the Shortland Island Group in the western province of the Solomon Islands, the collection of airframes and components importantly includes two Mitsubishi G4M attack bombers, along with the rear fuselage of another example. The G4M, better known in the west by its Allied code name, Betty, was a mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navys land-based aerial bombing fleet. They possessed incredible range, although this came with the significant sacrifice of armor, self-sealing fuel tanks and structural toughness. They served many purposes during the war, from medium altitude bomber to torpedo bomber, to transport, including their use as a launch platform for the rocket-propelled Yokosuka Ohka kamikaze planes. Famously, it was while flying in a Mitsubishi G4M that Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, architect for the attack on Pearl Harbor, lost his life when U.S. Army Air Force P-38 Lightnings intercepted and shot him down on April 18th, 1943 coincidentally as he was on his way to Balalae. There are currently no complete examples of the Betty in preservation in the world save for a rather fragile, belly-landed example (G4M1 Model 11 m/n 1280) recovered by Bruce Fenstermaker from Babo Airfield in Indonesia during 1991. This Betty was on display for many years at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum acquired this airframe in November, 2015, and it has been out of public view since that time. The rarity of this significant aircraft type makes the recovery of the two, far more intact G4Ms on Balalae of great importance. According to PacificWrecks.com, these airframes are G4M1 Model 11 (m/n 2806) and G4M1 Model 11 (m/n 1800) with the rear fuselage coming from a so far unidentified early-model G4M1. Reportedly both No.2806 and No.1800 rolled off the line at Mitsubishis Nagoya factory No.3 in Nagoya, Japan during May, 1943. 2806 served as tail code U-321 in the Imperial Japanese Navy with 705 Kokutai (air group). No.1800 is believed to have served with 702 Kokutai, although her tail code is so far unknown. When WWII ended, dozens of aircraft lay abandoned on Balalae. Given the islands remoteness, and lack of permanent human settlement, these aircraft remained, pretty much where they sat for decades until the late 1960s when warbird salvagers began surveying the aircraft for possible recovery. Canadian, Bob Diemert was the first in 1968, when he recovered some of the smaller types; a couple of Aichi D3A2 Val dive bombers, and three Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. Others have returned over the years, with a number of Zeros being among the types recovered in a 2007 effort. Now a decade on, the last of the major, relatively intact wrecks remaining on the island are being recovered. The first rumors of the recovery came in April this year, and obviously stirred up quite a bit of controversy in the Solomons as many islanders are justifiably concerned about being taken advantage of as has happened previously. There are strict rules regarding the export of war relics from the island archipelago, but from the reporting so far, it appears that the salvagers have been working with the government and the Solomon Islands National Museum to formally negotiate the release of these airframes. There is reportedly a Memorandum of Understanding which includes the refurbishment and return of two aircraft back to the Museum for display. Such agreements have occurred in the past, of course, but once something leaves the islands, enforcing the terms is very difficult to police. Airframe disassembly began in August this year in the revetments where they had lain since the end of WWII. The recovery team had a pathway cut through the trees leading from the airfield down to the beach. They rigged up crudely fashioned sleds made from tree branches to haul items such as the wings, engines and fuselage sections to the shore for shipment off-island. The forward fuselage and center wing section for one of the Betty bombers had a pair of wheels attached to the landing gear legs so that it could be wheeled along. As of mid-October, everything was sitting by the waters edge awaiting the transport to the Solomon Islands major port at the nations capital city, Honiara on Guadalcanal Island. Images of these artifacts were posted on Facebook a few days ago by Australian, Michael Holmesby; full permission was obtained for re-using them here. We thank him for that privilege. He also uploaded some video of the site at Balalae, which might prove as interesting as the still images presented earlier As for their future, should an export permit be formally granted (as is expected), the airframes are likely heading to Australia to a well-known salvager/restorer who is reportedly involved in the recovery effort. Beyond that, it is too soon to say Editorial: It should be noted here that there is a great debate about recovering warbird wrecks from the South Pacific. The aircraft in this story have played a major role in Solomon Islands history. The nation also gains income from tourism, with wartime relics being a draw for visitors from across the globe. That being said, Balalae is well off the beaten path for all but the most adventurous of tourists, and there is risk of serious disease for those who do venture there. However, removing these wrecks without proper compensation to the people of the Solomon Islands would be entirely unethical. And there lies the rub. The intrinsic value of these airframes is hard to evaluate. They are priceless in terms of their historical importance, but that is virtually impossible to translate into dollars and cents. Ultimately, it is doubtful that any investor or museum would pay more than a small fraction of what a fully-restored example may command (due to the enormous costs involved in their restoration), but the value of these artifacts in terms of lost tourist dollars to the Solomons may prove greater than this. From the other perspective, it is easy for many of us in the warbird community to argue that wrecks should all be salvaged, because they will only last a short while longer where they sit due to battering from the elements and vandalism, not to mention those notorious vultures who have shredded so much of what relics had remained for their scrap value. But simply recovering the wrecks for restoration can prove as fatal to the artifacts as leaving them where they lie unless measures are taken to conserve and preserve the original material none of which would ever be sound enough for use in an airworthy restoration. Indeed, with modern 3D scanning techniques available to precisely measure parts electronically without fully disassembling them, there is a viable alternative to the traditional restoration methods where original material is so frequently sacrificed in the process of making patterns for what are essentially new-build airframes. Ideally, original structure could be preserved for static museum display, while data are taken regarding the dimensional details for the reconstruction of an all-new airframe that can still bear a historical identity. Some of the artifacts could then be returned to the islands where they were found and placed under cover in a museum. Even though this is economically viable, and would be of long term benefit to both the islanders and the preservation of historically important artifacts, it seems an unlikely outcome, sadly. This debate is clearly far from done Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila has previously been voted the world's worst airport The United States has warned its citizens that security at the Philippines's main airport does not meet international standards, urging travellers to exercise "increased caution". The US Department of Homeland Security issued a travel advisory on Wednesday saying security at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport was not "consistent" with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. "Exercise increased caution when traveling to or from Ninoy Aquino International Airport," the US embassy in Manila said on its website citing the advisory. The advisory was based on an assessment by security experts from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the US homeland security department said without specifying the findings. Once derided as the world's worst airport due to leaking toilets and creaking facilities, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the primary gateway to the Southeast Asian nation. A statement on the US homeland security department website said that the agency had directed airlines issuing tickets for travel between the two nations to notify passengers of the assessment. It added that TSA representatives have been working with the Philippine government "assist airport and transportation authorities in bringing (the Manila airport) up to international security standards". Manila International Airport general manager Ed Monreal said on Thursday the Philippines would adhere to international aviation security standards. "All points raised by the transportation security administration TSA auditors have either been addressed or are in the process of being addressed," Monreal told reporters, adding that Manila airport was "very, very safe". Monreal said TSA auditors were in the Philippines in September and had observed that the Manila airport had some gates with faulty locks while security checkpoints were inconsistent. He added the Philippines had hired additional guards and would procure x-ray machines to comply with the TSA recommendations. The Manila airport topped the list of worst airports on the travel website "The Guide to Sleeping in Airports" from 2011-2013, causing the government to make major renovations. The airport is notorious for flight delays and its security personnel had faced allegations of extorting money from passengers. In 2013, a gunman opened fire outside the airport, killing four people including a town mayor. Lawmakers then criticised the lack of functioning CCTV cameras in the area. Cherif was close to the brothers who massacred the staff of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015 One of France's most wanted jihadists, considered a potential source of valuable information by Western intelligence agencies, is set to return to prison Thursday following seven years on the run. Peter Cherif, 36, was close to the brothers who massacred staff members of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015. He later became a high-ranking member of Al-Qaeda in Yemen. French authorities have been seeking him since he disappeared in 2011 on the final day of his trial in Paris for fighting in Iraq alongside Al-Qaeda in 2004. Cherif, who was sentenced to five years in prison in the trial, was arrested on December 16 in Djibouti after arriving from Yemen carrying fake ID documents, according to the presidency of the Horn of Africa country. He arrived back in France on Sunday and has since refused to speak to investigators during questioning, according to a source close to the probe. On Thursday he appeared before a judge and was given a new "terrorist conspiracy" charge before returning to prison, a judicial source told AFP. Investigators opened a new investigation in 2017 into his activities in Yemen, where he joined the senior ranks of the local branch of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The United States considers AQAP to be the jihadist group's most dangerous branch, with US drone strikes on the outfit increasing since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Cherif, also known as Abou Hamza, was placed on the US blacklist of foreign terrorists in 2015. He has been a figure of interest for French police investigating a trio of attacks in January 2015 that left 17 people dead, including at Charlie Hebdo's offices and a kosher supermarket in Paris. But despite media reports suggesting he may have played a role in the attacks, he is not the subject of an arrest warrant in the Charlie Hebdo probe. The attack on the magazine marked the start of a wave of jihadist attacks in France which have claimed more than 240 lives. After his arrest in the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004, Cherif was sentenced to 15 years in jail in Baghdad before escaping in 2007 and heading to Syria. He was extradited to France before slipping away again during his trial. US army vehicles supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pictured in Hajin, eastern Syria, on December 15, 2018 Thousands of civilians, mostly relatives of jihadist fighters, are fleeing the Islamic State group's last stronghold in eastern Syria, a war monitor said on Thursday. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 11,500 people have fled the area since Kurdish-led forces broke IS defences and took the jihadists' main hub of Hajin two weeks ago. "The past fortnight saw the biggest exodus" since the launch in September of a broad offensive against IS by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the monitoring group said. The outfit is an alliance of the Kurdish militia which controls northeastern Syria and local Arab fighters that operates with backing from a US-led military coalition. The jihadist group had already lost all of its major urban centres earlier in 2018 but was clinging to the remote area in the Euphrates River Valley. The SDF launched an operation involving more than 15,000 fighters to smash the jihadists' last redoubt, known as the Hajin pocket, on September 10. They took the town of Hajin on December 14, after months of an offensive slowed by Turkish threats against the Kurds further north as well as fierce counter-attacks by IS fighters with little to lose. "Most of the displaced are IS relatives," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory. He added however that fighters were attempting to blend in with the civilians to save their lives and that the SDF had managed to detain 700 so far. He said that since the loss of Hajin, the last town of note in the area, the jihadists have been unable to defend their positions and were quickly falling back. IS still controls the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa as well as a handful of hamlets dotting the eastern bank of the Euphrates. Abdel Rahman said he expected the last rump of what was once a sprawling "caliphate" straddling swathes of Iraq and Syria to collapse in the coming days. While it could soon lose its last fixed positions, IS remains a threat, with roving units still carrying out attacks from their desert hideouts and cells reportedly regrouping in several parts of Iraq and Syria. People in Beni escaped from teargas during a protest against the postponement of elections in their region Police fired teargas and shots were heard as hundreds of people in eastern DR Congo protested on Thursday at a move to delay upcoming elections in their region, an AFP reporter said. Demonstrations erupted a day after the Democratic Republic of Congo's national election commission announced that Sunday's nationwide vote would be postponed in several troubled areas until March. However, the vote will continue to take place in the rest of the country as scheduled, and the next president will be sworn in on January 18, it said. In the province of North Kivu, the region most affected by the decision, several hundred demonstrators gathered in the administrative district of the city of Beni. Gunshots were heard over a roughly hour-long period, but it was unclear who was shooting or if there were any casualties. In Goma, the provincial capital, demonstrators set up barricades in the districts of Majengo and Katimbo and at the entrance to the university. Police fired teargas and made at least half a dozen arrests, said an AFP reporter at the scene. The election postponement applies to the cities of Beni and Butembo in North Kivu, as well as to the territory of Yumbi in the southwestern province of Mai-Ndombe. Around three percent of some 40 million registered voters will be affected by the delay. The announcement by the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) blamed militia violence and an outbreak of Ebola in North Kivu, and inter-communal clashes in Yumbi. Several hundred protestors turned out in Beni and Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. The province is battling militia violence and an Ebola epidemic that has claimed hundreds of lives since August Sunday's election will be the DRC's first presidential ballot in seven years. Legislative and municipal elections are being held at the same time. The presidential vote should have been held in 2016 when President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, reached a two-term limit set under the constitution. But he remained in office, invoking a caretaker clause under the constitution. The elections were twice postponed until a new date was set for December 23 -- and were then delayed by another week. CENI blamed a warehouse fire that destroyed election equipment. The problems have fueled tensions in the DRC, one of Africa's most volatile countries, prompting concern among its neighbours, the UN and western powers. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri gets in a car after meeting Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum on December 27, 2018 Egypt's foreign minister on Thursday voiced support for Sudan's embattled government, as Khartoum grapples with demonstrations against price hikes in which a disputed number of protesters have been killed. Cairo's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and intelligence chief General Abbas Kamel arrived in Sudan's capital on Thursday for talks with President Omar al-Bashir and other officials at a time when angry crowds have held anti-government rallies in Khartoum and other cities. "Egypt is confident that Sudan will overcome the present situation," Shoukry told reporters after he met Bashir at the presidential palace in Khartoum. "Egypt is always ready to support Sudan and the ability of Sudanese people as per the government of Sudan's vision and policies," he said. The "stability of Sudan means (the) stability of Egypt," Shoukry said in what were the first remarks by a top regional Arab official in support of Bashir's government since protests began on December 19. The visit of the two Egyptian officials comes after the protests evolved into deadly clashes between riot police and protesters angered by a trebling of bread prices to three Sudanese pounds (about six US cents). Sudanese authorities say eight demonstrators have been killed, but Amnesty International has put the death toll at 37, citing "credible reports". Cairo and Khartoum have recently sought to iron out their differences in a bid to improve relations roiled by a longstanding border dispute and an impasse in talks over Ethiopia's Nile dam. In October Sudan lifted a ban on agricultural imports from Egypt during a visit to Khartoum by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The new rules could force global giants such as Amazon and Walmart to rethink their Indian operations Traditional traders and local players rejoiced Thursday at new e-commerce rules imposed by the Indian government on global giants such as Amazon and Walmart which analysts said could force them to rethink their Indian operations. Under the surprise restrictions, e-commerce companies are banned from selling products from firms in which they have a stake. They are also forbidden from entering into exclusive deals with sellers. The rules, which come into force on February 1, will particularly hit Amazon, which has invested billions of dollars in its India operation, and Flipkart, which was taken over this year by another US giant, Walmart. The government acted in response to complaints from brick and mortar retailers that e-commerce giants were unfairly selling products at discount prices. Indian law already prevents foreign-owned companies from selling directly on their internet sites. So the e-commerce companies have been buying in bulk and then selling the products to favoured vendors. These then resell the products at discount on the e-commerce sites who legally remain intermediaries. Amazon and Walmart, which in May bought a 77 percent stake in Indian company Flipkart for $16 billion, will be worst hit by the new rules. Neither has made a public reaction. Snapdeal, one of India's biggest Internet shopping sites, said the changes would enable a level playing field for all sellers. "Marketplaces are meant for genuine, independent sellers, many of whom are MSMEs (Micro, small and medium enterprises)," Snapdeal founder Kunal Bahl said on Twitter. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said the new policy would end discounting wars between e-retailers. It would also check big companies from using "the policy of exclusivity, predatory pricing and deep discounting" to their advantage, CAIT secretary Praveen Khandelwal told AFP. The new rules will start on February 1 when the nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces its interim budget ahead of a general election due by May. Analysts said the rule would have a major impact on the business models built up over the the last five years by the US giants as they make inroads in India's growing market. "Amazon, Walmart and other players with their India investments will have to rethink their business strategies," Satish Meena from Forrester Research told AFP. "Consumers will face the brunt and prices will go up while available options will go down." The Indian government has in the past two years sought to strengthen home-grown enterprises against foreign competition. It has told credit card companies such as Visa, American Express and Mastercard that all information on Indians must be stored on India-based computers. The government has also proposed limits on what internet giants can do with personal data. It recently proposed that the WhatsApp messaging app break its trademark encryption which guarantees private communications between users. The Facebook-owned firm has fiercely resisted the calls. The United Arab Emirates will reopen its embassy in Damascus, an official said, seven years after it severed ties with Syria over the violent repression that triggered the war The United Arab Emirates will reopen its embassy in Damascus Thursday, an official said, seven years after it severed ties with Syria over the violent repression that triggered the war. An official at the information ministry invited journalists "to cover the reopening of the Emirati embassy in Damascus today". The move is seen as another step in efforts to bring the regime of President Bashar al-Assad back into the Arab fold after years of diplomatic isolation. A visit to Damascus by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month had been interpreted by some observers as a sign of that trend. Rumours of the Emirati embassy reopening have circulated in recent days as renovation work was spotted getting underway at the building. The UAE broke ties with Syria in February 2012, as the repression of nationwide protests demanding regime change was escalating into a war which has now killed more than 360,000 people. A worker prepares the sign for the newly reopened UAE embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on December 27, 2018 The United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus Thursday, the latest sign of efforts to bring the Syrian government back into the Arab fold. The UAE broke ties with Syria in February 2012, as the repression of nationwide protests demanding regime change was escalating into a devastating war. Nearly seven years later, the Emirati flag was raised again during a ceremony attended by diplomats and journalists. An acting charge d'affaires has already started working, an Emirati statement said, stressing that the UAE was "keen to put relations back on their normal track". The newly reopened UAE embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on December 27, 2018 It said that the resumption of ties aimed to "support the sovereignty and independence of Syria" and face "the dangers of regional interferences". Rumours of the Emirati embassy reopening had circulated in recent days as renovation work was spotted getting under way at the building. A visit to Damascus by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month had been interpreted by some observers as a sign of regional efforts to end Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's diplomatic isolation. A few hours after the UAE's announcement, Bahrain signalled its intention to reopen its embassy in Damascus, which has been closed since March 2012. The Gulf state's foreign ministry said it was "anxious to continue relations" with Syria and wants "to strengthen the Arab role and reactivate it in order to preserve the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and prevent the risk of regional interference in its affairs". - Pariah no more? - Syria was suspended from the Arab League in November 2011, as the death toll was escalating and several regional powers bet on Assad's demise. The conflict has now killed more than 360,000 people. Assad's seat at the helm, which he inherited from his father in 2000, appeared to be hanging by a thread until Russia's 2015 military intervention turned things around. Government forces and allied militia have since steadily regained significant ground. They now firmly control the Damascus region and several key trade routes in the country. A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on December 16, 2018, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) welcoming his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir to Damascus The past few days have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity that looks set to continue until the next summit of the Arab League, due in Tunis in March. "Recent discussions on this issue have not yielded a consensus," Hossam Zaki, the League's deputy secretary general, told reporters in Cairo on Monday. "This does not rule out a possible change of the Arab position in the future," he added. Ali Mamluk, Syria's intelligence chief and a key figure in the Assad regime, travelled to Egypt last week on an official visit. With military operations winding down in several parts of the country and the capital fully secure, Damascus is also working on breaking its physical isolation. - Saudi money - Trade with Jordan resumed in recent weeks after the reopening of a border crossing and Thursday saw the first commercial flight to Tunisia in years. A Cham Wings Airlines jet completed the first flight between the two countries since 2011. "This trip is the reopening of tourism links between Syria and Tunisia," Moataz Tarbin, the head of the tourism firm that organised the flight, told AFP. Vehicles wait to cross into Syria at the recently reopened Nassib border with Jordan on November 7, 2018 It is not yet clear if more Arab countries, several of which were accused by Assad of once supporting jihadists and rebels, will follow in the UAE's footsteps. The UAE and Bahrain are two of six Gulf Cooperation Council nations that took a tough stance on Damascus in 2012 and eventually recognised an opposition umbrella group as the representative of Syria. Warming up to Assad is seen by some regional powers as a way of luring Syria away from the exclusive regional influence of Iran. "An Arab role in Syria has become even more necessary to face the regional expansionism of Iran and Turkey," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter. Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Assad's government and has expanded its military footprint in Syria throughout the course of the conflict. Last week's announcement by the White House that US troops would be pulled out also cleared the path for Turkey to muscle in on Kurdish areas in northeastern Syria. US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional arch foe, had agreed to finance Syria's huge reconstruction needs. "Saudi Arabia has now agreed to spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria, instead of the United States," Trump said on social media. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking in parliament in Jerusalem on December 24, 2018 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long reign atop Israeli politics has seen him outlast opponents with deft manoeuvring and right-wing leadership, but his latest gamble has many wondering whether it will be among his last. Israel is headed for snap elections on April 9, and while polls show Netanyahu is likely to again prevail, a series of corruption investigations have led to speculation over whether he will later be forced to step down. He will not be legally required to resign if indicted, but political pressure will surely be intense and any future coalition partners will have to decide whether to stick with him. The attorney general's decision on indictments is expected in the coming months. A range of analysts believe he pushed for elections seven months early at least partly to combat potential charges with a fresh mandate from voters. It would not be wise to bet on his downfall yet. Should he win in April, he will be on track to surpass founding father David Ben-Gurion's record of more than 13 years in office, and Netanyahu is no doubt aware of that weighty milestone. "He has no plan in resigning and no plan in stepping down, and he believes he can beat the charges against him," said Anshel Pfeffer, a journalist at Israeli newspaper Haaretz and author of a recently-published Netanyahu biography. - 'No exaggeration here' - The burly 69-year-old with his familiar grey comb-over has entrenched himself at the top so firmly he has been labelled "King Bibi", his nickname dating to childhood. Few doubt his political effectiveness, and supporters say the proof is seen in his opponents struggling to mount a major challenge to his leadership. Much of his popularity has to do with another nickname -- "Mr. Security" -- in a country where such issues are always on voters' minds. He has often sought to avoid talking about the Palestinians apart from security operations, with Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank. There were no surprises in how Netanyahu began his election campaign, mentioning Israeli strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and an operation to destroy Hezbollah tunnels. He also touched on another frequent talking point, highlighting economic growth despite a high cost of living that remains a concern. "We have turned Israel into a rising world power. There is no exaggeration here," Netanyahu said with familiar bombast. Netanyahu was born in 1949 in the then-nascent state of Israel around a year and a half after it was created. He and his wife Sara have two sons, and he has a daughter from a previous marriage. The son of a history professor active in Israeli right-wing politics, Netanyahu grew up partly in the United States. He attended the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and with his fluent, American-accented English would appear on television speaking forcefully in defence of Israel. While in the United States, he changed his last name to Nitay -- not to reject his roots but because Americans had difficulty pronouncing Netanyahu, Pfeffer writes. He performed his Israeli military service with an elite unit and was wounded in combat, but another family member's service may have affected him more deeply. In 1976, his brother Yonatan died in an Israeli commando raid to rescue hostages in Uganda. Netanyahu has called the operation "a very dramatic national experience" and "one of great personal consequence." - 'Master of politics' - Israeli politics in its early years was dominated by the Labour party, but the first victory by Likud, then led by Menachem Begin, in 1977 helped lay groundwork for Netanyahu's political future. His career took off when he was posted to Israel's Washington embassy and was later ambassador to the United Nations. He became Israel's youngest prime minister in 1996, at 46, but was defeated three years later. Netanyahu would return to office in 2009 and has remained ever since. "It's an interesting personality," said Shmuel Sandler, a professor at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. "He's now considered a master of politics, and when he started he was young. He didn't know how to handle it," he said, describing Netanyahu's early approach as too American. But for many, his politics have been too divisive, accusing him of scare tactics and pitting Israelis against themselves by castigating those who disagree. Asked about Netanyahu's legacy, Pfeffer pointed to a passage in his book. "His ultimate legacy will not be a more secure nation, but a deeply fractured Israeli society, living behind walls," he wrote. US President Donald Trump speaks to US troops at the Al-Asad Air Base during a surprise trip to in Iraq on December 26, 2018 President Donald Trump's lightning Christmas visit with US troops in Iraq has triggered questions and criticism in a country deeply divided over Washington's influence since the 2003 US invasion. The Wednesday visit, Trump's first with US troops in a conflict zone since he took office two years ago, came days after a shock decision to pull all American troops from neighbouring Syria. - No visit to PM? - Trump's trip was veiled in such secrecy there was speculation that Iraqi authorities had not been informed, and the US leader did not meet with Iraqi officials. There were no face-to-face talks between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi due to "differing views on how to organise the meeting", Iraqi authorities said in a statement. The two leaders instead spoke over the phone, the statement added. In Iraqi media, rumours abounded that Trump had asked Abdel Mahdi to meet him at the military base but the premier declined. "What was supposed to pass for a face-saving story -- that Trump refused to meet the PM in Baghdad insisting that the meeting take place at the Ain Al-Asad base -- was viewed by many Iraqis as further proof of Trump's contempt for Iraq," said Fanar Haddad, an Iraq expert at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute. "The excuse made the initial infraction all the worse," said Haddad. Former prime minister Haider al-Abadi said the way in which Trump visited Iraq was "not commensurate with diplomatic norms and relations with sovereign states". "Dealing with Iraq and its sovereignty in this way will harm Iraqi-US relations," he said. - Why now? - Trump's visit follows his surprise decision to withdraw all 2,000 American troops in neighbouring Syria and half of the 14,000 US soldiers deployed in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. But Trump stressed during his visit that he had no intention of pulling troops out of Iraq, which he said could be used as a future base "if we wanted to do something in Syria". "I think the visit will reassure those fearing that US policy in Iraq will go the way of its policy in Syria," said Haddad. Trump has made disentangling the US from its wars a priority since his 2016 election. The US "cannot continue to be the policeman of the world", he told troops at the Iraqi base. But Iraq is a special case, according to Iraqi political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi. "Iraq is important because of its strategic location. The presence of US forces reassures both Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and strikes a balance between the Kurds and Turkey and the Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi triangle," he said. The US military presence in Iraq also aids "Israel's desire to block the Tehran-Beirut route" and helps offset Iran's strengthening presence in the region, he said. - Iraqi political scene? - Relations between Iraq and the US have seen sizeable shifts since the 2003 US invasion and the overthrow of longtime ruler Saddam Hussein. The US military presence was largely unwelcome for years, until Washington created the international coalition to defeat IS in 2014 and helped erase the jihadists' "caliphate". But Iran's growing influence in the country has worked to diminish pro-US sentiments and pro-Tehran groups now make up a key bloc in the Iraqi parliament. Those groups were angered by Trump's visit. The Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba said the presence of US forces in Iraq was a "violation of the country's sovereignty" and it was "now the duty of the government to expel American forces". "Trump's disrespect of Iraq's sovereignty will not go unpunished," it said, adding it would "not allow Iraq to be a base used to threaten other countries". The head of the pro-Iran Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, Qais al-Khazali, tweeted that "Trump's visit to a US military base without regard for diplomatic norms reveals the reality of the American project in Iraq". The Iraqi response, he said, "would be the parliament's decision to remove your military forces" unilaterally. "If you don't withdraw, we have the experience and the ability to remove them in another way," he added. With Abdel Mahdi still struggling to fill key ministerial positions months after his appointment, analyst Hashemi said the "axis close to Iran will seek a parliamentary vote on a timeline for an American pullout from Iraq". These groups and their respective militias play a major role in maintaining security across much of Iraq, especially along the border with Syria. Hashemi said Trump's "disregard for his allies is straining the relationship between Abdel Mahdi and the Iraqi political forces". Trump's ignorance of Iraq's tenuous political scene, he said, may "open the doors for resistance against the American presence in Iraq again". Here's something I don't think you will believe. And I hope that it isn't true either. But apparently, it seems that an Ottawa man named Horace Carby-Samuels may have been abducted by manipulative aliens. That is to say, the real Horace, and not the apparent imposter that's walking about in his body. Sounds wild, doesn't it? In fact, Horace might very well be a lesson to us all on the inherent dangers of people who on their own seek to "communicate with aliens". Apparently, Horace met these aliens during a "Near Death Experience". He credited these aliens with "saving his life" before putting him on a life-long 'mission' to write a book which began since the 1960's. You might think that must be a pretty long book! That book was eventually published in 2006 with the help of Raymond, his son. If you want to see the kind of message that these apparent manipulative aliens dictated to him through his reported contact with them during his dreams, you can ask for a copy of the book Human Development and the Quality of Living from your nearest bookstore. The language of this book is definitely not the easiest to read, but promises to reveal a potential glimpse of an apparent oppressive alien intelligence, which seeks to disguise its message with benign or "angelic" intentions. The apparent truth of the matter is that many people who either seek to contact aliens, angels or even 'God' may be getting "replies" from demons in "sheep's clothing". These are the non-trivial warnings expressed by the ancient Pagan Gnostics who John Lash documents had sought to warn humanity about the "fallen angels". The "fallen angels" are far from being "angelic". They are demons that apparently seek to present themselves as angels in order to manipulate human targets. Ancient Pagan Gnostics referred to "fallen angels" are working though "archons" which they referred to as "artificial man". "Artificial man" was apparently the ancient Pagan Gnostic way of describing 'AI' or "artificial intelligence". David Icke reinforced the Pagan Gnostic and African tribal observations of Archons embedded into human society operating as part of a "collective artificial intelligence" which has sought to abduct human hosts on various "missions". Is Horace's body now being controlled by a collective AI mind described by Alex Collier, David Icke, John Lash, Nigel Kerner and Dr. Michael Salla? Horace may be the one of the latest victims of alien manipulation. Nowadays, witnesses report that Horace is "definitely not acting like himself". An expert on manipulative aliens claims that after his investigation he now strongly believes Horace is being controlled by a race of aliens he knows about that is seeking to use his body. After Horace wrote the book, he began to become more hysterical about aliens who apparently told him that they seek to make humans members of the "Bio-Electric Union". He began to warn friends and family about a very real "Extraterrestrial Threat", and that these aliens were seeking to take over his body. Horace began to express great fear of the "fallen angels" to his son who never had seen his father in fear of anything. As these aliens sought to fight with Horace over control over his body, the alien personae which began to take over Horace expressed itself with great violence which included slapping and abusing his wife and assaulting his son with a knife, after his son expressed concerns about the violent psychopath he was becoming. According to Alex Collier in the above video, a race of aliens are abducting the 'soul essence of humans' and replacing them with aliens that seek to "experience human emotions" in ways their alien bodies can't. All kinds of violent and psychotic behaviours on our planet Earth including rape, pedophilia to wars may be explained by such aliens taking over other bodies. When a writing sample of Horace before the alleged alien abduction was compared to writing samples of Horace after the alleged alien abduction, multiple handwriting experts concluded with 100% certainty that the signatures could not be from the same person. It appears that after the aliens saved Horace's life, like an "intergalactic loan sharks", they sought to demand "pay back" through the dictating of their book and alleged taking of his body. The "Benalla affair" sparked a major scandal for President Emmanual Macron, prompting a wave of accusations from opponents that his government covered it up The French presidency has written to Emmanuel Macron's disgraced former bodyguard Alexandre Benalla raising concerns over his recent work as a "consultant" in Africa, according to the letter seen by AFP on Thursday. Benalla faces criminal charges after it emerged in July that he roughed up protesters during a May Day demonstration in Paris while wearing a police helmet. The "Benalla affair" sparked a major scandal for Macron, prompting a wave of accusations from opponents that the presidency covered it up. Benalla, 27, was swiftly fired after the revelations, but officials are worried he may since have been profiting from his former insider status. Two weeks ago it emerged that Benalla travelled to Chad in early December and met with President Idriss Deby, shortly before Macron himself paid a visit to the African country. Benalla said he was accompanying a "foreign business delegation" promoting major Middle Eastern companies. Macron's office told AFP this week that Benalla had not informed the presidency of the trip until afterwards. "No matter what Mr Benalla was up to, he is neither an official nor unofficial envoy of the president," his office said. But the fresh revelations have sparked questions in France over why he was granted such high-level access to an African leader. On Thursday the investigative website Mediapart reported that Benalla had used a diplomatic passport to enter several African countries as well as Israel in recent weeks. The Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Benalla had indeed been issued two diplomatic passports but was asked to return them after his dismissal this summer. The ministry said it would consider taking legal action if the passports were used. - 'Let us be clear' - In the strongly worded letter to Benalla dated December 22, Macron's office chief Patrick Strzoda warned the ex-bodyguard against divulging any confidential information gleaned during his previous job at the French president's side. "Let us be clear: we forbid you from claiming you have any kind of recommendation or tacit support from the presidency," Strzoda wrote. "With regard to your current personal activities, we ask you to ensure they are conducted with strict respect for the confidentiality and ethical responsibilities of your time in this office." Strzoda further demanded that Benalla provide details of "personal and private trips" during his time working with Macron, including any payments. The presidency would be forced to respond to any previously undisclosed business dealings deemed "incompatible" with his former role, Strzoda warned. - 'I won't keep quiet' - Benalla has denied boasting of insider influence to win work after his sacking and accused members of Macron's entourage of "trying to wreck" his life. "I won't keep quiet any longer," he said in a statement Wednesday. Le Monde newspaper reported that Benalla had met in October with Congo's President Denis Sassou-Nguesso as well as with top officials in Cameroon as part of a business delegation. Former Elysee senior security office Alexandre Benalla has accused members of Macron's entourage of "trying to wreck" his life "Today I'm doing consulting work. I'm working in around ten countries in Africa," Benalla told the newspaper. Benalla, a former bouncer, became Macron's chief bodyguard during his 2017 election campaign and was given a senior security job upon his victory. He faces charges of assault, impersonating an officer, and illicitly receiving CCTV recordings of the May Day incident. He has denied any wrongdoing, insisting he was simply trying to help police deal with violent protesters. The Benalla scandal has reared its ugly head again at an unwelcome time for Macron, following a wave of protests against him by the "yellow vest" movement. Comeback: Andry Rajoelina will return to the presidency after defeating long-term rival Marc Ravalomanana Former Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina has beaten his rival and predecessor Marc Ravalomanana in an election beset by allegations of fraud, the electoral commission said Thursday. Rajoelina has returned to power after he won 55.66 percent against 44.34 percent for Ravalomanana in the run-off vote held last week, it said. The results, announced under high security, were quickly appealed by Ravalomana. The defeated candidate filed papers with the Constitutional Court just hours after the electoral commission announced the election's complete results. The court has nine days to formally name the new president after it has reviewed the petition. Ravalomana's campaign director Anisoa Tseheno Rabenja accused the electoral commission of a "premeditated act" in helping Rajoelina commit "massive fraud". - 'Massive fraud' - Rival: Marc Ravalomanana was forced out of office in 2009 after protests stoked by Rajoelina, who was mayor of Antananarivo at the time Rajoelina meanwhile called for unity and a "democratic" transfer of power as he thanked those who voted for him and those who did not. "I already came first in the first round, and the people of Madagascar have confirmed my victory in this second round," he said Rajoelina. "What matters is that the people of Madagascar were able to express themselves freely," he added. "My message is simple, the people of Madagascar no longer need a crisis, they need a wise, unifying leader". Rajoelina, 44, sat in the front row among the 200 guests in the room where the electoral commission announced the results. A seat next to him, apparently reserved for Ravalomanana, was empty, according to an AFP journalist. "It's unfortunate that the other candidate is not here," the president of the electoral commission, Hery Rakotomanana, said. The electoral commission chief said "efforts were made to respond" to concerns raised by both candidates, which included a review of the counting software. The two-round election was plagued by mutual accusations of vote-rigging in a country with a long history of instability. Heavily-armed police patrolled the area around the electoral commission offices for the announcement. No victory celebrations were witnessed on the streets of the capital. Rajoelina and Ravalomanana are former presidents and long-time rivals who have fought a fiercely personal duel for power. They each spent lavishly on campaigning, with promises and handouts distributed liberally to voters, who are among the poorest in Africa. - 'People expressed themselves freely' - Madagascar European Union election observers have said they had not seen evidence of wrongdoing in the vote in which about five million ballots were cast. Ravalomanana, a 69-year-old former milkman who built a business empire, had on Sunday urged supporters to protest what he called "injustice and a violation of their right to vote". Elected president in 2002, he was forced to resign seven years later following protests fuelled by Rajoelina, who had been elected mayor of the capital Antananarivo. Rajoelina was then installed by the army and ruled until 2014. He is a former events planner and successful entrepreneur with slick communication skills. The two adversaries came a close first and second in the preliminary election in November, with Rajoelina garnering 39 percent compared with 35 percent for Ravalomanana. The two candidates were both banned from running in the 2013 election as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since independence from France in 1960. Outgoing president Hery Rajaonarimampianina was eliminated in the first round after winning only nine percent. Just 48.09 percent of the eligible 10 million voters cast their votes in the run-off, slightly lower than in the 55 percent in the first round. Madagascar is well known for its vanilla and precious redwood, yet is one of the world's poorest nations, according to World Bank data, with 76 percent of people living in extreme poverty. The island, which is also famed for its unique wildlife, is dependent on foreign aid and burdened by a long history of coups and unrest. No caption The US government partial shutdown was set to stretch deep into next week after legislators failed Thursday to make a breakthrough in the row over President Donald Trump's demand for a US-Mexico border wall. After convening for just a few minutes following the official Christmas break, a still nearly empty Senate adjourned, deciding to renew budget deliberations only next Wednesday, the last day of the current Republican-controlled Congress. That would take the government shutdown, already on its sixth day, into 12. Both sides have dug in, with Democrats refusing to provide $5 billion for Trump's border wall project and the president insisting he will not fully fund the government unless he gets the money. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Democrats of "openly choosing to keep our government closed to protect illegal immigrants rather than the American people." She said Trump "will not sign a proposal that does not first prioritize our country's safety and security." As long as the wall debate holds up approval of a wider spending bill, about 800,000 federal employees are not getting salaries and non-essential parts of the government are unable to function. Trump made clear he does not intend to give way first. In a tweet Thursday, he once more accused Democrats of wanting to encourage illegal immigrants, "an Open Southern Border and the large scale crime that comes with such stupidity!" "Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country," he said in another tweet, also lambasting "Democrat obstruction of the needed Wall." Opponents, including some in his Republican party, accuse the president of exaggerating the danger from illegal immigration for his own political gain. "No end in sight to the President's government shutdown," Dick Durbin, a senior Democratic senator, tweeted. "He's taken our government hostage over his outrageous demand for a $5 billion border wall that would be both wasteful and ineffective." - Economy worries - Empty offices are seen at a federal building in Washington during the government shutdown which has left about 800,000 civil servants temporarily unpaid Partial government shutdowns are not an unusual weapon in Washington budget negotiations, where party divides make cooperation a rarity. But the rancor has spiraled under Trump's abrasive administration and is set to go even higher after January 3 when the Democrats take over the House of Representatives, following their midterm election victory. The mess has contributed to worries over the outlook for the US economy in 2019, following a surging 2018 performance. The stock market has plummeted in recent days, before a record recovery on Wednesday, under a variety of factors including Trump's barrage of criticism against the independent Federal Reserve. Continuing the see-saw performance, Wall Street opened sharply lower Thursday but ended solidly higher on bargain hunting. - Children suffer - Large sections of the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200 kilometer) border with Mexico are already divided by fences and other barriers. But immigrants -- some fleeing danger and others just looking for jobs -- continue to cross illegally. Trump's critics say that he is trampling over legally protected asylum rights and argue that resources should be channeled into higher-tech alternatives to a wall. Managing the flow of illegal border crossers has been complicated by a shift from single men to more vulnerable families, including small children. Two youngsters from Guatemala have died while in custody of US authorities this month and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that "extraordinary protective measures" were required to handle the flow. No caption US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan warned Wednesday that the agency was unable to cope with the thousands of arrivals, as most facilities were built decades ago for men arriving alone. "We need help from Congress. We need to budget for medical care and mental health care for children in our facilities," he told CBS News. Nicknamed "the disc jockey", a moniker he earned from his popularity for promoting parties in the capital Antananarivo, Rajoelina burst onto the political scene 11 years ago Andry Rajoelina, who returned to the helm of Madagascar after last week's hotly-contested election, is one of three politicians to have dominated the politics of the Indian Ocean island nation. Nicknamed "the disc jockey", a moniker he earned from his popularity for promoting parties in the capital Antananarivo, Rajoelina burst onto the political scene 11 years ago. He trounced the party of then President Marc Ravalomanana to become the capital city's mayor in 2007. Helped by his own Viva broadcasting channel and strong communications skills, he quickly established himself as the leading voice of opposition to Ravalomanana. His supporters openly defied the regime with the tacit support of the military, who helped oust Ravalomanana in 2009. The 44-year-old Rajoelina defended his elevation to the presidential palace on the back of a coup, telling AFP: "It was a popular uprising." At the time, Rajoelina, who was then in his mid-30s, struggled to guide the country out of crisis as its unelected leader. His rivals also accused him of corruption, greed, and turning a blind eye to the pillage of the country's natural resources, including its precious rosewood forests. His failings won him the nickname "crayfish" -- a crustacean that walks backwards. Under international pressure, Rajoelina did not contest the 2013 election and backed his victorious former finance minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina. The two quickly fell out, however, and two years ago Rajoelina vowed to win back office at the ballot box. Born on May 30, 1974 in Antsirabe, Rajoeliona- a businessman and fervent Catholic- is married with three children. During the first round of the elections, he took a slight lead over Ravalomanana but has attracted impressive numbers to his rallies, which featured performance artists and fireworks. Rajoelina has been energetic on the campaign trail, bringing a sense of excitement and change to his rallies. But his policies have been criticised as unrealistic and foes have questioned how he funded his lavish campaigning. Amoung promises that drew ridicule from rivals were a proposal to fit prized zebu cows with trackers to battle rustling, and a scheme to convert Tamatave port into a "Malagasy Miami". But Rajoelina has dismissed his critics and vowed to transform his deeply impoverished country. "The situation is catastrophic in Madagascar, I would like to give people hope and pride," he said. "I will be a president of the poor people who protects the poor." The removal of Peking University's Marxist society leader comes a day after he was detained, according to a witness, for trying to commemorate Mao's birth anniversary A top Chinese university on Thursday removed the student leader of an on-campus Marxist group, replacing him and other core members with its own picks -- most of them Communist Party members. The person responsible for the Marxist society "repeatedly" organised activities in violation of rules, the Peking University Student Extracurricular Guidance Center posted on the school's internal online forum. He has already been "penalised" by the public security bureau and "does not have the qualifications to continue... as head of the organisation", it said. The removal of Qiu Zhanxuan, the school's Marxist society president, comes a day after he was detained by police for -- according to a witness -- attempting to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Mao Zedong, whose legacy in China remains controversial. According to a notice seen by AFP, Qiu was handed an "administrative penalty" by Beijing police for "holding up slogans, singing... (and) other methods to disturb the public order at Peking University" last week. Qiu was released from police custody on Thursday, according to a source who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Peking University has also decided to "restructure" the Marxist society, its notice said, listing newly selected student leaders -- all of whom are Communist Party members. The 32 other students who have been made core members of the reshuffled Marxist group are also all in the Communist Youth League or Communist Party, or are in the process of becoming members. Considered China's most prestigious university, Peking has a history of student activism with its alumni playing a key role in the pro-democracy Tiananmen protests in 1989. But campus activism has been quashed under President Xi Jinping. In August, a police raid swept up student activists at several universities, beating some of them and confiscating their phones for supporting a labour rights movement in the southern Guangdong province. And last month, a Peking graduate affiliated with the activist group was beaten and taken by men in dark clothing on campus, according to an eyewitness. The school later issued a statement on its online forum, calling the alumnus a "suspected criminal". Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has vowed to fight any bid by the Palestinians to seek full membership in the United Nations Israel has vowed to work with the United States to block a bid by the Palestinians for full membership in the United Nations, a move that would confer international recognition of Palestinian statehood. Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Wednesday that he will submit a request next month to the Security Council for full UN membership, according to the official Wafa Palestinian news agency. "We are preparing to stop the initiative," said Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon in a statement. "The Palestinians pay terrorists and encourage violence yet seek to become a member state of the United Nations." Danon accused Palestinian leaders of engaging in "destructive policies that have encouraged recent terror attacks" and said he was gearing up to block the initiative "in cooperation with the United States delegation." Any move by the Palestinians to seek full UN membership will face a veto from the United States at the Security Council, diplomats said. Under UN rules the General Assembly must approve any request to become a UN member-state, but it must first be submitted to the Security Council. To win the council's approval, the Palestinians would have to secure nine votes from the 15 members and no veto from any of the five permanent members: Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States. The Palestinian foreign minister said he plans to travel to New York next month to personally submit the request. It remains unclear whether the application would quickly be put to a vote at the Security Council. - New council members back Palestine - UN diplomats said the Palestinian move to seek full UN membership comes as South Africa and Indonesia, two strong supporters of the Palestinians, are set to take their seats as non-permanent Security Council members. The council is tentatively scheduled to hold its monthly meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on January 22. The Palestinians were granted the status of UN non-member observer state in 2012, a decision taken by the General Assembly where no member-state holds veto power. The United States voted against that resolution, in line with its long-standing view that there should be no international recognition for the Palestinians until progress is made in peace efforts with Israel. That view has hardened under President Donald Trump's administration, which has cut off aid to the Palestinians and recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, overriding Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem. Asked for a comment, the US mission to the United Nations said it was unable to respond due to the US government shutdown. The Trump administration is preparing to roll out, possibly in early 2019, its much-awaited peace proposals for the Middle East -- although Israeli elections scheduled for April could once again delay that plan. About 137 countries out the UN's 193 member-states recognize some form of Palestinian statehood. Cell phone records support claims that Michael Cohen was near Prague during the summer of 2016 despite his denials, McClatchy news service reported Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former attorney, denied Thursday that he had ever visited Prague, shooting down a report that he had a meeting with Russian officials there during the 2016 presidential election campaign. "I hear #Prague #CzechRepublic is beautiful in the summertime," Cohen tweeted. "I wouldn't know as I have never been. "#Mueller knows everything!" he added in a reference to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who is investigating whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to get him elected to the White House Cohen's tweet came several hours after the McClatchy news service reported that cell phone records showed that Cohen was near Prague in the summer of 2016, supporting claims that he met there with Russian officials. Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison this month after pleading guilty to tax evasion and other crimes, had denied previously ever visiting Prague. Cohen has been cooperating for the past several months with the Special Counsel's office but details of his cooperation with the Mueller probe have not been publicly revealed. Trump vehemently denies any collusion with Russia and has denounced the Mueller investigation as a "political witch hunt." The purported meeting between Cohen and Russian government officials in Prague was first reported in a document with compromising material on Trump compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. According to what has become known as the "Steele dossier," Cohen had a clandestine meeting with Kremlin officials in Prague in August 2016 to discuss hiding links between members of the Trump campaign and Russia. McClatchy, publisher of the Miami Herald and other newspapers, said a mobile phone traced to Cohen had briefly sent signals off cell towers in the Prague area in late summer 2016. "The brief activation from Cohen's phone near Prague sent beacons that left a traceable electronic signature," it said. Citing "four people with knowledge of the matter," McClatchy said that the electronic record supports "claims that Cohen met secretly there with Russian officials." "During the same period of late August or early September (2016), electronic eavesdropping by an Eastern European intelligence agency picked up a conversation among Russians, one of whom remarked that Cohen was in Prague," McClatchy cited "two people familiar with the incident" as saying. "The new information regarding the recovery of Cohen's cell phone location doesn't explain why he was apparently there or who he was meeting with, if anyone," McClatchy said. "But it adds to evidence that Cohen was in or near Prague around the time of the supposed meeting," it said. McClatchy said the intelligence pointing to the presence of Cohen near Prague had been shared with the Special Counsel's office. Among the crimes Cohen pleaded guilty to was lying to Congress about the status of a Trump real estate project in Moscow. Cohen acknowledged that the talks to build a Trump Tower in Moscow continued until at least June 2016 -- six months longer than he had told Congress. Israeli then-military chief of staff Benny Gantz salutes at the grave of late Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon during a state memorial ceremony on January 29, 2015 Respected Israeli former military chief of staff Benny Gantz on Thursday launched a political party ahead of snap April elections, with polls suggesting his new group could claim a number of seats. The newly founded Israel Resilience party aims at "strengthening the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel", according to official registration documents seen by AFP. Polls have shown that if Gantz -- who headed the military from 2011 to 2015 -- were to run with a party then the entity could claim 13 to 20 seats of the 120 up for grabs in Israel's Knesset. Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections on April 9 after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government agreed on early polls. The premier's coalition was left with a one-seat majority after defence minister Avigdor Lieberman stepped down in November over a controversial ceasefire deal in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Polls say Netanyahu looks set to extend his long reign at the top of Israeli politics, but a slew of corruption investigations have cast a cloud over his future. Israeli media said that the creation of the Israel Resilience party means that Gantz, 59, and his allies will contest the April vote. Despite his high profile, the former military chief remains a wildcard, with his own political views and his party's platform largely unknown. Another former military chief Moshe Yaalon, who served as Netanyahu's defence minister from 2013 to 2016, unveiled his own party on Wednesday. A former member of Netanyahu's Likud party, Yaalon has become a critic and rival of his former boss. Some media outlets speculated that Yaalon and Gantz could join forces for the election on a centre-right ticket. Egyptian authorities on Thursday released a rights activist jailed over a video she posted online criticising sexual harassment in the country, her husband said. Amal Fathi, 34, was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence in September on charges of spreading fake news after accusing the authorities of failing to protect women in a Facebook video. She was, however, kept in detention awaiting trial in another case in which she is accused of a second charge of "spreading false news" and "membership of a terrorist group". Her release on Thursday came after an Egyptian court last week ordered her to be freed. "She came out today," husband Mohamed Lotfy, a well-known rights activist, told AFP. Her conditional release means she must report to the police regularly. Fathi was first arrested in May over footage in which she also alleged that guards at a bank had sexually harassed her. She is appealing her two-year suspended sentence and faces a decision in that case on December 30. Some 60 percent of women in Egypt say they have been victims of some form of sexual harassment during their life, according to a 2017 report by UN Women and Promundo, an organisation that engages men and boys in tackling gender violence. Rights groups have repeatedly accused the Egyptian authorities of using anti-terror legislation to crush a range of dissenting voices. Boko Haram jihadists, similar to the ones pictured January 2018, overran a naval base and a multinational joint task force post in the fishing town of Baga after a fierce battle Boko Haram sacked two military bases in northeast Nigeria overnight as the jihadist fighters battle for control of a strategic town on Lake Chad, military sources said Thursday. Jihadists from the IS-supported Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) overran a naval base and a multinational joint task force (MNJTF) post in the fishing town of Baga after a fierce battle, the sources told AFP. Boko Haram has repeatedly struck military outposts in the region in recent months. Fighters in several vehicles stormed Baga and engaged troops in intense fighting at the MNJTF base which hosts units from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The insurgents also sacked a naval base in Mile 3 which lies five kilometres from Baga, a military source who asked not to be identified told AFP. "The troops were overpowered and forced to withdraw," the source, adding that "the terrorists carted away guntrucks, ammunition and multiple rocket launchers from the base." Troops from the two bases withdrew to another naval base at Fish Dam on the shores of Lake Chad, the military source said. That base was well secured, and resisted several attempts by Boko Haram fighters to overrun it, the source added. The jihadists then retreated and the troops decided not to pursue them to avoid running into an ambush, a strategy Boko Haram often employs against the military, the officer said. Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman confirmed the attack in a statement which said the assault began at about 7:00 pm local time (1800 GMT). "The troops along with their Nigerian Navy counterparts put up a very determined fight" all night, he said, adding that one navy personnel was killed. Troop reinforcements were in pursuit of the Boko Haram fighters, he said. Residents of the regional capital Maiduguri reported seeing six fighter jets flying towards Baga on Thursday. In January 2015, Boko Haram overran the MNJTF base and took control of Baga after killing hundreds of residents and forcing thousands to flee to Maiduguri. The town was later retaken, but jihadists continue to attack the military and civilians in the area, which is an ISWAP stronghold. Its fighters occupy camps on many islands in Lake Chad. Boko Haram's nine-year insurgency has killed 27,000 people and displaced two million others, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region. The fighting has also spilled into Nigeria's northern neighbours Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege got a hero's welcome on his return to Bukavu, in eastern DR Congo Thousands of people in DR Congo turned out to welcome Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, the surgeon who helps women recover from the trauma of rape. "We won! We won!" sang Mamy Magasine as she improvised a celebratory rumba in a rain-soaked courtyard in Bukavu, in the eastern province of South Kivu on the border with Rwanda. "He is the pride of Congolese women, and even women of the whole world," said Magasine, the local head of the country's ministry for families. A little earlier, Mukwege arrived on a UN flight and was driven into the city with an escort of UN peacekeepers. Since an attempt on his life in 2012, Mukwege lives under the protection of the UN peacekeepers in the region Mukwege's Panzi hospital has treated tens of thousands of victims of sexual violence in his war-weary native province of South Kivu. But since an attempt on his life in October 2012, he lives inside the hospital compound under the protection of UN peacekeepers. Wearing a scarf bearing the national colours, he arrived to a rapturous reception from the crowd, composed mainly of women, in front of a local college. "We will build a a more beautiful country than before, with peace," he said. 'We will build a more beautiful country than before, with peace,' Mukwege told the crowd Mukwege showed the crowd his Nobel prize and said the $400,000 prize money that came with it would be ploughed back into treating the women under his care. "This is a beautiful day for me, this prize is your prize, protect it! Let's build a lasting peace," he added, to applause. Speaking mainly in Swahili but passing sometimes into French, Mukwege also called for the creation of a compensation fund for victims of sexual violence and urged UN member states to contribute. - 'It's him, our president' - "Why not a special tribunal for the Congo?" he added, referring to past examples of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). He drew more applause after calling for a state of law, adding: "A country without violence, it's a bit difficult, but it's not impossible." Mukwege called for peace in the troubled country and suggested a compensation fund for victims of sexual violence during the conflict Muwkege arrived a day after the country's election panel announced yet another delay to presidential, legislative and municipal elections in troubled parts of the country, provoking violent protests. He noted that no local politicians had turned out for this event, said the electoral process appeared to have stalled, and called for the Constitution to be respected. In a recent opinion piece for the New York Times, Muwkege urged Kabila to give up power, but he did not go that far in Thursday's speech. He did urge all those in power to "measure the gravity of the situation to avoid chaos". "We're sick of it," he added, to the delight of the crowd. In a recent opinion piece for the New York Times, Muwkege called for Kabila to step down from power, but he did not go that for in Thursday's speech President Joseph Kabila has been in power in 2001, since the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila. He was to step down at the end of 2016 after two terms in office. But instead he stayed on, invoking a clause in the constitution that enables a president to stay in office until a successor is elected. "It's him, our president, because he speaks of peace," said one young member of the audience after Muwege's speech. Mukwege shared this year's Nobel Prize with Nadia Murad, the Iraqi Yazidi woman campaigning for people after herself surviving as a hostage of Islamic State jihadists. The Burkinabe minsitry released a statement saying that 10 police officers, similar to the ones pictured August 2017, "have lost their lives", and three more are wounded Ten police officers were killed and three wounded in an ambush in northwestern Burkina Faso on Thursday, the west African country's security ministry said. "The toll is 10 officers who have lost their lives and three wounded," the ministry said in a statement, adding that a police convoy from the Toeni region and reinforcements from the Dedougou area had been ambushed. The officers were attacked while heading to the village of Loroni, near the border with Mali, after a school there had been attacked and textbooks torched by armed assailants, a security source told AFP. The wounded, including two in serious condition, were taken to a hospital in Dedougou, the source added. Burkina Faso has been increasingly hit by deadly attacks over the last three years. They began in the north of the country but have since spread to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin. On Wednesday, a police officer died during an attack on his station in the northern town of Solan. Most attacks are attributed to the jihadist group Ansarul Islam, which emerged near the Mali border in December 2016, and to the JNIM (the Group to Support Islam and Muslims), which has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Those groups are believed to be responsible for more than 255 deaths since 2015. The capital Ouagadougou has been hit three times and almost 60 people have died there. The Democratic Republic of Congo has not had a peaceful transfer of power since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960 The European Union on Thursday lashed out at DR Congo's decision to expel its ambassador, calling the move "completely unjustified", just three days before crucial elections in the vast central African country. DR Congo Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu earlier told the EU it had 48 hours to withdraw its representative in retaliation for sanctions against 14 officials, including President Joseph Kabila's handpicked candidate for the long-delayed vote. An EU spokesman told AFP the bloc "regrets this decision and considers it as completely unjustified". "On the eve of very challenging elections in DRC, such a decision can only be considered counterproductive." On December 10, EU foreign ministers extended a travel ban and asset freeze on 14 figures over "the obstruction of the electoral process and the related human rights violations". That included Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hardline former interior minister chosen by Kabila to be the candidate for his succession in Sunday's presidential election. She Okitundu said the DRC had "patiently" sought to persuade the EU to either drop or suspend the sanctions "until the elections in the DRC had been held". But as these appeals had failed, he said the expulsion of the EU head of mission Bart Ouvry, a Belgian national, "on one side punishes the reprehensible behaviour (of the EU) and on the other comes under the framework of reciprocity". Delayed several times, the election will be the country's first presidential ballot in seven years. The Democratic Republic of Congo has not had a peaceful transfer of power since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in Brasilia where both will be attending the New Year's Day inauguration of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet next week in Brazil with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington prepares to withdraw troops from Syria, the State Department said Thursday. Pompeo and Netanyahu will meet in Brasilia where both will be attending the New Year's Day inauguration of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing firebrand who has vowed to move Brazil closer to Israel and US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu has met frequently with Pompeo and enjoys a warm relationship with Trump, happy about his withdrawal from a denuclearization deal with Iran and his landmark shift of the US embassy to Jerusalem. But Netanyahu has for the first time found himself at odds with Trump after the US leader's sudden announcement last week that he will bring home all 2,000 American troops from war-ravaged Syria, where Israel saw Washington's presence as a bulwark against Iran and counterweight to the influence of Russia. Israel has been measured in its public response, saying it respects Trump's decision, which led to the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria that it says are targeting Iranian forces and their Hezbollah allies. Trump has said that US troops were solely focused on fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, which he has declared to be "largely defeated." Pompeo will also meet in Brazil with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra and afterward fly to Cartagena to hold talks with Colombian President Ivan Duque. Japan has put a halt to its most provocative whaling -- annual expeditions to the Antarctic Japan has made good on years of threats by bolting the International Whaling Commission, but its decision may also offer a way out of tensions that looked inextricable. Japan, which calls whaling part of its cultural heritage, said Wednesday it would withdraw from the seven-decade-old commission which since 1986 has banned commercial killing of the ocean giants. But while Japan vowed to forge ahead with full-fledged commercial hunts off its coast, it put a halt to its most provocative whaling -- annual expeditions to the Antarctic which use an IWC loophole that permits whaling for scientific research. Australia and New Zealand have been outraged by Japan's incursions into waters they consider a whale sanctuary and activists harassed the whalers in often dangerous chases. Patrick Ramage, a veteran watcher of IWC negotiations, called the announcement an "elegantly Japanese solution" that looks on the surface like defiance but will likely mean a much smaller hunt. "What this provides is a face-saving way out of high seas whaling. And it is difficult to see that as anything other than good news for whales and the commission established to manage and conserve them," said Ramage, program director for marine conservation at the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Ramage said that the IWC, where Japan will now have observer status, can focus on increasingly serious threats to whales such as climate change, plastic pollution, ship-strikes and accidental net entanglement from the soaring fishing industry. Japan's whale hunt "It will be a net positive to allow the commission and its member countries to move beyond what has been a disproportionate and warping debate on whaling," he said. Norway and Iceland also hunt whales but remain within the IWC, instead formally registering objections to the ban. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which opposes any killing of whales and attempted to stop Japan's fleet forcibly in the Antarctic, declared victory over Tokyo's announcement but vowed not to accept any whaling by the three countries. - Mounting obstacles - For Japan, which generally prides itself on its contributions to international organizations, whaling has been a rare space in which it confronts its usual Western allies, with Japanese officials at IWC meetings railing against what they see as cultural imperialism. While whale meat is rarely eaten in modern Japan, whaling has become a matter of principle for the powerful fishing business and port cities such as Shimonoseki, the home base of conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Japan, which calls whaling part of its cultural heritage, said it would withdraw from the seven-decade-old International Whaling Commission, which since 1986 has banned commercial killing of the ocean giants But Japan's whalers also faced serious obstacles outside the IWC. The Nisshin Maru, the world's only remaining whaler factory ship and flagship in the "scientific" expeditions, is 31 years old and set for replacement. Japan -- adamant that it has always followed the letter of the law -- also in 2014 lost a lawsuit filed by Australia at the International Court of Justice, which rejected Tokyo's argument that its whaling was for science, although the narrow ruling allowed Japan to reconstitute its program. And CITES, the global conference that governs wildlife trade to protect endangered species, in October reprimanded Japan for shipments of meat of sei whales, the main type it kills on the high seas. Japan's coastal whaling is expected to focus on minkes, the smallest of the great whales whose stocks are widely considered healthy. - Latest shift for IWC? - The Cambridge, England-based IWC was established after World War II to manage whaling, seeking to ensure meat for a hungry Japan and, less successfully, to contain the Soviet Union's prolific slaughter of whales. After the IWC voted for the moratorium, Japan sought to pack the commission with allies -- often small developing countries with no whaling tradition -- but has continuously failed to reach the two-third threshold it needed. As one of the earliest results of international environmental diplomacy, the IWC has advocates who say it must be preserved. Peter Stoett, a professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology who has written a book on the IWC, said Japan's withdrawal marked a setback for the commission which will no longer have universal membership. But he said Japan's absence could reorient the IWC once again to focus on science and diplomacy to address climate change and other urgent threats to whales and other cetaceans. "As dramatic as this is, the major threat to cetaceans today is not coming from harpoons," Stoett said. "The end of all whales could come, but that would be because the oceans are just too warm for the ecosystem support structure that they need," he said. Bangladesh will hold a parliamentary election on Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking a record fourth term in power Bangladesh's authorities have severely restricted internet services across the country in an effort to fight "propaganda" ahead of Sunday's general election, an official said. At the end of an election campaign marked by deadly violence, internet services were slowed across the country with 3G and 4G services suspended for several hours, a Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) official said Friday. "We asked telecom operators to halt 3G and 4G services temporarily on Thursday night. We have done it to prevent propaganda and misleading content spreading on the internet," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. He said higher speed internet services resumed on Friday morning after a 10-hour blackout, but could be suspended again later in the day. Bangladesh will hold a parliamentary election on Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking a record fourth term in power. She is being challenged by an alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which says thousands of its activists have been arrested in a nationwide crackdown during the campaign. BNP leader Khaleda Zia was been jailed for 17 years on graft charges this year and the party says its candidates were attacked to prevent them from campaigning. Shut out by mainstream media, the BNP has been reduced to social media such as Facebook to lobby for votes. Its leaders have posted series of videos to canvass support from Bangladesh's 100 million voters ahead of the election. Earlier this month, the BTRC blocked the BNP website along with 53 news websites and portals including several pro-BNP sites saying they spread "obscene" and malicious content. Bangladesh, which has more than 92 million internet users, has a history of blocking websites and key social media such as Facebook and YouTube. In August 2016, the BTRC blocked 35 websites including several popular among opposition supporters. Not a spy! Chinese author Ma Jian was amused to be mistaken for his disgraced namesake who was jailed for corruption Exiled Chinese author Ma Jian joked that his children were puzzled to learn he was a corrupt spymaster after several media outlets used his picture in stories about his namesake who was just sentenced to life imprisonment. "Not content with sharing my name, the corrupt spy chief Ma Jian, who was vice minister of the agency responsible for banning me from China, has now stolen my face as well," Ma wrote on Twitter. The former deputy head of China's ministry of state security was on Thursday jailed for life for corruption and insider trading. Both men's names use the same Chinese characters. "My children are puzzled to learn that I am not the author of China Dream, who has just made them seaweed dumplings for supper, but am instead a former spymaster who has just been jailed for life for accepting 'extremely large bribes'," Ma said in one of several tweets linking to erroneous articles. The author was amused by the absurdity of the situation. "Am I a banned novelist dreaming that I'm a corrupt spy chief, or am I a corrupt spy chief dreaming that I'm a banned novelist?" he wrote. Ma's books were banned in China after his first novel about a young Chinese journalist's travels to Tibet was labelled by the government as "spiritual pollution". He recently had trouble finding a venue to host his talks during a literary festival in Hong Kong after an arts centre originally slated to hold the talks cancelled the event, but later backtracked. Ma has not been back to China since six years ago when he was granted special permission to attend his mother's funeral. The documents were signed by three deputy security ministers including one Ma Jian. "It was a bit Kafkaesque, Ma Jian signing off on Ma Jian," the writer posted on Twitter. The trafficking and consumption of rare and endangered species, including monkeys, is widespread in Vietnam as many still believe in the healing and medicinal qualities of the animals' body parts Six men were arrested in central Vietnam for killing and eating an endangered monkey while livestreaming it on a social media site, police said Friday. The trafficking and consumption of rare and endangered species is widespread in Vietnam as many still believe in the healing and medicinal qualities of the animals' body parts. But the sale of the animals occurs on the black market, and consumers rarely broadcast the killing and eating of the creatures, which are protected under Vietnam's conservation laws. The six men, aged from 35 to 59, filmed themselves with a mobile phone eating a live langur monkey and streamed the gruesome video on Facebook on November 17. They were finally identified and arrested on Thursday. "It took time for us to figure out the suspects involved," a police officer in central Ha Tinh province told AFP. The men have been accused of violating regulations on protecting "endangered and precious animals" and they confessed to the crime, said a statement posted on Ha Tinh provincial police's website. One of the men had bought the monkey off a hunter for $49, said the statement. Leaf-eating langurs are among the most endangered primate species in the world and are only found in the northern part of Vietnam. The Southeast Asian country is also home to other endangered species, including the Red River giant soft-shell turtle, the mountainous Saola antelope, and the snub-nosed Tonkin monkey. But critics say conservation protection laws are not enforced effectively, and poaching continues unchecked -- feeding an appetite for rare and endangered species domestically and in neighbouring China. Security moved in almost immediately to break up the protest over the removal of the president of a campus Marxist group A dozen students from a top Chinese university staged a protest Friday after the school removed the president of an on-campus Marxist group amid an ongoing crackdown on student activists this year. The students gathered in an open area in front of an academic building where they held up signs and shouted slogans protesting the change in the society's leadership. But security moved in almost immediately and started pulling students away, forcing some to the ground while others were pushed towards a waiting black car. "Today, students of the Peking University Marxist Society who were holding signs and protesting were forcibly corrected," the group said in a statement. "Security personnel used violence to disperse students, who were pulled into the school building, many students were injured!" Peking University did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. The university said Thursday that it "restructured" the student-run Marxist group, replacing core members and student leaders, including former president Qiu Zhanxuan, with their own picks. Many of the 32 new members are from the Communist Youth League or the Communist Party. The move came one day after Qiu was detained by police for "disturb(ing) the public order" on campus by singing and holding slogans. An eyewitness told AFP that Qiu was arrested for attempting to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Mao Zedong, whose legacy in China remains controversial. Though President Xi Jinping has called for a refocusing on Communist roots -- including a May speech which called for Marxism to be promoted in campuses and classrooms -- Beijing is increasingly wary of student-run Marxist societies, especially those that try to apply theory to practise. Over the summer, when university students joined efforts to organise a labour union for factory workers in southern Guangdong province, Chinese authorities flew into action. In August, a police raid swept up the student activists, beating several of them and confiscating their phones, according to the Jasic Workers Solidarity group, a labour rights organisation that the students joined. Several of them, including Yue Xin, a Peking University graduate who became known after co-authoring a petition demanding details of a sexual abuse case at the school, have not been heard from since. "From the detention of the student supporters of the Jasic workers to the crackdown on the students who are supporters of Marxism, we can see the irony of how the Chinese government is treating these young and devout advocates of Marxism," Patrick Poon, China researcher at Amnesty International told AFP. "It shows that the government can't even tolerate any dissenting opinions, from liberal to Marxist views." Li Wenzu (C-short hair), was prevented by close to 50 officers from entering a court in Beijing to submit a petition over the handling of her husband's case The wife of a detained Chinese human rights lawyer was on Friday barred from submitting a petition to a Beijing court over the handling of her husband's case. Li Wenzu, who earlier this week was blocked from attending her husband's trial in Tianjin, was prevented from entering the Hongshichun High Court in south Beijing by close to 50 officers. Wrapped in a colourful fur-lined coat, Li and several supporters brought a petition calling for accountability in the Tianjin court, which held her husband's trial behind closed doors citing "state secrets". They also called on the court in Beijing to investigate the Tianjin court's handling of the case, which they say has dragged on too long. But uniformed and plainclothes officers formed a circle around Li, moving her away from the courthouse. "Under these circumstances they wouldnt let us in... course they wouldnt let us in because we have never been able to enter in our last 30 attempts," Li told journalists, adding that she would make another attempt next week. Wang Quanzhang, 42, who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, disappeared in a 2015 sweep -- known as the "709" crackdown -- aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities. After he was charged in January with the "subversion of state power", Wang was not heard from until his court-assigned lawyer contacted Li on Monday to say his trial would be held in the northern city of Tianjin two days later. Li was stopped from leaving her Beijing apartment on Wednesday and the trial was closed to the public because of "state secrets", the court said. "I am very concerned that throughout the proceedings Wang Quanzhang has not been allowed access to lawyers of his own choosing," the German human rights commissioner Baerbel Kofler said in a statement. "Under these circumstances, a fair trial is impossible." Li had in May met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- a rare opportunity as world leaders often avoid making public statements about human rights during China visits. Wang will be sentenced at a later, undetermined date. BEIJING (AP) - Chinese state media say eight people were killed after a hijacker with a knife drove a bus into pedestrians in a southeastern Chinese city. The official Xinhua News Agency reported that 22 others were injured, one seriously, in the Tuesday afternoon attack in Longyan in Fujian province, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of Shanghai. The attacker was captured, a police statement said. It did not say how many fatalities occurred aboard the bus and how many among pedestrians. A video clip on the website of the Beijing News newspaper showed a half dozen police officers wrestling the attacker to the ground in the middle of a street as traffic flowed past. Xinhua said that police have identified the attacker as a 48-year-old unemployed man. The news service said that initial investigation had found that the man had had a conflict earlier in the day with an official of a neighborhood committee with whom he and long been at odds. The investigation was continuing. PUERTO LEMPIRA, Honduras (AP) - Saul Ronaldo Atiliano was diving for lobster in the clear waters off Honduras' Caribbean coast when he felt a pressure, a pain in his body. And he knew he'd gotten the sickness that has killed or disabled so many of his Miskito comrades. "The pressure attacked me deep in the water," said Atiliano, a 45-year-old Miskito who for 25 years has dived for lobster, most of which is exported to the United States. Thousands of men across the Mosquitia region of Honduras and Nicaragua depend on lobster fishing to eke out a living. And like Atiliano, hundreds have been stricken with the bends - decompression sickness caused when nitrogen bubbles form in divers' bodies. Some are paralyzed. Some are killed. With more than 60 percent of its 9 million people living in poverty, Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and the Mosquitia is one of the most impoverished areas. Among exotic, tropical vegetation along the Caribbean coast, the region is sprinkled with small fishing villages where indigenous villagers live in clapboard houses. A sign of the poverty - and also the innocence of childhood - kids play with trucks made of plastic juice boxes with lids for wheels. For many grown-ups, the only option they've found to cope with poverty is diving, no matter the risks. In the Mosquitia, diving permeates everyday life. In the fishing village of Kaukira, worshippers are called to church by the sound of a hammer on a diving tank instead of a bell. In this Sept. 1, 2018 photo, men ride past on their horses, in Irlaya, Honduras. Among exotic, tropical vegetation along the Caribbean coast, the Mosquitia region is sprinkled with small fishing villages where residents live in clapboard houses.. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Safe standard diving techniques call for a gradual ascent to the surface to eliminate the nitrogen that the body's tissues absorb during a dive, and for a limit to the number of dives a person makes in a day. But many of the divers of Mosquitia dive deeply, surface quickly and then go back for more, racing to collect as much lobster as possible. The boats, where they spend days playing cards and talking among themselves between dives, often have only rudimentary safety equipment and use aging tanks and masks. Just how many have been stricken is somewhat unclear, though all agree it's a large number for such small communities. Jorge Gomez Santos, a former president of the Association of Disabled Honduran Miskito Divers, said this month that at least 2,200 Miskitos now work on the boats, and he said at least 1,300 have been disabled since 1980. Gomez, who uses a wheelchair, said 14 have died this year alone. A study more than a decade ago cited by the Pan American Health Organization reported there were around 9,000 divers in the Mosquitia, and around 4,200 - 47 percent - were disabled by decompression sickness. Nearly all, it found, had suffered symptoms. A diver makes 75 lempiras ($3) per pound of lobster and 7 lempiras (28 cents) for each sea cucumber. An average 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) daily haul of lobster is a windfall in one of the most impoverished regions of the Americas, so many take the risk, and many suffer for it, like Atiliano, who dove for 25 years without a problem until that day in September. The father of 10 was paralyzed on the boat, which didn't reach the docks for another day and a half. Fellow divers then drove him about 10 blocks to the hospital with a U.S.-donated hyperbaric chamber in Puerto Lempira, the area's largest city. Decompression sickness is usually treatable with sessions in such high-pressure, oxygen-rich chambers, but there are only a few available along the coast, and divers often must wait several days before they can be treated - reducing the chances of recovery. "It's the first accident I've had," Atiliano said, speaking in Miskito through a translator. He appeared exhausted, with a blank stare, after a session of more than three hours in the chamber. He had shown little outward sign of improvement after that early treatment. Another patient at the chamber was Charles "Charly" Melendez, a 28-year-old Miskito who said he been diving since he was 16 and had harvested 60 pounds of lobster on the day in November 2017 that he was injured. Even now, after nine sessions, he hasn't recovered. For a man who always made his living diving, it's a nightmare being confined to a wheelchair. "I still can't stand up by myself," he said. "I can't sit for a long time; after an hour my body hurts." Cedrack Waldan Mendoza, the physical therapist operating the chamber, said the divers are driven by poverty, and even if injured, return to the boats. "You run into them in the street and ask them why they're going (back to diving) and they say it's because their kids are hungry," Waldan Mendoza said. "When someone tells you that their kids are hungry there's no need to ask another question." Atiliano and Melendez are among the most vulnerable cogs in the lobster industry, which generated $40 million in sales for Honduras in 2017, nearly all of it from the U.S. market. Atiliano said he expects to return to sea, not because he wants to, but for lack of options. "If I recover, by necessity and for lack of work I'll have to go back to diving," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Freddy Cuevas contributed to this report from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In this Sept. 2, 2018 photo, dogs eat scraps left by family and friends attending the funeral of Miskito diver Oscar Salomon Charly, in Cabo Gracias a Dios, Nicaragua. The 31-year-old, who was diving for lobster in Honduras, died after he was stricken with a severe case of decompression sickness. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 6, 2018 photo, Charles Melendez, 5, and his 4-year-old brother Jefferson, play with their father's wheelchair while he rests, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. The boys' father, a lobster diver, is recovering from decompression sickness which has left him paralyzed from the waist down. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 4, 2018 photo, diver Saul Ronaldo Atiliano, 45, is lifted onto the dock after traveling via boat to Puerto Lempira, Honduras, to receive decompression sickness therapy in a hyperbaric chamber. "The pressure attacked me deep in the water," said Atiliano, who for 25 years has dived for lobster, most of which winds up in the United States. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 11, 2018 photo, Miskito divers sleep on hammocks on their last night of a 13-day fishing trip, surrounded by empty oxygen tanks, left, and their catch of sea cucumbers, right lower corner, as they are transported from Cay Savannah to Kaukira, Honduras. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 9, 2018 photo, Miskito divers eat a breakfast of rice, beans and bananas before the start of their work day, in Cay Savannah, Honduras. When not in Caribbean waters the divers are lodged in a small wooden house provided by the boat owners. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 9, 2018 photo, a diver holds onto his catch of lobsters during a fishing journey in the Miskito coast near Cay Savannah, Honduras. A diver makes 75 lempiras ($3) per pound of lobster. An average 10-pound daily haul of lobster is a windfall for people in one of the most impoverished regions of the Americas, so many take the risk, and many suffer for it. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 10, 2018 photo, a diver prepares to plunge into Caribbean waters in the Miskito coast, near Cay Savannah, Honduras, in search of sea cucumbers under a heavy rain. A diver, who makes seven lempiras or about 28 U.S. cents per sea cucumber, will catch anywhere between 10 and 30 in a day. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 9, 2018 photo, a worker cleans a batch of lobsters near Cay Savannah, Honduras. After the lobsters are cleaned they are stored in the ship's large freezers. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 10, 2018 photo, Miskito divers play a game of cards on a ship's stern as they are transported home after a two week fishing trip, near Savannah Cay, Honduras. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 9, 2018 photo, Rudy Emus Alfred, 19, dives for sea cucumbers near Cay Savannah, in the Miskito coast, Honduras. According to Miskito mythology, the mermaid Liwa Mairin punishes divers who over harvest from the sea with what divers call "el golpe" or "fracasar", also known as the bends. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 10, 2018 photo, Miskito fishermen push a boat onto the shore on Savannah Cay, Honduras, at the end of a fishing trip. Thousands of men across the Mosquitia region of Honduras and Nicaragua depend on lobster and sea cucumber fishing to ease poverty. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) This Sept. 4, 2018 photo shows palm trees as the day begins to break in Irlaya, Honduras. With more than 60 per cent of its 9 million population living in poverty, Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and the Mosquitia is one of the most impoverished areas. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 9, 2018 photo, a man takes a nap inside a makeshift restaurant in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. With more than 60 per cent of its 9 million population living in poverty, Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and the Mosquitia is one of the most impoverished areas. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 11, 2018 photo, Elvira Mendoza Espinosa, hits a diving tank with a hammer announcing the start of the morning Mass, outside the Moravian church in Kaukira, Honduras. In the Mosquitia, diving permeates everyday life, as it does in Kaukira, one of the villages on the Mosquitia. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Jan 31, 2018 photo, 28-year-old lobster diver Charles "Charly" Melendez puts his hands over his face in frustration as he comes to terms with having to rely on a wheelchair to get around, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. For a man who always made his living diving, it's a nightmare being confined to a wheelchair. "I still can't stand up by myself," he said. "I can't sit for a long time; after an hour my body hurts." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 1, 2018 photo, a man bathes in a mangrove swamp in Irlaya, Honduras. Among exotic, tropical vegetation along the Caribbean coast, the Mosquitia region is sprinkled with small fishing villages where residents live in clapboard houses, most with no indoor bathrooms. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 10, 2018 photo, evangelical pastors preach to inmates inside a prison in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Miskito divers wait to board a boat for a two week fishing trip to harvest sea cucumbers, in Krata, Honduras. Thousands of men across the Mosquitia region of Honduras and Nicaragua depend on lobster and sea cucumber fishing to ease poverty. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb 1, 2018 photo, Angel Ponce takes a swig of rum, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Among exotic, tropical vegetation along the Caribbean coast, the Mosquitia region is sprinkled with small fishing villages. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Jan. 30, 2018 photo, Miskito diver Charles "Charly" Melendez, 28, is carried by his 10-year-old son Jason and wife Kenia from their rented room along the shore in Puerto Lempira, Honduras, to a smoother ground for his wheelchair. Melendez said he been diving since he was 16 and had harvested 60 pounds of lobster on the day he was left paralyzed by decompression sickness. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Jan 31, 2018 photo, paralyzed by decompression sickness in 2017, lobster diver Charles "Charly" Melendez, 28, stares at the ceiling lying on the floorboards of a rented room surrounded by his children, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Even now, after nine sessions of a high-pressure, oxygen-rich hyperbaric chamber, he hasn't recovered. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 9, 2018 photo, paralyzed by decompression sickness, lobster diver Misael Banegas Diaz, 49, is lifted by physical therapist Cedrak Waldan Mendoza into a hyperbaric chamber at the hospital in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Waldan Mendoza said the divers are driven by poverty, and even if injured, they return to the boats. "You run into them in the street and ask them why they're going (back to diving) and they say it's because their kids are hungry." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 7, 2018 photo, Miskito divers stricken with decompression sickness climb into a hyperbaric chamber at the hospital in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Standard diving techniques call for a gradual ascent to the surface to eliminate the nitrogen that the body's tissues absorb during a dive. But many of the divers of Mosquitia dive deeply, surface quickly and then go back for more, racing to collect as much lobster as possible. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 5, 2018 photo, supervised by a Honduran Army soldier, students practice their routine they plan to perform in an independence military parade, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 6, 2018 photo, children hold onto to their crafted toy trucks from plastic juice boxes with lids for wheels, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. A sign of the poverty, boys craft toys from recycled material. For grown-ups, the only option they've found to deal with poverty is diving, no matter the risks. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 2, 2018 photo, relatives and friends carry the coffin that contains the remains of Miskito diver Oscar Salomon Charly, 31, to be transported via a boat to a nearby cemetery, in Cabo Gracias a Dios, Nicaragua. Charly died in Honduras after suffering a severe case of decompression sickness. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Sept. 2, 2018 photo, Sonia Wills, left, accompanied by relatives, mourns over the coffin that contains the remains of her 31-year-old son Miskito diver Oscar Salomon Charly, during a wake in her home in Cabo Gracias a Dios, Nicaragua. Thousands of men across the Mosquitia region of Honduras and Nicaragua depend on lobster fishing to ease poverty, and hundreds have been stricken with the bends. Some end up paralyzed. Some killed. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) WASHINGTON (AP) - A shutdown affecting parts of the federal government appeared no closer to resolution Wednesday, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats locked in a hardening standoff over border wall money that threatens to carry over into January. Trump vowed to hold the line, telling reporters during a visit to Iraq that he'll do "whatever it takes" to get money for border security. He declined to say how much he would accept in a deal to end the shutdown, stressing the need for border security. "You have to have a wall, you have to have protection," he said. The shutdown started Saturday when funding lapsed for nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and are working unpaid, while an additional 380,000 have been furloughed. While the White House was talking to congressional Democrats - and staff talks continued on Capitol Hill - negotiations dragged Wednesday, dimming hopes for a swift breakthrough. With no deal at hand, members of the House were told there would be no votes on Thursday, assuring the shutdown would last yet another day. Lawmakers are away from Washington for the holidays and have been told they will have 24 hours' notice before having to return for a vote. The Senate is slated to come into session Thursday afternoon. The Washington Monument is reflected in a window of a closed information station serving the World War II Memorial, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Washington. A shutdown affecting parts of the federal government appeared no closer to resolution Wednesday, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats locked in a hardening standoff over border wall funding that threatens to carry over into January. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a Trump ally who has been involved in the talks, said the president "is very firm in his resolve that we need to secure our border." He told CNN, "I don't know that there's a lot of progress that has been made today." But he added of Democrats: "If they believe that this president is going to yield on this particular issue, they're misreading him." The impasse over government funding began last week, when the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February. That bill provided $1.3 billion for border security projects but not money for the wall. At Trump's urging, the House approved that package and inserted the $5.7 billion he had requested. On Friday afternoon, a Senate procedural vote showed that Republicans lacked the 60 votes they'd need to force the measure with the wall funding through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House, but the deadline came and went without a deal. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York on Saturday said funding for Trump's wall will "never pass the Senate." "So President Trump, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple," Schumer said. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is in lockstep with Schumer against the wall funding. If the shutdown continues into 2019, she has vowed that her new Democratic majority will act quickly to pass legislation reopening the government. The shutdown has been playing out against the backdrop of turmoil in the stock market, which is having a roller-coaster week. Kevin Hassett, the chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, said the shutdown does not change the administration's expectation for strong growth heading into 2019. He told reporters a shutdown of a few weeks is not going to have any "significant effect on the outlook." The shutdown that began on Saturday - the third of 2018 - caused a lapse in funding for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and were working unpaid, while another 380,000 were furloughed, meaning they'll stay home without pay. The shutdown complicates things for essential employees who planned trips for the holidays: According to the Office of Personnel Management rules, employees deemed essential or otherwise exempted from their respective agency furloughs can't take any vacation or sick days. Furloughed federal workers have been given back pay in previous shutdowns. Those being furloughed include 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service and nearly everyone at NASA. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service are staying home, and many parks have closed. Roughly 44,000 U.S. Coast Guard employees are considered essential, and will report to work this week without pay, with another 6,000 furloughed. The Coast Guard is the only arm of the military affected by the shutdown because it is funded through the Department of Homeland Security. The shutdown didn't stop people from visiting the White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico, where hundreds of unauthorized visitors have in recent days climbed over a fence to enter the monument, according to The Alamogordo Daily News. State highway workers were sent to the area Monday to erect "no parking" signs along U.S. 70 outside the monument. Trump claimed on Monday that federal workers are behind him in the shutdown fight, saying many "have said to me and communicated, 'stay out until you get the funding for the wall.'" He didn't say who he had heard from. Many rank-and-file workers have gone to social media with stories of the financial hardship they expect to face because of the shutdown. One union representing federal workers slammed Trump's claim. Paul Shearon, the president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, in a statement said the union has not heard from a single member who supports Trump's position. "Most view this as an act of ineptitude," he said. ___ Superville reported from Iraq. Associated Press writer Paul Davenport in Alamogordo, New Mexico, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap People visit the Capitol as a shutdown affecting parts of the federal government appeared no closer to ending, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats locked in a hardening standoff over border wall money, in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) A driver enters the parking area at Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, S.D., on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Park roads and grounds at Mount Rushmore National Memorial remain open to visitors, but there are no National Park Service-provided visitor services at Mount Rushmore during the government shutdown. (Ryan Hermens/Rapid City Journal via AP) The tiny Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood is posted with a closed sign as part of the federal government shutdown Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. The shutdown started Saturday when funding lapsed for nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) REI Co-op customers stand near an unstaffed ranger station kiosk, closed as part of the federal government shutdown, inside the flagship store Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Seattle. The desk is normally staffed by rangers who provide recreational information and passes for public lands in Washington state as part of a partnership with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Washington State Parks, and REI. The shutdown started Saturday when funding lapsed for nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Nestor Marquez prepares to throw a snowball during a snowball fight with his children, from right, Jocelynn, 15, and Jon, 11, and family friend Anthony Zahn, left, 11, all of Chicago, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, S.D., on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Park roads and grounds at Mount Rushmore National Memorial remain open to visitors, but there are no National Park Service-provided visitor services at Mount Rushmore during the government shutdown. (Ryan Hermens/Rapid City Journal via AP) People walk near the Washington Monument, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, as the partial government shutdown continues in Washington. A shutdown affecting parts of the federal government appeared no closer to resolution Wednesday, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats locked in a hardening standoff over border wall funding that threatens to carry over into January. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) FILE - In this September 2012 file photo, a cloud hovers over Mount Rainier at sunset in a view from Klapatche Park Camp at Mount Rainier National Park, Wash. Access to Mount Rainer National Park and other national parks will be limited due to the government shutdown. (Drew Perine/The News Tribune via AP, File) FILE - In this file photo taken June 19, 2013, Mount Rainier is seen from a helicopter flying south of the mountain and west of Yakima, Wash. Access to Mount Rainier National Park and other national parks will be limited due to the government shutdown. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) FILE - In this January 2006 file photo, the sun rises over Crater Lake, Ore. Access to Crater Lake and other national parks will be limited due to the government shutdown. (Marc Adamus/The Register-Guard via AP, File) TALLINN, Estonia (AP) - In the Estonian capital of Tallinn, three-day-old Oskar Lunde sleeps soundly in his hospital cot, snuggled into a lime green blanket decorated with red butterflies. Across the room, his father turns on a laptop. "Now we will register our child," Andrejs Lunde says with gravity as he inserts his ID card into the card reader. His wife, Olga, looks on proudly. And just like that, Oskar is Estonia's newest citizen. No paper. No fuss. This Baltic nation of 1.3 million people is engaged in an ambitious project to make government administration completely digital to reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency and boost economic growth. As more countries shift their services online, Estonia's experiment offers a glimpse of how interacting with the state might be for future generations. Need a prescription? It's online. Need someone at City Hall? No lines there - or even at the Department of Motor Vehicles! On the school front, parents can see whether their children's homework was done on time. Estonia has created one platform that supports electronic authentication and digital signatures to enable paperless communications across both the private and public sectors. This photo taken on Thursday, Nov. 15 2018, shows an exhibition in Tallinn presenting Estonia's digital achievements. The Baltic nation of 1.3 million people are engaged in an ambitious project to make government administration completely digital to reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency and boost economic growth. (AP Photo/David Keyton) There are still a few things that you can't do electronically in Estonia: marry, divorce or transfer property - and that's only because the government has decided it was important to turn up in person for some big life events. This spring, government aims to go even further. If Oskar had been born a few months later, he would have been registered automatically, with his parents receiving an email welcoming him into the nation. Marten Kaevats, Estonia's national digital adviser, says the goal is a government that supports its citizens while staying out of the way. "In an ideal world, in the case of an invisible government, when a new child is born neither of the parents would ever have to apply for anything: to get maternity leave, to get child support from the municipality, to get a kindergarten place, to put the name to the child," he said. "All of those different services would be delivered automatically." Siva Vaidhyanathan, director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia, says other countries have a lot to learn. Estonia took time to build security and privacy into its model, in contrast with failed efforts by private companies to provide secure online voting systems in the United States, for example. "It made sure that state accountability is part of the process," he said. Estonians largely seem to have embraced the system despite global concerns about data hacks. At a demonstration showcasing the digital system, project manager Indrek Onnik stood beside a huge screen illustrating his profile. He showed off his high school grades from a decade ago and his diving license records. If he had a dog, its vaccination record would appear there, too. Citizens can monitor their data and see if any government or private institution accesses it. "To generate trust, you really have to have transparency," he said. "And that's why people have access to their own data. And that's why they can actually see if the government has used their own data." The platform is underpinned by software called X-Road, a decentralized data exchange system that links databases. Outgoing data is digitally signed and encrypted, and all incoming data is authenticated and logged. The government, fearing attempts to compromise its borders by neighboring Russia, also has a backup plan to restore digital services in the event of invasion or severe cyberattacks: data "embassies" in countries like Luxembourg. Like a regular embassy, the servers are considered Estonian territory and would give the government a chance to boot up elsewhere if needed. Making life simpler for citizens has economic benefits in a country otherwise known for unforgiving winters and old growth forests. The project, which began in 1997, laid the groundwork for Estonia's booming tech sector. Skype, the video-calling service Microsoft bought for $8.5 billion in 2011, is Estonia's most famous high-tech export, but the impact is broader. Information and communications accounted for 5.9 percent of the economy last year. The government hopes to increase that figure with an "e-residency" program that lets entrepreneurs around the world register their businesses in Estonia and gain a foothold in the European Union. More than 51,000 people from 167 countries have applied at a cost of 100 euros ($114) each. The advances in digitization are the result of long-term thinking. When Estonia declared independence in 1991, the economy was so backward in this former Soviet republic it had to be rebuilt from scratch. The leadership looked for an industry where the country could compete. They decided on information technology and the internet, a field that was as new as Estonia, said former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. When the cash-strapped country needed to replace a 1930s phone system, Finland offered a late 1970s analog system free of charge. But Ilves argued that the government should decline the offer and invest in digital technology. "The only way we could do really well was to go digital," Ilves said, speaking from Stanford University, where he is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. "We stood a chance of competing there." Ilves, who grew up in the United States and was introduced to computers in junior high, proposed getting kids started early. The government started building computer labs in schools. Banks supported the move, as it reduced the need for branches in rural villages. More than 99 percent of Estonia's banking transactions now take place online. Whether Estonia's system can be used in larger countries is an open question, said Zvika Krieger, head of technology policy and partnerships at the World Economic Forum. What works in a small, progressive country won't necessarily work in sprawling democracies like the U.S. or India. "When you add in more people, more diverse stakeholders, more layers of government at the city, state, and local level, you are adding in exponentially more complexity," Krieger said. "Estonia is a good first test case. And now the question is whether other countries will find Estonia's success compelling enough to take the risk to try it at a larger scale." Estonia sees its approach as a prototype for modern democracy - a counterpoint to authoritarian countries intent on using digitization to control their citizens. Ilves, who travels around the world talking about the project, tells other countries that increased efficiency builds trust - and improves governance. "Estonians hate their politicians just as much as everyone else," he said. "But at least since the administration of the state works extremely well and efficiently, people trust the system." Andrejs Lunde is among the believers. He says digital government makes life so much easier that it's worth any potential security risk, pointing out that personal information can be stolen from paper-based systems as well. "If someone really wants my information, they will get it anyway," said Lunde. "If they can get Hillary's emails, they can get mine." In this photo taken on Friday, Nov. 16 2018 in Tallinn, Estonia, parents Andrejs and Olga Lunde hold their three-day old son Oskar, a few minutes after officially registering his name online. The Baltic nation of 1.3 million people are engaged in an ambitious project to make government administration completely digital to reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency and boost economic growth. (AP Photo/David Keyton) BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Bosnian Serb authorities on Wednesday released from detention the man who has sparked anti-government protests with his demands for the truth about his son's death. Police arrested Davor Dragicevic on Tuesday over allegations that he threatened the security of Interior Minister Dragan Lukac. He was freed after being questioned by prosecutors in Banja Luka, the main Bosnian Serb city. The prosecutor's office said the legal proceedings against Dragicevic will continue but that there was no reason to keep him in detention. Hours later, Dragicevic led more than 1,000 people to a protest march in Banja Luka as riot police blocked a central square barring the demonstrators from gathering there. Dragicevic took the crowd to the spot where he says his son David Dragicevic was killed in March. No incidents were reported on Wednesday following a day of scuffles between police and Dragicevic's supporters on Tuesday. Several other people also were detained on Monday, including some opposition politicians and briefly Dragicevic's ex-wife. The family's supporters rallied in protest, scuffling with the police in the city. FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2018, file photo, Davor Dragicevic, father of 21-year-old David Dragicevic speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, northwest of Sarajevo. Bosnian Serb police have detained the man whose quest for the truth over the death of his son has sparked months of anti-government protests. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File) "They claim I threatened someone and I did not," Dragicevic said upon his release. "I will never give up!" Dragicevic's "Justice for David" movement has demanded information about the death of his 21-year-old son. It has inspired months of anti-government protests that have reflected wide popular discontent over corruption and unemployment in the Balkan nation. Police initially said the death was a suicide, but the young man's family insists he was killed by someone else. Prosecutors have opened a homicide investigation, which is ongoing. Dragicevic has accused top police officials of covering up his son's slaying and protecting the killers. Authorities deny the allegations. International officials in Bosnia have expressed concern over the situation and urged restraint. Bosnian Serb arrest activist of group "Justice for David" during police raid in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, 240 kms northwest of Sarajevo, Bosnia, on Tuesday, Dec.25, 2018. Bosnian Serb police have detained Davor Dragicevic, the man whose quest for the truth over the death of his son has sparked months of anti-government protests. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) HOUSTON (AP) - U.S. immigration authorities said Wednesday that they have done new medical checks on nearly every child in Border Patrol custody after the death of a second youngster in the agency's care in the span of less than three weeks. Authorities did not disclose the results of the examinations. An 8-year-old boy identified by Guatemalan authorities as Felipe Gomez Alonzo died on Christmas Eve just before midnight. He had been in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection with his father since Dec. 18. The boy suffered from a cough, "glossy eyes," fever and vomiting and was hospitalized twice on Monday with what was initially diagnosed as a cold, the agency said in a statement. The cause of death was under investigation. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, the Border Patrol's parent agency, said that almost all checks ordered in reaction to the boy's death had been completed. Some children detained in more remote areas were re-screened by emergency medical technicians or Border Patrol agents, officials said. In other places, some children were taken to medical facilities. FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2017, file photo, an agent from the border patrol, observes near the Mexico-US border fence, on the Mexican side, separating the towns of Anapra, Mexico and Sunland Park, N.M. An 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in government custody early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, U.S. immigration authorities said. (AP Photo/Christian Torres, File) Homeland Security would not say how many children are in Border Patrol custody. The department also wouldn't say why Felipe and his father were detained for almost a week, an unusually long time, or why they were placed back in detention - at a Border Patrol highway checkpoint - after being released from the hospital. Another Guatemalan child in U.S. custody, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, died on Dec. 8 after she began vomiting. U.S. officials said she had walked for days in the desert without food or water, but her family disputed that. Her death - which brought down heavy criticism on U.S. immigration authorities - is also under investigation. Immigration advocates and human rights groups sharply criticized CBP in the wake of Felipe's death. Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said the Trump administration's "policies of cruelty toward migrants and asylum-seekers at the border must cease immediately before any more children are harmed." CBP said in a statement late Tuesday that it needs the help of other government agencies to provide health care. The agency "is considering options for surge medical assistance" from the Coast Guard and may request help from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. With border crossings surging, CBP processes thousands of children - both alone and with their parents - every month. According to CBP statistics, border agents detained 5,283 children unaccompanied by a parent in November alone. Agents last month also apprehended 25,172 "family units," or parents and children together. CBP typically holds children for no more than a few days. Youngsters who arrive unaccompanied are turned over to longer-term facilities operated by the HHS. The Associated Press reported this month that 14,300 children were being detained by HHS, most in facilities with more than 100 kids. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday that the agency has more than 1,500 emergency medical technicians on staff and that officers are taking dozens of sick children to hospitals every day. "This is an extraordinarily rare occurrence," McAleenan told "CBS This Morning" of the recent child deaths. "It's been more than a decade since we've had a child pass away anywhere in a CBP process, so this is just devastating for us." Border officers remain on the job despite the partial government shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for funding for a border wall. CBP typically detains adult immigrants for no more than a few days when they cross the border before either releasing them or turning them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for longer-term detention. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Hudetz in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City; and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report. JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli security official on Wednesday confirmed responsibility for overnight airstrikes in Syria, saying the air force had hit a series of targets involved in Iranian arms transfers to the Hezbollah militant group. Russia had criticized the airstrike, saying it endangered civilian flights. The comments highlighted the increasingly tense relations between Israel and Russia, which have grown strained since the September downing of a Russian plane by Syrian forces responding to another Israeli raid. The Israeli official said the air force had attacked several Iranian targets in three main locations late Tuesday and early Wednesday. He said the targets were primarily storage and logistics facilities used by archenemy Iran to ship weapons to Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese group that fought Israel in a 2006 war. The Israeli official said it was Syrian air defenses that endangered the civilian planes, by firing 30 missiles in response to the airstrike. He also claimed that Iranian forces are operating less than 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Israeli border, contrary to Russian assurances. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under standard Israeli security protocols. The military has not commented on the incident. Earlier Wednesday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that six Israeli F-16 jets launched a "provocative" raid at the moment when two civilian airliners were preparing to land in Damascus and Beirut, creating a "direct threat" to the aircraft. This frame grab from a video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units. (SANA via AP) Lebanon's acting Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos confirmed Konashenkov's account, saying the two airplanes in Lebanese airspace "narrowly" escaped Israeli warplanes, averting a "human catastrophe." Fenianos said Lebanon will present a complaint to the U.N. Security Council. Konashenkov said the Syrian military didn't fully engage its air defense assets to avoid accidentally hitting the passenger jets. He added that Syrian air traffic controllers redirected the Damascus-bound plane to a Russian air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia. Konashenkov said Syrian air defense forces shot down 14 of the 16 precision-guided bombs dropped by the Israeli jets, while the remaining two hit a Syrian military depot 7 kilometers (about 4 miles) west of Damascus, wounding three Syrian soldiers. The Israeli official said the Israeli jets hit all their targets, in some cases causing secondary explosions. He said they also destroyed a Syrian anti-aircraft battery. In recent years, Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes in neighboring Syria, most believed to have been aimed at suspected Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah. Iran and Hezbollah have sent forces to Syria to bolster President Bashar Assad, who appears close to victory after a devastating seven-year civil war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. That mission has been complicated by the Sept. 17 downing of the Russian reconnaissance aircraft by Syrian fire. Russia, which also backs Assad, has blamed Israel for the friendly-fire mishap and reportedly scaled back a hotline that allowed the two air forces to coordinate and avoid unintended clashes. Russia also sent Syria sophisticated S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, though the Israeli official said an older system was fired at the Israeli planes in Wednesday's incident. Israeli officials have also expressed concern about U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria. The U.S. presence has given Israel an extra element of protection. Speaking at a military ceremony Wednesday, Netanyahu said the U.S. withdrawal will not change his policy. Although he did not directly mention the airstrikes, he said Israel's air force has unmatched capabilities and can reach areas "near and far, very far." "We are not prepared to accept the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, which is directed against us. We will act against it vigorously and continuously, including during the current period," he told a graduation ceremony of new air force pilots. Addressing the same ceremony, Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, praised the army's "many important accomplishments," including "thwarting the expansion of Iranian influence." The Syrian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of exacerbating the crisis in the country and standing in the way of the government's war on terrorism. In messages sent to the U.N. secretary-general and the president of the Security Council, the ministry said the Israeli airstrike wouldn't have been launched if it wasn't for what it called "unlimited" U.S. support for Israel. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said Tuesday's Israeli strike targeted three positions south of Damascus that are arms depots for Hezbollah and Iranian forces. ___ Vasilyeva reported from Moscow. Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. This frame grab from a video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units. (SANA via AP) This frame grab from a video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units. (SANA via AP) Israeli Air Force F-15 plane flies during a graduation ceremony for new pilots in Hatzerim air force base near the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, Israel, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Israeli Air Force acrobatic team flies during a graduation ceremony for new pilots in Hatserim air force base near the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) CAIRO (AP) - Two former Egyptian presidents appeared Wednesday in the same Cairo courtroom, with Hosni Mubarak testifying in a retrial of Mohammed Morsi on charges related to prison breaks at the height of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. The 90-year-old Mubarak, whose nearly three-decade rule was ended by a popular uprising in 2011, entered the courtroom with his two sons Alaa and Gamal. He carried a cane and wore a dark blue suit and matching tie. He appeared physically well and mentally sharp though his speech was slow at times. Chief Judge Mohammed Sherin allowed Mubarak to take a seat while testifying. The hearing took place amid heavy security in a police facility in a southern Cairo suburb. Morsi, 67, and the Muslim Brotherhood swiftly rose to power in elections after Mubarak's ouster, only to find themselves imprisoned a year later when millions protested against them for abuse of power, leading the military to overthrow the government. The jailed former leader is involved in four lengthy trials in different cases, including on charges of undermining national security by conspiring with foreign groups and orchestrating a prison break. Wednesday's case is rooted in the 2011 escape of more than 20,000 inmates from Egyptian prisons -- including Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood members -- during the early days of the 18-day uprising against Mubarak. Morsi and the other Brotherhood leaders escaped two days after they were detained as Mubarak's security forces tried to undercut the planned protests. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, at left, testifies in a courtroom at the National Police Academy in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Two former Egyptian presidents appeared Wednesday in the same Cairo courtroom, with Mubarak testifying in a retrial of Mohammed Morsi on charges related to prison breaks at the height of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abdel Fattah) At the time, authorities also cut off internet access and mobile phone networks, crippling communication among the protesters and with the outside world. In June 2015, the Cairo Criminal Court issued sentences of death and life imprisonment against Morsi and other key figures in the Brotherhood. However, in November 2016, the Court of Cassation, Egypt's final recourse for appeals in criminal cases, annulled the sentence and ordered a retrial of the defendants. During two hours of testimony, Mubarak said Wednesday that former spy chief and vice president Omar Suleiman told him on Jan. 29, 2011, that at least 800 armed people crossed into the norther part of Sinai Peninsula, through tunnels from Gaza with help from the Muslim Brotherhood. "They entered Egypt through Gaza and had weapons. ... They headed toward the prisons to release prisoners belonging to Hezbollah, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood," Mubarak said, referring to Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and Hamas militants who have ruled Gaza since 2007. Mubarak refused to answer most questions, saying he needs permission from the military and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the military's 2013 ouster of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president. El-Sissi has since overseen a massive crackdown on Morsi's supporters, jailing thousands of them along with secular activists behind the 2011 uprising. "If I talk, I will open many subjects that I am barred from discussing without permission," the former president said. Mubarak was freed last year, ending nearly six years of legal proceedings against him. He was acquitted by the country's top appeals court of charges that he ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising. Mubarak has already served a three-year sentence for embezzling state funds in connection with the protesters' case. Morsi, who wore a blue jumpsuit, did not make use of the opportunity offered to defendants to question Mubarak. Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed el-Beltagi, a defendant in the case, questioned Mubarak but was sentenced to two years in prison for insulting the judiciary after the chief judge said el-Beltagi ridiculed the court's decision to stop him from asking more questions. The chief judge adjourned the hearings until Jan. 24. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, center, arrives with his sons Alaa, left, and Gamal, right, to testify, in a courtroom at the National Police Academy in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Two former Egyptian presidents appeared Wednesday in the same Cairo courtroom, with Mubarak testifying in a retrial of Mohammed Morsi on charges related to prison breaks at the height of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abdel Fattah) FILE - In this May 16, 2015 file photo, ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi raises his hands as he sits behind glass in a courtroom, at the national police academy in a Cairo suburb, Egypt. On Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, two former Egyptian presidents appeared in the same Cairo courtroom. The 90-year-old Mubarak testified in a retrial of Mohammed Morsi. Mubarak whose nearly three-decade rule was ended by a popular uprising in 2011, was seen walking into the courtroom with a cane along with his two sons Alaa and Gamal. (AP Photo/Ahmed Omar, File) FILE - In this April 13, 2013 file photo, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from behind bars as he attends a hearing in his retrial on appeal, in Cairo, Egypt. On Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, two former Egyptian presidents appeared in the same Cairo courtroom. The 90-year-old Mubarak testified in a retrial of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Mubarak whose nearly three-decade rule was ended by a popular uprising in 2011, was seen walking into the courtroom with a cane along with his two sons Alaa and Gamal. (AP Photo, File) Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrives with with his son, Alaa, left, to testify in a courtroom at the national police academy in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Two former Egyptian presidents appeared Wednesday in the same Cairo courtroom, with Mubarak testifying in a retrial of Mohammed Morsi on charges related to prison breaks at the height of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abdel Fattah) Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, center, arrives with his sons Alaa, left, and Gamal, right, to testify, in a courtroom at the National Police Academy, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Two former Egyptian presidents appeared Wednesday in the same Cairo courtroom, with Mubarak testifying in a retrial of Mohammed Morsi on charges related to prison breaks at the height of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abdel Fattah) SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A couple who were well-known Sioux Falls philanthropists were killed when a small plane crashed in a residential neighborhood of South Dakota's largest city, police said Wednesday. The Minnehaha County coroner positively identified the victims as Vaughn and JoAnn Meyer of Sioux Falls, police said. Both were 68 years old. The plane crashed at around 5 p.m. Tuesday in the backyards of four homes in Sioux Falls, causing significant damage to two of the homes but not injuring anyone on the ground, authorities said. Police Capt. Loren McManus said at a news briefing that the two people who were on the plane were killed. He later said authorities do not know who was piloting the plane. The Meyers were known for their philanthropy, the Argus Leader reported . Sioux Falls Lutheran School announced earlier this year it was naming a new 400-seat chapel and performing arts center after the couple after they donated more than $1 million to the project. Vaughn Meyer was a retired plastic surgeon who, according to Federal Aviation Administration records, received his pilot's license in 2010, the newspaper reported. In this Dec. 25, 2018 photo, first responders survey the scene where a plane crashed into a home in Sioux Falls, S.D. Two people died when the single-engine airplane crashed and caught fire in a residential neighborhood in Sioux Falls, leading to the evacuation of four homes, police said Wednesday. (Briana Sanchez/Argus Leader via AP) McManus said the debris field stretches for blocks and asked that anyone who comes across mechanical wreckage or "biological debris" to call 911 so that officers can take care of it. "Please try not to touch it if you can," McManus said. Police have secured the crash scene and are awaiting further direction from the National Transportation Safety Board, the lead investigative agency. A company contracted by the NTSB will be in Sioux Falls Wednesday to start the investigation, which could last a few days, police said. Fire Rescue Division Chief Steve Fessler said residents of two of the four houses that were evacuated following the crash have not returned to their homes. Fessler said the plane came down in the backyards of the four houses, with two of them sustaining significant damage. Firefighters were able to "knock down" the fire that resulted from the crash within 10 minutes, he said. Jim Lang, who lives nearby, says he felt the ground shake and heard what sounded like a vehicle accelerating rapidly. He looked out his window and saw "a yellow ball of fire." HOUSTON (AP) - The Latest on the death of an 8-year-old boy from Guatemala who U.S. officials say has died in government custody (all times local): 5:50 p.m. The father of the 8-year-old Guatemalan boy who died in U.S. government custody says his son had shown no signs of illness before falling sick Monday, the same day he died. That's according to Oscar Padilla, the Guatemalan consul in Phoenix, who met Wednesday with Agustin Gomez, the father of Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Guatemalan officials have identified Felipe as the child who died on Christmas Eve. Padilla says Agustin Gomez told him Felipe wasn't sick when they were detained at the U.S.-Mexico border on Dec. 18 or in the five days to follow. Felipe was hospitalized Monday after a border agent noticed he was coughing. He was released from the hospital Monday afternoon, but taken back that night. Gomez told the consul that he carried Felipe in his arms as they were taken to the hospital for the second and last time. FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2017, file photo, an agent from the border patrol, observes near the Mexico-US border fence, on the Mexican side, separating the towns of Anapra, Mexico and Sunland Park, N.M. An 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in government custody early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, U.S. immigration authorities said. (AP Photo/Christian Torres, File) ___ 2:20 p.m. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says she's ordered "extraordinary protective measures" after the death of an 8-year-old Guatemalan child in immigration custody. Nielsen said in a statement Wednesday that she had asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate what she says is an "uptick in sick children crossing our borders." She also wants the U.S. Coast Guard to examine the medical programs offered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that detained the 8-year-old and his father for a week. Nielsen also pledged that all children in the future will receive a "more thorough" medical screening after they are apprehended. The boy, identified by Guatemalan officials as Felipe Gomez Alonzo, was the second child to die in CBP custody this month. ___ 10:30 a.m. The Department of Homeland Security says it has completed new medical screenings of almost all the children in the care of the U.S. Border Patrol. The screenings were ordered after an 8-year-old child died in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The boy, identified by Guatemalan officials as Felipe Gomez Alonzo, was the second migrant child to die in CBP's custody this month. The department said Wednesday some children detained in more remote areas were re-screened by emergency medical technicians or Border Patrol agents. In other places, some children were taken to medical facilities. DHS wouldn't say exactly how many children are in Border Patrol custody. ___ 8:15 a.m. The head of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the recent deaths of two immigrant children are "an extraordinarily rare occurrence" that is "devastating" to the agency. Speaking Wednesday to "CBS This Morning," CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan says that before this month, it had been more than a decade since a child died in the agency's care. McAleenan says officers have been conducting medical checks and doing "dozens of hospital trips every day" for ill children. He says the agency is seeing more children than ever in its custody. An 8-year-old boy died late Monday in CBP care and a 7-year-old girl died earlier this month. Both were from Guatemala. ___ 3:30 a.m. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has ordered medical checks on every child in its custody after an 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died, marking the second death of an immigrant child in the agency's care this month. The death came during an ongoing dispute over border security and with a partial government shutdown underway over President Donald Trump's request for border wall funding. The boy, identified by Guatemalan authorities as Felipe Gomez Alonzo, had been in CBP's custody with his father, Agustin Gomez, since Dec. 18. CBP said in a statement late Tuesday that an agent first noticed the boy had a cough and "glossy eyes" at about 9 a.m. Monday. He was eventually hospitalized twice and died. NEW YORK (AP) - The drumbeat of bad news for President Donald Trump hasn't been good for his most prominent backer in the media. While Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity will end 2018 as cable news' most popular personality for the second year in a row, he's been slumping in the ratings since the midterm elections and ominous stories related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of the president. His show averaged 2.76 million viewers since the election through Dec. 17, down 19 percent compared to the previous month, the Nielsen company said. Among the 25-to-54-year-old demo most coveted by advertisers, he's down 30 percent. Competitors Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and Chris Cuomo on CNN are up in each measurement. Maddow has been beating Hannity outright in December, a turnaround from October. During that month, when Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation drama dominated the news, Hannity's audience routinely exceeded Maddow's by about a million people each night, Nielsen said. "I think it's a reflection of the mood of his audience," said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University's communications school and a longtime NBC executive. "They can't be happy with what is coming out of Washington every day." Hannity has been associated with Trump perhaps more than any other media figure. He was scolded by Fox for being called onstage by the president and speaking during a Trump rally shortly before midterm election. The Pew Research Center found in a 2014 survey that 83 percent of Hannity's viewers identified themselves as conservative. FILE - In this July 26, 2018, file photo, Fox News talk show host Sean Hannity talks during an interview during a taping of his show in New York. Bad news for President Donald Trump also means a tough time for his biggest media backer, Fox News' Hannity. His ratings are down since the election, and his rivals are up. Still, Fox will finish as the top-rated network in all of basic cable for the third straight year. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File) With bad news piling up for Trump, Hannity frequently spends time criticizing ideological opponents in the media for the types of stories they emphasize, and discusses misdeeds by previous Democratic administrations. "Even hard-core Trump fans are starting to put Hillary Clinton in their rear-view mirrors and say, 'it's been two years,'" Lukasiewicz said. In a joint statement, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace touted the network's top status among all basic cable networks. There's precedent for a news-related slump. Maddow's ratings sank sharply just after the 2016 election, as fans distressed by Trump's win took a timeout from the news. Her ratings steadily improved as her show became a destination for Trump opponents. Ken LaCorte, a former Fox News executive who spent 20 years at the network, cautioned against reading too much into a few weeks of ratings. Pulling back for a broader view, Hannity's show will be the most popular on cable news for the second year in a row, with an average of 3.3 million viewers that is up 17 percent over 2017, according to Nielsen. It's certainly possible that Republicans have been less interested in the news lately, said LaCorte, who is launching a news web site, LaCortenews.com, next month . "It's probably more interesting to hear about the party you support taking over the House of Representatives because there are more interesting things to discuss," he said. Hannity also has company. Fox's prime-time schedule as a whole, which also includes Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, has been down 20 percent since the election, Nielsen said. Even with Fox's recent slump, the Trump administration continues to be glory days for cable news. Fox News Channel is the top-rated network for all of basic cable for the third year in a row, topping ESPN, and will finish with the highest-rated prime-time schedule in its history. That comes despite losing Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly from its lineup over the past two years. MSNBC is third overall in basic cable, and is also on pace to finish with the biggest audience in its history, Nielsen said. CNN will finish 11th, and is likely to finish with its third-best year ever. TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - Tunisian authorities have arrested 18 people during protests that erupted after the death of a journalist who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation, officials said Wednesday. Thirteen were arrested in the provincial city of Kasserine and five others in Tebourba, near Tunis, Interior Ministry spokesman Sofiane Zaag said. Clashes between protesters and Tunisian authorities took place in several regions over the past two days after journalist Abderrazak Zorgui posted a video online before his self-immolation in Kasserine describing his desperation and calling for revolt. He expressed frustration at unemployment and the unfulfilled promises of Tunisia's 2011 Arab Spring revolution. The most violent protests took place in Kasserine, in west central Tunisia, where police used tear gas to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators. According to ShemsFM radio, the military was deployed to help police tackle the protests and secure state buildings. In Tunis, dozens of protesters gathered on Bourguiba Avenue - the capital city's main road - to protest costs of living increases and chanted slogans hostile to the regime. Meanwhile, Kasserine tribunal spokesman Achref Youssefi said an investigation "for failure to assist a person in danger" has been opened following the death of Zorgui. He said a suspect has been arrested. Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) A similar self-immolation, by a street vendor lamenting unemployment, corruption and repression, led to nationwide protests fueled by social media that brought down Tunisia's long-time authoritarian president in 2011. That ushered in democracy for Tunisia and unleashed similar movements around the Arab world. Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) NEW YORK (AP) - Authorities said Wednesday that three homeless men who battled a New York City police officer on a subway platform will face criminal charges after video of the encounter garnered millions of views online. Two of the men will be charged with riot and obstructing governmental administration, police said, while a third man faces those counts in addition to attempted assault, attempted criminal possession of a weapon and menacing. Two of the three men had been taken into custody Wednesday evening. The third remained at large. Two other men in the video, who appeared to be trying to break up the scuffle, aren't facing charges. The charges stem from an incident in which a group of homeless men refused a police officer's orders to "stand back." Footage of the encounter, viewed more than 4.75 million times on social media, showed Officer Syed Ali using a baton and kicking at the men, who appeared to be drunk, as they come at him one at a time Sunday night. Ali, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, never pulled his gun. Police cited the men the following day for sleeping on the station floor but not for the altercation. The Manhattan District Attorney's dropped that case, citing a policy curbing prosecution of those kinds of low-level violations. But as the video got more and more attention, the decision not to pursue the case drew criticism from Ali's union, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, which said the men "should be held accountable for their actions." The DA's office said prosecutors who declined to move forward on the sleeping-related violations were not aware the men also were involved in an altercation with the officer. "There is no telling how much damage these mopes would have done to that courageous police officer had he not been equipped to handle them," union president Patrick Lynch said in a statement. One of the homeless men tumbled off the platform in the chaos and had to be pulled from the tracks. He and the others were taken to a hospital for treatment. The men weren't arrested until the next morning, when police spotted them back at the East Broadway station and cited them for sleeping on the floor. "When people are arrested for attacking officers, we prosecute them," said Danny Frost, a spokesman for the DA's office. "These men were not arrested for attacking an officer, they were arrested for sleeping on the floor of a subway station - a rules violation, not a crime." Mayor Bill de Blasio praised Ali's "extraordinary professionalism and bravery." He tweeted Tuesday that "attacking our men and women in uniform won't ever be tolerated." CHICAGO (AP) - A suburban Chicago man accused of throwing two small dogs off a second-floor balcony, killing the 17-year-old Chihuahua and causing the other dog to run away, has been charged with felony aggravated cruelty. Officer Jennifer Bryk, a Chicago police spokeswoman, told the Chicago Tribun e that 51-year-old Jerald Jeske, of Park Ridge, is due in court Wednesday. Police say Jeske's wife told officers that during an argument Monday outside her apartment in the West Town neighborhood, he slapped her twice, accused her of loving her dogs more than she loved him and threatened to kill the animals. She said he then grabbed her keys, went into her apartment and threw the dogs off the balcony. Authorities say the Chihuahua was killed and the dog ran off and hasn't been found. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Authorities launched a manhunt Wednesday after they said a gunman shot and killed a police officer during a traffic stop in a small California town. In an alert, the California Highway Patrol said the suspect, whose name was not known, is considered to be armed and dangerous. Newman Cpl. Ronil Singh, 33, had called in the traffic stop early Wednesday, saying he was pulling over a grey pickup truck that had no license plate, and a few minutes later reported shots fired over his radio, Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department Deputy Royjinder Singh said. Multiple agencies responded and found Singh with gunshot wounds. They rushed the husband and father of an infant boy to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Ground and air units were searching for the suspect based on surveillance photos taken at a convenience store shortly before the attack in Newman, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. In the photos, the heavyset suspect with short dark hair is wearing a thick chain necklace, jeans, a dark T-shirt and a dark jacket with white Ecko brand patches on the shoulders. Surveillance footage also captured the suspect's vehicle, a grey Ram pickup with paper dealership plates, matching the description that Singh had called in. This undated photo provided by the Newman Police Department shows officer Ronil Singh of Newman Police Department who was killed by an unidentified suspect. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Singh was conducting a traffic stop early Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in the town of Newman, Calif. when he called out "shots fired" over his radio. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) A truck believed to have been the one stopped by Singh was later found in a garage in a mobile home park about 4 miles (6 km) from the shooting. Authorities later located the vehicle and said it was being processed for evidence. "We have sent out information to law enforcement up and down the state, as well as outside California," said Sgt. Tom Letras, a sheriff's spokesman. Singh was a native of Fiji and had worked since July 2011 for the police department in Newman, a town of about 10,000 people. Earlier in his career, Singh worked as a deputy with the Merced County Sheriff's Department. "He was living the American dream," said Stanislaus deputy Singh, who is not related to the slain officer but knew him. After emigrating from Fiji, Ronil Singh went to the police academy and got his dream job, the deputy said, adding that "he loved camping, loved hunting, loved fishing, loved his family." On his Facebook page, Ronil Singh posted pictures on Christmas Eve from a deep-sea fishing trip that produced a big haul of crabs and fish. The profile picture shows him smiling as he stands at a patrol car with a dog - the same photograph of the officer released by the sheriff's department. Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika, and a 5-month-old son, authorities said. Outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown offered condolences to Singh's family and said flags at the Capitol would fly at half-staff in his honor. "Our hearts are with the entire community of Newman and law enforcement officers across the state who risk their lives every day to protect and serve the people of California," Brown said. ___ Associated Press journalist Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles contributed to this story. This Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 image from a surveillance camera video and provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows a suspect police are searching for in connection to the fatal shooting of an officer during a traffic stop in Northern California. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) This Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 image from a surveillance camera video and provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows a suspect police are searching for in connection to the fatal shooting of an officer during a traffic stop in Northern California. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) BALTIMORE (AP) - On the streets of Baltimore, it's tough to find confidence that a police shield and city-issued dark blue uniform promises integrity and competence. With Maryland's biggest city already under court oversight to address longstanding patterns of unconstitutional policing, particularly in predominantly African-American communities, a specialized gun-recovery unit made up of rogue detectives was brought down this year in a far-reaching federal investigation. Simultaneously, the city has been casting for its fourth police leader in a year while the flailing Baltimore Police Department faces pressure to bring down violent crime levels that are among the nation's worst. The result? A deeply troubled law enforcement agency that can often seem to be moving in circles. For many, the gravest challenge to the 2,300-member force is the tentacles from the far-from-settled corruption saga focused on a disbanded unit called the Gun Trace Task Force. With no public accounting yet offered by Baltimore police or City Hall, a state commission is now exploring the question on everyone's mind: How deep might the rot actually go? "A criminal enterprise was permitted to operate within the police department for years at a time. We've got to get to the bottom of this crisis," said state Sen. Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat. He sponsored legislation creating the commission and is among those who believe public trust in Baltimore's sworn protectors is at an all-time low. Maryland's Commission to Restore Trust in Policing, which has subpoena power and is underway after initially being opposed by city leaders, is focusing on providing as much clarity as possible about how orchestrated police corruption went undetected for years. These undated photos provided by the Baltimore Police Department show, from top left, Daniel Hersl, Evodio Hendrix, Jemell Rayam, Marcus Taylor, and from bottom left, Maurice Ward, Momodu Gando, Wayne Jenkins and Thomas Allers. Once members of the department's now-disbanded Gun Trace Task Force, all eight men have been convicted of federal racketeering charges. A state commission is focusing on providing as much clarity as possible about how orchestrated corruption in the department went undetected for years. (Baltimore Police Department via AP) Eight detectives on the out-of-control task force have been convicted of federal racketeering charges, its members reselling looted narcotics and seized guns, falsifying evidence and using GPS devices to track new robbery targets. A Philadelphia policeman last month pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired to sell drugs with them. Among unanswered questions: How were the members of this Baltimore band - described by prosecutors as a "perfect storm" of corruption - promoted to the same elite unit? "Each of these individuals seems to have been committing misconduct in different parts of the police department - and somehow they all ended up in the same place together," said Debbie Katz Levi of Baltimore's Office of the Public Defender. Her office wants the state commission to broadly investigate police corruption. Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer who is now a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said the corruption scandal has exposed profound dysfunction within the department's higher ranks. "I'm certain there was a lot of smoke from the Gun Trace Task Force and it was never investigated," he said. Repercussions will be felt for years. City prosecutors have so far vacated 225 convictions connected to roughly 2,100 tainted cases, according to Deputy State's Attorney Jan Bledsoe. Baltimore saw some modest success in reducing violent crime in 2018, but still exceeded 300 annual homicides for the fourth year in a row. In 2017, the 342 homicides notched in the city of roughly 612,000 inhabitants yielded a punishing homicide rate of 56 per 100,000 people, a rate the FBI calls well above that of any other large U.S. city. "The violence in the city is no doubt fueled by gun availability and a willingness to take interpersonal differences into one's own hands due to mistrust of police," said Katie Zafft, a University of Maryland criminologist. Moskos believes that all the energy spent trying to implement sweeping reforms - required under a federal consent decree authorized in January 2017 - is actually a big part of the problem. He asserts that curbing violent crime has got to be the No. 1 priority. "They're going about it all backward," he said. Much depends on the next police commissioner. Mayor Catherine Pugh has picked Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald to lead the department into "a new era of credibility, accountability and trust." A City Council confirmation vote is scheduled in late January. If confirmed, Fitzgerald would have to restore trust in the city's sworn protectors to conduct themselves professionally and effectively, all while making sure sweeping reforms take root. "It will certainly be one of the more difficult jobs any police chief has faced anywhere," said David Harris, who researches police behavior and law enforcement as a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. FILE - In this May 21, 2018, file photo, former Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa, left, departs a courthouse after making his initial court appearance on federal tax charges in Baltimore. DeSousa pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2018, to three counts of failing to file individual federal tax returns and admitted falsely inflating deductions. DeSousa was the second of three police leaders Baltimore saw in a year, and the city is currently casting for a fourth. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) In this Dec. 19, 2018 photo, members of the Baltimore Police Department collect crime scene tape after investigating a shooting scene in Baltimore. The department is under pressure to bring down a violent crime rate that's among the country's worst. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The Latest on a small plane that crashed in a South Dakota city (all times local): 5 p.m. Authorities in Sioux Falls have identified a couple killed when a small plane crashed in a residential neighborhood of the South Dakota city. Police said late Wednesday afternoon that the Minnehaha County coroner positively identified the victims as Vaughn and JoAnn Meyer of Sioux Falls. Both were 68 years old. Sioux Falls Police Capt. Loren McManus says authorities don't know who was piloting the plane, which crashed between four homes on Tuesday. No one on the ground was hurt. The Argus Leader reports the Meyers were known for their philanthropy. Sioux Falls Lutheran School announced earlier this year it was naming a new chapel and performing arts center after the couple after they donated more than $1 million to the project. In this Dec. 25, 2018 photo, first responders survey the scene where a plane crashed into a home in Sioux Falls, S.D. Two people died when the single-engine airplane crashed and caught fire in a residential neighborhood in Sioux Falls, leading to the evacuation of four homes, police said Wednesday. (Briana Sanchez/Argus Leader via AP) Police say the National Transportation Safety Board has contracted a company which will be in Sioux Falls on Wednesday to start the investigation into the crash. ___ 10:40 a.m. Police say two people died when a small plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in a South Dakota city. Sioux Falls Police Capt. Loren McManus confirmed a second fatality at a news briefing Wednesday morning. McManus says the two people killed were the only occupants of the single-engine plane that crashed between four homes about 5 p.m. Tuesday. No one on the ground was injured. He said the debris field stretches for several blocks. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Division Chief Steve Fessler says residents of two of the four houses that were evacuated following the crash have not returned to their homes. Authorities have not released the identities of those who died. ___ 7:30 a.m. Officials say one person died when a single-engine airplane crashed in a backyard in a South Dakota city, leading to the evacuation of four homes. Sioux Falls Emergency Manager Regan Smith told reporters that the person who died was on the plane when it crashed in Sioux Falls around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Smith says the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to investigate the crash site starting Wednesday. Jim Lang, who lives nearby, says he felt the ground shake and heard what sounded like a vehicle accelerating rapidly. He looked out his window and saw "a yellow ball of fire." Smith says two homes suffered significant damage and two more were affected by debris. He wasn't able to say if all the houses were occupied when the crash occurred. TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Four international media organizations have called on the Albanian government to drop two draft laws on state regulation and compulsory registration of online media to fight fake news. In a letter sent Wednesday to Prime Minister Edi Rama and Justice Minister Etilda Gjonaj, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and PEN International asked them to withdraw the legislation, involve journalists and seek for international assistance to draw up new laws. They said that in democratic countries "online media are self-regulated." In October, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also expressed concern about a new registration system for media websites in Albania. Albania expects to launch full membership negotiations with European Union next year. WATERBORO, Maine (AP) - Authorities in Maine say a man broke into a home, had a bite to eat, watched TV and even got a car ride from his unsuspecting victim. The York County sheriff's office said 35-year-old Derek Tarbox broke into a Waterboro home Sunday afternoon, took a shower, got dressed in the homeowner's clothing and was watching television when the homeowner arrived. The intruder said he mistakenly thought the house belonged to a friend and asked for a ride home. The homeowner told authorities that seemed plausible, so he drove him to a house in Hollis, which actually belonged to Tarbox's relatives. The victim later realized his home had been ransacked. Tarbox, who was arrested in Limrick, was due to be arraigned on burglary and other charges Wednesday. It was unclear if he has a lawyer. ___ The story has been corrected to show that Tarbox was driven to a relative's home, not his own. MIAMI (AP) - The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a crewmember who went overboard from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Harmony of the Seas some 267 miles (429 kilometers) off Puerto Rico. The agency said in a news release sent from Miami on Wednesday that 20-year-old Arron Hough of the United Kingdom went overboard on Christmas Day. A HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Clearwater and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute are searching for Hough. The cruise ship was off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The ship sails from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. NEW YORK (AP) - The latest on homeless men seen on video fighting a New York City police officer at a subway station: 1 p.m. New York City prosecutors say five homeless men seen on video battling a police officer on a subway platform could still face criminal charges. Police cited the men the next day for sleeping on the station floor, not for Sunday night's altercation. Prosecutors dropped that case, citing a policy curbing prosecution of those kinds of low-level violations. The Manhattan District Attorney's office says prosecutors who dropped the sleeping-related violations weren't aware the men were also allegedly involved in the altercation with the officer. Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says the DA's job "is to prosecute crimes, not to act like a social advocate." Video shows Officer Syed Ali using a baton and kicking as the men approach one at a time. One fell onto the tracks, but wasn't seriously hurt. ___ 10:30 a.m. A New York City police union is upset that prosecutors aren't bringing criminal charges against five homeless men seen on video battling a police officer on a subway platform. The Manhattan District Attorney's office blames police, saying the men "were not arrested for attacking an officer" in Sunday night's incident at the East Broadway station. Police only cited the men for sleeping on the station floor. The DA stopped prosecuting such low-level violations in 2016. Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says the DA's job "is to prosecute crimes, not to act like a social advocate." A video viewed more than 4 million times on social media shows Officer Syed Ali using a baton and kicking at the men as they approach one at a time. One fell onto the tracks. JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military on Wednesday destroyed another cross-border tunnel it says was built by Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, sending a loud explosion throughout the volatile area. Israel this month announced the discovery of the tunnels, which it says were part of a Hezbollah plot to sneak across the border and carry out attacks in Israel. Israel has so far uncovered five tunnels in an open-ended operation to destroy the entire network. At least two tunnels have been destroyed. The army released a video of Wednesday's activity. It shows an officer shouting across the border and warning residents of the Lebanese village of Ayta ash Shab that they are in danger and to stand far away. The video then shows a countdown before a soldier pushes a button, and aerial footage of a powerful explosion. The army has not said how many tunnels have been destroyed so far. But it says its forces can work at more than one location simultaneously and that all activity is taking place in Israeli territory. Israel and the U.N. say the tunnels violate a cease-fire resolution that ended a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has not commented on the discovery. MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says "neofascists" and conservatives are blaming the government for a helicopter crash that killed two opposition politicians. Lopez Obrador refused to speculate on what caused the crash, but military experts said no explosive devices were found in the wreckage. Mexico asked the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for help with a probe, but the U.S. government shutdown has delayed the request. Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that social media videos that suggest the helicopter was shot down were the work of "neofascist groups who are angry about our victory and are trying to slander us." The Monday crash killed opposition Gov. Martha Erika Alonso of the central state of Puebla and her husband, ex-Gov. Rafael Moreno Valle. Two pilots and a third passenger also died. Mexico's Secretary of the Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero, center, stands between urns with ashes of Puebla state Gov. Martha Erika Alonso, left, and her husband, ex-Puebla Gov. Rafael Moreno Valle, during a farewell ceremony in Puebla City, southeast of Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Mexico has invited experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to investigate a helicopter crash that killed the governor, her husband, two pilots and a third passenger. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Mexico's Secretary of the Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero, center, stands between urns with ashes of Puebla state Gov. Martha Erika Alonso, left, and her husband, ex-Puebla Gov. Rafael Moreno Valle, during a farewell ceremony in Puebla City, southeast of Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Mexico has invited experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to investigate a helicopter crash that killed the governor, her husband, two pilots and a third passenger. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Women touch the a portrait of opposition Puebla state Gov. Martha Erika Alonso during a farewell ceremony in Puebla City, southeast of Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Mexico has invited experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to investigate a helicopter crash that killed the governor, her husband, two pilots and a third passenger. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Relatives and friends touch the urn with ashes of opposition Puebla state Gov. Martha Erika Alonso during a farewell ceremony in Puebla City, southeast of Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Mexico has invited experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to investigate a helicopter crash that killed the governor, her husband, two pilots and a third passenger. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Relatives and friends touch the urn with ashes of opposition Puebla state Gov. Martha Erika Alonso during a farewell ceremony in Puebla City, southeast of Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Mexico has invited experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to investigate a helicopter crash that killed the governor, her husband, two pilots and a third passenger. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) LONDON (AP) - Sister Wendy Beckett, an art historian and critic who rose to prominence on TV late in life, has died. She was 88. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the monastery Wednesday afternoon. She was a sister of the Catholic Church who became prominent in the 1990s presenting BBC shows about art history. Her work included a series of well received documentaries including "Sister Wendy's Odyssey" and "Sister Wendy's Grand Tour." The BBC said it commissioned Beckett in 1991 to host a TV documentary on the National Gallery in London. She stood in front of the paintings dressed in a black nun's habit and discussed the paintings without a script or teleprompter. "Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts," BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole said. "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all." FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 4, 1997 file photo, Sister Wendy Beckett, a Roman Catholic nun of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who lives in Colinton, England, and is a well-known art critic, stands near an unidentified sarcophagus at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The art historian and critic Sister Wendy Beckett died aged 88 on Wednesday Dec, 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho, File) Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. She was a brilliant art critic." Beckett was born in South Africa and raised in Scotland. She joined a convent at 16 and started studying fine art in the 1980s. She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England. AL-ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq (AP) - In an unannounced trip to Iraq on Wednesday, President Donald Trump staunchly defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from neighboring Syria despite a drumbeat of criticism from military officials and allies who don't think the job fighting Islamic State militants there is over. Trump, making his first presidential visit to troops in a troubled region, said it's because the U.S. military had all but eliminated IS-controlled territory in both Iraq and Syria that he decided to withdraw 2,000 forces from Syria. He said the decision to leave Syria showed America's renewed stature on the world stage and his quest to put "America first." "We're no longer the suckers, folks," Trump told U.S. servicemen and women at al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, about 100 miles or 60 kilometers west of Baghdad. "We're respected again as a nation." The decision to pull U.S. forces from Syria, however, stunned national security advisers and U.S. allies and prompted the resignations of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who was not on the trip, and the U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic extremist group. The militant group, also known as ISIS, has lost nearly all its territory in Iraq and Syria but is still seen as a threat. Iraq declared IS defeated within its borders in December 2017, but Trump's trip was shrouded in secrecy, which has been standard practice for presidents flying into conflict areas. Air Force One, lights out and window shutters drawn, flew overnight from Washington, landing at an airbase west of Baghdad in darkness Wednesday evening. George W. Bush made four trips to Iraq as president and President Barack Obama made one. President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) During his three-plus hours on the ground, Trump did not meet with any Iraqi officials, but spoke on the phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. He stopped at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on his way back, for a second unannounced visit to troops and military leaders. Trump's Iraq visit appeared to have inflamed sensitivities about the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq. The two major blocs in the Iraqi parliament both condemned the visit, likening it to a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. The airbase where Trump spoke is about 155 miles (250 km) from Hajin, a Syrian town near the Iraqi border where Kurdish fighters are still battling IS extremists. Trump has said IS militants have been eradicated, but the latest estimate is that IS still holds about 60 square miles (100 square km) of territory in that region of Syria, although fighters also fled the area and are in hiding in other pockets of the country. Mattis was supposed to continue leading the Pentagon until late February but Trump moved up his exit and announced that Patrick Shanahan, deputy defense secretary, would take the job on Jan. 1 and he was in "no rush" to nominate a new defense chief. "Everybody and his uncle wants that position," Trump told reporters traveling with him in Iraq. "And also, by the way, everybody and her aunt, just so I won't be criticized." Critics said the U.S. exit from Syria, the latest in Trump's increasingly isolationist-style foreign policy, would provide an opening for IS to regroup, give Iran a green light to expand its influence in the region and leave U.S.-backed Kurdish forces vulnerable to attacks from Turkey. "I made it clear from the beginning that our mission in Syria was to strip ISIS of its military strongholds," said Trump, who wore an olive green bomber style jacket as he was welcomed by chants of "USA! USA!" and speakers blaring Lee Greenwood's song, "God Bless the USA." "We'll be watching ISIS very closely," said Trump, who was joined by first lady Melania Trump, but no members of his Cabinet or lawmakers. "We'll be watching them very, very closely, the remnants of ISIS" Trump also said he had no plans to withdraw the 5,200 U.S. forces in Iraq. That's down from about 170,000 in 2007 at the height of the surge of U.S. forces to combat sectarian violence unleashed by the U.S.-led invasion to topple dictator Saddam Hussein. Trump spoke on the phone with the prime minister, but the White House said security concerns and the short notice of the trip prevented the president from meeting him face-to-face. The prime minister's office said "differences in points of view over the arrangements" prevented the two from meeting but they discussed security issues and Trump's order to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria over the phone. Abdul-Mahdi's office also did not say whether he had accepted an invitation to the White House. But Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on the flight back that the Iraqi leader had agreed to come. Trump said that after U.S. troops in Syria return home, Iraq could still be used to stage attacks on IS militants. "We can use this as a base if we wanted to do something in Syria," he said. "If we see something happening with ISIS that we don't like, we can hit them so fast and so hard" that they "really won't know what the hell happened." Trump said it's time to leave Syria because the U.S. should not be involved in nation-building, and that other wealthy nations should shoulder the cost of rebuilding Syria. He also said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to battle "any remnants of ISIS" in Syria, which shares a border with Turkey. "The nations of the regions must step up and take more responsibility for their future," Trump said, promising a "strong deliberate and orderly withdrawal" of forces from Syria Trump had faced criticism for not yet visiting U.S. troops stationed in harm's way as he comes up on his two-year mark in office. He told The Associated Press in October that he "will do that at some point, but I don't think it's overly necessary. Trump told reporters that he had planned to make the trip three or four weeks ago, but word of the trip started getting out and forced him to postpone it. Iraqi leaders declared an end to combat operations against IS a year ago but the country's political, military and economic situation remains uncertain. It continues to experience sporadic bombings, kidnappings and assassinations, which most people attribute to IS. On Dec. 15, the U.S.-led coalition launched an airstrike in support of Iraqi troops who were chasing IS fighters toward a tunnel west of Mosul. The strike destroyed the tunnel entrance and killed four IS fighters, according to the U.S. military in Baghdad. The last U.S. service member to die in Iraq was in August, as the result of a helicopter crash in Sinjar. Trump had planned to spend Christmas at his private club in Florida, but stayed behind in Washington due to the partial government shutdown. Trump campaigned for office on a platform of ending U.S. involvement in foreign trouble spots, such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon is also said to be developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops still serving in Afghanistan. ___ Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Philip Issa in Baghdad contributed to this report. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump during a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove U.S. troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of the military cheer as President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove US troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) First lady Melania Trump, left, is seated on stage as President Donald Trump pauses as he speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) AL-ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's trip to Iraq (all times local): 5 a.m. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, have greeted U.S. troops in Germany. It was the president's second visit to U.S. troops abroad in the last day. He stopped at Ramstein Air Force Base on his way back from Iraq. Trump slowly made his way down a rope line at the Ramstein base, shaking hands, chatting and posing for photos. Some service members held up "Make America Great Again" caps for Trump to sign. The president's earlier visit to a base in western Iraq was his first to U.S. forces in harm's way overseas. Both visits were unannounced. ___ President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit with troops at a dining hall at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) 4 a.m. President Donald Trump is making a second unannounced visit to U.S. troops abroad. On his way back from meeting troops in Iraq, Trump stopped at Ramstein Air Force Base for refueling and to see service members there. The president's earlier visit to a base in western Iraq was his first to U.S. forces in harm's way overseas. Aboard Air Force One, Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that Iraq's prime minister accepted an invitation from Trump to visit the White House. The two leaders spoke by phone. They did not meet when Trump was in Iraq. ___ 1:30 a.m. The head of a powerful Iraqi militia that enjoys backing from Iran is threatening to expel U.S. forces from Iraq after an unannounced visit by President Donald Trump to American troops stationed in the country. Qais Khazali, the head of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, promised on Twitter that Iraq's parliament would vote to expel U.S. forces from Iraq, or the militia and others would force them out by "other means." Trump spent three hours at a U.S. air base in western Iraq with troops. He did not meet with any Iraqi officials. Khazali is an avowed opponent of the U.S. who rose to prominence as a leader in the Shiite insurgency against the U.S. occupation. He was detained by British and U.S. forces in Iraq from 2007 to 2010. Asaib Ahl al-Haq is represented in Iraq's parliament by the Binaa bloc, one of the two rival coalitions which together control nearly all the seats in the lawmaking body. ___ 12:55 a.m. The office of Iraq's prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, is not saying whether he has accepted President Donald Trump's invitation to visit Washington. The two spoke by phone on Wednesday evening during Trump's unscheduled trip to visit American troops stationed at an air base in western Iraq. The president left approximately 3 hours later without meeting any Iraqi officials. Abdul-Mahdi's office said in a statement that "differences in points of view over the arrangements" prevented the two from meeting face-to-face, but they discussed security issues and Trump's order to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria over the phone. The White House said security concerns and the short notice of the trip prevented them from meeting. The prime minister's office says the Iraqi leader invited the president to visit Baghdad, and Trump invited Abdel-Mahdi to Washington. But it did not say whether Abdel-Mahdi accepted the invitation, even though White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said earlier than he did. ___ 12:15 a.m. The head of one of two main blocs in Iraq's Parliament is denouncing President Donald Trump's unannounced visit, calling it a "blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty." Sabah al-Saidi says he is calling for an emergency session of Parliament to discuss Trump's visit Wednesday evening. Al-Saidi, who heads the Islah bloc, said "the American occupation of Iraq is over." He said Trump should not be allowed to arrive "as if Iraq is a state of the United States." Iraq's government has close military and diplomatic ties with Washington, though few parties want to be seen as overly close to the U.S. The Islah bloc is considered closer to the U.S. than the rival Binaa bloc, which espouses close ties with Iran. ___ 12 a.m. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says President Donald Trump was unable to meet with the Iraqi prime minister because of security concerns and the short notice of the president's trip to Iraq. She says Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has accepted Trump's invitation for him to visit the White House next year. On Trump's meeting with senior military leaders, Sanders said: "The generals and President Trump came up with a powerful plan that will allow us to continue our path to total victory. People will see results in a short period time." Asked whether "total victory" referred to the Islamic State group, she said "it certainly has to do with that." ___ 11:15 p.m. President Donald Trump spent around three and a half hours on the ground in Iraq on his first visit to a troubled region. In a speech to troops at a base in western Iraq, Trump defended his decision to withdraw forces from neighboring Syria. That decision prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who did not travel with Trump and was working in his Pentagon office on Wednesday. First lady Melania Trump was on the trip. So was his national security adviser, John Bolton. No other top officials or members of Congress were along. Trump met with U.S. diplomats and senior military leaders and wished troops a happy holiday. In his speech, he said the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria could return home because of military gains against the Islamic State group. The U.S. still has more than 5,000 troops in Iraq supporting the government as it continues the fight against remaining pockets of resistance by IS militants. IS has lost a significant amount of territory in Iraq and Syria but is still seen as a threat. ___ 11 p.m. President Donald Trump says security concerns forced him to scrap an earlier trip to visit U.S troops in the Middle East. Trump was speaking Wednesday to reporters who traveled with him to Iraq, his first trip to visit troops stationed in a troubled region. Trump told reporters he had planned to make the trip three or four weeks ago, but word of the trip started getting out and forced him to postpone it. The president called it "pretty sad" that after all the U.S. has spent in the Middle East, his trip still had to be a surprise for safety's sake. ___ 10:35 p.m. President Donald Trump is defending his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle militants from the Islamic State group. While visiting troops in western Iraq on Wednesday, Trump said that because of the military's gains against the militant group, U.S. forces can return home to their families. Trump spoke at al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq to American servicemen and women wearing fatigues. It was a little chilly and several wore knit hats. Trump said the U.S. mission in Syria was to strip IS of its military strongholds - not to be a nation-builder. He says that's a job that should be shouldered by other rich nations. The president said the U.S. presence in Syria was never to be "open-ended," and that Turkey has agreed to eliminate remnants of IS still remaining in the country. ___ 10:30 p.m. Making his first visit to a troubled region, President Donald Trump says he was more concerned for the people accompanying him to Iraq than he was for himself. Trump says he was concerned about the institution of the presidency and first lady Melania Trump, who flew with him to an airbase just west of Baghdad. Trump made the 11-hour flight on a darkened Air Force One with lights off and window shades drawn plus military jet escorts. He says he's never seen anything like it. ___ 10:25 p.m. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has "no plans at all" to remove U.S. troops from the country. Trump is making his first presidential trip to a troubled region in the wake of his recent decision to pull U.S. forces from neighboring Syria. He says he wants to get U.S. soldiers home from Syria and that Iraq can still be used as a base to stage attacks on Islamic State militants if needed. Trump told reporters traveling with him that if needed, the U.S. can attack IS "so fast and so hard" that they "won't know what the hell happened." The president's decision to exit Syria stunned national security advisers and allies, including Iraq, and prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. ___ 10:20 p.m. President Donald Trump is making an unannounced visit to Iraq - his first visit with U.S. troops in a troubled region. Trump landed at an airbase west of Baghdad after dark Wednesday, leaving behind a government shutdown and other upheaval at home. The trip also comes after Trump announced that he was pulling U.S. forces out of neighboring Syria. Trump, who begins his third year in office next month, had faced criticism for not visiting U.S. troops stationed in harm's way. He told The Associated Press in October that he didn't think such a visit was "overly necessary." He left Washington amid immense turmoil in the U.S. President Donald Trump is seen through camouflage netting as he speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit with members of the military at a dining hall at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump, accompanied by National Security Adviser John Bolton, third from left, first lady Melania Trump, fourth from right, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Doug Silliman, third from right, and senior military leadership, speaks to members of the media at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump signs a "Make America Great Again" hat as he visits with members of the military at a dining hall at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Two Michigan environmental regulators implicated in the Flint water scandal pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor Wednesday in exchange for more serious charges being dropped, bringing to six the number of officials who have agreed to such deals. Stephen Busch pleaded no contest to disturbing a public meeting, and Michael Prysby pleaded no contest to a count of violating Michigan's Safe Drinking Water Act. They had been charged with felonies, but those charges and others were dismissed under the terms of their deals that also require them to testify against others, if needed. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. Their sentencings are scheduled for Jan. 23. The plea from Busch, a water supervisor in the state Department of Environmental Quality, relates to his failing to address concerns during an unruly January 2015 meeting in which Flint residents complained about the city's discolored and smelly water after the April 2014 switch from a Detroit-area system to using the Flint River. Busch, who had faced involuntary manslaughter and other felony charges, said in a Flint courtroom Wednesday that he had conversations with state Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon about legionella bacteria before March 2015 - many months before Lyon and Gov. Rick Snyder publicly announced a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in the Flint area. Some experts have blamed the outbreak on the use of the river. Lyon, a member of Snyder's Cabinet, is the highest-ranking of the 15 state or local officials to be charged in relation to the water crisis . FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2018, file photo, Defendant Stephen Busch, right, listens at Flint District Court in Flint, Mich. Michael Prysby and Busch, two Michigan environmental regulators implicated in the Flint water scandal, have pleaded no contest to misdemeanors in exchange for more serious charges being dropped. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP, File)/ The plea from Prysby, a DEQ water engineer, relates to the improper permitting of Flint's water treatment plant during the switch. Todd Flood, a special prosecutor hired by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, put on the record parts of Prysby's cooperation to date. They include statements that the river water was not tested before being distributed to residents, that an environmental order was improperly used to facilitate the financing of a planned move to a new regional water pipeline, and that two state-appointed emergency managers were ultimately the ones who decided to put the city's water treatment plant back into full service before it was ready. Both Prysby and Busch have been on paid leave. They were among the first officials to be charged in connection to the water crisis, along with a Flint water official who went on to take a deal. Prysby's misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. The punishment for Busch's charge is up to 93 days in jail. His lawyer, Mark Kriger, declined to comment late Wednesday. The amended charges for both men will likely be dismissed in a year if they continue to cooperate and complete probation. None of the other officials to plead no contest - including Flint's former utilities director, the state's disease control director and another DEQ employee - have served time. Flint ran into extraordinary trouble when the emergency managers appointed by Snyder put the city on water from the river while a pipeline was being built to Lake Huron. The corrosive water was not properly treated due to an incorrect reading of federal rules by state regulators, and lead leached from old pipes into homes and led to elevated levels of the toxin in children. ___ Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert . Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ Dec. 22 The Houston Chronicle on capital punishment as a policy: Pride in our state's exceptional history and traditions related to the Old West may help explain Texans' clinging to some practices that should be consigned to the state's past. That includes the death penalty, which continues to be carried out more frequently in Texas than anywhere else in America. In fact, this year Texas reversed course from the national trend it had been following and executed 13 people; which was more than the 12 executions that occurred in the rest of the United States. Seven people were put to death in Texas in both 2016 and 2017. After nearly 18 years in prison and numerous appeals, Joseph Garcia was executed Dec. 4 at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. Garcia was one of the "Texas Seven" inmates convicted of murder in the Christmas Eve 2000 slaying of a North Texas police officer during their escape attempt. With 224 inmates currently on death row in Texas, a 25-year low, more executions appear certain to follow Garcia's. Less certain is what those executions will accomplish other than removing those executed from society - a goal that could be achieved just as well and less expensively by life sentences. The cost leading to an execution, including appeals and incarceration, easily exceeds $1 million; compared with less than $700,000 to keep an inmate in prison for 40 years. Of course, money isn't the most important reason for Texas to reconsider capital punishment. With DNA testing and other improved evidence collection methods, it is now indisputable that sometimes the wrong person is sentenced to death. The Innocence Project says at least 162 inmates have been released from death row nationwide because they were wrongly convicted. The reasons range from mistaken eyewitness identification, official misconduct, and false or misleading forensic evidence. A report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that "approximately one out of every 24 prisoners" on death row nationwide between 1973 and 2004 was wrongly convicted. Not even one death of an innocent person should be considered acceptable or the collateral damage of an imperfect criminal justice system. That imperfect system becomes even harder to defend when viewed through the lens of race, which shows the color of a defendant's skin can determine whether he or she is sentenced to death. All seven defendants sentenced to death in Texas this year were people of color. That's no anomaly. In the past five years, more than 70 percent of death sentences in Texas have been imposed on people of color - and in particular, African Americans. Blacks are less than 13 percent of the Texas population but 43 percent of the state's death row inmates. Hispanics are 38 percent of the state population and 27 percent of those on death row. The American Bar Association says "the disadvantages faced by low-income defendants" also play a role in who gets the death penalty. Since blacks are disproportionately poor in America, they are more likely to be represented by defense counsel with high caseloads, poor training, and inadequate resources. A recent study in the Boston College Law Review said the discrepancy in how black defendants are treated in America's courts is glaring. "White defendants are 25 percent more likely than black defendants to have their most serious initial charge dropped or reduced to a less severe charge," the study said. Prejudice shouldn't be the difference in whether someone is put to death. Neither should a clumsy defense, mishandling of evidence, a mistaken eyewitness, or an overly zealous prosecutor with political ambitions - all of which have been factors in wrongful convictions. The Supreme Court in 1972 ruled the death penalty as applied was unconstitutional, only to reinstate it in a 1976 ruling establishing what were expected to be better safeguards against arbitrary death sentences. Nonetheless, most states have abandoned the barbaric practice. Thirty-seven states have not had an execution in the past five years, and 31 of those states have not executed anyone in the past 10 years. Texas needs to join them. Capital punishment is no deterrent to murder. Despite the high-profile serial-killer and mass-murder cases that get the most news coverage, homicides are more likely to result from personal conflicts involving people who know each other and aren't thinking about facing a judge in a court of law. A date with a lethal injection needle isn't on their minds. No matter how or why a murderer killed someone, he should pay for his crime. Vengeance, however, should play no role in the outcome. Any vengeful satisfaction felt is fleeting. It will never fill the hole left in the hearts of a murder victim's family and friends. Online: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ ___ Dec. 23 The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette calls exiting Syria the right move for the United States: Much of official Washington, members of Congress, and members of the press who regard themselves as wise heads on foreign policy are in a state of apoplexy over President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. They make two points: The way he did it was wrong, and the decision itself was wrong - the U.S. needs to stay in Syria. One can certainly argue about any president's means and methods. And this president relies, to an alarming degree, on his own gut instinct over eminent advice and empirical evidence. But in this case Mr. Trump's instinct was right. It is time to get out of Syria. One must start with why we got in. We deployed land forces in Syria to neutralize ISIS and, let's be honest, topple a bloody regime there. We have largely succeeded at the first goal and failed abysmally at the second. So, why would we stay on at this point? Although the political establishment, left and right, Democratic and Republican, and most of the top military leaders say this is not the time to withdraw, none, none, can tell us when the right time to withdraw is. There is no right time. Look at Afghanistan. And, of greater significance, no one can explain the current strategic advantage of U.S. ground troops in Syria. They are not stabilizing the country and they are not leading us to a negotiated peace, which is the only possible way to end the war. The war is at a stalemate and no one can win it militarily. The rationale for staying is that, without a continuing U.S military presence, ISIS will reconstitute itself, Assad will dig in and the Russians will gain an advantage. All of this is possible, if not probable with U.S. troops on the ground. Why not negotiate with the Russians and Assad? Evil though their regimes may be, they are an inherent part of the equation, and dealing with evil regimes (Saudi Arabia and China are examples) is the task of U.S. diplomacy. Outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis is fond of saying that the military is only the first line of defense. It makes way for diplomacy. We have done, militarily, what we can do in Syria. ISIS will surely rise again, in all kinds of places. We are not without options - intelligence, special forces, air power - when that happens. They are the same options we would have if we kept troops in Syria. While national interest (and there is little pure national interest in Syria) should not be the only calculus of U.S. foreign policy, American military involvement has not advanced the cause of human rights in Syria. To the contrary, arguably. Our initial involvement in Syria, by the Obama administration, was naive and ignored history. We not only underestimated Assad and the complexity of the situation, but we ignored our own past failures. We said we would bring freedom and democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan, as we said, two generations ago, we would bring them to Vietnam. We failed because we did not understand those places or what it would take to accomplish those ends. Only in Japan, after World War II, did we succeed in establishing a new political order and culture of liberty. That had to do not only with the particulars of that society and the preface of total military victory, but a willingness by Japan to tolerate prolonged occupation and governance, and a willingness by the U.S. to sustain it. Donald Trump ran for president on a promise to end U.S. military adventurism, world policing and nation-building. He meant it. Many Americans who did not agree with Mr. Trump on much else agreed with that. Mr. Trump made this pledge part of his "America First" foreign policy. And whatever else one might think of the president or that policy, he holds fast to the unique notion that the promises he makes as a candidate, he must keep. Finally, there is the not insignificant matter of the U.S. Constitution. It says that a president must have a declaration of war from the Congress to go to war. But Presidents Bush (II) and Obama ignored this basic norm, which is not only a primary constitutional one, but a sound political one. (Congress passed resolutions approving action in Afghanistan and Iraq, but this fell short of the constitutional standard for a declaration of war). If we are to send our young people into harm's way and ask them to risk their lives for us, the case for war must be made and won with the American people. That was not done for Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria, just as the Vietnam-era presidents did not do it. Mr. Trump felt that no good case could now be made for a young American to die in Syria. This time his gut was right. Online: https://www.post-gazette.com/ ___ Dec. 25 The Washington Post on the treatment of asylum seekers: In testimony to Congress on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen spoke at length, and repeatedly, about the threats to which Central American migrants are subjected when they traverse Mexico on their way to seeking asylum in the United States. That was directly after she announced that asylum seekers who do reach the United States will now be returned immediately to Mexico, where they will await their scheduled court appearances - a process that currently takes more than three years. Ms. Nielsen failed to explain why the migrants, whom she described as constantly beset by rapists, traffickers and other predators in Mexico, would fare better if forcibly returned to Mexico than they were while in transit there. That's the dangerous paradox, and the hypocrisy, at the heart of the Trump administration's apparently unilateral move to compel Mexico to serve as a waiting room for tens of thousands of asylum seekers, most of whom now come from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Facing vicious criminal gangs and scant economic opportunity, they flee those countries in search of better lives in the United States. It is true that the surge in family groups seeking asylum has overwhelmed the U.S. system, including shelters bursting at the seams and immigration courts where the backlog is approaching 1 million cases. The administration is correct to be concerned by what President Trump calls "catch-and-release" - the practice of permitting asylum seekers to remain in the country, often for years, while awaiting court hearings that many migrants will skip. That is a form of dysfunction, and one that may encourage Central Americans to attempt the dangerous journey. The question is which form of deterrence is workable, humane and legal. Family separation, which the administration tried to disastrous effect last spring, failed on all three counts. A more recent gambit, slow-walking processing at legal border points of entry, has had little or no deterrent effect. For now, courts have blocked the administration's attempts to narrow the criteria for asylum claims; and, on Friday, the Supreme Court quashed the administration's attempt to require that asylum seekers cross only at official border points of entry. It's unclear whether the new "remain in Mexico" policy will dissuade migrants from making the northward trek, if U.S. courts even allow it to stand. (Forcing asylum seekers to wait in a third country may not be legal.) It also remains to be seen whether Washington's new stance results in unintended consequences - for instance, a surge in illegal entry by migrants who may despair at the prospect, and perils, of drawn-out waits in Mexico. What is clear is that the United States is not absolved of responsibility for migrants legitimately seeking asylum simply because they are compelled to wait elsewhere. If asylum seekers are preyed on, exploited and harmed after having been returned to Mexico, U.S. officials will not be able to shrug off their moral responsibility. The United States is bound by law and international obligations to welcome and vet migrants fleeing persecution, and to grant asylum to those who meet specific criteria. That obligation cannot be abrogated by an announcement. Online: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ___ Dec. 22 The Deseret News provides takeaways from the recently released 2018 version of the Human Freedom Index: Freedom comes and goes in waves, but each wave crests higher and each trough sinks a bit less than the previous one. That's the analysis of Fraser Institute fellow Fred McMahon, and it provides a hopeful note to the awful news that freedom seems to be on the wane worldwide. We hope this ever-rising analysis is true. Regardless, however, the current trend ought to set off alarm bells. The 2018 version of the Human Freedom Index, published jointly by the Cato Institute, Canada's Fraser Institute and Germany's Liberales Institute, was released earlier this month. It shows that despite world history being filled with evidence of the awful things that accompany it, despotism is on the rise. Authoritarian leaders, promising enticing visions of law and order, efficient government and a return to some imagined past glory, seem to be popping up all over. Russia, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Argentina and Egypt have seen notable declines. The countries at the top and bottom of the list are no surprise. New Zealand and Switzerland are the world's freest. Venezuela and Syria bring up the rear. But the United States comes in a troubling 17th - although that represents a step up from previous surveys. The report is important because it measures freedom, or the lack of coercive constraint, by 79 different indicators. One of its large subcategories is religious freedom, which has become an acute concern worldwide. Other recent surveys have monitored the decline in religious freedom. Last summer, the Pew Research Center published its ninth annual study on restrictions on worship in 198 countries, concluding that high levels of government-imposed anti-religious activity are on the rise. Using 2016 data (the most recent available), the study said 42 percent of the countries had high or very high levels of overall restrictions, whether from government or private actions, a dramatic rise from only 29 percent in 2007. The Human Freedom Index puts it this way: "The exercise of religion can be both a supremely private matter involving a person's strongest beliefs and a social affair practiced in an organized way among larger groups. Restrictions on that fundamental freedom have been the source of some of the bloodiest and most drawn-out conflicts throughout history, and they continue to animate discord in numerous countries today." While each of the study's metrics is important, religious freedom goes to the heart of human conscience. It is a basic and fundamental tenet of human dignity and liberty. Its suppression ought to be a warning sign, like the proverbial canary struggling to breathe in a coal mine, that trouble lies ahead. We appreciate McMahon's optimistic view of the future, while noting that the tone of his insightful preface to the index is predominantly gloomy. He attributes the idea of freedom's steadily rising waves to philosopher Samuel Huntington. Newly freed people often have unreal expectations of how quickly prosperity will follow. This makes them vulnerable to politicians who claim to have a better way. When those promises fail, as they have recently in Venezuela and elsewhere, people desire a return to freedom with more realistic expectations. "Freedom," McMahon wrote, "requires hard work and does not create overnight miracles." As the index indicates, that hard work never ends. Even when supposedly won, freedom requires constant vigilance from generation to generation. Online: https://www.deseretnews.com/ ___ Dec. 24 The Boston Herald advocates for Tucker Carlson and dissenting voices amid boycott effort: The progressive mob is on the march, again. Its goal is almost always to shut down conflicting speech by decrying any dissenter as a racist or misogynist or other form of hater. When they've got a media type in the crosshairs, the preferred method used to silence the person they deem offensive is to intimidate advertisers. Now, it's Tucker Carlson. On his Dec. 13 show, Carlson discussed the migrant caravan that had arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, and the immigration crisis at large. He said that there's pressure from "our leaders" to accept immigrants "even if it makes our own country poorer and dirtier and more divided." Monday he continued the theme, saying that in the Southwest, "thanks to illegal immigration, huge swaths of the region are covered with garbage and waste that degrade the soil and kill wildlife." On several recent shows, Carlson has interviewed Genaro Lopez, an elected official. In Tijuana, Lopez lamented the fact that members of the caravan were "trashing the street." During a Dec. 3 broadcast, Lopez told Carlson that "there's a lot of trash" and later explained that trash, along with home break-ins, drug possession and public drunkenness had caused local schools to be closed. Immediately though, progressive groups called for Carlson to be blacklisted for using the word "dirtier." They hassled Carlson's advertisers and some have dropped the show as a result. Carlson did not call migrants "dirty." We should not ascribe to him nefarious motives based on our own knee-jerk oversensitivity. We should condemn bullying, blacklisting and boycotts pushed by activist groups. It will harm people on all sides of the political spectrum if this continues and only speech deemed risk-free by advertisers will see the light of day. The result will be less debate and discussion. Debate is healthy and we need more of it, now more than ever. Online: https://www.bostonherald.com/ ___ Dec. 24 The Japan News raises concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump's policy without the guidance of resigning Secretary of Defense James Mattis: There will be a loss of a presence that has continued to put the brakes on nearsighted decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump while attaching importance to relations with allies. There are inevitable concerns about a possible increase in the turmoil surrounding the U.S. administration's security policy. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has announced he will step down at the end of next February. In a letter to Trump, Mattis said, "You have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects," showing there were differences in opinion between the two over U.S. diplomatic and security policies. The immediate reason for his announced resignation was a conflict over U.S. policy toward Syria. On Wednesday, Trump announced the completion of a campaign to wipe out the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant group, saying U.S. forces stationed in Syria would be withdrawn. Mattis is said to have urged Trump to change his mind, but the defense secretary's view was not accepted. Mattis' decision to resign seems to indicate that he recognized the unbridgeable rift in their opinions and the limits of his influence as the Trump administration's emergency brake. In Syria, ISIL has been nearly defeated in an offensive carried out by the U.S. and Kurdish forces, but remnants of the group are still scattered around. There are concerns that they could exploit the gap created by a withdrawal of U.S. forces and attempt to revive their group. There is no doubt that Russia and Iran, both of which back the administration of Syrian President Bashar Assad, will expand their influence on Syria by taking advantage of a U.S withdrawal. Avoid repeat of past mistake The situation is preceded by the circumstances in which the United States hastily withdrew its forces from Iraq during the days of former President Barack Obama's administration, thereby resulting in the emergence of the ISIL group - after which U.S. forces were sent back to that nation. If Trump places priority on appealing to his supporters without closely examining the Syrian situation, he could repeat the same mistake. Trump is also said to be considering a large-scale cutback in U.S. forces stationed in Afghanistan, where there have been continued terrorist attacks by Taliban forces, which used to control the country. The problem is that Trump only regards the stationing of U.S. soldiers overseas as a burden, and does not understand the role of such a U.S. presence in stabilizing the situation in each region and defending his own country and its allies. There is also no overlooking Trump's approach of unilaterally making decisions about such important issues as the pullout of U.S. soldiers while making no close coordination with relevant government offices, U.S. allies and the nations concerned. John Kelly, Trump's White House chief of staff, is also set to resign at the end of the month. As a retired U.S. Marine Corps general, Kelly, like Mattis, has continued to advocate that the U.S.-led alliance is underpinning international order. There are concerns that getting rid of all high-ranking officials who give Trump candid advice will further reinforce a system in which he makes decisions without consulting others, thereby making his "America First" policy even more acute. Even one false step in the handling of diplomatic and security policies could lead to such a grave consequence as a military clash or war. Trump must recognize his responsibility as supreme commander and facilitate a setup for devising and promoting a solid strategy. Online: http://the-japan-news.com/ WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Wednesday to meet U.S. troops. It's the sixth time that a U.S. president has visited Iraq. A look at previous presidential visits to Iraq: BUSH In November 2003, President George W. Bush became the first U.S. president to visit Iraq. He flew to Baghdad under extraordinary secrecy and security to spend Thanksgiving with U.S. troops and thank them for "defending the American people from danger." He also met with members of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council. Bush said that insurgents who were testing America's commitment in Iraq would not be rewarded with a U.S. retreat. Bush made three more trips to Iraq while in office. President Donald Trump, accompanied by National Security Adviser John Bolton, third from left, first lady Melania Trump, fourth from right, US Ambassador to Iraq Doug Silliman, third from right, and senior military leadership, speaks to members of the media at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In June 2006, he met with then-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and visited with troops. In September 2007, he flew to Al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad, where he met with top U.S. defense officials and Iraqi political leaders. On his last presidential visit in December 2008, Bush had to duck shoes that an Iraqi journalist hurled at him during a news conference in Baghdad. ___ OBAMA President Barack Obama visited Iraq in April 2009, the first year of his eight years in office. Obama told U.S. troops and Iraqi officials that it was time to phase out America's combat role in the conflict. He said the U.S. strongly supported steps to unite political factions in Iraq, including integrating minority Sunnis into the government and security forces. Iraqis "need to take responsibility for their own country," Obama told hundreds of cheering soldiers gathered in an ornate, marble palace near Saddam Hussein's former seat of power. Obama visited a little more than four hours at Camp Victory. ATLANTA (AP) - A Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia who campaigned in a "deportation bus" has turned himself in to county jail after being indicted on charges including insurance fraud. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports an attorney for state Sen. Michael Williams said Wednesday that the indictment presented a "one-sided story" and Williams would be "out soon" after arranging bond. The charges stem from a May incident when Williams reported that his campaign office was burglarized. Williams' campaign manager said then that $300,000 worth of computers used to mine cryptocurrency was taken. Williams is accused of lying to investigators and making a false insurance claim. Williams finished last in the five-man Republican gubernatorial primary in May. His campaign was based on loyalty to President Donald Trump and a series of publicity stunts, including the controversial "deportation bus." ___ In this May 20, 2018 photo Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Michael Williams participates in a debate in Atlanta. Williams, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia who campaigned in a "deportation bus", has turned himself into county jail, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 after being indicted on charges including insurance fraud. (AP Photo/John Amis) Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com For those who love getting the best Instagram shot when travelling, here is a list of the top Instagrammable places in Kuala Lumpur which is also an ultimate guide. For those who love getting the best Instagram shot when travelling, here is a list of the top Instagrammable places in Kuala Lumpur which is also an ultimate guide. Most of these Instagrammable places are easy to get to and require little travelling as they are found in the main city area of Kuala Lumpur or KL as it is commonly called. Top Instagrammable Places In Kuala Lumpur I hate to say this, but many articles share the Top 10 Most Instagrammable Spots and Places in Kuala Lumpur and so on, but everyone just shares the same IG images with very little information. This means that many just want to rank for the keyword, and have forgotten about making it easy for people who want information on how to get there and the best times. This article was done with personal experience, meaning that I have visited all of these places to know the logistics, distance and other vital information which can save you lots of time. View this post on Instagram Dec 28, 2018 at 8:29am PST A post shared by Colours/Soul/Travel (@coloursandsouloftravel) on However, just out of KL, you may be able to find some pretty Instagrammable places to explore and be slightly different from the other posts that you see.I hate to say this, but many articles share the Top 10 Most Instagrammable Spots and Places in Kuala Lumpur and so on, but everyone just shares the same IG images with very little information.This means that many just want to rank for the keyword, and have forgotten about making it easy for people who want information on how to get there and the best times.This article was done with personal experience, meaning that I have visited all of these places to know the logistics, distance and other vital information which can save you lots of time. In this article, I will list down the most popular places in Kuala Lumpur to take your Instagram photos, and when you are there, it is entirely up to you how you want to do it. If you notice, I am using mostly common Instagram accounts to be featured, versus some Influencer who has bought engagement and followers, which is very cliche. Let us explore Top Instagrammable Places in Kuala Lumpur below; 1. Petronas Twin Towers This is probably the most Instagrammed place in Kuala Lumpur, and the great thing about the twin towers is that you can take your photo from just about any direction. The most popular angle is from the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers from the northwest area as there is a lot of open space, and not crowded. But, you can walk around and explore the angles you prefer, namely from the KLCC Park area or even from the junctions of Jalan Ampang and Jalan P.Ramlee. To avoid being photobombed, come early to get your shot, otherwise, find a location with less people around and avoid areas where the tour buses unload Chinese tourists. How To Get Here: The Petronas Twin Towers is located in the Kuala Lumpur City Center and is the most central part of Kuala Lumpur. Just lookup for the twin towers and follow the direction. From Chinatown, it takes about 20 minutes to walk to get here. Best Time To Visit: Strongly recommended to visit in the mornings around 9 to 10 AM, and hope no one is there yet. Otherwise, head here on a weekday, but avoid the afternoons as it tends to get hot or even sudden showers. Before you go, check the sky to see if it is a good day too. Other Information: Open all day, and the KLCC vicinity area is free to walk around. You only need to pay if you want to go up to the sky bridge. Or if you visit Marini's on 57, you can get a beautiful shot from this restaurant on the 57th floor of the adjoining building. 2. Batu Caves With the newly revamped rainbow colours splashed on the 272 steps up to the cave temple, many people are now heading here to get that epic shot of Batu Caves. The Batu Caves committee did a massive makeover in August 2018, and the rainbow staircase was completed by the end of August 2018. Currently, a temple at the side of the entrance is also completed, which provides additional colours to the entire place, and during Thaipusam in January, this place will be simply amazing. Batu Caves is a place of worship, and you are required to dress appropriately when you are here, so please take note of this. Flowy and colourful dresses would be great for photos on the rainbow stairs. How To Get Here: Batu Caves is located in the state of Selangor, which is just bordering Kuala Lumpur. From KL Sentral, take the Batu Caves Komuter Train to the Batu Caves Temple. The journey is 30 minutes one way, and trains are every 15 minutes. It is also recommended to take a ride-hailing service from the city as it only cost around RM10 to RM15 one way, and there are many cars available. Best Time To Visit: Strongly recommended to visit in the mornings around 8 to 10 AM, before the main tourist arrives after 10.00 AM. The weather is also the best, and if you come here after 11.00 AM, prepare for a hot and humid experience, if it does not rain. Other Information: Open all day, but best to come during the business hours. Watch out for the monkeys here as they tend to grab anything that resembles food or drinks, and do not try to touch them. 3. Sky Box at KL Tower This special glass box that protrudes out from the top of the KL Tower is another of the popular places for Instagrammable photos in KL. This place is not recommended for the faint-hearted as it can be quite scary, but rest assured, the entire concept of the KL Sky Box is safe. Many visitors come here dressed casually, but for your Instagram photo, it is best to bring a nice change of clothes for the beautiful contrast. Also, they have an official photographer at the SkyBox, but you are allowed to take your own photos as well, so, do not be misled into thinking that you cannot. How To Get Here: The KL Tower Sky Box is located at the top of the KL Tower at Bukit Nanas. It is also a 20 to 30-minute walk from Bukit Bintang or even the KLCC Area. Use Waze for walking to get here too. Best Time To Visit: Strongly recommended to visit in the mornings around 9 to 10 AM as the weather is best around this time. Try to avoid the afternoons as it tends to get hot or even experience sudden showers. Before you go, check the sky to see if it is a good day too. Other Information: Opens from 9.00 AM to 10.00 PM and entrance is RM71 for MyKad holders and RM99 for non-Malaysians. Take note that no personal bags briefcases, laptop bags, or backpacks are permitted in the sky deck area. 4. KL Forest Eco Park Canopy Walk The recently opened KL Forest Eco Park offers a rainforest in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and is probably the smallest forest reserve in Malaysia. In this forest reserve, there is a beautiful canopy walk that gives a fantastic and unique Instagram photo of Kuala Lumpur, versus the commercialized man-made structures and towers. The canopy walk is about 200 meters long and 21 meters above ground, but there is one spot where everyone wants to get the Instagram shot where you see the canopy walk, trees and a bit of the KL skyline. How To Get Here: The KL Forest Eco Park is located just by the Bukit Nanas Monorail Station or the Dang Wangi LRT Station. It is also a 20 to 30-minute walk from Bukit Bintang or even the KLCC Area. Use Waze for walking to get here too. Best Time To Visit: Strongly recommended to visit in the mornings around 8 to 9 AM, and hope no one is there yet. Otherwise, head here on a weekday, but avoid the afternoons as it tends to get hot or even sudden showers. Before you go, check the sky to see if it is a good day too. Other Information: Opens from 7.00 AM to 8.00 PM and entrance is free at the moment of writing this article. WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn asked a judge Wednesday for permission to travel between the District of Columbia and Rhode Island, where he and his wife have a home. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan last week ordered Flynn to stay within 50 miles of Washington starting on Jan. 4. That directive was imposed after Flynn and his lawyers requested a delay in his sentencing hearing so that he could continue cooperating with prosecutors and get credit for his assistance. In a motion filed Wednesday, lawyers for Flynn asked Sullivan to modify those restrictions so that he could travel between the Washington area and Rhode Island. Flynn is agreeing as part of the motion to restrict his travel within a 20-mile radius of Washington and a 40-mile radius from the Rhode Island community of Middletown. The lawyers say that prior to the judge's order, Flynn routinely traveled between Alexandria, Virginia - where he and his wife rent an apartment - and Middletown. They say he complied with every request from the special counsel's office, appeared on time for every meeting with prosecutors and checked in weekly with pretrial services officials. The lawyers say special counsel Robert Mueller's office has no objections to the request. Flynn pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts. NEW YORK (AP) - Authorities say a joyrider sneaked off with an empty New York City bus and took it on an hourslong adventure from the Bronx to Queens and back. Police said Wednesday they're searching for a suspect in Sunday's brazen heist, which was starting to gain attention after the Christmas holiday. Police said the bus was stolen around 7:40 p.m. Sunday near the Crossings Mall in the Bronx. GPS data shows it went to Queens before it was found a few blocks from where it was originally parked around 4 a.m. Monday, more than eight hours later. Police say the public agency that operates city transit didn't report the bus stolen until after it was already found. The agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation. CHICAGO (AP) - In a story Dec. 26 about women's rights events in January, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the Chicago Women's March had been canceled. Organizers say a January march and rally were never planned in Chicago because of high costs, but that events are organized elsewhere in Illinois. A corrected version of the story is below: Organizers won't hold Chicago Women's March, citing logistics Organizers decide not to hold a Women's March in Chicago citing logistical issues, as accusations of anti-Semitism dog the national movement CHICAGO (AP) - Organizers have decided not to host a Women's March in Chicago in January because of logistical issues, as accusations of anti-Semitism dog the national movement. Local organizers blamed high costs and not enough volunteers as key reasons for not holding a rally, noting that they held an October event called March to the Polls that drew thousands of people in advance of the midterm election. Instead of holding a march in Chicago's Grant Park, local organizers are asking supporters to coordinate their own political or service activities, the Chicago Tribune reported. An estimated 250,000 people participated in the initial Chicago march in January 2017. The heavier than expected turnout led organizers to reroute the march due to security concerns. Similar marches are scheduled to take place in cities around the world on Jan. 19, including Washington, D.C. and other cities in Illinois. But infighting across the national Women's March movement arose after Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan praised Women's March Inc. co-president Tamika Mallory and declared Jews his enemy during an address in February. The movement has since splintered, with chapter members criticizing the Women's March leadership's response to Farrakhan's anti-Semitic rhetoric as being insufficient. The Nation of Islam has been labeled an anti-Semitic hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Mallory later denounced the anti-Semitic statements. But Women's March chapters have continued to put pressure on movement leaders to step down, with one chapter disbanding over the issue. The Chicago chapter responded to the controversy in March through a statement condemning "bigotry in all its forms." "No universe exists in which it is acceptable to support anti-Semitic statements," the chapter wrote. Sara Kurensky, a board member for Women's March Chicago, said the decision on Chicago events wasn't based on the recent controversy. But she called the opportunity to further distance the Chicago group from national Women's March leaders a "side benefit." "That sort of infighting within the movement is very painful. It's very painful to watch," she said. "When a handful of leaders ... say something, they are not speaking for an entire movement." HOUSTON (AP) - The deaths of two migrant children in just over two weeks raised strong new doubts Wednesday about the ability of U.S. border authorities to care for the thousands of minors arriving as part of a surge of families trying to enter the country. An 8-year-old boy identified by Guatemalan officials as Felipe Gomez Alonzo died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting and fever, authorities said. The cause is under investigation, as is the death Dec. 8 of another Guatemalan child, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal. "There is a real failure here that we all need to reckon with," said incoming Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat elected last month to represent El Paso in Congress. "We need to know how many other Jakelins and Felipes there have been." The U.S. government's system for detaining migrants crossing the border is severely overtaxed. Authorities would not say how many children U.S. Customs and Border Protection is now holding. But the country is seeing a sharp rise in families with children. In the wake of the two deaths, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen asked the Coast Guard to study CBP's medical programs and announced that all children who enter the agency's custody will be given "more thorough" assessments. Also, border authorities said that they conducted health checks in reaction to Felipe's death on nearly all children in their custody. They did not disclose the results. FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2017, file photo, an agent from the border patrol, observes near the Mexico-US border fence, on the Mexican side, separating the towns of Anapra, Mexico and Sunland Park, N.M. An 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in government custody early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, U.S. immigration authorities said. (AP Photo/Christian Torres, File) Nielsen blamed "a system that prevents parents who bring their children on a dangerous illegal journey from facing consequences for their actions." The Trump administration contends it must detain more people to discourage other Central American families from trying to enter the country. Felipe had been detained by U.S. border authorities for a week and moved between facilities with his father, officials said. The last place the boy was held - after the first of two visits to the hospital on the day he died - was a highway checkpoint in New Mexico. Felipe's father, Agustin Gomez, did not see any signs of illness from his son until Monday, according to Guatemalan consul Oscar Padilla, who spoke to Gomez on Wednesday. Felipe and his father had left Guatemala on Dec. 14 and were detained at the U.S-Mexico border four days later, Padilla told The Associated Press. By its own regulations, CBP is supposed to detain people for no more than 72 hours before turning them over to other government agencies responsible for long-term detention. CBP facilities are typically spartan, with food, water and blankets but often no medical professionals, teachers or some of the other resources longer-term detention centers offer. Similarly, Jakelin was first held with her father at a small base in rural New Mexico that did not have running water, according to Democrats who visited it after the girl's death. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who sits on a key subcommittee overseeing border funding, said he has pushed to fund more alternatives to detention such as ankle monitors, which he said could have been issued to Felipe's father. He said the Trump administration has prioritized the president's border wall - the subject of the partial government shutdown since last week - over investing in CBP checkpoints that have long needed attention. "They're not set up to hold people for a long time," Cuellar said. "There's so much money that the wall sucks up that it's hard to address some of the other issues. I wish the administration would understand that." CBP said it is reviewing all available options to relieve overcrowding in the El Paso sector, where Felipe and his father were apprehended. The agency also said it has reached out to other government agencies for "surge medical assistance." CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in the agency's defense that CBP has more than 1,500 emergency medical technicians on staff and that officers are taking dozens of sick children to hospitals every day. "This is an extraordinarily rare occurrence," McAleenan told "CBS This Morning" of the two child deaths. "It's been more than a decade since we've had a child pass away anywhere in a CBP process, so this is just devastating for us." It's not uncommon for families in El Paso these days to spend more than a week in holding cells just as Felipe and his father did, said Ruben Garcia, director of El Paso's Annunciation House shelter. Those problems predate the Trump administration. During a 2014 surge at the border, some families were put in holding cells for up to 20 days before being released, Garcia said. Homeland Security's inspector general examined nine CBP holding facilities earlier this year. In a September report, the inspector general said that the facilities complied with CBP standards and that people had access to food and water, toilets and sinks, and hygiene items - with "the exception of inconsistent cleanliness of the hold rooms." Just three of the nine facilities had "trained medical staff to conduct medical screening and provide basic medical care," the report said. And showers were available for unaccompanied children at only four facilities. Felipe and his father were taken to two of the facilities the inspector general examined: the processing center at the Paso del Norte port of entry, then the El Paso Border Patrol station. But just after 1 a.m. Sunday, the two were transferred 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the Border Patrol station at Alamogordo, New Mexico. CBP said it moved them "because of capacity levels" in El Paso. The next day, a border agent noticed Felipe was coughing and had "glossy eyes," and sent him to the hospital, the CBP said. "I can't think of any logical reason that would happen, for the most vulnerable of children to be sent to a remote area," Escobar said. According to CBP statistics, border agents detained 5,283 children unaccompanied by a parent in November alone. Agents last month also apprehended 25,172 "family units," or parents and children together. Both figures are highs for this year. Children who arrive unaccompanied by a parent are supposed to go to longer-term facilities operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But HHS' system is also strained. The Associated Press reported this month that 14,300 children were being detained by HHS, most in facilities with more than 100 kids. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Hudetz in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City; and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report. JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on an Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital (all times local): 11:30 p.m. An Israeli security official has confirmed that Israel carried out an overnight airstrike in Syria, saying a series of Iranian targets were hit. The official says the airstrike hit Iranian storage and logistic targets being used to transfer weapons to the Hezbollah militant group. The official said Israel also took out a Syrian anti-aircraft battery near Damascus that fired at the Israeli warplanes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under standard security protocols. The Israeli military has not commented on the incident. Earlier Wednesday, Russia criticized the airstrikes, saying they had endangered civilian flights. The Israeli official said, however, that Israel alerted Russia about the airstrikes ahead of time. This frame grab from a video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units. (SANA via AP) Israel has previously confirmed carrying out scores of airstrikes in Syria, mostly believed to be aimed at suspected weapons shipments to Hezbollah. -By Josef Federman This frame grab from a video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units. (SANA via AP) This frame grab from a video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units. (SANA via AP) Israeli Air Force F-15 plane flies during a graduation ceremony for new pilots in Hatzerim air force base near the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, Israel, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Israeli Air Force acrobatic team flies during a graduation ceremony for new pilots in Hatserim air force base near the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) CHICAGO (AP) - An Australian commodities trader pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Chicago to manipulating market prices by placing orders in the millions of dollars, then canceling them within milliseconds so that he could sell smaller orders at a profit. Jiongsheng "Jim" Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of spoofing in a deal with prosecutors, who say that from 2012 to 2016, the 31-year-old executed trades on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange online from Sydney. Spoofing carries a maximum 10-year prison term, but Zhao's lawyer, Theodore Poulos, told U.S. District Judge John Tharp during Wednesday's hearing that he and prosecutors planned to recommend a one-year sentence. With time served in Australia awaiting extradition to the U.S., that means Zhao could only serve a few more months behind bars. Zhao is due to be sentenced July 19. In the meantime, he will be allowed to return to Australia. Zhao was arrested in Australia in January in what the U.S. Justice Department said was "the largest futures market criminal enforcement action" in the department's history. At least seven others were charged around the same time. But Poulos told the judge Wednesday that his client made a comparatively small profit, $21,000, from illegal trades. The Justice Department had highlighted Navinder Singh Sarao's case along with Zhao's. Sarao made over $12 million in market-manipulation schemes and helped trigger a 2010 "flash crash" from his parents' suburban London home that wiped tens of billions of dollars off the value of U.S. stocks. He pleaded guilty in 2016. On one occasion, say prosecutors, Zhao placed an order for futures contracts valued at nearly $19 million and cancelled it .059 seconds later. He then sold futures he actually bought for a few thousand dollars at a price his cancelled order helped to artificially inflate. ___ Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtarm BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service is taking comments and holding a public meeting on proposed exploratory drilling for an open-pit molybdenum mine being considered in Boise National Forest in Idaho. The meeting comes two years after a federal judge rejected a previous Forest Service environmental assessment as lacking information about a rare plant called Sacajawea's bitterroot. The judge ruled in a lawsuit brought by environmental groups that the Forest Service didn't adequately consider the exploratory drilling's impact on the plant because officials hadn't taken into account a 2014 wildfire that tore through the area. Shortly after the ruling, another large wildfire scorched about half of the proposed drilling area. The Forest Service said its most recent environmental assessment takes into account those wildfires when considering the project's effects on Sacajawea's bitterroot. Environmental groups that filed the initial lawsuit didn't respond to messages left Wednesday or declined to comment. FILE - In this July 1, 2010, file photo, a towering ponderosa tree is seen in the Boise National Forest near Idaho City, Idaho. The U.S. Forest Service is taking comments and holding a public meeting on proposed exploration drilling for an open-pit molybdenum mine a Canadian company is considering in the Boise National Forest in central Idaho. A public meeting is set for Jan. 9, 2019, in Boise. (Chris Butler/Idaho Statesman via AP, File) Molybdenum is a metal with a high melting point that's used to make electrodes, missile and aircraft parts, and has some uses in the nuclear power industry. The exploratory drilling is being considered by Idaho CuMo Mining Corp., a subsidiary of Vancouver, British Columbia-based American CuMo Mining Corp. It says the area about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Boise contains the largest unmined deposit of molybdenum in the world. The proposed plan would allow about 13 miles (21-kilometers) of new roads and the use of about 5 miles (8 kilometers) of existing unauthorized roads to reach up to 122 drill pads in the 2,885-acre (1,200-hectare) site. The Forest Service says Sacajawea's bitterroot is only found in central Idaho, growing at elevations from 5,400 feet (1,600 meters) to 9,500 feet (2,900 meters). About two dozen populations are known to exist, with about 75 percent of those in Boise National Forest. The Forest Service has also identified scattered populations in Payette, Sawtooth and Salmon-Challis national forests. The agency looked at groups of plants within the drilling area that occurred at what's considered near the plant's lower elevation boundary. The agency also looked at six sites within a 10-mile radius of the project area but outside the project area, finding "the overall population having excellent vigor." The agency said clusters of the plants had likely adapted to their unique growing area, making them genetically distinct, including those in the proposed drilling area. A public meeting on the latest environmental assessment is set for Jan. 9 in Boise, and the Forest Service is taking public comments through late January. TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) - Border wall prototypes stand in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border as President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats are locked in a standoff over border wall funding that has shut down parts of the U.S. government. The shutdown started Saturday, when funding lapsed for nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, and threatens to carry over into January. The impasse over government funding began last week, when the Senate approved a bipartisan deal keeping government open into February. That bill provided $1.3 billion for border security projects but not money for the wall. At Trump's urging, the House approved that package and inserted the $5.7 billion he had requested. But Republicans in the Senate lacked the 60 votes needed to force the measure with the wall funding through their chamber. That jump-started negotiations between Congress and the White House, but the deadline came and went without a deal. Trump, who was elected in 2016, campaigned on a promise to build a "big, beautiful wall" made of concrete, rebar and steel across the length of the southern border. He said he would make Mexico pay for it, but Mexico has refused. Lawmakers have limited the administration to replacing or strengthening existing barrier designs, rather than building Trump's new wall prototypes. Border wall prototypes stand in San Diego near the Mexico U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The U.S. federal government remains partially closed in a protracted standoff over President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall with Mexico. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) In budget year 2017, Congress provided $292 million to the Department of Homeland Security to build a steel-bollard wall to replace "ineffective" barriers along the border with Mexico. More than 31 of 40 miles have been constructed, and nine more are scheduled to be completed by 2019. In March, Congress also approved funding for 84 miles (135 kilometers) of construction along the southern border. A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A border wall prototype stands in San Diego near the Mexico-U.S. border, seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) MEXICO CITY (AP) - Three men and a baby have been killed in a Christmas day shooting in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco. Police in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero said Wednesday that the men and 1-year-old boy were found shot to death at a home in the Arboledas neighborhood. A fourth man suffered a bullet wound to the head in the Tuesday attack and was taken to a local hospital. Witnesses told police that the victims were drinking outside the home when armed men pulled up in a taxi and opened fire. The neighborhood is far from the city's beaches and tourist zone. Acapulco has been overcome by gang violence. A level four "do not travel" advisory has been issued by the U.S. State Department for the entire state. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A casino shuttle boat fire that killed one woman and injured 14 other people off Florida's Gulf Coast was caused by poor maintenance and the captain's failure to shut down the engine sooner, investigators said. The National Transportation Safety Board released a report this month outlining the factors that led to 42-year-old Carrie Dempsey's death and the destruction of the $450,000 boat. About 50 passengers jumped into the chilly waters off Port Richey in January when the Island Lady caught fire, officials said. It was heading to a Tropical Breeze casino boat in the Gulf of Mexico, where gambling is legal. After receiving a high-temperature alarm on the port engine, the captain turned the Island Lady around to return to the dock, the report said. Smoke began filling parts of the boat, and the captain deliberately beached the vessel in shallow water near shore to evacuate the passengers. Problems outlined in the NTSB report include lack of company guidance regarding engine high-temperature alarms, lack of fire detection in unmanned spaces, insufficient preventive maintenance and insufficient crew training. The report specifically pointed out that the captain left the engine idling instead of shutting it off after receiving a high-temperature alarm. This allowed the overheating engine to continue to generate excessive heat, affecting the exhaust tubes and igniting their surrounding structures. Additionally, officials determined that the boat's fuel tanks were equipped with plastic hoses used as fuel level indicators, and the system didn't have automatic shut-off valves. This led to the plastic material melting and the release of diesel fuel exacerbating the fire. Investigators also found that Tropical Breeze had implemented a preventive maintenance program after a previous fire on board another company vessel, but the quality of the program was insufficient. The report acknowledges, however, that preventive maintenance programs for small boats aren't required or enforced for by the U.S. Coast Guard. FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2018 file photo provided by Pasco County Fire Rescue, flames engulf a boat in the area of Tampa Bay, Fla., Investigators say the casino shuttle boat fire that killed one woman and injured 14 other people off Florida's Gulf Coast was caused by poor maintenance and the captain's failure to shut down the engine sooner. The National Transportation Safety Board released a report in Dec. 2018 outlining the factors that led to 42-year-old Carrie Dempsey's death and the destruction of the $450,000 boat. (Pasco County Fire Rescue via AP) The investigation found that crewmembers lacked sufficient understanding of firefighting principles, with training drills being infrequent or not completed. A phone message left with Tropical Breeze wasn't immediately returned. ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Authorities say the stepmother of actress Lindsay Lohan tried to commandeer an occupied bus and attacked its driver on Christmas Day. Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday they arrested 36-year-old Kate Major Lohan of Boca Raton, Florida, and charged her with driving under the influence, disorderly conduct, harassment and public drunkenness. She made bail and was released Wednesday. Major Lohan didn't have a home phone listing, and a defense lawyer wasn't listed on court documents. The Morning Call of Allentown says court records allege she was angry that she missed her stop, and began assaulting the bus driver, pushing buttons and asking about the brakes before a passenger ejected her from the driver's seat. Major Lohan, who attended high school in Allentown, is married to Michael Lohan, the father of Lindsay Lohan. The Trump administration said Wednesday it will keep open through early 2019 a tent city in Texas that now holds more than 2,000 migrant teenagers, and also will increase the number of beds at another temporary detention center for children in Florida. The Tornillo facility opened in June in an isolated corner of the Texas desert with capacity for up to 360 children. It eventually grew into a highly guarded detention camp where, on Christmas, some 2,300 largely Central American boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 17 slept in more than 150 canvas tents. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Weber said Tornillo, which originally was slated to close Dec. 31, has stopped receiving new referrals of migrant youth. Tornillo will now shut down after the new year, Weber said, but he did not give an exact date or more precise time frame for when it might close for good. The agency is working with its network of shelters including Tornillo to release the children "to suitable sponsors as safely and quickly as possible," he said. The government also plans to house more teens at another temporary shelter in Homestead, Florida, expanding the total number of beds from 1,350 to 2,350, he added. FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2018 file photo migrant teens walk in a line through the Tornillo detention camp in Tornillo, Texas. The Trump administration says it will keep the tent city holding more than 2,000 migrant teenagers open through early 2019. The announcement was made Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 about the Tornillo facility, which opened in June in an isolated corner of the Texas desert for up to 360 children. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, file) Tornillo came under fire last month after revelations that the Trump administration had waived FBI fingerprint checks for the 2,100 staff working there and allowed the private contractor running the facility to have just one mental health clinician for every 100 children. In November, Health and Human Services officials said they hoped the fingerprints would be completed in a month but they haven't given an update. Lawmakers called for stricter background checks, more mental health support and a public hearing to further investigate problems at Tornillo raised by a federal watchdog report and an Associated Press investigation. The federal program originally intended to offer a safe haven to vulnerable children fleeing danger across the globe has expanded considerably over the last two years. Three months after President Donald Trump took office there were 2,720 migrant youth in government care. Today, the system has 16,000 beds available for migrant children. Confidential government data obtained and cross-checked by AP has shown that as the year draws to a close, about 9,800 detained migrant children are in facilities holding 100-plus total kids, including Tornillo and Homestead. The American Academy of Pediatrics and many experts warn against institutionalizing children in large groups, saying the experience of treating the young migrants like cogs in a big machine can have severe psychological consequences and cause lifelong trauma. Weber has said that sheltering children in large facilities, while not preferable, is a better alternative than holding them for long periods at Border Patrol stations ill-suited to care for them. ___ Follow @garanceburke and @asnowreports on Twitter. An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible. Colin O'Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online. "I did it!" a tearful O'Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw. "It was an emotional call," she said. "He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say 'Thank you' to all of us." O'Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment. The 33-year-old O'Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey - which he called The Impossible First - on his Instagram page . He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles (129 kilometers) in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day. This Dec. 9, 2018, selfie provided by Colin O'Brady, of Portland., Ore., shows himself in Antarctica. He has become the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance. O'Brady finished the 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey across the continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures. (Colin O'Brady via AP) "While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," O'Brady posted. The day before, he posted that he was "in the zone" and thought he could make it to the end in one go. "I'm listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe," he wrote. "I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife - I promised them I will stop when I need to." Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward. In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley's friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley's honor and was competing against O'Brady to be the first to do it. Besaw said O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days. "It's a small club," she joked. "His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing." O'Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds (170 kilograms) of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind. "Not only am I pulling my ... sled all day, but I'm pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind," he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. "It's a frustrating process at times to say the least." On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph (48 kph) headwind for eight hours as he trudged along. "There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day," he wrote. "I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day." On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O'Brady wrote about how much he's changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat. "I'm no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?" he wrote. "I've suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I've laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration." Though O'Brady had initially thought he'd want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods. As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure. "We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now," she said. "Then we'll see what's next on the horizon." ___ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP In this photo provided by Colin O'Brady, of Portland., Ore., he poses for a photo while traveling across Antarctica on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. He has become the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance. O'Brady finished the 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey across the continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures. (Colin O'Brady via AP) In this photo provided by Colin O'Brady, of Portland., Ore., he poses for a photo while traveling across Antarctica on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. He has become the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance. O'Brady finished the 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey across the continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures. (Colin O'Brady via AP) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on the search for a suspect in the shooting of a police officer in California (all times local): 4:30 p.m. Authorities say they have located the pickup truck that they believe the man who fatally shot a California police officer was driving. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday afternoon authorities were processing the truck for evidence. The gunman remained at large. Authorities say the gunman shot and killed a police officer during a traffic stop in the small California town of Newman about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Sheriff's officials say 33-year-old Newman police officer Ronil Singh had called in the traffic stop early Wednesday and reported shots fires a few minutes later. Ground and air units were searching for the suspect based on surveillance photos taken at a convenience store shortly before the attack ___ 8:30 a.m. Authorities say they are looking for a man who shot and killed a police officer in California. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Newman police Officer Ronil Singh was conducting a traffic stop early Wednesday in the town of Newman when he called out "shots fired" over his radio. The department said the shooter had fled when backup arrived to assist Singh. A manhunt was underway for the killer, who was believed to be driving a gray Dodge Ram pickup at the time of the shooting. The 33-year-old officer was rushed to a hospital and died from gunshot wounds. Singh had worked for the Newman Police Department since July 2011. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An Idaho inmate accused of sexually assaulting a woman after he was sent to work at a wildfire base camp in Utah has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery. The woman approved the plea deal so she could avoid having to testify in the case, prosecutor Kevin Daniels said Monday. "After speaking with her and her family, she felt this would hold him accountable to a certain degree while not requiring her to testify," Daniels said. Ruben Hernandez, 28, was charged with felony rape in Utah after the woman reported that he assaulted her on Aug. 29 when she rejected his advances in a remote area about 80 miles (129 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. He was part of a program in which low-level offenders nearing parole are temporarily released to help cook and clean at wildfire base camps supervised by two Idaho correctional officers. Defense attorney Richard Gale said the plea deal is fair and reflects Hernandez's level of culpability. "We wish the best for the victim," Gale said. This undated photo provided by the Sanpete County Jail in Manti, Utah, shows Ruben Hernandez. Hernandez, accused of sexually assaulting a woman while he was working at a wildfire base camp in Utah, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery. (Sanpete County Jail via AP) Hernandez could face up to a year in jail when he is sentenced. Daniels said he plans to ask for the full sentence as well as restitution for therapy or medical bills. Hernandez must also serve out the remainder of his Idaho prison sentence on a drug charge. Idaho prison spokesman Jeffrey Ray said there has so far been no change to the date Hernandez is eligible for parole, May 2019, or the year when he his full sentence is set to finish, 2023. An internal review of the incident concluded that officials need to do more to minimize interactions between inmates and other workers at fire camps, Ray said. That includes sending additional prison staff to supervise the inmates at the camps and have them do more frequent checks on the prisoners, he said. The review discovered that at the Utah fire the inmates' tents were initially secluded. But as the fire grew, more tents were set up around them, he said. The inmates' tents should have been moved again to another secluded area, the review found. Idaho pulled all its inmates back behind bars after the case was filed in August and announced they would review the way they select, train and deploy those inmates. Most states in the U.S. West have similar programs. In California, hundreds of minimum-security inmates fought on the front lines during the state's devastating wildfire season this year. Utah ended its inmate program after men were injured a decade ago. Since the charges were filed, they have closed loopholes that allowed Idaho inmates to help at the Utah wildfire, Daniels said. Hernandez had been sent to Utah to work on the Coal Hollow Fire. Like many wildfires, it was managed by a special team of federal and state agencies, so county authorities weren't aware that Idaho inmates were part of the force of about 200 at the time of the assault. The lightning-sparked blaze scorched about 47 square miles (122 square kilometers). CARITA, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesia raised the danger level for an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java, and widened its no-go zone. The country's volcanology agency on Thursday increased the Anak Krakatau volcano's alert status to the second-highest and more than doubled the exclusion zoneto a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius. The eruption on Saturday evening caused part of the island in the Sunda Strait to collapse into the sea, apparently generating tsunami waves of more than 2 meters (6 1/2 feet). Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes. The government has warned communities in the strait to stay a kilometer (less than a mile) away from the coastline because of the risk of another tsunami triggered by Anak Krakatau's eruptions. A navy vessel was expected to pass by the island, which could give scientists more information about the risks of a second collapse. "There's still a chance of a landslide, even under the sea level or on the sea level," said Rudy Sunendar, head of the Energy Ministry's Geology Department. "Based on the satellite imagery interpretation, there is collapse of some area of Mount Anak Krakatau," he told The Associated Press at the volcano's monitoring post. Saturday's disaster struck without warning, surprising people in a country that regularly suffers landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. No earthquake shook the ground beforehand, and the waves surged inland at night on a holiday weekend while people were enjoying concerts and other beachside activities. Indonesia's tsunami warning system relies on land seismometers and buoys connected to tidal gauges and is not equipped to detect underwater landslides. The system, in any case, has not operated for years because the buoys have been vandalized or not maintained because of low funding. An official looks a seismograph at an observation post near a recent volcanic eruption in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) Heavy rains and high seas have hampered the search for victims. Some bodies were found at sea and at least 159 people are missing. On Thursday, residents of badly affected Banten province on Java island were searching through the debris of destroyed or damaged homes for anything salvageable. "I've lost everything I have, my house and all belongings inside it," said farmer Muhamad Sarta. "I just hope for some help from the government," he said. "Hopefully there will be some repairs. I have nowhere to go. I have no money. Whatever I had was lost in the water." Radar data from satellites, converted into images, shows Anak Krakatau shrunk dramatically following Saturday's eruption. Satellite photos aren't available because of cloud cover but radar images from a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency satellite taken before and after the eruption show the volcano's southwestern flank has disappeared. JAXA's post-eruption image shows concentric waves radiating from the island, which experts say is caused by its ongoing eruptions. Dave Petley, head of research and innovation at Sheffield University who analyzed similar images from a European Space Agency satellite, said they support the theory that a landslide, most of it undersea, caused the tsunami. "The challenge now is to interpret what might be happening on the volcano, and what might happen next," he wrote in a blog. Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatau, is the offspring of the infamous Krakatau volcano that affected the global climate with a massive eruption in 1883. Anak Krakatau first rose above sea level in 1929, according to Indonesia's volcanology agency, and has been increasing its land mass since then. ___ Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. An official looks a seismograph at an observation post near a recent volcanic eruption in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) An official looks a seismograph at an observation post near a recent volcanic eruption in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) A woman holds her baby inside a destroyed house at a tsunami-area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) A girl sits with a baby inside her house at a tsunami-hit village of Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) Local residents clean the debris from his house at a tsunami-hit area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) A man cleans the debris from a house at a tsunami-hit area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) Indonesian police prepare to clean the debris at a tsunami-ravaged area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) People look at the debris at a tsunami-ravaged area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) A woman and her child walk past debris at a tsunami-ravaged area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) A man walks near the debris at a tsunami-ravaged area in Carita, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing hundreds of people in Sumatra and Java. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) VATICAN CITY (AP) - It has been a wretched year for Pope Francis, whose blind spot on clergy sex abuse conspired with events beyond his control to threaten his legacy and throw the Catholic hierarchy into a credibility crisis not seen in modern times. The latest development - a high-profile verdict in a far-away country - cements the impression that Francis simply didn't "get it" when he first became pope in 2013 and began leading the church. Early missteps included associating with compromised cardinals and bishops and downplaying or dismissing rumors of abuse and cover-up. Francis finally came around in 2018, when he publicly admitted he was wrong about a case in Chile, made amends, and laid the groundwork for the future by calling an abuse prevention summit next year. But damage to his moral authority on the issue has been done. Before his eyes were opened, Francis showed that he was a product of the very clerical culture he so often denounces, ever ready to take the word of the clerical class over victims. The year started off well enough: Francis dedicated his annual Jan. 1 peace message to the plight of migrants and refugees. Soon thereafter, he baptized 34 cooing babies in the Sistine Chapel and urged their mothers to nurse, a typical Franciscan show of informal practicality amid the splendor of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment." Then came Chile . FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2018, file photo, Pope Francis arrives in Piazza Armerina, Sicily. It has been a wretched year for Francis, whose blind spot on clergy sex abuse conspired with events beyond his control to threaten his legacy and throw the Catholic hierarchy into a credibility crisis not seen in modern times. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File) Francis' January visit was dominated by the clergy abuse scandal there, and featured unprecedented protests against a papal visit: churches were firebombed and riot police used water cannons to quell demonstrations. Chilean opposition to Francis had actually begun three years prior, when the Argentine-born pope appointed Juan Barros as bishop of the southern diocese of Osorno. Francis had dismissed allegations that Barros ignored and covered up abuse by Chile's most prominent predator priest, imposing him on a diocese that wanted nothing to do with him. "The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I'll speak," Francis said on his final day in Chile. "There is not one shed of proof against him. It's all slander. Is that clear?" Francis defended Barros because one of his friends and advisers, Chilean Cardinal Javier Errazuriz, defended Barros. Francis in 2013 had named Errazuriz to his inner circle, a formal parallel cabinet of nine cardinals who meet every three months at the Vatican. Chilean victims, though, had long charged that Errazuriz had been deaf to their claims while he was archbishop of Santiago, giving cover to abusers and their enablers. Francis disregarded the victims' concerns and appointed Errazuriz to the high-profile cabinet post. In the wake of his disastrous trip to Chile, Francis slowly came around to the victims' view, in part in response to reporting by The Associated Press. He ordered an in-depth investigation into the Chilean church, admitted to "grave errors in judgment" and personally apologized to the victims he had discredited. He accused the Chilean leadership of creating a "culture of cover-up" and secured the resignations of every active bishop there, Barros included. He vowed that the Catholic Church would "never again" hide abuse, and earlier this month the Vatican announced Francis had fired Errazuriz from the cabinet. Also removed was Cardinal George Pell, who left his post as the Vatican's economy minister in June 2017 to stand trial for historical sex abuse offenses in his native Australia. Like Errazuriz, Pell had been the target of abuse victims' ire for years, well before Francis brought him to the Vatican, given his prominent role in Australia and the church's horrific record with abuse there. Both men deny wrongdoing. But their continued presence on the Council of Nine, as the cabinet is called, became a source of scandal for the pope, who bid them farewell in October with a letter thanking them for their service. For Pell, the C9 removal suggests he won't resume work at the Vatican since his five-year term expires early next year. They are not the only cardinals on the hot seat: The current archbishop of Santiago is under investigation in a broad criminal inquiry into sex abuse cover-up. Prosecutors in a dozen U.S. states are investigating church files. A cover-up trial in France has two cardinals as defendants, including the Spaniard who heads the Vatican office that processes sex abuse cases. The Holy See invoked sovereign immunity to spare Spain's Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer. But it has no such power to protect Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, France, who is accused of failing to report a self-confessed abusive priest to authorities. Francis has said French justice should take its course but has praised Barbarin as "brave." Despite such problems, with the Chile scandal largely atoned for and decisions made to purge his inner circle of compromised members, Francis appeared by summer to be well on his way to steering himself out of the 2018 sex abuse crisis. Then Round 2 hit. In July, Francis removed U.S. Archbishop Theodore McCarrick as a cardinal after church investigators said an allegation that he groped a teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. Subsequently, several former seminarians and priests reported that they too had been abused or harassed by McCarrick as adults. A month later, a grand jury report in Pennsylvania revealed seven decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses, with allegations that more than 1,000 children had been molested by about 300 priests. Most of the priests were dead, and the crimes far pre-dated Francis' papacy. But the combined scandal created a crisis in confidence in the U.S. and Vatican hierarchy. It was apparently common knowledge in the U.S. and Vatican leadership that "Uncle Ted," as McCarrick was known, slept with seminarians, and yet he still he rose undisturbed up the church ranks. Having removed McCarrick and approved a canonical trial against him, Francis should have emerged as the hero in the saga since he righted the wrong of St. John Paul II, the pope from 1978-2005 who had promoted McCarrick to begin with and whose record on abuse issues is far worse than Francis' given his inaction. But Francis' get-tough victory lap was cut short when a former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. accused the pope himself of participating in the McCarrick cover-up. In an 11-page denunciation in August, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano claimed that Vatican officials from the top on down over the course of three pontificates had known about McCarrick's penchant for seminarians, and turned a blind eye. Vigano wrote that he had told Francis in 2013, at the start of his pontificate, that McCarrick had "corrupted a generation" of seminarians and priests and that Pope Benedict XVI had eventually sanctioned him for his sexual misconduct. Vigano claimed Francis disregarded his 2013 warning and rehabilitated McCarrick from those sanctions, making him a key adviser and entrusting him with delicate missions to China and elsewhere. Francis never responded to Vigano's laundry list of claims. Instead, Francis took to blaming the devil - "the Great Accuser" - for sowing division and discord in the church, an indirect jab at Vigano that only fueled conservative outrage at Francis and demands that he come clean about what he knew about McCarrick and when. The Vatican didn't help Francis' standing any when, without providing any plausible reason, it blocked U.S. bishops from adopting accountability measures to try to restore trust with their flocks. It now seems clear that Francis, at least at the start of his pontificate, was willing to overlook past sexual misbehavior or cover-up claims if those responsible had atoned. Francis launched his pontificate with his famous "Who am I to judge" comment, about a gay priest whom he had appointed to a top advisory position despite allegations he had had a string of lovers. That comment, which won him plaudits from liberal Catholics and landed him on the cover of Advocate magazine, may now be his undoing. If he had judged his advisers more scrupulously at the start of his pontificate on their abuse and cover-up records, he might have retained more credibility in 2018. FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2018, file photo, Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass on Lobito Beach in Iquique, Chile. Francis' January visit was dominated by fallout from the clergy abuse scandal there, and featured unprecedented protests against a papal visit: churches were firebombed and riot police used water cannons to quell demonstrations. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2018, file photo, a man is arrested during a protest against Pope Francis in Santiago, Chile. Francis' January visit was dominated by the clergy abuse scandal there, and featured unprecedented protests against a papal visit: churches were firebombed and riot police used water cannons to quell demonstrations. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File) FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, Bishop emeritus Juan Barros speaks to the press after leaving the police sex crimes division building in Santiago, Chile. Chilean opposition to Francis had began when the Argentine pope appointed Barros as bishop of the southern diocese of Osorno. Francis had dismissed allegations that Barros ignored and covered up abuse by Chile's most prominent predator priest, imposing him on a diocese that wanted nothing to do with him. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File) FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick speaks during a memorial service in South Bend, Ind. In July, Francis removed U.S. Archbishop McCarrick as a cardinal after church investigators said an allegation that he groped a teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP, Pool, File) QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) - A separatist leader blamed for masterminding last month's attack on a Chinese Consulate in Pakistan has been killed in a bombing in Afghanistan, Pakistani officials and the separatist group said Thursday. Aslam Baloch, one of the leaders of the Baluch Liberation Army, and five of his associates were "martyred" in a blast, according to Jeeyand Baloch, a spokesman for the group. He did not provide further details. Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Baloch was killed Tuesday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. Mohammad Yousof Younosi, a provincial council member from Kandahar, said six people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a house Tuesday in a wealthy subdivision of the city. He said the blast, which was a block away, blew out the windows of his home and several others in the neighborhood. He said he knew one of the people killed, who hailed from Pakistan's Baluchistan province, and had alerted authorities to their presence several weeks ago. "Their language and clothing was different from ours. I knew they were not from Afghanistan and I worried about who they were," said Younosi. Police arranged for them to relocate, but Younosi said they moved only one block away. No one immediately claimed the attack. Several militant and separatist groups operate in Baluchistan. FILE - In this Nov. 23, 2018 file photo, Pakistani security personnel move in the compound of Chinese Consulate following a deadly attack, in Karachi, Pakistan. Aslam Baloch, one of the leaders of the Baluch Liberation Army, blamed for masterminding the attack on the consulate has been killed in a bombing in Afghanistan, Pakistani officials and the separatist group said Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil, File) Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of sheltering Baluch separatists, including those behind a deadly attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi last month. Afghanistan in turn accuses Pakistan of sheltering the Taliban and other Islamic extremists. Three gunmen attacked the consulate in Karachi, triggering a shootout that left the assailants, two police officers and two civilians dead. ___ Shah reported from Kabul, Afghanistan JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland (AP) - President Donald Trump once opined that it wasn't "overly necessary" for him to visit troops in danger zones abroad. But with the lights of Air Force One out and window shutters drawn, the president did just that, slipping into Iraq at night to greet U.S. service members and show that his norm-busting presidency would hew at least to this tradition. Trump arrived back in Washington before dawn Thursday, capping a 29-hour and six-minute trip to the conflict region conducted under the cover of night. Addressing troops at an air base in western Iraq late Wednesday, Trump defended his decision to pull forces from neighboring Syria, declaring of Islamic State militants: "We've knocked them out. We've knocked them silly." His appraisal is at odds with that of military officials, aides and allies who consider IS a diminished but deadly force. His defense secretary and envoy to the anti-IS coalition quit after Trump blindsided much of the national security establishment with his call. Trump had faced criticism for not yet visiting U.S. troops stationed in harm's way as he comes up on his two-year mark in office. George W. Bush made four trips to Iraq and two to Afghanistan as president; President Barack Obama made four to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. Such trips are typically unannounced and the subject of extreme security. Trump's was no exception as he flew overnight from Washington, spent three-plus hours on the ground and stopped on the way back at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany for refueling and to greet service members in a hangar. President Donald Trump speaks at a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove US troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Trump told his audience in Iraq that the decision to withdraw the roughly 2,000 troops from Syria illustrated his quest to put "America first." "We're no longer the suckers, folks," Trump said at al-Asad Air Base, about 100 miles or 60 kilometers west of Baghdad. "We're respected again as a nation." He did not meet Iraqi officials while there but spoke on the phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. The visit appeared to inflame sensitivities about the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq as the two major blocs in the Iraqi parliament condemned the trip, likening it to a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. The air base where Trump spoke is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) from Hajin, a Syrian town near the Iraqi border where Kurdish fighters are still battling IS extremists. Trump has said IS militants have been eradicated, but they still hold a patch of territory in that region of Syria, although fighters also have fled the area and are in hiding in other pockets of the country. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was supposed to continue leading the Pentagon until late February, but Trump moved up his exit and announced that Patrick Shanahan, deputy defense secretary, would take the job on Jan. 1. Trump said he was in "no rush" to nominate a new defense chief. "Everybody and his uncle wants that position," Trump told reporters traveling with him. "And also, by the way, everybody and her aunt, just so I won't be criticized." Critics said the U.S. exit from Syria, the latest in Trump's increasingly isolationist-style foreign policy, would provide an opening for IS to regroup, give Iran a green light to expand its influence in the region and leave U.S.-backed Kurdish forces vulnerable to attacks from Turkey. "I made it clear from the beginning that our mission in Syria was to strip ISIS of its military strongholds," said Trump, who wore an olive green bomber-style jacket as chants of "USA! USA!" greeted him and speakers blared Lee Greenwood's song "God Bless the USA." "We'll be watching ISIS very closely," said Trump, who was joined by first lady Melania Trump, but no members of his Cabinet or lawmakers. "We'll be watching them very, very closely, the remnants of ISIS." Trump also said he had no plans to withdraw the 5,200 U.S. forces in Iraq. That's down from about 170,000 in 2007 at the height of the surge of U.S. forces to combat sectarian violence unleashed by the U.S.-led invasion to topple dictator Saddam Hussein. Abdul-Mahdi's office said "differences in points of view over the arrangements" prevented the two from meeting but they discussed security issues and Trump's order to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria over the phone. Abdul-Mahdi's office also did not say whether he had accepted an invitation to the White House. But Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on the flight back that the Iraqi leader had agreed to come. Trump said that after U.S. troops in Syria return home, Iraq could still be used to stage attacks on IS militants. "We can use this as a base if we wanted to do something in Syria," he said. "If we see something happening with ISIS that we don't like, we can hit them so fast and so hard" that they "really won't know what the hell happened." He promised a "strong, deliberate and orderly withdrawal" of forces from Syria. Trump had told The Associated Press in October that he would visit U.S. troops in troubled areas "at some point, but I don't think it's overly necessary." He told reporters that he had planned to make the trip three or four weeks ago, but word started getting out and forced him to postpone it. Iraqi leaders declared an end to combat operations against IS a year ago, but the country's political, military and economic situation remains uncertain. It continues to experience sporadic bombings, kidnappings and assassinations, which most people attribute to IS. On Dec. 15, the U.S.-led coalition launched an airstrike in support of Iraqi troops who were chasing IS fighters toward a tunnel west of Mosul. The strike destroyed the tunnel entrance and killed four IS fighters, according to the U.S. military in Baghdad. The last U.S. service member to die in Iraq was in August, as the result of a helicopter crash in Sinjar. Trump had planned to spend Christmas at his private club in Florida, but stayed behind in Washington due to the partial government shutdown. Trump campaigned for office on a platform of ending U.S. involvement in foreign trouble spots, such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon is also said to be developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops still serving in Afghanistan. ___ Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Philip Issa in Baghdad contributed to this report. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap President Donald Trump speaks at a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump during a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove U.S. troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of the military cheer as President Donald Trump speaks at a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove US troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Go west, 2020 presidential candidates? Early voting in California's primary will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. That could force the sprawling field of Democrats to navigate those states as well as California's notoriously complex landscape, where campaigning is done through paid political ads. Strategists estimate it could cost at least $5 million for a candidate to compete in California, an amount that could be prohibitive for all but the best-funded contenders. Nascent campaigns are asking themselves if they should gamble on California. "Everyone's going to play in Iowa, everyone's going to go to New Hampshire," said Ben Tulchin, a San Francisco-based pollster who worked for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential bid. "But there are only 3-4 of the top-tier candidates who will compete in California." The nation's biggest and second-most-diverse state has long complained about being effectively shut out of the presidential nominating process because its primary usually comes months after the initial four contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill moving the state's primary up to the earliest date permissible. California is slated to vote on March 3, the first day allowed for a state that's not in the traditional early state lineup. And because of California's early-voting system, voters will get primary ballots starting 30 days before the primary, which coincides with the Iowa caucuses. FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Katie Hill, bottom right, votes in Agua Dulce, Calif. California is trying to matter in the 2020 presidential election. The nation's biggest state has moved up its primary in the hopes of getting some love from candidates along with the traditional quartet of early states, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) Alex Padilla, California's secretary of state and a Democrat, said there are already "a heck of a lot more calls for people who know California to join certain teams." Especially for Democrats, California is a fixture on presidential aspirants' itineraries because of the trove of high-end donors there. But Padilla and other California politicos hope candidates now feel they must reach out to the state's voters, too. "The voters of California deserve a larger role in selecting the nominees of both parties," Padilla said. California won't be the only state voting on March 3. It will join at least eight others - including another behemoth, Texas - on what's known as Super Tuesday. It's possible that more states will move their primary dates up to increase their clout, especially since California has jumped to the front of the pack. The enormous amount of votes up for grabs that day, coupled with the astronomical price tag of competing in California, may end up increasing the importance of the early states - especially overwhelmingly white and rural Iowa and New Hampshire, which are least like California. That's because winners in those states are likely to receive heavy attention and, with that, donations that could fund a California operation. Once Super Tuesday is over, a huge percentage of Democrats will have voted, making it hard for candidates who aren't in first to catch up. "You win early or you go home," said Josh Putnam, a professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington who tracks presidential primaries. The massive number of delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday "doesn't mean it'll settle things, but it'll get us a measure of the way there," he said. Bob Shrum, a veteran of several Democratic presidential campaigns who is now director of the Center for the Political Future and the Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California, said Iowa and New Hampshire will still be critical. "They winnow the field," he said. Paradoxically, Shrum added, California could also be a bulwark for President Donald Trump, who's made it a perennial political target and symbol of what's wrong with liberal America. The president remains popular enough among the GOP that it's unlikely he'll have a serious primary challenge. But if he did and lost an early state, the state's beleaguered Republican voters would help him. "As it has shrunk," Shrum said of the California GOP, which is now outnumbered by both Democratic and independent voters in the state, "it has gotten more and more Trump-esque." Several potential Democratic presidential candidates hail from California - most prominently Sen. Kamala Harris, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and billionaire Tom Steyer - and that state's earlier primary date could help them. But there's no guarantee that loyalty to a local will overcome a candidate who catches fire with the party's base after Iowa and New Hampshire. Just ask Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was trounced by Trump in his state's Republican presidential primary in 2016. "If Beto O'Rourke held a rally at Los Angeles or San Francisco City Hall, he'd get a larger crowd" than Garcetti or Harris, said Mike Trujillo, a veteran Democratic operative in Southern California. Trujillo added there's no guarantee that O'Rourke, the Texas congressman who narrowly lost his challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz, can maintain that level of grassroots enthusiasm in 2020. But he said candidates who have that support will gain the edge in California, regardless of whether it's their home state. Trujillo ran Hillary Clinton's California field operation in 2008, the last time the state's primary leapfrogged to Super Tuesday. It was no panacea for California's status in presidential politics - Trujillo recalls repeatedly being pulled from California and sent to early-state Nevada to help out. "I don't see that dynamic changing for any presidential campaign," he said. Still, Trujillo said candidates will still have to learn California's ins and outs quickly because, as in 2008, it will become a critical part of the long march to the nomination. Trujillo says the state's numerous Latinos are particularly up for grabs in the primary. The California presidential primary is like 53 individual elections because it allocates delegates based not on statewide vote totals but the results in each of its congressional districts. Those stretch the equivalent of the distance from Maine to North Carolina, through teeming cities, empty rural areas and affluent suburbs. But in the end, California voters are not that different from other ones, said Andrea Steele, a veteran California-based Democratic operative who runs Emerge, a group that helps female candidates run for office. She expects traditional issues like the economy and health care to dominate, along with growing Democratic concerns like climate change. "I don't think Californians are so different from people in Iowa and New Hampshire," Steele said. FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2018, file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., center, is followed by reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. California is trying to matter in the 2020 presidential election. The nation's biggest state has moved up its primary in the hopes of getting some love from candidates along with the traditional quartet of early states, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) NEW DELHI (AP) - Indian authorities have ordered firefighters in the capital to sprinkle water from high-rise buildings to settle dust and stop garbage fires and have banned construction activity as hazardous air quality affects millions of people. New Delhi recorded one of the highest pollution levels of the year on Sunday with the air quality index, measuring sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, touching 450. The air started improving Wednesday with an increase in wind speed. However, the level of PM 2.5, tiny particulate matter that can dangerously clog lungs, exceeded 320 on Thursday, more than 13 times beyond what the World Health Organization considers safe, according to the U.S. Embassy reading. A government advisory asked people to avoid jogging outdoor and use masks. The government has banned diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old. It also ordered builders to cover construction sites to stop dust enveloping the area. "There are so many cars ... there is so much dust. It all goes inside (our body). If we don't wear a mask then we face a lot of (health) problems," said Om Prakash, a traffic police constable wearing a protective mask on a New Delhi road. India's air pollution comes mostly from diesel fuel-burning vehicles, coal-fired power plants and crop burning. It worsens in the dry winters, as winds die down and pollution pools over the Delhi plains. In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, photo, people take early morning walk amidst smog in New Delhi, India. Authorities have ordered fire services to sprinkle water from high rise building to settle dust particles and stop burning of garbage and building activity in the Indian capital as the air quality hovered between severe and very poor this week posing a serious health hazard for millions of people. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Vehicular smog mixes with smoke from festival-season fireworks as well as countless illegal pyres of garbage burned by homeless migrants to stay warm as temperatures near freezing. And the construction sends up clouds of dust. Vivek Chattopadhyaya, a senior program manager with New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said that air quality most of the days in and around the Indian capital during the winter season was "very poor, poor and severe." "Delhi's air quality, when we say improvement, what we notice is that it falls from severe to very poor days. None of the days are good, satisfactory or even moderately polluted," he said. "We need to meet the quality standards, which are the safest standards for the people to breathe air. So that should be our target." The Indian capital saw some success following a 1998-2003 program that removed power plants from the city center and adopted compressed natural gas, CNG, for running buses and rickshaws. The buses had run on diesel and the rickshaws on gasoline and highly polluting kerosene. Of all possible fuels, CNG releases the smallest amounts of particulate matter. But years later the pollution levels are back up. In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, photo, a motorcyclist rides wearing pollution masks in New Delhi, India. Authorities have ordered fire services to sprinkle water from high rise building to settle dust particles and stop burning of garbage and building activity in the Indian capital as the air quality hovered between severe and very poor this week posing a serious health hazard for millions of people. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, photo, a boy selling tea awaits customers early morning amidst smog in New Delhi, India. Authorities have ordered fire services to sprinkle water from high rise building to settle dust particles and stop burning of garbage and building activity in the Indian capital as the air quality hovered between severe and very poor this week posing a serious health hazard for millions of people. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) SONGKHLA, Thailand (AP) - Two small bombs exploded at a popular beach in southern Thailand, one of them damaging an iconic statue beloved by tourists, police said. Police in Songkhla province said they're looking into whether the bombs late Wednesday were related to a Muslim separatist insurgency that has wracked nearby provinces since 2004, taking almost 7,000 lives. One of the explosions damaged the Golden Mermaid statue, which is an unofficial symbol of the province, said police Lt. Gen. Ronnasilp Phusara. The other took place about 300 meters (yards) away, near the beach's Cat and Mouse sculpture. Police said a bomb disposal squad discovered and destroyed three other explosive devices found near a trash area and under rocks near the Golden Mermaid statue. The insurgency has mostly affected the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, which have Muslim majorities in predominantly Buddhist Thailand. Songkhla, with a substantial Muslim population, has generally been spared the violence, though its biggest city, Hat Yai, has suffered several bombings. Although terrorism is not considered a major problem in Thailand, tourist spots have been sporadically targeted since 2006, when a series of bombs were set off in Bangkok at New Year's Eve gatherings, killing three people and wounding more than three dozen. In 2016, bomb explosions in five beach towns popular with tourists killed four people and wounded dozens. In both cases, southern separatists were suspected but responsibility was never definitively established. Thailand's most spectacular attack in recent years occurred at the Erawan Shrine in the center of Bangkok's tourist district in August 2015. Twenty people, mostly foreign tourists, were killed and more than 100 hurt. Thai authorities blamed human traffickers angry at a crackdown, but another theory holds that it was carried out by militants from China's Muslim Uighur minority in retaliation for Thailand sending back to China a group of Uighurs who had fled repression there. Two Uighur men are currently on trial for the bombing. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Ronil Singh came to the U.S. from his native Fiji to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an officer, joining a small-town police force in California and working to improve his English. The day after Christmas, he stopped another immigrant, this one in the country illegally, who shot and killed the corporal, authorities said Thursday. Authorities said they identified but won't yet name the man who killed Singh of the 12-person Newman Police Department on Wednesday and has not been captured. They believe the attacker is still in the area some 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and is armed and dangerous. "This suspect is in our country illegally. He doesn't belong here. He is a criminal," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose agency is leading the investigation, told reporters. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson fought back tears as he described Singh, a 33-year-old with a newborn son, as an "American patriot." "He came to America with one purpose, and that was to serve this country," Richardson said. Singh drove more than two hours each way to attend the police academy in Yuba City, Richardson said. He joined the Merced County sheriff's office as a reserve officer and worked as an animal control officer in Turlock before being hired by the Newman force in 2011. This undated photo provided by the Newman Police Department shows officer Ronil Singh of Newman Police Department who was killed by an unidentified suspect. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Singh was conducting a traffic stop early Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in the town of Newman, Calif. when he called out "shots fired" over his radio. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) English was Singh's third language and he had a thick accent but took speech classes to improve his communication, the police chief said. His death comes amid a political fight over immigration, with President Donald Trump and Congress at an impasse over funding for a border wall that has forced a partial government shutdown. Trump tweeted about Singh's killing Thursday, saying it's "time to get tough on Border Security." He ended the post with: "Build the Wall!" Authorities were looking for a man seen in surveillance photos at a convenience store shortly before Singh was killed. Officials pleaded for help from the public and said they were following up on several leads. "The sheriff's office will spare no expense in hunting down this criminal," Christianson said. Singh pulled over the attacker as part of a drunken driving investigation and fired back to try to defend himself, Christianson said. He was shot a few minutes after radioing that he was pulling over a gray pickup truck that had no license plate in Newman, a town of about 10,000 people, officials said. Singh died at a hospital. A ground and air search began for the heavyset man pictured at the store with short, dark hair and wearing a silver chain, jeans, dark T-shirt and a dark jacket with white Ecko brand patches on the shoulders. A truck believed to have been the one stopped by Singh was later found in a garage in a mobile home park about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the shooting, where law enforcement officers were serving a search warrant, The Modesto Bee reported. Investigators were examining the vehicle, police said. Richardson said his department of 12 is grieving Singh, and other agencies are lending a hand. "He was living the American dream," said Stanislaus County sheriff's Deputy Royjinder Singh, who is not related to the slain officer but knew him. "He loved camping, loved hunting, loved fishing, loved his family." Ronil Singh was never in a bad mood and always had a smile on his face, Richardson said. On his Facebook page, Singh posted pictures on Christmas Eve from a deep-sea fishing trip that produced a big haul of crabs and fish. His profile picture shows him smiling as he stands at a patrol car with his police dog - the same photograph of the officer released by the Sheriff's Department. Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika, and their 5-month-old son. "Please help us find this coward," Richardson said of Singh's killer. "We need closure, his family needs closure." This Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 image from a surveillance camera video and provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows a suspect police are searching for in connection to the fatal shooting of an officer during a traffic stop in Northern California. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) This Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 image from a surveillance camera video and provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows a suspect police are searching for in connection to the fatal shooting of an officer during a traffic stop in Northern California. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The last year was a 12-month champagne toast for the legal marijuana industry as the global market exploded and cannabis pushed its way further into the financial and cultural mainstream. Liberal California became the largest legal U.S. marketplace, conservative Utah and Oklahoma embraced medical marijuana, and the U.S. East Coast got its first commercial pot shops. Canada ushered in broad legalization, and Mexico's Supreme Court set the stage for that country to follow. U.S. drug regulators approved the first marijuana-based pharmaceutical to treat kids with a form of epilepsy, and billions of investment dollars poured into cannabis companies. Even main street brands like Coca-Cola said they are considering joining the party. "I have been working on this for decades, and this was the year that the movement crested ," said U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat working to overturn the federal ban on pot. "It's clear that this is all coming to a head." With buzz building across the globe, the momentum will continue into 2019. Luxembourg is poised to become the first European country to legalize recreational marijuana, and South Africa is moving in that direction. Israel's Parliament approved a law allowing exports of medical marijuana. Thailand legalized medicinal use of marijuana, and other Southeastern Asian countries may follow South Korea's lead in legalizing cannabidiol, or CBD. It's a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana and hemp plants and used for treatment of certain medical problems. FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2018, file photo a depiction of a cannabis bud drops from the ceiling at Leafly's countdown party in Toronto as midnight passes and marks the first day of the legalization of cannabis across Canada. The last year was a 12-month champagne toast for the legal marijuana industry as the global market exploded and cannabis pushed its way further into the financial and cultural mainstream. Canada ushered in broad legalization, U.S. drug regulators approved the first cannabis-based drug and investors pumped in billions of dollars. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File) "It's not just the U.S. now. It's spreading," said Ben Curren, CEO of Green Bits, a San Jose, California, company that develops software for marijuana retailers and businesses. Curren's firm is one of many that blossomed as the industry grew. He started the company in 2014 with two friends. Now, he has 85 employees, and the company's software processes $2.5 billion in sales transactions a year for more than 1,000 U.S. retail stores and dispensaries. Green Bits raised $17 million in April, pulling in money from investment firms including Snoop Dogg's Casa Verde Capital. Curren hopes to expand internationally by 2020. "A lot of the problem is keeping up with growth," he said. Legal marijuana was a $10.4 billion industry in the U.S. in 2018 with a quarter-million jobs devoted just to the handling of marijuana plants, said Beau Whitney, vice president and senior economist at New Frontier Data, a leading cannabis market research and data analysis firm. There are many other jobs that don't involve direct work with the plants, but they are harder to quantify, Whitney said. Investors poured $10 billion into cannabis in North America in 2018, twice what was invested in the last three years combined, he said, and the combined North American market is expected to reach more than $16 billion in 2019. "Investors are getting much savvier when it comes to this space because even just a couple of years ago, you'd throw money at it and hope that something would stick," he said. "But now investors are much more discerning." Increasingly, U.S. lawmakers see that success and want it for their states. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. states now have legalized some form of medical marijuana. Voters in November made Michigan the 10th state - and first in the Midwest - to legalize recreational marijuana. Governors in New York and New Jersey are pushing for a similar law in their states next year, and momentum for broad legalization is building in Pennsylvania and Illinois. "Let's legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana once and for all," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last week. The East Coast's first recreational pot shops opened in November in Massachusetts. State lawmakers in Nebraska just formed a campaign committee to put a medical cannabis initiative to voters in 2020. Nebraska shares a border with Colorado, one of the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana, and Iowa, which recently started a limited medical marijuana program. "Attitudes have been rapidly evolving and changing. I know that my attitude toward it has also changed," said Nebraska state Sen. Adam Morfeld, a Democrat. "Seeing the medical benefits and seeing other states implement it ... has convinced me that it's not the dangerous drug it's made out to be." With all its success, the U.S. marijuana industry continues to be undercut by a robust black market and federal law that treats marijuana as a controlled substance like heroin. Financial institutions are skittish about cannabis businesses, even in U.S. states where they are legal, and investors until recently have been reluctant to put their money behind pot. Marijuana businesses can't deduct their business expenses on their federal taxes and face huge challenges getting insurance and finding real estate for their brick-and-mortar operations. "Until you have complete federal legalization, you're going to be living with that structure," said Marc Press, a New Jersey attorney who advises cannabis businesses. At the start of the year, the industry was chilled when then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a policy shielding state-licensed medical marijuana operators from federal drug prosecutions. Ultimately the move had minimal impact because federal prosecutors showed little interest in going after legal operators. Sessions, a staunch marijuana opponent, later lost his job while President Donald Trump said he was inclined to support an effort by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, to relax the federal prohibition. In November, Democrats won control of the U.S. House and want to use it next year to pass legislation that eases federal restrictions on the legal marijuana industry without removing it from the controlled substances list. Gardner and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren have proposed legislation allowing state-approved commercial cannabis activity under federal law. The bill also would let states and Indian tribes determine how best to regulate marijuana commerce within their boundaries without fear of federal intervention. If those provisions become law, they could open up banking for the marijuana industry nationwide and make it easier for cannabis companies to secure capital. Blumenauer's "blueprint" to legalize marijuana also calls for the federal government to provide medical marijuana for veterans, more equitable taxation for marijuana businesses and rolling back federal prohibitions on marijuana research, among other things. "We have elected the most pro-cannabis Congress in history and more important, some of the people who were roadblocks to our work ... are gone," Blumenauer said. "If we're able to jump-start it in the House, I think there will be support in the Senate, particularly if we deal with things that are important, like veterans' access and banking." ___ Gillian Flaccus is a member of AP's marijuana beat team. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus . Find complete AP marijuana coverage here: https://apnews.com/LegalMarijuana . FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2018, file photo, people line-up to purchase legal cannabis in Calgary, Alberta. California became America's largest legal marketplace, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File) FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2018, file photo, Shiva takes a puff of a cannabis cigarette at the Women & Weed industry event in Los Angeles. California became America's largest legal marketplace, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, marijuana plants grow in a tomato greenhouse being renovated to grow pot in Delta, British Columbia. The legal marijuana industry exploded in 2018, pushing its way further into the cultural and financial mainstream in the U.S. and beyond. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, file photo, people walk by the Cannabition cannabis museum in Las Vegas. The legal marijuana industry exploded in 2018, pushing its way further into the cultural and financial mainstream in the U.S. and beyond. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2018, file photo, customers line up to buy cannabis at The Apothecarium during the store's first day of recreational marijuana sales in San Francisco. California became America's largest legal marketplace, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. (AP Photo/Noah Berger,File) FILE - In this July 10, 2018, file photo medical marijuana supporters hold signs outside of an Oklahoma Board of Health meeting in an overflow room in Oklahoma City. Liberal California became the largest legal U.S. marketplace, while conservative Utah and Oklahoma embraced medical marijuana. Canada ushered in broad legalization and Mexico's Supreme Court set the stage for that country to follow. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2018, file photo, people hold up a Canadian flag with a marijuana logo on it outside a government cannabis store in Montreal. California became America's largest legal marketplace in 2018, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP, File) FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2018, file photo Steve Fagan, grower and collective owner of SLOgrown Genetics, attends to his organically cultivated cannabis at his farm in the coastal mountain range of San Luis Obispo, Calif. California became America's largest legal marketplace in 2018, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2018, file photo marijuana clone plants are displayed for sale by Interstate 5 Farms at the cannabis-themed Kushstock Festival at Adelanto, Calif. California became America's largest legal marketplace, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana in 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) FILE - In this April 20, 2018, file photo, a young man smokes marijuana to celebrate the International Day for Cannabis in Mexico City. California became America's largest legal marketplace in 2018, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. And Mexico's Supreme Court set the stage for that country to follow, while governors in New York and New Jersey say they want broad legalization in their states next year. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File) FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2018, file photo, bud tender Kansas, right, offers up a puff of cannabis concentrates at the Turtle Puddles' booth at the cannabis-themed Kushstock Festival at Adelanto, Calif. California became America's largest legal marketplace in 2018, while Canada became the second and largest country with nationwide legal recreational marijuana. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) FILE - In this July 12, 2018, file photo head grower Mark Vlahos, of Milford, Mass., tends to cannabis plants, at Sira Naturals medical marijuana cultivation facility, in Milford, Mass. The legal marijuana industry exploded in 2018, pushing its way further into the cultural and financial mainstream in the U.S. and beyond. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A crudely-made bomb exploded outside one of Athens' most important churches early Thursday, injuring its caretaker and a police officer - troubling authorities as the attack took place without warning in one of the capital's busiest areas. Police officials said the timed device exploded outside the Orthodox church of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite in the upscale Kolonaki area of the capital before a Christmas holiday service to mark St. Stephen's day. The two victims were hospitalized. Neither of the men has injuries that are life-threatening, according to police and church officials. The blast caused minimal damage. Father Symeon Voliotis, an aide at the archbishop's office, said the caretaker found the explosive device at the front entrance of the church, moved it to a nearby parking space, and alerted police. "Any action that threatens life or disturbs the peace must be condemned," he told state-run ERT television. "My first thought was that someone homeless may have been hurt, because they often seek shelter there. But fortunately that was not the case." Authorities were already on alert following a Dec. 17 attack on the private Skai television station when a powerful bomb damaged the front of the building. Greek forensic experts search at the scene after an explosion outside the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upscale Kolonaki area of Athens, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. A Greek police officer and a church caretaker were injured in an explosion as they investigated a suspicious package outside a church in central Athens early Thursday. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Militant far-left and anarchist groups have carried out attacks over the Christmas holidays in recent years. Counterterrorism officers were leading the investigation into the explosion, and officers cordoned off the busy central Athens area while colleagues gathered evidence. The church is dedicated to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, the 1st century Athens judge who converted to Christianity and became the city's patron saint. "What made an impression on us was that the (bomb) was just left there, without warning," said Father Giorgios, who holds services at the church. "The service was due to start as 7:30 but quite often, people go earlier to light a candle." "This church has three priests and we are all wondering why someone would attack the patron saint of Athens ... We don't really understand why someone would attack us, to attack love." ___ Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki contributed to this report. ___ Follow Derek Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos and Elena Becatoros at http://www.twitter.com/ElenaBec Greek forensic experts search at the scene after an explosion outside the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upscale Kolonaki area of Athens, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Police in Greece say an officer has been injured in a small explosion outside a church in central Athens while responding to a call to investigate a suspicious package.(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A Greek Orthodox priest arrives after an explosion at the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upscale Kolonaki area of Athens, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Police in Greece say an officer has been injured in a small explosion outside a church in central Athens while responding to a call to investigate a suspicious package. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Greek forensic experts search at the scene after an explosion outside the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upscale Kolonaki area of Athens, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Police in Greece say an officer has been injured in a small explosion outside a church in central Athens while responding to a call to investigate a suspicious package. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) CAIRO (AP) - Sudan's Omar Bashir fended off a march by opponents on his presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, unleashing his security forces in hopes of putting an end to an Arab Spring-style uprising. But nearly a week of protests has pointed to the weaknesses threatening his 29-year hold on power. Despite the heavy hand of police, who have reportedly killed at least 37 protesters, Bashir's response has been feeble. He left the capital ahead of Tuesday's march on his palace, and he has been fumbling and vague in addressing the economic crisis that prompted the outburst of anger. Perhaps most alarming for Bashir, an Islamist who came to power in a 1989 military coup, the powerful military and security agencies have only voiced half-hearted support for him amid the turmoil. On the streets, the lengthy battles with police on Tuesday in Khartoum may have only emboldened Sudanese to take on the security forces again. "Today, we the Sudanese people ... have crossed the point of no return on the path of change," a coalition of professional unions that organized Tuesday's march said in a statement afterward. "We will pursue all options of peaceful, popular actions ... until we bring down the regime that continues to shed blood. Today, more than any time before, we are confident in our collective ability to realize that." Bashir, who is in his mid-70s, put down two previous bouts of protests and may do so yet again. But the rule of one of the longest serving leaders in the Middle East is clearly fraying. FILE - In this July 9, 2018 file photo, Sudan's President Omar Bashir attends a ceremony for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey. Bashir is one of the Middle East's longest ruling leaders and has crushed two previous bouts of protests in recent years. He may do so yet again, but the eruption in December 2018 of protests in his country point to fraying in support by those who have helped keep his grip on power. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File) BASHIR'S LEADERSHIP The Sudanese leader has held onto power despite a series of major setbacks over the past decade. The first was in 2010 when he was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing crimes against humanity and genocide in the Darfur region. He managed to build outside ties that prevented his complete isolation but has been weighed down by the stigma. More damaging was the 2011 secession from Sudan by the mainly animist and Christian south. The split, approved in a referendum by southerners, came under a peace deal signed by Bashir that ended a draining, decades-long civil war. But as it became independent, the south took with it three quarters of Sudan's oil wealth. The north's economy has struggled ever since. In recent months, Bashir devalued the currency, causing a spike in prices and worsening the hardships faced by most Sudanese. The public already is wrestling with fuel shortages, and a decree to raise the price of bread proved to be spark that set off the latest protests. Bashir has done little to help himself. He headed to a region south of the capital ahead of Tuesday's march on his palace. It was a previously scheduled trip but was widely interpreted as fright. There, he tried to put on a show of strength, but his speech at an outdoor rally attended by several hundred people was lackluster, relying on quotes from the Quran vowing that God will provide for people. He promised economic reforms but gave no details. He blamed the crisis on unnamed enemies of Sudan and called the protesters traitors, mercenaries, agents and heretics. Afterward, he stayed on the makeshift stage and performed his trademark dance to local music while waving his cane. ___ DOMESTIC SUPPORT Bashir still dominates Sudan's political class. Loyal lawmakers are rallying support for constitutional amendments that would allow him to run in the 2020 elections. But his real power base is the military, which has dominated Sudan since independence in 1956. Its support for him in the unrest has been less than resounding. In a statement Sunday, several days into the protests, the military said it stood behind the country's leadership but didn't mention Bashir by name. Instead, it talked of preserving the nation's security and "achievements." Later in the week, the leader of a powerful paramilitary force who reports directly to Bashir delivered thinly-veiled criticism of his rule. Lt. Gen. Mohammed Hamad Daqlou of the Rapid Support Force called on the government to "secure services, fulfill its duties and create the means for a dignified life" for Sudan's people. He said a "realistic and radical solution" must be found for Sudan's economic crisis, and he called for "corrupt individuals who sabotage the economy" to be brought to account. ___ REGIONAL ALLIES Another possible judgment on Bashir was the silence of his Arab allies. Only the Gulf nations of Bahrain and Qatar publicly stated their support for Bashir. No word came from his most important backers, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The two countries have long given financial support to Khartoum, and Bashir sought to strengthen ties even further by sending Sudanese troops to Yemen to fight alongside them against Iran-aligned rebels there. Their silence suggests what an unreliable ally they consider Bashir to be. The Sudanese president has at various points forged close ties with the Saudis' and Emiratis' top regional rivals - Iran, Turkey and Qatar - apparently trying to play the sides against each other to extract more from them. Sudan's neighbor to the north, Egypt, has also refrained from voicing support for Bashir. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has courted Bashir for years, hoping to secure his goodwill in Egypt's dispute with Ethiopia over that country's construction of a massive dam that Egypt fears will reduce its share of the Nile River. But the mercurial Bashir has moved closer to Ethiopia and stoked a long-running border dispute with Egypt. Western countries have largely shunned Bashir since the ICC charges but they remain key donors of aid to Sudan. The United States, Canada, Norway and Britain have demanded Khartoum investigate "credible reports" that Sudanese security forces used live ammunition against protesters. In a joint statement, they referred to the constitutional right of the Sudanese to peaceful protests and labelled their demands as "legitimate." FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2018 file photo, Sudan's President Omar Bashir, center, greets dignitaries as he arrives at the airport in Juba, South Sudan. On Tuesday, Dec. 25, Bashir fended off a march by opponents on his presidential palace in the capital Khartoum, unleashing brutal force by his security forces in hopes of putting an end to an Arab Spring-style uprising. But nearly a week of protests has pointed to the weaknesses threatening his 29-year hold on power. (AP Photo/Bullen Chol, File) BEIJING (AP) - China's former deputy intelligence chief was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for corruption. Ma Jian has been found guilty of crimes including accepting bribes and insider trading, said a court in the northeastern port city of Dalian. Ma, who previously was the vice minister of the state security bureau, was also ordered to pay more than 50 million yuan ($7.26 million) in penalties. The court said in a statement online that Ma used his political power to aid the business operations of Guo Wengui, a real estate billionaire wanted by Chinese authorities. The New York-based Guo has published a slew of online videos in which he makes sensational allegations of corruption in the upper echelons of China's ruling Communist Party. Guo gained control of a national securities company after Ma sent letters addressed from the state security bureau to threaten and pressure individuals to hand over their shares to Guo. Separately, Ma also obtained insider information about the same company whose shares his relatives later purchased, resulting in profits of more than 49 million yuan ($7.2 million). Ma is the latest top official to be ensnared in Chinese President Xi Jinping's banner anti-corruption campaign, which he launched shortly after taking power in 2012. Xi pledged to take down both high-level "tigers" and low-level "flies" in a drive to purge the ruling Communist Party of rampant corruption. The initiative has won Xi broad popularity among the general public, but his critics - Guo included - have called the crackdown a convenient way to eliminate political enemies. In this image made from Dec. 27, 2018, CCTV video, China's former deputy intelligence chief Ma Jian appears in a courtroom in the northeastern port city of Dalian, China. The court said Ma Jian has been found guilty of crimes including accepting bribes and insider trading. Ma, who previously was the vice minister of the state security bureau, was also ordered to pay more than 50 million yuan ($7.26 million) in penalties. (CCTV via AP) In this image made from Dec. 27, 2018, CCTV video, China's former deputy intelligence chief Ma Jian appears in a courtroom in the northeastern port city of Dalian, China. The court said Ma Jian has been found guilty of crimes including accepting bribes and insider trading. Ma, who previously was the vice minister of the state security bureau, was also ordered to pay more than 50 million yuan ($7.26 million) in penalties. (CCTV via AP) KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - He wants to run Africa's second-largest country, one of vast mineral wealth, sprawling poverty and vicious fighting that has cost millions of lives. Noel Tshiani Muadiamvita's chances are slim to none but he's convinced he's perfect for the job. Among 21 candidates vying to succeed President Joseph Kabila in Sunday's election, Tshiani promotes himself as someone Congo has never had: a truly qualified head of state. Former colonizer Belgium departed without training Congolese to rule. Mobutu Sese Seko, who led for more than three decades, had been an army sergeant major. Laurent Kabila was plucked from exile to unseat him. Joseph Kabila, after his father was assassinated, took power at age 29. Tshiani, wielding a resume featuring Harvard and the World Bank, speaks in terms of glory. "Muadiamvita means 'invincible warrior,' which means that when you go into a presidential election, my competition is well advised to stay aside," he said. "At the end of the day, no matter what they do, I will win." The odds say otherwise, but big talk is a staple of Congo's boisterous run-up to the vote. Kabila is stepping aside after ruling since 2001, and the election has been delayed since late 2016. Now tensions are rising again. The electoral commission on Wednesday delayed the vote in two key areas until months after the new president is inaugurated, meaning more than 1 million votes effectively don't count. In this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, presidential candidate Noel Tshiani Muadimvita greets supporters at a campaign rally in Kinshasa, Congo. (AP Photo/Khaled Kazziha) Amid the noise, the 61-year-old Tshiani remains an unknown for many. "I know his name, because he wants to become president. But I don't know him," said Olivier Bonte as he waited in Kinshasa to catch a bus. Others didn't even recognize the name. Tshiani describes himself as a technocrat, and pointedly not a politician. After completing his doctorate in economics in Paris, he went to Harvard for a postdoctoral degree in leadership and management. He worked for a number of commercial banks in New York and spent 28 years at the World Bank. Now he wants to bring that experience home, and has published a book outlining his economic vision for Congo, "The Force of Change." "We must be ashamed of ourselves, and the politicians should be ashamed of themselves, because this is the result of the management style of the country," Tshiani said, pointing to Congo's widespread lack of basic services and infrastructure despite staggering mineral wealth. "I believe there is a case to be made for somebody who is not a politician, who is not part of the problem ... for somebody like me to become president of Congo." He said he is financing his campaign with his savings. Leading up to the election, he travelled around Kinshasa accompanied by dark-suited bodyguards and an armed police escort, looking the part of a big-time candidate. But observers said they doubt his chances in a country where connections are everything. "I know professor Noel Tshiani," said A.L. Kitenge Lubanda, a political and economic analyst. "He is a brilliant person but he has no (political) machine. His political party is very weak and I don't think he has any chance to win." Rarely smiling in public, Tshiani often seems taken aback by Congo's vibrant political scene. He addresses a crowd like a professor intent on schooling the people on economic reforms. He worked a crowd of about 300 people earlier this month, shaking hands as they danced and cheered him on: "Viva Tshiani, Viva!" After they settled, Tshiani held up his book and explained his vision. Congo has never had a peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. This election could be the first. The opposition fears that the vote will be rigged in favor of the ruling party, and that Kabila's preferred successor, Emanuel Ramazani Shadary, has the state machinery behind him. Kabila, meanwhile, has hinted he might run again in five years' time. Tshiani said no, it is time for a change. "He has spent 17 years in power. He has amassed a lot of wealth. I think it is time for him to just retire and leave Congo in the hands of another leadership, so that we can use the natural resources - not to enrich ourselves, but to develop the country and create good conditions for the people of Congo." ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa In this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, presidential candidate Noel Tshiani Muadimvita, left, addresses supporters at a campaign rally in Kinshasa, Congo. (AP Photo/Khaled Kazziha) BERLIN (AP) - Germany's top soldier says authorities are contemplating allowing the country's military to recruit citizens of other European Union countries in some areas, including as doctors and information technology specialists. Germany dropped military conscription in 2011, and the Bundeswehr now has to compete for recruits in a healthy economy with low unemployment. The military's chief of staff, Gen. Eberhard Zorn, was quoted Thursday as telling the Funke newspaper group that "we must look in every direction at a time when there is a shortage of specialists." He added: "One option we are examining is the question of whether we allow applications by fellow EU citizens for very specific fields of work - we are talking here about doctors or IT specialists, for example." BEIJING (AP) - China's government said Thursday it has made plans with Washington for talks in January aimed at ending a tariff battle that threatens to depress global trade. The two sides have "made specific arrangements for face-to-face meetings" and are talking by phone, said a Ministry of Commerce spokesman, Gao Feng. Gao gave no details. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed Dec. 1 to postpone more tariff hikes for 90 days while their governments negotiate over U.S. complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. Trump agreed to postpone tariff hikes on $200 billion of Chinese imports planned for Jan. 1. Beijing responded by announcing a delay in a 25 percent duty on imported U.S. vehicles. Preparations for talks have proceeded despite the Dec. 1 arrest in Canada of an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei on U.S. charges related to possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran. Companies and investors worry the dispute might depress global trade at a time of rising anxiety about signs economic growth might be slowing. The two sides are maintaining "close communication," said Gao. ___ Chinese Ministry of Commerce (in Chinese): www.mofcom.gov.cn BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romania's justice minister on Thursday asked the president to dismiss the country's top prosecutor, who has accused the government of undermining efforts to fight corruption. The development puts Romania at odds with the European Union just before it assumes the EU's rotating presidency on Jan. 1. Tudorel Toader said he was officially requesting that President Klaus Iohannis remove Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar from his post for mismanagement. Lazar has been an outspoken critic of a judicial overhaul that critics say would make it harder to prosecute high-level corruption. Responding to the request for his dismissal, Lazar said the minister was ignoring recommendations made by the EU, which "is asking for an end to actions which harm the rule of law." Romania's justice system remains under special EU monitoring partly over concerns about the legal revisions. The Venice Commission, a board of legal experts with the Europe's top rights body, the Council of Europe, also expressed alarm this year about the government chipping away at the president's powers, asserting he should be involved in appointing and dismissing chief prosecutors and warning about the justice minister having too much authority in the process. Analysts said the development reflects the government's determination to assert its right to decide its own laws. Also Thursday, Tudorel said he was asking Iohannis to appoint a regional prosecutor to the post of chief anti-corruption prosecutor even though Iohannis last month said Adina Florea was disqualified from the position for legal reasons. The Superior Council of Magistrates said last month there were no grounds to dismiss Lazar, and it ruled that Florea was unsuited for the high-profile position of chief anti-corruption prosecutor because she handled stress badly and had problems with "honesty and impartiality." WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and his trip to Iraq (all times local): 5:12 a.m. President Donald Trump has returned to the U.S. from an unannounced trip to Iraq, his first visit to a danger zone abroad. Air Force One landed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland at 5:12 a.m. Trump had been hearing from critics that it was past time for him to go abroad and see troops in harm's way. With secrecy typical of such presidential visits, the president's plane flew into Iraq on Wednesday with lights out and shutters drawn, coming overnight from Washington. Trump stopped in Germany on his way back to greet troops at a U.S. air base. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Trump defended his decision to pull forces from neighboring Syria, declaring of Islamic State militants: "We've knocked them out. We've knocked them silly." ___ 12:10 a.m. President Donald Trump once said it wasn't "overly necessary" for him to visit troops in danger zones abroad. But now he's done just that, slipping into Iraq in darkness for a visit of three-plus hours. Nearly two years into his presidency, Trump had been hearing from critics that it was past time for him to go abroad and see troops in harm's way. Trump also stopped in Germany on his way back to greet troops at a U.S. air base. With secrecy typical of such presidential visits, Air Force One flew into Iraq with lights out and shutters drawn, coming overnight from Washington. Trump defended his decision to pull forces from neighboring Syria, declaring of Islamic State militants: "We've knocked them out. We've knocked them silly." President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump during a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove U.S. troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of the military cheer as President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Iraq, says he has 'no plans at all' to remove US troops from the country. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) First lady Melania Trump, left, is seated on stage as President Donald Trump pauses as he speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) TOKYO (AP) - Japan said Thursday it had protested to Beijing that a Chinese trawler suspected of poaching off Japan's southern coast sailed away with Japanese inspectors on board. China disputed the boat had crossed the border to fish and said it was dissatisfied Japanese fisheries authorities went on board. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the boarding occurred Nov. 5 in Japan's exclusive economic zone off Kagoshima and Japan complained about the "vicious" case via diplomatic channels. The incident surfaced more than 50 days after it occurred when Suga responded to a reporter's question following a news report. Suga did not explain why nothing was released earlier and the Foreign Ministry declined to give further details. Fisheries officials said about 10 Japanese officials boarded the trawler for inspection in Japan's EEZ but the trawler kept sailing into intermediate waters. The inspectors returned to their own ship after its half-day chase of the trawler, with the help of Japanese coast guard. They had to let the Chinese trawler go since it by then had escaped the EEZ, Japanese officials said. In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference that Japan's accusation the Chinese boat had crossed the border to fish was "not true" and that China expressed strong dissatisfaction on the boarding check conducted by Japanese fishery authorities. She expressed hope that Japan respects Chinese fishermen's right to fish, demanding Japan "not interrupt (their) normal operation." The number of suspected Chinese poachers has been rising in recent years, prompting Japanese fisheries officials to step up patrolling. Four Chinese boats were captured for illegal fishing off the Japanese coast last year, according to the agency statistics. CAIRO (AP) - An independent union of Sudanese journalists launched a strike Thursday in support of "legitimate" popular demands for freedom and democracy, the latest in a series of work stoppages and protests calling for longtime President Omar Bashir to step down. A union statement said the three-day strike is also a protest against authorities' "barbaric" assault on press freedoms, including censorship and confiscating newspaper editions. Street protests have swept most of Sudan since Dec. 19, with chants evoking those of the Arab Spring in 2010 and 2011. Amnesty International said 37 people have died in the first five days of the protests. The government has acknowledged fatalities, but gave no figures. The United States, Britain, Norway and Canada called on authorities to investigate the use of live ammunition against protesters. An official at the journalists union said the response to the strike call was "very positive" among staff of privately-owned newspapers, but it was not clear how many employees at private television networks would join. Employees of state radio and television, as well as official newspapers, were not expected to strike, he said. The government has heavily censored independent newspapers since the protests began, while the state media has adhered to the government line. In this Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018 handout image provided a Sudanese activist, a plain clothed policeman points his rifle at protesters during clashes in Khartoum, Sudan. Police used tear gas and fired in the air Tuesday to disperse thousands of protesters attempting to march on the presidential palace to demand that Omar Bashir, Sudan's president of 29 years, step down, according to activists and video clips posted online. (Sudanese Activist via AP) Reached in Khartoum, the official spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. An independent union of doctors started an open-ended strike on Tuesday. In Atbara, a railway city north of Khartoum, popular neighborhood committees called for fresh protests Friday, dubbing it the "Friday of Martyrs" in memory of those killed in the latest protests. An independent committee that monitors casualties and arrests during the demonstrations said Thursday that 19 protesters were wounded Tuesday when thousands tried to march on Bashir's Nile-side presidential palace in Khartoum. Of the 19, 10 suffered gunshot wounds, eight were hurt by rubber bullets and one suffered head wounds from a police baton, it added. It said at least 205 protesters were detained, nearly a quarter of them women. Bashir, in his mid-70s, overthrew an elected but ineffective government when he seized power in 1989 in collaboration with Islamists. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity and genocide in the western Darfur region. He has ordered the use of force against protesters in the past - 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 in power has seen one crisis after another, he plans to seek a new term in office in 2020 elections. Sudan, a country of more than 40 million people, lost three quarters of its oil wealth when the mainly animist and Christian south seceded in 2011 after a long civil war against the Khartoum government. A currency devaluation earlier this year caused prices to surge and a liquidity crunch forced the government to limit bank withdrawals. BENI, Congo (AP) - Congo's march toward Sunday's election took a nasty turn on Thursday as the government ordered the European Union ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours after the EU prolonged sanctions against the ruling party's presidential candidate. Elsewhere, police fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse more than 100 people protesting an election delay in the east, blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak, that means more than 1 million votes will not count. Protesters set up blazing street barricades and some attacked an Ebola response center, with more than 20 patients fleeing. The opposition accuses the government of trying to ensure that the preferred candidate of departing President Joseph Kabila is elected, with many Congolese believing Kabila will continue to wield power behind the scenes. The foreign minister's order, seen by The Associated Press, called the EU ambassador's comportment "reprehensible" and came after weeks of pressure by Congo's government to have the EU sanctions lifted on Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. The order asks the European Council "urgently" to recall its envoy. The EU last year sanctioned Shadary, a former interior minister, for obstructing Congo's electoral process and for a crackdown against protesters angry over the long-delayed vote. It was meant to be held in late 2016. The EU this month prolonged the asset freeze and travel ban against Shadary, and more than a dozen other people, days after Congo Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu pleaded with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to lift the sanctions, even for a "probationary period." Protesters set up a barricade in the Eastern Congolese town of Beni Thursday Dec. 27, 2018. Police in eastern Congo have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse dozens of people protesting a presidential election delay that means more than 1 million votes will not count. The protesters in Beni say the delay announced by Congo's electoral commission makes no sense. The delay of Sunday's election until March for Beni and Butembo city is blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak. The rest of the country will vote on time. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro) There was no immediate comment from the EU ambassador, Bart Ouvry. Congo has resisted what it considers international meddling in the election, vowing to fund the vote itself. Western observer groups are notably absent. The election delays have led to sometimes deadly protests. The latest postponement pushed the vote from Dec. 23 to Sunday after a fire in the capital, Kinshasa, destroyed voting materials. Congo's some 40 million registered voters will decide the fate of a vast country that is rich in the mineral wealth central to smartphones and electric cars but desperately poor in infrastructure and basic services. First, though, they have to make it to the polls. Thursday's protest in Beni occurred a day after Congo's electoral commission announced that voting would be delayed until March for Beni and Butembo city because of the Ebola outbreak. The rest of the country still votes on Sunday, with "definitive" results announced on Jan. 15 and the inauguration three days later. Opposition candidates call the delay a ploy to hurt their chances in areas where sentiment has turned against the ruling party in recent years. The opposition coalition behind presidential candidate Martin Fayulu has called for a "ghost town" strike throughout Congo on Friday. The reasons given for the latest delay aren't credible, Fayulu told the AP. He called on all Congolese to remain calm and vote without violence. The protesters in Beni marched to the local election office demanding the right to vote on Sunday. Others chanted for Kabila, in power since 2001, to go. Gunfire could still be heard on Thursday night, with streets closed. "We participated in campaigning and there were no Ebola infections," said Clovis Mutsuva with the LUCHA activist organization. "Why can a single day of voting cancel the elections for us?" School, church and other activities have continued in Beni and Butembo despite the Ebola outbreak. The protesters' attack on the Ebola response center posed yet another challenge to virus containment efforts in a region, long traumatized by rebels, that had never faced an Ebola outbreak before. Some residents continue to believe Ebola is just an excuse to disrupt the vote. Most of the 21 patients who fled the Ebola center had tested negative for the virus and were waiting for a second test, the health ministry said. Rebel attacks in Beni have killed more than 1,500 people in the past four years. The attacks now hurt efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak, which since being declared Aug. 1 has seen 585 cases, including 308 confirmed deaths. Congo's health minister, Dr. Oly Ilunga, has called this Ebola outbreak the most complex in history. In an interview on Dec. 20, however, he told the AP that decisions about holding the election had been made with electoral authorities. Precautions had been taken, he said. The virus is spread via infected bodily fluids, and some have worried about using the touchscreens of voting machines. Several tons of hand sanitizer and disinfectant had been deployed for polling stations, and voters were to be screened for fever before entering. ___ Mwanamilongo and Boussion reported from Kinshasa, Congo. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa Protesters act in front of the camera after setting off a burning barricade in the Eastern Congolese town of Beni Thursday Dec. 27, 2018. Police in eastern Congo have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse dozens of people protesting a presidential election delay that means more than 1 million votes will not count. The protesters in Beni say the delay announced by Congo's electoral commission makes no sense. The delay of Sunday's election until March for Beni and Butembo city is blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak. The rest of the country will vote on time. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro) Protesters act in front of the camera after setting a burning barricade in the Eastern Congolese town of Beni Thursday Dec. 27, 2018. Police in eastern Congo have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse dozens of people protesting a presidential election delay that means more than 1 million votes will not count. The protesters in Beni say the delay announced by Congo's electoral commission makes no sense. The delay of Sunday's election until March for Beni and Butembo city is blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak. The rest of the country will vote on time. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro) Congolese opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu prepares for an interview with the Associated Press in Kinshasa, Congo, Thursday Dec. 27, 2018. During the interview, Fayulu called on Congolese people to stay home Friday, "to tell CENI (The National Independent Election Committee) that everybody has to go to vote and on Sunday we should have elections." The comment came one day after CENI said vote in Ebola stricken areas would be postponed till March. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) Congolese opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu poses for a portrait following an interview with the Associated Press in Kinshasa, Congo, Thursday Dec. 27, 2018. Police in eastern Congo fired live ammunition and tear gas on Thursday to disperse more than 100 people protesting a presidential election delay, blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak, that means more than 1 million votes will not count. Some protesters attacked an Ebola treatment center, with a number of patients fleeing. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) BEIRUT (AP) - The United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Syria's capital on Thursday for the first time in seven years, a reflection of improved relations between President Bashar Assad and some of his Arab foes as the war winds down. On Thursday afternoon, UAE's charge d'affaires Abdul-Hakim Naimi visited the embassy and witnessed his country's flag being raised again on the compound in central Damascus. The move provides a major boost to Assad, whose forces have won a series of military victories in recent years with the help of Russia and Iran. Sudan's President Omar Bashir visited Damascus earlier this month, becoming the first Arab head of state to visit Syria since the start of the war. UAE's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "the step confirms that the UAE government is keen to restore relations between the two brotherly countries back to normal." It added that the move is "to activate the Arab role in supporting Syria's independence, sovereignty, unity and safety and prevent the dangers of regional intervention in Syria's Arab affairs." "The opening of our embassy is a first step for the return of other Arab embassies," Naimi told reporters outside the compound. The United Arab Emirates was a supporter of the Syrian opposition, which is now largely confined to the northern Idlib province after losing its strongholds elsewhere. Some opposition fighters have joined Turkey for an expected assault on Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. The UAE and other Gulf Arab supporters of the Syrian opposition view Turkey with suspicion because of its embrace of regional Islamists. FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2013, file photo, the chair of the Republican Arab Syria, as written in Arabic, is empty during the Arab countries foreign ministers summit, at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Syria said the United Arab Emirates will reopen its embassy in Damascus on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, for the first time in seven years, a reflection of improved relations between President Bashar Assad and some of his Arab foes as the war winds down. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File) In October, Assad told a little-known Kuwaiti newspaper that Syria had reached a "major understanding" with Arab states after years of hostility. He did not name the Arab countries in the interview, which was his first with a Gulf paper since the war erupted, but said Arab and Western delegations had begun visiting Syria to prepare for the reopening of diplomatic and other missions. The interview came on the heels of a surprisingly warm meeting between the Syrian foreign minister and his Bahraini counterpart on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in September. The meeting turned heads because it featured hugs between the two ministers. The encounter raised questions about whether the Gulf countries, most of them sworn enemies of Assad ally Iran, are reconsidering their relations with Syria. Anwar Gargash, who is No. 2 at UAE's Foreign Ministry, tweeted that an Arab role in Syria is necessary now to face Iran and Turkey's intervention. He added that UAE through its presence in Damascus is trying to activate the Arab role in what would "contribute to ending war and strengthening opportunities for peace and stability for the Syrian people." The UAE recalled its ambassador from Syria in 2011 after the start of the popular uprising against Assad. The Syrian Embassy in the UAE remained open. There are also direct flights on Syria's national carrier to Dubai and between the port city of Latakia and the emirate of Sharjah. Oman, with its policy of quiet diplomacy, is the only Gulf Arab country to have kept its embassy in Damascus open throughout the civil war. In March, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem visited Oman on a rare trip by a Syrian official to the Arabian Peninsula. Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League in 2011. Arab countries have sanctioned Damascus and condemned its use of military force against the opposition. Also on Thursday, pro-government news outlets in Syria reported the first flight in years between Damascus and Tunisia's capital by Syria's private Sham Wings. ___ Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. BAGHDAD (AP) - President Donald Trump's surprise trip to Iraq may have quieted criticism at home that he had yet to visit troops in a combat zone, but it has infuriated Iraqi politicians who on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of U.S. forces. "Arrogant" and "a violation of national sovereignty" were but a few examples of the disapproval emanating from Baghdad following Trump's meeting Wednesday with U.S. servicemen and women at the al-Asad Airbase. Trips by U.S. presidents to conflict zones are typically shrouded in secrecy and subject to strict security measures, and Trump's was no exception. Few in Iraq or elsewhere knew the U.S. president was in the country until minutes before he left. But this trip came as curbing foreign influence in Iraqi affairs has become a hot-button political issue in Baghdad, and Trump's perceived presidential faux-pas was failing to meet with the prime minister in a break with diplomatic custom for any visiting head of state. On the ground for only about three hours, the American president told the men and women with the U.S. military that Islamic State forces have been vanquished, and he defended his decision against all advice to withdraw U.S. troops from neighboring Syria, He said the U.S. was once again respected as a nation, and declared: "We're no longer the suckers, folks." The abruptness of his visit left lawmakers in Baghdad smarting and drawing unfavorable comparisons to the occupation of Iraq after the 2003 invasion. FILE - In this Dec. 26, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks to members of the military at a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. President Donald Trump tells troops serving in Iraq that he got them their first pay raise in 10 years and it's a big one. No, and not exactly. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) "Trump needs to know his limits. The American occupation of Iraq is over," said Sabah al-Saidi, the head of one of two main blocs in Iraq's parliament. Trump, he said, had slipped into Iraq, "as though Iraq is a state of the United States." While Trump didn't meet with any officials, he spoke with Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi by phone. A planned meeting between the two leaders was canceled over a "difference in points of view" over arrangements, according to the prime minister's office. The visit could have unintended consequences for American policy, with officials from both sides of Iraq's political divide calling for a vote in Parliament to expel U.S. forces from the country. The president, who kept to the U.S. air base approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Baghdad, said he had no plans to withdraw the 5,200 troops in the country. He said Ain al-Asad could be used for U.S. air strikes inside Syria. The suggestion ran counter to the current sentiment of Iraqi politics, which favors claiming sovereignty over foreign and domestic policy and staying above the fray in regional conflicts. "Iraq should not be a platform for the Americans to settle their accounts with either the Russians or the Iranians in the region," said Hakim al-Zamili, a senior lawmaker in al-Saidi's Islah bloc in Parliament. U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq as part of the coalition against the Islamic State group. American forces withdrew in 2011 after invading in 2003 but returned in 2014 at the invitation of the Iraqi government to help fight the jihadist group. Trump's visit was the first by a U.S. president since Barack Obama met with then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at a U.S. base outside Baghdad in 2009. After defeating IS militants in their last urban bastions last year, Iraqi politicians and militia leaders are speaking out against the continued presence of U.S. forces on Iraqi soil. Supporters of the populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr won big in national elections in May, campaigning on a platform to curb U.S. and rival Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs. Al-Sadr's lawmakers now form the core of the Islah bloc, which is headed by al-Saidi in Parliament. The rival Binaa bloc, commanded by politicians and militia leaders close to Iran, also does not favor the U.S. Qais Khazali, the head of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia that fought key battles against IS in northern Iraq, promised on Twitter that Parliament would vote to expel U.S. forces from Iraq, or the militias would force them out by "other means." Khazali was jailed by British and U.S. forces from 2007 to 2010 for managing sections of the Shia insurgency against the occupation during those years. Trump's visit would be a "great moral boost to the political parties, armed factions, and others who oppose the American presence in Iraq," Iraqi political analyst Ziad al-Arar said. Still, the U.S. and Iraq developed considerable military and intelligence ties in the war against IS, and they continue to pay off in operations against militants gone into hiding. Earlier in the month, Iraqi forces called in an airstrike by U.S.-coalition forces to destroy a tunnel used by IS militants in the Atshanah mountains in north Iraq. Four militants were killed, according to the coalition. A hasty departure of U.S. forces would jeopardize such arrangements, said Iraqi analyst Hamza Mustafa. Relations between the U.S. and Iraq also extend beyond military ties. U.S. companies have considerable interests in Iraq's petrochemical industry, and American diplomats are often brokers between Iraq's fractious political elite. Iraq's Sunni politicians have been largely quiet about the presidential visit, reflecting the ties they have cultivated with the U.S. to counterbalance the might of the country's Iran-backed and predominantly-Shiite militias. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Abdul-Mahdi accepted Trump's invitation to the White House during their call, though the prime minister's office has so far refused to confirm that. ___ Associated Press writers Ahmed Sami and Ali Jabar contributed to this report. President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, left, speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military as they arrive for a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2016 file photo, Qais Khazali, the head of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq, speaks to his followers during a rally in Basra, Iraq. On Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, Iraqi lawmakers are seizing on President Donald Trump's surprise visit to demand U.S. forces leave the country. Politicians from both sides of Iraq's political divide called on parliament to vote to expel U.S. troops. Khazali, the head of the militia that fought key battles against IS in north Iraq, promised on Twitter that Parliament would vote to expel U.S. forces from Iraq, or the militia and others would force them out by "other means." (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina Department of Corrections says 12 inmates were left in prison cells with raw sewage. Spokesman Dexter Lee tells The State newspaper that six cells at the Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville were flooded with toilet water this month. This prison is one of several that have been locked down since seven inmates died in an April riot. Inmates in videos of the spill say toilets spewed sewage for about 12 hours. The Corrections Department declined to say how long it took to fix the toilets. Lee says the prison had to wait for a crew from Columbia to help. Inmates stuck in the affected cells were served their meals during that time. Lee says the sewage spill was caused by inmates in other cells repeatedly trying to flush clothing. ___ Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com LONDON (AP) - London's police chief has suggested that Brexit will be costly and could have a damaging effect on public safety. Cressida Dick told the BBC on Thursday that leaving the European Union would be more challenging if there's no deal in place between Britain and the bloc. She said that U.K. police will have to work out access to vital databases and need new procedures so people can still be quickly arrested and extradited despite Brexit. Dick said that would be "very difficult to do in short-term" if Britain has no transition deal. Dick hopes Britain will have systems like the ones in place now to facilitate fighting crime. Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed upon a Brexit deal with EU leaders but many British lawmakers don't like it. BANGKOK (AP) - Investigators in Thailand acquitted the deputy prime minister of criminal charges of failing to declare assets a year after he was discovered to have several luxury watches that would have been out of reach of his government salary. The saga began last December when photographs were taken at the unveiling of a new Cabinet. The minister of defense, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and reporters noticed his gleaming watch. A check of records of his disclosed assets showed he had never declared the expensive Richard Mille timepiece. His explanation that he had borrowed that watch and more than 20 others from a dead friend was met with public ridicule. The head of Thailand's anti-corruption body said Thursday that it determined Prawit's explanation to be true. "A committee of the National Anti-Corruption Commission has voted 5 to 3 to rule that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan had intentionally filed a false declaration of assets or was hiding required information," Worawit Sookboon, secretary general of the commission, said at a news conference. Prawit is a top member of the military junta that has ruled Thailand since staging a coup in 2014. It vowed to rid Thai politics of corruption but has seen its members tied to a number of corruption allegations. FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2017, file photo, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan raises his hand to shade his eyes from the sun while wearing a luxury watch and diamond ring during an official ceremony at the Government House. Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission has declared Prawit innocent of failing to declare his assets in a case that sparked a scandal when he was spotted wearing a number of luxury watches that he would not easily be able to afford on his government salary. (AP Photo/Krit Phromsakla Na Sakolnakorn, File) The junta has promised to hold elections early next year, though critics are concerned the vote could be rigged to put current junta members into elected office. Worawit said the committee ruled that Prawit had borrowed 22 watches from a late high school friend, former businessman Pattawat Suksriwong. He said photos alleged to show Prawit wearing 25 watches include three photos of the same watch. Twenty watches were found at Pattawat's home and a warranty receipt for another showed Pattawat owned 21 of the watches that Prawit was photographed wearing, he said. One watch could not be accounted for, but since Prawit had borrowed 21 from Pattawat, it could be assumed he had borrowed another, Worawit said. BUENA, N.J. (AP) - An attorney for a New Jersey high school wrestler forced by a referee to cut his dreadlocks before a match to avoid a forfeit says the boy's family won't pursue legal action. The Buena (BYOO'-nah) Regional school board held an emergency meeting Wednesday night. The board said the Buena High School wrestling team won't compete in events officiated by referee Alan Maloney. Wrestler Andrew Johnson had his dreadlocks cut minutes before the match Dec. 19. Johnson, who is black, had a cover over his hair, but Maloney, who is white, said that wouldn't do. Maloney didn't respond to requests for comment. At Wednesday's packed meeting, the school's board said its investigation into the incident is ongoing. FILE - In this file image taken from a Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, video provided by SNJTODAY.COM, Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson gets his hair cut courtside minutes before his match in Buena, N.J., after a referee told Johnson he would forfeit his bout if he did not have his dreadlocks cut off. A lawyer for Johnson is suggesting the impromptu hair cut was due in part to the referee's tardiness. Buena Regional High School wrestler Johnson, who is black, had a cover over his hair, but referee Alan Maloney, who is white, said that wouldn't do. (Michael Frankel/SNJTODAY.COM via AP, File) The Press of Atlantic City reports Johnson's family didn't attend the meeting. ___ Information from: The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.), http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican's criminal tribunal has convicted an Italian builder of using his accounts in the Vatican bank to launder money, and sentenced him to 2 years in prison. The Vatican press office said the Dec. 17 decision, announced Thursday, marked the first time the Vatican court had handed down a money-laundering verdict since the city state criminalized the offense in 2010 as part of its financial reform efforts. Italian police had placed Angelo Proietti under house arrest in 2016 as part of an investigation into the alleged fraudulent bankruptcy of his construction firm, Edil Ars Srl, which had done contract work for various Vatican entities. The Vatican cooperated in the investigation after flagging a suspicious transaction in one of Proietti's Vatican bank accounts in 2013 and seizing 1 million euros. The money was ordered confiscated by the court. The Vatican held up the verdict as "fundamentally important" in its efforts to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, efforts that were launched in 2009 when the Vatican entered into a monetary agreement with the European Union. The Vatican overhauled its criminal code and took measures to strengthen the regulatory framework of its bank, the Institute for Religious Works, in a bid to change its reputation as an offshore tax haven where millions of euros could be deposited and withdrawn with hardly a trace. European experts of the Moneyval anti-money laundering committee have praised the Vatican's reform efforts but have called for more prosecutions. ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan has imposed a travel ban on former President Asif Ali Zardari and 171 other individuals while authorities complete an investigation into alleged money laundering. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced the ban on Thursday, after police and federal investigators said Zardari and other suspects were involved in running fake bank accounts. Authorities are in the process of registering a formal case. Zardari, who is currently a member of the lower house of parliament, is accused of having dozens of bogus bank accounts. He has denied any wrongdoing. Zardari was married to Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister who was assassinated in 2007. Thursday is the 11th anniversary of her death. LONDON (AP) - British authorities detained nine migrants including children on a beach in southeastern England on Thursday after they crossed the English Channel in a small inflatable boat, officials said. The latest attempt to enter England comes after at least 43 migrants tried to cross the English Channel on Tuesday and Wednesday. There has been a recent spike in small boat crossings which British authorities say is organized by smuggling gangs. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said the latest wave of people attempting to cross the channel is putting lives at risk. She said that Britain and France were working together to try to stop the crossings. The Home Office said Thursday the migrants found off the coast of Kent, a county southeast off London, in a boat were five men, one woman, two boys and a girl. They were intercepted by the local lifeboat station which says they had sailed in a small inflatable boat powered only by a 10-horsepower engine. The English Channel crossing is perilous because of high seas and frequent commercial shipping and ferry traffic. A further rescue operation was also underway after up to eight people were believed to have been spotted on an inflatable vessel near another section of the English coast. British officials also say all the migrants picked up in recent days have received medical aid. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the partial government shutdown (all times local): 8:20 p.m. The partial government shutdown has prompted the chief judge of Manhattan federal courts to suspend work on civil cases involving U.S. government lawyers. The order suspends action in several civil lawsuits in which President Donald Trump is a defendant. Judge Colleen McMahon said in a written order that the suspension will remain in effect until the business day after the president signs a budget appropriation law restoring Justice Department funding. The Manhattan courts, with several dozen judges, are among the nation's busiest courts. In one case involving Trump, a judge last week ruled that a group of people suing Trump and his three eldest children can remain anonymous because they fear retaliation by the president or his followers. People visit the Capitol as a shutdown affecting parts of the federal government appeared no closer to ending, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats locked in a hardening standoff over border wall money, in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) A similar order to McMahon's has been issued in the Northern District of Ohio. ___ 3:32 p.m. House lawmakers don't plan to vote this week to end the government shutdown. That's according to the office of Republican Whip Steve Scalise, who announced the schedule Thursday. Scalise's office says lawmakers are waiting on the Senate. But the Senate already approved a bill to keep government running. The House panned that measure and approved a new version that included money for President Donald Trump's border wall. They are at a stalemate. Scalise's office says, "Please stay tuned to future updates for more information." ___ 7:20 a.m. Back from a 29-hour trip to visit U.S. troops in Iraq, President Donald Trump is returning his attention to the ongoing partial U.S. government shutdown, which is in its sixth day. In a morning tweet, Trump says "we desperately need" a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, funding for which has been a flashpoint between the White House and Congress ever since Trump took office. The president is calling on Democrats in Congress to fund his wall, saying the shutdown affects their supporters. He says: "Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?" Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are on unpaid furlough and even more are required to work without pay after Trump and Congress could not reach consensus on a short-term funding bill last week. ___ 12:10 a.m. Chances look slim for ending the partial government shutdown any time soon. Lawmakers are away from Washington for the holidays and have been told they will get 24 hours' notice before having to return for a vote. And although the Senate is slated to come into session Thursday afternoon, few senators are expected to be around for it. The White House and congressional Democrats have been talking but to little effect. After a weekend and two holiday days for federal employees, Wednesday was the first regularly scheduled workday affected by the closure of a variety of federal services. Trump vows to hold the line on his budget demand, saying he'll do "whatever it takes" to get money for border security. A tourist is reflected in a window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. The building is closed due to the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) The tiny Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood is posted with a closed sign as part of the federal government shutdown Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. The shutdown started Saturday when funding lapsed for nine Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - Protesters clashed with police for a third consecutive night in Tunisia after a journalist set himself on fire and died this week to denounce the economic problems engulfing the North African nation. National Guard spokesman Housameddine Jebabli said Thursday that protests took place in six different towns including Kasserine, in west central Tunisia, where journalist Abderrazak Zorgui set himself ablaze this week. Interior Ministry spokesman Sofiane Zaag said 14 people were arrested overnight, in addition to the 18 arrests announced Wednesday. Protests started after Zorgui posted a video online before his self-immolation describing his desperation and calling for revolt. He expressed frustration at the country's high unemployment and the unfulfilled promises of Tunisia's 2011 Arab Spring revolution. A similar self-immolation, by a street vendor lamenting unemployment, corruption and repression, led to nationwide protests fueled by social media that brought down Tunisia's long-time authoritarian president in 2011. That ushered in democracy for Tunisia and unleashed similar movements around the Arab world. Tunisia's journalists union has called for a general strike on Jan. 14 to mark the eighth anniversary of the revolution, and to protest the "deplorable condition" of media workers in the country. Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Wednesday, Dec 26, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Walid Ben Sassi) Meanwhile, local authorities in Kasserine said another individual who threatened to kill himself was arrested by police on Thursday. Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Wednesday, Dec 26, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Walid Ben Sassi) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) Tunisian Police officers patrol after clashes in the streets of Kasserine, southern of Tunisia, Tuesday, Dec 25, 2018.The death of a Tunisian journalist Abderrak Zorgui who set himself on fire to protest economic problems in the North African nation prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and nationwide concern. (AP Photo/Mohamed Ben Salah) CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - A strong earthquake jolted Venezuelans from their sleep early Thursday, forcing residents in the capital to evacuate buildings in their pajamas before sunrise. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The 5.5 magnitude quake struck just before 5 a.m. Thursday (1000 GMT) and was centered near the town of San Diego, 165 kilometers (100 miles) west of Caracas, the capital. It had a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers) and was felt across seven states, along with a 5.0 magnitude aftershock a few minutes later. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said there were no major damages or casualties. Photos on social media showed large cracks to some buildings and fallen walls and debris from historic facades in San Diego, a suburb of Venezuela's third-largest city, Valencia. While earthquakes are common in Venezuela, they tend to be less frequent and not as strong as those that hit elsewhere in South America like neighboring Colombia, Chile and Peru. Daniel Salazar said she ran nervously from bed in search of her 76-year-old mother and found her standing next to their Christmas tree, which was swaying back and forth. "My entire body is shaking, I'm not sure if from the cold or the scare we experienced," said Salazar, who was standing outside her high-rise Caracas apartment before dawn. The quake follows a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in August - the country's strongest in more than a century - that rattled residents across Venezuela and was felt as far away as in neighboring Colombia and Guyana. MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's new strategic weapon has rendered any missile defenses useless at a small fraction of their cost, officials said Thursday. The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle flies 27 times faster than the speed of sound, making it impossible to intercept, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told Russian state television. The new weapon "essentially makes missile defenses useless," he said. Borisov spoke a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw what he described as the conclusive successful test of the Avangard and hailed it as a reliable guarantee of Russia's security for decades to come. In Wednesday's test, the weapon was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin said it successfully hit a practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away. The Defense Ministry released footage from the test launch, in which a ballistic missile could be seen blasting from a silo in a cloud of smoke, but it hasn't released any images of the vehicle itself. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chief of General Staff of Russia Valery Gerasimov oversee the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle from the Defense Ministry's control room in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In the test, the Avangard was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin says it successfully hit a designated practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Putin said the Avangard will enter service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces next year. The test comes amid bitter tensions in Russia-U.S. relations, which have been strained over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Sergei Ivanov, a former Russian defense minister, said in televised comments that the Avangard constantly changes its course and altitude as it flies through the atmosphere. He emphasized that unlike previous nuclear warheads fitted to intercontinental ballistic missiles that follow a predictable trajectory allowing it to calculate the spot where they can be intercepted, the Avangard chaotically zigzags on its path to its target, making it impossible to predict the weapon's location. A smiling Ivanov likened the weapon's flight through the atmosphere to a pebble skipping off the surface of water. Ivanov, who now serves as Putin's adviser, said the Avangard could be fitted to the Soviet-made UR-100UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile, which is code-named SS-19 Stiletto by NATO. He noted that Russia has a stockpile of several dozen such missiles, which are in a factory-mint condition and not filled with fuel, allowing them to serve for a long time to come. Ivanov added that they could be put in existing silos, sharply reducing the costs of Avangard's deployment. "The Avangard has cost hundreds of times less than what the U.S. has spent on its missile defense," Ivanov said. He noted that Russia began to develop the Avangard after the 2002 U.S. withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and started to develop defenses against ballistic missiles. Moscow feared that the U.S. missile shield could erode its nuclear deterrent, and Putin announced in 2004 that Russia was working on a new hypersonic weapon. Ivanov recalled that when Russian officials warned their U.S. counterparts about the new weapon program at the time, American officials were openly skeptical about Russia's ability to carry out its plan. "We aren't involved in saber-rattling, we simply ensured our security for decades to come," he said. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, Chief of General Staff of Russia Valery Gerasimov, background center, and special representative on questions of ecology and transport, Sergei Ivanov, right, talk to each other as they come to oversee the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle from the Defense Ministry's control room in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In the test, the Avangard was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin says it successfully hit a designated practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) - An SUV carrying seven people from two British families plunged off a bridge Thursday in Iceland, killing three people and critically injuring the others, authorities said. Icelandic police said one child was among the dead and two, aged 7 and 9, were among the injured. Police initially said the injured were from one family but updated the information later. The crash occurred about 9.30 a.m. Thursday when the vehicle slammed through a railing on the one-lane bridge at Skeidararsandur, a vast sand plain in southern Iceland. The car landed on a rocky river bank. Police say it remains unclear what caused the British driver to lose control of the vehicle but temperatures were around freezing at the time. The crash occurred before this North Atlantic island's sunrise at past 11 a.m. Tour guide Adolf Erlingsson was among the first on the scene. "It was horrible," he told The Associated Press. "The car seemed to have hit the ground many meters from where it stopped. We struggled getting everyone out." EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT In this UGC photo provided by Tour guide Adolf Erlingsson on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 a view of a crash, in Skeidararsandur, Iceland. An SUV carrying seven members of a British family plunged off a high bridge Thursday in Iceland, killing three people and critically injuring the others, authorities said. (Adolf Erlingsson via AP) Police only identified the victims as British; their names and ages have not been released. The four who survived were flown by helicopter to a hospital in Reykjavik. Chief Superintendent of south Iceland Police Sveinn Kristjan Runarsson said the four people hospitalized have serious injuries. "We haven't been able to talk to them about what happened," he said. The crash took place on Road No. 1, which runs for 1,337 kilometers (830 miles) as it connects coastal towns and villages on this volcanic island of 350,000 people. Iceland has seen a gigantic tourist boom in the last several years but its infrastructure has not always kept up. Roads are usually narrow, with many one-lane bridges. Of the 18 people who have died in traffic crashes in Iceland this year, half of them have been foreign nationals. Last year was the first on record when more foreigners died than residents, according to the Icelandic Transport Authority. This year 2.5 million tourists visited Iceland, compared with half a million in 2011, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board. NEW YORK (AP) - It was my way and the highway for a newborn New Yorker, who's now named after the expressway where she was born in her parents' minivan as they raced to a hospital. Alie Albarracin arrived around 3 a.m. Wednesday as parents Maria and Ivan Albarracin headed east on the Long Island Expressway from their Queens home to Bellevue Hospital. Her name is spelled A-L-I-E. The highway's nickname is the "L.I.E." Her parents tell the New York Post they planned to name their third child Aurora but switched it after the unusual birth. Realizing they wouldn't make it to the hospital, the Albarracins pulled over by the Queens Midtown Tunnel and asked Metropolitan Transportation Authority officers for help. They got it from Lt. Harry Persad, who has emergency medical technician experience. ___ Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) - Madagascar's electoral commission on Thursday announced provisional results in the runoff presidential election, saying Andry Rajoelina received more than 55 percent of the vote while Marc Ravalomanana received more than 44 percent. The Indian Ocean island nation's constitutional court has nine days to declare the final election results. All votes have been counted. Just over 48 percent of the country's 10 million registered voters cast their ballots in the Dec. 19 runoff between the candidates, both former heads of state and bitter rivals. Ravalomanana has denounced what he called "massive fraud" in the runoff and earlier this week urged supporters to "defend" their votes. He is expected to challenge the results at the constitutional court. Only Rajoelina attended Thursday's announcement, with the president of the electoral commission, Hery Rakotomanana, noting Ravalomanana's absence with regret. "We need calm," Rajoelina said. "The people of this country don't need trouble." He declared the election over until 2023. And he rejected any idea of fraud: "We don't know how to cheat. We don't know how to steal." FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2018 file photo presidential candidate Andry Rajoelina waves at supporters as he arrives to address an election rally in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Madagascar's electoral commission has announced provisional results in the runoff presidential election, saying Rajoelina received more than 55 percent of the vote while Marc Ravalomanana received more than 44 percent. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File) The two former presidents faced off for the first time since political turmoil in 2009 forced Ravalomanana from power. Both had said they would accept the runoff election's results, though Ravalomanana specified that the vote take place "in good conditions." The 44-year-old Rajoelina, who was president from 2009 to 2014 during a transitional government, had campaigned on his youth while the 69-year-old Ravalomanana, who led from 2002 to 2009, had pointed to his experience. Ravalomanana had to quit the presidency in 2009 after a series of military-backed challenges supported by Rajoelina, who was mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, at the time. Campaigning had been largely peaceful in this former French colony, which the World Bank ranks as one of the world's poorest nations, though rich in ecological diversity. More than two-thirds of the island's 25 million people live in extreme poverty, while corruption is said to be widespread. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - Two homeless men have been charged with burglary after a California man said he came home to find them cooking dinner. Robby Spillman tells KNBC-TV he returned from Christmas shopping last Friday to find the men in his Santa Monica apartment. Spillman says the men, who stank and wore filthy, ripped clothing, told him they hadn't expected him home so soon and asked if they could "hang out" for a while. Spillman says he played along, asked if they had enough food, then pretended to take his French bulldog for a walk and called 911. Nineteen-year-old Markis White and 29-year-old Elijah Smart were arrested. It's unclear whether they have a lawyer. Meanwhile, Spillman and his pregnant girlfriend plan to find a new home. NEW YORK (AP) - The #MeToo movement is empowering victims of sexual assault to speak up like never before, but what should be a watershed moment for holding assailants accountable has coincided with a troubling trend: Police departments in the U.S. are becoming less and less likely to successfully close rape investigations. The so-called "clearance rate" for rape cases fell last year to its lowest point since at least the 1960s, according to FBI data provided to The Associated Press. That nadir may be driven, at least in part, by a greater willingness by police to correctly classify rape cases and leave them open even when there is little hope of solving them. But experts say it also reflects the fact that not enough resources are being devoted to investigating sexual assault at a time when more victims are entrusting police with their harrowing experiences. "This is the second-most serious crime in the FBI's crime index," said Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women's Law Project in Philadelphia, "and it simply doesn't get the necessary resources from police." Police successfully closed just 32 percent of rape investigations nationwide in 2017, according to the data, ranking it second only to robbery as the least-solved violent crime. That statistic is down from about 62 percent in 1964, despite advances such as DNA testing. The FBI provided The AP with a dataset of rape statistics dating back to the early 1960s - a table that includes more complete data than the snapshot the bureau releases each fall. In this Dec. 18, 2018 photo, Sam Gaspardo poses for a portrait at the Associated Press bureau in Minneapolis. She said police in Woodbury, Minn., lacked a sense of urgency when she first reported that she had been sexually assaulted in 2011 and that she was given the runaround and placed on hold indefinitely when trying to follow up on her case. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen) The grim report card has prompted debate among criminal justice experts, with some attributing the falling clearance rate to an antiquated approach to investigations. "You'd figure with all the new technology - and the fact that the overwhelming majority of victims of sexual assault know their attacker - the clearance rates would be a lot higher," said Joseph Giacalone, a former New York City police sergeant who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "It's almost as if forensics and DNA has let us down," he said. Experts agree that sexual assault is one of the most confounding crimes police confront. Many investigations lack corroborating witnesses and physical evidence. A significant chunk of complaints are reported months or years after the fact. Researchers believe only a third of rapes are reported at all. Historically, some detectives also discouraged women from pursuing tough-to-prove charges against boyfriends, husbands or close acquaintances. The declining clearance rate could mean that investigators in some places are finally classifying rape investigations properly, said Kim Lonsway, research director at End Violence Against Women International. Rather than hastily "clearing" certain tough-to-solve cases, she said, some police departments have begun "suspending" them, meaning they remain open indefinitely. That leaves open the possibility there could someday be an arrest. "This may be an indicator of some positive things," Lonsway said. The FBI's clearance numbers provide an incomplete picture of how often rapists are brought to justice. That's because they also include "exceptional clearances," where police close an investigation without charging anyone, for reasons beyond the department's control. That could be because a victim stopped cooperating or the suspect died or is incarcerated in another state, among other reasons. The figures do not specify the percentage of rape cases that are exceptionally cleared compared with those resulting in arrests, but state data can fill out the picture in some places. In Detroit, for instance, police investigated 664 reported rapes last year but made just 44 arrests, according to Michigan data. Another 15 cases were closed for other reasons. That would give Detroit a clearance rate of 8.9 percent, even though only 6.6 percent of reported rapes resulted in an arrest. Sam Gaspardo said that when she reported in 2011 that she had been sexually assaulted, police in Woodbury, Minnesota, lacked a sense of urgency. Investigators in the St. Paul suburb expressed frustration that she delayed reporting the attack for more than a year and couldn't recall the precise date. One time, when she phoned to follow up her case, she was put on hold indefinitely. "To me, it felt like it was invalidated," Gaspardo said. "I was just completely dismissed." Woodbury Police Cmdr. Steve Wills acknowledged Gaspardo's complaint fell through the cracks and was not investigated for years, something he called "a system failure." "Obviously, we own that," Wills said. Wills said authorities have "no reason not to believe" Gaspardo but decided a few weeks ago they could not prove her alleged attacker had forced her into intercourse. He acknowledged police would have been in a far better position to investigate the case had they begun looking into the matter immediately. "It can make a person so angry," Gaspardo said. "Are women supposed to start wearing body cameras when they're alone in a room with somebody?" Many police sex assault units have heavy workloads and insufficient staffing, said Kevin Strom, the director of RTI International's Center for Policing Research & Investigative Science, a research center based in North Carolina. "I think that has a major impact in terms of influencing the ability of law enforcement to successfully clear these cases," Strom said. The clearance rate in rape cases dropped steadily in the 1960s, plateaued at nearly 50 percent through most of the 70s, 80s and 90s, then began a steady yearly decline that persisted through last year, according to the statistics collected by the FBI. In 2013, the FBI significantly broadened the definition of rape in its Uniform Crime Reporting system to include oral penetration and attacks on men. After the revision, the number of rapes counted in the system soared from an average of around 84,500 per year between 1995 and 2012, to nearly 126,400 in 2016. The clearance rate after the adjustment continued to tick down, falling from 38 percent to 32 percent. The number leapt again to 166,000 in 2017, a year when sexual assault got unprecedented national attention in the wake of allegations made against President Donald Trump and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Both men deny assaulting anyone. Rape complaints in New York City, for instance, surged 24.5 percent as the #MeToo movement took off, according to city crime statistics. "I think that has a major impact in terms of influencing the ability of law enforcement to successfully clear these cases," he said. The NYPD, the nation's biggest municipal police force, transferred three dozen investigators to the special victims division in April, trimming a detective's average caseload from 77 to 64. The department also started an advertising campaign encouraging sexual assault victims to come forward. "We believe that the stigma has been removed to a degree," said Lori Pollock, the department's chief of crime control strategies, "so people are much more comfortable - especially in domestic situations - to come forward and report rapes that are happening now and rapes that have happened in the past." NEW DELHI (AP) - The lower house of India's Parliament on Thursday approved a bill to implement the Supreme Court's ruling that found the Muslim practice of instant divorce was unconstitutional. The Congress and other main opposition parties walked out of the house in opposition to a three-year jail term for a husband who divorced in such a way, arguing that no other religion has such punishment for desertion. The bill also had no clarity on spousal support if men were jailed for an instant divorce, the opposition leaders said. Mallikarjun Kharge, a Congress party leader, demanded that a parliamentary committee consider these provisions of the bill to reach a consensus on the issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government doesn't have a majority in the upper house and will need some opposition support to make the bill a law. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that allowing Muslim men to divorce by "triple talaq" violated the constitutional rights of Muslim women. Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by the Muslim Personal Law for family matters. It includes allowing Muslim men to divorce their wives by saying "talaq," the Arabic word for divorce, three times. The words don't have to be said together but can be uttered at any time and in any medium, including telephone, text message or social media post. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday that nearly 22 countries, including neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned the practice and appealed to the opposition to approve the bill. NEW YORK (AP) - Preparations for New Year's Eve in Times Square are taking shape, and some of those shapes are 192 new crystal triangles on the famous ball. The new Waterford crystal triangles will join about 2,500 others Thursday on the big, sparkling sphere. Some new crystals are swapped in every year . This year's additions feature rosette cuts designed to make them appear to flow harmoniously into each other. That's in keeping with this year's "gift of harmony" theme. The ball measures 12 feet (3.5 meters) in diameter and weighs almost 12,000 pounds (almost 5,450 kg). It's positioned atop One Times Square. Media watch as workmen demonstrate the replacement of a panel on the New Year's Eve ball on top of a building in Times Square, New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Preparations for New Year's Eve in Times Square are taking shape, and some of those shapes are 192 new crystal triangles on the famous ball. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Media watch as workmen demonstrate the replacement of a panel on the New Year's Eve ball on top of a building in Times Square, New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Preparations for New Year's Eve in Times Square are taking shape, and some of those shapes are 192 new crystal triangles on the famous ball. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Media watch as workmen demonstrate the replacement of a panel on the New Year's Eve ball on top of a building in Times Square, New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Preparations for New Year's Eve in Times Square are taking shape, and some of those shapes are 192 new crystal triangles on the famous ball. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Brazil's military intervention into Rio de Janeiro's public security has been an unmitigated success authorities said Thursday during a ceremony marking the completion of the operation, which officially ends Dec.31. Gen. Walter Souza Braga Netto made the statements after receiving a commendation from Rio's State Assembly for his work leading the intervention. "Over the last 10 months, through unending and extraordinary labors, we have reached all the objectives intended to recover the operational capacity of the state's public security institutions," Netto said. President Michel Temer ordered the operation, which put the military in charge of security forces in Rio, on Feb. 16. The intervention was mandated to resolve the "serious impairment of public order" that had plagued the city for months. At the time of the Temer's order, Rio's government would often miss paychecks to a police force that was suffering its highest casualty numbers in years. Meanwhile, arrests of prominent politicians found to be stealing from government coffers shook the public faith in its institutions. Netto said on being placed in charge of the intervention that his goal was to recover the capability of the state's security infrastructure and to reduce crime metrics to provide a sense of security to Rio's public. Reflected on the mirror the Public Security Secretary of Rio de Janeiro Gen. Richard Nunes, left, greets the Gen. Walter Souza Braga Netto during a ceremony for the ending of the Military Intervention in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. According to Brazilian organization Observatorio da Intervencao, the number of alleged criminals killed by police increased 40.5 percent when compared with the previous year. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) The measures enacted put thousands of soldiers in the streets and increased actions against heavily armed drug-trafficking gangs. Intervention forces used armored personnel carriers and helicopters to invade parts of the city considered off-limits to police and entirely controlled by criminal organizations. Some Brazilians have questioned the effectiveness of the intervention saying it has not helped address underlying issues like unemployment and income inequality. Meanwhile, institutions tasked with monitoring the intervention said their data shows that the reduction in crimes like murders and thefts has come with a spike in police violence. Gen. Eduardo Villas Boas, commander of the Brazilian Army, center, talks to Gen. Walter Souza Braga Netto, right, during a ceremony for the ending of the Military Intervention in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. According to Brazilian organization Observatorio da Intervencao, the number of alleged criminals killed by police increased 40.5 percent when compared with the previous year. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian authorities Thursday released a prominent activist who had criticized the government and decried sexual harassment after more than seven months of detention, her lawyer said. Lawyer Doaa Moustafa said her client, Amal Fathy, was freed from a police station in the capital Cairo, more than a week after a court ordered her conditional release. Fathy must report to a nearby police station every week and is under house arrest, allowed only to leave for medication or visiting a police station or court, Moustafa said. Her husband, activist Mohammed Lotfi confirmed her release in a Facebook post. Police arrested Fathy in May after she posted a video online criticizing the state for deteriorating public services and not taking measures against sexual harassment. She cited alleged harassment at the branch of a local state-owned bank. The video also shows her using profanities to describe her experience at the bank and repeatedly insult the state. Fathy faces charges of disseminating false news and joining an outlawed group. "Membership in an outlawed group" is Egyptian government parlance for having ties to a range of groups that it has outlawed, including the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization that authorities have banned and labeled a terrorist group. Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa campaigns director, said earlier this month when the court ordered Fathy freed that conditional release was "not enough." "The Egyptian authorities must now drop all charges against her, quash her earlier conviction and two-year prison sentence and ensure she doesn't face any further reprisals for freely expressing her opinions," she said in a statement then. Separately, Fathy received a suspended two-year prison sentence in September for insulting employees in a bank and using abusive language to criticize state institutions and decry sexual harassment against women. She awaits a scheduled Dec. 30 ruling on her appeal in that case, her lawyer said. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has overseen a crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of Islamists and secular, pro-democracy advocates and imposing tight control on the media while rolling back freedoms won in a popular 2011 uprising. El-Sissi says his government's top priorities are security and overhauling the battered economy. BOSTON (AP) - A Massachusetts man who says he was groped by Kevin Spacey at a Nantucket restaurant in 2016 caught part of his encounter with the actor on video, according to court records. The then 18-year-old man sent a video via Snapchat to his girlfriend that allegedly showed Spacey touching the front of his pants, according to a state police report filed in Nantucket District Court and obtained by the Cape Cod Times . Spacey's lawyers said at a show-cause hearing last week the video shows someone's hand touching another person's shirt, but does not show anyone being groped, according to The Boston Globe , which obtained an audio recording of the hearing. Spacey, 59, faces arraignment Jan. 7 on a charge of indecent assault and battery. The case came to light in November 2017 when former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh announced that Spacey had groped her son. In trying to get a court clerk magistrate to rule there wasn't enough evidence for Spacey to be charged, Los Angeles-based attorney Alan Jackson pointed out that Unruh's son did not report the allegations to police right way, lied about his age saying he was 23, and said he was so intoxicated he may have blacked out shortly after Spacey allegedly groped him. Jackson also said Unruh's son made no effort to move away from Spacey. FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2017, file photo, Kevin Spacey presents an award in Beverly Hills, Calif. A Massachusetts prosecutor says Spacey is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 7, 2019, on a charge of indecent assault and battery for allegedly sexually assaulting the teenage son of a Boston television anchor in a Nantucket restaurant. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) Unruh said in a news conference last year that her son didn't go to authorities sooner because of fear and embarrassment. The alleged victim told police that it was hard to move away in the crowded restaurant, where he worked as a bus boy but was off duty at the time. Neither Spacey nor his lawyers have addressed the allegation publicly, but Spacey did release a video Monday in the voice of Frank Underwood, his character on Netflix's "House of Cards" in which he said, "I'm certainly not going to pay the price for the thing I didn't do." It was unclear whether he was addressing the criminal charge. If convicted, Spacey faces up to five years in prison. HELSINKI (AP) - Swedish prosecutors say they have charged three men with preparing an extremist attack, and they were also charged along with three other men for financing the Islamic State group. The state prosecutor's office said in a statement Thursday that the main three suspects allegedly acquired and stored large quantities of chemicals and other equipment "to kill and harm other people" among other things. It noted that should the planned terrorist crime been carried out, "it could have seriously hurt Sweden." All six men, who are reportedly from Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan, are charged with sending money abroad that was eventually forwarded to IS. Five of the six men are in police custody while one is freed pending a trial, which is set to start Jan. 7. All deny any wrongdoing. BERLIN (AP) - A Swiss federal court has overturned the racial discrimination conviction of a man who published an article denying the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995. The plaintiff, who wasn't identified, labeled the official version of events in Srebrenica a lie in the 2012 article and asserted that there was a massacre, but of Serbs. In 2017, he was convicted by a court in Switzerland's southern Ticino canton (state). The Federal Tribunal said Thursday it overturned the verdict because, while the average reader would understand the text as "a denial of the genocide against Bosnian Muslims," there was insufficient evidence that the author intended to discriminate. It also cited freedom of speech concerns raised by a previous European Court of Human Rights ruling. BALTIMORE (AP) - The Trump administration is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by several cities for allegedly sabotaging the Affordable Care Act. The Daily Record reports that the defendants argued in a motion filed Monday that the dispute is a political disagreement outside federal court's jurisdiction. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore in August on behalf of Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. A Charlottesville, Virginia, couple is also part of the lawsuit. The complaint asserts the administration is trying to discourage enrollment and reduce choices, and will destabilize the health insurance marketplace. The complaint accuses the president of violating a clause requiring the faithful execution of laws, but the defendants argue the court can't instruct the president how to perform official duties. ___ Information from: The Daily Record of Baltimore, http://www.thedailyrecord.com VAN BUREN, Ark. (AP) - An Arkansas judge has dismissed local charges against four carnival workers suspected in the deaths of a retired couple in Kansas. Investigators said one suspect texted the others posing as a carnival mafia boss and ordered them to kill the couple. The suspects were originally charged in Arkansas with abuse of a corpse and other crimes after the couple's bodies were found in shallow graves in a national forest in Arkansas. Prosecutors asked that the Arkansas charges be dropped because the suspects had been extradited to Kansas, where capital murder charges were filed earlier this month, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported . A Crawford County judge granted the motion last week. The suspects are Kimberly Younger, 52, and Michael Fowler Jr., 54, both of Florida; and Rusty Frasier, 35, and Christine Tenney, 38, of Texas. All but Tenney are charged with capital murder in Kansas for the July deaths of retired couple Alfred Carpenter, 78, and Pauline Carpenter, 79. The couple sold crafts and trinkets at carnivals, using a trailer behind their camper vehicle to transport the items. Police allege that Fowler shot the Carpenters at the Baxter County Fair in Great Bend, Kansas. Investigators say he told police he killed the couple after receiving text messages from someone named Frank Zaitchik, a man he believed to be a member of a "carnival mafia." Police said they later discovered the text messages were sent by Younger. This undated photo provided by the Crawford County Jail in Van Buren, Ark., shows Kimberly Younger. An Arkansas judge has dismissed local charges against four carnival workers including Younger, suspected in the deaths of a retired couple in Kansas. (Crawford County Jail via AP) Younger, Fowler, Frasier and Tenney were arrested in Van Buren, Arkansas, on July 19 after a Tenney's relative called local police to report she was being held against her will. The homicide investigation unfolded from there. A fifth suspect, Thomas Drake, also faces charges in Kansas. He and Tenney are accused of helping the other three suspects even though they knew the trio had killed the couple. ___ Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Crawford County Jail in Van Buren, Ark., shows Michael Fowler Jr. An Arkansas judge has dismissed local charges against four carnival workers including Fowler, suspected in the deaths of a retired couple in Kansas. (Crawford County Jail via AP, File) FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Crawford County Jail in Van Buren, Ark., shows Christine Tenney. An Arkansas judge has dismissed local charges against four carnival workers including Tenney, suspected in the deaths of a retired couple in Kansas. (Crawford County Jail via AP, File) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Albuquerque's zoo has received another Mexican gray wolf as part of an international recovery effort that includes breeding the endangered animals in captivity to ensure their genetic viability. The ABQ BioPark said Thursday it received the wolf earlier this month from the Binder Zoo in Michigan. The animal will be a mate for a 4-year-old female wolf already at the Albuquerque zoo. The transfer stemmed from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan, and the zoos holding Mexican wolves. The wild population in Arizona and New Mexico has struggled to gain significant ground since the first release in 1998. About 114 wolves are believed to be roaming the two states. BENI, Congo (AP) - The Latest on Congo's presidential election (all times local): 6:50 p.m. Congo's government has ordered the European Union ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours, after the EU prolonged sanctions against the ruling party's presidential candidate ahead of Sunday's election. The foreign minister's order, seen by The Associated Press, calls the ambassador's comportment "reprehensible" and comes after weeks of pressure by Congo's government to have the EU sanctions lifted on Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. The EU last year sanctioned Shadary, a former interior minister, for obstructing Congo's electoral process and for a crackdown against protesters angry over the long-delayed vote. The EU earlier this month prolonged the asset freeze and travel ban against Shadary, days after Congo's Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu pleaded with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to lift the sanctions, even for a "probationary period." There is no immediate comment from Ambassador Bart Ouvry. ___ 11:30 a.m. Police in eastern Congo have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse dozens of people protesting a presidential election delay that means more than 1 million votes will not count. The protesters in Beni say the delay announced Wednesday by Congo's electoral commission makes no sense. The delay of Sunday's election until March for Beni and Butembo city is blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak. Opposition candidates call the delay a ploy to hurt their chances at the polls. Protesters in Beni on Thursday marched to the election office demanding the right to vote Sunday with the rest of Congo. They demanded that the electoral commission's president resign. They pointed out that candidates have campaigned in Beni and Butembo with no problems, while school, church and other activities continue. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Cyprus authorities say a police helicopter has airlifted a man that a U.S.-flagged merchant ship plucked from stormy seas off the east Mediterranean island's southeastern tip. Cyprus' Joint Rescue Coordination Center said the vessel, Safmarine Nimba, had notified Cypriot authorities Thursday that it had found the man adrift and picked him up about 17 miles (27 kilometers) northeast of Cape Greco. Cypriot police dispatched a helicopter which then airlifted the unidentified man to a hospital in the coastal town of Larnaca. It's unclear how the man ended up in the water so far away from Cyprus' coastline. BERLIN (AP) - Five monks were assaulted at a Vienna church on Thursday by two people, at least one of whom apparently demanded money and valuables, police said. Police said the assault happened at about 1:30 p.m. (1230 GMT; 7:30 a.m. EST) at a complex in the city's Floridsdorf district. No church service was underway when the assailants entered the Maria Immaculata church. Police found the monks tied up, one of them with head injuries, nearly three hours later. They were aged between 56 and 68, and it appeared that the others had tried to intervene after one of the assailants - described as speaking with a foreign accent - attacked the oldest monk, the Austria Press Agency reported. Police wrote on Twitter that, while the precise motive remains unclear, "a possible terror motive can be ruled out" in the incident at the Maria Immaculata church. Officers were searching for the perpetrators, including in the complex where the incident took place. They said Thursday evening that they had found nothing in the building. Special police patrol outside a church in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. First police reports indicated an armed robbery. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) A masked police officers looks into a police car outside a church in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. First police reports indicated an armed robbery. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) Police cars stand outside a church in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. First police reports indicated an armed robbery. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) Ambulances stand outside a church in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. First police reports indicated an armed robbery. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) MEXICO CITY (AP) - The theft of $3 billion in fuel every year from Mexico's state-run fuel depots and pipelines is an inside job, the country's new president said Thursday. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said thieves don't just drill taps into government pipelines. He said company employees steal fuel and distribute it, or help thieves by ensuring fuel continues to run through pipelines. Mexico's top prosecutor said criminal investigations have been opened against three employees of the state-owned oil company Pemex for alleged involvement in thefts. While thieves drill an average of about 42 illegal taps a day, Lopez Obrador said that represents only about 20 percent of losses. The rest was presumably stolen from distribution centers aboard tanker trucks. "There is a hypothesis that of all the (fuel) thefts, only about 20 percent is done by illegal pipeline taps," Lopez Obrador said. "It's a kind of smoke-screen, and the majority is done through a scheme that involves the complicity of authorities and a distribution network." Lopez Obrador suggested much of the stolen fuel leaves distribution centers aboard about 600 tanker trucks carrying fuel worth about $10 million every day. FILE - In this July 11, 2017 file photo, Pemex security employees inspect an illegal tap into a state-owned pipeline in the middle of a cornfield in San Bartolome Hueyapan, Tepeaca, Mexico. The theft of $3 billion in fuel every year from Mexico's state-run fuel depots and pipelines is an inside job, the country's new president said Thursday, dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File) Authorities have long suspected Pemex employees of complicity in the thefts, since drilling illegal taps and extracting fuel without causing an explosion requires expertise. But an even bigger mystery has been how that much stolen fuel gets sold. Simply selling it on roadsides to passing truckers could never account for the vast amount of stolen gasoline and diesel. A few dozen gasoline stations have been implicated in selling stolen fuel, but that also wouldn't account for enough sales volume. "If we're talking about 600 tanker trucks per day, we're not just talking about 'huachicol' pipeline thefts," Lopez Obrador said. "We are talking about a scheme that has involvement inside the governments and has a fuel distribution system, because it is not easy to distribute and sell 600 tanker trucks per day." One outlet for all the stolen fuel appears to be construction sites, to power dump trucks and heavy machinery. "A lot of companies, when they are working on a construction project, bought stolen fuel, and I am calling on them not to do it," Lopez Obrador said. "On big projects, there were fuel deposits where they sold cheap diesel and gasoline." Officials say that by targeting corrupt employees and monitoring fuel shipments they have already managed to reduce the thefts since Lopez Obrador took office on Dec. 1. Military personnel are participating in a new plan to monitor distribution depots. Still, the problem remains strikingly widespread; authorities found 12,581 illegal pipeline taps in first 10 months of year, equivalent to about 42 per day. Fuel theft gangs also have brought extreme violence to previously peaceful states in central Mexico, and the gangs frequently recruit entire neighborhoods to block police raids and acts as lookouts. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - The father of an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy who died in U.S. custody took his son to the border after hearing rumors that parents and their children would be allowed to migrate to the United States and escape the poverty in their homeland, the boy's stepsister told The Associated Press. Felipe Gomez Alonzo died Monday at a New Mexico hospital after suffering coughing, vomiting and fever, authorities said. It was the second such death this month. Another Guatemalan child, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, died in U.S. custody on Dec. 8. Both deaths are under investigation. "We heard rumors that they could pass (into the United States). They said they could pass with the children," said Catarina Gomez Lucas, the boy's 21-year-old stepsister, explaining why Felipe and his father, Agustin Gomez, made the dangerous journey. Gomez Lucas would not say who spread the rumors or who transported the father and son to the border from Yalambojoch in Huehuetenango province, a poor community of returnees from Mexico who had fled Guatemala in the bloodiest years of that country's 1960-1996 civil war. The stepsister spoke to the AP on Wednesday by telephone from Yalambojoch. The boy's death came during an ongoing dispute over border security and with the U.S. government partially shut down over President Donald Trump's insistence on funding for a longer border wall. The Trump administration has long argued smugglers capitalize on vulnerable parents because of "loopholes" in American law, such as anti-trafficking legislation passed in 2008 that effectively prevents the immediate deportations of Central American children. This Dec, 12, 2018 photo provided by Catarina Gomez on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, shows her half-brother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, near her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. The 8-year-old boy died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting and fever, authorities said. The cause is under investigation. (Catarina Gomez via AP) After hearing the rumors, Agustin Gomez thought he should take advantage of "the opportunity" to fulfill his son's dreams. He grabbed a few changes of clothing, bought the boy new shoes and left with what money he had, Gomez Lucas said. Felipe "always wanted a bicycle," and in the U.S. he wouldn't have to endure the poverty and lack of opportunity in Guatemala, she said. The boy's mother, 31-year-old Catarina Alonzo Perez, said she spoke with her son the day before they arrived at the U.S. border. "He wasn't sick on the way; he wasn't sick here," she said through her stepdaughter in the Mayan language known as Chuj. Both Felipe and Jakelin came from rural communities with extreme poverty. Both were taken to the border by their parents and detained by the U.S. Border Patrol before they fell ill. It appears Felipe got sick after authorities moved him from El Paso, Texas, to Alamogordo, New Mexico, because of overcrowding. "He was very happy to leave" on the voyage, Gomez Lucas said, so the family does not understand what happened. She said the family stopped hearing from Felipe's father on Dec. 18, when he and the boy were detained. On Dec. 25, he called to say the boy had died in a hospital. "He told us that (Felipe) was fine all day, that he was playing with other children. But then he said he felt bad and his stomach ached," the stepsister said. Felipe told his father he did not know what was wrong with him and that it felt like something was stuck in his throat, Gomez Lucas said. The father said Felipe asked him not to cry because he "was not going to get better," according to the boy's stepsister. Felipe was taken to a hospital, and the father said he gave the boy to doctors, who soon informed him his son had died. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy displayed signs of illness Monday and was taken with his father to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a cold and a fever and prescribed amoxicillin and ibuprofen. He was released that afternoon but returned in the evening with nausea and vomiting and died there just after midnight, CBP said. An autopsy performed on 8-year-old Felipe shows he had the flu, the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator said in a statement late Thursday, adding that more tests need to be done before a cause of death can be determined. After the two deaths, the government announced that it would conduct additional medical screening for children and consider other changes. Agustin Gomez was drowning in debt, Gomez Lucas said. He sold a piece of land to survive, but the money was not enough, so he decided to take out a loan and travel to the United States. Felipe is survived by five siblings, two from his father's first marriage and three from his stepmother and father. The boy lived with his father's family in a small wooden house with earthen floors. It lacked basic services. Gomez Lucas said Felipe's father earned about $6 a day through temporary farm jobs or harvesting coffee, which was not enough to support the family. As with Jakelin's family, Felipe's relatives now must deal with the death of a child, a debt and their continued worry about the fate of Agustin Gomez. Oscar Padilla, the Guatemalan consul in Phoenix, confirmed that the father is still detained by the Border Patrol. "My father is suffering because of the boy. We do not know what will happen. We have nothing to live with. We do not have money," Gomez Lucas said. CORRECTS AGE AND SIBLING RELATIONSHIP - This undated photo provided by Catarina Gomez on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, shows her stepbrother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 7, near Laguna Brava in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. Felipe died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting and fever, authorities said. He was 8-years-old. The cause is under investigation. (Catarina Gomez via AP) SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the San Quentin walk-away and carjacking (all times local): 10:55 a.m. California authorities say an escaped San Quentin State Prison inmate suspected in a carjacking walked away from a work assignment outside the prison walls. Prison spokesman Sgt. Robert Gardea said Thursday officials are still searching for 21-year-old Shalom Mendoza. He was last seen at the prison before 6 p.m. Wednesday and reported missing after 9:30 p.m. San Rafael police say Mendoza is believed to have carjacked a victim in a nearby Home Depot parking lot after 9 p.m. Authorities believe he fled in a Toyota RAV4 with California license plate number 6STZZ50. Mendoza arrived at the prison in April to serve a five-year sentence for using a deadly weapon during a Los Angeles County carjacking and evading or attempting to evade police while driving recklessly. This Dec. 21, 2017 photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) shows Shalom Mendoza. Authorities in Northern California are searching for Mendoza who escaped from San Quentin State Prison overnight and pulled off a carjacking. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP) ___ This story clarifies that Mendoza left from a work assignment, not a dormitory, based on new information from corrections officials. ___ 8:54 a.m. Authorities in California are searching for an inmate who escaped from San Quentin State Prison overnight and pulled off a carjacking. San Quentin spokesman Lt. Samuel Robinson says the 21-year-old inmate, Shalom Mendoza, was reported missing at 9:35 p.m. Wednesday during an institutional count. He says Mendoza is believed to have carjacked a victim shortly after, fleeing in a Toyota RAV4 with California license plate number 6STZZ50. Robinson says Mendoza was transferred in April to the prison from Los Angeles County to serve a five-year sentence for use of a deadly weapon during a carjacking and evading or attempting to evade a police officer while driving recklessly. TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Police in Kosovo say that an officer and a bank robber have been killed during a shootout. A police statement says a man identified as K.M., 50, opened fire on two police officers responding to a robbery Thursday at a bank branch in Istog, 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of the capital, Pristina. The robber had also held two people as hostages during the robbery. Police found a hand grenade, a pistol and an AK-47 automatic rifle with him. Police say the suspect had a criminal record in some European countries, without giving further details. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on the death of a California police officer and search for the killer (all times local): 2:20 p.m. President Donald Trump says the shooting death of a California officer by a man in the country illegally shows the need for a border crackdown. Trump tweeted Thursday that a "full scale" manhunt is underway for the assailant and that it's "time to get tough on Border Security." He ended the message with: "Build the Wall!" A man killed Cpl. Ronil Singh of the small-town Newman Police Department during a traffic stop Wednesday over suspected drunken driving. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said Thursday that the gunman is in United States illegally but didn't release his name or other details. This undated photo provided by the Newman Police Department shows officer Ronil Singh of Newman Police Department who was killed by an unidentified suspect. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Singh was conducting a traffic stop early Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in the town of Newman, Calif. when he called out "shots fired" over his radio. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) Trump's tweet comes during a partial government shutdown over an impasse on funding his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. ___ 11:35 a.m. The police chief of a tiny California police department choked up as he spoke about one of his officers who was killed the day after Christmas. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said at a news conference Thursday that his department of 12 is grieving Cpl. Ronil Singh and that other agencies are lending a hand. Singh was shot during a traffic stop Wednesday. Richardson pleaded for the public to help bring the attacker to justice as authorities search for the suspect. The police chief called the Fiji-born Singh an "American patriot" and said he came to the U.S. to serve this country. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters that the suspect is in the United States illegally. ___ 11:25 a.m. A California sheriff says the suspect in the shooting death of a police officer is in United States illegally. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters Thursday that authorities have identified a suspect but didn't name him. Authorities are still searching for the attacker. Christianson's agency is leading the investigation into the slaying of Cpl. Ronil Singh of the small-town Newman Police Department. The sheriff says Singh pulled over the attacker as part of a DUI investigation Wednesday and that the officer fired back to try to defend himself. ___ 12 a.m. Authorities are hunting the man suspected of killing a policeman who stopped his truck in a small California town. Thirty-three-year-old Ronil Singh was shot Wednesday after stopping a pickup truck without a license plate in Newman, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. The truck was later found but the gunman is at large. Authorities say surveillance photos taken at a convenience store shortly before the attack show the suspect, a heavy man with short dark hair wearing a chain necklace, dark T-shirt and jacket. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department says police agencies throughout California and out of state have been alerted. Singh was a native of Fiji who joined the Newman police force in 2011. He is survived by a wife and an infant son. This Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 image from a surveillance camera video and provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows a suspect police are searching for in connection to the fatal shooting of an officer during a traffic stop in Northern California. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) This Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 image from a surveillance camera video and provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows a suspect police are searching for in connection to the fatal shooting of an officer during a traffic stop in Northern California. (Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via AP) A British adventurer was close to becoming the second person to traverse Antarctica completely unassisted just a few days after an American became the first to conquer the feat, which was previously said to be impossible. Louis Rudd's expedition blog on Thursday showed that the 49-year-old has only has about 50 miles (80 kilometers) left on the journey across the continent and is expected to finish Saturday. If Rudd - a Hereford, England, resident and captain in the British Army - completes the journey, he'll become the second man to do so after Colin O'Brady of Portland, Oregon, became the first on Wednesday. The more than 900-mile (1448-kilometer) trek took O'Brady 54 days. O'Brady and Rudd were competing to become the first to travel across Antarctica without getting new supplies or help from the wind. O'Brady won after he covered the last roughly 80 miles (129 kilometers) in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day. "While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," O'Brady posted on Instagram, where he has been documenting the arduous journey. This Dec. 9, 2018, selfie provided by Colin O'Brady, of Portland., Ore., shows himself in Antarctica. He has become the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance. O'Brady finished the 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey across the continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures. (Colin O'Brady via AP) Rudd congratulated O'Brady on his blog late Wednesday. "I've just heard that the American Colin's finished," he wrote. "Fantastic, well done to him. He'd pushed really hard all the way across and done extremely well, so congratulations to him." Rudd wrote that he never felt like he was in a race and that "it's always been about completing the journey." "That'll be incredible," he wrote. It's been an emotional trek for Rudd, who decided to do the solo in honor of his close friend and fellow British explorer Henry Worsley, who died near the end of his attempt at an unassisted solo trek across Antarctica in 2016. Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward. O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, said O'Brady's wife, Jenna Besaw. "It's a small club," she joked. "His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing." O'Brady finished his trek as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online. "I did it!" a tearful O'Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to Besaw. O'Brady, who had been told he may never walk again after an accident burned his legs in 2008, described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began his Antarctic trek on Nov. 3. In the beginning, he had to haul 375 pounds (170 kilograms) of gear uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind. By the end of the journey, his gear weighed roughly 140 pounds (64 kilograms). On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph (48 kph) headwind for eight hours as he trudged along. "I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day," he wrote. On Day 37, Dec. 9, O'Brady posted about how much he's changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat. "I'm no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?" he wrote. "I've suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I've laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration." Though O'Brady had initially thought he'd want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods. As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure. "We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now," she said. "Then we'll see what's next on the horizon." ___ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP In this photo provided by Colin O'Brady, of Portland., Ore., he poses for a photo while traveling across Antarctica on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. He has become the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance. O'Brady finished the 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey across the continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures. (Colin O'Brady via AP) In this photo provided by Colin O'Brady, of Portland., Ore., he speaks on the phone in Antarctica on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. He has become the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance. O'Brady finished the 932-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey across the continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures. (Colin O'Brady via AP) HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Montana has a state song, a state ballad and a state lullaby. And, for goodness sake, Democratic Rep. Jacob Bachmeier of Havre would like to see the 2019 Legislature declare the "Hippy Hippy Shake" Montana's official rock and roll song. It was written in 1959 by Chan Romero when he was a 17-year-old student at Billings Senior High School. Romero, who now lives in Southern California, tells the Great Falls Tribune his song has been featured in seven or eight movies and has been recorded by about 20 groups, including The Beatles. He says he'd be proud to have his song honored by the Legislature. The bill's introduction borrows from the song's lyrics in saying: "WHEREAS, Montanans shake it to the left and shake it to the right and do everything with all of their might." ___ Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A judge wants to know whether a parolee is mentally fit to stand trial on charges stemming from a fatal stabbing at a Northern California train station. Alameda County Judge James Cramer on Thursday suspended criminal proceedings against 28-year-old John Lee Cowell. According to the San Francisco Chronicle , Cramer said there was substantial evidence that Cowell was incompetent to stand trial. Cowell is accused of stabbing 18-year-old Nia Wilson and her older sister, Letifah, in an unprovoked attack in July at an Oakland Bay Area Rapid Transit station. Nia Wilson died. Cowell's attorney, Christina Moore, said it appeared her client's delusions and paranoia were increasing in frequency. The Chronicle says two doctors will evaluate Cowell. Cramer and attorneys are expected to discuss their findings at a hearing in February. ___ Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Tourists in Philadelphia for the holidays will be able to see the Liberty Bell this weekend despite a partial federal government shutdown that closed many national parks throughout the country. Most of the buildings in the Independence National Historic Park including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center have been shuttered since Saturday morning because of the partial shutdown. That was bad news for tourists and the city of Philadelphia, which sees the second highest attendance at the Liberty Bell during the weekend before New Year's Day annually. Officials at tourism and marketing group Visit Philadelphia say they're giving the park $32,000 to open Friday, Saturday and Sunday to let in the estimated 25,000 people who had planned to see the Liberty Bell this weekend. A tourist is reflected in a window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. The building is closed due to the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) A tourist to Independence National Historical Park takes a photograph through a window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. The building is closed due to the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Tourists to Independence National Historical Park take photographs through a window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. The building is closed due to the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) A young boy visiting Independence National Historical Park peers through a window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. The building is closed due to the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) ROME (AP) - A new area for penguins opened at Rome's Bioparco zoo on Thursday. The 18 African penguins arrived in the Italian capital from zoos in Turin, northern Italy, and Bristol, England. The transfer was part of the European Endangered Species Program, which aims to preserve a population of healthy endangered animals in captivity. Half of the penguins are female, half are male, and they are all between 2 and 4 years old. African penguins are an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Jackass penguins swim in a pool during the presentation to journalists of this endangered specie at the Rome's zoo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Jackass penguins are fed with fish during the presentation to journalists of this endangered specie at the Rome's zoo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Jackass penguins swim in a pool during the presentation to journalists of this endangered specie at the Rome's zoo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A jackass penguin is reflected on the glass of a pool during the presentation to journalists of this endangered specie at the Rome's zoo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Jackass penguins swim in a pool during the presentation to journalists of this endangered specie at the Rome's zoo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on North Carolina lawmakers considering an override of the governor's veto of legislation that he says would add secrecy to campaign finance investigations. (all times local): 3:45 p.m. North Carolina lawmakers have overridden the governor's veto of legislation that will allow the state elections board to keep confidential any allegations of campaign fundraising law violations. The state House and Senate on Thursday voted to retain the law, which also will affect the country's last undecided congressional race. The law will require new primaries and a new general election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District if the state elections board looking into an ongoing case of ballot fraud decides it's necessary. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said he vetoed the measure because it added new confidentiality requirements for campaign finance investigations. The law also dictates that a separate commission will secretly review whether prosecutors are notified of such investigations. Defending the confidentiality provision, Republican State Rep. Sarah Stevens says politicians need the opportunity to offer their side before unproven allegations become public. 3:25 p.m. North Carolina lawmakers are moving forward with an override of the governor's veto of legislation that he says would add secrecy to campaign finance investigations. The state House on Thursday voted to retain the multilevel elections legislation law despite Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto last week. The Senate is expected to vote later Thursday. The legislation would affect the last undecided congressional race in the country at the center of a ballot-fraud investigation. It would require new primaries as well as a new general election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District if the state elections board deemed new voting is necessary. Cooper says he vetoed the measure because of an added section that would make confidential future state elections board investigations of potential campaign finance misdeeds. ___ 11:15 a.m. North Carolina lawmakers are delaying plans to consider overriding the governor's veto of legislation he says would add secrecy to campaign finance investigations. The state House and Senate met briefly Thursday with only a scattering of legislators and postponed action until the afternoon. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper last week vetoed legislation affecting the last undecided congressional race in the country at the center of a ballot fraud investigation. The bill would require new primaries as well as a general election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District if the state elections board deems new voting is necessary. Cooper says he vetoed the measure because of an added section that would make confidential future state elections board investigations of potential campaign finance misdeeds. ___ 6:15 a.m. North Carolina lawmakers are scheduled to consider overriding the governor's veto of legislation he says would add secrecy to campaign finance investigations. The Republican-controlled North Carolina House and Senate are meeting Thursday and are expected to discuss a veto override. The elections bill would also require new primaries - not just a general election - in a disputed congressional race if the state elections board deems new voting is necessary. That's not the part Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper cited in his veto decision. Rather, he said he vetoed the bill because of a measure that would make future state elections board investigations of campaign finance allegations confidential. Cooper issued a statement Wednesday asking voters to contact legislators and ask them to negotiate with him instead of overriding his veto. MEXICO CITY (AP) - An 84-year-old Swiss vacationer was stabbed to death in an apparent robbery attempt at a home in Acapulco before dawn Thursday, authorities in the Pacific resort said. Prosecutors in southern Guerrero state said the man's wife was wounded in the attack. Officials did not release the man's name or hometown, and the Swiss Embassy in Mexico City did not respond to calls and email requests for comment. Acapulco and the rest of Guerrero state have been plagued by gang violence and are currently subject to a level-four "do not travel" advisory by the U.S. State Department. In another part of Mexico, a railway supervisor and a local police officer were ambushed and killed while investigating a blockage of train tracks in the central state of Puebla, authorities said. The attackers fled. Thieves in Mexico often pile up boulders, rocks or tree trunks on tracks to force trains to stop. The thieves than pry open freight cars and steal the contents. The attack occurred on a rural stretch of railway between the cities of Cordoba and Puebla. Puebla state police said the supervisor worked for the Ferrosur rail company. MONTREAL (AP) - Montreal goalie Carey Price will miss the Canadiens' three-game trip because of a lower-body injury. The Canadiens said Thursday that Price will not travel to Florida. The Canadiens play the Panthers on Friday night, are at NHL-leading Tampa Bay on Saturday night, and at Dallas on Monday night. Price is 15-10-4 with a 2.84 goals-against average in 30 games this season. The Canadiens will likely look to Antti Niemi on the trip. He's 4-3-1 with a 4.14 GAA. ___ More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports HOBART, Australia (AP) - Wild Oats XI won the 74th Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Friday, claiming line honors for the ninth time. The Mark Richards-skippered super maxi crossed the line in Hobart shortly after 8 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Thursday) after taking the lead from defending line honors champion Comanche before sunrise. The win came after Wild Oats XI was stripped of line honors in last year's race, with a rule breach and time penalty handing victory to Comanche. Three other super maxis followed Wild Oats XI into Constitution Dock in Hobart. Black Jack was second, about 28 minutes behind, followed by Comanche in third and Infotrack fourth. The yacht Alive was fifth and Wild Oats X sixth, finishing nearly seven hours after the winners. Wild Oats X had the race's first all-female crew, skippered by Australian Stacey Jackson but with sailors from Britain, New Zealand, the U.S. and the Netherlands. There was some controversy later Friday when the owner of Black Jack said that the electronic tracker aboard Wild Oats XI was not working, or had been turned off. In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, supermaxi Wild Oats XI, center, arrives in Hobart, Australia, to win the line honors in the Sydney Hobart yacht race, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) Peter Harburg said Wild Oats XI's Automatic Identification System (AIS) was off towards the end of the race. Wild Oats navigator Juan Vila told local media that he had turned the AIS on and believed the system had been on for the entire race, which could point to a malfunction. However, Harburg said Black Jack was left disadvantaged because they didn't know where Wilds Oats XI was sailing. "The rules say it's got to be on all the time," he said. "They knew where we were all the time, so that has disadvantaged us and Comanche and we are very disappointed in that." Harburg, however, did not intend to lodge a protest but believes the Sydney to Hobart race committee should look into it. Boats have up to six hours after finishing to lodge an official protest. As Comanche led the group of four down the Tasmanian east coast overnight, Wild Oats XI took a more easterly track, swinging in and sailing past the challengers before sunrise. The move paid off, with the super maxi swinging in and taking the lead as the yachts prepared to round Tasman Island. In a post on the team's Facebook page, Wild Oats XI said it had been a "tough few years for us," with the team's hopes dashed by early retirements in 2015 and 2016, and the death of yacht owner Bob Oatley in 2016. "What a win. We've done it ... never before in the 74-year history of this race have four maxis battled it out like this throughout the race and in the Derwent," the team said. "It's a day of redemption for us that's for sure. We're so happy with the result," Richards said. "We basically sailed around the opposition and got ourselves into a position where the breeze filled in from the southwest - this morning we were in the right spot," Richards said. This year's fleet in the 628-nautical mile race was reduced to 80 yachts from the starting 85. Comanche, skippered by Jim Cooney, set the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds while winning last year. Wild Oats XI's time on Friday was 1 day, 19 hours, 11 minutes, 14 seconds. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the 1998 race where six sailors died after the fleet was hit by a large storm. ____ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, supermaxi Wild Oats XI, center, arrives in Hobart, Australia, to win the line honors in the Sydney Hobart yacht race, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, supermaxi Wild Oats XI gets close to Hobart, Australia, on the way to winning line honors in the Sydney Hobart yacht race, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, supermaxi Wild Oats XI gets close to Hobart, Australia, on the way to winning line honors in the Sydney Hobart yacht race, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, supermaxi Wild Oats XI sails past a lighthouse on the island state of Tasmania as they get close to Hobart, Australia, on the way to winning line honors in the Sydney Hobart yacht race, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, maxi yachts Infotrack, left, Wild Oats XI and Scallywag, right, battle for position after the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) In this photo provided by Rolex/Studio Borlenghi, the 85-strong fleet of yachts begin the Sydney Hobart yacht race from Sydney Harbour, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/Studio Borlenghi via AP) Many people have slammed the movie for spewing hate against South Indians. The trailer of the much-awaited biopic of politician Bal Thackeray that released on Wednesday, stirred up a hornets nest. In one scene, which is missing from the Hindi trailer of the film, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays Bal Thackeray, refers to South Indians as saale yandugundu while addressing a rally. It is well-known that the Shiv Sena supremo polarised the Marathi people and urged them to take up violence against the South Indians. Several people, including Tamil star Siddharth have tweeted against the biopics anti-South Indian tone. Nawazuddin has repeated Uthao lungi bajao pungi (lift the lungi and *#$ him) in the film #Thackeray. Clearly hate speech against South Indians... In a film glorifying the person who said it! Are you planning to make money out of this propaganda? Stop selling hate! Scary stuff! tweeted Siddharth. This is not the first time a Bollywood movie has portrayed South Indians poorly. From Padosan to Chennai Express, South Indians have a stereotypical portrayal dark-skinned, wearing a lungi and speaking in a comically heavy South Indian accent. Bollywood filmmakers have limited understanding of South Indian culture, says Dhananjayan, a National award-winning Tamil producer and trade analyst, adding, In a time, when South Indian flicks, especially Tamil movies, are setting benchmark in several aspects, including technical advancement, depicting them in a degrading manner is unwarranted. Many feel that Bollywood should get its fact right and do some research before portraying South Indians characters. Talking about the issue Magizhan, a Tamil script writer says, The Bollywood filmmakers have a very lethargic attitude towards knowing the Southern India properly before portraying South Indian characters and the sad truth is they are not even willing to know. The language is mostly presented wrongly and they make no efforts to understand it either. Magizhan also points out that Shiv Sena was formed purely on the grounds of hatred and to use such language in the film will only divide people. There is a dearth of socially conscious people in Bollywood. I think before making a movie and putting it out for people of vast cultural diversity to see, they should first research well about the nuances and be cautious to not hurt cultural sentiments of the people. When Bollywoods superstar Shah Rukh Khan played a Tamilian, Shekhar Subramaniam, in Ra.One, his character went to the extent of actually eating noodles with yogurt propagating that south Indians dont know how to eat cuisines that arent rice and sambar. Arunkumar, a research scholar from Chennai, who is currently studying in JNU Delhi, feels, Bollywood should at least check the details before making the movie. For example a Chennai Junction is mentioned on the Chennai Express poster. However, there is no such station in Chennai; there is just Chennai Central, Egmore and Tambaram. Similarly, in Ra.One the noodle eating scene is actually quite offensive. Even in 2 States, Revathy, who herself is a Tamilian, was made to speak gibberish in Tamil that did not make any sense. In Bollywood movies, they try to mimic everything and make it comical. Tamilians dont speak Hindi, but in some movies they make Tamil characters speak in Hindi in a heavy south Indian accent. Tollywoods leading story and screen writer Kona Venkat, however, feels that theres no reason to be offended because the trailer (or the film) is only showcasing the history and what has already happened. The film is a biopic on Bal Thackrey, so naturally it features all the significant moments and milestone of his life. Just how he initiated a revolt against people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, he did it against South Indians too. It is history and we cant deny it. And thats what the filmmakers have shown. Moreover, I think that the filmmakers personally dont have anything against the South Indians. Siddharth should be offended by what Bal Thackey said and did, not the movie or the filmmakers, he says. With inputs from Sashidhar Adivi RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - With Republicans' veto-proof majority ending in days, the North Carolina legislature on Thursday overrode the Democratic governor's veto of legislation that would keep campaign finance investigations confidential and allow the GOP to possibly dump their nominee in a still-undecided U.S. House race marred with ballot fraud allegations. The override would require new primaries as well as a general election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District if the ongoing state elections board investigation into suspected ballot fraud forces new voting. The elections board is scrutinizing mail-in absentee ballots in the race, where Republican Mark Harris leads Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes. The new law means both could be forced to compete for their parties' nominations again. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said last week he vetoed the measure because it would also force the state elections board to keep its campaign finance investigations confidential and have a separate commission secretly review whether prosecutors are notified. "We know that we live in a period of time where the public is asking for its politicians to have an increased level of transparency. They want to know more about what goes on in our business than they ever have before," said Rep. Graig Meyer, an Orange County Democrat. Republican State Rep. Sarah Stevens countered that the legislation doesn't shield politicians any more than other criminal investigations that aren't disclosed until evidence supports charges. In this photo taken Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018 North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper talks during an interview at the Governor's mansion in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) "People ought to be able to have the opportunity to offer their side before it simply is made public on someone's allegation," she said. "It's just about giving a little time to give everything a fair treatment. This is not about covering up something." After overriding the election bill and a second measure that reaffirms the ability of four Charlotte-area municipalities to run their own charter schools, the Republican-dominated General Assembly then closed its two-year session. The GOP holds veto-proof majorities in both chambers until Dec. 31. The election law's multiple provisions also ends a two-year power struggle between Cooper and GOP legislators over elections board control. In 2016, the Legislature voted to upend a law that for a century had given the governor and his or her political party the majority on local and state boards that oversee elections. Cooper sued and eventually won. The legislation largely returns elections, ethics enforcement and lobbyist reporting to how they were before Republican lawmakers changed them just before Cooper took office. Though the elections board investigates potential crimes involving election laws, it doesn't have the power to take a case to court and must instead provide its findings to federal or state prosecutors. They can elect to pursue criminal charges or drop a case, often without explanation. Despite that, several North Carolina politicians have served prison time for hiding who was financing their elections or for using donations as their personal piggybanks. Former state Sen. Fletcher Hartsell was sentenced to eight months in prison last year because the 26-year Republican lawmaker spent more than $200,000 in campaign funds on vacations, speeding tickets, haircuts and theater tickets. The state elections board opened nearly 100 campaign finance cases this year and continued to investigate additional cases from previous years, spokesman Pat Gannon said. Only one was referred to criminal prosecutors. In October, the elections board provided the Mecklenburg County district attorney with findings that Democratic Rep. Rodney Moore of Charlotte and his campaign didn't report and may have tried to hide more than $140,000 he received or spent. The law's secrecy provision could backfire against politicians since people would be free to describe filing complaints alleging serious violations, but the state elections board would be forbidden from disclosing what investigators actually found, said Bob Hall, a longtime North Carolina campaign finance watchdog. The bill's confidentiality requirement "will cause innocent political figures to remain under a cloud of suspicion, and it will allow guilty political figures to escape punishment by having their cases secretly referred to local prosecutors who can simply ignore them," Hall wrote in an email to legislators on Thursday. ____ Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/emery%20dalesio . WASHINGTON (AP) - In his first visit to U.S. troops in a conflict zone, President Donald Trump drew cheers when he told troops he won them their first raise in 10 years and suggested it was a whopping one. Neither is true. TRUMP: "You just got one of the biggest pay raises you ever received. Unless you don't want it. Does anybody here? Is anybody here willing to give up the big pay raise you just got? I don't see too many hands. Ah, OK. don't give it up. It's great. You know what? Nobody deserves it more. You haven't gotten one in more than 10 years. More than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one." - remarks prompting cheers Wednesday at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq. THE FACTS: He's wrong about there being no pay increase for service members in more than 10 years and about their raise being especially large. U.S. military members have gotten a pay raise every year for decades. As well, several in the last 10 years have been larger than service members are getting now - 2.4 percent this year and 2.6 percent in 2019. Raises in 2008, 2009 and 2010, for example, were all 3.4 percent or more. Pay increases shrank during the following years as the administration struggled with congressionally mandated budget caps. Trump, aided by congressional action, did reverse the subsequent six-year trend that began in 2011 of pay raises that hovered between 1 and 2 percent. In 2017, service members got a 2.1 percent raise. Trump has repeatedly told service members that they're getting the biggest or only pay raise that they have received in 10 years or more. In May, for example, he told graduates of the United States Naval Academy: "We just got you a big pay raise. First time in 10 years." FILE - In this Dec. 26, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks to members of the military at a hangar rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. President Donald Trump tells troops serving in Iraq that he got them their first pay raise in 10 years and it's a big one. No, and not exactly. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) ___ TRUMP: "You had plenty of people, they came up, they said, you know we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent, we could make it 2 percent, we could make it 4 percent. I said, 'no, make it 10 percent - make it more than 10 percent.'" - remarks Wednesday at al-Asad base. THE FACTS: Whatever he might have said at the time, the 2.6 percent for 2019 obviously falls far short of the 10 percent or more that he implied was achieved. ___ Associated Press writer Amanda Seitz in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday. Up to 11 inches (28 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the Moorhead-Alexandria area of western Minnesota by mid-afternoon Thursday, and it was still snowing, said meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein of the Twin Cities National Weather Service. The line of snow ended just northwest of the Twin Cities around Elk River, Hasenstein said. The snowfall peaked around 3 inches (8 centimeters) at the Minneapolis airport, then rain starting early Thursday melted the snowpack. Officials in North Dakota issued a no-travel advisory for the eastern part of the state due to icy roads and reduced visibility. Blustery winds were causing blizzard conditions in Jamestown, North Dakota, and in northern South Dakota, where transportation officials reported visibility was down to a quarter-mile along a stretch of Highway 10. Bus service for Fargo, North Dakota, and neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota, was suspended Thursday afternoon because of worsening road conditions. Service is expected to resume Friday with a normal schedule. The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for central South Dakota, eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. The storm was expected to drop more than a foot of snow in the region before ending Friday. Tyler Winkka shovels the roof of the Fusion dance studio Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Bemidji, Minn. Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday. (John Enger/Minnesota Public Radio via AP) The Minnesota State Patrol tweeted that road conditions are poor across much of western Minnesota. Transportation officials said road conditions across much of the central and northern areas of the state are completely covered with ice and snow, with windy conditions causing even more travel issues. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said it might be better to wait for conditions to improve if travel isn't necessary. The weather service said an estimated 18 inches of snow had fallen by early Thursday afternoon near Finland on Minnesota's North Shore. The North Dakota Highway Patrol issued a travel alert for parts of North Dakota including Bismarck and Devils Lake due to whiteout conditions. Eastern North Dakota was expected to deal with winds gusting up to 50 mph, creating blizzard conditions mainly in the Red River Valley. University campuses, courthouses and municipal buildings across North Dakota are among the places closed on Thursday, including the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks. In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 photo, Lance Nieuwenhuis shovels snow out of his driveway in Sioux Falls, S.D. The weather service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota says rain is changing over to snow from west to east Thursday with heavy snow and gusty winds through Friday. (Briana Sanchez/The Argus Leader via AP) Snow fall downtown Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 in Sioux Falls. More snow is expected to arrive in South Dakota on Thursday and Friday as a winter storm moves through the area. (Briana Sanchez/The Argus Leader via AP) The grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol are covered in slushy, wet snow Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in St. Paul, Minn. Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday. (Brian Bakst/Minnesota Public Radio via AP) Plows try to keep roads clear in Moorhead, Minn., as strong winds whip snow into drifts Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday. (Dan Gunderson/Minnesota Public Radio via AP) A Christmas outdoor decoration placed over a sidewalk frames Bjorn Gronbeck as he removes snow from a driveway on 17th Street Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Bismarck, N.D. Forecasters posted a blizzard warning for parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota as a major winter storm delivered heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) Errol Behm uses a scarf to shield his face from the blow-back of snow caused by the gusty winds as he clears a sidewalk with a snow blower near Fourth Street Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Bismarck, N.D. Forecasters posted a blizzard warning for parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota as a major winter storm delivered heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) The wind whips the light snow as a Bismarck, N.D. homeowner clears the snow from a driveway with a snow blower, before the city snow plows made a pass through the neighborhood Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Forecasters posted a blizzard warning for parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota as a major winter storm delivered heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) Patty Brennan and Matt Adamson wait to cross the street in the snow Thursday, Dec. 27, in Sioux Falls, S.D. More snow is expected to arrive in South Dakota on Thursday and Friday as a winter storm moves through the area. (Briana Sanchez/The Argus Leader via AP) Squirrels run through McKennan Park in the snow Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The weather service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota says rain is changing over to snow from west to east Thursday with heavy snow and gusty winds through Friday. (Briana Sanchez/The Argus Leader via AP) Geese fly through the snow over Sertoma Park Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The weather service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota says rain is changing over to snow from west to east Thursday with heavy snow and gusty winds through Friday. (Briana Sanchez/The Argus Leader via AP) Snow falls at Sertoma Park on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The weather service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota says rain is changing over to snow from west to east Thursday with heavy snow and gusty winds through Friday. (Briana Sanchez/The Argus Leader via AP) Vincent Schaff, 8, uses all of his body as he heaves a shovel full of snow from the sidewalk of his grandmother's home along Rosser Avenue Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Bismarck, N.D. Forecasters posted a blizzard warning for parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota as a major winter storm delivered heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) CHICAGO (AP) - A transgender woman serving a 10-year sentence in Illinois for burglary has been moved from a men's to a women's prison in what is a rare accommodation by state prison authorities, her lawyers announced Thursday. Deon "Strawberry" Hampton , 27, was moved after a yearlong legal battle and resistance from the Illinois Department of Corrections. Hampton, of Chicago, had requested the transfer on grounds she'd be less vulnerable to the sexual assault, taunting and beatings she was subjected to in male prisons, according to federal lawsuits filed on her behalf by the MacArthur Justice Center and the Uptown People's Law Center in Chicago. She was moved within the past week from an all-male prison in Dixon, in northern Illinois, to the women's Logan Correctional Center more than 100 miles away in central Illinois. The IDOC's hand was forced last month by a federal court that found Hampton had a strong case that her equal-protection rights were violated. Her lawyers said it was only the second such ruling in the country by a federal court. One of her attorneys, Vanessa del Valle, hailed the transfer as a victory for transgender rights. But she added that the IDOC still hasn't fixed "systemic failures" that lead to abuse of transgender inmates. This undated photo provided by the Illinois Department of Correction shows Deon "Strawberry" Hampton. The transgender woman serving a 10-year sentence in Illinois for burglary has been moved from a men's to a women's prison in one of the first cases of its kind in the state. Lawyers for Hampton announced her transfer Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, after year-long resistance from the Illinois Department of Corrections. (Illinois Department of Correction via AP) "The fight for Strawberry and for all trans women in IDOC has only just begun," del Valle said. The IDOC confirmed the transfer in a Thursday statement, adding that the agency "carefully considered Hampton's housing placement before making the transfer." It said the IDOC maintains "100 percent compliance with the national standards" designed to protect all inmates from sexual abuse." Del Valle said Hampton is the only transgender female inmate now serving in an Illinois prison fore women, though the IDOC said there have been some other instances in the past. It didn't provide details. The latest available federal data from 2016 indicates there were no transgender female inmates in Illinois' two female prisons; there were 28 transgender women in the state's 24 male prisons. Hampton has described how guards and fellow inmates regularly singled her out for brutal treatment at Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois and earlier at Pinckneyville Correctional Center. While at the Pinckneyville prison, she alleged guards made her and another transgender inmate perform sex acts on each other as guards hurled slurs and laughed. Unable to comfortably represent herself as female in the male prison - where she couldn't wear her hair or nails long - was devastating psychologically, according to one filing from her lawyers. "I feel inhuman," Hampton was quoted as saying. In court filings, the IDOC also cast doubt on Hampton's gender identity - alleging Hampton in initial sessions with prison health workers never claimed to be transgender and, in the words of one filing, "was OK with being male." But clinical psychiatrist George Brown said in a declaration to a federal court that Hampton showed all the features of someone convinced of their female identity, adding Hampton has identified as female since the age of 5. Brown also challenged the department's contention that Hampton could be a greater risk to women because she hasn't had sex reassignment surgery, saying such a view "conflicts with all reliable medical literature." He said Hampton's low testosterone levels due to previous hormone treatments meant she was "functionally chemically castrated." ___ Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtarm LOS ANGELES (AP) - A 30-year-old woman has pleaded no contest in the beating of a 92-year-old man that was captured on video and shared widely on social media. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office says Laquisha Jones pleaded no contest to elder abuse Thursday. She faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing Feb. 28. Rodolfo Rodriguez was repeatedly beaten in the face with a brick on July 4 while taking a walk in the unincorporated Willowbrook area. A witness recorded video of Rodriguez as he sat dazed, his face bloodied. The witness, Misbel Borjas, also took a photo of a woman with a brick in her hand. Borjas says Jones yelled at him: "Go back to your country." The case wasn't prosecuted as a hate crime. FILE - In this July 11, 2018, file photo, Aurelia Rodriguez, left, holds her father, Rodolfo Rodriguez, 92, as he thanks well-wishers for their help, as he talks to the media gathered outside his home in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office says Laquisha Jones pleaded no contest to elder abuse Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. She faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing on Feb. 28. Rodriguez was repeatedly beaten by Jones in the face with a brick on July 4 while taking a walk in the unincorporated Willowbrook area. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) FILE - In this July 11, 2018, file photo, Aurelia Rodriguez, right, helps her father, Rodolfo Rodriguez, 92, center, with and witness, Misbel Borjas, left, as he walks back home after talking to members of the media gathered outside his home in Los Angeles. Rodriguez was out for a walk when he was beaten on the night of July 4 on a sidewalk in an unincorporated Willowbrook, a tough South Los Angeles neighborhood. Borjas made a video of Rodriguez moments later as he sat on the ground dazed, his face bloodied. The witness said the assailant struck him several times on the head with a brick. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office says Laquisha Jones pleaded no contest to elder abuse Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. She faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing on Feb. 28. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) NEW YORK (AP) - An asylum applicant fearing political prosecution in the Ivory Coast has been jailed for nearly three years after entering the country legally, and a judge Thursday decided he deserves a bail hearing. Adou Kouadio entered the country through an El Paso, Texas, border crossing in February 2016 and was immediately detained pending an asylum hearing. He had his initial application denied in June 2017 and has remained detained amid an appeal of the denial. The written ruling by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein means Kouadio will appear before a judge within two weeks to consider if he can be freed. "Thirty-four months of detention is too long without an opportunity for bail," Hellerstein said, adding that the case puts into question whether an "indefinitely lengthy detention of a non-resident" seeking asylum violates the Fifth Amendment. "This nation prides itself on its humanity and openness with which it treats those who seek refuge at its gates," wrote Hellerstein, who has won praise for 17 years of work presiding over the bulk of litigation resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A government spokesman declined comment. A U.S. asylum officer concluded Kouadio, 43, had demonstrated a credible fear of persecution in his homeland based on his political opinions. But after repeated delays in Texas and difficulty getting translators, the case was moved to New York, where Immigration Judge Mimi Tsankov in June 2017 denied his asylum application and ordered him removed. Tsankov said there was insufficient evidence to support his claims that he faces danger if he returns to the Ivory Coast or Ghana, where his wife and four children reside. She wrote that "his claim that his brother was killed simply because they thought that his brother was in fact the respondent is a tenuous claim." She added: "His claims to having been targeted because of his political activity, especially while he was driving the taxi, are not clear to this court." The judge said that although there appears to be unrest in the Ivory Coast, "I also note that there have been significant calls for peace." Attorney Craig Relles, who represents Kouadio, said the depth of his client's fears are underscored by his willingness to wait three years in U.S. jails for his day in court. "He fled and left his children behind because he was afraid of getting killed in his homeland," Relles said. Although immigration authorities describe Kouadio as being subject to "detention," Relles said he is treated like other inmates at a county jail in Kearny, New Jersey, and is taken to and from court in shackles and handcuffs. "Under the circumstances, he's generally positive and hopeful there will be a positive outcome," the lawyer said. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's attorney general said Thursday that his office is reviewing whether allegedly deceptive social media tactics used in last year's U.S. Senate race might have violated the law. Attorney General Steve Marshall told The Washington Post that reports about the effort are concerning. He said he wants to explore the issue, but stopped short of saying that his office is opening a formal investigation. "The impact it had on the election is something that's significant for us to explore, and we'll go from there," Marshall, a Republican, told the newspaper. The Washington Post and New York Times reported that a social media researcher acknowledged testing misleading online tactics during Sen. Doug Jones' 2017 campaign against Republican Roy Moore. The newspapers said operators posed as conservative voters on a Facebook page and that Twitter accounts were used to make it appear that Russian bots were following Moore. Rich Hobson, who was Moore's campaign manager in the 2017 race, said the campaign reported concerns to social media platforms last year. FILE - In this June 8, 2018, file photo, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall addresses the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington. Marshall says his office is reviewing whether deceptive social media tactics used in last year's U.S. Senate race might have violated the law. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) "We suspected that someone or some group was interfering and we complained to Facebook as early as June 2017," Hobson told The Associated Press on Thursday. It is unclear how far the effort reached. Some news outlets reported last year about Moore's campaign receiving a swell in Twitter followers with Russian names. The Moore campaign said at the time it had reported the matter to Twitter, and suggested political opponents were behind the matter and were trying to plant a negative story with media members. Hobson said he could not recall the name of a Facebook page that raised concern. The newspapers reported that Jonathon Morgan, chief executive of Texas-based research firm New Knowledge, acknowledged being paid by American Engagement Technologies to experiment on a small scale. Morgan in a statement last week said his involvement was as a researcher with "the intention to better understand and report on the tactics and effects of social media disinformation." "I did not participate in any campaign to influence the public and any characterization to the contrary misrepresents the research goals, methods and outcomes of the project," Morgan said in a statement. The reports drew condemnation on both sides of the political aisle in Alabama, where Jones recently marked a year since becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the state in a quarter-century. Jones called for an investigation into the matter. He told reporters last week that his campaign didn't know anything about the effort at the time. And Jones says he is "as outraged as everyone else" about the allegations. Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan called the revelation "deeply disturbing." Internet entrepreneur Reid Hoffman this week apologized for donations he made that he said unknowingly helped fund the effort. "I categorically disavow the use of misinformation to sway an election," Hoffman wrote. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said Thursday that there were multiple concerns raised during the 2017 race about misleading social media tactics. Merrill said it is clear that there needs to be "more policing done by the social media platform executives." JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Damaging winds were followed by drenching rains across much of Louisiana and Mississippi on Thursday, prompting flooding concerns that threatened to move east along with a storm front. A Louisiana woman died when a tree fell through her camper late Wednesday, and nightfall Thursday brought calls in southern Mississippi to flee rising creeks. The National Weather Service confirmed one tornado in southwest Louisiana, and is investigating two other possible twisters. Wind damage was reported in seven Louisiana parishes and seven Mississippi counties Officials blocked off numerous roads, including some major highways, and rescued motorists who got stalled in deep water. Weather Service radar estimated that more than 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of Louisiana's Washington Parish, north of New Orleans, while a broad swath of both states got more than 5 inches (13 centimeters). Local governments handed out sandbags in the Baton Rouge area. Forecasters declared a flash flood emergency in parts of southern Mississippi, including Hattiesburg, Thursday evening, saying waters were life-threatening and that people should leave low-lying areas and avoid non-emergency travel. Flash flooding also became a concern in southwest Alabama as rain moved eastward. A number of rivers in the region are predicted to rise above flood stage in the coming days. An East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy speaks with a stranded motorist on Groom Road near Leland Avenue before pulling the woman to safety, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, as severe weather impacts the area in Baker, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP) Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's deputies found 58-year-old Roxanne Kliebert dead when they arrived Wednesday night after a pine tree fell through the roof of her camper in the Louisiana town of Ponchatoula. The Weather Service confirmed that a tornado with top winds of 105 mph (169 kph) briefly touched down south of Crowley in Acadia Parish. Possible tornadoes hit Franklin Parish in northeast Louisiana and Yazoo County in central Mississippi. Mercill Linder, a resident of the Franklin Parish town of Crowville, told KNOE-TV that a tree fell on her porch and roof around 8:30 a.m. Thursday. "I could tell that this was not a normal wind," Linder said. "It was coming from one direction and then another direction and I felt like I was in a washing machine." In the Mississippi city of Vicksburg, heavy winds damaged the roof on the city's water treatment plant. There were also reports of damage to a number of other buildings in Vicksburg and nearby areas. There's a marginal chance of tornadoes Friday in a band stretching from the central Gulf Coast to southeast Virginia, forecasters said. High winds were predicted Thursday evening and Friday morning across parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and West Virginia. The same system produced numerous reports of trees down and power outages across Texas and Arkansas late Wednesday and early Thursday. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. High water encroaches on the Treasures From Heaven Ministry on Mickens Road, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, as severe weather impacts the area in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP) Cars stack up northbound on Interstate 110, as they encounter high water in the roadway under the railroad bridge near the governor's mansion, as even fewer vehicles opt to try to navigate the water as they progress southbound after heavy rains, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP) Harry Anderson tries to stay relatively dry as he maneuvers his umbrella into position before slipping out of his car during a steady rainstorm, Thursday, Dec 27, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. He was preparing to go inside Shoppers Value on Plank Road near J.H. Cooney Street to buy some groceries, and he succeeded in staying dry, for the most part, he said. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP) PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A judge issued a split ruling Thursday that grants Mumia Abu-Jamal another chance to appeal his 1981 conviction in a Philadelphia police officer's death. Abu-Jamal spent nearly three decades on death row before his sentence in the shooting death of Officer Daniel Faulkner was thrown out over flawed jury instructions. Prosecutors then agreed in 2011 to a sentence of life without parole. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected his final appeal in 2012. But after the defense this year pushed to get more documents in the case, Philadelphia Judge Leon Tucker ruled Thursday that former Justice Ronald Castille should have recused himself because of statements he made as a prosecutor about police killers that suggest a potential bias. They include campaign speeches and letters advocating the issuance of death warrants in such cases. The ruling, first reported by KYW-AM, gives Mumia the chance to reargue his appeal because of that perception of bias. However, Tucker rejected defense arguments that Castille had played a "significant" role in Abu-Jamal's appeal when he was Philadelphia district attorney and then ruled on the case as a judge. District Attorney Larry Krasner, through a spokesman, said he was reviewing the decision and had not yet decided whether to challenge it. Defense lawyer Judith Ritter said Tucker recognized the "need for a new appeal untainted by such bias." The case against Abu-Jamal, a former radio journalist, has received international attention among death-penalty opponents and criminal justice reform advocates. Faulkner's widow, Maureen, had a rare outburst in court earlier this year, noting the legal proceedings had gone on for 38 years and asking, "When is this case going to end for us?" CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. (AP) - A 1-year-old Colorado girl whose father is accused of killing her mother will stay with her maternal grandparents for now. A judge granted temporary custody to the maternal grandparents during a closed hearing Thursday. The girl's father, 31-year-old Patrick Michael Frazee, was arrested Dec. 21 on suspicion of killing her mother, 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth. Frazee and Berreth were engaged. Berreth's body hasn't been found but police say they believe she is dead. A court summary of Thursday's hearing says Frazee's mother filed a motion to intervene in the custody case and made an unspecified placement request. The summary didn't say whether she had asked for custody. The court delayed action on her requests. This booking photo provided by the Teller County Sheriff's office shows Patrick Frazee, the fiance of missing Colorado woman Kelsey Berreth, who was arrested Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, at his home in the community of Florissant, Colo., Frazee is charged with first-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder. Berreth was last seen on Thanksgiving at a grocery store near her home in central Colorado. (Teller County Sheriff's Office via AP) Patrick Frazee's next court appearance is Monday. The next hearing in the custody case is Jan. 3. The Gaganyaan project was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs 10,000 crore budget for the countrys ambitious human space mission, Gaganyaan, under which a three-member crew will be sent to space for at least seven days by 2022, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Friday. Briefing mediapersons about Cabinet decisions, which were taken in its meeting held on late Thursday evening, Mr Prasad said that ISROs Gaganyaan will help India become the fourth nation to independently send humans to space. The Gaganyaan project was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. He had said the mission will be undertaken by 2022. India has already inked agreements with Russia and France for assistance in the ambitious project. The necessary infrastructure for crew training, realisation of flight systems and ground infrastructure will be established to support the Gaganyaan programme, official sources said. ISRO will collaborate extensively with national agencies, laboratories, academia and industry to accomplish the Gaganyaan Programme objectives. LAS VEGAS (AP) - Documents made public Thursday recounted anew how police officers took cover next to patrol vehicles on the Las Vegas Strip while a gunman rained bullets from a high-rise hotel into an outdoor music festival during the deadliest mass shooting in the nation's modern history almost 15 months ago. Also among statements from 18 of the hundreds of officers who responded to the shooting were accounts of police forming attack teams and working their way along hotel hallways in the Mandalay Bay resort before blasting with explosives through bullet-riddled doors of a 32nd-floor room to find shooter Stephen Paddock dead amid a cache of assault-style rifles. One group advanced down the sides of a hallway where a hotel security guard had been wounded earlier, while another went downstairs to then come up an emergency exit stairwell close to Paddock's door. Absent was any new information about Paddock's motive for the attack that killed 58 people and injured 869 late Oct. 1, 2017. Officer Joseph Jones later told department investigators it still wasn't clear when he arrived if the shooter was inside or outside. But he said he saw flashes at an upper-floor window before he and other officers started running toward the hotel. "We heard the automatic rifle fire," Jones said, adding in a transcribed statement that his officer body-worn camera was recording when he arrived to find concert-goers fleeing the Route 91 Harvest Festival grounds across the street from the hotel. FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2017, file photo, police run toward the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas. In documents made public Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, police in Las Vegas have released transcripts of some officers' accounts about what they saw, heard and did trying to locate and stop a gunman who unleashed the deadliest mass shooting in the nation's modern history almost 15 months earlier. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) "Intermittently you could see some flashing," Jones said, "but once we started to move ... I couldn't see it anymore." Authorities determined that Paddock, a 64-year-old former millionaire accountant, real estate investor and high-limit video poker player, died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head before police reached him. Investigators determined that Paddock fired more than 1,000 shots in 11 minutes out the windows and down the interior hallway. They did not determine what motivated him to meticulously plan and execute the massacre. Officer Aden Ocampo Gomez, a department spokesman, declined Thursday to comment. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo declared the police investigation ended in August, issuing a report that said hundreds of interviews and thousands of hours of investigative work found no motive, no conspiracy and no other shooters. Weekly releases of police records to the media have continued under court order in a public records lawsuit by media organizations including The Associated Press. The material has included clips of nearly 1,200 officer body camera videos, many hours of 911 audio recordings and dozens of handwritten and transcribed witness accounts. A final FBI report, expected to include a behavioral analysis of Paddock, is expected soon. A woman who wanted to prove to her daughter that education is important walked across the stage to receive her university diploma while she was in active labor. Anshonarial Greenhouse, 31, was experiencing labor contractions when she attended her graduation ceremony on December 13. The dedicated mother-of-two, who attended the Louisiana State University of Alexandria, had spent her final semester completing assignments, speeches and projects virtually from the hospial. A special moment: 31-year-old Anshonarial Greenhouse received her diploma at the Louisiana State University of Alexandrias fall commencement ceremony despite being in active labor A proud day: Anshonarial (right) pictured with fellow university goer Yousef Ijbara (left) as they wait to walk on stage and receive their diplomas Anshonarial, a Marksville native, was studying business administration with a focus in accounting. According to the Daily Advertiser, she began having contractions at 25 weeks, too early to give birth. Because of this, Anshonarial was given medication to stop the early contractions. The college graduate said: I knew it was a possibility I couldnt walk [at graduation], but I really pushed to be able to go. Anshonarial said that she wanted to spend the special day with her fellow classmates, one of which was her own mother, Elaine Young, who also studied accounting. She said: In accounting there are only like ten students. I wanted to be with them. The determined mother wasnt willing to let anything stop her from attending the graduation ceremony and receiving her diploma. With some help from a baseball coach at the university, she walked across the stage wearing her cap and gown, and received her bachelors degree. CBS reported that Anshonarial was offered the use of a wheelchair to reach the stage, however, she opted not to use it, saying: 'Walking signifies that I really did it.' However, despite making it across the stage and successfully receiving her diploma, she said it wasnt easy. A good example: The mother-of-two said the reason she walked on stage to get her diploma despite being in labor was to show her 10-year-old daughter the importance of education Anshonarial said: It was rough walking across that stage. The Lousiana-based mother revealed that prior to attending the event, she made sure that staff from the university and Acadian Ambulance, a private ambulance service, were aware of her situation, and were ready to react if anything went wrong. Precious: Nine days after accepting her bachelors degree, Anshonarial gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who she named Zaire Nine days later, the college graduate gave birth to a baby boy, Zaire. For Anshonarial, graduating was a chance to show a good example for her newborn baby and 10-year-old daughter, Makhia. She said about her daughter: 'She understands how important education is.' 'If she sees me doing my work, she does hers. It's showing her versus telling her,' she added. The mother-of-two spent some time in the hospital during her last semester, during which time she completed assignments and speeches virtually using websites and apps including YouTube. She also submitted some of her midterms and finals from the hospital. Her mother, Elaine, also brought some of her assignments into her in the hospital to complete. Anshonarial said about her time in university: 'In college, I tried to believe I could do anything if I could be bold enough. 'I just tried to be a boss [and make it happen],' she added. NEW YORK (AP) - A New York man has been charged in the kidnapping of two children whose mother recently fled an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect in Guatemala. The FBI arrested Aron Rosner of Brooklyn this week on charges accusing him of providing financial assistance to members of the religious group Lev Tahor in an international abduction scheme. Rosner's defense attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment Thursday. The FBI said in court filings that the children - 14-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year-old brother Chaim Teller - were kidnapped Dec. 8 from their home in upstate New York and taken out of the country. Surveillance footage shows the children walking out of the residence before 3 a.m. and entering a vehicle. The boy was spotted with Lev Tahor members at a hotel in Mexico City days after the kidnapping, according to the court filings. The whereabouts of the children was not clear Thursday. This combination of two undated photos provided by the New York State Police shows Chaim Teller, 12, left, and his sister Yante Teller, 14. The FBI has arrested Aron Rosner of New York on charges accusing him of providing financial assistance to members of the religious group Lev Tahor in an international abduction scheme. The FBI said in court filings that the children were kidnapped Dec. 8, 2018, from their home in upstate New York and taken out of the country. The court filings say the boy was spotted with Lev Tahor members at a hotel in Mexico City days after the kidnapping. The whereabouts of the children was not clear Thursday. (New York State Police via AP) The FBI did not respond to an email seeking comment. The bureau said in the court filings that the children's mother had been a "voluntary member" of Lev Tahor, but escaped the group in recent weeks after the organization became increasingly extreme. Her father, Shlomo Helbrans, founded the sect and, in 1994, was convicted of kidnapping a 13-year-old in New York. Helbrans was later deported to Israel. "The mother indicated that it was not safe to keep her children there," FBI Agent Jonathan Lane wrote in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, referring to the group in Guatemala. Lane referred in the complaint to news accounts of Lev Tahor subjecting children to "physical, sexual and emotional abuse." The FBI said Rosner transferred money on seven occasions that assisted members of Lev Tahor in the kidnapping. He also is accused of speaking with several "co-conspirators about hotels in Mexico as well as purchases of flights, bus tickets, credit cards and food," according to the criminal complaint. Rosner was ordered held without bail Monday pending trial. MIAMI (AP) - The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a crewmember who went overboard from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Harmony of the Seas some 267 miles (429 kilometers) off Puerto Rico. A Coast Guard news release says they ended the search Thursday afternoon, two days after 20-year-old Arron Hough of the United Kingdom went overboard on Christmas Day. Coast Guard rescue crews were composed of HC-130 Hercules airplanes stationed in Clearwater, HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplanes from Miami and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute, based in St. Petersburg. The search covered about 3,707 square miles (9601 square kilometers). Harmony of the Seas sails from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Forest Whitaker has filed for divorce from his wife of 22 years, Keisha Nash-Whitaker. The 57-year-old "Black Panther" actor cites irreconcilable differences in the divorce filing Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The brief document says the exact value of the couple's assets and debts are unclear and will be determined later. The couple has two daughters together, and each has a child from a previous relationship. All four are adults. Whitaker's other credits include "Lee Daniels' The Butler," ''The Crying Game" and "The Last King of Scotland," for which he won an Academy Award for best actor in 2007. The 46-year-old Nash-Whitaker has had a few minor credits as an actress and producer. The two met on the set of the 1994 film "Blown Away," and they married in 1996. Indian brides sit together for a group photograph during a mass wedding in Surat. In other images from the Asia-Pacific region this week, a photojournalist is silhouetted by the sunset at an Indonesian resort that was devastated by a tsunami that killed at least 430 people. People in New Delhi take an early morning walk amid heavy smog that brought air quality in the Indian capital to hazardous levels. The Manila zoo owner sits next to an orangutan named Pacquiao as part of a Christmas show. ___ This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Masayo Yoshida in Tokyo. In this Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, file photo, Indian brides sit together for a group photograph during a mass wedding in Surat, India. Two hundred and sixty one young couples, including six Muslim and three Christian couples tied the knot at the mass wedding hosted by Indian businessman Mahesh Savani, who has been funding the weddings of fatherless girls in the city of Surat for several years. Weddings in India are expensive affairs with the bride's family traditionally expected to pay the groom a large dowry of cash and gifts. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File) ___ Visit the AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com In this Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, file photo, a photojournalist is silhouetted by the sunset as a lightning strike at a resort affected by Saturday's tsunami in Carita, Indonesia. Christmas celebrations traditionally filled with laughter and uplifting music were replaced by somber prayers for tsunami victims in an area hit without warning following a volcanic eruption, leaving hundreds of people dead and thousands homeless in disaster-prone Indonesia. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago, File) In this Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, file photo, people inspect the damage at a tsunami-ravaged village in Sumur, Indonesia. The Christmas holiday was somber with prayers for tsunami victims in the Indonesian region hit by waves that struck without warning Saturday night. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File) In this Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, file photo, a man reacts after identifying his relative among the bodies of tsunami victims in Carita, Indonesia. The tsunami that hit the coasts of Indonesian islands along the Sunda Strait was not big but it was destructive. The waves smashed onto beaches in the darkness Saturday night without warning, ripping houses and hotels from their foundations in seconds and sweeping terrified concertgoers into the sea. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago, File) In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, file photo, a man walks near debris at a tsunami-ravaged area in Carita, Indonesia. Indonesian authorities asked people to avoid the coast in areas where a tsunami killed hundreds of people last weekend in a fresh warning issued on the anniversary of the catastrophic 2004 Asian earthquake and tsunami. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, File) In this Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, file photo, people take early morning walk amidst smog in New Delhi, India. Authorities have ordered fire services to sprinkle water from high rise building to settle dust particles and stop burning of garbage and building activity in the Indian capital as the air quality hovered between severe and very poor this week posing a serious health hazard for millions of people. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File) In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, file photo, zoo owner Manny Tangco sits beside an orangutan named "Pacquiao" while wearing Santa Claus hats as part of their Christmas presentation at the Malabon Zoo in Manila, Philippines. Filipinos prepare to celebrate Christmas day, one of the most important holidays in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File) In this Monday, Dec. 24, 2018, file photo, volunteers clad in Santa Claus costumes throw their hats in the air as they gather to deliver gifts for the poor in downtown Seoul, South Korea. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) In this Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, file photo, Japan's Emperor Akihito, right, accompanied by Crown Prince Naruhito, left, walks away after greeting well-wishers as they appear on the balcony of the Imperial Palace to mark the emperor's 85th birthday in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) In this Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, file photo, a car carrying Nissan Motor Co.'s executive Greg Kelly, left, leaves Tokyo's Detention Center in Tokyo. Nissan Motor Co. executive Kelly was released from detention in Japan on Tuesday after being granted bail over the alleged underreporting of his boss Carlos Ghosn's pay. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) In this Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018, file photo, workers load cables on a steel frames at a shopping mall under renovation, with a backdrop of the moon, in Beijing, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) NEW YORK (AP) - A transformer explosion at an electrical plant set the skies above New York City ablaze in an eerie, pulsing blue light Thursday night, causing scattered power outages, delaying flights and sparking a social media storm of jokes about an alien invasion. The blast prompted a brief fire at a sprawling Con Edison facility in Queens - but no injuries - and a spectacular illumination of the New York skyline that generated a flurry of online commentary. The explosion impacted subway service in the area and caused a brief ground stop at LaGuardia Airport, which experienced power outages. Gov. Andrew Cuomo described a "major electrical failure" at the electrical substation along the East River, near the Rikers Island prison complex and across a small bay from LaGuardia. Power had been largely restored to LaGuardia by 11 p.m. and the airport was resuming normal operations. Travelers were still asked to check with their carriers for updated flight information. The lights caused a stir on social media as several witnesses posted photographs and videos of a bright, blue flash that filled the night's sky. The Manhattan skyline and iconic East River bridges were suddenly silhouetted against a backdrop of pulsating light. Viewed from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the night sky is alight as a Con Edison facility in the Queens borough of New York experiences a transformer explosion, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) People flocked to social media to find out what happened and to share their views of the plumes of smoke pouring from the transformer. "It was pitch black outside and then suddenly the whole side of the eastern sky was lighting up and changing colors," said Madeleine Frank Reeves, who saw the lights from her Upper West Side apartment. "It lasted a couple of minutes." Some observers wondered whether aliens were invading and joked that the trend of gender reveal parties had finally gone too far. Television host Keith Olbermann referred to the episode as the "Blue Light Special." "Something insane is happening in the sky above Manhattan right now," New York University sociologist Eric Klineberg wrote on Twitter under a video of the flashing sky. Mayor Bill de Blasio's spokesman Eric Phillips tweeted that the lights were attributable to a "blown transformer." "Not aliens," Phillips tweeted. John Tebbett, who lives two blocks away from the facility, told NY1 the explosion was followed for about five minutes by a loud roar. The blast had caused the lights in his home to flicker off and on, he said. Tebbett, an instructor with the local electrical union, walked down toward the facility to get a better look. "You could hear the roar and see the super white, bright light," Tebbett said. "It took them about five minutes, maybe. As we were watching it, it was like somebody turned off the power and it just went dark and then it was quiet. The roar stopped and it was dead quiet for a moment and then you could hear the emergency vehicles start to come in." It was the second major incident involving Con Edison in the last six months. In July, a steam pipe explosion spewed asbestos-laden vapor into the air in Manhattan's Flatiron District, driving hundreds of people from their homes and businesses. Con Edison said on Twitter Thursday night that there was "a brief electrical fire at our substation in Astoria which involved some electrical transformers and caused a transmission dip in the area." The utility said in a statement early Friday that an electrical fault on the 138,000 volt equipment caused a sustained electrical arc flash but the "affected equipment was isolated to a single section within the substation." Con Edison said it had restored all major transmission lines associated with the event and was in the process of investigating the cause of the failure. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the explosion happened Thursday night, not Friday. This photo shows blue light over New York, as seen from Manhattan Brough of New York on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. New York police said a transformer exploded at a Con Edison facility in Queens on Thursday, causing some power outages. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves) In this image taken from video, the night sky is illuminated in a bright, blue color after an explosion in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. New York police say a transformer exploded at a Con Edison facility in Queens. The explosion caused a bright, blue light that illuminated the New York skyline and caused a stir on social media. (AP Photo/Sophie Rosenbaum) People stand at the gate of a Con Edison facility in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, where an earlier transformer explosion lit up the night sky for several minutes. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Law enforcement personnel stand in front of a Con Edison facility in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, where an earlier transformer explosion lit up the night sky for several minutes. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) New York Police Department officers stand in front of a Con Edison facility in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, where an earlier transformer explosion lit up the night sky for several minutes. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) New York Police Department officers stand in front of a Con Edison facility in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, where an earlier transformer explosion lit up the night sky for several minutes. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) This photo gallery highlights some of the top news images made by Associated Press photographers in Latin America and the Caribbean that were published in the past week. A tiny white coffin carrying the body of Jakelin Caal, a 7-year-old Guatemalan migrant who died while in U.S. custody, ended its somber journey home before dawn in a dusty hamlet 220 miles north of the Central American nation's capital. As her family paid their final respects, authorities announced that another Guatemalan child had died in U.S. custody - 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Mexico's political class was stunned when a Puebla state power couple - current Gov. Martha Erika Alonso and her husband, former Gov. Rafael Moreno Valle, died in a Christmas Eve helicopter crash. Chile's Constitutional Court upheld measures tightening the requirements for human rights violators to get parole, including that they have completed two-thirds of their sentence, helped authorities resolve the crimes and condemned what was done. In Venezuela, opponents of President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration opened an exhibition of photographers, drawings and other items to remember political prisoners and the people who have died in anti-government protests in recent years. Associated Press photographers Rodrigo Abd and Moises Castillo produced a moving visual report on the deaths and health problems afflicting poor Hondurans who eke out livings diving for lobsters without proper equipment. Tijuana, Mexico, left, and San Diego, Calif, right, are seen separated by the U.S. border fence, on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. The Trump administration's decision to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through clogged U.S. courts was announced with crucial details still unknown - a move that creates uncertainty along the border and possibly an incentive for people to cross illegally before the change take effect. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) ___ Curated by photo editor Anita Baca in Mexico City. On Twitter: @LatDesk This Dec, 12, 2018 photo provided by Catarina Gomez on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, shows her stepbrother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, near her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. The 8-year-old boy died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting and fever, authorities said. The cause is under investigation. (Catarina Gomez via AP) A Honduran youth jumps from the U.S. border fence, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Discouraged by the long wait to apply for asylum through official ports of entry, many Central American migrants from recent caravans are choosing to cross the U.S. border wall and hand themselves in to border patrol agents. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) Family members pay their final respects to 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin during a memorial service in her grandparent's home in San Antonio Secortez, Guatemala, on Monday, Dec. 24, 2018. The body of the 7-year-old girl who died while in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol was handed over to family members in her native Guatemala on Monday for a last goodbye. (AP Photo/ Oliver de Ros) A rosary made by jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez is exhibited on the ground floor of a small old building, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Inspired by Chile's Museum of Remembrance, opponents of the Nicolas Maduro government have created a similar place in the small old building to remember the several hundred political prisoners who have died in anti-government protests in recent years. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Women touch the a portrait showing Puebla state Gov. Martha Erika Alonso during a farewell ceremony in Puebla, southeast of Mexico City, on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Mexico has invited experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to investigate a helicopter crash that killed the governor, her husband, two pilots and a third passenger. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) In this Dec. 4, 2018 photo, dancers hold canes and crutches in unison as they perform in the contemporary dance production Ubuntu, at the Teresa Carreno Theater in Caracas, Venezuela. Caracas based AM Danza dance troupe works with 50 young Venezuelans who are pursuing their passion for dance despite limitations like broken spines, cerebral palsy or blindness. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Reporters surround Monica Sanchez, after she read a Constitutional Court ruling on human rights violators, in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. The ruling is a defeat for conservative forces in Chile's ruling party which had asked the court to declare as unconstitutional the requirements recently approved by the center-left opposition in Congress. The Court upheld measures tightening the requirements for human rights violators to get parole, including that they have completed two thirds of their sentence. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) In this Sept. 4, 2018 photo, diver Saul Ronaldo Atiliano, 45, is lifted onto the dock after traveling via boat to Puerto Lempira, Honduras, to receive decompression sickness therapy in a hyperbaric chamber. "The pressure attacked me deep in the water," said Atiliano, who for 25 years has dived for lobster, most of which winds up in the United States. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 11, 2018 photo, Elvira Mendoza Espinosa, hits a diving tank with a hammer announcing the start of the morning Mass, outside the Moravian church in Kaukira, Honduras. In the Mosquitia, diving permeates everyday life, as it does in Kaukira, one of the villages on the Mosquitia. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) In this Feb. 7, 2018 photo, Miskito divers stricken with decompression sickness climb into a hyperbaric chamber at the hospital in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Standard diving techniques call for a gradual ascent to the surface to eliminate the nitrogen that the body's tissues absorb during a dive. But many of the divers of Mosquitia dive deeply, surface quickly and then go back for more, racing to collect as much lobster as possible. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A fish struggles to breathe in the waters of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Biologists believe that the extreme heat caused by El Nino killed 13 tons of fish overnight and caused them to wash ashore in a high-end neighborhood in Rio on Friday. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) BEIJING (AP) - The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who went on trial earlier this week was blocked Friday from submitting a petition protesting her husband's treatment. About 30 police officers prevented Li Wenzu and about a dozen supporters from entering a Supreme Court petition office in Beijing. Li's petition accuses the court handling her husband Wang Quanzhang's case of a severe violation of judicial regulations. Wang was tried for subversion of state power in a closed hearing Wednesday after being held without access to his lawyers or family for more than three years. The court in the city of Tianjin has yet to announce a verdict. "This is so laughable," Li said as she was jostled by a circle of police. "You see all these signs on the streets proclaiming 'rule of law'... how ironic!" Wang is among more than 200 lawyers and legal activists who were detained during a 2015 crackdown. He was a member of the Fengrui law firm, among the most recognized in the field broadly known in China as "rights defending." He worked on land rights cases on behalf of poor villagers and represented members of the banned Falun Gong meditation sect. Security officers surround Li Wenzu, center, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, as she attempts to deliver a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) No lawyer hired by Wang's family has been permitted to see him, Li said. Instead, he was given a government-appointed lawyer, Liu Weiguo. Liu sent Li a message Wednesday afternoon saying that Wang fired him at the start of the trial and that he had no further information. While observers have characterized Liu's dismissal as an act of defiance from Wang, Li said it could not be confirmed because neither she nor any of Wang's relatives and supporters were allowed to attend the proceedings. The Tianjin court said in a statement on its website Wednesday that it "lawfully decided not to make public" the trial hearings because the case involved state secrets. The police barricades around the courthouse were removed that afternoon, but it is not clear whether the hearings have ended. Li Wenzu, center, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, is embraced by a supporter after being blocked from delivering a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Li Wenzu, center, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, speaks to the media after being blocked from delivering a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Li Wenzu, center, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, speaks to the media after being blocked from delivering a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Security officers surround Wang Qiaoling, left, and Li Wenzu, the wives of Chinese human rights lawyers, as they attempt to deliver a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Security officers surround Li Wenzu, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, as she attempts to deliver a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Security officers surround Wang Qiaoling, second from left, and Li Wenzu, the wives of Chinese human rights lawyers, as they attempt to deliver a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Security officers surround Li Wenzu, second right in the background, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, as she attempts to deliver a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Li Wenzu, center, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, attempts to deliver a petition to the Supreme People's Court petition office in Beijing, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. The wife of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer who was tried earlier this week has protested her husband's treatment outside a Beijing supreme court. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea said Friday it's responding to a hacking attack that stole the names and addresses of nearly 1,000 North Korean defectors who resettled in the South. A regional office of the Hana resettlement center said it has been notifying affected defectors after discovering last week that one of its computers had been breached sometime around November. South Korea's Unification Ministry said the names, home addresses and birthdays of 997 defectors living in the country's southeast region were stolen. Police are investigating the hacking attack but have yet to identify the source. The ministry said it has found no further signs of hacking attacks or data breaches after investigating Hana's offices around the country earlier this week. Hana runs 25 offices nationwide to provide assistance to North Korean defectors who resettled in the South. About 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea, mostly traveling via China, since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korea in past years has accused North Korea of cyberattacks on South Korean business and government websites, but the North has denied responsibility. The accused have been lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after complaint by victim at local police station. The seniors allegedly slapped and verbally abused the victim after entering his hostel room. (Representational Image) Bengaluru: Five final year MBBS students of a medical college in Bengaluru's Rajajinagar have been arrested for allegedly ragging a first-year Dalit student on Christmas Eve. The arrested students of the ESIC Medical College have been identified as Karan Sharma from Rajasthan, Gautham from Madhya Pradesh, Indrajith from Uttarakhand, Rahul Jha from Delhi and Shubhav from Uttar Pradesh. All of them reside in the hostel on the premises. The victim is from Maharashtra. They have been lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after a complaint lodged by the victim at the local police station. They have been charged under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act and the Karnataka Education Act-1983. Some of these are non-bailable sections. According to the victims complaint, the five final-year students entered the 19-year-old's room at the hostel around 10 pm on December 24. According to the police, the seniors allegedly slapped and verbally abused the victim after entering his hostel room. They then took him to the terrace, cut his hair and continued to abuse him late into the night by invoking his caste. The senior medical students also warned the victim against reporting the incident however, he lodged a police complaint following which an inquiry along with college authorities was conducted. WASHINGTON (AP) - Top House Democrats, preparing to take control of key committees early next year, have called for the preservation of all evidence related to the two child deaths in Customs and Border Protection custody. An 8-year-old Guatemalan boy died Monday at a New Mexico hospital after suffering coughing, vomiting and fever, authorities said. It was the second such death this month. The incoming committee chairs said in a statement that "our Committees in the House of Representatives will hold hearings and conduct oversight of the two deaths that occurred earlier this month, as well as the conditions under which thousands of children are being held ..." They said the evidence includes "medical records, logs of health and welfare checks, and surveillance videos" at the holding facilities and processing centers. A drug-driver jailed for killing two young boys died in prison on Christmas Day. Robert Brown had already been banned from driving, was travelling at more than twice the speed limit and had taken a cocktail of drugs when he mowed down Corey and Casper Platt-May, aged six and two. He was jailed in April after admitting all charges against him, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, but had his sentence increased in July from nine years to 10 and a half. The children were with their mother on the way to a park when they were struck by Browns Ford Focus as they crossed MacDonald Road, Coventry, in February. Two-year-old Casper Platt-May (left) and six-year-old Corey Platt-May were on the way to the park when they were killed (Family Handout/PA) Louise Platt-May has since campaigned for tougher sentences for drivers who kill. She has urged the Government to honour her sons legacy by making sure plans made last year, such as bringing in life sentences for those who cause death by dangerous driving or by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, come in to force as soon as possible. The boys father Reece Platt-May was found dead while on holiday in Greece in May. A spokesman for Serco, which manages the prison in which Brown had been serving his sentence, said: We can confirm a prisoner died yesterday (Christmas Day) at HMP Dovegate and, as is normal, the death will be subject to a coroners investigation. Brown, of Attwood Crescent in Wyken, Warwickshire, had never had a driving licence and was banned from driving at the time of the crash. He had taken cocaine, diazepam and zopiclone and was driving his Ford Focus at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone on February 22 when he ploughed into the brothers. Brown, who fled the scene, had 30 previous convictions for driving offences and had only been released from prison six days before the crash after serving half of a six-month sentence for having an offensive weapon. His passenger at the time of the crash, Gwendoline Harrison, 42, of Triumph Close, Wyken, was jailed for six months after admitting assault intending to resist arrest and attempting to flee the scene. The authorities have been urged to get a grip after dozens of migrants crossed the Channel over Christmas. Dover MP Charlie Elphicke said the Home Office and National Crime Agency did not appear to be on top of the problem. Some 40 migrants crossed the English Channel on Christmas Day, while three more were intercepted overnight. Authorities were called to five separate instances involving people presenting themselves as Iraqi, Iranian and Afghan on December 25. A further five people turned up at Dover police station early on Christmas Day saying they were Iranians who had arrived by boat an abandoned craft was subsequently discovered. Dover MP Charlie Elphicke has criticised the authorities response to the situation in the Channel (Rick Findler/PA) Tory MP Mr Elphicke said: The Home Office and the National Crime Agency do not appear to be on top of this situation. With well over 100 migrants having broken into Britain in recent weeks they need urgently to explain what they are doing to put a stop to these crossings. This is an incredibly dangerous crossing to make in the middle of winter. Our volunteer lifeboat crews are being called out nearly every day even during Christmas. The British and French authorities must get a grip and find and stop the traffickers behind these crossings before there is a tragedy in the English Channel. A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed that three more migrants were intercepted overnight. Shortly after midnight, Border Force was made aware that three men on board a small boat, who presented themselves as Iranian, had been rescued by the French authorities near Dover. The men were transferred to the UK authorities and will be interviewed by immigration officials. The crossings follow a number of migrant rescues in recent months involving people trying to travel across the Channel to Britain. On Tuesday afternoon, the Home Office said: Border Force has intercepted a number of boats containing migrants attempting to cross the Channel overnight and this morning, and has deployed resources to deal with these incidents. The evidence shows there is organised criminal gang activity behind illegal migration attempts by small boats across the Channel. We are working closely with the French and law enforcement partners to target these gangs, who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk. Campaigners said the authorities should help migrants make the crossing to the UK if they wish to claim asylum, rather than have them risk crossing the busy shipping lanes in the Channel. Kent Refugee Action Network spokeswoman Bridget Chapman told the BBC: We shouldnt have to have a situation where people are forced to make such a hazardous journey, pushed into the hands of people traffickers, pushed into being exploited. We need to find a way to facilitate it so that they are able to do that journey safely. The Israeli parliament has voted to dissolve the current legislature and scheduled new elections for April 9. In what was largely a formality, the Knesset voted late on Wednesday in favour of dissolving by a 102-2 margin. Earlier this week, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was disbanding his coalition and taking the nation to new elections six months ahead of schedule. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Sebastian Scheiner/AP) The country now heads into a three-month campaign. Opinion polls have suggested that Mr Netanyahus nationalist Likud Party will easily win re-election. But those bright prospects could be hurt by a looming decision by the countrys attorney general on whether to file charges against Mr Netanyahu. Mr Netanyahu is suspected in a series of corruption allegations. An indictment would put heavy pressure on the long-time leader to step aside. The Defence Secretary has said he has very deep concerns about Chinese technology firm Huawei being involved in upgrading the UKs mobile network. Gavin Williamsons comments came after some of the UKs closest allies banned or restricted the use of the firms network products because of security concerns. Australia, New Zealand and the US have restricted use of Huawei technology in 5G mobile networks and Mr Williamson said the UK would look at their example. I have grave, very deep concerns about Huawei providing the 5G network in Britain. Its something wed have to look at very closely, Mr Williamson said in comments reported in The Times. Weve got to look at what partners such as Australia and the US are doing in order to ensure that they have the maximum security of that 5G network and weve got to recognise the fact, as has been recently exposed, that the Chinese state does sometimes act in a malign way. Huawei was founded by a former officer in the Peoples Liberation Army and questions have been raised about the firms links to the Chinese state. The head of MI6, Alex Younger, recently said the UK would have to make some decisions about such firms after other governments had taken steps to block Huawei. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the UK would look to its allies (PA) The firm has strongly rejected any suggestion that it poses a security threat and said in a statement that it had never been asked by any government to build any backdoors or interrupt any networks, and we would never tolerate such behaviour by any of our staff. Concerns over Chinas activities have been heightened in recent weeks, with Britain accusing Beijing of a massive programme of industrial espionage in a widespread and significant campaign of cyber intrusions against the UK and its allies. The Foreign Office said hackers acting on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security were stealing commercial secrets from firms in Europe, Asia and the US. Officials said their activities were so extensive, they were putting at risk economic growth in the UK and the wider global economy. Scotlands farmers need more Government support if they are to adapt to the challenges of climate change, campaigners say. WWF Scotland said crops were directly affected by extreme weather in 2018, with the late spring and unusually hot and dry summer leading to a drop in the amount of cereals and oilseeds planted. Production of winter barley was down 24% and spring barley, used to make whisky, experienced a 6% fall in yield, according to the environmental group. Yield of wheat also fell by 16%. A drop in the availability of animal fodder is said to have impacted on the countrys hill farmers. Highland crofter Lynn Cassells said: In the space of a year we experienced a period of extreme wet, followed by months of snow cover and then a long, hot summer where our water supply ran dry. This made our day-to-day farm operations very inconsistent as we faced new challenges prioritising our work and financial outlay. With climate change something we are now experiencing directly, our farm business model for the future must be based on long-term resilience. Ms Cassells said actions to mitigate the effects of extreme weather include integrated land use with more tree cover, and improved water and soil management. Sheila George, WWF Scotlands food and environment policy manager, said: We can no longer think about climate change as a problem other people are experiencing many miles away it is happening right now in front of our eyes at home. Thats why we believe theres an urgent need for greater leadership and support from the Scottish Government to help farmers adapt and build resilience to climate change impacts in the face of increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather. Crop suffered in 2018 due to a late spring and hot, dry summer (Owen Humphreys/PA) Agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas emissions, and NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said farmers and crofters have an important role to play in tackling climate change, with the necessary Government support. He said: Reducing emissions in farming will not be easy or immediate. It will depend on new innovation and the application of the latest science and on achieving widespread change in practices in an industry made up of thousands of small businesses. The Government will therefore have a key role in facilitating and supporting the industry in its efforts to reduce emissions. The Scottish Government puts great emphasis on leading the way in tackling climate change and it does already fund activity to help reduce emissions from farming, but there is so much more that it could do to work with and help Scotlands farmers reduce emissions. Stone carvings which had been hidden from view for 600 years have been discovered on a tomb at a cathedral. Conservationists found at least a dozen unrecorded carved saint-like figures on the back of Bishop Cardenys resting place at Dunkeld Cathedral in Perthshire during a routine inspection. Bishop Cardeny was the longest serving Bishop of Dunkeld Cathedral, and was made bishop by Pope Benedict VIII in 1399. The tomb was created in 1420 and the carvings were found on the side that was against a wall, hiding them from view. A detail of one of the figures found on the tomb (Historic Environment Scotland/PA) The unearthing of the stone carvings has shed new light on the history of the site, revealing the tomb has at some point been moved and built into the wall from its original free-standing location. Colin Muir, stone conservator at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) who led the discovery, said: The discovery of these rare, hidden carvings behind the 15th century tomb of Bishop Cardeny is very exciting and will enrich our understanding of the history of Dunkeld Cathedral and late medieval stone carving. This discovery also gives fresh incentive for further research and exploration of the site, as we still dont know when exactly the tomb was moved, or why. This discovery also hints that there may still be other obscured areas of detail preserved within the walls behind the tomb. Conservation works to protect the fabric of the tomb are currently being planned, and we hope to undertake further investigation of what may lie behind it. At this stage we dont know what, if anything, remains but it will be fascinating to find out. The discovery has shed new light on the history of the site (Historic Environment Scotland/PA) Following the discovery of the carvings a second, more in-depth assessment was recently carried out using cutting-edge 3D photogrammetric technology. A detailed 3D model was created by obtaining multiple images using cameras and mirrors, enabling a closer look at the carvings. Dunkeld Cathedral is one of more than 300 Historic Scotland properties across the country which are managed by HES. The site of the cathedral has long been an important ecclesiastical centre, with relics of St Columba brought to Dunkeld from Iona by King Kenneth McAlpin in 849. The cathedral was developed over a period of around 250 years, which the earliest surviving section the choir dating from the late 1200s. Shoppers will have to pay 10p for a carrier bag at all stores across England under plans set out by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove. The current 5p charge will be doubled and will apply at all shops, not just large retailers, under the measures aimed at curbing plastic consumption. An estimated 3.6 billion single-use bags are supplied annually by smaller retailers which are exempt from the current 5p bag levy. Trade bodies representing around 40,000 small retailers have already launched a voluntarily approach to a 5p charge, but this accounts for less than one-fifth of Englands estimated 253,000 small and medium-sized enterprises. The changes, which could come into effect in January 2020, are contained in a consultation which has been launched by the Government. In August, Theresa May promised there would be a consultation on changes to the levy by the end of the year despite reported opposition from the Treasury and Philip Hammond. Mr Gove said: The 5p single-use plastic carrier bag charge has been extremely successful in reducing the amount of plastic we use in our everyday lives. Between us, we have taken over 15 billion plastic bags out of circulation. But we want to do even more to protect our precious planet and todays announcement will accelerate further behaviour change and build on the success of the existing charge. Michael Gove said the 5p charge had been `extremely successful (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The 5p levy was introduced in England in 2015, with the money raised going to good causes rather than government coffers. Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: We welcome the Governments plans to extend carrier bag charging to all shops. This has been shown to be highly effective at reducing waste, whilst also raising money for local, national and environmental charities. Around half of small shops in England already charge for plastic bags voluntarily, with wider support for a mandatory charge. Oceanographer Dr Laura Foster, head of Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), said she hoped there would be support for the move. The MCS has been monitoring the impact of the 5p charge since it was introduced in October 2015 and regularly provides evidence for government consultations. Education Secretary Damian Hinds has also urged schools to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022 (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Dr Foster told the Press Association: We are able to measure the impact of legislation and weve seen that since the introduction of the plastic bag charge in the UK the amount we find on the beaches has gone down. Thats also been replicated by studies that have been done offshore theyve also seen a reduction in the amount of plastic bags they find. So we do know that legislation can directly impact on the amount we find on our beaches and in our oceans. Meanwhile, schools are being urged to end the consumption of single-use plastics by 2022. Education Secretary Damian Hinds called on school leaders to stop using items such as plastic straws, bottles and food packaging in favour of sustainable alternatives. On my first school visit as Education Secretary almost a year ago, the very first question I was asked by a pupil was what we can do to limit the damage of plastic on the environment, he said. Reducing our use of plastic clearly is an important and timely issue which has captured the interest and the imagination of everyone in society. Business leaders confidence in the British economy has plummeted as uncertainty about Brexit continues ahead of the March 29 withdrawal date. The cautious optimism shown by company bosses earlier in 2018 has entirely gone, according to a survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD). Overall optimism, which had briefly reached positive territory following the initial agreement of a Brexit transition period, has fallen steadily since April and hit its lowest point in December. All regions and nations of the UK are now reporting a pessimistic outlook for the 12 months ahead. Directors remain confident in the future for their own organisations with a net 30% positive rating, but the response for the economy overall was a net minus 38%, the lowest for 18 months. The Institute of Directors survey shows a drop in confidence in the economy. The IoDs findings are based on 724 total respondents, with work conducted between December 5-20. Studies in previous months have involved between 700 and 1,000 bosses. The main concerns highlighted by IoD members were general economic conditions, the trading relationship with the EU and skills shortages. The lack of clarity about whether or not the UK will leave the European Union with a Brexit deal and the crucially important transition period to avoid a sudden change in trading conditions appears set to hold back investment. The IoDs findings indicated that a net balance of just 7% of business leaders expected to invest more in the next year. Tej Parikh, senior economist at the Institute of Directors, said: Business leaders are looking ahead to the new year with trepidation about the economy. While we saw cautious optimism emerging when the Brexit talks appeared to be moving towards a transition period after March 2019, that has utterly dissipated now. There can be no doubt that the tumultuous Brexit process is having a damaging impact on firms outlooks. The prospect of a no-deal in the near future will be weighing heavily on directors minds. Uncertainty is already causing businesses to delay investment, hiring decisions and product launches, which also acts to weaken our international competitiveness further down the line. The longer this state of affairs continues, the more we lose by it, even if these effects arent apparent in the here-and-now. The IoD survey comes after an economic think tank suggested France will overtake the UK to become the worlds sixth biggest economy next year. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said disruption to the British economy was inevitable due to lower inward and business investment. However, the CEBRs World Economic League Table report says post-Brexit Britain will return to the sixth spot by 2020 a position it is expected to retain through to 2033. More than four in 10 NHS hospitals have increased their prices for car parking in the last year, an investigation has found. Some NHS trusts have doubled the cost of a stay for patients and visitors. Freedom of Information data analysed by the Press Association shows that hospitals in England are making more money than ever from charging visitors, staff and patients. Some 124 NHS trusts responded to the Press Association request for data on parking charges. Of these, 53 (43%) said they had increased prices in the last year for visitors or staff, or both. Meanwhile, 71 (57%) said they had not put up their prices. Labour has pledged to abolish the costs while the Patients Association said people should not be charged for being ill. In some regions, prices have risen sharply, with trusts doubling the cost for some lengths of stay. At Airedale NHS Foundation Trust in West Yorkshire, a stay of four to 24 hours cost 8 in 2017/18, up from 3.50 the year before. Meanwhile, a stay of two to four hours now costs 5, up from 3. The trust made 1,287,322 from parking in 2017/18. At Shrewsbury and Telford, which is subject to scrutiny over a series of baby deaths, an overhaul of parking charges has seen the cost of a five-hour stay more than double since October last year. Visitors and patients used to pay 3.50 for a stay of between five and 24 hours, but this is now 8. All stays under five hours have also increased, such as a 3.5-hour stay now costing 5, up from 3 previously. Meanwhile, Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool has scrapped its 2 flat rate for a full day and introduced a raft of new charges, tripling the cost of a stay longer than eight hours. Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA) Parking for up to two hours now costs 2.50, while six to eight hours is 4.50 and eight to 24 hours is 6. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has also doubled the price of a stay of four to six hours over the last year, from 3 to 6. A stay of two to four hours has also jumped from 3 to 5.50. However, the trust has reduced its one-hour stay from 3 to 2.50. Some of the trusts that have put up prices are making millions every year from parking. Frimley Health in Surrey, one of the highest earning trusts in England, made 4,452,481 from charging staff, patients and visitors in 2017/18. This was up on the 4,126,587 it made the year before. It has raised the cost of parking during each of the last two financial years. For example, a stay of under two hours used to be 3 but rose to 3.40 in 2017/18. University Hospitals of Leicester made 4,421,862 from parking in 2017/18, a 13% rise on the 3,880,587 the year before. In the last year, it has also increased prices across the board. A two-hour stay for patients and visitors jumped from 2.50 to 2.80, while a four-hour stay rose from 4 to 4.40. Meanwhile, North Bristol Trust, which made 2,565,595 from patients, visitors and staff in 2017/8, up on the 2,521,741 the year before, also hiked rates in 2017/18. A stay of 20 minutes to two hours now costs 3.50, up from 3 the year before, while a stay of two to four hours is 5 (up from 4.50). Data published by NHS Digital in October, analysed by the Press Association, showed that NHS trusts made more than 226 million in 2017/18 from parking, including penalty fines. While NHS trusts in England still force people to pay for parking, the charges have been abolished in Wales and most of Scotland. Some hospitals have defended their revenues, saying some or all of the money is put back into patient care or is spent on maintaining car parks. Others claim their sheer size and the fact that they serve busy neighbourhoods means they take more revenue. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: These car parking charges are a tax on the sick. The next Labour government will axe them. Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Judith Jolly said the charges amounted to taxing the sick, adding: While it is clear to all that hospitals are struggling to cover their costs against a backdrop of financial pressures and overcrowding exacerbated by the Tories, that is not a green light to charge patients. Car park charges are not the answer to the pressures on our hospitals. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said parking charges generate revenue at a time when hospital finances are under immense pressure. But she added: Charges for car parking at hospitals are a charge on people who are unwell, levied on them because they are unwell. We believe that patients should not be effectively charged for being ill. Tom Sandford, director of the Royal College of Nursing in England, said: Nursing staff work around the clock to keep patients safe they should not be overcharged for doing their jobs. For staff working shifts public transport is often not an option, so nurses and support workers have no choice but to pay parking charges that rise year on year. (PA Graphics) Struggling hospitals should not try to make money from their staff. Their goodwill wont last forever. Trusts should provide reasonable car parking with affordable charges. Dr Moira Fraser-Pearce, director of policy and campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support, urged people to check what discounts were available for cancer patients. She added: Cancer can have a significant impact on peoples finances and if they have to pay to park at hospital in England, these charges can add considerably to this especially for those undergoing treatment on a daily basis. Unisons head of health Sara Gorton said: Health employees whose shifts end after the last train or bus has gone, or who work in remote areas with little or no public transport, or out and about in the community, have no option but to use their cars. If the Government put more money into the health service, charges could be scrapped, and nurses, porters and their NHS colleagues would no longer have to pay through the nose simply to park at work. A Department of Health spokesman said: We have made it very clear that patients, their families and our hardworking staff should not be subjected to unfair parking charges. NHS trusts are responsible for these charges and ensuring revenue goes back into frontline services, and we want to see trusts coming up with options that put staff, patients and their families first. According to the Army, the tourists will now be moved towards Gangtok. The tourists including women and children who were stranded between the 17 Mile area and Nathu La in Sikkim have now been provided food, shelter and warm clothes by the Army, a Defence Ministry official said. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: The Indian Army has rescued around 2500 tourists who were stuck near the India-China border in Sikkim's Nathu La due to heavy snowfall. The tourists including women and children who were stranded between the 17 Mile area and Nathu La in Sikkim have now been provided food, shelter and warm clothes by the Army, a Defence Ministry official said. "300 to 400 civil vehicles were stranded near 17 Mile carrying over 2500 tourists who were returning after visiting Nathu La Pass along the Indo-China border. The Indian Army immediately swung into action to provide rescue and relief to the stranded tourists including food, shelter, warm clothing and medicines," the official said.1500 tourists have been accommodated at 17 Mile, while the remaining tourists were shifted to 13 Mile. The Indian Army has also provided two sets of JCBs and Dozers of BRO for snow clearance and restoration of road connectivity. According to the Army, the tourists will now be moved towards Gangtok. All railway stations in Scotland should be step-free to improve accessibility, according to the Scottish Greens. The partys transport spokesman, John Finnie MSP, said that the move would make it easier for people with mobility difficulties and families with prams and buggies to access stations. A freedom of information request to Network Rail, made by Mr Finnie, indicated that only 40 of over 350 stations in the country are officially classified as step-free. In 2006, the Department for Transport (DfT) published the Railways For All Strategy, outlining the UK governments intention to improve access to the rail network for disabled people across Britain. Scottish ministers, through Transport Scotland, worked in partnership with the DfT to identify Scottish stations that should be given priority for improving access for disabled people. However, the Scottish Greens said that they are concerned that the programme for improving the remaining 310 stations is too slow. The Scottish Greens have called for all stations in Scotland to be "step-free" (Transport Scotland/PA) Mr Finnie said: The travelling public, including people with mobility issues and families using buggies and prams, deserve an easily-accessible public transport network as our railways are a public service. The Scottish Government is moving too slowly on this issue, and indeed theres an irony as the financial penalties incurred by ScotRail for poor performance under the Service Quality Incentive Regime help fund the necessary improvements. We clearly shouldnt be relying on a poor rail service to generate the cash for step-free stations and platforms. Scottish Greens want a public transport system that is accessible and affordable and we will continue to press for faster action on step-free stations. A Transport Scotland spokesman said: We work closely with colleagues in the Department for Transport to ensure that disabled people can fully engage with travel, and participate completely and without barriers in our society. As this is a reserved matter for the UK Government, the Department for Transport leads on the Access For All programme and The Secretary of State for Transport announced the continuation of this programme for the next control period. We have worked closely with ScotRail and Network Rail in developing a nomination list for stations for this next control period which has now been submitted for consideration. The list of proposed stations is based on the agreed set criteria set by the UK Government. In addition to the UK Governments Access For All programme, the Scottish Government continues to fund significant accessibility improvements across Scotland and with further schemes under consideration. Train punctuality has slumped to a 13-year low after a series of major issues plagued Britains railway in 2018. One in seven trains (14.6%) missed the industrys Public Performance Measure (PPM) of punctuality in the 12 months to December 8, according to Office of Rail and Road (ORR) figures. Press Association analysis of historical data revealed this annual rolling average has not been worse since September 2005. PPM measures whether a train arrives at its final destination within five minutes of the scheduled time, or 10 minutes for a long-distance service. Punctuality has been affected by a number of problems over the past 12 months, including extreme weather, errors in the launch of new timetables, strikes and signalling failures. Snow and ice crippled parts of the network when the Beast from the East hit Britain in February and March, while rails buckled due to a summer heatwave just three months later. Passengers in the north and south-east of England faced weeks of chaos when new timetables were introduced on May 20. Several operators have suffered disruption throughout the year due to a long-running industrial dispute over guards on trains. Punctuality has also been affected by infrastructure failures, with London Waterloo services hit by a number of signalling faults. Anthony Smith, chief executive of passenger watchdog Transport Focus, said: People using the railway need to be able the rely on the industrys most basic promise the timetable. If that is not delivered passengers must make their voice heard and claim compensation. The new Rail Ombudsman now provides free, binding arbitration on unsettled disputes. The cost of many rail season tickets will increase by more than 100 next week as average fares go up 3.1%. There have been calls for prices to be frozen due to the poor performance of the industry. (PA Graphics) Mr Smith added: With rail fares set to rise yet again passengers will be looking to the rail industry to deliver a more reliable, better value for money service in 2019. The Department for Transport has launched a review by former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams to consider all parts of the industry. Robert Nisbet, regional director of the Rail Delivery Group, said: Every minute counts for our customers and we are sorry when trains dont run on time. We have one of the most congested railways in Europe, which means incidents like the summer heatwave and disruption caused by new timetables have a bigger impact. Working together, the rail industry is learning the lessons from May while also delivering unprecedented investment to increase capacity and ease pressure on the busiest parts of the railway. A decade of cuts has cost colleges around 1 billion worth of funding, according to Scottish Labour. The party has accused the Scottish Government of failing to protect budgets for colleges in Scotland since 2007 and claim that not doing so has left institutions short of cash. Analysis by Labour, based on figures provided by the Scottish Parliaments Information Centre (SPICe), indicate that college budgets were 739.6 million in real terms when the SNP came to power in 2007. They say that had the SNP government protected that budget, colleges would have seen an additional 1 billion of investment over the past decade. Labours education spokesman, Iain Gray, said that the loss in funding had led to fewer students and a lack of resources available. So much for education being the SNPs top priority, years of austerity has cost our colleges over 1 billion, said Mr Gray. Scottish Labour has accused the Scottish Governent of failing to protect college budgets (Ben Birchall/PA) This will have cut off opportunities for thousands of young people and people seeking to learn new skills later in life. The long term impact this has had, and will have, on our economy is simply disgraceful. Colleges should be ladders of opportunity for people, engaging with schools, universities and employers to deliver opportunity for all, they should be playing a key role in any governments long term economic strategy. Instead, they have become the whipping boy of successive education budgets. Labour would invest in education so everyone has the skills they need to get on in life. Further Education Minister, Richard Lochhead, said that the Scottish Government would continue to support colleges. Our colleges deliver high quality teaching and learning, giving students recognised qualifications and providing a skilled, productive workforce to help grow our economy, said Mr Lochhead. Since 2007, weve invested over 810 million in real terms towards new campuses and buildings and have funded at least 116,000 FTE college places every year since 2011. Set against 2 billion real terms cut to our resource block grant over the last decade by the UK Government, we continue to support our colleges by investing over 600 million in colleges next year to deliver successful outcomes for all. Nearly two billion 5p plastic bags were sold in the last financial year, figures from the government show. This is a stark reduction from 2014, when 7.6 billion carrier bags the equivalent of 140 per person were handed out solely by Englands seven largest supermarkets. Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show the same seven retailers Asda, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury, Tesco, The Co-operative Group, Waitrose and Morrisons sold 1.04 billion bags in 2017/18, nearly 60% of the 1.75 billion in England. The 5p levy was introduced in England from October 5, 2015 and all large retailers have been required to introduce the charge. Similar schemes run in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The fee is due to rise to 10p and include smaller retailers from January 2020, environment secretary Michael Gove has said. Retailers are expected to donate any proceeds from the 5p charge to good causes and 153 companies reported donations of 51.6 million in 2017/18, the figures said. The plastic bag levy is due to rise to 10p (PA) Of this, 20.5 million went to causes local to the businesses, 20.4 million to charities or voluntary organisations, while 2.9 million went to support environmental issues. Companies are not obliged to donate money raised through the levy, with now collapsed retailer Poundworld retaining 454,397 with the company reporting it was still finalising its charity strategy for the current year and the use of the carrier bag levy funds. Others who chose to retain the money included registered charities, such as the Salvation Army, St Peters Hospice and Cats Protection. Gatwick Airport has been sold to Frances Vinci for 2.9 billion, just days after reports of drone sightings closed its runway and caused chaos for thousands of passengers. Under the terms of the deal, a consortium led by US investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) will sell a 50.01% stake to Vinci Airports. Vinci operates over 40 airports globally across Europe, Asia and the Americas and with the Gatwick takeover it will add the UKs second-biggest airport to its portfolio. The airport, the eighth-busiest in Europe by passenger numbers, was heavily disrupted in the run up to Christmas after reports of drone sightings closed its runway. Around 1,000 Gatwick flights were cancelled or diverted across three days last week after drones were spotted inside the airport perimeter. The crisis ruined the pre-Christmas travel plans of tens of thousands of people. Gatwick is the second busiest airport in the country (Gareth Fuller/PA) However, there were subsequent suggestions that there may never have been any drones at Gatwick, although police later played them down, saying they were down to poor communications. Michael McGhee, GIP partner, said: We expect the transaction to be completed by the middle of next year, with the senior leadership team remaining in place. Their focus, along with everyone at Gatwick, obviously remains on doing their very best for customers over the busy holiday period after the challenges of recent days. The GIP consortium acquire Gatwick in 2009 for 1.5 billion. The senior management team at Gatwick will stay in post following the deal, with chairman Sir David Higgins, chief exec Stewart Wingate and finance chief Nick Dunn continuing in their roles. GIP will continue to manage the remaining 49.99% interest in Gatwick after the transaction closes in the second quarter. Nicolas Notebaert, president of Vinci Airports, said: As Gatwicks new industrial partner, Vinci Airports will support and encourage growth of traffic, operational efficiency and leverage its international expertise in the development of commercial activities to further improve passenger satisfaction and experience. Cabinet minister Michael Gove has paid tribute to wonderful NHS staff who treated his son after a horrific Christmas Eve accident. Fourteen-year-old Will was badly injured when he crashed through plate-glass French windows at the family home in London after tripping over the Christmas tree. Mr Goves wife, newspaper columnist Sarah Vine, described how Will was rushed to A&E and spent seven hours having cuts to his shoulder and arm stitched up. She rushed back home after being called by her son while out doing last-minute Christmas shopping, and arrived to find their blood-spattered home looking like a scene from a Quentin Tarantino film. Ms Vine answered a mobile phone call in the supermarket to hear a howl of anguish from her son. When he switched to video calling, she saw a white-faced child with a huge gash on his shoulder about 10 centimetres long and deep enough so you could see the bone and tissues. Michael Gove and wife Sarah Vine (Yui Mok/PA) Writing in the Daily Mail, she said: On the same arm, a strip of flesh was hanging, like something out of a horror movie. After running home in 10 minutes, she found her son shaking, with blood-soaked kitchen towels wrapped around his arm. His lips were blue, and the hall was looking distinctly Quentin Tarantino, she said. Both French door windowpanes were jagged, gaping holes. Carpet, presents, tree were all covered in a fine spattering of blood. The Environment Secretary arrived back home gasping for air having sprinted back from the Tube station as an ambulance crew prepared to take Will to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Just wanted to thank wonderful team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their kindness and professionalism this Christmas - especially the superb trauma surgeon Mr Ibrahim - we are in your debt Michael Gove (@michaelgove) December 26, 2018 Once in the hospital, Ms Vine said their son was stitched up a treat by doctors, who included consultant surgeon Edward Ibrahim. The teenager emerged that evening excited at the prospect of some thrilling scars with which to wow the girls. By the next morning, he was feeling well enough to wake his parents early to watch him open his presents like any other Christmas Day. Ms Vine said the episode had left her haunted by the fragility of life and grateful for my great good fortune in life. Had he fallen an inch to the side either way, he could easily have severed a ligament or, much worse, an artery, she said. Or if had I missed his call as I often do I might not have got home in time. Had Wills guardian angel not been paying close attention this Christmas Eve, I could have been facing a very different Christmas from the one Ive just enjoyed. Mr Gove thanked the staff who treated his son in a tweet: Just wanted to thank wonderful team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their kindness and professionalism this Christmas especially the superb trauma surgeon Mr Ibrahim we are in your debt. A Greek police officer and a church caretaker have been injured in an explosion as they investigated a suspicious package outside a church in central Athens. Police said the blast occurred at around 7am outside the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upmarket Kolonaki area of the capital, ahead of a Christmas holiday service to mark St Stephens day. The two victims were taken to hospital. Neither of the two men suffered injuries that are life-threatening, according to police and church officials. A Greek Orthodox priest arrives after an explosion at the Orthodox church of Agios Dionysios in the upmarket Kolonaki area of Athens (AP) Father Symeon Voliotis, an aide at the archbishops office, told state-run ERT television that the caretaker found the explosive device at the front entrance of the church, moved it and alerted police. Any action that threatens life or disturbs the peace must be condemned, he said. My first thought was that someone homeless may have been hurt, because they often seek shelter there. But fortunately that was not the case. Authorities are already on alert following an attack on the private Skai television station when a powerful bomb damaged the front of the building on December 17. Militant far-left and anarchist groups have carried out attacks over the Christmas holidays in recent years. Anti-terrorism division officers are leading the investigation into the explosion, and officers cordoned off the busy central Athens area while colleagues gathered evidence. US president Donald Trump has returned to the US from an unannounced trip to Iraq, his first visit to a danger zone abroad. Mr Trump had been hearing from critics that it was past time for him to go abroad and see troops in harms way. With secrecy typical of such presidential visits, the presidents plane flew into Iraq on Wednesday with the lights out, coming overnight from Washington. Mr Trump stopped in Germany on his way back to greet troops at a US air base. The US president defended his decision to pull forces from neighbouring Syria, declaring of Islamic State militants: Weve knocked them out. Weve knocked them silly. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit a US airbase in Germany (AP) Meanwhile, Iraqi MPs have seized on Mr Trumps visit to demand the withdrawal of US troops from the country. Politicians from both sides of Iraqs political divide are calling on parliament to vote to expel US soldiers. Approximately 5,000 US troops are stationed in Iraq as part of the coalition against Islamic State. Foreign influence has become a particularly controversial issue in a year which saw supporters of populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr win the largest share of votes in May elections. Mr al-Sadr has called for curbing US and Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs. MPs have decried Mr Trumps visit as arrogant and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. A bodyguard to US President John F Kennedy and Lord Mountbatten has recalled the shock and sadness he felt when he heard about their assassinations. Mick McElkenny, 86, from the Washing Bay near Coalisland in Co Tyrone, trained as a sniper in the Irish Army and was a member of the Garda before he was selected to protect high-profile visitors to Ireland including Pope John Paul II. Mr McElkenny, whose career is the subject of a documentary, said he is in the unusual position of having provided security to two prominent figures who went on to be murdered, highlighting just how dangerous the job is. He was a bodyguard to JFK during the presidents visit to Ireland in 1963, just months before he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. We had a wonderful time guarding the president. He was a very humorous person, and everybody adored him, and they all listened to his speeches. He was lovely to listen to, Mr McElkenny said. Remembering his glee at being chosen for such an important role, he said: It was a great lift for me. I was delighted. And the people that all came out that time, it was unbelievable. Mr McElkenny recalled a story JFK told about how life could have taken a very different path if his Irish ancestors had not set sail for America. He told one about if his grandfather hadnt left New Ross in Co Wexford that he would have been working over in the factory in New Ross, he laughed. Mr McElkenny was driving through Stewartstown, a village in Co Tyrone near his former home, when he heard the news of JFKs assassination. He pointed out that JFKs driver on the day he was shot was a man from Stewartstown, and said: Isnt that a coincidence? Recalling that moment 55 years ago, he said: I was driving through Stewartstown, which is four miles from here, and I had the radio on and there was a newsflash that John F was shot. Mick McElkenny trained as a sniper in the Irish Army and was a member of the Garda (Mick McElkenny/PA Wire) Well I thought then that it wasnt too serious, till later on the news came that he was dead Very painful, very painful, to know that I was in his company a few months ago before that. President John F. Kennedy with relatives during his visit to Dunganstown, New Ross, Co Wexford (PA)[/caption] The whole world was shocked, especially in Ireland anyway. Everybody that came out to see him felt the same way I suppose. He added: When youre doing bodyguard you dont want anything to happen. You have to give your life should it be for his safety. And it was unfortunate that it did happen. And Im thinking of his bodyguards then. Very, very sad. He added: If anybody has the notion or the desire to do these things its hard to stop them. Mr McElkenny said he feels lucky to have been chosen to guard three top people during his working life. I did a lot of security work, he said, recalling his assignment protecting the Pope during the pontiffs trip to Ireland in 1979, and his role as part of Lord Mountbattens security in the picturesque Irish harbour village of Mullaghmore in Co Sligo. The Pope survived an assassination attempt in 1981. Lord Mountbatten, who enjoyed summer holidays for decades at nearby Classiebawn Castle, was killed in an IRA bomb on board the pleasure boat Shadow V after he set out from the harbour along the Atlantic coast to pick lobster pots and fish in 1979. President John F Kennedy on his visit to Ireland (PA) I did it to the best of my ability. Filmmaker Ryan Coney, 27, from Coalisland, made a documentary about Mr McElkenny called The Presidents Bodyguard which was screened at the 2018 Belfast Film Festival and later for locals at the Craic Theatre in Coalisland. Mr Coney said: I have nothing but complete respect and awe for Mick, he is the finest example of what is meant by real masculinity. I spoke to lots of people while filming this documentary, from all walks of Micks life, they spoke in glowing terms about Mick. Two things that people noted to me recurred time and again, were Micks humour and his ability to stay cool no matter what the situation. Mr McElkenny lives with his wife Kathleen in the area of the Glenshane Pass and has three daughters and five grandchildren. Campaigners have warned of a VAT shock for small businesses if Parliament approves Theresa Mays EU Withdrawal Agreement in a vote next month. Proposed changes to EU rules would reduce the threshold for small business exemption from charging VAT from an annual taxable turnover of 85,000 to 76,700. The Peoples Vote campaign for a second EU referendum said the change would force hundreds of thousands of traders to slap VAT on their products and services for the first time. A little-noticed parliamentary report, released on Christmas Eve, warned if the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified and the changes to EU directives go through, the UK would be forced to lower the threshold even if Brexit has happened. The report, by the Commons EU Scrutiny Committee, said the UK will lose its veto over any change if it leaves the EU as planned on March 29. But under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, Britain will be required to implement the directive at least until the end of the proposed transition period, which could last until December 2022. (Gareth Fuller/PA) The backstop arrangements in Mrs Mays deal could require Northern Ireland to remain aligned with EU VAT law indefinitely, meaning the new threshold could stay in place after the transition is over, the committee warned. This would have significant implications for thousands of small businesses, many of which would have to charge VAT for the first time. Under the EUs current VAT directive, individual EU countries have the option of exempting smaller companies from charging the sales tax to customers. In the UK, the small business exemption is applied to firms with an annual taxable turnover below the 85,000 maximum permitted by EU law. This threshold is currently frozen until 2022. Under the changes tabled in Brussels in January 2018, the threshold would be reduced to 85,000 euros currently around 76,700. The report stated: Having to transpose the directive could mean that the Government would be under a legal requirement to lower the VAT registration threshold for SMEs by nearly 10,000, as the UK limit is currently above the upper threshold of 76,700 proposed by the European Commission (and to which, so far, the remaining Member States have not objected). Any new EU legislation would, for the duration of the transition, override the UKs discretion to legislate in breach of the directive. The committee said its concerns would not apply if the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement, as Britain would then be free to amend or repeal elements of its VAT law from March 30 2019. But it warned: Without a Withdrawal Agreement, UK exports would face the immediate re-imposition of VAT controls on goods destined for the EU, as the latter has refused to copy the UKs approach of deferring VAT controls at the border in a no deal scenario. Labours former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, a leading supporter of the Peoples Vote campaign, said: Nobody put Pay More Tax on the side of their bus in the referendum campaign. This is another thing that none of us could possibly have known about back in 2016 and whatever way you voted then you werent voting for more taxes and bureaucracy on small business and the self-employed. The Prime Ministers plan makes the UK a rule-taker and removes our say round the table. Mr Leslie added: The real choice now is whether to go ahead with a Brexit deal or stick with the deal we already have as members of the EU. Now we know what Brexit looks like, the public should be given the opportunity to decide in a Peoples Vote is this the kind of deal we want, or is the deal we already have in the EU better? In the end, only the people can sort this out. National chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses Mike Cherry said: VAT is the hardest, most time-consuming tax for small businesses to administer, typically taking more than a working week a year. Dragging more small firms into this bureaucratic regime would take hard-working entrepreneurs away from running and growing their businesses. FSB campaigned hard to stop a wholesale expansion of VAT domestically, persuading the Chancellor against such a move which he announced at the Spring Statement and reconfirmed at the Autumn Budget. Now is not the time for it to be brought in via a different route, so we will be using our influence in the EU and elsewhere to stop it. The clash followed a sneak militant attack at an Army patrol in the area. SRINAGAR: Security forces on Friday shot dead a militant belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit during a brief gunfight in Jammu and Kashm-irs southern Pulwama district. The clash followed a sneak militant attack at an Army patrol in the area. No casualties were reported in the militant attack, the police sources said. The police identified the slain militant as Ishfaq Yusuf Wani, a resident of Pulwamas Qoil village. He was the 254th militant killed by security forces, so far this year, in their tough counterinsurgency campaign in the State. As many as 97 security personnel and 91 civilians have also died in gun fights and other militancy-related incidents in the state, making 2018 the bloodiest year of past one decade for it. In 2008, over five hundred people had died in militancy-related violence. The toll stood at 384 in 2017. Giving the details of Fridays incident, the police said that the gunfight took place in Rinzi-pora village of Bander-pora area of Pulwama at dawn on Friday. The fighting broke out after a joint party of Armys 55 Rashtriya Rifles and J&K polices Special Operations Group launched a cordon and search operation at Rinzipora to flush out militants hiding in the village, said a police officer. A police statement said that the search operation was launched after receiving a credible input. Hundreds of staff have been made redundant at a disposal company facing a probe over a pile-up of waste from the health service. Healthcare Environmental Services (HES) became embroiled in a clinical waste stockpiling controversy earlier this year with the NHS, and it denied claims that human body parts were among items caught up in a backlog at its sites. The company, based in North Lanarkshire, had contracts with the NHS in England and Scotland but it informed staff at its Shotts depot on Thursday that it is to cease trading. HES is thought to employ 150 people in Shotts and 350 across the UK. A letter from HES managing director Garry Pettigrew said: I apologise that there have been no previous consultations on this matter, however there are unforeseen circumstances that have proven to be outwith our control. HES had said a shortage of incinerators led to the backlog problem and it blamed unfair Government pressure on the business for the redundancy notices. Healthcare Environment Services staff have been told of redundancies (Lucinda Cameron/PA) The letter, which was shared on social media, claimed a bank had withheld funds due to pressure from political and market perception of our company. It read: As a company, we have been exploring all avenues, both politically and commercially, through enterprise schemes and sales of parts and the whole of the business to try to secure the future of the employees and the company. We have been given no assistance at any time, from the politicians or enterprise bodies in England or Scotland, we have been unable to resolve matters, and accordingly the company will cease trading on December 27, 2018. In November, HES said it was to sue the NHS organisations which terminated their contracts. The Environment Agency had previously said the firm was found to be in breach of permits at four of its six sites in England which deal with clinical waste, and a criminal investigation was launched. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency also previously confirmed it had issued enforcement notices at sites in Dundee and Shotts. In the redundancy notice, HES said it was unable to make payments but it directed staff to the Redundancy Payment Service to claim money owed. Mr Pettigrews letter said: The company very much regrets that it has become necessary to make redundancies and that you have been affected. I would like to offer my sincere apology in this regard and to thank you for your hard work and contribution to the company during your employment. Airdrie and Shotts SNP MP Neil Gray said: It seems clear that this situation could have been avoided but actions at a UK Government level have made it unavoidable. It is time UK ministers took some responsibility and also agreed to an independent inquiry into their handling of this whole affair. Alex Neil MSP and I have already written to the Scottish and UK governments asking for urgent intervention. Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon said: This is another example of workers being treated appallingly over the Christmas period and is a devastating blow to the Shotts community. HES held clinical waste contracts with 18 Scottish health boards and whilst waste contingency plans have been activated, people are rightly asking where is the help for the workers? The public need to have confidence that our NHS is equipped to cope and that reports of clinical waste being stockpiled are under control. Scottish ministers and their UK Government counterparts must make an urgent statement and commit to fully investigating exactly what has gone on, especially as a new NHS Scotland contract is due to be awarded in the new year. The Scottish Government must confirm what assistance is currently in place for the HES workforce and if TUPE arrangements (employee protections) can be put in place. Scottish Government Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said: I am very concerned to learn that employees of Healthcare Environmental Services have been told they are being made redundant and the impact this will have on them and their families. We have contacted the company previously on a number of occasions, most recently on Wednesday (December 26) when we offered to come on site to provide support to employees through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (Pace). We did not receive a response but have provided the company with information on Pace support. After previously not engaging with this offer of support we hope that the company will now do so to assist their employees. Through providing skills development and employability support, Pace aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work. A top Russian official has said the nations new strategic weapon has rendered any missile defences useless. Deputy prime minister Yuri Borisov told Russian state television that the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle flies 27 times faster than the speed of sound, making it impossible to intercept. He added that the new weapon essentially makes missile defences useless. Russian president Vladimir Putin and chief of general staff of Russia Valery Gerasimov (AP) Mr Borisov spoke a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin oversaw the Avangards reportedly successful test and hailed it as a reliable guarantee of Russias security for decades to come. In Wednesdays test, the weapon was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin said it successfully hit a practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 3,700 miles away. The test comes amid bitter tensions in Russian-US relations. The Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Moscows meddling in the 2016 US presidential election continue to cast a cloud over international relations. The Russian defence ministry released footage from the test launch, in which a ballistic missile could be seen blasting from a silo in a cloud of smoke, although it has not released any images of the vehicle itself. Mr Putin said the Avangard will enter service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces next year. Sergei Ivanov, a former Russian defence minister, said in televised comments that the Avangard constantly changes its course and altitude as it flies through the atmosphere. He emphasised that unlike previous nuclear warheads fitted to intercontinental ballistic missiles that follow a predictable trajectory allowing it to calculate the spot where they can be intercepted, the Avangard chaotically zigzags on its path to its target, making it impossible to predict the weapons location. A smiling Mr Ivanov likened the weapons flight through the atmosphere to a pebble skipping off the surface of water. Mr Ivanov, who now serves as Mr Putins adviser, said the Avangard could be fitted to the Soviet-made UR-100UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile, which is code-named SS-19 Stiletto by Nato. He noted that Russia has a stockpile of several dozen such missiles, which are in a factory-mint condition and not filled with fuel, allowing them to serve for a long time to come. Mr Ivanov added that they could be put in existing silos, sharply reducing the costs of Avangards deployment. From the left, Sergei Ivanov, Russian special representative on questions of ecology and transport, Russian Senior Russian officials oversee the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (AP) The Avangard has cost hundreds of times less than what the US has spent on its missile defence, Mr Ivanov said. He noted that Russia began to develop the Avangard after the US withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002 and started to develop defences against ballistic missiles. Moscow feared that the US missile shield could erode its nuclear deterrent, and Mr Putin announced in 2004 that Russia was working on a new hypersonic weapon. Mr Ivanov recalled that when Russian officials warned their US counterparts about the new weapon programme at the time, American officials were openly sceptical about Russias ability to carry out its plan. He said: We arent involved in sabre-rattling, we simply ensured our security for decades to come. Three British tourists, including a child, have died after the 44 they were in crashed off a bridge in Iceland. The accident happened at around 9.30am on Thursday when the Toyota Land Cruiser carrying seven passengers crashed through a railing of a one-lane bridge in the south of the country before falling around eight metres onto a river bank. Police said one child was among the dead and two, aged seven and nine, among the injured in the crash which took place on a 200-300 metre bridge on the national Route 1 road near Skeidararsandur, a vast sand plain in southern Iceland. The four injured were airlifted to hospital in the capital Reykjavik with serious injuries and police are not sure when they will be able to question them about how the driver lost control of the vehicle. Police said the road was not thought to be icy but humidity could have made the surface slippery for the SUV, which was driving eastbound over the bridge in Nupsvotn, just south of the Vatnajokull glacier. Chief Superintendent of south Iceland Police Sveinn Kristjan Runarsson said the four injured have been taken to hospital with serious injuries, but added that we havent been able to talk to them about what happened. Those involved in the crash are from two British families, and a number of them are thought to be of Indian heritage. The Indian Ambassador to Iceland, Mr T. Armstrong Changsan, is believed to have visited the survivors in hospital. Tour guide Adolf Erlingsson, who was among the first on the scene, told the Associated Press: It was horrible. The car seemed to have hit the ground many metres from where it stopped. We struggled getting everyone out. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Erlingsson said the SUV was a total wreck when he arrived at the crash site. A police vehicle at a roadblock on Route 1 in Iceland, near the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon (Owen Humphreys/PA) He said: Four people were out of the car, one of them deceased. Then there were three people trapped in the car and I think two of them were deceased. The driver was alive and trapped more or less under the dashboard. It was a horrible sight to come there and see the wreckage and people there. He said rescuers used a winch and another SUV to lift the car up and try to save the driver. Mr Erlingsson added: We were trying to get the people out of the car and helping them. It was a very difficult situation. Soon after I arrived, we had an SUV with a winch and we used it to lift the car up a little bit to alleviate the pressure on the driver and to try and get him out. He said he spoke to some people who were semi-conscious outside the vehicle, and added: I tried to talk a bit to the driver to calm him down. He was trapped inside the car. (PA Graphics) Mr Erlingsson said the crash occurred in an area that was the most popular destination on the south coast. The crash happened just south of Skaftafell National Park, part of the Vatnajokull National Park, which was nominated for inclusion in Unescos World Heritage List in 2018. The Vatnajokull glacier is the largest in Europe, covering 8% of Icelands landmass including the islands tallest peak Hvannadalshnjukur at 2,200 metres tall (7,218ft). Tourists flock to the area to enjoy hiking, camping and sightseeing flights. South of the national park is the Skeidararsandur, a vast sand plain formed from alluvial deposits, with little vegetation, with the Nupsvotn glacial lakes on its western boundary. A 37-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering two children. Police said the children, who the force described only as young, were discovered at a property in the Kent coastal town of Margate in the early hours of Thursday. Less than an hour before they were found and taken to hospital, the woman was involved in a car crash and taken to hospital. A Kent Police spokesman said: At around 3.35am on Thursday 27 December 2018 officers attended a property in Castle Drive, Margate, due to concerns for the welfare of the occupants. The South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended and two young children were taken to hospital, where they were later declared deceased. Police remain at the scene and a 37-year-old woman from Margate has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The woman had been involved in a road traffic collision on the A299 Thanet Way at around 2.50am and was taken to hospital with minor injuries. She has now been discharged and taken into custody at a police station. Police outside the house (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Two uniformed police officers stood outside the terraced house in Castle Drive, which is on a new-build estate on the outskirts of Margate. Forensics officers were earlier seen at the address. It is believed they had not been living at the house very long, according to neighbours who said they did not know them. Local priest Father John Taylor, who did not know those involved, said: As a priest and as a parent, when I heard I was shocked, very disturbed and saddened. He added: I came down to see if I could help and will say a prayer for the children. Something like this affects the whole community just imagine how the neighbours feel and the rest of the family. A Massachusetts man who claims he was groped by Kevin Spacey at a Nantucket restaurant in 2016 caught part of his encounter with the actor on video, court documents reveal. According to state police reports filed in Nantucket District Court, the then-18-year-old man sent a video via Snapchat to his girlfriend which allegedly showed Spacey touching the front of his trousers. The actor denies the allegations (Matt Crossick/PA) Spaceys lawyers said at a hearing last week that the video shows someones hand touching another persons shirt, but the footage does not show anyone being groped and there is not enough evidence for their client to be charged. Spacey faces arraignment on January 7 on a charge of indecent assault and battery. The case came to light in November 2017 when former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh announced that Spacey had groped her son. Police have appealed for information after a man was found seriously injured in north Glasgow. The 55-year-old man was found with head injuries in the Wyndford area of the city at around 7.50pm on December 18. He was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary in a critical condition after being found in Ardessie Place, before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where his condition is described as stable. Police have not yet confirmed how the man came to be injured. Can you help officers find out how a 55-year-old man was seriously injured in Ardessie Place, Wyndford? He was found at 7.50pm on Tuesday (18 Dec). He's in hospital now with serious head injuries and we need to know what happened. Get in touch on 101 with any information. Glasgow North Police (@GlasgowNPolice) December 20, 2018 Following inquiries, officers believe a man may have tried to speak to him or help him before emergency services attended. He is described as white, in his early fifties, around 5ft 9in and of heavy build with short black and greying hair. Police are seeking information after the man was found (Andrew Milligan/PA) The man is said to have a Glasgow accent, is clean shaven with a scar on his right cheek and was wearing a dark green khaki waterproof bomber-style jacket and dark blue jeans. Detective Inspector Craig McPhail said: We are keen to speak to the man described as he could have vital information that could help us with our inquiries into how this man came to be so seriously injured. We ask you to think back, were you in this area that night or do you know anyone matching this description who could have been? The person described may not have realised how seriously injured this man was at the time. Jeremy Corbyn has urged the Prime Minister to cut the Christmas recess short and recall Parliament so MPs can vote on the Brexit deal. The Labour leader said he wanted to have a vote as soon as possible, and accused Theresa May of trying to run down the clock and offer MPs a choice between the devil or the deep blue sea. In an interview with the Independent, Mr Corbyn reportedly refused to be drawn on whether Labour would seek to extend Article 50 to keep the UK in the EU for longer, and said: Lots of things are possible, the EU has longform on reopening and extending negotiations, but lets not jump too many hoops when we havent arrived at them. (Independent/PA) MPs are due to return to the Commons on January 7 after a two-week Christmas break, and will begin a new debate on Mrs Mays deal on January 9 with a vote expected to take place the following week. Mr Corbyn said it was in Mrs Mays hands whether she should recall Parliament a week early, on January 2. I want us to have a vote as soon as possible, thats what Ive been saying for the past two weeks, and if that means recalling parliament to have the vote lets have it, he told the paper. But it looks to me the Government has once again reneged on that and tried to put it back another week. We need to have that vote so a decision of parliament can be made. What I suspect is that its a completely cynical manoeuvre to run down the clock and offer MPs the choice of the devil or the deep blue sea. A Downing Street source labelled Mr Corbyns call a silly demand, and said: Following debate in the Commons, in the week commencing 14 January MPs will vote on the Brexit deal. Instead of making silly demands, Jeremy Corbyn should be honest with voters that he has no alternative plan, and only intends to frustrate Brexit ultimately betraying the referendum result. His comments came as John McDonnell dismissed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to support if the Prime Ministers deal is rejected. The shadow chancellor told the Financial Times such a move would run the clock down even further towards March 29, when Britain is due to leave the EU. Elsewhere, Gunther Oettinger, the European Commissioner and a member of Angela Merkels CDU party, warned that the remaining EU member states would have to stump up if Britain does not pay the 39 billion divorce bill. Asked what impact a no deal Brexit would have on the EU budget, he told the German newspaper Westfalische Rundschau: It depends on whether, following a disorderly Brexit, the British would be prepared to fulfill their rights and obligations as contributors by the end of the financial year 2019. If this is not the case, next year a medium three-digit million amount will be added to Germany. But he said it was not entirely unlikely that MPs would vote for Mrs Mays deal next month. Former Ulster Unionist leader Lord Jim Molyneaux suggested putting the onus on the Irish Taoiseach to deal with the IRAs weapons, official files disclosed. He met then prime minister Sir John Major in the weeks after the Provisionals declared their first ceasefire in 1994. It was September 2005 before the complete decommissioning of republican arms was verified, part of a process which secured Sinn Feins full participation in powersharing at Stormont. A Downing Street note from the prime ministers private secretary from October 1994 was published by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) as part of the annual release of official files. It was September 2005 before the complete decommissioning of republican arms was verified (John Giles/PA) It said: Molyneaux wondered whether we could put the onus on the Taoiseach and the Republic of Ireland for dealing with the IRAs weapons. Other files released showed that Sir Johns officials considered including reference to a weapons amnesty in one of his speeches during a visit he made to Northern Ireland in autumn 1994. An official from the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) interjected that the comment would be premature as more preparatory work was needed. Lord Molyneaux told the prime minister he had heard from sensitive sources that the Provisionals were still targeting people. The note of the meeting, compiled by Sir Roderic Lyne, added: Molyneaux suggested that we should conduct exploratory talks with representatives of loyalist paramilitaries and then arrange for them to hold some sort of bilateral political discussions with (NIO minister) Michael Ancram. He felt that the US governments decision to waive visa restrictions on a group of loyalist paramilitaries had made it easier for Her Majestys Government to have contact with them. He did not, of course, argue that they could become full participants in the talks process. Lord Molyneaux also passed on a suggestion from party colleague Lord Ken Maginnis that they should not hasten unduly to repair Irish border roads closed during the conflict. The official wrote: He also seemed to be suggesting that repairing roads was not the highest priority for expenditure. I assume he had some hidden agenda. The unionist leader also floated reviving the Prior Assembly established by former Northern Ireland Secretary Lord Jim Prior in 1982, since the advisory body had only been prorogued. He claimed it could be revived without new legislation as an interim step to begin restoring local democracy. Sir Roderic wrote: On each occasion we countered that there would be no point in doing this if the SDLP declined to participate; and we knew that the SDLP would decline, unless the assembly was part of a wider deal. Molyneaux acknowledged that he had no answer to this and did not press his point. John Hume expressed concern about the speed with which the Irish Government released IRA prisoners after the paramilitary ceasefires, official files have revealed. Nine inmates were to be freed before Christmas 1994. SDLP founder Mr Hume discussed his concerns with a senior British Government official, according to archives published by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). In November 1994 the official wrote: He was a bit concerned about the speed with which Dublin was moving on the prisoners issue. Mr Hume had been repeating publicly his view that those were all things that needed to be settled down the road. Early release was a controversial decision which had divided public opinion (Niall Carson/PA) A British Government note said none of the inmates being freed by Ireland were sought by UK police. Mr Hume was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the violence in Northern Ireland. His conversations with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams in the late 1990s had begun to shift republican thinking on the conflict. Mr Hume founded the SDLP in 1970 and led it from 1979. Early release of prisoners was a central demand of Sinn Fein in exchange for the IRA ending its violent campaign. It would take place in Northern Ireland following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Former senior Ulster Unionist Sir Jeffrey Donaldson walked out of the Good Friday Agreement talks at the eleventh hour over the early release of prisoners. Former US president Jimmy Carter was suggested for a Northern Ireland peace process role, official files show. Speculation was mounting in January 1993 that president-elect Bill Clinton would appoint a special envoy. British Foreign Office official Jonathan Powell mentioned Mr Carter in a note disclosed in an archived British government file released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast. Mr Powell described how former congressman Bruce Morrison, then head of the Irish Americans for Clinton lobby group, envisaged the envoy. Mr Powell wrote: He (Morrison) did not envisage an Irish American filling the role. An Irish American like (Bill) Flynn would have too much baggage. He envisaged instead someone completely independent, like Jimmy Carter, or someone in the same mould but of lower profile. Mr Carter only served one term in office but became a diplomat and mediator around the world. He worked on the Middle East peace process and tried to encourage talks between North and South Korea. In 1993 a statement from the Friends of Ireland in the US said: On this St Patricks Day, the Friends of Ireland in the US Congress join with Irish Americans in calling for renewed efforts to achieve peace, reconciliation and justice in Northern Ireland. In the event, former Democratic senator George Mitchell was appointed as envoy in 1995, securing a commitment to non-violence from the gunmen and ultimately becoming the architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Successive envoys including Richard Haass and Gary Hart have helped maintain US involvement in Northern Irelands peace process. John Major (Yui Mok/PA) The newly released file also covered the opposition of UK officials to the US visa offered to former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. Notes of a meeting between the US ambassador to the UK and the prime ministers private secretary said: Unless Mr Adams visit is followed by a rapid and permanent end to the IRAs violence, there is no question that it will have done huge damage to the (Joint) Declaration. We warned of this ahead of the visit in the strongest possible terms. The Downing Street Declaration between former prime minister John Major and ex-Irish premier Albert Reynolds in 1993 laid the framework for the peace process which was to follow. Sources said the numbers are stacked slightly in favour of the Opposition in the Upper House. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha for the second time in less than a year after a heated debate on Thursday. (Representational image) New Delhi: The contentious triple talaq bill is likely to face stiff resistance from Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha which are united in their demand for sending the legislation to a joint parliamentary select committee for further scrutiny. Sources said the numbers are stacked slightly in favour of the Opposition in the Upper House. According to the sources, Opposition parties have held discussions on raising the demand for referring the bill to the select committee on Monday when it is likely to come up for consideration in the Upper House. The UPA has 112 members in the Upper House and the NDA 93. One seat is vacant. The remaining 39 members of other parties are unattached to either the NDA or the UPA and are likely to play an important role in the passage of the contentious legislation. Though the NDA is way short of the half-way mark of 123 in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, it had emerged victorious in the election of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, with its nominee Harivansh of the Janata Dal (United) bagging 125 votes against 101 polled by the Opposition-backed Congress member B.K. Hariprasad. The government has expressed hope that the bill, which criminalises the practice of instant divorce by Muslim men, will find support in the Rajya Sabha, whose approval is necessary for the bill to become a law. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha for the second time in less than a year after a heated debate on Thursday. The sources said all Congress members in the Rajya Sabha would also meet in Parliament on Monday morning, ahead of the start of House proceedings, to evolve its strategy on the issue. CPI member D. Raja said the Opposition has the numbers and would press for referring the bill to the select committee. Opposition parties are asking for referring the triple talaq bill to the select committee for further scrutiny when the bill comes up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mr Raja said. He alleged that the government wants to use the bill for political purposes.They are not genuinely interested in gender equality and gender justice, Mr Raja alleged. Another leader claimed that the Opposition parties are united in referring the bill to the select committee as the proposed legislation needs to be examined properly. Opposition leaders claimed they would not allow the passage of the bill in any case. The government had not agreed to the Opposition demand for sending the earlier bill to the select committee, when it was brought before the House in the Monsoon session of Parliament. Irish sympathy after a helicopter crash killed the cream of British military and policing intelligence showed how much security cooperation had improved, British officials said. In June 1994, the Chinook fell from the sky in thick fog on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland and killed 29 people. Among them were senior Army, RUC and RAF officials. Details were contained in a state file from the time released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). A British Government official wrote: A few years ago we could have expected an embarrassed silence from the Irish at such a disaster involving acknowledged members of the intelligence community. These public reactions illustrate the change in attitudes towards security cooperation. Then taoiseach Albert Reynolds said the crash was a dreadful tragedy for the families of the dead and those who worked in public service. Tanaiste Dick Spring said it was a setback in the common task of protecting human life against violence. Garda commissioner Patrick Culligan said he was deeply saddened, knew many of those killed personally and valued their advice and cooperation in counteracting terrorism and crime at every level. Passengers onboard the helicopter comprised 10 senior members of the RUC and nine Army staff officers of various ranks engaged on counter-terrorism activities, together with six civilian security specialists working in the NIO. Four RAF crew members also died. Then prime minister Sir John Major paid tribute to the Chinook victims. He said their skill and determination had helped to save many lives in Northern Ireland (John Giles/PA) The flight was not unusual, in an aircraft with a long-established reputation for safety and widely used in Northern Ireland, briefing lines contained in the archived file said. The aircraft was en-route from one secure base to another. A weather radar was not considered essential, the document said. A personal statement from then prime minister Sir John Major in June 1994 said: These officers and officials from the RUC, the Army, the RAF, the Northern Ireland Office and other departments were all in their different ways, carrying out work of importance to Northern Ireland. As I know from meetings during my visits to the province, they made light of the risks in their daily lives. Their skill and determination had helped to save many lives in Northern Ireland. Around one in 10 people in Scotland would not accept someone of a different religion to them being elected as their MSP, a study has suggested. Analysis also found 11% would not accept an individual with a different faith marrying a relative. The report, published by the Humanist Society Scotland, surveyed around 1,000 people in the country to evaluate their tolerance on a range of issues. Its conclusions suggest that despite Scotland having a positive reputation for inclusiveness and acceptance of others, a hidden intolerance remains. Survey respondents were also asked about their views on same-sex relationships, with 67% stating they do not believe it to be wrong. But 20% of those asked said they do believe same-sex relationships are wrong, while 8% said they did not know, and 5% preferred not to say. The study suggests there are `hidden intolerances in Scotland (Jane Barlow/PA) The number of people who think same-sex relationships are wrong rose to around one in three amongst male respondents. Humanist Society Scotland described some of the findings as concerning. Chief executive Gordon MacRae said: Overall, this research paints Scotland as a country accepting of different religious or non-religious outlooks. However there are some findings of concern. There has been unacceptable incidents in the past of people attempting to use religious positions to advocate against voting for candidates in an election. Thankfully this is shown to be out of touch with the overwhelming majority of people in the country who hold much more inclusive values and believe religious leaders should not attempt to sway peoples votes. It is disappointing to see continued opposition to same-sex relationships amongst a minority, but nevertheless sizeable, proportion of the community. As humanists, we support individuals living a loving life with those who make them happy. There clearly continues to be work done to ensure Scotland is a fully inclusive nation for LGBT people. The Scottish public have also shown their awareness of those who attempt to use religion as a tool for division. Over three-quarters said they felt some hard-line religious people were too intolerant of others and believed in no way should religious leaders attempt to influence peoples democratic votes. A spokesman for the Church of Scotland stated it was positive to see the report noting Scotland as a largely tolerant and inclusive society, however said that more work must be done. The Church of Scotland works continuously to nurture good relationships with people of all faiths and none, he said. Christians, and all people of faith, are shaped and influenced by what they believe. They believe that Jesus challenged the falsely pious and intolerant of his age and of every age. His message was radically challenging of those who thought that they had it all worked out what was right and what was wrong and it remains so today. In recent years, the Church has forged strong friendships through our interfaith and ecumenical work. We also partner with a wider range of groups and charities, regardless of their religious affiliation, to improve lives in Scotlands most disadvantaged areas. We are aware that there are tensions in Scottish society and where we find prejudice, we are always willing to try to work to heal divisions and improve understanding. More than 68,000 babies in Scotland have received a baby box since the policy was introduced in 2017. The box aims to help give children the best start in life, and it contains items such as clothing, a toy, a play mat, books, a towel, a sling carrier and thermometers. The box itself can be used as a sleeping space for newborns. New figures show that as of December 7 this year, a box had been delivered to 68,513 newborns the equivalent rate of around 900 a week. This is a dip on the level recorded at the first anniversary of the box being introduced. On August 15, 2018, a year after the policy was brought in, figures showed 52,065 boxes had been handed out, the equivalent of 1,000 per week and representing an 85% uptake by parents. Maree Todd, Minister for Children and Young People, right, with Jennifer Scott and her daughter Hailie marking the first anniversary of the baby box initiative (Robert Perry/PA) The projected cost of the initiative was 8 million for 2017/18, rising to 8.8 million for each of the following three years. Critics at the start of the scheme suggested that giving the box to any eligible parents, including those who can easily afford the contents, did not represent the best use of public funds. However, ministers stress feedback shows parents appreciate the universal aspect of the policy and believe it removes stigma. SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said: It is wonderful to see so many families across Scotland benefiting from the baby box. The boxes are a really positive Scottish Government initiative providing parents with many of the essentials they need to care for their child. From thermometers to towels, changing mats to clothes the boxes are a fantastic way of giving children the very best start in life. Well over 68,000 boxes have already been provided to parents across Scotland, showing how popular they are proving with families in every corner of the country and given how beneficial they are to parents and newborns, long may that continue. Farmyard security measures on the Troubles-era hard Irish border prompted disputed allegations of discrimination against Catholics, official files revealed. Roads in Co Fermanagh leading into Co Monaghan in the Republic were closed because of the IRA threat. They were effectively being opened to limited vehicle access by allowing landowners to make detours through lockable gates on their farmland, a decades-old British Government archive note said. Northern Ireland Office (NIO) official Peter Smyth explained: The privilege of being allowed to install such gates is apparently not extended to the Roman Catholic community and has caused considerable resentment in the area. Old allegations of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) collusion with the unionist community are reviving. Rosslea is a village close to the border. The two communities disagree how to spell it, many nationalists writing Roslea. In 1994, some nationalists living there felt Protestants were receiving favourable treatment when it came to accessing cross-border land, an archived British Government note released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) said. The dispute highlighted the localised impact of an Irish border which had been closed for years because of the danger of republican attacks. The official record from 1994 surrounded a meeting with an influential member of the community in Fermanagh, Gerry Lynch, and highlighted some of the social sensitivities around the snaking 310-mile frontier. The official record from 1994 highlighted some of the social sensitivities around the snaking 310-mile frontier (PA) Mr Lynch claimed Catholic farmers had approached the RUC to secure access through lockable gates, but been refused. Mr Lynch maintained: Any attempts by Catholic farmers to create temporary by-passes for purposes of bringing in crops quickly attracted the wrath of the police. The NIO official added: All the by-passes he knew of had been granted to Protestant farmers and the perception was growing that, once again, the local Catholics were being treated as second-class citizens. Mr Smyth said the RUC considered applications for gates on a case-by-case basis. He added: I have no doubt I was given a fairly subjective account of the situation but there was no mistaking Mr Lynchs sense of injustice. Relations between the nationalist community and the security forces are always delicate around Rosslea and Mr Lynch has worked harder than most to keep things on an even keel. He feels that he has gone out on a limb for the past two or three years and is genuinely disillusioned by the apparent failure of the local RUC to make some gesture of reciprocity. The official records also discussed security concerns about a future IRA attack on a police station in Co Tyrone using an improvised border crossing created by a farmer to straddle a stream on his land. A four-wheel drive vehicle had been employed in previous attacks and the RUC wanted to excavate the stream to make it impassable to traffic. The farmer suggested an alternative involving blocking access to the field but was unable to ask local contractors to do the work for security reasons. One in 10 organ donors opts out of donating their eyes, figures show. Data from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show that 10.6% of people on the organ donor register are willing to donate organs including hearts, livers and kidneys but they choose not to donate their eyes. As well as donors being less forthcoming about donating their eyes, families of donors also sometimes decline to consent to the donation of their loved ones eyes. This could be due to the old adage of eyes being the window to the soul, one expert said. The so-called yuck factor may also be at play, said Emma Winstanley, lead nurse for NHSBTs Tissue and Eye Services. But donating ones eyes can help transform the lives of people in need of sight-saving operations, she said. One donor can help restore or improve the sight of up to 10 people. But figures show that NHS eye banks are running short of what is needed. In the last year, 3504 people in England have had their sight restored through cornea transplants. This #WorldSightDay we're calling for more people to give the gift of sight and help patients see what they can only imagine. https://t.co/jvmqppHZfZ pic.twitter.com/Al3VDJsjIh NHS Blood+Transplant (@NHSBT) October 11, 2018 NHSBT needs around 350 corneas in its eye banks situated in Manchester and Bristol to meet patient need. But from the start of 2018 until November 23, the average number of corneas in the eye banks at any given time was 307. Paediatrician Dr Victoria Parsonson almost lost her sight before she received a cornea transplant. The 35-year-old, from Birmingham, said she was given the gift of sight and the operation completely changed her life. She was diagnosed with keratoconus, a progressive eye disease which causes distorted and blurred vision, when she was 16. I was devastated, all I ever wanted to be was a doctor, she said. Paediatrician Dr Victoria Parsonson received a cornea transplant (NHSBT) But in 2001 she had the cornea transplant at Bristol Eye Hospital. Dr Parsonson added: Having a transplant completely changed my life. It helped me to help other people. I like to think that I have been given the gift of sight and I hope in my career I am able to also give something back to people. My donor and their family are amazing and I cant thank them enough for what they have done for me. In the last year 3,504 people in England have had their sight restored through cornea transplants. Ms Winstanley, of NHSBTs Tissue and Eye Services, told the Press Association: It is a phenomenon which we call the yuck factor some people are squeamish about eyes. So what we find is some people are willing to donate organs and other tissues like heart valve, bone and tendons, but sometimes when you ask a family member about eyes they can say You can have anything you want, but not the eyes. Its within our culture about eyes being the windows to the soul but actually, when you really think about it, you could be saving somebodys sight or be giving them the gift of sight. That kind of counteracts that feeling. NHS Blood and Transplant needs 90 donations a week to meet the demand for sight-saving transplants. The cornea the clear tissue on the front of the eye that help the eye to focus light is one part of the eye that can be donated. The sclera, the white part of the eye, can also be donated for reconstruction surgery. Other tissue is used for research and development. But the eye is never transplanted whole. People can donate their corneas up to 24 hours after they die and, unlike organ donation, it is not necessary for them to die in a hospital intensive care unit or A&E department to become a donor. Donation can take place after death in hospital, in hospices or in funeral home. A wider pool of people can also be eye donors, including most cancer patients and people who have eye problems themselves such as the short-sighted. And donors can be almost any age, with an upper limit of about 85 in Britain, which is around the time the cell count drops on the corneas. To find out more visit: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ Motorists are being warned to check their cars battery if they have not driven over the festive period. The AA predicts January 2 will be one of its busiest days for breakdown recovery in 2019 due to a surge in flat batteries. It expects to attend more than 13,000 breakdowns, which is almost a third (29%) more than normal. January 2 will be the first day back at work for millions of people who are taking time off over Christmas, meaning many will attempt to drive vehicles left idle for more than a week. AA patrol of the year George Flinton said: The first working day back in January is typically one of the busiest of the year for the AA, with flat batteries the main culprit. Over the Christmas break many cars get left unused. That causes the output of the battery to drop which, especially for old batteries, can mean they dont have the power to turn the engine over. Flat batteries are expected to surge on January 2 (Yui Mok/PA) If your car has been left sitting idle or has done mostly short, stop-start journeys, the batterys charge will likely be depleted. Ideally, trickle charge the battery or, if possible, take it out before Wednesday for at least half an hour to boost the battery. Margaret Thatcher claimed the Irish police were not a highly professional police force and that she had failed in a row over the border, state papers have revealed. Minutes of the unusually intense meeting the PM had with taoiseach Charles Haughey in June of 1988 showed Mrs Thatcher was deeply angry at what she perceived as lack of co-operation from the Irish state and its police in the fight against cross-border terrorism. The two leaders met on the fringes of a European summit in Hanover where Mrs Thatcher warned the taoiseach: We cant have the border open as it is now. Mrs Thatcher met Charles Haughey (PA) There are massive caches of arms somewhere, she said. We know that there are arms and weapons and we know that they bring them across. We do not get intelligence from the Gardai, they are not the most highly professional police force. The taoiseach rebuked Mrs Thatcher saying the Irish government was constantly ballyragged by the British and received no credit for the work they had been doing. There were 147 punishment shootings in Northern Ireland in a recent period, he said. You had Lisburn. You had Enniskillen. These are not failures of our making. These are things that happen within Northern Ireland where your security forces operate. There is no way we can patrol 500 miles. Mrs Thatcher, who continued to become increasingly exasperated in the meeting added: I dont know what to do about the border. She went on to say she was disappointed in the SDLP and John Hume. They have the gift of the gab, but no, they wont talk to their people and tell them to join the RUC. So I have failed, she said. When the troops went to Northern Ireland, they were welcome. It has all been so useless Those two corporals (Derek Wood and David Howes, who were caught up in a funeral procession of an IRA member as they returned from Belfast to Lisburn were killed in March that year) were among the worst things in my life. The savagery was unbelievable. I will never be prepared to walk out and let the terrorists win. The meeting came in a particularly tense time for the two leaders as Mrs Thatcher had written to the taoiseach in April telling him she was deeply upset at speeches he had made in New York and Harvard. You seem to be arguing that the persistence of violence actually calls into question the existence of Northern Ireland as an entity. To me, such an admission would be tantamount to a surrender to terrorism, the letter read. Mr Haughey had made it clear to the British leader in a secret message four days before the meeting that he utterly rejected violence. As an Irishman it has always been a matter of deep regret for me that Ireland is divided. A united Ireland could not come about through violence, and every act of bloodshed on this island sets back further the date when what I hope for most deeply can be achieved. During the meeting, Mrs Thatcher brought up Mr Haugheys political belief. You talk of unity and I ask would that be better? I say no, there would be the worst civil war in history, she said. And it would spread to the mainland. Your people come over to us. I wish they wouldnt. They come looking for housing and services. A press release dated after the meeting said that a great deal of useful work had been done. A bright blue light lit up the New York skyline on Thursday night after a transformer exploded at an energy facility. The blast prompted a brief fire at a sprawling Con Edison facility in Queens but no injuries and a spectacular illumination that generated a flurry of online commentary. The explosion affected subway service in the area and caused a brief ground stop at LaGuardia Airport, which experienced power outages. Governor Andrew Cuomo described a major electrical failure at the electrical substation along the East River, near the Rikers Island prison complex and across a small bay from LaGuardia. Power had been largely restored to LaGuardia by 11pm and the airport was resuming normal operations. The lights caused a stir on social media as several witnesses posted photographs and videos of a bright, blue flash that filled the nights sky. Blue light was cast over New York, as seen from Manhattan (Jay Reeves/AP) The Manhattan skyline and iconic East River bridges were suddenly silhouetted against a backdrop of pulsating light. People flocked to social media to find out what happened and to share their views of the plumes of smoke pouring from the transformer. I also would like to know what is happening. pic.twitter.com/Hx9OOUoP6P John Mulaney (@mulaney) December 28, 2018 It was pitch black outside and then suddenly the whole side of the eastern sky was lighting up and changing colours, said Madeleine Frank Reeves, who saw the lights from her Upper West Side apartment. It lasted a couple of minutes. Some observers wondered whether aliens were invading and joked that the trend of gender reveal parties had finally gone too far. In this image taken from video, the night sky is illuminated in a bright, blue color after an explosion in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. New York police say a transformer exploded at a Con Edison facility in Queens. The explosion caused a bright, blue light that illuminated the New York skyline and caused a stir on social media. (AP Photo/Sophie Rosenbaum) Television host Keith Olbermann referred to the episode as the Blue Light Special. Something insane is happening in the sky above Manhattan right now, New York University sociologist Eric Klineberg wrote on Twitter under a video of the flashing sky. Mayor Bill de Blasios spokesman Eric Phillips tweeted that the lights were attributable to a blown transformer. Not aliens, Phillips tweeted. *Not* aliens. Blown transformer at Queens Con-Ed facility. Scattered power outages, including LGA. Con-Ed, FDNY, PD, OEM all working on it. https://t.co/xX60Ph8SWw eric phillips (@EricFPhillips) December 28, 2018 John Tebbett, who lives two blocks away from the facility, told NY1 the explosion was followed for about five minutes by a loud roar. The blast had caused the lights in his home to flicker off and on, he said. Young people with mental health difficulties have waited more than 1.7 million days over the treatment time target since it was introduced, new figures indicate. The Scottish Government brought in a target for 90% of patients to wait a maximum of 18 weeks from referral to treatment for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) in December 2014. Since then, young people across Scotland have waited a total of at least 1,715,190 days over and above the 18-week waiting time target, according to figures released to the Liberal Democrats through freedom of information laws. The most recent figures from ISD Scotland on Camhs waiting time targets, published earlier this month, showed 221 young Scots had been waiting for more than a year for treatment. The figures showed that between July and September, 69% of the 4,239 patients starting treatment were seen within the target time and four out of 14 health boards met the 90% target. Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: The massive margin by which the Scottish Government has breached mental health waiting time targets for young people is devastating. Ministers promised young people and their families that help would be to hand within 18 weeks. Now we find the gap theyre missing this by is in the millions of days. That is outright irresponsible. Alex Cole-Hamilton condemned the waiting time figures (Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA) Well-resourced mental health services can completely transform young peoples lives. They need to be able to access help quickly. Eighteen weeks must already feel like a lifetime and waiting months on end beyond that for support puts lives at risk. A Scottish Government spokesman said services need to be further built up in the community to reduce the pressure on specialist services and meet significantly rising demand. He said: That is why were investing an additional 250 million into mental health to support measures such as counsellors in every secondary school, improved training for teachers, and more nurses in schools and counsellors in universities and colleges. We are also investing 4 million to recruit 80 additional Camhs staff to build capacity. While new waits for specialist treatment still fall well short of our expectations, half of children and young people are starting treatment within 12 weeks. Any young person referred to mental health services should be assessed in the period prior to treatment starting, and we expect health boards to provide appropriate support during that period. Scotlands Mental Health Minister has encouraged people who are experiencing depression, low moods or anxiety over the holidays to seek help. Clare Haughey said the festive period can be difficult for some people and she urged them not to suffer alone. Speaking ahead of a visit to the Breathing Space call centre in Glasgow, which provides a free, confidential phone line for people with anxiety, depression or low mood, she said: We have greater awareness of mental health issues than ever before. While many of us are celebrating at Christmas we know it can be a difficult time of year for some people. I want people to know that they do not need to suffer alone, support is available and no-one should ever feel afraid to ask for help if they feel depressed or anxious. I would urge anyone who is feeling low or anxious to reach out to Breathing Space, Samaritans or other services to make sure they get help. Clare Haughey urged those suffering to seek help (PA) This time of year can be overwhelming, and we should all aim to be more aware of this and do what we need to reduce unnecessary stress and anxiety. I also want to thank everyone across the country in the NHS, social services, the third sector and in local communities who is working to ensure that people in distress have someone to help them. Tony McLaren, Breathing Space national co-ordinator, added: For people suffering with low mood, anxiety or depression, the festive season can be a really difficult time. Sometimes our thoughts and feelings can overwhelm us and its important that we talk to someone when we need to. Breathing Space is here for when people need a listening ear. Further help is available from Samaritans, which provides free emotional support round the clock for anyone struggling to cope. Finding this Christmas tough? You can talk to us, day or night. Whatever youre going through, our volunteers are here to listen. pic.twitter.com/mKAeKF7FLg Samaritans Scotland (@Sams_Scotland) December 25, 2018 James Jopling, Samaritans Scotland executive director, said many people can struggle with feelings of loneliness or isolation over the holidays. He said: Thats why Samaritans volunteers are here for anyone who needs us during the festive period, day or night. Our phone line is free, you can call from a mobile even if you dont have credit, and calls to us wont show up on your phone bill. Whatever youre going through, our confidential listening service means you dont have to face it alone. Breathing Space can be contacted on 0800 83 85 87, 6pm to 2am Monday to Thursday, and 24 hours at the weekend. Samaritans can be contacted 24 hours a day on 116 123, or by emailing jo@samaritans.org The Indian Navy joined the operation to rescue 15 miners in the East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya. The rescuers recovered three helmets, which are suspected to be of the miners. (Photo: ANI) Guwahati: The ongoing rescue operation, which was suspended for two days on Saturday resumed at war scale. The Indian Navy divers armed with special diving equipment including re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater, joined the operation to rescue 15 miners in the East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya. Amidst the speculations on bleak chances of survival of miners trapped in a tunnel like space under 70-feet water, the rescuers recovered three helmets, which are suspected to be of the miners. However, family members of those trapped are still hopeful that miners would be taking shelter in wind-chambers inside the tunnels. The Navy divers started preparations to navigate the rat-hole coalmines to descend into the coal pit where 15 miners are suspected to have been trapped in some wind pockets. Sources engaged in the rescue operations told The Asian Age that biggest challenge before the rescue team is to navigate the rat-hole mines, as there is no information or map available about the tunnels in which mining activities were going on. Meanwhile, the state administration was also accused to have failed in coordinating the movement of the rescue team, which landed at Guwahati Airport on Friday. The chief fire officer of Odisha Sukant Sethi, who is leading 21-member team of rescuers said, Initially we were told that we would be travelling by trucks. Then the plan was changed and it was decided that dumpers would be used to shift the equipment to the accident site. He regretted that by the time they reached a primary school (located 25 km from the mine) where they were supposed to spend the night it was very late and no body was there to help them with basic needs. There was no food, blankets or beds for the men to take few hours of rest. We are not used to such cold temperatures in Odisha and had to rush for our mission without carrying enough warm clothes and bedding, he added. The team of rescuers is carrying 10 high-powered pumps to flush out water from the mine. Informing that they have already started work, he however clarified that even after all these logistic challenges, they have started work on installing pumps to flush out water. He said that Indian Navy divers are also working out strategy in consultation with experts of the Coal India. The 15 miners have been trapped in a 370-feet deep illegal rat-hole mine in Lumthari village since December 13, when water from the nearby River Lytein flooded the mine. Meanwhile, a six-member team of the Opposition Congress in Meghalaya visited the site and found several lacunae in the arrangements made by the district administration. The legislators led by Ampareen Lyngdoh expressed surprise over district magistrate FM Dopth going on leave in spite of the tragedy of such a scale. "Precious lives are at stake but the officer in-charge of the rescue operations has been allowed to go on leave," she said, demanding that the district magistrate be immediately recalled. An artist is to plant a weeping willow as a symbol of loss and healing on the day the UK leaves the EU. Clemens Wilhelm, the latest international artist to be commissioned by Scottish arts organisation Deveron Projects, said the Brexit Tree will be an ambivalent image for an ambivalent moment in history. He will plant the tree on the banks of the River Deveron, close to Huntly Castle in Aberdeenshire, on March 29 to mark Brexit Day. The Berlin-based artist and film-maker will be joined at sunset by people from Huntly and beyond in a special event to mark the day the UK leaves the EU. Artist Clemens Wilhelm said the tree will symbolise loss and healing (Clemens Wilhelm/PA) He said: I have chosen the weeping willow as it is a tree that symbolises loss and sorrow, but it is also one that evokes healing. Since the Middle Ages weeping willows have been seen as symbols of lost love, mourning and sorrow, but there are much older sources from Babylon, China and pre-Christian northern Europe that speak of the weeping willow as the tree of healing and magic, because the bark of willows contains salycyl, a substance similar to modern day aspirin which has been used to cure illnesses since ancient times. The Brexit Tree is an ambivalent image for an ambivalent moment in British, European and world history. Many people in Britain and the world feel an intense sorrow and loss because of Brexit. However, more than half of British voters opted to leave the EU and one should assume that they are hopeful and see Brexit as the beginning of a positive new era. Just like Brexit, the weeping willow combines both of these opposing feelings loss and healing and unites them in its outstanding beauty. Let us also not get lost in political divisions, but together look to the bigger problems that we are facing as humanity in this age, such as global warming and climate change. Claudia Zeiske, director of Deveron Projects, said: The aim of this project is both to mark this historic day with the planting of a tree as a living memorial to this momentous event, and also to create a new peaceful place for people from both Brexit camps to unite again. Firefighters have worked through the night to tackle a large building blaze. Fire crews were called to the scene in Jamaica Street, Greenock, just after 5pm on Thursday. Roads were closed while emergency services dealt with the incident in the Inverclyde town. Two crews were still at the scene at 7am on Friday morning dampening down hot spots in the building, thought to be a furniture shop. The blaze could be seen from several miles away (David Foster/PA) A fire service spokesman said: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 5.07pm on Thursday December 27 to reports of a building fire in Greenock. Operations Control mobilised a number of fire engines to the towns Jamaica Street, where firefighters were met by a large and well developed fire. A funeral home nearby was forced to move bodies to another premises as fire crews tackled the blaze. In a post on its Facebook page, Green Oak Funeral Services said its landlines were unavailable but all loved ones were being cared for in our Port Glasgow premises. The names and addresses of nearly 1,000 North Korean defectors who resettled in the South have been stolen in a hacking attack. Officials from the Hana resettlement centre said they have been notifying those affected after discovering last week that one of its computers had been breached around November. South Koreas Unification Ministry said the names, home addresses and birthdays of 997 defectors living in the countrys south-east region were stolen. Women who defected from North Korea walk to a class at a state-run shelter (Lee Jin-man/AP) Police are investigating the hacking attack but have yet to identify the source. The ministry said it has found no further signs of hacking attacks or data breaches after investigating Hanas offices around the country earlier this week. Hana runs 25 offices nationwide to provide assistance to North Korean defectors who resettled in the South. About 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea, mostly travelling via China, since the end of the Korean War in the Fifties. After emerging victorious in three BJP-ruled States, it appears that Rahul Gandhi is ready to fight alone in other States. He recently instructed party leaders from West Bengal to start preparations for fighting on all 42 seats of the State. The State Congress leaders have convinced him that they can win more seats on their own than after going into an alliance. They argued that if the party goes alone in the State, at least its cadre will be revived in all districts. On the other hand, Rahul does not see any possibility of an alliance in West Bengal. The Left parties have suffered a huge loss after going into an alliance with the Congress and will not repeat the mistake. At the same time, the TMC will not leave a single seat for anyone else, so the Congress doesnt really have any other option. Apart from West Bengal, the Congress will also fight alone in Uttar Pradesh. It is being said that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are not ready to take the Congress along with them. Both parties have almost reached a consensus on seat-sharing and have kept the RLD with them, leaving just two seats for the Congress. They think that if the Congress fights alone, they will benefit more. So, in UP too the Congress will find no alternative. Apart from these two States, Rahul is gearing up to contest on his own in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as well. In the Telangana Assembly Elections, the Congress had gone with the TDP, but results proved that both parties would not go into an alliance ever again. Even in Assam, the Congress will go solo, as Rahul has learnt his party will suffer if it joins hands with Badruddin Ajmal. MAYAWATIS BIG PLANS Mayawati has offered unconditional support to the Congress in Rajasthan as soon as the results were out. But before elections, she left no stone unturned to defeat the Congress. In Chhattisgarh, she went with Ajit Jogis Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) and tried her best to create problems for the Congress. Though clearly her efforts were in vain, as the Congress only reaped benefits while the BJP suffered. After the alliance, Jogis party is established. The JCC and BSP got 11.5 per cent votes and won a total of seven seats. Now, it is being said that both parties will go together in the Lok Sabha Elections as well, and sources say alliance talks are already under way. Of the total 11 seats, Jogis JCC will fight on seven, and Mayawati will fight on four. This also proves that Mayawati is not ready to keep the Congress with her in UP. She believes that the party will not give her a single seat in any other State, whereas going alone or getting into an alliance on the State level might get her some seats. That is why she is gearing up for either going alone or into a State-level alliance. MAHARASHTRA SEAT FORMULA In Maharashtra, the seat-sharing formula has been finalised between the Congress and NCP. There are total 48 seats and the fate of 40 seats is almost decided. Decision is still pending on eight seats. There are some seats out of those eight where both parties have staked claim. For some seats, the parties are waiting for a green signal from the regional stalwarts. The Congress and NCP are waiting for farmers leader and MP of the Swabhimani Paksha, Raju Shetti, for the seats in Maratha-dominated areas. Shetti broke away from the BJP and is demanding six seats from the Congress-NCP alliance, while both parties want to give him only one. They might leave the Hatkanangale seat, from where Shetti is an MP. In the same manner, the Akola seat can be left for Dr Ambedkars grandson, Prakash Ambedkar. The Congress and NCP might leave one seat for the BSP also. So, the two parties will declare their seat-sharing arrangement only after talks with Shetti, Ambedkar, and Mayawati. FRESH APPOINTMENTS IN CONG Ashok Gehlot is the new CM of Rajasthan, but he is still holding the additional responsibility of the Congress General Secretary. Recently, when Rahul Gandhi appointed KH Patel as the chief of the campaign committee in Karnataka, the letter had Gehlots signature. But this is an interim measure only. The Congress President will soon appoint a new General Secretary. This cant be deferred for long like the decision on the Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha had been deferred. Captain Amarinder Singh had become the Punjab CM in March 2017 and he had stopped attending Parliament much earlier, but still no appointment has been made in his place. Hopefully, things will be different this time around. Sources in the party say a new General Secretary for the organisation will be appointed very soon. There is speculation that Janardan Dwivedi might come to the forefront again. It is being said that the Congress is trying to grab its old vote bank of Brahmins. If a Brahmin leader is made the General Secretary, a positive message will be sent to Haryana, Delhi, and UP. Though many leaders feel that he was neither given any other responsibility after his removal nor was he given a place in the CWC, so his comeback might be problematic. Apart from Dwivedi, five other names are being discussed. Two are old guards of the Congress and three are part of Rahuls team. Mukul Wasnik seems to be the most obvious choice amongst veterans. He is currently the General Secretary, in-charge of the Central Election Committee, and a member of the CWC. Ghulam Nabi Azad is also in the running, but since Ahmed Patel is the treasurer and Azad is leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, his chances are dim. Among new leaders, Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala, and Jitendra Singh are in the race. Maken was General Secretary of the party and is now President of the Delhi unit. Surjewala and Singh are in-charge General Secretaries and permanent invited member of the CWC. Apart from them, there are other contenders too and an appointment can be expected soon. Other State Presidents will also be appointed soon. Several Parliamentarians on Thursday expressed solidarity with UPSC aspirants demanding one more attempt to crack the civil services exam claiming they were affected by abrupt changes in rules between 2011 and 2015. Cutting across party lines, the members of Parliament said it was harsh on the part of the Government to deny the aspirants one more chance to appear in the exam. Around 100 UPSC aspirants held a protest at Parliament Street in Delhi, seeking compensatory attempts irrespective of their age or category. In 2011, the Union Public Service Commission introduced CSAT, which set off an outrage among students from Hindi and humanities background as they felt that it would affect those who were not from English, Maths and Science backgrounds. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who led MPs in expressing solidarity with aspirants affected by the changes, said they have raised the issue several times and written to the Government but the response has been callous. RJD leader Manoj Jha, DMK leader TKS Elangovan and Congress leader BK Hariprasad also expressed solidarity with the demands of the UPSC aspirants and said they should be given another chance. Yechury said UPSC rules were changed in the past too - in 1979 and in 1992 and on both the occasions, aspirants affected by the changes were allowed to appear for the exam held under the new rules. I think this is inhuman because these youngsters are the future of our country. If these youngsters are denied the opportunity then you are having an elitist bias and promoting regional imbalances. We want the government to reconsider this and give these aspirants another chance, Yechury said. CPI leader D Raja claimed institutions such as UPSC and UGC are being undermined by the government. He also proposed that the students should submit a fresh memorandum to the minister concerned and the prime minister. Arun S Nigavekar Committee set up by the Commission and UPSCs own annual report have highlighted that due to CSAT, selection of students from regional languages and from humanities background has declined during 2011-2014, he said. The CSAT paper was competitive in nature during the 2011-14 period. Four terrorists belonging to banned Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit were killed in an encounter in Hanjin village of south Kashmirs Pulwama district on Saturday. With this, the security forces have killed 251 terrorists during 2018, the highest in a decade. At least a dozen villagers were injured when they clashed with security forces while attempting to move towards the encounter site. Three of the slain terrorists were local residents while another is believed to be a Pakistani national. Police said the operation was launched on the basis of tip-off about the presence of terrorists. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight, a police spokesman said. In the ensuing encounter, four terrorists were neutralised and the bodies were recovered from the site of encounter. The killings occurred a day after one Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorist Ishfaq Yousuf was killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Banderpora village of Awantipora in south Kashmir. Last Saturday, six terrorists belonging to Ansar Gazwatul Hind outfit led by Zakir Musa were killed in a similar encounter in Tral sub-district of south Kashmir. Police said incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of the encounter. The slain terrorists have been identified as Muzamil Nabi Dar, Muzamil Nazir Bhat and Waseem Akram Wani-all local cadre. A non-local cadre identified as Haris was also among the slain terrorists. While bodies of the local terrorists were handed over to their relatives for funeral, the foreign terrorists are usually taken to Baramulla district for silent burial in a specified graveyard. The authorities advise the local residents against venturing into the encounter areas. Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any, police said. However, a group of people attempted to stage protests around the encounter site. The security forces used force to disperse them. At least a dozen protesters have been wounded in the clashes. The normal life came to a grinding halt in the area after the gun-battle. A group of soldiers were seen chanting slogans while withdrawing from the village. The latest killings at the culmination of the year 2018 have taken the total death toll of terrorists to 251. This is the highest number of terrorist killings in Kashmir since 2008. As many as 89 security personnel, including several officers, have been killed in the unabated violence during this period. Most of the fatal casualties occurred in south Kashmir region, which remains the epicentre of terrorism in the region. During the year, around 60 civilians were killed near the encounter sites while 40 civilians were killed by suspected terrorists. Bangladesh stepped up security on Saturday with thousands of army troops patrolling the streets along with paramilitary forces and police as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term in general election on December 30. Over 6,00,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards have been deployed across the country to help conduct the election in which 10.41 crore people are eligible to vote. Security agencies have been asked to keep an extra vigil on religious minority communities as media reports said at least three Hindu households were set on fire by miscreants between December 16 and 26. Bangladeshs telecoms regulator also ordered the countrys mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday to prevent the spread of rumours that could trigger unrest during the election, the 11th since Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. According to the Election Commission, 1,848 candidates are contesting for 299 out of 300 Parliament seats. The polls will be held at 40,183 polling stations. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in clashes between supporters of Hasinas ruling Awami League and activists of main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia in pre-poll violence. Hasina, who is seeking to return to power for a third consecutive time, on Saturday expressed fears that the opposition could boycott polls in the middle of voting as part of a political trick to evade a humiliating defeat. I want to caution all about the character of (main opposition) BNP...They may say in the middle (of the elections) that we are boycotting the polls, she said. In that case (opposition boycott) I will ask our candidates and other contenders to continue polls until the voting is ended, Hasina, 71, said. The premiers comments came as the BNP is contesting the polls in a state of disarray in the absence of Zia, 73, and her fugitive son Tarique Rahman who is the acting party chief. Zia, serving a 10-year prison term on graft charges, has been barred from contesting the polls while Rahman is living in London ostensibly to evade the law as a court has sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack on a rally in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. The BNP has stayed out of parliament since 2014 when it boycotted the last election over its demands for a poll-time non-party government. It has returned to parliamentary politics as part of a new alliance - National Unity Front (NUF) - that was cobbled together three months ago with eminent lawyer Kamal Hossain as its convener. Reacting to Hasinas remarks, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said There is no dispute in our party about taking part in the polls. But what we see, there is no festive mood anywhere and rather a sense of fright is prevailing across the country due to government intimidation, he said. The Election Commission last week also allowed hardline Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of BNP, to contest the election, two months after it scrapped the fundamentalist partys registration. BNP earlier accused the election commission of being biased during the poll campaign, a charge rejected by Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda. Huda acknowledged a media report about arrests of some polling agents of BNP candidates and called such action unwanted. Unless someone is wanted under certain case, police must not arrest anyone...Maintain utmost neutrality in discharging your duties, he said. No member of law enforcement will arrest or harass polling agents of any candidate unless there are specific allegations against them, he said in a directive which he issued in a pre-poll press conference in Dhaka. The opposition parties have alleged that thousands of their leaders and activists have been arrested to weaken them. The CECs comments came as BNP expressed doubts about credibility of Sundays election alleging their supporters were intimidated and arrested while their agents too were being harassed to keep them away from polling centres. Later BNPs Alamgir said Now weve no expectation over the election. This election has become a complete mockery....The state, the government and the Election Commission are working together to turn it into a mockery. Theres no question of win or defeat since it is not an election at all as a particular party is trying to snatch election victory by force and using the state machinery. Alamgir, however, asked his party candidates to stay in the race until the voting ended while NUF convenor Hossain urged voters to restore democracy and exercise their franchise. Streets in major cities including capital Dhaka wore a deserted look by late Saturday as authorities enforced a restriction on vehiclemovement as part of security vigil calling out military troops in aid of civil administration. Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed urged voters to exercise their franchise without any fear saying more military personnel would be called out if required. They (military) are conducting constant patrols to ensure that nobody attempts to terrorise or cause unrest. They are also working to ensure that voters are safe, Ahmed said. The BJP lost no time in attacking the Congress with Union Minister Prakash Javadekar saying the revelations point towards the family. However, the EDs contentions and Javadekars claims were trashed by the Congress with senior party leader Anand Sharma saying the Modi Government is guilty of a malicious propaganda. Javadekar said the truth is coming out of the probe into the alleged corruption in purchase of VVIP choppers during the UPA Government, and that Michels comments point towards one family. The story of loot of public money is coming out. Everything went to one family, he alleged, accusing the Congress of compromising with national security during its rule. He claimed Michel has made reference to Mrs Gandhi, son of Italian lady, big man, R and added, This all points to only one family. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said it should answer who all Michel was referring to and claimed that people know of one R, a reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who had torn an Ordinance of the Manmohan Singh Government. Referring to Rahuls attack on the Narendra Modi Government over the Rafale deal, Javadekar described it as a case of thief making noises and claimed Michel has also spoken about the public sector firm, HAL being removed from the Rafale contract during the UPA rule. But the Congress accused the BJP-led Government of using its agencies to put pressure on Michel to name a particular family as elections were near and it had no real issues. I have never heard anything more absurd than what I have heard today and that too coming from ED as claimed before a court, said Sharma. Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said: We have seen what the BJP has been doing in this matter. In fact, one of the television channels showed how there is pressure on Christian to name a particular family. On the EDs claim that Michel had spoken about the son of an Italian lady and how he was going to become the next Prime Minister of the country, Singh said, The BJP scriptwriters are working overtime. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter jets deal, Singh said action should be taken against him as there was complete proof. He alleged that the Modi dispensation was trying to pressure Government agencies to name a person. A constable of the Uttar Pradesh Police was killed on Saturday in Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ghazipur Superintendent of Police Yashveer Singh said the protesters were workers of the Rashtriya Nishad Party who were prevented by the administration and the police from going to the rally venue. When the Prime Minister had left Ghazipur, the party workers blocked traffic at various places and started pelting stones on the vehicles returning from the programme venue, he told PTI. Constable Suresh Vats (48) from Karimuddinpur police station was hit on the head by a stone when he went to address the traffic jam caused by the protests. He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said. The SP said about 15 party workers were detained. The police are trying to identify other protesters through the video footage of the incident. The constable was from Raniganj in Pratapgarh district. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the dead constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents, the State Government said. Yogi also directed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to take strict action against unruly elements and immediately arrest them. The death comes less than a month after the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot dead during a mob violence in Bulandshahr district over alleged cow slaughter. Modi had addressed a rally after laying the foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postal stamp on Maharaj Suheldev. He had left for Varanasi when the violence in Ghazipur took place. With the terrorists facing heavy reverses in the Kashmir hinterland and the Pakistan Army increasing ceasefire violations from across the Line of Control (LoC) to aid fresh infiltrations, the security establishment is wary of the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan as it fears Islamabad may push a large number of battle-hardened ultras from the strife-torn country to J&K to fuel terrorism in the poll year. Given the void in terrorist ranks in Kashmir due to relentless operations, Pakistan may attempt and push terrorists from Afghanistan into Kashmir Valley to launch surprise attacks on the Indian security forces and places of strategic importance to thwart holding of Lok Sabha polls likely to be held in April-May. In the past also, Pakistan had adopted a similar tactic of pushing terrorists, trained in guerrilla warfare, inside the Indian frontiers at the peak of terrorism between 1990 and 1996. Several independent observers closely watching the prevailing security scenario in the State have started raising similar concerns warning the Indian Army and other anti-insurgency security forces to get ready to deal with the threat. Last week, delivering a lecture in Pune, former Director General of Police, Jammu & Kashmir, K Rajendra had also raised the issue of withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and cautioned it will have implications in the Valley and terrorists may feel emboldened. Militant outfits can feel that New Delhi can also be defeated, so there is an urgent need for India to adopt a clear-cut roadmap to deal with militancy in Kashmir, said Kumar. Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said the situation was better than what it was earlier in Kashmir as the State Police and security forces have achieved a lot of successes on operational front killing over 250 terrorists this year and destroying their support structure. As of now, the security forces have managed to neutralise the leadership of the major terrorist tanzeems (organizations) in Kashmir Valley thereby leaving the junior and less experienced cadre of the outfits without a clear road map to step up levels of violence. Given this ground report, the security forces will increase the tempo of operations even during the winter months to deter terrorists from regrouping anticipating that if terrorist related violence is brought within manageable limits in the next three months it will have a major positive effect in terms of restarting political activities. Relative normalcy in the hinterland may also prove to be conducive for having parliamentary polls in April or May next year, officials in the security establishment said on Saturday. While all markers like neutralising of highest number of terrorists killed this year and declining infiltration favour holding polls including State and Lok Sabha, officials, however, admitted the situation on the LoC is precarious. Elaborating upon this factor, they said ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army continue in an apparent effort to keep the border hot by pushing in infiltrators into Kashmir Valley in the run up to the polls. In fact, a Pakistan High Commission official was summoned on Thursday in New Delhi and a strong protest was lodged at the incidents of cross LoC terrorist infiltration and targeting of Indian civilians and security forces on December 21 and 26 this year leading to loss of lives on the Indian side. Pakistan forces have carried out over 1,962 incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations in which 50 Indians have lost their lives, the External Affairs Ministry said. Explaining the dynamics of LoC, sources said while the Pakistan Army violates ceasefire in North of Pir Panjal to give covering fire to the terrorists to sneak across into Kashmir, intense firing in South of Pir Panjal is carried out to dominate the Indian Army positions there and also push in ultras. On ground zero, the foot soldiers of the Indian Army are alert and Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) has also been bolstered with sophisticated gadgets to timely detect any breach along the 740 km long LoC. Decision comes in wake of govt ban on pornography websites. The Union Cabinet had cleared the amendments in its meeting held on December 27. (Photo: Representational Image) New Delhi: Aiming to curb the growing menace of child por-nography, the government has approved amendm-ents to the Protection of Children from Sexual Off-ences (POCSO) Act and introduced stringent mea-sures to check the circulation of child pornography and the administration of hormones to attain early sexual maturity. The Union Cabinet had cleared the amendments in its meeting held on December 27. The move comes after the Centre had earlier banned and blocked websites promoting pornography, especially related to children. Briefing reporters, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday said that children should be protected from sexual offe-nces and the Cabinet has approved amendments to various sections of the POCSO Act. This is a wholesome initiative whereby the entire POCSO architecture is not only strengthened but also enlarged so that artificial medicines or hormones could not be abused to kill the childliness of a child, he said. An unfortunate thing was going on in the country that children were being administered hormones to make them artificially majors, the minister added. The related provision of the POCSO Act, Section 9, has been made more stringent, Mr Prasad said. The POCSO Act, 2012 was enacted to protect chi-ldren from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography with due regard for safeguarding the interest and well-being of children. The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age, and regards the best interests and welfare of the child as a matter of importance at every stage, to ensure the healthy physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of the child. BJP Minority Morcha State president Shaik Mahtab Mohammad on Saturday said lakhs of minorities people in the State are deprived of different schemes meant for them and the State Government has failed in forming a Minority Commission. Mohammad said even if there are many Central Government schemes for the minority which includes Christians, Muslims, Sikh, Buddhists and Jains, but are not being implemented properly in the State. It is due to the BJDs inefficiency and sincerity is responsible, he added. In a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Mohammad, BJP State VP Samir Mohanty, Morcha National general secretary SM Akram, State convenor Ezaz Begh held discussions and reviewed organisational matters. Mohammad also said the Morcha would make efforts to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots and would aware people about different developmental schemes of the BJP-led Central Government. After Punjab, Haryana also wants to control the appointment of State Director General of Police (DGP) and does not want any role for the Union Public Service Commission as the Supreme Court had directed sometime ago. The one-day Winter Session of the Haryana Assembly on Saturday passed the Haryana Police (Amendment) Bill, 2018, paving way for selection of the DGP by the State Government. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had granted a one-month extension to Haryana and Punjab director generals of police (DGPs), BS Sandhu and Suresh Arora, respectively. Both Sandhu and Arora were given three-month extension following their retirement on September 30. The extended tenure was to end on December 31. Now, both the DGPs will retire on January 31, next year. As per the amendment in Haryana, the State Police Board is required to be substituted with State Security Commission. There is no procedure for selection of Director General of Police, as per the Bill. The Bill amended certain provisions of the Haryana Police Act, 2007. For the appointment of Director General of Police, who is responsible for administration controlling and supervising the police service to ensure its efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness and accountability in the State, a transparent procedure needs to be adopted, the Bill says. Though, as per direction, the minimum tenure of DGP was two years, yet, it is felt that the period of minimum two years would be a long period and in order to rule out the possibility of absolutism and complacency, it should be kept adaptable, it further says. Hence, the term of DGP is proposed to be prescribed as not less than one year extendable to one more year, the Bill says. The Bill proposed that the removal of DGP be made in consultation with the State Security Commission, the apex body to take broad policy decisions. With the passage of the Bill, the state government will have absolute powers to select the State's DGP. Under the amended Act, a State Security Commission, headed by the chief minister and comprising among others, Leader of Opposition, Advocate General, a retired HC Judge, the chief secretary, home secretary and incumbent DGP and two non-political persons, will have the powers to appoint the State police chief. The DGP will be selected from a panel of "at least three eligible DGP rank officers" selected by a committee headed by chief secretary and comprising home secretary and outgoing DGP. The amendment brought about by the Bill in Haryana Assembly was done in the backdrop of the July 3 orders of the Supreme court saying that the DGP shall be selected by the State Government from among the three senior-most officers empanelled for promotion to that rank by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on the basis of their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force. Once he has been selected for the job, he should have a minimum tenure of at least two years irrespective of his date of superannuation, the apex court had said. The SC had said that state governments should send proposals with regard to appointment of the next DGP to the UPSC at least three months prior to the date of retirement of the incumbent. Bharatiya Janata Partys two allies in Uttar Pradesh Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Suheldeo Bhartiya Samaj Party created an embarrassing situation for the ruling party by staying away from the programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ghazipur and Varanasi on Saturday. Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister while Apna Dal leader and Union Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, represents the neighbouring Mirzapur constituency in the Lok Sabha. Ashish Patel, husband of Anupriya Patel and state unit chief of Apna Dal (Sonelal), said his party was immensely hurt by the arrogant attitude of the BJP leaders in UP and charged them with insulting party leaders and the weaker sections of society. He also announced that till the issues between the two allies were not settled, Apna Dal would not attend any government programme. Demanding Modis intervention in sorting out the increasing divide between the two parties, which contested the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 UP assembly polls together, Patel said his party leaders would not attend the events of the BJP till the issues were settled. This is the first time that Apna Dal has taken such a tough stance. Other than being miffed at the continuous neglect by the Yogi Adityanath government, the party is also annoyed that Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel was not invited to events related to her ministry. While the Apna Dal has two Lok Sabha MPs and nine MLAs in the 403-member UP Assembly, the SBSP has three MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha. The SBSP had already announced that it would boycott the Prime Ministers programmes. The SBSP claimed that party chief and Backward Classes Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhars name was deliberately omitted from the invitation card. Along with Apna Dal, Rajbhar has also expressed his displeasure at being neglected by the bigger National Democratic Alliance partner. The arrogant attitude of BJP leaders in UP is insulting weaker sections of society. I appeal to the Prime Minister to intervene. Till the time the matter is solved, we will not be part of any government programmes in the state, including his event in Ghazipur. We are confident that Amit Shah (BJP president) will hear us out, he said. This is nothing new. We have not been attending any programme (of the government) for the last 21 months. We have not attended any BJP programme, be it of the Chief Minister or the Prime Minister. They have not implemented the recommendations of the social justice committee even when just 100 days are left for the Lok Sabha elections, Rajbhar said. Meanwhile, the BJP said the rally at Ghazipur was organised to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts for the development of the district. While the Prime Minister came to the district to mainly inaugurate a postal stamp on Raja Suheldev and also to lay foundation stone of a medical college and make announcements for the region, the rally was organised to thank him for the development of the region, said Bhanu Pratap Singh, district president of BJP in Ghazipur. Political sources said the BJP wanted to showcase its own clout among the Rajbhar community in Ghazipur. Moreover, claiming stake on the legacy of Maharaja Suheldeo is the bone of contention between the two parties. For the BJP, Maharaja Suheldeo is a Hindu icon who fought a 12th century Muslim invader Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud in Bahraich district. Yogi Adityanath government has already announced to build a grand memorial of Maharaja Suheldeo and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at Ghazipur on Saturday thanked the UP Chief Minister for taking up the project eulogising Maharaja Suheldeo. The SBSP, on the other hand, pursuing its caste based identity politics, projects Maharaja Suheldeo as an icon of the Rajbhar community. The 15 day long Khadi Mela organised by Khadi and Village Industry Board started on December 20 with a view to promote village industries in Jharkhand, is also attracting huge number of visitors at governments agencies stalls. Various government owned and run institutions like banks, the State Industry Department and related boards and Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency etc have set up their stalls at the Bapu Nagar venue. Planning and Development Manager, Indian Bank, Vikas Shankar said this is right place to interact with people at large numbers because the Mela is getting popularity day by day and a huge crowd coming here every day. Most of the people coming here with family and women visitors are more than men visitors but there are numbers of people who needs bank assistance. As of now the banks have to meet people according to their policy and competition among banks also increased manifold. A numbers of people are coming to get awareness about various policies mostly of them are asking questions related to home and business loans, he added. Other government agencies like insurance sector giant Life Insurance Corporation of India Limited has also installed its stall to promote and sell its policies. Another stall of Ayushman Bharat Yojna the ambitious health insurance scheme of Government of India has witnessed a good number of people visiting its stall. The stall of Jharkhand Government Industry Department is providing policy information to entrepreneurs who are willing to start the industry in the State. As it is known that the State government is promoting industry and entrepreneurship in Jharkhand. The Industry Department has erected its stall to spread its policies among entrepreneurship policy among interested people. More than 500 people have come here in ten days to increase their awareness on various issues representative of Industry Department, Lalan Kumar. Hardik Patel, the Gujarat leader who spearheaded the agitation for reservations for the Patel community in government jobs, said that he could contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Hardik Patel heads the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). I dont rule out the possibility of contesting (L0k Sabha) election from Varanasi. If a grand alliance is formed against the Bharatiya Janata Party and I am invited by the alliance then I will consider contesting the election from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader said. Moreover, Hardik said, Mother Ganga had crores of sons and the mother could invite others also and those persons could also be from Gujarat. Hardik Patel is presently on a tour of Uttar Pradesh. He is addressing public meetings in the state under the banner of Kisan Kranti Sena. He is scheduled to address meetings in Barabanki, Faizabad, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Sitapur and Kushinagar. The Gujarat youth leader said he would address a Samvidhan Bachao Rally (save Constitution rally) in Lucknow in February next year. He said Jignesh Mevani, MLA and Dalit leader from Gujarat, and Jawaharlal Nehru University students leader Kanhaiya Kumar would also attend the rallies. He said a similar rally would also be held in Patna. Hardik Patel alleged that the BJP had ditched the people of the country in the name of Ram temple and had failed to fulfil the promises made to the people during election. The BJP is targeting the judiciary over the Ram temple issue. The country is passing through a critical state where millions of youths are desperate for jobs and people, including farmers, are facing crisis. The Ram temple issue will not give any relief to the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Patel said. Commenting on the Ram temple, he said every community, whether Hindu or Muslim, should get equal rights. Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Patel, a staunch critic of the BJP, said to solve the farmers problems, the government should implement the Swaminathan Commission report. He also attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. The crime rate has increased in the state but the government has failed to control it, he alleged. Patel said that the people of UP were thinking of Ram raj in the Yogi rule but the situation had turned from bad to worse. Newly posted Indore Collector Lokesh Jatav here on Saturday assumed office. Jatav, an IAS officer of 2004 batch has recently been transferred from the Chief Electoral Office. While talking to the media persons the Collector told that Indore is the district having different sectors and there are many challenges in this district. But where there is challenge, there is a success. He told that the administration and the people of Indore will work as a team. He told, There are various development projects going on in Indore including metro rail. We will see that all the projects are completed in the given time frame. Indore administration will focus on the good governance. Jatav further said that most of the time he has been posted in different districts. Since, he has rural background, in Indore district, he would have his connectivity with the rural people and villagers and villagers can contact him on his whatts app number and other sources of communication and speak up their problems. On the high increase in fees of private schools of Indore district, he told, Fee regulation bill has been passed and I will see at what stage of implementation it is in Indore district. A burial ground does awaken the feeling of fear among people if it comes at their sight or even during discussions. People are careful even when they have to visit a burial ground participating in someones last rites. However, the bauxite city of Jharkhand - Lohardaga - has set a different example. Here at Kocha village of Kisko block a burial ground can be seen as a centre of nourishment for village children. Children study in minority government aided primary (from class one to five) school run by GEL Mission here. In its total 50 desimal land the GEL Mission has a Church as well. But the school is situated just by the side of graveyards. Though the school belongs to the Mission,l non Christian children of all castes and religions study here without any feelings of religions. If the school children step out of their one room school building they enter nowhere other than the graveyards section, where they relish all their fun and food sans any fear. They do their daily prayers as well as take part in school functions including the Republic Day and Independence Day in the same burial ground. To enter the school it has a pathway in the middle of the graveyards. Without any fear children not only study in class one to five in a single room school building but they are also given their classes on the open burial ground, where they sit on the graveyard platforms. The president of the GEL Mission Church Prabhusevak Tirkey said that years back land was given to their organization where first a Church was constructed. The church used to give education to the village children in this church. Later the graveyard and school were started. The schools building was constructed from an MPs fund. Some school children say that they had some feelings of fear while they were admitted in the school but later everything became very friendly. The Headmaster of the school Devashish Minz said that lack of land and school building children have to children study and play on the graveyard ground. We will try to get a new school building constructed demolishing the old and unused two room building to solve the space crisis. Kisko block BEO Anuradha Rani said she has no information of such conditions of the school; however, she will take information on this. The GEL Mission Primary The School has a total of 87 boys and girls studying in its classes from 1 to 5. A retired teacher of this school 70 year old Ishwar Pannna told that his grandfather Madu Panna and grandmother Aaroshi Panna had donated the land to GEL Mission in 1932 for Church where first a Church was constructed and later graveyards and school were started. A youth, Gopal Mishra, of Gandhinagar Pada was killedc after being hit by a speeding truck near Mahadev Mandir Square here on Friday night while he was returning home. After the incident, irate locals held road blockades at several places and set ablaze two trucks and damaged some other others trucks. Police and Fire Services officials along with the Balangir Sub-Collector reached the spots and held discussions with the agitating people, following which the blockades were called off. Notably, before 10 pm, many trucks wait outside the town because of a no-entry rule and once they start plying, they move with great speed. The present incident clearly shows the traffic congestion is increasing in the town and construction of a Balangir bypass is very much necessary to minimise the traffic rush and reduce accidents, said Balangir Action Committee member Gopalji Panigrahi. The committee has been demanding construction of a bypass since 2013 but to no avail, he added. Notably, the Balangir bypass project has been held up as the Central Government has asked for clarification from the State Government on the inflated rates quoted for compensation for acquisition of land. Egyptian Police killed 40 alleged terrorists in a crackdown on Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide. The suspects were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypts famed pyramids and the scene of Fridays deadly bombing, and in the restive Sinai Peninsula, the interior ministry said. Thirty terrorists were killed in two raids in Giza and the remaining 10 were killed in the North Sinai, a statement said without directly linking them to the tour bus bombing. It said authorities had received information the suspects were preparing a spate of attacks against state and tourist institutions and churches. Information was received by the national security that a group of terrorists were planning to carry out a series of aggressive attacks targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship, the ministry said. A security source said the raids took place early Saturday morning, hours after Friday evenings roadside bombing which officials said hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids killing the three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide. Eleven other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded, the public prosecutors office said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, the first attack to target tourists since 2017. Saigon Tourist, the company that organised the trip, said the Vietnamese tourists were on their way to a restaurant for dinner when the bomb exploded. Company officials were heading to Cairo on Saturday and plans were made to allow some relatives of the victims to also fly to Egypt. One of them was Nguyen Nguyen Vu whose sister Nguyen Thuy Quynh, 56, died in the bombing, while her husband, Le Duc Minh, was wounded. The couple, both aged 56, were in the seafood business, Quynhs younger brother said. We were all very shocked... My sister and her husband travel quite a lot and they are quite experienced in travelling abroad. Their hobby is travelling, Vu told AFP. He said he was applying for a visa for Egypt and hoped to travel on Saturday. Our wish is that we could bring my sister back home, and I hope that I can settle things well in the next 2-3 days. Fridays bombing was the latest blow to Egypts vital tourism industry, which has been reeling from turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran president Hosni Mubarak from power. Yesterdays attack undermines the Egyptian governments very determined message that the country is safe for tourists, said Zack Gold, a US-based expert on Middle East security issues. Egypt has been seeking to lure tourists back by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. It is also planning to open a major museum near the Giza pyramids the only surviving structures of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists home from the Sinai peninsula. While tourism has picked up since 2011, the 8.2 million people who visited Egypt in 2017 are still a far cry from the 14.7 million who visited in the year before the uprising. The blast and the subsequent police raids come as Egypt battles a persistent jihadist insurgency in the North Sinai, which surged after the 2013 overthrow by the army of Mubaraks Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi. Jihadists linked to the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility for previous attacks, including against Egypts Coptic Christian minority who make up about 10 per cent of the population. The army launched a large-scale operation dubbed Sinai 2018 in February to rid the Sinai of jihadists after an attack on a mosque in the north of the peninsula killed more than 300 people. The army says that hundreds of suspected jihadists have been killed since the campaign was launched. On Saturday, Egyptian private and state media outlets carried blurred images purportedly of the jihadists killed in the raids, some appearing bloody and with weapons in their hands. Making of New India Author : Bibek Debroy, Anirban Ganguly Publisher : Wisdom Tree, Rs 995 This book offers insights into the many achievements of the Modi Government since it came to power in 2014. Instead of ignoring the arguments made against the BJP, the book attempts to narrate the whole story, says Gautam Mukherjee It would have felt better if one was reviewing this book in the aftermath of a triumph at the recently held Assembly Elections. But alas, it was not to be, at least for the ruling dispensation, that managed to lose all three States in the Hindi heartland in a straight contest with the Congress. This impressive book is the best effort yet by the intellectual engines of the Modi Government and its sympathisers to articulate its achievements and challenges. It has been anchored and edited by the BJP think-tank Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF), through its Director Dr Anirban Ganguly, and Niti Aayog using the services of Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and his OSD Kishore Desai. Its given importance is underlined by the fact that it was launched by presenting the first copy from the hands of the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on November 27, 2018, at a formal occasion at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Unveiled before an audience of some of the 56 individual contributors, Union Ministers, Members of Parliament, and a select few invited guests, the nearly 600-page hardbound book has come at the four-and-a-half-year mark of the Modi Government. While its tone is self-congratulatory, the stark realities of the angry rural and urban voters, once ardent fans of Narendra Modi, not being impressed by the apparent non-delivery of acche din hangs like a shadow over the exercise. The Finance Minister made the point in his introductory address, that nearly 80 per cent of the countrys revenue was now flowing to the States, in an unstated but exemplary push towards greater federalism and empowerment of the States. Presumably, this will make it easier for the newly won Congress States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh and the earlier win in Karnataka to waive off small farmer loans as promised. But, this, as we know, is easier said than done. Notwithstanding the fact that a large number of the states now have BJP Governments, even as the bulk of the Opposition derives its salience from one or the other of the remaining ones, there is a deep-seated problem of fiscal extravagance in the states of the Indian Union. Sajid Chinoy of Morgan Stanley, one of the able contributors to this book, makes the telling point that the states were responsible for an ever widening fiscal deficit, which, in turn, was impacting the excellent fiscal management of the centre. It was driving up overall borrowing costs and making the private sector and foreign investors wary. This excess of borrow and spend, needs to be better managed. Of course, a few months before the General Elections, this is unpopular advice. Having said this, the Modi Government has succeeded in putting the country on a sound economic footing with robust growth trajectories. This, after coming to power in May 2014, with a very strong political mandate, but a correspondingly weak economy with a huge bad debt problem. Indias economy was dubbed, at the time, as being part of the fragile five emerging market economies by international observers. But poised as it is politically, with a strong and credible challenge after the five State semi-finals, the BJP and the NDA must perforce look at greater populism in its final budget presentation on February 1, 2019. This may not be good news for the economy, but survival is likely to come first. So is this book already out-of-date? Is it looking in the rear-view mirror or the road ahead? There has been disappointment on the creation of jobs, rural distress, anger at the ignoring of long pending Hindutva issues, lack of effective action against the corrupt and so on. It is also true that no BJP Government, or for that matter, any Government, other than one led by Congress has ever enjoyed two consecutive terms. To change this default position, as Rahul Gandhi put it, is going to take some doing. It is interesting how there is an immense defensiveness that permeates essay after essay in this book, as the writers first state and then argue against various Opposition accusations. This even though it was written when there were no threatening clouds in the sky. However, the revival of nationalism as Professor Makarand Paranjape put it, is definitely an endeavour of this Modi Government. Another widely acknowledged plank of a corruption-free Government, at least at the top, has many takers. It has sections where senior journalists praise the mass connect of using Mann Ki Baat on a retro medium like the radio. Then there are those who extol the massive gains made by the wide implementation of the Aadhaar Cards as identity authenticators. The Bankruptcy Act is lauded by famed economist Arvind Virmani. Somdutt Singh argues the Governments thrust towards skill development will, in time, bring on the jobs. Sadly, this is probably too slow for the voters. There is an implied criticism in the way employment is measured in the article by TCA Anant and the one after it by Pulak Ghosh and Somya Kanti Ghosh that speaks of gathering payroll data from the informal sector. The Governments controversial targeting of black money and its achievements of better tax compliance is written about by Mukesh Butani. The tackling of benami transactions in real estate and the promulgation of RERA is the subject of Suparna Jains article. The visionary Sagarmala project seeks to implement port based development as per Vishwapati Trivedis essay. Hardeep Singh Puri writes on the Smart Cities. Kishore Desai, one of the editors of this volume, points out the strides made in the electrical power sector. The Ganga clean-up effort is written about by Harikishan Sharma. Education, Health, Nutrition, the Swacch Bharat Mission, rural modernisation has largely remained a set of good intentions, but not if you read the chapters related to it. The Opposition likes to argue that Make in India has not progressed beyond cellphones and cars. But this book has a different picture to present. It also drawing the micro lending of the Mudra scheme into its purview. Defence and national security get quite a few chapters and perhaps deservedly so, because the Modi Government has shifted the inertia that plagued this area. Foreign policy and Indias soft power gets good marks since the Modi Government took over. There has been a positive rebooting of Indias relationship with multiple countries and several chapters dwell on this aspect. All in all, though parts of the book seem hagiographic, what is obvious is the enormous scope of works undertaken by this Government in what is just four and a half years. It is, in the end, a very good reference book to have in ones library on Modis first term in office. Kher also referred to Congress president Rahul Gandhis recent statement that freedom of expression is a fundamental right. Congress president Rahul Gandhi cuts a cake along with former PM Manmohan Singh to celebrate the partys 134th foundation day as other leaders look on at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: A political slugfest has erupted between the BJP and the Congress over the controversial film The Accidental Prime Minister. Actor Anupam Kher, who played the role of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the film, has refused to back off following the raging controversy and described it as his lifes best performance. At the Congress foundation day function at the AICC headquarters, Dr Singh walked away without saying anything when asked to comment about the controversy. With some Congress leaders attacking the BJP after it praised the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore wondered asked whether his party doesnt even have the freedom to extend its good wishes for a film. Cant we extend our wishes for a film? The Congress has been all for freedom, why is it questioning that freedom now? Mr Rathore said outside Parliament. In Mumbai, actor Anupam Kher called it his lifes best performance, and said he would not back off from the snowballing controversy over the film on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also took a swipe at the Maharashtra Youth Congress threat to stop the release unless it is first shown to them, saying they should be happy that a film has been made on their leader. I am not going to back off. This is my lifes best performance. #DrManmohanSingh will agree after seeing the film that it is a 100% accurate depiction, Kher tweeted. They should be happy that a film has been made on their leader. They should bring the crowd to watch the film as it has dialogues such as Will I sell my country?, which shows how great Manmohan Singhji is, Kher told some television channels. The more they protest, the more publicity they will give to the film. The book has been out since 2014, no protests were held since then, so the film is based on that, he said. Kher also referred to Congress president Rahul Gandhis recent statement that freedom of expression is a fundamental right. This was in response to a party leader objecting to the language used to describe his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in the Netflix series Sacred Games. I had read Rahul Gandhijis tweet where he spoke about freedom of expression. So I think he should scold these people and tell them they are doing wrong, he said. The films trailer, based on the book of the same name by Sanjaya Baru, who had served as Dr Singhs media adviser from 2004 to 2008, was released here Thursday. It depicts Dr Singh as a victim of the Congress internal politics ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, the film stars Kher as Dr Singh and Akshaye Khanna as Sanjaya Baru. The BJPs official Twitter handle has shared a link to the trailer. Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years. Was Dr Singh just a regent who was holding on to the PMs chair till the time heir was ready? Watch the official trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, based on an insiders account, releasing on 11 January, the party said. Responding to the BJP, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter that such fake propaganda by the party would not stop it from asking the Narendra Modi government questions about rural distress, rampant unemployment, demonetisation disaster, flawed GST, failed Modinomics, all pervading corruption. The Congress also clarified that the Madhya Pradesh government had not banned the release of the film in the state. Congress leaders said the propaganda against the party would not work. Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the propaganda against the Congress and its leaders would not work, and the truth shall prevail. His colleague, Congress leader P.L. Punia, accused the BJP of evading answers on its misgovernance after having failed on all fronts. This is the handiwork of the BJP. They know that the time has come to give answers after completion of five years, and they are trying to divert attention by raising such issues and evade answering the public after its government has failed on all fronts, he said. Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the port of Hodeida, the country's key aid lifeline, under an agreement reached in Sweden earlier this month, a UN official said Saturday. The official, who requested anonymity, said the Huthi rebels began to pull back from the Red Sea port at midnight (2100 GMT Friday). The rebel withdrawal from the port, which is the point of entry for food aid to some 14 million Yemenis UN agencies say are on the brink of famine, is a key part of a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition on June 13. The Huthis began "the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port", a rebel official told the Huthi-run Saba news agency. The rebels held a ceremony to mark the occasion, an AFP correspondent reported. The UN Security Council last week unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to oversee a hard-won truce for Hodeida that was agreed by the Saudi-backed government and the rebels in Sweden this month. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint truce monitoring committee, which includes both government and rebel representatives, and chaired its first meeting this week. The UN-led panel addressed "the first phase of the implementation of the agreement... Based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment", a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss "detailed plans for full redeployment". The UN also said that a humanitarian convoy was expected later Saturday to leave Hodeida port and travel along the main road that links it to the rebel-held capital Sanaa. Its destination was not immediately clear. "As a confidence building measure, the parties have agreed to begin opening blocked humanitarian corridors, starting with the Hodeida-Sanaa road, followed by other routes, in a phased manner," said the statement. The truce has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations. A resident reached by telephone on Saturday told AFP pro-government and rebel forces had exchanged fire briefly overnight. The resident added that coalition jets were heard overhead on Saturday morning. In addition to the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida, the agreement included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees. A "mutual understanding" was also reached to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under the control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides have agreed to meet again in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people -- three quarters of the population now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Yemenis struggling to survive such conditions are also confronted with a collapsed economy, leaving civil servants and teachers without pay for months. On Thursday, Hadi instructed the government to pay the salaries of civil servants in the rebel-held city of Hodeida starting this month, a move that was welcomed by the UN. "President Hadi's decision is an important step towards improving the economic situation, and alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people," the office of the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths tweeted. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Saturday that results of the Assembly elections indicate that the BJP was on its way out even at the Centre. Addressing a rally at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat, Patel said the verdict in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh showed that people were disenchanted with the BJP. "When you came to power in 2014 by making false promises and spreading lies, you may not have thought that you will become unpopular within just four years. People are disenchanted with BJP now. That is why Congress won the assembly polls in three states," Patel said. "When you came to power in 2014, you thought you will rule forever. That was your ego. You did not realise that if people can put you in power, they can also oust you," Patel said. "Time has come for you (Modi) to vacate the throne in near future. If you do not step down, people will make you do so," the Congress veteran said. Referring to Modi's sartorial choices, Patel said one can not become a leader like former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru just by wearing a "Nehru jacket". "You can also not become Indira Gandhi by going on foreign trips. You can not become Rajiv Gandhi by donning designer jackets and kurtas. To be in the league of such leaders, you have to make sacrifices like them. Do you have the courage to do that?" Patel asked. To Modi's recent jibe that Kartarpur in Punjab went to Pakistan at the time of Independence because of "lack of vision" in Congress leaders, Patel asked if Modi was also blaming Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Congress stalwart of that period. "On one hand you are building Sardar Patel's statue and on the other you are insulting him," the Congress leader from Gujarat said. Modi and the BJP are trying to erase history and present a "distorted version" to claim that Congress leaders did nothing for the country, Patel alleged. Modi failed to fulfil any of his pre-poll promises such as depositing Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account by bringing back black money, he said. "They claim they have done all those things which the Congress could not do in the last 70 years....Congress never looted the country in 60-70 years of its rule. But they (the BJP) looted the country through demonetisation during their four-year rule," he said. 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All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. There is not enough analysis data for Bionik Laboratories. 4.4 Community Rank Outperform Votes Bionik Laboratories has received 103 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Bionik Laboratories has received 51 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Bionik Laboratories has received 66.88% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bionik Laboratories and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BNKL will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BNKL will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Canadian Life Companies Split Corp. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Quadravest Capital Management Inc. It invests in the public equity markets of Canada. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating in the life insurance sector. It primarily invests in stocks of four publicly traded life insurance companies namely Great-West Lifeco Inc., Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc., Manulife Financial Corporation, and Sun Life Financial Inc. The fund employs fundamental analysis with a focus on such factors as a firm's earning history, relative price-earnings multiple, cash flow, dividend yield, market position, and growth prospects to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P TSX Financial Index. Canadian Life Companies Split Corp. was formed on April 18, 2005 and is domiciled in Canada. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. In fact, the trio met in the morning and later in the late night on Thursday to end the impasse. Bhopal: Home and finance, the two plum portfolios, have literally held allocation of portfolios to the ministers in Madhya Pradesh ministry to ransom. Reported insistence by two senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia to allot the two departments to their respective loyalist ministers in the Kamal Nath government has held back distribution of portfolios among the state ministers for the last three days, a senior Congress leader in the know of the things told this newspaper on Friday. A consensus has reached among chief minister Kamal Nath, Mr Singh and Mr Scindia over distribution of portfolios among the ministers except the two home and finance. There were several sittings and discussions over hone among them to end the impasse, but the matter was yet to be resolved, he added. In fact, the trio met in the morning and later in the late night on Thursday to end the impasse. However, it was later decided to leave it to the party high command to take the final call on it. Sources said the chief minister wanted to keep home, finance and energy departments with him to give a pro-people government. But Mr Singh and Mr Scindia reportedly wanted the two portfolios to go to their loyalists in the state ministry. Besides both the leaders also sought health department to go to their loyalist in the state ministry, sources said. Hopefully, the matter will be resolved shortly, sources added. Although, 28 ministers in the Kamal Nath Cabinet took oath on December 25, portfolios were yet to be allotted to them. Franklin Liberty Short Duration US Government ETF's stock was trading at $95.15 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, FTSD shares have decreased by 1.2% and is now trading at $94.05. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. engages in global investment banking, securities, and investment management, which provides financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. The Investment Banking segment serves public and private sector clients around the world and provides financial advisory services, help companies raise capital to strengthen and grow their businesses and provide financing to corporate clients. The Global Markets segment serves its clients who buy and sell financial products, funding and manage risk. The Asset Management segment provides investment services to help clients preserve and grow their financial assets. The Consumer & Wealth Management segment helps clients to achieve their individual financial goals by providing a wealth advisory and banking services. The company was founded by Marcus Goldman in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected]arketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected]t.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. The 2019 Lok Sabha battle in Bihar is going to see RJD-led nine-member grand alliance take on the three-party NDA on 40 seats. A file photo of national president of the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) Mukesh Sahni (second from left) raising hands with RJDs leader Tejashwi Yadav and RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha after joining the grand alliance during a press conference in Patna. Patna: All eyes are set on how the RJD and Congress-led Mahagathbandhan in Bihar resolves the thorny seat-sharing issue, with nine parties vying for 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The grand alliance is busy stitching a rainbow coalition to defeat the BJP-led NDA in the general election but political observers say the going may get difficult for it due to a large number of constituents. The nine parties in the grand alliance include the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), Left parties (Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) ), Sharad Yadavs Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and Vikasheel Insan Party. Sources said that top leaders of the grand alliance have been meeting to discuss the seat-sharing formula on the basis of caste and social combinations. However, political experts are of the opinion that trouble may crop up in the alliance during seat adjustments. The interest in the grand alliances seat sharing formula is rooted in the NDA constituents announcement of their plan for 2019. The BJP and the Janata Dal (United) will contest 17 seats each, leaving the remaining six for Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Reports suggest that the RJD is planning to contest 2019 general elections in Bihar on the 20-20 formula. Sources said Tejashwi Yadav may meet and discuss the issue with RJD chief Lalu Yadav soon. Sources said the RJD, being the largest party in Bihar Assembly with 80 seats, wants a 20 Lok Sabha seats and may distribute the remaining 20 seats among other coalition partners, including the Congress. Our goal is to stop the BJP from returning to power in 2019. Seat adjustments will be discussed during the meeting with all top leaders of the grand alliance in Bihar, said RJD spokesperson Bhai Birendra. Given the political scenario when the Congress has already registered a resounding victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, it is unlikely that the grand old party would accept the RJDs decision to fight the Lok Sabha elections on 20 seats. Sources said that the RJD may offer 10 seats to the Congress, the RLSP may get five, the Left parties are likely to get two seats and the other parties may get one seat each. The latest to join the grand alliance is Mukesh Sahnis Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP). Mr Sahni claims that he rejected BJPs offer of three seats and decided to join the Mahagathbandhan after meeting RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and spoke to Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the phone. In 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, Mr Sahni had campaigned for the BJP. After the NDA lost, he developed differences with saffron leaders over his demand for the Nishad community under the SC/ST Act. In the last two years, Mr Sahni has also been organising rallies across Bihar to unite Nishad, Mallah and Nonia communities which come under the extremely backward caste (EBC). Sources said Mr Sahni, with a sizeable support of the Nishad community, also wants a respectable seat share for his party. He is the second former NDA ally to join the grand alliance after RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha. According to political analysts, the Muslim-Yadav combination which was floated by Lalu Yadav in the 1990s has now transformed into Muslim, Yadav, Mahadalit, Nishad, and Koeri after Mr Manjhi, Mr Kushwaha and Mr Sahni entered the alliance fold. The M-Y combination in Bihar forms about 30 per cent vote share Muslims 16 per cent and Yadav 14 per cent. Mr Manjhi has a major stake in the Mushahar community, a sub-caste among dalits in Bihar. The communitys population is around 40 lakh. Mr Kushwaha, with Koeri communitys support, can influence about 10 per cent voters in the state. Mr Sahanis Nishad community accounts for 14 per cent of the state population. The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. 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LTD, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Limitada, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Customer Insight Limited, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Agave Consultants Limited, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, Allen International Consulting Group Ltd, Alnova Technologies Corporation S.L., AlphaBeta Advisors, Altima, Altima Asia Ltd., Altima SAS, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Appaloosa Technology SAS, Arca, Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Avanade, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade (Thailand) Co Ltd, Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Denmark ApS, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Ltd, Avanade Europe Services Ltd, Avanade Federal Services LLC, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SAS, Avanade GZ Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd. (SH), Avanade Guangzhou, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy SRL, Avanade KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Netherlands BV, Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland Sp. z o.o., Avanade Poland Sp. z.o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain SL, Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Ltd, Avanade do Brasil Limitada, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, AvantBiz Consulting Limited, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Benext, Bionic, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Boomerang Pharmaceuticals Communications Ireland Limited, Bow & Arrow, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brand Learning LLC, Brand Learning Ltd, Brand Learning Partners Limited, Brand Learning Pte Limited, Bridge Energy Group LLC, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CadenceQuest Inc., Capable Marketer Limited, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc., Certus Solutions Consulting Services Ltd, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cimation UK Limited, Cirruseo, Cirruseo SAS, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas (SN) (PTE.) Limited, Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Ltd., Cloud Talent Limited, Cloudsherpas, Cloudsherpas Inc., Cloudworks, Codagenic Pty. Ltd., Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda., Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda., Context Information Security, Coritel S.A., Corliant Inc., CreativeDrive, CustomerWorks Europe SL, Cutting Edge Solutions Ltd, D5 Global Holdings LLC, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., DMA Solutions Limited, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (Australia) PTY LTD, DayNine Consulting (Deutschland) GmbH, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting France SAS, DayNine Consulting Japan K.K., DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings, Declarative Holdings LLC, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digiplug SAS, Digital Consulting & Software Services LLC, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Ltd., Duck Creek Technologies, Duck Creek Technologies LLC, Deja Vu Security LLC, ESR Labs, Elcurator SAS, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting L.P., End-to-End Analytics, Energuia Web, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Ltd., Energy Quote Private Ltd., EnergyQuote JHA, EnergyQuote JHA Ltd., EnergyQuote Trading Ltd., Enimbos, Enkitec, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V. , Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enterprise System Partners PR LLC, Enterprise System Partners S.A.S., Entropia, Epylon, Ethica Consulting Group, Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Exton Consulting, Fairway Technologies Inc, Fairway Technologies LLC, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, First Annapolis International, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Focus Group Europe Limited, Formicary, Formicary Holdings Limited, Formicary Limited, FusionX, FutureMove Automotive, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, Genfour Limited, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gestion Altima Canada Inc., Gevity, Global Public Firm S.L., GlobalView SAS, GoodFilm GmbH Filmproduktion Stuttgart, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Hytracc Consulting UK Limited, Hytracc Holding AS, I-Faber S.p.A., IBB Consulting, IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INCAD, INSITUM, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Imagine Broadband (USA) Ltd, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Industrie&Co, Infoman AG, Infoman Schweiz AG, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Infusion Development Inc., Infusion Development UK Limited, InfusionDev LLC, Innoveer Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria Brasil LTDA, Insitum Consultoria Colombia SAS, Insitum Consultoria Europa SL, Insitum Consultoria Peru SAC, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., Intrepid, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Advertisement (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inventor Technology Limited, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, Javelin Group (Bulgaria) EOOD, Javelin Group Limited (UK), Javelin Group SASU, K Comms Group Limited, KCS.net AG, KCS.net AG West, KCS.net Deutschland GmbH, KCS.net Holding AG, KCS.net Osterreich GmbH, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Ltd, Kogentix Singapore Pte. Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kunstmaan NV, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon UKI, Kurt Salmon UKI Ltd., Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LabAnswer, LabAnswer Government, LemonXL Limited, Logistics Market Place Limited (UK), Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Corporation, Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte. Ltd., Mackevision UK Ltd, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd., Maihiro, Matter, Matter Llc, Maud Corp Pty Limited, Maxamine International, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing Corporation, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mindtribe Product Engineering LLC, MobGen, MobGen Technology S.L, Moonrise NV, Mortgage Cadence, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, N3 LLC, NBS Marketing Inc., NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile, Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Chile SpA, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda., New Energy Aborda, New Energy Associates Ltd, New Energy Group, New Energy S.r.l., NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage China Ltd., NewsPage Pte Ltd, Nice Agency Limited, Northstream, Northstream AB, Northstream Holding AB, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology LTDA, Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Octo Technology SPRL, Octoman SAS, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Openmind, Openminded, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium Consulting Ltd, Orbium GmbH, Orbium Holding AG, Orbium Inc., Orbium International AG, Orbium International sp. z o.o., Orbium Licences AG, Orbium Limited, Orbium Pte. Ltd., Orbium Pty Ltd, Orbium Services sp. z o.o., Orbium Sarl, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PCO Innovation Canada Inc., PCO Innovation EURL, PIXO PUNCH Limited, PLM Systems S.r.l, POC Holdings, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, Pach Invest SARL, Pach Invest SAS, PacificLink Group, PacificLink iMedia Ltd., Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald Inc., Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Partners Technology Mexico Holdings BV, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production K/S, Perseroan Terbatas. Accenture, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Ltd, Pragsis Technologies S.L, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Ltd, Procurian Germany GmbH, Procurian Inc., Procurian International I LLC, Procurian International II LLC, Procurian LLC, Procurian Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procurian Switzerland GmbH, Procurian USA LLC, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co Ltd, Radiant Services, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Limited, Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (Asia) Pte Ltd, Redcore (India) Private Limited (India), Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Renacentis IT Services, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Rothco, Rothco Holdings Designated Activity Company, Rothco Unlimited Company, S.C. EnergyQuote S.r.l., S3 TV Technology Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, Salt Solutions, Sanchez Capital Services Pvt Ltd, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Airline Planning Group, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace Asia (Hong Kong) Limited, Seabury Aviation Consulting LLC, Seabury Cargo Advisory B.V., Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Human Capital LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH. iShares MSCI Brazil ETF's stock was trading at $29.68 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWZ shares have increased by 1.0% and is now trading at $29.97. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. engages in the provision of equipment, systems, and value-added services for the rail industry. It operates through the following segments: Freight and Transit. The Freight segment involves in the manufacture and offers services components for new and existing locomotives and freight cars; supplies rail control and infrastructure products such as electronics, positive train control equipment, and signal design and engineering services; overhauls locomotives; and provides heat exchangers and cooling systems for rail and other industrial markets. The Transit segments includes the manufacture and providing services components for new and existing passenger transit vehicles, including regional trains, high speed trains, subway cars, light-rail vehicles, and buses; supplies rail control and infrastructure products such as electronics, positive train control equipment, and signal design and engineering services; builds new commuter locomotives; and renovate passenger transit vehicles. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. Read More Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. researches, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes regenerative medicine products in the United States. Its products include Grafix and Stravix for treating chronic wounds of diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, arterial ulcers, and severe burns, as well as surgical and trauma wounds; BIO4 for bone repair and regeneration in spine, trauma, extremity, cranial, and foot and ankle surgeries; and Cartiform for treating articular cartilage lesions in the knee and other joints. The company also develops and markets Menvivo for the repair of meniscus; and TruSkin for treating chronic wounds. It markets and distributes its products directly to physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers, as well as through agents and distributors. Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of AES: 25 Ashdown Road Solar LLC, AES (India) Private Limited, AES (NI) Limited, AES Abigail S.a.r.l., AES Accabonac Solar LLC, AES Africa Power Company B.V., AES AgriVerde Holdings B.V., AES AgriVerde Services (Ukraine) Limited Liability Company, AES Alamitos Development Inc., AES Alamitos Energy LLC, AES Alamitos L.L.C., AES Alicura Holdings S.C.A., AES Americas International Holdings Limited, AES Andres (BVI) Ltd., AES Andres BV, AES Andres DR S.A., AES Andres Holdings I Ltd, AES Aramtermelo Holdings B.V., AES Argentina Generation S.A. (1), AES Argentina Holdings S.C.A., AES Argentina Investments Ltd., AES Argentina Operations Ltd., AES Arlington Services LLC, AES Armenia Mountain Holdings LLC, AES Armenia Mountain Wind 2 LLC, AES Aurora Holdings Inc., AES Aurora Inc., AES BES Jordan B.V., AES Bainbridge Holdings LLC, AES Bainbridge LLC, AES Ballylumford Holdings Limited, AES Baltic Holdings BV, AES Barka Services Inc., AES Barry Limited, AES Barry Operations Ltd., AES Beaver Valley L.L.C., AES Belfast West Power Limited, AES Belleville Solar LLC, AES Big Sky L.L.C., AES Botswana Holdings B.V., AES Brasil Ltda, AES Brazil Inc., AES Brazil International Holdings Limited, AES Broadalbin Solar LLC, AES Bulgaria B.V., AES Bulgaria Energy Solutions EOOD, AES Bulgaria Holdings BV, AES Bussum Holdings BV, AES CC&T International Ltd., AES CLESA Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita de Capital Variable, AES Calaca Pte. Ltd., AES Calgary Inc., AES California Management Co. 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In 1916, a young Gujarati man named Mani Haribhai Desai had a chance encounter with a 118 years-old Guru Paramhamsa Madhavadasji who was in the city for a discourse. The brief meeting was profound enough to inspire the young man to spend his life spreading the secret knowledge of yoga. With a resolution and dedication so robust, Mani became Yogendra, a fastidious proponent of hatha yoga and established The Yoga Institute in 1918 at Dadabhai Naorojis residence in Versova. After years of relocating to different locations, from Chowpatty to even Gujarat, the yoga guru finally laid the bricks of his institution at its present location in Santa Cruz in 1947. At the two-day Harmony Fest that commenced yesterday, an event celebrating the centenary run of the worlds oldest yoga institute, President Ram Nath Kovind joined in the festivities by gracing the occasion. Yogendras daughter-in-law and director of the institute Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra who has made spreading knowledge about yoga her lifes goal, helmed the event. Looking back, she reiterates the long-running objective of the institute when she informs that they have not only focused on yoga as a means to pursue a healthy life, but also as a subject that deals with three aspects psychology, philosophy and technology. The psychology part also needs to be understood when a person is getting angry, what is happening to the system, and when he is calm and quiet, how his brain is functioning then. And in philosophy of course, how he is trying to bring certain aspects in his life so that he can remain calm and balanced. And the technology part is something that has to be very carefully dealt with because every human is very different, she reveals. She adds that one cannot treat yoga as a mass drill, but since every human being is different, one should follow personalised, tailor-made programs consisting of as anas, pranayama, meditation, kriyas, bandhas and mudras. Everybody cant do meditation, rather it may harm somebody if he is going through depression. We dont use the word meditation; rather we use conditioning because it is a very different step. You have to condition your mind to see that right types of thoughts go by and you are actively sitting quietly, counting your breath, listening to the sound around you and feeling the air on your body. That would help you, she elucidates. The popularity of the institute, the rigorous following of its objectives and its philosophy can be accredited to the years Yogendras spent researching the physiological and the psychological effects of practicing the ancient Indian art of living in USA. In 1943, a team of experts from the Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, who were collecting modern artefacts to add to their time capsule called the Crypt of Civilisation, also added the books published in the institute to their collection, which will only be opened after 6000 years. I was very glad when the Crypt of Civilisation accepted our books and they gave us a certificate saying that they are the most authentic and scientific books, Hansaji gushes. For Hansaji, who has worked towards increasing the participation of women in yoga at a time when it was frowned upon, she feels the practice has come a long way. She extended the ladies wing of the institute and has seen the attitude changing in her customers. Earlier ladies didnt attend in large numbers, they were not allowed. And they also thought that practicing yoga meant you were a recluse of sorts, like a sadhu-sanyasi. Once a lady came crying to me, saying that her husband will become a sadhu because he is going to a yoga centre. So for a long time, yoga was not understood. Now, its the other way round, she says. Not only has the participation of women increased, but Hansaji has also started various programs that meet the needs of children, women, including girls in their puberty, women in pre and post-natal stages of pregnancies, women in menopause, and the elderly. Looking back fondly, Hansaji says that her happiest memory would be the time when she joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first-ever celebration of the Yoga Day on June 21, 2015. The whole boost for our institute came when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to us, because we were functioning very silently. He called me on Yoga Day, and I was there with him on stage. It was then that people saw that this institute was very important, and our strength increased from 400-500 people to about 2000 people, she concludes. The Harmony Fest is ongoing at M.M.R.D.A Grounds, BKC John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management and Analytic Investors, LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors, with an emphasis on the utilities sector. The fund primarily invests in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks of companies which have dividends that qualify for a more favorable long-term capital gains tax rate. It invests in stocks of companies across diversified market capitalizations. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against a composite benchmark comprised of 55% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Preferred Stock DRD Eligible Index and 45% S&P 500 Utilities Index. John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund was formed on February 27, 2004 and is domiciled in the United States. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Carnival Co. &: 1972 Productions Inc., 6348 Equipment LLC, A.C.N. 098 290 834 Pty. Ltd., A.J. Juneau Dock LLC, AIDA Kundencenter GmbH, Adventure Island Ltd., Air-Sea Holiday GmbH, Alaska Hotel Properties LLC, Barcelona Cruise Terminal SLU, Bay Island Cruise Port S.A., Belize Cruise Terminal Limited, CC U.S. Ventures Inc., CCL Gifts LLC, CSSC Carnival Italy Cruise Investment S.r.L, Carnival (UK) Limited, Carnival Bahamas FC Limited, Carnival Bahamas Holdings Limited, Carnival Corporation & plc Asia Pte. 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Lda, Ship Care (Bahamas) Limited, Sitmar Cruises Inc., Spanish Cruise Services N.V., Sunshine Shipping Corporation Ltd., T&T International Inc., Tour Alaska LLC, Transnational Services Corporation, Trident Insurance Company Ltd., Westmark Hotels Inc., Westmark Hotels of Canada Ltd., Westours Motor Coaches LLC, Wind Surf Limited, and World Leading Cruise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. The following companies are subsidiares of Centene: APS Parent Inc., AWC of Syracuse Inc., Absolute Total Care Inc., AcariaHealth Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #11 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #12 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #13 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #14 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy Inc., AcariaHealth Solutions Inc., Access Medical Acquisition LLC, Access Medical Group of Florida City LLC, Access Medical Group of Hialeah LLC, Access Medical Group of Lakeland LLC, Access Medical Group of Miami LLC, Access Medical Group of North Miami Beach LLC, Access Medical Group of Opa-Locka LLC, Access Medical Group of Perrine LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa II LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa III LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa LLC, Access Medical Group of Westchester LLC, Accountable Care Coalition Direct Contracting LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Chesapeake LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers IV LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers V LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VI LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VII LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Florida Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland Primary Care LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Mississippi LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of New Jersey Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of North Texas LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northwest Florida LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Prime Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Physician Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Wisconsin LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Texas Inc., Agate Resources Inc., AirLogix, Ambetter of Magnolia Inc., Ambetter of North Carolina Inc., Ambetter of Peach State Inc., America's 1st Choice California Holdings LLC, American Progressive Life and Health Insurance Company of New York, Apixio, Apixio Inc, Arch Personalized Medicine Initiative LLC, Arkansas Health & Wellness Health Plan Inc., Arkansas Total Care Holding Company LLC, Arkansas Total Care Inc., B2B Gestion Integra S.L.U., B2B Salud S.L.U., Bankers Reserve Life Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Blackcrow Asistencia Medica S.L, Bridgeway Health Solutions LLC, Bridgeway Health Solutions of Arizona Inc., Buckeye Community Health Plan Inc., Buckeye Health Plan Community Solutions Inc., CCTX Holdings LLC, CMC Real Estate Company LLC, CT Poprad s.r.o., CT Presov s.r.o., Calibrate Acquisition Company, California Health and Wellness Plan, Cantina Laredo Clayton LP, Cardium Health Services, Care 1st Health Plan of Arizona Inc., Care1st Health Plan Administrative Services Inc., Carolina Complete Health Holding Company Partnership, Carolina Complete Health Inc., Casenet LLC, Casenet S.R.O., CeltiCare Health Plan Holdings LLC, CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts Inc., Celtic Group Inc., Celtic Insurance Company, Cenpatico Behavioral Health LLC, Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona LLC, Cenpatico of Arizona Inc., Centene Center I LLC, Centene Center II LLC, Centene Center LLC, Centene Company of Texas LP, Centene Europe Finance Company Limited, Centene Health Plan Holdings Inc., Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education LLC, Centene International Ventures LLC, Centene Investments LLC, Centene Management Company LLC, Centene Venture Company Alabama Health Plan Inc., Centene Venture Company Florida Inc., Centene Venture Company Illinois Inc., Centene Venture Company Indiana Inc., Centene Venture Company Kansas Inc., Centene Venture Company Michigan Inc., Centene Venture Company Tennessee Inc., Centro Inmunologocia De La Comunidad Valenciana S.L., Centurion Correctional Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, Centurion Detention Health Services LLC, Centurion LLC, Centurion of Arizona LLC, Centurion of Delaware LLC, Centurion of Florida LLC, Centurion of Kansas LLC, Centurion of Minnesota LLC, Centurion of Mississippi LLC, Centurion of New Hampshire LLC, Centurion of Pennsylvania LLC, Centurion of Tennessee LLC, Centurion of Vermont LLC, Centurion of West Virginia LLC, Centurion of Wyoming LLC, Chrysalis Medical Services LLC, Clinica Santo Domingo De Lugo S.L., Collaborative Health Systems IPA LLC, Collaborative Health Systems LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Maryland LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Virginia LLC, Comfort Hospice of Missouri LLC, Comfort Hospice of Texas LLC, ComfortBrook Hospice LLC, Community Medical Group, Community Medical Holdings Corporation, Comprehensive Health Management Inc., Comprehensive Reinsurance Ltd., Coordinated Care Corporation, Coordinated Care of Washington Inc., Country Style Health Care LLC, Discare CZ a.s., District Community Care Inc., Dr Magnet s.r.o., Elche-Crevillente Salud, Envolve Benefits Options Inc., Envolve Captive Insurance Company Inc., Envolve Dental IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Dental Inc., Envolve Dental of Florida Inc., Envolve Dental of Texas Inc., Envolve Health, Envolve Holdings Inc., Envolve Inc., Envolve Optical Inc., Envolve PeopleCare Inc., Envolve Pharmacy IPA LLC, Envolve Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Envolve Total Vision Inc., Envolve Vision Benefits Inc., Envolve Vision IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Vision Inc., Envolve Vision of Florida Inc., Envolve Vision of Texas Inc., Essential Care Partners LLC, Exactus Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Family Nurse Care II LLC, Family Nurse Care LLC, Family Nurse Care of Ohio LLC, Fidelis Care, Forensic Health Services LLC, Foundation Care LLC, Godgrace Asistencia Medica S.L., Golden Triangle Physician Alliance, Grace Hospice of Austin LLC, Grace Hospice of Grand Rapids LLC, Grace Hospice of Illinois LLC, Grace Hospice of Indiana LLC, Grace Hospice of San Antonio LLC, Grace Hospice of Virginia LLC, Grace Hospice of Wisconsin LLC, Granite State Health Plan Inc., Growly Asistencia Sanitaria S.L., HHS Texas Management Inc., HHS Texas Management LP, Hallmark Life Insurance Company, Harmony Behavioral Health IPA Inc., Harmony Behavioral Health Inc., Harmony Health Management Inc., Harmony Health Plan Inc., Harmony Health Systems Inc., Health Care Enterprises LLC, Health Net Access Inc., Health Net Community Solutions Inc., Health Net Community Solutions of Arizona Inc., Health Net Federal Services LLC, Health Net Health Plan of Oregon Inc., Health Net LLC, Health Net Life Insurance Company, Health Net Life Reinsurance Company, Health Net Pharmaceutical Services, Health Net of Arizona Inc., Health Net of California Inc., Health Plan Real Estate Holdings Inc., HealthSmart Benefit Solutions Inc., HealthSmart Benefits Management LLC, HealthSmart Care Management Solutions LP, HealthSmart Information Systems Inc., HealthSmart Preferred Care II LP, HealthSmart Preferred Network II Inc., HealthSmart Primary Care Clinics LP, HealthSmart Rx Solutions Inc., Healthy Louisiana Holdings LLC, Healthy Missouri Holdings Inc., Healthy Washington Holdings Inc., Heritage Health Systems Inc., Heritage Health Systems of Texas Inc., Heritage Home Hospice LLC, Heritage Physician Networks, Home State Health Plan Inc., HomeScripts.com LLC, Hospice DME Company LLC, Hospinet S.L., Hospital Polusa S.A., Hospital Povisa S.A., Hudson Accountable Care LLC, IAH of Florida LLC, Illinois Health Practice Alliance LLC, Infraestructuras y Servicios de Alzira S. L., Integrated Care Network of Florida LLC, Integrated Mental Health Management LLC, Integrated Mental Health Services, Interpreta Holdings Inc., Interpreta Inc., Iowa Total Care Inc., Kentucky Spirit Health Plan Inc., LBB Industries Inc., LifeShare Management Group LLC, LiveHealthier Inc., Louisiana Healthcare Connections Inc., MH Services International Holdings (UK) Limited, MHM, MHM Correctional Services LLC, MHM Health Professionals LLC, MHM Services Inc., MHM Services of California LLC, MHM Solutions LLC, MHN Government Services LLC, MHN Services LLC, MHS Consulting International Inc., MHS Travel & Charter Inc., MR Centrum Melnick s.r.o., MR Poprad s.r.o., MR Zilina s.r.o., Magnolia Health Plan Inc., Managed Health Network, Managed Health Network LLC, Managed Health Services Insurance Corporation, Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Maryland Collaborative Care Transformation Organization Inc., Mauli Ola Health and Wellness Inc., Medicina NZ spol s.r.o., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Michigan Inc., Meridian Management Company LLC, Meridian Network Services LLC, MeridianRx IPA LLC, MeridianRx LLC, MeridianRx of Indiana LLC, Michigan Complete Health, Mid-Atlantic Collaborative Care LLC, Nebraska Total Care Inc., Network Providers LLC, New York Quality Healthcare Corporation, Next Door Neighbors Inc., Next Door Neighbors LLC., North Florida Health Services Inc., Northern Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Novasys Health Inc., OB Care, OB Klinika, Ohana Health Plan Inc., Oklahoma Complete Health Inc., One Care by Care 1st Health Plans of Arizona Inc, Operose Health (Group) Ltd., Operose Health (Group) UK Ltd., Operose Health Ltd., OptiCare Health Systems - Managed Vision Business, PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, Panther Pass Co LLC, Panther Specialty Holding Co LLC, Pantherx Access Services LLC, Pantherx Specialty LLC, Parker LP LLC, Peach State Health Plan Inc., Penn Marketing America LLC, Pennsylvania Health and Wellness Inc., Phoenix Home Health Care LLC, Pinnacle Home Care LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Illinois LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Indiana LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Kalamazoo LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Missouri LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Wisconsin LLC, Premier Marketing Group LLC, PrimeroSalud S.L., Pro Diagnostic Group A.S., Pro Magnet CZ s.r.o., Pro Magnet s.r.o, Pro RTG s.r.o, Progress Medical A.S., Prowl Holdings LLC, QCA Healthplan Inc., Qualchoice Life and Health Insurance Company, Quincy Coverage Corporation, R&C Healthcare LLC, RMED LLC, RX Direct Inc., Rapid Respiratory Services LLC, Ribera Lab S.L.U., Ribera Salud II, Ribera Salud Proyectos S.L., Ribera Salud S.A., Ribera Salud Tecnologias S.L.U., Ribera Slaud Infraestructuras S.L.U., Ribera-Quilpro UTE, Salus Administrative Services Inc., Salus IPA LLC, Secure Capital Solutions 2000 S.L.U., SelectCare Health Plans Inc., SelectCare of Texas Inc., Seniorcorps Peninsula LLC, Servicios De Mantenimiento Prevencor S.L.U., SilverSummit Healthplan Inc., Social Health Bridge LLC, Social Health Bridge Trust, Specialty Therapeutic Care GP LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care LP, Sunflower State Health Plan Inc., Sunshine Health Community Solutions Inc., Sunshine Health Holding LLC, Sunshine State Health Plan Inc., Superior HealthPlan Community Solutions Inc., Superior HealthPlan Inc., The Practice Properties Limited, The WellCare Management Group Inc., Torrejon Salud S.A., Torrevieja Salud S.L.U., Torrevieja Salud UTE, Traditional Home Health Services LLC, Trillium Community Health Plan Inc., U.S. Medical Management Holdings Inc., U.S. Medical Management LLC, UAM Agent Services Corp., US Script, USMM Accountable Care Partners LLC, Universal American Corp., Universal American Financial Services Inc., Universal American Holdings LLC, WCG Health Management Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of America, WellCare Health Insurance Company of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Louisiana Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Nevada Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Washington Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Connecticut Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Hawaii Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of New York Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of North Carolina Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Southwest Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans, WellCare Health Plans of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Plans of California Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Massachusetts Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Missouri Inc., WellCare Health Plans of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Rhode Island Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Vermont Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare National Health Insurance Company, WellCare Pharmacy Benefits Management Inc., WellCare Prescription Insurance Inc., WellCare of Alabama Inc., WellCare of Arkansas Inc., WellCare of California Inc., WellCare of Connecticut Inc., WellCare of Florida Inc., WellCare of Georgia Inc., WellCare of Illinois Inc., WellCare of Indiana Inc., WellCare of Kansas Inc., WellCare of Maine Inc., WellCare of Michigan Holding Company, WellCare of Mississippi Inc., WellCare of Missouri Health Insurance Company Inc., WellCare of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare of New York Inc., WellCare of North Carolina Inc., WellCare of Ohio Inc., WellCare of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare of Pennsylvania Inc., WellCare of Puerto Rico Inc., WellCare of South Carolina Inc., WellCare of Texas Inc., WellCare of Virginia Inc., WellCare of Washington Inc., Wellcare Health Plans Inc., Western Sky Community Care Inc., Windsor Health Group Inc., Winning Security S.L., Worlco Management Services, and nirvanaHealth LLC. Continental Building Products Inc (NYSE:CBPX) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November, 12th. The construction company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.01. The construction company had revenue of $127.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.16 million. Continental Building Products had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 18.84% and a net margin of 12.12%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. View Continental Building Products' earnings history. Organically farmed food occupies larger land which impacts weather. Washington: Organically farmed food always seemed like a better alternative when it comes to consuming healthy food. However, according to a recent study, Organically farmed food has a bigger impact on climate than conventionally farmed food, due to the greater areas of land required. As part of the study, the researchers developed a new method for assessing the climate impact of land-use, and used this, along with other methods, to compare organic and conventional food production. The results show that organic food can result in much greater emissions. "Our study shows that organic peas, farmed in Sweden, have around a 50 per cent bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed peas. For some foodstuff, there is an even bigger difference, for example, with organic Swedish winter wheat the difference is closer to 70 per cent," said Stefan Wirsenius, lead author of the study. The reason why organic food is so much worse for the climate is that the yields per hectare are much lower, primarily because fertilisers are not used. To produce the same amount of organic food, you, therefore, need a much bigger area of land. The ground-breaking aspect of the new study is the conclusion that this difference in land usage results in organic food causing a much larger climate impact. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of British Journal of Psychiatry. "The greater land-use in organic farming leads indirectly to higher carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to deforestation. The world's food production is governed by international trade, so how we farm in Sweden influences deforestation in the tropics. If we use more land for the same amount of food, we contribute indirectly to bigger deforestation elsewhere in the world," explained Wirsenius. Even organic meat and dairy products are, from a climate point of view, worse than their conventionally produced equivalents, claims Stefan Wirsenius. "Because organic meat and milk production uses organic feed-stock, it also requires more land than conventional production. This means that the findings on organic wheat and peas in principle also apply to meat and milk products. We have not done any specific calculations on meat and milk, however, and have no concrete examples of this in the article," he explains. The following companies are subsidiares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft: 87 Leonard Development LLC, ABFS I Incorporated, ABS MB Ltd., Acacia (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Accounting Solutions Holding Company Inc, Alex. Brown Financial Services Incorporated, Alex. Brown Investments Incorporated, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft mbH, Amber Investments S.a r.l., Ambidexter GmbH, Ambidexter GmbH i.L., Argent Incorporated, BHW - Gesellschaft fur Wohnungswirtschaft mbH, BHW Bausparkasse Aktiengesellschaft, BHW Holding GmbH, BHW Kreditservice GmbH, BNA Nominees Pty Limited, BT Globenet Nominees Limited, BTAS Cayman GP, BTD Nominees Pty Limited, Baincor Nominees Pty Limited, Bainpro Nominees Pty Ltd, Baldur Mortgages Limited, Bankers Trust Investments Limited, Barkly Investments Ltd., Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc, Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc., Berkshire Mortgage Finance, Betriebs-Center fur Banken AG, Biomass Holdings S.a r.l., Birch (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Blue Cork Inc, Blue Cork Inc., Borfield Sociedad Anonima, Breaking Wave DB Limited, Cape Acquisition Corp., CapeSuccess Inc., CapeSuccess LLC, Cardales UK Limited, Cardea Real Estate S.r.l., Career Blazers LLC, Career Blazers Management Company Inc, Career Blazers Management Company Inc., Career Blazers Personnel Services Inc, Career Blazers Personnel Services Inc., Career Blazers Personnel Services of Washington D.C. Inc. Washington D.C., Caribbean Resort Holdings Inc, Caribbean Resort Holdings Inc., Carpathian Investments Designated Activity Company, Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Asset Management Company Limited, Cathay Capital Company (No 2) Limited, Cedar (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Centennial River 2 Inc., Centennial River Corporation, Chapel Funding, Charlton (Delaware) Inc, China Recovery Fund LLC, China Recovery Fund LLC, Cinda - DB NPL Securitization Trust 2003-1, City Leasing (Thameside) Limited, City Leasing Limited, Consumo S.p.A., Consumo Srl in Liquidazione, Cyrus J. Lawrence Capital Holdings Inc., Cyrus J. Lawrence Capital Holdings Inc., D B Investments (GB) Limited, D&M Turnaround Partners Godo Kaisha, D.B. International Delaware Inc., D.B. International Delaware Inc., DAHOC (UK) Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DAHOC Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DB (Barbados) SRL, DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Asing) Sdn. Bhd., DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad, DB (Pacific) Limited, DB (Pacific) Limited New York, DB (Pacific) Limited New York, DB Abalone LLC, DB Alex. Brown Holdings Incorporated, DB Alps Corporation, DB Aotearoa Investments Limited, DB Asia Pacific Holdings Limited (in voluntary liquidation), DB Asset Finance I S.a r.l., DB Asset Finance II S.a r.l., DB Aster II LLC, DB Aster III LLC, DB Aster Inc., DB Aster LLC, DB Beteiligungs-Holding GmbH, DB Boracay LLC, DB Capital Investments Sarl, DB Capital Markets (Deutschland) GmbH, DB Capital Partners Inc., DB Capital Partners Inc., DB Cartera de Inmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Cartera de Inmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Chestnut Holdings Limited, DB Commodity Services LLC, DB Consorzio S. Cons. a r. l., DB Corporate Advisory (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., DB Covered Bond S.r.l., DB Credit Investments S.a r.l., DB Delaware Holdings (Europe) Limited, DB Direkt GmbH, DB Elara LLC, DB Energy Commodities Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DB Energy Trading LLC, DB Enfield Infrastructure Holdings Limited, DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equity Limited, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Finance International GmbH, DB Ganymede 2006 L.P., DB Global Markets Multi-Strategy Fund I Ltd., DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology SRL, DB Group Services (UK) Limited, DB HR Solutions GmbH, DB Holding Fundo de Investimento Multimercado Investimento no Exterior Credito Privado, DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB Holdings (South America) Limited, DB IROC Leasing Corp., DB Immobilienfonds 1 Wieland KG, DB Immobilienfonds 2 KG i.L., DB Immobilienfonds 4 KG i.L., DB Immobilienfonds 5 Wieland KG, DB Impact Investment (GP) Limited, DB Impact Investment Fund I L.P., DB Impact Investment Fund I L.P., DB Industrial Holdings Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DB Industrial Holdings GmbH, DB Intermezzo LLC, DB International (Asia) Limited, DB International Investments Limited, DB International Trust (Singapore) Limited, DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Resources (US) Corporation, DB Investment Resources Holdings Corp., DB Investment Services GmbH, DB Io LP, DB Litigation Fee LLC, DB London (Investor Services) Nominees Limited, DB Management Support GmbH, DB Managers LLC, DB Municipal Holdings LLC, DB Nexus American Investments (UK) Limited (in members'voluntary liquidation), DB Nexus Investments (UK) Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DB Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB Nominees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, DB Omega BTV S.C.S., DB Omega Holdings LLC, DB Omega Ltd., DB Omega S.C.S., DB Operaciones y Servicios Interactivos Agrupacion de Interes Economico, DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Holdings Limited, DB PWM, DB Portfolio Southwest Inc., DB Print GmbH, DB Privat- und Firmenkundenbank AG, DB Private Clients Corp., DB Private Wealth Mortgage Ltd., DB RC Holdings LLC, DB Re S.A., DB Service Centre Limited, DB Service Uruguay S.A., DB Services Americas Inc., DB Services Americas Inc., DB Servizi Amministrativi S.r.l., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Finance 1 Designated Activity Company, DB Structured Finance 2 Designated Activity Company, DB Structured Holdings Luxembourg S.a r.l., DB Structured Products Inc., DB Structured Products Inc., DB Trustee Services Limited, DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corporation, DB UK Bank Limited, DB UK Holdings Limited, DB UK PCAM Holdings Limited, DB USA Core Corporation, DB USA Corporation, DB Valoren S.a r.l., DB Value S.a r.l., DB VersicherungsManager GmbH, DB Vita S.A., DBAB Wall Street LLC, DBAH Capital LLC, DBAH Capital LLC, DBCIBZ1, DBCIBZ2, DBFIC Inc., DBFIC Inc., DBNZ Overseas Investments (No.1) Limited, DBOI Global Services (UK) Limited, DBOI Global Services Private Limited, DBR Investments Co. Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management IA Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management IB Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management IB Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management US IB L.L.C., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUKH No. 2 Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a r.l., DBUSBZ2 S.a r.l., DBX Advisors LLC, DBX ETF Trust, DBX Strategic Advisors LLC, DBO Vermogensverwertung GmbH, DEBEKO Immobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUFRAN Beteiligungs GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK A.S., DG China Clean Tech Partners, DI Deutsche Immobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DIB-Consult Deutsche Immobilien- und BeteiligungsBeratungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DNU Nominees Pty Limited, DSL Portfolio GmbH & Co. KG, DSL Portfolio Verwaltungs GmbH, DTS Nominees Pty Limited, DWS Alternatives France, DWS Alternatives Global Limited, DWS Alternatives GmbH, DWS Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, DWS Beteiligungs GmbH, DWS CH AG, DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Far Eastern Investments Limited, DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, De Heng Asset Management Company Limited, De Meng Innovative (Beijing) Consulting Company Limited, DeAM Infrastructure Limited, Deloraine Spain S.L., Delowrezham de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (Mauritius) Limited Port, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alt-A Securities Inc., Deutsche Alt-A Securities Inc., Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (France) SAS, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, Deutsche Asset Management S.A., Deutsche Asset Management S.G.I.I.C. S.A., Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (Chile), Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anonima Institucion Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Bauspar-Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Capital Finance LLC I, Deutsche Bank Capital Finance Trust I, Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency of Delaware, Deutsche Bank International Limited, Deutsche Bank Investments (Guernsey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. - Fiduciary Deposits, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. - Fiduciary Note Programme, Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple, Deutsche Bank Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Los, Deutsche Bank Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Nominees (Jersey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Polska Spolka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao, Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao Sao, Deutsche Bank SPEARs/LIFERs Series DBE-8011 Trust, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Services (Jersey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anonima Espanola, Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anonima Espanola, Deutsche Bank Societa per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Management Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Colombia S.A.S., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 1 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 2 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 3 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 4 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilien-Leasing mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilien-Leasing mit beschrankterHaftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Deutsche Holdings (Malta) Ltd., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche Immobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Inversiones Dos S.A., Deutsche Inversiones Limitada, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mandatos S.A., Deutsche Master Funding Corporation, Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a r.l., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Public Limited Company, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Mortgage Securities Inc., Deutsche Mortgage Securities Inc., Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC I, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC II, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC III, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities Menkul Degerler A.S., Deutsche Securities S.A., Deutsche Securities S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Securities SpA, Deutsche Securities Venezuela S.A., Deutsche Securitisation Australia Pty Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trust Company Limited Japan, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. S.A., Deutsches Institut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.I., Elba Finance GmbH, Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, Emerald Asset Repackaging Designated Activity Company, Erste Frankfurter Hoist GmbH, European Value Added I (Alternate G.P.) LLP, Exinor SA, FARAMIR Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs GmbH, FRANKFURT CONSULT GmbH, Fiduciaria Sant' Andrea S.r.L., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Franz Urbig- und Oscar Schlitter-Stiftung Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-037, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-039, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-040, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-041, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-043, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-044, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-047, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., G.O. IB-US Management L.L.C., G918 Corp., GAC-HEL Inc., GWC-GAC Corp., Galene S.a r.l., Gemini Technology Services Inc., German American Capital, German American Capital Corporation, Gladyr Spain S.L., Global Markets Fundo de Investimento Multimercado, Global Markets III Fundo de Investimento Multimercado - Credito, Greenwood Properties Corp., Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer Landstrae GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Kerpen-Sindorf Vogelrutherfeld GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Leipzig Petersstrae GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Wiesbaden Luisenstrae/Kirchgasse GbR, HTB Spezial GmbH & Co. KG, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, IOS Finance EFC S.A., ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF I Manager S.a r.l., IVAF I Manager S.a r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, Immobilienfonds Mietwohnhauser Quadrath-Ichendorf GbR, Immobilienfonds Wohn- und Geschaftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul Inkasso GmbH, Kradavimd UK Lease Holdings Limited, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Latitude Australia Secured Personal Loans Trust, Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo III Initial GP Limited, Lindsell Finance Limited, London Industrial Leasing Limited, MEF I Manager S. a r.l., MEF I Manager S. a r.l., MHL Reinsurance Ltd., MIT Holdings Inc., MIT Holdings Inc., MPP Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgageIT Inc., MortgageIT Inc., MortgageIT Securities Corp., Motion Picture Productions One GmbH & Co. KG, NCW Holding Inc., Navegator - SGFTC S.A., Navegator - SGFTC S.A., New 87 Leonard LLC, Nordwestdeutscher Wohnungsbautrager Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentre", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Beteiligungs-GmbH, OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Holding GmbH, OPB-Nona GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPB-Quinta GmbH, OPB-Septima GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM Flottenfonds V GmbH & Co. KG, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, OPS Nominees Pty Limited, OVT Trust 1 GmbH, OVV Beteiligungs GmbH, Opal Funds (Ireland) Public Limited Company, PADUS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, PARTS Funding LLC., PB Factoring GmbH, PB Firmenkunden AG, PB International S.A., PB Spezial-Investmentaktiengesellschaft mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PBC Banking Services GmbH, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, PT. Deutsche Verdhana Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Peruda Leasing Limited, Plantation Bay Inc., Plantation Bay Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Immobilien GmbH, Postbank Immobilien und Baumanagement GmbH, Postbank Immobilien und Baumanagement GmbH & Co. Objekt Leipzig KG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank Service GmbH, Postbank Systems AG, QR Tower 2 LLC, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, REO Properties Corporation, RREEF, RREEF America L.L.C., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisors Private Limited, RREEF Management L.L.C., RTS Nominees Pty Limited, Reference Capital Investments Limited, RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables LLC, Route 28 Receivables LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SCUDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SEDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SENA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Kamenz KG, SIFA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SOLIDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SP Mortgage Trust, SPINO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SPV I Sociedad Anonima Cerrada, SPV II Sociedad Anonima Cerrada, STATOR Heizkraftwerk Frankfurt (Oder) Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim Alternative Investments GmbH, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. AG & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Komplementar AG, Sechste Salomon Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Sechste Salomon Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Service Company Four Limited, Sharps SP I LLC, Singer Island Tower Suite LLC, Somkid Immobiliare S.r.l., Stelvio Immobiliare S.r.l., Structured Finance Americas LLC, Structured Finance Americas LLC, Swabia 1. Vermogensbesitz-GmbH, Suddeutsche Vermogensverwaltung Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, TAKIR Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TELO Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, TEMATIS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., TERRUS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., TESATUR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Halle I KG i.L., TESATUR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Nordhausen I KG i.L., TOSSA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TRIPLA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TRS Aria LLC, TRS Leda LLC, TRS Maple II LTD, TRS Oak II LTD, TRS SVCO LLC, TRS Scorpio LLC, TRS Tupelo II LTD, TRS Venor LLC, TRS Walnut II LTD, Tagus - Sociedade de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Tasfiye Halinde Deutsche Securities Menkul Degerler A.S., Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Tianjin Deutsche AM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Limited, UKE Beteiligungs-GmbH, UKE Grundstucksgesellschaft mbH, UKE s.r.o., Ullmann - Esch Grundstucksgesellschaft Kirchnerstrae GbR, Ullmann - Esch Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Disternich GbR, Ullmann Ullmann Krockow Krockow Esch GbR, VCJ Lease S.a r.l., Vesta Real Estate S.r.l., VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, WEPLABeteiligungsgesellschaftmbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., Whale Holdings S.a r.l., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., World Trading(Delaware)Inc., Zumirez Drive LLC, db PBC, and norisbank GmbH. Ellie Mae, Inc. provides cloud-based platform for the mortgage finance industry in the United States. It provides Encompass, an enterprise solution that engages in running the business of originating mortgages, including marketing and lead management; loan origination and processing; underwriting; preparation of mortgage applications, disclosure agreements, and closing documents; loan funding and closing; compliance with regulatory and investor requirements; and enterprise management. The company's Encompass Digital Lending Platform helps lenders and investors across their workflow from the prospective customers to the point of loan delivery. In addition, the company provides education and training services; professional and technical support services; and loan product, policy, and guideline data and analytics services. Ellie Mae, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC. According to university officials, close to 40 per cent of the assessment work has already been completed by the professors. Mumbai: In an unprecedented move, Mumbai University (MU) professors have voluntarily sacrificed their Christmas holidays to assess the answer papers of the winter examinations in order to avoid any kind of delay in declaring results. This is a voluntary decision as the university has not issued any such circular. The teachers have decided to go to colleges that have CAP centres and assess the papers. According to them, the marks that the students score in their winter examinations will help them in the placement season that begins in March/April. Professor Jitendra Joshi said, We as a group had decided not to take any long vacations or go somewhere outside the city during the Christmas holidays. During this time, we are going to CAP centres and assessing the papers so that the process of assessment and moderation is completed as soon as possible and results are declared on the scheduled dates. Since all the papers are assessed online, the teachers need to go to CAP centres where the on-screen marking system (OSM) is made available to assess papers. The Christmas holidays are from December 21 to January 1, 2019. Generally, the university does not ask teachers to assess papers during vacations as their Diwali vacations are usually cut short due to the workload. It is not a compulsion for any teacher. Whoever wants can do it. I, as a teacher, want the best for my students and hence, this is not a great sacrifice but just my part of the duty, said another teacher, Anagha Sinha. In 2017 following the online assessment mess in the university, results were delayed for more than five months. According to university officials, close to 40 per cent of the assessment work has already been completed by the professors. The assessment process is going on in a speedy manner. In this short period, 40 per cent of the assessment is already over. With the help of our teachers, we could declare all the results before time, said a senior official from the examination department. Global X Southeast Asia ETF's stock was trading at $12.53 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, ASEA stock has increased by 14.3% and is now trading at $14.32. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. HemaCare Corporation provides human-derived primary blood cells and tissues for biomedical research, and supporting cell therapy clinical trials and commercialization with apheresis collections in the United States. The company specializes in the customized collection, isolation, and testing of primary human blood cells and other biological products for research protocols and cellular therapy. It offers human blood cellular components derived from peripheral blood, bone marrow, and cord blood; and a range of consulting services in standard operating procedure development, personnel training, and quality and regulatory compliance. The company's network of FDA-registered, GMP/GTP-compliant collection centers ensures donor materials available to customers, as well as for use within its isolation laboratory. The company has strategic partnership with Charles River Laboratories International Inc. for human immune system research. HemaCare Corporation was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Northridge, California. Read More iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF's stock was trading at $51.51 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EUSA stock has increased by 66.0% and is now trading at $85.51. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products for company pension schemes; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; and retirement interest only mortgages. The LGIM segment provides index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real estate funds. The LGC segment offers investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment provides protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. The company is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses, as well as manufacture of sheds. It also engages in the real estate investment, operation, management, and trading, fund general partner, fund trustee, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, management, pension tracing and transfer, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More The police are also scanning the list of documents of the housing complex to ascertain if all the other permissions were in place. Mumbai: The Tilak Nagar police on Friday registered a case of negligence against three persons, including the property developer of Sargam Housing Society, where five persons were killed after a fire broke out on Thursday night. Hence a case has been filed against Hemant Mapara, Shubhak Mapara and Kothari, all partners in Reliance Realtors as per provisions of the Indian Penal Code, following allegations about them failing to get a NOC from the fire department. Officials said that there have been complaints that the developers did not get clearance before the transfer of flats and hence the fire system was non-functional. Also the developers had built a wall on the refuge area on the ninth floor and hence the connection to the towers B and C wing was blocked. The firefighting system was also not operational. The police said they are yet to track down the three accused and that the case was registered based on the complaints of the residents of the building. The police have now sought relevant documents from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the fire brigade to ascertain the facts and are probing the matter further. We have registered a case of negligence against the developers. We are yet to take them into custody, said Shahaji Umap, deputy commissioner of police (zone VI). Following the incessant complaints of alleged negligence, the police recorded statements of the office bearers of the housing society. They have alleged that the fire apparatus was not working, as the developers had not secured a fire brigade clearance, which is one of the vital documents. The police are also scanning the list of documents of the housing complex to ascertain if all the other permissions were in place. Teams of the Tilak Nagar police station have been formed for probing the incident and to track down the accused. Pembina Pipeline Corporation provides transportation and midstream services for the energy industry. It operates through three segments: Pipelines, Facilities, and Marketing & New Ventures. The Pipelines segment operates conventional, oil sands and heavy oil, and transmission assets with a transportation capacity of 3.1 millions of barrels of oil equivalent per day, ground storage of 11 millions of barrels, and rail terminalling capacity of approximately 145 thousands of barrels of oil equivalent per day serving markets and basins across North America. The Facilities segment offers infrastructure that provides customers with natural gas, condensate, and natural gas liquids (NGLs), including ethane, propane, butane, and condensate; and includes 354 thousands of barrels per day of NGL fractionation capacity, 21 millions of barrels of cavern storage capacity, and associated pipeline and rail terminalling facilities. The Marketing & New Ventures segment buys and sells hydrocarbon liquids and natural gas originating in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin and other basins. Pembina Pipeline Corporation was incorporated in 1954 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Raymond James Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. The Private Client Group segment provides securities brokerage services, including the sale of equities, mutual funds, fixed income products, and insurance products to their individual clients; and borrowing and lending of securities to and from other broker-dealers, financial institutions, and other counterparties. The Capital Markets segment offers securities brokerage, trading, and research services to institutions with a focus on sale of the United States and Canadian equities and fixed income products; and manages and participates in underwritings, merger and acquisition services, and public finance activities. The Asset Management segment engages in the operations of Eagle, the Eagle Family of Funds, Cougar, the asset management operations of Raymond James & Associates, trust services of Raymond James Trust, and other fee-based asset management programs. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate loans, SBL, tax-exempt loans, and residential loans. The Other segment engages in private equity activities, including various direct and third party private equity investments; and private equity funds. Raymond James Financial, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation. GNC Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of health, wellness, and performance products. The company operates through three segments: U.S. and Canada, International, and Manufacturing/Wholesale. Its products include proteins, performance supplements, weight management supplements, vitamins, herbs and greens, wellness supplements, health and beauty products, food and drink products, and other general merchandise. The company also provides third-party contract manufacturing services. It sells its products under the GNC proprietary brands, as well as under third-party brands. As of December 31, 2018, the company had approximately 8,400 locations of which approximately 6,200 retail locations in the United States and franchise operations in approximately 50 countries. It sells its products through company-owned retail stores and its Website GNC.com, as well as third-party Websites; wholesale partnerships; and domestic and international franchise activities. GNC Holdings, Inc. has a strategic partnership with Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co., Ltd. and International Vitamin Corporation. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read More BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More It is that time when alliances are re-alliances are being reworked. Telangana chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao, flush with his impressive victory in the state Assembly elections on December 11, got back to his coalition-building exercise which he began earlier and gave the tentative name of Federal Front. It included at that time West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees Trinamul Congress (TMC) and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He was supposed to have met Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav. His fellow Telugu rival, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chairman N. Chandrababu Naidu, has allied with arch-rival Congress Party, though it is not yet clear whether he has become a part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. Mamata Banerjee is looking out for an option of a coalition where she does not have to go with the Congress and the UPA. It is that time when alliances are re-alliances are being reworked. Mr Raos coalition will not have a place for the Congress and the TDP because then he would lose his own pre-eminence. In the Banerjee-Patnaik-Mayawati-Yadav tieup, Mr Rao will be on an equal footing with the others. If the Congress is to be accommodated, then all of them will take the second place, which they would not want to do. It appears that he wants to build a Third Front, which could subsequently deal with the UPA from a position of strength if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were to lose its majority in May 2019. There is also the distinct possibility that Mr Raos so-called Federal Front could do a deal with the NDA as well. Like Mr Naidu, Mr Rao too is an extreme pragmatist and he would not hesitate to deal with the BJP. Mr Rao and Mr Naidu are not uncompromising ideological opponents of the BJP. This would mean that there will be no grand coalition against the BJP. There will be at least two anti-BJP groupings. The BJP will be tempted to feel satisfied that there is a scope for winning over some of the regional parties to its side after the election. Many political pundits are looking at a polarised 2019 election where the BJP would play the Hindutva card more aggressively than ever before, and it is assumed that all the other parties would then have to be on the other side. The argument will then be put forward that the only way to defeat Hindutva politics for the others is to form a united front against the BJP. The Congress and the BJP, the two big parties, would want to make it an ideological war between Hindutva and secularism. There are complications here too. The BJP would chant secularism even as it mobilises its Hindutva forces. The Congress will harp the loudest on secularism and at the same time make the necessary overtures to Hindutva sentiments. The presence of the many regional parties with their undisputed electoral strengths would make ideological dichotomy an impossibility. The BJP has been trying hard to break the strongholds of the regional parties, but this has not proved successful so far. The right-wing party did taste success in Tripura, and it is emboldened to believe that it could gain ground in neighbouring West Bengal as well. And it is looking to take advantage of the political vacuum in Odisha, with the BJD holding the fort there even as its strength becomes tenuous with a frail Naveen Patnaik at the top. But the BJPs utter rout in the Telangana Assembly elections reveals that it cannot dream of an easy success on the regional front. Hindutva might be the BJPs calling card, but it is not necessarily a winning card. The regional parties, which represent local interests, provide the perfect foil to the ideologically-minded BJP, Congress and the Communists, now confined primarily to Kerala, with enclaves left in West Bengal and Tripura. The regional parties and their coming together is likely to force the BJP to rethink its 2019 election strategy. The party is under tremendous pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and others to take the initiative on the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but this would not give the BJP the electoral advantage that it is seeking. The anxiety of the RSS and VHP is that the BJP may not be able to fulfil the temple promise after the election because then it would not have the numbers. More than its main ideological rival, the Congress, it is the regional parties with their specific local agendas and strengths that appear to be the stumbling block for the BJP. The third force that Mr Rao is trying to forge is sure to be frustrating for the NDA and for the UPA, but it is this force that would make the Indian polity less toxic in ideological terms. It will force Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to speak in terms of development rather than in terms of Hindutva vs secularism. If the BJP wants to wean away some of the regional parties to its side, then it will have to put aside its Hindutva, and if the Congress seeks the support of the regional parties, it will have to give up its imperious attitude of being the so-called Grand Old Party of India. Mr Rao, Ms Banerjee, Mr Patnaik, Ms Mayawati and Mr Akhilesh Yadav are not going to play second fiddle either to the BJP or the Congress. It is good news for Indian democracy. The old idea that regionalism represents the fissiparous tendencies in the country does not hold good any longer. It is regionalism that lends glory to nationalism. TC Energy Corporation operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. It operates through Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines, U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines, Mexico Natural Gas Pipelines, Liquids Pipelines, and Power and Storage segments. The company builds and operates 93,400 km network of natural gas pipelines, which transports natural gas from supply basins to local distribution companies, power generation plants, industrial facilities, interconnecting pipelines, LNG export terminals, and other businesses. It also has regulated natural gas storage facilities with a total working gas capacity of 535 billion cubic feet. In addition, it has approximately 4,900 km liquids pipeline system that connects Alberta crude oil supplies to refining markets in Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Further, the company owns or has interests in seven power generation facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 4,200 megawatts that are powered by natural gas and nuclear fuel sources located in Alberta, Ontario, QuAbec, and New Brunswick; and owns and operates approximately 118 billion cubic feet of non-regulated natural gas storage capacity in Alberta. The company was formerly known as TransCanada Corporation and changed its name to TC Energy Corporation in May 2019. TC Energy Corporation was incorporated in 1951 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Unum Group is engaged in providing financial protection benefits. It operates through the following segments: Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, Closed Block and Corporate. The Unum US segment comprises of group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment products, and supplemental and voluntary lines of business. The Unum International segment engages in the operations of UK business, which includes insurance for group long-term disability, group life, and supplemental lines of business that include dental, individual disability, and critical illness products; Poland business primarily includes insurance for individual and group life with accident and health riders. The Colonial Life segment includes insurance for accident, sickness, disability products, life products, and cancer and critical illness products. The Closed Block segment consists of individual disability, group and individual long-term care, and other insurance products no longer actively marketed. The Corporate segment refers to investment income on corporate assets and other corporate income and expenses not allocated to a line of business; and interest Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Barclays: Adler Toy Holding Sarl, Aequor Investments Limited, Alymere Investments Limited, Alynore Investments Limited Partnership, Analog Analytics, Analog Analytics Inc, Analytical Trade Holdings LLC, Analytical Trade Investments LLC, Analytical Trade UK Limited, Archstone Equity Holdings Inc, Ardencroft Investments Limited, B D & B Investments Limited, B.P.B. (Holdings) Limited, BB Client Nominees Limited, BBAIL SAS, BCAP LLC, BIFML PTC Limited, BMBF (No.24) Limited, BMI (No.9) Limited, BNC Brazil Consultoria Empresarial Ltda, BNRI ENG 2013 Limited Partnership, BNRI ENG 2014 Limited Partnership, BNRI ENG GP LLP, BNRI England 2010 Limited Partnership, BNRI England 2011 Limited Partnership, BNRI England 2012 Limited Partnership, BNRI Limehouse No.1 Sarl, BNRI PIA Scot GP Limited, BNRI Scots GP LLP, BPB Holdings SA, BVP Galvani Global S.A.U., Barafor Limited, Barclay Leasing Limited, Barclaycard Funding PLC, Barclaycard International Payments Limited, Barclays (Barley) Limited, Barclays Aldersgate Investments Limited, Barclays Alzin Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Asia Limited, Barclays Asset Management Limited, Barclays BR Investments S.a r.l., Barclays BWA Inc., Barclays Bank (Suisse) S.A., Barclays Bank Delaware, Barclays Bank Ireland PLC, Barclays Bank Ireland Public Limited Company, Barclays Bank Mexico S.A., Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays Bank UK PLC, Barclays Bayard Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Bedivere Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Bordang Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Brasil Assessoria Financeira Ltda., Barclays CCP Funding LLC, Barclays Cantal Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Capital (Cayman) Limited, Barclays Capital Asia Holdings Limited, Barclays Capital Asia Limited, Barclays Capital Canada Inc., Barclays Capital Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V., Barclays Capital Derivatives Funding LLC, Barclays Capital Effekten GmbH, Barclays Capital Energy Inc., Barclays Capital Equities Trading GP, Barclays Capital Finance Limited, Barclays Capital Futures (Singapore) Private Limited, Barclays Capital Holdings (Singapore) Private Limited, Barclays Capital Holdings Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Barclays Capital Japan Securities Holdings Limited, Barclays Capital Luxembourg S.a r.l., Barclays Capital Mauritius Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees (No.2) Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees (No.3) Limited, Barclays Capital Nominees Limited, Barclays Capital Principal Investments Limited, Barclays Capital Real Estate Finance Inc., Barclays Capital Real Estate Holdings Inc., Barclays Capital Real Estate Inc., Barclays Capital Securities Client Nominee Limited, Barclays Capital Securities Limited, Barclays Capital Securities Mauritius Limited, Barclays Capital Trading Luxembourg S.a r.l., Barclays Claudas Investments Partnership, Barclays Claudas Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Barclays Converted Investments (No.2) Limited, Barclays Corporation Limited, Barclays Direct Investing Nominees Limited, Barclays Directors Limited, Barclays Dryrock Funding LLC, Barclays Electronic Commerce Holdings Inc., Barclays Equity Holdings Limited, Barclays Equity Index Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Europe Client Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Europe Firm Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Europe Nominees Designated Activity Company, Barclays Executive Schemes Trustees Limited, Barclays Financial LLC, Barclays Financial Planning Nominee Company Limited, Barclays Funds Investments Limited, Barclays Funds and Advisory Japan Limited, Barclays Global Service Centre Private Limited, Barclays Global Shareplans Nominee Limited, Barclays Group Holdings Limited, Barclays Group Operations Limited, Barclays Group US Inc., Barclays Index Finance Trust, Barclays Industrial Development Limited, Barclays Industrial Investments Limited, Barclays Insurance Guernsey PCC Limited, Barclays Insurance Services Company Limited, Barclays Insurance U.S. Inc., Barclays International Luxembourg Dollar Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Investment Management Limited, Barclays Investment Solutions Limited, Barclays Investments & Loans (India) Limited, Barclays Korea GP Limited, Barclays Lamorak Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Leasing (No.9) Limited, Barclays Leto Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Long Island Limited, Barclays Luxembourg EUR Holdings S.a r.l, Barclays Luxembourg Finance S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg GBP Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Global Funding S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Barclays Luxembourg Holdings SSC B, Barclays Marlist Limited, Barclays Mauritius Overseas Holdings Limited, Barclays Mercantile Business Finance Limited, Barclays Merchant Bank (Singapore) Ltd., Barclays Nominees (George Yard) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Jersey) Limited, Barclays Nominees (Manx) Limited, Barclays Oversight Management Inc., Barclays Payment Solutions Inc., Barclays Pelleas Investments Limited Partnership, Barclays Pelleas Investments S.a r.l., Barclays Pension Funds Trustees Limited, Barclays Principal Investments Limited, Barclays Private Asset Management (Monaco) S.A.M, Barclays Private Bank, Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Barclays Receivables LLC, Barclays SAMS Limited, Barclays Securities (India) Private Limited, Barclays Securities Japan Limited, Barclays Security Trustee Limited, Barclays Services (Japan) Limited, Barclays Services Corporation, Barclays Services Jersey Limited, Barclays Services LLC, Barclays Services Limited, Barclays Shea Limited, Barclays Singapore Global Shareplans Nominee Limited, Barclays Switzerland Services SA, Barclays Tenedora De Immuebles SL., Barclays Term Funding Limited Liability Partnership, Barclays UK Investments Limited, Barclays US CCP Funding LLC, Barclays US Funding LLC, Barclays US GPF Inc., Barclays US Investments Inc., Barclays US LLC, Barclays Unquoted Investments Limited, Barclays Unquoted Property Investments Limited, Barclays Wealth Management Jersey Limited, Barclays Wealth Nominees Limited, Barclays Wealth Services Limited, Barclays Wealth Trustees (India) Private Limited, Barclayshare Nominees Limited, Barclaytrust Channel Islands Limited, Barcosec Limited, Barsec Nominees Limited, Blossom Finance General Partnership, Branchcall Computers (Pvt) Limited, Braven Investments No.1 Limited, CP Flower Guaranteeco (UK) Limited, CP Newco 1 Limited, CP Newco2 Limited, CP Newco3 Limited, CP Propco 1 Limited, CP Propco 2 Limited, CP Topco Limited, CPIA Canada Holdings, CPIA England 2008 Limited Partnership, CPIA England 2009 Limited Partnership, CPIA England No.2 Limited Partnership, CPIA Investments No.1 Limited, CPIA Investments No.2 Limited, CRE Diversified Holdings LLC, CREW Tahoe Holdings LLC, CREW Tahoe LLC, Calthorpe Investments Limited, Capton Investments Limited, Carnegie Holdings Limited, Central Platte Valley Management LLC, Chapelcrest Investments Limited, Charles Schwab Europe, Claudas Investments Limited, Claudas Investments Two Limited, Clydesdale Financial Services Limited, Cobalt Investments Limited, Compania Regional del Sur S.A., Compania Sudamerica S.A., Condor No.1 Limited Partnership, Cornwall Homes Loans Limited, Crescent Crown Land Holding SPV LLC, Crescent Legacy LLC, Crescent Plaza Residential L.P., Crescent Plaza Residential LLC, Crescent Plaza Residential LP LLC, Crescent Real Estate Member LLC, Crescent Resort Development LLC, Crescent TRS Holdings LLC, Crescent Tower Residences GP LLC, Crescent Tower Residences L.P., Curve Investments GP, DBL Texas Holdings LLC, DMW Realty Limited, Desert Mountain Development LLC, Desert Mountain Properties Limited Partnership, Develop Training Group Limited, Dorset Home Loans Limited, Durlacher Nominees Limited, EWRD Summit LLC, Eagle Financial and Leasing Services (UK) Limited, East West Resort Development V L.P. L.L.L.P., East West Resort Development VII LLC, Equity Limited Partnership, Equity Value Investments No.1 Limited, Equity Value Investments No.2 Limited, Erimon Home Loans Ireland Limited, Expobank, FIRSTPLUS Financial Group Limited, Finpart Nominees Limited, First Assurance, Foltus Investments Limited, Full House Holdings Limited, Gallen Investments Limited, Global Dynasty Natural Resource Private, Globe Nominees Limited, Gracechurch Services Corporation, Grays Station LLC, Grupo Financiero Barclays Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hawkins Funding Limited, Heraldglen Limited, Holding Stuttgarter Strae GmbH, Hurley Investments No.1 Limited, Imalivest Mineral Resources LP, Investors In Infrastructure Limited, J.V. 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Limited, and Zeban Nominees Limited. There were many sentimental points obviously surrounding the plea for a delay in the announcement of the sentence. Leaders are supposed to be created by rare substance that sets them apart from the masses. But maybe there are exceptions. Maybe one thing that endears some leaders to their followers is that in certain moments of despair, the leader acts just as any ordinary person would. The quality was on show recently. First, Mian Nawaz Sharifs lawyers asked the accountability judge to delay his judgement in a couple of corruption cases against him. This momentary, in fact fleeting, relief from the inevitable was sought to allow Mian Sahib to celebrate his 70th birthday as a free man. There were many sentimental points obviously surrounding the plea for a delay in the announcement of the sentence. The day of the birth of the head of a family or tribe itself is an emotional occasion, especially when a long absence from home is feared. With Shahbaz Sharif in the lockup and an uncertain future staring the Sharifs in the face, maybe, just maybe, a birthday get-together, before Mian Sahib handed himself over to the forces that control the proceedings in the big world outside his home, would have been a small reprieve worth asking the court for. The request was denied, luckily perhaps, because it would have been too much to expect from the stars to grant the fallen former Prime Minister two ordinary wishes in quick succession. Appearing to hear the accountability court verdict against him a day before his birthday, Mian Sahib greeted the news of a seven-year-long sentence and a heavy fine against him with an innocent demand of his own. He asked if he could kindly be shifted to the Kot Lakhpat jail, instead of being deposited in Rawalpindis Adiala prison, which may otherwise be as boastful of its ability to host the famous as its rival in this case in Lahore. He was obliged and has since been moved to the Kot Lakhpat cell in his own city, actually not far from where the Sharif political story began. As the name suggests, the place draws its name Kot Lakhpat from a haveli or a fortress or kot, of a man whose riches back in the day ran into lakhs. Later on, the area as an industrial hub offered opportunities to souls possessing the right amount of ambition, ability and other prerequisites for making a fortune. Among them were those who pioneered the Ittefaq industry many decades later whose seizure by Z.A. Bhutto created the urge within the owners to join politics. Over time, many stories about the rise of Mian Nawaz Sharif as the chosen scion to spearhead the Ittefaq industrys foray into politics have ended up bringing curious hacks to the Kot Lakhpat area, which is, of course, among those parts of Lahore that have undergone much transformation. But remarkably little is known about what went inside the Ittefaq factory, and all that goes around in the name of information is made up of rumours, some of it of the darkest kind aimed at gaining political capital. One thing that does not need any corroboration is that Kot Lakhpat, where both Mian Sahib and Shahbaz Sahib are now imprisoned, must have been the place where the two brothers would have undergone their basic early lessons in administration. This is where their teacher, their father Mian Sharif, must have provided them with his insight into the thinking of different kinds of individuals and groups, and tried to arm them with the art of man management. Now wait Maybe, it was not as ordinary an occurrence as it initially looked. Maybe this is what Mian Sahib is asking for a refresher course in the old school area so that he is able to take a fresh beginning after he landed in this mess, made up of his own follies and shortcomings. Maybe this is what he had in mind when he asked to be returned to his origins? There may obviously be other meanings of the same expression which will make it difficult for the less initiated amongst us to attach any definite message to the words escaping the convict here. All one can do in the situation here is throw up a question and see if others agree with the suggested ending or not. The fact is that when Mian Sahib was asking the court to send him to Kot Lakhpat, he was basically appealing to be lodged at a place closer to home, indeed, he was asking to be sent home. This could well have been the call of a tired man for release from worldly obligations, a cry of anguish, one of resignation and relief from the one who had realised that this was as far and as best as he could stretch it. I am done. Now, please someone book me on the ship going home. Post-verdict, Mian Sahib sang to media Jayen ta kayen kahan, the Talat Mahmood number that paints submission to reality in its most sombre tones. Could this have been his swansong? There are many political commentators who insist that this note of resignation was the only way left from Mian Nawaz Sharif after he was disqualified by the law in July 2018. In one way, this observation appears to be vindicating the sacked Prime Ministers decision to take on his detractors: If he stood no chance of getting the ticket to a rehab clinic at the time he was ousted from power, his agitation against the establishment couldnt have done any further harm to his chances. By going the way he did, perhaps he has returned full circle to Kot Lakhpat as a man with at least one regret less to contend with. By arrangement with Dawn Tomorrow Bangladeshis will pick 299 Members of Parliament. The ruling Awami League is favoured to win. The opposition coalition, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has been weakened by arrests and killings. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks re-election to continue her governments programme. Internet has been curtailed or slowed down in various cities. Dhaka (AsiaNews) More than 103.8 million voters will go to the polls in Bangladesh tomorrow to elect 299 Members of parliament. A day before the election, "the outcome seems a foregone conclusion, given that the opposition has been neutralised, a local source told AsiaNews. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to be re-elected. Little else can expected. Confusion reigns supreme across the country, the source added. The two main contenders since independence in 1971 are the Awami League (Al) of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose leader, Khaleda Zia, is behind bars serving a 10-year sentence. The campaign has been marred by numerous episodes of violence, including attacks against election rallies, which have left four people dead. The BNP opposition party has denounced the arrest of at least 8,200 of its activists and the injuring of another 12,300, although the figures are not confirmed by official authorities. Internet services have been curtailed or slowed down in recent days, with the opposition complaining that pro-BNP websites were deliberately targeted in a plan to hinder its campaign. Against this background, "nobody has clear ideas, the source explained. The governments behaviour is quite incomprehensible, with summary arrests of opponents, the disappearance of activists and the crackdown on drug traffickers. The only thing certain is that Hasina wants re-election at all costs." The source admits that the incumbent government has made some strides. "Infrastructures have improved, access to healthcare has increased, economic growth has reached 8 per cent. This is an exceptional result, although the country started from very low levels." The government "has really shown that it can be incisive and wants to maintain continuity in administration and the reform process." For its part, the BNP "has hurt itself when it allowed some members of the (banned) terrorist Jamaat-e-Islami to run under its banner." Kamal Hossain, a famous lawyer and former foreign minister when Hasina's father was in power, is a member of the opposition 20-party coalition. He is now one of her most resolute opponents, complaining of the danger that the Awami League will become a dictatorship". North Korean Prime Minister Pak Pong Ju noted "drawbacks made by some farms and units in the past. North Korea, which will have to import 641,000 tonnes of food next year, is one of 40 countries 31 in Africa in need of external assistance. Pyongyang (AsiaNews/Agencies) North Korea has acknowledged "drawbacks" in its agricultural sector, echoing UN reports of declining crop yields in a country that remains heavily reliant on food imports and aid. Agricultural production is chronically poor in the North, which has periodically been hit by famine, with hundreds of thousands dying some estimates say millions in the mid-1990s. North Korean Prime Minister Pak Pong Ju spoke of "drawbacks made by some farms and units in the past" at a national meeting of farming officials that took place in Pyongyang this week, state media reported. Farms "failed to conduct seed production and management in a responsible way and also fell short of doing proper strain distribution," Pak was quoted as saying by North Koreas KCNA news agency. He "underscored the need to attain the goal of grain production" set out in a five-year development plan that wraps up in 2020. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said this month that North Korea will need to import 641,000 tonnes of food in the coming year. The figure is up from 456,000 tonnes this year, when it bought 390,000 tonnes and received 66,000 tonnes in food aid. There was a widespread lack of access to food in the North, the UN agency said. North Korea is one of 40 countries 31in Africa identified by FAO as in need of external assistance for food. A report published last year by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that about 70 per cent of North Koreas population was malnourished. Experts are especially concerned about malnutrition among children and women of reproductive age. According to the latest national survey conducted in 2012, 27.9 per cent of North Korean children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting), while 4 per cent suffer from acute malnutrition (wasting). Furthermore, 23.3 per cent of women of reproductive age are also malnourished. In 2014, a report by the Ministry of Public Health noted that 31.2 pe cent of pregnant women are anaemic and 5 per cent of children are born underweight. by Vladimir Rozanskij Martial law has been lifted. The Ukrainian president continues to denounce Russian military threats, calling on the West to intervene. For the opposition, it is all an election ploy. The presidents party is down to 11 per cent in public opinion polls. On 6 January, he will travel to Constantinople for the Tomos of autocephaly. Moscow (AsiaNews) Representatives of Ukraines defence establishment held a secret meeting in Kyiv yesterday to review martial law, which Poroshenko had in force for 30 days, pending the events. The measure was imposed in ten regions along the border with Russia on 26 November following the capture of three Ukrainian naval vessels in the Kerch Strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which Ukrainian authorities deemed an "act of aggression". With Russian and Ukrainian forces massing on the border, Ukraine complained of possible Russian invasion from the sea. However, the only real restrictive measure imposed during martial was an entry ban on Russian men aged 16 and 60. More than a thousand people, including several women, have thus turned away after customs officials checked their request to enter the country. Ukraines Security Council extended this measure indefinitely and border controls will be strengthened at the start of the new year. President Poroshenko wanted to extend martial law but decided against it to avoid cancelling the upcoming presidential election set for 31 March. The election campaign should officially start at the end of December. Martial law was not re-imposed also because of pressure from the opposition, which has accused the president of using Russian threats to save his political career. The presidents anti-Russian stance in the last month has not improved his standing in the polls. Various opposition leaders are instead asking for strong diplomatic action to free the 24 sailors detained by the Russians, caught in a political game that is not of their doing. For his part, Poroshenko said that the exceptional measures taken have made it possible to be ready for further Russian provocations. Russia has instead accused Ukraine of engaging in such actions. Ukrainian authorities fear military escalation by Russia during New Year celebrations, which based on the various calendars could last up to three weeks, i.e. until the Baptism (Epiphany) of 19 January. Citing, among others, US sources, many observers in Kyiv point out that the resignation of the US Defence Secretary James Mattis will give the Russians the opportunity to act without provoking a strong reaction from the US and other Western countries. For his part, the Ukrainian president has made repeated appeals to the West to increase pressure on Russia, above and beyond existing sanctions. Meanwhile, ordinary Ukrainians are tired of five years of "hybrid" conflict, and not all of them support the radical positions taken by Poroshenko, who has used the intra-Orthodoxy row between Kyiv, Constantinople and Moscow to boost his position. According to public opinion polls, the president's party is languishing at 11 per cent, against 21 per cent for the party of former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, and 14 per cent for pro-Russian actor Vladimir Zelinsky. Despite the uncertainty of the vote, over 50 per cent of those surveyed say they are against the incumbent president. Many believe that given the relative failure of martial law to prop up his political future, Poroshenko will use religion even more explicitly to boost his support. On 6 January, the president is in fact scheduled to accompany the new Metropolitan of Kyiv, Epiphanius, to Constantinople to receive the Tomos of autocephaly from Patriarch Bartholomew. The months of the election campaign will be spent organising the new Church, and trying to get as many churches from the Russian Orthodox Church as possible. Hollywood star Sandra Bullock says she 'constantly has to override' her fears about her children as she gets panicked a lot when it comes to their safety. The 54-year-old actor, who has eight-year-old Louis and six-year-old Laila, said she gets scared when she has to give a certain level of freedom to her kids. "You get so good at saying no and you're so panicked about everything. You literally have to stop and say, 'Why did I just say no? Why don't we just play hooky from school one day and just go enjoy life?' I'm constantly having to override my fear," Bullock told People magazine. The actor previously revealed she can be 'a little neurotic' when it comes to her kids, as the current state of the world leaves her 'afraid every day' of what might happen to her children whilst they are at school. Non-alcoholic january is another way of healthy year. Washington: Planning to sign up for Dry January a month without alcohol? The findings of a University of Sussex study suggest Dry January is the secret to better sleep and losing weight. The research, led by Sussex psychologist Dr Richard de Visser, was conducted with over 800 people who took part in Dry January in 2018. The results show that Dry January participants are still drinking less in August. They reported that: -drinking days fell on average from 4.3 to 3.3 per week, -units consumed per drinking day dropped on average from 8.6 to 7.1, -frequency of being drunk dropped from 3.4 per month to 2.1 per month on average. Dr Richard de Visser, Reader in Psychology at the University of Sussex, said: "The simple act of taking a month off alcohol helps people drink less in the long term, by August people are reporting one extra dry day per week. There are also considerable immediate benefits: nine in ten people save money, seven in ten sleeps better and three in five loose weights." "Interestingly, these changes in alcohol consumption have also been seen in the participants who didn't manage to stay alcohol-free for the whole month although they are a bit smaller. This shows that there are real benefits to just trying to complete Dry January." The University of Sussex research showed that: -93 per cent of participants had a sense of achievement, -88 per cent saved money, -82 per cent think more deeply about their relationship with drink, -80 per cent feel more in control of their drinking, -76 per cent learned more about when and why they drink, -71 per cent realised they don't need a drink to enjoy themselves, -70 per cent had generally improved health, -71 per cent slept better, -67 per cent had more energy, -58 per cent lost weight, -57 per cent had better concentration, -54 per cent had better skin. Dr Richard de Visser's findings come from three self-completed online surveys 2,821 on registering for Dry January, 1,715 in the first week of February, and 816 participants in August. Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, said, "Put simply, Dry January can change lives. We hear every day from people who took charge of their drinking using Dry January, and who feel healthier and happier as a result." "The brilliant thing about Dry January is that it's not really about January. Being alcohol-free for 31 days shows us that we don't need alcohol to have fun, to relax, to socialise. That means that for the rest of the year we are better able to make decisions about our drinking, and to avoid slipping into drinking more than we really want to." "Many of us know about the health risks of alcohol seven forms of cancer, liver disease, mental health problems but we are often unaware that drinking less has more immediate benefits too. Sleeping better, feeling more energetic, saving money, better skin, losing weight... The list goes on. Dry January helps millions to experience those benefits and to make a longer-lasting change to drink more healthily." The seniors allegedly slapped and verbally abused the victim after entering his hostel room. (Representational Image) Bengaluru: Five final year MBBS students of a medical college in Bengaluru's Rajajinagar have been arrested for allegedly ragging a first-year Dalit student on Christmas Eve. The arrested students of the ESIC Medical College have been identified as Karan Sharma from Rajasthan, Gautham from Madhya Pradesh, Indrajith from Uttarakhand, Rahul Jha from Delhi and Shubhav from Uttar Pradesh. All of them reside in the hostel on the premises. The victim is from Maharashtra. They have been lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after a complaint lodged by the victim at the local police station. They have been charged under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act and the Karnataka Education Act-1983. Some of these are non-bailable sections. According to the victims complaint, the five final-year students entered the 19-year-old's room at the hostel around 10 pm on December 24. According to the police, the seniors allegedly slapped and verbally abused the victim after entering his hostel room. They then took him to the terrace, cut his hair and continued to abuse him late into the night by invoking his caste. The senior medical students also warned the victim against reporting the incident however, he lodged a police complaint following which an inquiry along with college authorities was conducted. The special court sentenced M. Rajkumar, former Perambalur legislator to undergo 10 year RI, and his friend Jaisankar was also sentenced to undergo RI for 10 years. CHENNAI: In a first after formation of a special court to try criminal cases pending against MPs and MLAs in Chennai, the court convicted former DMK MLA on charge raping a minor girl hailing from Kerala and convicted him on charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The special court sentenced M. Rajkumar, former Perambalur legislator to undergo 10 year RI, and his friend Jaisankar was also sentenced to undergo RI for 10 years. According to the prosecution, M. Rajkumar (52), (now office-bearer of Perambalur district DMK wing), was elected MLA for the period of 2006 to 2011. He had appointed a 15-year-old girl from Idukki district in Kerala as maid in his house on June 23, 2012. Few days later, the girl called her mother over phone and told her that she was facing problems in the house and was unable to stay there. Based on her request, her parents proceeded to Peramblaur to take her back with them. Meanwhile, Jaisankar informed her parents that the girl was admitted to the government hospital in Theni. When the vicitm's mother saw her daughter in hospital, she was unconscious, and she died under mysterious circumstances on July 6. As the victim's parents raised suspicion over her death, a second post-mortem was conducted at the government hospital, Kottayam, Kerala. Considering the sensitivity of the issue, the case was transferred to the CB-CID and Rajkumar, Jaisankar and others were arrested. The trial was conducted at the Perambalur court and the case was later transferred to the special court to try criminal cases against MPs and MLAs in Chennai, after its formation in September. When the matter came up for hearing before the special court on Friday, the special judge sentenced Rajkumar to undergo 10 years RI under Section 376 (punishment for rape), 10 years under Section 304 of IPC (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 10 years under 120B of IPC (punishment of criminal conspiracy). The judge sentenced Jaisankar also to undergo RI for 10 years under Section 120B of IPC and one-year RI under Section 417 of the IPC. All sentences will run concurrently. The judge also slapped a total fine of `42,000 on them. Bengaluru: Hitting out at the coalition government in the state, PM Narendra Modi maintained here on Friday that while the people of Karnataka wanted corruption- free governance, it was interested only in development-free corruption Interacting with BJP workers of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bidar, Davangere and Haveri, the PM was critical of CM H.D. Kumaraswamy for waiving crop loans of only a handful of farmers. "Going by media reports, the government has benefited only a handful of farmers with its loan waiver scheme. But those who are in power go around the country, claiming credit for waiving loans of all farmers. Will they also take the credit for farmers" suicides in Karnataka?" he asked. "Farmers want attention, but those in power in the state are steeped in arrogance and interested only in fighting for Cabinet berths. The common man wants corruption -free governance, but those in power in Karnataka want dynasty rule," Mr Modi charged. Referring to the recent bonded labourers' incident in Hassan, he blamed it on the state government's "lack of commitment to the welfare of the poor and marginalised. I can understand the pain of the people of Karnataka. Every day there is news from Karnataka about who is getting a ministerial post and who is not. Those in power in Karnataka are playing musical chairs and are not interested in the welfare of the people. The people of Karnataka and India are watching the misrule and maladministration of the coalition government and will soon it a fitting lesson, he warned. After Ramanjaneyulu, a teacher in the Gurukul school, allegedly beat him, Srinivasulu sustained injuries on the shoulder and ribs when he fell on a table. (Representational Image) Nellore: A Class X student of a Balayogi Gurukul School at Naidupeta suffered a fracture when a teacher beat him and pushed him towards a bench for coming late on Thursday. The incident came to light when the parents took the boy to the government area hospital in Gudur on Friday. The boy, Chintagunta Srinivasulu, is the son of Krishnaiah and Navaneeta of the SC Colony in Chennuru of Gudur mandal. After Ramanjaneyulu, a teacher in the Gurukul school, allegedly beat him, Srinivasulu sustained injuries on the shoulder and ribs when he fell on a table. Parents are yet to lodge a complaint with police. Bengaluru: Madhukar Shetty, Karnataka-cadre IPS officer posted in Hyderabad, passed away on Friday evening while being treated for swine flu at a private hospital in Hyderabad. The 47-year-old 1999-batch officer, who hailed from Udupi district, was serving as the Deputy Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad. Mr Shetty was a son of prominent journalist Vaddarse Raghurama Shetty. Mr Shetty was under treatment at Continental Hospitals for over a week and breathed his last around 8.15 pm, sources at the hospital said. It is said that Mr Shetty also had some heart problems. Hospital sources said that Mr. Shetty's health deteriorated on Wednesday following which he was put on ECMO life support system on Thursday. He, however, lost the battle for his life on Friday. Mr Shetty served as the superintendent of police in Chikkamagaluru, SP in the Special Task Force during the last phase of anti-Veerappan operations, Anti-Naxal Force and Karnataka Lokayukta and DCP (Traffic), Bengaluru before going on a deputation to the central government. He was later posted as deputy director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. Known as an honest and people-friendly police officer, he played a major role in Lok Ayuktas inquiry into the illegal mining scam in Ballari district. In 2011, Mr Shetty left for the US for higher studies and earned his PhD in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany, Albany, New York. He had also worked with the War Crimes Investigation Unit in UN Mission, Kosovo. Bengaluru: While the Congress has still not initiated a dialogue with it for a pre-poll alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Janata Dal (Secular) appears to be keen on fielding candidates in all 28 Lok Sabha constituencies and having a friendly match with it to stop the BJP from returning to power at the Centre. Our party workers want to fight the LS polls independently instead of having seat adjustments or a pre-poll alliance with the Congress. We will convey this to our party supremo, H D Deve Gowda, who will take a final call in the matter, JD (S) spokesperson Ramesh Babu told Deccan Chronicle. By a friendly fight, we mean the JD(S) will field candidates in all the 28 constituencies and highlight the achievements of the coalition government in the state and neither party can accuse each other of wrong- doings in public meetings," he explained. Claiming that the attitude of the Congress had changed after its recent wins in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, Mr Babu said it had begun treating regional parties with contempt as it had done during its happier days. "But the JD(S) is a strong regional party and it will demonstrate it in the coming polls," he asserted. When contacted, a senior Congress leader said party president, Rahul Gandhi had already decided on having a tie- up with the JD (S) for the coming LS poll. While details of the seat sharing would be decided soon, the JDS may not get more than five seats because of its limited strength restricted to some constituencies of South Karnataka, he added. "We have no objection to having a friendly fight with the JD(S) too, " he maintained. After the introduction of plus 1 board exams, the enrollment in plus 1 itself faced a steep decline of 61,000 students as compared to the previous year. Particularly, the admissions in Bio-Maths group fallen by 20 per cent. CHENNAI: As an after effect for introducing board exam for plus 1, both government and private schools have forced 28,167 students out for flunking the exam in March 2018. In some cases, students who have cleared the exam with just pass marks were also given transfer certificates, sources said. After the introduction of plus 1 board exams, the enrollment in plus 1 itself faced a steep decline of 61,000 students as compared to the previous year. Particularly, the admissions in Bio-Maths group fallen by 20 per cent. This comes as a shocker to the officials as they allowed the plus-1 students to write arrears in plus 2. The directorate of government examinations (DGE) has found out when they compared the school wise candidates' list appearing for plus 2 in March 2019 appeared in plus-1. The DGE has issued a circular on Thursday instructing the schools to include all these students as regular candidates and allow them to write both plus-2 and plus-1 arrears. "Students will find it difficult to appear for subjects with practical exams in plus 2. To safeguard their interest, the schools should readmit and allow them to write as regular candidates," D. Vasundaradevi, director of government exams said in the circular. As per the government order, the schools cannot detain the plus 1 students if they fail in the board exams. Like college students, they would be allowed to appear for arrears while writing plus-2. Of 8.47 lakh candidates who have appeared for plus 1 board exam, around 79,000 students could not clear the exams. "What is more surprising is that even government schools also gave transfer certificates to the students who failed in the exam. Of 28,000 students, more than 5,000 students were from government schools," sources said. "A majority of the students who flunked the exam are from science groups. Usually, the directorate will not allow private candidates for science stream," sources added. Though 91 per cent of students cleared the first board exams for plus-1 in March 2018, only 3.3 per cent students alone were able to score above 80 per cent in the exams and less than one per cent scored above 90 per cent marks. Dean of Kilpauk Medical College Dr P. Vasanthamani addresses the media after a woman from Mangadu claimed to have been transfused with HIV infected blood at KMC. (DC) CHENNAI: After the transfusion of HIV infected blood to a pregnant woman in Virudhunagar district sent shockwaves across the state, another woman from TN accused Kilpauk Medical College of transfusing HIV infected blood in May this year, when she was five months pregnant. However, health minister C. Vijaybaskar and dean of KMC P. Vasanthamani denied the allegations. The 30-year-old woman from Mangadu alleged that she had become infected with HIV virus after she underwent a blood transfusion at KMC. Pushpa (name changed) said that she was undergoing treatment at a primary health center in Mangadu and underwent a blood test when she was four months pregnant at Sri Muthukumaran Medical College Hospital & Research Institute in Chikkarayapuram, near Mangadu. The blood test reports said that she was anaemic, while she tested negative for HIV. She was then given two units of blood at Kilpauk Medical College after admission on May 5 and discharged on May 15, 2018. She then underwent a blood test at Mangadu Later, the woman visited KMC for a regular check-up on August 16 and a blood test was done for Pushpa as part of routine check-up that confirmed the presence of the HIV virus. Following this, she was enrolled for ART on August 20 at KMC and was put on treatment to prevent the child from getting the virus. Pushpa gave birth to a male child through caesarean delivery on September 15, 2018. The inborn tested negative for HIV. Kumar (name changed), husband of Pushpa alleged, "It was because of the blood transfusion at the hospital that my wife got infected with HIV. My 5 year old child and I tested negative for the same and my wife didn't have the infection before the transfusion." "When we brought the issue to the hospital authorities, they said they could only prevent the child from contracting the infection and my wife cannot be completely cured of the infection. The hospital denied taking the responsibility of her condition, " alleged Kumar. Later in December, Pushpa wrote to Director of Medical Services regarding the same and also complained of medical negligence at the hospital to health minister C Vijayabhaskar, health secretary J. Radhakrishnan and Dean of KMC Dr P. Vasanthamani. "The DMS wrote to KMC dean on December 5 seeking an inquiry report on the issue. I formed a two-member committee to investigate the matter. The committee report revealed that the blood transfused on the woman was HIV negative; therefore, the infection was not due to blood transfusion at hospital. We use disposable syringes, so infection can't have transmitted through the syringes," said Dr P Vasanthamani. Denying the allegations, Dr Vasanthamani said that after having tracked the donor, we tested him for HIV and the reports were negative. "There was no evidence of blood test at the Mangadu Medical Center and the woman did not produce original documents relating to the same. A number is allotted to the patient when tested for HIV, but the documents produced by her had no number. Due to suspicion over the first HIV test, we tested the couple again and found that she was HIV positive," she said. The couple said they did not want the issue to surface due to the social stigma associated with the disease. However, after the Virudhunagar incident, we decided to bring up the issue in front of the public," said Kumar. Health minister C. Vijayabaskar denied the allegations and said that the state health department can give any word on the same only after the investigations. Meanwhile the revenue department officials visited the residence of the woman in Mangadu for additional information to report to the state health department. The scandal has been referred to as the Chopper scam or Choppergate by elements of the media and popular press. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday claimed in a Delhi court that alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, has mentioned Mrs Gandhi and son of the Italian lady during custody and the British national is misusing legal access by passing chits to advocates asking them how to tackle questions on Mrs Gandhi. The probe agency made the submission before the court while seeking an extension in the custody of Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently and arrested by the ED on December 22, for unearthing the deep-rooted conspiracy and identification of all his accomplices including the IAF officials, MoD (ministry of defence) officials, bureaucrats and politicians who gained undue advantage for getting the contract in favour of AgustaWestland. In its application seeking extension of Mr Michels remand, the ED also claimed that he has spoken during questioning about the son of an Italian lady and how he is going to become the next Prime Minister of the country. The ED said it has discovered fresh evidence relating to new entities, used for laundering the proceeds of crime and Michels custodial interrogation was needed for confrontation with his Indian connections identified till date. It said he was also required to be taken around Delhi to identify the places where he held meetings and used them as hide outs to give bribes or to entertain officials and public figures. Vacation judge Chandrashekhar accepted the EDs plea and extended Michels custody by seven days. The court also imposed restrictions during Michels meetings with his lawyers and directed that the three defence counsel will be able to meet Michel one at a time from a distance and the twice-a-day legal assistance will be only for 15 minutes at 10 am and at 5 pm. The ED had alleged that Michel be barred from meeting his lawyer alleging that he was being tutored. The agency told the court that Mr Michel had made a reference to Mrs Gandhi during interrogation on December 27. The ED claimed that during medical examination, the accused had handed over a folded paper to his advocate Aljo K. Joseph and but the act was noticed by ED officials. After perusal of the paper, it was revealed that it pertained to a set of follow-up questions on Mrs Gandhi, the ED claimed. Although the agency did not make any clear reference to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre for misusing agencies to put pressure on Mr Michel to name a particular family as parliamentary elections are near. The ED further told the court that it is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield or to tamper with evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused. The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused. It should be stopped henceforth, the agency said. Claiming that the alleged middleman remained evasive to some questions during investigation, the ED said the accused is trying to introduce new alibis to save himself and his aides who have received/ facilitated in laundering of proceeds. Mr Mr Michel was earlier lodged in Tihar jail in a related CBI case. He is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Meanwhile, the BJP on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress Gandhi family, claiming the EDs statement in a court that alleged middleman Christian Michel made reference to Mrs Gandhi and son of an Italian lady pointed toward its involvement in the AgustaWestland deal. It is, however, not clear in what context Michel, who is under arrest, mentioned this to the investigation agency. Hitting out at the Congress, Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters that truth was coming out of the probe into the alleged corruption in purchase of VVIP choppers during the UPA government, and that Michels comments point towards one family. The story of loot of public money is coming out, Everything went to one family, he alleged, accusing the Congress of compromising with national security during its rule. He claimed that Michel has made reference to Mrs Gandhi, son of Italian lady, big man, R and added, This all points to only one family. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said it should answer who all Michel was referring to and claimed that people know of one R, a reference to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who had torn an ordinance of the Manmohan Singh government. The police are trying to identify other protesters through the video footage of the incident. (Photo: Representational Image) Lucknow: A police constable was killed on Saturday in Uttar Pradeshs Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Superintendent of police (Ghazipur) Yashveer Singh said the protesters were workers from the Rashtriya Nishad Party who were prevented by the administration and the police from going to the rally venue. When the Prime Minister had left Ghazipur, the party workers blocked traffic at various places and started pelting stones on the vehicles returning from the programme venue, he said. Constable Suresh Vats (48) from Karimuddinpur police station was hit on the head by a stone when he went to end a traffic jam caused by the protests. He was immediately taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said. He said about 15 party workers were detained. The police are trying to identify other protesters through the video footage of the incident. The constable was from Raniganj in Pratapgarh district. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the dead constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents. He also directed the district magistrate and the SP to take action against unruly elements. New Delhi: Amid heightened debate over farm loans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of misleading farmers on loan waiver promises, saying its governments had handed out lollipops instead of what was promised. Will you trust the lollipop company? Be wary of the Congress and its lies, the Prime Minister said at a public meeting in Uttar Pradeshs Ghazipur after laying the foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postal stamp on legendary king Suheldev. On a days visit to the Purvanchal region, his second trip to the state this month, Mr Modi claimed that the JD(S)-Congress coalition government which came to power in Karnataka recently waived loans of only 800 farmers. Lollipops were handed out. The loan waiver was given to only 800 farmers, he claimed, adding that the lollipop company had similarly forgotten the promises it made before the 2009 elections. He claimed that under the Congress rule loans were given to people who were not eligible, while farmers were forced to go to private lenders. Over 600,000 security personnel, including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards, have been deployed across the country to help conduct the election in which 10.41 crore people are eligible to vote. (Photo: AP) Dhaka: Bangladesh stepped up security with thousands of army troops patrolling the streets along with paramilitary forces and police as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term in Sunday's general elections. Over 600,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards have been deployed across the country to help conduct the election in which 10.41 crore people are eligible to vote. Security agencies have been asked to keep an extra vigil on religious minority communities as media reports said at least three Hindu households were set on fire by miscreants between December 16 and 26, Bangladesh's telecoms regulator also ordered the country's mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday "to prevent the spread of rumours" that could trigger unrest during the elections, the 11th since Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. According to the Election Commission, 1,848 candidates are contesting for 299 out of 300 Parliament seats. The polls will be held at 40,183 polling stations. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and activists of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Hasina, who is seeking to return to power for a third consecutive time, on Saturday feared the opposition could boycott polls in the middle of voting as part of a "political trick" to evade a "humiliating defeat". "I want to caution all about the character of (main opposition) BNP...they may say in the middle (of the elections) that we are boycotting the polls," she said. "In that case (opposition boycott) I will ask our candidates and other contenders to continue polls until the voting is ended," Hasina, 71, said. The premier's comments came as the main opposition BNP is contesting the polls visibly in a dilapidated state in the absence of jailed party chief Zia, 73, and her fugitive son Tarique Rahman who is the acting party chief. Zia, serving a 10-year prison term on graft charges, has been barred from contesting the polls while Rahman is living in London ostensibly to evade the law as a court has sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack on a rally in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. The BNP has stayed out of the parliamentary process since 2014 when it boycotted the general election over its demands for a poll-time non-party government. It has returned to parliamentary politics as part of a new alliance - National Unity Front (NUF) - that was cobbled together three months ago with eminent lawyer Kamal Hossain as its convener. But the party is in a state of disarray in the absence of its two top leaders. Election Commission last week allowed hardline Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of BNP, to contest the general elections, two months after it scraped the fundamentalist party's registration. BNP earlier accused the election commission of being bias during the electoral campaign, a charge rejected by Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda. Reacting on Hasina's remarks, BNP's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said There is no dispute in our party about taking part in the polls." "But what we see, there is no festive mood anywhere and rather a sense of fright is prevailing across the country due to government intimidation," he said. Chief Election Commissioner Huda in a nationwide address on Saturday acknowledged a media report about arrests of some polling agents of BNP candidates and called such action unwanted. Unless someone is wanted under certain case, police must not arrest anyone...maintain utmost neutrality in discharging your duties, he said. The opposition parties have alleged that thousands of its leaders and activists have been arrested to weaken them. The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB on Friday night arrested eight people for circulating "provocative videos and rumours" on social media relating to parliamentary election. Video-making materials, laptops and mobile phones were seized from the detainees, officials said. BJP leaders in UP are insulting weaker sections of society because of their arrogant attitude. I appeal to the PM to intervene in the matter, said Apna Dal Chief Ashish Patel. (Photo: Twitter | @ErAshishSPatel) New Delhi: The Apna Dal, NDA's ally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday said that BJP leaders in the state are insulting the weaker sections of society while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the matter at the earliest. Speaking to ANI, Apna Dal chief Ashish Patel said: "BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh are insulting the weaker sections of society because of their arrogant attitude. I appeal to the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter." He also added that till the matter is not solved, Apna Dal will not participate in any government programmes in the state. "Till the matter is not solved, we will not be part of any government programmes including the Prime Minister's event in Ghazipur. I am confident that (BJP chief) Amit Shah ji will hear us out," he added. Apna Dal is said to be miffed with its ally partner in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, the party chief alleged that the BJP-led NDA is not giving due respect to its allies while advising the BJP to learn from the recent losses in the recently-held Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. "BJP leadership in the state (Uttar Pradesh) is not giving us the respect we deserve, they should learn from recent losses. The alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party is a challenge for us. Allies in Uttar Pradesh are upset, leadership at Centre must do something, else NDA would suffer in Uttar Pradesh," he had said. Hyderabad; Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday called his counterpart and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu the dirtiest politician of the country. He also called Telangana state Congress leaders idiots for alleging that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were tampered with by the TRS and for neglecting reservations for Backward Classes in the panchayat elections. Addressing a press conference at his camp office, Pragathi Bhavan, Mr Rao ridiculed Mr Naidu for his statement after the notification of the President constituting separate High Courts for AP and Telangana. He said, I never saw such a dirtiest politician like Mr Naidu in my political life. I am saluting the people of Andhra for bearing (up with) such an opportunist politician. Mr Naidu is known for his use and throw attitude. Mr Naidu sailed for four-and-a-half years with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and now changes his track and is sailing with Mr Rahul Gandhi. He said Mr Naidus defeat is inevitable in the 2019 elections and his party, the Telugu Desam, will face a debacle in the polls. Mr Rao said that the High Court was not bifurcated overnight; it has been bifurcated almost 40 days after the AP government filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court assuring that it will make available the required infrastructure to run the court from Amaravati by December 2018. He said that Mr Naidu and his government have failed to fulfil the assurance given to the top court of the country and is now blaming the Centre and that shows how opportunistic Mr Naidu is. He called Mr Naidu a liar. He asked where the `1,500 crore given by the Centre for the construction of the High Court, Secretariat and Assembly, has gone. Why Mr Naidu is questioning me about my meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik? Why is he concerned with my meeting with Mr Naveen? Mr Rao wanted to know. Referring to Mr Naidus claim that he built the Cyber Towers in Hyderabad, Mr Rao said, I know the hard facts. The credit of Cyber Towers actually goes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then chief minister N. Janardhan Reddy. He explained that in 1992 some IT giants met Rahul Gandhi and requested him to allow them to install their backup management and disaster management servers at Hyderabad which is a seismic-free zone and has climatic and topographical advantages. He said Rajiv. Gandhi had asked the AP chief minister to take advantage of the offer and make arrangements for the IT companies to settle in Hyderabad. He said that Janardhan Reddy had laid the foundation for the Cyber Towers not Mr Naidu. The Chief Minister also ridiculed Mr Naidus claim of using the Raft Foundation for the first time in India for constructing the AP Secretariat building at Amaravati. There are hundreds of buildings in Hyderabad which are constructed with the Raft Foundation. The Raft Foundation is used for very weak or expansive soils such as clay or peat. Mr Naidu is capable enough of bluffing the people with his blatant lies, Mr Rao said. He said the TRS never opposed the special status for AP; in fact, the MPs of the TRS demanded the special status for AP on the floor of the Rajya Sabha. He said that it is Mr Naidu who changes his stand on the special status as per his selfish goals. He said if necessary he will write to the Prime Minister requesting him to grant special status to AP. He said he would play the Oppositions role in AP if the Opposition fails to expose the misdeeds and corrupt practices of Mr Naidu. Referring to the criticism of the Congress and the BJP that he has neglected the BCs, the Chief Minister reminded that the state government has made the Panchayat Raj Act providing 61.19 per cent reservation, including 34 per cent reservation to the BCs. He said that Congress leaders challenged the Act for exceeding the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations and the High Court has stuck down the Act, and when the state government moved the Supreme Court, it upheld the decision of the High Court. He said that in another case, the High Court has directed the state government to complete the panchayat elections before January 10 and in view of the court orders they have no other option. Citing the allegation of Congress leaders that the TRS has tampered with voting machines during the recent Assembly elections, Mr Rao questioned whether the Congress won in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh by tampering with EVMs. It is an idiotic and rubbish allegation and I will call the Congress leaders idiots for their idiotic allegations, he declared. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who is batting for a non-Congress and non-BJP Federal Front on Saturday said, We will achieve some goal much before the elections in 2019. Mr Rao was addressing a press conference at his camp office in Pragathi Bhavan of the city. Answering a query on whether he had received any assurance or not from Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee or Naveen Patnaik on joining the Front, Mr Rao said he had not sought any assurance from any of the leaders he had met so far. He said that his effort for a consensus among the regional parties to bring them on one platform was for a qualitative change in national politics. Mr Rao said that he had already spoken to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and some of the leaders of the Left parties. Mr Rao said, In another 15 days we will sit down and chalk out the agenda for the Federal Front. Ruling out the possibility of inviting AP Chief Minister N. Chandraba-bu Naidu to join the Front, Mr Rao said they would also speak to the YSRC as per the situation in the future. The template of the future is still in the works, although pre-positioning moves are on by several players in our politics. In this situation it is not quite clear why Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao chose this moment recently to give a fresh impetus to the formation of an anti-BJP and anti-Congress front. The Congress had just bested the BJP in one-on-one contests in three Hindi heartland states long thought to be the saffron partys stamping ground. This drew a wary reaction from regional parties with which the Congress can be potentially in alliance, but none of them has given a hint that they would now take on an anti-Congress or non-Congress posture. It is these very elements that KCR desires to collaborate with. It seems evident that all concerned are waiting to see what the final tally in the Lok Sabha election will be. Until then, leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and Sharad Pawar, while making their ambition to be Prime Minister obliquely known, are playing their cards close to their chest. Key regional players on the secular side of the political divide get their antennae up when the Congress begins to make winning strides. They fear such a process might challenge their own hegemony in their respective regions. This is why, for now, they are content to indirectly put the word out that Rahul Gandhi is not acceptable to them as PM. The exceptions are the two leading southern leaders, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and DMK chief M.K. Stalin. On the whole, it is a waiting game that is going on. KCRs explicit moves have therefore drawn curiosity in some cases and derision in others. The Congress and the TDP have been openly caustic, with the former denouncing Mr Raos party TRS as being a B-team, or hanger-on of the BJP. Mr Naidu said that his Telangana counterpart had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to report to him on how far he was getting to scuttle the formation of an anti-BJP front. But more interestingly, Mr Rao did not receive the response he may have expected in Kolkata, with Ms Banerjee keeping mum on the whole. In New Delhi, BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav ducked meeting him. The TRS leader was received warmly by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, but soon after he departed Bhubaneswar, Mr Patnaik wrote to Mr Naidu who is openly seeking to help fabricate the anti-BJP platform expressing criticism of the BJP. Before the BJPs massive win in 2014, regional parties had already begun to show their interest in playing a role at the Centre as well. This has again been revived. The more experienced hands are biding their time but the Telanagana leader has revealed his hand in his overenthusiasm. There are conflicting views about the recent organisational reshuffle in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Some party insiders believe the changes have an imprint of the partys ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. But still, others maintain it is an attempt by party president Amit Shah to demonstrate his inclusive approach. For instance, the appointment of Gujarat leader Gordhan Zadaphia as in-charge of the party in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh raised many eyebrows. Shah was not known to be fond of Zadaphia, a one-time critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had also left the party briefly. Similarly, the decision to entrust the responsibility of Punjab and Chandigarh to captain Abhimanyu was also a surprise. It was only a few years earlier that Shah had overlooked Mr Abhimanyus claims to the chief ministers post in Haryana and picked Manohar Lal Khattar instead. The induction of Union home minister Rajanth Singhs loyalist Sudhanshu Trivedi (to look after Rajasthan along with Union minister Prakash Javadekar) led BJP insiders to believe that Shah is broad-basing the organisation ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the process, the BJP president s favourites Bhupendra Yadav and Anil Jain have been downgraded. Mr Yadav has been given charge of Bihar but he may find himself out on a limb as it is senior state leader Sushil Modi who calls the shots there. Mr Jain, on the other hand, has been given the unenviable task of reviving the state unit in Chhattisgarh, where the BJP was virtually decimated in the recent Assembly polls. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vasundhara Raje may have lost power in the recent Rajasthan Assembly election but the defeat has not put her down in any way. She looked cheerful and relaxed when she stopped by at Central Hall in the Parliament House last week. Despite persistent questioning, Ms Raje did not reveal if she would take on the job of leader of the Opposition or would prefer to head the BJPs state unit. Her standard response was that, for the present, she wanted to enjoy the new year holiday season with her family. She also intends to get on to the treadmill, having tucked into half-a-wheel of her favourite Brie cheese and a French-style baguette that morning. Samajwadi Party leader Mulayum Singh Yadav was known to be a hard bargainer but his son, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav, has completely surrendered to Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. Ever since the two leaders decided to put aside their rivalry and have an alliance in the coming Lok Sabha polls, Yadav junior has made it amply clear that Ms Mayawati is the senior partner and that he was more than willing to defer to her wishes. It transpires that the present Samajwadi Party chief does not take any decision without consulting Ms Mayawati. Mr Yadavs capitulation to the BSP chief has not gone down well with his own cadre, who believe he will end up undermining his own party in his eagerness to please Mayawati. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bogibeel bridge in Assam last week, the partys state chief Ranjeet Dass was conspicuous by his absence at the various events organised during his visit. According to the capitals political grapevine, Modis office had conveyed to the organisers that it would be desirable if Mr Dass was kept away from the stage. The reason: Mr Modi had heard that Mr Dass had become controversial and that his name had cropped up in a financial controversy. Ironically, the Prime Minister had no qualms about being seen in the company of Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, whose name has figured in a financial scam. But, as it is well known, Mr Sarma has been a BJP favourite ever since he left the Congress and took a vow to see that his old party is wiped out in the Northeast. Having delivered on his promise, Mr Sarma is now a virtual insider, who is given prompt audience by party president Amit Shah at short notice while the RSS is also said to have taken a shine to him. The Modi sarkar has perceptibly slowed down in the last leg of its tenure. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to streamline the functioning of the government, it has had mixed results. While the 360-degree evaluation system is now well established, Mr Modi is having significantly more trouble trying to induct outside talent to buttress the bureaucracy. Though the government received more than 6,000 applications in response to its advertisement in June seeking to appoint 10 private sector specialists as joint secretaries in different Central ministries, the appointment process has got stalled. According to sources, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) could not make much headway trying to shortlist candidates due to sketchy or unusable information received from the applicants. With the hiring process almost stalled, the government has now issued a fresh job advertisement seeking detailed applications. So, those seeking to fill the advertised posts must send in fresh applications. Unfortunately, only a few months remain for the general elections and the government has not set a timeline for recruitment. Sources say that it is unlikely that Mr Modis pet initiative will fructify before the new government is formed. Top sleuths get extension The Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Rajiv Jain and Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) secretary Anil K. Dhasmana have been given six months extensions. They were scheduled to retire this month-end. Sources say that the decision was taken by the Prime Minister Modi-led Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). Clearly, the Centre does not want to disturb the continuity in the IB and the R&AW and wanted a new government to take a decision on appointments on these key posts after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Mr Jain has served with distinction in various departments of the IB, including the sensitive Kashmir desk. He was an adviser to the previous NDA governments interlocutor on Kashmir, K.C. Pant, when talks were held with separatist leaders such as Shabbir Shah. Mr Dhasmana, a 1981-batch officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been with R&AW for 23 years, during which he served in important areas, including the Pakistan desk. These are routine moves, but notable as efforts to retain continuity in perilous times. Babu and peoples power Karnataka IAS officer D. Randeep, who was transferred from his post as additional commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, is back in his post owing to public pressure. Last month, chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had transferred several IAS officers in the state, including Mr Randeep, who was named commissioner of the social welfare department. But the chief minister clearly did not reckon with the IAS officers popularity with the public. According to sources, Mr Randeep earned the confidence and goodwill of waste management activists for his attempts to reform Bengalurus notoriously ill-managed waste management system. Once the word of his transfer spread, an online petition was started by people voicing their opposition to his transfer and calling for his reinstatement. Apparently, it got the support of over 900 people. The government got the message and reinstated the babu. This seems to be the rare case of bureaucrats who are able to win public trust by doing their jobs well. And a rare case too where government listens to citizens who dont have any political agenda. Facebook says that they welcome debate about how to help keep Facebook a safe place where people can express their ideas. The New York Times published an article this week about the way Facebook moderates content on Facebook. Facebook was accused of being ad hoc, disorganized, secretive, and doing things on the cheap. Facebook says that they welcome debate about how to help keep Facebook a safe place where people can express their ideas. Facebook says that debate should be based on facts, not mischaracterizations. Heres where Facebook disagrees with the Times. Below is the entire statement posted on their blog: Our policies are public, not secret or closely held. For years, weve published our Community Standards, the overarching guide that outlines what is and isnt allowed on Facebook. Earlier this year we went a step further and published the internal guidelines we use to enforce those standards. Anyone can view them at facebook.com/community standards. Our policies are carefully considered, not ad hoc responses. The Times is right that we regularly update our policies to account for ever-changing cultural and linguistic norms around the world. But the process is far from ad hoc. We make changes to our policies based on new trends that our reviewers see, feedback from inside and outside the company, as well as unexpected, and sometimes dramatic, changes on the ground. And we publish the changes we make every month. What the Times refers to as a gathering over breakfast among young engineers and lawyers is, in fact, a global forum held every two weeks where we discuss potential changes to our policies. It includes experts from around the world with deep knowledge of relevant laws, online safety, counter-terrorism, operations, public policy, communications, product, and diversity. Yes, lawyers and engineers are present, but so are human rights experts, people who have studied hate and extremist organizations, former law enforcement and other public servants, and academics. As part of this process, we seek input from people outside Facebook so we can better understand multiple perspectives on safety and expression, as well as the impact of our policies on different communities. Last month we started publishing minutes from these meetings, and early next year we plan to include a change log so that people can track updates to our Community Standards over time. The people enforcing our policies are focused on accuracy, not quotas. The team responsible for safety on Facebook is made up of around 30,000 people, about 15,000 of whom are content reviewers around the world, as the Times updated its story to note. Contrary to what the story reports, content reviewers dont have quotas for the amount of reports they have to complete. Reviewers compensation is not based on the amount of content they review, and our reviewers arent expected to rely on Google Translate as they are supplied with training and supporting resources. We hire reviewers for their language expertise and cultural context we review content in over 50 languages and we encourage them to take the time they need to review reports. They work in more than 20 sites around the world, which resemble Facebooks own offices, and they provide 24/7 support. As the Times notes, some reviewers are based in Morocco and the Philippines, while others are based in the United States, Germany, Latvia, Spain and other locations around the world. Weve taken a careful approach in Myanmar based on feedback from experts. When discussing our efforts to curb hate speech in Myanmar, the Times incorrectly claims that a paperwork error allowed an extremist group to remain on Facebook. In fact, we had designated the group Ma Ba Tha as a hate organization in April 2018, six months before The Times first contacted us for this story. While there was one outdated training deck in circulation, we immediately began removing content that represents, praises or supports the organization in April both through proactive sweeps for this content and upon receiving user reports. This was one of several steps weve taken in Myanmar in 2018. Another covered in the story was our decision to remove Facebook accounts belonging to senior military officials in Myanmar without notifying the government. We did this based on guidance from experts in civil society, who cautioned us as to potential reactions from the military, the blame that could be placed on the government, and the risk to peoples safety on the ground. We play an important role in how people communicate, and with that comes an expectation that well constantly identify ways we can do better. Thats how it should be. And its why we constantly work with experts around the world to listen to their ideas and criticism, and make changes where theyre warranted. Throughout 2018, weve introduced more transparency into our policies and provided data on how we enforce them. Weve got more in store in 2019, and we look forward to peoples feedback. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The application digitizes and search records using AI and carries records of criminals, assisting police forces at ground zero with real-time information retrieval during investigations, regular checks, verifications, and at police checkpoints. One of Indias leading Gurgaon-based AI start-up, Staqu announced the launch of TRINETRA, an AI application for the Uttar Pradesh Police Department. The application digitizes and search records using AI and carries records of criminals, assisting police forces at ground zero with real-time information retrieval during investigations, regular checks, verifications, and at police checkpoints. The app is launched under the leadership of O P Singh, IPS, Director General of UP Police, with S.K. Bhagat, IGP Crime, and Somen Barma, SP Crime of Uttar Pradesh police driving the project under their supervision. Other noted police officials also attended the launch of TRINETRA held in UP 100 headquarter. TRINETRA equips police forces to carry superior technology in their pockets. With this application, police personnel can easily register or se arch for criminals via simple biometric features, such as images or videos. The app is powered by Staqus expertise in facial recognition, visual search, machine learning, and deep learning, works well with low resolution images and videos, and offers better accuracy than any other criminal recognition system. With AI-powered Gang identification Technology, TRIENETRA not only identifies a criminal but also their associates active in different districts and part of the states. The Uttar Pradesh deployment comes with superior updates. It is connected with the data from the all the prisons, DCRBs, SCRB, and CCTNS and creates non-ambiguous, non-repetitive data of criminals active in the state. In fact, it is the first police app carrying records of around five lakh criminals that are active in different districts and parts of the state. Staqu has also commissioned AI-powered phonetic search in the app, helping police forces search for criminals with better accuracy, even if the name is wrongly spelled in the database. Upon the launch, TRINERTA is expected to reach 75 districts, 6 GRP (railways police), ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squads), and STF (Special task force) through android app. Within a week of pilot phase of the app, TRINETRA has assisted the police to nab one high-profile criminal wanted in the case of a day shoot-out in Lucknow. Commenting on the latest development, Atul Rai, CEO and Co-Founder of Staqu, said, At Staqu, it has been our constant endeavour to apply artificial intelligence in solving the real-world problems. The launch of TRINETRA in Uttar Pradesh helps us take our agenda forward and empower the resilient and brave police forces working at ground zero with superior tech assistance, real-time data recall facilitated with facial recognition and other biometric identification. We are humbled and deeply grateful for the vision of the Uttar Pradesh Police Department and their support all throughout the various stages of deployment. O P Singh, Director General of Uttar Pradesh, Police added, This is the era of incredible technology and we are happy that young ventures like Staqu are deploying their expertise to make this world a safer space. Being in the field for so long, it is for the first time that we have witnessed police forces working at ground zero being supported by superior and easy-to-use technology. This is a revolutionary, much-awaited and welcome change! Staqu has revealed its long-term vision with the launch of TRINETRA in Uttar Pradesh. In the next phase of the pilot, Staqu intends to introduce vehicle search technology on the mobile app, along with enable search by voice samples through its advanced AI-powered speaker identification technology. By that time, the app will also support fingerprint based identification and active geo-fencing of police personnel from command centre of TRINETRA. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The Centre said on Friday that there was no shortage of coal in thermal power plants of Karnataka and that all the plants have, on an average, stocks for five days of power generation (2.24 lakh tonnes). A delegation, comprising former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister of Karnataka H D Kumaraswamy, met Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal here on Thursday and raised the issue of coal stock. The minister explained to the delegation that Karnataka Power Corporation Limited sold 584.91 MU of power at the power energy exchange this year, till October 2018. This selling amounts to consuming 3.8 lakh tonnes of coal, which otherwise could have been used to boost coal stocks in power plants, a statement from the ministers office said. Cheaper rate The minister advised the delegation that the state should purchase the power from the exchange, which is now available at a cheaper rate, instead of utilising stocked coal for generating power. The thermal plants should stock the coal to generate electricity during the peak demand season, mostly February/March. This will also help the state avoid purchasing the power from the exchange during peak season at a higher price, the minister said. No coal shortage As per data of the Central Electricity Authority for April to November 2018, peak power demand of Karnataka, amounting to 11,185 MW, was fully met and total energy demand of the state, amounting to 45,277 MW, was met with 99.9% fulfilment and there were no notified power cuts. This became possible due to continued and timely supply of coal by Coal India Limited and South Eastern Coalfields Limited, the statement said. LOWER MERION The family of a missing Villanova man is holding out hope that someone out there can provide more information on his disappearance. Its the hope that someone somewhere saw something, said Geoff Partridges longtime fiance Jill Turanski Wednesday. Turanski has been diligently working to uncover any leads since Partridges disappearance earlier this month, including turning to state Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-148 of Montgomery County, in an effort to gain national attention for the search. Cant Stop wont stop searching until we have ANSWERS, Turanski said in Dec. 21 Facebook post urging readers to print out and mail an attached postcard image to Daleys office. The postcard includes two images of Partridge and is pre-addressed to Daleys Conshohocken office. It requests help to bring mass media attention to the familys plight. Partridge, 36, of the Villanova section of Radnor Township, has been missing since Dec. 5. His silver 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee was found in the Schuylkill River at Lower Merions Flat Rock Park in Gladwyne, but there were few clues to his whereabouts. His cell phone was found inside the running car, which was partially submerged with the door open in about 3 feet of water off an embankment near a parking lot. Police taped off the area as they investigated. The windows of the car could be seen rolled down and the hood ajar. Abandoned cars have often been found driven into the river from the Flat Rock boat ramp over the years. Lee Mooney, chief of staff for Daleys Conshohocken office, said elected officials dont hold any sway over the police or media, but suggested Turanski try local outlets like Patch and Next Door to increase her range of visibility. Mooney said she and Daley had also shared Turanskis post on their own Facebook pages and had printed out the post for staff. My heart aches over the sorrow Geoffs family and friends must be experiencing over the holidays, and I continue to hope that he returns home safely, Daley said in a statement. My staff has been in communication with Geoffs life partner and I was able to share the flyer which she created asking the public for assistance via Facebook. If anyone recalls anything that may be related to these events, I encourage them to contact investigators. Partridge is described as having brown eyes with red hair. He is 150 pounds and 5 feet, 8 inches in height. He has tattoos on his arms, legs and torso. He was last seen wearing a black knit hat, black and gray hoodie, black sweatpants and black boots. At the time the car was found, Gladwyne firefighters donned water rescue gear and confirmed there was no one in the car or along the embankment in that area. Belmont Hill Fire Company and Narberth ambulance assisted. But Turanski was critical of the initial police response when contacted Wednesday, saying investigators never fingerprinted the vehicle, brought no canine units to the area and only dove in the river for about two hours the day after Partridges car was discovered. Speaking to people about the success rate of search and rescue, that is a crucial time to gather information in order to have the best chance, she said. Turanski also said no video footage from traffic cameras was pulled that might have given some indication as to why Partridges SUV wound up at the Lower Merion park. He ended up in the opposite direction of where he was headed, she said. We feel like somebody had to have seen something somewhere. There are cameras in so many places now that people dont even know about. Lower Merion Detective Sgt. Michael Vice said divers were out at the river on more than one occasion, and police deployed dogs, drones and even sonar in an attempt to locate the missing man. Its not like there was nothing done, said Vice. Clearly I sympathize with his family, but theres only so much the police can do without other information. Vice noted that the day Partridge went missing, the river was flowing more fiercely than he could recall ever seeing before due to heavy rains so strongly that even weighted professional divers had trouble in it the next day. As to traffic cameras, he said that would be like searching for a needle in a haystack without any indication of which direction Partridges truck came from. At a time like this, theyre going through something thats very tragic, potentially, said Vice. Obviously, I sympathize with them, but as far as on our end, its an open investigation. Theres not a whole lot of new information, but it is an open investigation and until hes found, the investigation will remain open. Turanski said Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue Chief Mark Hopkins has also been in constant contact with the family. Hopkins said Thursday that his team got the go-ahead from police Dec. 8 to perform a search, and were on site with dogs and boats the following day. Weve searched it a couple of times, he said. We had a drone doing high-res pictures over the dangerous areas where we werent willing to put anyone and we looked at those pictures, and weve relooked at them, and theyre being looked at a third time. Both Vice and Hopkins said there is no evidence anyone else was involved. Partridge was only missing for between 45 and 75 minutes before his car was discovered, Hopkins noted, and had been running errands prior to his disappearance. With a 15-minute drive time to the area where the car was found, he said that does not leave a lot of time for something nefarious to have happened. Its a shame, because the time of year is a magnifier for these incidents, the stress on the family, said Hopkins. This really is reflective of what can happen to any of us. But there are still a few nagging inconsistencies that Hopkins finds baffling, not the least of which is the apparent love the couple had for one another. This is like Romeo and Juliet, and theyve been together 15 years, he said. And if you deal with them, you realize, Oh my god, my relationship sucks.' Though Partridge suffers from bipolar depression, Hopkins said Turanski helped him stay on top of his medical condition as much as Partridge helped her to keep up with her work schedule. These two balance each other out, he said. They worked together as a team and they were very functional. Hopkins said Turanski also uses the vehicle for work and he could not imagine Partridge would do her the injustice of wrecking the car himself. Mechanical failure or an accidental acceleration into the river may be to blame, he added, but that is unlikely as there were no skid marks before the embankment and the car did not appear to swerve, which would indicate an unconscious operator. But then again, he said, why not use a nearby boat ramp if you intended to drive into the river? If you vanished and somebody said something as simple as, Well, he always had a water bottle with him, wheres the water bottle?' said Hopkins. Its obvious to look for things that are out of place and those things dont add up to me. Then there is the open door, which Hopkins said would not have happened on its own in that type of crash. There are no indications of a struggle to return to the shoreline at the point where the car was found, he said, though he surmised it is possible Partridge tried to make his way to another area of the shore, tripped on an underwater obstruction and was pulled under. I warn families about this all the time, there is no one answer to it, Hopkins said. We find answers that just produce five more questions. Turanski said she has been with Partridge for 15 years and the two have been engaged since 2009. She spent Christmas with Partridges family, as the couple normally does. There were moments where I could be engaged in conversation, and then remembering and feeling this gaping hole where my partner was supposed to be, and feeling incredible sadness, she said. I found myself almost watching from the outside in. Turanski said she does not know how she would carry on if not for the support of friends and family. She expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love, support and community that helped buoy her at a vigil last week. Right now Im just floating on the support of other people, she said. This whole experience has been cyclical for me. Its been surreal. Its been a realization that this is real and then a complete breakdown. My eyes are sore from crying. Whatever bit of heart I have left, its breaking, said Hopkins. I optimistically hope that there was a medical event and hes in some hospital as a John Doe, or he ran away to open a T-shirt stand in Bora Bora and hes found and pummeled by his loved ones as they cry tears of joy. But I dont think thats whats going to happen, unfortunately. Anyone with information on Partridge is urged to call Lower Merion police at 610-649-1000 or GPSAR at 877-598-5618. SALT LAKE CITY The Salt Lake School District is currently accepting applications for its Extended Learning Program. Applications for kindergarten through third grade for the 2019-20 school year will be available on the districts website at slcschools.org through Friday, Jan. 25. Applications and assessments for grades four through eight for the 2019-20 school year are closed. In addition, the district will hold two parent information meetings one on Wednesday, Jan. 9, and one on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The Jan. 9 meeting will be held at the District Office Building, Room 112, and the Jan. 15 meeting will be held at Glendale Middle School, 1430 Andrew Ave. Both meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Spanish translation will be available during the Jan. 15 meeting. The program offers students the opportunity to engage in learning with greater depth, complexity and rigor, through differentiated curriculum and instruction. SALT LAKE CITY It's not just the Ruby's Inn customers who canceled trips to Bryce Canyon National Park over the holiday that have the hotel's general manager worrying about the federal government shutdown. "We've had an OK Christmas break," Lance Syrett said, even though last-minute bookings are down enough that dozens of rooms have stayed empty during the already week-old shutdown that's expected to continue through the new year. But he fears the real impact of money running out to operate national parks and provide other federal government services isn't going be felt for months, because travelers planning now for trips later in the year are choosing different destinations. "In the hotel industry, right after Christmas is kind of our biggest booking window," Syrett said. "Just the bad press and everything that's going on you're going to have that dampening." That's what happened in the year following the October 2014 federal government shutdown, he said, calling any national park closures "devastating for future business," including from international visitors. Some travelers coming from closer to home already changed their minds about traveling to Bryce during what is usually one of the busiest times of the year, Syrett said. "We definitely had cancellations. They're just telling us, 'Hey, the park's shut down. We're not coming,'" he said, despite the state coming up with money to keep Bryce along with Zion and Arches national parks functioning through the end of the year. The Utah Office of Tourism will have spent nearly $55,000 to keep visitors centers open and provide limited janitorial services at the three parks since the shutdown began Dec. 22, the office's public relations manager, Emily Moench, said. "I give a lot of props to Gov. (Gary) Herbert and the other state officials who have made it possible to keep those portions open," Syrett said. But parts of the park, including the iconic Bryce Point, are closed, upsetting visitors. The 200 people who work year-round at Ruby's Inn are getting frustrated at having to field questions from guests about the shutdown, the result of an impasse between Congress and President Donald Trump over border wall funding, he said. They're also worried about their jobs. "We haven't had to lay off any of our staff yet. But if it is prolonged, there's a chance of that," Syrett said. "We're not under the illusion that anybody comes to see us for any other reason than Bryce Canyon National Park is right there." Springdale Mayor Stan Smith, whose family operates the Bumbleberry Inn just outside Zion National Park, said the state's assistance, along with help from the Zion Forever Project, means "the shutdown will hurt, but not drastically." The tourist town depends on Christmas to make enough money to get through the rest of winter, when there are only a few holiday weekends that fill up the 1,200 rooms available until business picks up again in March. Smith said he's concerned about the effect of an ongoing shutdown on the sales and resort taxes Springdale depends on to fund the town's more than $5 million annual budget. "If tourists don't come, that affects our budget," he said. "Where do I start cutting?" He said the impact of the shutdown needs to be seen as far-reaching. "I don't think the federal government understands, the Congress understands, these national parks provide a huge economy for surrounding communities, not just in Utah, but everywhere," Smith said. For the 5,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service's Ogden service center, the shutdown means not knowing when they'll see another paycheck, said Jenny Brown, president of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 67. "It's really worrisome," Brown said. "You're off and you don't know how long you're going to be off. You don't know when you're going to get paid or if you're going to get paid." She said about 75 percent of the workforce has been furloughed and won't be paid for the time they've been forced to take off without an act of Congress. Others are working but won't get paid until the shutdown ends. With a median income of around $44,000, many workers live paycheck to paycheck, said the chapter's treasurer, Shelly Carver, adding that they now have to figure out how to cover living expenses for what could be a long time. The union isn't interested in blaming anyone for the situation, said Brown, who's worked at the center for more than 33 years. "We don't get involved in that. Our message is basically we just want to get back to work. There's work to be done," she said. The Ogden center is one of five nationwide that fields taxpayer calls as well as processes returns and deals with compliance issues. The new year kicks off the busiest time for IRS employees, so the Christmas holiday is usually when employees get ready for the rush. This year, Brown said a lot of workers had to scale back Christmas and cancel travel plans. "A time that should be relaxing to spend with family has been a time of great concern," she said. "The people I've talked to, it's the same story from everybody, 'What am I going to do?'" Contributing: Mike Anderson SALT LAKE CITY After a long, bitter and at times ugly election still waiting for razor-thin vote margins to solidify now Congressman-elect Ben McAdams remembers when the race flipped and it appeared, at least for a weekend, that he might lose. To mentally prepare their four kids, ages 7 to 13, McAdams and his wife, Julie, sat them down to write a list of positives if he didn't win the 4th District Congressional seat and he instead stayed to serve out his term as Salt Lake County mayor. "I'll admit, the first thing on the list was a vacation," McAdams said, laughing. "It's been a long time." But the second bullet point? "I have a job that I love," he said. "And I'm in a position I'm able to do a lot of good service for our community." As his family continued to add to the list, it turned out losing the seat wouldn't seem so bad after all, he said. But then, the results flipped again the following Monday. It quickly became official: McAdams was going to Washington. Ironically, "my initial sentiment was a disappointment," he said, chuckling. After writing that list, he and his family were suddenly "really excited about losing the election." So then McAdams and his wife and kids had to make another list about exciting times ahead, even though he'll be spending a lot of time more than 2,000 miles away. Still, as he reflected on his time as mayor in an interview with the Deseret News days away from his official resignation, McAdams had mixed feelings about leaving behind his county office. "It's bittersweet," he said. 'I'll miss it' In his final week as county mayor, McAdams' office was already barren, save a few lingering office supplies, shelves and picture frames hanging on the orange and white walls. In one of those picture frames is a colorful painting of the "Ben Bus," the school bus McAdams drove at campaign events. The painting, gifted to McAdams after his 2012 mayoral election by a high schooler, featured the reflection of the state Capitol and the Salt Lake City-County Building in the bus' windshields, representing McAdams' past offices before becoming mayor. As the former state senator and once-senior adviser to former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker took the painting off of the wall, he did so with "a little bit of reluctance," seeing it as a conclusion to "this chapter of my service." "It's sad," he said. "It's the best job I've ever had. I'll miss it." His desk drawers also hadn't been emptied out yet. He rifled through one drawer, finding an almost full bottle of aspirin. He joked it was a "good sign" he'd only dipped into it a few times. From the same drawer, McAdams pulled out an old letter his predecessor, former Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, left for him after his swearing-in six years ago. McAdams read the letter aloud: "Dear Ben. Best of luck. I know you will do well. Go forth and do good things." Reflecting on his time at Salt Lake County, McAdams said he departs feeling proud. He said he's confident whomever the county Democratic Party chooses to serve out his term's remaining two years will start on a high note. He hasn't endorsed any particular candidate. "There's still a lot of work to be done, and the new mayor coming in will have challenges, but (the county's) in a really good place," he said. In the same drawer as the aspirin bottle and Corroon's letter, McAdams also pulled out a postcard with a quote from President John F. Kennedy: "This is a time for boldness and energy." McAdams said he holds that quote dear, to remind himself of what kind of leader he aimed to be as a mayor and now as a congressman. To "be bold and put in the time and have the courage to do what our community needs," he said. In the six years since he first took office, McAdams said his administration positioned the county as an important regional player, rather than just the entity overseeing unincorporated areas. McAdams backed legislation to give the county's townships the power to decide their future governance structure, leading to the election that voters decided to incorporate Millcreek, while other areas formed metro townships. McAdams pushed for data-driven initiatives. In 2013, Salt Lake County became the first government to launch "Pay for Success" programs programs that used taxpayer dollars for initiatives targeting early childhood education, and later, homelessness and recidivism (first funded through private partners) if and only if the programs worked. McAdams branded himself as a bipartisan collaborator a reputation he used to help win his 4th Congressional District seat and year after year lauded his administration and the Salt Lake County Council for passing fiscally sound budgets and maintaining the county's AAA bond rating. But above all, McAdams said he's most proud of his work on criminal justice and homelessness reform efforts that also drew the most public ire during McAdams' service. Homelessness A styrofoam plate with the words "Jesus is Lord" written on the back in black marker sat on McAdams' desk. He picked it up, recalling how he's kept it as a reminder from when he ate a church-sponsored breakfast after two nights of sleeping among the homeless, one night on the streets, and one night in the Road Home's downtown shelter. Months later, McAdams recounted the experience after news reporters caught wind of his secret shelter stay. He said he did it not as a political stunt, but rather to experience what the homeless deal with night and day, while efforts to reform Utah's homeless system reached a tipping point. That same day he was given the styrofoam plate, McAdams said he got a call from Draper Mayor Troy Walker, asking for a meeting to discuss the prospect of offering up a Draper site for a homeless resource center. McAdams went straight to his county office to meet with Walker, even though "I didn't smell very good," he said. "Little did we know where that conversation would lead," McAdams said. Soon after, more than 700 outraged Draper residents filled a school auditorium to tell McAdams and Walker off for even considering putting a homeless resource center in their city. That town hall complete with boos, shouting and screaming followed by more public meetings after McAdams chose to locate the shelter in South Salt Lake, were perhaps the most onerous times for the county mayor. McAdams said he keeps the plate to remind him what matters most. "It's just a reminder that there are people who are hungry and suffering in our community, and I'm in a position to help both in the short term and hopefully in the long term," he said. McAdams' role in reforming the county's homeless system began years ago, with the formation of the Collective Impact on Homelessness committee. He pushed, again, for a data-driven approach to solving the complicated issue. Ironically, McAdams will leave before the true test of the yearslong effort. This coming summer, the Road Home's downtown shelter is slated to shutter by a state-mandated deadline as three new homeless resource centers now under construction are supposed to open their doors. "There's still work to be done," McAdams acknowledged, though he said his departure shouldn't leave any loose ends. "We can't have the success of our homeless (system) hinge on any single elected official. Elected officials come and go." That's why the new homeless resource center's owner, Shelter the Homeless, has "stepped in in a big way" to maintain continuity, McAdams said, adding he's confident in the organization to cross the finish line. But also, "I'm not going away," McAdams said. "These issues are still important to me." He said in Congress, he'll still be "hyper-focused" on a lot of Salt Lake County issues, including homelessness. He noted the largest funder of homeless efforts is the federal government, and he'll "be in a position to" ensure funds continue to go to "people in crisis." Legacy McAdams said he leaves hoping people remember him as a "someone who was accessible and collaborative," noting that he "worked hard to have good relationships with mayors and city council members and other stakeholders from across the valley." I know I haven't been perfect, but I was always willing to change my mind and listen. Political pundits indeed credit McAdams as a bipartisan collaborator, though Matthew Burbank, University of Utah political science professor, noted that McAdams' record wasn't perfect. "My general impression is he has been a good county mayor, but perhaps not a great county mayor," Burbank said. "He was a good mayor in the sense that he was active, well-known he was good about coordinating with state officials, with the city, just keeping everybody on the same page," Burbank said. "But I wouldn't call him a great mayor in the sense that there were a couple things that he probably could have handled differently." One was "clearly" homelessness, Burbank said. Although McAdams wasn't the only player alongside the state and Salt Lake City, Burbank said the system reform hasn't gone as "smoothly" as perhaps it could have and remains somewhat "unresolved." Burbank also pointed out the short-lived controversy with the Olympia Hills development near Herriman a high-density development that drew fury from residents after the County Council approved a proposal from McAdams' administration, which McAdams later vetoed. "I certainly haven't done things perfectly," McAdams said. "I know I haven't been perfect, but I was always willing to change my mind and listen." McAdams said he isn't leaving office thinking certain controversial issues have been mistakes. He said when elected officials change their minds, it shouldn't be labeled as a "defeat" or a "screwup." Instead, McAdams said those were instances where he listened and acted accordingly. Morgan Lyon Cotti, associate director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, said McAdams will likely be remembered most for his work in homelessness, and although it was rough, it appears McAdams tackled it with some success. "The fact he was able to navigate that and still win the congressional seat could very well show that others really did like the way he handled that and his take on policies," Cotti said. Overall, bipartisanship will likely be the "hallmark" of McAdams' time a mayor, as well as his time in Congress, Cotti said. McAdams parting words? He's not going far. "I'm going to continue to serve," he said. "I'll be in a different role and a different title, but I'm still the same person and I'm here to try to solve the challenges to keep our community the great place we know it to be." NEW YORK Utah will receive $10 million of the $575 million Wells Fargo will pay in a settlement with attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia that are investigating fake accounts opened without the knowledge of customers and a string of other dodgy practices. Under the agreement announced Friday, the bank will also create teams to review and respond to customer complaints about its banking and sales practices. This historic settlement agreement is the result of hard work by Utah and many other states in holding Wells Fargo to task for taking advantage of bank customers and their information in an effort to boost sales, Francine A. Giani, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, said in a news release Friday. The Department of Commerce is grateful to our partners in the Utah Attorney Generals Office for their hard work on our behalf on a case of this importance. The bank has been under a cloud since 2015 when it acknowledged that employees had opened millions of fake bank accounts for customers in order to meet sales goals. It has also said that it sold auto insurance and other financial products to customers who didn't need them. Wells Fargo has already been ordered to pay more than $1.2 billion in penalties and faced stricter regulations. "This agreement underscores our serious commitment to making things right in regard to past issues as we work to build a better bank," said CEO Tim Sloan. Sloan apologized for the phony accounts and other practices during a congressional hearing in 2017, but the company remained under pressure from the weight of all the scandals. The company has announced plans to lay off up to 10 percent of its workforce over the next three years. California, the bank's home state, will get more than a quarter of the settlement funds because of the number of Wells Fargo customers residing there. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called the bank's behavior "disgraceful." "Wells Fargo customers entrusted their bank with their livelihood, their dreams, and their savings for the future," said Becerra. "Instead of safeguarding its customers, Wells Fargo exploited them, signing them up for products - from bank accounts to insurance - that they never wanted. This is an incredible breach of trust that threatens not only the customers who depended on Wells Fargo, but confidence in our banking system." Other Western states are set to receive settlement funds as well, including Nevada, $13.3 million, Arizona $37.1 million and New Mexico, $7 million. We appreciate the efforts Wells Fargo has made to move forward and make this right, Spencer Austin, criminal chief deputy at the Utah Attorney Generals Office, said in a news release. We all share the same goal: to enjoy a strong economy where consumers privacy, choices, and funds are protected. To this end, the Division of Consumer Protection, our assistant A.G.s, and sister-state attorneys general acted with vigilance and diligence, and we are grateful for their hard work. The Samsung Galaxy A50 is also tipped to be powered by an Exynos 9610 SoC with 4GB RAM. Key Highlights Samsung Galaxy A50 may offer of a 4000mAh battery and a 24MP rear camera It is also tipped to be powered by an Exynos 9610 chipset and 4GB RAM It may offer wireless charging and an in-display fingerprint sensor While the current focus may be on Samsungs upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship smartphones, it looks like the company is also preparing its mid-range lineup for next year. According to a report by galaxyclub.nl, the Korean manufacturer is planning to launch the Galaxy A50 with a 4000mAh battery and a 24MP rear camera. The phone is also expected to be powered by Samsungs Exynos 9610 chipset with 4GB RAM. It is expected to offer 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. Further, the device is expected to come with Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box, possibly with the companys new OneUI. Other features that the Samsung Galaxy A50 may offer include wireless charging and an in-display fingerprint sensor. Samsung is also expected to unveil a new series of devices under the Galaxy M moniker. The new series is expected to consolidate the Galaxy J, On and C series of devices. The phones are expected to launch in India next year and reports suggest that Samsung may initially launch four devices in the series., namely the Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20, Galaxy M30, and Galaxy M40. Reports suggest that the phones will feature Infinity-V displays and come pre-loaded with Android 9 Pie out of the box. The Samsung Galaxy M20 is tipped to offer a massive 5000mAh battery, while the Galaxy M30 may be powered by an Exynos 7885 SoC with 4GB RAM. The Galaxy M10 is expected to be powered by the Exynos 7870 chip and is clocked at 1.59GHz. Recommended read Samsung Galaxy S10 rumour roundup The Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 could also come with a foldable display, some rumours say. Dual cameras are simply not enough on flagship smartphones these days, it seems, because smartphone makers are advancing to triple cameras. Xiaomi, refusing to be left behind in the race to add more lenses to its phones, is said to add three rear cameras to two of its upcoming models: the Mi 9 and the Mi Mix 4. The two smartphones are also expected to come with Qualcomms latest chipset, the Snapdragon 855. According to GF Securities, Hong Kong, Xiaomis market performance report indicates that the Mi 9 will be the first smartphone from the company to feature three cameras on the back. Whats more, the Mi Mix 4 is reportedly going to have a periscope lens, which enables optical zoom without requiring additional real estate on the phones body. Both these models are expected to be the Chinese electronics companys flagships for the year 2019. Both the Mi 9 and the Mi Mix 4 are expected to be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. While the 5G version of the Mi Mix 3 is still expected to be Xiaomis first 5G smartphone, the Mi Mix 4 could also be 5G-enabled. Some rumours online even go as far as to suggest that the Mi Mix 4s display will be a foldable one. Well know if this is true only when we get more concrete information on the matter. While the Mi Mix 4 is still a long way from the reach of consumers, the Mi Mix 3 isnt. The smartphone was launched in October this year with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and 10GB of RAM. Xiaomi said soon after the launch that it would launch a 5G version of the Mi Mix 3 for the European market in 2019. Only last month, the companys president, Lin Bin, showed off the Mi Mix 3s ability to latch on to a 5G network. All things considered, its clear 2019 will be a busy year for Xiaomi. (Photo: REUTERS / Lucy Nicholson)Allisen Stephens, 4, holds a sign at a vigil in support of refugee children and their families in Murrieta, California July 9, 2014. Murrieta has been at the heart of an immigration debate over where to hold and process the surge of illegal migrants crossing the border from Mexico in recent months. The sign reads, "My home is your home." The treatment of migrants entering the United States is a travesty of justice and does not represent what Lady Liberty stands for. That is the view of the group Catholic Extension referring to the iconic Statute of Liberty which symbolizes the freedom experienced by generations of migrants who entered the United States in New York. Catholic Extension said Dec. 28 that in the last few days, the U.S. government has given a new interpretation to the meaning of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty for migrants entering the United States, seeking legal asylum under U.S. law. After being held for days in detention with little to eat or drink and insufficient medical attention, these people are abandoned in the middle of the night on the streets of El Paso, said the Catholic group. "Over Christmas, hundreds of people, who entered the United States through legal channels, were transported to the middle of the city and released to fend for themselvesexhausted, hungry, penniless, homeless and without support. "This treatment is a travesty and does not represent what Lady Liberty stands for," said Catholic Extension. The statement comes as the policy of the administration of President Donald Trump comes under scrutiny in the United States and the world during a shutdown of U.S. federal government offices over an obsession with a wall. El Paso is in the western corner of Texas standing on the Rio Grande across the MexicoUnited States border from Ciudad Juarez, the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The Guardian reported Dec. 27 that busloads of asylum seekers dumped at a Greyhound station near the border in El Paso, over Christmas leave volunteers and shelters scrambling. Catholic Extension expressed thanks that in the hour of need "another 'lady' has stepped in to help: "Holy Mother Church." The statement noted that Catholic Extension has long supported Catholic ministries at the border, including those in the Diocese of El Paso along with other churches working with people on the move. These are working around full time to welcome and offer hospitality to migrants by providing food, shelter, comfort, and advocacy. "Now more than ever, with record numbers of people coming, these ministries are critical," said the statement. Many of these people arrive with their families, having traveled for weeks with young children in tow, sometimes carrying them along the way. When they arrive, they need us. They need us, the Church, to affirm their humanity and ours. "Today more than 500 people are expected to be released in El Paso, making it the largest single-day release to date," said Catholic Extension. LADY LIBERTY'S MESSAGE It urged people to greet those released in the spirit of Lady Liberty's message: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" In this Christmas season, Catholic Extension said it should not be forgotten that all people personally know at least one migrant family fleeing violence. It said, "The Holy Family. The Christ child fled to Egypt with his parents to escape the violence of King Herod, and we have our opportunity today to help Christ, who we encounter in the faces of the poor and vulnerable asylum-seekers." On Dec. 24 , a UN expert expressed his deep concern about the death of a seven-year-old Guatemalan migrant girl while she was in the custody of immigration authorities in the US. The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe Gonzalez Morales, called for a thorough investigation into how Jakelin Amei Caal died. He said that the United States should stop detaining children based on their migratory status. Although there have been different versions on the sequence of events and the health status of Jakelin, it is not disputed that the girl died in custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, after crossing the border between Mexico and the United States with her father and a larger group of migrants. "The US authorities must ensure that an in-depth, independent investigation of the death of Jakelin Amei Caal is conducted," the UN expert said. "Access to justice for her relatives should be granted, including but not limited to having legal representation in the proceedings in a language they understand well," he noted. Redress to her family should be provided and if any officials are found responsible they should be held accountable. he government should also address failings within the immigration system, and specifically within the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agency, to prevent similar situations. Khashoggi case brought changes not crisis to Saudi: FM Newly-appointed foreign minister makes first comments on the case of slain journalist. The newly-appointed Saudi foreign minister on Friday said that the Jamal Khashoggi case had brought more changes than a crisis to the country, local media reported. Speaking to news channel Al-Hurra, Ibrahim al-Assaf made his very first comments on the issue. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz carried out a limited cabinet reshuffle on Thursday by replacing some ministers. Al-Assaf was appointed the foreign minister, replacing Adel al-Jubeir, who was made the minister of state for foreign affairs. The royal decree also called for the restructuring of the Political and Security Affairs Council -- under the chairmanship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- and the restructuring of the Council for Economic Affairs and Development. The crown prince retained his position as both deputy prime minister and defense minister. Thursday's decree also called for the establishment of the oil-rich Kingdom's first government agency devoted to space exploration to be headed by Sultan bin Salman. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. After producing various contradictory explanations, Riyadh acknowledged he was killed inside the diplomatic building, blaming the act on a botched rendition operation. Merkel, Putin discuss Syria, Ukraine over phone Talks focused on US pullout from Syria, the formation of the constitutional committee there, says government spokeswoman. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, her office said late Friday. MERKEL WELCOMED THE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA The two leaders discussed recent international developments, particularly in Syria and Ukraine, German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said in a statement. Merkel and Putin focused on the work of the guarantor countries of the Astana peace process Turkey, Russia and Iran -- on forming the lists of members for a Syrian constitutional committee and the US decision to withdraw its troops from the country, she said. Merkel also welcomed a ceasefire in the conflict area of eastern Ukraine that has been called to begin at 12.01 a.m. on Dec. 29, she added. President Donald Trump last week made a surprise announcement that the US would withdraw its troops from Syria. His decision followed a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which the two leaders agreed on the need for more effective coordination over the civil war-torn country. Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum. Turkey, as well as the UN General Assembly, viewed the annexation as illegal. Ukraine has also blamed Russia for separatist violence in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia. Pentagon's 'controlled' withdrawal from Syria Pentagon is defending President Trump's decision to pull 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, tweeting on Friday that the withdrawal is "controlled". The US Defense Department called the withdrawal the "next phase" of US support to the US-led coalition's operations in Syria but did not provide further detail about what that support looks like. "A WELL THOUGHT-OUT, MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE, AND CONTROLLED WITHDRAWAL" The tweet was a markedly firm defense of the president's announcement last week that he would pull all US troops out, shocking top US officials, allies, and partners. The decision to withdraw ran counter to State Department and Defense Department messaging on US policy in Syria and led to the resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and the top US envoy in the fight against Daesh. The tweet did not specify which parties were "mutually supportive" of the decision to withdraw US troops, but critics of the decision have raised concerns about the abandonment of the US-backed YPG forces who were integral to the coalition's fight against Daesh but an element of PKK terror organization. Since the US announcement last week, the YPG terror organization has asked the Syrian army to control the northern Syrian city of Manbij, seeking protection from Turkish armed forces. Trump's decision to withdraw US troops originated from a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Dec. 14 in which Erdogan reportedly promised to finish off the fight against Daesh in Syria if the US pulled out its forces. Syrian Kurds: US has betrayed us US Kurdish allies in Syria asked the Syrian government on Friday to protect them from a possible operation by Turkey. Since the US announcement last week, the YPG terror organization has asked the Syrian army to control the northern Syrian city of Manbij, seeking protection from Turkish armed forces. After the recent announcement, Pentagon defended Syria withdrawal as 'deliberate, well thought-out, mutually supportive, and controlled' in a tweet. "UNITED STATES HAS LEFT US ALONE" According to an article published in The New York Times, with the request for help on Friday, the Syrian Kurds invited Assad regime forces into at least some of those areas that he had coveted. In the article, its stated that Kurds are feeling betrayed by the US government, therefore they asked Assad regime for protection. YPG terror organization said the Syrian government should send troops to the city of Manbij, near the Turkish border. The request amounted to a United States ally calling on an enemy of the United States to protect it from another American ally, Turkey. Syrian opposition sends troops to Manbij Turkey-backed armed opposition deploys new military reinforcements, armed vehicles on Manbij borderline. The Syrian armed opposition on Friday sent new military reinforcements to the Euphrates Shield Operation area and Manbij frontline in Syria. "READY TO LIBERATE MANBIJ" After reports of deployment of regime troops to a key northern region, the Hamza Division, which is a member of the Turkey-backed Free Syria Army (FSA), dispatched fighters and armored vehicles to the Manbij borderline, according to a statement by Syrian National Army, a component of the FSA. The troops will take up important tasks during a highly anticipated Turkish military operation in the northern city of Manbij. FSA National Army said "it's fully ready to liberate Manbij upon the call of the people of Manbij," the statement added. Earlier on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Syria's Assad regime "is running a psychological operation". He added: "We are against the partitioning of Syria. Our goal is terrorist groups leaving there. If the terrorist groups leave, then there is no job left for us." Erdogan also said a high-powered Turkish delegation will visit Moscow early Saturday to discuss the situation in Syria, including Manbij. The commitment to equity continues to elude climate change solutions. Avinash Persaud writes: Donald Trumps denial of human-made climate change, and the reluctant position of Brazil and India meant that no deal at the climate summit in Katowice, Poland was a real possibility. It would be just one more in a spate of recent defeats for multilateralism. But, after two weeks of wrangling, almost 200 countries signed up to a 133-page rule book on carbon emissions. The rule book is designed to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the rise in global temperatures to below 20C. A University of Houston College of Pharmacy scientist has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in recognition of his work in drug discovery and development. Ruiwen Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. and Robert L. Boblitt Endowed Professor in Drug Discovery and director of the UH Drug Discovery Institute, is one of 148 new Fellows announced today. The induction ceremony for the new class of Fellows will be held at the NAI Eighth Annual Meeting at Space Center Houston in April 2019. With over 30 years of experience, Zhang, a board-certified toxicologist and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has been recognized as a leader in cancer prevention and treatment drug discovery and development. Zhang has made major contributions to the discovery of pharmacogenetic/pharmacogenomic syndrome of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the rate-limiting enzyme in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), one of most used anticancer agents in the world. This discovery is now a textbook case in cancer pharmacogenomics and personalized cancer medicine. Pharmacogenomic approaches to prevention of 5-FU toxicity have been developed and now benefit many cancer patients worldwide. Zhang is one of the leading scientists developing novel gene silencing technologies using antisense technology and discovering RNA and DNA-based therapeutics. He has made major contributions to the antisense and siRNA therapeutics targeting oncogenes, HIV and other therapeutic targets. He is the first to discover and develop new antisense RNA-DNA oligonucleotides for HIV, oncogenes, and Toll-like Receptor immunomodulators (these agents have entered clinical trials). He is the first to discover a new approach to orally deliver RNA/DNA oligonucleotides therapeutics for the treatment of human diseases, now recognized as a basis for development of oral DNA/RNA drugs/vaccines for prevention and treatment of diseases. He has made significant contributions to fundamental understanding of the tumor suppressor p53, the most important and most-studied tumor suppressor, and MDM2, one of the major oncogenes and a p53 negative regulator. Zhang is among the first proposing MDM2 as a molecular target for cancer prevention and therapy. His lab has discovered six classes of MDM2 inhibitors, including DNA-RNA oligonucleotides, natural products and synthetic small molecule compounds. Election to NAI Fellow status "is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society." With the induction of the 2018 class, the program has more than 1,000 Fellows worldwide. Though honored at the selection, Zhang shares the credit. "This is about recognition of the outstanding efforts of our faculty, research scientists, students, fellows and collaborators devoted to research and development of novel therapy for human diseases," he said. "We have been fortunate to have research support from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and other federal and state agencies and private foundations. Without this support, it is absolutely impossible for us to make any progress in our research." Previously inducted fellows from UH include: Benton Baugh, mechanical engineering, Cullen College of Engineering the late Rathindra Bose, former vice president/vice chancellor for research and technology transfer Diana S.L. Chow, professor of pharmaceutics and director, Institute of Drug Education and Research at UH College of Pharmacy Paul Chu, physics professor, T. L. L. Temple Chair of Science and Founding Director/chief scientist of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH (TcSUH) Allan Jacobson, Robert A. Welch Chair of Science and director of TcSUH Dmitri Litvinov, professor of engineering and director, UH Nanofabrication Facility Dan Luss, chemical and biomolecular engineering Kaushik Rajashekara, Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering and professor of subsea power systems Zhifeng Ren, M.D. Anderson Chair Professor of physics and principal investigator at TcSUH Venkat Selvamanickam, mechanical engineering and director of TcSUH's Applied Research Hub Mohamed Soliman, professor and department chair of petroleum engineering Richard Willson, Huffington-Woestemeyer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of biochemical and biophysical sciences. ### ava26 said: Hi! I deeply apologize if a similar discussion already exists. I just couldn't find it that's why I posted this new discussion. I would just like to ask if I can bring to Australia a 1-year supply of maintenance meds for my heart condition? If yes, what reminders should I take note of? I'll be leaving for Australia in February under the Subclass 476 visa--recognized graduate. Really hoping for your responses! Thank you so much! Click to expand... You can buy medicines over the Internet, if not you need to comply with the legal requirements to import therapeutic goods for personal use under the Personal Importation Scheme. You can access more details at the TGA website.Under Australias Personal Importation Scheme, you may import a 3-month supply at the one time (at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer) of unapproved medicines into Australia without any approval required by the TGA provided that:The goods are for your own treatment or the treatment of your immediate familyYou do not supply (sell or give) the medicine to any other personWhere possible, you keep the medicines or medical devices in their original packaging with any dispensing labels intactThe goods are not restricted under Australian Customs controls or quarantine rules and the goods do not contain a controlled substanceThe goods are not injections that contain material of human or animal origin (except insulin)The total quantity of the goods imported within a 12-month period does not exceed 15-months supply of the goods (for medicines, at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer)A prescription from an Australian-registered medical practitioner is required for some medicines before being brought into the country.If you wish to bring more than 3-months supply at the one time into Australia, an Australian-registered doctor will first need to apply to the TGA for Special Access Scheme approval.Customs - For more information about Customs and quarantine requirements for therapeutic goods, please refer to the TGA website. From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Saturday, December 29, 2018 Leslie Goodyear, and Im AEA president for just a few more days. On January 1, 2019, Ill be handing the presidential gavel to Tessie Catsambas who has some great things in store for AEA. But before I take on my new title as past-president, I thought Id share a few reflections on my year and hopes for the future of AEA. 2018 has gone by in a flash! It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing Anisha Lewis on board as our new Executive Director, hosting the first Town Hall Forum, and starting planning for AEA 2018. Weve had more than a few accomplishments this year, including the updated Ethical Guiding Principles, the new Evaluator Competencies, revised Association Governing Policies, the new Ideas and Issues Portal, more attendees than ever at the Summer Institute, a successful conference in Cleveland, and some big wins for the Evaluation Policy Task Force (see Nick Harts Twitter feed for more exciting information). And, at our last board meeting in 2018, we voted in a new Anti-Harassment/Discrimination policy; this is something I felt strongly that we needed in order to provide members with a professional experience free from harassment and discrimination. (Well be releasing a statement on the new policy soon!) Phew weve accomplished a lot this year! Highlights of my time as president included working closely with our fabulous AEA staff; visiting and meeting with nine Local Affiliates; representing AEA at the Canadian and European evaluation conferences; working with the AEA board to move policy governance forward and vision a future in which our association grows in influence; playing talk show host to the eight Town Hall Forums; and meeting so many wonderful new and returning AEA members at the Eval2018 conference in Cleveland. As I said in My nudge? Whether were expressing strongly-held opinions in late-night emails, on EvalTalk, on Twitter, in conversations at the conference, at local, national and international meetings, or even to AEA staff and leadership, lets keep it respectful. Seriously. We all work hard in our day jobs, and we all have lives outside of our evaluator-lives. Our membership in AEA helps us to connect, learn, share, and grow professionally and personally. We all want AEA to best the best it can be whatever that means to each of us and we need to work together to make that a reality. So lets keep our conversations online civil and respectful, and our suggestions constructive. My wish? That as an association a membership association AEA offers members a place to call their professional home, and that we create, together, the theoretical, practical, technical, analytical, social, and relational foundation that allows us to nurture our evaluation super powers and use them to speak truth to power, bring the wonders of evaluation to even more people, and to make the world a better place. Join me in making this wish a reality! Make it your New Years resolution to get involved in AEA! Happy New Year! May 2019 bring health, happiness, and wonderful gifts in your personal and professional lives. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. Hi AEA Im, and Im AEA president for just a few more days. On January 1, 2019, Ill be handing the presidential gavel to Tessie Catsambas who has some great things in store for AEA. But before I take on my new title as past-president, I thought Id share a few reflections on my year and hopes for the future of AEA.2018 has gone by in a flash! It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing Anisha Lewis on board as our new Executive Director, hosting the first Town Hall Forum, and starting planning for AEA 2018. Weve had more than a few accomplishments this year, including the updated Ethical Guiding Principles, the new Evaluator Competencies, revised Association Governing Policies, the new Ideas and Issues Portal, more attendees than ever at the Summer Institute, a successful conference in Cleveland, and some big wins for the Evaluation Policy Task Force (see Nick Harts Twitter feed for more exciting information). And, at our last board meeting in 2018, we voted in a new Anti-Harassment/Discrimination policy; this is something I felt strongly that we needed in order to provide members with a professional experience free from harassment and discrimination. (Well be releasing a statement on the new policy soon!) Phew weve accomplished a lot this year!Highlights of my time as president included working closely with our fabulous AEA staff; visiting and meeting with nine Local Affiliates; representing AEA at the Canadian and European evaluation conferences; working with the AEA board to move policy governance forward and vision a future in which our association grows in influence; playing talk show host to the eight Town Hall Forums; and meeting so many wonderful new and returning AEA members at the Eval2018 conference in Cleveland.As I said in my November AEA newsletter piece , I have one nudge and a wish for AEA:My nudge? Whether were expressing strongly-held opinions in late-night emails, on EvalTalk, on Twitter, in conversations at the conference, at local, national and international meetings, or even to AEA staff and leadership, lets keep it respectful. Seriously. We all work hard in our day jobs, and we all have lives outside of our evaluator-lives. Our membership in AEA helps us to connect, learn, share, and grow professionally and personally. We all want AEA to best the best it can be whatever that means to each of us and we need to work together to make that a reality. So lets keep our conversations online civil and respectful, and our suggestions constructive.My wish? That as an association a membership association AEA offers members a place to call their professional home, and that we create, together, the theoretical, practical, technical, analytical, social, and relational foundation that allows us to nurture our evaluation super powers and use them to speak truth to power, bring the wonders of evaluation to even more people, and to make the world a better place.Join me in making this wish a reality! Make it your New Years resolution to get involved in AEA!Happy New Year! May 2019 bring health, happiness, and wonderful gifts in your personal and professional lives.Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. CPS Energy may be running out of options to cut costs and appears to be lurching toward a rate increase in the near future. The city-owned utility has held off a rate increase for years by trimming expenses, but board Trustee Ed Kelley said Friday that I think weve shot most, if not all, of our bullets. The only bullet we have left is a rate change, Kelley said during a board meeting. To reduce debt, were going to have to face that sooner rather than later. He made his comments after learning that CPS will immediately write off the $189 million value of the coal-fired J.T. Deely plant, which will shut down Monday. The move will reduce the overall value of the utilitys assets. RELATED: San Antonio business leaders revered Sculley, worry about replacement The original plan had been to spread the write-off over five years, but CEO Paula Gold-Williams said the utility would instead write down the value in one shot to ease future financial pressures. The last time CPS asked for a rate increase was in 2013, when the City Council approved an increase of 4.25 percent for the price of electricity and natural gas. The increase went into effect the next year. The current electricity rate for residential customers is 6.9 cents per kilowatt-our. Homeowners and small business pay 49 cents per 100 cubic feet of natural gas, according to the utilitys website. CPS has been pushing to reduce its debt ratio the amount of debt over the equity, or value of its assets such as power plants and power lines below 60 percent, Gold-Williams said. The debt ratio has fallen from 63.7 percent in early 2016. By reducing the value of CPS assets, the Deely write-off will raise the agencys debt ratio to 62.4 percent. CPS staffers are working on next years budget. Until that works complete, its unclear whether the utility will seek a rate increase, spokesman Jonathan Tijerina said. CPS next fiscal year begins Feb. 1. RELATED: Retailers sue city of San Antonio over new tobacco law The shutdown of the 840-megawatt Deely is expected to save $600 million in upgrades, which would have included installing sulfur dioxide scrubbers at the 1970s-era plant. Also Friday, the board of trustees nominated Juanita Gonzalez, the 46-year-old CEO of San Antonio-based IT company Webhead, to replace outgoing trustee Homer Guevara as representative of the southwest quadrant of CPS service area. CPS fielded 17 applications for the position. Guevara is set to leave the board next month, when his second five-year term expires. Board members are limited to two terms. The board is made up of five trustees, who, except for the mayor, are chosen by the board and ratified by the City Council. The southwest quadrant is bounded by Culebra Road to the north; Interstate 35, Texas 16 and U.S. 281 to the east; and the Bexar County line to the south and west. The boards responsibilities include approving projects, reviewing the utilitys financial condition and approving the pay rate and bonuses for the CEO. Rye Druzin is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering Texas energy. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | rdruzin@express-news.net | Twitter: @druz_journo Throughout much of Texas, students who receive special education services are more likely to be given some of the harshest punishments in schools, according to an analysis of Texas Education Agency data. Since the 2013-2014 school year, special education students statewide have been sent to alternative education programs run by local juvenile justice systems at the highest rates of any student sub-group. They are the second most likely group to be sent to disciplinary alternative education programs, which are not directly affiliated with juvenile courts. Across three other types of discipline tracked by the TEA expulsions, out-of-school suspensions and in-school suspensions special education students in Texas were punished at the second highest rates of any student subgroup, behind only African-American students. But although statistics for Bexar County also show disproportionate punishments for special education students, fewer of them are being expelled and sent to the countys Juvenile Justice Academy. After years of trying, local schools and the juvenile justice system might be showing incremental success in how they deal with rule-breaking special education students, several officials said. RELATED: Issues still rampant with special education In the 2013-2014 school year, 28 percent of the academys students who were there because they had been expelled were special ed, but by 2017-2018 that number had declined to 12 percent, about 6 percentage points below the state average, said Lynne Wilkerson, chief probation officer in the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department. Our view (on the decline) is that the schools are doing a better job of working with the kids and keeping them within the school framework, said Wilkerson, who was formerly her departments chief legal counsel. The child service agencies are very collaborative and work side by side without worrying about turf and egos. The juvenile justice academy, formed in the mid-1990s by state legislation, is usually populated with kids who have been expelled from school. But some of those expulsions, say, a 9th grader who lashes out at students or a teacher rather than read when called upon, may be indicators of a child with a learning disability who would rather be expelled than ridiculed by peers, she said. Lots of kids think it is better to be bad than stupid, Wilkerson said. If a child misbehaves because of a special ed issue, or a lack of diagnosis, you dont want to bring them into our system because they may not be a criminal thinker. We try to identify the children who are low risk of re-offending and connect them with social services. Statewide, about 9.8 percent of students were listed as special education in 2016-2017, but 18.4 percent of students sent to alternative schools run by local juvenile justice departments that school year were in special education. They accounted for about 17.7 percent of students placed on out-of-school suspension and 16.3 percent of students sent to school district-run disciplinary schools. RELATED: Court upholds $33 million penalty on Texas for underfunding special education In TEA's Region 20, which encompasses greater San Antonio and stretches to the border, there were 57,057 students, or about 11.4 percent, labeled as special education by the state in 2017-2018. But 21 percent of all students expelled in the region were special education that school year, as were 20 percent of all students placed on out-of-school suspension, 18 percent of students reassigned to district-run disciplinary programs and nearly 17 percent of students sent to disciplinary education programs run by local juvenile justice departments. Sarah Beebe, a supervising attorney with the Disability Rights Texas advocacy group, said she is not surprised by the disproportionate rates at which disabled students are punished, but still finds the statistics disheartening. I dont want to see that number, but I think it speaks to the misunderstanding of disabilities in general and how behavior manifests itself, she said. TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said the agency is working to address the issue with a number of ongoing initiatives that are focused on ensuring students are not subject to practices that lead to disproportionate representation in special education and/or disciplinary placements. One of those initiatives is a monitoring system, still being developed, that will show how disproportionately each district disciplines students of different racial and educational backgrounds. The agency also hopes to unveil a self-assessment tool, tied to TEA support systems and guidance, for school districts to identify and monitor how they dole out discipline in real time. The problem is not confined to Texas but the numbers are hard to measure, said Meghan Burke, an associate professor of special education at the University of Illinois who has studied education advocacy in the juvenile justice system. Estimates of the percentage of disabled youth in juvenile justice systems nationally range from 9 percent to 77 percent, with most studies putting the number closer to about 33 percent, Burke said. The estimates can vary widely the only agreement is that theyre disproportionately represented in the juvenile justice system, Burke said. For why thats happening, it could be several things, but we dont really know why. Among the theories is that students born into poverty are more likely to be disabled developmentally and physically and more likely to come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Students with some mental disorders struggle with appropriate decision making and might be taken advantage of by trouble-makers. Researchers and those who work in the juvenile justice system agree that one of the best ways to prevent students of all abilities from getting into more trouble is by helping them to succeed in school. That can be difficult for those with disabilities and their parents, who must navigate an alphabet-soup of terminology and services. My gut instinct is that the story is better in Bexar County, said state District Judge Peter Sakai, a former prosecutor whose work directing childrens court and now the countys family drug court have earned national recognition. We have really pushed restorative law in our specialty courts, he said. The cost is astronomical when a kid with a disability becomes a truant, gets expelled or drops out. Studies show they have an exponentially greater chance of being permanently under-employed, even homeless. Sakai echoed the state TEA statistics, stating, Theres also a disproportionate impact on people of color when you talk about special education needs or the disabled. Our system can be unduly harsh, and its obvious many people, adults and juveniles, have become lost within it because their mental disabilities were never properly recognized and treated. Toscha Thomas thought she had hit another wall when her son, Trevon, was arrested and placed on probation during his sophomore year. He always had some difficulty in school, but his problems intensified when he transferred high schools in north Houston. Although the teen has been diagnosed as bipolar,his family said he did better when given the opportunity to learn alongside non-disabled students. When teachers instead put him in a special-education only classroom at his new school, he grew more withdrawn and obstinate. He would argue, cut lines for breakfast, and pick fights with fellow students. Despite her efforts advocating for her son, Thomas said she still found it difficult to understand the services district officials insisted Trevon receive and how to tell them what he needed. That changed after Trevons behavior escalated to the point of an arrest, and he came to Danielle Jacksons attention. The education specialist with Disability Rights Texas said her supervisor required just one thing from the family: a high school diploma. About a year and a half later, Trevon invited Jackson to watch him walk the stage in his cap and gown. Now 18, he is working at Walmart, saving to go to trade school or a culinary college. He has not been in serious trouble since his arrest. I think I would have graduated, but I wouldnt exactly say Id be where Im at without Ms. Jackson, Trevon said. She was there every step of the way. shelby.webb@chron.com twitter.com/shelbywebb Nathan Burdens father retired to Spring Branch last year after more than 16 years in the Army. Burdens grandfather and great-grandfather were also veterans. His family members served in World War I, World War II and Vietnam. And Burden, 17, happened to be looking for an Eagle Scout project months ago when he heard that the little flags on veterans graves in the historic Blanco Cemetery kept flopping over. We gotta do something about it, he remembers saying. Then news came from Keith McClellan, a fellow congregant at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canyon Lake and a Blanco city councilman whose wife, Gail, runs the Blanco Cemetery Association. On vacation in Vermont, the McClellans had seen more effective flag holders in some of the cemeteries there. Keith McClellan worked with Burden to develop a prototype similar to those hed seen and now all the veterans flags in the 162-year-old cemetery are about to get upgrades, and that Eagle badge is within Burdens reach. We just are counting on it working, Gail McClellan said. The cemetery, which dates back to 1856, holds about 2,000 graves just south of a stream in this Hill Country town almost 50 miles north of San Antonio. More than 350 veterans of conflicts from the Civil War on are buried there. For many years, Gail McClellan said, the cemetery association has decorated their graves on patriotic holidays, including Veterans Day and Flag Day. Theyve tried putting the flags wooden stems through copper, brass and, most recently, PVC pipes, all of which fill up with mud and topple over. PVC deteriorates in the sun, and the flag stems dont survive weeding. The result sometimes resembled a graveyard for the flags themselves flags layin all over the ground, as Keith McClellan put it. Burdens prototype replaces the PVC pipe with metal electrical conduit and adds a rebar stem with washers to keep the flags out of the dirt and away from weed eaters. The cemetery association approved the design in August. Burden is also presenting it to the cemetery committee at Fort Sam Houston. Patriot Erectors, a steel manufacturer in Dripping Springs in neighboring Hays County, agreed Friday to donate and cut all the conduit and rebar that Burden needs for the Blanco Cemetery. Four professional welders have volunteered to help put the flag holders together. The welding shop at Canyon Lake High School, where Burden is a junior, might also lend a hand. Burden hopes to install the flag holders this winter, color-coded by the war in which the deceased served. Walking through the cemetery in Friday mornings bright chill, Burden and his father, Jacob Burden Sr., straightened some flags, including Confederate banners that had toppled onto the graves of Civil War veterans. One, E.A. Watts, lived from 1843 to 1933. His grave said hed been a heavy artilleryman in Texas Company H. His grave, like that of other veterans, was festooned with a balsam wreath from Wreaths Across America. Confederates were the bad guys because they promoted slavery, Nathan Burden said, staring at the headstone. It was wrong, it was really wrong, but it was what they believed. Dont get wrapped up in the politics of it, his father said. Youre doing a public service. On another grave, the name was barely visible: E.C. Hinds, born 1819, died 1879. The cemetery association had affixed a tiny sticker denoting him as a veteran, and a wreath and an American flag lay before the headstone. A different grave, that of a Texas Ranger, was decorated with the Texas flag. Jacob Burden Sr. moved his family all over the country during his time in the Army, retiring in the San Antonio area because his wifes family is there. The day his sons Eagle Scout project was approved, Burden said, he felt deeply proud. Hes impacting so many different veterans, so many different families, the elder Burden said. It brings great credit upon himself, his family and his forefathers, that hes willing to do this. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the Alamo Colleges District in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN When LaKenya Shaw began to sing at a Northeast Side church one day in 2016, Theresa Nealy knew. The voice in her head told her that Shaw, a stranger, was destined to be the mother of two young siblings rescued from horrific abusive conditions and desperately in need of a home. Both women say it was divine intervention. As Shaw stood to lead a song, Nealy said she found herself so caught up in the moment and knew the siblings rescued after Bexar County Sheriffs deputies found them bound by their ankles and wrists with leashes and chains in the backyard of a Northeast Bexar County residence had found their home. In my mind I heard God say, Those are the parents I have chosen for those children, said Nealy, 49, whom with her husband, Danny, had fostered Josiah, then 4, and his sister Naomi, then 3, after the children were treated for their injuries when they were found by authorities. From that moment, the process unfolded neatly, Nealy said. RELATED: Foster parents go the extra mile to help heal children Today, siblings Josiah and Naomi Shaw are 7 and 5, respectively, living happily in their new home with new last names and making memories that are far away from the wee hours of that cold, rainy spring day, when the heinous conditions they endured made national headlines. I think about how it could have been for them, Shaw said in a recent interview. They could have died in that yard. For Allen and LaKenya Shaw, Nealys call was an answered prayer. Married for 17 years, the couple had long wanted children and had recently suffered a miscarriage. We had been praying and desiring children, said LaKenya Shaw, 38. The Nealys have attended the church for years, but had never met the Shaws. But once she heard the voice, Nealy was driven to make the connection. Once they did, she said she couldnt let go. She said God made her mission clear that day: Find their phone number and introduce them to the children. RELATED: After hitting rock bottom, clients at Alpha Home get another chance at life Shaw said there indeed was a connection between her, her husband and the children almost immediately from the moment they met about six months after the ordeal. They had to be loved back to life, she said, adding what they went through just makes us want to love them more. I needed Josiah, I needed Naomi. God knew what we all needed. The road both couples have traveled with Josiah and Naomi has not been easy since authorities learned that the childrens mother, Cheryl Reed, left them in the care of Porucha Phillips and Deandre Dorch, friends she knew from California. Witness testimony established that Dorch and Phillips, with six children between them, grew tired of caring for Reeds two kids, and started abusing them. Responding to a neighbors report of hearing children crying for hours, deputies broke down the front door of the home in the 8100 block of Chipping in the Camelot II subdivision to get to Naomi. They found that she was tied at the wrists so tightly to a garage door, her hands above her head, that she could neither sit nor stand. RELATED: Texas doctor seeks to stop child abuse before it can happen Moments later, they saw Josiah and feared he was dead because he was lying on his side, motionless, chained to a dog spike that was embedded in the ground. He was surrounded by his own feces, and both children had numerous injuries in different stages of healing. They had been physically abused for about two weeks, officials said at the time. Six other children, the combined family of Phillips and Dorch, were found unharmed inside the home. Sally Justice, a court ad litem attorney who represented all eight children, said that after their placement in foster care Josiah would kneel on the floor and rest his head on a couch because he appeared to have never slept in a bed. He and Naomi also acted as if they were starving. They constantly want food, Justice told a judge at a hearing when the state took custody of the children. They are extremely small for their age. The little girl is not verbal; the boy says few words and has limited use of his shoulder. He favors it like its frozen. The children have had to learn about what Shaw calls their tummy mommy (Reed) and their heart mommy. We want to make sure they understand where they came from. They have little memories, they are mixed up, Shaw said. We have to go back. They don't have too many good memories. We just try to help them remember right, pull it all out. Wed rather deal with this. Naomi, who was 3 at the time, doesnt say anything about what happened in the backyard. But just because she doesnt talk about it doesnt mean she wasn't affected. She's the strong, but silent type, bubbly but has wounds that stay inside. Both Nealy and Shaw have bonded over the ordeal and their love for the children. The couples spend a lot of time together. To the children, the Nealys are Nannie and Poppy. Both couples were nervous that the adoption would not take place. Child Protective Services tried numerous times to place the children with relatives in California, but the family members there failed five home test visits. Meanwhile, all three adults connected to the case have been convicted and sentenced. Porucha Phillips, 36, pleaded guilty in October 2017 to two counts of injury to a child and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. A Bexar County jury found Dorch, 39, guilty of four counts of injury to a child by omission. He was sentenced May 18 to four 65-year prison terms that will be served at the same time. On July 2, Reed, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of abandonment of a child without the intent to return, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Shaws also adopted the child Reed had while in the Bexar County jail. Matthew is 2, and went to live with the Shaws when he was five days old. LaKenya Shaw gave victim impact statements at the sentencing hearings of Dorch and Reed that brought the courtroom gallery to tears. She blessed Dorch and told him the children were wonderful, full of life, and were healing from their wounds. They arent scared anymore. They are safe and happy, she told the man as he wept. Shaw told Reed, the childrens biological mother, that she had no idea what it must have been like for Reed to lose her children, but assured her that they would be brought up in a kind and loving home, and she gave her a picture of them to take with her to prison. She also said if and when the children chose to see her, she would support that. They are full of love, full of life, full of faith, she told Reed. You wont be forgotten. Shaw stands by what she said that day, but reiterated that it would be the childrens choice, when and if they are ready. Elizabeth Zavala is a courts and crime reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 After Christmas Day has been celebrated in most Latin American countries and Spain, the real day for exchanging and receiving gifts falls on Jan. 6, known as El Dia de los Reyes. This day honors the three wise kings: Balthazar, Gaspar and Melchior representing Europe, Arabia and Africa. They traveled from faraway places, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn Jesus in recognition of his divine nature. One of the events held is a special feast, when families indulge in the Rosca de Reyes wreath of the kings. This is an oval-shaped sweet bread symbolizing the crown of a king and richly adorned with dried candy and jewels, representing what kings normally possess. Inside is a small hidden doll representing baby Jesus. This alludes to the hardships Jesus suffered under Herod, then king of Jerusalem who, via mystical signs, had been informed that a new king had been born. After the feast is over, whoever gets the doll gets to host a party during the Dia de la Candelaria in February, officially ending the festivities. El Dia de los Reyes normally ends that evening, with tamales accompanied by hot chocolate. This activity is the norm from Spain, later brought to New Spain and practiced in South Texas. However, as this region became part of the United States, and in large Latino communities across this nation, some modifications of El Dia de los Reyes became apparent. For example, in New York and in New Jersey, a massive parade is held to commemorate this event. In Chicago, there is a three-kings parade, and in New Orleans it marks the beginning of Mardi Gras events. In the Rio Grande Valley, this event is celebrated on a smaller scale. While El Dia de los Reyes is known and appreciated by local Hispanics, activities such as a feast enjoying a Rosca de Reyes along with some hot chocolate, and some tamales later have become a custom among local families. Many bakeries in the Rio Grande Valley bake hundreds of Roscas de Reyes for faithful customers who flood in to join in solidarity with their next-door neighbor Mexico. However, no massive parades nor other activities are usually planned, but the mere idea of practicing this solidarity and camaraderie with others indicates that this tradition, dating back centuries, is still very much alive in the Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Lino Garcia Jr. is professor emeritus of Spanish literature at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He can be reached at lino.garciajr@retiree.utrgv.edu Never before has a former FBI director boasted about taking advantage of an administrations disorganization for his own ends. But never before has a former FBI director been as self-satisfied as James Brien Comey Jr. In an interview at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Comey delighted his Upper East Side audience with his tale of how he exploited the Trump White Houses disarray in its initial days to send two FBI agents to talk to then-national security adviser Michael Flynn without honoring the usual processes (e.g., working through the White House counsels office). Comey said that in a different administration, it was something I probably wouldnt have done or maybe gotten away with. He apparently didnt consider how that might sound to anyone not already inclined to enjoy the wit and wisdom of James Comey, or old enough to remember when an FBI director pushing to get away with things wasnt so amusing. A lot of people have been diminished by the Trump years, Comey among them. Hes a bigger political figure than ever before, but has revealed himself to be exactly what critics always said a politically savvy operator who matches his bureaucratic skills with an impregnable sense of self-righteousness. The conundrum of James Comey was that he deserved to be fired, but firing him certainly the way Trump did it was the worst mistake of Trumps presidency. It would have been better to have Comey inside the tent leaking and maneuvering for his own advantage, than to have him outside leaking and maneuvering for his own advantage. Comey is a smart and capable man. In many ways, he was a good FBI director. His fault was always being too clever by half and keeping too keen an eye out for his own image and political interest. He bent over backward to get to the conclusion that President Barack Obama and his Justice Department wanted in the Clinton email investigation, then decided to speak out about the matter lest people think his decision was politically tainted. Comey thus ignored the law in the Clinton case, and ignored Justice Department rules in talking about it. Comey may have been a law unto himself, but there shouldnt be any doubt that he knows what hes doing. After Trump fired him, Comey gave one of his memos to a friend so he could share its contents with The New York Times in the hopes that it would catalyze the appointment of a special counsel. Sure enough, we got a special counsel. A special-counsel probe is an act of punishment against any administration subjected to it. It will cause distraction, legal fees and heartache in the best case. A practiced Washington player, Comey knew all of this. That hes so deft makes his slipperiness about inconvenient matters related to the investigation all the more telling. Consider a little item from Comeys recent congressional questioning. Then-chief of staff Reince Priebus asked Comey if a conversation they were about to have was private. Comey said it was, despite the fact that he would write a memo about their talk, and it would of course make it into the press. Asked by Rep. Trey Gowdy about how he used the word private, Comey answered that he meant he and Priebus were the only two people in the room. As if that was what Priebus wanted to know. Comey is not so careful about parsing terms when he blasts Trump and calls for his defeat. He is acting under extreme provocation, but seems unaware that his pronouncements as a private citizen cast a pall over his public service when he wielded some of the most sensitive powers of government. None of Trumps attacks on Comey has been as damning as the supposedly by-the-book FBI director admitting he did an end run around process in the Flynn interview, and soaking up laughter and applause for it. comments.lowry@nationalreview.com Suppose youre the type of smart conservative reluctantly inclined to give Donald Trump a pass for his boorish behavior and ideological heresies because you like the way the economy is going and appreciate the tough tone of his foreign policy, especially when it comes to Islamic fundamentalism. These past few weeks havent exactly validated your faith in the man, have they? The president has abruptly undermined Israels security following a phone call with an Islamic strongman in Turkey. So much for the idea, common on the right, that this is the most pro-Israel administration ever. I write this as someone who supported Trump moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and who praised his decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal as courageous and correct. I also would have opposed the presidents decision to remove U.S. forces from Syria under nearly any circumstances. Contrary to the invidious myth that neoconservatives always put Israel first, the reasons for staying in Syria have everything to do with core U.S. interests. Among them: keeping ISIS beaten, keeping faith with the Kurds, maintaining leverage in Syria, and preventing Russia and Iran from consolidating their grip on the Levant. Powers that maintain a reputation as reliable allies and formidable foes tend to enhance their power. Powers that behave as Trumps America has squander it. But leave that aside and consider the Trump presidency from a purely Israeli standpoint. Are Israelis better off now that the U.S. Embassy is in Jerusalem? Not materially. The move was mostly a matter of symbolism, albeit of an overdue and useful sort. Are Israelis safer from Iran now that the U.S. is no longer in the Iran deal and sanctions are back in force? Only marginally. Sanctions are a tool of strategy, not a strategy unto themselves. What Israel most needs from the U.S. today is what it needed at its birth in 1948: an America committed to defending the liberal-international order against totalitarian enemies, as opposed to one that conducts a purely transactional foreign policy based on the needs of the moment or the whims of a president. From that, everything follows. It means that the U.S. should not sell out small nations whether it was Israel in 1973 or Kuwait in 1990 for the sake of currying favor with larger ones. It means we should resist interloping foreign aggressors, whether it was the Soviets in Egypt in the 1960s, or the Russians and Iranians in Syria in this decade. It means we should oppose militant religious fundamentalism, whether it is Wahhabis in Riyadh or Khomeinists in Tehran or Muslim Brothers in Cairo and Ankara. It means we should advocate human rights, civil liberties and democratic institutions, in that order. Trump has stood all of this on its head. He shows no interest in pushing Russia out of Syria. He has neither articulated nor pursued any coherent strategy for pushing Iran out of Syria. He has all but invited Turkey to interfere in Syria. He has done nothing to prevent Iran from continuing to arm Hezbollah. He shows no regard for the Kurds. His fatuous response to Saudi Arabias killing of Jamal Khashoggi is that were getting a lot of money from the Saudis. He speaks with no authority on subjects like press freedom or religious liberty because he assails both at home. His still-secret peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians will have the rare effect of uniting Israelis and Palestinians in their rejection of it. If you think the gravest immediate threat to Israel is jihadi Hezbollah backed by fundamentalist Iran backed by cynical Russia, the answer is no. If you think the gravest middle-term threat is the continued Islamization of Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan gradually transforming the country into a technologically competent Sunni version of Iran the answer is no. If you think that another grave threat to Israel is the inability to preserve at least a vision of a future Palestinian state one that pursues good governance and peace with its neighbors while rejecting kleptocracy and terrorism the answer is no. And if you think that the ultimate long-term threat to Israel is the resurgence of isolationism in the U.S. and a return to the geopolitics of every nation for itself, the answer is more emphatically no. During the eight years of the Obama presidency, I thought U.S. policy toward Israel the hectoring, the incompetent diplomatic interventions, the moral equivocations, the Iran deal, the backstabbing at the U.N. couldnt get worse. As with so much else, Donald Trump succeeds in making his predecessors look good. Re: Imagine this before defending that plaque, Another View, by Michael A. Wood, Dec. 17: The plaque in the Texas Capitol placed there by the Children of the Confederacy should stay where it is. Michael A. Woods position apparently is that the war was to preserve slavery. That is incorrect. Slavery had been around long before there was a Confederacy and remained legal in the U.S. throughout the war. Soldiers from Texas, for example, did not leave their families alone on what was the worlds most dangerous frontier, walk most of 2,000 miles east, and fight and die for four years for the 4 percent in the South who owned slaves. They fought because their homeland had been invaded. That is the overwhelming reason listed in the letters of veterans from both sides. Most Southern soldiers were poor, and a large part were illiterate as well. Many blacks, including free blacks, fought for the Confederacy. The New York Herald reported a few days after Gettysburg that among the captured Confederates were several fully armed black soldiers. Five Confederate soldiers in Texas were killed trying to rescue children, including black children, who had been captured by hostile Indians. Texas, in its articles of secession in 1861, listed as a reason that the government had failed to protect its citizens from Indian depredations and raids from banditti from Mexico. I am not trying to defend slavery. No one could. It was an issue in secession for most states. I am trying to defend truth and the soldiers who fought. Monuments and plaques put up by citizens should remain as they are and be portals of discussion/learning. The bravery and skill of the Confederate soldier is well-known around the world. They were almost always outmanned and outgunned but seldom outfought. Confederate soldiers, by act of Congress, were declared to be U.S. veterans. If Mr. Wood reads this, I would ask that he provide the source of his comment that Confederate troops in Pennsylvania captured free blacks and took them back to slavery. I have seen this comment before but have been unable to verify its source. Finally, there has not been one monument or marker to Confederates that has been removed where taxpaying local citizens have been allowed to vote on the issue. Why is that? Richard Brewer Not on his side Donald Trump says the federal employees who are on furlough are, of course, in his corner essentially, they are on a paid vacation because they will eventually get their back pay. The lies never stop. Im hoping his supporters will finally wake up. Ruben Garza No patience I remember a report I heard on the radio back about 2004. A reporter interviewed an Afghan fighter and asked him about the conflict. The Afghan said, You Westerners have no patience. In two or three generations you will get tired and leave. We will still be here. Wayne Haymes, Leon Valley No need to fret over Donald Trumps decision to remove U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. It is only the tip of the iceberg. Also, there may not be a need to replace the secretary of defense as long as Vladimir Putin is elated over Trumps decision. With respect to shutting down the government over not funding the Mexican border wall, neither the leaders of the House nor the Senate matter as long as POTUS is being advised by Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Fox News. Stupidity prevails. John Kepler Wonder no more Is it that ISIS is defeated? Is it that hes afraid of Turkey? Nope, and nope again. If thats what you think, then you need to think again. For those who still dont accept the Russian influence in the White House, let me tell you who it is. Its Vladimir Puppeteer Putin. Frank Bent, Schertz Master obfuscator Ive noticed that whatever our president denies is likely to be true. For example, despite his shouting, No collusion! every time the subject of Russia comes up, investigators keep digging up troubling facts about Russian involvement in his 2016 campaign. It also seems the more indictments that are issued over dirty dealing in his 2016 campaign, the more loudly he yells, Witch hunt! Also, the fact that one of his favorite insults for people who disagree with him is low IQ, although there is plenty of evidence that despite referring to himself as a genius, hes not nearly as bright as he claims to be. Its true that hes a master of obfuscation, blather and, uh, bullstuff, but he just doesnt seem able to grasp issues that involve any degree of complexity. For example, he shows that he doesnt understand the difference between climate and weather when he states that climate change is a big hoax because we still have cold spells in winter. Also, he makes remarks that are downright silly, such as saying that the wildfires in California could have been prevented if people had taken the trouble to rake the forest. Also there are those illogical, ungrammatical, rambling tweets he puts out every day. A recent contributor (He loves America, Your Turn, Dec. 17) defends Donald Trump by saying that sometimes we need a Mother Teresa and sometimes we need a Dirty Harry. Im afraid what we have now is more of a Forrest Gump who thinks hes an Albert Einstein. Steven Botts He gets respect Re: Trump like guy without a date to the prom, Another View, by Frank Bruni, Dec. 18: The world may reject him, but they have to respect him because he is the leader of the free world and also the leader of the most powerful country in this world. Ill bet they will respect him if those countries ever get threatened or invaded or have a major crisis or disaster and they need his help. One can see the respect the president has gotten by the turnout of supporters at any of his rallies. And you have to respect the president for what he has done for our economy, the tax reform bill and, hopefully, the wall despite what the Democrats and media have to say about him. Lets face it, the Democrats and the media hate President Donald Trump because he won the election in 2016 and not that self-deserving Hillary Clinton. The world rejects Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un and they are respected, yet Frank Bruni of the New York Times doesnt mention anything about that. Look, most of us know that the media hate President Trump despite what they may say or print, so why dont we just let his results speak for themselves? Robert M. Louie, Houston Scooters undo ADA Not long ago, a woman named Judy Babbitt took command of the Citys Disability Access Office. A fearless tiger woman, Judy Babbitt ferociously advocated for such things as curb cuts, wider sidewalks, elevators, ramps and other improvements that would make our city accessible. Judy died in 2016. I wonder what she would say, seeing her work undone as e-scooters invade pedestrian rights of ways and render wheelchair ramps impassable. Thanks to Judy, access groups and the federal mandates of the Americans for Disabilities Act, San Antonio had finally begun to pave a way for persons with wheelchairs, walkers and canes to move around. Now, we are undoing all that was gained in order to let careless folks play with their toys while scooter companies bank big profits! Scooters litter the sidewalks everywhere. We especially see them blocking passage in older areas with very narrow sidewalks and cluttering intersections in areas heavily traveled by people in wheelchairs. Picture getting off a VIA wheelchair ramp, bound for the drugstore across the street, only to find you cant get there because a mess of scooters wont allow you to cross the road. The city opened the door for these pests with no forethought for pedestrians, senior citizens and people with disabilities. There is no mandate for docking stations, few rules and poor enforcement. Now, the city is considering permitting even more of these toys to take over the sidewalks. Judy Babbitt would be furious! We should all be! Linda Wilson Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport expects for its passenger growth to continue into 2019 following a record year, during which it handled over 1.8 million travellers. The airport's General Manager, Zmago Skobir, said, "Given the projected growth of the Slovenian economy and tourism sector, we anticipate for Ljubljana Airport to be part of these trends. It is predicted that the high growth rate we registered this year will ease and that future growth will be more stable. Adria Airways has made a considerable contribution to this because it is trying to restructure under new ownership. We are pleased that, despite numerous issues the national carrier has faced over the past ten years, things have started to improve. We will see the future outcome but, for the time being, our cooperation with Adria is exemplary and we expect for its capital increase and future plans to have a further positive effect". Speaking to the Slovenian News Agency, Mr Skobir added, "Of course, it wouldn't be the end of the world for the airport or Slovenia's connectivity if things didn't go according to plan". Mr Skobir noted that the construction of Ljubljana Airport's new passenger terminal should commence in late spring of next year with the new facility to be completed by the end of 2020, in time for Slovenia's Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2021. During the country's last stint at the rotating EU presidency in 2008, Ljubljana Airport saw strong passengers growth. In addition to the new terminal, the airport is currently overseeing tender procedures for the overhaul of the existing rescue and firefighting services building. It is also preparing to open the Fraport Academy in March of next year. "Investors are also requesting for the construction of new logistics facilities and, over the next month or two, we are seeking an investor for the construction of an airport hotel", the General Manager noted. Ljubljana Airport is working on attracting new carriers and opening new routes in 2019. "The great news is that British Airways will connect Ljubljana with London's Heathrow Airport, offering excellent transfer options. Although we have outstanding connectivity with the United Kingdom, we have not been linked with this key airport since 2001", Mr Skobir said. He added, "We are also expecting an increase in frequencies on some existing routes. We are very keen to connect with the Iberian peninsula, as well as Scandinavia and northern Germany, and we are in constant contanct with airlines. We are Slovenia's ambassadors, because we promote the state's development in order to convince carriers to launch flights. The small size of our market can be discouraging to major airlines so we put a lot of effort into these talks". Backcountry At Board of Selectmen meetings, First Selectman Peter Tesei likes to share good news stories about town employees helping others. At the final meeting of 2018, Tesei thanked the Greenwich Fire Department and the personnel at the North Street Station for helping a motorist during an epic snowstorm. The problems began for Jeannie Rydzik on Nov. 15 as she headed for home in Easton from Westchester County Airport as a quick-moving snowstorm paralyzed traffic during afternoon rush hour, according to an email she sent to Tesei. At the meeting, Tesei read aloud Rydziks email, which was addressed to town Fire Chief Peter Siecienski. In it, she thanked the North Street firefighting team of Lt. Edwin Rojas, Whitney Welch and Tony Pampena for their hospitality. The road conditions deteriorated very rapidly while I was on the Merritt Parkway so I got off at North Street, Rydzik wrote. I was afraid I would have an accident, or worse, run out of gas and be stranded on the Merritt Parkway for hours. Looking for a safe place to stop, Rydzik pulled into the fire station, hoping to wait out the storm for a few hours. But as it got colder and the snow swirled around, Rydzik knocked on the door and asked Rojas, who answered, if she could take refuge inside. He was so kind and said, Of course, Rydzik wrote in the email. Inside, I met Whitney, who was also so welcoming. As the weather did not let up and the roads only became more treacherous, it was suggested I stay at the firehouse, and I was invited to join Whitney and Ed for dinner, which I did. I was so grateful for their kindness and caring in allowing me to stay in a safe, warm place. I am not sure where I could have ended up. The team went above and beyond the call, said Rydzik. While she was there, firefighters answered three fire alarms, heading out each time into the raging snowstorm to help others. After reading the letter, Tesei said it reaffirmed his decision to push for a new northwest fire and Greenwich Emergency Medical Services station. He is expected to include money for preliminary work on the new station, including a search for possible sites, in the 2019-20 municipal budget that he will present in January. This shows the value those facilities have, Tesei said. Central Greenwich The YWCA Greenwich celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. every year with special programming on the anniversary of his birth. This year, the nonprofit agency will host a discussion on human trafficking, a multibillion-dollar industry that transports victims and forces them into prostitution or other labor. For the discussion, the YWCA Greenwich is partnering with more than 30 other nonprofit agencies. This years event follows up on last years discussion, which focused on sex trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization, 20.1 million people globally are trapped in forced labor. The workers can be found in such industries as construction, manufacturing and agriculture. Many are also forced to work in domestic jobs in homes. Connecticut is not immune from this problem. Forced labor can be found in the area in nail salons, massage parlors, restaurants, landscaping, construction and domestics, YWCA Greenwich said. A panel of experts has been lined up, including: Resa Spaziani, director of wage and workplace standards for the Connecticut Department of Labor; Luis deBaca, a lawyer who previously served as U.S. ambassador at large to monitor/combat trafficking in persons and was also the director of the Department of Justices Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking, or SMART; Divya Demato, CEO and co-founder of GoodOps and an expert in supply chain networks; and Jillian Gilchrest, chair of Connecticuts Trafficking in Persons Council. Gilchrest will also be sworn in next month as the new state representative for District 18, which covers West Hartford. She made headlines over the summer when she defeated longtime state Rep. Andy Fleischmann in a Democratic primary and then was elected to the House in November. The moderator of the discussion will be Krishna Patel, general counsel and director of justice initiatives for the Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan, a nonprofit that is fighting to end human trafficking. At last years event, when the focus was on sex trafficking, YWCA Greenwich President and CEO Mary Lee Kiernan said the issue was tied to Kings work. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, Kiernan said. This is a topic we believe that Dr. King would be very involved with if he were still alive today. The issue is also in keeping with the YWCA Greenwichs mission of eliminating racism and empowering women, she said. The event will be at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the YWCA headquarters at 259 E. Putnam Ave. It is free and open to the public. Backcountry To many in Greenwich, the Merritt Parkway is more than just a road. They believe its a historic highway whose natural beauty should be preserved. Now, a new person is at the helm of a group that has been committed to that task for 16 years. Wes Haynes has taken over as executive director of Merritt Parkway Conservancy, succeeding Jill Smyth, who was in the position for 12 years before moving to Colorado for family reasons. Haynes, a Stamford resident, has 40 years of experience in historic preservation. He has worked in senior staff positions with the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, the New York City Landmarks Conservancy and other nonprofits dedicated to the stewardship of historic places. The Merritt is exceptional among Connecticuts historic places and a refreshing greenway that I have never grown tired of driving, Haynes said. Im thrilled to join the conservancy and add to Jills great work in building a working relationship with the state to ensure that we hand it down to our grandchildren to enjoy the way we have. The conservancy praised the legacy of Smyth, who will continue to serve as a consultant. We were sad to lose Jill Smyth after so many years of her hard work, Greenwich resident Peter Malkin, the conservancys chairman and co-founder, said in a statement. Under her leadership, we made great strides in preserving the character and history of this wonderful parkway. Also, Jim Cameron was named to the conservancys board of directors. Cameron, a Darien resident and columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, is a longtime commuter advocate. Mary Ellen Lemay, a Trumbull resident who has worked in preservation and remediation of native plant species, was also named to the board. The mission of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy is to revitalize and celebrate the Merritt. For more information, visit www.MerrittParkway.org. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE). The following companies are subsidiares of SK Telecom Co.,Ltd: ADT CAPS Co. Ltd., ADT Caps, Atlas Investment, CAPSTEC Co. Ltd., Cyworld, DongGuan Iriver Electronics Co. Ltd., Dreamus Company, Eleven Street Co. Ltd., FSK L&S (Hungary) Co. Ltd., FSK L&S (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FSK L&S Co. Ltd., FSK L&S Vietnam Company Limited, Hana Card, Hanaro Telecom, Happy Hanool Co. Ltd., Home & Service Co. Ltd., ID Quantique, Id Quantique LLC, Incross Co. Ltd., Infra Communications Co. Ltd., Iriver China Co. Ltd., Iriver Enterprise Ltd., K-net Culture and Contents Venture Fund, Korea Thrunet, LG HelloVision, Life & Security Holdings Co. Ltd., Life Design Company Inc., Mindknock Co. Ltd., Onestore Co. Ltd., PS&Marketing Co. Ltd., Panasia Semiconductor Materials LLC, Quantum Innovation Fund I, SK Broadband, SK Broadband Co. Ltd., SK Communications Co. Ltd., SK Global Healthcare Business Group Ltd., SK Infosec Co. Ltd., SK M&Service Co. Ltd., SK O&S Co. Ltd., SK Planet Co. Ltd., SK Planet Global Holdings Pte. Ltd., SK Planet Japan K. K., SK Telecom China Fund I L.P., SK Telecom China Holdings Co. Ltd., SK Telecom Innovation Fund L.P., SK Telecom TMT Investment Corp., SK Telink Co. Ltd., SK stoa Co. Ltd., SK telecom Japan Inc., SKP America LLC, SKT Americas Inc., SKinfosec Information Technology (wuxi) Co. Ltd., Service Ace Co. Ltd., Service Top Co. Ltd., Shopkick, Tbroad Nowon Broadcasting Co. Ltd., YTK Investment Ltd., iRiver Ltd, and id Quantique Ltd.. ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- The Defense Department is defending President Trump's decision to pull 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, tweeting on Friday that the withdrawal is "deliberate, well thought-out, mutually supportive, and controlled." The department also called the withdrawal the "next phase" of U.S. support to the U.S.-led coalition's operations in Syria, but did not provide further detail about what that support looks like. The tweet was a markedly firm defense of the president's announcement last week that he would pull all U.S. troops out, shocking top U.S. officials, allies, and partners. The decision to withdraw ran counter to State Department and Defense Department messaging on U.S. policy in Syria, and led to the resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and the top U.S. envoy in the fight against ISIS. The tweet did not specify which parties were "mutually supportive" of the decision to withdraw U.S. troops, but critics of the decision have raised concerns about the abandonment of the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces who were integral to the coalition's fight against ISIS but who Turkey considers to be an element of an insurgent group. Since the U.S. announcement last week, the Kurds have asked the Syrian army to control the northern Syrian city of Manbij, seeking protection from a possible Turkish invasion. Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops originated from a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Dec. 14 in which Erdogan reportedly promised to finish off the fight against ISIS in Syria if the U.S. pulled out its forces. Five days later, as news of the impending withdrawal broke, the president declared on Twitter that ISIS had been defeated, surprising top officials, many of whom had only learned of the change in policy the day before. Outgoing Defense Secretary Mattis was among several of the president's top advisers who urged him not to make a hasty withdrawal. He resigned the next day, writing that the president should have a defense secretary whose views were "better aligned" with his own. State Department and Pentagon officials had cautioned as recently as the week before the decision was publicized that the fight against ISIS was not over -- with the coalition recently estimating that about 2,000 ISIS fighters remain in Syria. In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, U.S. officials had said it was likely that the U.S. troops in Syria could all be pulled out in 30 days. But officials told ABC News this week that as plans have been developed, the pace of withdrawal could be much slower -- with troops leaving over the course of several months. However, no final decision has been made, officials said. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. There is not enough analysis data for QS Energy. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes QS Energy has received 112 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes QS Energy has received 61 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment QS Energy has received 64.74% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about QS Energy and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe QSEP will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe QSEP will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next CapitaLand is one of Asia's largest real estate companies headquartered and listed in Singapore. The company leverages its significant asset base, design and development capabilities, active capital management strategies, and extensive market network and operational capabilities to develop high-quality real estate products and services. Its diversified global real estate portfolio includes integrated developments, shopping malls, serviced residences, offices and homes. The Group focuses on Singapore and China as our core markets, while it continues to expand in markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia. The company also has one of the largest real estate fund management businesses with assets located in Asia. Read More Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, and recovery of minerals and precious metals located primarily in Africa. It explores for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold, rhodium, zinc, silver, germanium, and lead deposits. The company's projects include the Platreef project located in the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex; the Kipushi project located in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Kamoa-Kakula project located within the Central African Copperbelt. It also holds a 100% interest in the Western Foreland exploration project covering an area of approximately 2,550 square kilometers located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has a strategic partnership agreement with China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. to examine exploration, development, and acquisition of mineral projects, as well as production, smelting, and logistics opportunities in Africa. The company was formerly known as Ivanplats Limited and changed its name to Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. in August 2013. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More by Adam Udinski | Rockets Correspondent | Sat, Dec 29th 9:55am EST After exploding for a season-high 27 points in Wednesday's loss to Phoenix, D.J. Augustin contributed 17 points and six assists in Orlando's surprising win over Toronto. Fantasy Impact: Augustin played particularly well in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, as did the rest of the Magic, who ran away from Toronto early in this one. Orlando hosts Detroit on Sunday night. by Adam Udinski | Knicks Correspondent | Sat, Dec 29th 10:11am EST Evan Fournier struggled from the floor on Friday night in Orlando's 116-87 win over Toronto, going 3-of-11 and 1-of-6 from beyond the arc for a grand total of just seven points. by Robert Finkelstein | Knicks Correspondent | Sat, Dec 29th 11:01am EST Alec Burks tallied 17 points (6-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT) along with six boards and five assists across 30 minutes in Cleveland's 118-94 loss to Miami Friday night. Fantasy Impact: The 17 points are the most Burks has registered in his last 10 starts. In that span, the former Jazz guard has scored in double-digits only four times, averaging 8.8 points, and shooting a poor 32.3 percent (31-for-96) from the floor. He can be avoided in most formats. Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load I watched the sunrise with my toes burrowed in the cold sand, my fingers intertwined around a hot cup of coffee and one of Americas most famous hotels behind me in the distance. Even before the light filled the sky, the striking yellow facade of Ocean House was commanding attention from all who passed. This is one of Americas most famous Victorian-Style hotels and it sits on one of the most prestigious waterfronts in the continental USA. To give you some idea of just how sought after this part of the world is Ocean Houses neighbour is none other than Taylor Swift. Although theyll never confess to the celebrity connection. No, every employee here keeps celebrity secrets under lock and key, which is of course why they all flock here by the boat load. So whats the great appeal? Well, keeping in mind that Rhode Island is known for its palatial sized oceanfront homes, its not hard to imagine how each guest could believe they are entering a scene from Great Gatsby the moment they step over the threshold of Ocean House. I could easily see Robert Redford, in his white linen suit, playing croquet on the lawn running parallel to the property. Maybe Mia Farrow would be in the champagne bar overlooking the ocean, enjoying a tipple with a view and a plethora of extras, all decked out in flapper girl attire. Now, I just want to go back and throw the ultimate Great Gastby party. Somehow I think Im not the first to have this idea. While Ocean House has a great heritage story, it wasnt always the grand structure you see before you today. Originally built in 1868, the first Ocean House was significantly smaller, but grew over the years as additions were added. Then in 2004, Girouard Associates of New Canaan bought the property with an idea to tear it down and build something totally new in its place. You can imagine the uproar! In the end, a plan was approved that allowed the architects to rebuild, with the idea that the original Ocean House would act as inspiration for the new structure. In 2010, a new and improved Ocean House, measuring 156,000 square feet and full of many salvaged pieces from the original building, opened to the public with great national acclaim. This grand hotel was given a new lease on life and quickly became a hotel with global appeal. It was certainly one thats been on my radar for as long as I can remember. I must tell you that I had high expectations for Ocean House. Some might say they were almost unrealistic. I have stalked this hotel for some time. So, the inner travel cynic in me was ready to be disappointed. I thought something had to be off. It was all too good to be true. Hard as I tried, I couldnt find a reason not to fall head over heels in love with everything about this beautiful hotel and its magnificent staff. There were even a few unexpected moments while in residence. For example, Ocean House have a prestigious collaboration with Mercedes Benz. Any guest, of age and with a license, can take a luxury vehicle from Mercedes out and about around Rhode Island while theyre in residence. You simply call down to the concierge, ask for availability, and theyll bring round anything from a convertible to an SUV for any day trips you might like to take while in the area. Thats service on another level and you bet your bottom dollar I was asking for the fastest car they had in the parking lot. Sadly, it was a little too cold for a convertible, but can you just imagine in the summer? Its only natural that most people will see Ocean House for the first time and instantly think summer retreat. Ocean House is, Im sure, fabulous in the height of summer. I can imagine hours spent on the sand, with rose flowing like water and tanned legs running in and out of the cold sea. Its a summer paradise, there is no doubt about that. Autumn, however, is not to be overlooked. While Indian summers are common place here, there is something truly magical about a chilly autumn day spent here at Ocean House. Waking up for a walk on the beach at sunrise, while wrapped in endless layers of clothing to stay warm and returning to your room where a fire is lit and a bath is drawn what isnt heavenly about that? There is also a glorious calm that comes over the area here, after the vacationers have left to return to the city for work and school. You dont worry about dinner reservations or there being enough room in the breakfast area the next morning. The hotel is yours for the taking. And thats just how I like it, thank you very much. Ill take a tower suite, with a view of Taylors, please. Throw in four or five days of beach reading, champagne sipping and fire roasting and I think youll discover a woman thats blissfully unaware of a world that exists outside of this one. 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. Khushi Making Her Travel Extra Comfy Khushi Kapoor was snapped at the airport late Saturday night. Khushi was sporting a cute casual look in a lavender t-shirt and pants. Making it extra cute, she was carrying a stuffed unicorn! Well who wouldn't like to make their travel extra comfortable. Janhvi Also Snapped At Airport Janhvi Kapoor and her father Boney Kapoor were also snapped at the airport traveling with Khushi. Janhvi kept the look semi-formal, wearing a satin yellow top, pin striped pants, and a beige blazer over it. Ananya's Saturday Night Ananya Pandey was spotted at a popular restro-bar in Bandra on Saturday night. She looked pretty in a multi-color cropped sweater and ripped black pants. Ananya will be making her big Bollywood debut with Student Of The Year 2. Produced by Karan Johar, the movie will also star Tiger Shroff. Student Of The Year 2 is scheduled for release on May 10th, 2019. Kartik Aaryan Snapped At Same Restro-Bar Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety actor, Kartik Aaryan was also spotted at the same restro-bar as Ananya Pandey. He was sporting a casual look in a dark grey hoodie, denims, classic white sneakers and a hat. Kartik's next movie is going to be Luka Chuppi. Also starring Kriti Sanon, it is scheduled for release on March 1st, 2019. Prabhas Has A Blast Prabhas arrived in Jaipur last night (December 28, 2018) to attend the wedding celebrations of SS Rajamouli's on SS Karthikeya. As expected, he grabbed plenty of attention and made the festivities even more memorable. Now, a clip of Prabhas dancing during the festivities is going viral and that too for the best reason possible. In it, Darling can be seen having a blast as SS Rajamoui gives him a royal welcome. A Deadly Combo! Prabhas and SS Rajamouli are good friends and make a deadly combination. Their first film Chatrapathi was released in 2005 and it became a big hit. In 2015, they joined hands for Baahubali and redefined the tenets of Indian cinema. The sequel Baahubali 2 released in 2017 and became an even bigger hit. About The Wedding SS Karthikeya is set to tie the knot with Jagapathi Babu's niece Pooja. The wedding festivities are underway and the main ceremony is slated to be take place at a 5-star on December 30, 2018. The wedding will be held as per South Indian customs. However, it'll have a Rajasthani touch to it. Apart from Prabhas, Jr NTR, Ram Charan and Anushka Shetty will be attending the do. Nagarjuna too is going to be a part of the festivities. On The Work Front... Prabhas is currently busy working on Saaho. The Sujeeth directorial is an action-thriller and it also has Shraddha Kapoor in the lead. The film's supporting cast features names such as Neil Nitin Mukesh, Jackie Shroff and Arun Vijay. Saaho is slated to hit the screens on Independence Day (August 15, 2019). Prabhas also has a film with Pooja Hegde in his kitty David Ryan, Goldman Sachss president for Asia ex-Japan, is retiring from the bank after just two years at the helm. Ryan was something of a rising star within the bank and was clearly being groomed for a senior leadership position back in New York, having made partner at the age of just 34 in 2004, the same year he moved to Asia. He will retire by the end of this year, according to a statement from the bank. Its not a decision the firm was thrilled about, says a source at Goldman. Hes clearly a world-class banker. As one source notes, Ryan was... (Reuters) - Citi Research on Friday reduced its first-quarter production estimates for Apple Inc's iPhones and nearly halved expectations on the costliest iPhone XS Max, joining other brokerages in lowering forecasts amid reports of weak demand. 'The material cut in our forecasts is driven by our view that 2018 iPhone is entering a destocking phase, which does not bode well for the supply chain,' analyst William Yang wrote in a client note. Citi said it expects the company to make 45 million iPhones for the quarter, down from 50 million it forecast earlier (Reuters) - Citi Research on Friday reduced its first-quarter production estimates for Apple Inc's iPhones and nearly halved expectations on the costliest iPhone XS Max, joining other brokerages in lowering forecasts amid reports of weak demand. "The material cut in our forecasts is driven by our view that 2018 iPhone is entering a destocking phase, which does not bode well for the supply chain," analyst William Yang wrote in a client note. Citi said it expects the company to make 45 million iPhones for the quarter, down from 50 million it forecast earlier. The cut was mainly due to weak outlook for the iPhone XS Max, Yang said. The brokerage lowered its forecast for the number of units produced in the first quarter of iPhone XS Max, which starts at $1,099, by 48 percent. According to a Wall Street Journal report in November, Apple cut production orders for all three iPhone models launched in September. Shares in Apple's Asian suppliers and assemblers slid in November after several component makers forecast weaker-than-expected sales, leading some market watchers to call the peak for iPhones in several key markets. Citi has "sell" ratings on iPhone assemblers Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd <2317.TW> and Foxconn Technology Co Ltd <2354.TW> said it sees Hon Hai as particularly vulnerable, with higher exposure to the new models. In early December, TF International Securities analyst cut its first-quarter iPhone shipment estimate by 20 percent. https://cnb.cx/2LhejNR But other analysts remain positive on Apple. Also on Friday, analyst Tom Forte of D.A. Davidson reiterated his "buy" rating on Apple stock and a $280 price target based on a Reuters report earlier this week that Apple plans to begin using Foxconn to assemble some of its newest iPhone models in India in 2019. Forte said in a note to clients he believes some of the decline in Apple's stock in recent weeks has been related to concerns that a trade conflict between the United States and China could hurt the iPhone maker. Increased manufacturing in India could help reduce tariff concerns around the iPhone, he wrote. "While Apple has one of the highest exposures to tariff risks, it is also the best positioned to mitigate these risks. Part of this belief was based on the company's size and ability to both negotiate pricing and terms with its manufacturers and move its manufacturing out of China," Forte wrote. (Reporting by Sonam Rai in Bengaluru and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Cynthia Osterman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Friday after a week of volatile trading ahead of the New Year holiday, supported by a rise in U.S. By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Friday after a week of volatile trading ahead of the New Year holiday, supported by a rise in U.S. equity markets but pressured by worries about a global glut of crude. Brent crude futures rose 6 cents to $52.22 a barrel by 1:12 p.m. EST (1812 GMT), off the session high of $53.80 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 83 cents to $45.44 a barrel, after reaching $46.22 a barrel. Both benchmarks were set for their third straight weekly decline, with Brent on track to drop about 3 percent and WTI about 0.3 percent Oil prices fell to their lowest in a year and a half this week and are down more than 20 percent for 2018, depressed by rising supply and concerns about the global economy. U.S. crude inventories were down by 46,000 barrels in the week to Dec. 21, the Energy Information Administration said, a smaller draw than the 2.9 million barrels analysts polled by Reuters had expected. Gasoline stocks rose by 3 million barrels, trouncing analysts' expectations for a gain of 28,000 barrels. The crude draw "failed to spur much buying interest," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note. "Nonetheless, we viewed the data as price supportive with the exception of the 3 million barrel gasoline supply build." U.S. energy firms added two oil rigs in the week to Dec. 28, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday. The data was seen as an indication of future production. The United States has emerged as the world's biggest crude producer this year, pumping 11.6 million barrels per day (bpd), more than Saudi Arabia or Russia. Oil production has been at or near record highs in the three countries. This month, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia agreed to cut output by 1.2 million bpd, or more than 1 percent of global consumption, starting in January. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday that Russia would cut its crude output by between 3 million and 5 million tonnes in the first half of 2019 as part of the deal. Novak also told reporters the U.S. decision to allow some countries to trade Iranian oil after putting Tehran under sanctions was one of the key factors behind the OPEC deal. Imports of Iranian crude oil by major buyers in Asia hit their lowest level in more than five years in November as the U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil exports took effect, government and ship-tracking data showed. (Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York, Christopher Johnson and Noah Browning in London and Jane Chung in Seoul; Editing by David Evans and Paul Simao) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. On sixteenth day of rescue operations for 15 Meghalaya miners trapped inside a flooded rat-hole mine, three helmets have been recovered even as hope of saving the men, trapped in a tunnel-like space under 70 feet of water since 13 December, becomes bleak. On sixteenth day of rescue operations for 15 Meghalaya miners trapped inside a flooded rat-hole mine, three helmets have been recovered even as hope of saving the men, trapped in a tunnel-like space under 70 feet of water since 13 December, becomes bleak. Meanwhile, Indian Navy divers on Saturday joined the operation to rescue the 15 miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the remote Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills. The crucial pumping equipment, much needed to bring down water levels to a level safe enough for the divers to venture in, is however still hours away from reaching the site . "We first need to survey the entire mining area before pumping out the water from the pit. Our eight pumps of 100 HP each and other equipment are on the way," General Manager of CIL's Northeastern Coalfields J Bora told Outlook. Bora said CIL has mobilised eight high-powered pumps from its establishments across the country and the pumps will be transported to the site by road. The farthest place from where a pump has been mobilised is Bilaspur in Chhatisgarh and the truck carrying it will take three to four days to arrive, Bora said. The high-powered pumps will be transported in trailers from Guwahati till about two kilometres from the accident site. From there vehicles have been requisitioned to carry them to the mine, a senior district official said. Pump manufacturing company Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and Coal India were jointly moving 18 high-powered pumps to drain water out of the 37-foot-deep mine. A team of surveyers from the two companies also conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. They will submit a report to East Jaintia Hills district authorities on the technicalities about positioning pumps for effectively carrying the operation, officials at the site said. The team would carry special diving equipment including a remote-operated vehicle capable of conducting underwater search. The Indian Air Force has airlifted 10 pumps from Bhubaneswar. Its personnel have landed in Guwahati, 270 kilometres away from the coal mine, official sources said. Kirloskar Brothers had volunteered to provide equipment to drain out the water from the mine to facilitate resumption of the halted search and rescue operation in the rat-hole coal pit. A 21-member team of fire fighters from Odisha, who was airlifted by Indian Air Force's C-130J Super Hercules from Bhubaneswar to the Guwahati airport, are also proceeding towards the site at Ksan village in East Jaintia Hills district. Meanwhile, a six-member team of the Opposition Congress in Meghalaya visited the site and found several lacunae in the arrangements made by the district administration. The legislators led by Ampareen Lyngdoh expressed their surprise over district magistrate FM Dopth going on leave in spite of the tragedy of such a scale. "Precious lives are at stake but the officer in-charge of the rescue operations has been allowed to go on leave," she said, demanding that the district magistrate be immediately recalled. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had on Thursday contradicted media reports which quoted it as saying the trapped minors were suspected dead on the basis of the foul odour the force's divers had smelt when they had gone inside the mine. It said in a statement that the foul smell could be due to the stagnant water in the mine as pumping had been halted for more than 48 hours. Two NDRF teams are engaged in the search and rescue operation. Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually 3-4 feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat-holes" as each just about fits one person. With inputs from agencies The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday told Delhi's Patiala Court that the prime accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper case, Christian Michel, has named 'Mrs Gandhi' while being interrogated, but the context of his statement was not clear. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday told Delhi's Patiala court that the prime accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, Christian Michel, has named "Mrs Gandhi" while being interrogated, but the context of his statement was not clear. Michel also spoke about "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country," ANI reported. In addition, according to ANI, Michel also identified how Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was removed from the controversial deal, following which it was offered to Tata instead. The ED is now seeking to ban Michel's lawyer Aljo K Joseph access to his client, alleging he is being tutored from outside, the news agency said. In response, the lawyer said: "We dont dispute that he (Christian Michel) had handed us the papers, but its the fault of the ED that they allowed it to happen." Joseph added that Michel had a query regarding an issue pertaining to legal responses. "He tried to give us something, we didnt see what it was. It was immediately pointed out that he was slipping us a paper and the paper was taken away," he said. In court, the ED said: "We need to decipher who the 'big man' referred to as 'R' is in the communication between Christian Michel and other people. We need to confront Michel with other people to decipher who 'the big man' or 'R' is." Following this, Delhi's Patiala House court sent alleged the middleman to seven-day ED remand, ANI reported. Additionally, the court ordered Michels lawyers to maintain a distance while meeting him. It restricted Michel's time with his lawyers to 15 minutes every morning and evening. Narendra Modi said Christian Michel will reveal 'all secrets' The development comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 December had said the British national, who had earlier too taken Sonia Gandhi's name, will spill the beans on the deal during the former government's tenure. Addressing an election meeting, the prime minister had used the "namdaar" jibe and said those leaders, whose four generations ruled the country, had to knock the doors of court and were out on bail and would not be spared. "You must have read in today's newspapers about VVIP helicopter scam of thousands of crore. You would be aware of a letter of Madam Sonia Gandhi. When we came to power to find out the files, we kept searching for it and finally found a 'razdar' (one who knows all secrets)." "He was a middleman of England, who was living in Dubai. He used to serve the friends of namdaar in Dubai. The government has brought him to India. This razdar will reveal the secrets. Don't know where and how far it will go," he had said. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Prasad accused him of showering Modi with abuses and asserted that "today is the time for the Gandhi family to explain" following the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) statement in court. The Congress has rejected the charge, saying the central government has been using agencies to implicate the Gandhi family. In a sharp attack, Javadekar told reporters that the statement of Michel, who is accused of being a middleman and is under arrest, points to one family which, he claimed, has now been caught. "The ED's disclosure in the court has made it clear that truth can no longer be suppressed. The truth about the Congress and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul is coming out before the people. The people will give the Congress a befitting reply," he said. The country was earlier aware of two words, "family" and "AP", about the VVIP chopper case but Michel has now taken a few more names by referring to "Mrs Gandhi, big man, son of Italian lady, party leader and R", Javadekar said. Prasad claimed Michel was a very key player in the case who was brought to India with due deportation process. "He has taken Sonia ji's name and also given indication about Rahul Gandhi in a chit passed to his lawyer. The raazdar (one carrying secrets), Michel, is disclosing the involvement of others. Today is the time for the Gandhi family to explain," he claimed. With inputs from agencies Modi is desperate to claw back support among Indias 263 million farmers and their many millions of dependents after his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost power earlier this month to the opposition Congress in three big heartland states. New Delhi: Indias prime minister Narendra Modi is considering three options for a relief package to help farmers suffering because of low crop prices at a cost of as much as Rs 3 trillion ($42.82 billion), according to three government sources. The possibilities are a direct payment to all landowning farmers, compensation for those who sold produce below government prices, and a loan forgiveness program. Modi is desperate to claw back support among Indias 263 million farmers and their many millions of dependents after his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost power earlier this month to the opposition Congress in three big heartland states. A general election will be held by May. The government is keen to find a way to get money to farmers as quickly and simply as possible so that they can feel the benefits before the election. That could come at a major cost to its budget, which is already strained because of lower-than-expected tax revenues and is likely to undermine its fiscal deficit target for the year ending in March. The BJP won much of the rural vote at the last election in 2014 but there has been increasing anger with the government in the countryside because Modi has tried to get the market to play a bigger role in setting prices and sought to reduce government intervention. Healthy crop production in the past two years and lower than expected exports have combined to drive prices down at a time when some farm costs have been surging. The quickest option, and currently the most favoured inside the government, is to directly pay landowning farmers Rs 1,700-2,000 per acre, said two of the sources, including one at the farm ministry. They spoke on condition they not be identified. The finance ministry estimates such a scheme, which means farmers would get the money before the next sowing season, could cost up to Rs 1 trillion. The second option would be to compensate farmers for the difference they received by selling their produce in the market compared with the government price that is set for grains and some other products, one of the finance ministry officials said. That would be cheaper, costing about 500 billion rupees, the official added. That option has some major drawbacks, though, as government support schemes have lost credibility because they dont cover all farm produce and claiming from the government has often proven difficult. Middlemen have also taken advantage of such schemes by persuading the farmer to give them part of any subsidy or compensation. The most expensive option at a cost of as much as Rs 3 trillion and the least favoured inside the government, would involve writing off farm loans by up to Rs 100,000 per person. That is a policy that is being pushed hard by the opposition Congress party. Modi in series of discussions "Broadly speaking, the government is considering three options writing off some farm loans, introducing a price differential plan and direct transfer of cash to farmers," said a source at the farm ministry. All three sources said that the government has not yet discussed the ways in which it plans to fund any of the schemes. In the last week, Modi had a series of meetings with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Ministry Radha Mohan Singh and officials from its top think tank Niti Aayog to weigh its options for a farm relief program. BJP president Amit Shah also met Agriculture Minister Singh on Thursday night to discuss the proposals, according to a senior cabinet minister, who did not want to be named. The government is also planning to buttress any package by revising the existing crop insurance policy to facilitate easier settlement of claims and also give greater non-collateralized credit assess to farmers, the minister said. What used to be a three-hour journey across the Brahmaputra in the past is now just a 7-minute sauntering drive, after the inauguration of the Bogibeel bridge. The early morning mist hangs lightly, the ambiance surreal. From Kareng-sapori (Kare is a Mishing dialect word for an extended verandah in a bamboo stilt-raised house, sapori a riverine sandbar), a boat and ferry inland water port on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, about 35 kilometres away from Dhemaji, the contours of the southern bank near Dibrugarh are just about visible. Resma Doley, a petite 20-something who runs a ramshackle teashop, is both wistful and hopeful. After the picnic season this winter, my shop will have no customers. Kareng-sapori ghat will disappear. I am sure other avenues of livelihood will crop up. I am happy that the Bogibeel bridge has finally seen the light of day. What used to be a three-hour journey across the mighty Brahmaputra in the past is now just a 7-minute sauntering drive. Actor and film producer Nip Konwar, a local man, says with a lump in the throat, It is a strange feeling. The river, the ghat, had spawned a unique riverine culture. Many Bihu songs and oinitoms (Mishing love ballads) have been written of pining lovers who were separated by the massive river. This ghat, this ambience, this sub-culture will be gone for good. But the bridge is, without doubt, the best possible news. For centuries, Assams north bank of the Brahmaputra, a veritable gateway to Arunachal Pradesh and further north to the border with China, had been seen as a semi-dark region due to its inaccessibility, immense vulnerability to the annual floods and lack of infrastructure, which led to staggered development that did not keep pace with the progress elsewhere. One big obstacle had been the mighty Brahmaputra which almost slices Assam into a northern and southern part. At certain stretches, one cannot see one bank of the river from the other, not to speak of the situation during monsoons, when the river resembles a furious roaring sea. Bijoy Pait, 50, a pig farmer, scurrying around his few bamboo cages of whimpering piglets in Kareng-sapori, says, As a child, a bridge across the Brahmaputra was in the realm of the imaginary. All of a sudden, it has now come true. Also finding it difficult to come to terms with the new reality is Paits senior colleague Chandra Doley, who shakes his head and admits to his confused state of mind, I am finding it difficult to comprehend the situation. I have been transporting piglets across the river for most of my life on boats and ferries. At times I would miss the ferry and then there would be thunder and furious storms. But from now on, it will be just a drive. It is also not easy for those unfamiliar with the region, to even begin realising how big a change the Christmas day opening of the Bogibeel bridge means. Says Dipak Gogoi, a prominent businessman of Dhemaji, For people who are not from the northern bank, you cannot imagine what the bridge means to us. Emergencies, including medical ones, will be far easier to tackle now. We will have unimaginably easier access to schools, colleges, hospitals, groceries in Dibrugarh. Dibrugarh is the biggest city in Assam after the capital, Guwahati. But there is apprehension too over what the 4.9-kilometre-long link that cost Rs 5,000 crore may lead to. The crowds will come in, vehicles will crowd our roads, our pristine environment and cleanliness will take a backseat. I only hope our innocence is not lost and the delicate ethnic demography is not substantially altered, says Gogoi. Land rates have more than doubled in Dhemaji and nearby Lakhimpur districts even as machine boat (locally called bhotbhotis or fighters) owners are scampering around looking for customers to sell off their boats to. Says Keshab Chattradhara, a local social activist: Land plots near Bogibeel are already in high demand. Already a process of distributing land pattas has started, if only to legitimise existing land holdings. That prices will spiral is a given. There is a strong possibility that local people from the economically weaker sections will sell off their lands and move elsewhere or will pose as fronts for non-locals for business purposes. I only wish the government had done something for about 85 families whose only means of livelihood may take a hit, he adds. Touted as a game-changer for the regions economy, socio-economic progress and national military strategy, the demand for such a bridge was articulated first in 1977. With the government agreeing to the bridge in the Assam Accord of 1985, it has taken 33 years since then till its completion. Besides the ubiquitous red tape, it was also the complexity of the construction that delayed its completion. An entirely new technology has been used that is based on welded pillars, and the bridge is styled on the lines of the Oresund bridge that connects Sweden with Finland. Bogibeel is the fifth bridge across the Brahmaputra after the Saraighat (opened in 1963), Koliabhomora (1987), Jogighopa (1998), and the Dhola-Sadiya (2017). Of these, the Dhola-Sadiya and the Bogibeel are crucial not only for vastly improving connectivity between the backward north bank and the more developed south bank, but also from the strategic standpoint as they would serve as extremely important feeder routes for military movement to the border with China. It is through these two bridges that a lot of military movement may be expected to take place as they are located in a vantage position for supplies of security personnel and material to possible flashpoints like Tuting and Mechuka (in Upper Siang district), Asaphila and Longju (Upper Subansiri), and Dichu (Anjaw), which have some legacy issues when it comes to India-China border tensions. Significantly, while the Dhola-Sadiya bridge can easily withstand weights of up to 60 tonnes, the Bogibeel bridge has been built to hold heavy equipment up to 90 tonnes, thereby enabling smooth movement of the heaviest of Indian infantry equipment and tanks. China already lays claim to the territory of Arunachal Pradesh and calls it South Tibet, while India strongly contests the stand. In 1962, the armies of both nations had clashed in the region. Giza: Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo, officials said. A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded. The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said. The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement. Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 percent safe". "It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists. "We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Later, a statement was issued by the United States condemning the attack: "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said. Tourism struggling Egypt's tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terrorist attacks and domestic instability that has hit the country in recent years. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist assailant at the Egyptian Red Sea beach resort of Hurghada. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula. That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power. Egypt has since been seeking to lure tourists back and spur the lucrative sector by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. Tourism has slowly started picking up. The official statistics agency says tourists arrivals in Egypt in 2017 reached 8.2 million, up from 5.3 million the year before. But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million visitors flocked see the country's sites. Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi. Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local IS branch. More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October. The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major tourist draw attracting visitors from across the globe. Special CBI Judge SJ Sharma made the remarks in a 350-pages judgement on 21 December, while acquitting all the 22 accused in the Sohrabuddin case. The court acquitted the accused due to insufficient evidence and expressed sorrow over the loss of 'three lives.' Mumbai: The CBI probed the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati with pre-conceived and premeditated" theory to implicate political leaders, a special CBI court has said. Special CBI Judge SJ Sharma made the remarks in a 350-pages judgement on 21 December, while acquitting all the 22 accused in the case. The court acquitted the accused due to insufficient evidence and expressed sorrow over the loss of "three lives." While the judgement copy was unavailable Friday, media was given access to portions of the judgement. In his order, Judge Sharma said his predecessor (Judge MB Gosavi) while passing an order of discharge in the application of accused number 16 (BJP president Amit Shah) recorded that the investigation was "politically motivated". "Having given my dispassionate consideration to the entire material placed before me and having examined each of the witnesses and the evidence closely, I have no hesitation in recording that a premier investigating agency like CBI had before it a premeditated theory and a script intended to implicate political leaders," the judgement said. The order said the CBI, during its probe into the case, was doing something other than arriving at the truth of the offences in question. "It clearly appears that the CBI was more concerned in establishing a particular pre-conceived and premeditated theory rather than finding out the truth," the judgement said. It said the CBI did what was required to reach that "goal" instead of conducting a probe in accordance with law. "The entire investigation was thus targeted to act upon a script to achieve the said goal and in the process of its zeal to implicate political leaders, CBI created evidence and placed witness statements in the charge-sheet," the judgement said. Such statements could not withstand the judicial scrutiny of the court and the witnesses deposed fearlessly before this court clearly indicating that their statements were wrongly recorded by CBI to justify its script to implicate political leaders, the court said. The court noted that there was negligence on part of the CBI towards material evidence which clearly indicated that the agency "hurriedly" completed the investigation. "...the CBI thus implicated police personnel who had no knowledge of any conspiracy... rather they appeared innocent," the court said. The judge said he is not oblivious to the agony and frustration caused to the families of the deceased persons and to the society in general when a crime of such a serious nature goes unpunished. "...but then the law does not permit the court to punish the accused on the basis of a moral conviction or on suspicion alone. The burden of truth in a criminal trial never shifts. The burden is always on the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt," the court said. The court noted that there is "regret" that three persons were killed, which was going unpunished. It added that it has no option but to conclude that the accused are not guilty. The order said there was no evidence to prove CBI's theory that the three deceased were abducted by a police team. "The CBI has also failed to establish the presence of the accused police personnel at the spot of the alleged incident," the order said, adding that no witness was examined to show that the policemen were issued service weapons. Of the 22 accused, 21 were junior police officers from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who the CBI said were part of teams which abducted and killed the three in staged encounters. The court said there was nothing to show if service weapons of the accused policemen were used in the killings. The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. CBI said Shaikh was killed on 26 November, 2005, allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. Prajapati, who was lodged in an Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on 27 December, 2006. The CBI had charged 38 persons, including Shah, who was then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like DG Vanzara and PC Pande. The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile. Before the December 21 verdict, 16 people, including Shah, Kataria, Vanzara and Pande were discharged by the CBI court due to lack of evidence. Shah was arrested in the case in July 2010, but released on bail by Gujarat High Court in October 2010. He was discharged by CBI court in December 2014. The 21 December verdict was Judge Sharma's last judgment of his career as he is set to retire on 31 December. Today's top stories: IAF, Navy join efforts to rescue trapped Meghalaya miners; Trump advisor heads to Turkey, Israel after Syria pullout; Anupam Kher against special screening of The Accidental Prime Minister; and more. IAF, Navy join efforts to rescue trapped Meghalaya miners Indian Navy divers on Saturday joined the operation underway to rescue 15 miners trapped inside a flooded rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya since 13 December, officials said Friday. The Navy spokesman said in a tweet that a 15-member diving team from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh will reach the site in the remote Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district Saturday morning. "The team is carrying specialised diving equipment including a re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater," he said. The Navy carried out an initial assessment on Friday to determine an effective response. Pump manufacturing company Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and Coal India were jointly moving 18 high-powered pumps to drain water out of the 37-foot-deep mine. A team of surveyors from the two companies also conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. They will submit a report to East Jaintia Hills district authorities on the technicalities about positioning pumps for effectively carrying the operation, officials at the site said. The team would carry special diving equipment including a remote-operated vehicle capable of conducting an underwater search. The Air Force has airlifted 10 pumps from Bhubaneswar. Its personnel have landed in Guwahati, 270 kilometres away from the coal mine, official sources said. India vs Australia, 3rd Test at Melbourne, Day 4 Australia reached 44/2 at lunch on Day 4 at Melbourne, having lost both their openers early after being set a target of 399 by India. The visitors earlier declared at 106/8, with Pat Cummins registering his career-best haul of 6/27. The series is level at 1-1 right now, and the Indians will retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy should they win the Melbourne Test. Follow live updates on the day's play here. Anupam Kher against special screening of The Accidental Prime Minister As controversy erupted over the upcoming film The Accidental Prime Minister, a film based on former prime minister Manmohan Singh, lead actor of the movie Anupam Kher on Friday said that after certification of a film by the censor board, nobody has the right to ask for showing the film before its release. Earlier in the day, Satyajeet Tambe Patil, president of the Maharashtra State Youth Congress, sent a letter to the producer of the film demanding a special screening before it is released. He raised objections to "incorrect presentation of the facts" in the film, the trailer of which was released on Thursday. However, Kher added: "If Manmohan Singh asks us, we will show him for sure." Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath distributes portfolios; Bala Bachchan gets Home, Bhanot finance Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath distributed portfolios to his cabinet Friday evening, keeping Public Relations, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion Department and Employment Department among others with himself, an official said. Nath also kept the Public Service Management department and the Technical Education with him, he said. Tribal MLA Bala Bachchan, who was a minister in the previous Digvijay Singh-led Congress government, was given Home and Jail, while another senior MLA, Tulsi Silawat, got Health, the Public Relations department official said. Govind Rajput was allocated Revenue and Transport department, while Tarun Bhanot was given the Finance department. MLA Prabhuram Choudhary, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, was given School Education, he said. Trump advisor heads to Turkey, Israel after Syria pullout US national security advisor John Bolton said Friday he would visit Turkey and Israel to coordinate on Syria, after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US forces. Bolton said he would head in January to both Turkey which has enthusiastically backed Trump's sudden move as well as Israel, a close US ally where the pullout has caused concern. "We will discuss our continued work confronting security challenges facing allies and partners in the region, including the next phase of the fight against ISIS (also referred to as Islamic State), as the US begins to bring troops home from Syria," Bolton tweeted. Trump last week unexpectedly said he was pulling all 2,000 troops from Syria, declaring that the United States had achieved its objective as the Islamic State extremist movement had been "knocked" out. Bulandshahr violence: BJP MLA claims cop shot himself BJP MLA Devendra Singh Lodhi on Friday stirred a controversy in Bulandshahr violence case stating that inspector Subodh Kumar shot himself in haste after he became hopeless. Speaking to ANI, Devnedra Singh said: "While trying to save himself, the cop became hopeless and fired at himself in haste. He was not targeted by anyone; it was a mob that got aggressive as the police was not filing an FIR." Notably, Subodh Singh died on 3 December after violence occurred in Bulandshahr over the finding of cow carcasses in Chingrawath village. The post-mortem revealed that Subodh had six marks of injuries inflicted by stones and also a bullet was stuck inside his skull. On Thursday police arrested Prashant Natt, a man who allegedly shot inspector Singh. As per police, Natt has confessed to having shot at Singh. With inputs from PTI The tourists were returning from Sikkim's Nathu La and Tsomgo (Changu) Lake on Friday evening when snowfall in the region blocked roads, leaving over 300 to 400 civil vehicles stranded at various points on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, East Sikkim District Magistrate Kapil Meena said. Gangtok: The Indian Army has rescued more than 1,500 tourists stranded near the 17th Mile in East Sikkim close to the India-China border following heavy snowfall, an official said. The tourists were returning from Nathu La and Tsomgo (Changu) Lake on Friday evening when snowfall in the region blocked roads, leaving over 300 to 400 civil vehicles stranded at various points on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, East Sikkim District Magistrate Kapil Meena said. "The Army immediately swung into action and rescued the tourists. They were then brought to a camp in 17th Mile area and served food and medicines. Arrangements were being put in place to transfer the tourists to the state capital," Meena said. As of now, no tourist vehicle will be allowed to ply on Jawahar Lal Nehru road on way to the border region, he said, adding operations are underway to clear the snow and restore road connectivity. Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in Hanjan area of Pulwama in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, the hiding militants fired upon them. An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Rajpora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, police said. According to local media, four militants belonging to the Jaish-e-Muhammad terror outfit were killed in the gunfight. Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in Hanjan area of Pulwama in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired upon them from their place of hiding. Brief exchange of fire between Security forces & #terrorists at Hanjan #Pulwama. Area under cordon. Details will follow. @JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) December 29, 2018 The forces retaliated, leading to the encounter, the official said. He said the gunfight is going on and further details were awaited. Weapons and other warlike stores were found at the encounter site, the official said. Meanwhile, civilians have reportedly attacked the security personnel engaged in combing operations. CNN-News18 reported that the security forces have been launching their regular search and sanitisation operations late in night or early morning when temperature falls to sub-zero temperatures so as to avoid interaction with the civilian population. However, Saturday's encounter stretched on for over five hours, because of which a run in with the civilians became unavoidable as the news of encounter operation spread, the news channel reported. The encounter comes a day after one militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Awantipora area of Pulwama. Last week ,six terrorists, including a close aide of Zakir Musa, were gunned down during an encounter in Awantipora. With inputs from PTI The Coal India Limited official also pointed out the possibility of water entering the mine from other shafts nearby which have been abandoned. Shillong: As time is running out for the 15 miners trapped inside an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district since 13 December, rescue efforts have started gathering pace with teams of rescuers, experts and divers from different agencies making their way to ground zero. The Indian Navy has deployed a team of 15 divers to assist the rescue teams deployed at the rat-hole mine in Ksan area of Lumthari village. "Indian Navy is deploying a 15 member diving team from Visakhapatnam to assist in the rescue ops for missing miners in Meghalaya. Apart from special diving equipment, the team is also carrying a re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater," Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh, PRO Defence, Meghalaya said on Friday. "The team is expected to arrive on site on Saturday. An initial assessment to determine an effective response was undertaken by the Indian Navy today," he added. Pumps are coming! A 21-member additional team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with equipment including high-pressure pumps is on its way to the spot. After, more than a fortnight since the tragedy wherein 15 miners were trapped inside a coal mine after it got flooded and the pumps which were locally available and initially used did not provide the desired results, the operation may now go into the next level with 20 high pressure pumps on their way. Apart from the 10 pumps being brought by the NDRF, the Coal India Limited too, on a request from the Meghalaya government, has dispatched 10 high power pumps from its various subsidiaries across the country. The 21 NDRF personnel and the pumps were airlifted from Bhubaneswar in a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules to Guwahati by the Indian Air Force on Friday morning and from there, they are making the onward journey by road. The NDRF team is also joined by a special team of firefighters from Odisha. Assistant Commandant 1st Battalion of NDRF, SK Singh, who is heading the rescue operation, said that with the arrival of the high-pressure pumps he was feeling positive that the operation is going in the right direction. "We are hopeful that the high-pressure pumps will be able to pump out the water from the mine and once the water level recedes we can get down till the end. I am very optimistic, Singh said. Tough road ahead Meanwhile, on Friday, General Manager of Coal India Limited's Northeastern Coalfields, J. Borah, visited the accident site. According to Borah, once the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) survey team reaches the spot it will survey the area and try to find the point from where the water is entering the mine. Unless that is done it will be very difficult to de-water the shaft, he said. "We have got a good number of pumps from our subsidiary companies from Bilaspur, Nagpur, Dhanbad and Ranchi, Borah said. However, as they are being transported by trucks and trailers, bringing them to the mines location will be a task because of the hilly terrain and non-motorable roads. Borah added that though the pumps, with a capacity of 500 gallons per minute, sourced from different locations, the generator sets for the power supply will have to be arranged locally. The Coal India Limited official also pointed out the possibility of water entering the mine from other shafts nearby which have been abandoned. There we need to have a survey work of the area and need to collect information from the miners where these mines are inter-connected or not, Borah said. Congress at the coal mine The state Congress party on Friday sent a delegation of local legislators to the accident site. Himalaya Shangpliang MLA and state Congress spokesperson said that this was not the time to play politics. It is our duty as members of the Congress party to be at ground zero and see with our own eyes what actually happened. What is the reason behind slow rescue work and why not a single minister has visited the accident site yet? Does this show the lackadaisical attitude of the government? The Deputy Commissioner did his best with whatever resources available with him, Shangpliang said. Another Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh said that mine owners should have a blueprint of their mines. Such incidents should be wake up call. From now on, mine owners should have a blueprint of their mines. If they do not have a blueprint and a tragedy such as this occurs, it will be difficult for us to help, Lyngdoh said. Kyrmenlang Uriah is a Shillong - based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com. The AAP government's tenure in Delhi shows that a good government at the Centre can make India number one country in the world, Kejriwal asserted. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there is "pro-incumbency" in favour of the AAP-led government because of the work it has done in the last three years. The AAP government's tenure in Delhi shows that a good government at the Centre can make India number one country in the world, Kejriwal asserted. Addressing the party's national council meeting, AAP national convener accused the Centre of creating hurdles before the Delhi government and trying to humiliate the party. "In Delhi, there is no anti-incumbency but pro-incumbency. There will be no anti-incumbency if you serve the people and do not indulge in corruption," Kejriwal said. The AAP has given hope to the people that the country can improve, he said, adding the people are forced to vote for the BJP and the Congress due to limited options. He said the the Assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh show that it was defeat of the BJP, not a victory of the Congress. People have no option therefore they alternatively vote for both the parties. "People in Delhi believe the AAP will again come to power in 2020," he claimed. Kejriwal said the AAP and its government was victimised by the Centre through raids by agencies and arrests of its MLAs. "In four years they created hurdles in our work. There would be no chief minister in the history who could not transfer a peon. We have faced autocracy of the Centre in the last three years. I have faced the CBI and police raid. Police have searched bedroom and kitchen in my house," he said. He said that despite these raids, the central government could not find anything against the party and its leaders. Accusing the BJP-led central government of humiliating the party, Kejriwal said, the BJP leaders even intimated his coughing. "But we stick to Anna's lesson to bear personal insult," he said. National Council, the topmost decision making body of the party, is called to discuss various issues, including the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. ED told a court Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland deal, had named 'Mrs Gandhi', but did not specify in which context the reference was made. Enforcement Directorate on Saturday told a Delhi court that Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, had named Mrs Gandhi, but did not specify in which context the reference was made. "He has also spoken about 'the son of the Italian lady' and how he is going to become the 'next prime minister of the country'," ED's counsel told the court. Congress alleges role of "BJP scriptwriters" In response, the Congress accused the BJP-led government of using its agencies to put pressure on Michel. The reaction of the Opposition party came after a Delhi court, hearing the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, on Saturday imposed restrictions on Michel meeting his lawyers in ED custody after the agency said he was misusing legal access by passing chits to lawyers, asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi". Asked about the development, Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said: "We have seen what the BJP has been doing in this matter. In fact, one of the television channels showed how there is pressure on Christian to name a particular family." On the ED's claim that Michel had spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country, Singh said, "The BJP scriptwriters are working overtime." BJP claims Congress "compromised with national security" Addressing a press conference, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Earlier, we knew only two words 'AP' and 'Family' (allegedly mentioned in notes seized in connection with this case.) Now, there are mentions of 'big man', 'son of Italian lady,' 'R' and 'party leader.' All of these point to one family. The Congress government only engaged in scams and compromised with national security. The 'accidental prime minister' led a government of loot." Javadekar further alleged, "The NDA has extradited Christian Michel successfully, and on the other hand, the Congress is helping him by providing him their advocate...The Congress never carried out any defence deal without the presence of middlemen." Another Union minister Smriti Irani also questioned why a Congress leader sought to defend Michel. She tweeted, "No wonder CONgress rushed a posse of lawyers to defend the indefensible. Any guesses who this son is?" Aljo Joseph, who was in charge of the legal department of the Indian Youth Congress, represented Michel in a special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier this month, after which BJP leader Suresh Nakhua took to Twitter to target him. The All India Congress Committee subsequently announced the removal of Joseph. Yet another BJP leader and Union minister, Piyush Goyal, also referenced the upcoming film while taking a swipe at the Congress over the alleged statements of Michel said. Goyal said, "Under the Accidental Prime Minister, every aspect of Indias national security was up for sale. Can Rahul Gandhi answer?" With inputs from agencies The demand comes following the coal mine disaster in Meghalaya in which 15 people are still trapped in a flooded illegal rat-hole mine at Lumthari village. Shillong: The Opposition Congress in Meghalaya has urged the state government to take steps for legalising coal mining, alleging "rampant" unlawful mining activities in the region. The demand comes following the coal mine disaster in Meghalaya in which 15 people are still trapped in a flooded illegal rat-hole mine at Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district since 13 December. "Why is the state government not taking up the matter of regularising coal mining in the state with the Centre? Legalising mining and strong regulations to surround the activity is the only way out," senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said. Lyngdoh had on Friday led a six-member Opposition team to the accident site and made recommendations to the state government for rescue efforts. "Fresh coal dumps are seen on both sides of the road from Khliehriat till Lumthari. This is evident of the rampant illegal mining that is still going on in the state," she alleged. "It seems lawlessness is becoming supreme here. There were not enough forces to implement the ban either," the Congress leader said. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 imposed a blanket ban on mining and transportation of coal in the state for its adverse environmental effect and the absence of safety measures for the miners. The Shillong East MLA said Meghalaya government has failed to call an all-party meeting to discuss on the need to resolve the ongoing ban. "The government should call us, as we need to fight for legalising (coal mining) since we cannot stop it," she added. A proposal to withdraw 'politically-motivated cases' registered against Congress leaders and workers under previous BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh is on the anvil, newly-appointed Madhya Pradesh Law and Legislative Affairs Minister PC Sharma said Saturday. Bhopal: A proposal to withdraw "politically-motivated cases" registered against Congress leaders and workers under previous BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh is on the anvil, newly-appointed Madhya Pradesh Law and Legislative Affairs Minister PC Sharma said Saturday. Similarly, a plan will be prepared to quash the cases filed against employees' union leaders for taking part in agitations. "I will soon consult with the Principal Secretary of the department (Law and Legislative Affairs) and prepare a proposal to withdraw politically-motivated cases against Congress workers and leaders," the minister told reporters. He said the proposal would be submitted to Chief Minister Kamal Nath for further action. "A proposal to withdraw cases filed against employees' leaders for (participating in) agitations and protests, will also be prepared," said Sharma. In recently-held elections, the Congress came to power for first time after 2003 by defeating Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. The minister also said that his department would propose to withdraw cases filed against journalists under the erstwhile BJP rule. "We will also bring a law for protection of journalists," he said. In its poll manifesto, titled as "Vachan Patra", the Congress had promised to bring such a law. Replying to a question, Sharma said appropriate provisions would be made to fast track hearing of cases related to crimes against women. "It is our top priority to check crimes against women and every possible arrangement would be made," he said. The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is supported by four Independents besides two legislators of the BSP and lone MLA of Samajwadi Party. Press Trust of India Finding ways to hide information in text, unveiling state-sponsored trolls, a plane with no moving parts, wood as strong as titanium and even efforts to go beyond the corporeal to life beyond death... there was seemingly no end to tech innovations in 2018. It was a year that saw technology take a quantum leap to touch virtually every aspect of our lives, and even beyond it may be, from terrestrial to the skies above. In a first, a plane with no moving parts no turbines, propellers or even fans took flight in November. Developed by researchers at US' Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the small prototype was powered by "ionic wind"the flow of ions produced by the plane that generates enough thrust to push it through the air for a sustained, steady flight. This is the first-ever sustained flight of a plane with no moving parts in the propulsion system," Steven Barrett, associate professor at MIT, said in a statement. Another development likely to benefit the aviation industry is an autonomous flying drone that can safely herd birds away from airports. A team of engineers at US' California Institute of Technology were inspired by the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson" when a plane was forced to land on the Hudson River after losing all its engines to a bird strike just after takeoff. In February, engineers at the University of Maryland announced they have found a way to make wood as strong as titanium alloys. "Softwoods like pine or balsa, which grow fast and are more environmentally friendly, could replace slower-growing but denser woods like teak in furniture or buildings," said Liangbing Hu from the University of Maryland. Technology also found its way into the written word. A new font, called Sans Forgetica, can help people better remember what they read. Developed by a team at Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), the font consists of individual letters that have omitted segments, forcing the reader to pay more attention. Another team at Columbia University in the US found a way to hide information in plain text. Their FontCode allowed for embedding hidden information in an ordinary text by ever-so-slightly changing the shape of characters in a font. The receiver could then decipher the code by noting the font perturbations. The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been constantly evolving in the last few years, making its presence felt in all fields. A group at Shree Devi Institute of Technology in Karnataka explored the idea of using AI to digitally resurrect the consciousness of people, allowing one to conduct virtual communications with departed loved ones. At a more tangible level, researchers at Google developed an AI application that can predict heart disease by analysing pictures of the retina. It focuses on retinal blood vessels that might offer hints of a cardiovascular episode. Researchers reported that the app is 70 per cent accurate in tests, roughly equivalent to blood tests. Another machine learning platform was developed by a team at the University of California - Davis in the US which can verify multimedia rumours online. The new tool is meant to distinguish between real and rumour by leveraging the semantic similarity of information sources. The hope is that such applications will help reduce the number of rumour-based online news stories or fake news'. Another developing field of technology known as quantum computing got a major boost this year with researchers reporting the first proof that quantum computers would have a significant advantage over traditional systems. According to the team at Germany's the Technical University of Munich, Canada's University of Waterloo in Canada and IBM, scientists and engineers earlier worked on quantum computer development based on just the belief that the research would eventually pay off in next-level computer systems. While in the last decade solar and wind energy have seen significant advancements, the problem of storing energy harvests from these sources on cloudy days, or when there is no wind, remains a challenge. A group of engineers at MIT developed what they described as a "sun in a box" a renewable energy store for the grid. Their conceptual system stores both solar and wind power and deliver that energy back to the electrical grid on demand. The system would also be large enough to power a small city during periods when the sun is obscured or the wind is not blowing. A collaboration between researchers from Cypress University of Technology, University College London, the University of Alabama and Boston University resulted in an investigation of state-sponsored trolls. By analysing data from Twitter and Reddit, they were able to trace the activities of bad actors over time. They found the majority were from Russia and Iran, and they generally attempted to pose as legitimate users from a host of countries around the globe. The year also saw the end of Moore's law a notion that computing power doubles every year. A trio of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University noted that the famous Moore's law has ended and speculated about what might come next to increase the speed of future computers. Their review includes possible innovations that are likely to make a mark, but they note that some as-yet-unknown technology is required. Irrespective of what the future may have in store, the year 2018 has ushered humanity towards an era of next-generation technology, demonstrating that there is no looking back in scientific innovations. 2018 has been an eventful year, and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories. tech2 News Staff In an end-of-year note by Mark Zuckerberg, you'd have thought that after all the drama that Facebook had to face this year, the company CEO, would maybe find it difficult to appear optimistic. But on the contrary, Zuckerberg is happy at how his company has transformed and taken steps to contain the misuse of its platform. The note can be seen as a bunch of words that give out the message how Mark Zuckerberg is "proud" of his company, about the "focus" of the company and how much the company has progressed. In his post, he might have mentioned that he was "proud" of the company three times, and on the company's 'progress' five times, but not once do you read the word 'Sorry'. There's no mention either about the high profile departures this year WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum to Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Through the note he acknowledges that the social-media giant has been a medium in spreading hate speech, 'fake news' and has intervened in the elections, but the note instead of apologising (again) and maybe being a little empathetic towards its users, seems to put Facebook on a pedestal for all the corrective measures it took. With Facebook being in news every now and then for some wrong-doing to its users, Zuckerberg has spoken of how in future there will be advanced systems in the world to identify and resolve issues. In the post, Zuckerberg mentions how there are now "more than 30,000 people working on safety" and there is an investment of "billions of dollars in security yearly", but still he says the problem of "election interference or harmful speech...can never fully be solved."As mentioned in TechCrunch Facebook's employers have long complained about long hours and low pay and inhuman posts that moderators have to review each day. Zuckerberg might have to take into consideration that maybe the number of staffers may not be enough to fight the battle of violence and abusive content floating on the site. Also this year Facebook witnessed the departure of its Chief Security Officer, Alex Stamos, but there is no mention of a replacement. Fake news, spread of misinformation, meddling in elections, privacy breaches are not only the things Facebook has got infamous for, but the company was also in the news for playing a role in Myanmar's genocide. There were questions directly from US lawmakers addressing this issue, but there has been no acknowledgement of it in the note either. So with Zuckerberg ending his word-post on an optimistic note putting forth a case showing Facebook as a changed and more proactive company, it is time that these words turn into actions. 2018 has been an eventful year, and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories. tech2 News Staff Netflix has announced that iOS users who are new or returning subscribers of the platform users that have missed a billing period will no longer be able to sign up through iTunes for payments to the media platform. Just like it dropped iTunes, Netflix had also stopped the option to pay via Google Play a while ago this year as per Engadget. VentureBeat reported that the streaming platform has confirmed it will no longer allow "iTunes as a method of payment for new members." Those who want to subscribe to Netflix or maintain their subscription will have to pay via the platform's website. iOS users may have no choice but to begin their subscriptions through a web browser like Chrome or Safari. Netflix began testing the change in a few of its markets back in August, slowly rolling it out to all its markets by November. The report notes that Apple takes a 15 to 30 percent cut from in-app subscriptions, which has been an area of conflict between the tech giant and third-party developers. As mentioned in The Verge, Spotify, the leading subscription music app, has also left Apples in-app billing for similar reasons. With iTunes not being the middle agent any longer, Netflix can get all the proceeds from its iOS customers. There also won't be any sharing of profits with Apple, with the additional money likely a considerable amount seeing how it holds a top spot in iOS's list of apps with big revenues. The breakup with iTunes might affect smaller apps, but we highly doubt that it would hinder Netflix's subscription numbers in any way. 2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories. tech2 News Staff An Australian mining firm that constructed a huge, autonomous railway system in a remote region of the country's outbacks claims that it is also the "world's largest robot". The Mining corporation, called Rio Tinto, says that it has been working to finish the autonomous rail system 'AutoHaul' for many years now in a remote region of Pilbara, Australia. The $940 million rail project isn't meant for passengers, but to ferry the iron-ore giant's mining resources and operations from mines to ports, from remote parts of Australia. The company's interest to transport its ores on driverless trains has been a work in progress since 2012. After seeking approvals from the national safety regulator to test "the world's largest robot" in May, it conducted the first fully automated mine-to-port rail journey in July this year. Since then, Rio Tinto has gradually increased the load and distance of the shuttle's journeys, now having close to a million kilometres of "autonomous" travel under its belt, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report. Its been a challenging journey to automate a rail network of this size and scale in a remote location like the Pilbara, Ivan Vella, Rio Tintos managing director told the Sydney Morning Herald. But early results indicate a significant potential to improve productivity, providing increased system flexibility and reducing bottlenecks. The mine-to-port shuttle is only one part of a far more ambitious plan to bring robotics, automation and driverless technology into an industry that is still fairly undecided about embracing the brave new world of modern technology. 2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories. tech2 News Staff Researchers in China have zoomed ahead of every other country in experimenting with gene-editing in humans over the past few years. The technology that powered this boost, a tool called CRISPR-Cas 9 to edit DNA inside living cells, has come under fire from a recent controversy from one such researcher, He Jiankui, whose study led to the birth of twin girls "Lulu and Nana", who Jiankui claims were given immunity to HIV from having their genes edited. There were seven couples that were part of Jiankui's study that had gene-edited babies implanted for a pregnancy, they have been out of view since the start. And this continues to be truly close to two months since the world first learned of the daring study. Now, a new Wall Street Journal report claims that another Chinese startup 'Anhui Kedgene Biotechnology' has lost touch with at least some of the patients in their gene-editing trials. The company was working with late-stage cancer patients whose DNA they altered towards treatments and a potential cure. Lapses in communication between patients and researchers is terrible news for gene-editing, which is getting a lot of heat for long-term effects it may have in humans. It means no one really knows for sure how the edited genes in such studies could affect them and their future generations. Since we do not fully understand the human genome and are still developing knowledge of CRISPR-Cas technology, we need to monitor the intended and unintended consequences over the lifespan of patients, Jennifer Doudna, one of the inventors of CRISPR gene editing told The WSJ. China is now also asking hospitals and universities to submit thorough reports on all human gene-editing trials conducted since 2013, according to a South China Morning Post report. The follow-up from such studies in China could affect gene-editing research well beyond Chinas borders. Jiankui who claimed to have produced the worlds first gene-edited babies works at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, and says that he used CRISPR gene-editing technology to alter the DNA in several human embryos. He even made an unusual choice of platform for his official announcement: YouTube. Soon after news about the experiment broke, the researcher and his team were caught in a sea of questions from ethical experts. The university, Jiankui's colleagues and the Chinese government pleaded ignorance to not having the faintest idea that such a study was underway. This prompted China to finally look into its scientists human gene-editing trials. The government expanded its 'social credit system' to include misconduct by researchers as in the case of Jiankui. Chinas sudden awareness about whats happening within the walls of its labs could hopefully prevent other researchers from following in the footsteps of Jiankui. 2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories. Donald Trump announced that he was considering reducing US troops in Afghanistan by almost half. It has been a bewildering time for almost everyone in the power corridors of Washington, as the year ends with another government shut down over the presidents pet project of a border wall with Mexico. It has been even more bewildering for a lot of other countries, accustomed as they have been to a more or less set pattern to US policy, and at the minimum, adequate warning of impending changes. For parts of Asia in particular, it has been a bit like a carnival ride, with an up and down flavour that is probably making a lot of officials sick to their stomach. China, and to a lesser extent Pakistan, have been particularly affected, not to mention the rest of Asia, which is seeing mixed signals from Washington. Some trend-spotting is interesting as the year ends, with a view to estimating what to expect in 2019. First things first. Early fears that US president Donald Trump was going to turn his back on the rest of the world, particularly Asia, has proved unfounded. In fact, it has turned out to be quite the opposite. Few US presidents have cared to call out Pakistan so publicly as a sponsor of terrorism in a strategy speech which bluntly said we have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars, at the same time, they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately." That gave Rawalpindi a shock, but it assumed that it could nevertheless jolly along US generals as it had in the past, and continue standard operations of pushing the Taliban along a military tack. Then came the second shock. The US president announced that he was considering reducing US troops in Afghanistan by almost half. Despite analysts in India warning of death and disaster, what it did was to put the Pakistan Army on a clock. Deliver on the Taliban or else. And so far, at year end, it seems they did. There has been a virtual breakout of talks between all sides, with some hint of negotiations with Kabul also present. In 2019, expect pressure on Pakistan to increase through various instruments. In recent days, Pakistan has made its first seeming full disclosure of Chinese lending to the International Monetary Fund. More are likely to follow, as Pakistan realises that Trumps obvious impatience with the whole Afghan adventure is not going to lead to a simple walk away, but a concentrated twisting of arms using as he had promised all instruments of state power. And theres nothing very much that Beijing is likely to do. Its even more tired of the endless Afghan war. Beijing, meanwhile, has had much on its plate in 2018 which shows no signs of abating. The trade war has temporarily been put on hold, with the White House statement seeming to show that the US was willing to step back from blistering tariffs for a mere 90 days. In return, Beijing seems to have offered some important concessions on structural changes with respect to forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft, services and agriculture, and all of that to be completed within the stated period. If even a part of this is implemented, it will offer American farmers entry into the lucrative Chinese market, which means a huge rise in popularity ratings for the US president. The rest of the structural changes will hardly be carried out so soon, and both sides know it. Both expect that the trade war will continue, at least till the time of re-election for the president, when he will want deliverables in the form of a a Chinese takeaway. In 2019, therefore, Beijing will be even more on the look out for sympathy and trade concessions elsewhere. That means both opportunity and danger for New Delhi and Japan. Japans exports to China are certainly rising, India not so much. The danger, however, is far wider. As Ali Wyne from RAND observes, the Trump effort to de-couple the inescapable mutuality between the US and China that Apple CEO Tim Cook referred to is likely to be trouble for everyone. In 2019, hold on to your money. Its going to be a rocky ride. And what of that favourite country that everyone loves to hate? North Korea fired no missiles at all in 2018, nor did it conduct a nuclear test. That may be because it has now gone into mass production, as the dictator himself had stated in the beginning of the year. Other reportage indicates an unease in South Korea where there is no real belief that North Korea will ever give up its nuclear arsenal, despite its earlier promise to dismantle the Yongbyon facility. Moreover, there is a huge and vast difference between what North Korea and the US see as de-nuclearisation. Pyongyang basically wants the US to leave the area, together with its nuclear umbrella. That is not going to happen not within the lifetime of the young Kim Jong-un anyway. Since patient negotiations are not the presidents style, expect a sudden Trumpian tightening of the noose around Kim, and resultant rise in tensions, and just maybe a missile test or two. And what of India, who is so far seen as one of the good guys as long as its economy continues to rise, and it continues to offer a good investment climate? Being nominated as a US partner in the Indo-Pacific doesnt come cheap, nor does scaling up defence capabilities, but thats for another story. Suffice to say that the economy is likely to be central to Indo-US relations in 2019 and should be the holy cow for the ruling coalition in the coming elections. That means a bullish market ripe for growth, and not the bovine thats eating plastic on the streets. Thats already passe. Overall, expect a rip tide in 2019 that can carry you out to sea, outside traditional comfort zones. ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Eritrea has blocked entry for Ethiopians at one of the border crossings that opened this year after the neighbours ended a long military standoff and restored relations, an Ethiopian official and people who live near the crossing said on Friday. ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Eritrea has blocked entry for Ethiopians at one of the border crossings that opened this year after the neighbours ended a long military standoff and restored relations, an Ethiopian official and people who live near the crossing said on Friday. Liya Kassa, spokeswoman for the regional administration in the Tigray region which borders Eritrea, said Ethiopian citizens and Ethiopia-licensed vehicles travelling to Eritrea from the Ethiopian town of Rama were asked for "permits" on Wednesday. Those using a crossing in Zalambessa were asked the same on Thursday, she said. "The restrictions have only been imposed on the Eritrean side," she said. "We did not receive any prior notice." It was not clear why Ethiopians were being prevented from entering at the Zalambessa crossing, which was shut on Thursday morning and remained closed on Friday, said Solomon Desta, a minibus driver on the Ethiopian side, speaking by phone. The crossing opened in September, after the countries agreed to remove their troops as part of a reconciliation process. Thousands of people have crossed since. Trade has flourished and families separated since war broke out between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998 have reunited. A spokesman for Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry told reporters on Thursday that he had no information about any border restrictions. Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Ghebremeskel, did not respond to phone calls on Friday. Tsegaye Kassaye, a tyre fixer on the Ethiopian side of the frontier, said by phone that Eritreans were being permitted to enter Eritrea, and Ethiopians were being allowed to leave. (Reporting by Tiksa Negeri and Aaron Maasho; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Kevin Liffey) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The leaders of France and Germany on Friday reiterated their call for a 'solid, full and permanent ceasefire' in Ukraine's conflict-torn east ahead of a planned cessation of hostilities. Their remarks came a day after representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) announced that a fresh ceasefire would start Saturday morning. Paris: The leaders of France and Germany on Friday reiterated their call for a "solid, full and permanent ceasefire" in Ukraine's conflict-torn east ahead of a planned cessation of hostilities. Their remarks came a day after representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) announced that a fresh ceasefire would start Saturday morning. More than 10,000 people have been killed since the Moscow-backed insurgency broke out in eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions in April 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The 2015 Minsk summit laid out a ceasefire and international monitoring in eastern Ukraine, but a pro-Russian insurgency has persisted. In a joint statement, French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the latest ceasefire announcement. "The approach of the New Year's and Orthodox Christmas holidays must serve as an opportunity for the stakeholders in the conflict in eastern Ukraine to focus on the needs of civilians, who have suffered all too long as a result of this conflict and its consequences," the leaders said. "The guarantee of a safe and secure environment should enable the implementation of crucial humanitarian measures. We now call on the parties to assume their full responsibilities, especially with regard to civilians in the area." On Wednesday, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko announced the end of martial law in the country's border regions, which was introduced last month after Russia's seizure of three of Kiev's navy vessels in the Sea of Azov. Russian border patrol boats fired on, boarded and seized the three Ukrainian vessels, along with 24 sailors, in November off the coast of Crimea. The sailors are still being held in detention by Russian authorities. Macron and Merkel said these "excessive inspections" were a source of "deep concern". "We call for all ships using the Kerch Strait to be given safe, free, and unhindered passage, and for the immediate and unconditional release of the Ukrainian sailors. They too must be allowed to spend the holidays with their families." In a separate statement, Merkel's office said the chancellor had also discussed the Ukrainian issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call Friday and urged the release of the sailors. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Foreign and defence ministers from Russia and Turkey discussed coordination between their forces in Syria after the United States' decision to withdraw troops from the Arab republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday. 'Today, an understanding was reached on how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue coordinating their steps 'on the ground' under new conditions with a view to the ultimate eradication of the terrorist threat in the Syrian Arab Republic,' Lavrov said. In an abrupt policy shift, Trump has said that Washington would withdraw roughly 2,000 U.S. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Foreign and defence ministers from Russia and Turkey discussed coordination between their forces in Syria after the United States' decision to withdraw troops from the Arab republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday. "Today, an understanding was reached on how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue coordinating their steps "on the ground" under new conditions with a view to the ultimate eradication of the terrorist threat in the Syrian Arab Republic," Lavrov said. In an abrupt policy shift, Trump has said that Washington would withdraw roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, upending a pillar of American policy in the Middle East and alarming U.S. allies. (Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by David Evans) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. After half a year in development, Spam protection in Android Messages is finally going live to some users, though not everyone seems to have it just yet. This means the change appears to be server-side and in a limited roll out for the time being. When the feature does hit your device, you should see a notification detailing you about the new Spam protection. A new Spam protection option in the Advanced section of the Settings menu will also appear allowing you to manually toggle the feature on or off. When the setting is enabled, some information about the messages you receive will be sent to Google, however, it will not read the message content like your phone number or the actual message itself. How the Spam protection works is undescribed, but presumably, it looks at that data statistically to determine commonalities between spam messages to detect them. If you send a spam report manually, it still submits the full message to Google, including phone numbers of both sender and recipient as well as the messages contents. For now, it remains to be seen how effective Googles solution may be against the increasing number of spam messages. Source New York from playing for real money on their website. Alternatives include Americas Cardroom , available to play for real money in all 50 states. PokerStars forbids those fromfrom playing for real money on their website., available to play for real money in all 50 states. New York was closing in on offering Internet poker but that appears to be somewhere in the distant future as the state has shifted away from wanting mobile/online gambling outside of casinos. This includes with sports betting. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for May 8, 2019. A number of Native American casinos host live poker rooms. The state opened four commercial casinos, three of which feature poker. These poker rooms operate in the state: del Lago Resort & Casino (Waterloo, NY) Resorts World Catskills (Monticello, NY) Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor (Schenectady, NY) Seneca Niagara Casino (Niagara Falls, NY) Seneca Salamanca Casino (Salamanca, NY) Tioga Downs Casino (Nichols, NY) Turning Stone Casino (Verona, NY) One can only imagine those playing have an insatiable appetite to play online. Americas Cardroom is one of the few sites that has long served the U.S. market and is currently offering a $6 million guaranteed online tournament with a $1 million first place prize . Americas Cardroom tends to rank as the 8th largest online poker site in the world. It also offers a sportsbook and online casino. Looking for a sportsbook? Americas Cardroom has one! Join Here - Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. First look at the Vivo NEX 5G smartphone based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC News oi-Vivek Vivo NEX is the first smartphone from the brand with a pop-up camera In an exclusive interview with GizBot, Vivo India Director Brand Strategy Nipun Marya officially confirmed that the Vivo will be one of the first smartphone brands to launch 5G smartphones and peripherals in India. On a similar note, at the Xinhua News Agency media conference Vivo has officially showcased the working prototype of the Vivo NEX smartphone with 5G capabilities, aka, the Vivo NEX 5G with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Solution. Powered by Snapdragon 855 SoC As expected, the 5G iteration of the Vivo NEX is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC with Snapdragon X50 modem. With respect to the overall design and aesthetics of the new Vivo NEX, the device does look almost identical to the original Vivo NEX with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. Unlike the 4G version, the 5G Vivo NEX comes with a newly designed motherboard and antenna to improve the overall 5G connectivity. The smartphone is also equipped with a big battery, which can last longer. Vivo is one of the early adopters of the 5G technology. The company started to work on a 5G smartphone in 2016, and it created a dedicated 5G R&D center in 2017. Vivo is most likely to launch a 5G smartphone in 2019 (initially in China) to compete against the likes of the OnePlus, Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi, and other smartphone brands. As of now, there is no exact information about the price or the availability of the Vivo NEX 5G smartphone in China or India. The company is most likely to announce the 5G smartphone at the upcoming MWC 2019 in Barcelona. The company will face tough competition in the 5G era (2019), where almost every other major smartphone OEMs will be launching 5G smartphones. If Vivo can come up with a solid 5G smartphone with a premium design and feature, then the company can get some early credits. What do you think about the 5G technology? Will it be as impressive as we think? Share your views in the comment box. Source Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications The Montana Department of Justice have amended charges earlier this week against former Valley County Undersheriff Luke Strommen alleging that he not only committed the crime of felony Sexual Abuse of a Child but that he is also being charged with... Lipa City (CNN Philippines, December 29) The head of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in Lipa City, Batangas was shot dead Friday night. Marlon Luancing, 62, was in a cockpit arena when the gunmen shot him several times at around 8 p.m. PO3 Ronald Villegas and three others were also wounded after being shot in the legs and body. Authorities later arrested two suspects in a follow-up operation in Silang, Cavite. Witnesses said they were the ones who gunned Luancing down. Investigation is ongoing. Stockdale Wraps Up Port Visit to Muscat, Oman Navy News Service Story Number: NNS181228-04 Release Date: 12/28/2018 8:27:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Abigayle Lutz, Carrier Strike Group 3 Public Affairs MUSCAT, OMAN (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) successfully completed a scheduled port visit to Muscat, Oman, Dec. 24. The four-day visit provided Sailors the opportunity to experience Omani culture and traditions, partake in tours, and interact with local citizens. "The crew was excited to make our first port visit to Muscat," said Cmdr. Leonard Leos, commanding officer, Stockdale. "Its rich culture and history, beautiful scenery, warm beaches and relaxing hotels were just what my crew needed. It gave us a chance to relax and take in all that Oman has to offer." For a lot of the Stockdale crew, this was their first port visit in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. "I went sightseeing," said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Caithness, from Morehead City, North Carolina. "I got to relax at my hotel and see the beach, which was peaceful." While on liberty, Sailors participated in several cultural tours sponsored through the ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program. One of the MWR tours was to see Oman's "grand canyon" where Sailors were able to explore the scenic side of Oman. "I love travelling, I love going hiking and I love nature," said Ship's Serviceman 3rd Class Joseph Musngi, from San Diego. "Every place you visit, you should do a tour. On my tour we went to the highest point of their grand canyon. We also visited a market and I had some really good quality coffee. The tour amazed me because I love seeing nature, meaningful places and different cultures." Stockdale is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to boost weapons research following Russia hypersonic missile test: Pentagon Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 09:34AM The US Defense Department will boost research in hypersonic offense and defense weapons, in response to a recent Russian test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile system, according to US media. The Pentagon will step its focus on hypersonic weapons as Russia and China continue their march toward fielding the technology and erode America's dominance, Lieutenant Colonel Michelle Baldanza, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told the Voice of America (VOA). "While the United States has been the world leader in hypersonic system research for many decades, we did not choose to weaponize it," Baldanza told VOA.. "Those who have decided to weaponize hypersonics are creating a war-fighting asymmetry that we must address," she added. "We are pursuing options for weapons delivered from land, sea and air to hold at risk high value, heavily defended and time critical targets at relevant ranges so that we can ensure our ability to dominate the battlefield by 2028." The new Russian intercontinental missile system, dubbed Avangard, is a hypersonic glider that detaches itself from a rocket after being launched and glides back to earth at speeds faster than the speed of sound. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who oversaw the missile's test on Wednesday, said the weapon is "invulnerable" to US missile defenses and will ensure Russia's security for decades to come. "This is a wonderful, excellent gift for the country for the New Year," the Tass news service quoted Putin as saying. He said the weapon will become part of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces next year. In March, Putin announced an array of new strategic nuclear weapons that can hit a target anywhere in the world, including the US. The Russian test comes at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US.presidential election and the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. Russia is planning to modernize its strategic and conventional weapons in reaction to US President Donald Trump's threats to withdraw from the Soviet-era Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which bans the two sides from developing land-based missile systems ranging from 310 to 3,400 miles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Israel to block planned Palestinian statehood initiative at UN Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 08:05AM The United States and Israel have planned to block an upcoming Palestinian statehood initiative at the United Nations Security Council. "We are preparing to stop the initiative," said Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon in a statement on Thursday. Danon said his delegation is working with the US administration to counter the Palestinian move. The Israeli official expressed frustration about the initiative, accusing the Palestinian Authority of "paying salaries to terrorists each month" and having the "audacity" to apply for UN state membership. "Instead of focusing on building a better and more hopeful future for the Palestinians and helping to ensure stability in the region, the Palestinian leadership is continuing its destructive policies that have encouraged recent terror attacks", the Israeli envoy claimed. Danon made the remarks after Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki announced on Wednesday that he intends to initiate an application for UN state membership in mid-January. Earlier this year, the UN General Assembly voted, by an overwhelming majority, to temporarily grant the "State of Palestine" additional rights and privileges, allowing it to head the "Group of 77", the biggest bloc of developing countries at the UN. The PA will take over leadership of the group in January. Al-Malki plans to initiate the UN membership application at the related event in mid-January, according to various Palestinian media sources. The last time the PA had applied for full UN membership was in 2011. UN membership requires approval from at least 9 of the UNSC's 15 members. The Security Council, however, did not reach such an agreement at the time, and instead recommended that the General Assembly give Palestine the status of a non-member observer state. Consequently, Palestine's status was upgraded to an observer state after winning 138 favorable votes at the General Assembly on November 29, 2012. Only 9 countries opposed the measure. Decisions made at the General Assembly cannot be vetoed by any of the other five permanent council members, including the US. The US is, however, expected to veto any upcoming Palestinian statehood resolution at the UNSC. Unilateral statehood for Palestine The PA's new initiative contrasts with that of past negotiations, such as the Oslo Accords, where Palestinian statehood was to be considered only after a final status agreement with Israel was achieved. The push for unilateral statehood recognition comes as many believe Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have been clearly undermined by illegal Israeli settlement construction and other such violations. The anticipated Palestinian move comes as US President Donald Trump has yet to unveil his so-called "Deal of the Century", the president's allegedly new Middle East road map. The controversial proposal, which has been described to be in line with the US' recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last year, has drawn condemnation from many Palestinian and international figures. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior State Department Official Previewing Secretary Pompeo's Upcoming Travel to Brazil and Colombia Special Briefing State Department Official Via Teleconference December 28, 2018 MODERATOR: Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us. Welcome to this background call to preview the Secretary's travel to Brazil and Colombia from December 31 to January 2. As a reminder, today's call is on background for attribution to a senior State Department official and will be embargoed until the end of the call. For your reference purposes only and not for reporting, we are very fortunate to have with us this morning [Senior State Department Official]. I will now turn the call over to [Senior State Department Official] for opening comments on the Secretary's trip. She will then take your questions on the upcoming trip. Thank you very much. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thank you, [Moderator]. Hi. Good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining the call. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to preview the Secretary's trip to Brazil and Colombia early next week. The Secretary will be leading the presidential delegation to the inauguration of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, and then we'll visit Cartagena, Colombia. The visit I think shows that the United States is seizing the opportunity to forge a close and comprehensive partnership with South America's most populous democracy, the world's eighth-largest economy, and to make both of our countries more prosperous and secure. President-elect Bolsonaro has expressed interest in closer ties with the United States and our regional allies, and we of course welcome this. Brazil's latest free and fair election shines as an example of the country's vibrant democratic institutions and presents a historic opportunity for closer ties between our two countries. We look forward to building a stronger partnership with Brazil across the gamut of our relationship, from bilateral relations, in regional affairs, and around the globe. As you well know, Brazil has long been a major player in global affairs, and we look forward to working more closely with the incoming government. The United States is Brazil's second-largest trading partner and we have approximately 100 billion in bilateral in goods and services. And we seek we're going to be seeking to increase trade and investment between our countries, including opportunities across many sectors of the economy technology, defense, and agriculture, to name a few. Based on President-elect Bolsonaro's recent comments, we also look forward to working with Brazil in multilateral fora to achieve our goals while respecting national sovereignty. As Secretary Pompeo said in Brussels earlier this month, our mission is to reassert our sovereignty, reform the liberal international order, and we want our friends to help us and to exert their sovereignty as well. We also welcome President-elect Bolsonaro's comments regarding moving the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in support of Israel's sovereign right to have its capital, Jerusalem, recognized by nations around the world. We look forward to welcoming many more of our friends and allies in Jerusalem. Following his trip to Brazil, Secretary Pompeo will travel to Cartagena, Colombia, to meet with Colombian President Ivan Duque to further our strong partnership with Colombia and build a more prosperous and secure hemisphere. This trip wraps up a very busy year of high-level engagement in the region and kicks off the start of the new year of 2019 of high-level engagement. Just to recap briefly, you're probably aware that last month Secretary Pompeo was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the G20 leaders summit; in October, he traveled to Panama and Mexico City; and he had been in Mexico City earlier this year in July following the victory of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. So this marks his fourth trip to the region in just over half a year. His trip to Brazil also follows other high-level visits to Brazil this year, including by the Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and most recently the national security advisor. On this trip to Brazil and Colombia, Secretary Pompeo will continue these efforts to support a safer and more secure, prosperous, and free future for U.S., Brazilian, Colombian, and all of our hemisphere's citizens. I'd like to give you just a little bit of the detail on the itinerary. He will travel to Brasilia, Brazil, on December the 31st, leading the presidential delegation to the inauguration on January the 1st, and while in Brazil, he will also meet with regional counterparts. Accompanying him on the official delegation will be USAID Administrator Mark Green, charge d'affaires of our mission in Brazil William Popp, National Security Council Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs Mauricio Claver-Carone, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Julie Chung. In Brasilia, the Secretary will meet with Brazilian President-elect Bolsonaro and his foreign minister-designate Ernesto Araujo to outline our priorities for cooperation for the year ahead. I'm sure they will discuss strengthening our economic ties, expanding our trade relationship, and also regional and foreign affairs. In particular, I would think they would be likely to discuss China and China's predatory trade and lending practices, which the Bolsonaro administration or President-elect Bolsonaro has indicated run counter to Brazil's sovereignty in some cases. As Secretary Pompeo has said, we're all concerned about China and the way China enters countries. It's not always the case that when China shows up it's with good intention for the people of the country they are showing up to ostensibly support. They will also discuss regional affairs and efforts to defend and promote democracy and human rights in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. The United States intends to work with Brazil to support the people in these countries who are struggling to live in freedom against these repressive regimes. They are also likely to discuss joint efforts to combat transnational crime, to counter terrorism, increase border security, as well as counternarcotics, as well as cooperation on global issues including addressing unfair trade practices and global concerns like North Korea. The Secretary will also meet with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra while in Brasilia, and I'm sure will thank him for his regional leadership of the Lima Group in condemning the Maduro regime in Venezuela and applaud Peru's generosity in hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants. The Secretary will conclude his travel with a stop in Cartagena, Colombia to meet with President Ivan Duque. The Secretary's visit to Colombia will build on our countries' mutual success under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which has doubled U.S. agricultural exports as of 2017. I'm sure they will also discuss the Colombian role in hosting Venezuelan migrants and leading the charge against the Maduro regime in Venezuela and our joint efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela. After the stop in Cartagena, the Secretary is scheduled to return to Washington. Just a couple more notes. On behalf of the President, National Security Advisor Bolton has invited President-elect Bolsonaro to visit the United States, and we look forward to what will hopefully be his first official visit early in the year ahead. That is all that I have for opening remarks. Thank you, and I'm happy to take any questions that you may have about the Secretary's trip. MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll now go to our first question. OPERATOR: And our first question comes from the line of Cristobal Vasquez with Radio Caracol. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Yes, hi, thank you. I would like to know during Pompeo's visit to Cartagena, is he going to meet only with Duque or is he going to meet with other other people from the government here in Colombia? And also wanted to ask: Is are they going to talk about any sorts of aid, military aid to Colombia in order to protect the region considering the Russian threat of the planes? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks for the question. It's my understanding that he is only meeting with President Duque because the meeting is in Cartagena and not in Bogota. But we can double-check that and try to get back to you with any further detail. As I mentioned, I am sure they're going to be discussing the crisis in Venezuela and the outflow in particular of migrants, which you know Colombia has been hosting the lion's share of the migrants fleeing. The last figure I had seen was something on the order of a million Venezuelan migrants. And so I'm certain that they'll be discussing the issue of Venezuela broadly, and in particular, there's a very important date that is coming up, which is the 10th of January, where Maduro will hand over power to himself based on an election that many governments in the region and globally have condemned, including the United States, have condemned as illegitimate. So we will be discussing, I'm sure, our joint efforts with Colombia and with the region to address this new era beginning on the 10th of January in Venezuela. MODERATOR: We'll go to the next question now. OPERATOR: And that question is from Michele Kelemen, NPR. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Yeah, hi, thanks. You mentioned that in Brazil he'll be meeting other regional players, but I also wanted to know if he's going to be meeting with Netanyahu there. And how quickly are you expecting this embassy move, the Brazilian embassy move? What have they told you about that? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks. I don't have the answer for you on the Netanyahu meeting. It's I'm not certain of the answer there. I know there's been discussion of it, but I don't know what the outcome has been up to this point. So we'll have to have someone get back with you about when if and when that meeting is confirmed. In terms of the embassy move, that would be up to the government. Let's let them get in and take office and see how quickly they can do that. When other governments have done so in the region, I think the moves have been relatively quick, if that's any measure. But we'll leave it to the incoming government to determine its timeline. MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll go on to the next question now, please. OPERATOR: The next question is from the line of Carol Morello, Washington Post. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi, thank you. If you'll permit me, I have a question about each country. As you know, in Brazil, many members of civil society have expressed concern about incoming President Bolsonaro. Does the Secretary plan to talk with him about U.S. expectations for the need for democracy, human rights, protection of minorities and the rule of law when he takes power? And also, just in general, as you know, President Maduro said earlier this month that the United States, he believes with the aid of Bolsonaro and President Duque, is plotting a coup against him. Did you plan on did the Secretary plan to go to Colombia before the Russian bombers came to Venezuela for the war games? And are you at all concerned about that this might increase tensions in the region, or are you discussing a new strategy? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Hi. Thanks, Carol. To your first point, I'm certain that the Secretary and the president-elect will discuss human rights, and I would point you to I realize there's been some concern about older statements that were made many years ago. What we see at this point since the president-elect was elected by the Brazilian people is somebody who is taking a very strident and very forceful approach to human rights, particularly across the region. As you're aware, the president-elect has been very forward-leaning on Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua in his defense of the human rights and the freedoms and democracy for the people in those countries. So I'm sure that those issues will be on the agenda. In terms of the Colombia trip, these schedule things evolve over time. Colombia is always a very high-priority issue for us. I know it's a high-priority issue for the Secretary, certainly. He was very concerned about the visit of the Russian bombers, but I don't see this as a direct correlation. Colombia is one of our closets partners in the Western Hemisphere. We have a deep, long, enduring relationship with Colombia. It's a top priority for us, so I'm sure that this trip would have occurred anyway. MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll take the next question. OPERATOR: And that's from the line of Shaun Tandon, AFP. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Yeah, thanks for doing this call. You mentioned the reassertion of sovereignty as a priority with Bolsonaro. I wanted to know if he'd say something about climate change. He's flirted a bit with leaving the Paris accord in the footsteps of Trump, President Trump. I wanted to see if that's something that you plan to discuss, climate and the Paris accord, and what direction you'd like Brazil to go on that issue. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks for the question. First of all, just to be very clear, I mean, we started the question on sovereignty. This is a sovereign issue for Brazil, so certainly I think the issue of state sovereignty in multilateral institutions is a broad and deep issue that cuts across many things beyond the Paris Agreement, so I would expect there'll be a conversation about that broadly. And it relates to this broader issue of having to ensure the international system is working in a way that is beneficial to the countries and member-states of the various institutions. So whether Brazil will or will not stay in the Paris accord is clearly a sovereign decision of Brazil, so but I do think, broadly speaking, there will be conversation about kind of state sovereignty and the role of the nation-state in international affairs and in multilateral institutions. MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll take the next question. OPERATOR: And that's from the line of Beatriz Bulla, Estadao. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi, [Senior State Department Official]. My name is Beatriz. I would like to ask you two things. First of all is about the relations with China. You mentioned that the Secretary Pompeo want to talk about this with Bolsonaro, so is there any concrete measure regarding trade with China that the U.S. is expecting from Bolsonaro's administration in Brazil? And the second question is about the official visit to the United States. So is there any date in mind that you are planning to receive Bolsonaro here? Are you starting planning this trip? Can you talk a little about it? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thank you. Thank you for the questions. On China similar answer to the last one, which is Brazil's relationship with China are a sovereign decision of Brazil, but we have noted some of the president-elect's comments about his concern about the role of China in Brazil, and that is a conversation that we're having the role of China in the Western Hemisphere that we've had in Panama, that we have with Canada, that we have with Mexico. This is an ongoing issue and I think the Secretary has been very clear that we are more than happy to compete on a level playing field with Chinese companies. We just want to be sure that there is in fact a level playing field and that when Chinese investors come that they do things that end up being in the interests of the country in which they were investing. And I think there's been some very good reporting in the past week or so and in several publications about Chinese investments that have not ended up being helpful in terms of rule of law, in terms of anticorruption, or in terms of actually completing projects that were committed. So I think there'll be a broad conversation about that, but at the end of the day, decisions about investment are sovereign decisions of Brazil. In terms of the day, I don't have anything for you. That will be (inaudible) by the White House, and I'd have to refer you to them for any details on visit. I'm not aware of the date at this point, but I'm sure we will hope to iron out one quickly. MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll take the next question, please. OPERATOR: That's from Beatriz Pascual, EFE. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi, thank you very much for doing the call. I'm you mentioned, [Senior State Department Official], that Pompeo will be discussing joint efforts with Colombia and region for the new era that opens in Venezuela after January the 10th. Is the Secretary going to discuss also this with the Peruvian president and with the and with Bolsonaro, the new Brazilian president? And what is the position in the of the United States in this issue? Is the United States prepared to cut diplomatic relations with Venezuela? Thank you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks for the question. So I think the short answer is I'm sure this will come up with (inaudible) like Bolsonaro as well. This is something that we're discussing across the region with members of the Lima Group and with other countries, as well as with the European Union and other interested nations. It's an important moment. There are actually two important dates; one is the 5th of January, which is the handover in power in the legitimate national assembly in Venezuela, and the other is the Maduro handover to himself on the 10th. So it's an ongoing conversation. I think there is (inaudible) concern across the region. All of our governments are talking to each other (inaudible) and looking at what options are (inaudible) to address what's considered to be an illegitimate transition based on an election that we have (inaudible) condemned as illegitimate. In terms of (inaudible) we're going to (inaudible) January, I'm not going to get ahead at this point of the decision making on that. But I will say we view it as an important date, and we view with great concern the situation in Venezuela. MODERATOR: We'll go to the next question now. OPERATOR: And that's from the line of Jennifer Hansler, CNN. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi there. Thank you so much for doing this call. While we have you on the phone, [Senior State Department Official], I was wondering if you had any insight into the President's tweets about the Northern Triangle this morning. Has there been a change in the aid guidance for those countries given he said they're going to be cut off from aid? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks. I think this the President has made very clear that U.S. aid and our assistance to countries needs to achieve U.S. objectives. And in this case, the objective is and has been since the bipartisan support of the policy in the Hill I believe it was 2015 was the first year of the package the objective has been helping people to thrive at home in the countries of the Northern Triangle so that they would not have to migrate. I think it stands to reason that if you are (inaudible) formation of caravans involving thousands of people coming to the U.S., that there is a moment to say to question and say is this is this aid really achieving the objective. He's also made clear and I think this is a tenet of the foreign policy of the administration that he expects governments around the world to take responsibility and to do more, and that there will be consequences if they do not. So we are in the posture of ensuring that our programs are achieving their objectives, and I think this is an ongoing review and I think there will probably be more of it and more to come. MODERATOR: We'll go to the next question now, please. OPERATOR: And that's from the line of Cristoval Vasquez, Radio Caracol. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Yes, thank you again. I wanted to know if Pompeo traveling with who in his trip to Colombia. And is he planning to talk about the renegotiation of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the U.S.? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thank you. I think he will be traveling with State Department personnel, including the principal deputy Julie Chung will be with him there, as well as other senior advisors from the department. In terms of trade, I'm sure we'll be having a conversation with Colombia on our economic relationship, as that's a very important relationship I think for both of our countries. But any conversation about reopening a trade agreement would be led by the U.S. trade representative. MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll now go to our last question. OPERATOR: That's from the line of Haik Gugarats, Argus Media. Please, go ahead. QUESTION: Hi. I know you issued a statement on that Venezuela navy action against the ExxonMobil ship. Is that something you're broadly following and is there any additional security measures that do you think needs to be taken protecting Guyana's oil exploration rights in disputed waters with Venezuela? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thank you for the question. It is we did issue a statement. It's I think it's an important issue for us and we've been very clear that Guyana has the sovereign right to development its resources in its economic zone. And we looked very carefully at the location of the ship and the occurrence of the Venezuelan navy approaching them, and we were very concerned about the sovereignty of Guyana in that case and made clear with our public statement we are certainly both our embassy in Guyana and our presence in Caracas are following this very closely. We've made very clear to the Venezuelan Government what our view is on this, and we will continue to follow it very closely and believe that Guyana should have the sovereign right to develop those resources, which includes allowing ships to go about their business doing surveys and other seismic activities as necessary to develop the resource. MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, [Senior State Department Official], for making time this morning. Thanks to all the journalists. The embargo is now lifted, and we thank you, everyone. Have a great weekend. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen: Committee brings warring parties to the table in Hudaydah, builds on ceasefire 28 December 2018 - Yemen's warring parties have begun the process this week of implementing a comprehensive ceasefire agreement across the key rebel-held port city of Hudaydah, raising hopes that groundbreaking consultations convened by the UN in Sweden can lead to a lasting peace through further talks next year. The UN-brokered body made up of both Government and Houthi opposition representatives is known officially as the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), chaired by retired Dutch General, Patrick Cammaert, with the support of UN personnel. The three-day meeting of the RCC followed on from the formal start of the ceasefire on 25 December. On Wednesday, both Houthi rebels and Government coalition personnel, worked to clear minefields to create a safe passage across a frontline for Government representatives to attend the meeting on rebel-controlled territory, during which General Cammaert commended the parties for their demonstration of goodwill to implement the Stockholm agreement. The first phase of putting the agreement into action is based on three priority areas: maintaining the ceasfire, confidence-building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance, and redeployment of fighters. Both parties have acknowledged this as an historic moment, and each have reiterated their commitment to implementing the Stockholm ceasefire, said the UN on Thursday. The UN's Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said that the cooperation shown so far, sends a "massive signal" that positive change is possible, adding that if the peace plan can evolve and progress smoothly, "the people of Yemen will notice a new prospect for the future." The parties are set to present detailed plans for full redeployment to Mr. Cammaert in the next committee meeting, programed for 1 January in Hudaydah. In the meantime, each have agreed to begin opening humanitarian corridors as part of confidence-building measures, starting with the key coastal road between rebel-held capital Sana'a, and Hudaydah. More routes are scheduled to be cleared, and a humanitarian convoy is scheduled to move from the port city along the Hudaydah-Sana'a road on Saturday. Fighting in and around Hudaydah for control of the key port intensified in recent months, which has severely narrowed the flow of essential resources and lifesaving aid, and exacerbated the threat of famine. The Yemen war intensified in early 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition joined the Government fight against Houthi rebels, instituting an aerial bombing campaign. An added consequence unleashed by the conflict has been the lack of pay for civil servants in rebel-held Hudaydah, which the Yemeni government has agreed to pay, backdated to the beginning of this month. President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi announced the decision on Thursday, marking a shift after more than two years during which the government was unable to pay salaries, according to news reports, causing the Yemeni riyal to fall heavily against the US dollar, and leaving many citizens unable to afford basic necessities like food and water. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address G5 Sahel Force Struggles with Funding, Coordination By Fatiha Belfakir December 28, 2018 The G5 Sahel force, a joint force of five Sahel region countries tasked with fighting militants including Boko Haram and al-Qaida, is struggling with funding and lacks coordination among member states, which some officials and analysts warn has undermined its counterterrorism mission. "The biggest concern with the future of G5 Sahel is inadequate resourcing and support from a major power in the region," Seth Jones, director of transnational threats at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), who closely monitors developments in the region, told VOA. "None of the G5 countries have sufficient money or competence by themselves or even in cooperation to do what is necessary to significantly weaken terrorist groups in the region," Jones added. Mahamadou Nimaga, Mali's ambassador to Washington, said that while funding is an issue, there are additional challenges, as well. "Terrorism cannot only be defeated by security and military actions. We have to come up with coherent and realistic programs that link security and development. We need to be efficient on development and governance issues. Fighting terrorism is a matter of balancing short, medium and longer-term perspectives," Nimaga said. He added that the military initiative has to be united with development projects to prevent communities from falling to the influence of extremists in the region. G5 force In order to crack down on militant groups in the area, the countries of Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania established the G5 in 2014. The 5,000-person military and police force is tasked with carrying out counterterrorism operations along the common border regions of all five countries. Since then, the force has not been fully operational because of funding and logistical issues. In May, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Mali, the country most affected by terrorism among the G5, and appealed to donors to provide more sustainable support. "The international community must understand the need to provide the G5 Sahel countries with predictable support," Guterres said at the time. Antoine Leory, a senior adviser to the G5 Sahel Council of Ministers, acknowledged the funding and logical issues but said partner countries have taken action and it is just a matter of time before assistance is received. "What is missing at the moment are means of travel [vehicles, fuel], intelligence and transmission, but these means are on their way. The funding promised by the G5S partners is taking time to materialize due to the procedures implemented," Leory said. Other challenges Leory added that donor countries pledged about 2.3 billion euros during a conference of partners and donors held earlier this month in Mauritania's capital of Nouakchott. However, he said, the force faces other challenges. "There are difficulties and constraints, the operational area is immense, the climate difficult and the resources limited. In addition, there is a need to coordinate between 5 countries, with UNMISMA [the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, a U.N. peacekeeping mission] in Mali and with the Barkhane force [French troops] throughout the area," Leory said. The G5 Sahel force continues to face security challenges in the region from several groups, including Boko Haram, Islamic State and al-Qaida. "I don't think military efforts ever are sufficient to combat Islamic State, al-Qaida and other militant groups in the region. The primary focus needs to be building an effective government that can deliver services to their population and can provide basic security and order in an area they can control," CSIS's Jones said. Pillars Some analysts claim that the G5 Sahel force's original mandate had several pillars which, over time, were reduced to only counterterrorism, but there is a need to revisit those pillars. "The four pillars are to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, contribute to the restoration of state authority, the return of displaced persons and refugees, facilitate humanitarian operation, and finally to contribute to the implementation of development strategies in the G5 Sahel region," Alix Boucher, an assistant research fellow at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, told VOA. Boucher said that the G5 is struggling to implement those pillars. "The G5 Sahel force still suffers from a lack of sufficient funding to be completely operational," she said. U.S. support Concerns over lack of funding for the G5 Sahel force comes at a time when the U.S is changing its policy on the continent. Earlier this month, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said the U.S. is reallocating its forces and resources from U.N. peacekeeping missions across Africa to other priorities in line with U.S. national security and economic interests in the region. Announcing the administration's new Africa strategy on Dec. 13 during a speech at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, Bolton said the U.S. would no longer support "unproductive, unsuccessful and unaccountable U.N. peacekeeping missions." "We will not provide legitimacy to missions that give large payouts to countries sending poorly equipped soldiers who provide insufficient protection to vulnerable populations on the ground," Bolton said. "ISIS, al-Qaida and their affiliates all operate and recruit on the African continent plotting attacks against American citizens and targets. Any sound U.S strategy toward Africa must address this serious threat in a comprehensive way," he added. The United States is the U.N.'s top peacekeeping donor, providing nearly a third of its $6.7 billion budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. VOA's Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Four killed, 11 injured in Egypt bus bombing Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 07:05PM A bomb explosion has hit a bus transporting tourists near Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids, leaving three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide dead, the Egyptian Interior Ministry says. The ministry said in a statement that an improvised explosive devise went off as the bus, carrying 14 Vietnamese tourists, was passing Marioutiya Street in Giza on Sunday about 6:15 pm (1645 GMT). The explosion also injured 11 other people, the statement added. Security services were immediately dispatched to the incident site, the ministry said, adding an investigation is underway. Over the past few years, terrorists have been carrying out anti-government activities and fatal attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil in Egypt that erupted after the country's first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted in a military coup in July 2013. The Velayat Sinai group, which is affiliated with Daesh, has claimed responsibility for most of the assaults. The group later expanded its attacks to target members of Egypt's Coptic Christian community as well as foreigners visiting the country, prompting Cairo to widen a controversial crackdown, which critics say has mostly targeted dissidents. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Once Again Threatens to Shut US-Mexico Border By Aline Barros December 28, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday once again threatened to close the entire U.S.-Mexico border and cut aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if Congress fails to give him money to fund the border wall. In a series of tweets, Trump also asked to change the "ridiculous immigration laws that our country is saddled with." The comments come as the U.S. government enters the seventh day of a partial shutdown as a budget standoff remains between Trump, who wants $5 billion in wall funding, and Democratic lawmakers, who back a modest increase in overall border security funding but resolutely oppose a wall. Closing the U.S.-Mexican border would mean disrupting a $1.68 billion-a-day trade relationship between the two countries, according to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Immigrant advocates have called the move to seal the border "disgraceful." Trump has declined to comment on whether he might accept less than $5 billion for wall funding. When asked Wednesday how long he thinks the shutdown will last, Trump told reporters, "Whatever it takes." Democrats have blamed Trump for "plunging the country into chaos" adding that, weeks ago, Trump said he would be "proud" to "own" a shutdown over border wall funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and presumed incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said in a joint statement, "The president wanted the shutdown, but seems not to know how to get himself out of it." Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Channel on Friday, "We're here, and they know where to find us." Mulvaney blamed Democrats for the continuing shutdown, saying they have refused to negotiate since the White House made an offer last weekend. Lorella Praeli, deputy political director at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that Congress has an obligation to serve as a check on the executive branch. "This government shutdown is due solely to Trump's border wall obsession and his refusal to abandon his anti-immigrant agenda, even at the cost of denying hundreds of thousands of federal workers their holiday paychecks and impacting operations at several federal agencies," Praeli said. Trump also tweeted Friday, "Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!" VOA has not been able to independently verify the president's claim that a new caravan is on its way. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters Friday that Trump's border-shutting threat was an internal U.S. government matter. "We take great care of the relationship with the government of the United States," Lopez Obrador said. "Of course, we will always defend our sovereignty. ... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights." Cutting funds to Central American countries would mean a cutback on humanitarian programs, according to State Department data. The aid includes assistance on civilian security, legal development and basic nutrition. The largest grant was spent to help with agriculture in Guatemala, where the U.S. Agency for International Development says food security is a "grave concern." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rights Activists Fear China's Human Rights Record Will Deteriorate By Joyce Huang December 28, 2018 In China, 2018 has been a year that rights defenders worldwide say was extremely repressive, particularly when it comes to religious persecution. China's communist party leadership has strongly defended its actions amid growing calls that its actions may constitute crimes against humanity. Those actions include the internment of hundreds of thousands - perhaps more than a million - Muslims in Xinjiang, the demolition and shuttering of Christian churches nationwide and the systemic crackdown on dissidents. "2018 has been a year of human rights disasters in China, where all walks of people have paid a dear price over rights abuses. In the past year, China has systemically enforced the most audacious ever persecution policies," said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exile Germany-headquartered World Uighur Congress. After months of denying their existence, China admitted that the camps do exist and launched a global propaganda campaign defending its interment of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the western region of Xinjiang. Beijing has yet to confirm how many have been detained and calls the "vocational centers" a necessary part of their fight against terrorism and religious extremism. The reality, rights advocates argue, is that Muslim minorities are being detained and made to work overtime and without pay in factories for so-called job training. China is also reportedly planning Xinjiang-style "re-education" camps in Ningxia home to the Hui minority Muslims. Such moves highlight the communist party's drastic efforts to wipe out ethnic Muslims and extend control over religious groups, Raxit said. Bob Fu, the founder of China Aid, agrees. His group, based in the U.S. state of Texas, is committed to promoting religious freedom in China. "This is a 21st century concentration camp, like Nazi Germany in 1930s and 1940s, so, the international community should unequivocally condemn and urge the Chinese regime to immediately stop this crime," he said. Call for sanctions Rights advocates have called on governments worldwide to impose sanctions on Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses. U.S. senators including Marco Rubio have denounced Xinjiang's internment camps and other alleged abuses as possible crimes against humanity. In November, Rubio and a group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced legislation to address the situation and urged American policymakers to be clear-eyed about the global implications of China's domestic repression. The bipartisan bills urge President Donald Trump's administration to use measures including economic sanctions to defend Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. If that happens, China has said it will retaliate in proportion. Intensified persecution It is not just Muslims who have found themselves caught in the communist party's crosshairs. China Aid's Fu said China has also escalated its crackdown on Christian communities. Authorities have torn down houses of worship and in some places, there is a push to ensure that anyone under the age of 18 cannot attend church or be under the influence of religion. China is officially atheist, but says it allows religious freedom. In early December, Chinese police arrested Pastor Wang Yi, along with more than 100 members of his Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan. The arrests may have been triggered by his manifesto, titled "Meditation on the Religious War," in which he condemns the communist party and urges Christians to perform acts of civil disobedience. "It's just really the tip of the iceberg of overall religious persecution in China since the president, Xi Jinping, took power," Fu told CNN recently about the case. Political dissidents If convicted, Wang could face a jail term of up to 15 years and he has vowed not to plead guilty or confess unless physically tortured, said Jonathan Liu, a priest with the San Francisco-based Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness. Liu said the pastor's detention serves the dual purpose of suppressing Christians and silencing political dissidents in China as Wang is a follower of Calvinism a branch of Protestantism that emphasizes social justice. "Deeply affected by Calvinism, he cares for those who are socially disadvantaged or rights defenders. So, his church has formed many fellowships to provide care for those people," Liu said, "In the eyes of the Chinese government, his church has become a hub for [political] dissidents." No prospects for improvement During the United Nations' periodic review of its rights record, China defended itself, arguing that criticism was "politically motivated" with UN members deliberately disregarding China's "remarkable achievements." For critics, the outlook for 2019 isn't promising. "I can see no prospect that there would be any improvement in the coming year. And in fact, the last year, the most horrible thing is to see that the government is openly and fragrantly acting against the law, in total contempt of the [judicial] system they've set up," Albert Ho, chairman of China Human Rights Concern Group in Hong Kong. The fact that rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang is still being held incommunicado proves that China has little respect for its own laws, Ho said. Among more than 300 rights lawyers and activists ensnared in China's 2015 crackdown, lawyer Wang is the last awaiting trial. After almost three and a half years of arbitrary detention, Wang was finally put on trial in a closed-door hearing in Tianjin on December 26. He reportedly fired his state-appointed lawyer "in the first minute" of his trial,signs of his refusal to cooperate with the authorities. His wife, Li Wenze, and supporters, as well as western diplomats and journalists, were all barred from attending the hearing, which the court said involved "state secrets," but rights activists denounced as a blatant violation of China's own judicial principles. The court said on its website that a verdict will be announced on a later date. Rights activists argued that Wang would be a blatant case of political persecution shall he be convicted with a maximum 15-year sentence. Li and three other wives of lawyer victims who have been carrying out a long and loud campaign to secure Wang's release as well as others, recently shaved their hair to protest his detention for more than three years. "They (the authorities) keep on shamelessly breaking the law. So today we are using this act of shaving our heads in protest, to show they are persistently and shamelessly breaking the law," Li said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address German troops may leave Afghanistan if US forces withdraw: Report Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 07:11PM Former German Defense Chief General Harald Kujat has warned that a probable American military withdrawal from Afghanistan may jeopardize German troops and force them to leave. "If the United States reduces itself to a small contingent in Afghanistan there's no reason for us to continue the mission anymore," Kujat told the German Tagesspiegel newspaper on Thursday. The former head of the Bundeswehr said it was "out of question" for German forces to remain in Afghanistan if they could not be given guaranteed protection and support. Kujat, however, added that he expected other NATO members to increase contribution to make up for any US troop withdrawal. Minister of State in the German Foreign Ministry Niels Annen also expressed frustration with the American announcement. "We have noticed repeatedly that the Trump government does not particularly value close coordination with its allies. We're currently trying to reach clarity by speaking to our colleagues in Washington and Kabul," said Annen. US President Donald Trump reportedly ordered the withdrawal of some 7,000 troops, half of the total number of American forces in the country, from Afghanistan last week. 'Massive rupture in world order' Trump's recent comments about ending the US military presence in the Middle East have also alarmed many German politicians. German Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Norbert Rottgen rejected Trump's statement about America no longer being "the Policeman of the Middle East," arguing that the US was an "irreplaceable" power in maintaining "world order, stability, balance, and diplomacy." The comments were echoed by Deputy Parliamentary Leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, who censured Trump's probable return to what he described as the "failed" American tradition of international "isolationism," referring to a general trend in US foreign policy predating World War II. "If you think how the US shaped the post-war order after World War II, and was also really the dominating power after the Cold War, then this policy of Donald Trump is really a massive rupture. How far that will go and it's important I think to make this clear is unclear." Germany has about 1,100 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, most of whom are deployed near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The deployment is part of NATO's "Resolute Support" mission, which claims to train and advise Afghan security forces. The mission also acts as a reconnaissance and intelligence support arm for other NATO troops. The Bundeswehr's overseas missions require approval from the German parliament. Parliament approval for the Afghanistan mission is set to expire in March 2019. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address German Military Looks Into Recruiting EU Citizens Amid Staff Shortage - Reports Sputnik News 17:28 28.12.2018 After years of decreasing military spending, the country's forces reportedly have to deal with a lack of personnel and equipment. The Defence Ministry is seeking a way to rectify this by requesting bigger budgets and enticing more people to serve in the military. Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, representing Angela Merkel's party Christian Democratic Union, wants to let foreigners, particularly, Poles, Italians and Romanians, join the German military, Der Spiegel reports, citing an interior ministry concept paper. The paper says that there's a "quantitative potential" for the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces) among young nationals of these three countries. With about 255,000 Poles, 185,000 Italians and 155,000 Romanians, aged between 18 and 40, living in Germany, only 10 percent of them, possibly showing an interest in military service, could ensure 50,000 possible applicants. At the same time, the Bundeswehr's general inspector Eberhard Zorn has told the German Funke Mediengruppe that recruiting EU citizens was "one option", pointing out that this practice could be applied to doctors or IT-specialists. According to the commander, in times of shortages of skilled workers, the military should "look in all directions and take care of the right new generation". While the German military reportedly wants to narrow down the group of potential recruits to EU citizens who have already lived in Germany for several years and speak fluent German, neighbouring countries are said to share fears over losing potential soldiers due to better salaries. According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the German Defence Ministry had already run the idea by defence attaches in the EU, which "led to very different results" as the Eastern Europeans voiced concerns over "significant negative impact on their own staffing ". Commenting on the report, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told Der Spiegel that military service is strongly connected with nationality. He warned that if Germany had introduced such legislation without first consulting Poland, it would not be good. The number of Bundeswehr soldiers is gradually climbing, according to von der Leyen, cited by the newspaper Rheinische Post. The number of armed forces' personnel is expected to have reached 182,000 by the end of this year, which is 2,500 more than a year ago and exceeds the 2016 low point by 6,500. The minister told the outlet that the number of Bundeswehr soldiers should depend on the security situation and the valid tasks for the troops, although the preliminary staffing plans suggest that the number of soldiers should be 203,000 by 2025, including those filling newly created positions in cybersecurity or European Defence Union projects. Besides debates around a shortage of personnel, with 21,000 junior officers and NCO (non-commission officer) positions currently unfilled, the state of the German military has been the subject of controversy amid regular reports of equipment and supply problems, and complaints of underfunding. In October, German media reported that none of the newly-developed assault rifles expected to replace the G36 rifle met the army's expectations. Before that, problems were reported with the military's existing equipment, including its Leopard 2 main battle tanks, Tornado combat jets, submarines, and other equipment, much of which has been described as being in a poor and "outdated" state. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Army strongly protecting eastern borders: Cmdr. IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 28, IRNA -- The Iranian Army is strongly protecting the eastern borders of the country, according to the commander of ground forces of the Army. Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Thursday, Brigadier General Kiumars Heydari said that the forces of the Iranian Army have been deployed on the joint borders with Afghanistan. He said that the deployment of forces is aimed to bolster security at these parts of the Iranian border. Noting that all the Iranian borders enjoy full security, the commander said that there are no border threats facing the country. Heydari also made it clear that the presence of Army forces along the eastern borders of the country does not mean that there are security threats at those borders. The Iranian Army has been tasked with maintenance of security along the borders and therefore it has an active presence at the borders, he said. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said earlier that the ground force of the Army has been tasked with guarding the joint border with Afghanistan. He expressed concern about some insecurity in Afghanistan which he said could affect the joint borders with Iran and said that with the deployment of the ground force of the Army and the necessary planning, "we hope we will have the safest borders at this part." 9341**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Revolutionary's Daughter Says Iran's Islamic Republic Weakened, Could Collapse By Golnaz Esfandiari December 28, 2018 The daughter of one of the founders of the Islamic republic has warned that, while still strong, the system her late father helped establish some 40 years ago is weakened and could someday collapse. Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said in an interview with a Tehran daily published on December 27 that "intimidation" and "fear" were the main things propping up the Islamic establishment. "In my view, a breakdown [of principles] has already happened, there hasn't been a physical collapse, but I see that as very likely," Hashemi told the independent Mostaghel newspaper. Hashemi, 56, a former pro-reform lawmaker who was jailed for six months in 2012 after being convicted of antiregime propaganda, said one doesn't see the open and physical crackdowns on dissent like those seen in the antigovernment protests of 2009, but a lot of repressive measures are taking place behind the scenes. "In every segment of society, groups of activists are in jail, from workers to teachers, truck drivers, women's rights activists, environmentalists, students..., [those involved in economic activities], and citizens who are either in jail or have been sentenced to jail," she said. A collapse isn't imminent, she noted, "but there's been a breakdown. Everywhere you look there's inefficiency, there's a lack of leadership and reason, everything is abandoned, there's no attempt to find solutions to the problems or if there is then things only get worse, there are no signs of improvement." 'Trampling Everything' Hashemi has previously come under pressure from hard-line conservatives attempting to smear the legacy of her father, who died in 2017, and also due to her own stances and support for reforms. They denounced her and called for her punishment in 2016 for meeting a leader of the persecuted Baha'i faith with whom she used to share a cell in Tehran's Evin prison. In March 2017, the hard-line judiciary sentenced her to six months in jail for charges that included "antistate propaganda, spreading lies against the judiciary, and the Revolutionary Guards Corps," the opposition website Kalame reported. She was also briefly detained in the 2009 crackdown. Hashemi appeared to place much of the blame for the country's current problems on the hard-liners, accusing them of interpreting religion to serve their own interests and "trampling on everything" to remain in power. But she also criticized President Hassan Rohani, who is in his second term and is seen as a relative moderate. "The president says things as if he's not the president, he talks in a way as if he were [a member of] the opposition," she said. "I know that the government is not in charge of major issues, there are significant barriers, but there are problems even in those segments under the control of the government." Hashemi said Iran needed to seriously review and update laws and practices that have gone wrong. Her comments come amid heightened U.S. pressure on Iran and the reimposition of tough economic sanctions, including penalties targeting the country's oil exports that contributed to a collapse of the national currency earlier this year. The rial has strengthened in recent weeks, but the cost of living remains significantly high. Protests over economic problems and corruption spread to more than 80 cities and towns last December and in early January. Since then there have been sporadic protests during which protesters have chanted slogans against the establishment. In a June interview with the Financial Times, Hashemi said that the survival of the Iranian establishment depended on reforms and also negotiations with the United States under President Donald Trump, who has taken a hard line on the Islamic republic. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/revolutionary-s- daughter-says-islamic-republic-weakened-could -collapse/29681911.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump's Iraq visit unites Iraqi lawmakers against US troop presence Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:18AM Iraqi lawmakers have demanded that United States forces be expelled from the country in response to US President Donald Trump's abrupt visit, seen as a violation of national sovereignty. "We will not accept any foreign forces in Iraq," said Bina parliamentary bloc leader Hadi al-Amiri on Friday. Secretary-General of the People's Party for Reform Faiq al-Sheikh Ali also called for measures to be taken against Trump's unannounced visit. "Trump entered Iraq, rested here and did what he wanted to do, yet no one prevented him. Everyone just criticized him." Addressing previous calls for an emergency parliamentary session on Trump's visit, al-Fatah Alliance lawmaker Hamed al-Mousawi confirmed that an emergency session may probably be held and that Iraq has the means to expel the US forces "without using force." "Iraq isn't like before and the Americans know very well that Iraq possesses the strength which the world witnessed when it faced all hardships," said al-Mousawi. Islah parliamentary bloc leader Sabah al-Saedi, head of one of two main blocs in Iraq's parliament, also slammed the visit and called for an emergency parliamentary session. "Trump needs to know his limits. The American occupation of Iraq is over," said Saedi, adding that Trump had slipped into Iraq "as though Iraq is a state of the United States." On Wednesday, Trump spent a few hours visiting troops at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq's western Anbar Province, stopping short of visiting the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. A scheduled meeting between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi was scrapped. The two only talked over the phone. Abdul-Mahdi's office said in a statement that the cancellation came as a result of a "disagreement over how to conduct the meeting." Speaking on Friday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi described the visit as a "sneak trip" by Trump that was "outside diplomatic norms and a disrespect of the country's national sovereignty." The US, backed by the UK, invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretext that the former regime of Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons, however, were ever found in the country. The invasion led to the rise of terrorist groups such as Daesh. The US and a coalition of its allies further launched a military campaign against purported Daesh targets in Iraq in 2014, but their operations have in many instances led to civilian deaths and generally spared the terrorists. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Outgoing Pentagon chief Mattis rejects Netanyahu's appeal: Report Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 05:14PM Outgoing United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis has rejected an appeal made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve an Israeli sale of US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets, a report says. Washington criticized the sale as a move to weaken and compete with the American arms market, according to an unnamed Israeli official speaking to Israel's Channel 10 television network on Thursday. The $500-million sale of 12 F-16 aircraft to Croatia, equipped with Israeli electronic systems, required American approval. Washington, however, demanded that Israel only sell the planes in their original condition, removing the Israeli upgrades. Furthermore, Mattis reportedly rejected a personal appeal by Netanyahu two weeks ago, reminding the Israeli prime minister that the United States "goes to great lengths to help its closest ally in the Middle East." The Israeli official added that "for reasons we don't fully understand, the Americans hardened their conditions and, apparently, we misread their position on the deal." "Practically, the F-16 deal with Croatia is dead and we don't think it is possible to get an agreement that will reconcile the US conditions and the Croatian demands in the tender." Last week, Mattis cancelled a planned trip to Israel that had been reportedly set to be focused on talks regarding Iran and Syria. The move came after the defense secretary resigned, citing disagreements with President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from Syria. As the US government is in shutdown due to a dispute with Congress over the allocation of $5 billion in funds needed for Trump's proposed southern border wall, the US enforced a whooping 10-year $38-billion aid package to Tel Aviv last October. The aid package, which includes an annual $3.3-billion contribution, was signed during the tenure of former US President Barack Obama in 2016. The package will provide Israel with free military material until 2028. Earlier in October, Congress further proposed a motion to legally enforce the aid package, ensuring that future presidents could not suspend the package or use it to pressure Israel. The motion, which has yet to be approved by the Senate, seeks to set up a special mechanism to fund the aid independently from the annual budget as to protect it from probable budgetary disputes between Congress and the White House. Last March, Congress also approved a record-setting $705-million budget for Tel Aviv's missile programs in 2018. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Backs Israeli Airstrikes on Iranian Targets Across Middle East - State Dept. Sputnik News 20:16 28.12.2018(updated 20:17 28.12.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States fully supports Israel's right to protect itself from Iranian adventurism in the region that threatens the existence of the Jewish state, and Washington will guarantee that Israel has the means to do so, the US Department of State said in a press release on Friday. "Iranian support of and supply to terrorist groups in Syria and across the region that have the clear intent and capability to strike Israel are unacceptable," the release said. "The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against the Iranian regime's aggressive adventurism, and we will continue to ensure that Israel has the military capacity to do so decisively". Earlier in the week, Israeli jets bombed targets near the Syrian capital of Damascus for the first time since US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of about 2,000 US forces in Syria. Israel is believed to have hit a Syrian weapons depot and a separate weapons storage facility controlled by Iranian forces, according to published reports. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mattis Allegedly Killed Israel-Croatia F-16 Deal Despite Plea of Netanyahu Sputnik News 12:03 28.12.2018(updated 12:07 28.12.2018) Zagreb and Tel Aviv announced their intention to strike a deal on the sale of modified US-made F-16 jets this March. Officials in Washington were angered at Israel for going behind their backs and challenging their sellers, a correspondent for Israel's Channel 10 claims. Defence Secretary James Mattis, who is set to leave his post by 1 January, blocked the $500 million deal for the sale of 12 F-16 fighters that Israel and Croatia had agreed on months ago, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid wrote on the website Axios. Israel, which marketed the upgraded jets that were originally manufactured by the US corporation Lockheed Martin, needed Washington's approval for selling them to a third party. The US, in turn, demanded that Israel uninstall its modifications, which it had added to the jets prior to selling them to Croatia, while the latter reportedly refused to buy the un-modified F-16s. The journalist, citing an unnamed Israeli official, claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the outgoing defence secretary in mid-December, before Mattis' resignation was announced, and tried to talk him into softening the US stance on the deal. After failing to soften Mattis, Netanyahu also gave up on plans to turn for help to Lockheed Martin President Marilyn Hewson, as he "ultimately decided it was a lost cause", the report suggested. The cited official told the website that they can do nothing more than "apologize to Croatia for the deal falling apart and move on". "For reasons we don't fully understand, the Americans hardened their conditions and, apparently, we misread their position on the deal. Practically, the F-16 deal with Croatia is dead and we don't think it is possible to get an agreement that will reconcile the U.S. conditions and the Croatian demands in the tender", the official reportedly told the journalist. The Israeli cabinet and the Pentagon, along with the State Department, have not yet commented on the matter. Netanyahu reportedly tried to win Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's support for the sale during their negotiations at the beginning of December. Pompeo reportedly said that he didn't mind, but informed the Israeli prime minister that Mattis was blocking it. Earlier reports suggested that the US indicated its intention to block the deal in November. According to Axios' information (which has not been confirmed by either the US or Israeli), White House officials were "furious" that Israel had installed its electronic systems in the F-16s and was trying to steal clients and profit at the expense of the US. Mattis submitted his resignation to Trump on 20 December after the US president decided to withdraw all US troops from Syria, saying that his views and Trump's did not "align". Mattis said in his letter that he would depart in February, however, the message reportedly prompted an angry reaction from Trump and on Sunday the president announced that Mattis' deputy, Patrick Shanahan, would become acting defence secretary beginning on 1 January. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Israeli General, Polling Closest to Netanyahu, Joins 2019 Elections Sputnik News 01:08 28.12.2018 Benny Gantz, a former Israeli armed forces chief who according to recent polls is the runner-up to current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, formally established a political party on Thursday to join the 2019 election race. Details about Benny Gantz's Israel Resilience Party were leaked to local media after it was registered, Reuters reported. The party seeks to preserve Israel as "a Jewish and democratic country", however, it is yet to announce details about its priorities in national security and the economy. The polls, published Monday after Netanyahu's announcement of early elections which are to be held on April 9, showed that his Likud party would take around 30 of parliament's 120 seats and was on course to form a conservative coalition government similar to the current cabinet. However, the same polls, cited by Reuters, gave second place to a then-hypothetical Gantz party, predicting it to take 15 seats in total. "It's too early to tell, but he definitely strengthens the centre-left camp," said Mina Tzemach, a leading Israeli pollster, cited by the Miami Herald. "He projects security and integrity. And the fact that he looks good doesn't hurt either." Gantz, 59, became Israel's top general in 2011 after stints as commander of forces on the tense northern frontier with Syria and Lebanon and as military attache in Washington. He had served a four-year term which oversaw two wars in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Netanyahu is running for a fifth term while being investigated for three corruption allegations, for which the police have recommended an indictment. The Israeli Prime minister has denied any wrongdoing and Israel's attorney-general has yet to decide whether to charge Netanyahu. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel's Right to Self-Defense Press Statement Robert Palladino Deputy Spokesperson Washington, DC December 28, 2018 The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Iranian regional actions that endanger Israeli national security and the safety of the Israeli people. Iranian support of and supply to terrorist groups in Syria and across the region that have the clear intent and capability to strike Israel are unacceptable. The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against the Iranian regime's aggressive adventurism, and we will continue to ensure that Israel has the military capacity to do so decisively. The commitment of the Trump Administration and the American people to ensuring Israel's security is both enduring and unshakable. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan Shares Video of South Korean Ship Allegedly Locking Radar on Plane Sputnik News 22:26 28.12.2018(updated 23:02 28.12.2018) Japan's Ministry of Defense released video footage on Friday to support its claims that a South Korean naval ship locked its fire-control radar antenna onto a Japanese plane during a patrol in the Sea of Japan. The 13-minute video shows the December 20 encounter, in which a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol plane is surveilling the Republic of Korea (ROK) naval vessel Gwanggaeto-daewang and the ROK coast guard rescue vessel Sambongho 5001. Matters quickly escalate after the patrol plane conducts a flyby of the South Korean warship and is subsequently targeted by the vessel's fire-control radar, which is used to pinpoint the location of a target for missiles or shells. "She's emitting radar she's emitting fire-control type radar," a crew member aboard the patrol plane says. "Moving away from the vessel for the time being the sound is so loud." Moving away from the warship, the aircraft's crew later attempts to reach out to the sailors aboard Gwanggaeto-daewang. "Korean naval ship, Korean naval ship, hull number 971, hull number 971, this is Japan Navy, this is Japan Navy," the crew member says in English. "We observed that your FC antenna is directed at us. What is the purpose of your act? Over." The crew aboard the patrol plane was met with complete radio silence, despite relaying their calls through various radio channels. In response to the video, South Korea's Defense Ministry called the footage "one-sided," adding that it "cannot be regarded as objective evidence." Since the incident, Seoul has denied the allegations, instead explaining that the warship was looking for a North Korean fishing boat that had drifted near the inter-Korean sea border, AFP reports. "As we have stated repeatedly, the Gwanggaeto destroyer was engaging in a normal rescue operation, and it remains as a fact that the ship did not use [the fire-control radar]," the ministry said in a statement. "Instead, it is very disappointing that the Japanese patrol aircraft conducted a low-altitude flight in a threatening manner against our ship, which was involved in a humanitarian rescue mission." In releasing the footage, Japan has stressed that its aircraft had been "flying at a certain altitude and distance safe enough from the destroyer." The video drop comes just one day after the working-level meeting on the incident held between officials from Japan and South Korea Thursday. Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Friday that he allowed the release of the footage to demonstrate that the country's forces had acted appropriately, AFP reported. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan Reportedly Sent Out Jets to Intercept Chinese Spy Plane Over E China Sea Sputnik News 21:21 28.12.2018 Japan has regularly scrambled its jets to escort Chinese aircraft approaching close to national airspace in 2018, with a previous incident taking place on 14 December and the overall number of intercepts reaching 7 in just the last half of this year. Japan's Air Self-Defence Force intercepted a Chinese Shaanxi Y-9JB spy plane capable of conducting electronic warfare on 27 December as it was crossing the East China Sea and Tsushima Strait, a channel, which lies between Korea and Japan, The Diplomat reported, citing Japan's Ministry of Defence. The plane reportedly didn't enter Japan's airspace, but was still intercepted and escorted by the Japanese jets. Chinese officials have not commented on the report. This was the seventh time the country's Air Self-Defence Force was put on high alert by approaching Chinese spy planes in the last six months with the previous time taking place on 14 December. In each of the cases, the Chinese planes stayed in international airspace. The two states are currently engaged in a territorial dispute over the uninhabited Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea with both countries claiming sovereignty over them. Japan claims the islands belong to them under the 1971 Okinawa reversion deal, while China argues the islands have belonged to it since ancient times. In 2013 the latter unilaterally established air-defence identification zone, demanding all aircraft flying over the islands to present flight plans and identification of the transponder. The move has intensified tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Denies Chinese Infrastructure Projects Have Military Dimensions December 28, 2018 Pakistan has denied that a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project built and financed by China has a "military dimension." A New York Times article on December 19 reported that Islamabad and Beijing, key allies, were planning military projects as part of a massive infrastructure project known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which seeks to connect China's western province of Xinjiang with Pakistan's Arabian Sea port of Gwadar. The CPEC effort consists of rail, road, and energy infrastructure and is part of China's $1 trillion Belt and Road initiative that stretches across some 70 countries. The New York Times reported that the Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were finalizing a secret proposal to expand Pakistan's building of Chinese military jets, weaponry, and other hardware. The newspaper reported that the secret plan would also "deepen the cooperation between China and Pakistan in space, a frontier the Pentagon recently said Beijing was trying to militarize after decades of playing catch-up." But a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Office said CPEC had no military dimensions. "The CPEC has helped Pakistan improve its economy, particularly energy and infrastructure sectors have improved under it," said Mohammad Faisal during a press conference on December 28. "The CPEC is a bilateral economic project, which is not against any country." Based on reporting by Dawn and The New York Times Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan- denies-chinese-infrastructure-projects-have- military-dimensions/29681014.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest Russian strategic missile makes US missile defenses 'useless': Moscow Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:13AM Russia's latest strategic weapon can travel 27 times faster than the speed of sound, making it impossible to intercept by missile defense systems, a senior Russian official has announced. The new weapon, referred to as Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, "essentially makes missile defenses useless," said Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov as cited in state-owned Zvezda TV channel on Thursday. "The latest tests have shown that it has reached speeds close to 30 Machs. Practically at these speeds, no anti-missile can knock it down," Borisov added. He spoke a day after President Vladimir Putin oversaw what he hailed as a decisively successful test of the Avangard and a reliable guarantee of Russia's security for decades to come. Putin further said the new hypersonic missile system, which he added can evade US ballistic missile defenses, will be deployed in 2019 as part of Russia's focus on advancing its defense capabilities. "This is a great success and a big victory. This is a wonderful, excellent gift for the country for the New Year," Putin said as quoted in report by state news agency, Tass. Putin was also cited in press reports as saying that Russia was forced to develop the Avangard after Washington withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002. The Russian president recently expressed concern that a plan by the administration of US President Donald Trump to scrap the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) arms control treaty could lead to a new arms race. Putin had previously discussed the Avangard project in March, when he touted its abilities in the annual state of the nation speech to the Federal Assembly. During Wednesday's test of the weapon, the Avangard was reportedly launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains, with Moscow announcing that it successfully struck its intended target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, some 6,000 kilometers away. Former Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov also stated in televised remarks that the Avangard constantly changes its course and altitude as it flies through the atmosphere. He further emphasized that unlike previous nuclear warheads fitted to intercontinental ballistic missiles that follow a predictable trajectory allowing it to calculate the spot where they can be intercepted, the Avangard chaotically zigzags on its path to its target, making it impossible to predict its location. The test comes amid bitter tensions in US-Russia relations, which have greatly deteriorated over the Ukrainian crisis, the foreign-backed conflict in Syria and Washington's persisting allegations that Moscow had meddled in the 2016 US presidential election. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rusal Names New Chairman As Part Of Deal To End U.S. Sanctions By RFE/RL December 28, 2018 Russian aluminum giant Rusal says Jean-Pierre Thomas has been elected by the board of directors as the company's new chairman as part of restructuring moves made in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions. Thomas, a current independent nonexecutive director, on December 28 was appointed chairman, effective on January 1, the Russian company said in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange. The previous chairman, Matthias Warnig, stepped down on December 26 after six years at Rusal, with his resignation being a condition of a deal struck with U.S. officials. Warnig, an investment banker, is a former East German secret agent who has known Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 1990s. According to a biographical listing on Bloomberg Capital Markets, the 61-year-old Thomas has been an independent nonexecutive director on the Rusal board since June 28. It says he worked 15 years as a managing partner at Lazard Bank in France. It also says he has experience in several projects to establish economic cooperation between France and Russia and has served as a special representative of the French president in that capacity. The U.S. Treasury Department originally imposed sanctions in April on Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska and several companies in which he is a large shareholder, citing "malign activities" by Russia, as well as allegations of past crimes by Deripaska himself. The sanctions announcement roiled the global stock and aluminum markets, causing a run on Rusal's shares and an exodus of customers that led to fears the world's second-largest aluminum producer might be forced out of business. With the markets in turmoil and Rusal's future in doubt, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin shortly after announcing the sanctions said Washington's intent was not to destroy the company and the thousands of jobs it provides in Russia and elsewhere around the world. The Treasury Department said it would remove sanctions against Rusal, its parent En+, and power firm EuroSibEnergo if they restructured to reduce Deripaska's controlling stakes. Rusal and En+, in the meantime, recruited directors and management not linked to Deripaska in moves apparently stemming from the companies' talks with the Treasury Department over easing the sanctions. Any restructuring deal is subject to a 30-day review period in the U.S. Congress before it decides whether to lift sanctions. Upon completion of the restructuring, En+ will own a near 57 percent stake in Rusal and maintain the right to nominate its CEO. With reporting by Reuters, Bloomberg, and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rusal-deripaska- putin-chairman-us-sanctions/29680569.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Embassy in UK Says It Is Due to Reinstate Half of Its Staff in 2019 Sputnik News 18:27 28.12.2018(updated 20:14 28.12.2018) The Russian Embassy in London said earlier in December that the UK authorities are trying to create a hostile image of Moscow in order to hinder the Russian diplomats' interaction with the country's general public. The Russian Embassy in the UK told Sputnik that it is due to reinstate about 50 percent of its overall number of diplomats in the upcoming year. Russia's Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko said Friday that the return of Russian and UK diplomats earlier reciprocally expelled from the UK and Russian embassies would start in January. "We are not sure about all employees, but half of the embassy will be reinstated," the embassy said. A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office has meanwhile dismissed reports of reaching any agreements on the reinstatement of staff of diplomatic missions in Russia and the UK, adding that London's position on Russia's deplomatic presence in the UK remains unchanged. "We have had a continuous dialogue with Russia about diplomatic visas since before the events in Salisbury. We regularly exchange visas for diplomatic staff and will not comment on individual cases. No new arrangements have been agreed," a Foreign Office spokesperson told Sputnik. "There has been no change in our position on the Russian diplomatic presence in the UK, including the measures taken after Salisbury. The staffing of our respective missions takes place within those constraints," the spokesperson said. The embassies in the two countries have been in the center of a diplomatic row following the Skripal posioning case back in March, after which the countries reciprocally expelled 23 diplomats, in a tit-for-tat measure. Russia, despite being blamed for the incident by the UK, repeatedly denied its involvement in the case, citing the absence of evidence provided by the Brits. Separately, the embassy in London reported a "blatant hack" of its website on December 17, "at 2:48 p.m. local time [same as GMT], after publication [of materials] about the UK interference in the Ukrainian affairs as well as critical remarks about the BBC outlet's task for its correspondent to find the Russian trace in the French protests." In particular, UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson noted last 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 impasse. The embassy also earlier stated that the British authorities are deliberately trying to present Moscow as an enemy to the general public to hamper the Russian diplomats' ties with Britons. In late November, Russia detained three Ukrainian Navy warships after they violated the Russian sea border in a bid to sail through the Kerch Strait, the entrance to 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 was aimed at spiralling Petro Poroshenko's ratings up. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Official Reveals Russia's Avangard Hypersonic Missile Speed Sputnik News 02:58 28.12.2018(updated 02:59 28.12.2018) The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle flies 27 times faster than the speed of sound, making it impossible to intercept, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told Russia's Zvezda television channel. Borisov spoke a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw what he described as the conclusive successful test of the Avangard and hailed it as a reliable guarantee of Russia's security for decades to come. "The latest tests have shown that it has reached speeds close to 30 Machs. Practically at these speeds, no anti-missile can knock it down," Borisov said. In Wednesday's test, the weapon was reportedly launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. Moscow said it successfully hit a practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) away. Sergei Ivanov, a former Russian defence minister, said in televised comments that the Avangard constantly changes its course and altitude while it flies through the atmosphere, chaotically zigzagging on its path to its target, making it impossible to predict the weapon's location. He noted that Russia has a stockpile of several dozen such missiles, which are in a factory-mint condition and not filled with fuel, allowing them to serve for a long time to come. Ivanov added that they could be put in existing silos, reducing the costs of Avangard's deployment. "The Avangard has cost hundreds of times less than what the US has spent on its missile defence," Ivanov said, cited by Associated Press. He noted that Russia began to develop the Avangard after 2002 when the US withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and began developing defences against ballistic missiles. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's upgraded Tu-22M3 strategic missile-carrying bomber performs debut flight TASS December 28, 14:45 UTC+3 Russia's latest modernized Tupolev Tu-22M3M long-range missile-carrying bomber has performed its debut flight MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Russia's latest modernized Tupolev Tu-22M3M long-range missile-carrying bomber has performed its debut flight, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Friday. "The first upgraded Tu-22M3M made the debut flight from the airfield of the Kazan-based Gorbunov Aircraft Enterprise on Friday. This flight started the missile-carrying bomber's flight tests," the source said. "There were no weapons aboard the aircraft and the flight was brief," the source said. The Tu-22M3M was rolled out by the Gorbunov Aircraft Enterprise on August 16. As another source in the Russian defense industry told TASS, until now, the bomber was undergoing a series of ground-based tests, during which specialists were checking its new onboard radio-electronic equipment, carrying out the ground-based engine runs and testing compatibility of the aircraft's artificial intelligence elements. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said during his visit to the Kazan-based Aircraft Enterprise on December 20 that the heavily upgraded missile-carrying bomber would perform its debut flight in late December 2018. Russia's United Aircraft Corporation earlier said that the upgrade of operational Tu-22M3 planes to the level of the Tu-22M3M would begin from 2019 and the first serial-produced bombers would start arriving for the troops from 2021. According to the data of the Tupolev Aircraft Company, the Tu-22M3M features considerably greater combat potential, including the enlarged operating range. Ex-Commander of the Russian Aerospace Force Viktor Bondarev who now heads the Defense and Security Committee in the upper house of Russia's parliament earlier said that the bomber's new version will be capable of carrying Kh-32 cruise and also hypersonic missiles. TASS NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kremlin: Entry of Syrian Army to Menbej positive step towards restoring stability IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 28, IRNA -- The Russian presidency welcomed the entry of the Syrian Arab Army to Menbej area in the northern countryside of Aleppo and the hoisting of the Syrian flag there. Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Piskov, stressed in a press statement quoted by RT Website that the entry of the Syrian Arab Army to Menbej and hoisting the Syrian flag there represents with no doubt a positive step that contributes to bringing stability to the country, SANA reported. He pointed out the meeting scheduled tomorrow in Moscow between the Russian foreign and defense ministers and their Turkish counterparts will touch upon the situation in Syria and coordinating steps for reaching an understanding with regards to the latest developments in the country. 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian army foils terrorists' infiltration attempts in Hama countryside IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 28, IRNA -- Army units operating in Hama northern countryside thwarted attempts by terrorist groups to infiltrate and attack military posts positioned in the area to protect the safe villages and towns. SANA's reporter in Hama said that army units tracked the movements of terrorist organizations in the surroundings of the areas where they are positioned in the northwestern countryside and conducted concentrated bombardments against positions of terrorists from the so-called "Turkistan Party" in the surroundings of al-Ankawi village in al-Ghab plain. The reporter indicated that a number of terrorists affiliated to "Turkistan Party" were killed in the bombardments and others were injured, most of them were mercenaries who infiltrated from the Turkish territories. In al-Latamina town, the largest bastion of terrorist organizations in the northern countryside, SANA reporter said that an army unit destroyed positions and launchers of terrorists from the so-called "al-Ezza Brigades", killing scores of terrorists who tried to infiltrate into the safe areas and the military posts positioned in the surroundings of the town. 8072**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria itself should decide on foreign military advisors: Russia IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Moscow, Dec 28, IRNA -- Syria itself should decide on continuation of presence of foreign military advisors in the country, a Russian official said. 'Syria is a sovereign state and it has the right to decide on the presence of foreign military advisors,' Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova said to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) during a weekly press briefing on Thursday. She made the remarks, answering a question, regarding Israel calls for expelling Iranian military advisors from the country. 'The issue should be decided according to Iranian and Syria mutual agreements,' Zakharova added. The Russian official expressed support for the Astana peace process for resolution of Syria crisis. She pointed to the recent meeting of the foreign ministers of guarantor countries including Iran, Turkey and Russia in Geneva and said that the guarantor countries of the Astana peace process will meet in Moscow in the near future. 9191**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: Return of Syrian Army to Manbij, 'important step' Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 04:47PM Iran's Foreign Ministry has welcomed the arrival of Syrian government forces for the first time in years in the strategic northern city of Manbij, previously held by Kurdish militants from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Following the reports on Friday that Syrian government forces gained control of Manbij, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the raising of Syria's national flag in the city was an "important step" towards the stabilization of the legal government in the Arab country. "The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the necessity to respect Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and regards the raising of Syria's national flag in the city of Manbij as an important step to consolidate the sovereignty of the constitutional government of Syria over the entire country and a new step to resolve the country's crisis," the Iranian spokesperson said. The Syrian Army entered Manbij near the Turkish border, marking the return of territories held by US-backed militants to the government fold. The army said it would guarantee "full security for all Syrian citizens and others present in the area." Russia also welcomed the development, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it a positive trend. "Of course, this will help in stabilizing the situation. The enlargement of the zone under the control of government forces... is without doubt a positive trend," he said. The city was held by US-backed YPG militia which Turkey regards an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey had been sending so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants to Manbij in recent years, reportedly in preparation for an offensive to drive YPG fighters out of the city. Earlier this month, Iran, Russia and Turkey agreed to step up efforts aimed at convening the first session of a UN-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee early next year in a bid to begin a viable peace process to the country's seven-year-old conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reading out a joint statement after meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mevlut Cavusoglu, respectively, and outgoing UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva, said the work of the new body "should be governed by a sense of compromise and constructive engagement." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kuwait to reopen embassy in Syria for first time in seven years Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 04:44PM In another sign of thawing relations between the Syrian government and the Arab world after years of diplomatic row in the wake of foreign-sponsored militancy, Kuwait has announced plans to reopen its embassy in Damascus next month. A Syrian government source, requesting anonymity, said on Friday that Kuwait's diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital will resume its activities within the next 10 to 14 days, Syria's pro-government al-Masdar news agency reported. Under pressure from other members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, Kuwait withdrew its diplomats from Syria in February 2012, after tensions rose in the region over the foreign-backed crisis in Syria. A month later the Syrian embassy in Kuwait was also closed. The development came on the same day that Bahrain's Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that work at the kingdom's embassy "in the Syrian Arab Republic is going on whilst the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Kingdom of Bahrain is carrying out its duties and flights connecting the two countries are operational without interruption." The statement also affirmed "the Kingdom's keenness on the continuity of its relations with the Syrian Arab Republic and stresses the significance of enhancing and activating the Arab role in order to maintain Syria's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and avert the hazards of regional interference in its internal affairs and progress." On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates officially reopened its embassy in Damascus. The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the reopening of its embassy "reaffirms the keenness of the United Arab Emirates to restore relations between the two friendly countries to their normal course." The move "will strengthen and activate the Arab role in supporting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and to prevent the dangers of regional interference in Syrian Arab affairs," the ministry pointed out. UAE's charge d'affaires Abdul Hakim Naimi visited the embassy in the afternoon, and witnessed his country's flag being raised on the compound in central Damascus. On December 16, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir became the first Arab League leader to visit Damascus. Syria's official news agency SANA said Bashir was greeted by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad upon arrival at Damascus International Airport, before they both headed to the presidential palace. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the "situations and crises faced by many Arab countries," the Syrian presidency said in a statement. SANA quoted the Sudanese leader as saying during the meeting that he hoped Syria will recover its important role in the region as soon as possible. He also affirmed Khartoum's readiness to provide all it can to support Syria's territorial integrity. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Turkey, Iran to hold talks on Syria conflict early next week Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 02:10PM Russia, Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran are set to hold a new round of talks on the ongoing foreign-sponsored Syria crisis early next year, in the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision last week to withdraw American troops from the war-ravaged Arab country. "It's our turn to host the summit... around the first week of the year. This will depend on the schedules of the presidents" of the three countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was cited as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency on Friday. The last summit between Russia's Vladimir Putin, Iran's Hassan Rouhani and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan took place in Iran on September 7. In a joint statement, the participants at the Tehran summit said the Syria crisis could only be resolved through a negotiated political process, and has no military solution. The upcoming Syria talks will be the 12th conference organized by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, including nine held in the Kazakh capital Astana. The biggest achievement of the trio is the creation of de-escalation zones in Syria, which have significantly reduced the level of violence in the conflict-ridden Arab country. Kremlin welcomes reports of Syrian army gaining control of Manbij Meanwhile, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow welcomes the reports that Syrian government troops have gained control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, which Kurdish militants from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had previously held. "Of course, this will help in stabilizing the situation. The enlargement of the zone under the control of government forces... is without doubt a positive trend," he said. Kurdish forces, who were left exposed by Trump's pledge to pull out American soldiers from Syria, have asked Syrian government forces for help amid indications that Turkey is considering a military campaign against them. Lavrov: Turkish delegation to discuss US troop pullout from Syria in Moscow Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said US troop pullout from Syria will be on the agenda of negotiations, when Turkish officials visit Moscow on December 29. "We approach Ankara's plans for conducting more anti-terrorist operations in eastern Syria from the standpoint of uprooting the remnants of terrorism in Syrian territory and restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of that country," Lavrov told a joint news conference following talks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. He added, "We will discuss the situation that is taking shape in connection with the announced withdrawal of US forces from Syria with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on December 29." The top Russian diplomat also voiced skepticism about Trump's remarks that he will withdraw 2,000 US soldiers deployed in Syria. "The Americans don't always do what they promise, far from it. Washington clearly wants to pass on the responsibilities on the ground to its partners in the coalition," Lavrov said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bahrain follows in UAE's footsteps, officially confirms resuming work at embassy in 'brotherly' Syria Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:10AM Bahrain says it will resume operations at its embassy in Syria amid new efforts by Persian Gulf states to improve relations with Damascus as the war against foreign-backed terrorists winds down. "The Kingdom of Bahrain has announced that work is continuing at its embassy in the brotherly Arab Republic of Syria," a statement carried by Bahrain's state news agency BNA said. Bahrain was among a group of Persian Gulf Arab states led by Saudi Arabia which broke off diplomatic ties with Syria and supported terrorists fighting against President Bashar al-Assad. Manama said it was important that Arab states work to prevent any regional interference in Syria's internal affairs to help restore security and stability in the country. BNA said flights had been operating between Bahrain and Syria without interruption, although again it did not say whether that had been the case throughout the war. The Bahraini foreign ministry's statement came after diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Arabic service of Russia's Sputnik news agency that Bahrain's mission in the Syrian capital would resume its activities next week. Bahrain decided to shut down its embassy in Damascus and to withdraw all diplomats and staff on March 15, 2012. Manama's announcement came a day after the UAE officially reopened its diplomatic mission in the war-torn country. The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the reopening of its embassy "reaffirms the keenness of the United Arab Emirates to restore relations between the two friendly countries to their normal course." UAE's first cargo arrives in Syria The UAE also announced it has officially started its trade with Syria, sending its first cargo through Lebanon and Nasib border crossing into Syria. According to the Emirati newspaper Al-Bayan, the Arab country dispatched the first cargo in the form of three trucks containing dry and frozen commodities. The report also said the Dubai Ports company seeks to create a 2,500km crossing between Dubai free zone and Nasib-Jaber border crossing between Syria and Jordan in order to facilitate trade relations. There are also talks of Syria's membership in the Arab League, which was suspended seven years ago. The United Arab Emirates' minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, told Al Arabiya TV on Thursday that Syria's return to the Arab league required Arab consensus. An Arab diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters last week he believed a majority wanted Syria to be readmitted - with only three or four states expected to oppose this. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian army enters Manbij near Turkish border, raises flag Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:01AM The Syrian army has entered Manbij near the Turkish border, marking the return of territories held by US-backed militants to the government fold for the first time in years, an army spokesman said Friday. The announcement came moments after the city's residents asked the Syrian government to retake Manbij following a US pledge to withdraw troops from the Arab country. The army said it would guarantee "full security for all Syrian citizens and others present in the area." Russia welcomed the development, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it a positive trend. "Of course, this will help in stabilizing the situation. The enlargement of the zone under the control of government forces... is without doubt a positive trend," he said. State-run SANA news agency said the army raised the national flag in the city which is mainly populated by Syrian Kurds. It is not clear yet whether US troops, which had a base in Manbij, remain in place or have withdrawn. The city was held by US-backed YPG militia which Turkey regards an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey had been sending so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants to Manbij in recent years, reportedly in preparation for an offensive to drive YPG fighters out of the city. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled earlier this month that a cross-border operation against the YPG would happen soon. Since 2016, Ankara has carried out two similar military operations in northern Syria. Ankara has been assisting several militant groups fighting to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The country, however, has moderated its initial hostility toward the Syrian government and been working with Iran and Russia to restore peace to Syria within a framework known as the Astana peace process. Earlier Friday, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the presidents of the three countries, known as the guarantor states of ceasefire in Syria, are scheduled to meet in Moscow in early January. "It's our turn to host the summit... around the first week of the year. This will depend on the schedules of the presidents," Bogdanov was cited as saying by Interfax news agency. The Astana format which has brought the parties to the Syria conflict to the negotiating table has so far made numerous achievements both on the battlefield and the political stage. The talks have helped significantly decrease the violence gripping Syria by creating for de-escalation zone there. They have also paved the way for the formation of a constitutional committee. This is while a parallel UN-backed peace process in Geneva, Switzerland, has failed to deliver any breakthrough. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Damascus Regaining Control Over Manbij is Step to Stabilise Crisis - Tehran Sputnik News 15:44 28.12.2018(updated 16:09 28.12.2018) Earlier in the day, the Syrian Arab Army announced that government forces had raised the country's flag in the city, while the Kurdish YPG units had left Manbij in order to fight against the Daesh* terrorist group to the east of the Euphrates. "The Islamic Republic of Iran, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, considers the raising of the Syrian national flag in the city of Manbij to be an important step in strengthening the Syrian government's authority over the entire country and a new step to resolving the internal crisis. Iran welcomes this step", Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi stated Sunday, commenting on the situation in Syria. Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the report on Manbij passing under Damascus' control a "psychological operation", adding that the issue would be discussed during an upcoming ministerial meeting in Moscow. All the changes happened amid the withdrawal of American soldiers from Syria after US President Donald Trump announced that the coalition had defeated Daesh terrorists in the country. While Washington has been supporting the YPG, Ankara considers them to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, banned in Turkey. * Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Forces Trying to Run 'Psychological Operation' in Manbij - Erdogan Sputnik News 14:32 28.12.2018(updated 16:42 28.12.2018) The Syrian state broadcaster earlier reported that the Syrian Arab Army had entered Manbij and raised the flag of the Arab Republic after receiving a request from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to take control of the city amid Turkey's envisaged offensive in the area. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the report on Manbij passing under Damascus' control a "psychological operation", and said that the situation in the region remains unclear. "This is a psychological operation. They have raised a flag. An hour ago I spoke with the intelligence, there is nothing definite yet. Tomorrow morning our delegation will go to Moscow. Foreign ministers, intelligence, and defence ministers will discuss the situation from all angles there. After that, I will hold phone talks with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. My visit to Sochi or Moscow is also possible", Erdogan told reporters. Erdogan further stated that Turkey's main goal in Syria was to make terrorists leave the Mideast country, adding that Ankara wanted Kurdish militia to "learn a lesson" in the Arab Republic. "We are against dividing Syria, our goal is to have terrorists out of there. Then we will have no other business there", he said. In the meantime, Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said that Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) had no authority to invite others to Manbij and warned all parties against destabilising the region. In a parallel development, the main Turkey-backed Syrian rebel force said that its convoys, along with Turkish forces, were heading towards the frontlines with Manbij, in "full readiness to start military operations" to liberate the city, Reuters reported. Earlier in the day, the Syrian government's army entered Manbij after the YPG called on Damascus to take control of the city as Erdogan announced that Turkey was ready to launch an operation in the area. "Considering the obligations of the army to respond to the call by the people of Manbij, the General Staff declares that the army has entered Manbij and raised the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic there", the statement read as cited by the Syrian state broadcaster. The northern Syrian town of Manbij, previously controlled by the YPG, was left by the Kurdish forces who said they would be concentrating on the fight against Daesh* to the east of the Euphrates. "In conjunction with this, we invite the Syrian government forces, which are obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders, to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particularly Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion", the YPG said in a statement. Earlier this month, the Turkish president stated that Ankara was ready to kick off a military operation against Kurdish fighters in Manbij, but later said that the launch of the offensive would be postponed following a phone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump, who decided to pull American troops out of Syria last week. *Daesh, also known as ISIS/IS/Islamic State, is a terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SDF Backs Syrian Army's Entry Into Manbij Amid Turkish Threat - Spokeswoman Sputnik News 13:47 28.12.2018(updated 13:49 28.12.2018) DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) support the Syrian army's entry into Manbij to protect the Syrian territory from possible invasion by Turkey, SDF spokeswoman Jihan Ahmed told Sputnik. "We are in favour of the Syrian army's entry into Manbij to protect Syria because if Turkey comes somewhere, it stays there", Ahmed said, stressing that the Kurds and the Syrian government were "one family." The statement comes the same day as the Syrian army entered Manbij after it received a request from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to take control over the city amid Turkey's plans to launch a military operation there. Earlier in December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey was ready to launch a military operation against Kurdish fighters in Manbij if the United States did not remove the militia from there. Erdogan later noted that the start of the operation was postponed following a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, who decided to withdraw US troops from Syria last week. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Forces Enter Manbij and Raise Country's Flag - General Staff Sputnik News 12:16 28.12.2018(updated 12:50 28.12.2018) Earlier in the day, Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG) urged Damascus to take control of the city amid a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said Ankara was ready to start an operation in the area. "Considering the obligations of the army to respond to the call by the people of Manbij, the General Staff declares that the army has entered Manbij and raised the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic there", the statement read as cited by the Syrian state broadcaster. The Syrian Arab Army also stated it would "guarantee full security for all Syrian citizens and others" present in Manbij. The city, previously controlled by the YPG was left by the Kurdish forces, who announced they would be focusing on the fight against Daesh* to the east of the Euphrates. The move comes amid the withdrawal of US troops from Syria after US President Donald Trump claimed that the coalition had defeated the Daesh terror group in the country. While Washington has been supporting the YPG in their fight, Ankara considers them to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, banned in Turkey. * Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurdish YPG Prepares to Focus on Anti-Daesh Fight East of Euphrates Sputnik News 11:44 28.12.2018(updated 14:47 28.12.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The development comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier Ankara was ready to start an operation against the Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria's Manbij if Washington does not remove the militia from there. Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have called on the Syrian government forces to take control over Manbij amid Turkey's plans to launch a military operation on the city, the YPG said Friday. "Due to the invading Turkish state's threats to invade northern Syria and displace its people similarly to al-Bab, Jarablus and Afrin, we as the People's Protection Units, following the withdrawal of our forces from Manbij before, announce that our forces will be focusing on the fight against ISIS* [Daesh] on all the fronts in the east of the Euphrates," the YPG said in a statement. "In conjunction with this, we invite the Syrian government forces which are obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders, to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particularly Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion," the statement added. Commenting on the situation around the town of Manbij, the Turkish Defence Ministry issued a statement, saying that the YPG militia had no authority to invite other elements into the town, and warned all parties to refrain from destabilising the region. Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey was ready to launch an operation against the YPG in Manbij if the United States did not remove the militia from there. He later noted that the start of the operation was postponed following a phone conversation with Trump, who decided to withdraw US troops from Syria after the call. The surprise withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from Syria was announced on Wednesday after Trump said that the objective to defeat the Daesh terror group had been achieved. Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish fighters who Turkey regards as part of the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party has long soured its bilateral relations with Ankara. *Daesh (aka Islamic state, ISIL, IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish Media 'Exposes' French Bases in Syria Amid US Withdrawal Sputnik News 10:05 28.12.2018(updated 10:08 28.12.2018) Days after US President Donald Trump ordered US troops to withdraw from Syria, French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said that Paris would maintain its presence in Syria. A few days after French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "deep regret" over Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out from Syria, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu claimed that France would maintain 9 military sites in the country, while the total number of French soldiers deployed in "YPG/PKK-held parts" of Syria east of the Euphrates River amounts to only 200 troops. The deployments reportedly include artillery batteries, technical personnel and special forces units. According to the media outlet, French troops are present in the northern town of Ain al-Arab (Kobani), the Mistanur Hill and Sarrin districts, the town of Ain Issa, the Lafarge concrete plant in the village of Harab Isk, the Raqqa military base, the Kahar military site, the Tabqa airbase, and in parts of Manbij. Anadolu Agency went on to claim that the French forces mostly rely on the US for logistics and otherwise are said to be under the protection of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara considers terrorist organisations. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier warned that France's continued military presence in Syria wouldn't benefit anyone. "If France is staying to contribute to Syria's future, great, but if they are doing this to protect the [militia], this will bring no benefit to anyone". Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of all 2,000 troops from Syria, his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, stressed that nobody should forget about the Kurdish Syrian Democratic forces (SDF) fighting against terrorists in the region. "An ally must reliable and act in coordination with other allies", he said. Earlier this week, French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau was cited as saying that France would maintain its presence in Syria as "the fight against terrorism is not over". French Defence Minister Florence Parly, in turn, tweeted that "Daesh is weaker than ever. Daesh went into hiding and insurgency in the way it fights. Daesh has lost more than 90% of its territory. Daesh no longer has the logistics it could have". TWEET: "But Daesh was not removed from the map, nor were its roots, it is necessary to use military force to resolutely defeat the last pockets of this terrorist organisation". Following a phone conversation with Trump last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to postpone the start of a military operation against Kurds in Syria. Erdogan also stated that Trump had made his decision to withdraw American troops from the Arab republic after he vowed that Turkey would clear all remaining Daesh forces from Syria. *Daesh, also known as ISIS/IS/Islamic State, is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Denies Syrian Forces Taking Over Manbij By Jeff Seldin December 28, 2018 Even as regional forces race to position themselves for the imminent withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, U.S. military officials caution nothing on the ground has changed yet. The U.S. on Friday dismissed claims Syrian forces were taking control of the northeastern city of Manbij, a key flashpoint between U.S.-backed Kurdish militias and Turkey, at the request of the Syrian Kurds. In a statement, the Syrian army said its troops were taking up key positions, adding it "guarantees full security for all Syrian citizens and others present." But the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State terror group responded on Twitter, saying it "has seen no indication that these claims are true." "We call on everyone to respect the integrity of Manbij and the safety of its citizens," the coalition added. US troops still in Syria A U.S. defense official also told VOA dozens of U.S. forces that had been based just outside Manbij had not moved. "We still have troops there," the official said, cautioning the U.S. remains focused on the safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. Fearing a Turkish invasion, Kurdish forces have been reaching out to Syria and Russia, going as far as to invite Syrian government forces to take over the area via Twitter. Yet despite extending the invitation, Syrian Kurdish officials confirmed U.S. troops had yet to leave Manbij, and that Syrian forces had massed only in some areas on the outskirts of the city. "The situation is stable for now," Badran Chiya, a Syrian Kurdish adviser, told VOA's Kurdish service Friday. "The daily life of the people continues normally. There is no tension." Manbij, located along the Syrian border with Turkey, has been a flashpoint between the YPG, the main Syrian Kurdish militia and a key component of the U.S.-backed force fighting IS, and Turkey. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist organization with links to Kurds in Turkey. In June, the United States brokered a deal with Turkey that called for the YPG to withdraw from Manbij, which would be protected by joint U.S.-Turkish patrols. But Turkey has accused the U.S. and the Kurds of failing to meet their commitments, and has been threatening to clear the YPG from the area itself. No plans to move on Manbij Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that, at least for now, his forces had no plans to move on Manbij itself. "We are still supporting the integrity of Syrian soil. These areas belong to Syria," Erdogan told reporters following Friday prayers in Istanbul. "Once the terrorist organizations leave the area, we will have nothing left to do there." But he said Turkish forces were still prepared to move into Syria, if necessary. "It's not just about Manbij. We are aiming to wipe out all terrorist organizations in the region. Our main target is that the YPG takes the necessary lesson here," Erdogan added. Despite Erdogan's comments, Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said Friday that they were continuing to advance on Manbij with Turkish forces and fight if needed "to start military operations to liberate" the city. Russia, which has been seeking to broker an agreement on Manbij between Syria and the Kurdish militias that have been holding the city, welcomed the developments. Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov called the presence of Syrian forces in the city a "positive step." Still, Moscow is also asking for more information from the U.S. and President Donald Trump regarding how and when U.S. forces will be withdrawn from Syria. Following a meeting Friday in Moscow with Jordan's foreign minister, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that Russia wants "concrete explanations" from the U.S. "It appears that Washington wants to shift the responsibility," Lavrov said. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton is expected to travel to Turkey later next week, announcing the trip on Twitter: Friday's flurry of activity came as key regional players prepared for the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, a move announced just last week by Trump. "Everybody is negotiating; the Russians are in the middle of it and clearly the Americans are, too," Joshua Landis, who heads the Middle East department at the University of Oklahoma, told VOA. "The Syrian army doesn't want to get into a clash with Turkey. That would be a losing proposition. Neither does the YPG or anyone else," Landis added. The U.S. has about 2,000 troops in Syria to fight the Islamic State terror group. During a visit with U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday, Trump defended his decision to pull them out, declaring IS's self-declared caliphate defeated. "I think a lot of people are going to come around to my way of thinking," he said. "Our presence in Syria was not open-ended and it was never intended to be permanent." VOA's Kurdish service and Ed Yeranian contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cross-strait stability a shared responsibility: President Tsai ROC Central News Agency 2018/12/28 23:11:43 Taipei, Dec. 28 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () said Friday that maintaining stability in relations across the Taiwan Strait is a shared responsibility to be borne by both sides, and she called on China to make an effort, with Taiwan, to achieve the objective. Tsai was responding to questions from reporters during a talk at her residence about recent statements made by Chinese President Xi Jinping () stressing his focus on facilitating cross-strait unification and opposing forces pursuing Taiwan independence. Her administration's approach to handling cross-strait relations has been based on the overall assessment of the situation confronting Taiwan conducted by her national security team rather than just statements made by Chinese leaders, Tsai said. "We listen carefully to what Chinese leaders have to say, but we have our own evaluations." Despite some disruptive incidents over the past 30 months since she came into office, cross-strait relations on the whole have been relatively stable, a development that has earned recognition from other players in the region, Tsai said. Tsai was also asked to comment on China's attempts to sway Taiwan's electorate during the elections for local government offices on Nov. 24 and whether the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) win will be used by China as leverage to press her on the way she handles cross-strait relations. If China considered its strategy used to influence Taiwan's elections to be effective, it may be underestimating the ability of Taiwan's people to see through its enticing tactics and underrated the resilience of Taiwan's democratic forces, Tsai said. (By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Shih Hsiu-chuan) enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey will have no business in Syria's Manbij if YPG leaves, says Erdogan Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 05:34PM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country's military forces will have no business in Syria's northern town of Manbij once Kurdish militants from the US-backed People's Protection Units (YPG) withdraw from the area. "These areas belong to Syria. We are against the division of Syria. Our sole aim is to remove all terrorist organizations from there. Once terrorist organizations have left the area, we will have nothing left to do there," Erdogan told reporters in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul after Friday prayers. He added that Ankara's goal is to teach the YPG terrorist group a lesson, and it is determined to make such a thing happen. The remarks came after Syria's military announced it had taken control of Manbij, which lies in mainly Arab territory west of the Euphrates. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow welcomes the reports that Syrian government troops have gained control of the flashpoint town, which is located 30 kilometers west of the Euphrates. "Of course, this will help in stabilizing the situation. The enlargement of the zone under the control of government forces... is without doubt a positive trend," he said. Kurdish forces, who were left exposed by Trump's pledge to pull out American soldiers from Syria, have asked Syrian government forces for help amid indications that Turkey is considering a military campaign against them. Meanwhile, Turkey's official Anadolu news agency reported that Turkish-backed militants from the so-called Free Syria Army (FSA) are sending new military reinforcements to Manbij frontline in Syria. US troops are reportedly patrolling the town, and have bases on its edge to prevent any possible friction between Kurdish and Turkish-sponsored militants. Manbij has been a major bone of contention between Turkey and the United States. Ankara has complained over the slow implementation of a deal reached with Washington in June, which would see the YPG ousted from the town and moved back to the eastern bank of the river. Over the past few days, the Turkish military has been sending reinforcements to frontline areas with YPG militants in northern Syria. The Turkish military, with support from allied militants of the so-called Free Syrian Army, has launched two cross-border operations in northern Syria, dubbed "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch", against the YPG and Daesh Takfiri terrorists. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May's Brexit deal can get through parliament: Foreign minister Iran Press TV Fri Dec 28, 2018 01:50PM British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt has said that the parliament can pass Prime Minister Theresa May's controversial deal on the country's withdrawal from the European Union if the bloc provides clarification that the Northern Irish "backstop" will be not permanent. The so-called backstop clause of the Brexit deal is an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of border checks between Ireland, which is an EU member, and British-ruled Northern Ireland. The backstop was a main bone of contention in talks between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU over the past two years. The EU insists it should be able to include Northern Ireland in its customs union and move the border to the Irish Sea until a mechanism is found for bilateral trade. Critics say the clause would undermine the UK's sovereignty as it effectively separates Northern Ireland from the mainland Britain. The clause has proved to be the biggest obstacle to a Brexit deal between the UK and the EU, with a British government document on legal aspects of the withdrawal agreement showing the backstop could trap Britain in a customs union with the EU indefinitely, while European leaders have said they would not renegotiate the treaty. May had refused to release details of the legal advice compiled by attorney general Geoffrey Cox, saying it would not be in the interests of the public to access the full document. May delayed an original parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal planned for December 11 after admitting that parliament would reject it. Now the vote on the issue is scheduled in the week starting January 14. Both London and the EU have indicated the deal they finalized last month in Brussels is the only option possible and Brexit should happen on March 29, 2019 regardless of the decision adopted by the British parliament. British Foreign Secretary Hunt said on Friday that the divorce deal could be passed by lawmakers if the EU made clear that the Irish "backstop" would be time-barred. "If it is temporary, then parliament can live with that," Hunt told BBC radio. "We can get this (the deal) through, absolutely can." A senior European Union official has expressed hope that the British parliament would approve the deal in the upcoming meeting in mid-January. Many believe the House of Commons would reject the Brexit deal signed between the British government and the EU last month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Says Crimea Barrier Is Complete December 28, 2018 Russian authorities say they have finished building a barrier dividing the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow forcibly seized in 2014, from mainland Ukraine. The Border Directorate of the Federal Security Service (FSB) branch in Crimea said on December 28 that construction of the "engineering and technical complexes" -- as it calls the barrier -- was complete. In a statement reported by Russian news agencies, the Border Directorate said the 60-kilometer-long barrier was equipped with sensors and CCTV cameras. The purpose of the barrier, begun in 2015, is "to prevent sabotage activities" and "attempts by criminal groups to smuggle weapons, ammunition, tobacco, alcohol, gasoline, drugs" and other items, it said. Russia moved swiftly to seize control over Crimea after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed from power in Kyiv by the pro-European Maidan protest movement in February 2014. President Vladimir Putin's government sent troops without insignia to the peninsula, seized key buildings, took control of the regional legislature, and staged a referendum denounced as illegitimate by at least 100 countries at the UN. Russia also fomented unrest and backed opponents of Kyiv in eastern Ukraine, where more than 10,300 people have been killed in the ensuing conflict since April 2014. Since the takeover of Crimea, Russia has beefed up its military presence on the peninsula, already home to the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Moscow moved more than a dozen fighter jets to Crimea earlier in the week. Moscow denies interfering in Ukraine's affairs, but the International Criminal Court ruled in November 2016 that the fighting in eastern Ukraine is "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation." Based on reporting by TASS, RIA Novosti, and Interfax Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-says-crimea-barrier -is-complete/29681136.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Has Become Significantly Closer to NATO Over 4 Years - Defence Minister Sputnik News 16:48 28.12.2018(updated 17:00 28.12.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kiev has become significantly closer to NATO over the past four years, Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said. Poltorak said that to be accepted into NATO, Ukraine had to complete reforms of its Defence Ministry and of its military administration bodies. "All of this will enable us to become even closer and to feel the elbow of our partners with our shoulder. We've become much closer to it I believe we have become significantly closer", he said in an interview with local TV channel Zik. The minister specified that most NATO members were seeking Ukraine's membership. "For four years, I've kept my eye on the climate in NATO headquarters. They were not quite serious [about Ukraine's NATO membership] at first. Then, they were looking at us and wondering how this could be achieved. During our latest meeting most members of the alliance said it was necessary to speed-up Ukraine joining NATO", Poltorak stated. Meanwhile, US Special Representative to Ukraine Kurt Volker said on December 21 that neither Ukraine was ready to join NATO, nor had the alliance reached a consensus on accepting the country into its ranks. In December 2014, the Ukrainian parliament voted to drop the country's non-aligned status and work toward NATO membership. In June 2017, the parliament defined membership in the alliance as the country's strategic foreign policy goal. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels. You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us! Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous. Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo. Borderland Beat? We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email! Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter forBorderland Beat?We love to have you in our team, sendoran email! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. BASF is investing in a new production facility for mobile emissions catalysts at its Pudong site in Shanghai, China. The new 30,000-square-meter facility will house multiple manufacturing lines, providing a full range of emissions control technologies for heavy-duty and light-duty vehicle manufacturers. Construction is underway, with start-up planned for the end of 2019. The plant will manufacture innovative catalysts for gasoline and diesel vehicles in the growing Chinese market. The catalysts will help automotive customers meet more stringent emission control requirements ahead of China Stage 6 implementation in 2020. GREENWICH Lynn Mason never wanted to be at the center of a major controversy. But a firestorm erupted two years ago, after Chris Von Keyserling, who was then a member of the Representative Town Meeting, allegedly pinched Mason on her crotch while she was working at a town-managed facility. That incident led to another round of difficulties for Mason, who said she was going public with her story in part to make changes in how the town handles similar cases in the future. Mason filed a complaint earlier this year with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities over the way the town administration and her immediate supervisors processed the case involving Von Keyserling. After an investigation, the CHRO ruled recently that there was reasonable cause that Masons complaint was legitimate and could proceed. The CHRO is set up to investigate and mediate complaints in the workplace, and it can be the first step for civil litigation. Mason said the incident involving Von Keyserling on Dec. 8, 2016, at the town-owned Nathaniel Witherell nursing home, was disgusting and very disturbing. He was later charged with sexual assault in the fourth degree. The misdemeanor criminal charge is set for a jury trial. The court case was initiated after the incident was reported to police. A discussion over politics between von Keyserling, who was then 71, and Mason became heated, according to the criminal complaint. When she stood up to leave the room, Von Keyserling allgedly pinched her. He has pleaded not guilty, and he has been met by protesters at some court appearances. According to the police report, moments before the alleged assault, which occurred a month after the 2016 presidential election, Von Keyserling said he loves this new world, and that he doesnt have to be politically correct anymore. The confrontation with Von Keyserling was bad, Mason said, but the reaction of her supervisor was troubling as well. Mason contends her immediate supervisor, Mary Bruce, attempted to minimize the alleged assault. Her supervisors were concerned about losing Von Keyserlings support for the Witherell home and did not want to antagonize him, she said. I felt they were minimizing it, reducing it to a dispute, she said. Mason said she was highly demoralized by the reaction of her supervisor, and requested a new work space at the Witherell, which was not immediately provided. That led her to file the complaint with the CHRO. I feel pretty beat up, Mason said this week. The investigator for the CHRO wrote that the town erred in not providing another suitable work space for Mason after she requested one. The CHRO report also said the process was faulty: (Mason) should have relied on her immediate chain of command to take action. Instead, she had to reach out to her union after reporting the incident (to her supervisor). Bruce has retired from her position with the town and relocated to North Carolina. Her phone number is not listed, and she could not be reached for comment. According to the report by the CHRO, Bruce denied making comments that she wanted to minimize or downplay the incident involving Mason and Von Keyserling. But a lawyer for Greenwich is defending the way the town handled the matter. In a statement, Assistant Town Attorney Valerie Maze-Keeney said the CHRO report was not the final word on the matter and called the initial investigation incomplete. The claims remain to be heard and decided on the merits, Maze-Keeney wrote. The town lawyer pointed to a number of actions the town took within 24 hours of finding out about the alleged incident. Von Keyserling was banned from the Witherell, police were put into action and steps were taken for Mason to take a leave of absence and receive psychological counseling, Maze-Keeny said. The Board of Selectmen issued a statement calling for Von Keyserling to resign from the RTM, where he had served for 32 years. He was not re-elected in November 2017 in part because of the accusation and charge, which became a campaign issue. There can be no doubt that the town took prompt action to stop the alleged sexual harassment and no doubt the town does not tolerate sexual harassment. In addition, the evidence will show that the town showed extraordinary support for the Complainant (Mason) in various ways, Maze-Keeney stated. The selectmen also released a statement slamming Von Keyserling in January 2018. The reputation of the town of Greenwich has been sullied as a result of the admitted actions of Mr. von Keyserling, the statement said. The town administration also approved a transfer for Mason to work at another facility in September 2017. But to Mason, the town should have done better, and it still upsets her that she was not provided with a new work space, separate from her former boss, when she first requested it. She took more than three months of leave after her initial request did not gain approval. It is so important to handle these things correctly. Why did it take three-and-a-half months to find me an office? When it was available? she asked. Mason was eventually moved to a new space after she came back from leave. Mason still finds it wrong that it was her union that made the first call to human resources. It has to be reported right away, she said, I do not want this to happen to the next employee. They have not changed their way of handling these things. Mason is now working at the towns senior center on Greenwich Avenue, working on programming and activities. The MeToo movement, which brought men to justice for sexual crimes and misdeeds, encouraged her to come forward, Mason said. Since then, weve seen the extent of sexual assault. And the only way it can exist is if theres hand-in-hand collusion, of people knowing and accepting that behavior, she said, If I dont report this, I become part of the problem. But I get why people dont come forward. The Von Keyserling case has been assigned for a trial, but no date has been scheduled. Phil Russell, Von Keyserlings lawyer, said, theres a story that remains to be told about the complainant and his client. He criticized the media coverage of the case, including the release of a video depicting the aftermath of the incident, through a Freedom on Information request. The video showed Von Keyerling leaving the office after the alleged attack, but not what happened inside. The video is not evidence of anyones innocence or guilt, Russell said. A conference call will be arranged in January between Mason, the town legal staff and the CHRO, which will lead to the scheduling of a hearing in coming weeks. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com In this ongoing series, we are sharing advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there doing business battle on a daily basis. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.) Who are you and whats your business? Natalie Ebel: We're Backdrop, "The New Way to Paint." Our company is reimagining the extremely antiquated process of painting your home. Caleb Ebel: We've taken a first-principles approach and rebuilt every consumer touch point, starting with the paint can, which hasn't changed in 100 years. We offer a curated palette of 50 colors, 12x12'' premium adhesive samples so you don't have to deal with tiny color cards or expensive and messy sample pots, and weve produced the highest quality paint supplies. All of this is delivered right to your door, so you never have to go to the hardware store again. Related: This Facial Shop Focused on Helping People Instead of Pushing Products -- and Raised $8 Million in the Process What inspired you to create Backdrop? Natalie: We first had the idea for Backdrop back in 2016 after living near a hardware store in New York City for several years. We would walk by and see people pulling their hair out while standing in front of the wall of 3,000 color cards. It became a bit of a running joke. We ended up putting Backdrop on hold for a bit while we were pregnant and had our first daughter, Colette. As soon as we were ready, we picked it back up and launched in fall 2018. Some people thought we were nuts for taking the leap as new parents, but we just went for it and couldnt be prouder. Related: Finding the Right Idea Is Like Falling in Love, According to This Entrepreneur What has been the biggest lesson you've learned in producing and marketing? Natalie: We've learned so many lessons, and we're only just getting started. One big one has been the importance of surrounding yourself with the most talented people, because no one can do it alone. We've partnered with world-class talent to help build our brand and website, Aruliden and Rebecca Zhou, respectively. We also have amazing advisors from some of the best direct-to-consumer brands of the past decade, including Warby Parker, Everlane, and Glossier. What are some of the key ingredients entrepreneurs need to achieve success? Natalie: We started Backdrop as a married team with a one-year-old daughter, which means we were fully committed to this from the very beginning. A combination of passion for Backdrop, a true belief in the opportunity and the problem we're solving, and the support of some of the most talented partners and advisors we could imagine have got us here so far. What does the word entrepreneur mean to you? Natalie: Some of the most creative people I know are expressing their creativity through new businesses, which I love. I have a ton of respect for anyone who has gone through the journey of taking an idea to reality. What have you learned about fundraising, both good and bad? Caleb: There are a lot of ways to finance your business. All of them have pros and cons, but in general, they're means to an end. My general advice is to raise as little money as possible in the early days and focus on really building a sound business that you understand deeply. Then, be prepared to invest in growth opportunities as they present themselves, which can be done out of cash flows or by selling ownership in your business. Just understand that every dollar of investor money you take comes with a great deal of responsibility and strings attached. There's no one right formula, because every business is different. Related: How Becoming an Entrepreneur Helped This Refugee Connect in America Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation? Natalie: "Don't ask for permission." As a woman and an entrepreneur, you can't just take what you're offered. Go after what you want. Related: This Couple Built a Company That Stops Painting From Being a Pain in the Can These High School Best Friends Achieved Their Dream of Being Their Own Bosses. Their Next Step? Starting a Wellness Revolution. This Facial Shop Focused on Helping People Instead of Pushing Products -- and Raised $8 Million in the Process Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Haiti - News : Zapping... 2019 National Carnival Theme Friday Jean Michel Lapin, the Minister of Culture unveiled the official theme of the National Carnival 2019 "Ann chita pale for Ayiti", a call for national dialogue for the safeguarding of the country, according to the Minister Lapin. The national carnival of 2019 will take place in the city of Gonaives, in the Artibonite confirms the Minister of Information and Culture. Hotel project in Grand Goave Marie Christine Stephenson the Minister of Tourism held a meeting with the promoter-investor of "Arabay Resort Hotel" in the commune of Grand-Goave where a Convention of establishment was signed between Camy Andre Vallon and Minister Stephenson. To be continued... President Moise visited Radio Kiskeya On Thursday, President Jovenel Moise visited the team of Radio Tele Kiskeya whose premises were devastated by a fire on December 21 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26465-haiti-flash-radio-tv-kiskeya-reduced-to-ashes.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26515-haiti-radio-kiskeya-the-point-of-the-directorate-on-the-fire-that-ravaged-the-station.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26494-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26477-haiti-politic-words-of-sympathy-of-conatel.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26465-haiti-flash-radio-tv-kiskeya-reduced-to-ashes.html The Senate sends flowers to the TNH The staff of the National Television of Haiti (TNH) and Gamall Jules Augustin, the Director General of the TNH thank the Senate for the flowers sent on the occasion of the celebration of 39 years of existence of the public service media https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26472-haiti-news-zapping.html "May this symbolic but important gesture be a sign of continuity in the long and fruitful collaboration between the two institutions," Julin Augustin Gamall. Vows of the "Akademi Kreyol Ayisyen" "Akademi Kreyol Ayisyen an di tout zanmi, patne ak enstitisyon ki toujou pote kole ak li yo, yon gwo mesi pou kolaborasyon yo. AKA ap di nou tout yon bon ane 2019." HL/ HaitiLibre (CNN) After barely a year in business, Luckin Coffee is challenging Starbucks in one of the U.S. coffee giant's top markets. More than 1,700 Luckin outlets have sprung up across China this year. That includes a store in Beijing's Forbidden City, the historic cultural site from which Starbucks (SBUX) was famously evicted more than a decade ago. Luckin plans to have 2,000 outlets by the end of the year. It's luring customers with cheap prices and savvy use of technology, which is forcing Starbucks to up its game. The rapid of ascent of Luckin to challenge the US chain shows how Chinese upstarts are increasingly rivaling Western brands in one of the world's top consumer markets. While both serve coffee, the similarities largely end there. Unlike Starbucks' trademark coffee shops, most of Luckin's outlets are tiny booths in out of the way spots that take orders online for both delivery and pickup. More important, Luckin has placed technology at the heart of its business from the start. Its outlets don't accept cash, instead customers can only pay through the Luckin app, which offers loyalty bonuses. "It's very convenient and time-saving," said Hans Wang, a 33-year-old researcher in the eastern city of Hangzhou. He places his order using the app and then picks it up in a store. Customers demand these kinds of services in an increasingly connected China. But until recently, Starbucks didn't offer them. "Starbucks had a weak point," said Jeffrey Towson, a professor at Peking University and China business expert. "The fact they didn't have delivery is ridiculous. And their app sucked." Growing rivalry China is Starbucks' second biggest market after the United States. With around 3,000 stores across the country, it's still bigger than Luckin. Starbucks plans to more than double that number by the end of 2022. But in June, the company reported a sudden slowdown in growth in China. One of the things it blamed was increasing competition, which analysts interpreted as a reference to Luckin. There is a growing sense of rivalry between Luckin and Starbucks. In May, Luckin sued the Seattle-based company, claiming it had unfairly monopolized the market. In response, Starbucks told Chinese state media: "We welcome orderly competition, mutual promotion, continuous innovation, continuous improvement of quality and service, and creating real value for Chinese consumers." Luckin plans to open hundreds more outlets over the next couple of years. Starbucks is now fighting back. In August, it teamed up with Alibaba (BABA), China's largest e-commerce company, to launch home delivery services. A month later, Luckin announced its own tie-up with another major Chinese internet company, Tencent (TCEHY). Yuwan Hu, an analyst at Daxue Consulting in Shanghai, said that competition from Luckin is also prompting Starbucks to go more upmarket by focusing more on its Reserve brand in China. The outlets offer consumers more premium coffee options in a larger, more luxurious retail space. Starbucks' Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, which opened in late 2017, is the company's biggest store in the world. Luckin is focused on competing on price, according to Hu. The company promotes discounts on Tencent's popular social network, WeChat, and its coffee is generally cheaper than Starbucks'. Suyu Meng, 25, who works at a tech startup in Beijing, said she's torn between the two brands. She is drawn to Luckin's cheaper prices, but also likes the more high-end experience at Starbucks, where she can meet up with friends. Coffee's answer to Xiaomi Towson described Luckin as the coffee industry equivalent of Xiaomi, the upstart Chinese smartphone maker that became one of the country's top brands by selling cheaper alternatives to Apple's (AAPL) iPhone. To succeed, Luckin doesn't necessarily have to try to overtake Starbucks as China's top coffee brand. Analysts say the market is big enough for both of them. For the time being, Luckin is losing money as it seeks to grow, a common situation for young startups. "We haven't set a timetable for profit," spokesman Du Yang told CNN. In December, the company raised $200 million in new funding from investors, giving it a valuation of more than $2 billion, according to Du. The long-term challenge for both Luckin and Starbucks is converting more of China's traditionally tea-drinking population to coffee. People in China consume just five cups of coffee a year on average. Americans guzzle about 400. "The question for them now is, 'How much do Chinese like coffee?,'" Towson said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "This coffee company thinks it can beat Starbucks in China." The researchers identified three new sites in the genome that appear to be associated with the disorder. The study also supports previous studies that identified 11 gene regions from women of Han Chinese descent and eight gene regions from women of European descent. The results appear online in the Dec. 20 issue of the journal PLOS Genetics. This study addresses one of the main controversies within the medical community that characterized PCOS as three different diseases depending on whether the patient has too much hair growth and irregular periods, often with weight gain, or just irregular periods and infertility, said Corrine Welt, interim chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at University of Utah Health and one of the senior authors on the study. These results drive home the point that regardless of symptoms for diagnosing PCOS the genetic underpinnings are exactly the same. The researchers explored the genetic basis of PCOS by conducting a whole genome association study on the genomes of more than 10,000 women with PCOS and 100,000 controls from seven studies that include participants of European ancestry. Data was collected from clinically verified cases from North American and Europe as well as from opt-in research participants, provided by 23andMe. In the study, the researchers separated the PCOS patients into three groups based on diagnosis. Patients diagnosed using the National Institutes of Health criteria (high testosterone and irregular menstrual cycles; 2,540 cases and 15,020 controls) account for about 70 percent of PCOS cases. Patients diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria (high egg production; 2,669 cases and 17,035 controls) account for up to 20 percent of PCOS cases. The researchers also examined self-identified PCOS cases (5,184 cases and 82,759 controls). They identified 14 gene variants that were associated with PCOS, including three that were identified for the first time. Only one of these 14 genetic variants differed significantly in its association by diagnostic criteria. The researchers next examined the associations of these 14 gene variants with specific PCOS related traits in three additional studies with a combined total of more than 10,000 PCOS patients and found four variants associated with high testosterone, eight variants associated with high egg production, and nine variants associated with infertility, with three variants associated with all three traits. Patients often go from doctor to doctor before they get a diagnosis, because medical professionals may not be familiar with PCOS and providers from dermatology to obstetrics and gynecology to endocrinology may diagnose PCOS differently, Welt said. As a community, we turned to genetics to understand the initiating cause of this disorder. The genetic underpinnings of PCOS implicate neuroendocrine, metabolic and reproductive pathways, and a follow-up analysis found that the genetic pathways identified in this study are also linked to other conditions including metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, menopause, obesity and depression. In addition, the researchers found for the first time that there are some links to male pattern baldness. The links between PCOS and mental health suggest the importance of a holistic approach where the social and psychosocial dimensions of the disease are considered, said Felix Day, senior research associate in Growth and Development at the Medical Research Council EpidemiologyUnit at the University of Cambridge, England and contributing author on the study.The next steps are to further characterize the causes of this understudied disease that affects many women worldwide. Welt noted the study may over-represent the most severe characteristics of PCOS (defined by the NIH criteria), which is more commonly diagnosed by medical professionals. As such, the results may be biased toward the variants that impart these traits. In addition, whole genome association studies identify regions of interest along the genome but do not pinpoint the causal gene. ### This work was developed through the international collaboration among 50 institutions. The results are available online in the article titled Large-scale genome-wide meta-analysis of polycystic ovary syndrome suggests shared genetic architecture for different diagnosis criteria in the Dec. 20 issue of the journal PLOS Genetics. The International PCOS Consortium received funding from a number of organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre. THE founder of an organic baby food company was awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours list. Paul Lindley, 52, who lives near Henley, started Ellas Kitchen in 2006. He named it after his daughter, who is now 19. The company, which is based at Greys Green Farm in Rotherfield Greys, is now the biggest baby food brand in the country. Earlier this year, Mr Lindley stepped away from the business, having sold it to American firm Hain Celestial in 2013. He was surprised to receive the letter informing him of the honour. Mr Lindley said: I got it at the beginning of December and was only half concentrating when I opened it. It was official-looking so I thought it was a tax letter. When I started reading it I was taken by surprise as its not the sort of thing you get every day. You go about life doing what you do and finding somebody has seen that, in this case the Queen, is very motivating. A part of this is to do with Ellas Kitchen and what the team there has achieved so Im very proud and humbled. The other thing Im very proud of is that it recognises me not only as an entrepreneur but also as a childrens welfare campaigner. Mr Lindley is now a director of American educational TV show Sesame Street and chairman of the Child Obesity Taskforce set up by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. He also runs The Key Is E, a childrens educational charity in Africa, and has written a best-selling book, Little Wins: The Power of Thinking Like a Toddler, which outlines how behaviour from childhood can increase success in adulthood. Mr Lindley said: Im trying to do good, get laws changed and routines to be better. In 2016, he led a campaign urging the Government to place a greater focus on healthy eating in babies and toddlers. A delegation from Ellas Kitchen visited Westminster with three giant building blocks made of vegetables to highlight their importance in childrens diets. The group, which included about a dozen children, also delivered a policy paper urging the Department of Health to place greater emphasis on introducing vegetables as soon as possible during a childs weaning period. The stunt was part of the companys Veg For Victory campaign in which it is encouraging parents, retailers and healthcare workers to publicise the benefits of vegetables. Mr Lindley, who also has a 16-year-old son Patrick with his wife Alison, said he was looking forward to being presented with his medal, having had to keep the news secret. I only told my close family but Im glad its out now, he said. Im happy to be on the list with lots of people I look up to. I dont know when the ceremony will be yet but it will be fabulous whoever and wherever it is. Among other local people to be honoured was Jonathan Terry, from Caversham, who founded the Cystinosis Foundation UK in 1999. He becomes an MBE for his outstanding contribution to the community. Mr Terry is the countrys oldest survivor of the genetic disease, which causes an amino acid called cystine to form crystals in organs, leading to problems including kidney failure and breathing difficulty in older age. The charitys trustees congratulated him, saying it was a fantastic, well-deserved achievement. Kirsten Willis was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the NHS. She is head of operations for South Central Ambulance Service. Ms Willis, 46, who grew up in Sonning Common and attended Chiltern Edge School and The Henley College, has worked for the organisation for more than 20 years. She started working in physiotherapy before training to become a paramedic with the Royal Berkshire Ambulance Trust from 1995. She has served in a number of management and leadership roles as well as for the NHS 111 service and for the last 13 years has volunteered her time each week to help young people in Reading. Ms Willis is also chairwoman of the organisations LGBT network and deputy chairwoman of the National Ambulance LGBT Network. She now lives in Tilehurst but her parents Bill and Marjorie still live in Sonning Common. She said: Im extremely excited and very proud to receive this award. Its quite overwhelming at the moment with all the attention. I got the letter on November 22 so Ive had to keep it quiet, which is really nice in some respects as Ive had a month to get used to it before it was announced. I thought I was up for jury service as it was an official letter. I thought, not again! It will be presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire and I have had a letter from him. Ive also been invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. She added: I love working for the service and remain passionate about us delivering the best possible care we can for our patients. Will Hancock, chief executive of South Central Ambulance Service, said: Kirsten is a very dedicated member of our staff and has shown her tremendous care and concern for the welfare of our colleagues. We are delighted that her leadership of the LGBT network has also been recognised and this national award is very well-deserved. A war of words erupted between former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald and then-finance minister John Bruton over a proposed Government-backed rescue package for Bewley's Cafe. Newly released Cabinet documents from the 1988 State archive revealed Mr Bruton angrily wrote to Dr FitzGerald warning that the manner in which the Bewley's rescue package was proposed threatened to undermine his statutory authority over State spending. Dr FitzGerald, a fan of Bewley's, had proposed State support for a rescue package. "Bewley's are part of the essential character and atmosphere of Dublin," Dr FitzGerald stressed. He said the cafe was part of Dublin's cultural and tourism life. However, the rescue packaged proposed was apparently outlined without detailed prior consultation with his Meath colleague. On June 12, 1986, Mr Bruton wrote to the Taoiseach expressing his alarm over the Bewley's proposal. "I am concerned that my statutory role with regard to sanctioning expenditure should not be undermined as a result of the failure to consult my department before reaching decisions which may have implications for public expenditure," he wrote. Mr Bruton said he was "particularly worried" by a number of such breaches. "Apart from yourself, I am the minister most seriously disadvantaged by the anarchy caused by these breaches because of my legitimate interest in most issues which come before Government," he wrote. Unfair Further, he warned that Kylemore Bakeries had subsequently approached him on the basis that Government support for Bewley's would represent unfair competition. He explained that Kylemore had themselves been considering purchasing Bewley's. A letter from Dr FitzGerald to Mr Bruton outlining what had happened with the proposed Bewley's rescue package was typed, but marked "unsent" in the archive. Nathan Coates has not yet indicated how he intends to plead A young man charged with the aggravated burglary of a Dublin off-licence has been sent for trial. Nathan Coates (21) was allegedly armed with a knife when he committed the burglary earlier this year. He was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Blanchardstown District Court. The accused, of Willow Wood View in Hartstown, is charged with aggravated burglary at the Carry Out off-licence in Mulhuddart on July 6. It is alleged that Mr Coates was armed with a multi-tool and a pocket knife at the time of the burglary. A State solicitor said that the book of evidence was ready and had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Curfew Judge David McHugh gave Mr Coates the formal alibi caution, warning him he had 14 days to provide to the State details of anyone he proposed calling as a witness in his defence. Judge McHugh assigned defence solicitor John O'Doherty and one junior counsel on free legal aid. The judge also ordered that a video copy of an interview which gardai conducted with the accused be furnished to his legal team. Mr Coates was remanded on bail to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on a date next month. As part of his bail conditions, Mr Coates was previously ordered to obey a curfew. However, Sergeant Maria Callaghan told the court there was consent to the curfew being removed. The accused has not yet indicated how he is pleading to the charge. The charge is contrary to Section 13 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, 2001. The Tart with the Cart Molly Malone statue helped to celebrate the capitals 1000th year Dublin's lavish plans to celebrate its millennium sparked a war of words 30 years ago with senior civil servants warning grant aid should not be provided for projects that Dublin Corporation was fully capable of funding itself. Further, finance minister Ray MacSharry and environment minister Padraig Flynn clashed over State funding for the project given the difficult economic and financial environment at the time. Newly released papers in the 1988 State archive revealed Dublin Corporation's funding plans for the major celebration of the capital's 1,000th anniversary prompted the ire of Department of Finance officials. Bulk Mr MacSharry warned in a memo dated December 6, 1987, that he "must reject the bulk of the proposals from the minister for the environment". He argued that IR500,000 be allocated from National Lottery proceeds. Expand Close Ray MacSharry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ray MacSharry "The minister wishes to remind the Government of the extremely severe expenditure cutbacks being introduced in 1988. "The [millennium spending] proposals seriously undermine this approach involving, as they do in most cases, expenditure which is quite unnecessary and indeed wasteful." Mr MacSharry noted that the private sector had already contributed IR2.5m in sponsorship for the Dublin Millennium. But there was as yet no breakdown of how this was to be spent. Dublin was seeking Government grant aid of IR2m to support its millennium programme. This included IR250,000 for the repaving of Grafton Street and IR250,000 for the repaving of O'Connell Street. However, a secret Government memo from the Department of Finance queried some of the Dublin spending proposals. "Paving and improving Grafton Street is something Dublin Corporation should be doing out of its own funds," a civil servant warned. "The corporation is one of the best off of all local authorities. "If there are spare funds under the amenity grants heading, they should be surrendered as savings." Estimates A subsequent Department of Finance memo detailed that the Dublin Millennium project was seeking IR2m. This comprised IR1.25m for arts and culture, IR250,000 for environmental improvement works, IR250,000 for community, youth, sport and education projects and IR250,000 for tourism. Arguably the greatest legacy of the 1988 Dublin Millennium was not detailed in the estimates - the Molly Malone statue originally erected at the bottom of Grafton Street. The statue, by Jeanne Rynhart, was unveiled by then lord mayor Ben Briscoe in June 1988. Nicknamed the 'Tart with the Cart' or the 'Trollop with the Scallops', the statue quickly became one of Dublin's most iconic landmarks. Model and foodie Roz Purcell is winning praise after posting this snap on Instagram, showing off her stretch marks Irish model and food blogger Roz Purcell has been inundated with praise on social media for her honesty about her stretch marks. The former Miss Universe Ireland has been sharing photos of her Bali Christmas holiday on Instagram over the past week. In one bikini snap, the 28-year-old shared an unedited photo of her stretch marks on her thighs, encouraging others to accept their bodies. "I remember the first time I noticed my stretch marks, probably at like 11 or 12. I was like, I don't remember my cat scratching me," Roz said. "A few months of noticing more and more, I was like, this is so cool, I have all these reptile markings no one else has, and showing them off. "As I grew up, went to secondary, I realised it was something I shouldn't think was so cool or show. No one in magazines had them. I never noticed them on anyone else. It was not normal or considered beautiful. Expand Close Roz Purcell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Roz Purcell "Even now it's rare you see an unedited photo in a magazine, I'm like, 'How is that girl's butt so smooth?'." Fans of the food writer praised her honesty for sharing, describing her as a "role model" and "inspiring". "I love you for this! You just sparked a bit of hope and confidence in me," one user said. "As a mum to a 17-year-old you are a fantastic role model, and may I add we are both hugely influenced by you, so keep doing what you are doing, you are an amazingly beautiful young woman," said another. "Well done to you... love the honesty," said another. Roz, who is in Bali with her music promoter boyfriend Zach Desmond, said she only started to accept that her stretch marks are "here to stay" in the last two years. Massage "It hasn't been until now [in] the past two years I can confidently walk past someone in a bikini or shorts and not cringe inside thinking that they're probably looking at all my stretch marks and cellulite," she said. "Stretch marks are normal, we all have them, big or small they're part of me and they're here to stay!" She later added that after posting the photo, she received messages with tips on how to get rid of them, saying: "I don't have time or the dedication to massage my butt in some super oil for 30 mins before bed, sure I'd slip out on to the floor." Couples in Ireland could be allowed to get a "quickie divorce" for the first time, with a referendum next year expected to dramatically speed up the process for those seeking a divorce. It comes as a Dublin TD and Cabinet minister said the "draconian" divorce laws in Ireland were inflicting more damage than necessary on broken families. The Government is looking at two options to put to the people. The first option is a vote which would see the waiting time in the Constitution reduced from four to two years. The other option would involve a vote to remove the period from the Constitution altogether to introduce the two-year period by way of legislation. Culture Minister Josepha Madigan said her preference would be to remove the time limit altogether. This would allow the Dail to change the rules in future without another referendum. Ms Madigan said making couples wait four years to get a divorce meant they were "effectively trapped in unhappy marriages for years". "This surely cannot be acceptable in modern Ireland," she said. The Government has promised a referendum on divorce to coincide with the local elections on May 24 - but the question that will be asked remains undecided. It will be the first time since divorce was approved in 1995 that voters will be asked to amend the rules associated with it. That referendum was passed by fewer than 10,000 votes. "The price to win over a wary electorate was the mandating of a four-year waiting period in the Constitution," Ms Madigan said. The Dublin Rathdown TD spent almost two decades working as a solicitor in family law, specialising in separation and divorce. She also acted as a mediator to assist couples to avoid a court-imposed outcome. "I have witnessed first-hand the pain and trauma that the time limit inflicts on families," she said. "Our current law can be said to make divorce as difficult as possible. The consequence of this is not, as some claim, the protection of the family unit; rather, it leads to the damaging of families." Ms Madigan added that the tendency to put restrictions on social policy in the Constitution was "problematic". "They reflect the values of our society at a fixed point in time on an issue where public opinion is evolving," she said. "Ireland's waiting time for divorce is one of the longest in Europe and indeed the world. Mature "Two years is a more reasonable time period, allowing couples time to obtain legal advice on property, pensions access, maintenance and other ancillary reliefs." The minister said that Ireland was a "more mature and open society" than in 1995 and people were "less willing to judge the life choices of others". "The reduction of the time limit does not undermine the institution of marriage, it simply allows us to treat those whose marriages break down with the compassion and respect they deserve," she said. Berkeley sheriff: Changes made at animal shelter under fire for care New Year is here and so is the reason to party. Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor along with son Arjun Kapoor, daughters Anshula, Janhvi and Khushi headed to Singapore to ring in Anshulas birthday and get into the festive mood. Wishing his sister on the occasion, Arjun shared two pictures from their vacation on Instagram and captioned them, Happy birthday Ansh... ur an extension of me, the best part of me & u always shall be the world to me...#happybirthdayanshula #bestsisterever#growinguptoofast. Janhvi also shared a few pictures to wish Anshula on her birthday. She captioned them, "Everyones most special. the reason we feel loved and safe. So thankful I have you to look up to. I love you more than you can imagine, always love HBD bro. The Kapoors seem excited to kickstart their first New Year vacation together. In the first picture, the entire family is seen in black outfits. While the birthday girl is all smiles in a black floor-length dress on the left, Janhvi is seen in an ankle-length dress with a slit. Khushi, on the other hand, is seen in a white and black outfit. The other picture shows the siblings sharing a hearty laugh while enjoying a light moment. The year 2018 brought the worst and the best for the Kapoor family. After legendary actor Sridevis untimely death in Dubai in February, the family came close and supported each other in the time of need. Arjun also shared the couch on Koffee With Karan with Janhvi. The two took friendly digs at each others personal life as Arjun confessed that he is not single while enquiring Janhvi about Ishaan Khatter. Janhvi also made her Bollywood debut this year with Dhadak opposite Ishaan. And as per Karans revelation on the radio show No Filter Neha, even Khushi is gearing up to her Bollywood debut in 2019. Follow @htshowbiz for more It came as a big surprise when it was announced that actors Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan will be coming together for director Remo DSouzas untitled dance film. Touted to be the biggest dance film of India, fans had been eagerly waiting for more details to be released. However, the latest development will leave Kats fans disappointed. She has had to walk out of the dance film, and the reason, according to her official spokesperson is, her hectic schedule for Bharat. Katrina has always been a thorough professional. Her dates were clashing with Bharat, which she is currently shooting for. Read more: ABCD 3 teaser: Katrina Kaif, Varun Dhawan set for biggest dance film ever in 3D When we reached out to producer Bhushan Kumar, who is bankrolling both Bharat and Remos film, he confirmed the same and said, Katrina has walked out of the film, and it was a mutual decision. She is shooting for my film only with Salman bhai, and thats going a little ahead. We are having a date clash, thats why we unfortunately had to do it, even though we really wanted her (in the dance film). Varun however is still a part of the project. Yes, definitely, hes there, we are starting (the shoot) on January 22, as per the schedule. We will soon be announcing the cast, we have shortlisted two-three A-listers for the new girl. Interact with the author on Twitter/ @RishabhSuri02 More than 2,800 tourists who got stranded at Nathu La near Indo-China border and other places in the Sikkim region following heavy snowfall on Friday were evacuated by the Army through rescue operations that were carried from Friday evening till Saturday afternoon. The tourists, who included many elderly people and children, were provided shelter and food in army facilities. Among the tourists who were rescued, 90 people fell ill and were taken to safety in ambulances. Brigadier J S Dhadwal, who supervised the evacuation, said, The tourists were stranded above 13,000 ft. They were brought down to army facilities at 9,000 ft where they spent the night. A senior police officer in Sikkim who requested anonymity said, This was the biggest rescue operation by the army in Sikkim in recent history. Soldiers were shifted from transit camps to make room for the tourists. Kapil Meena, district collector, East Sikkim, said, We are trying to bring all tourists back to Gangtok by Saturday night. There was no more snowfall. The roads are being cleared. The weather was sunny in Darjeeling town and its outskirts that witnessed snowfall after a decade. Praful Rao, a retired wing commander and president of Kalimpong-based NGO, Save the Hills, said,Snowfall in places such as Lava, Reshab and other parts was the result of western disturbances. The snowfall has attracted the attention of travellers and tourists. Samrat Sanyal, a tour operator in Siliguri said, Tourists from all over India have started calling after the snowfall. The crowds will surely swell in the coming day. Also read | Indian Army rescues 2500 tourists after heavy snowfall in Sikkims Nathu La Hours after he wrote an examination for a job with Delhi Police, a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death by an unidentified man at a busy market in north-east Delhis Khajuri Khas on Wednesday night, police said. The mans 30-year-old cousin too was stabbed and he was admitted in the intensive care unit of GTB Hospital. The survivor wasnt in a position to speak to the police because of which the reason behind the attack remained unknown, police said. Since the mobile phones and wallets of the cousins were found in their pockets, the police prima facie ruled out robbery as a motive. Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (north-east), said one man at the murder spot tried to take on the killer but was forced to back off. The man, said to be the only person from among a crowd to have come forward as an eyewitness, told the police the attacker stabbed the two cousins after a quarrel. The eyewitness had nearly nabbed the killer but was told that he would meet a similar fate if he tried to interfere in others fights. The killer was able to loosen his grip and get away after that, said the officer. The dead man has been identified as Prem Sanu Gaur, a resident of Kadi Vihar in north Delhi. On Wednesday, Gaur had attended a written examination for a job in Delhi Police. He had decided to spend the night with his cousin, Dev Sharma, who lives in Bhajanpura, said the officer. The quarrel happened around 9 pm while the cousins were standing near a sweet shop at Khajuri Chowk. Many people were around when the attack happened but only of them came forward as an eyewitness. The eyewitness has described the killer as a thin man of around 5.5 feet tall. The police registered a murder case and are scanning CCTV footage in the neighbourhood to find suspects of that description. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Friday said they found cases of sexual abuse and unhygienic conditions at a shelter home for girls run by an NGO in southwest Delhis Dwarka, during a surprise inspection. The commission said employees at the house allegedly abused the girls by administering chilli powder in their private parts as punishment. Police said they were probing the allegations. Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said, We have registered an FIR under sections of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Juvenile Justice Act. The DCW said the commissions expert committee conducted a surprise visit at the home that houses 22 inmates on Thursday night. We got the police to register an FIR. The police told us they had deployed personnel in plainclothes at the home to monitor the activities, the DCW said in a statement. According to the statement, the expert committee found during the visit that the inmates were allegedly forced to do household chores and abused by the staff. The older girls in the group said they were would be forced to do all chores such as cooking and cleaning toilets since the home did not have sufficient domestic staff. They were also asked to take care of the younger girls, the DCW said. The committee members said there was only one cook in the shelter, adding they received complaints related to the quality of food. The home has girls between the ages of 6 and 15 . The committee was appalled at the forms of punishment meted out to young children and teenage girls in the home. The girls mentioned that the home staff forcefully administered chilli powder to them in their private parts as punishment. Other forms of punishment included beating with scales for not keeping the rooms clean. The girls were not permitted to go home during summer and winter vacations, the statement said. The commission has informed the Delhi governments women and child department about the condition of the home, which is to set up an enquiry in the matter. Aiming to improve its performance in next years Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has convened two crucial meetings on Friday and Saturday to decide its poll strategy and identify candidates. Senior AAP functionaries said general elections will top agenda in the meetings. Amid reports that the party was planning to amend AAPs constitution in the meetings in order to allow Arvind Kejriwal to continue as the partys convener, the Delhi chief minister said all such reports were useless and fictitious stories. According to AAPs constitution, no member can hold the same post as an office-bearer for more than two consecutive terms of three years each. AAP was founded on November 26, 2012. Senior party officials said Kejriwals tenure as convener is due to end in April 2019. On Friday, the partys national executive comprising 22 members will meet at Kerjiwals residence to identify potential candidates for the elections. A party leader said amendment to the constitution to extend Kejriwals term was not on agenda. On Saturday, AAPs national council that has nearly 400 members will meet to finalise the partys poll strategy. While all the three Rajya Sabha MPs will be welcomed at the event, two of them ND Gupta and Sushil Gupta will also get a chance to address the council. The recent state elections will be discussed and the partys state-level organisations will be reviewed. The possibilities of alliances with other parties will also be deliberated upon, an AAP member said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AAP plans to focus on only 100 seats, most of which will be in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, apart from some other states in north India. In contrast, In the 2014 general elections, the party had fielded over 400 candidates across the country, but managed to win only four seats all of which were in Punjab. AAPs Delhi unit chief Gopal Rai said the plan was to restrict to a smaller set of seats for better results. We wont repeat the mistakes of 2014 again. The plan is to contest from fewer constituencies but give a tough competition, he said. Is it just me or a lot of us here have the same sentiment when we see even a glimpse of what was once the hottest import to Indias film industry from Pakistan. Infact, one of our wishes this Christmas was that Fawad Khan should make a fashionable comeback to Bollywood and soon. Seen in a groom-esque avatar while he models for the bridal couture brand run by his wife, Sadaf under the label SFK Bridals, Fawad Khan has been spotted in interesting colours and patterns of kurtas paired with churidars and juttis. Aside from his solo shoots, Fawad has also appeared with his Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star, Sanam Saeed, and with Mahira Khan, with whom he delivered the very popular show, Humsafar, a few years ago. SFK Bridals was started back in 2012 with an exclusive focus on silk designs in chic classic silhouettes. The brand has since evolved as a complete design studio that now offers bridal and formal couture for both men and women. As the winter wedding season has been upon us, a lot of focus (understandably) is laid on the wedding fashion - from the clothes to the jewellery to the shoes one wears. This aspect goes beyond just the couple tying the knot and why not, theres a variety out there and something from everyone to choose from - colours, heavy embroidery, zardozi, and what have you! The designs by SFK Bridals deliver an interesting variety that dabbles with traditional intricate embroideries and modern silhouettes. Theyve also experimented with the Pantone colour of 2019 - Living Coral, and youll be amazed at how versatile the colour is. SFK Bridals exhibited their first collection of bridal wear earlier this year. Take a look at some of the designs by the brand, and of course Fawad Khan looking his charming best in them. Dont miss the same piercing look hes been known for over the years and undoubtedly one that makes people go weak in their knees. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel series know that the shows clothes deliver eye-popping colour and to-die-for style, but they might not know the costumes represent more than 1950s couture. They also meticulously reflect each characters mood and development. Costume designer Donna Zakowska said she thought about how each character changed from season one of the hit show to season two, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month. Zakowska started out studying painting at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, which instilled a very strong response to colour, she said in a recent interview, and that influenced her approach in costume design. One of her first decisions was putting lead character Midge Maisel, played by Rachel Brosnahan, in a baby pink coat in the first season when she is married and seemingly happy. I do feel that colour signals things to people and you know I dont take it for granted, Zakowska said. I love doing it and I put a lot of effort into really working with the palette and working with the colours. It started with that pink coat, but that became sort of a characteristic of who Midge was when I first started. But when Midges husband leaves her, her character puts on different, darker colours. I basically did this with most of the characters and its a little bit natural in a way because I do think that there is this emotional response that is inherent in colour, Zakowska said. Brosnahan said while the second season is full of exceptional clothes, the outfits arent just eye candy. Zakowska helps shape the narrative with her designs. Shes a storyteller. And she dives just as deeply, if not more deeply in some ways, than we do into these characters, into their arcs, into the stories, into the settings, into everything that came before and is yet to come. She is a mad scientist, Maisel creator Amy Sherman-Palladino said in a recent interview. She doesnt believe a hat is a hat. You know, a hat is character. Its a person. That hat needs to reflect where the person is internally. She started it last year with ... the pink coat and the pink coat represented something and when Joel (Mr. Maisel) left, the pink coat left, because the pink coat represented who she was with Joel. And then pink went away for a while, and when pink started to come back, it was a different kind of pink because she was a different kind of woman. Shes (Zakowska) just a very fascinating, brilliant person. Zakowska said she leads a crew of at least 25 people on set to dress the principal players and the extras in hundreds of costume changes. She pays strict attention to detail, even for day players, who often wear 1950s outfits found in vintage stores or on the internet. But most of the clothes worn by the principal characters are designed by Zakowska. Not all the clothes are fun to wear. Zakowska said one of the most important accessories on the show is the underwear which had to be tight and supportive, even for the extras. Its like really the end of the era of the corset...thats something you really cant avoid. We cant all have period bras but we worked with Playtex and they had a certain bra they created for us that we used. And so you do to a degree have to sort of pull women in, you know, bring the bust up....theres no way around it, otherwise we couldnt get people into those dresses. The second season provides much deeper insight into the characters, like Midges mother, Rose, who leaves her uptight life in Manhattan and takes off to Paris, which Zakowska relays in color and style. In season one, I talked about the idea of her being like in a little Chanel suit or being the perfect mother on the Upper West Side. Now her power has really taken on... these deep purple and deep red tones, sort of very intense romantic palette. And so what shes really doing is revisiting that bohemian student life when she begins season two. And so it was really important to heighten her palette and to work with those colours and I think theyre very Parisian, Zakowska said. Marin Hinkle, who plays Rose, said wearing the costumes helped her get into character. The first season Rose had a kind of muted quality, Hinkle said. And then by the second season they dressed me in these more vibrant colours and more youthful styles. And that dictates a kind of way you can be as a performer where you literally are putting something on and sort of 90% of the work is done. Tony Shalhoub, who plays Roses husband, said of Zakowskas designs, Its almost like the clothes are a character themselves and ... its like the clothes are speaking to us through us. Im always sort of jazzed and energized by that, he said. Pakistani authorities have finalised a proposed 14-point agreement on modalities for Indian pilgrims to visit Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur though the document has not yet been shared with India, sources in Islamabad said on Saturday. In the proposal, apparently leaked to the Pakistani media, Islamabad has suggested that New Delhi must give three-day prior information with security clearance certificates for pilgrims planning to visit the gurdwara, where Guru Nanak is believed to have spent the last 18 years of his life. (READ: Full text of Pakistans 14-point proposals for Kartarpur pilgrimage) According to Pakistani officials familiar with the matter, the draft document was ready but it has not been approved as yet and has not been shared with India. Located four kilometres across the border on the banks of the River Ravi, the highest seat of worship for Sikhs is visible from the Indian side but for decades could not be accessed by pilgrims. With India and Pakistan agreeing to open the Kartarpur corridor for visa-free entry of pilgrims in November, the trip is expected to get a lot smoother. The entry via Kartarpur corridor, foundation for which was laid by Pakistan PM Imran Khan in November, will be permit based and a passport will be compulsory. Among other proposals was a cap of 500 pilgrims per day in batches of 15 each. The Pakistan government has also reserved the right to cancel or curtail visits even if all the required formalities are fulfilled. The Kartarpur corridor is seen by analysts as a step forward in India-Pakistan ties, but people familiar with the latest developments in New Delhi described the corridor as a cultural initiative and said it will not lead to the resumption of dialogue on broader issues. India and Pakistan recently launched work on their sections of the corridor that is expected to be opened for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019. People familiar with the latest developments in New Delhi also said the two countries had not yet held any meetings to work out the modalities for the corridor. Goas Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao has frowned upon those thinking less generously of people different from us and called on those in the government to adopt the Indian values of samvedana (sensitivity) and karuna (compassion). Hosting his annual Christmas civic reception, in which the Archbishop invites leaders of the government including the Governor, the chief minister, ministers, top bureaucrats for an evening of bonhomie, Archbishop Ferrao called for a more positive perception of other people and groups. We tend to think less generously of people and groups we are not familiar with, or who we perceive to be different from us, or even opposed to us. We are challenged to open the horizons of our mind and embrace people towards whom we are not naturally inclined to love, he said. The Church in Goa which holds sway over the states 30% Catholic population, has dedicated this year to the poor and the underprivileged and the Archbishop Ferrao, in a letter in June this year announcing the theme had expressed a fear that democracy was in danger. People are being uprooted from their land and homes in the name of development. It is easier to trample upon the rights of the poor because those who will raise their voice for them are very few, the Archbishop had said. In recent times we see a new trend emerging in our country, which demands uniformity in what and how we eat, dress, live and even worship: a kind of monoculturalism. Human rights are under attack and democracy appears to be in peril. The various minorities fear for their safety. In short, respect for the law is frankly on the decline in this country, the Archbishop had said. The annual civic reception is often an opportunity for the Archbishop to interact with the states political leaders and make known the churchs stance in the contemporary political climate. The Union cabinet has approved listing of six public sector companies on Indian bourses through initial public offerings (IPO) and permitted state-run KIOCL Ltd to issue a follow-on public offer that may ease governments fiscal deficit stress and help it to meet the 80,000 crore disinvestment target in the current financial year. According to the department of investment and public asset management, the government has been able to mobilise 34,142 crore, which appears to be an uphill task as only three months are remaining to meet the budgeted disinvestment target. The disinvestment proceeds are likely to help the government in achieving the fiscal deficit target at 3.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) for the current fiscal year, which currently appears precarious. Fiscal deficit in April-October was at 103.9% of the budgeted estimate. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had recently said he was confident that the government would meet the fiscal deficit target. The listing of CPSEs on the exchange shall unlock their value and encourage investor participation in the CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises), law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Friday while briefing reporters. The cabinet has also empowered a group of ministers to work out modalities, including timing, pricing and disinvestment route, which will help the government to expeditiously respond to the market and unlock best value for its stakes in companies that are prospective targets of disinvestment. Further, alternative mechanism comprising of the finance minister, minister of road transport & shipping and the minster of concerned administrative ministry has been empowered to decide on extent, mode of disinvestment, pricing, time etc. of listed CPSEs including, CPSEs to be listed in future, Prasad said. The cabinet has also relaxed the eligibility criteria for listing of public sector companies. CPSEs with positive net worth and net profit in any of the immediately three preceding financial years shall be eligible for listing on the stock exchange, an official statement issued by the government said. The move will help the government in mobilising resources, companies will have funds for expansion and CSR (corporate social responsibility) and work culture of these companies will improve. They will create value to boost their stock value, said UD Choubey, director general of Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE). Confederation of Indian Industry director general Chandrajit Banerjee said the decision would have a positive impact on the government finances. The governments commitment to staying on course for unlocking value held in PSEs is reassuring and it is hoped that the IPO/FPO will take place in this financial year. We have been recommending that government progressively exit from non-strategic PSEs. The announcement today provides a route to this overall endeavour, he said. The six companies identified for IPOs are Telecommunication Consultants (India) Ltd, RailTel Corp. India Ltd, National Seed Corp. India Ltd, THDC India Ltd, WAPCOS Ltd and FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals (India) Ltd. KIOCL Ltd has approval to come out with a follow-on public offer. British authorities have informed India that bank fraud fugitive Nirav Modi is living in the UK, the government has said. Replying to a question, minister of state for external affairs V K Singh told Rajya Sabha that National Central Bureau of Manchester conveyed to Indian agencies that their investigations have led to the location of Nirav Modi in the UK.In August 2018, the government sent two requests, one from the CBI and the other from the Enforcement Directorate, to the authorities of the UK seeking the extradition of Nirav Modi to India, he said. He said the requests are presently under the consideration of the authorities concerned of the UK.In June, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had written to several European countries seeking help in tracing Nirav Modi. The Pakistan authorities have finalised a 14-point agreement on the processes to be followed for visa-free pilgrimage to Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, though the document has not been shared with India yet. The document, leaked to the Pakistan media, among other things seeks three day advance list of pilgrims intending to visit the shrine along with their security clearance papers. Heres the full text of the document: WHEREAS the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Government of the Republic of India (herein after referred to Individually as a Party and collectively as the parties) are desirous to provide easy access to the Sikh pilgrims, who are citizens and permanent residents of India (thereinafter referred to as the Pilgrims), to the Gurudwara, Darbar Sahib, Narowal, Pakistan (hereinafter referred to as Kartarpur Sahib), through a permit-based entry to the Pilgrims through the Kartarpur Corridor AND NOW THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS: 1. The objective of this agreement is to facilitate a visa-free travel of the pilgrims from India to Kartarpur Sahib. 2. In order to implement this agreement, the parties shall establish infrastructure in their respective territories, including facilitation centres and counters for running security checks and issuance of permits for the facilitation of pilgrims. 3. A database of the pilgrims shall be created by the parties having names, travel history and other relevant information of the pilgrims. 4. The Government of Pakistan may issue a permit to pilgrims desirous of paying visit to Kartarpur Sahib, subject to the following conditions: a. The pilgrims must constitute a group of at least 15 people; b. The pilgrims must carry Indian passports and individual security clearance certificates issued by the Government of India, in English, for the purpose of visiting Kartarpur Sahib. c. The Government of India shall share with the Government of Pakistan details of the pilgrims and their respective security clearance certificates 3 days prior to their entry through the Kartarpur Corridor. d. The permit shall only be issued for the purpose of visit to Kartarpur Sahib, subject to such further limitations as may be prescribed by the Government of Pakistan. 5. The number of permits granted may not be more than five-hundred (500) per day. 6. The Kartarpur Corridor shall remain open from 8 am to 5 pm daily. 7. The Government of Pakistan reserves the right to refuse entry into, reduce the period of stay or terminate the stay in its territory, of any pilgrim despite the grant of permit to such pilgrim, if It considers that the pilgrim is found undesirable for security or other purposes. 8. The agreement shall be implemented in accordance with the National laws of the parties. 9. This agreement shall not exempt the pilgrims from the obligation to respect the laws and regulations of Pakistan when entering into its territory, including but not limited to the laws and regulations concerning their entry, stay and exit. 10. This agreement does not affect the existing commitments under the agreements between the parties concerning border security. 11. All disputes arising from or in connection with the application or the interpretation of this agreement shall be amicably settled between the parties through the diplomatic channels. 12. This agreement may be amended, supplemented or modified by written mutual agreements of the parties. 13.This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of signatures by the parties and shall remain valid for a period of --- years, unless terminated earlier. The parties may extend the duration of this agreement for any period by mutual consent In writing. 14. Either party may terminate this agreement at any time by giving a notice of one month to the other party of its intention to terminate this agreement. In Witness Whereof, the duly authorized representatives of the parties have signed this agreement at Islamabad on this day of _______________ in the English language. On behalf of the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan On behalf of the Government of Republic of India Madhya Pradesh has had a happiness ministry for the last two years, set up by then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to look for ways to bring happiness in life of people beyond material possessions. It will now be recast as the states spiritual department, the new government headed by the Congress Kamal Nath announced today. The objective of the formation of the spiritual department is to strengthen inter-communal harmony and Sarvadharma Sambhav in the state covering all religions, sects and faiths, an official communique said, adding that such a department has been working under different names in America, UK, Argentina, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Myanmar, Tunisia, Indonesia, Denmark etc. The new department, whose creation had been promised by the Congress in its Vachan patra (manifesto) ahead of the state assembly elections, will merge the happiness and religious trust and endowments departments with it. The Directorate of Religious Trusts and Endowments, Pilgrimage and Fair Authority, Directorate of Mukhya Mantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana and Rajya Anand Sansthan will also be covered by the spiritual department. The objectives of the proposed Spiritual Department include the development of a common vision and apathy in all communities, developing mutual understanding and harmony while respecting the diversity of people of different backgrounds and circumstances, development of responsible citizens, embryo killings, cleanliness mission and maintaining peace during communal tension, inspiration from various religious leaders on subjects like gau-vansh protection, creative use of strength of saints, proper management of public trust, Aukaf, religious fairs, pilgrimages, etc. planning, policy fixation and implementation of the concept of Happiness, it added. Reacting to the decision, state BJP vice-president Vijesh Lunawat said, Since the government has failed to address the problems of people and failed to keep its promises like loan waiver for farmers it wants to deflect the attention of people from the same. As per another decision taken by the chief minister. a Tapti, Mandakini and Kshipra river Trust will also to be formed. Tearing into the Congress-JDS coalition government in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused it of being steeped in arrogance and interested only in development-free corruption. Targeting the ruling coalition over its contradictions and power struggle, Modi said it seemed as if they were in power only to play musical chair, and mocked its much vaunted loan waiver scheme as one of the most cruel jokes on farmers. Targeting the state government over its much touted loan waiver scheme, he said, What they have done in the name of loan waiver will go down in history as one of the most cruel jokes on farmers. After six months in power, news reports say the government could only benefit a handful of farmers. The government had announced a massive Rs 44,000 crore loan waiver scheme in July but its implementation has been tardy, drawing criticism from the BJP which is cooling its heels in the opposition despite emerging as the single largest party after assembly polls. People want corruption-free government, but Karnataka government wants development-free corruption, Modi told BJPs booth-level workers of the state, while mounting a trenchant attack on the ruling dispensation. The state government had admitted in the recently concluded assembly session that only about 800 farmers had benefited from the scheme. Indian Navy likely to start operation tomorrow: NDRF Santosh Kumar Singh, Assistant Commandant, NDRF overseeing operations at the rat hole coal mine said a three member team of Indian Navy visited the site. They did a recce of the spot, spent 30 minutes inside the main pit. They also held a meeting with us and are likely to start operation tomorrow. Now that they are here we will assist them, he said. Navy divers join firefighters A 15-member team of Indian Navy divers and 21 firefighters from Odisha have Meghalayas Ksan village on Saturday to assist the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers in evacuating 15 miners who are trapped inside a flooded illegal coal pit for over two weeks now. The district administration has temporarily suspended pumping of water from the coal pit since December 24 with the two 25 horsepower pumps became ineffective due to continuous operations. Took Odisha rescue team over 24 hrs to reach The Odisha fire services team reached the accident spot around 1 pm today to rescue 15 miners trapped inside Meghalayas coal mine. It took them over 24 hours to reach the sport owing to lack of support and coordination from local administration. Odisha rescue team reaches The Odisha fire services team has reached the spot with 10 high-powered pumps and have begun flushing out water from the mine. Rescue ops underway Here are the visuals of operations that underway in Meghalaya to rescue the 15 trapped miners. Families seek miracle Rescue workers were trying to reach 15 coal miners trapped underground for 17 days as families prayed for their safe return, but chances of survival looked slim after floodwaters rushed through the illegal rat-hole pit in Meghalaya. The 15 went to work at the mine in Meghalaya on December 13 and have been underground ever since. Only Gods grace and some miracle can help them to be alive, Kyrmen Shylla, Meghalayas disaster management minister, told Reuters by telephone from capital Shillong. Initially told to travel by trucks, then dumpers: Odisha Initially we were told that we would be travelling by trucks. Then the plan was changed and it was decided that dumpers would be used to shift the equipment to the accident site, said Sukant Sethi, chief fire officer (Odisha), who is leading the team. 3 helmets recovered Operations to rescue the trapped miners are underway, three helmets have been recovered from from Ksan mine, near Lytein river, according to reports by news agency ANI. Lack of coordination and support Due to total lack of coordination and support from the local administration in Meghalaya, the 21-member team which left Bhubaneswar on Friday is yet to reach the site in East Jaintia Hills district where the miners are trapped. The team equipped with 10 high-powered pumps to flush out water from the mine reached Guwahati on Friday morning around 11:30 am, but due to lack of transport provided by Meghalaya they had to wait till 5:45 pm to start their 220 km journey. No food, no blankets: Odisha team By the time we reached a primary school (located 25 km from the mine) where we were supposed to spend the night it was 2:00 am on Saturday. There was no person from Meghalaya governments side who helped us with basic needs, Sethi said. There was no food, blankets or beds for the men to take few hours of rest. We are not used to such cold temperatures in Odisha and had to rush for our mission without carrying enough warm clothes and bedding, he added. Delays at every step The Odisha fire services team equipped with 10 high-powered pumps to flush out water from the mine reached Guwahati on Friday morning around 11:30 am, but due to lack of transport provided by Meghalaya they had to wait till 5:45 pm to start their 220 km journey. Odisha team 25 km away from spot The team equipped with 10 high-powered camps to flush out water from the mine reached Guwahati on Friday morning around 11:30 am, but due to lack of transport provided by Meghalaya they had to wait till 5:45 pm to start their 220 km journey to the start. By the time we reached a primary school (located 25 km from the mine) where we were supposed to spend the night, it was 2:00 am on Saturday. There was no one from Meghalaya governments side to helped us, said Sukant Sethi, chief fire officer (Odisha), leader of the team. Naval divers on way too Indian Navy is deploying a 15-member diving team from Visakhapatnam to assist in the rescue operations for the trapped miners in Meghalaya. The team is carrying specialised diving equipment including a re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater. The team is expected to arrive on the site on Saturday. An initial assessment to determine an effective response was undertaken by the navy Friday. 20 powerful pumps to reach trapped miners soon Director general of fire service and commandant general, home guards and director civil defence BK Sharma said the team led by chief fire officer Sukanta Sethi left from Odisha on Friday morning in a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force with 20 high-power pumps. Odisha team yet to reach spot For the 15 miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13, the team of Odisha fire services department which came equipped with sophisticated equipment is the best hope till date. Rescue ops enter day 17 15 miners are trapped in the flooded rat-hole Ksan coal mines in East Jaintia Hills district since December 13. Rescue operations are underway. A Delhi court on Saturday remanded Christian Michel, the suspected middleman in the AugustaWestland bribery case, to another seven days in the Enforcement Directorates custody and imposed restrictions on him meeting lawyers after the agency said he was misusing legal access by handing them notes on how he should deal with questions on a Mrs Gandhi. Saturdays proceedings before a vacation judge in the Patiala House courts triggered a furious verbal battle between the Congress and the BJP, with the former accusing the BJP-led government of misusing agencies to smear the Gandhi family and the latter demanding an explanation from the opposition party. Extending Michels remand by seven days, vacation judge Chandrashekhar said 3 defence counsel would be allowed to meet him one at a time, at a distance from the suspect, and legal counsel would be limited to 15 minutes at 10am and at 5pm during a day. The ED had sought to bar Michels access to lawyers, which had hitherto been limited to 30 minutes in morning and evening. ED counsel D P Singh claimed in the court.that Michel, a British national extradited to India from Dubai in connection with allegations of bribery in the Rs 3,600 crore deal with AugustaWestland to purchase 12 helicopters to ferry around VVIPs, had in a written answer named a certain Mrs Gandhi, mentioned a certain son of the Italian lady who could be the Prime Minister, and later misused his access to a lawyer to seek advice on how to answer follow-up questions. Also read | Probe reveals Agusta accused Christian Michel funded foreign travel of 2 IAF officers: CBI to court Detailing how Michel had misused his daily access to a lawyer, the ED in the remand application said: During the medical examination Christian Michel James stood up and turned towards his advocate and acted like he was shaking his hand. Michel secretly handed over a folded paper to his counsel. When the paper was checked, it pertained to a set of questions with regard to follow-up questions on Mrs Gandhi. It is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield and/or tamper (with) the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused, ED counsel Singh said. He also told the court that in communications between Michel and others there was a reference to a certain big man referred to as R which needs to be investigated. The agency did not explain in what context Michel, 57, made those mentions. In what context the name was taken hasnt been told to the court, but the court was shown the paper, Singh later said. In 2010, India signed the agreement to buy the AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters. In 2013, Italian officials arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of AgustaWestlands parent company, and said there were irregularities in the deal. Soon after, then defence minister AK Antony ordered a probe. In 2014, India scrapped the deal. There were allegations the kickbacks for the deal were as much as Rs 423 crore and Michel was accused of facilitating the bribes. According to the charges filed against him by the ED in 2016, he allegedly received Rs 225 crore from the firm. The Congress accused the BJP-led government of using its agencies to put pressure on Michel to name a particular family in the case as general elections were nearing and it had no real issues. Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said: We have seen what the BJP has been doing in this matter. In fact, one of the television channels showed how there is pressure on Christian to name a particular family. On the EDs claim that Michel had spoken about the son of an Italian lady and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country, Singh said, The BJP scriptwriters are working overtime. The Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi have been targeting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged irregularities in the Rs 59,000 crore deal to purchase 36 French-made Rafale fighter planes. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at Rahul Gandhi. Prasad accused him of showering Prime Minister Modi with abuse and asserted that today is the time for the Gandhi family to explain following the Enforcement Directorates statement in court. The EDs disclosure in the court has made it clear that truth can no longer be suppressed. The truth about the Congress and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul is coming out before the people. The people will give the Congress a befitting reply, Javadekar said. Read | PM Narendra Modi latching on to Christian Michel for smear campaign against opposition: Congress The Centre has decided to persist with its muscular no tolerance policy towards militancy in Jammu and Kashmir even as violence in the Valley increases, a senior government official said on Saturday, a day the security forces shot dead four militants in Pulwama district. Through the winter, counter-terror operations by the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Indian Army along with Central Reserve Police Force and Jammu and Kashmir Police will continue unabated if not scaled up, a senior ministry of home affairs (MHA) official said on condition of anonymity. The decision to continue with the no tolerance policy was taken after a review in New Delhi. We believe results will be visible soon..., a second MHA official, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said. This year, at least 180 young men from the Valley have joined terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM), among others, and around 240 suspected terrorists killed, the most since 2010. The slain militants include 12 top commanders of various militant groups. Gun battles have sometimes been followed by civilian protests. The balance, however, is tipping in our favour after sustained counter-terror operations from June 2018. Terror groups in the valley are leaderless, the groups are directionless and most in their ranks lack training. With winter coming in, it will be impossible for those (terrorists) in the Valley to hide in the forests or head into mountains...., a senior officer at Army Headquarters said, explaining the Centre decision. By March, the security situation could change. And after a sudden spike, of late, a smaller number of local men are joining terror groups. Only five local boys joined local terror groups last month after a sudden peak in June, July and August, a senior ministry of defence official said. Earlier this year, the government suspended anti-terror operations during Ramazan in a move described as non-initiation of combat operations in Kashmir . After journalist Shujaat Bukhari, editor of Rising Kashmir, and Indian army soldier Aurangzeb were killed by militants, the initiative was called off. In addition, what has encouraged decision-makers to continue with the policy is the intelligence from the locals. Local population sharing information with security agencies is a clear indication that the tide is turning in favour of the state, a senior officer in the security establishment said, requesting anonymity. After delays and hiccups, two teams of rescuersone comprising divers from Indian Navy and another from the Odisha fire servicesreached the flooded coal mine in Meghalaya on Saturday where 15 miners are trapped since December 13. But except conducting recce at the site located at Khloo Ryngksan in East Jaintia Hills district and attempts to set up the high-powered pumps needed to flush out water nothing much happened during the day. Actual work on the ground will begin early on Sunday morning. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Assistant Commandant Santosh Kumar Singh, who is overseeing operations at the rat hole coal mine. said a three member team of the Indian Navy visited the site.They did a recce of the spot, spent 30 minutes inside the main pit. They also held a meeting with us and are likely to start operation tomorrow. Now that they are here we will assist them, he said. The water levels inside the mine remains unchanged, he said. Ace diver Jaswant Singh Gill from Amritsar with prior experience of saving miners in West Bengal was again at the coal mine today. A team of Odisha fire and emergency services, who finally reached the spot, tried to install their high-powered pumps. They may be operational by tomorrow, Singh said. Pumps and other machinery are being installed at the site. Everyone is working overtime with extreme dedication and zeal as our mission is to save lives. That is our top priority, East Jaintia Hills district police chief Silvester Nongtnger told Hindustan Times. He aid that after all the gear has been installed and put into place on Saturday night, rescue operations will begin on Sunday morning. We will start right from the first hour itself. The initial rescue operation to help the miners started on December 14 once the NDRF and SDRF teams arrived. On December 17, a team of Directorate General of Mine Safety along with Coal India officials arrived and suggested 100 HP submersible pumps be used. The district administration wrote to the state government seeking immediate help from Coal India on December 20. However, it was only on December 26 that Coal India received a request from state government for assistance. The rescue operation launched by the state government had to be stopped as the pumps were not adequate to flush out large volumes of water. The state government then sough Centres help and high-powered pumps and a team was dispatched from Odisha. But due to total lack of coordination and support from the local administration in Meghalaya, the arrival of 21-member team was delayed. The team reached Guwahati on Friday morning around 11:30 am, but due to lack of transport provided by Meghalaya they had to wait till 5:45 pm to start their 220 km journey to the mine. Initially we were told that we would be travelling by trucks. Then the plan was changed and it was decided that dumpers would be used to shift the equipment to the accident site, said Sukant Sethi, Chief Fire Officer (Odisha), who is leading the team. By the time we reached a primary school (located 25 km from the mine) where we were supposed to spend the night it was 2 am on Saturday. There was no person from Meghalaya governments side who helped us with basic needs, Sethi said. Despite the problems faced by them, the team was keen to reach the spot soon to help the trapped miners. They finally reached around 1 pm on Saturday Another aspect of seemingly lukewarm response by the government has emerged. Tata Trusts had offered to lend two pumps which it had airlifted from London to augment rescue efforts during the Kerala floods to Meghalaya but till date, there has been no response from the government. Efforts to reach Peter W Ingty, additional chief secretary in-charge revenue and disaster management by Hindustan Times proved futile as he did not respond to calls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of making unrealistic promises for votes, and hoodwinking farmers on the issue of loan waivers. They promised loan lollipop to lakhs of farmers but waived off loans of merely a handful of them, he said while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Ghazipur district after laying foundation of a government medical college. Under the new (Congress) governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, we can already see long queues of farmers seeking fertilizers and urea. They were also lathicharged. Those who do black marketing have come into play, he alleged. In Karnataka, he said that the Congress promised to waive loans of lakhs of farmers and got their votes. While they managed to form the government through backdoor, they actually waived off loans of merely 800 farmers, he alleged, urging the voters to understand the game plan and false promises made by the Congress. He said permanent solution to the countrys perennial problems cannot be solved by the decisions taken for immediate benefits. Alleging that the Congress didnt give minimum support price (MSP) as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, he said, While the Congress kept on sitting on the files of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, our government gave the MSP and is working seriously on doubling the income of farmers. He said the newly-inaugurated Rice Research Centre in Kashi, the Bansagar canal project and the under construction fertilizer factory would help the government in doubling the income of farmers. The idea is to ensure that farmers get more benefit by producing the product in a lesser cost, he said. The prime minister also released a commemorative postal stamp in the honour of Maharaja Suheldev Rajbhar, who is said to have killed the Ghaznavid general Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud in the early 11th century and is revered by the Rajbhar community in the region. The Rajbhars constitute around 20 per cent of the Purvanchal (east UP) population and are regarded as the second politically dominant community after the Yadavs in the area. However, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is a BJP ally and a minister in the states Yogi Adityanath government, had announced he would stay away from the rally. Accusing the previous governments of ignoring Maharaja Suheldev, Modi said he was kind-hearted king who worked for all. Honouring the great men who were ignored by the previous governments is our responsibility. We could never forget Chitaura in Bahraich. That is the place where Maharaja Suheldev eliminated invaders, he said, congratulating the Adityanath government for its decision to build a grand memorial to the king. PM Modi also said that his government is working towards developing Purvanchal as a medical hub. A government medical college for which the foundation was laid today is an important step in this direction. Health facilities worth thousands of crore are coming up in eastern UP, he said. We are making efforts to extend the benefit of Ayushman Bharat to maximum number of people. This scheme ensures free treatment up to 5 lakh. Within 100 days, six lakh people have got benefit of the scheme across the country, said the PM. When Janhit (peoples interest) is kept above swahit (self-interest), such great things happen, he said. Pakistan has finalised the draft of a 14-point agreement with India on the basis of which Indian pilgrims will be allowed to enter the country to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur through a special corridor that is expected to be operational by November 2019. The proposed agreement was to be sent to India, but was leaked to the Pakistani media ahead of its dispatch. According to Pakistani officials quoted by local media, the draft document had been readied, but it hadnt been approved as yet and had not been shared with India. Islamabad has proposed steps including security clearance of Sikh pilgrims by Indian authorities and possession of valid Indian passports for visiting the Gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, died in 1539. Read more| Full text of Pakistans 14-point proposals for Kartarpur pilgrimage Pakistan has also proposed that a maximum of 500 pilgrims from India should be able to visit the holy site daily in groups of 15 between 8am and 5pm. It proposed visa-free entry for Indian pilgrims, and the setting up of facilitation centres and security checkposts within the planned corridor on both sides of the India-Pakistan border. Pakistan shall issue a special permit to Sikh pilgrims ahead of their visit to Kartarpur and the Indian government would share the list of pilgrims with Pakistan three days in advance, according to the proposal. Both countries would compile records of the visitors, which will include their names, travel details and other relevant information. Pakistan has also suggested that local authorities will reserve the right to refuse admission to any pilgrim. Indian officials in New Delhi said they had no knowledge of the proposed agreement. On November 28, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor, which will connect Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistans Narowal to Dera Baba Nanak in Indias Gurdaspur. Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu laid the digital foundation stone of the project on the Indian side on November 26. India and Pakistan recently launched work on their sections of the corridor that is expected to be opened on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November next year. Read more| 3-day advance list, security clearance on Pakistans Kartarpur pilgrimage proposals Modi slams previous governments for failing to clean Ganga PM Modi accused previous governments of not being able to rejuvenate the Ganga despite spending thousands of crore of rupees and said to keep the river nirmal (clean), the intentions also needed to be clean. For maintaining the nirmaltaa (cleanliness) of the Ganga, the power of money is not enough, clean intentions are also needed. We, with full honesty and clean intentions, have undertaken a campaign to clean river Ganga, Modi said while inaugurating the One District, One Product summit here. Digital India is becoming a vehicle for transparency: PM Modi PM Modi said When high-speed intranet will reach all parts of the country, then Digital India will give strength and identity to New India. PM said Digital India is becoming a vehicle for transparency in reducing corruption and government dealings. Business becomes easy when life of ordinary man becomes simple: Modi When life of ordinary man becomes easy and simple, business and trade also becomes easy: PM Modi PM dedicates International Rice Research Institutes South Asia Regional Centre to nation Prime Minister dedicated the International Rice Research Institutes South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) campus to the nation in Varanasi. Entire Punvanchal including Varanasi is the hub of handwork: PM Modi Entire Punvanchal including Varanasi is the hub of handwork. Whether it is related to clothes, carpet or clay or metal utensils, art is present in every particle, said PM Modi. PM said the central and state government is trying everything possible to continue this tradition. In UP, MSME sector is part of tradition, says PM Modi UP is the hub of small businesses. MSME sector employees the largest number of people. In UP, MSME sector is part of tradition, says PM Modi. UP govts one district-one product is an extension of Make in India campaign: Modi All the projects that have been inaugurated or launched here today, the main principles are ease of living and ease of doing business. The relation between the two is directly related to the success of business. Centre is committed to making Make in India campaign stronger. UP govts one district-one product is an extension of Make in India campaign: PM Narendra Modi. Im not a guest in Varanasi anymore: PM Modi Im not a guest in Varanasi. Youve made me one of your own: PM Modi PM begins address in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins address in Varanasi. Provided employment to 2.5 lakh youth till now: UP CM Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that they have provided employment to 2.5 lakh youth. PM to inaugurate research centre in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the research centre in Varanasi. He will also participate in programmes involving beneficiaries of several central and state government schemes. Your chowkidar is working hard day and night with honesty and dedication: PM Modi To improve your future, your childrens future, your chowkidar is working hard day and night with honesty and dedication, says PM Narendra Modi Be wary of Congress and its lies: PM Modi Be wary of Congress and its lies, says PM Modi Our yojanas aim to empower people: PM Modi Our yojanas are not mere yojanas, but aim to empower people, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Loan waive was promised in Karnataka. But only 800 farmers loan have been waived: PM Modi Loan waive was promised in Karnataka. But only 800 farmers loan have been waived. What sort of deception is this, says PM Modi Ghazipur youths will be able to achieve their dreams of being doctors here itself: PM Modi With this medical colleges construction, Ghazipur youths will be able to achieve their dreams of being doctors here itself: PM Modi First time in history that healthcare has been emphasized on so well: PM It is for the first time in history that healthcare has been emphasized on so well , says Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ghazipur and nearby districts will also get facilities with help of this medical college: PM Modi Ghazipur and nearby districts will also get facilities with the help of this medical college, says Prime Minister Modi Ghazipur will get new medical facilities with this medical college: PM Modi Ghazipur will get new medical facilities with this medical college,says Narendra Modi Government is determined to remember contribution of those who had helped in protecting our nation: PM Modi Our government is determined to remember the contribution of those who had helped in protecting our nation, says Prime Minister Modi. Remembering Maharaja Suheldevs contribution, postal stamp has been released: PM Modi Remembering Maharaja Suheldevs contribution, postal stamp has been released. These postal stamps will reach every household of the country, says PM Modi Will make Uttar Pradesh a medical hub: PM Modi Will make Uttar Pradesh a medical hub,says Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi releases commemorative postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldev Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases commemorative postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldev . Upcoming generations will remember Maharaja Suheldev: Yogi Adityanath Today commemorative postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldev is being released. Train operation is being started on his name. This will be remembered by the upcoming generations: Yogi Adityanath PM Modi ensured all round development in Eastern UP and Banaras: Yogi Adityanath Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured all round development in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Banaras, says Yogi Adityanath BJP government worked for development for all: Yogi Adityanath The BJP government did not discriminate on religion grounds and worked for development for all: Yogi Adityanath In the last 4 years, 17 medical colleges have been made: Yogi Adityanath In the last 70 years, 13 medical colleges were made, but in the last 4 years 17 medical colleges have been made, says Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath Grateful to come to Ghazipur to release a postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldev: Manoj Sinha I am grateful to come to Ghazipur to release a postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldev: Manoj Sinha One can use the railways to go to any part of the country from Ghazipur: Manoj Sinha One can use the railways to go to any part of the country from Ghazipur today. There is even a train to visit Vaishno Devi: Manoj Sinha Maharaj Suheldev was a great warrior: Manoj Sinha Manoj Sinha says Maharaj Suheldev was a great warrior. He killed Ghazi Salar. Rajbhar community people from different parts of the state have gathered here, claims minister Anil Rajbhar Minister Anil Rajbhar claims that Rajbhar community people from different parts of the state have gathered there. BJP respects all and gave great honour to Rajbhar community: Manoj Sinha BJP respects all and a gave great honour to the community, says Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha Matter of joy that postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldev is being released: BJP Ghosi MP BJP Ghosi MP Harinarayan Rajbhar says, It is a matter of great joy that postage stamps in the name of Maharaja Suheldev Rajbhar is being released today. UP minister Anil Rajbhar gifts idol of Maharaja Suheldev to PM Modi Uttar Pradesh minister Anil Rajbhar gifts an idol of Maharaja Suheldev to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of medical college in Ghazipur Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of medical College in Ghazipur. PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath lands in Ghazipur Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath landed in Ghazipur. The corridor will have two pathways around 400-metre-long and 50-feet-wide The proposed corridor between the temple and the banks of river Ganga will have two pathways around 400-metre-long and 50-feet-wide. PM Modi to view presentation on Kashi-Vishwanth Corridor Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Saturday, will view a detailed presentation on the proposed 400 metre Kashi-Vishwanath Corridor project, an official said. The Prime Minister will be viewing a 12-minute documentary on the ambitious multi-crore project which envisions a widened and beautified corridor to the fabled temple. Arrogant attitude of Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders is insulting weaker sections of society: Apna Dal Apna Dal chief Ashish Patel says,Arrogant attitude of BJP UP leaders is insulting weaker sections of society,appeal to PM to intervene. Till matter is not solved,will not be part of any Govt progs in UP,even todays(PMs event in Ghazipur).Confident that Amit Shah ji will hear us out, reports news agency ANI. Ashish Patel,Apna Dal Chief: Arrogant attitude of BJP UP leaders is insulting weaker sections of society,appeal to PM to intervene. Till matter is not solved,will not be part of any Govt progs in UP,even today's(PM's event in Ghazipur).Confident that Amit Shah ji will hear us out pic.twitter.com/CT8Xdhc6Vk ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018 Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party to boycott Prime Ministers program in Ghazipur Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party will boycott the Prime Ministers program in Ghazipur today where he will release postage stamp of Maharaja Suheldev.SBSP claims invitation sent to party chief OP Rajbhar has Maharaja Suheldevs incomplete name and that Rajbhar has been deliberately omitted from the name, reports news agency ANI. PM Modi to release commemorative postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldeo Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a commemorative postage stamp on Maharaja Suheldeo in Ghazipur and address a public rally. Ridiculing the Karnataka government scheme to waive farm loans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said it benefited a handful of farmers and the decision will go down in history as one of the most cruel jokes on them. Interacting with BJP booth workers from Belagavi, Bidar, Davangere, Dharwad and Haveri in Karnataka through video conference, the Prime Minister also lashed out at the Karnataka government for the tussle over allocation of portfolios between the JD-S and the Congress ministers and accused them of indulging in corruption while ignoring governance. Follow live updates here The farmers want attention. But those in power in Karnataka are steeped in arrogance. The common man wants development but those in power want only development of dynasty. People want corruption-free development, but they want development-free corruption, he said. The Prime Minister was responding to a query of a party worker from Belagavi who sought to know his views on the plight of farmers and other communities under the Karnataka government. What they have done in the name of loan waiver for the farmers will go down in history as one of the most cruel jokes on farmers. After six months in power, reports say the government could only benefit a handful of farmers with the loan waiver scheme. These people go around the country, claim credit for what they have done for the farmers. Will they also take credit for the farmers committing suicide? Modi said. His remraks come at a time when the BJP-led government at the Centre, which has a stated goal of doubling farmers incomes by 2022, is planning sops for the farmers as their plight has become a major cause for concern ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress has been portraying Modi-government as anti-farmer and had wooed voters in the recently concluded assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan with farm loan waivers. The Congress has promised farm loan waiver in Karnataka. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, whose JD-S is a Congress ally, in his maiden Budget had announced that 2 lakh farm loan till 2017 will be waived. During his interaction, Modi also took a jibe at Congress for the ongoing tussle over allocation of portfolios among Congress ministers. Everyday there is in news as to who happy and who is unhappy. And for what? For some ministerial posts. It seems as the people in power in Karnataka are only there to play musical chair. The poor want care but those in power are only interested in cabinet berths, he said. The Prime Minister said those in power think that just because they have formed a government by hook or by crook, they can get away with anything. The people of Karnataka and the people of India are watching. They will soon teach them a lesson, he said. He said when those in power have given up all the responsibilities of governance, the BJPs responsibility towards the people increases. In such a situation, it is the duty of our party to voice the aspirations of the people and wake up the government. When those in power are not interested in the welfare of the people, it is the duty of our karyakartas to become the voice of the people, he said exhorting the party workers ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. During his interaction, Modi also touched upon several key issues concerning the people of Karnataka and the country at large. Comparing the state of affairs in Karnataka with rest of the country under the BJP-led governments, he described numerous measures and initiatives taken by his government in sectors like MSMEs, tourism and education that have transformed these sectors. Concluding his wide-ranging interaction at Haveri, he talked about the approach of his youth-led governance policies having four core elements, a 4E approach -- Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Excellence. Such a multi-level approach addresses the main issues that the youth of our country are faced with and empowers them to succeed in life, he said. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha and new entrant to the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) Mukesh Sahni met Lalu Prasad in a Ranchi jail Saturday as part of the process for seat-sharing in the opposition coalition in Bihar for the 2019 general election. Prasad is lodged at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on medical grounds, after his conviction in the multi-crore-rupee fodder scam cases. Sources close to the jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo said preliminary talks were held between Prasad and the three leaders regarding seat-sharing in the anti-NDA grouping. The RJD is the pivot of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar and hence, Prasads approval in finalising the allocation of seats is required. The ruling Janata Dal (United), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, poked fun at the leaders going to the Hotwar jail in Ranchi to prostrate before the imprisoned RJD supremo for finalisation of the seat-sharing. At present, the Grand Alliance in Bihar comprises the Congress, the RJD, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Sahnis fledgling outfit, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadavs Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). Sahni, a Bollywood set designer-turned-politician who has launched the VIP, joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) grouping last Sunday, hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the JD(U) and the Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Delhi announced the seat-sharing formula among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents for the 40 Lok Sabha segments in Bihar. After the meeting with Prasad, Kushwaha, accompanied by Sahni, told reporters in Ranchi that the talks were primarily about the RJD supremos health. There were some political discussions also, the details of which we need not make public. But, of course, we discussed the strategy to defeat the BJP-led NDA in both Bihar and Jharkhand, he added. To a pointed query on seat-sharing among the Grand Alliance constituents, the RLSP chief said it would be discussed at a later stage. All the alliance partners were not present today. A seat-sharing formula must be arrived at in the presence of representatives of all the constituents, he added. Asked whether he hoped for a bigger share in the Grand Alliance compared to when the RLSP was in the NDA, which had offered him only two of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, Kushwaha, who also reportedly wants the Chatra seat in Jharkhand for his confidant Nagmani, said, Wait for the opportune time, you will get to know. Prasads younger son and RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav also met the party supremo after Kushwaha and told reporters that there was no hurry to announce a seat-sharing formula. Our priority is to make the NDA bite the dust and not to make the number of seats a prestige issue, he said. Meanwhile, Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha told a regional news channel in Patna that the seat-sharing formula would be worked out only after January 14. We think the Congress should get at least 12 (seats), but we will also have to take into account that we have to accommodate many constituents, he said. January 14 is the date on which Kharmas, a month considered inauspicious, ends. Prasad had reportedly sought the deferment of a decision on seat-sharing until that date, Jha said. Meanwhile, the JD(U) launched a stinging attack on Prasad and former Union minister Kushwaha over the meeting of the two leaders in Ranchi. JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar issued a statement referring to Prasad as the prisoner no. 3351 of the Hotwar jail and accused Kushwaha, whom he did not refer by name, of going to the Jharkhand capital to perform a dandwat (prostration) before the imprisoned RJD supremo. I had predicted that seat-sharing in the Mahagathbandhan will have to follow a dandwat by all the constituents at the Hotwar jail. It has been proved right, he said. In a dig at Prasad over the allegations of illegal land deals levelled against him, most notably by Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, the JD(U) spokesperson hoped that those visiting the prisoner no. 3351 had carried the records of their assets as they would have to part with some of those in return for an assurance of a ticket from Prasad. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Two BJP lawmakers on Friday sought to know from the government about steps it propose to take to treat people suffering from the disorder of selfitis a reference to the growing habit of people taking selfies and posting on social media sites. Om Prakash Yadav (Siwan) and Harish Dwivedi (Basti) also asked the government about the number of people found affected with this problem in Bihar. In a written question to the ministry of health and family welfare, the two lawmakers sought details about number of people who have approached therapists to seek help for their selfitis disorder. As per the International Classification of Diseases of World Organization, Selfitis has not been recognized as a disorder, junior health minister Anupriya Patel said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday. She informed the lower House of Parliament that the number of people reporting excessive cases of clicking selfies and those who have approached therapists to seek help for the same in the country is not maintained centrally. A report in The Washington Post in October this year quoted a reports from researchers from the AIIMS to claim that more than 250 people were victim of selfie deaths worldwide, with India contributing the most . Selfie, or a self portrait typically taken with a smartphone became popular in India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking them with other global leaders and sharing them on social media platform. Prime Minister Modi, who is one of the most followed politicians in social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, is credited with introducing social media tools as an effective medium for political campaigning in the 2014 elections. A 28-year-old masseur of a five-star hotel in IT Park, Chandigarh, was booked for raping a 54-year-old UK national staying in the hotel, police said on Saturday. In her complaint to the police on December 27, the woman said that she had gone for a foot spa where the accused raped her on December 20. The accused is absconding and belongs to Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh. Police said the woman had come to Chandigarh on a tourist visa on December 19 with her male partner. The woman told the police that the accused, while giving her massage in the spa, touched her inappropriately and without her consent. After giving her partner a massage, she said, the accused raped her. The police said that the woman had complained to the hotel authorities the same day but lodged a formal complaint only after returning from trip to Shimla on December 27. Sources in the police said that initially the woman was indecisive on lodging a formal complaint. The woman was visiting India to learn more about the local customs here. The police said that the hotels authorities sacked the accused the same day. When contacted, the hotel authorities were tight-lipped. Efforts are on to trace the accused. The medical examination of the complainant has been done, Chandigarh senior superintendent of police Nilambari Jagdale said. The complainants statement before the magistrate has already been recorded. The case has been registered under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the IT Park police station. Sources said the police have summoned the hotel authorities to find out why they did not inform them about the incident the day the woman complained to them. The central government is ready for assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir on any date and it is unfair to doubt its intentions in the troubled state, Union home minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha after the Opposition cried foul over the imposition of Presidents Rule in the state. Our intentions should never be doubted on Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said in his reply to a debate on a statutory resolution to approve proclamation issued by President on December 19. If BJP had to form the government, we could have done it within six months of Governors Rule (being declared). The resolution was adopted with a voice vote. Singh added that the government is committed to democratic processes and rejected the charge that it was backing a regional party to form government in the state. Believe me, there never was such an effort, Singh said. His remark was in response to the oppositions charge that the BJP, with 25 MLAs, was backing Sajjad Lones chief ministerial bid in Kashmir after Mehbooba Muftis government, a coalition one between the BJP-and the Peoples Democratic Party fell. Lones Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference had 2 MLAs in the dissolved assembly. The BJP withdrew support to the Mufti government on June 19 and the state was placed under governors rule for six months. Governor Satyapal Malik dissolved the state assembly on November 21, claiming no party was in a position to form government. The dissolution was immediately preceded by high drama with both Mufti and Lone staking claim to form a government. The term of governors rule ended on December 19 and the state was placed under Presidents Rule. Singh claimed that Malik sent a report to the president on June 19 recommending governors rule because no party was willing to form government after the BJP withdrew support to the coalition government. The assembly was not dissolved for six months in anticipation of formation of government in the state, Singh said. However, no party staked claim to form government so the governor had to recommend Presidents Rule, he said. Malik has said he disregarded the claims made immediately prior to the dissolution because he knew none of the claimants had the numbers. Congresss Shashi Tharoor said Malik acted in gross violation of a Supreme Court order in the SR Bommai case that stated that whether an alliance has a majority or not can be decided only on the floor of the assembly. The governors private assessment is anathema to the Constitution and is also subject to personal malfeasance, he said. Did the governor give in writing, listing the reasons for the recommendation of Presidents rule. I request you to share it with the Lok Sabha? said Tharoor. Union minister and Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh said the 2014 assembly election in J&K returned a split verdict with the BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party getting almost equal number of seats. We formed an alliance as it was dictated by the peoples mandate and walked away from the alliance on the will of the people, he said. Saugata Roy of Trinamool Congress also termed the governors decision as arbitrary and unconstitutional. He also accused the Centre of collusion and claimed that it tried to prop up the rival alliance led by Lone. BJDs Bhartruhari Majtab supported the resolution and pointed out that the two main regional parties in the state, the National Conference and the PDP boycotted recent local elections. He said assembly polls should be held in the state along with the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. AIADMKs P Venugopal expressed his partys opposition to the resolution as a matter of principle and asked the Centre to explain the reasons for taking such an extreme step. A Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir in London was made to fade away after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi raised concern over its formation during the April 1985 visit to New Delhi of his British counterpart, Margaret Thatcher. Classified documents released by National Archives on Friday demonstrate the tenuous nature of such committees formed by UK-based groups politically opposed to India, comprising MPs whose constituencies have many voters of Pakistan origin. Over decades and years, New Delhi has often lodged protests with London against activities of such committees that adopt anti-India postures by excluding alternative perspectives; for example, on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The committee objected to by Gandhi was formed following the visit to the UK of a prominent Kashmiri from the Pakistani side of the cease-fire line, the Foreign Office told 10 Downing Street on May 7, 1985. It has no formal status, the note adds. The four MPs on the committee were Gary Waller, Peter Thurnham, Roy Galley (all Conservative) and Barry Sheerman (Labour). The note says: We do not know how active the Committee is likely to prove: one of four members, Mr Galley, has confided to us that he is a reluctant member who joined because of the number of Kashmiris in his constituency. We suspect the same may be true of the other members. An investigation revealed that the committee was formed by Thurnhams research assistant, who wrote to 60 MPs on Mr Thurnhams stationary without the latters permission. When the MP discovered this, he wrote to the MPs that his assistant had gone further than he had been authorised. A note of May 28, 1985 says: Mr Thurnham has said that, so far as he is concerned, the Committee no longer exists. The British high commission in New Delhi was told to inform Gandhis private secretary that the committee was the work of an over-active research assistant rather than MP: it was never formally constituted and it can now be regarded as non-existent. C D Powell, Thatchers adviser, wrote on another note that the less fuss made about it, the sooner the committee is likely to fade away, asking the Foreign Office minister to speak to MPs on the committee and explain to them in confidence the problems which their participation on this Committee causes. While it may well not be possible to persuade them to leave it, they might come to see there would be advantage in allowing it to become dormant, Powell wrote. The theme of British MPs with large number of Pakistan-origin constituents raising issues opposed to Indian interests was most recently reiterated by Foreign Office minister in the Theresa May government, Mark Field, who criticised Labours policy of viewing the Jammu and Kashmir issue through the prism of human rights. Field told London-based Indian journalists: Im afraid the Labour partys current view is driven by expedience, not least because they see that issue in the perspective of a significant number of people who are supporters of their party, who live now in the UK, from Pakistan administered Kashmir. I think the dangerous thing particularly is to play to the gallery of small numbers of voters, he added. A World War-II era aerial bomb has been retrieved at Netaji Subhas Dock off the Kolkata Port Trust during a routine dredging operation on Friday. The Kolkata Port Trust cordoned off the dock and filed a first information report with the Kolkata Police. We have informed the Indian Navy and the Indian Army. The bomb has been cordoned off by Central Industrial Security Force. The 4.5-metre-long 450kg aerial bomb, with US army markings, was located around 2pm yesterday during, said Kolkata Port Trust chairman, Vinit Kumar. The Netaji Dock was extensively used by the US Navy during World War II for its operations. According to Kolkata Port Trust officials, the Indian Navy has confirmed it the bomb is a US- Army made bomb as per markings found on it. Kumar said that the port trust is expediting the process of defusing the bomb. The bomb does not pose any risk as the safety lock is still in place and aerial bombs have to be dropped from a certain height to make an impact, he added. It remained under water for many years. We are not sure how it landed there. It was maybe being carried in a ship and fell in the river while being taken to shore from ship, Kumar said. No action was taken despite several complaints to the developer and the civic body about the lack of safety measures, including a non-functional firefighting system, said residents of the 15-storey Sargam Society in Tilak Nagar where a fire killed five people and injured two others on Thursday. The residents from Friday have been demanding punishment for the builder of the society, which allegedly does not have a fire no-objection certificate (NOC) too. According to some residents, the fire started around 7.25pm in flat no. 1101 (11th floor) of B-wing where a short-circuit in a Christmas tree led to the fire. Shambhu Shirsat, a resident, said, I was resting in my room when I heard people on the top floor shouting for help. I woke my family up and rushed them down the building. A metal ladder built by residents (A and B wings) after their repeated complaints were ignored saved at least 20 residents. Adding to the safety lapses, for the single hose line that goes up to the top floor, there are no connections for sprinklers on any of the floors. The building did not have enough space around it for firefighting, which is required under the rules. The fire brigade took longer to reach the site as the approach road to the building had many vehicles illegally parked. The fire brigade could not enter the premises with the turntable ladder (that provides access to higher floors ). The firefighters then had to climb the stairs up to the 11th floor . Sumedh Kadam, a resident, said, The developer was supposed to look after the fire refuge areas and safety installations. Following no response from him, we constructed the ladder, which saved nearly 15-20 people. Residents living above the 11th floor had nowhere to escape. They somehow managed to reach the terrace and came down from the other wing of the building. Previously, the society was a Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) building that was redeveloped by a company in 2014. Requisite construction permits were given by BMC at the time of redevelopment. There were around 36 original families that were rehabilitated. Uday Samant, president of MHADA, said, I visited the society on Friday . The residents have been cheated. The developer has given false assurances that all approvals from the concerned authorities are in place, whereas the society does not even have a fire NOC. I have asked my officials to probe this matter and initiate action . Despite repeated attempts, HT was unable to reach the builder. Meanwhile, Opposition leaders accused the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of apathy. Leader of the Opposition Ravi Raja demanded the suspension of the fire brigade officer in charge of Chembur, in BMCs standing committee meeting on Friday. Ravi Raja said, Sargam society in Chembur had informed BMC and the fire brigade almost a year ago, that their buildings firefighting system has not been working. Despite this, the BMC remained inactive. There have been dozens of fire accidents across Mumbai in 2018, both in residential and commercial buildings Bihar witnessed a series of crime incidents, many of which caused big embarrassment to the Bihar government and gave the Opposition ammunition to attack it. They included blasts near Kalchakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya where Tibetan spiritual leader Dalia Lama was giving his discourses, the horror of Muzaffarpur shelter home, and the murder of young industrialist. IED explosion near Kalachakra Maidan, Bodh Gaya A flask kept under a generator near the Unesco world heritage site of Mahabodhi Temple, close to Kalchakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya where Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was holding religious sessions, exploded on January 19. Subsequent searches by Gaya police had led to the recovery of two improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) revealed the involvement of Jahidul Islam alias Kausar of Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman alias Shaheen of Birbhum in West Bengal, Adil Sheikh and Abdul Karim of Murshidabad, and Arif Hussain of Barpeta in Assam. Four of them were arrested in August 2018, while Arif Hussain is still absconding. They have been charge-sheeted under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act and under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). CBI raids Aurangabad DMs premises The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches at the office and residence of Aurangabad district magistrate (DM) Kanwal Tanuj and Bhartiya Ral Bijlee Company Limited (BRBCL) chief executive officer (CEO) C Shiv Kumar in Aurangabad, Lucknow and Noida on February 23 after registering an FIR against for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, forging documents, and criminal misconduct. The case is related to the alleged large scale corruption and misappropriating of 2.07 crore of government funds during acquisition of land for the BRBCL plant at Nabinagar in Aurangabad district. Communal flare-up in 7 Bihar districts Clashes broke out between two religious groups in Bihars Munger as communal tension, triggered by violence during a procession in Bhagalpur on March 17, spread to seven districts, prompting authorities to deploy additional policemen and paramilitary troopers. More than 100 people, including policemen, were injured in the violence. Many shops and business establishments were also set on fire. More than 200 people were arrested and sent to judicial custody. SVU search at Muzaffarpur SSP premises Special vigilance unit (SVU) sleuths on April 16 simultaneous searched various properties of Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Kumar, a 2007 batch IPS officer, on charges of accumulating assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. This was the first major crackdown on a SP-rank officer this year. During the searches, SVU sleuths recovered cash and valuables worth over 3.5 crore from five separate lockers. They also seized demonetized currency with a face value of 40,000 from his official residence in Muzaffarpur. The SVU had on January 4 searched the house and accommodation of IAS officer Deepak Anand. Sexual abuse at Muzaffarpur shelter home (May 31) The Muzaffarpur police lodged an FIR against 11 people on May 31 in connection with alleged sexual exploitation of 44 girls at a government-aided shelter home at Muzaffarpur. They included prime accused Brajesh Thakur, promoter of an NGO that operated the shelter home. The FIR was lodged on the basis of a report by Koshish, a research team of Tata Institutes of Social Sciences (TISS). Officials admit that the malaise might be deeper and could involve even white-collar people. The TISS report clearly stated that there were few girls carrying pregnancy or having babies in the remand home and it required some special provisions for them. The girls were shifted to other homes in the state. FIR against ex-minister, her husband The Begusarai police on August 18 lodged an FIR against former JD (U) minister Manju Verma and her husband Chandeshwar Verma, after prohibited bore ammunition was recovered from their house. The CBI, probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, had earlier conducted massive raids at several places in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, and East Champaran districts. During search, the CBI recovered 50 live cartridges from Vermas house. Manju Verma, an MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai, resigned as a minister on August 8 after her husband was accused of having links with the shelter home case. SC orders transfer of Brajesh Thakur The Supreme Court on October 25 issued a notice to Muzaffarpur shelter home owner Brajesh Thakur to explain why he should not be transferred to a jail outside Bihar for free and fair investigation. A bench, headed by justice Madan B Lokur, termed the shelter home incident horrible and scary. Thakur is a very influential man, the top court observed. Sitamarhi district welfare officer gunned down Three hired sharp shooters gunned down Sitamarhi district welfare officer Subh Narayan Dutt, 57, near Kailash Puri Colony in Dumra police station area of Sitamarhi district on May 31. Dutt became an eyesore in the welfare office after he stopped payment of 70 lakh to a headmaster in-charge of Urdu middle school of Rajopatti, who operated as a middleman for the office and beneficiaries. A sharp shooter, along with his aide, was arrested by a joint team of Patna and Sitamarhi police from Kurji locality in Patna. Babloo Khan, who allegedly hired the contract killers, had taken up the task for just 5 lakh. Gangster shot in court premises A notorious gangster, convicted in the murder of two engineers of a private road construction company, Abhishek Jha, was gunned down on the court premises at Dhaka sub-division in East Champaran district on July 17. It was the second such incident in Champaran within a year. Earlier, gangster Mithilesh Dubey alias Babloo Dubey was shot dead on the court premises at Bettiah in West Champaran on May 17, 2017. Jha, a close aide of gangsters Santosh Jha and Mukesh Pathak, was accused in the killing of the two engineers Mukesh Kumar and Brajesh Kumar in Darbhangas Shivram area when they had gone for a site inspection. The engineers were killed with AK-47 assault rifles at the construction site on the state highway-88 near Shivrampur village in Darbhanga district on December 26, 2015. Woman thrashed, paraded naked A woman was allegedly beaten up, stripped naked and paraded at Bihiya in Bhojpur district on suspicion of being involved in the murder a young man whose body was found near Bihiya railway station on August 20. Five people, including RJD leader Kishori Yadav, was sentenced to seven-year imprisonment by a special court. Fourteen other accused were sentenced to two-year imprisonment. 21 AK-47 assault rifles smuggled into Munger The Munger police have seized at least 21 AK-47 assault rifles and over 500 spare parts from different localities of Munger district since August 29. Of them, 12 AK-47s were recovered from a well at Mirzapur Bardha village in Munger. Police lodged six separate cases, one of which has been taken over by the NIA. The central investigating agency has obtained a detailed list of some high profile beneficiaries who had bought illegal arms from gunrunners from Jabalpur in MP and Munger. The seized rifles were smuggled from the central ordnance depot (COD) in Jabalpur four years ago and over 20 people had been arrested between August 29 and November 23. Three suspects lynched in Begusarai A mob lynched three persons when they were allegedly trying to kidnap a Class 5 student from a government primary school in Begusarai district on September 7. According to the FIR lodged with Chhaurahi police station against six people and 150 others, there were more than 5,000 people present at the spot when the mob lynched Mukesh Mahto, Hira Singh and Shyam Singh. Following the incident, Chhaurahi police station in-charge Sintu Kumar Jha was suspended for dereliction of duty. SHO killed in encounter, constable injured A station house officer of Pasraha police station in Khagaria district was killed and a constable was injured in an encounter with criminals in Bhagalpur. An alleged criminal was also killed in an exchange of fire between police and the gang of criminals led by Dinesh Munni Mandal, who is active in Munger and Bhagalpur districts. Police later recovered the body of the alleged criminal, identified as Shravan Yadav. SC upholds Shahabuddins life sentence The Supreme Court on October 29 upheld the conviction and life sentence awarded to former RJD MP from Siwan Mohammad Shahabuddin and three others for murdering two brothers Satish Raj and Girish Raj at Muffasil in Siwan. Shahabuddin henchmen had abducted Girish, Satish and their brother Rajiv Roshan and took them to Pratappur on August 16, 2004. They allegedly killed Girish and Satish by pouring acid on them, while Rajiv managed to escape. But on June 16, 2014, barely three days before he was to appear as a witness, Rajiv was also gunned down. Shahabuddin, then in jail, was named as a conspirator in the murder. Young industrialist shot dead in Hajipur Prominent industrialist Gunjan Khemka, 36, who was the convener of the state BJPs small industries cell, was gunned down, 700 metres from Industrial police station at NH-103 Hajipur-Jandaha road in Vaishali district on December 19. Police are carrying out the investigation from three different angles. Investigators said the way killing was carried out showed some bitter enmity. It may be due to any reason business rivalry or money dispute or anything else, the police said. US President Donald Trump on Saturday touted big progress after a phone call with his Chinese counterpart on trade, after the tariff war between the worlds two biggest economies helped rattle markets. Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China, Trump said on Twitter. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made! Washington and Beijing imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods in total two-way trade earlier this year, locking them in a conflict that has begun to eat into profits and contributed to stock market plunges. But relations have thawed since Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump agreed to a 90-day truce in early December. Egyptian security forces killed 40 militants in two operations after four people died in a roadside bomb that struck a tour bus in Greater Cairo on Friday. The militants were planning attacks against churches, state institutions, economic interests, the armed forces and tourist sites, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday. The operations took place in northern Sinai and Giza. Three Vietnamese nationals and an Egyptian tour guide were killed in the bombing attack on Friday, the state-run Ahram Gate reported, citing a statement from the countrys Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadeq. Egypts Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A British aviation enthusiast was credited Friday with breaking the news of US President Donald Trumps secret visit to Iraq over Christmas after snapping photos of his plane over northern England. Alan Meloy, a semi-retired information technology worker from Yorkshire, took the pictures of Air Force One from outside his home with a camera he also uses for bird watching. He shared the images on his Flickr account, correctly identifying the plane as a VC-25 -- one of two highly customised Boeing 747 jumbo jets used as Air Force One. Other users noted the location and made the connection with a mysterious US military flight winging across Europe, speculating that it could be on its way to the Middle East. Its one of those weird moments when youre right place and right time, Meloy, who lives in the suburbs of the industrial city of Sheffield, told The Guardian newspaper. If you want to do covert work use a covert plane, he said. On his Flickr account, Meloy said: The internet had worked it out several hours before the White House formally confirmed the visit was taking place. Rumours about the trip spread quickly on social media long before it was reported by media outlets that were respecting a White House embargo. During the trip, Trumps first to a combat zone, the US president said the security precautions were unlike anything he had previously experienced. If you would have seen what we had to go through in the darkened plane with all windows closed, with no light anywhere -- pitch black, he said. Meloy added: Fortunately for us Yorkshire inhabitants he was travelling with the curtains shut and lights out so wont have noticed us looking up at him. Let the record show, Wendy Williams is to conflict and drama, what currency control is to China's Minister of Finance. You can't have one without the other. But on a relative basis, the question remains: why do 50 Cent and Wendy Williams ramp things up when they enter a dogfight? https://www.instagram.com/p/BaOvK6yDj9U The answer to that question might be as simple as a tussle over titles. In the social media age, public figures fall into several categories. When those figures relapse or converge, the individuals in play revert to their primeval instincts. That's exactly what occurs when 50 Cent and Wendy Williams find themselves at odds, with their retractable claws on full-display. When Fiddy meets Wendy, the whole bully-victim dynamic gets thrown to the ground. Without a magnetic field to keep people and things in place, the dogfight becomes downright nasty. For the sake of gamesmanship, nothing else, why not trace this blood feud back to its place of origin, starting with Wendy's assumption that 50 Cent is in fact, a closeted rapper operating behind a hetero mask. Wendy Williams questions 50 Cent's sexual identity. In September, Young Buck was accused of sexual dalliances with a transgender woman, and to no one's surprise, 50 Cent decided to make light of the situation at the split expense of a longtime friendship. While that accusation may not have amounted to anything, 50 Cent showed himself to be guilty of bending the double standard at his own convenience. When his sexuality was up for debate on Wendy Williams' national broadcast, 50 Cent was in a less playful mood. Of course, Wendy Williams' theory was actually a careful ruse put in place to defend the marital union of Papoose and Remy Ma, who funnily enough, appears to be the rare celebrity with Wendy-immunity. 50 Cent took the fight to social media, where he feels most at home - when he isn't at odds with Internet moderators. Wendy Williams gives Vivica A. Fox a platform to ramble on about 50 Cent. It stands to reason: 50 Cent didn't walk away from any scuttlebutt involving Wendy Williams less inclined to fire off a flirty overture of his choosing. In the case of a past relationship floating back to the surface, 50 Cent isn't necessarily predisposed to a negative reaction - but when Wendy Williams allowed Vivica A. Fox to open the floodgates, the G-Unit mogul was not the least bit amused. But in truth, 50 Cent may have been at fault for this one, by reducing his relationship with Vivica to a weeklong fling in the eyes of the public. The quip was mustered on "Get in My Car" at the height of his media stronghold. 50 Cent and Vivica have apparently made amends in light of recent outbursts. I gather it's much easier to scapegoat another bully than to admit indecency. 50 Cent shines a light on Wendy Williams' slip-ups in 2017. Much of 2017's humorous quips directed at Wendy Williams were instigated by 50 Cent. With Wendy Williams on the back heel for much of 2017, 50 Cent was able to gain a noticeable advantage over the course of the year. A majority of Williams' mortifying episodes in '17 were already solid gold before 50 Cent got his spindly hands on 'em, some less so than others. When Williams fainted on-air, only a nudge was required of 50 Cent to push the embarrassing/scary moment into the critical mass. Otherwise, 50 Cent spent most of 2017 placating his own body issues, by objectifying the bodily plight of others, specifically that of Wendy Williams. Much of the residual Instagram evidence has been erased, but Wendy's vacation posting lives on, too tempting for 50 Cent to pass up in the mildest instance of hate speech recorded in memory. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc5LeHUh69L The farther you backtrack into archival territory, the harder it becomes to trace any causal link that puts 50 Cent and Wendy Williams at odds. Therein lies the truth, 50 Cent and Williams are both inanimately the same. They both privately dwell on their objective realities like cosmeticians, only to mask their insecurities in the public eye. When they do collide, the consequences are shaped by nearly-identical astrological habits of mind, because neither 50 or Wendy is less passive or entitled than the other. In reality, 50 Cent has more in common with Wendy Williams than he'd like to admit: they both show little remorse when they crush other public figures, to the point where I've begun to think differently on the power of extroversion, so help us, God. https://www.instagram.com/p/Br5vcPFHqiW Kendall Jenner may be one of the least active members of the Kardashian/Jenner clan on social media. While she does upload pics to her Instagram on a semi-regular basis, Kendall isn't in the spotlight as much as some of her other siblings. Kendall does know how to grab the world's attention though. She keeps it a little more low key, but she was feeling the need to attract some traffic to her page on Friday. Kendall hopped on her Instagram Story to post a video of herself in a bedtime outfit, which was comprised of a lace thong and matching crop top. The red and white outfit looked both comfy and sexy, and Jenner showed off her body in the mirror for her viewers. https://twitter.com/_/status/1078838108051984384 https://twitter.com/_/status/1078839580248428545 Jenner shot the story from the neck down, giving viewers no reason to pay attention to anything but her body. There were no complaints. Just a day earlier, Jenner posted a modeling picture to her Instagram that got the attention of her former lover, Ben Simmons. The Philadelphia 76ers star commented two drooling emojis under a black and white headshot of Jenner. Simmons and Jenner were allegedly dating this past Summer, but things came to an end after what was reported as a brief and fun swing. https://www.instagram.com/p/Br35ldfjK7l On Christmas Eve, Meek Mill and his son attended his annual Holiday giveaway in Philadelphia at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center. Around 3,000 kids received free gifts and some of the offerings included "over 500 bicycles and helmets, over 400 sneakers and a bunch of other toys like Xbox, board games, superhero figures, and an array of other toys to kids from schools and organizations across the Philadelphia area." When the media got a moment to chat with Meek and his son, the reported asked Meek's mini-me what he wanted for Christmas. To everyone's surprise, he look at his dad and said: "For you to get married." "I don't know who the lucky lady is, that's the first time I ever heard that," Meek responded in shock. https://twitter.com/_/status/1077331301139652608 It looks like Meek is working on finding that special someone and he's already shared some must not haves for his future lady. "2019 take them wigs off pleaseeeeee," he shared to his Instagram story. The comments alone (since it was posted on Shade Room) have people either laughing at the statement or telling him to GTFO. The man has proven to be a bit of a jokester before so we should probably take this with a grain of salt. Thoughts? https://www.instagram.com/p/Br8UGXaHrDI Tekashi 6ix9ine in being held behind bars while he awaits trial for racketeering charges. His date is set for September, leaving the rapper to serve close to a year of prison time before receiving an official conviction. His legal team is said to have been preparing a second attempt to secure bail, gathering materials to present to the judge including $1.5 million. It seems like other avenues are being explored as well. A petition was launched via Change.org asking Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to allow the entertainer to be released at least temporarily. The campaign, initiated by a group named TWG Inc., describes its intention as follows: This petition is made in regards to Hip Hop international Artist Daniel Hernandez stage name (Tekashi 69) His Family , Fans , Friends & Supporters hope that the judge can grant this young man bail so he can get back with his family & continue to make great music for his fans while he fights this legal battle. Lets show that this Rainbow hair rapper is a non threat to any community but is loved for all that he has done & the positive impact he has on others. We thank everyone for your love & support An hour after the petition became active, 6ix9ine's girlfriend Jade hopped on social media to inform her following of its existence. Her Instagram post garnered a similar number of engagements to those of the actual petition, which brought in over 21k signatures within 13 hours. https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9l14gHeou Trippie Redd may have faced a few setbacks throughout the year, but he still had a successful year. The Canton, OH native released his debut album Life's A Trip in August. A few months later, he followed it with his highly anticipated mixtape, A Love Letter To You 3. The latest installment in his A Love Letter To You mixtape series was led by the single, "Topanga." A few months later and the song has earned Trippie Redd another plaque to add to his collection. Trippie Redd's "Topanga" is officially eligible for Gold status in the U.S. The song launched the campaign for his latest project. The rapper ultimately released a music video for the song and also performed the single on Jimmy Kimmel ahead of the release of A Love Letter To You 3. It's been a big year for and the eligibility for gold status is another dub in Trippie Redd's highly successful year. Aside from the milestone, the rapper recently announced his "Life's A Trip" headlining tour. The rapper announced that he'd be headlining his own tour after he dropped out of Travis Scott's "Astroworld" tour with 10 dates remaining. Trippie's tour will launch on Jan. 26 in Sauget, IL before concluding in Seattle, WA on Feb. 28. He'll also be hitting major cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and more. Make sure you cop your tickets asap. (CNN) An electrical flash at a Con Edison substation in Queens temporarily lit up New York's skyline Thursday night in a brilliant blue. Despite the eerily glowing color, there was no alien invasion. Instead, the light came as part of an electrical fault that caused an "arc flash," Con Edison spokesman Bob McGee said Friday morning, similar to lightning. There was no fire, he said. Earlier, McGee told CNN that a brief electrical fire occurred after a "couple of transformers tripped offline" at 20th Avenue and 32nd Street in Astoria. Also, McGee said Friday there had been no explosion. On Thursday night, the New York Police Department had tweeted about a "transformer explosion" at a Con Edison facility. The issue caused a transmission dip in the area, and Con Edison crews responded with the New York Fire Department, the power company said. The fire department did not enter the premises because the "arc flash" was over when firefighters arrived, McGee said. Loud bangs were probably related to the arc striking the ground in a thunder-and-lightning effect, he said. The flash went from a piece of equipment 20 feet high to the ground, he said, and that's what was seen across the area. The incident was brought under control, and no injuries were reported, the New York Fire Department said. The cause was determined to be a "non-suspicious" equipment malfunction, according to a tweet from the New York police's 114th Precinct. "No injuries, no fire, no evidence of extraterrestrial activity," police said on Twitter. The sky was lit up in shades of blue visible as far as Manhattan and New Jersey. The tremors shook buildings and rattled windows, sending people running into the streets. Residents reported temporary power outages. Con Edison said Friday morning that all major transmission lines had been restored. The incident temporarily closed LaGuardia Airport in Queens. No flights took off between 9:22 and 10:23 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking data company. All terminals were affected by the loss of commercial power, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a temporary ground stop. LaGuardia resumed normal operations, the FAA said in an advisory on its website. Con Edison said the airport switched to a backup generator during the transmission disturbance, and all power lines serving the area were in service and the system was stable. Because all FAA facilities at LaGuardia are on generator power, there was no interruption to air traffic control, FAA spokesman Greg Martin said. This story has been updated with the latest information on the incident from Con Edison. It was first published on CNN.com, "A power company mishap turns New York's skyline blue." Whether its oil prices, health care, real estate or technology, some twists and turns are likely for the Houston region in the new year. Chronicle business reporters asked their sources to predict whats ahead in 2019. Heres what they had to say. Houston areas economy will keep growing Houstons economy will slow slightly but continue to grow as it will see above-average job gains in 2019. The Houston economy will continue to perform well, said Patrick Jankowski, an economist and senior vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership. Jankowski projects the Houston metropolitan area will add about 71,000 new jobs in 2019, slightly above a typical good year, when 60,000 to 65,000 jobs are created. He expects the price of oil to stabilize at around $50 per barrel. Moderate growth, but partly cloudy Bill Gilmer, the director of the Institute for Regional Forecasting at the University of Houston, expects moderate growth in the region, but he says changes in the oil industry could be clouding forecasts. We have a new and evolving fracking industry that has moved into the drivers seat of the American oil industry, Gilmer said. Frankly, it has not been a very cautious driver so far, spending cheap money far too freely. And the industry uses technology and employs people in new and different ways. Even in the current good times, this new American oil industry affects Houstons economic growth in ways we have not seen before. For example, technical innovations that have reshaped the industry are requiring fewer workers in the field. Houston is not a center of drilling activity, but Gilmer questions whether Houston-based oil workers could be affected by these innovations at some point as well. The answer matters a lot as we think about the future relationship between oil and the Houston economy, Gilmer said. John C. Roper All eyes on Texas over Affordable Care Act Decembers decision by a federal judge in Texas declaring the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional has produced rumbles in the health care world that wont be going away soon. Obviously, the Texas federal court decision declaring the ACA unconstitutional will be a key issue in 2019. There is a certain poetic irony in declaring the law unconstitutional based on the removal of the tax penalty. Chief Justice Roberts 5-4 decision originally held the law constitutional based precisely on the federal governments ability to tax. This action may delay Medicaid expansions and ACA waiver requests in some states. That said, I suspect that the Texas decision will be overturned after some consternation in the Congress and the media, said Michael Morrisey, professor and head of the department of health policy and management at Texas A&M School of Public Health. The bigger health policy issues still revolve around the ACA. The surprisingly lower than anticipated ACA enrollment is likely to lead to efforts to enhance subsidies or penalties in the exchange. These are likely to go nowhere in the divided Congress. However, 2019 is the first year in which insurers can offer new short-term policies. They are medically underwritten, so health status matters, but premiums can be much lower for some. We should see substantial advertising and perhaps substantial enrollment in these new plans. Jenny Deam Innovators, heavy hitters will try to steer health care Many players will be exerting influence on health care in the year ahead. There will be plenty of surface turbulence in health care in 2019 as politicians ramp up the health policy rhetoric, but the underlying change will flow from the innovators and power brokers in the industry. These include hospital systems, third-party payers, mega physician groups, retail giants, investors, and Fortune 500 employers like Amazon, all of which will be pursuing ways to make health care more accessible, more affordable and more tied to quality. The pressure to get there will be more intense, and we will see if bringing handheld technology, the Uber model and other consumer concepts to health care really works or not, said Travis Singleton, executive vice president of Merritt Hawkins, a Texas-based national physician staffing and health care consulting firm. For patients, this means more points of entry that stress convenience, such as urgent care centers, retail clinics, telemedicine and self-monitoring technology. First encounters are more likely to be with physician assistants or nurse practitioner than with physicians, who will continue to be in short supply. The physician you eventually see, the hospital you are admitted to and the insurance entity that pays your bill are more likely to be under the same umbrella. What will be gained in convenience and in the name of cost control may be lost in continuity of care. We will take another step in toward Health Care, Incorporated, and away from Marcus Welby, MD. Jenny Deam Hospitals must offer clarity on pricing Consumers should be getting a clear view of hospital prices soon. Health care pricing transparency is here to stay, particularly with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services beginning to enforce on Jan. 1, regulations enacted under the Affordable Care Act requiring all hospitals to be transparent with their standard charges for medical procedures and disclosing them publicly. Consumers will see not only increased transparency of pricing, but also have additional tools and programs available to help them choose less costly sites for quality treatment and reward them for doing so, said Dr. Robert Morrow, president of Houston and Southeast Texas at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, the states largest insurer. I also think the health care industry will be going back to the future with more physician groups and facilities being paid under value-based care arrangements, not only to decrease cost but to significantly increase customer service and satisfaction. Risk-based models for providers are being encouraged by commercial plans and Medicare. But these arent your grandparents health maintenance organizations. These are HMOs 2.0 and better. Jenny Deam Fossil fuels to be attacked, but maybe not effectively With Democrats taking control of the House, youre going to see a much more aggressive attack on fossil fuels. But its not going anywhere, because the Senate is not going to act, said Frank Maisano, a Washington energy consultant and partner at Bracewell. James Osborne Permian Basin shows no signs of losing steam West Texas Permian Basin is likely to keep barreling ahead. I feel that the Permian will still lead the show because it is not as price sensitive as other plays. I am extremely bullish on the eastern shelf of the Permian in Scurry and Fisher counties, which has not attracted the attention yet on the larger players in the Permian but soon will. Smaller operators have found they can use horizontal drilling and fracs in conventional reservoirs to unlock tight sands in the Strawn formation that will give up 500,000 barrels per well, said Cactus Schroeder an Abilene oilman and the owner of Chisholm Exploration. James Osborne Energy will be seeing clean trend pick up The move to cleaner energy shows signs of picking up speed. I have three main predictions for 2019. One, there will be multiple new carbon-capture projects announced that will take advantage of the passage of the new and improved 45Q tax credit. Two, another advanced nuclear company will follow NuScale Powers path and start the process toward NRC approval and licensing. And three, more major utilities will launch long-term and highly ambitious low-carbon clean energy plans a la Xcel Energy, said Rich Powell, executive director of ClearPath, a Washington-based advocacy group promoting conservative solutions to climate change. James Osborne Backlash to continue on regulatory retreat Reactions to the Trump administrations efforts to undo environmental regulations are likely to continue to reverberate. We continue to expect the Trump administrations deregulatory agenda to motivate subnational decarbonization efforts, a trend we describe as the regulatory rollback rebound. Indeed, Democrat wins in state legislatures during the November midterms could accelerate this trend in 2019, said Timothy Fox, vice president, Clearview Energy Partners, a Washington consulting firm. James Osborne Imminent domain cases to focus on pipelines West Texas is facing a boom these days, and oil and gas producers need newly constructed pipelines to move their newly found supplies to Houston and other cities to be refined. Look for plenty of imminent domain claims next year as oil and gas producers use the condemnation process to get the land they want to build hundreds of miles of pipelines across the state, said Houston eminent domain lawyer Justin Hodge. The shift to oil and gas pipelines is only accelerating as more energy producers announce big drilling projects and pipeline plans. In years past, most imminent domain claims were for transmission lines to move wind power from West Texas to Houston, Dallas and other population centers. Today? Its all oil and gas pipelines, he said. L.M. Sixel More competition ahead in electricity retail sector The retail electricity market became more competitive this year with bigger companies buying up their smaller competitors, including NRG Energys purchase of Volterra Energy Holdings, the Houston-based provider that owns the Discount Power brand, and Direct Energys acquisition of Source Power & Gas of Sugar Land. Look for more consolidation next year, said Jim Steffes, executive vice president of Direct Energy, the third-biggest seller of electricity in Texas. Reserve margins are expected to tighten to record levels next summer, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which calculates whether Texas has enough cushion to prevent power shortages during the next heat wave. Those tight margins will likely put a squeeze on profits, making it more difficult for electricity sellers that havent branched off into selling higher profit home-related services like security and appliance warranties to compete. The market will ultimately shrink, Steffes said. L.M. Sixel An even bigger presence for renewables in Texas Texas is already the nations No. 1 wind energy generator, producing nearly 20 percent of the states power supply. Expect wind energy along with its renewables cousin, solar energy, to get even bigger next year, said Michael Skelly, who specializes in renewable energy as senior adviser with the asset management firm Lazard in Houston. Wind turbines are getting bigger, making them more efficient, and two-sided solar panels are capturing more energy from the sun, said Skelly, who before joining Lazard, headed Clean Line Energy, a company that built long-distance power lines to carry green energy. It is a very bright future for renewables next year, he said. And at a very low cost. L.M. Sixel Mexicos energy reforms are suffering setbacks All eyes in the energy sector are on Mexicos new president Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador and his energy secretary, Rocio Nahle. Sworn into into office on Dec. 1, Lopez-Obrador wasted no time into putting the brakes on Mexicos energy reforms. The reforms ended a 70-year monopoly by state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos and opened up Mexicos energy sector to domestic and foreign competition and investment. A vocal critic of those reforms, Lopez-Obrador has canceled two energy auctions less than two weeks in office. One of those auctions would have opened up the border state of Tamaulipas to hydraulic fracturing. Lopez-Obradors administration is reviewing energy contracts awarded by his predecessor. The leftist president also pledged to end Mexicos energy dependence on the U.S. by building a new refinery for gasoline and diesel. Many in the energy sector are waiting to see how the administrations will handle previous contracts and if Lopez-Obrador will be able to deliver on his promises to boost Mexicos sagging oil and gas industry. Sergio Chapa LNG export capacity to more than double The United States will be able to export more than double the amount of liquefied natural gas by the end of next year, the Energy Information Administration reports. LNG producers have the ability to export 3.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, but that export capacity is expected to grow to 8.9 billion cubic feet per day by the end of 2019. Cheniere Energy, Sempra Energy, Kinder Morgan and Freeport LNG are expected to bring 18 LNG production units into service over the next 12 months. The new facilities are coming will be coming online at a time when global demand for natural gas used to generate electricity is increasing. Sergio Chapa Offshore revival? Will it or wont it happen? Many in the energy sector are wondering if 2019 will finally revive the waning offshore oil & gas industry. A 2-year crude oil price downturn caused a sharp decrease in offshore exploration and production activity. Recovering oil prices in 2018 and recent discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico and South America sparked interest in offshore again. But given the crude oil price fall at the end of 2018, it remains to be seen how the volatility in the commodity markets will affect the offshore industry. Sergio Chapa Upsides and downsides of home flipping After the 2016 floods in Baton Rouge, Daren Blomquist of Attom Data saw a year of increased foreclosures followed by a year of home flipping. He predicts that Houston, which similarly saw a wave of foreclosures, will soon enter the home flipping phase. Home flipping could benefit Houstons housing stock, but it also presents potential risks. At its best, home flipping is taking distressed properties and fixing them up and making them better, Blomquist said. The worse side is folks who may be taking advantage and buying these distressed properties at a bigger discount than really they should be bought at and just flipping them without adding a lot of value. R.A. Schuetz Trend in the making: industrial tear-downs Largely driven by e-commerce, the Houston region has 10 million square feet of industrial projects under construction or in the pipeline, and land prices are way up. Its really hard to find large pieces of land these days, said Robert Clay, president of Clay Development & Construction. Youre going to start seeing a lot more redevelopment of older properties closer to the Beltway. At U.S. 290 and Beltway 8 in northwest Houston, known as the Main and Main for industrial projects, Clay said sites for new developments have been scarce for a while. Theres been zero redevelopment where youre tearing buildings down to put up new buildings, Clay said. You will start to see that. Katherine Feser Rents may inch up, but discounts remain Landlords should be able to raise rents moderately in the coming year, assuming Houston employers add 71,000 new jobs, the Greater Houston Partnerships projected figure. But the health of the apartment market could be uneven, as current demand is largely for suburban properties. If you do a survey around the city, youll find a lot fewer concessions in the suburbs and rents closer to what the developer projected than what youll find inside the Loop, which is a different story, said Stacy Hunt, executive director of real estate services for apartment developer and manager Greystar. Many of the new apartment buildings in downtown, Montrose and around Washington Avenue are still offering deep concessions some as much as three months of free rent. The good news is that of the 8,000 units to open next year, only about a third will be inside the Loop. Smart developers are hedging their bets, Hunt said. We cant keep building everything downtown. Nancy Sarnoff Shortage of lots to limit homebuilding Builders are projected to start construction on fewer homes in 2019 than the nearly 30,000 they started this year, said Lawrence Dean, regional director of Metrostudy. Thats in part because theyre facing a dearth of new-home lots to keep the supply flowing. There are more residential communities that are reaching build-out than there are new ones starting, Dean said. Labor, building materials and land development costs continue to rise making moderately priced housing even more difficult to build. And thats where the strong demand is. To supply those homes, builders will have to look farther out. Splendora and Needville could be the new frontiers. Were kind of in discovery mode of how desirable the next ring is for homebuyers, Dean said. Nancy Sarnoff Grocery to dominate new retail construction Developers in 2019 are forecast to build as much as 4 million square feet of new retail space in Houston, according to Houston-based retail brokerage Wulfe & Co. Much of the new retail construction will be dominated by grocery stores, furniture stores and fitness clubs, chairman and CEO Ed Wulfe said. Mixed-use projects, which incorporate retail, office and residential, will continue to proliferate in Houston. Mixed-use development will occur inside the Loop, but also outside the Loop, Wulfe said. Developers understand the need to create people places. Paul Takahashi Banks may confront a tougher environment A volatile stock market and low oil prices are affecting Texas banks as they head into 2019. Theres just a lot of speculation that were moving into a more difficult economic environment, and the banks feel that, said Dan Bass, managing director of investment banking for bank advisory firm Performance Trust Capital Partners. An uncertain economy usually prompts banks to tighten their underwriting, which could make it more difficult for some people to get a loan. Uncertainty has also put merger and acquisition activity on hold, which had been pretty active prior to three months ago. As of Dec. 21, Bass said the stocks of publicly traded Texas banks were down an average of 17 percent year-to-date. The next two quarters of earnings releases will see extra scrutiny on banks. He said the stock market tends to overreact, lumping all Texas banks together, but banks that manage to report strong earnings should see their stock prices go back up. Andrea Leinfelder NanoRacks air lock may go to space station A Webster-based company could see its air lock launched to the International Space Station in 2019. NanoRacks has led the design and construction of an air lock that would provide more opportunities for commercial companies to launch satellites and access the Space Stations exterior. Its air lock will be five times larger than the air lock currently on the space station in the Japanese Experiment Module. The project was first announced in 2016. The hardware is now in final fabrication with Thales Alenia Space in Italy. The NanoRacks team in Webster is working on the electronics. Over 2019, well be mating that all together, NanoRacks CEO Jeff Manber said. He said the company has been getting strong inquiries of interest. Hes hopeful that the air lock will be scheduled for the last launch in 2019, but NASA has yet to verify this. If not 2019, then Manber is shooting for early 2020. Andrea Leinfelder Innovation district to pick up momentum Rice University is preparing to release more details on how it will help transform the former midtown Sears building into an innovation district. Were on track for a fourth-quarter 2020 opening, said David Leebron, president of Rice University. And that means 2019 is entirely the year of launch. Rice will begin construction next year and unveil plans about the types of programming that could be offered to entrepreneurs, said Allison Thacker, president of the Rice Management Co. and Rices chief investment officer. I think people are going to be stunned by what they see here, Leebron said. It takes a lot of imagination to take a building that was purposefully designed as a windowless facility so people would stay inside shopping, and transform it into a destination. Hes envisioning a destination for startups and for those interested in learning about Houstons innovation ecosystem. Andrea Leinfelder Port Houston to pursue widening of Ship Channel Port Houston will examine new ways to widen the Ship Channel. A four-year plan detailing the future of the channel is supposed to come out in October 2019. Port Houston wants the Army Corps of Engineers to widen the it through Galveston Bay, but the Army Corps is recommending that just 40 percent be widened. The Army Corps has said that Port Houston would have to find money for the other 60 percent if it wanted to widen the Ship Channel, so officials are looking at alternatives. Theyre going to do a feasibility study that examines how a wider ship channel could allow for two-way traffic and help the ports booming petrochemical business. Theyre also going to directly ask for funding and project approval from Congress and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. What weve laid out are some options to both get the Ship Channel improvements authorized as fast as possible, said Rich Byrnes, chief port infrastructure officer for Port Houston, and to accelerate the implementation, the actual construction of the widening of the bay. Andrea Leinfelder Institutional investors to leave mark on housing Brian Spitz, founder of Big State Home Buyers, says the future of the single homes lies with institutional investors such as hedge funds. The big target for Wall Street is single-family homes in markets all over the country, he said. And as mortgages rates rise in 2019, Spitz believes institutional investors, which can secure alternative funding, will increasingly have the edge. The impacts, Spitz says, could be far-reaching, both because institutional buyers often buy from iBuyers, which reduces the need for real estate agents, and because once a home is purchased by an institutional buyer, it is unlikely to be resold on the market anytime soon. If theres no strong field activity, all of those ancillary businesses are going to have less income, he said. I think 2019 will be a real year of awakening to a lot of people for that. R.A. Schuetz After mortgage rates increased this fall reaching a seven-year high of about 5 percent in October real estate agent Angelina Keck watched buyers back out of contracts on new homes as their costs rose. But as mortgage rates have since fallen to a four-month low, properties are moving once again, said Keck. Youre seeing people get off the fence, she said. I definitely saw a lot more action of houses closing and pending before the end of the year than I usually do. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has fallen by nearly a half-point since early November, sliding to 4.55 percent this week, according to Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage finance company. As a result, Freddie Mac said, The drop in mortgage rates should stem or even reverse the slide in home sales that occurred during the second half of 2018. Nationally, the number of homes coming under contract fell in November, the 11 consecutive month of year-over-year declines in pending home sales, the National Association of Realtors report this week. Closed sales of existing homes dropped every month since February until reaching a three-year-low in September, the Realtors reported. New home sales fell to a 2 1/2 year low in October, the Commerce Department reported. In Houston, the slide in home sales was most prominent in September, the same month mortgage rates began rising significantly. The regions sales fell 6 percent from the previous year, according to the Houston Association of Realtors, although Hurricane Harvey, which moved many closings in August 2017 into September, may have skewed the numbers. But in November, as mortgage rates began to moderate, Houston-area home sales rose to outstrip the previous years, except for homes in the lowest price bracket, which have become harder to find. Now that rates are back down, people see it as an opportunity to lock in a rate under 5 percent, said real estate agent Amy Bernstein. So it helps the market. But Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at the financial services company Bankrate, cautioned people not to expect dramatic change in sales from the lower rates. A pullback in mortgage rates helps, he said, but its not going to change a sluggish market into a buoyant market. McBride pointed out that mortgage rates are still higher than they were a year ago and home prices have risen faster than incomes for several years, leading to an affordability issue that a 4.5 mortgage rate will not solve on its own. In the meantime, McBride recommended borrowers compare lenders to find the lowest rates possible. Theres a disparity of rates in the marketplace, he said. If youre shopping around, you can still find rates in the low 4s, which can knock a big chunk off of your payment. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com Kurt Eichenwald has been crying a lot. In the course of writing his memoir, A Mind Unraveled, which chronicles his struggles with epilepsy, the Dallas writer found all the old fears and traumas flooding back. Thats when hed call his wife, Theresa, and ask her to come home. When she got there, hed hold onto her tightly. Writing this book was brutal, Eichenwald, 57, says recently at a local coffee shop. I have spent a lot of my life trying to compartmentalize all these things and push them into a box. Now that box was opening wide, its contents audio diaries, letters, shaky memories released anew. Sometimes it was more than he could bear. So why do it? Certainly not for the glory, or for the money. His book The Informant was made into a movie starring Matt Damon. He has written about the Enron scandal (Conspiracy of Fools), the aftermath of 9/11 (500 Days) and 1980s securities fraud (Serpent on the Rock). The Dallas native has been a Pulitzer finalist and a two-time winner of the George Polk Award for Excellence in Journalism. But his own story was one he felt he needed to tell. Not because of all the bad doctors who made him feel ashamed of his condition. Not because of the prestigious East Coast school that kicked him out because it didnt know what else to do with him. A Mind Unraveled: A Memoir' By Kurt Eichenwald; Ballantine Books; 416 pp.; $28.00 See More Collapse No, Eichenwald says he wrote A Mind Unraveled (Ballantine, $28) because epilepsy, after all these years, remains widely misunderstood and stigmatized. Just recently Eichenwald covered the story of a Notre Dame freshman with epilepsy who was driven out of the school because he insisted he couldnt live with roommates. When Eichenwald discusses the case, his eyes burn brighter and his voice gets louder. Eichenwald knows he has a platform. And he wanted to use it to help people going through what he has endured for decades. Somebody had to do it, he says. Somebody has to stand up and say, This is important. People die from epilepsy. People die because others dont know what to do. People are afraid to disclose. People think they cant live the life they want. And it has to stop. A Kafkaesque odyssey Epilepsy is an uncontrollable firing of neurons in the brain. Some patients have seizures. Some have hallucinations. Some experience extreme emotional swings. Seizures can affect memory: Eichenwald was once arrested and thrown in the drunk tank after a seizure, but he doesnt remember anything. He learned about it from a friend of his mothers. When he was a high school student at St. Marks School of Texas, Eichenwald started having what he called staring spells, during which he drifted into a walking trancelike state and disappeared from conversations. He was often exhausted. He left Dallas for Pennsylvania to attend Swarthmore College, and his seizures grew violent. A series of doctors gave him a heavy dose of bad advice: Dont tell anyone about your seizures. Prepare for a life of limited expectations. With the proper medication, the seizures will go away entirely. Actually, you dont have epilepsy. Actually, you have a brain tumor. At times, reading A Mind Unraveled is like walking through a Kafkaesque medical school, full of misdirection, emotional cruelty and upside-down logic. Life at Swarthmore was a daily trial, he writes. Between his seizures, the injuries they inflicted on his mind and body, the strain on his roommates and administrative negligence, Eichenwald considered suicide. It was a difficult period for everyone involved. Two of the voices that appear most frequently in the book belong to Carl Moor and Franz Paasche, who were Eichenwalds roommates during much of his time at Swarthmore. They were and remain close friends, but the road could get bumpy. Moor, now an appellate court judge in California, recalls the environment in their dorm during finals in their freshman year. Kurt was having seizures regularly at that point, Moor says by phone. Wed all be studying at our desks, and Kurt was having seizures, and were trying to care for him at the same time that were studying. Handling that was a challenge. Learning to trust Feeling helpless, trusting almost no one, Eichenwald went back to Dallas and tried one more neurologist. This one, he could tell immediately, was different. To this day, Eichenwald credits Dr. Allan Naarden with saving his life. Naarden doesnt want to hear this. When Eichenwald introduced Naarden to the crowd at a recent reading and made the life-saving claim, Naarden, who resembles a stout Albert Einstein, shook his head. Naarden gives all the credit to the tenacity and compassion of Eichenwalds mother, Elva. Naarden was the first doctor Eichenwald really trusted. He was the first to explain that epilepsy cant be cured, only controlled. He held forth on views of epilepsy in world literature and culture. He prescribed the correct medications and made adjustments when necessary. And he told Eichenwald there was no reason his condition should keep him from pursuing his passions. Not that the relationship blossomed overnight. It took quite a long time to generate a feeling of trust between us, Naarden says by phone. Thats the thing a physician needs to do, the scaffold that has to be built. He was angry and confused when he first came in, and understandably so. Naarden agrees with Eichenwald that epilepsy is badly misunderstood and that common reactions to seizures are incorrect. People are certain theyre supposed to put a spoon in the mouth of somebody with epilepsy, which is the absolute wrong thing to do, Eichenwald says. (A soft object, like a wallet, can be helpful, but only if inserted before a seizure begins.) People are certain theyre supposed to hold somebody down when they have a seizure, which is the absolute wrong thing to do. (Thats a good way for both parties to get injured.) The ignorance hasnt changed, he says. But sometimes its not just ignorance. Sometimes its outright cruelty. That was the case in a high-profile 2016 incident still playing out in the criminal justice system. The strobe tweet It started in the summer of 2016, when Fox News personality Sean Hannity claimed that Hillary Clinton was having seizures. Nonsense, Eichenwald wrote in Newsweek, taking Hannity to task for spreading false information about the condition. He also debated the matter with Tucker Carlson on Carlsons Fox News show. I never realized I was notifying all the lunatics that I had seizures, Eichenwald says. On Dec. 15, 2016, somebody sent him a tweet. When he opened it, a series of lights flashed. It was a strobe, designed to cause a seizure. It worked, horrifically. Eichenwald can only say so much about the incident as the case makes its way through the courts. A Maryland man, John Rayne Rivello, was arrested and has been indicted on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, plus a hate-crime enhancement (he thought Eichenwald was Jewish, though he isnt). He is facing trial in Dallas; no date has been set. According to a federal criminal complaint, messages sent from Rivellos Twitter account mentioned Eichenwald, saying, I know he has epilepsy, I hope this sends him into a seizure and lets see if he dies. Such incidents provide fuel for Eichenwalds fire. So do his encounters with others who have epilepsy. During his book tour, a man approached Eichenwald and told him of his own struggles with epilepsy. I havent told people, the man said. But youve inspired me. These moments have been revelatory for Eichenwald. Eichenwald says he wasnt looking for closure. Instead he has found something perhaps even more valuable: a renewed sense of purpose. My past became my mission, he says. My sense of fear about discussing my experiences and my epilepsy has disappeared. It has been replaced by anger that so many of us feel the need to hide. I am much closer to having conquered epilepsy, even though I still have seizures. And thats the way it should be. I have the ability to let people know what this is. I can let people know that if theyre traumatized by this, dont let it govern your life. Texas is approaching the end of a year that has been extraordinary in many ways. And 2019 is likely to be tumultuous, for both the nation and the state. The Mueller investigation seems to have a discomfiting effect on President Donald Trump, who is planning to run for re-election in 2020. And Trumpwhen discomfited or when campaigninghas a tendency to lash out in ways that have a disproportionate effect on Texas. I dont think Trump hates the state, exactly. Hed never spent much time here prior to running for president, and seems to think of Texas as the place depicted in the Pace Picante Sauce commercials that blanketed the nation in the early 1990s. But the presidents policy agenda, such as it is, happens to be one that is bound to have adverse impacts on a state like this one. The United States [loses] soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a profit making operation, Trump tweeted on Friday. Grieder: Texas is doomed to lose Trumps trade war The states Republican leaders assiduously ignore comments like these. And some readers think I should do the same, as if its somehow in poor taste for a columnist at one of Texass major daily newspapers to take note of such things. But lets consider the facts. Houston is confronting the consequences of the passage of Prop B. The greater metro region is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, one of the costliest natural disasters in recorded history. Like all Texans, we have to keep our guard up, because the Texas Legislature is about to convene. And although its generally a good idea to ignore the nonsense spewed on the internet, we cant, in this case. Trump isnt a policy wonk, or a particularly judicious reader. But he is the president theres no getting around that fact. Also, this is Houston, not Dallas. Presumably we all agree that etiquette shouldnt take precedence over explicit threats to our community or its economy. The presidents threats, in fairness, may not be serious. But theyre nonetheless worth taking seriously, given the whole president thing. Grieder: Border security debates should be grounded in reality Trump has been consistent in clamoring for a border wall, for example. A majority of Texans are opposed to that idea, according to a Texas Lyceum poll released in April. But Trump doesnt seem to be fazed by criticism, on this front, or capable of understanding that a border wall wouldnt necessarily improve our security. And we cant rely on Republicans like Gov. Greg Abbott to explain to Trump that building a wall along Americas southern border would foreclose our access to the Rio Grande, destroy sensitive wildlife habitats, and require the government to make extensive use of eminent domain. Abbott didnt even rise to the occasion when confronted with the tragedy of family separations, which well remember as one of the seminal stories of this troubled year in American politics. Like most Republicans, the governor claimed to be opposed to separating immigrant children from their parents, even if the latter had made a deliberate decision to enter the country illegally. But Abbott blamed Congress for the situation rather than Trump, even though it was the Department of Justice that had adopted, and proudly announced, its zero tolerance policy. This disgraceful condition must end. and it can only end with action by Congress to reform the broken immigration system, wrote Abbott in a June letter to Texass congressional delegationafter it became clear that public outrage over the situation wasnt fading. Grieder: Family separations are cruel and gratuitous The executive and judicial branches have exhausted the limits of their authority to patch up our flawed immigration laws, Abbott continued. Trump did not agree that the executive branch had exhausted its ability to end separations. In fact, the following day, he issued an executive order reversing the policy. The humanitarian crisis at the border hasnt abated. ICE dropped off several hundred central American migrants at the bus station in El Paso, on Christmas Eve. The following day an 8-year-old boy from Guatemala, Felipe Gomez Alonzo, died of the flu while in government custody. Felipes death, the second immigrant child to die in U.S. custody this month, prompted Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to visit the border on Friday. It would be helpful if the state had more effective leaders in times like these. But we dont. And, in a sense, Texans have only ourselves to blame. In November, for example, we collectively decided to re-elect Ken Paxton as attorney general, despite the fact that he does the state no good, and has been under indictment since 2015. The good news is that as Texans, we can rely on each other to rise to the occasion in troubled times. Or, at least, to try. We bumbled a few things at the ballot box this year, for example, but we turned out there in record numbers. And Texans muddled through the year, somehow. Lets continue looking out for each other as we head into a year that could be even more tumultuous than the one we just endured. erica.grieder@chron.com Twitter.com/ericagrieder In just two weeks in October, the legal landscape for marijuana use in North America changed dramatically. First, Canada opened sales of legalized pot for recreational use, and then Mexicos high court delivered a definitive ruling that citizens have the right to possess the weed for their personal use. That leaves Texas virtually surrounded by states that allow marijuana for medical use but not for recreational purposes as well as being sandwiched between two neighboring countries that have liberalized their stance on personal usage of the drug. And while the Lone Star State is a long way from following the example of Canada and Mexico, there seems to be growing support for at least reducing stiff criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of the weed. Currently, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by a six-month jail term and a $2,000 fine. Even in Texas, public opinion seems to have shifted from criminalization to at least decriminalization, with strengthening support for legalization, said Nora Demleitner, a professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Virginia and the lead author of the textbook Sentencing: Law and Policy. PATIENTS LOCKED OUT: Medical cannabis out of reach for Texas family Among the frontrunners of decriminalization in Texas is Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who shortly after taking office in 2017 created a marijuana diversion program for first-time offenders that eliminates jail time and a criminal record if the person attends a drug awareness class and is not re-arrested. A similar diversion program is in operation in Austins Travis County. Ogg rationalized that the average $25 million per year that the county spent prosecuting low-level pot consumers and locking them up was a wasteful public policy, preferring instead to use those funds to support fighting other crimes that threaten community safety. And the countys top prosecutor is not alone, recent polling indicates. Less than 20 percent of registered voters in Texas object to legalizing marijuana and overall, 53 percent would legalize pot either in small or any amounts, according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll conducted before the midterm elections. The trend seems similar across the country, where so far 10 states have legalized marijuana and 33 allow it to be used for medical treatment. Expending resources on investigation, interdiction, prosecution and incarceration is a waste of those resources, agreed Barry Grissom, a former U.S. prosecutor in Kansas and vice president of Electrum Partners, a Las Vegas venture management firm specializing in cannabis. He added that those assets should be directed toward violent crime, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of children on the internet; things that will make our communities safer. Texas lawmakers passed a law in 2015 that allows doctors to prescribe a CBD oil, or cannabidiol without intoxicating properties, for patients with epilepsy that dont respond to approved treatments. MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Federally approved cannabis drug offers hope for patients and marijuana advocates Despite the criminal penalties, Texas has two of the Top 10 consumer cities in the country. Houston occupies the fourth spot with an estimated 21 metric tons of weed consumed last year, after New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to the 2018 Cannabis Price Index from the German company Seedo, which tracks the market around the world. Dallas is number seven with 15 metric tons. That high demand in Houston and elsewhere in Texas, some experts say, is not being met by traditional drug smuggling networks alone. Today in Texas, consumers easily find a wider variety of cannabis products than a few years ago coming from all over the place, said Dean Becker, a Baker Institute contributing expert in drug policy. Becker explained that states like Colorado, California and Oregon are growing more than their markets can absorb, and smugglers are flourishing moving the merchandise to other marketplaces. Mexico, he said, isnt the main Texas supplier anymore as their producers are struggling to compete with the higher quality of U.S. grown products. Similar reforms in Mexico, Canada The Canadian Cannabis Act that widely entered into effect on Oct. 17 legalized the recreational use and possession of small amounts of marijuana (just over an ounce) as well as cultivation for personal, adult consumption. At the end of October, the Mexican Supreme Justice Court ruled that Mexicans had a right to possess marijuana, and while it did not strike down laws, it made it virtually legal for all purposes except commercial sale. In November, the government of newly-inaugurated Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador introduced a bill that would legalize commercial cultivation of marijuana, as well as allowing residents to possess and even cultivate small amounts of the weed. Smoking marijuana in public would also be lawful. The purpose, the bill says, is to promote a model of responsible regulation. It has ample support in Mexico as a measure to decimate the power of drug cartels and their violent criminal enterprises. The proposed bill is expected to become law, since the landslide election bringing Lopez Obradors political party to power in December also brought his party control of both houses of the Mexican congress. Failure of War on Drugs Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institutes Mexico Center at Rice University, says the progressive approach to marijuana by Canada and Mexico has roots in the decades of a largely ineffective war against drugs. The prohibition and war against it (marijuana) have proven to be a huge failure, Payan said. Instead of decreased availability, the decades of costly interdiction efforts on both sides of the border have seen the consumption of marijuana increase in all three North American countries. And in its course, the drug war has resulted in a machine-like criminalization by the justice system for a product that poses no more health issues, and in many cases less, than most legal drugs used for recreational purposes including alcohol and tobacco, according to a number of studies. The argument of fear of weed from Mexico is over a century old, and hasnt evolved much beyond the racist them-vs-us origins since then, said Benton Bodamer, a member of the cannabis practice group at the international law firm Dickinson Wright and an adjunct professor at the Ohio State Universitys Moritz College of Law. He referred to the origins of marijuana prohibition in America in the early 1900s when racist propaganda sensationalized an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality and death, in the words of Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics which was created in 1930. Following the steps of a previously established racist narrative, he said that the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races, identified as Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Today, about one in seven adults of all walks of life in the U.S. consumes marijuana, according to 2017 figures from a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in July. It also found that 81 percent of American adults believe that cannabis consumption has at least one benefit, with only 17 percent attributing none at all. Business opportunities for legalization The cannabis industry is a job creator, which Mexico and Canada realize, and it also cuts into the portfolio of criminals by making its use and sale a legitimate business that (creates) jobs and revenue, said Grissom, the former federal prosecutor. Grissom says Colorado is a good example, which reported total cannabis sales of $1.5 billion in 2017, and a staggering $5.7 billion since sales began in January 2014, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue. These funds did not go to criminals but to entrepreneurs who created over 20,000 new full-time jobs that paid a living wage as well as a new source of (tax) revenue for the state, he said. Overall, the nascent U.S. cannabis market is already double the size of Canadas, at $8.5 billion dollars, said Brad Alexander, a senior adviser at McGuireWoods Consulting, a public policy advisory firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. He predicts that by 2022, this market could top $20 billion. Progressive approaches to decriminalization have merged with fiscally conscious conservative arguments when it comes to business. Savings in the criminal justice system attract many conservatives while liberals bemoan the racially discriminatory impact of marijuana arrests and prosecutions, said Demleitner. Abbott signals support Recent comments from Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who has opposed marijuana reform, could prove to be a game changer in Texas Abbott said that he would support decriminalization by reducing the possession of less than two ounces from a B to C misdemeanor, with no jail time. Requests for comments from Abbott were not returned. With the 86th Texas legislature set to meet in January, already a dozen bills have been introduced dealing with decriminalization as well as legalization of medical and recreational marijuana use. RELATED: New bills filed for marijuana decriminalization in Texas All of this momentum foreshadows the global transformation from a fear-based prohibition into a global cannabis industry fueled by facts, market data, medical research, customer-patient experiences, and intelligent and evolving legislative solutions, said Bodamer, who teaches a class called Cannabizz at Ohio State. And although the federal government continues to abide by a full criminalization of marijuana, Demleitner notes that the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions could mean a change in marijuana enforcement policies. For the Lone Star state, Demleitner has a prediction about the sandwich effect. All in all, Texans of all stripes may be closer than ever to move toward legalization, especially as everyone around them is going along with this major change, she said. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter.com/oliviaptallet From a distance, Falcon Ridge Elementary looks like a beautiful school. Dark metallic shingles line parts of the second story and handcrafted stonework covers part of the entrance. Visitors wind their way around a large pond and through thick patches of trees to get to the brick building. On the inside, however, cracks have begun to appear. Literally. Ceiling tiles have sagged above students heads. One child fell into a hole on the second floor that had been patched over with a thin layer of concrete and insulation wrapped in a plastic tarp. Another was nearly struck by seven solid-maple planks that tumbled 40-feet from near the ceiling into the buildings commons. Cracks and gaps have formed in the gymnasiums wooden floor, and a sneeze guard in the cafeteria is said to have begun shedding shards of glass into the food below. The school is now the focal point of a multi-million dollar lawsuit and increasingly contentious claims between a construction management firm, a bond program manager and the 3,500-student Huffman ISD. Officials with Paradigm Construction LLC say the school district stopped paying the company after June, even though it took until August to substantially complete the school following delays spurred by Hurricane Harveys deluge and alleged interference from a firm selected to manage Huffman ISDs bond program. They claim that as they worked seven days a week to get the building ready for the first day of school, Huffmans bond manager inserted new subcontractors into the project who tinkered with already finished features and made it difficult for Paradigms unpaid subcontractors to finish their work. Huffman ISD and Bond Program Management Services, in turn, say their contract allowed them to stop payments to Paradigm after it became apparent the construction would not be finished by the originally agreed upon substantial completion date of July 19, and that the work was non-conforming and did not meet standards. BPMS officials say Paradigm, architectural firm Huckabee & Associates and subcontractors did little to address issues, producing a building so riddled with problems it has led to a students injury. Teachers had to help assemble furniture and vacuum construction debris hours before they welcomed students to the school for an open house, and the district had to pay $3,000 a day for two weeks to bring in catered lunches because the schools kitchen was inoperable. Caught in the middle of the legal battle and escalating war of words are 748 students and dozens of teachers trying to make do with doors that do not close and classrooms with incomplete walls, as well as subcontractors who dont know when, or if, they will be paid for work they did, putting some in jeopardy of going out of business. Courtney Lively, who teaches physical education at Falcon Ridge, said she finds new issues with the building daily. The bathrooms attached to the gym only became operational on Dec. 13, and those rooms still lack tile flooring. The kids dont know all the problems, but the teachers are stressed trying to keep it all together, she said. A contract without a company Falcon Ridge Elementary was paid for through a $44.1 million bond issue approved by 66 percent of Huffman ISDs voters in May 2016. More than $29 million of that was budgeted for the new elementary school. A couple of weeks later, Tom Trials phone rang. The Montgomery County resident was fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, enjoying retirement after leaving his job as co-director of Huckabee & Associates Houston office. From Huffman, district officials told him they were impressed with his and Huckabees work on other school projects and asked if he would take a job overseeing projects associated with the bond. Trial said he had little interest joining the district as an employee but accepted an offer to work as a third-party contractor. He got together with two former colleagues, including the Huckabee architect who had already designed Huffman ISDs new elementary school, and his 26-year-old son Cameron to do the job. Huffman ISDs Board of Trustees voted unanimously, with one trustee absent, to hire Trials new Bond Program Management Services on Aug. 1, 2016, and Superintendent Benny Soileau signed a contract with Trial on Aug. 15. The contract stipulated BPMS be paid a $150,000 the day the contract was signed, between 1.5 percent and 2 percent of the bonds $44.1 million value and hourly wages ranging from $60 to $250 for BPMS employees. However, records filed with Texas Secretary of State show BPMS was not registered as a business until Nov. 15, 2016, three months after the superintendent signed a contract and the district began paying the firm. The district and its attorneys first learned of the late registration when questioned by a Chronicle reporter earlier this month. Trial said that was the result re-registering the business as a LLC on the advice of his accountant. Its not that we were trying to do anything funny there, Trial said. Dustin Hall, president of the Paradigm Construction, said the mistake is symptomatic of broader problems with Huffman ISD and BPMS that stymied the schools creation. How did these guys get selected to manage a $44 million bond program with no prior program-management experience, with a company that didnt even exist at the time the $1 million contract was awarded to them with a $150,000 down payment? Hall asked. How does that happen? In a statement, Huffman ISD spokeswoman Shirley Dupree said BPMS selection was based on Trials work with the districts architect on previous construction projects. The district had gained confidence in Mr. Trials expertise and effectiveness and believed his past success would translate well on future projects managed by his company, Dupree wrote. Delays and disruptions Falcon Ridge was the biggest project undertaken by Paradigm since it formed in 2013. The firm and is subcontractors have experience building schools, including South Houston Early College High School and Sam Rayburn Early College High in Pasadena ISD, as well as three private parochial schools. Other projects include churches, smaller businesses and Missouri Citys soon-to-be-completed library. Several months after construction on Falcon Ridge began in the summer of 2017, crews were compacting soil and laying rebar to prepare for pouring the schools concrete slab. Then, it rained. Hurricane Harvey poured more than 30 inches of rain in the area just east of Lake Houston, leaving the construction site inaccessible for days and washing away at least seven-days worth of work, according to Hall. Deluges continued intermittently into September, making the area a soggy mess. Hall said crews pushed ahead, but the storm and subsequent rains were not the only thing slowing the projects progress. Current and former Paradigm employees who worked on Falcon Ridge told the Houston Chronicle that Trial would quibble over routine expenses, overrule architects about design decisions, create new projects and take months to approve actions that typically are authorized in days. That normal process was completely disrupted by BPMS, Hall said. We had submittals that would take over 100 days to be processed, submittals that should have taken seven days to be processed. Trial, however, said the source of Paradigms frustration was his pushback on unnecessary expenses, as well as his reminders that the contractor needed to get the projects timeline back on track. Architects and contractors work school districts, and I was there to keep that from happening to Huffman ISD, Trial said. Were there to look after the school district to make sure they get what they paid for. Trial and Hall said their weekly meetings would last hours longer than expected and often were unproductive. Frustrations reached a crescendo on Feb. 23, 2018. In a letter sent to Huffman ISDs school board trustees and Soileau, attorneys representing Huckabee & Associates and Paradigm Construction wrote that Trial screamed at and physically assaulted the lead architect on the job. Employees told Hall that Trial bellowed expletives and insults at the architect and physically threw him out of the office in front of Paradigm and other Huckabee employees. The attorneys asked that Trial be taken off the project. Trial denied the allegations. Huffman ISD officials said they investigated the incident, but found no evidence of wrongdoing, and Trial stayed. It was an effort to try to get us removed from the job because we were making a very detailed inspection of the work that was being performed, Trial said. I think they felt it was more beneficial for us to be gone so they could have more freedom. Missed payments, shoddy work As days ticked closer to the original July 19 substantial completion date for Falcon Ridge Elementary, it became apparent to Paradigm and BPMS that it would take longer to finish the building. Hall said Paradigm asked Huffman ISD for a seven-day timeline extension citing Hurricane Harvey, which the district denied, saying the request was made later than stipulated by the contract. At the end of June, Paradigm officials said the district stopped paying the company for its work, leaving it unable to pay its subcontractors. Hall said he sent email after email to the district and BPMS about payment, but that his firm never saw another check. Our crews were working around the clock, seven days a week trying to get the facility ready and not being paid for it, Hall said. Some subcontractors stopped showing up for work. An elevator company threatened to shut down the elevators until Hall paid them out of his own pocket. The fire alarm company refused to come out to site to finish its work, which would have caused the campus to fail its inspections. The district and BPMS eventually paid the fire alarm company but no other subcontractors. Others, including Carol MacNeil, stayed and worked. The last payment her company, Genesis Cabling Solutions, received in June was 40 percent less than expected, but she hoped the district would make it up in its next payment. Even though another check did not materialize, she and her husband worked nights and weekends for about eight more weeks making sure fiber optic cables were connected properly, wireless internet was working and the infrastructure for the schools communications systems was ready. In all, she said her company lost $90,000 on the project. It also marked the first time a client refused to pay for services. Now, MacNeil said, she has taken out loans and is trying double her credit line to keep the business going. They can literally put some of these businesses out of business if they dont pay us, MacNeil said. If you have an issue with one subcontractor, deal with that one. Why are you holding everyones money and trying to create problems? Paradigm sued Huffman ISD in September, saying its subcontractors are owed more than $4.9 million for work they completed. That does not include nearly $1 million the company says it is owed for delays caused by the district. In all, Hall said the district failed to pay for about 25 percent of the school. Trial and district officials say they were within their contractual rights to stop payment when it appeared the project would not be finished on time and that some of the work looked as if it would need to be redone. The case is on hold in the courts while Paradigm and Huffman ISD await mediation scheduled for February. Huffman ISD officials say they are investigating their own claims against Paradigm and is not involved with any agreements between the construction firm and its subcontractors. "The district believes that if the work had been performed on time and in a non-defective manner, the district would not have been forced to withhold payments," the district said in a statement. "The district has a responsibility to ensure this taxpayer-funded construction project is finished correctly." In December, Paradigm also filed a lawsuit against BPMS and Trial, alleging Trial and his firm made false statements about Paradigms work to Huffman ISD and caused delays to the project. Trial denies those allegations. As Paradigms subcontractors went unpaid, and the project seemed to get further behind, Trial said he brought in reinforcements to finish the school by the time students were scheduled to arrive on Aug. 27. Trial said the school would not have opened if he did not bring in the additional workers, but Hall said the new subcontractors created new problems. For example, he said, the new crews did not communicate with subcontractors who started the work, leaving them unaware of specifics needed to complete projects. Scopes of work that were almost finished were being done by other crews, and work that was already finished was being altered by other crews, Hall said. It was a nightmare. Trial, however, blamed the problems on Paradigm and its subcontractors. Wood for the gyms floors, for example, was stored in a large room with no air-conditioning and swelled in the damp environment weeks before Trial brought in other workers. Now that the wood has been installed in a climate-controlled building, the planks have begun to shrink, creating cracks and gaps. Hall said the floor was designed to have some gaps between planks for a cushion installed underneath, and that his firm got a letter from the floor manufacturer saying it was fine to store them in the space. Still, the delayed timeline caused a situation in which multiple projects needed to be finished all at once. That inevitably creates problems, Trial said. Those problems presented themselves as soon as students stepped foot on campus, including an instance, Trial said, when a small child slipped through a gap in the railing surrounding a second-story outdoor learning area and stood, unprotected, on a concrete ledge. In another incident, a student touring the schools second story stepped on a poorly patched piece of flooring, which gave way as the students leg fell through the floor. Trial said someone had filled a mistakenly drilled hole in the floor with insulation and broken bits of concrete, held together with piece of plastic tarp and covered with a patch of spare carpeting. Trial blamed the incidents on Paradigm and its subcontractors. Hall said if Paradigms subcontractors been paid through the summer, and had the district given the firm an opportunity to fix the alleged problems, the building would have been ready and in much better shape by the time school started. Meanwhile, Falcon Ridges students and teachers are stuck. Lively, the physical education teacher, recently stood in the schools gymnasium and pointed to a row of four-foot-tall toy volleyball nets that stood between the gym and the cafeteria. The plastic and mesh are the only barriers between the two spaces because a moveable wall meant to separate the two was not installed properly and cannot be closed. In a few minutes, Ill have 60 kids in here and will have to compete with the sound of a cafeteria. Weve had balls fly over there, Lively said. But we cant put teaching on hold to fix things. shelby.webb@chron.com twitter.com/shelbywebb Houston and Harris County are each about to receive more than $1 billion in federal housing aid, the first dollars to arrive after Hurricane Harvey that will, in many cases, help ensure storm victims make a full recovery. That is a status, 16 months after the flood waters receded, that countless Houstonians have yet to achieve, in part because the repair programs implemented thus far funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and run by the Texas General Land Office helped almost no one or funded few lasting repairs. Aid meant to quickly help survivors shelter in their own homes funding up to $20,000 for a sink, a toilet, some countertop reached 8,200 homes in the city and county, but the work was uneven. Residents cited nails sticking up through floors, drywall covering electrical outlets, wobbly toilets and doors that did not latch, among myriad other concerns. FOR SUBSCRIBERS: A closer look at Houston's biblical floods Those repairs were intended to be temporary anyway, and the program included, at most, limited mold treatments. Charities helping low-income families say they repeatedly have been forced to tear out moldy cabinets and drywall installed through the program, known as PREPS (Partial Repair and Essential Power for Sheltering), and start from scratch. You go into a house and mold is everywhere, said Allison Hay, executive director of Houston Habitat for Humanity, one of many local nonprofits engaged in repair work. So, we have to rip out all that money, we have to remediate, and the homeowners are frustrated because they go backwards. Thats our tax dollars that we threw away. A similar quick-fix effort implemented after Baton Rouge flooded in 2016 was similarly panned: There, too, homeowners said the $15,000 in temporary repairs were a waste of money, too meager to let them leave FEMA-funded hotel rooms or apartments to move home. After Harvey, Texas officials said they would set clearer expectations about PREPS scope of work, and stressed that they also had launched a more extensive option that would fund up to $60,000 per home for more lasting repairs. That program, known as DALHR (Direct Assistance for Limited Home Repair), often produced better results, but it wound up benefiting just 525 families in the entire state, fewer than half of them in Houston. About 440 homes, meanwhile, have received comparable repairs from the regions main Harvey relief fund, which is administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation; even more got minor fixes. Local charities will have repaired more than 2,500 homes by the end of 2019, the foundation estimates. Chrishelle Palay, executive director of the Houston Organizing Movement for Equality, or HOME, Coalition, said it is worth celebrating the work of nonprofits and neighborhood advocates, all the more so because the absence of government aid too often has made these groups the only helpers available. HARVEY: Response review finds plenty of room for improvement FEMAs system is not designed to serve those who need it most. It is better suited for folks that can navigate a very complicated system, Palay said. After you do cross the hurdles and are able to get the golden ticket to get some assistance, youre met with another set of challenges of looking at how much assistance youre going to get and if its really going to help you in the long run. FEMA spokeswoman Lauren Hersh said the PREPS and DALHR programs were intended as a last resort, and said focusing on them alone overlooks the broader $1.2 billion in housing aid FEMA distributed to 172,600 Harvey victims. Thats an average of $7,137 per household. Houston expects to use just 4 percent of the $424 million initially set aside as the high estimate for what it might spend helping distribute FEMAs direct temporary housing assistance a label that covered DALHR as well as programs that gave trailers or apartments to about 100 Houston families. To use those funds, the city and state were dependent on referrals from FEMA. Though Harveys magnitude led state and federal officials to forge an atypical partnership that gave the GLO a key role in administering the first phase of the recovery, FEMA alone determined eligibility for its programs. State and city officials said they had no idea how FEMA routed aid recipients to specific programs; city housing Director Tom McCasland called it a black box. Most troubling to McCasland was that FEMA appeared to be sending families to the $20,000 program even when they appeared to qualify for the $60,000 one. City staff sent hundreds of families files to state and federal officials for a second look in hopes of moving them into the more robust program, McCasland said, with some success. Then, he said, FEMA shut that down. It is a way of getting people to a full recovery as opposed to camping in their house the difference for the families is significant, McCasland said. This was a huge wasted opportunity. It didnt even begin to touch the need out there. Hersh, the FEMA spokewsoman, said she was not familiar with the conversations McCasland described and declined to discuss FEMAs eligibility process, deferring to brochures summarizing the repair programs. In short, homeowners were eligible for PREPS if a FEMA inspector estimated their storm damage was less than $17,000 and were eligible for DALHR if the estimate was higher than that, though repairs in the latter effort could not exceed 50 percent of the homes value before the storm. That blocked many families in struggling neighborhoods with low property values. Many homes also suffered too much damage to be effectively patched, and must await the coming Department of Housing and Urban Development funds, which can cover complete reconstructions. Of the $1.17 billion in HUD funds headed to Houston, the city plans to use $385 million to help homeowners repair or rebuild, $200 million to build new homes and $315 million to repair or build new apartments, along with targeting funds to small rental properties, social programs, down payment subsidies and other initiatives. Ann Weston is curious about those HUD funds. The northeast Houston residents home, like those of so many of her flooded neighbors in Lakewood Park, remains in a state of disarray. Weston used her $13,000 in FEMA cash aid to have a contractor remove the mold, redo her floors and replace most of the sheetrock and windows, which had warped. Her contractor said he needed more to finish the house, but Weston could not pay it; she supports herself, two adult children and a grandchild on $1,100 in monthly disability payments. When she asked FEMA for more aid to finish the repairs, they sent a PREPS team. The workers patched her roof and installed a new bathtub, sink, toilet, a kitchen sink, cabinets and some countertop. When members of the nonprofit West Street Recovery arrived to do finishing work, however, they spotted the hallmarks of PREPS and knew to check for mold. Now, moldy cabinets and piles of drywall sit in Westons backyard and her kitchen again is a construction zone. It has to go to the dump now, Weston said. They could have just given me the money, whatever they gave PREPS, and the same contractor that did the rest of my house, I could have had him finish. GLO spokeswoman Brittany Eck said Weston should have called her contractor to address the mold issues under the program warranty, and also could have called the GLOs PREPS hotline. More broadly, Eck said, it was a challenge to manage recipients expectations about what the program could do. She noted that after previous disasters, residents with less than $17,000 in damage received only cash, with no help from contractors. Its simply a sheltering program to get you back in your house so you can continue working on a full recovery, Eck said. Even the $60,000 repair program did not always move families within striking distance of a full recovery. Victor and Mary Khoury live in Fleetwood, an affluent neighborhood along Buffalo Bayou a short walk from the Barker Reservoir flood gate. When the dams opened, their home was one of hundreds that went underwater for weeks. Victor Khoury flew home from a consulting job in the United Arab Emirates before Harvey hit, and the damage was too severe for him to go back. He is now unemployed. The couple used $30,000 in FEMA aid to remove the mold and prepare the upstairs as a living space. DALHR workers then installed kitchen cabinets, two half-showers, three toilets, two air conditioning units and some doors and redid the floors in three rooms. However, one of the exterior doors leaks, the kitchen cabinets are crooked and Victor Khoury said the upstairs AC unit malfunctions. The contractor allocated money to cover unanticipated electrical work without asking the couple, Khoury said, so a charity installed their kitchen countertop. The first floor remains unlivable. This is ridiculous, he said, gesturing at his cattywampus kitchen cabinets. Excuse my language, but its highway robbery, period. Houston housing officials, who oversaw 185 of the 228 homes that went through the DALHR program inside city limits, said they could not comment on any case without the homeowners written consent. That another Christmas will pass without their house feeling like home is painful for Mary Khoury, who for years has taken great pride in an elaborate holiday village she builds across their living room. She feels the monster her term for Harvey has imprisoned her on her couch. I used to do the village and people would come and see it. I did everything so beautiful, she said, shaking her head. I need a miracle downstairs. Though Houston officials had hoped to serve five times as many families through the DALHR program, they struggled to complete the 185 homes they did oversee. State data show it took 152 days, on average, between the city receiving a FEMA work order for a DALHR home and scheduling a final inspection; the GLOs comparable metric was 63 days. City officials said their average construction period on each house was 91 days, and pointed to early delays in getting contracts through city council to launch the program. Late notice from FEMA that many homes had received insurance payouts and were ineligible to participate also delayed work, McCasland said. The city inspected and prepared repair estimates for 334 homes, but wound up serving roughly half that many. Still, McCasland acknowledged the city tripped over its own feet, and said internal discussions about ways to limit bureaucracy in administering the coming $1.17 billion in aid have been positive. McCasland and Deputy City Controller Alex Obregon said the decision to include homeowners in the contracts for DALHR repairs was unusual, for instance, and required many additional layers of review. They said a simpler structure likely will be used for the next round of repair contracts. Homeowners in the DALHR program also spoke of inexperienced city inspectors forcing them to rip out newly installed ceilings to allow new wiring to be reviewed, only to have more seasoned inspectors say that was unnecessary in signing off on the work days later. The city plans to add inspectors focused solely on housing, McCasland said. Some of this is on us in terms of getting our processes smoother, McCasland said. Those are the meetings were having right now as we prepare for the big money to come in. mike.morris@chron.com twitter.com/mmorris011 Mrs. Mohammed and her new husband were attacked three times when they rushed to Baghdad from Tikrit, Iraq in 2014 once with a bomb and twice with gunfire. They decided to move to Tikrit after they got married earlier that year, but just as they settled into their new home, ISIS took over the small city along the Tigris River, north of Iraqs capital. We left everything behind just took whatever papers we needed, turned on the car and left, Mohammed, who asked the Houston Chronicle not to release her first name for safety concerns, recalled while sitting in her Houston apartment. Once they arrived in their hometown, the newlyweds decided it was time to leave. As a former civil engineer on a U.S. military project, Mohammed, 36, qualified for and eventually received a special immigrant visa (SIV), designated for people who worked with the U.S. military in war zones, most commonly as interpreters. Most SIVs today are granted to Afghans, with a few still being granted to Iraqis. There are tens of thousands of people, like Mohammed, who work with the U.S. military during wars in their home countries, putting their lives and their familys lives in grave danger and forcing them to sometimes need to flee as a result. But the numbers of special immigrant visa granted have been slashed in half nationwide between fiscal years 2017 and 2018 a drop advocates say is an affront to the service those who qualify have provided to the U.S. Despite SIVs loyalty and sacrifice, their ability to find safety in the U.S. has been hindered by an increasingly back-logged and arduous visa application process. Many of these people have served shoulder-to-shoulder literally in the trenches with U.S. soldiers, said Betsy Fisher, policy director at The International Refugee Assistance Project. Theyre a group of people who not just stand to contribute, but who have already sacrificed for the U.S. SIV arrivals across the nation fluctuated throughout 2017, with the biggest drop going from roughly 2,000 in November to 1,000 in December. In December of this year, just 583 SIV holders entered the country. In Texas, the number of Afghan SIV arrivals dropped by 800 between fiscal years 2017 and 2018. And while 16,000 SIVs were granted to Afghans in fiscal year 2017 out of roughly 19,700 applications, only 7,200 were granted in fiscal year 2018.(The number of applications has not been published yet.) This is yet another instance of lower numbers of refugees and immigrants to the U.S. in the Trump era. When Trump took office in 2017, he slashed the ceiling of refugees allowed from 110,000 during Obamas final year in office to 50,000. The cap dropped to 45,000 for fiscal year 2018 but only 22,491 refugees arrived, with about 1,500 coming to Texas, according to the State Department. The administration proposed a 30,000 ceiling for fiscal year 2019, which is expected to lower the number of refugee arrivals even more. In June, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote an unprecedented order to disqualify those fleeing domestic and gang-based violence for asylum in the U.S., a ruling lawyers say violates asylum law. In August, the number of families arrested for crossing the southern border illegally jumped 38 percent. And in October, Trump vowed to sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants in the United States illegally, even though most analysts say it would violate the Constitution and immediately be tied up in lawsuits that likely would ultimately fail. Saving missions and lives The only reason Matt Zeller is here today, he says, is because of Janis Shinwari, the Afghan interpreter he worked with while serving as a first lieutenant in the Afghanistan War. While exchanging crossfire with Taliban fighters one day in April 2008, two men took aim at Zeller. Shinwari then pushed the U.S. soldiers to the ground and shot at the two Taliban fighters trying to kill him. I owe him a life debt, said Zeller, who went on to found a nonprofit organization to help SIVs resettle in the U.S. called No One Left Behind. But Shinwaris service nearly cost him his life the Taliban started hunting down Shinwari and his family and had put bounties on their heads. So Zeller sponsored Shinwari for an SIV in 2009, the year the program started. Four years later, Shinwari and his family made it to the U.S. safely. This has been a very public promise that has been made to these people for a decade, Zeller said. If we fail to keep this promise, theyre going to be murdered by the people we asked them to help us fight against. Those who qualify for SIVs are not only literal lifesavers, like Shinwari, but also help U.S. missions to be more productive. Benjamin Baran, a professor at Cleveland State University and commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, said Afghan interpreters were indispensable to our mission there and getting stuff done when he was adviser to the Afghan National Police in 2013. It wasnt just about the linguistic knowledge, Baran said, but also the cultural knowledge and local connections the made the difference. And having a local in the roles the military is attempting to fill, as opposed to deploying an active U.S. military member, is more cost efficient, according to Fisher. While deploying a U.S. military member would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, SIVs are being paid hundreds of dollars a month maybe, she said. Killing the program Mohammed and her husband started preparing all their documents for the visa application: verification that she worked with the U.S. military for at least one, original and translated copies of birth certificates, passports and marriage licenses, a statement on the threats she faces because of her involvement with the U.S. and a letter of recommendation from a U.S. military member she worked with. Mohammed and her husband received their visas in January 2017, after a two-year wait. Thats well more than the nine months that the application process is supposed to occur in, according to a 2013 Congressional amendment to the SIV programs. The International Refugee Assistance Project filed a lawsuit against the federal government in 2015 and again in June of this year for its continuously dragged out application process, arguing that its putting the lives of SIVs in danger. There are more than 17,000 Afghans in the pipeline, according to a statistic published in The Atlantic in July. While we have always seen delays in access of statutes, the timelines have certainly gotten longer under the current administration, Fisher said. The extended timelines can be partially faulted to stricter requirements. Last year, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sent out a notice to U.S. embassies around the world to tighten their screening for visa applications. Tillerson wrote that applicants must provide prior passport numbers, phone numbers over the past five years, and travel history, home addresses and jobs held over the last 15 years. Many Afghans cant even read or write, they dont have contracts that prove they rented a house in Kabul 15 years ago, Zeller said. This is purposely designed to prevent people from effectively making it through the program. The ramifications in process are there isnt really an SIV program anymore. Mohammed ended up leaving for the U.S. in June 2017 she and her husband decided to wait and see how Trumps travel on Muslim-majority countries would play out. But days before their planned trip, her father-in-law had a heart attack. Mohammeds husband stayed behind to take care of his father, and urged his wife to go before the end of their six-month deadline to move to the U.S. He would have to go through the application process all over again and Mohammed hasnt seen him in the year and a half since. For many SIVs, though, making it to the U.S. is just the first of many struggles. Paying it forward Tears started rolling down Mohammeds cheeks as soon as the pilot said, Welcome to Houston. As the plane tires neared the tarmac in June 2017, Mohammed experienced an out-of-body feeling, as if her life were a movie. I was looking at Houston from the sky and wondering, Whats waiting for me? she recalled. What challenges will I have? The biggest challenge she ended up facing, like many other SIVs, was finding a job. Mohammed was a talented engineer, with 12 years of experience under her belt at the time. But she struggled with the American job application process particularly resumes and cover letters. I know Im qualified, but how am I going to show these people? She wondered to herself while scrolling through job listings. I have to tell them through paper, encourage them to pick up the phone and talk to me. She got a survival job as a floor helper at Banana Republic earning about $9 an hour as she continued her attempts to land her dream job, but her phone didnt ring. Then she was introduced to Upwardly Global a nonprofit organization that works with mainly under- or unemployed immigrants and refugees to connect them to the workforce. We find that a lot of SIVs have skills, but employers dont recognize them, CEO Jina Krause-Vilmar said. Its so hard to value a degree from the University of Baghdad and understand how that compares to somebody with a degree from an American university. So Upwardly Global helps clients translate their skills and credentials, and also trains them on the cultural aspects of job searching in the U.S. such as interviewing, resumes, cover letters, networking. They also work with employers to better understand the backgrounds of these candidates and build bridges. The organization, which provides its services for free, has worked with 173 SIVs so far and thousands of other skilled immigrants and refugees. Krause-Vilmar said that on average, the SIVs were earning a $9,000 annual salary when they started with Upwardly Global, and ended up getting placed into jobs with an average $50,000 annual salary. This is a population that can and is meeting expectations for jobs in high demand, so theyre not taking jobs away from anybody, Krause-Vilmar said. Were just creating a platform for them to compete. She added that SIVs, and other skilled immigrants and refugees, are not only essential to the U.S. economy by filling needed jobs, but also by paying taxes, becoming consumers, so they really are paying it forward to the economy. The 915 people Upwardly Global served across the nation last year generated about $42 million in tax and consumer spending, she said. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agrees, finding that refugees brought in $63 billion more revenue to federal, state and local governments than they cost between 2005 and 2014. In another study, the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Migration Policy Institute found that refugee men were more likely to work than U.S.-born men, and refugee women were just as likely to work as their U.S.-born counterparts. And in Texas in 2015, refugee spending power totaled to more than $17 billion, according to New American Economy. These people are work-authorized. They come here legally through the SIV program because they have sacrificed for the U.S. military, at great risk to themselves and their families, Krause-Vilmar said. Our response is once they come here, they face barriers to being able to access the work force and integrate. Those barriers need to be addressed. Meanwhile, Mohammed secured a job as a field inspector for the Texas Department of Transportation after months of training with Upwardly Global, where her annual salary is nearly $40,000. She lets out a dreamy sigh and her face beams when she talks about her new career. Construction is my passion, she said. massarah.mikati@chron.com Ever wonder what members of Congress get for Christmas? I hope that Luis Gutierrez got a new set of manners. Because, based on how he conducted himself at a hearing a few days before the holiday, he doesnt have any. The Democratic representative from Chicago played Scrooge during a grilling of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen over the administrations treatment of refugees. For what its worth, as a Mexican-American, Im usually more in sync with Gutierrez than Nielsen. About a decade ago, I applauded when the congressman got arrested outside the White House protesting President Obamas deportation juggernaut and then toured immigrant communities devastated by the administrations enforcement policies. And Im aghast that Nielsen whos had a rocky relationship with President Trump responded to the recent and tragic deaths of young children in Border Patrol custody by coldly citing the consequences of parents taking their kids across the U.S.-Mexico border. But this isnt about politics. Its about politeness. And, as a journalist, its my job to call Gutierrez on the carpet for what was really a disgraceful performance. At best, these kinds of exchanges between political leaders should make you think. This one will make you wince. Gutierrez began a six-minute screed by saying that Nielsen had come before the House Judiciary Committee to appear tough and remorseless just in time for Christmas. He then referenced her shaky tenure at the Homeland Security Department and snarked that she might not have a job in a few weeks. Then he catapulted into a wider attack on the administration, which he claimed had set a new standard for lying to the American people about immigration. That was saying something given how deceitful the Obama administration was on the subject. Like when Obama claimed that most of the people being deported were gangbangers and other criminals, only to be proven wrong. Gutierrez wrapped up his verbal assault on Nielsen with a visit to Crazytown, claiming that a Trump-like border wall would have kept the baby Jesus from seeking refuge in Egypt. About the only thing of value that Gutierrez had to offer was when he called out Nielsen for lying when she claimed, in a tweet, that her department did not have a policy of separating families. Of course, various members of the administration including Nielsen herself have defended the same policy she claimed didnt exist. By the time Nielsen got to defend herself, she had a lot to defend. The homeland security secretary insisted that calling her a liar amounted to fighting words and she reiterated the ludicrous claim that the administration does not have a policy of family separation. Not to get too Clintonesque, but it turns out that the whole argument hinges on the definition of the word policy. Nielsen seemed to be saying that, while it may be the practice to separate some families, it is not a full-blown policy. Thats because the practice is not uniformly applied to every single immigrant family that the Homeland Security Department comes into contact with whether at the border or within the interior. So are we to believe that the fact that the administration discriminates against families from Central America puts it in the clear? Within seconds of Nielsens hair-splitting, Gutierrez apparently decided that he had heard enough. And thats when he crossed the line. He scoffed, turned away and walked out of the committee room. That is as rude as it gets. Nielsen had listened politely as he insulted her time and again, but he couldnt show her the same courtesy. We tell our children that they should never behave like this, and that they should respect even those people they disagree with. But that sermon would really benefit our elected officials, who are often so full of themselves that there is no room for them to take in another point of view. Besides, Gutierrez has a special responsibility to conduct himself in a dignified manner. As one of the relatively few members of Congress who are Latino, Gutierrez is supposed to represent me and people like me. And by letting his ego get the better of him, he let us all down. Consider the times. Latinos are treated as inferior, discriminated against and accused of ruining the country we love. For Americas largest minority, these are hard days. We dont need those who are supposed to have our back to make them any harder. Navarrettes email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. (c) 2018, The Washington Post Writers Group As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Fifty years is a long time - especially in the world of rock and roll. But five decades after a group of performers gathered at a New York farm and changed forever the course of popular culture, organisers are planning a re-run of sorts. The Bethel Woods Centre for the Arts, a charitable group that owns the land on which the original Woodstock festival was held in August 1969, featuring the likes of Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix, said it was planning a pan-generational event to take place over the same dates and in the same fields 100 miles northwest of New York City, where the fun was had all those years ago. Fifty years ago, people gathered peacefully on our site inspired to change the world through music, Darlene Fedun, chief executive of the Bethel Woods Centre, said in a statement. We remain committed to preserving this rich history and spirit, and to educating and inspiring new generations to contribute positively to the world through music, culture, and community. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The organisation said it would announce the line-up for the event, to be held August 16-18 2019, on 37 acres of land that was once a farm, at a later date. While many of the original musicians who performed before a crowd of up to 400,000 are dead, surviving musicians who are still performing in their 70s include Joan Baez, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, and David Crosby, Neil Young, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Reuters said. (Getty (Getty) It said the planned 50th anniversary, which - like the original - is due to be held in Bethel, a good 70 miles south of the village of Woodstock, is not affiliated with Michael Lang, a promoter of the 1969 festival, who has also spoken of plans to organise a 50th anniversary event. He has yet to make any formal announcement. Next years planned event will feature live performances from prominent and emerging artists across multiple genres and decades, as well as talks from leading futurists and tech experts, the organisers said. The festival is a joint venture with concert promoters Live Nation. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Syracuse.com said that among the artists rumoured to have been approached to perform next year, were Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Phish, Elton John, Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Anniversary festivals were also held in 1994, 1998 and 1999. The original event was billed as An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music - an astrological reference. Festival goers will also be able to visit the Museum at Bethel Woods, which tells the story of the 1960s through immersive media, interactive engagements, and artifacts from the 1969 festival, said the organisers of the 2019 version. They will also have a chance to experience a special exhibit - We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for an Aquarian Future. Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $575 million to settle lawsuits stemming from an investigation across the US into allegations that bankers opened fake accounts without customer knowledge and engaged in other questionable business practices. The agreement stipulates that the bank must create teams that will review and respond to customer complaints about Wells Fargo sales and banking practices. The settlement, reached with consultation from the attorneys general from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, was announced on Friday. The bank has been under scrutiny since 2015, when it admitted that employees had opened millions of fake accounts without customer knowledge in order to meet sales goals, and also sold auto insurance and financial products to people who did not need those products. Since then, the company has already been forced to pay more than $1.2 billion in penalties, and also is under stricter regulations governing its practices. This agreement underscores our serious commitment to making things right in regard to past issues as we work to build a better bank, Tim Sloan, the CEO of Wells Fargo, said. Mr Sloan had previously apologized for the fake accounts scandal during a Congressional hearing in 2017. The settlement money will be distributed around the country, with California where the bank is headquartered receiving a quarter of the funds. The attorney general of that state, Xavier Becerra, admonished the companys behaviour as disgraeful in a statement. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Wells Fargo customers entrusted their bank with their livelihood, their dreams, and their savings for the future, Mr Becerra said. He continued: Instead of safeguarding its customers, Wells Fargo exploited them, signing them up for products - from bank accounts to insurance - that they never wanted. This is an incredible breach of trust that threatens not only the customers who depended on Wells Fargo, but confidence in our banking system. The Associated Press contributed to this report New Years Eve drinkers are being warned to avoid potentially fatal counterfeit vodka likely to be available at a cut price during the night of celebrations. Multiple batches of the fake spirit have been seized from home sellers, shops and pubs across the country in recent weeks, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). Inspections of bottles confiscated in raids found some contained industrial levels of alcohol capable of causing vomiting, permanent blindness, kidney and liver problems and, in extreme cases, death. Morris Bright, vice chairman of the LGAs safer and stronger communities board, accused rogue traders of playing roulette with the health of consumers, warning councils would prosecute those found selling the counterfeit products. We want people to enjoy their New Years Eve celebrations, but anyone buying alcohol needs to look out for signs it could be fake because it could leave them seriously ill and, in extreme cases, cost them their life, he said. People are advised to only buy alcohol from reputable outlets and be wary of any items being sold at suspiciously cheap prices, as they could be counterfeit. Anyone selling illegal alcohol should think twice about stocking these dangerous drinks as we will always seek to prosecute irresponsible traders and encourage the public to report any suspicious business activities. Counterfeit alcohol is not only a serious danger to health, it harms legitimate traders and threatens livelihoods, with the counterfeit market funding organised criminal gangs. Some of the fake vodkas discovered on sale in the UK by council trading standards officers in recent weeks were identifiable due to their unfamiliar names, while others were counterfeits of well-known brands. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The LGA advised shoppers to watch out for crooked labels, spelling mistakes, different fill levels, sediment in bottles or too good to be true prices when trying to identify fakes. Those planning to ring in the new year at parties in pubs and nightclubs have also been warned to steer clear of spirits if they smell similar to nail varnish. Alcohol fraud is reported to cost the UK around 1bn a year in tax avoidance and retailers caught selling counterfeit drinks can face a fine of up to 5,000 and a prison sentence of up to 10 years. New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Chinese people celebrate the New Year in Beijing Getty Images New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Fireworks illuminate the city's skyline during New Year's Eve celebrations of 2018 in Indonesia Getty Images AsiaPac New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures This illustration taken with a long time exposure and with zoom effect on in Budapest, Hungary, shows the year "2018", painted with a flashlight in front of a Christmas tree AFP/Getty Images New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Fireworks explode over Victoria harbour during New Year celebrations in Hong Kong AFP/Getty New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures People perform a fire dragon dance in a shower of molten iron sparkling like fireworks to welcome the new year in Taierzhuang ancient town in Zaozhuang, east China's Shandong Province Rex Features New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures People wait for the New Year in downtown Shanghai Rex New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures People release balloons as they take part in a New Year countdown event in celebrations to ring in 2018 in Tokyo REUTERS New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour during New Year's Eve celebrations EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Children wear "2018" glasses as they wait for the New Year fireworks in Hong Kong Reuters New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures A picture taken with a fish-eye lens shows a fireworks over the world's fifth 123-storey Lotte World Tower during the New Year celebrations in Seoul, South Korea EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures A couple takes part in a mass wedding organised by the city government as part of New Year's Eve celebrations in Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures An Indian youngster celebrates and welcomes the New Year in Bhopal EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Some of the thousands of performers parade through the streets as part of the annual Joburg Carnival, in South Africa. EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures A handmade puppet is seen along a highway, ready to be burned at midnight on December 31 as a way of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new in San Juan, Nicaragua Reuters New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures People watch fireworks in the rain at the Marina Bay ahead of the New Year in Singapore REUTERS New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Palestinians dressed as Santa Claus ride a red car to welcome the new year, in the streets of Gaza City New Year celebrations Rex Features New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures The Torchlight Procession which marks the opening of New Year celebrations, makes its way through Edinburgh. Torchbearers blazed through the city accompanied by a cast of pipers and drummers with the procession starting at St Giles cathedral and making its way down the Royal Mile towards Holyrood Park, passing Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyrood House. PA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Swimmers bath in the 5 degrees cold Moossee (Lake Moos) near Moosseedorf, Switzerland. Several dozens people gathered for the annual swimming on New Year's Eve. EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Fireworks from Salisbury Crags at Edinburgh's Hogmanay The Corner Shop/PA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Indian girls welcome the new year in Amritsar EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Over 5 minutes of fireworks from the Sky Tower welcomes in the new year in Auckland, New Zealand Getty New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Up Helly Aa vikings from the Shetland Islands hold axes and lit torches during the annual torchlight procession to mark the start of Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh REUTERS New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Balinese take part in a cultural parade during a festival to mark the New Year in Denpasar on Bali island AFP/Getty Images New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Fireworks light up the sky from building rooftops along the Yarra River in Melbourne AFP/Getty Images New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Indian girls pose for photographs with lighted candles during celebrations to welcome the new year in Bhopal EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures The Taipei 101 tower displays a dog, the word 'GO' and the Chinese name of a man called Wu Jian-sheng who wishes Taiwan happiness before setting off fireworks to welcome 2018 EPA New Year's Eve celebrations as world welcomes 2018: in pictures Fireworks burst over the skyline during an hourly display leading up to the final countdown for the New Year 2018 celebrations in Singapore AFP/Getty Images Councils across Britain have prosecuted a number of retailers in recent months over the sale of illicit vodka products. In November, workers at a convenience store in Ilford, east London, were fined 2,450 for selling counterfeit bottles of Glens Vodka after customers reported the spirits had a chemical smell and weird taste. A month prior, a couple were fined 3,700 after serving fake spirits to drinkers at their pub in Tweedmouth, Northumberland, including copies of both Glens and Smirnoff vodka. Detectives hunting those responsible for the drone shutdown that caused chaos at Gatwick airport have admitted they are no closer to finding them. Some 150,000 people were left stranded when all planes were grounded for 33 hours at the peak of the Christmas getaway. Giles York, Sussex Police chief constable, said 26 sites had been searched and two damaged drones recovered only for them both to be ruled out of the inquiry. He admitted the force still does not have a picture or footage of the device spotted by 115 witnesses and does not know the make or model. Mr York also apologised to Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, the couple arrested and released without charge after three days amid intense media scrutiny. I dont think we have found the drone responsible, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. But he added: Were getting closer to being able to identify the model. There have been 115 reports of seeing drones in the area. We live in an age where everybody now expects us to be able to produce a high-quality image or video footage of what was going on but that hasnt been available because of the times of flights, sometimes the speed that it was doing. Different people had claimed it was different models, Mr York said. Referring to comments by a police colleague after flights had resumed that there may never have been a drone at all, he said: Im absolutely certain that there was a drone flying through the period that the airport was closed. I spoke to an eyewitness yesterday who was on the roof of the airport, with four other people seeing it, and what they saw was corroborated by two police officers near the runway. Im really sorry for what hes experiencing, the feeling of violation around it Giles York, on the arrest of Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk He said 92 of the 115 reports were from people police had confirmed were credible. Sussex Police launched their own drone to investigate, which could have confused some witnesses as well, Mr York believed. And some of the sightings of drones may have involved the police's own craft, he admitted. During the busiest week of the winter, Gatwick airport was closed for 33 hours. The initial shutdown began at 9pm on Wednesday 19 December and continued to 6am on Friday 21 December. Gatwick has the busiest runway in the world, and around 1,000 flights were cancelled, affecting at least 150,000 passengers. While European air passengers rights rules stipulate a duty of care to stranded travellers, the number of people sleeping on the floor at Gatwick showed that not all airlines were following the regulations. As Sussex Police came under intense scrutiny over their handling of the mystery drone or drones, detectives arrested Mr Gait and Ms Kirk, from Crawley, near Gatwick, although his employer later gave him a solid alibi. Mr York justified the arrests of the couple who had been held without charge by saying: The grounds for an arrest is reasonable suspicion. I absolutely understand where Paul is coming from and how he feels and the way they have been made very public over the weekend in the middle of this. Im convinced that the grounds for the arrest, the lawful suspicion in the first instance, are well founded. When asked to apologise, Mr York said: Im really sorry for what hes experiencing, the feeling of violation around it. I am really sorry for what he went through but the reason we held him was so that we could dispel everything in the first instance. What might have been worse an experience for them would have been to be released under investigation still. Mr York explained the holding of Mr Gait and Ms Kirk for three days by saying taking time allowed Mr Gait the best opportunity to put his life back on the rails. Critics said the apology sounded like an empty one. One Twitter user wrote Sussex Police should be ashamed embarrassed and sued... the police have identified people before things have been investigated. Another said police had been panicked into making arrests, probably under pressure from the Home Office. A third said he was disgusted by police lack of competence. Confirming that military technology had been put in place at Gatwick to prevent further drone disruption, Mr York said: The systems in place today are dramatically different from those in place a week ago. On Monday, security minister Ben Wallace issued a cryptic statement saying drone defence systems could now be used across the UK. He did not clarify whether that meant technology had been installed, and if so where, or whether it meant a deal to install it had been reached, or how widespread. Mr York said it was impossible to rule out a similar case happening in future, but added: Whats at the heart of this is ensuring its safe for aircraft to take off and that is the different position that Gatwick airport finds itself in today and many others will be able to say Yes, its now safe for aircraft to take off again. He was born and raised in east London, and grew up carrying a knife for protection but within a decade Alvin Carpio was rubbing shoulders with the most powerful people on the planet at the World Economic Forums annual meeting at Davos. And, after speaking with former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan and interviewing Sebastian Kurz, now Austrias chancellor, the 30-year-old is determined to change the way the world is run to ensure those he grew up alongside have their voices heard on the international stage. Carpio was born and raised in Plaistow , east London, after his family came to the UK from the Philippines in the 1970s. They set up home in London but aged just nine his family was struck with tragedy after his father, Rosalito, a waiter, had a sudden brain haemorrhage and died. His mother, Genevey Ladaban, was left to raise and provide for Carpio and his sister. He says he remembers how much of a struggle it was but his mother, who worked as a dealer in a casino, did all she could to ensure they were OK. We were lucky enough not to be in situations where we were threatened with homelessness or anything like that, he says. While in his teens, it was common to have a weapon to be the bigger man and for protection, he adds. Although he never used it, he says he was aware that you are more likely to be stabbed when carrying a knife. He took the decision to stop carrying a weapon when a younger cousin asked where he could get hold of one. Realising his sense of duty he says he wanted to be a role model and his first job, working in Harrods selling Christmas decorations, was the first step on that journey. Then studying at SOAS, Carpio says he became more politically active and driven to take action over injustice, campaigning for human rights for the Philippines and participating in student protests. SOAS is a very politically kind of minded campus, protests every single day and so that was a lot of my political education the books that I read, the classes we would do and the workshops we did, he says. It was his work as an anti-poverty campaigner that saw him invited to attend the Davos summit in 2016. There was definitely a sense of imposter syndrome, in the sense of Am I really supposed to be here? the 31-year-old says. I was just like, look, I am here for a reason, and my mentors said, this is your chance to have a direct say. At Davos, Carpio, who also featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2017, was given an all-access pass to network with some of the leading figures on the global stage to discuss his life experiences. It was a really exciting opportunity, I made a lot of friends and it made me feel a lot more confident in my ability to make a difference, he says. Carpios work initially focused on gangs and youth crime and he lobbied the government to reform policy to improve the opportunities available to young people. He then started work for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, where he helped those who are least likely to get work make their way into the labour market. It is far cry from what he witnessed at Davos. He says that you see the helicopters flying around and nice watches but he is keen to point out that just because you go to Davos, does not make you a Davos person. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty But it was at Davos, he says, that he got a clear insight into the way the world is run. It gave him a sense of purpose and he described what he saw as undemocratic, noting that people at Davos are literally carving up the world in their interests. At worst it makes you angry, at best it makes you want to do something about it, he says. So a lot of the work Im trying to do now is to think about how we democratise governance, how we bring issues, values and opinions which are unpopular with the people who actually have the power to them. How do you bring the interests of someone from Plaistow or from Hackney or the Philippines to people who live in gated communities and are flying in helicopters? His work now focuses on doing exactly this and his latest venture, United Citizens , is an initiative which looks to ensure that those in powerful positions listen to what ordinary people think. Ive never voted for someone who attends Davos or where a lot of international deals are done, he says. Ive never voted for someone in the United Nations. So how do we democratise the way the world is run to ensure power lies with the people? Thats our question. His idea is to raise awareness and work with governments and businesses, getting average people involved in the decision-making process to shape the world. Carpio says it is a decades-long project but hopes that if United Citizens manages to make a difference and alters the way global governance works, perhaps many of the issues that face humanity now will be slightly easier to deal with, and the future is one that is shaped by all, leaving nobody behind. Over 60 per cent of people in England live in areas with illegal levels of air pollution, according to new analysis by the Labour party. Labour accused the government of dodging responsibility when it comes to tackling pollution, after its air quality strategy was branded unlawful three times in UK courts. Air pollution has been linked with around 40,000 deaths every year in the UK, and is thought to be associated with everything from respiratory problems to dementia. The data, which covers 2016, shows over 33 million people in 44 per cent of Englands local authorities are coping with pollution above the limits deemed to be safe. London had the biggest pollution problem, with 32 out of 33 London boroughs exceeding legal air quality limits. Recommended Low emission zones not protecting London children from air pollution However the north of England was the region that suffered most due to toxic fumes, with over three quarters of people in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber living with filthy air. The Tories have completely failed to tackle the problem of air pollution across the country, said shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman. Despite losing repeatedly in the courts on this issue, they continue to dodge responsibility, leaving millions of people living in areas of illegally high levels of pollution. The analysis follows on from another study conducted by Labour for 2015 that found a similar proportion of the population afflicted by toxic pollution. New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Show all 14 1 /14 New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels India's Rashtrapati Bhawan is partly visible due to smog as traffic plies on Rajapth. Smog levels spike during winter in Delhi, when air quality often eclipses the World Health Organization's safe levels AP New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Cooler air traps pollutants -- such as from vehicles, building sites and farmers burning crops in regions outside the Indian capital -- close to the ground AP New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels A man wearing a protective mask walks amidst smog in the early morning in New Delhi Reuters New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Indian people receive treatment for respiratory problems at a hospital in New Delhi AFP/Getty New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Buildings shrouded in smog Reuters New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels A combination of pictures showing people wearing face masks to protect themselves against air pollution AFP/Getty New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Indian workers are seen in the morning smog as they clean a lane littered with remains of firecrackers AP New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Smog envelopes the horizon in New Delhi AP New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Motorists on a busy road amid heavy smog AFP/Getty New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels A man cycles past a government building amid heavy smog AFP/Getty New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels Commuters are seen amid heavy smog in New Delhi AFP/Getty New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels An Indian shepherd walks along his herd of sheep amidst heavy smog AFP/Getty New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels A train moves through heavy smog EPA New Delhi toxic smog pushes air pollution to peak levels A pedestrian crosses a road near the Indian President's house AFP/Getty With dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide which primarily comes from car exhausts still found across much of the nation, campaigners are concerned that following Brexit the UK will lack the oversight to ensure ministers stick to air quality rules. Currently the European Commission is meant to ensure countries follow air quality rules, and took Britain to court this year for failing to protect its citizens from toxic pollution. The government recently announced it will look into the creation of a new body to ensure the government sticks to green laws as part of a draft environment bill. While this step towards a green watchdog was welcomed, groups questioned the independence of the proposed body and said it lacked the strong legal teeth needed to protect the environment. Current government plans to tackle air pollution have been branded inadequate, largely due to the failure to deal with the high-polluting vehicles that emit most of the dangerous fumes. However, environment minister Therese Coffey accused Labour of astonishing hypocrisy in their assessment of the nations air pollution problem. Labour deliberately encouraged the dash to diesel which has directly led to air pollution in our towns and cities. Worse than that, they ignored official advice that their policies would create health problems, she said. Ms Coffey said the Conservatives had cut nitrogen dioxide levels by 27 per cent since 2010 and invested 3.5bn in cleaning up the air. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Labour should apologise for ignoring advice and fuelling this major public health problem, she added. It should also be getting those Labour-led councils that are dragging their feet on improving air quality to accelerate local solutions as quickly as possible. Ms Hayman said Labour would deliver a new Clean Air Act, including a network of clean air zones in cities to get a grip on the illegal levels of pollution. A recent London study found that while such zones, which restrict or penalise high polluting vehicles in certain areas, had cut nitrogen dioxide in parts of London, they had failed to protect children from health problems. The scientists behind the research recommended even stricter strategies such as the capitals imminent ultra-low emission zone to have a positive health impact. The UK has spent more than 100m chartering additional ferries amid mounting fears over severe congestion at Dover in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Lucrative contracts, published quietly on Christmas Eve, reveal Whitehall officials warned that a situation of extreme urgency exists in roll-on roll-off ferry capacity if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Documents show the Department for Transport (DfT) has signed 107.7m agreements with French firm Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and the UKs Seaborne to ease pressure on the important freight routes between Dover and Calais. Recommended Brexiteer Tory MP John Redwood handed knighthood by Theresa May Ministers were accused of recklessly spending public money on last-minute preparations for a disorderly Brexit, which will be the default scenario if MPs cannot reach an agreement. Several senior ministers including justice secretary David Gauke have expressed opposition to no deal, exposing splits with Brexiteers who advocate such a plan. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: It is complete madness to see the government recklessly handing over 100m on preparing British ports for a no-deal scenario. The government has the power to stop no deal at any time but instead is spending millions on last-minute contracts. In documents outlining the contracts, DfT said increased border checks in UK ports after Brexit could cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed in the event of no deal. The additional crossings are equivalent to around 10 per cent of all traffic on the Dover Strait, and will use other ports including Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe. Contracts, uncovered by data analysis firm Tussell, were not put out to tender, with the DfT saying it was a situation of extreme urgency brought about by unforeseeable events. DFDS was awarded a contract worth 47.3m, while Seaborne Freight was given a 13.8m deal. Brittany Ferries will boost its schedule by 50 per cent through the 46.6m contract, with the company adding 19 return sailings to three routes between the UK and France. Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries chief executive, said: Our priority is to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and to create additional capacity. By increasing the number of rotations on routes like Le Havre Portsmouth we will be able to meet the Department for Transports Brexit requirement. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events We will also work hard to minimise impact on existing Brittany Ferries freight customers and passengers, although there may be some changes to some sailing times, for which we apologise in advance. A DfT spokesman said: This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transports no-deal Brexit planning. While remaining committed to working to ensure a deal is reached successfully, the department is helping ensure the rest of government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes. Queues of lorries snaking back for miles through Kent. The gridlock causing huge disruption to the surrounding area. Millions of pounds of public money spent on additional ferries to prevent delays getting food and other vital goods into the UK. These are some of the most extreme visions of a post-Brexit future if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal. While the reality is more complicated, Dover, in particular, has become a sort of Brexit ground zero, where fears about a disorderly exit from the EU are played out. Dozens of suspected militants have been killed in raids by Egyptian security forces, the countrys interior ministry said, a day after four tourists died following a bomb blast in Cairo. Around 40 militants were killed on Saturday in crossfire during raids on three hideouts in the city of Giza and North Sinai, Egypts state-run news agency MENA reported The ministry did not say whether those killed were connected to Fridays attack, which left three Vietnamese tourists and and Egyptian guide dead after a roadside bomb hit a bus near the pyramids in the Egyptian capital. Security forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza, where the interior ministry said terrorist elements were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry. They also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where Egypt is fighting an insurgency led by Isis. Recommended At least four killed after explosion hits bus near Cairo pyramids The ministry did not give any details about the suspects identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously. The government published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Egypts military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the Arab Spring protests of 2011. Additional reporting by Reuters A man with a rifle who held off a team of armed police in a 10-hour siege gave himself up after an officer sang a Christmas carol to him. Nathaniel Lewis, 34, allegedly started shooting at the specialised police who rushed to his home in Pennsylvania, US, when a relative reported him acting erratically on Christmas evening. The shots hit a police vehicle, a house and another vehicle, and the Swat (Special Weapons and Tactics) team returned fire. Chester County district attorney Thomas Hogan wrote on Facebook: Over a long and cold night, they kept negotiating with the man, who eventually started shooting at the police and around the neighbourhood. During the wait, Mr Hogan took home-made biscuits to the Swat team, and the stand-off dragged on until eventually a negotiator got Lewis to surrender by singing the Bing Crosby festive classic White Christmas. Lewis was taken into custody and reportedly charged with multiple counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and other offences. Police did not say whether he surrendered because he liked the song or disliked the officer's rendition of it. Agencies contributed to this report. Bre Payton, a journalist and Fox News commentator, has died at the age of 26. She passed away on Friday in San Diego following a sudden illness, her employer conservative online magazine The Federalist said on its website. A friend, Morgan Murtaugh, said on Twitter she found Ms Payton unconscious on Thursday morning before doctors diagnosed her with meningitis and H1N1 influenza - also known as swine flu. "Thank you everyone for your prayers," Ms Murtaugh wrote later. "It is with a heavy heart that I type this. Unfortunately Bre has passed." In recent appearances on Fox News, Ms Payton had condemned what she called "fake news" media coverage of Donald Trump and "sexist and bigoted" coverage of first lady Melania Trump. An obituary in The Federalist called Ms Payton "joyful, hard-working, and compassionate." It said she had a deep Christian faith. In a tweet, Meghan McCain, daughter of late senator John McCain, called Ms Payton "a wonderful, fearless, vibrant, intelligent young woman". The Federalist said Ms Payton was awarded a journalism degree in 2015 from Patrick Henry College in Virginia and joined its team that April. She later appeared as a guest commentator on the Fox News Channel and One America News Network. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Ms Payton was survived by her parents, George and Cindy; siblings James, Jack, Christina and Cheekie; and boyfriend Ryan Colby, The Federalist said. Environmentalists are up in arms over moves by Donald Trumps administration to ease restrictions on coal power plants that would allow mercury and other toxins to be released into the air. Officials are considering loosening regulations set up under Barack Obama that have helped to dramatically cut pollution that can cause respiratory illnesses, as well as learning disabilities and other birth defects in children. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the cost of regulation outweighs the savings and benefits to human health and the environment, and it wants to change the way the calculations will be made. Under the 2011 Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (Mats), coal-burning power plants were required to install expensive equipment to cut output of mercury and other polluting chemicals. The regulation led to a drop in mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants of an estimated 85 per cent. Recommended Trump targets two Obama green rules to boost oil and coal production The proposal is the latest in a long line of steps by President Trump to scrap steps to protect the environment taken under Mr Obama. The environment has been targeted more than any other policy area under Mr Trump, with changes including allowing oil and gas drilling in Alaksas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; loosening rules on capturing methane when drilling for energy; rubber-stamping oil pipelines; ending the Clean Power Plan, repealing the Clean Water Rule, and increasing use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels, as well as pulling out of the Paris accord on climate change. Coal power plants in the US are the largest single man-made source of mercury, which enters the food chain, mostly through fish. The World Health Organization says mercury is one of the top 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern. But since August, the agency has been reconsidering the justification for the regulation that curbs emissions. Now officials propose using a different cost analysis to evaluate whether it is needed, a move that will go out for a 60-day public consultation. It paves the way for looser rules and for coal mining companies to challenge the environmental protection in court. Recommended US to face devastating health and economic impacts from climate change The agency says the crackdown has produced only a few million dollars a year in measurable health benefits and is not appropriate and necessary the test under the countrys Clean Air Act. The change could set a precedent reaching far beyond mercury rules. It will make it much more difficult for the government to justify environmental regulations in many cases, said Robert N Stavins, a professor of environmental economics at Harvard University, The New York Times reported. The Trump administration has been trying to support the US coal industry, which has been struggling to compete with natural gas and other cheaper, cleaner forms of energy. Hal Quinn, head of the National Mining Association, claimed that the Obama administration had carried out perhaps the largest regulatory accounting fraud perpetrated on American consumers when it calculated that the health benefits would outweigh the cost of equipment upgrades. Profits corporate polluters rake in while making our kids sick will officially take priority over the health of the public and the environment Mary Anne Hitt But Democratic Senator Tom Carper, condemned the plan, saying the Trump administration was playing with numbers, ignoring clear health, environmental and economic benefits to come up with a bottom line that suited the administrations deregulatory aims. Janet McCabe, a former air-quality official in the Obama administrations Environmental Protection Agency, said that coming one week into a government shutdown, and in the lull between Christmas and New Year, this low-key announcement shouldnt fool anyone it is a big deal, with significant implications. US environmental group the Sierra Club condemned the dangerous and disgraceful plan. Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Beyond Coal campaign of the Sierra Club, said: Trump and Andrew Wheeler [acting head of the agency] just put coal in the stocking and mercury in the drinking water of American moms and kids, in a cynical and dangerous move days after Christmas. If this disgraceful proposal is finalised, it will mean that profits corporate polluters rake in while making our kids sick will officially take priority at the EPA over the health of the public and the environment. The policy means more pregnant women, young children, and the elderly will be exposed to deadly neurotoxins and poisons, just so wealthy coal and oil barons can make a few extra bucks. Virtually every coal plant in the US has already met this lifesaving standard, and now Trump is recklessly trying to roll it back. Additional reporting by agencies A retired Army general will face trial in Virginia on charges of rape and incest dating back 30 years ago, according to court documents filed in the case. James J Grazioplene, a retired two-star officer, was charged by a grand jury in December with three counts of rape and three counts of incest in Prince William General District Court. A February pretrial hearing has been set, with the trial scheduled to begin on 29 April. The Army was planning to court-martial Mr Grazioplene, 69, in the spring of 2018, but the charges were dismissed in March after a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in another case effectively limited the statute of limitations in the case to five years. Legislation passed by Congress in 2006 says rape cases have no statute of limitations under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but cases from before then are subject to the laws at the time of the alleged crime. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Army investigators focused on accusations from 1983 to 1989, while authorities in Virginia, which has no statute of limitation for rape, are focused on a period from 1988 to 1989, when Mr Grazioplene lived in the state. Mr Grazioplene's case was the subject of a Washington Post story in which the general's daughter, Jennifer M Elmore, 47, detailed years of abuse accusations against him that spanned numerous military assignments and locations. Five other people, including one of Mr Grazioplene's sisters, corroborated aspects of her story. Ms Elmore first reported the allegations to the Army in 2015, prompting a lengthy investigation. Sometimes, it's just easier to shut your mouth, she said earlier this year. But if I stay silent and the next person opts for that, and the next person opts for that, and the next person opts for that, where are we? Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events A lawyer for Ms Elmore, Ryan Guilds, declined to comment on the status of the case. Lawyers for Mr Grazioplene did not respond to a request for comment. He has denied the accusations. I will not comment, Mr Grazioplene said in a phone call on 6 September. The charges are false and incorrect. Nope. Washington Post A probe into alleged FBI bias against Donald Trump has been quietly and unceremoniously ended by House Republicans. The presidents allies in congress say more investigation is needed over the handling of inquiries into Hillary Clintons emails and Mr Trumps ties to Russia by the FBI and the Justice Department. Despite the year-long investigation, the chairmen of two House committees failed to produce a full report, and instead made public a letter on Friday evening alleging seemingly disparate treatment the two probes received in 2016. House judiciary chairman Robert Goodlatte and oversight chairman Trey Gowdy, who are both retiring next week when Democrats gain a majority in the House, called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate further. In the letter to the Justice Department and senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, they said they reviewed thousands of documents and conducted interviews that revealed troubling facts which exacerbated our initial questions and concerns. Republicans have said since the election they believe Justice officials were biased against Mr Trump when they started an investigation into his ties to Russia and cleared Ms Clinton in a separate probe into her email use. The wrapping up of the congressional investigation was a quiet end to a probe that was conducted mostly behind closed doors, but also in public as Republican lawmakers often criticised interview subjects afterwards and suggested they were conspiring against Mr Trump. The investigations most public day was a 10-hour open hearing in July in which former FBI special agent Peter Strzok defended anti-Trump texts he sent to a colleague as he helped lead both investigations. Mr Strzok fought with Republican lawmakers in a riveting spectacle that featured him reading aloud from his sometimes-lewd texts, and Democrats and Republicans openly yelling at each other. Mr Goodlatte and Mr Gowdy laid out several concerns in the letter, many of them echoing a report issued this year by the Justice Departments internal watchdog. Republican congressman Ryan Costello calls Trump's an 'angry 8th grader' for 'close the border' tweet That report concluded Mr Strzoks anti-Trump text messages cast a cloud on the agencys handling of the probe and also that fired FBI director James Comey repeatedly broke from protocol, including when he announced his recommendation against charging Ms Clinton. But unlike the congressional investigation, the report also found there was no evidence Mr Comeys or the departments final conclusions were motivated by political bias towards either candidate. 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 Democrats have blasted the GOP-led congressional probe, saying it was merely meant as a distraction from special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. New York representative Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, and Maryland representative Elijah Cummings, top Democrat on the oversight panel, are expected to end the investigation when they take power in January. Mr Nadler has called it nonsense. California representative Adam Schiff, who does not sit on either panel but is the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, tweeted on Friday evening that the Republican investigation is ending not with a bang, but with a Friday, buried-in-the-holidays whimper, and one foot out the door. The Republicans have insisted that they were not trying to undermine the Mueller probe. Contrary to Democrat and media claims, there has been no effort to discredit the work of the special counsel, Mr Goodlatte and Mr Gowdy wrote in the letter. Quite the opposite, whatever product is produced by the special counsel must be trusted by Americans and that requires asking tough but fair questions about investigative techniques both employed and not employed. Republicans have repeatedly asked for a special counsel to look into the 2016 questions, but former attorney general Jeff Sessions never granted their request. The department is now led by acting attorney general Matt Whitaker, a Trump ally who has not weighed in on the issue. The Republicans sent the letter not only to Mr McConnell but to several other Republican senate committee chairmen, including South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who will become chairman of the senate judiciary committee. Mr Goodlatte and Mr Gowdy wrote that while congress does not have the power to appoint a special counsel, congress does have the power to continue to investigate. They said they believe the facts uncovered thus far warrant continued oversight. The two chairmen have also asked for the Justice Department release transcripts from their investigation. The committees sent the transcripts to the department last week so they could be reviewed for any classified information, but they have not been released. Additional reporting by AP Donald Trump has blamed Democrats for the recent deaths of two children at the US-Mexico border in a series of tweets. The US president said that he was waiting in the White House for his political opponents to strike a deal on his plan to build a border wall, as the government shutdown triggered by his refusal to budge on the issue stretched into its second week. Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally, he tweeted. It comes after the deaths of two young Guatemalan children in US government custody. The Department of Homeland Security has said that, following the deaths, it was implementing more thorough initial and follow-up medical screenings for migrants. Homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has admitted that the Customs and Border Protection agency is clearly overwhelmed and that the state of affairs there is a humanitarian crisis. But on Saturday Mr Trump tweeting from the White House having cancelled a festive trip to Florida defended the border agencies. He said: The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadnt given her water in days. Recommended Trump to axe Obama law blocking coal plants from pumping mercury into the air Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit! The comment, made amid a stream of political jabs, was the first public statement from the president about the deaths of eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, who died in New Mexico on Christmas Eve, and Jakelin Caal, seven, who died earlier this month in Texas. The circumstances around their deaths are being investigated. The shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of government workers on furlough, or unpaid leave, and many government services will be unavailable, although some, like the FBI and Border Patrol, will continue working. The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol Show all 15 1 /15 The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol Texas and Mexico are connected by entry points like these. US Border Patrol in Laredo, Texas conducts daily patrols throughout the Rio Grande, snaking between the US and Mexico, where it searches for migrants and drug traffickers. The legal entry point to Mexico can be seen above the riverines frequently used by cartels to funnel narcotics into the US. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol US Customs and Border Protection oversees its side of the entry point. US Customs and Border Protection officers oversee the processing of nearly two million trucks and three million pedestrians annually at the Laredo sector, which also processes the majority of trade between the US and Mexico. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The Rio Grande snakes between Mexico and the United States. The US and Mexico have bordering coastlines in Laredo Texas, where the Rio Grande's occasionally rough currents splash onto both nations' shores. For migrants attempting to enter into either country, the swim is much more dangerous than it appears. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol Drug traffickers and migrants use "highways" to cross the border. US Border Patrol agents call worn pathways like these "highways," as they are frequently used by drug traffickers and migrants entering into the US. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The journey is still far from over. If they're able to make it onto land, many obstacles still remain for migrants and drug traffickers. US Border Patrol agents are equipped with high-tech security, K-9 units and aerial camera footage surveilling 40 miles of borderlands. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol Border Patrol uses classic methods and high-tech to surveil the border. A control room at the Laredo sector headquarters is fully-manned 24/7 with a team of local employees who alert agents on the ground of border crossings in real-time. Their cameras live-stream 40 miles of the 170 mile territory the sector covers. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The US provides trusted traveler programs on both its southern and northern borders. Officers lead the way to Sentri offices, which runs a trusted traveller program from US and Mexican local residents who regularly cross the border for work or leisure purposes. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The pathway to freedom. Once travellers are processed, they walk up this ramp towards the US. Many Mexicans cross the border each day with collapsable shopping carts to buy goods while visiting the country. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol But first, the wait. A dog waits for their owner to go through processing with US Customs and Border Patrol. On a good day, processing can take under an hour. On a bad day, well, there's just no telling how long one might be stuck inside the Laredo sector field offices. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The first lady of CBP. Inside the Laredo field offices, US Border Patrol agents keep a framed photo of Christine Davis, the first female agent to join the federal agency in 1975. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol "The hall of fame." US Border Patrol also honors those who have served in the agency for over thirty years. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol Officers inspect a vehicle in secondary processing. Outside, officers are conducting secondary inspection on a vehicle that's been pulled aside for further investigating. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol The waiting room for detained migrants. A US Customs and Border Protection officer shows the inside of a holding room where people requiring further questioning go through secondary processing. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol A man and his daughter go through processing. US Customs and Border Protection also regularly provides humanitarian visas and other temporary permissions for people with valid reasons seeking entry to the US. Here, a father and his daughter await to see whether they will be provided one of those visas. Chris Riotta The Independent goes on a ride-along with US Border Patrol Laredo processes over three million pedestrians annually. Thousands of legal asylum seekers, migrants and refugees seek entry to the US through the southern border annually, where they go through processing at offices like this after arriving at a legal port of entry. For many, the trip can take days, if not weeks or even months. Chris Riotta It began after Mr Trump demanded $5bn (4bn) to construct a wall on the US border with Mexico, which Democrats have said they will not support. During his presidential campaign Mr Trump repeatedly insisted Mexico would be forced to foot the bill for the wall. In a set-piece Oval Office meeting with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi earlier this month, the president claimed he would own the shutdown and be proud to have put government business on hold in the cause of improving border security. Since then, however, he has frequently blamed his political opponents for the impasse. Government shutdowns happen fairly regularly, even as recently as January of this year. However, analysts suggest this one may not be resolved quickly; Democratic members of congress have showed no signs of agreeing to fund the wall and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Friday that we are far apart. Republican John Mulvaney said that Democrats are not negotiating, adding: Theres not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal. The White House had offered to accept $2.5bn (2bn) for border security, but neither Mr Trump nor Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer have agreed to accept that offer. Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown. Too bad! Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events On Friday, the president tweeted a threat to close the southern border entirely unless the budget was passed soon, the third such threat in the past three months. Mr Trump argues that doing so would be a profit making operation because the US looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA. Police in Australia are hunting for a man believed to have pepper-sprayed a bus driver in Sydney. Witnesses said the man, who was told he could not board the bus as it was full, appeared to speak with an English accent. He is accused of verbally abusing the driver, before CCTV within the vehicle shows him lean over the dashboard and repeatedly spray a substance in the driver's face. After the driver attempts to grab the canister, the man jumps off the bus and jogs away. The attack on Thursday evening occurred in the Surry Hills area of the Australian capital. Paramedics were called when the 41-year-old driver began having trouble breathing. He was treated at the scene and allowed to go home. New South Wales Police released the footage to help identify the suspect. Australian authorities are appealing for anyone with information about the incident to call Surry Hills Police or Crime Stoppers at nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Hannover Airport was shut down after a man rammed through a gate and drove towards a plane carrying 172 passengers. The motorist stopped the BMW underneath the wing of an A320 aircraft on the tarmac before being overpowered by police officers at around 3.40pm on Saturday. All flights were suspended for more than four hours while German federal police investigated the incident and searched the car. The 21 year-old driver from Poland was held on suspicion of dangerous interference with air traffic and resisting arrest. Federal police later released a statement saying there were currently no indications of a terrorist background and that the suspect had tested positive for drugs. Recommended Flights delayed at LaGuardia airport after blue sky explosion It is believed the Aegean Airlines plane had just arrived from Athens. This afternoon a man with a BMW has passed through a previously closed gate on the grounds of the airport Hannover-Langenhagen, the force said. A patrol of the Federal Police immediately took up the pursuit of the vehicle and followed the young man on to the [tarmac] apron. Here, the BMW stopped below the plane, a Greek airline Airbus 320 occupied by 172 passengers, and federal police officers overwhelmed the driver in his car. For security reasons, the air traffic was stopped immediately, the handling of all machines was interrupted and the security areas cleared. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Police said no explosives or any other dangerous items were found during a search of the car. By his own admission, the person arrested is a 21-year-old man from Poland, the police said. The investigation into his identity continues. A rapid drug test showed initial indications of anaesthetic effects. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty According to previous investigations, the man has no permanent residence in the federal territory. The suspect could appear before a judge on Sunday. Hannover airport, the ninth-largest in Germany, reopened at around 8pm local time and passengers were asked to contact their airlines for information about their flights. Tech companies are failing to crack down on people-smugglers using their platforms to lure migrants to their deaths with promise of safe passage to Europe, the UN has warned. Companies such as Facebook and WhatsApp are enabling criminal activity by traffickers who entrap victims who are unaware of the dangers they face, according to the UNs migration agency. The warning comes amid a surge in migrants attempting to reach the UK by crossing the Channel in small boats, with almost 100 people intercepted by both British and French authorities while attempting to reach the UK from France since Christmas Day. Home secretary Sajid Javid declared the crossings a major incident, and cut short a family holiday in order to take an urgent call with his French counterpart and hold talks with Border Force officials and the National Crime Agency on how best to tackle the issue. Immigration minister Caroline Nokes revealed Mr Javids plan to take personal control of the situation as she visited Dover to speak with Border Force officials on Saturday. The incidents have raised concerns that there could soon be fatalities such as those in the Mediterranean Sea, where more than 17,700 deaths have been recorded since the start of 2014. Leonard Doyle, spokesperson for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said migrants were being lured to Calais over the internet as smugglers operate via social networks without any real oversight from the companies controlling them. He said that while tech firms had taken measures to curb other exploitative activities such as child pornography, efforts to prevent people-smuggling has been microscopic compared with the damage it causes. Charities on the ground in northern France meanwhile cautioned that irregular migration was not the result of social media but of the persecution faced by migrants in their home countries. But they said failure by European governments to inform refugees of their right to seek asylum and how to do so had enabled criminal gangs to fill the void, often through online social networks. Mr Doyle told The Independent: People like to point fingers over the migration crisis, but a big part of it must be that the guy or the girl in the village with nothing but a cracked smartphone can actually meet a smuggler in a heartbeat. This person will often have no prior knowledge, no sense that this is a trap, no sense that this is going to end up in their prostitution, their slavery, their murder, their drowning. But the tech companies that have done so much to bring technology to its current place are not investing in civic communication to help counter-balance the nonsense people get from social media. Recommended Growing number of families attempting dangerous Channel crossing If someone does a search right now anywhere in the world for child pornography, up immediately will come a flag saying this is illegal, dont go any further, youre committing an illegal act. But they wont do that for migration. Its our technology companies that are luring them to their deaths, and luring them to Calais. Its not the companies that are doing it, but theyre enabling this criminal activity to happen, almost without any real oversight. Europols Migrant Smuggling Centre estimates that 90 per cent of migrants arriving in EU countries have had their journey facilitated by a criminal organisation, while the IOM says people-smuggling now represents the third-largest business for international criminals. The IOM has been in ongoing talks with social media providers about its concerns over their role in the people-smuggling market, but Mr Doyle said that so far this had been to little effect. They claim theyre doing something, but theyre not. Why? Because they depend on shareholder value, so anything that interferes with that is affecting the stock price, which is already in trouble, he said. Facebook has people working on this but its nothing compared with the impact. The amount of attention this gets compared with the damage it does is microscopic. Describing the process smugglers use to gain clients online, Mr Doyle said the first step were usually to herd people like sheep to a carefully protected WhatsApp group that tells them when to move, what to do, what to say and how to deal with the authorities. Recommended Thousands of refugees become targets for smugglers in northern France He added: If you wonder why 5,000 people just pop up in a French village, well, guess what they got there through an encrypted WhatsApp group. Clare Moseley, founder of charity Care4Calais, disputed the focus on social media, saying: Its deeply upsetting to see people taking the risk of crossing the Channel. We never expected to see them resort to something so desperate. But this isnt happening because of social media; its happening because they are being persecuted and killed and tortured in the places that theyre coming from. Josh Hallam, field manager for Calais-based charity Help Refugees, said smugglers were able to take control of the information flow because government bodies were not providing it. The reason so many people are risking their lives is because of the lack of state-funded information knowledge of their asylum rights and so on so they cannot make informed decisions, he said. People are not coming because they think it will be an opportunity. People are fleeing army conscription in Eritrea, war in Syria and Afghanistan, all of the political issue in Ethiopia. But when the only access to information is from tiny NGOs like us who are completely overwhelmed other sources are no doubt filling that gap. A Facebook spokesperson said: People smuggling is illegal and any ads, posts, pages or groups that co-ordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook. Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Show all 10 1 /10 Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France The morning after a stay under a highway bypass Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Discarded clothes are the remnants of previous missions Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Abdullhai is helped by a friend Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Resting up after a long section of the crossing Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France The group trudge through the unfamiliar terrain Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France The group preserve energy, while warming up their hands and shoes Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France The travellers pray for good luck throughout their journey Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France The group walk past an Italian man on an afternoon stroll Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Abdurahman steps through the snow Reuters Migrants risk death crossing Alps to reach France Having finishing their walking for the day, the group stay in a Tous Migrants (All Migrants) shelter to sleep and ready themselves for the journey ahead Reuters "We work closely with law enforcement agencies around the world including Europol to identify, remove and report this illegal activity, and were always improving the methods we use to identify content that breaks our policies, including doubling our safety and security team to over 30,000 people and investing in technology. A Home Office spokesperson said: The recent increase in the number of migrants attempting to cross the Channel in small boats and enter the UK illegally is deeply concerning. We are providing resources to assist the French and are sharing intelligence so that we can crack down on the organised crime groups which are facilitating many of these crossings. The government is setting out plans for legislation to make social media safer in the forthcoming Online Harms White Paper. Protesters in France have marched on the headquarters of various French media organisations, with groups taking to the streets in small groups in Paris and across the country. Now in its seventh week, the gilet jaunes (yellow vest) protests have shrunk somewhat but hundreds of demonstrators, some chanting fake news and journalists collaborationists, and others hurling stones, descended on the offices of TV network BFM and the state-run France Televisions. Police in riot gear intervened, leading to skirmishes, with officers eventually using tear gas to disperse those on the streets and making a number of arrests. Despite a lower turnout than at previous protests demonstrators still caused havoc, with some setting fire to a number of cars in central Paris leaving streets choked by fumes. Some protesters have accused the media of supporting French president Emmanuel Macrons government and big businesses. But news outlets have consistently given the protests prominent coverage since they erupted on 17 November. In Marseille, around 900 protesters marched, chanting Macron out, police said. In Paris, dozens of protesters twice tried to march on the tourist-filled Champs-Elysees, which has been the site of repeated clashes between police and demonstrators in recent weeks. Another small group of demonstrators gathered near the Eiffel Tower, where several were arrested. But by nightfall, tourists and couples were back at the adjacent Trocadero plaza to enjoy spectacular views of the tower. Around 50 demonstrators who had arrived at the medieval fort of Bregancon, on the Riviera coast near Toulon on Thursday, remained nearby on Saturday. They shouted Macron resign as they tried to get into the heavily armoured building, where they claim Mr Macron, is enjoying a holiday with his wife, Brigitte. Bregancon has been a particular target for anti-government protests since the summer, after Mr Macron risked burnishing his protester-given reputation as president of the rich by installing a 34,000 Euro (31,000) swimming pool there for family members who did not want to swim in the sea. Both police and protesters appeared to be out in significantly smaller numbers than on previous weekends. The holiday season and winter chill may have put a damper on Saturdays turnout, along with a raft of concessions by Mr Macron to calm the movement after rioting nearly reached his presidential palace earlier this month. Despite the presidents offers of tax relief and other aid, many people remain frustrated with his pro-business leadership and are continuing to stage roadblocks at roundabouts around the country. Peaceful gatherings were held on Saturday in several cities, including Albertville in the Alps and Rouen in Normandy. Protesters continued blocking roundabouts in several sites, causing traffic delays and letting just a few cars through at a time on a busy weekend of holiday travel. They brandished French flags and placards with a range of demands. Further protests are expected on the Champs-Elysees on New Years Eve, when Paris puts on a light show typically attracting large crowds of spectators. Paris police plan extra security for the annual event, which has previously seen violence flare-up after midnight. Yellow vest protests continue in France Show all 20 1 /20 Yellow vest protests continue in France Yellow vest protests continue in France Protesters wearing a yellow vest (gilet jaune) stand next to a burning barricade as they demonstrate against rising costs of living they blame on high taxes at the A9 highway toll of Le Boulou, southern France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France The "Yellow Vests" (Gilets Jaunes) movement in France originally started as a protest about planned fuel hikes but has morphed into a mass protest against President's policies and top-down style of governing AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AP Yellow vest protests continue in France AP Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France Reuters Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France AFP/Getty Yellow vest protests continue in France EPA The yellow vest movement began following anger over fuel tax hikes, but grew to encompass broader anger over Mr Macrons economic policies. Its named after the fluorescent protective vests French motorists must legally keep in their cars. Last Saturday almost 150 arrests were made for public order offences in Paris alone. Mr Macron has backed down on his proposed charges on petrol and diesel, which were intended as a measure to cut emissions. He has also vowed to increase the national minimum wage by 7 per cent, and said employers would be encouraged to give an end of year tax-free bonus to employees. However, the yellow vests have pledged to continue protesting indefinitely until more concessions are extracted from the president, whose popularity rating has now sunk to just 18 per cent. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Support free-thinking journalism and subscribe to Independent Minds Agencies contributed to this report The Galapagos Islands have banned fireworks in order to protect the region's rare wildlife . An initiative to ban fireworks began in 2017, and the newly-approved ban restricts people from bringing them to the island, selling them, and using them, the BBC reported. Silent fireworks are exempt. The Galapagos islands are famous for their wildlife, including marine iguanas and finches. Charles Darwin famously visited the islands and studied the animals, which helped inform his theory of evolution. Tourism is also the primary industry of the group of islands, representing 53 percent of their economy, according to the Galapagos Conservancy. Fireworks around the world affect animals, as the sights and sound disturb and disorient them. Its well-known that fireworks can scare pets and livestock. In 2011, a study in the journal Behavioral Ecology documented birds fleeing en masse from the Netherlands in response to New Years Eve fireworks. The fear and stress that fireworks create can cause detrimental physical effects. It can also drive animals to scramble into the street or lose track of their nests, leaving their offspring to die. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Furthermore, the chemicals and potential to spark a fire can damage the local environment itself. Authorities said that, in addition to wildlife concerns, there were safety concerns for those operating fireworks, similar to those anywhere else in the world. In the US, for example, there were some 12,900 firework-related emergency room visits in 2017. Senator Paudie Coffey has called for a ban on election posters (Brian Lawless/PA) A Fine Gael senator has called for parties to unite over a ban on posters. Senator Paudie Coffey first called for the poster ban back in October. Now he has renewed his call ahead of the next general election in Ireland, which is expected to take place in 2020. Expand Close Election posters in Cork during the 2016 general election (Chris Radburn/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Election posters in Cork during the 2016 general election (Chris Radburn/PA) Senator Coffey said support has been growing for his proposed ban, with backing from politicians in Galway, Mayo, Kildare, Laois and Leitrim. It is certainly time we had a national discussion and debate about the proliferation of environmentally harmful posters in our cities, towns and villages come election time, he said. The vast majority of people are in favour of getting rid of them, and we as politicians should lead by example. The political veteran, who has fought five election campaigns, said he believes growing concerns over the environment and the huge rise in social media use means there is little moral justification for election posters across the country. The days of erecting these expensive glossy posters, which are damaging to the environment and are becoming a major turn-off for many voters are surely numbered, he said. Senator Coffey has been selected as a Fine Gael candidate for Waterford. The RUC had concerns over how the border was policed. Farmyard security measures on the Troubles-era hard Irish border prompted disputed allegations of discrimination against Catholics, the files reveal. Roads in Co Fermanagh leading into Co Monaghan in the Republic were closed because of the IRA threat. They were effectively being opened to limited vehicle access by allowing landowners to make detours through lockable gates on their farmland, a decades-old British Government archive note said. Northern Ireland Office official Peter Smyth explained: "The privilege of being allowed to install such gates is apparently not extended to the Roman Catholic community and has caused considerable resentment in the area. "Old allegations of Royal Ulster Constabulary collusion with the unionist community are reviving." Roslea is a village close to the border, around 25 miles to the south-east of Enniskillen. In 1994 some nationalists living there felt Protestants were receiving favourable treatment when it came to accessing cross-border land, an archived British Government note released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast said. The dispute highlighted the localised impact of an Irish border, which had been closed for years because of the danger of republican attacks. The official record from 1994 surrounded a meeting with an influential member of the community in Fermanagh, Gerry Lynch, and highlighted some of the social sensitivities around the 310-mile frontier. Mr Lynch claimed Catholic farmers had approached the RUC to secure access through lockable gates, but been refused. Mr Lynch maintained: "Any attempts by Catholic farmers to create temporary bypasses for purposes of bringing in crops quickly attracted the wrath of the police." The NIO official added: "All the bypasses he knew of had been granted to Protestant farmers and the perception was growing that, once again, the local Catholics were being treated as second-class citizens." Mr Smyth said the RUC considered applications for gates on a case-by-case basis. He added: "I have no doubt I was given a fairly subjective account of the situation but there was no mistaking Mr Lynch's sense of injustice. "Relations between the nationalist community and the security forces are always delicate around Roslea and Mr Lynch has worked harder than most to keep things on an even keel. "He feels that he has gone out on a limb for the past two or three years and is genuinely disillusioned by the apparent failure of the local RUC to make some gesture of reciprocity." The records also discussed security concerns about a future IRA attack on a police station in Co Tyrone using an improvised border crossing created by a farmer to straddle a stream on his land. A four-wheel drive vehicle had been employed in previous attacks and the RUC wanted to excavate the stream to make it impassable to traffic. The farmer suggested an alternative involving blocking access to the field, but was unable to ask local contractors to do the work for security reasons. Our experts differ on the merits of the Sheep Ireland star-rating system The methodology and accuracy of the star-rating system doesn't stand up to objective analysis, argues John Brooks Even in breeds such as the Belclare where all individual sheep have been recorded since the inception of Sheep Ireland, accuracy figures are as low as 30pc, with a majority falling in the region of 30pc-40pc. If reliability figures were used, as is the case with cattle, a 30pc accuracy would convert to 9pc reliability and a 40pc accuracy would convert into 16pc reliability. Could this be the reason that sheep star ratings are so low? Is inaccurate data therefore the reason that sheep star ratings fluctuate so much in a relatively short period of time? We often see five-star rams going to one star and those with one star going to five stars and everything in between. How many star ram buyers actually check the star ratings of their purchases after six months or a year? The problem lies with a recording system that allows breeders to record inaccurate data on important traits such as birth weight, type of birth (single, twin, etc), lambing difficulty score, mortality, weight at 40 days, 80 days, 120 days, as well as type of rearing, etc. By careful manipulation of this data, unscrupulous breeders can in fact ensure high star ratings for their sheep, thus adding significant monetary value to them. Sheep Ireland claim that visiting a number of breeders to record weight and back fat, and to scan muscle depth when the lambs are approximately five months old will help verify data. However, these visits are done at the request of the breeder, and the breeder is only obliged to present a small percentage of his/her lambs of their own choosing. How can recording a lamb at five months ever verify date of birth, birth type, mortality rate, lambing difficulty, type of rearing and birth weights at various intervals? Data quality Sheep Ireland also claim that Data Quality Indices (DQIs) will help ensure accurate data. This is untrue. DQI indices are merely a reward rating awarded to the breeder based on the timing and volume of data submitted. It has absolutely nothing to do with data accuracy. ICSA also questions the role Teagasc has to play in actively promoting Sheep Ireland's star-rating system knowing that they accept unverified data. Why aren't Teagasc carrying out continuous trials in a controlled environment on the effect of using different star-rated rams on the resulting progeny right through to slaughter? This would include evaluations on carcase weight, grades and kill-out percentage and could give an independent assessment of the monetary value of each star rating. Current trials using just weaning weights and predictive slaughter weights are of limited worth when it comes to carcase value - the bottom line for the sheep producer. Sheep farming is a low-income, high-labour enterprise and deserves accurate and reliable information. However, promoting low-accuracy indices with high fluctuation rates is very costly to the individual farmer in the short term, and in the long term could prove very costly to the whole sheep industry The onus is on Sheep Ireland to devise a better system that would give accurate results. They collect a levy from all sheep farmers at the point of slaughter; we have the right to expect better. John Brooks is chair of the ICSA sheep committee Stephen Hawkings final musings on God, intelligent life in the universe and the possibility of time travel. His name summons up the image of a casually but well-dressed scholar slumped in a wheelchair, hands crossed in his lap where a carer has arranged them, legs in carefully creased trousers tilted at an angle, shoes awkwardly askew on the footrest. In contrast to his frozen body, his slightly waxen, collapsed face was in constant motion, cheek muscles and eyes squinting rapidly to trigger the communications system that linked him to the world. Those who knew him well had learned to read his facial expressions: yes, no, anger, joy, mischief, disgust, his look of "hurry up and get on with it" that appeared in the photograph on the cover of his funeral programme. He struggled to keep his eyes wide open, but his grin could light the universe. This was Stephen Hawking. He died in March at age 76, having survived 55 years with motor neurone disease after initially, at 21, being told he had only two years to live. "Survived" is not an adequate word. He rode his wheelchair in the mainstream of the contemporary world, inspiring millions with his stubborn courage. He published opinions that influenced and sometimes angered people around the globe. He repeatedly warned of disaster for the human race unless we control artificial intelligence and colonise space. At the time of his death he was still collaborating in ground-breaking scientific work to do with how the universe began, whether we live in one of an infinite number of universes, whether black holes irrevocably devour precious information. In his last year, Hawking was also re-exploring his personal archive: his lectures, memoirs, academic and non-academic writing. He was choosing what to revise and incorporate into a book called Brief Answers to the Big Questions. Hawking died before he could complete the book, but he came near enough for his scientific colleagues, friends and family to decide they could and should finish it for him. Hawking had for some time been asking others to write some of his lectures and articles, much as presidents employ speech-writers, using his ideas, his previously written material, his style, always subject to his vetting and approval. This book came out seven months after his death and put to rest concerns that it would be just a mishmash of recycled material. To answer 10 "big questions", his colleagues and friends have fleshed out what Hawking had succeeded in writing and the choices he had made from his archive. They have added transitional passages and adjusted wording and syntax to keep the style and tone consistent. Paragraphs that originally targeted an audience of academic scientists have been translated into the language of the rest of us, and some of Hawking's science ends up being easier to understand here than in his earlier works. The book begins with essays by Eddie Redmayne, who played Hawking in the film The Theory of Everything; by Kip Thorne, Hawking's colleague and one of his closest friends; and by Hawking himself. It ends with a moving afterword by his daughter, Lucy. "Brief" had been a Hawking trademark since his 1988 best-seller, A Brief History of Time, but these "brief answers" are not really that brief. The chapters include the science in which Hawking was engaged as early as his years as a graduate student at Cambridge in the 1960s, and as late as the weeks before his death, as well as the human rights and future-of-humanity issues about which he was passionate. Hawking was often accused of being out of his depth in matters outside of cosmology, and his co-authors have done a remarkable job of backing up his pronouncements with further information, as he must have hoped to do himself. They wisely chose to include verbatim many of his most- repeated comments. Chapter 10 ends with the words he used in his lectures to young audiences: "Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't give up. Unleash your imagination. Shape the future." Those were words he himself lived by. Most of the chapters, but particularly Chapter 6, 'Is Time Travel Possible?', and Chapter 10, 'How Do We Shape the Future?', are vintage Hawking - with the straightforward, engaging style of A Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell. Chapter 1, 'Is There a God?', lays out the reasoning behind Hawking's unbelief in more detail than he has done before. What is not addressed is the bigger question he asked at the end of A Brief History of Time - not how the universe might exist without a creator, but "Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?" He later commented that if he knew that, "then I would know everything important". Chapter 3, 'Is There Other Intelligent Life in the Universe?', is arguably the most interesting. Part of the answer lies in tracing the story of life on our own planet from the earliest context in which it may have arisen, through genetic evolution, to "a new phase of evolution" in which information is not transmitted genetically but handed down through speech and writing, and finally to the current possibility that human beings may redesign themselves genetically. The chapters are written in the first person, as if entirely penned by Hawking. No, he did not write this book alone in his final months, painstakingly, word by word using the twitches of his cheek and his computer program. But the words are mostly his, and the ideas and spirit are definitely his, full of self-deprecating wit and the fun he had taking readers with him on the scientific adventures he loved. Video of the Day Hawking's colleagues, friends and family, labouring out of deep respect for him, have produced a splendid book. Enjoy it, learn from it, and regret that it is Hawking's last. Kitty Ferguson is the author of 'Stephen Hawking: An Unfettered Mind' and 'Lost Science: Astonishing Tales of Forgotten Genius' Thalia Heffernan dancing with Curtis Pritchard during the Second live show of RTEs Dancing with the Stars. Picture: KOBPIX Norah Casey and Curtis Pritchard on RTEs Dancing with the Stars. Picture: Kyran O'Brien Publisher Norah Casey and Curtis Pritchard dancing a Paso Doble to Senorita by Bond during the third show of RTEs Dancing with the Stars. kobpix Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Curtis Pritchard is to undergo surgery after he and his brother AJ were attacked in a UK nightclub. The brothers were reportedly set upon by a gang of up to eight men while on a night out in Nantwich in Cheshire on Thursday night. Curtis suffered injuries to his face and knees while AJ, who is also a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, was punched in the face, arms, body and legs. A spokesman for the Pritchard family told Independent.ie that Curtis (23) and AJ (24) were the victim of an unprovoked attack. Expand Close Mollie King and AJ Pritchard during last years Strictly (BBC) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mollie King and AJ Pritchard during last years Strictly (BBC) Curtis is to undergo an emergency operation in the next few days to correct the damages he has sustained to his knee, he is also recovering from injuries to his eye and face. AJ received bruising to his face, arms, body and legs. Statements have been given to Cheshire Police and they are currently undergoing an investigation, he added. He said the brothers were enjoying a night out with two friends when they were assaulted. RTE said Curtis will be unable to take part in the launch of the new series of Dancing with the Stars which begins on January 6. However it is hoped he will be able to take part later on in the series. An RTE spokesperson said: As a result of the injuries sustained, he will not have recovered in time for the launch of the new series, which will air 6 January 2019. Dancing with the Stars wish Curtis a speedy recovery. Video of the Day A replacement for Curtis on the show is currently being arranged by ShinAwiL and we look forward to welcoming Curtis back when he recovers. The brothers were in Cheshire to spend Christmas with their family. Local police said they had arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of assault. He was later released and investigations are continuing. A rocky outcrop off the coast of Co Kerry that featured in two 'Star Wars' films has transformed the tourism scene in south-west Ireland. 'Star Wars' fans have flocked to Skellig Michael, a sheer-sided island 19km off the Wild Atlantic Way, and other Co Kerry sites since they were seen in the two latest films in the franchise, 'The Force Awakens' and 'The Last Jedi'. The Unesco world heritage site was inhabited by monks from around the sixth century for about 500 years, with residents living in stone beehive-shaped huts in a monastery clinging to the cliff faces on the 200m-high rock. Publican Gerard Kennedy, who runs The Moorings guesthouse in Portmagee, said the village had been transformed by the interest generated by 'Star Wars'. "It's been very positive," he said, adding that an entirely new industry had been created in the Kingdom. Mr Kennedy was involved in providing and arranging accommodation for the cast and crew. He was told rooms were needed for a team who were going to film a puffin documentary on the island. "We were all dying to find out," he said. "We thought they were the BBC - the BBC are forever doing documentaries on puffins (on the island)." He said he knew there was something awry when they came back to him to say they needed rooms for 180 people. But it was not until one of the crew handed him a business card with Lucas Films embossed on it that he knew it was 'Stars Wars' for definite. "I hadn't even seen a 'Star Wars' movie - if it was 'Mrs Brown's Boys' I would have known it all right," Mr Kennedy said. "I was telling Mark Hamill this afterwards - the crew were getting a real kick out of it that I hadn't a clue who they were." Video of the Day Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the long-running franchise, ended up pulling pints in his bar. "I went from never seeing a movie to be among all the cast," Mr Kennedy said. Vincent Kidd, proprietor of the Royal Hotel on Valentia Island, said it had brought areas like Valentia, Portmagee, Dingle and Donegal to an "audience of billions" that no marketing campaign could ever hope to achieve. "You'd want an astronomical budget to do what 'Star Wars' did for the Wild Atlantic Way and area in particular," he said. "The Skelligs now will always be synonymous with 'Star Wars'. It has put not just Kerry but the whole western seaboard on the world stage. "It's done so much for the whole country and tourism in the region, it's had a monumental effect." Mr Kidd said he saw an immediate impact in increased visitors when the films were released. Even though the outcrop is accessible only from May to September, he said fans were still coming year-round. Earlier this year, the first May The Fourth Festival was held. Failte Ireland, the national tourism body, got behind them to push the festival. The three-day 'Star Wars' themed event took place in Portmagee, Ballinskelligs, as well as Valentia Island and Ballyferriter and Dingle. Enthusiasts dressed as Darth Vader, stormtroopers and Chewbacca travelled to take part in the events. It was so successful that plans are afoot for the second festival. It is expected to include screenings of the films and a ceili with participants wearing 'Star Wars' costume. Killer Graham Dwyer admitted to fellow inmates he is concerned a possible State appeal against his High Court privacy victory could delay his murder appeal until as late as 2020. The revelation came as one Midlands Prison source indicated that while Dwyer was "jubilant" in the wake of his High Court ruling, he has now cautioned fellow inmates against congratulating him over any imminent release. "A few said that this would be his last Christmas behind bars," the prison source said. "They clearly meant it as wishing him well for Christmas and that he could be free for Christmas 2019 if he wins his upcoming appeal. "But [Dwyer] was having none of it - and has been saying that if the State appeals against the High Court privacy decision it could further delay his own appeal." Dwyer, described as "a model inmate", socialises within a small group of inmates in the Laois prison where he plays cards, talks about their legal appeals and chats about films. The Cork-born architect was "jubilant" in the days after he won his High Court challenge to the State's use of mobile phone data during his high-profile 2015 murder trial. The judgment has been seen as a major boost to Dwyer's pending appeal against his conviction for the murder of Dublin childcare worker Elaine O'Hara - but legal experts warned not to interpret it as a guarantee he will eventually win that appeal. The architect, of Kerrymount Close, Foxrock, Dublin, was convicted of murdering Ms O'Hara (36) on August 22, 2012. The skeletal remains of his victim were found on Killakee Mountain, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on September 13, 2013. Princess Latifa's dramatic bid to flee the Gulf last February instantly turned her into one of the world's highest-profile missing persons. Until, that is, it was confirmed the 33-year-old was back in her native United Arab Emirates (UAE) and then photographed two weeks before Christmas with former President Mary Robinson. Foiled escape: The Indian coast guard vessel ICGS Samarth intercepted the princess on board the yacht Nostromo. Friends claimed the photographs of the young woman - described by Ms Robinson as "vulnerable" - depicted someone totally transformed in just nine months. Read More Looking away from the camera in each of the photos with Ms Robinson, Princess Latifa's appearance looks markedly different since her bid to flee the Gulf was stopped by a James Bond-style intervention by UAE special forces supported by the Indian authorities. All of which makes the story of one of the world's richest young women even more bizarre. Born to an Algerian mother, her father is the prime minister of the UAE, the ruler of Dubai and, through his Maktoum family, one of the wealthiest men in the world. Expand Close Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, left, meets Mary Robinson (United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, left, meets Mary Robinson (United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation via AP) Princess Latifa became the most identifiable face of the family thanks to her attendance at glittering Gulf events and her glamorous style. Last February, Princess Latifa made a dramatic attempt to flee with the intention of claiming asylum in the United States embassy in India. In various reports, it emerged she was very unhappy with her life in Dubai and had levelled claims of being mistreated. It was also alleged she was too western-orientated for the liking of conservative elements of the UAE regime. With a female Finnish friend, she left Oman on February 24 using jet skis for a rendezvous with a yacht sailed by another friend which aimed to bring her to India where she could claim asylum at the US embassy. In a video she prepared in case her escape bid failed, Princess Latifa insisted she was trying to escape her family. She warned that, if caught, she would be in "a very, very, very bad situation". In circumstances that are still disputed, Princess Latifa was transferred on March 4 from the yacht when just 40km off the Indian coast onto an Indian coast guard vessel and then onto a UAE military helicopter to be flown back to the Gulf by a special forces team. Her two friends and the entire yacht crew vanished in the Indian Ocean - only to re-appear on March 21/22 back in the Gulf. Princess Latifa vanished from sight for nine months. The Dubai royal family then issued a statement on December 4 insisting she was safe at home. The Maktoums also hit out at what they described as "false" international abduction stories about the princess. However, international human rights groups have demanded answers. Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said the young woman's upset was perfectly understandable. "Mary Robinson says UAE Princess Latifa is 'troubled', suggesting a pre-existing condition. Though I'd be troubled too if I tried to escape a gilded prison and was kidnapped back," he said. A 20-year-old man has been hospitalised with serious head injuries following an assault in Dublin on Friday night. The incident occurred between 11pm and midnight at Ballyowen Lane, Lucan - and an incident room has been established at Lucan garda station to investigate. Gardai have appealed for witnesses, particularly anyone who was in the vicinity of Ballyowen Lane or Ballyowen Shopping Centre around the time of the incident to contact them. Motorists with dash-cams who may have been in the area between those hours are also being asked to come forward. Former President Mary Robinson expressed her "dismay" at the criticism levelled at her trip to Dubai to visit Princess Latifa as the Twitter account for her climate justice foundation was taken down. A day after she discussed the December 15 meeting with the Dubai princess on BBC's 'Today' programme - during which she described Latifa as "troubled" - Ms Robinson issued a personal statement in a bid to address the mounting storm of criticism. Before she issued the statement, the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice page on Twitter was deleted - with dozens of social media posts querying details of her meeting with the princess. The foundation page - @MRFCJ - was taken down with Twitter simply confirming the site no longer exists. It was a primary campaigning site for the former President's campaign for climate justice. Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Robinson, in a brief statement, expressed her "dismay" at how her Dubai visit had been received and insisted her comment about Princess Latifa's "vulnerability" should not be misinterpreted. "I undertook the visit and made an assessment, not a judgment, based on personal witness, in good faith and to the best of my ability," she said. Ms Robinson said she travelled to Dubai at the request of Princess Haya bint Hussein, one of the wives of the United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the father of Latifa. "I have known and worked with Princess Haya for many years in her capacity as a member of the UN Global Humanitarian Forum. "I was aware of the international concern over Sheikha Latifa and that she had not been seen for many months so when Princess Haya asked me to go to Dubai to meet with both of them I agreed, without hesitation. "On my arrival in Dubai I received extensive briefings and it was clear to me that Princess Haya had particular concern for the welfare of Sheikha Latifa, whom she described as troubled and quite vulnerable. "During my time with her, Sheikha Latifa presented as a very likeable young woman with a wide range of interests but her vulnerability was apparent. "Since my return from Dubai I have written a report of my visit to Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "I believe future action rests with that office, with the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances." She also hit out at how her Dubai meeting was portrayed, adding: "I am dismayed at some of the media comments on my visit." She said she would be making no further comment. However, human rights groups demanded further answers. Lawyer Radha Stirling, head of the rights group Detained in Dubai, said further questions arise. "What we heard was Mary Robinson essentially reciting for BBC Radio listeners the content of the statement issued by the Dubai ruler's court. This meeting in no way satisfies me that she [Princess Latifa] is free from the abuse that she told me she had suffered for years." Massacre: Pieter Menten, centre, was a key figure in the killing of academics A senior Irish art official was ordered to attend Rosslare port to personally inspect the art collection of convicted Nazi war criminal Pieter Menten, which was being shipped back to the Netherlands. Menten had been refused permission to return to Ireland after being released from a prison sentence in the Netherlands over the shooting of Polish villagers in 1941. He had moved to Ireland in the years after World War II and settled at Comeragh House in Co Waterford. The businessman and art expert had joined the SS and was a key figure in the massacre of Polish academics and businessmen in the Galicia area. In 1980 he received a 10-year prison sentence after a 1949 hearing proved inconclusive. Newly released papers from the 1988 State Archive revealed the Government was determined to ensure Menten's art collection was legitimate. Acting director of the National Gallery of Ireland Raymond Keaveney was requested by the Government on September 26, 1988, to personally inspect the Menten art collection. "In view of the particular circumstances of this case, I am to request that you travel to Rosslare to ensure personally that the pictures which it is proposed to export coincide with those detailed in the inventory supplied to you," a Department of Taoiseach memo requested. The National Gallery had received an application for 10 paintings valued at IR2,950 to be shipped back to the Netherlands from Menten's Irish home. The permit was eventually granted following consultations between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch authorities. "Our embassy officials in The Hague were advised by the Dutch authorities... that any works of art held in Ireland were also acquired legitimately," the memo noted. Controversy over the alleged shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland caused grave implications to cross-Border co-operation while Anglo-Irish relations suffered a "serious setback". Justice minister Gerard Collins told a special meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in February 1988 it was "impossible to exaggerate the seriousness of the shoot-to-kill policy". Mr Collins said the special meeting at Stormont Castle in Belfast was called after "very serious concerns" shared by all sides. The meeting came after the British attorney general made a public statement about the Stalker inquiry. "This statement, which admits evidence of obstruction of justice, amounts to declaration that in Northern Ireland, at any rate, the rule of law takes second or possibly third place to non-defined public interest and matters of national security," Mr Collins said. "That's the scene as it is and how my Government sees the implications of failing to prosecute." Two British senior policemen, John Stalker and Colin Sampson, investigated a series of incidents which resulted in the killing of three Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers and weeks later six unarmed nationalists. The two highly classified reports have never been released to the public. These incidents became known as the controversial shoot-to-kill deaths, during the darkest days of the Troubles in the mid-1980s. Mr Collins said: "It casts a dark shadow over the RUC and has the gravest implications for cross-Border co-operation with the gardai, apart from its impact on relations between the RUC and nationalists in Northern Ireland." Mr Collins said while he sympathised with RUC members who had been killed, he urged British authorities to ensure their security forces did not "descend to the level and methods of terrorists". If the RUC was known to have been shielding officers "strongly suspected of serious crime", this would have an impact on community support in the Republic. Individual gardai might have had reservations about sharing information with the RUC if they were not fully confident about how it would be used. "The British government has done very serious damage to confidence and co-operation and I believe there is a very great responsibility on it to put the matter right," he said. An Irish Government memo states the failure to publish the report in full created even greater unease. UK secretary of state Tom King said it was a police investigation and it was "not the practice" to publish these. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was "obsessional on violence" and fixated on extraditing suspected IRA members to the UK, according to newly released papers. The papers revealed how relations between Ms Thatcher and Taoiseach Charles Haughey began to "turn sour" at the end of 1987, when the extradition issues came to the fore. Discussions which took place at the Anglo-Irish relations meeting in London in June 1988 indicated the PM's frustration on a number of issues. In his memo to officials, secretary to the government Dermot Nally said British cabinet secretary Robin Butler was critical of the Taoiseach for not condemning violence in a number of speeches which he made in the United States. Mr Nally replied that Mr Haughey had addressed academics, doctors and lawyers, and that they did not need to be told they should not support murder. However, in the British official's view, the speeches had "obliterated a great deal of the good that had gone before" and there was a lot to be made up in Anglo-Irish relations. "The British side said that the prime minister was obsessional on violence for reasons of principle and reasons of person," Mr Nally wrote. "She would never yield to it from any quarter, whether it was Libyan violence, Iranian violence or the violence of the IRA. "This is why she took such a hard line on the absence of references in the Taoiseach's American speeches. The subject affected her deeply and emotionally." The Irish official was also told that Ms Thatcher had become "increasingly disturbed" over the extradition issues which was said to have caused her "considerable frustration". The British officials criticised the flow of information from intelligence from Ireland to Northern Ireland, describing it as "exiguous". However, the Irish officials disputed this, saying the Irish experience was in direct contradiction. The people and places who made a real impact on Irish food in 2018. The Pride of Ireland Award (also known as the It Couldnt Happen to Nicer People Prize): Jointly to Ichigo Ichie, Mews, Restaurant Chestnut When Cork landed not just one, but three three! Michelin stars back in October, a torrent of goodwill spilled out over social media, with neer a begrudger to be heard. Opening an owner-operator restaurant takes guts: food of this calibre doesnt come easy. And two of the three only opened earlier this year. Respect. Each of these restaurants operates an online booking system, and youll need to jump to it to get a table in 2019. The They Couldnt Do It Without You Award This was the year some of our best vegetable growers began to be recognised on restaurant menus. Lets hear it for four of the most dedicated: Jenny McNally of McNally Family Farm, Marita Collier of Drummond House Garlic, Helen Murphy of Mooncoin Organic Beetroot and Maria Flynn of Ballymakenny Farm, home of Violette, Pink Fir and Yukon Gold potatoes. If you see these producers credited on a menu, you know youre eating somewhere that takes provenance seriously. The same goes for Niall Sabongi, whose SSI wholesale business supplies many of our best restaurants with premium-quality fish and seafood. The Newcomer of the Year Award: Uno Mas Fans of Etto waited a long time for its vaguely Spanish slightly bigger little sister, Uno Mas, to open on Aungier Street. The good news is that Liz Matthews, Simon Barrett and Paul McNamara have done it again: exemplary food, a relaxed vibe and the most comfortable bar seats in town. (The two-person hideaway nook opposite the bar is where politicians and others wishing to keep a low profile should sit.) Even though it only opened at the beginning of the month, Uno Mas already feels as if it has been there forever. The bad news is that its going to be just as hard to get a table at Uno Mas as it is at Etto. The Onwards and Upwards Award: Heron & Grey One of most dynamic and exciting restaurants in the country surprised everyone with its announcement that Andrew Heron and Damien Grey would be heading in their separate directions come the new year. Grey will stay on in the tiny premises in Blackrock Market, where he will open his new restaurant, Liath, in the spring. Ill stick my neck out and say that hell have a shiny new Michelin star come October, to replace the one that will have to be handed back when Heron & Grey closes. Meal of the Year: The GreenHouse Mickael Viljanens food just gets better and better. Hes now joined in the kitchen by Mark Moriarty, named Eurotoques Young Chef of the Year in 2015. In another city, this restaurant would have two stars, no doubt about it. Lunch is a bargain. Dish of the Year The steamed cod with seven different kinds of seaweed at Mews in Baltimore. The Walking the Walk Award Gareth Smith of Michaels in Mount Merrion is a tireless and generous supporter of local producers, somehow finding time to promote everyones business as well as his own on social media. He uses great ingredients, his food is ridiculously good value, and he cooks from the heart. Hes also the person who first introduced me to hand-picked Lambay Crab, which is in another league entirely to the air-blasted stuff you get in the supermarket. The Cheap and Cheerful Award I ate exceptionally well for very little money at The Market Kitchen (toasties), Masa (pictured below) and El Grito (tacos), Shouk (Middle Eastern), and Mad Egg (fried chicken). And there was the deep-fried kimchi at Soup Ramen in Dun Laoghaire, about which I am still dreaming. (This may not be entirely prudent.) Expand Close Masa restaurant, Stephen St Lower. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Masa restaurant, Stephen St Lower. Photo: Tony Gavin Disappointment of the Year: The Ivy The much-anticipated restaurant hit the ground stumbling and has barely managed to get on its feet since, with one bad-news story (Tips not going to staff! Reservations mess-ups! Turning away walk-ins when there is plenty of room!) after another. And when we have so many good indigenous restaurants, why would anyone want to eat at a faux-chic British chain? Pop-Up of the Year: Aimsir Jordan Bailey and Majken Bech Christensen are the young couple behind Aimsir restaurant, scheduled to open at Cliff at Lyons in Co Kildare in the spring. On the evidence of the pop-ups they hosted last month, with sophisticated food based entirely on local, Irish ingredients, Id recommend booking as soon as reservations are open. Bailey was formerly head chef at Oslos three-star Maaemo. Adam Purcells vegetarian pop-up at Forest Avenue in April was another great night. The If You Happen to Be in London Award: Brat Make a beeline for Brat, Tomos Parrys Basque-inspired Shoreditch restaurant, where youll find superlative cooking over wood and a menu thats littered with people- pleasing gems. Big flavours, great wines and friendly service are a winning combination. The name Brat, by the way, is fishermans slang for turbot, the house specialty, roasted whole. In Bloomsbury, I urge anyone with an interest in wine accompanied by simple, delectable food to explore the delights of Noble Rot. There is simply nowhere like Italy's Cinque Terre. Since Roman times, and probably long before, this series of five fishing villages have clung to the sheer, rocky coves on the north west coast of Italy. It's even possible that the habitation was first initiated by the Greeks, who colonised much of Italy's south and islands. It was the Romans, however, that terraced the surrounding hillsides and planted vines - giving us the verdant vineyards that surround the villages today, sweeping down to the colourful mosaic of houses and dwellings among the jutting rocks of the coast right on the clear, blue Mediterranean. The Cinque Terre, or 'Five Lands', is made up of five villages set along this stretch of coast, each more mind-blowing than the last - Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Little wonder they're such a popular port of call with passing cruise ship visitors. Unsurprisingly, the villages get busy, especially in peak season. Other visitors travel across from Nice on their way to Tuscany, spending a night in each - though such a trip involves joining a caravan of tourists streaming through each town without truly experiencing much of what each town has to offer. For me, Manarola is the pick of the crop. It is surrounded by the most vines and is reputably the oldest of the five. Here, if you take a few days to slow down, you can really soak up the atmosphere, walk its winding streets, sample the local cuisine and explore the coast and surrounding waters. You need a few days at least to understand the rhythm of life in Manarola and to begin to see what life would have been like for the fishing community that dwelt there over the centuries. The shoulder seasons, from May to June or September to October, are more relaxed times to visit. Just being in Manarola has a profound effect. It's one of those other-worldly destinations that provides a complete escape from reality, transporting you to another time. There is no limit to the hours you can spend just looking at the surrounding town, the boats bobbing in the harbour, and the local kids making daring dives from the cliff faces, plunging into the blue water below. The cuisine of Liguria is thought to be one of Italy's finest, taking the best of both Italian and French as they say, and the traditional food of Manarola includes all the old favourites of ravioli, tortelli, sliced meats and an emphasis of course on fish and seafood. If you want to eat fish, try Marina Piccola on the seafront, Il Porticciolo or Aristide - the most famous, but providing an unforgettable dining experience. In general, eating out is expensive compared to the rest of Italy, though not by Irish standards - so consider booking an apartment with cooking facilities. That said, the best things in life are free, and something what shouldn't be missed is the chance to watch the town at sunset with a bottle of beer or prosecco from the vine-covered hillside. Watching the lights come on is stunning. Access to Manarola is difficult - everything must be carried by truck or arrive by sea, so it's not the place for shopping. If you're staying more than a few days it's a good idea to hire a car (or scooter); that way you can nip up to the cruise ship port of La Spezia for necessary groceries or indeed, to eat in one of the many trattorias. Unfortunately, the stunning, world-famous Via degli Amore (Lovers' Walk), a coastal footpath that connects Manarola and Riomaggiore, was closed in 2012 after a landslide injured three tourists, and isn't due to reopen until 2021. However, there are other trails and if you enjoy hiking or running you can find easy or challenging trails through the vineyards, along ancient pathways to the neighbouring town of Vernasca and onwards to Corniglia and the Vernazza. Irish adventurers should remember to bring plenty of water, however... The sea here is as breathtaking as the land. Renting a kayak is easy and there are plenty of options for guided tours - just head down to the marina and follow the signs. You can even do a guided snorkelling tour. For older people or families, a guided boat tour leaves from the marina throughout the day and allows you to see the whole coastline from Vernazza down to Riomaggiore. For wine lovers, Manarola is known for its sweet Sciacchetra. The vendemmia, or wine harvest, happens at the end of September or during the first weeks of October. It's a great time to visit and see the grapes being harvested by hand and carried down to the village in baskets. There's a festival-like atmosphere as the locals celebrate the culmination of months of hard work. Again, it's a glimpse of life in these famous five 'lands' that hasn't changed in centuries. However you get there, by cruise ship or land, Cinque Terre is a stunning location that must be seen at least once in your lifetime. It's a little bit out of the way, but when you're there, you feel a world away from modernity. They say that the traveller in Italy can suffer from an 'excess of contentment', and it's true. That is precisely what you experience in Manarola and, with the stresses of modern living, couldn't we all use some of that? Where to eat Capunn Magru (the best all-rounder), Trattoria Dal Billy (a no-frills trattoria) and Nessun Dorma (spectacular views) are three to try. Aperitivo in Italy is time for a drink from 7pm to 8.30/9pm... they'll often provide a buffet too. Get there A host of cruise lines have La Spezia on their itineraries for 2019, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and MSC. The port is roughly an hour's transfer from Cinque Terre. By air, Ryanair flies from Dublin to Pisa, from which a train is probably the easiest transfer. If you're on a budget, any flight to Milan and then a train trip could save. What to pack You'll need sturdy walking shoes for the hilly streets and trails, and don't forget to bring your swimming togs. It's also advisable to pack a pair of swim shoes, as the coast is sharp and rocky. The secret marzipan thief is the man who ate the icing on the cake, off the cake. And the strange case of the man who eats marzipan late at night is inextricably intertwined with the proposed banning of the Christmas anthems 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' and 'White Christmas'. I'm sure that by now most of you will have figured the marzipan thief is a man. Marziman strikes at night when the rest of the family are asleep. There's the second clue. The man hopelessly addicted to marzipan is a nocturnal creature. The worst part of being a marzipan addict is the taste stays in your mouth for ages afterwards. Marzipan is like gin in this respect. The colour of marzipan is tooth yellow. The texture sticks to the teeth like edible Velcro but Marzipan Man can't help himself. I know something of the poor man's background. He has form. It seems that when the thief was a boy, he was involved in the Great Yule Bourbon Cream Heist. He became known subsequently by his family as The Boy Who Robbed the USA even though the child never stole America, or from America, or any part thereof. His target was the Christmas box of USA biscuits. The boy who stole the USA could not bear to listen to 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'. The boy used to sneakily remove the Sellotape from around the tin of biscuits while his parents were working downstairs in their pub. The sugar-hungry boy surreptitiously ate a purloined bourbon cream. He then replaced the Sellotape. The boy would have never been caught out, but he ate the most of a box of USA one night and was very sick all over his brother in the lower bunk bed. The Boy who Loved Bourbon told his story to The Man Who Knows Everything (TMWKE). "'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' is not good for Santa," said TMWKE surefootedly. TMWKE goes on and on, as he often tends to do. "The song," says TMWKE, "is about covert surveillance and is in breach of privacy." TMWKE sings: "He knows when you're awake, he knows when you're asleep." Now TMWKE speaks. "Then there's threats like, 'You better watch out, you better be quiet.' And the line, 'he knows when you are good or bad' is surely a breach of the GDPR regulations which are very strict on data protection." TMWKE swears an oath: "I will fight for that song to be banned." But Santa is no spy and Santa is no informer. If he was he would have been seen off years ago here in Ireland. We will get back shortly to the marzipan mystery but in the meantime the story must be told of another Christmas song in danger of the silent treatment. 'Jingle Bells' is next to be added to the no-play list. I was told as much by TMWKE. "Why?" asks I, innocently. "The song seems harmless enough to me." The reply from TMWKE is instantaneous and sharp, as is often the case with people who are certain they are right. "'Jingle Bells'," says TMWKE, "is doomed because of dirty talk." I eat another lump of my marzipan, for shock. I always loved 'Jingle Bells'. It's a very easy song to remember and sing. Everyone joins in. TMWKE speaks out, as if from on high, in the fearless forthright voice of the righteous and the undamned. "The line 'Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way' is fine. The next line has to be banned. I'm not saying what the line is, but there's a dirty word in it. If you sing the dirty word will jump out at you. Sing 'Jingle bells, Jingle all the way' and then go on to the line beginning 'oh what fun'" I do as I am asked, and gasp. I feel a marzipan and bourbon confession coming on, but first I must tell you of the next song to be banned. "'I'm dreamin' of a White Christmas' is a drugs anthem," said TMWKE, categorically. "I'm sorry but I don't quite get that," says I, as I dip my Bourbon cream in the hot tea. "The secret to dunking," said TMWKE, "is to take the process like as if you were testing the temperature of the bath water with your big toe." I eat another undunked bourbon cream and then another. "You have me there on 'White Christmas'," I admit. "You shouldn't speak with your mouth full," says TMWKE. "'White Christmas'? White? Snow? Get it?" asks TMWKE rhetorically, as he often does. People who know everything tend to ask a lot of what they think are rhetorical questions but are just plain, straight forward questions to the rest of us ordinary people. "I'm lost," says I. Before we get to his answer, I must tell you I have put on a good share of weight over the Christmas. It was the bourbons and the marzipan that did it. I'm worried I might not be able to fit into my dress. I'm wearing one for the Listowel Christmas panto which takes place from January 2-5 next in aid of local charities. You can book on 087 7027871. I have only a very small part but it's driving me nuts trying to fit into the very small dress. But enough of the plugs as the electrician said at his retirement party. TMWKE was aghast at my ignorance. "The 'White Christmas' line is an obvious reference to a cocaine party. And what is snow another word for?" He asks the question very slowly, like when a teacher gives a child time to think. "Frozen water?" hazards I. An exasperated TMWKE shakes his head and then buries his face in his hands. He makes me nervous. The bourbon cream slips from my shaking fingers and into the cup like an alligator entering a murky lagoon. "I told you dip, not slip," says TMWKE angrily. He continues in an exasperated tone: "Snow, our ill-informed, so-called columnist, is another word for the highly addictive and illegal drug known as cocaine." This is all too much. I fumble through my pocket and find the last of the marzipan. I eat it quickly by way of sedation and comfort food. As any sailor will confirm, there isn't one among us with the power to change the wind's direction. But we can trim our sails to take advantage of the way in which the breeze is blowing, or make preparations during still periods to be ready for favourable gusts. It's important to remember this as 2018 gives way to 2019, a year set to have a momentous impact on our dealings with Britain - painstakingly fostered good relations unravelling as Brexit tugs at the complex tapestry that binds our two islands. More squalls must be expected, further stretches of choppy water remain to be negotiated. The coming 12 months will be peppered with centenaries. Among them are milestones that redefined the interaction between Ireland and Britain, from the inaugural Dail Eireann meeting on January 21, 1919, to the first shots fired in the War of Independence in Tipperary on the same date. History repeats itself. This we know. However, lessons absorbed over the past 100 years can help to mitigate the strains that will continue to be placed on Anglo-Irish relations as Britain prepares to depart from the European Union on March 29. Here are two lessons we can draw from events of earlier years. Number one, political abstentionism doesn't work and is a disservice to voters, as Eamon de Valera discovered during the 1920s when he led a Sinn Fein party refusing to enter the Dail because of the oath of allegiance to a foreign power. Indeed, later in life, de Valera is reported to have admitted it was a lost opportunity. And number two, the common travel area between Ireland and Britain must be maintained. Despite independence for three-quarters of the island, both Irish and British politicians successfully maintained that open-door policy. They managed it because they knew it to be vital economically, socially and politically. A century ago, give or take a fortnight, an epoch-defining general election was held - the first and only all-Ireland election to the Dail. Sinn Fein fought it on a secession premise, pledging to set up an alternative assembly, and voters gave the party a landslide victory. After centuries of colonisation, Ireland took important constitutional steps towards regaining autonomy. Yet this election also underscored fault lines between the two parts of the island, a fissure that endures to the present day - its result showing a strong unionist presence in the North, bent on maintaining the link with Britain that nationalism wanted to sever. Today, unionism is caught in an existential crisis because its very being prevents Britain's hoped-for clean break from the European Union. Brexit has acted as a reminder of the North's unfinished business status. Both milestones in Irish-British history - Brexit and Dail Eireann's formation - occurred as a result of plebiscites. Both milestones in the name of democracy led to unforeseen difficulties. In the case of Dail Eireann and the subsequent war, six Northern counties were hived off into a small state with a disproportionately large parliament building at Stormont, the Northern Ireland state legislated into existence in 1920. Regarding Brexit, as we know, citizens in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales voted in 2016 on whether to leave or remain with the European Union, the group decision to go causing friction in Ireland and Britain's relationship because of the Irish Border. Let's pause to consider that election of December 14, 1918. It was the first in more than eight years because World War I intervened. It was also the first in which electoral reforms meant a great many more people were eligible to vote, partly in acknowledgement of wartime sacrifices. In Ireland, the electorate ballooned almost threefold. Men aged 21 and over were eligible without restriction, along with women aged 30 plus who were university graduates, property owners or the wives of such. The election led to Countess Markievicz becoming a TD rather than an MP. At the time, she was locked up in London's Holloway Prison, but won a seat as a Sinn Fein candidate for St Patrick's Ward in Dublin city. "Save Ireland by voting as Ms Pearse will vote" urged Sinn Fein, courting the female ballot and pledging "the womenfolk of the Gael" would hold high position "in the council of a freed Gaelic nation". (A false promise, as women would soon discover. Not that Cumann na nGaedheal were any more enlightened.) So it was that women were submerged in the aftermath of 1918, their contributions airbrushed from history. Nevertheless, they continued to fight battles, along with men, for civil liberties denied to them. 2018 saw a decisive battle won when a grassroots, female-led revolution occurred, pushing for repeal of the Eighth Amendment banning abortion in virtually every set of circumstances. That social revolution is the stand-out happening of this past year, delivered by the heirs to the revolutionary women who contributed to the formation of the Irish State. While the campaign was supported by numerous men, there is no doubt it was driven by women. The legislation was signed into law by the President just before Christmas and abortions will become legal from January. What else lies ahead this year? Aside from Brexit, an international issue affecting us nationally, Ireland is under the shadow of two overhanging domestic problems: homelessness and health. We may be managing economically but if we cannot house our citizens and give them timely healthcare we are failing them socially. Clearly, progress on alleviating these matters is unacceptably slow, with families including children living in emergency accommodation and patients languishing on hospital trolleys. Cash-strapped Irish governments of the 1940s were able to build public housing - how is it our cash-rich Exchequer cannot match that programme? Bearing down the track in May are local and European elections, and support or otherwise for Government policies will be apparent then. A century ago, the international scene was shifting and volatile, with empires toppling and new nation-states being formed amid discussion about secession and self-determination for countries previously ruled by powerful neighbours. Ireland was part of that dynamic. A similar notion of "taking back control" - in this case from the EU - is music to some British ears, highlighting how little has changed in the dynamics of nationalism. Coincidentally, January 21 is expected to be the last possible day when British parliamentarians can vote on an exit deal. It also happens to be the date when the first Dail met in Dublin. Martina Devlin's latest book is 'Truth & Dare: Short Stories about Women Who Shaped Ireland' There is a tendency to idealise history, then to revise it when our knowledge or our perspectives change. Revisionism has been a feature of our dialogue about the role of Irish people in World War I and in subsequent offensives at home, including the War of Independence and the Civil War. World War I concluded in November 11, 1918, with the signing of the armistice. For psychiatrists, like myself, the Great War has a special resonance. In an article in 'The Lancet' in 1915, Dr Charles Myers described soldiers who were involuntarily shivering, crying, fearful and had constant intrusions of memory as a result of what they experienced in the trenches and battlefields. He called it shell shock. This term is not used in psychiatry today, having been replaced by the more recent term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also first described following the war in Vietnam. While doctors on the front line in France were sympathetic to the plight of these soldiers, the army administration was not and saw it as a form of indiscipline, banning use of the term for a period. By the end of the war more than 80,000 cases were diagnosed. Poets Robert Graves, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon wrote movingly about the emotionally broken men who survived its worst offerings. Irish soldiers fought bravely in the war, too, and suffered psychologically. The numbers are unknown but around 20,000 wounded men returned home and were either in convalescence or on disability. Some with psychological damage were hospitalised in what were the Richmond War Hospital (on the grounds of what subsequently became known as Grangegorman Hospital and later St Brendan's) and the Hermitage War Hospital, as well as in around 100 auxiliary hospitals around the country. These were usually private houses. Irish doctors did not have the expertise in treating shell shock that the British had. Their methods are captured very convincingly in the 'Regeneration Trilogy' by Pat Barker. Efforts to provide care in Ireland were thrown into chaos during the War of Independence and most of these hospitals closed by 1919. There remained a meagre 32 beds in Leopardstown Park House for those suffering with shell shock, and a waiting list for admission of 762. By then there were 30,000 men in Ireland in receipt of disability pensions from the British government as a result of World War I. Just two months after the armistice, on January 21, 1919, an election returned a Sinn Fein government in Ireland and it declared independence from Britain. That same day, two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary were shot dead by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Co Tipperary and so began the War of Independence. Ireland will begin its commemoration of that war shortly. It ultimately led to the formation of an independent Ireland, but with partition as the cost. Into that culture returned the Irishmen who fought in France, many already suffering with shell shock. They found a vehemently anti-British attitude and a country starting a guerrilla war against the country for which they had risked their lives a few months previously. Life was very uncertain and deeply unsettling for these men who had expressed allegiance to the British then, but now were expected to wage war against them. Those who were disabled due to shell shock could not get sufficient respite or treatment and sympathy was in short supply for people seen as turncoats. Data on the numbers involved is uncertain but some historians suggest 20pc of soldiers in World War I experienced shell shock and it is estimated almost a quarter of a million Irishmen fought in that war. Some did join the Irish Army, although having already been affected by their experiences in France would have been vulnerable in the face of new trauma that the War of Independence would bring. Tom Barry, organiser of the famous ambush in Kilmichael, Co Cork, had fought on the Somme, although there is no suggestion he was traumatised by his experiences. Others included Emmet Dalton and Maurice Meade. It has been claimed by historian Stephen O'Connor that more than 200 ex-British servicemen joined the IRA during the War of Independence. There is anecdotal information that British ex-servicemen were ostracised and assaulted in the new independent Ireland. In a book by JD Stover, 'The Irish War of Independence', the reality of soldiers requiring help is confirmed. A new insight was that not only were the soldiers themselves victims but that there were secondary victims such as family members and neighbours who were often subjected to unexpected searches. Those escaping the internment camps were also identified as suffering. Those who suffered shell shock during this war were treated in what was now Grangegorman Hospital and Dr Vincent Ellis, the assistant medical director, took a special interest in this. There are stories of some IRA soldiers being given a safe house in a padded cell there, in the guise of mental illness. Others, who were captured by the British and after torture showed evidence of mental illness, were sent to Broadmoor Hospital in England. War is cruel and when we mark our independence as a nation next month we should not forget that it was won in blood and fear. As Wilfred Owen wrote: "And some cease feeling/Even themselves or for themselves/ Dullness best solves/The tease and doubt of shelling". Patricia Casey is consultant psychiatrist in the Mater Hospital and emeritus professor of psychiatry at UCD The coming year looks set to be the most significant for Ireland's divorce regime since it was signed into law in 1996. Not only is a referendum planned to reduce the time couples must wait before their marriage can be dissolved, other significant aspects of divorce law look set to be examined by the Law Reform Commission. Brexit could also have an impact on divorce cases where one spouse is living in Ireland and the other in the UK. Of the three, the referendum proposals are the most significant. Many people feel the period a couple must live apart before they can get divorced is simply too long. Currently the spouses must have lived apart for at least four of the previous five years. Culture Minister Josepha Madigan has spearheaded a campaign to reduce the period a couple must live apart to two out of the previous three years, and has won Government support for a referendum. Two issues have yet to be decided - when the referendum will take place, and what question will be put to the people. One possibility is the vote would be on whether or not to reduce the period set out in the Constitution from four years to two. Another possibility would be for a vote on whether to remove reference in the Constitution to a time period altogether and introducing a new, shortened period, in legislation instead. Meanwhile, subject to sign-off from the Oireachtas Justice Committee and the Cabinet, the Law Reform Commission looks set to examine a number of aspects of divorce law. One area expected to be looked at is the rules regarding recognition of foreign divorces, which is a complicated area. Another area is that of so-called "clean-break" divorce. This is where there is a settlement which brings an end to the financial relationship between both spouses. However, the Constitution states proper provision must be made for spouses and their children, having regard to the circumstances that exist. In theory this means a spouse can have a second bite of the cherry if a judge decides proper provision was not made. The commission is set to examine whether there is a case to be made for giving guidance to the courts, via legislation, on the issue. According to commissioner Raymond Byrne, that may include setting out the circumstances where having a clean-break provision would be appropriate or not. One issue which it is feared could arise in 2019 should Brexit go ahead is jurisdictional wrangling over where divorce proceedings should be heard. Under EU regulations, once proceedings have started in a particular member state, another member state must refuse jurisdiction. However, it is feared that post-Brexit there could be arguments over jurisdiction before the actual divorce proceedings are dealt with. Then there is the issue of whether UK court rulings will enjoy the same recognition they do now. Louth TD Gerry Adams has called on the Minister for Health to take action after nurses last week voted for strike action Deputy Adams said; 'Both the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. This will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the difficult working conditions of nurses.' 'Our public hospitals have been significantly damaged through bed closures, downgrades and a deep crisis in recruitment and retention of staff. This is against the backdrop of serious reductions in community healthcare provision which diverts more and more people towards already over crowded hospitals to access the care which they should receive in a community setting. They indicated to me that in the event of the ballot being carried all non life saving services will be withdrawn for 24 hour periods, there would be no normal ward services, all outpatient appointments and elective surgeries would be cancelled and there would be no respite services. Councillor Ruairi O Murchu added: 'I am aware Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda was the site of a pilot project 'Taskforce on Nurse Staffing' which demonstrated that with additional investment in nursing staff mortality levels in the hospital decreased by 50%, recruitment issues were addressed, patients spent less time in hospital and they received more timely medical interventions. What needs to happen now is the implementation of the report of the Taskforce on Nurse Staffing.' Local Artist Micheal McKeown (front left) looks on as Chairman of Louth County Council, Cllr. Liam Reilly cuts the ribbon watched by Paddy Donnelly, Director of Service, Mary ONeill, Louth Leader Partnership, John Horan, Chairman Blackrock Tidy Towns and Vincent OShea, Arts Co-ordinator at the unveiling of the sculpture by Micheal, The Cockle Pickers in Blackrock. Local artist Micheal McKeown says he didn't have to search too hard for inspiration when he won a commission to create a piece of public artwork for the promenade in Blackrock. Cockle picking has, he says, been synonymous with Blackrock for centuries, and his sculpture, unveiled recently, depicts two people gathering a basket of these shellfish. 'It's what everybody did, and it wasn't just as a hobby but to get food,' he explains. A keen local historian, Micheal says he has found references to cockle picking in the area going back to the early 1800s, and indeed the importance of the humble shellfish is commemorated in the place name Cocklehill. And cockles ended up being at the centre of a controversy in the early 1800s when the landlord Lord Clermont imposed a tax on the cockles collected by local people. There was a lot of opposition to this as Lord Clermont was also collecting rents from his tenants. There is, he says, a lot of folklore and history associated with cockle fishing which has been handed down from generation to generation. 'If the cockle pickers spotted the bailiff when they were coming in after collecting the cockles, they would bury them in the sand so that they would return to shore empty handed, and would go out and gather them the next day.' His sculpture, which took four months to complete, depicts two cocker pickers with their harvest. It's made out of stainless steal, which was cut into strips and woven over a full sized wooden model of the figures which Micheal had made. He was assisted by Pat Maguire, a steel fabricator from Blackrock, in welding all the joins in the piece. The piece was commissioned by Blackrock Tidy Towns with funding from Louth Leader and Supervalu. One party that is always worth visiting over the festive period is the Ballymascanlon Hotel Christmas Park and the place was filling nicely by the time we arrived. I wasn't too long in the door when I met up with Michelle and Noel Reidy from Blackrock who were with the Shane Gleeson party and were looking forward to a marvellous night, but decided they'd check out the main bar in the hotel before the festivities got under way. Making my way over to one of the tables where I caught up with Jonathan Hill from Castleblaney who was there as part of the Bellurgan Precision Engineering party and we had a laugh about the time zone commonly known round here as 'Dundalk Time'! Not too long later I had the pleasure of meeting up with Marie and Michael McShane who weren't part of any group, they were there to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary and told me that Marie actually worked in the hotel and Michael arrived in and it was 'love at first sight' and they've been happily married ever since. I then caught up with Helen McMahon from Dublin who was there with Celtic Wind Crops and said there were people at their party from Louth, Kildare and the UK. While I was taking to her met up with my old friend Pat Gavin from Bay Estate who was with his brother Joe Gavin from Clane in Kildare both from Celtic Wind Crops. The lads tried to tell me it was going to be a nice quiet night. Knowing one of the Gavin brothers and how he likes to party, I was in the company of two, so you can draw your own conclusion! Next, I got a word with Paul McCourt from Jenkinstown who hasn't been in these pages for quite some time. He was enjoying a laugh with Kevin Hurley and Chau Nguyen both from Castleknock who were all looking forward to the festivities. I then headed over to a table where I met up with the Bettystown Avenue Girls who were up all up to celebrate their 60th birthdays together. All the girls were from St. Annes, Bettystown Avenue in Raheny all grew up together and got together to celebrate their birthdays together and they included Anne Carter from Balbriggan, Geraldine Baxter, Yvonne Creavy and Catherine Furey all from Raheny who were all in fantastic form and were really looking forward to a good night together. I then headed for a table where a group of friends had got together for a Christmas party and they included Carmel Murphy from Farndreg, Owen McCoy from Ardee, Caroline Hughes from Louth Village, Stephen Walch from Litchfield, Aileen Zamboglou from Lordship, Angela Kirwan from Louth Village, Joan Kerr from Blackrock and Mark Dorian from Newry who were having a great laugh together and were looking forward to the festivities on the night. Heading back to the table where I'd met Jonathan Hill earlier, he was now joined by Marie Mullen from Avenue Road, David McArdle from Castle Heights, David Hearty from Kingswood and Ken Kirwan from Cooley who assured me it was going to be nothing short of a mad night when they all got together. Obviously, they had forgotten to get a couple of chairs for Victor and Enrika Gezys originally from Lithuania but now living in town who were with the Bellurgan PE group, but it didn't matter to them, they were more than happy to mingle. Heading for another table I then had the pleasure of meeting up with four ladies who were looking stunning on the night and they were Erica Watters from Muirhevna, Gillian Cole from Belfry Drive, Deanna Cairn from Bay Estate and Denise McShane from Philip Street who were on a major Girls Night Out saying 'sure it had to be done' and all I could do was agree with them. Finally, before I departed, I met Sean Dixon from Greenfield Court and Seamus Malone from Cooley who were on their way in to join the Bellurgan PE group and they assured me that this was going to be an epic night with all their workmates, as it always is. Local musicians are wearing their hearts on their sleeves and lending their support to a number of deserving charities over the festive season. First up is the Dundalk Buskathon for Simon taking place in Earl Street on Sunday afternoon from 12noon to 5pm with a host of acts raising funds for Dundalk Simon Community. This is the second year that local musicians have organised the buskathon to help the homeless. Among those acts taking part are Nix Moon, Just Mustard, Finnian Kelleher, David Bellew, Brian Hup T Casley, Mark Corcoran, Elephant, Larry, The Mary Wallopers, Anton & Stephanie Weddings And Events, Orwells '84, Coastline Pickup, Arco Arena. So pop by and drop something in their buckets when you're doing your shopping on Sunday afternoon. Gerry O'Connor is presenting his annual Homecoming concert in An Tain Arts Centre on Friday night in aid of in aid of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) Ireland, the charity that supports families who have lost a child to Sudden Cardiac Death or Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. 'Having played our first (!) family concert at the 2018 All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Drogheda, we offered our help to the charity's efforts to raise 585,000 for their new All Island Cardiac Risk in the Young Centre, due to open in 2019,' says Gerry. This concert is always a great chance for local musicians who are home for Christmas to get together on stage. This year. Gerry, whose album 'Last Night's Joy' has received tremendous reviews, will joined by children Donal, Siubhan, Feilimi and Finnian, sister Eilish O'Connor, brother Peter O'Connor, wife Sile O'Connor and Grainne Smith. They will be playing the music of Oriel, tunes handed down from by Gerry's mother Rose and compositions by the late Eithne Ni Ullachain. Gerry says they decided to host the concert in aid of CRY Ireland, as he has Tommy Fegan, the charity's chairman since the 70's. They first met at sessions in the famous Dundalk's Mark's Bar and more recently worked together in the Thomas D'Arcy Magee Foundation. 'I was shocked and saddened at the sudden death of his son, Kevin,in 2010,' says Gerry. 'Tommy asked me to play Ur Chnoic Cein Mhic Cainte at Kevin's funeral. So, when he initiated a campaign to raise awareness and funds for CRY, my family readily agreed to dedicate the traditional Homecoming Christmas concert to this great charity.' Don't be surprised if a number of special guests join the O'Connors on stage. Tickets can be booked on line at www.antain.ie There's a massive fundraising concert in aid of the Zoe Murphy Appeal in the Lisdoo on Sunday night with a host of top tribute bands. The Total Tribute, billed as a pre-New Year's Eve Party, features Abba tribute Waterloo, Westlife/Take That tribute Back for Good and Tina Turner tribute Proud Mary. Tickets, priced 20, are on sale from Gold Star Jewellers and The Lisdoo. Conor McDonnell, Best School Entry winner from St. Marys NS, Knockbridge pictured with his father Brian at the Amnesty International School Poster Competition awards ceremony held in the Oriel Centre The theme of Fairness was explored by pupils from local primary schools for the poster competition organised by the local branch of Amnesty International. The winners of the competition, which attracted entries from eleven schools from Dundalk and surrounding areas, were presented with their prizes at an awards ceremony in the Oriel Centre recently. Joan Brady of the Dunalk branch of Amnesty International praised the high standard of entries, which she said was a tribute to the teachers and parents who encouraged the children to create their artwork. All the entries were displayed in the Oriel Centre on the night. The Dundalk branch of Amnesty International meets every second Monday of the month in the Community Room, Tesco Extra, Dublin Road, and new members are always welcome. With students from five Louth schools taking part, organisers of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition are gearing up for the 55th anniversary of the national competition. The event will be held in the RDS Arena in Dublin from 9th - 12th January and brings together some of the country's brightest young minds as they compete to take home the title of the BT Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year 2019. Students from three schools in the Dundalk area are among the finalists: St. Vincent's Secondary School, Dundalk Grammar and Bush Post Primary. St. Vincent's have three projects entered including: 'A Fourier Analysis of Mathematical Wave Patterns in Irish dancing' and 'The Marshmallow Challenge' focused on business and sporting groups team building. Students are also examining 'Female Centric Bullying Terminology.' Bush P.P have four projects in the final including: 'Are we witnessing the downfall of the Catholic Church?' and 'How Brexit will affect businesses on both sides of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.' Other projects feature an analysis of caffeine affects performance, and the impact of global warming on crops. Dundalk Grammar have one project entered in the competition, using ultrasound to help the visually impaired navigate.' With four packed exhibition halls full of exciting things to see and do, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has something to stimulate the minds of every generation. Tickets are available online now costing 8 for students, 12 adults and 25 for a family pass which includes two adults and two children. Tickets guarantee entry to all of the Exhibition and to all special shows. https://btyoungscientist.com/ticketing/ Grainne Murphy, Creative Spark print studio and Angela Dullaghan, Louth County Council at the Love Louths Landmarks stand at the Christmas Market at Market Square. Louth folk can show their pride in the county's landmarks with a new range of souvenirs produced by the Creative Spark print studio in association with Louth County Council. The Love Louth's Landmarks range, which was revealed at the recent Frostival Christmas Market in Dundalk, features images of iconic Louth landmarks on bags, cards, notebooks and prints. The project is the brainchild of Sarah Daly, Chief Executive Creative Spark and Angela Dullaghan, architectural conservation officer with Louth County Council, who successfully applied for funding from Creative Ireland to develop a range of quality local souvenirs as a pilot project. The striking range featuring Proleek Dolmen, Carlingford Thosel, the Signal Box at Dundalk Station, St Laurence's Gate, and Bridges of the Boyne were designed by Grainne Murphy, Creative Spark print studio. The range of souvenirs includes organic tote bags and shopper bags, sketch books, cards and colour prints on high quality Fabriano paper, which are ideal for framing. 'We want to promote the beautiful landmarks which we have in the county and felt this was a good way of doing so,' explains Angela. Love Louth Landmark's range is available at An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk and Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda. The annual St. Vincent's Christmas Trade Fair brought a festive atmosphere to the school last week as students showcased their seasonal creations! The yearly event is a real treat as it provides students who have worked on developing their own products to showcase their hard work, and see first hand what it's like to retail at a busy trade fair. With the Christmas theme, there were unsurprisingly many festive foods on sale, with some delectables choices on offer! But it was also an opportunity to fit in some Christmas shopping as many products were designed as gifts. Students and staff were delighted to welcome other schools along to the event, to share the very best of their entrepreneurial spirit. A school spokeswoman said they were delighted with the success of the fair. 'What a fantastic day we had at our annual Christmas Trade Fair - fantastic student entrepreneurs selling their products. Thanks to all the schools who visited also!' Conor Hughes just Chilling Out for Christmas in aid of his Romanian Charity. Picture Ken Finegan Flower Power.......Conor Hughes perched high in Blackrock as part of one of his annual fundraising for Cross Cause. It has been the highlight of every Christmas season for many years, and this St. Stephen's Day will be no different as Blackrock charity leader Conor Hughes hosts the annual beach event for CrossCause. Each year Conor goes that extra mile to bring a smile to our faces and, speaking to the Argus as he got preparations underway, he promises not to disappoint on Wednesday next! 'Without giving too much away, I will be in an elevated position once again this year,' said Conor. He added that the theme will centre around the campaign highlighting plastics dumped in the world's oceans and seas. Crowds gather at the beach and along the promenade every year to check out what Conor and his merry band of volunteers had up their sleeves. In all weather conditions, they have endeavoured to entertain and amaze with Conor often undertaking daring feats all in the name of CrossCause. Indeed, last year's event saw his perched dangerously on a tower of pianos for five hours. 'People are always so generous in their response to the fundraiser, and this year we are hoping to launch a new eye clinic in Ghana in 2019.' As part of the plans, Conor's charity CrossCause have been able to put a discarded eye surgery microscope from a Dublin hospital back into use in the new clinic. 'These machines are vital in the clinic, and we're delighted to have had it donated.' Check out Conor's antics, and support the fundraiser at Blackrock beach from 12midday to 5pm on St. Stephen's Day. (CNN) The personal information of almost 1,000 North Korean defectors has been stolen after hackers targeted an agency which helped them resettle in South Korea. Officials said Friday that a computer belonging to the Gyeongbuk Hana Center was "infected with malicious code," enabling hackers to access the information -- including names, birth dates, and addresses -- of 997 defectors. The center is operated by the Hana Foundation, a non-profit body set up in 2010 by the Unification Ministry to provide "protection and settlement support for North Korean defectors." About 30,000 defectors are registered as living in South Korea. In the past, prominent defectors have been targeted by the North Korean authorities and families left behind in the North have faced punishment. "Currently no harm or damage has been observed due to the leak," a Unification Ministry spokesman told CNN. "We have been contacting each defector (to brief them)." In a statement, the Hana Foundation said it offered "our sincere apology" to those affected. "The PC had been immediately disconnected and secured," it added. "The personal information that had been leaked (which includes name and birth date) will be explained individually over phone or mail. We are operating a hotline to report issues and damages." A North Korean defector surnamed Choi told CNN there was concern that someone working for the organization might have "purposefully leaked it." "Once the personal information is leaked to North Korea, those people's families back home will be registered and fall under constant surveillance. They (affected defectors) are distraught," he said. In a statement, the Unification Ministry said the hack had been detected during a check of the computers by a "related authority," which then ordered an on-site investigation. On the compromised computer were files containing the personal information of defectors based in the eastern region of Gyeongbuk, which had been created by the Hana Foundation "to provide support for the defectors." Those files were "leaked due to the hack," the statement said, adding new security protocols were being implemented from January 2019. "We apologize for causing worry to many defectors with this incident," the Ministry said, adding it would try to strengthen protection of personal information. While the Ministry did not name a suspect in the hacking attack, North Korea is known to have a well-established cyber army which has been blamed for numerous attacks around the world. In October, cybersecurity firm FireEye accused the North Korean government of using a state-sponsored hacking group to steal more than $100 million in "particularly aggressive" attacks on global banks. North Korean hackers were also blamed for a major attack on Sony Pictures in 2014. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Personal details of North Korean defectors stolen after hackers target resettling agency." There was a familiar face missing from the line up of Fianna Fail Local Election 2019 candidates at the party's Louth selection convention, which took place last week. North Louth Councillor, Peter Savage confirmed to the Argus that after 44 years of public service he won't be standing in the next local elections. First elected in 1974, he holds the title as the longest serving county councillor in the country. He has also served as chairman of the council a record five times. A new candidate is expected to be named and added to the party ticket for Cllr. Savage's electoral area in early January. The party held their final selection convention in Louth last week, with another three names added to the local ticket. Confirming the news, sitting Louth Councillor, Emma Coffey said: 'I am very pleased to say that this evening myself and Cllr. Liam Reilly were selected at the Fianna Fail convention to contest the Local Elections 2019 in the Dundalk South Area.' She added: 'Our good friend and colleague Councillor Conor Keelan was selected to contest the Dundalk North Area. 'Many thanks to Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee traveling up from Dublin so close to Christmas to chair the convention and also to Deputy Declan Breathnach returning from Leinster House to attend the convention.' Cllr. Coffey added: 'With all conventions for Local Elections 2019 completed in Louth, we have a great team county wide to contest the up coming election with John Sheridan our party colleague and one of our mid Louth Candidates supporting us.' Already in the running in other parts of Louth are Fintan Malone and John Sheridan who were selected last week to stand in the Mid-Louth area. while the previous week Anthony Moore and James Byrne were selected to run in Drogheda with Richard Cooney in Drogheda Rural. Bray: Christ Church COI - Services of Worship for Sunday, December 23 - Advent 4: 8.30 a.m. - Holy Communion 1; 11 a.m. - Holy Communion 2. Christmas Timetable: Christmas Eve: 11 p.m. - 'Quiet Carols'; 11.30 p.m. - Midnight Communion. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. - Holy Communion 2; 10.30 a.m. Family Service; 11.40 a.m. - Short Communion. Services of Worship for December 30 to December 1 Sunday of Christmas: 8.30 a.m. - Holy Communion One; 11 a.m. - Morning Prayer Holy Redeemer Parish Holy Redeemer Parish: Call 01 2868413. Website: holyredeemerbray.ie email office@holyredeemerbray.ie. Refurbishment of Holy Redeemer Church and Parish Centre: Thanks to all who have already contributed to our fundraising drive so far. You can return your donations/pledge form to the parish office or drop it into the sacristy at your convenience. Where your contribution exceeds 250 in any one year a refund of tax paid can be claimed by the parish from Revenue under the Charitable Donations Scheme. The parish office will make the necessary arrangements to make this claim. Signed Mass Cards: Are looked after by the priests of the parish and are available only in the parish office or in the sacristy. Holy Redeemer Parish Christmas Timetable: Individual Confessions will be heard this Saturday (December 22) from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.; Carol Service this Sunday, December 23, at 4 p.m. (Traditional Service of Readings and Carols with the Gaudium Choir, conducted by Pat Carey). Christmas Eve: Penitential Service at midday. Masses are at 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. Christmas Day Masses will be at 9 a.m., 10.30 a.m. and midday. No Evening Mass. Christmas Week Masses and for the Beginning of January 2019: Wednesday, December 26, to December 11 a.m. only; Thursday, December 27, to Saturday, December 29: 10 a.m. only. Sunday, December 30: 9 a.m., 10.30 p.m., midday and 6 p.m. Monday, December 31: 10 a.m. and 9.30 p.m. New Year's Eve Mass; Tuesday, January 1: 11 a.m. only; Wednesday, January 2, to Saturday, January 10 a.m. only. Sunday, January 6: 9 a.m. 10.30 a.m., midday, and 6 p.m.; Monday, January 7, to Friday, January 11: 10 a.m. Mass only. No Evening Mass. The Coffee Dock: The Coffee Dock is closed and will reopen on Monday, January 7, after 10 a.m. Mass. Carol Service this Sunday - December 23: Join us again for a traditional service of Readings and Carols by the Gaudium Choir of the parish of the Most Holy Redeemer, conducted by Pat Carey this Sunday at 4 p.m. St Peter's Parish Hall Bookings and To Book a Mass: To book a room in the Parish Hall or a Mass, please contact Sharon in the parish office at 01 282 9467. Mass cards available at the parish office. Penitential Services: Church of the Holy Redeemer next Monday (December 24) at midday. Christmas Masses: Christmas Eve: 5.30 p.m.; Christmas Day: 10 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. Christmas Mass Bouquets: St Peter's Christmas Mass Bouquets now available in the parish office also Packs of Christmas Cards, and Christmas Mass Bouquets. Young at Heart Dinners: These have now ceased and will recommence in January/February 2019 subject to weather. Date to be confirmed. St Vincent de Paul: Anybody looking for help from the St Vincent de Paul this Christmas must do so by ringing SVP Dublin at 01 8550022. Please do not leave any post/letters in the post box in the parish office or Bungalow as they will not be read or considered for Christmas help. Many thanks for your co-operation. Wicklow Dementia Support Group: Meets in St Peter's Parish Hall every Monday from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. The Monday Club is a social club for people with memory loss and their family carers. Support activities, fun and outings. For more information contact 089 428692. St Fergal's Parish Parish Information: Moderator, V.F.: Rev Larry Behan. The Parochial House, St Fergal's, Killarney Road, Bray. Team Assistant: Fr Hugh O'Donnell OFM Sacristy: telephone 2768194. Telephone 01 2860980. Email info@stfergalsbray.ie. Web: stfergalsbray.ie Baptisms: First and third Saturday of each month at midday. Three week's notice before the preparation meeting is required. Preparation meeting is normally held on the Monday before the First Saturday Sacrament. Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards: Are now available from the parish office and the sacristy. The intentions of those receiving these cards will be remembered at the 9.30 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, December 26, Christmas Timetable: Saturday - December 22: Prayer Service at 9.30 a.m.; Vigil Mass at 7 p.m. followed by Christmas Carol Concert at 7.45 p.m.; Sunday, December 23: Masses at 8 a.m. and 10.30 a.m.; Christmas Eve: 6 p.m. Family Mass (Family Choir); 9 p.m. Vigil Mass (Parish Choir); Christmas Day Masses: 8 a.m., 10 a.m. (Men's Choir), midday (Gospel Choir); Monday, December 26 - St Stephen's Day: Mass at 9.30 a.m. (Intentions of all who received Christmas Bouquet Cards); Tuesday, December 27: Mass at 9.30 a.m. Facebook page. for the Bray and Enniskerry Pastoral Area: Check out 'Bray and Enniskerry Pastoral Area' for all the news and information of our Pastoral Area. Our Lady Queen of Peace Villa Pacis Room Booking: Call 01 2760045 or email villafas1@gmail.com. Website: Please visit our Parish Website: queenofpeace.ie. Parish Christmas Arrangements 2018:. Mass Times on Saturday, December 22: 10.30 a.m. and Vigil Mass at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday; This Sunday - December 23: 10.30 a.m. and midday. Christmas Eve: 10.30 a.m. Mass, 6.30 p.m. Family Mass and 9 p.m. Christmas Night Mass. Christmas Day: 9 a.m., 10.30 a.m. midday. Wednesday, December 26 - St Stephen's Day: 10.30 a.m.; Thursday, December 27, to Saturday, December 29: 10.30 a.m. and Vigil Mass at 6.30 p.m.: Sunday, December 30: 10.30 a.m. at midday. New Year's Eve: Service of Thanksgiving at 4.15 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation: Church of the Holy Redeemer next Monday (Christmas Eve) at midday. Individual Confessions will be heard in Our Lady Queen of Peace this Saturday (December 22) from 11 a.m. to midday. Hospitality: There will be tea or coffee after the 10.30 a.m. Mass this Sunday (December 23) facilitated by group B the hospitality team will then return on Sunday, January 6 - Group C. We wish all our Hospitality teams a happy Christmas. Christmas Stamps: If you have any used stamp, please leave them into the Villa Pacis during office hours. Please leave at least a quarter - inch around each stamp. Thank you. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration: As you know we are always looking for new adorers and would be very grateful for help during the night hours from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. and 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. and 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. Please contact the sacristy at 01 2723865. Our Lady Queen of Peace Bethany Bereavement Support Group: Will have an additional drop in morning at the Villa Pacis on the first Friday of every month starting from last Friday after the 10.30 a.m. Mass for those affected by grief and loss. Our Facebook page: Please visit and like our Facebook page: Bray and Enniskerry Pastoral Area. QOP youth club Cormac Brierton won the member of the year award in the Queen of Peace Adventure Youth Club. This was a highlight at their Christmas Party where many members were given hill walking certificates. The members thanked the very hard working dedicated unpaid voluntary leaders for all the events that were organised during the year. Diving club Bray Divers Sub-Aqua Club membership makes an ideal New Year gift to any person young, old, male, and female. It is certainly one terrific way of keeping fit, appreciating the environment, and learning a lifelong skill. All the training is local, and the certification has worldwide recognition. For details call 0876756439, and begin the adventure. Lions Club Swim Four local voluntary organisations will benefit from the 2019 Bray Lions Club Charity Sea Swim on New Year's Day - these are Wicklow Rapid Response (WWRR), Bray Area Rough Sleepers Support (BARSS), Bray Women's Refuge and Bray Lions senior citizens' /Carers' Fund. The swim HQ is at the Esplanade Hotel which is generously supporting the event, and swimming will take place from the beach opposite the hotel. Bray Lions Club is currently inviting swimmers to register by contacting - brayswim@gmail.com. Registration forms and sponsorship cards are also available from Quin's Pharmacy, Quinsborough Road, Bray, and from members of Bray Lions Club. Further information available from Frank Corr at fcorr100@gmail.com//086 8274710. Bray Library Bray Library opening hours are - Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday - 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Borrowers are reminded that books can be renewed by phone - call 01 2862600. The library will be closed Saturday, December 22, to Tuesday, January 1, 2019, and will re-open at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 2, 2019. Ballywaltrim Library Branch opening hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.,and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays - the library is closed on Mondays and Fridays. Borrowers are reminded that books can be renewed by phone - call 01 2723205. The library will be closed Saturday, December 22, to Tuesday, January 1, 2019, and will re-open at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 2, 2019. Cualann Society The president of the Bray Cualann Historical Society, Ms Eva Sutton, and chairman Brian White extend Christmas Wishes to members, their, families and supporters of the society, and thanks all those who assisted the society throughout 2018 in any way - your support is greatly appreciated. The society extends its most grateful thanks to the management and staff of the Royal Hotel for their assistance with meetings, and to the staffs in Bray and Ballywaltrim branch libraries which hosted a number of special talks by the society during the year. Meetings of the society will resume in January when the AGM of the society will take place at 8 p.m. on January 16 in the Royal Hotel, Bray, and will be followed by talk by James Scannell recalling 'The Closure of the Harcourt, Street, Dublin - Bray line, December 31, 1958' to mark the 60th anniversary of the line's closure. All members are requested to attend the AGM - admission for visitors to the talk - 5. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities has called on the public to ensure any electrical contractors they hire are properly registered following the conviction of a Bray contractor last week. The contractor was fined in Dublin District Court for illegally carrying out designated electrical works without being a registered electrical contractor (REC) with Safe Electric. The case was heard before Judge Timothy Lucey on Monday, December 10, and had been brought by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) against Dara Griffiths of Inspired Homes, Meath Place, Bray. The matter involved works undertaken in a house in Monkstown in March 2017 which results in a number of breaches of the national wiring rules, resulting 'in the potential risk of a house fire' according to the CRU. Judge Lucey fined Mr Griffiths 500 for the offence of illegally undertaking designated electrical works and awarded costs of 1,845 plus VAT to the CRU. Following the case, the CRU's Commissioner for Energy Safety and Chairperson, Dr Paul McGowan, said: 'This successful prosecution sends out a strong message to both unregistered electrical contractors and consumers. When getting electrical work done in your home always ask your electrician if they are a Registered Electrical Contractor before they commence work. 'If an electrical contractor does not have the required registration or cannot prove membership of the Safe Electric scheme, consumers should not use them,' said Dr McGowan. It is illegal for an individual or company to carry out restricted electrical works or to portray themselves as registered, unless they are a REC with Safe Electric regulatory scheme, according to CRU, which is the watchdog body for electricians and gas installers. The penalties for non-compliance include a fine of up to 15,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years. The father of a six-year-old boy who was killed after being struck by a van breaking a red light at a pedestrian crossing has told the driver his family forgives him. James O'Brien (37) of Kilbogget Grove, Cabinteely, Dublin was jailed for four years last week after he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing the death of Cian Marren at Shanganagh Road, Shankill, Dublin, on July 28, 2017. At a sentence hearing, Cian's father, Liam, read from his victim impact statement and told O'Brien that despite 'the unbearable pain, hurt, suffering and anguish, and the life sentence of loss we are living, the one emotion we don't have is bitterness. 'We want James O'Brien to know that our son Cian forgives you,' he said, before adding that the rest of the family forgave him also. He described seeing his son in a neck brace, unconscious but still breathing at the scene. He said paramedics told him his child was 'very, very ill' and 20 minutes later a hospital consultant broke it to the family that there was nothing that could be done to save him. 'The shock and the terror was unbearable. Even though we were told there was no hope, we prayed for a miracle,' Mr Marren said. Garda Barry Cormack told Karl Finnegan BL, prosecuting, that the child, his two sisters, then aged eight and eleven years old, and his aunt had been returning home to their granny's after a day out at the cinema and McDonalds. He said the little boy had been anxious to press the pedestrian crossing button for the green man. Once the green man came up, he stepped out onto the road and was immediately struck by O'Brien's van. O'Brien stopped his vehicle further up the road and returned to the scene. He later met with Mr Marren there and apologised for the accident, saying he didn't see the red light. Gda Cormack told Mr Finnegan that drink, drugs and mobile phone use were ruled out as contributory factors in the investigation. He said the weather had been bright and dry on the day. In his victim impact statement Mr Marren said: 'The person who suffered and lost most is our six-year-old son. 'He is the ultimate victim. He lost his life, his future, he lost his hopes and his dreams.' When Mr Marren had finished reading his statement, Judge Melanie Greally thanked him and extended her deepest condolences. 'I don't know how you've done what you've done, but thank you very much,' she said. O'Brien, has 32 previous convictions at District Court level, including drink driving and a three year driving ban from 2012. Sentencing O'Brien, Judge Greally noted that Cian was struck within moments of stepping off the footpath and was left with fatal head injuries. 'He carried out to the letter all he had been taught to do before crossing the road,' Judge Greally said before she noted that Cian didn't leave the pavement until the green man illuminated. The judge noted that the lights were red for three seconds before the accident and amber for three seconds prior to that, it was a straight stretch of road with which O'Brien was familiar, it was daylight and the driving conditions were good. 'It is impossible to say what passed through his mind in those three seconds,' Judge Greally said before she noted that O'Brien was driving at 10km above the speed limit. She said this speeding was an aggravating factor. She accepted that he remained at the scene until both gardai and emergency services arrived and expressed immediate concern for Cian. Judge Greally accepted that O'Brien is racked with remorse but said he had 'unheeded a red light during which pedestrians have an expectation of being safe'. She sentenced O'Brien to four years in prison. Judge Greally concluded her sentencing remarks by expressing her 'deepest sympathy to the Marren family and all of those who were close to Cian and have been affected by his death'. She noted that Mr Marren had 'carried out the impossible task of expressing in words what they have been through' and added that the family had demonstrated 'an extraordinary and admirable generosity of spirit' in expressing forgiveness towards O'Brien. 'It is a fitting tribute to their son and their brother,' Judge Greally said. She said the most aggravating feature of this 'tragic' case was that 'a six-year-old child was lost and his family have been left broken and bereft as a result'. She further noted that his aunt and two older sisters, witnessed the accident and were themselves also in danger. Mr Marren described phoning relatives to tell them they only had a few hours to say goodbye to Cian. He said he brought his daughters to the hospital the next day. 'We simply said that Cian was never going to wake up and he would be going to heaven later that day.' he said. Mr Marren told the court that though his daughters were so young, they had 'the horror and anguish of any adult when hearing that news'. He said he and his wife suggested the girls draw pictures for Cian and tell him stories as they lay beside him 'to hug and cuddle him for the last time'. Mr Marren said he told his daughters Cian would be donating his organs, 'so when they said goodbye, they said goodbye to their real life hero'. He said on the Sunday morning relatives put their hands on his son's 'still beating heart' before he was wheeled away to theatre. 'This will haunt us forever', Mr Marren said. He added that his family is broken. He described how that Christmas their family opened Cian's presents by his graveside and that he and his wife visit his grave every night to read him a bedside story. He acknowledged that his daughters' childhoods had been severely impacted and that 'they know their mum and dad are not the same'. Gda Cormack agreed with Orla Crowe SC, defending, that O'Brien was in great state of distress and had asked to be remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing date. Ms Crowe said her first instruction was to offer her client's 'deepest condolences to the Marren family on their unbearable loss'. She described the victim impact statement ready by Mr Marren as 'a model of charity' towards her client. She said O'Brien has had problems with alcohol and that his father was also a heavy drinker. She told the court that his wider family was devastated about what happened. She submitted that O'Brien couldn't sleep at night thinking about the death and that he had arranged for prayers to be said for Cian and the Marren family. She said a psychological assessment had placed O'Brien in the 'extremely low range' of intellectual functioning. The annual general meeting of Charleville Veteran, Vintage and Classic Car Club took place recently before a large attendance at Colmanswell Community Centre, where secretary Marion Hartigan gave a comprehensive account of the year's activities, from their first run in Dromcollogher in February to their latest, the Janey Lane Memorial Run in November. As well as participating in the St. Patrick's Day Parades in Charleville and other centres in the locality the club members took part in Charleville Agricultural Show, Rathfredagh Cheshire Home Fete, Dromcollogher, Kilmeedy and Greybridge Vintage Days, as well in their many runs throughout the year. The club's spring run in April was cancelled due to the sad passing of John Biggane. John was a popular member of the club and will be greatly missed. He took great pride in maintaining the travelling creamery and demonstrating how it worked at local charitable events. The club extended sincere sympathies to Eileen and his family. May he rest in peace. This spring run was subsequently held in conjunction with the John Roche Tractor Run on May 13. On another sad note, the club's vice-president, Timmy Cagney, also passed away last spring. He was an active member of the club from the early days. He was always in good form with a smile on his face, and loved driving his Wolseley Wasp and in later years his Triumph Dolomite. Sincere sympathy was extended to his widow, Nellie and his family. May he rest in peace. The following donations were made by the club to the following charities during the past year: Drumcollogher Respite Centre - 1,060, Rathfredagh Cheshire Home - 2,750, Friends of Mallow Hospital - 500 and Ronald McDonald House - 120. The officers elected for 2019 were: President: Eddie O'Callaghan; Vice-President: Mick O'Callaghan; Chairman: Billy Kiely; Hon. Secretary: Marion Hartigan; Treasurer: John Roche; PRO: Paschal Fenton; Members' Secretary: Tony O'Brien. The club meetings are held in Colmanswell Community Centre, on the second Thursday of the month, starting at 8.30pm Members will have a get together on Thursday, 27 December at Colmanswell Community Centre from 10.30 am onwards. This is a social occasion to meet for a chat and cup of tea and mince pies. Weather permitting, we may go on a short drive. New members are welcome to join us. Wishing all our members and supporters a very happy Christmas and prosperous new year and safe and enjoyable motoring in 2019. As the Christmas decorations came down in the Browne house in Mallow the wheelchair that has been part of little Anna Browne's life for so long went up to the attic - hopefully for good. After what has been, by any yardstick, a traumatic year for Anna and her family, the plucky eight-year-old has enjoyed the first pain-free Christmas of her short life - thanks to the generosity of a community that rallied together to support her and her family in their time of need. In August of this year Anna underwent life changing surgery in the US to correct her spastic diplegia, a condition that severely inhibited movement in her lower limbs and left her in permanent pain. If untreated, the condition meant that as Anna grew older it would get more debilitating to the point where she would no longer be able to walk and do the things that most children of her age take for granted. Earlier this year she underwent elective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) at the St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri, a procedure that involved identifying and severing the sensory nerves that caused the spasticity in her legs. Immediately after the procedure surgeon Dr Tae Park promised Anna's mother Evelyn that her daughter would one day realised her greatest and most cherished ambition - to dance again. Within weeks, Anna celebrated her eighth-birthday by clambering up an indoor climbing wall, and while she has yet to get the strength to return to the dance floor, Evelyn said that day was only a matter of weeks away. That sense of hope for a bright future for Anna would not have been possible were it not for the generosity of the public who helped raise more than 100,000 through the 'Anna's Dream To Dance' Go Fund Me campaign to cover the surgery and post-op rehabilitation. Speaking to The Corkman, Evelyn said that while Anna still has to undergo intensive and energy sapping physiotherapy on an almost daily basis, she is doing really well and now "wears an almost permanent smile on her face". "Just before Christmas Anna walked the full length of the Main Street in Mallow - something she had never done before in her life. It was my birthday just before Christmas and she gave me a card and she had written 'thank you Mummy for making my legs better, they don't hurt anymore'. I can't even begin to describe how happy that made me," grinned Evelyn. As Evelyn, her husband Roy, their two sons Sean and James, Anna and he sister settled down to enjoy all the trappings of Christmas Day, she reflected on the difference that the past 12-months had made to all their lives. "On December 18, 2017 I sent off the application to the US to see if Anna would be suitable for surgery. Exactly 12-months later to the day I was posting out Christmas and thank you cards. We have gone from having a horrible Christmas last year to having our best one ever," she said. "I won't pretend that it has been all plain sailing and there have been some tough days along the way - but they have all been worth it. To see Anna's wheelchair, which she had depended on to get around before, going up to the attic was just the most amazing present we could have received." Evelyn said that it was impossible to put into words the gratitude she felt to everyone who donated to the campaign and supported Anna and the family along the way. "They say that every cloud has a silver lining and we have experienced that over the past year. The generosity of people has been truly humbling and heart-warming and we have been blessed to meet some amazing people over the last year and made some friends for life," said Evelyn. "Anna is over the moon at the thought of being able to dance again and as a family we can look forward to the future with a sense of hope and anticipation that would simply not have been possible before. I can't even begin to find the words to describe how that feels or to thank everyone for what they have done for Anna. This is one Christmas that we will never forget." When it comes to health care, the population of Duhallow will have two major centres of excellence within a six mile radius of each other. Planning has now been granted for a state of the art health care centre at Upper Bluepool in Kanturk, meanwhile work is very much at an advanced stage at the HSE patient led 3 million Primary Health Centre in Newmarket with an opening date of April on the cards. And from Newmarket to Charleville is approximately a 30 kilometre drive where another state of the art centre is also open. This week planning was granted to accommodate the Upper Bluepool centre, a 2,246 square metre facilty. The development will include medical consulting and treatment rooms,= GP rooms, a mental health facility, ancillary healthcare professional services suite, storage, a laundry/waste disposal area and landscaping works. There will also be 21 car parking spaces and one ambulance drop-off space. According to the HSE, one of the benefits of primary care centres and their embedded teams means more services are available to patients in the community as well as improved liaison between primary and secondary care services. Based on patient care and having a number of medical led professions under the one roof leads to a greater health care inclusivity. Moreover, the HSE further state that the nature and capacity of community led services is designed to avoid unnecessary admissions to acute care and to assist in involving patients in their own care of both minor, acute and long term conditions. Planning given the green light this week at the Upper Bluepool site is subject to 41 conditions for the building that will be a mix of two and three storeys. Cllr John Paul OShea (FG) said the development of the primary care facilities across the country is important. In conjunction with the planned refurbishment at Kanturk Community Hospital, this new facility will see that the people of Kanturk will have a modern, state of the art facilities to go for quality healthcare, he said. Ireland has a steadily aging population and our population is also growing, so the need for more modern and advanced healthcare centres in towns like Kanturk is also increasing, he added. Regarding the progress of the health centre in Newmarket, Cllr Gerard Murphy (FG) said it will cover all aspects of what primary care centres were set up to do in a centralised location. Also welcoming the development in Kanturk, Deputy Michael Moynihan (FF) and his brother, Cllr Bernard Moynihan said the planning permission is a real good news story for the town of Kanturk and the surrounding areas. Deputy Moynihan said it will provide much needed medical facilities for people in their own community. And centres such as this one will certainly help to alleviate the overcrowding we see in our hospital wards and emergency units, he said. Rather than being enjoyable, Christmas and the New Year can be an endurance test of for many people's mental health While for the vast majority of people the festive season is a time of joy and celebration, for some it can be stressful and challenging time for a variety of reasons. Traditionally an opportunity to spend valuable time with family and loved ones, Christmas can also be a time when the loss of a loved one is brought sharply into focus, particularly for those who have suffered a bereavement over the past year. It can also be a time of when people come under severe financial pressure and hardship putting strain on relationships. Rather than being enjoyable, Christmas and the New Year can be an endurance test of for many people's mental health as stress levels rise and loneliness becomes a big factor for people living on their own or who may be estranged from relatives. With this in mind the HSE's Cork/Kerry Community Healthcare Mental Health Service has reached out to people who may find that the Christmas period is getting on top of them to remember that "they are never alone." "It is important to be aware that support is readily available, not just during the Christmas season but all year round, for those who may be overwhelmed or are experiencing emotional distress," said a HSE spokesperson. They said that help and support was just a phone call away by ringing Pieta House (1800 247 247), The Samaritans (116123 or text 'help' to 087 260 9090) or Childline (1800 666 666 or text 'talk' to 50101), all of which will be available 24/7. People can also contact their own GP or South Doc, the HSE out of hours GP service on 1850 335 999 or visit www.southdoc.ie. The spokesperson said the HSE would like to remind people to look after their mental health and well-being over the Christmas period, regardless of their personal circumstances. "The website www.yourmentalhealth.ie has useful advice from the 'Little Things' mental health campaign regarding the choices that we can all make to eat well, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, drinking alcohol responsibly and do things with others - all of which can help to maintain good mental and physical health." Pat Whelan of Mallow-based Munster Labels receiving All-Ireland Business Foundation All-Star accreditation at Croke Park from Dr Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Minister of State Pat Breen. Photo: Conor McCabe A Mallow company has become one of the first businesses in the country to be awarded a prestigious new accolade that recognises and rewards exceptional standards of service and trust. Munster Labels, based at the Quartertown Industrial Estate, has joined an elite list of less than 200 Irish firms to have been awarded the coveted All-Ireland 'Business All-Star' accreditation, receiving the award at a ceremony in Dublin's Croke Park. Overseen by the All-Ireland Business Foundation, it is an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses and is only awarded following a rigorous selection process. The adjuration panel is jointly chaired by Dr Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics. Dr Hynes said the Business All-Star accreditation is needed by thousands of Irish small and medium enterprises who operate their own standards, but have nothing to measure them by. She said it provided important and transparent benchmarking that has not been available up to now, "allowing companies to very clearly understand where they are when compared to their competitors." "By speaking to customers, employees and vendors we are able to evaluate a company's background, trustworthiness and overall performance. We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience," said Dr Hynes. Each business surveyed undergoes through a minimum of two interviews and is scored on each part of the process against a table of set metrics. "Internally, the process gives confidence to the organisation, allows them to leverage their advantages and identify areas that need improvement, particularly in terms of innovation and product development," said Dr Hynes. Speaking at the awards ceremony the Minister of State for Trade, Employment and Business, Pat Breen TD, said the commitment shown to quality of the small to medium enterprise sector, through companies such as Munster Labels, was crucial to the Irish economy. He pointed out that Ireland had the fastest growing economy in Europe and one of the fastest rates of business starts ups. "Small to medium enterprises make up 99 per cent of Irish businesses and their importance to the Irish economy cane never be understated," said Minister Breen. As Christmas approaches, I pray God's blessing on the people of the Diocese of Meath for the forthcoming joyful season and the New Year ahead. The Coming of Christ, over two thousand years ago, changed the course of human history and, of course, the word 'Christmas' itself means the 'Feast of Christ'. Let us celebrate Christmas this year!! Christmas is, above all, a religious feast when we commemorate the love of God for us, manifested by the sending of his only Son to a stable at Bethlehem. While there are worthwhile and beneficial social as well as economic consequences, a Christmas celebration without reference to Christ is both meaningless and empty. Christmas cannot be reduced to a 'Happy Holiday' or a celebration devoid of Christ. It is unfortunate that the essentials of Christmas, the infant Jesus, the Crib and Christmas worship are often set aside. The feast of Christmas is the most inclusive of all feasts, God made Man to lead us to God! This year, let us try to keep Christ at the centre of our Christmas and let us try to imitate, as best we can, the generosity of the God who became man for us. Christmas is also a family time. In a few days, the radio stations, TV channels and newspapers will tell of busy roads, hectic airports and crowded ferry ports. Everyone tries to get home for Christmas. The recent recession has meant that many of our young and not so young people have left their native land in search of employment and have yet to return. Christmas can heighten the sense of loneliness for those who are away and for those who remain. I think particularly of parents and grandparents. Those who are recently bereaved also find Christmas a difficult time as do those who are ill. May Christ be present to all who are suffering or alone this Christmas and to those who are bereaved and who are ill. They are and must be very much in our prayers at this time. The message of Christmas is one of love, hope, joy and peace. Christ came as a child for each one of us, to lead us to God. Christmas is the great family feast and, as such, it offers a time to resolve family differences. The Christmas Carol, Silent Night, which is two hundred years old this Christmas, was famously sung in the trenches during World War One and signalled a truce in hostilities, regardless of how short. Perhaps that spirit of Peace and Goodwill might prompt us to settle differences this year? The story of the first Christmas is also one of a young couple looking for accommodation. That story is being retold in our time and in our Diocese. Recent media commentary on the testimony of those who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation, particularly that of a 'Youtube' posting of a young girl in Dublin, shocks us all. I pray that the year ahead will see significant progress in resolving this dreadful problem of our time. Like everyone else, I applaud those who have given of their time and resources over the past years to ease the burden on others. Christmas provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge and support the wonderful work that many of these agencies provide. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and those who volunteer on our Lourdes Pilgrimage are but a very small example of those who embody the compassion of Christ in our midst. Their work is very much appreciated. This year was memorable in that it witnessed the visit of Pope Francis and the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. The Diocese of Meath was well represented in terms of the Choir, Volunteers and at the Festival of Families in Croke Park. The event was a memorable festival of Faith and the testimonies of the families in Croke Park was particularly memorable. I thank most sincerely those who contributed their time, talents and resources in making the event the success that it was. On a more personal note, this year was memorable for me too in that it saw my appointment by Pope Francis to this diocese. While the appointment is daunting, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the priests, religious and people of the Diocese for their welcome and kindness. I am slowly making my way around the Diocese and look forward to visiting the remaining parishes during the Confirmations which begin in February. I pray that the joy, hope and peace of the first Christmas may be present in our Dioceses this Christmas. I pray that all families will experience the warmth of the family celebration and that the celebration of Christmas will be a Christian celebration that will support and increase our faith. Let us never forget that the coming of Christ means for each one of us that we have a future, even when this life is ended, and that we are loved, uniquely, by God. May God bless you and yours this Christmas and may 2019 be a year of blessing for us all. The number three story on Castanet Vernon's 2018 Top 10 list revolves around the community's homeless population and the City of Vernon's attempt to address growing concerns from the business community. The number of people sleeping rough in Vernon has steadily risen in recent years from an estimated 144 in 2016 to an estimated 153 in 2017 to the most recent estimation of 161 in 2018. The number has also steadily risen across the province at least 7,655 people are experiencing homelessness across a broad demographic of individuals, families, youth and seniors. There are many factors that lead a person to live a life on the streets, and no two stories are the same, but many experts point to both a worsening opioid crisis and the attainable and affordable housing crisis as major factors. Like many communities in British Columbia, Vernon has struggled to find solutions to an increasing homeless population. The City of Vernon works closely with social service agencies, and the provincial government has poured money into the city and more housing options which are set to come online in 2019. In late 2017, the City of Vernon commissioned a task force to look at the effects the homeless community has on the business community and come up with recommendations based on those concerns. "If you are on social media, you know that there is an outcry to do something about, in particular, the influx of transients in the summertime," Vernon councillor, Scott Anderson told Castanet. "I hope something good comes of it and council follows a number of the recommendations that may flow from this task force." The eight-person Activate Safety Task Force was chaired by Darrin Taylor of Axis Intervention and made up of members from the business community, RCMP, Vernon Bylaw and city councillors, Scott Anderson and Brian Quiring. In April of 2018, the task force held its first meeting with the public. More than 100 concerned citizens packed into the Schubert Centre to share their concerns. The event turned into an 'us and them' rally with many saying it was time to "take back our city." Speaker after speaker shared stories of witnessing open drug use, finding drug paraphernalia, garbage and feces, experiencing crime and intimidation, dousing lit fires and encountering sex in public spaces their words painted a picture of a city held hostage by its street-entrenched population. "They have been pushing us for years. Let's push them back a little bit and gain back our town," said one man. "We pay taxes, they do not," said another man. "How do non-paying taxpayers have more rights than taxpayers?" Another speaker said, "There is a segment of our population that makes it difficult for us to do our jobs." "Every morning I am cleaning up after them, and it is B.S.," said another. For several months as the task force held its weekly member meetings, tensions in the community increased. There was a sense the community was divided over its homeless population especially on social media. That frustration finally boiled over into real life when a downtown business owner, fed up with finding garbage on his property, collected all the items left behind by the homeless community and dumped it on the steps of City Hall. On July 9, more than three months after its initial meeting with the public, Darrin Taylor presented the task force's 40 recommendations to council. Many of the task force's recommendations have been, or will be, implemented, including the construction of public washrooms, an increase in RCMP and bylaw patrols, and an anti-graffiti team. However, much to the disapproval of some of the task force's members, at the time of adoption, many of the recommendations were adjusted including a city-wide shopping cart ban. The original recommendation, which was proposed to the task force by councillor Quiring, was to was to have shopping carts banned only in the downtown core. That was expanded by then-mayor Akbal Mund to encompass the whole City of Vernon. With the exception of then-councillor, Juliette Cunningham, the shopping cart ban was supported by council, and city staff was directed to draft the necessary bylaws. Of all the Activate Safety Task Force recommendations, none was condemned as strongly as the shopping cart ban. Many felt the ban was cruel and unfairly targeted members of Vernon's marginalized homeless population. In the wake of the decision, several people took up the challenge to provide the homeless community with wagons, if they weren't allowed to use shopping carts. Even the BC Civil Liberties Association got involved, urging the city not to implement a proposed bylaw to regulate shopping carts "We believe that the proposed bylaw is blatantly discriminatory and would not survive a constitutional challenge. The ban will impair the rights of a specific class of people in Vernon - the homeless population and undermine their rights to liberty and security of the person as enshrined in Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms." The city eventually rejected the proposed ban, however, the damage was done to the legacy of the Activate Safety Task Force. For all the recommendations that were supported by city staff, the Activate Safety Task Force will be forever linked to the proposed ban on shopping carts. Sister Genevieve was born Patricia McCrea in Rutland, England in 1928. She completed secondary school in Cabra, Dublin and trained as a dress designer before joining MMM in 1952. After profession in 1955 she worked for four years in Drogheda, including in the Lourdes Laundry and the convent sewing room, as well as in the hospital cafeteria, reception and switchboard. She also helped with the Dublin Sale of Work. After serving in the Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin for three years, she returned to Drogheda in 1964. There she worked in the sewing room for ten years. She was also a phlebotomist in the hospital. From 1976 to 1984, she was a driver for the MMM Motherhouse and was responsible for maintenance of the house cars. Except for a short time helping at Rosemount in Dublin, she continued as a driver for the Motherhouse until 2000. She helped generally until ill health necessitated her moving to the nursing facility, Aras Mhuire in April 2017. She died there peacefully on 14 December 2018. The area around Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has changed down the years... but the name has stayed constant Marchers - asked to dress in yellow bibs - will descend on Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on Sunday, January 6th as the campaign to save the name of the hospital gathers pace. The group will gather and march from the steps of St Peter's at 3pm to the hospital. It is hoped people from the entire north east will take part. This weekend, petitions will also be available outside churches in the region for people to sign, showing their support for retaining the name of the local hospital. There are plans to change it to Drogheda University/Regional or General Hospital before the end of March 2019. But a formation meeting of the new 'Save the Lourdes Name' committee in the Westcourt Hotel this week suggests the bid to keep the title, bestowed by the foundress of the hospital, Mother Mary Martin, will be intense and vocal. Mayor Frank Godfrey facilitated the meeting and said the campaign would be a regional one, from Ardee to Slane, as many people are associated with it and families have a long tradition with the services there. 'It means so much to so many and Mother Mary was a saint in her own right. The MMMs are great people, but the HSE seem to have other plans for the hospital,' he stated. One man who feels very personally about the hospital is Collon resident Martin O'Donoghue. He said almost 50 years ago, his mother and many others from Louth and Meath would go into the hospital on a daily basis and help with the cleaning. 'They did it to help Mother Mary Martin who was the woman of Ireland,' he said. 'I will stand over the name of Our Lady of Lourdes until I die,' he said. He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year and has been attending the oncology unit at the hospital once a week since. He says the people of Louth and Meath donated money to build the hospital in the first place - not the HSE - and they should have a say in any name change to the people's hospital. He urged people in the mid Louth area to get behind the campaign too. The meeting heard various comments about the possibility that Our Lady of Lourdes could be providing abortion services in the months and years ahead and that the MMMs needed to be consulted if that became the case. One speaker remarked, 'Mother Mary would be turning in her grave.' Cllr Pio Smith said that the group needed to keep a united front and he said that meetings needed to be held with the CEO and the unions. Marie McSweeney said hospital names had been changed before and it took two decades for St Catherine's in Tralee to become Tralee University Hospital. Reference was made by other speakers to the manner in which the people in France had taken to the streets and had tried to bring about change and 'people power on the streets' gets things done. While some felt the name change was something coming from the hospital alone, others indicated it was a lot deeper, a long term plan to lessen faith and beliefs. 'Lourdes is associated with cures, sure what better name could you have for a hospital,' it was claimed. 'This is Drogheda's heritage and it is important to lobby our politicians. 'The people built the hospital and we owe a little lady whose work began on the battlefields of WWI, who came to Drogheda and then developed worldwide,' Brian Hanratty added. 'The MMMs have always helped people, no matter their religion or colour.' Mayor Godfrey concluded by saying that the name change was one of the biggest issues ever to hit Drogheda and it was the right of the people to have their say on it. In a phone comment, Peter Fitzpatrick TD said that he had spoken to the management of the hospital and no decision had been taken on the name change as yet. Following the meeting, Bob McGuffin was elected chairman, Kevin Byrne, secretary and Danny Nugent, PRO. The opening lines in the song, Sweet Dooley Gate' and written by one of Drogheda's unsung heroes of the past - but now, rightfully recognised close to his burial place in the Cord Cemetery: 'Oh Dooley Gate, sweet Dooley Gate, you're the place I do adore, All young men and maidens who dwelt in it before, all young men and maidens who now are far away, they are not in sweet Dooley Gate, but in America. My true love's name, I'll not explain is handsom, tall and straight, he is the finest young man that walks around Dooley Gate he is the finest young man that ever I did see, and in spite of all my enmies, I'll keep his company.' John Sheil lived from 1781 to 1872 and was buried in an unmarked grave on the Cord Road. He was regarded as a radical weaver-songmaker and was a major figure nationally in making songs for the huge 19th century ballad-sheet industry. He was also crucial in the crossover from Irish language to Hiberno-English song, transferring the melodies and sound-patterns of Gaelic song into new songs in English. He wrote his own acrostic epitaph in the hopes that some of his wealthy supporters in the town would erect a monument to him after his death, but it never happened and he lies in an unmarked grave in the Old Cord Cemetery. Finally, recently, on a wet and miserable day, his epitaph was written through the good graces of the Louth Archaeological Society and the Old Drogheda Society who erected a plaque at the entrance to the graveyard for all to see. It was after a lecture by Sean Corcoran on the ages of Drogheda's culture that the seed for the idea was sown and it was decided by the historical groups to do something about it. 'I've been trying to promote this for 40 years,' Sean stated, saying Sheil was a much respected songwriter and the likes of Mary Ann Carolan and Pat Usher kept his songs going. 'I heard them talk about Sheil in 1968 and nothing much was known about him,' he added. Today, his songs are known all over Ireland, Britain and America. At one stage, Patrick Kelly, later editor of the Drogheda Argus, was his printer. John McCullen and Mayor Frank Godfrey thanked everyone for their part in bringing Sheil's name to the fore again. The event ended with a faultless array of songs from the master, performed by Sean, Gerry Cullen, Pat Carolan, Stuart Carolan, Dermot McCullen and David O'Connor. They included Dermot's rendition of 'Flower of Beamore' and Gerry's delightful Factory Maid of Mell. Those with an interest in hearing more of the old songs of the region, pop along to the weekly singing session in Carberry's pub, each Wednesday at 9.30pm. The view from the rear of the office block with parking for up to 350 cars The two office blocks as they will look from the N11 at the front There was a major development for Enniscorthy's Business & Technology Park this week as planning permission was granted for two major office units on the hillside at Killagoley. Both buildings are four-storey structures and while one is to house an enterprise centre similar to the successful Hatch Lab in Gorey, the other it is hoped will house the previously mooted UN Centre of excellence on carbon emissions. The project has been undertaken by Michael Bennett Construction alongside MosArt architects under the name Moyne Point Ltd. Mr Bennett says that this is the fruit of nearly two years of work, with the first pre-planning meeting going back to October 2017. While work had already gotten underway on the business and technology park following the sod turning on the 1.7million first phase of the project back in August, this latest development represents a major step as construction on the two huge office buildings is due to get underway in the first half of 2019. 'Things will move along quite fast and it's a busy time now,' said Mr Bennett. 'At the moment, we're in the process of finalising the detailed drawings of the project and doing up costings. From there on we will be looking for clients and there is substantial interest from companies in these buildings already.' Those who travel the N11 regularly will have noticed the ongoing work on phase one at the site, which includes the provision of an internal roadway, services, landscaping, fencing and walkways, all of which will link in with the new bridge being constructed as part of the flood defence scheme to provide access to the town centre. Development of the idea was said to have been inspired by the Hatch Lab in Gorey which has been steadily filling with tenants, along with the potential brought by the M11 project, bringing greater connectivity with the capital. 'The two buildings are a private investment, but we are hopeful that they will commence construction within the first quarter of 2019,' said Wexford County Council Chief Executive, Tom Enright. 'Given the success that we've had with The Hatch Lab in Gorey, it is our intention to have that type of innovation centre in each town in Wexford, each focusing on a different area. We've had a lot of activity in Gorey Hatch lab and we're actually looking at expanding it at the moment. With the bypass coming in July of next year, it will hopefully bring greater opportunities for Enniscorthy.' Mr Enright said that he's confident the venture can be a big success for Enniscorthy, with several companies having already expressed interest in quality office space. 'There is very little quality office space in the county, never mind Enniscorthy,' he said. 'That's one of the things we're looking at. We've had a couple of companies already expressing an interest in office space in the area so this is something that is hugely positive for Enniscorthy.' 'There's a lot of investment going into Enniscorthy in the next few years,' he concluded. 'The town has a lot to look forward to.' Mr Enright had previously indicated that at least two expanding local companies were seeking to relocate to the new business and technology park and, with planning permission now in place, it is hoped that the first two buildings could be in place, with some tenants ready to go, as early as the end of 2019. Students across Fingal will have one eye on mid-January this Christmas when they have a date with the Young Scientist judges at the RDS. The event will be held in the RDS Arena in Dublin from January 9 to 12 and brings together some of the country's brightest young minds as they compete to take home the title of the BT Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year 2019. There will be 550 projects on show at the Exhibition across four categories: Technology; Biological and Ecological; Social and Behavioural Sciences; and Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences. This year's projects cover a wide variety of topics, from Climate Change to Gender Diversity. Irish video game developer, Steve Collins, will be hosting a live Q&A on Thursday, January 10th at the Exhibition. Steve will speak about the technology that goes into taking a video game from an idea to a disc. Students and visitors can win a chance to meet Steve by entering the #GamingStartsHere competition on BTYSTE social media channels now. With four packed exhibition halls full of exciting things to see and do, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has something to stimulate the minds of every generation. Tickets are available online now costing 8 for students, 12 adults and 25 for a family pass which includes two adults and two children. Tickets guarantee entry to all of the Exhibition and to all special shows. https://btyoungscientist.com/ticketing/ Dublin Airport has welcomed 30 million passengers so far this year, and still has the busy Christmas period to come. This is the first time in Dublin Airport airport's 78-year history that more than 30 million passengers have used the airport in a single year. 'We're delighted to pass the 30 million passenger mark for the first time in Dublin Airport's history,' said Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison. He added: 'I'd like to thank our airline customers, our passengers, our staff and our partners, all of whom played a role in helping the airport reach this historic passenger milestone.' Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport are up 6% so far this year, with good growth in European, transatlantic and other long-haul markets, according to Mr Harrison. The 30 million milestone was passed in recent days and Dublin Airport still has twelve days of trading to come this year. The busy Christmas period is well underway, and the airport will be open every day until December 31 apart from Christmas Day. Dublin Airport welcomed more than 25 million passengers for the first time in 2015 and passed the 20 million passenger milestone for the first time in 2006. The passenger growth at Dublin Airport is good news for the entire Irish economy, as the extra traffic stimulates extra tourism and trade throughout the country. 'The economic activity generated by the 30 million passengers who have used Dublin Airport so far this year underpins the record numbers of tourism visitors to Ireland, boosts Irish exports and helps keep the Irish economy growing,' according to Mr Harrison. The most recent data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows record levels of spending by overseas visitors to the State in the first nine months of this year. Total spending increased by 7.2% during the period, while spending by holidaymakers was up by 12.2%. The data showed that spending by visitors from continental Europe and North America were the main drivers of this growth in tourism revenue, and this reflects the mix of traffic growth at Dublin Airport during the first nine months of this year. As passenger traffic continues to grow, Dublin Airport is planning a very significant investment in facilities to help cope with current demand and expand into the future. The contract for Dublin Airport's new North Runway was awarded in October and mobilisation works for this project are currently underway. Consultations were also held recently on a major capital investment programme, the centrepiece of which is a 900 million capacity expansion plan to help Dublin Airport grow to 40 million passengers a year. The proposal includes an investment of about 400 million to build new capacity in the northern end of the airport close to Terminal 1, while about 500 million will be invested at the southern apron area close to Terminal 2. A teenager charged with robbery at a Swords hotel had his case adjourned until February 12 for service of a book of evidence. Jason Condon (19) has elected trial on indictment which means his case will go forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where the case will be heard. The accused, of Remount in Lusk is alleged to have stolen a vapour pen cigarette worth 45 from the Carnegie Court Hotel in Swords on April 21. The DPP has directed summary disposal of the case at district court level on a guilty plea only. However, defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said the accused has elected trial on indictment. Irish Water has announced a 21.7 million investment to improve the water supply for 65,000 residents and business owners in Howth, Malahide and Balbriggan. Irish Water is working in partnership with Fingal County Council to deliver water supply improvement projects in Howth, Malahide and Balbriggan. Irish Water is investing 21.7 million to improve the water supply to homes and businesses in these three communities. Due to the age, size and condition of the current water infrastructure, customers in some areas experience interruptions to their water supply. Once completed this project will; improve the security of supply; ensure that there are less unplanned water interruptions and meet future demands for housing and business. The works are scheduled to commence in February 2019 and will be completed by the end of 2020. The works will be carried out on behalf of Irish Water by John Craddock Limited/TES (NI) Joint Venture. Works will include upgrades to pumping stations as well as the construction of 15km of new trunk water mains. Serving Howth a new 6km water main will be constructed between the North Fringe Water Main connection point at Bayside and Howth's Reservoir at Dungriffen to increase capacity. Serving Malahide will be a new 3 km water main will be constructed between Swords and the Malahide Reservoir at Seamount to achieve adequate capacity to meet Malahide water supply requirements. Serving Balbriggan will be a new 6 km water main will be constructed from Jordanstown Reservoir to Kilsough Reservoir. Speaking about the project that spans three large north Dublin communities, William McKnight, Irish Water, said: 'I am pleased to confirm that a contract has been awarded to commence work on this vital project to provide a more secure water supply for 65,000 people in North Dublin. 'This significant investment of almost 22 million by Irish Water provides capacity for economic and social development in the area and forms part of Irish Water's investment to improve the water and wastewater infrastructure in Fingal. Upgrading the water infrastructure will ensure that customers in Howth, Malahide and Balbriggan will have a more reliable and secure supply which will result in fewer disruptions to their water supply.' Senator James Reilly welcomed the investment said that this work was vital for further business development in the area, and he emphasised that this was a means to create new jobs. Senator Reilly said the works would begin early in the New Year, and he expected them to be completed by the end of 2020. He said: These works will be crucial to the future development of all areas, and I am pleased that the works are scheduled to begin as soon as possible, and I am assured that every effort will be made to complete all works by the end of 2020, in order to get the new system functioning as soon as possible.' Irish Water has completed the replacement of more than five kilometres of water main in Swords. This water main was almost a half a century old and was prone to significant bursts in the past, especially on the Forrest Road which caused significant traffic disruption. According to Irish Water, the completion of these works will provide a more reliable water supply for homes and businesses in Swords and parts of Malahide and Portmarnock. The new water main will reduce leakage; reduce traffic disruption caused by bursts and will mean that there will be fewer interruptions to supply for these communities. The project represented a 9 million investment by Irish Water. It commenced in January of this year and has now been completed ahead of schedule. Throughout the duration of this important project Irish Water has endeavoured to keep the community and elected officials up to date on project progress through weekly updates, information evenings and letter drops to homes and businesses. Speaking about the project, Paul Hickey, Irish Water said: 'We would like to thank the residents, businesses and road users for their understanding while we carried out this critical work. The communities of Swords and parts of Malahide and Portmarnock will now benefit from more sustainable and secure water supply which will result in fewer disruptions to their water supply. The Swords Water Main Rehabilitation Project was a priority project for Irish Water and we are delighted that it has been completed ahead of schedule. The project forms part of Irish Water's investment to improve the water and wastewater infrastructure in Fingal.' According to Irish Water, Capital investment in the region of 700 million per year is needed for a sustained period of several decades to address the poor condition of Ireland's water infrastructure. Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Water's Business Plan up to 2021. A female teacher appeared in court for a second time charged with the alleged defilement of a teenage boy. The 24-year-old woman, who cannot be named as reporting restrictions are in place, appeared before Judge Dermot Dempsey at Swords District Court last Wednesday, where she was previously charged with two offences of engaging in a sex act with a child under the age of 17 on February 1 and February 13 at locations not disclosed. The offences are under Section 3(1) of the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act 2006. The court was told that directions are still being awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions which the prosecuting garda Stephen Hughes anticipates he will receive within eight weeks. Solicitor for the defendant, Eimear O'Sullivan said her client consents for the case to be put back to February 13, 2019. 'We are hoping that directions will be received on that date,' Ms O'Sullivan told Judge Dermot Dempsey. Ms O'Sullivan also asked the judge to remind members of the media that a previous order made that the woman not be identified be carried forward. Judge Dempsey said his previous order from the woman's first appearance in court in October was to continue. At the previous court hearing on October 30, the court heard the teacher was arrested by Gda Hughes at Dublin Airport on Monday, October 29, after returning to Ireland on a flight. On that occasion, bail was granted with a number of strict conditions including an independent surety of 2,000 - of which 1,000 in cash was to be lodged in court. The teacher, who was granted legal aid as Ms O'Sullivan said her client 'had lost her job as a result' of the charges, was also ordered to surrender her passport and not to apply for new travel documents as part of her bail conditions. She was also not to have any contact directly or indirectly with the alleged injured party or any other witnesses engaged in the case and was also ordered to provide gardai with a phone number at which she is to be contactable at all times. During last week's short hearing the woman, who sat at the back of the courtroom, did not address the court and left the courthouse accompanied by a man and a young woman and they were driven away in a waiting car. Chelsea Powrie Castanet Penticton is counting down the top stories of 2018. Well count down to the years No. 1 story on Dec. 31 and publish the newsmaker on New Years Day. Right on the heels of a long and costly 2017 flood season, 2018 also saw widespread flooding in various communities around the South Okanagan this spring and into the early summer. In late March, meltwater from the mountains pouring into streams began to wreak havoc in communities like Willowbrook, where a state of emergency was announced after entire yards were engulfed by floodwaters. As April arrived, Sportsmens Bowl Road in rural Oliver was completely overwhelmed by floodwaters, forcing the evacuation of 17 properties for 48 days and leaving residents frustrated with what they saw as a lack of action from authorities. "Nobody's coming in here with an excavator, just to manage it in the short term. The reality is we're not getting any answers from anybody what they're going to do in the long term," said resident Stan Marshall at the time. Concerns remain to this day, with the RDOS releasing an update in November stating that the area remains under imminent risk of flooding should there be heavy rainfall. "The significant issue that exists is that there's still such a high saturation of water levels in the area, the water is still flowing," Mark Woods said, adding that creeks which would normally be dry in the late fall are far from it. In the tiny community of Tulameen, 148 properties were evacuated and a further 157 put on alert in late April after Otter Lake burst its banks and flowed into homes, yards and streets. "Pretty much if you call it a sponge, it's already full to capacity, so we don't know what the fallout will be," said local fire chief Jody Woodford at the time. In another small community, Twin Lakes, nine homes were evacuated and immense sand walls built to hold the banks of Lower Twin Lake, which at one point in May was 9.5 feet above its normal level. Residents were aware of the risk of flooding, having suffered during the 2017 season, but even pre-emptive sandbagging wasn't enough. About 70 military members needed to be called in to help the sandbagging efforts at one point. In November, the Lower Nipit Development District which manages the area said they would be asking the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to step in and take over water management. What we will need is a service area for drainage, looking after drainage, basically flood and drought, and areas which would include the Twin Lakes-Park Rill area, chair of the district Coral Brown said. An Okanagan Falls neighbourhood became swallowed by Shuttleworth Creek in early May, causing 54 homes to be evacuated. In early May, residents woke to streams flowing through their yards, a dramatic flood that just kept growing and caused the neighbourhood to spend days straight sandbagging. "It was like a river, lake, in my backyard," resident Diane Richard said at the time, fighting back tears. "My garage is completely flooded, my guest house, it's a mess." In Osoyoos, flooding hit hard in May just as tourist season was kicking off, causing cancellations for many hotels and damage to some of those on the waterfront, including the Coast Hotel which had to close down completely while water levels receded. "We were supposed to be, coming this weekend, [at] 100 per cent," Muhammad Mian, hotel manager, said while looking at the lake which had engulfed their beachfront and crept up the stairs of the building. "We had to cancel them. Before it gets better, it's going to get worse." Osoyoos also saw parks and boat launches flooded out, and wasn't back to normal until well into June. In Penticton, a precautionary wall of gabion dams closed off the beach at Okanagan Lake for much of the spring through to mid-June. Many affected communities are still adding up the costs of flood season damage, and applying for Emergency Management BC relief funds. At the end of June, the RDOS announced it had spent over $7 million already in 2018 on their Emergency Operations Centre, $6.7 million of which was directly related to flood mitigation. Santa Claus provided a special through the night sleigh-ride escort to Dublin Airport last week for children from the Chernobyl affected regions of Belarus with special needs, who will begin Christmas Rest and Recuperation stay in counties across Ireland with the Cork-based Adi Roche's Chernobyl Children International charity, including in homes right here in Fingal. The Christmas Rest and Recuperation Programme gives the children, who come from impoverished backgrounds and staterun institutions, a health-boosting reprieve from the toxic environment and high levels of radiation to which they are exposed. For the charity's founder and Voluntary CEO, the arrival of the Rest and Recuperation children signals the real beginning of Christmas; 'For many of these children, nothing as magical as this will ever have happened in their lives. This is the true meaning of Christmas - it's about family and sharing. The positive impact these stays have on the children is a testament to three generations of truly remarkable Irish volunteers.' Amongst the 40 strong group is 15-year-old Maryna Malinovskaya who, despite being incarcerated and segregated in a staterun institution for her entire life, has a very bright future ahead of her. Maryna has been selected for a pioneering Life-Skills Home, which was developed and established by CCI, that is providing her with a formal education and skill-building opportunities that will enable her to retain her rights and live independently once she reaches adulthood. Her visits to Ireland have given her many opportunities and most importantly it has given her the sense of family that Maryna had been missing. This Summer, Maryna put her newly acquired skills to good use as she dressed her bed, made her breakfast and studied every day, with the support of her loving host parents Trina and Peter Rooney of Oldtown, Co Dublin. What may seem like everyday tasks for many 15 years, is a gargantuan achievement for Maryna and one she is very proud of. The Rooneys are just one of CCI's hundreds of volunteer families who, each Christmas, open their hearts and homes to children who have been affected by the fallout of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Host families from 9 counties will welcome the children for the start of their life-prolonging respite holiday, during which time radiation levels in the children drop by nearly 50 per cent and up to two years is added to their life expectancy. Studies have shed much needed light on the benefits of Rest and Recuperation to the children who live in some of the world's most radioactive contaminated lands in the Chernobyl affected regions. Active Retired: Gorey Active Retired would like to wish their members a happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. Gorey Active Retirement meet every Friday in the Loch Garman Arms, from 11 a.m. The AGM will take place on Tuesday, January 29, at 2.30 p.m. and the committee members are calling out for new people to join. Without new members, Gorey Active Retirement will eventually struggle to provide the range of activities and events they currently enjoy. As committee members get older the Committee needs an influx of younger members to help and support the work. In most cases support of about 1-2 hours a week would be a great help. Christmas Closures are as follows: Monday bowls reopens on January 7; Tuesday Go for Life reopens January 8; Tuesday Darts reopens January 8; Wednesday walking in Courtown Woods reopens January 2; Art Class reopens January 10; Coffee Morning in Loch Garman Arms reopens January 4. Bunscoil Loreto Parents/Guardian who wish to enrol children in Junior Infants are required to call to the school office during the enrolment period from January 7, until 3 p.m. on January 31 to collect an enrolment pack. This pack consists of an application form, a copy of the school's Code of Behaviour and the School's Ethos Statement. The Anti Bullying Policy may be viewed on the school website. The formal application requires the parent/guardian to complete and present an 'Admission and Participation Form' accompanied by an original birth/adoption certificate, two passport sized photographs and current utility bill as proof of address to the school between January 7, and at 3 p.m. in January 31. Further information can be obtained from the school office on 053 94 21827. ICA meeting Gorey ICA meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 8, in the Loch Garman Arms, at 8 p.m. Whist The next Gorey Whist will take place on January 8. They would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas and thank you for all the support throughout the year. Thank you for donations Lynn Flaherty, who organised the Children's Christmas Fair in aid of LauraLynn, would like to thank the children and families who donated items and to the local businesses who provided prizes for the raffle. Also, to the Amber Springs for supporting the event, and a special thanks for Conor Moore from Sound Out Rhythm, John from Myles Doyle and Cantabile Choir. They raised 2,000 for LauraLynn and the remaining clothes and toys were collected by St Vincent de Paul. Exhibition on Afghan The Rural and other sides of Afghanistan exhibition will take place in Gorey Library for the month of December. It is an exhibition of photographs and Afghan memorabilia, resulting from the work of SAFE (Support for Afghan Further Eduction). Coffee day A free Community Coffee Morning will take place every Friday in Gorey Christian Assembly, Ramsgate Village, from 10 a.m. until 12.30 p.m. All are welcome. Art Collective Gorey Art Collective have studio space available to rent in Trillium House, St Michael's Place, Gorey. The aim of the collective is to facilitate the encounter of artists living in the town of Gorey and its surroundings, to promote the exchange of ideas and collaboration of local artists. For further information contact goreyartscollective@gmail.com or call 085 8186426. Theatre in Carnew Colaiste Bhride Carnew is delighted to announce that Mikel Murfi will perform his new play 'I Hear You and Rejoice' in St Brigid's Hall Carnew on Thursday, January 31, for one night only. The play is a sequel to his previous one titled 'The Man in the Woman's Shoes'. Tickets are 16 each and will include a cheese and wine reception. They can be booked by calling 086 8500607 or calling into the school reception. Gorey Musical Auditions Gorey Musical Society auditions for next year's production of Calamity Jane will take place on Monday, January 7, in the Loch Garman Arms, at 8 p.m. From transition year upwards are all welcome to attend. For more information, contact one of the committee members. Methodist coffee time Coffee Time at Gorey Methodist Church takes place each Wednesday morning, from 10.30 a.m. until 12.30 p.m. Everyone is invited to join for a free coffee, tea and chat. Digital Club The Digital Learning Club meet every Tuesday, from 2 p.m. until 3.30 p.m. in Gorey Library, and at 5.30 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the Hatch Lab (beside the Amber Springs Hotel). It is a free club where members of the public are encouraged to learn and share digital knowledge. Members of the public are welcome to attend one or both sessions. For more information call 087 6254553. Conradh Ranganna Gaeilge informal conversation classes facilitated by Conradh na Gaeilge will run every Tuesday evening in Gorey Library at 7 p.m. Sean Nos Singing group meet every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. too. Dance class in Bunker Bar A smooth modern jive class takes place in the Bunker Bar, every Tuesday evening from 8.30 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. This is an adult partner dance that's easy to learn and fun to do. No experience necessary, beginners always welcome. No partner needed. Class is pay as you go. For more information, call Fran on 085 8659221. Chess Club Gorey Chess Club meet every Monday at 7 p.m. in the Loch Garman Arms. The club caters for both casual and competitive players. Players of all standards including beginners are very welcome. Please ask for Seamus on arrival. Courtown RNLI shop The Courtown shop will be closed for January and February, but will reopen on March 17. RNLI would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff and volunteers in the shop, their valued customers, to all who have supported them throughout the year. Sue Ryder Sue Ryder charity shop would like to wish all their customers a happy Christmas and thank for all the support throughout the year. The shop will be closed on December 24, 25 and 26. Parkrun Gorey Parkrun 5K takes place most Saturdays in Gorey Town Park at 9.30 a.m. Admission is free, but participants are asked to register first online which you only have to do once. For more information, visit www.parkrun.ie/gorey. Jack and Jill Jack and Jill Shop, located at No 1 Main Street, Gorey, is open Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m., until 5.30 p.m. They will close for Christmas, but will reopen in the New Year. They have a large range of clothing, furniture, books, CDs, DVDs, toys and homeware on offer at great prices. Call in store for more details. They are also currently accepting donations for all items mentioned about. They would like to wish all a happy Christmas and New Year. SVP shop The St Vincent de Paul furniture shop on McDermott Street, Gorey welcomes donations of clean saleable furniture, including rugs, lamps, etc. Contact 089 4439667 for more information. Ballyoughter National School is one step closer to constructing an outdoor shelter premises after raising additional money at their annual Christmas concert held in the Sacred Heart Church in Ballyoughter. Staff and pupils got the audience into the Christmas spirit with their festive songs, alongside performances from Island of Ireland Peace Choir, students from Gorey Youth Needs and sopranos Laura Carroll and Caroline Doyle. The annual event has become somewhat a popular item on the calendar and more than 100 people attended the concert, enjoying the music, songs and light refreshments. The staff and pupils from Ballyoughter National School reported that it was a great night, filled with festive cheer. Ballyoughter National School thanked parents for their continued support; pupils for all the hard work; performers from Gorey Youth Needs, Island of Ireland Peace Choir and Laura Carroll and Caroline Doyle. They would also like to wish all pupils and families a very happy Christmas and happy New Year. They look forward to welcoming the pupils back in 2019. Brian Cowen delivering the oration at the Liam Mellows commemoration in Castletown More than 200 people turned out for the annual Liam Mellows Commemoration at Castletown graveyard on Sunday. The oration was performed by former taoiseach Brian Cowen, who also laid the wreath at the commemorative stone that was erected last year. He spoke highly of Liam, who was commander of the eastern section in Galway during the 1916 Rising. Political figures from Wexford and Wicklow were in attendance, such as James Browne TD, Gorey district councillors Joe Sullivan, Pip Breen and Malcolm Byrne as well as Senator Gerry Horgan. Liam was executed in Mountjoy Prison in December 1922. In a letter to his mother shortly before his execution, he expressed the wish that some day he 'might rest in some quiet place' beside his grandparents in Castletown. Former Cllr Lorcan Allen also paid tribute to the committee for all their hard work and support. The event was preceded by a Commemorative Mass in Castletown. Refreshments were served afterwards in the Golden Anchor. The committee thanked all who participated in any way, and all who attended. Gorey-based councillor Malcolm Byrne intends to seek the Fianna Fail nomination to contest the Ireland South constituency in next May's European elections. Fianna Fail wish to reclaim the seat held by Brian Crowley who left the party in 2014 but he has not attended parliament once this term due to ill health. 'I am very grateful that I have the support of Deputy James Browne and Fianna Fail councillors in Wexford,' said Cllr Byrne. 'We have not had an MEP from Wexford since Avril Doyle.' Cllr Byrne said Fianna Fail will look to choose candidates for this huge constituency that runs from Bantry to Bray early in the New Year. In recent weeks, Cllr Byrne has attended Fianna Fail meetings across the vast constituency to seek support for his candidacy. Cllr Byrne said the MEPs that they elect next May must have an understanding of how to influence European policy but also be able to articulate Ireland's concerns at a time of great uncertainty and change. He believes he can offer the experience and enthusiasm to deliver. 'I have been involved with a number of European projects through work and in 2014 was named as one of the EU European Young Leaders,' said Cllr Byrne. 'I will be very grateful for your support in my quest and ask for suggestions, ideas and help.' Cllr Byrne is currently the head of communications with the Higher Education Authority. He was chosen to run for Fianna Fail in the 2016 general election in the Wexford constituency, but failed to win a seat. The mother of a teenage girl with acute behavioural difficulties who has been left waiting in Wexford General Hospital for nearly 150 days for funding to be made available for appropriate residential care is facing spending Christmas at the hospital, away from her other children. The mother, known as Nicola to protect her daughter's anonymity, has basically been living at Wexford General alongside her daughter for the past 148 days, only getting home to see her other three children, who are staying with her parents, for a few hours each weekend. While the young woman had been offered a bed in an appropriate care facility, Nua Healthcare in Kildare, Nicola was informed earlier this year that no funding was available to facilitate this and she should expect to spend up to 300 days waiting in hospital. While Nicola had spoken to this newspaper in relation to her plight previously, the situation has not improved since and she is now facing into spending Christmas at the hospital with her daughter. 'The situation for Christmas is that we'll face-time (video call) with my other children while they're opening their presents,' Nicola explained. 'That way we can feel as if we're in some way all together as a family. It's a difficult situation, particularly for my other kids. They've seen a lot. They're angry and they're afraid and they're in limbo. They don't know how long things are going to be this way. I'm here at the hospital morning, noon and night and they don't get to see their mum.' Nicola's daughter needs full time care and she stays with her at all times, except for a few hours at the weekends when she gets to see her other children. When things were at their worst, Nicola lived in constant fear that her daughter would seriously harm herself or others and she is at her wits end as she tries to get her daughter the treatment she desperately needs. Frustratingly, Nicola says that her daughter has made some progress in recent weeks having engaged with a behavioural therapist in the hospital, however, there is only so much they can do in the current setting, away from an appropriate care centre. 'She has shown some improvement,' Nicola said. 'She sees the behavioural therapist once a week and has made some progress, but we've been told that there's only so much they can do in this setting.' 'It's really frustrating, because if she could get the appropriate care that she needs, she might even be able to get back to school within a few months. It would give my daughter her life back.' Since the last time we spoke, Nicola says that the Director General of the HSE is looking into the matter, however, ultimately the decision to make funding available lies with Minister for Health Simon Harris. With this being a busy season at the hospital, every angle has been tried to remove the teenage girl from the hospital bed - except, that is, for stumping up the cash to pay for appropriate residential care. Nicola says that they were offered a home care package which would cost somewhere in the region of 35,000 in a bid to free up the hospital bed, but it's something that's of little or no benefit to their situation at all. 'If we go home at this stage, then we'll fall down the list of priorities and it could be 2020 by the time my daughter gets the care she needs,' she said. 'At that stage, she'll nearly be looking to adult services. Also, it's not fair for them to offer this to us, when somebody else could really benefit from getting it. Giving my daughter a carer and sending her home will be of no use to her. She won't receive the type of help she needs or make any progress.' The family's case had already been championed by Labour leader Brendan Howlin previously, and following the publication of the previous article on Nicola's situation, she says that Minister Paul Kehoe has been in touch and has vowed to talk with his colleague Simon Harris on the matter, as well as the Director General of the HSE. 'We've been told the bed at Nua Healthcare is still available,' Nicola said. 'But that's likely to change on the second week of January when the allocations are made. At this stage, we're still in limbo and really we're just left hoping for a Christmas miracle. With Christmas coming up, most of the people involved won't be back to work until mid January though, so it looks like we'll be here for the foreseeable.' Nicola previously outlined that it's costing somewhere in the region of 40,000 to 45,000 per month to keep her daughter at Wexford General. For an extra 8,000, she could be receiving appropriate care in an appropriate setting, with the real possibility of emerging within a few months. Dingle native and concertina player Cormac Begley will be performing with Re as part of Tradfest 2019 in the Workmans club on January 23 It will be an exciting start to the new year for one Cormac Begley as the Dingle native gets ready to perform with band Re as part of Tradfest 2019 at the Workman's Club in Dublin on January 23. Tradfest is Ireland's largest festival of trad, folk and world music which will run from January 23 to January 27 and which will feature a wealth of talent to showcase in some of the most iconic and atmospheric buildings in Dublin city. It is this combination of world class artists, music and stunning venues which makes TradFest one of the truly unmissable events on the cultural calendar. Re are made up of Liam O Maonlai, Maitiu O Casaide. Cormac Begley, Eithne Ni Chathain and Peter O Toole. Cormac's concertina playing has been described by The Irish Times as 'a master class in timeless musicianship'. Anyone in Dublin or Kerry that are looking to see Cormac perform can purchase tickets for 21.99 from Tradfest.ie. Doors open at 8pm on the night with the show itself set to start at 8:30pm on January 23. For a full list of all the Tradfest line up, people can head over to the website at tradfest.ie. Kerry County Council is to present a number of civic awards to community groups and individuals next month. The Knocknagoshel Halloween Group - which raises money for local charities with its hugely popular annual Halloween show - is to receive the County Annual Award. The afters of a local wedding led to a bar in Ballinskelligs being convicted of an after-hours offence after Gardai found some 60 people inside the bar after closing time last Christmas. The court heard that Gardai were on patrol when they passed Cable O'Leary's bar in Balllinskelligs and saw 10 people smoking outside the bar. When Gardai entered the bar they found around 60 people inside drinking and dancing while a DJ was playing music. This was at 2.45am on December 29. Two staff members were also behind the bar, and they admitted that there was no bar exemption in place. The court heard that the afters of a local wedding was taking place in the bar. OC properties of Cable O'Leary's in Ballinskelligs pleaded guilty to the charge of permitting intoxicating liquor to be consumed on the premises after hours, and Judge David Waters convicted and fined them 200. 'Home, family and marriage are God's greatest gifts to humanity', Catholic Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne said in his Christmas message this week. Family is the emphasis of the Bishop's annual message in a year that witnessed two events for which he suggested all should give thanks taking stock at year's end: The World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis's visit. In the message, Bishop Browne also paid tribute to those who contributed throughout the year to the life of their parish and community, through the Church and local organisations working in culture, sport and charity. "During the Christmas season let us remember and give thanks to God for the two events of last August: the WMOF 2018 and for the visit of Pope Francis," Bishop Browne said, continuing: "In all of our lives, is there anything more important than family? Home, family and marriage are God's greatest gifts to humanity. God bless all our homes and families. Be mindful that Christmas is about both family and faith. In our celebrations, what can ensure we get the balance right? "Consider the following: Have time for God. Have time to say a prayer and count your blessings. Deep in your heart give thanks for the goodness of the people in your life. Gather together in church to joyfully give praise and thanks to God. "Enjoy the presence of children. God bless families with a new-born baby. "Let no neighbour's Christmas Day be long and lonely because no one comes to visit. Be generous to needy causes, give what you can. "Thanks to everyone for your contribution to the life of your parish community throughout the year. It is wonderful to see the numbers of people actively involved in their parishes and communities. "Thanks to all the volunteers in local organisations and charities that so enrich our communities through culture, sport, or assistance for people in need." "Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Luke 2:14 "This Christmas, in the Cathedral, my prayer at the altar and before the crib will be to praise and thank God, asking that he fill all the homes, families and communities of our diocese with his love and peace. "A happy and a blessed Christmas to one and all. "Siochain an Linbh Iosa, um Nollaig agus ar feadh na hAthbhliana, libh go leir," Bishop Browne concluded. Photo: pixabay It's not exactly the way most British Columbians wanted to start 2019, yet the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is warning that whether you like it or not, brace yourselves for big tax hikes in the New Year. CTF says the hikes will affect most of the province through employer, property, and fuel taxes. "The Employer Health Tax will have a cascading effect across the province, putting a chill on new hiring and pay raises, and risking property tax hikes from Port Alberni to Prince George," said Kris Sims, B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. "This is a huge downloading of taxes from Victoria onto the backs of job creators and municipalities across the province." The Employer Health Tax starts in 2019, stacked on top of the pre-existing Medical Services Premium, and according to the CTF, it will create a double dip of taxation on many B.C. employers for the year. "Because most cities and towns have a payroll of more than $500,000, their budgets are directly impacted, causing the need for town budget cuts or property tax hikes," the group says. Here's a link to the official rates and the provinces EHT tax calculator. Homeowners in places such as West Vancouver and North Vancouver with homes valued at more than $3 million will be required to pay a new school tax created by the provincial government. "Despite being labelled a school tax, the money goes into general revenue," said Sims. The rates apply to houses, condos and vacant land. Sims said that tax hikes on British Columbians will continue throughout the year, with the carbon tax leaping from $35 per ton to $40 per ton on Apr. 1, 2019. "This tacks 8.89 cents on to every litre of gasoline bought in B.C." To read the federal Canadian Taxpayers Federation New Years Tax Changes report, click here. Health Minister Simon Harris's planned visit to address concerns on site at University Hospital Kerry in the New Year is set to attract a range of protestors. Minister Harris confirmed his visit in a meeting with Kerry TDs Minister Brendan Griffin, Fianna Fail's John Brassil and Sinn Fein's Martin Ferris, held at their request to address serious concerns over a range of issues at University Hospital Kerry (UHK). There is already commentary on social media from individuals indicating their intention to mount protests over a wide range of health-related issues during the Ministerial visit. The visit will come as the Department of Health embarks on a 'comparative analysis' of staffing levels in Kerry, the Minister also revealed at the meeting. Minister Harris denied that the hospital is on the verge of being 'downgraded' and said that he will meet with local 'stakeholders' during the visit in order to address their concerns - according to the TDs in a joint statement released on the meeting. They pressed the Minister on staffing levels at the hospital and the hospital's failure to recruit consultants to a number of specified departments. "All three local deputies raised the issue of recruitment and retention of staff, and the difficulties in maintaining staff numbers over the past number of years. "In particular, the need to recruit key consultants in the areas of cardiology, respiratory and geriatric medicine would be prioritised," the deputies said. They said they pressed the Minister to 'confirm' that the 33 promised beds the hospital failed to deliver this year would be realised in 2019; and that the funding and budget to pay for the beds would be set aside. Minister Harris informed the Kerry TDs that his Department is set to undertake a 'comparative analysis' of staffing levels at UHK with Letterkenny University Hospital and South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel - centres of similar size. The trio described their meeting with the Minister as 'positive', however. Minister Griffin and Deputies Ferris and Brassil said they are 'looking forward to positive improvements in 2019 with the Minister vowing to work with them'. Sinn Fein Deputy Martin Ferris appealed to the Government to seriously review the submissions made regarding the proposed closure for the River Feale and its tributaries, the Galey and Brick. This affects 50 to 60 fishermen who are actively involved in that fishing sector, he said. There are only 27 licences currently operating on the river, down from over 50 licences in 2011. "The reason for the proposed closure for the 2019 season is down to conservation purposes," he said. "The fishermen themselves, who have been fishing from 1997 up until this year, have consistently played their part in conservation. They are reduced to a tagging system that started in 1997. It reduced their fishing period by six weeks from that year. Now they fish approximately 36 days a year, approximately five hours a day. That is the total fishing that they do there." There is a counter system on the river, which is monitored and run by Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, he said. This year that counter system recorded 3,487 fish that went upriver. With 3,487 fish, it was determined they were 46 fish short of being allowed to fish in the coming season. "There is no doubt that far more than 3,487 fish passed up the river this year during which there was a terrible drought and subsequent flooding at high tide and other times," he said. "The river is 100 yards wide at the relevant point, with three fish passes, at only one of which there is a counter. I totally dispute the argument made by IFI that draft net fishing must end based on data from the counter system. It is a traditional way of life which the fishermen have worked tirelessly to conserve. The closure will create further terrible difficulties in that part of rural Ireland. The nearby post office in Ballylongford has closed, as has the creamery in Ballyduff and a business in Clashmealcon. Draft net fishing is probably one of the few industries left in the area." In response Minister of State Sean Canney said scientific and management assessments of each of the distinct stocks, including the River Feale, are carried out each year. "IFI engages in extensive stock monitoring which feeds into the Standing Scientific Committee's (SSC). annual reviews. The SSC uses data, including counter data, rod catch, catch and release and any commercial catch data in the previous five years to calculate an average over that period which is used to estimate expected returns for the coming year." The River Feale is reaching between 50 per cent and 100 per cent of its conservation limit, he said, and it has been proposed that there be catch and release in 2019. "I do not know what submissions were made and will not try to influence the process. While I take on board the points made by the Deputy, the views of IFI and the scientific group must also be considered. I do not know what will happen in the context of the regulations for 2019 or what submissions were made by local anglers and public representatives, but I have only been in the Department for approximately six to eight weeks." Brassil introduces bill to regulate reimbursement of drugs for rare diseases A problem in Irish healthcare whereby orphan drugs, used to treat rare diseases, continually struggle to secure reimbursement here, often despite their wide availability elsewhere in Europe, was raised in the Dail by Fianna Fail Deputy John Brassil. Introducing a new Private Members' Bill, he said the reimbursement process is protracted, unnecessarily public and often antagonistic, with patients continually forced to protest publicly or engage with politicians to seek fairness and equity over the course of a two-year campaign from initial application in Ireland to its final decision. "The issue of low availability of orphan drugs, or treatment specifically designated for rare diseases, is a complex one, with several factors contributing to the problem ranging from the appropriateness of the assessment mechanism, the current framework agreement between the State and the pharmaceutical industry, industry pricing and prioritisation of Ireland," he said. Currently, he said the same health technology assessment is carried out by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for new medicines, irrespective of their medicine type. "The consequence of using this form of health technology assessment is that commercial negotiations between the State and industry commence in a poor position and the information available to the HSE is of limited value," he said. "This is directly contributing to the two-year process of protracted negotiations as both parties seek to reach a fair and accurate agreement of the true value of the medicine." He said the delay can swiftly exceed two years as companies deprioritise the Irish market in favour of European access. "This is in light of Ireland's growing reputation for having a slow and challenging access environment in respect of drugs used to treat rare diseases." In response, Health Minister Simon Harris said he was not in a position to accept the Bill but he looked forward to continuing to work with Deputy Brassil, whom he acknowledged has done huge work in this area. Just a third of the funding required to realise the 21 walkways nationwide which are now vying for public money exists. The North Kerry Greenway - the extension of the Great Southern Trail into Listowel from the Limerick border in Kilmorna - is one of 21 live applications before the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Combined, the 21 projects need 150 million. But the fund is capped at 50 million currently. However, politicians are confident that the North Kerry Greenway will meet all the criteria to make possible a project regarded by many as vital to the future of the region as well as Ireland's Tidiest Town. Details of the funding state-of-play were revealed to councillors in a meeting with Minister Brendan Griffin on the issue last week. Minister Griffin said that the projects will be assessed in January by the Department to judge which meet the criteria and which are 'shovel ready'. Applicants will then be interviewed (Kerry County Council in the case of the greenway). "This will focus mainly on the the potential of the project to attract visitors," Cllr Jimmy Moloney said, adding: "I am very confident we will pass the criteria stage which should decrease the number of applicants." Successful projects will be revealed in April. This year Our Lady of Lourdes Spanish students contributed to the festive atmosphere in the school with a Spanish crib scene. In Spain the crib figures are surrounded by a village scene with farmers, fishermen, peasants and their animals. The Spanish students told their classmates about the traditions they enjoy back home, including how the Three Wise Men have a special significance as they bring the main gifts instead of Santa. On the evening of January 5 there are parades in Spanish towns where the Three Wise Men distribute sweets and small gifts to children. January 6 is an important family day in Spain as this is when most of the presents are exchanged. The school would like to thank Adri, Marianna, Marta, Candela, Celia, Marta, Ana, Sofia, Maite and Elena for their contribution to celebrations. Thirteen Ireland's Ancient East Historic Town trail signs have been unveiled in the New Ross district as part of an initiative to boost tourist visitor numbers to the area. The Tholsel in New Ross was one area of the district to see a sign erected. New Ross was one of four towns to see one of the bright orange Failte Ireland signs unveiled. Working with local authorities and historians, Failte Ireland has uncovered interesting and lesser known stories from each area's history, with content being displayed through wayfinding, interpretation, photography, maps and other signage across each town. The Historic Towns initiative is designed to encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the wider region. Failte Ireland's Head of Ireland's Ancient East, Jenny De Saulles, said: 'There is a growing tourism trend around the world for exploring local areas and uncovering their unique stories. The Ireland's Ancient East brand has had serious impact this year, with visitor numbers and revenue continuing to grow at a strong rate.' Ms De Saulles said the Historic Towns initiative will help to further boost visitors numbers, encourage tourists to explore different parts of Ireland's Ancient East and stay in the region for longer, helping to drive revenue for local businesses. Hundreds of people were treated to an amazing Christmas spectacle when tractors driven by young men drove through New Ross town in a celebration of all things festive. A Zetor tractor with reindeers on the front and Christmas trees on the rear was one of 12 to catch the eye as the tractors - some boasting 1,000 LED lights - made their way from Irishtown through the town centre and along O'Hanrahan Bridge, which could have been visible from space with all the wattage. The brainchild of Declan Dunne and his son Jake, the colourful spectacle travelled as far as the mart on Rosbercon Hill, before returning to New Ross quay front where the drivers were greeted with a big round of applause. Everyone enjoyed hot drinks and mince pies and performances by the New Ross & District Pipe Band of festive tunes. Run in conjunction with the New Ross Nollaig festivities and New Ross Chamber of Commerce, the event was a great success. Now in its fourth year, Declan said: `The crowds were great and were up on last year. We had some new drivers with us, with the drivers hailing from Murrintown, Whitechurch, Adamstown, Ferns, Kilbraney, Enniscorthy, Whitechurch and Campile.' He said: 'We do this for the Christmas spirit. It's a family oriented event to light up the kids' faces.' The drivers pay for their own lights and there is gentle competition between them to see how can have the brightest tractor. Boys at Ditton Nazareth House, England, pictured in 1910, the same year the Sligo Nazareth House opened. Pic: Sisters of Nazareth Archive Following his appointment as Bishop of Elphin in 1895 John Joseph Clancy (1856-1912), had become increasingly disturbed at the plight of inmates in the Sligo workhouse. The nineteenth century had thrown up a number of workhouse scandals, most notably at Carrick-on-Shannon. At Carrick workhouse, staff had sexually exploited inmates and misappropriated their food, goods and money. Bishop Clancy's particular concern was to end the incarceration of pauper children with adults, especially unrelated males. In the first decade of the twentieth century there were no suitable institutions available to care for destitute and orphaned boys in the west of Ireland other than placement in industrial schools, reformatories and workhouses. Bishop Clancy, therefore, invited the Sisters of Nazareth, a recently founded, London based, religious Congregation, to staff and run a new boys' home in Sligo, and to care for both male and female elderly paupers. In 1910 five Sisters of Nazareth arrived in Church Hill, Sligo to occupy Merville, the former Pollexfen/Yeats home, a moderately large Georgian House and small estate. In order to open a home so quickly the Sisters took the building at Church Hill, Sligo, on a 5 year lease from the local Tighe family, one of whose members was a nun. The first 17 boys in residence arrived on 15th August 1910, taken directly from the Sligo Workhouse, which was situated in Ballytivnan. After the creation of the Free State in 1922, the workhouse became a County Home for the aged and infirm, and also acted as the medical section of the County Hospital. The site became known as St John's Hospital and the original workhouse structures were gradually replaced. Only the former fever hospital building remains. The workhouse authorities provided 10 to be relieved of their upkeep. The scale of need is reflected in the numbers accommodated less than a year later. By 1911 there were 53 people living at the Nazareth House Home. Out of this total, seven were Sisters, five were elderly men, four elderly women, and four others (three female) aged from 16-38 years. There were 33 boys, whose ages ranged from 3 to 12 years, including four pairs of brothers. All except the Sisters were classified as paupers under the census statistical return. All Sisters were Irish born, as were most inmates, the vast majority of them having been born in county Sligo, although several boys had been born in Scotland. Merville, with its 14 bedrooms and extensive stable block and outhouses, was subdivided into separate living, dining and sleeping units for each of the six different groups accommodated there: Nursery boys, older boys, elderly men, elderly women, the Sisters, and the handful of domestic/labouring help. Even so, several of the babies had to sleep with some of the elderly ladies. The increasingly cramped living conditions continued for some 15 years until funds were raised to build the adjacent purpose-built boys' home and fulfil Bishop Clancy's desire for separate accommodation for children. This care provision was based on a model aimed at relief of the destitute and needy, 'rescuing' or 'saving' those children in physical and moral danger. These measures represented a radical, pioneering attempt to provide more appropriate care for the destitute young and old. That this provision was in such a large Home, albeit one very much smaller than the workhouse, went against the grain of developing child care practice in Britain, however. In England large child care homes were beginning to be reconstructed into smaller units, especially for those children who were in voluntary care, but also for some workhouse children. This was reflected in the rapid development of cottage homes. These were institutions, often in the countryside, where large numbers of children were cared for in a series of smaller cottage-style living units. These were designed to make care more home-like and personal, and to abate the institutional bleakness of the largest institutions. In 1903 there had been 25 such homes in Britain; by 1914 there were 115. Although the new Nazareth House Home in Sligo may have been operating from the outset on a model that was becoming less common in child care provision, it was still several steps up from the care it replaced and was a charitable response to the acute and chronic needs of destitute children and old people. The arrangements in Sligo, indeed of all of Nazareth Homes, were modelled on and conformed with the structure and operation of the first Nazareth House Home in Hammersmith, West London, which is still the Headquarters of the Nazareth Sisters worldwide. The next Nazareth House article to be published in The Sligo Champion on 1st January 2019, will outline why the boys came into care at Nazareth House, Sligo. A man awaiting verdict on a charge that he is a member of the IRA has been granted compassionate bail by the Special Criminal Court for Christmas. Julian Flohr (37), with an address at Rusheen Ard, Caltragh, is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, on August 14, 2016. His trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court commenced in November and a judgement from the three-judge court is expected in January. Evidence was given that Flohr and another man, Damhan McFadden (29) of Kilmacowen were travelling in a Saab car belonging to McFadden near Dromahair at 10.30pm which was stopped by Garda Eamonn McDonnell and Gda Ciaran Staid around 10.30pm. A decision was made to search the two men under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. Garda McDonnell found a small "Spiderman" themed backpack behind the driver's seat in the car, containing a black package which appeared to have soil on it. When Gda McDonnell looked inside the backpack again he formed the suspicion that it could be an explosive device. It was later established that the device was a mortar round but there was no primary cartridge present in it. Flohr made no reply when the membership charge was put to him last month, so the court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The three-judge court granted him compassionate bail last Wednesday pending judgment in the case on January 25 next. Judge Tony Hunt, presiding, said Flohr had voluntarily surrendered his bail on a previous occasion. "Had he not surrendered his bail, he'd probably be out for Christmas anyway." Flohr is remanded to January 25 next with consent to bail from December 24th to 28th. McFadden pleaded guilty to knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann otherwise the IRA by transporting a training mortar in furtherance of an unlawful object within the State on August 14, 2016. McFadden had originally pleaded not guilty at the three-judge court to membership of an unlawful organisation on August 14, 2016 and the trial has been underway since November 15. After the guilty plea was entered, prosecuting counsel Fiona Murphy SC asked the court that a "nolle prosequi" be entered on the membership charge which McFadden had originally been charged with. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge Cormac Dunne, remanded McFadden on continuing bail until January 25, when he will be sentenced. The decision by the European Parliament to include the Western Rail Corridor as a priority transport link in the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme has been welcomed by Councillor Declan Bree. "The CEF programme, which provides for EU funding for transport and energy projects will allow the government to draw down E.U. funding for the phased re-opening of the Sligo to Galway Western Rail Corridor and the eventual development of a rail link connecting Sligo with Derry." Cllr Bree said. "Thanks are due to our M.E.P.'s and in particular to Matt Carthy M.E.P. of Sinn Fein, for taking the necessary steps to ensure that the Western Rail Corridor is now designated as a priority transport link. "Earlier this year the Governments new National Development Plan - which outlines a 116 billion spending programme over the next decade - stated that phase II and III of the of the Western Rail Corridor could play an important role in the Atlantic Economic Corridor. "The European Parliament's decision this week clearly indicates the E.U's recognition of the strategic importance of the Western Rail Corridor and augurs well for the future. "Railways can play a very significant part in strategic planning and an overhaul of our rail service is long overdue. "Investment in high-speed railway lines for long-distance passenger service, delivers safety, comfort and optimum connectivity. "For example, by completing and upgrading the Western Rail Corridor from Limerick to Sligo, a journey time of less than 2 hours is a realistic target. "At present, public transport options take over 4 hours, which does nothing to entice people from their cars. "Similar upgrading of radial routes to or from Dublin for higher speeds, could deliver journey times of 90 minutes or less from Sligo, Galway or Limerick "In addition the eventual electrification of the rail service will allow for a major reduction in Ireland's carbon emissions. "The Regional Planning Guidelines of the Mid West, West and Border Regions have consistently and collectively called for the provision of inter-city passenger and freight services on the Western Rail Corridor between Limerick and Sligo. "However, those Guidelines have been ignored and we all know that Dublin's growth has been allowed to spiral out of control while token gestures at balanced regional development has left our capital city bursting at the seams. "If Government seriously wants to achieve balanced regional development, it needs to facilitate it happening by investing in our rail infrastructure. "Now that the Western Rail Corridor has been included in the European Union's C.E.F. programme the government needs to seize the opportunity of drawing down E.U. grant aid to assist in funding the phased re-opening of the Sligo to Galway line," said Cllr Bree. The Drumcliffe community is fearful for what might become of the missing bronze sculpture which was taken from outside Drumcliffe church some time in the last two weeks. It forms part of a larger piece displaying the poem "He wishes for the cloths of heaven" by the renowned Irish poet, which is situated in the car park at Drumcliffe Church. The sculpture has not yet been found, but a number of leads are being followed. Jarlath Gantly, spokesperson for the Drumcliffe Development Association told The Sligo Champion: "We have had good leads from members of the public. "We initially thought that the sculpture had gone missing on Friday or Saturday because it was only noticed on Sunday evening. "We received a report from a member of the public that there were two vans in the area acting suspiciously. Two vans were seen in the car park around 1am on Wednesday night," he said. He added: "The location of the piece is sort of hidden. It's in the car-park tucked away in the corner so it's not something that people might notice straight away. "One of the problems is that we can't identify exactly when it was taken. There was no ancillary damage, there were no barriers broken or anything like that." Mr. Gantly says that it would be relatively easy to remove the sculpture from the piece, and he feels it could have been done quickly. "It weighs less than 100 kilos so two men could easily lift it. There were only two bolts holding it to the ground so it wouldn't take that much work to remove it. "It was snapped cleanly off. Someone could have just put a rope around it and snapped it off or something like that. It could well have been planned, I doubt this was spontaneous. There's a low footpath there too so someone could have been in and gone in 20 minutes." He admits, though, that they are fearful for what might have happened to the sculpture. "We are fearful for what has happened to it. There has been similar incidents around the country. People often mistake bronze for an expensive metal but it's not. It wouldn't be anything like copper. When people try and scrap bronze they realise how little it is worth. If this was melted down and put in a block it would only be worth a few hundred. "It's really heartbreaking for everyone. Drumcliffe is a small community. The sculpture has been there for 15 years. In 2013 a part of it went missing but obviously when whoever took it realised that it was bronze, they tossed it. Similar might happen here so we want people to keep an eye out and contact Gardai if they see anything." There's a 500 cash reward for anyone with information that leads to its safe return. Gardai are appealing to anyone with information regarding the piece to contact Grange Gardai or Sligo Gardai on 0719157000 or the Garda confidential line 1800666111. Photo: The Canadian Press Former New Brunswick premier Brian Gallant is stepping down as leader of the provincial Liberals earlier than planned, saying the party needs to move on and choose a new leader. Gallant said Friday he will resign at the party's next caucus meeting, expected in mid-February. While he plans to stay on as the member of the legislature for Shediac Bay-Dieppe for the immediate future, Gallant said he won't run in the next provincial election. "During the holidays, many family members, friends, Liberals, supporters, and New Brunswickers have encouraged me to run again in the next election," he told a news conference in Moncton. "This is flattering but it is also problematic as the Liberal party needs to move on and select a new leader." Gallant added: "It has become clear that while I still occupy the role of leader, many will be hopeful and some will be fearful that I will run again in the next election." Premier Blaine Higgs said that while Gallant's decision to resign as Liberal leader "wasn't a complete surprise," he didn't expect it over the Christmas break. "I'm sure it was very difficult," the Progressive Conservative leader said of Gallant's decision. "I know the time he spent here he worked hard, he came in obviously with certainly the best interest of the province." The Liberal leader had announced his intention to resign after his party failed to form a minority government in the weeks following the Sept. 24 provincial election, but said at the time he would not step down until the party had chosen a successor. He was elected Liberal leader in 2012 and won a majority government in 2014. Liberal caucus chair Jean-Claude D'Amours said in an interview he's working with party colleagues on the next steps for choosing an interim leader. D'Amours, a member of the New Brunswick Liberal Association's steering committee, said he's also working on providing recommendations to the board of directors regarding the party's next leadership convention, to be held in Saint John. "We need to give appropriate time for candidates to announce their intention to run and to tour the province to gather support," he said. "But we need to remember ... we may have an election any time, so we need to be ready." Gallant took the opportunity to criticize Higgs during his news conference, saying that the premier is "governing like he has a majority government." He said given the Tories' plans to cut education and health care funding, "it's quite possible that his government could fall over the upcoming budget." 2018 was an excellent year for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Sligo. Three new IDA client companies established operations here, animal health and nutrition manufacturers Phibro, global software company LiveTiles and retail solutions company E3 Retail. Expansions were announced by established companies Overstock, an e-commerce and technology company and Abbvie, the global R&D based biopharma company. Over 400 jobs were created. Sligo is now home to 22 IDA client companies, employing 2,184 people. It was a good year. The groundwork needed for those projects was laid over a long number of years. The criteria demanded by global companies seeking to invest in Ireland is exacting. The 'must haves' - a skilled workforce and a skills pipeline and third-level institutes to help develop them, accessibility, and the required level of infrastructure and services coupled with a robust and supportive business culture - take time to develop. Much of it must be done in collaboration with other stakeholders, everyone working together to build the strongest possible value proposition. That collaboration is on-going; we are lucky in Sligo to have committed stakeholders working together for the common good. The recent launch of The Landing Space is an excellent example, developed by IDA Ireland in partnership with IT Sligo and Sligo County Council to provide an open plan, turnkey collaborative working environment for companies who wish to quickly and easily establish operations in the North West region. It adds to IT Sligo's incubation unit offering and the excellent facilities established by The Building Block. The agency welcomed the approval of Government funding for the Western Distributor Road announced in early 2018 and the fact that works have commenced on site connecting the Finisklin Business Park to Oakfield lands and the N4 at Caltragh. Improving our transportation connectivity into and out of the region such as a motorway linking Sligo to Dublin would be a major advantage. Collaboration between agencies, industry and third level institutes is also crucial to plan and put in place the education and training needed to meet the fast-changing needs of industry. As a location we see a drive to increase and embed collaboration within the region; existing clusters and networks such as the Atlantic MedTech Cluster are strengthening while we see new networks emerging around emerging activities and sectors such as the emergent ICT cluster. The work of the Sligo Start-ups and Tech Meet-ups helps to represent the scale and potential of Sligo by bringing these communities together in a focused manner on common themes and for regular events. For their part, IDA Ireland is working to align business sectors with the region and their corresponding strengths to develop sectoral ecosystems. With Sligo now home to leading life science companies such as Phibro, Abbvie and Abbott as well as tech companies LiveTiles, Overstock and E3 Retail it is hoped that these international companies will help attract additional overseas companies to locate in Sligo. We know that different sectors like to cluster, go where there already is a strong presence of Life Sciences or Tech companies for example, and with these two clusters now firmly established in Sligo, our job, in IDA is to leverage those successes to attract more investment. Challenges remain however. We plan strategically, far ahead of time, to deliver what's needed on our end to get new investment into regional locations. It's a key focus for us. The Advance Technology Building we had constructed at IDA Business & Technology Park in Sligo, part of an IDA 150M property investment plan, is now occupied by Abbott following their relocation from the original site at Ballytivnan. We also work closely with the private sector to secure the provision of appropriate and cost effective property solutions for FDI clients. But competition is fierce, not just from other locations in Ireland but from across Europe and further afield. It should be borne in mind that we are operating in a climate of great geo-political and economic uncertainty internationally and that has ramifications for us and what we do. Brexit is a prime example. As part of the Border region, Sligo will be impacted, and while we have been planning for Brexit for some time, much uncertainty remains as to its consequences. Against that backdrop, IDA Ireland continues to work with stakeholders on the implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs, works closely with existing clients to retain, grown and strengthen their presence through continued company transformation and actively promotes the region for new inward investments, specifically in the areas of Global Business Services, Research & Innovation and high tech manufacturing investments. This year saw two high profile tech events, one hosted and one supported by IDA, to drive recruitment in the local tech sector, showcasing the careers on offer in the Region coupled with the quality of life to hundreds of candidates locally and nationally. Other strategic initiatives which the Regional Manager says they are developing and will continue to drive in the years ahead are second sites - encouraging established businesses to develop part of their operations at a second site in the North West region, and homeworking initiatives which would have the added benefit of spreading employment across the Sligo region. We have made significant progress in the last couple of years in attracting FDI to Sligo and our efforts continue, we are building for the future. A man who tried and failed to rob a bookies in Collooney last September has narrowly avoided spending Christmas in prison after vowing to mend his ways. Brian Duke (37) of Cois Abhainn, Collooney, delivered a lengthy speech to Judge Kevin Kilrane pleading for mercy at his sentence hearing at the District Court last Thursday. But beforehand, the court heard evidence from the driver of a van who Duke tried to turn into his getaway driver after the botched robbery attempt. Sean Nicholson was sitting in his van working on his laptop when he was suddenly drawn into the drama. He saw Duke approaching his van and thought he was going to ask him about broadband, something which he said people often did. "He got in and pushed my stuff over and asked me to drive," Mr Nicholson told Judge Kilrane. "I said no. The situation took a few seconds to sink in, that he was trying to hijack the van. "I got out and brought the keys with me and shut the door," he said. "I then saw the Garda car coming with blue lights flashing. It was scary," he said. When asked by the Judge if he had been traumatised by the incident, Mr Nicholson said he was now very cautious about leaving the door of his van open and of anyone approaching it. Prompted by his defence solicitor Mr Tom MacSharry, Duke apologised in court to the van driver. "Mr Nicholson, I have stopped people before when I had drink taken and asked them for lifts. I had drink taken that day. "I sincerely apologise if it caused you any fear that day," he said to the witness. Sergeant Derek Butler said that minutes before Duke tried to use Mr Nicholson's van as a getaway car, he had entered Pyramid Bookmakers in Collooney at 3.25pm on 24th September, with his face covered and socks on his hands. Duke demanded money off the woman, who was pregnant, and she was "put in fear." A qualified electrician, Duke was seen on CCTV trying to get in a side door but it was locked so he fled the scene. He was later identified on CCTV. Mr MacSharry said his client was "heavily intoxicated" at the time and was not armed with any weapon during the attempted robbery. The court heard Duke has 12 previous convictions from Sligo, Boyle and Galway courts. Duke been on remand in prison since 26th September because while granted bail in the High Court, he was unable to meet the surety set. Sgt Butler said the woman from the bookmakers was present in court earlier but was unable to stay as she was heavily pregnant. Duke told the court he would "like nothing more" than to apologise to her. In his speech which he read out to Judge Kilrane, Duke said he was "perfectly ashamed" of his actions that day. He said he had spent an "immeasurable amount of time soul-searching in prison" and had now developed a "mature outlook" on life. "I have put a lot of time and effort into my education to become an electrician, and into my family and child at home. I have worked on some of Europe's largest gas fields," he said. "I have a beautiful woman and a young son. That is my motivation. I hope to have my own company as a contractor in the years to come. I cannot apologise enough," he said. "Would you like to apologise to her (the cashier)," asked his solicitor Mr MacSharry. "I would like nothing more. What's her name?" asked Duke. "What came over you?" asked Judge Kilrane. "I have no excuse. I was abusing alcohol. I suffer from depression from time to time and am taking medication. I didn't know what I was doing," he said. "I think you're an alcoholic," said Mr MacSharry. Duke agreed but said he was now "clean and sober" and just wanted to get his life back on track. "I'm an electrician. I work for Google, Facebook and wind farms all over Europe. "I've analysed myself in the last three months," he said, adding that being in prison was a "blessing in disguise." He also agreed with Mr MacSharry that if Community Service was an option to be considered by the judge he "would love nothing more than to give back to the community." In summing up, Judge Kilrane said the attempted robbery in particular was "very serious, to go in, in disguise and demand money." "We live in dangerous times. The manner of attack on the premises puts that person in fear for her safety and perhaps for her life. "We have some serious criminals in this country and the threat of a person coming in with their face covered - a person could fear the worst," he told the court, adding that he hoped the cashier had been able to move on with her life. "Equally Mr Nicholson, who was doing his notes in his van seemed very grounded and sensible, he didn't panic. A more nervous person would fear this car-jacking. "He is still somewhat puzzled by the thing and he is a victim but approached it in a very sensible way. I admire him for his calm - he simply got out and took the keys with him," he said. Judge Kilrane said the aggravating factors in the case were obvious and in mitigation, he said he was impressed by Duke's speech and accepted he was "out of his mind" with drink that day. He described the attempted robbery as "irrational" and pointed out that it was not followed up with any sort of violence. Judge Kilrane then said he would put Duke on a probation bond for 12 months on condition he abide by the directions of the Probation Officer, adding: "this man should not consume alcohol. Not a spoonful. It doesn't agree with you." "You could face five years in prison if this came before the Circuit Court," he warned Duke. "You're a qualified man with a good trade. You should immerse yourself in work," he said. "That's what I intend to do," said Duke. "Do you partake in any illegal drugs?" asked the Judge. "Not any more," replied the defendant. Judge Kilrane then ordered Duke not to take any illegal drugs as part of his probation bond. "You've earned your qualifications the hard way. Don't ruin your life," he added. Duke was earlier remanded on bail for a separate charge of assaulting Ms Nicky Millar, to Sligo District Court on 24th January 2019 and again on a separate charge of criminal damage and Public Order offences in the Harp Tavern last May 12th, to a sitting of Sligo District Court on March 7th. Sligo could have a new state of the art Central Library by April 2022. The Council and IT Sligo are hoping the Urban Regeneration Development Fund will approve their application in the New Year to allow for the development of a Sligo Learning and Ideas Generation Centre (SLIGC). The centre would be a collaboration between the Council and the IT, incorporating a new Central Public Library, as well as research and innovation centres for the IT and local entrepreneurs. It would be situated on Council property on the Mall. If the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) (which was launched in July this year as part of Project Ireland 2040) approves the joint application, Phase 1 will take place next year. It will involve a complete Master Plan, feasibility study and business plan in 2019. Phase 2 in 2020-2022 will see the final design, plan, tendering and construction of the new Centre. Both the Council and the IT intend to open the library to the public in April 2022. A decision on the application is due to be made in the New Year. Councillor Chris MacManus, who had sought the update as a self-professed "bibliophile", said libraries make towns "better places" and welcomed the update. "The number of events held in Sligo library shows the potential if we were to have modern facilities," he said. He said the current library was only 250 sqm while the recommended size for a modern library is 2,500sqm, "ten times the size of Sligo library." Director of Services Dorothy Clarke said the new Sligo Learning and Ideas Generation Centre "should meet the growing needs of the Sligo population." "Let's hope this initiative between Sligo County Council and IT Sligo will work," said Cllr Seamus Kilgannon. "It's needed today. It would be wonderful to provide a new library service for the public and study area for Sligo IT," he said. Cllr MacManus welcomed the update from the Director of Services. "I'm glad to hear we have a structured time-line. It totally depends on the application...we might get an announcement in February, that's three months before the local elections," he said. "I know that Government Departments like to see things integrated and synergies. That's a welcome innovation," he told the meeting. The Council has called on Tesco management to respect the right of their workers to trade union representation and urged the wider community in Sligo to back the workers. Councillor Declan Bree's motion was unanimously backed as the Council also called on Tesco to abide by all of the collective agreements already made with their Mandate trade union. "This is all about greed and profits and it is now clear Tesco will go to any lengths to roll back the improvements that have been made by its workers over the years," said Cllr Bree. He said Tesco made more than 250 million in profits per year from their Irish business alone, "all in pursuit of more profits for shareholders at the expense of their local workers." Tesco has withheld wage increases due to long serving staff, taken away canteen facilities and no longer places new employees into union membership. It is also refusing to allow Mandate officials into stores. Two more days of strike action were held in Sligo last Friday and Saturday. Cllrs Gino O'Boyle and Chris MacManus supported the workers. Cllr MacManus congratulated the workers for their strong resolve and commended the wider community for not crossing the picket line. Cllr Hubert Keaney said it was unfortunate a company of Tesco's size had rowed back on workers rights and said it was an indication of the way the global economy was going. He pointed to the protests in Hungary recently over new a labour law allowing employers to ask for up to 400 hours of overtime work per year, leading critics to label it the "slave law." "I had to read it twice - this from the Government of a modern European country," said Cllr Keaney. Cllr Seamus Kilgannon said Tesco's stance was "unfortunate": "Everyone here would support the workers. It will only be resolved when Tesco come to the table. They deserve our support," he said. Mayor of Sligo Municipal District Cllr Rosaleen O'Grady said reading about what the workers are looking for from Tesco, "it could be from 40 years ago." "Congrats to the public for not crossing the picket line and I hope that support will be available to them this Friday and Saturday," she said. A mother-of-one has said that someone must have been looking over her the day that her ex-boyfriends gun repeatedly jammed as he tried to shoot her in the face. The mans barrister also said that but for the good grace and intervention of another power, he may have faced a more serious charge than the attempted murder to which he had pleaded guilty. It was a consequence of jealousy and an inability to accept that the relationship had collapsed. Gerard Mooney (39) of no fixed abode, but with a previous address in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, was before the Central Criminal Court last Tuesday for his sentence hearing. The father-of-three had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Stephanie Clifton (28) on 12th February 2017 at Cartron, Co Roscommon. He also pleaded guilty to committing burglary on that date at the home of Stephen ODonoghue in Cartron, which is near Carrick on Shannon. This involved him entering as a trespasser and committing assault causing harm to Stephanie Clifton. He also admitted to the possession of a shotgun, making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to Ms Clifton and the criminal damage of Mr ODonoghues door on the same occasion. He further admitted harassing Ms Clifton by persistently following, watching, pestering, besetting or communicating with her between 7th and 12th February 2017. Garda Fergal Reynolds of Boyle Garda Station testified that Ms Clifford, a Birmingham-born woman, had met the accused three or four years ago when they were both living in Co Roscommon. He told Philipp Rahn BL, prosecuting, that they began a turbulent relationship, which had broken down by 7th February, 2017. On that evening, she was at home in Meadow Crest, Boyle, with her young daughter, who was asleep. The accused arrived around 8.30pm and began banging on her windows and demanding entry. She had moved on with someone else and refused to let him in, but she spoke to him through a window. He would have been at her house for a couple of hours trying to talk to her, explained Gda Reynolds. He said that he had become quite agitated when he realised that he wasnt getting in. His victim told him that she had to go to attend to food that was cooking and left the window. However, she heard glass breaking, looked out and saw the accused standing with a crowbar, having smashed her car windows. It was almost midnight when she called the gardai. The officers attended and later came across the accused leaving the estate. He took off running, but was found hiding inside a hedge, two feet off the ground. He was released from custody the following morning on strict bail conditions, including that he would not have any contact with the victim and stay out of Boyle. However, he phoned her and threatened to kill her that very morning. See you, rat face. Youre dead, he had said, while also threatening to burn her house down. He proceeded to make another 273 calls to her on 11th and 12th February. She went to stay with her cousin, Mr ODonoghue, in Cartron that weekend. She woke up at 7.30am on Sunday 12th to find the accused standing over her. He pulled her out of bed and assaulted her. The accused had brought another man with him, and they left together after the assault. Ms Clifton dialled 999 and gardai were dispatched. We were enroute to the initial call to the assault when we got a further call to say hed returned to the house and a shot had been discharged, recalled Gda Reynolds. The door had been unlocked on his first arrival, but Mooney found it locked this time. He fired a shot through the glass part of the door, and gained entry that way. Wearing blue surgical gloves, he walked to the bedroom with a sawn-off shotgun in his hand. He brought Ms Clifton to the kitchen and pointed the gun to her head. He pulled the trigger a number of times but it didnt fire. So he opened it and tried to unload and load it before pulling the trigger another few times. It still didnt work so he tried the same procedure again. He just seemed to be getting really pissed off when the gun didnt go off, said Mr ODonoghue in a statement. The gun was inches away from her face. She was shouting: Ger dont do it. Please dont do it. Before he left, Mooney shouted that he would kill her if she rang the gardai. He also referred to killing her father and Mr ODonoghue. Gardai were there by the time the accused made his next threats to his victim, this time in a phone call. He was tracked down that evening, hiding in a wardrobe in a friends house in Castlerea. He was arrested and interviewed, but denied everything. Gda Reynolds read out Ms Cliftons victim impact statement, in which she said that her mental health had suffered as a result of the incident with the gun. I have constant flashbacks of the gun being pointed at my head and him reloading, she wrote. She said she had since been diagnosed with PTSD, was on medication and had felt suicidal. She had also been left with a fractured rib. I constantly suffer from anxiety and jump at loud bangs, she continued. I feel weakened as a person but have to stay strong for my daughter. She said she felt like prisoner in her own home and constantly though he would turn up. She also had to leave work as a result. I think that someone must have been looking over me that day, as the bullets kept jamming, despite him reloading, she said. She said that her daughter had also been affected and that her worst fear was now that my Mummy would be killed. She requested a lifetime barring order on Mooney, who had 42 previous convictions. Under cross examination by Michael Bowman SC, defending, Gda Reynolds agreed that the accused had been heard shouting I love you like a wild animal. He wasnt prepared to see the relationship go, noted the garda. The defendant was reluctant to accept it had concluded, agreed Mr Bowman. He knew there was a third person on the scene... He shouted that he loved her and it was her fault; she had driven him to this. Mr Bowman said that his client had a history of self harm, had attempted suicide and had received inpatient psychiatric treatment. Originally from Dublin, both he and his brother had moved to Castlerea and he had been living in a car at the time. He told Mr Justice Michael White that the offence was a consequence of jealousy and an inability to accept that the relationship had collapsed. But for the good grace and intervention of another power, so to speak, he may well have been facing a far more serious charge, he said. He said that his greatest acknowledgement of wrongdoing was his guilty plea and that his period in custody had been an awakening. Judge Michael White remanded the accused in custody until January 18th for sentencing. With nine hillforts in the immediate area, Baltinglass has the potential to match Boyne Valley and the Ceide Fields as a heritage site attracting tourists and other visitors, councillors in the Baltinglass Municipal District heard at their most recent meeting. Dr Alan Hawkes, consultant archaeologist, made a recent presentation to the members of Baltinglass Municipal District on the continuing excavation works, having been introduced by former TD Billy Timmins. Councillors heard that excavation works in the greater south west Wicklow area remain ongoing. There are now nine known hillforts uncovered in and around Baltinglass, while no other area in the whole country has more than two. 'There has always been an awareness of the historical significance of the area but few had imagined the information and treasures that the recent research has uncovered. This project has the potential to put the area on a par with the Boyne Valley and the Ceide Fields,' said Mr Timmins after last week's meeting. A room in the Baltinglass Courthouse complex will be dedicated to displaying information on the hillforts, but Mr Timmins remains convinced that an interpretative centre should be built in the area. 'Something like an interpretative centre would be a huge draw. I think there is a good prospect of getting funding through the Rural Regeneration Fund, once things are done right. Baltinglass could be regarded as the hillfort capital of Ireland. It was one of the first, if not the first, location to practice agriculture as we know it almost 6,000 years ago,' said Mr Timmins. 'Dr Hawkes feels that the hillforts can play a central role in the Ancient East Tourism concept and that there has to be an outlet for the display of the information,' he said. Dr Hawkes, along with Dr James O'Driscoll under Professor William O'Brien of the Archaeology Department of UCC, have been working in the area over the last number of years. The Ceide Fields in north Mayo are a huge draw tourism wise and are considered the oldest known field systems in the world, at over five and a half millennia old. Meanwhile, the Boyne Valley includes Newgrange passage tomb and the Hill of Tara, two of the most visited heritage sites in the country. Following the presentation by Dr Hawkes, members of Baltinglass Municipal District agreed to provide funding for further research into the project. Heritage Officer Deirdre Burns has also put forward a number of helpful measures, including the development of an overall strategic plan. The Local Authority has plans to introduce an incentive scheme for new businesses paying rates, councillors heard at last week's meeting of Wicklow Municipal District. During the meeting, District Manager Brian Gleeson said that a discount in rates would be offered to new businesses who take up a vacant building. 'It will be like a discount on rates for the first few years if they take up a vacant premises and take the empty look away from the street. We will be nailing down all the details in the coming months,' said Mr Gleeson. Cllr Mary Kavanagh lamented the loss of the court services, blaming the closure of the courthouse on the decline of the Market Square end of Wicklow town. 'Lots of small businesses have approached me about difficulties in paying their rates. This end of the town is dead since we lost the Court Services. At least the courts brought people into the town and you had people walking around at lunch and during the day,' said Cllr Kavanagh. Cllr John Snell said that there didn't appear to be a plan to create employment in the Wicklow area. 'Since all the facilities went out of Wicklow, no one is talking about Wicklow town as a hub for mass employment,' said Cllr Snell. 'Is there anything we can offer the IDA to bring employment to the area? Something needs to be created so people can work locally rather than having to travel to Dublin or elsewhere'. Cllr Kavanagh questioned why the IDA seemed to have such little interest in Wicklow as a county. 'All I know is that, since the 1980s, other towns have attracted attention from the IDA. We had an IDA presentation at Wicklow County Council and I remember Cllr Tom Fortune stating that it was like Groundhog Day because each IDA presentation through the years has been exactly the same. What is wrong with Wicklow as an area that we don't get investment? In my opinion, it's a great catchment area and very central. I don't know how many vacant units there are all along the Murrough,' said Cllr Kavanagh. The IFA has issued a warning to retailers about discounting fresh produce in the run-up to Christmas. According to IFA President, Joe Healy, the practice 'undermines Irish production'. 'Using farm produce as a tool to drive footfall undermines Irish production and the financial viability of specialist growers and producers. Farmers have invested hugely in their businesses to ensure sufficient supplies of fresh Irish produce for Christmas. Retailers have to respect this investment,' he said. Launching IFA's Christmas Food Producers' campaign on a farm in north Dublin that grows parsnips, cauliflower and cabbage, Mr Healy said it's been a very tough year, with significant extra costs because of the drought conditions during the summer. 'At the time, retailers supported growers because they understood the pressures that existed. We are asking for retailers to show similar backing between now and Christmas.' He reminded the public on the dependance on staples such as milk and bread during the snowstorm last Spring. 'Let's remember that when Ireland was hit by a snowstorm last March, supermarket shelves immediately ran out of milk and bread - two products that Irish consumers expect to be available,' he said. IFA has denounced the unsustainable discounting of fresh milk by retailers. Milk at 65c-67c/l is less than it costs to produce, process and put on the shelf. Mr Healy said the Grocery Goods regulations introduced in 2016 totally neglected to address unsustainable discounting, and he re-iterated IFA's call on the Enterprise Minister Heather Humphreys to introduce an independent retail regulator. Three Local Enterprise Office Wicklow clients will be taking part in the Local Enterprise Showcase at Showcase 2019 taking place over January at the RDS. The showcase runs from January 20 to January 23 and will feature over 80 Local Enterprise Office clients from all across the country. Featuring will be Love Mo Chuisle, a clothing brand designed and handmade by Anna Dobson using Donegal Irish tweed and manufactured in Avoca. The collection, which has just been awarded the 'Guaranteed Irish' symbol, includes girl's coats, capes and dresses with matching accessories and matching waistcoats and bow-ties for fathers and sons along with a small collection of fashionable pieces for ladies. At Showcase Anna will be launching a new ladies and girls skirt and cape to add to her current range. Also partaking in the showcase will be Neantog, the Irish Nettle Company was set up by Una Lambert in 2014. Neantog is a natural nettle based skincare range handmade in Rathdangan using fantastic properties of Irish grown nettles as unique selling point. Products include hand/body lotions, facial moisturisers, aftershaves, serums, midge repellent and lip balms. Four products from her skincare line were shortlisted at 'Free from' Skincare awards in 2017 and two went on to win Bronze awards at 'Free From'. Ria Organics is a new, boutique certified COSMOS-Organic skincare range founded by Nicola Shevlin and her brothers from Kilmacanogue. Their thoughtfully formulated face products nourish, protect and plump your skin with organic oils, natural plant extracts and antioxidants of the finest grade. The range currently includes an Energising Day Cream, Replenishing Night Cream and Restorative Eye Cream. Their newest product, the Eleven-Oil Facial Serum, will be launched in early 2019 and a facial cleanser is currently in development. The unique combinations of results-driven ingredients are excellent for aging and sensitive skin and prove that you can get purity and performance in a luxury, Irish, certified organic skincare line. All products are made in Ireland, vegan, cruelty-free and the packaging is recyclable. Vibeke Delahunt, A/Head of Enterprise said; 'Local Enterprise Showcase is potentially a business changing opportunity for these Local Enterprise Office clients. They have the chance to meet with buyers specific to their market from countries all over the world opening doors to new export opportunities that they simply would not get anywhere else. Each of these clients has worked closely with their office to ensure they are in the best possible position to sell their products to national and international buyers. This event shows the value of partnership with the Local Enterprise Offices, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland and Enterprise Ireland partnering to give these talented designers and craftspeople the opportunity to bring their products to the world stage'. Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews with their new baby on the cover of Hello! (Hello magazine) Vogue Matthews and Spencer Matthews attend the British Takeaway Awards, in association with Just Eat at The Savoy Hotel on November 05, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews will star in their own reality show. (Steve Parsons/PA) Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams seen attending British Takeaway Awards at The Savoy on November 12, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Ricky Vigil M/GC Images) Spencer Matthews has claimed he dislikes social media, but needs it to stay in the public eye. The reality TV star of Made In Chelsea said that unless a celebrity is an A-list Hollywood idol, they will not have the luxury of removing themselves from social media. Matthews has said that it is essential to remain visible to the public online, or risk vanishing completely. Wife and mother of his young son, Vogue Williams, has said her experiences of social media are largely positive and she has no plans to take a break from online platforms. Matthews revealed that he would if he could, saying: "I do not like social media, I use it as it's essential nowadays to remain current. It's seems that even if you are a kind of Hollywood A-list actor, unless you're active on social media all of a sudden you disappear. "So I do have number of people in my ears kind of constantly making sure that I'm on social media and in order to keep them at bay, I just do the occasional story. If I could not have social media, I would not have social media." The pair have filmed a new reality series, Spencer And Vogue: Adultish, which shows them grappling with new parenthood as they welcome their son Theodore to the Matthews household. Williams said that her experiences of motherhood on social media have not been all bad, although there is some pressure on maternal perfection. She said: "I think you do definitely get the mummy police. But also I have to say that I have also found myself online, and there's just a really nice, positive group of mums. "I found that social media has actually become nicer since I've become a parent, which I'm actually surprised by." Video of the Day The pair can be seen dealing with parenthood in the Spencer And Vogue: Adultish, which airs on January 7 on E4. As the winter has struck in, the heavy snowfall has damaged the routes across the north-east region, and more than 3,000 tourists got struck in the tragedy but were rescued by the Indian Army. The stranded tourists include women, children who have been provided with food, shelter and clothes. 300 to 400 civil vehicles were stranded near 17 Mile carrying tourists who were returning after visiting Nathu La Pass along the Indo-China border. The Indian Army immediately swung into action to provide rescue and relief to the stranded tourists including food, shelter, warm clothing and medicines, the officials have told the ANI. 3000 tourists stranded in Sikkim Approximately, more than 1,500 tourists were accommodated at the 17 mile and the tourists which were left have been shifted to 13 mile. To clear the snow and on the road connectivity back, the army has deployed heavy machines and dozers of the Border Roads Organization. Due to heavy snow cover on roads and freezing temperature, the Army is unable to move the tourists ahead, but say that the evacuation operation will continue till all stranded tourists are safely moved out towards Gangtok, reported NDTV. Also read: Agusta Westland scam: 'Christian Michel takes Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's name during interrogation,' It has been a year of extremes - we have enjoyed a scorching summer, increased female visibility in public life, and domestic economic recovery with the highest growth in Europe in 2018 but also the depressing spectre of widespread homelessness, plastic pollution, and Brexit. Fashion is always a barometer of the times we live in, and this shortlist of those women who have influenced fashion in 2018 also reflects women's current pre-occupations. Fashion feeds off an innate collective intelligence - as Chanel observed: "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." Some are designers, some are actors and some are activists, while an occasional one is all three. All have shaped our fashion choices, via direct or indirect means. Villanelle TV's best dressed femme fatale, from Killing Eve Rarely has an anti-heroine looked as stylish and striking while dispatching her hapless victims. The black spider of espionage has a fashion sense as lethal as her designer labels and a complex "weaponised femininity" reflected in her contrasting ensembles, which ranged from a romantic pink tulle dress by Molly Goddard to a statement power suit by Dries Van Noten. Villanelle was the favourite fictional femme fatale of 2018 and her covetable wardrobe played a large part in defining her character and cementing her appeal to a devoted fan base. We await series two and her fearless fashion choices with much anticipation. Sinead Burke Irish disability campaigner, contributing editor to British Vogue and academic Expand Close Irish writer Sinead Burke poses on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the British Fashion Awards 2018 in London on December 10, 2018 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Irish writer Sinead Burke poses on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the British Fashion Awards 2018 in London on December 10, 2018 Sinead is a refreshing and forthright presence in fashion. She first came to prominence in 2017 with her TED talk 'Why Design Should Include Everyone' and describes her role as "a catalyst to combat ignorance". She admits to "an insatiable interest in fashion" while also voicing frustration that mainstream brands don't cater to her body type. She radiates star quality and is both authentic and articulate whether dressed in custom-made Burberry or in the children's clothes she sometimes wears because of her achondroplasia. She was Ireland's most prominent cover girl in 2018, appearing on the cover of The Business of Fashion's influencer edition, while astutely using her profile to highlight the lack of inclusivity within the fashion and design industries. Ruth Negga Irish-Ethiopian Oscar-nominated actress and advocate for diversity in film Expand Close Ruth Negga / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ruth Negga Slim and androgynous, Negga's boyish even childlike appearance shouldn't lead anyone to underestimate her determination and talent. 2018 saw her star in a Louis Vuitton campaign after a striking red carpet season promoting her Oscar-nominated performance in Loving, while her next role in Passing has also garnered positive reviews and her gender fluid interpretation of Hamlet at the Gate was a critical success. She has self-described as "a wallflower in real life" but in her professional life has worn a covetable array of designer labels including striking scarlet Valentino accessorised with a blue ACLU ribbon (to the Oscars), Givenchy, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Rodarte. She is a strong ambassador for modern Ireland with her Irish-Ethiopian heritage, international career and outspoken advocacy about the need for diversity in film. Video of the Day Meghan Markle Expand Close Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends Pillars, a charity operating across New Zealand that supports children who have a parent in prison by providing special mentoring schemes in Auckland on October 30, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends Pillars, a charity operating across New Zealand that supports children who have a parent in prison by providing special mentoring schemes in Auckland on October 30, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand American actress, duchess and most watched royal The mixed race American actress who was the most watched bride of 2018 and who then fell pregnant within months of her royal wedding is currently the most influential royal in terms of style. She has brought an entirely new audience and dynamic to the royal family as she navigates life as a modern duchess and mum-to-be. Sleek, stylish and inclined towards minimalism she has provided acres of media coverage in the year of her marriage to Prince Harry. The new royal also wowed in a floor-length white crepe dress by Irish designer Don O'Neill earlier this year, on visit to Tonga with Prince Harry. Debates about her penchant for trouser suits, high heels and Givenchy will now be replaced by analysis of her skill in dressing the royal bump. Victoria Beckham British fashion designer, OBE, former Spice Girl Expand Close Victoria Beckham arrives for the People's Choice Awards 2018 at Barker Hangar, in Santa Monica, California, on November 11, 2018. (Photo by Jean-Baptiste LACROIX / AFP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victoria Beckham arrives for the People's Choice Awards 2018 at Barker Hangar, in Santa Monica, California, on November 11, 2018. (Photo by Jean-Baptiste LACROIX / AFP) To navigate the transition from pop star to style star and respected designer takes hard work, discipline and sheer determination. VB celebrated 10 years as a fashion brand this year with new investors, a birthday show at London Fashion Week and a British Vogue cover in October. The media-savvy entrepreneur who appreciates the power of her role as a working mum, posed for Vogue with her children, emphasising the importance of personal branding to the success of her business. Since her first collection of dresses in 2008 her business has expanded to include mainline and diffusion collections, eye-wear, handbags, shoes, makeup for Estee Lauder and a collaboration with Adidas. She also revealed a wicked sense of humour with her self-parodying Vogue video which went viral on social media. Adwoa Aboah British-Ghanaian model, contributing editor to Vogue, social media star and feminist who champions diversity Expand Close Adwoa Aboah / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Adwoa Aboah This outspoken and individualistic model and social media star fronted campaigns for both Chanel and Fendi in 2018, starred as Edward Enninful's first cover of British Vogue and was also made a Contributing Editor at the title in an attempt to attract a younger audience to the style bible. As founder of Gurls Talk - a platform for discussing social justice, feminism and gender equality - the British-Ghanaian model is perfectly placed to re-define how modelling and feminism can co-exist. Championing diversity, honesty and a frank approach to mental health issues, she has made imperfection a badge of authenticity and has modelled for brands including Calvin Klein, DKNY, Alexander Wang, Theory, H&M, Versace, Topshop, Fenty, Puma, Kenzo, Simone Rocha and Erdem. She is changing the perception of what a modern supermodel looks like with her frank gaze, shorn head and pronounced freckles. Stella Mccartney British fashion designer, OBE, firm supporter of animal rights who uses vegetarian and animal-free alternatives in her work Expand Close Paris Jackson, Stella McCartney and Miley Cyrus attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala 2018 in New York, USA. Ian West/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paris Jackson, Stella McCartney and Miley Cyrus attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala 2018 in New York, USA. Ian West/PA Wire In the year that saw her buy back total ownership of her brand from luxury conglomerate Kering, McCartney has emerged as the champion for female-centric design. The low-key mum-of-four has always focused on sustainability in her collections and in 2018 dressed Meghan Markle in her striking going away outfit after the royal wedding. A signature style of sharp tailoring, confidence and sexy femininity blended with comfort and desirability has made the brand a favourite of working women who place a premium on easy, understated style. A life-long vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs and in 2018 launched the first vegan Stan Smith trainer in collaboration with Adidas. She has been hugely influential in showing that high fashion can have high ideals and her mission statement reflects this: "We challenge and push boundaries to make luxurious products in a way that is fit for the world we live in today and the future: beautiful and sustainable." Claudia Winkleman British TV presenter, with a wicked sense of humour Expand Close Claudia Winkleman presented the show from 2010 to 2016 (Isabel Infantes/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Claudia Winkleman presented the show from 2010 to 2016 (Isabel Infantes/PA) The endearing and popular co-presenter of Strictly has emerged as a style icon with a devilish sense of humour in her weekly column 'Can We Talk About?' in the Sunday Times Style magazine. Her witty and down-to-earth observations about the fickleness of fashion and her own style foibles makes her writing unique. Guaranteed to put a smile on any style maven's face, no matter how seriously they take themselves, she has even managed to make anti-dandruff shampoo desirable starring in a TV commercial for Head and Shoulders. Completely unscripted and 100pc Claudia, the advert displays her impromptu commentary style and quirky sense of humour. Her signature look of long blunt fringe, fake tan, smoky eyes and monochromatic tailoring makes her instantly recognisable as well as much loved - she is the highest paid female presenter at the BBC. Saoirse Ronan Irish Oscar-nominated actress, the face of Calvin Klein perfume, anti-bullying advocate Expand Close Saoirse Ronan arrives at the European premiere of Mary Queen of Scots at Cineworld Leicester Square, London / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Saoirse Ronan arrives at the European premiere of Mary Queen of Scots at Cineworld Leicester Square, London The US-born, Irish actress blossomed into womanhood this year and enjoyed critical success for her role in Ladybird while also creating an impact on various red carpets during her Oscar campaign. She chose her labels as carefully as her scripts, wearing striking looks from Calvin Klein, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Chanel while promoting the coming-of-age drama. She told Vogue: "Womanhood, I suppose, is about being as authentic and honest with yourself as you can be and not being tied down by what the idea of womanhood is to other people." Ronan was also featured in Maxim's "Hot 100" list and was named among the best American actors under 30 by IndieWire. Now the face of a Calvin Klein perfume, Women, she is also a spokesperson for the younger generation of Irish girls and women, participating in anti-bullying and mental health initiatives. Beauty and brains in abundance but worn very lightly. Rihanna Barbadian singer, actress, beauty and fashion entrepreneur Expand Close Rihanna / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rihanna The singer was everywhere in 2018, even anointing herself as a female Pope at the Met Gala ball. During her career, Rihanna has undergone one of the most significant style metamorphoses of any female star bar Madonna, her heroine. When putting together her own wardrobe she has previously stated, "It's become more about taking a risk... I always look for the most interesting silhouette or something that's a little off." She has also described fashion as her "defense mechanism". Not content with her entertainment career, Ri Ri has expanded into beauty and fashion with her Fenty beauty line, Savage by Fenty lingerie range, (which champions body diversity) and her ongoing collaboration with Puma. Dramatic, naughty and articulate, her business acumen in leveraging her name and visibility across fashion and beauty brands marks her out as the owner of a future fashion/ beauty conglomerate. She is the epitome of cool and smart as a whip. Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and 11 others injured when a bomb blast hit their bus yesterday, less than 4km from Egypt's world famous Giza pyramids. The blast is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for more than a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, was recovering from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country's 2011 uprising. No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Islamist extremists including some linked to Islamic State are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past. Nine of the injured were Vietnamese tourists, and one was the Egyptian driver. The Interior Ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall. About two hours later the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said. Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow sidestreet close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally. An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall. The injured were taken to the nearby Al Haram hospital, where Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told local TV that the guide had died from his injuries. "The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces," Mr Madbouly told Extra News TV. The classified data was leaked through a personal computer that became infected with a malicious code when an unsuspecting staff member in the centre opened an email. Stock image The personal details of nearly 1,000 North Korean defectors living in South Korea have been stolen by hackers probably linked to Kim Jong-un's secretive regime. This is the first time personal details, including names and addresses, of North Korean defectors have been stolen on such a large scale, South Korea said. The hack was carried out at the Hana Centre in the North Gyeongsang Province, which helps North Korean defectors settle in South Korea and become accustomed to its capitalist society. The classified data was leaked through a personal computer that became infected with a malicious code when an unsuspecting staff member in the centre opened an email. There are 25 such centres across the country which provide support for the roughly 30,000 North Korean defectors who live in the country. Authorities have conducted an emergency inspection of all computers at Hana Centres but no other leaks were found. "We apologise to defectors from the North. We will make utmost efforts to protect their personal information and prevent any recurrence of such an incident", the government said in a statement. North Korea's state media have threatened to silence defectors who actively engage in anti-Pyongyang activities such as launching leaflets to the North by balloons. Yi Han-yong, a nephew of Song Hye Rim - the first wife of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il - was shot dead outside his house in Bundang, south of Seoul, in 1997. His assassination by two attackers, who were never caught, followed the publication of his tell-all book about the private life of the Kims. ( Daily Telegraph, London) In Sydney, thousands of people flocked to beaches to cool down, while the states health service issued a warning for poor quality air as ozone levels rise with the hot weather. Stock photo Australia is sizzling through extreme heatwave conditions this week, with temperatures reaching record highs and emergency services on alert for bushfires. The mercury is up to 16C higher than usual for this time of the year for southern Australia, with numerous towns setting new December records, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. "Heatwave conditions are being experienced across large parts of the country," the weather bureau said, adding that the sizzling temperatures spanned the southern parts of four states and the Northern Territory. Marble Bar, in Western Australia, which bills itself as the nation's hottest town, recorded a peak of 49.3C on Thursday. Major cities across the country are also affected, with the thermometer pushing towards 40C and the heat set to linger into the new year. In Sydney, thousands of people flocked to beaches to cool down, while the state's health service issued a warning for poor quality air as ozone levels rise with the hot weather. Emergency services have issued fire bans and warnings and called on people to stay out of the extreme heat. A southerly wind change is expected to bring cooler wind conditions in southern Australia that will gradually extend inland into South Australia and Victoria state before weakening. Three men who killed five people in a "bomb-like" shop blast have been convicted of murder and plotting to claim a 330,000 insurance pay-out. Arkan Ali, Hawkar Hassan and Aram Kurd used more than 20 litres of petrol in an arson attack on Kurd's supermarket, causing an explosion that completely destroyed the shop and a flat above it. Leicester Crown Court in the UK was told how some residents living near the Polish supermarket on Hinckley Road, Leicester, thought a bomb had reduced the property to rubble. A five-week trial was told the defendants left shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva (22) to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier. Prosecutor David Herbert QC told a jury of seven women and five men the defendants intended to maximise the damage to the premises and "would have known" people would have been in the two-storey flat above. Ali (38), Hassan (33) and Kurd (34) were helped by a Kurdish interpreter throughout the trial after denying murder and alternative counts of manslaughter. But they were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder after 11 hours and 26 minutes of deliberations. The trio were also convicted of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to make a gain, by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire. Ms Ijevleva, Mary Ragoobeer (46), her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, who was Shane's girlfriend, were all killed in the blast on Sunday, February 25. Around 26 litres of petrol was used to start the fire in the basement of the supermarket, triggering a massive explosion at 7.01pm. CCTV and traffic camera footage shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion and rubble being blasted into the road as cars pass by. Footage recovered by police from a neighbouring business showed Ali in shot three days before the blast - moments before the camera angle was moved. Further images from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera angle again - at a time when all three defendants were nearby. The trio will be sentenced in mid-January. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels gather in Sajour amid rumours of an offensive on the nearby town of Manbij. Photo: Getty Images Kurdish Syrian forces yesterday asked the Assad government for protection against a Turkish attack on a flashpoint town. A delegation of Syrian troops erected the national flag over buildings in the outskirts of Manbij after the invitation - the first time that it has flown in the northern town for more than six years. However, there was no sign of any official takeover yesterday. "The aim is to ward off a Turkish offensive," said Ilham Ahmed, a senior Kurdish official. "If the Turks' excuse is the (Kurdish militia), they will leave their posts to the government." A statement released by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said it had invited government forces in, as they are "obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders". Kurdish YPG fighters in the town are part of the formerly US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battling Isil. However, US President Donald Trump's decision last week to withdraw US troops from Syria has left their former allies in the country vulnerable. The call on Syrian government forces to protect Manbij is the first major concession by the Kurds to the regime of Bashar al-Assad since the YPG seized control of vast swathes of north and east Syria and created an area of self-rule. Analysts have hailed the development as a major turning point. A number of Syrian troops arrived in the area early yesterday morning and deployed between YPG and Turkish-backed forces west of Manbij. A Syrian army spokesman said that all Syrians must "join efforts to preserve national sovereignty" and "defeat all invaders", with reference to Turkey. The US-backed coalition had a number of special forces stationed in the city. But it is understood that they will withdraw in the next few days. Manbij, a town of some 100,000 people, fell to moderate rebel fighters in the summer of 2012 before it was overrun by Isil jihadists in 2014. It was captured by SDF in an anti-Isil offensive in 2016. The Kurds have used the cover of the war to carve out an autonomous state in north-eastern Syria. However, the project looks increasingly unviable as Assad's regime looks to reclaim the whole of Syria. Kurdish officials have said that they would rather try their luck in negotiations with the regime than risk an all-out assault from neighbouring Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist group and has watched Kurdish expansion with growing concern. "The YPG accepts drinking the poison to stop a massacre. "Do you prefer your people to be massacred by a brutal dictator like (Turkish president Recep Tayyip) Erdogan or be protected by a brutal dictator like Assad?" tweeted Kamal Chomani, a fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Russia, which has long called for the withdrawal of US troops in Syria, welcomed the news. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the development as a "positive step" that could, he said, help to "stabilise the situation". Arab leaders have in recent days taken steps to rehabilitate the brutal Assad regime. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have both announced that they are to reopen embassies that had been shut since the beginning of the civil war. No barrier: Central American migrants cross the US-Mexico border fence from Tijuana to San Diego County. Photo: Getty Images US President Donald Trump has threatened to close the US border with Mexico unless Congress agrees to provide $5bn (4.37bn) for his controversial wall. Mr Trump also blamed Democrats for a partial government shutdown he previously said would be his responsibility. A dispute over funding for Mr Trump's proposed wall has led to "non-essential" operations at numerous agencies being closed for lack of funding. With Congress adjourned until next week, there is no prospect of a quick resolution. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Mr Trump tweeted. "Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border," he added. The stand-off over Mr Trump's demand for money to help fund the wall, estimated to cost about $23bn (20bn) in total, was in its seventh day yesterday and is widely expected to drag into January when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives. Asked about Mr Trump's border-closing threat, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador insisted it was an internal US government matter. "We take great care of the relationship with the government of the United States," Mr Lopez Obrador said. "Of course we will always defend our sovereignty. We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights," he said. Earlier this month, the Republican president said he would be "proud" to shut down the government over border security. In TV interviews yesterday, Trump aides blamed Democrats for the continuing shutdown, claiming they had refused to negotiate since the White House made an offer last weekend. "We're here, and they know where to find us," said Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff. "Where is Chuck Schumer? Where is Nancy Pelosi? They're not even talking right now," he said. Mr Schumer is the top Democrat in the Senate and Mr Pelosi is the incoming speaker of the House of Representatives. A spokesman for Mr Schumer said the White House had been told there were three existing federal proposals containing funds for border security that could pass both the House and the Senate - and that Mr Trump should accept one of those. At present, however, the two sides remain far apart, Mr Schumer's office said. Democrats have offered support for $1.3bn in funding for general border security, but have long opposed the building of a wall. If the stalemate persists, House Democrats led by Ms Pelosi plan to immediately offer a funding measure to re-open the government when they take office on January 3. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week, 47pc of Americans hold Trump responsible for the shutdown, while 33pc blame Democrats in Congress. The shutdown affects approximately 800,000 employees of the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, and other agencies. Most of the federal government, which directly employs almost four million people, is unaffected. Even agencies that are affected never totally close, with workers deemed "essential" still performing their duties. Mr Trump, who scrapped plans to spend Christmas in his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and stayed in Washington due to the shutdown, had now also cancelled his New Year's plans, Mr Mulvaney said. Chris Krueger, an analyst at financial firm Cowen's Washington Research Group, said in a commentary note: "We see little chance of a breakthrough before the Democrats take control of the House on January 3." Meanwhile, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said the fast-growing number of would-be immigrants crossing the English Channel from France in dinghies is a "major incident". Nearly 70 people have been intercepted in the past three days as they try to reach England by crossing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. After two boats carrying 12 men from Syria and Iran were intercepted while they attempted to make the crossing yesterday, Mr Javid also appointed a "gold commander" to oversee the situation and give daily updates. An inflatable boat, carrying one Syrian and three Iranians, was reported to the Coastguard at around 3am. And at around 9am a second boat, carrying eight Iranians, was also spotted. On Christmas Day more than 40 migrants tried to cross the sea and enter the UK. Demonstrators wearing their yellow vests take part in a march in Marseille (AP) Small groups of so-called yellow vest protesters have gathered in Paris and elsewhere in France, but momentum for their movement appears to be waning. A few dozen gathered on Saturday on the elegant Champs-Elysees, the scene of rioting amid the protests earlier this month. Police are monitoring the protesters, but both police and demonstrators appeared to be out in much smaller numbers than previous weekends. The demonstrations have targeted French President Emmanuel Macron, who has ceded to several of their demands for tax relief and other economic help. Expand Close A march takes place before the Arc de Triomphe (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A march takes place before the Arc de Triomphe (AP) However many people remain frustrated with his pro-business leadership and are continuing to stage roadblocks at roundabouts around the country. The yellow vest movement began on November 17 as a protest against fuel taxes and is named after the fluorescent protective gear French motorists must keep in their cars by law. The actor, fortunately, escaped a terrorist attack that happened on a tourist bus near the pyramids of Giza, Egypt. He was visiting the pyramids at the exact same time of the incident. The actor was in Egypt for a holiday. It is indeed a lucky escape. Apart from acting and modelling, Sahil is also involved in social causes and often seen participating in such causes. Featured Video If you have seen Star Plus' Everest, then you must remember Sahil Salathia. The actor made his debut as the main lead with Ashutosh Gowariker's show and stunned everybody with his looks and acting skills. Hailing from a Rajput family in Jammu is a popular name in the world of modelling. He has been on the covers of popular magazines and was last seen in Star Plus' political thriller P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke. Recently, he met with an unfortunate incident. A shocking case of rampant physical and mental abuse of minor girls in a privately run shelter home in Delhi has surfaced after the inmates narrated their ordeal to an expert committee of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) which conducted a surprise inspection there. According to the inmates of the shelter home the staff there used to torture them for any sort of defiant behaviour from the children. Speaking to the DCW Committee on Friday, the girls aged 6-15 alleged that they were made to consume chilli powder and the same was put in their private parts by the female staff there as punishment. Not just the abuse, the girls were also forced to do household chores there including washing utensils and clothes, clean rooms and toilets, and perform other kitchen chores. The girls also alleged that there was only one cook in the home for the 22 girls and staff, and the quality of food was not good. The teenage girls complained that they were beaten with scales for not keeping their rooms clean and not listening to the staff. They were not permitted to go home during summer and winter vacations. BCCL Taking note of the abuses, DCW chief Swati Maliwal also visited the shelter home and asked Dwarka deputy commissioner of police, to sent a team of senior officers to recorded statements of the children. A complaint has been registered by the Delhi Police against the staff, the DCW said. Additionally, a team of DCW counsellors as well as police have been deputed in the home 24/7 to ensure the safety of the children. Police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was killed in Bulandshahr violence earlier this month received unsparing axe blows before he was shot to death, revealed an interrogation of prime accused by the police. The Hindustan Times reported that a taxi driver named Prashant Nat who was arrested on Thursday was questioned by the police. The sequence of events narrated by Nat acted as the final nail in the coffin. Reportedly, Singhs thumb was chopped off and he even suffered serious head injuries. Senior superintendent of police, Bulandshahr, Prabhakar Chaudhary informed HT that during the violence the villagers had even uprooted a tree to block the Bulandshahr-Garhmukteshwar road. Photo: ANI/ Prime accused Prashant Nat (middle) who shot Singh The locals came across the remains of a cow and its progeny in a jungle in the Mahaw village. Enraged by this incident villagers loaded the animals carcass onto a trolley and took it to a police station demanding action. When inspector Subodh Kumar Singh reached the spot and tried to pacify the mob, a villager by the name of Kalwa attacked him with an axe in a fit of rage and chopped off his thumb, Nat said. The injured inspector snatched the rifle of a policeman and tried to disperse the violent mob but he was again attacked with the axe sustaining an injury on his skull, he said as reported by HT. Apart from cutting off his thumb and injuring his skull, the villagers had even pelted stones at the inspector. Photo: AP The injured cop ran towards the open field as he tried to save himself but the furious mob chased him down and shot him dead. Kalwa is still absconding. The mob surrounded Singh in a corner when Nat allegedly snatched his pistol and shot him dead. After the murder, Nat who had a history of petty crimes managed to flee the village with his family. The investigators who had initially arrested an army personal named Jitender Malik aka Jeetu Fauji for the murder had later retracted the claim. The cops zeroed in on Nat based on surveillance video footages and eyewitness statements. NDTV reported that another local youth, identified as Johnny who was with Nat during the violence has also been arrested. He too was not named in the FIR. The UP Police have admitted that all the four men who were initially arrested on charges of cow slaughter were innocent. The four men,Sarfuddin, Sajid, Asif and Nanhe were arrested by police after Yogesh named them in his complaint, accusing them of slaughtering the cow. In an unfortunate incident, four members residing in Thane district of Mumbai suffered serious burns as a charging phone exploded in Shahapur, reported TOI. The family, which stays on the ground floor of Pratiksha apartment in Kasarali area of Shahapur Taluka, was asleep in the night when the phone exploded. 43-year-old Rajendra Shinde said that he had bought the phone two months ago. Photo: Times of India While the wife and three children were sleeping on a mattress on the floor, the phone was being charged near the window. Just when Rajendra was about to unplug it, the device burst into flames. Rajendra works as as a guard at a private company at Mulund. Photo by Prashant Narvekar/BCCL Due to the explosion even the curtains and bedsheets caught fire. While Rajendra suffered 32% burns on his palms, legs and face, his wife Roshini suffered 26% burns on her right leg and face. Fortunately, one of the children escaped without any injuries. The family was rushed to a nearby government hospital by neighbours and was later shifted to Thane Civil hospital. As the need for a mobile phone grows, many brands are coming up with smartphones which are very cheap and reasonable. From an autowaala to even a rickshaw puller, everybody these days possess a mobile phone. As cell phones are being produced in bulk by many companies, their proper safety also needs to be ensured. Photo by Prashant Narvekar/BCCL When the battery capsule is punctured or when there is a manufacturing fault in phone, or when the processor is not functioning properly, the phone is prone to explosion. In June this year, a cellphone in the pocket of a man at a Mumbai restaurant exploded while he was having lunch. The entire incident was captured on a CCTV footage, reported Business Today. Reportedly, the world's largest mobile phone maker Samsung had to recall its much-touted smartphone Samsung Galaxy Note 7 after several incidents were reported regarding battery heating and explosions. Fugitive dimondier Nirav Modi, the main accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case is living in the UK, the government has told the Rajya Sabha. Replying to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh told Rajya Sabha that UK's National Central Bureau of Manchester conveyed to Indian agencies that their investigations have led to the location of Nirav Modi in the UK. "In August 2018, the government sent two requests, one from the CBI and the other from the Enforcement Directorate, to the authorities of the UK seeking the extradition of Nirav Modi to India," he said. He said the requests are presently under the consideration of the authorities concerned of the UK. In June, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had written to several European countries seeking help in tracing Nirav Modi. BCCL Nirav Modi, and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of defrauding the PNB to the tune of $ 2 billion using fake LoUs. The duo along with their families fled the country before the scam surfaced. Ever since the authorities have seized and confiscated Modi's assets worth Rs 637 crore, both in India and abroad. The relationship between neighbouring countries India and Pakistan has always been tense on the political front. But thanks to some people, being human is above all of these controversies and every now and then we hear of such stories. Recently, a Sikh man from Indian visiting Pakistan from India tweeted about his wonderful Uber experience in Lahore, one that included a conversation about love and brotherhood. Prabhdeep Singh goes on to say that it was his best Uber experience, but he felt so touched about it, that he took a picture and wrote about the cabbie named Ahmed. I have taken Uber in 5 continents but my best Uber experience was earlier this week in Pakistan. Ahmed dropped me to Wagah border from Lahore. Refused to take money because I am an Indian and a guest. Waited till I crossed the border. Spoke about love and brotherhood. @Uber_PKR pic.twitter.com/E0XfDvQyCW Prabhdeep Singh (@singhofstanplus) 27 December 2018 I have taken Uber in 5 continents, but my best Uber experience was earlier this week in Pakistan, the Hyderabad-based entrepreneur of a private ambulance services company wrote on Twitter. ALSO READ: And Just Like That, A Ball Of Fire Lands On A Pakistani News Anchor During Live News Telecast Ahmed dropped me to Wagah border from Lahore. Refused to take money because I am an Indian and a guest. Waited till I crossed the border. Spoke about love and brotherhood, Singh added. Singh added, I felt the same in Lahore as I feel when Im here in Hyderabad, I spoke the same language like Urdu and Punjabi, ate the same food there is so much similarity between both the nations and its a shame we cant experience it more often. People on social media lauded this warm gesture by the Lahori Uber driver: #1 Thank you Ahmed for making us feel proud Usman Sulehri (@UAsulehri) 27 December 2018 #2 Sometimes, stuff like this is enough to make your day. https://t.co/9ilwI3Sjzx Umair Akbar Khaskhely (@khaskheli_umair) 28 December 2018 #3 Even in the deluge of hatred, love somehow makes its way. https://t.co/6BGOtWumSE Qamar Abbas Khokhar (@mqakhokhar) 27 December 2018 #4 I was in Dubai in 2015, a driver from Punjab (Pakistan) refused to take money from me as well.. he said we both are Punjabi brothers just a wall in between made by selfish politicians. Prince Juneja (@Prince_Chd) 27 December 2018 #5 This story tells us about the millions of people who want peace & have love for those across border.. Thanks Ahmed You're a legend & Thanks @singhofstanplus for visiting Pakistan https://t.co/yykjYercq5 Ahsan Ahmed Baloch (@iahsanpitafi) 27 December 2018 At the end of the day being human and respecting one another is all that counts! A Kolkata-based digital media company called FlyMyBiz has given its women employees something that almost every working woman in the country wishes for: paid period leaves. The announcement was a New Year's gift from the company to its women employees. Also read: Two Indian Companies Are Now Endorsing Paid 'Menstrual Leave' For All Their Women Employees Reuters FlyMyBiz CEO, Samyo Datta was quoted by Indian Express as saying: "All the women employees in my company will get one extra leave every month. This means, starting from January 2019, they will have twelve holidays as their period leaves in addition to their other holidays. ALSO READ: After Mumbai Start-Up, A Malayalam Media Firm Decides To Give Period Leave To Female Staff He gives preference to employee satisfaction and he believes this move will make his women employees happier. "There are about 12 female employees in the company and all of them have happily welcomed the move. The male employees too have equally welcomed the initiative of the firm," said Datta. He also clarified that he is not doing this as a favour because he understands the mental and physical struggles women face during their period. ALSO READ: A Kerala School Had 'Period Leave' For Students In 1912, Even Excusing Them From Final Exams! Call drops can be frustrating and before you smash your phone to the ground, wait up. This Bengaluru company has come up with a solution for your network woes. Bengaluru-based Saankhya Labs has developed electronic chipset that can be used for functions like direct TV broadcast on mobile devices, curbing call drops and facilitating 5G connections. Picture for representation Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha told ET after unveiling the chipset, "Saankhya Labs, a Bengaluru-based company is launching its indigenously designed and developed, the world's first and most advanced multi-standard next-generation TV system on the chip." ALSO READ: Apple May Start Making iPhone X Series In India, Which Could Create 25,000 New Jobs For the longest time, these chipsets were developed by foreign companies. None of them were made in India as the country lacks a modern semiconductor manufacturing plant, claims the report. Even the electronic chipsets of Saankhya Labs are being manufactured at the Samsung facility in South Korea. I am also told that this broadband-broadcast convergence technology has great potential to minimise or eliminate call quality issues faced by telecom operators today, Sinha added. The Bengaluru-based firm plans to launch its chipset in the form of a dongle and mobile phones in the next few years. Co-founder and CEO, Parag Naik told the daily, "Semiconductor technology takes time in maturing and adoption. Original design manufacturers will incorporate our chipsets into various products. We will try to get certain standards based on our technology incorporated in 5G services." "Our chipsets are 30 per cent more efficient in output compared to our nearest competitor and 50 per cent cheaper too. They are now looking forward to a 50 per cent year-on-year growth. ALSO READ: Watch iPhone XS Max With 4GB RAM Beat OnePlus 6T Mclaren Edition With 10GB RAM In A Speed Test No one can get enough of the exaggerated stunt scenes in Kollywood and Bollywood movies. And every now and then we get to see some rare clips that just out of this world. Sample this: : Help @NetflixIndia we need to watch this entire movie NOW. https://t.co/hvlORuY7wT Netflix Indonesia (@NetflixID) 26 December 2018 That's right, Netflix Indonesia got this from the depths of the Internet and just could not get over the humour. The hero, who plays a cop, is single-handedly destroying dozens of villains armed with nothing but a banana. After slicing throats with a banana, the police officer is seen dodging bullets like no big deal. Sharing a status dedicated to Netflix India from their Twitter handle, Netflix Indonesia has asked for help to see Singam123, from Telugu cinema. ALSO READ: Netflix Dropped The Trailer Of Black Mirrors Bandersnatch & It May Make You Go Off Video Games Netflix India too was impressed by the power-packed action sequence and wrote, OMG this. Is. Bananas. 10/10 would watch a sequel to The Night Comes for Us with only fruit as weapons. OMG this. Is. Bananas. 10/10 would watch a sequel to The Night Comes for Us with only fruit as weapons. Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) 26 December 2018 And people online nailed it, the film Hrudaya Kaleyam or Singam123, is a Telugu film starring Sampurnesh Babu. It's a parody movie. Entire movie run in that way. KKR ka fan (@crazycreature55) 26 December 2018 Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet. Behold, greatest surgery ever. https://t.co/9Urn1EDCZJ Karthik T (@KarthikTmuthu) 26 December 2018 ALSO READ: Facebook Let Netflix & Spotify Read Your Private Messages, Apple & Amazon Received Your Contact We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Indian American attorney Neal Katyal testifies during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee April 26, 2007 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee was hearing testimony on legal issues related to individuals detained by the U.S. as unlawful enemy combatants. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) There has been lots of recent media commentary about the death of retail Debenhams, House of Fraser, Clerys, Sears and the like. These brands are reported to be the canary in the mine, indicating all other retail will soon die. The truth is that these brands are not a bellwether of what is facing the retail industry. They are simply retailers who did not change with the times and invest in their proposition. In my role, I get to speak to a lot of retailers each and every day. Each phone call is answered with a note of caution and concern. Is the caller at a point of terminal decline? At our annual retail retreat in May, I sat back and listened to Blaine Callard, chief executive of Harvey Norman Ireland, expel the myth regarding the death of retail. He eloquently explained that retail is not dying, it is simply changing. He pointed to how the media interpreted the decline of Toys R Us as the death of retail. And, yet, Smyths Toys bought the majority of this business and will breathe life and vitality back into its frail retail footprint. The truth is that bad retail is dying, brilliant retail is alive and well. To prove the point to myself, one weekend in early September, I studied our extensive membership database. The purpose was to step back and review what is really going on. As I surveyed the membership from Applegreen to Zara, I realised that the vast majority of retailers are alive and well. Yes, there are issues; our Vat rate is too high, government does not support Irelands largest industry enough, town centres need our love and attention, Brexit is a concern. But, when all is said and done, there are many many retailers who will continue to live, breathe and thrive. The following Monday morning I phoned Jim Mulqueen, corporate finance partner in Grant Thornton. I explained that Retail Excellence would like to bring some fast-growing retailers together. I wanted to prove that retail was not dead. Jim offered to host a luncheon in the brand-new Grant Thornton Ireland headquarters in Dublin. I put down the phone and got to work. The only rule I had to abide by was that the Grant Thornton boardroom could host a maximum of 40 people, excluding some Grant Thornton and Retail Excellence executives, I had to keep the invitation list to 35 guests. I went back to the member database and realised we had way more than 35 fast-growing retail members. To make my task a little easier, I decided to only include town centre-focused retailers who had exciting growth plans. This would tick two boxes, prove retail was alive and well and prove the future of Irish towns is vibrant. In the interests of balance, it is important to look back on what has been a challenging year. The Irish weather certainly didnt help. Three days of store closures in early March as the country was covered in a blanket of snow, heatwaves and hosepipe bans in mid-summer and most recently, the second last Saturday before Christmas was wet and windy. Worst still was the over-zealous orange weather warning issued by Met Eireann which accompanied a standard Irish winters day and delivered a 25% decline in footfall nationwide. Brexit is another big challenge. My biggest concern is for grocers and pharmacists. Most buy product, whether tomatoes or medicines, from the UK and all use the UK as a land bridge for imports from continental Europe. As I write this piece, we are facing into the black hole of a no-deal. The growth of online is also a concern for many. The fly in the ointment is that we see online as a significant opportunity for the Irish retailer, whether large or small. There is no reason why Irish retailers cannot be exporting product all over the world. We were particularly delighted when, back in October, Enterprise Ireland announced a special online pilot for retailers who want to take on the world online. Admittedly, it is a small enough amount of money 1.25m. That said, it is a pilot and it is most definitely a very good start. By the way, the 35 retailers at our lunch plan to open over 200 stores in the next three years. Who said Irish retail was dead? David Fitzsimons, group chief executive, Retail Excellence A college student is urging fellow passengers to jump on board his campaign for a better bus service in Cork. Fed up with late bus arrivals and no-shows, CIT student Sam McCormack, from Rochestown, is postering city bus stops asking passengers to log complaints with him at corkbus@gmail.com, in the hope that passenger-power will lead to improvements in the service. Only last week, I was left standing with over 20 others on the South Mall for over an hour for the 216 bus, which never showed up. I was advised afterwards by Bus Eireann management that the service didnt even run, he said. My local routes, the 223 and the 216, are the main offenders for me, but Ive experienced most of the other services in Cork City, and they are really not much better most of the time. By putting up these posters, I wanted to raise awareness about the issues and encourage those who have to rely on the services to speak up. I have been compiling all the complaints and have handed them over to Bus Eireann management. And while Dublins BusConnects plan advances, he criticised the National Transport Authority (NTA) for delays in the publication of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, which is expected to set out the development of a BusConnects plan in Cork. It seems as if Cork is being put to the side by the NTA. Our city deserves better, said Mr McCormack. Another bus user, Angela Harris, used Twitter to record several instances of no-shows, late arrivals and inaccurate real-time passenger information on the high-volume 220 and 220X Ballincollig to Crosshaven service in recent weeks, sparking a flood of responses from other bus users with similar experiences. The 220 and 220x routes have over 35,000 people along the route (according to the last Census) but it does not serve us adequately, she said. We simply want a reliable and frequent service to allow us to get to work, school and about without wasting hours over the course of a week waiting for buses that are either ridiculously late or simply vanish. The Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, needs to step up to the other part of his brief which he has been neglecting and work in conjunction with the NTA, Cork City and County Councils, Bus Eireann and us, the public, to get us out of our cars and using public transport. Brendan Fehily was so annoyed with the 208 service which links Bishopstown to Mayfield via the city centre that he wrote to the Irish Examiner to complain. Despite signs in the bus station saying buses should depart to Bishopstown every 10 minutes, Mr Fehily said that on December 13, he waited 20 minutes for a bus, before three arrived at the same time, with one displaying a Sorry. Out of Service sign. Bus Eireann said it aims to reply to all complaints within 15 working days and that during October and November, 91% of all complaints nationwide were closed in that time period, and that the 220/220X attracts 44 complaints per 100,000 customer journeys, which is a similar level to other high-volume routes. But it said all services in the Cork urban area have been impacted negatively by increased traffic, with congestion varying depending on the time of day or day of the week. It said the worst congestion delays for the 220/220X are in Douglas village, Douglas Road, the city centre, the Western Road, Model Farm Road and Ballincolligs Main Street. It also warned that unless more bus priority measures are introduced, buses will continue to be caught in delays: In Cork City and suburbs, just 14.3km of the 625km of road network or 2.2% is bus lane. More bus priority measures are required to ensure reliability and punctuality. The St Patricks Street bus priority helps, but this is only a small part of the network, and operates for a limited time period each day. Major improvements to the 220/220X service are planned for early next year. A walker stranded on a ledge on Irelands highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks near Killarney owes his rescue to a signal from personal locator beacon picked up by a coordination centre in Houston, Texas. Kerry Mountain Rescue were called to the scene on the lower slopes of the mountain after the walkers distress signal from a personal locator was picked up by satellite and relayed to the centre in Houston Texias who in turn passed the message onto Valentia Coastguard and Marine Rescue Centre. The Health Minister has defended the rising cost of the new National Children's Hospital. Construction costs for the facility have jumped to over 1.4 billion in recent months - and could increase further. The excavation of hundreds of infant remains in Tuam will begin in late 2019, the Taoiseach has confirmed. Leo Varadkar says nobody is entirely sure what were getting into, but the Government is adamant that it is the right thing to do and will press ahead with legislation to allow the work to begin. The Government has agreed to measures contained in a report on Tuam published by Geoffrey Shannon, including the forensic excavation and recovery of bodies, after significant quantities of human remains were discovered at the site of the former mother and baby home in Co Galway in March 2017. Speaking to reporters in Government Buildings, Mr Varadkar said a bill to allow for the phased excavation and forensic analysis of any recovered remains will be brought before the Dail and Seanad soon. Arrangements for respectful reburial, memorialisation, and the appropriate conservation of the site will then be made. Mr Varadkar said: We anticipate that therell be excavations in Tuam in the latter half of 2019, because we have to pass legislation in the Oireachtas giving us, the Government, the power to do the excavations. Because, for lots of reasons, we dont have the power to do that. So, well have to pass that legislation in the new year, and wed envisage carrying out the first excavations in the second half of 2019. In the meantime, though, we can start appointing the experts and the ground team wholl be doing the actual work. Weve never really done this before in Ireland, on this scale, so weve a lot to set up, [and] a lot to learn before we do it. The Tuam mother and baby home operated from 1925 to 1961 and was run by the Bon Secours Sisters. Official records show that 798 infants and children died at the home and it is believed many were buried there. Mr Varadkar said: Were not entirely sure what were getting into, but, as a Government, were convinced this is the right thing to do, to remove the remains and to give those children a proper, decent burial they didnt get. The Coalition of Mother and Baby Home Survivors estimates that 35,000 women and girls went through nine mother and baby homes between 1904 and 1996. An investigation is underway after a mother and child were injured in a burglary at their home in County Meath. A teenager has been arrested and a hunt is on for a second man who fled the scene. Concerns about delays in the results of smear tests for cervical cancer are not new. Although the issue became a major controversy this year, affecting more than 200 women, State papers released by the National Archives show that delays in the provision of test results by the health authorities were also a worry for Irish women more than 30 years ago. Records reveals that a group of women from Co Meath raised concerns with the minister of state for womens affairs, Nuala Fennell, in November 1986 about the length of time that it was taking for the results of smear tests to come back. Members of the Moynalty Friendly Club complained that early intervention to tackle cervical cancer could be missed because of the delays. It takes three minutes to do the test, but one has to wait three months for the results, said Anne Marie Guerin, the groups secretary. Cervical cancer is completely curable, so surely something should be done to quicken-up the results. The results often show pre-cancerous cells. That is another reason why it is so important. The group said it would be worthwhile for the then government to put money into the scheme. In reply, Ms Fennell said she had been aware of the backlog in the processing of cervical smears and of the great concern it was causing women. She said she was glad to report that the minister for health, Barry Desmond, had provided a special allocation of 41,000 to St Lukes Hospital, Dublin, to help clear the backlog. Ms Fennell said the Department of Health was also examining the services around the country for cervical smear testing, with a view to ensuring it was available to all socio-economic groups. The junior minister said the Moynalty group should take it that she would continue to press for practical measures to ensure that this important service is accessible to women and that processing delays are minimised. There are about 4,000 of them and theyre discretely saving Irish lives. They are volunteers with the National Network of Community First Responders, known simply as first responders, and they deliver citizen CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) as you wait for an ambulance. Were dispatched for cardiac-related incidences and strokes, where someone is not breathing and has no pulse, said John Fitzgerald, co-chair of the National Network of Community First Responders (CFR). The first thing that happens is you ring NEOC (National Emergency Operations Centre, otherwise known as 999 or 112). Theyll ask you where you are, your address, thats why knowing your Eircode is so important. If the person is not breathing and there is no pulse an ambulance will be dispatched and the CFR will be alerted, he explained. CFR started out in 2004, with more than a dozen community groups trained up around the country. In 2014 they took on a medical director, Dr David Menzies, a consultant in emergency medicine and held a national conference. There are now 203 groups, comprising of 4,000 volunteers nationwide who are trained up in CPR. CFR is tied in with the emergency services, so when someone rings 999 and the incident involves someone who is not breathing and does not have a pulse, an ambulance is dispatched and a local CFR group is alerted. What will happen is each group has a control [mobile] phone and it will receive a text message from the computer-aided dispatch (of NEOC). They will see the message and get their kit and AED and alert their buddy and go to the scene. You could have two or three weeks without a call and then you can have three in a 24-hour period. We have a roster system. To become a CFR training and lots of practice is required. To join there is a training course of 4.5 hours. But after that you have to practise a lot before being dispatched. Youre trained for a number of months. We also have a buddy system, a new member will go out with a more experienced one, John said. While there are 203 groups nationwide there are still one or two counties without any groups and some with just one. CFR has volunteers from all areas of Irish life and of different ages. Weve a huge history in this country of helping our neighbours. It empowers you. We get people from all walks of life. We have teachers, men, women, nurses, doctors, taxi drivers. We even have two undertakers. I have met the most wonderful friends that I didnt know before. A whole new world has opened up to me. If you ever doubted the good in people. People will get up from their Christmas dinner to help a neighbour, and to be willing to help a neighbour is what its all about, said John. Find out more about CFR here This is part one of an ongoing series by Joyce Fegan chronicling the role of volunteers in Irish society Heres looking forward to a year in which things will be pulled back. There is a lot of pulling back required right now. Pulling back from Brexit, from the emerging world order, from the road down which the planet is embarked. The most urgent pull-back as far as this country is concerned is in the Brexit debacle. Observing the British political system have a nervous breakdown would be one part amusing, two parts sad, were it not for its direct impact on us. Right now, the British body politic continues to grapple between the fantasy of what Brexit was sold as, and the reality of what it is. Trading in your most comforting dreams for a grey dawn is painful, but there is no easy way out. All this talk about British prime minister Theresa Mays bad deal demonstrates the level of delusion that exists. May got the only deal that was available. The notion that somebody else a man with an expensive education perhaps! could do better is laughable. As the clock hurls towards B-Day on March 29, there is, as yet, still no sign that the Conservative Party gets it. You can have a realistic Brexit but neither you nor anybody else in global trade can have their cake and eat it. The impasse over the Irish border backstop also exposes another truth about Brexit. The border was practically never discussed during the referendum campaign. It simply didnt feature as an issue, and with good reason. For Brexit is not about throwing off the shackles of an overbearing EU, retaking democracy, or even securing borders. It is about nothing more than English nationalism, and in that context what does a piddly little border across the Irish Sea have to do with restoring Saint George to his horse. Lets hope that the light seeps in over the next three months. Lets hope there is some pull-back towards reality. On the broader scale, we could do with a little pull-back from the drift from liberal democracy. The terrifying cartoon antics of US president Donald Trump over the last year in particular have disguised the trend that is taking hold. Take The Donalds most recent foray into the surreal. In the week before Christmas, he pulled US troops out of Syria, against all advice and to the horror of US allies and the delight of its enemies. The move prompted defence secretary Jim Mattis, widely regarded as the last remaining adult in the Oval Office, to resign. And why did Trump make such a drastic move? A reasonable assumption would be that it was a tactic to distract from a blizzard of bad publicity, including his payment of monies during the last election to women not to talk about sexual liaisons, and the declaration from New York prosecutors that his so-called charity was a ruse to funnel money back to his own family interests. What do you do when youre breaking campaign fund laws and siphoning money from an alleged charity? You point to the Middle East and say: Im bringing the boys home. As with all his actions, its not about putting America first but putting Trump first. Despite that, there is a large cohort of US citizens still willing to vote for him, despite knowing exactly how unfit he is for office. What does that say about the state of American politics? More than anything, it says that politics is no longer delivering for a large swathe of people who feel left behind. The group are willing to endure a buffoon in charge of the country who at least makes the noises they want to hear rather than succumb to more of the same old, same old. This is not a uniquely American phenomenon. The rise of the strongman leader in Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, and Brazil, as well as the rising popularity of kindred spirits not yet in power, is a direct result of disaffection with the economic world order. Throw in the ascent of China to the top of the world power order and the expected fallout from Brexit, and it becomes obvious that centrist politics, as expressed through liberal democracy, is under major threat. In that regard, this country remains an outlier in the evolving order. The centre, despite the savage recession, has largely held. There are some major social problems and an emergency in housing but had the country lurched to the right or left as others have, things would, in all likelihood, be worse. This conservatism reflected in the failure to seek radical, and usually dangerous, solutions may well be down to this countrys history. In most of the countries that have looked to a strongman to sort out their ills, there is a pining for the past. For instance, the past is golden in the rustbelt states of the US where jobs have disappeared, or the former industrial heartlands of England where globalisation and technology have wreaked havoc. This country has no such past for which to pine. We were late coming to the top table of developed nations. We remember a time not when immigration was low, but when emigration was a way of life. Maybe we are not taken in by delusions that the past is attainable because we have no past to aspire to retrieve. Notwithstanding our oasis of relative sense in that regard, there is a desperate need for a pull-back from the drift from the centre. As of yet, there has been precious little recognition that the disaffected must be wooed back by real promise that life will improve. However, all of the above will be largely redundant if we dont have a planet on which to live. Last October, the worlds leading scientists warned that we have only 12 years in which to ensure that global warning is kept to a maximum of 1.5C. The report from the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pointed out that if the warming goes even a half-degree beyond that, it will significantly worsen the risks of drought, flood, extreme heat, and thrust hundreds of millions of people into poverty. Yet there persists a mentality across the globe that this is all about the never- never, when todays leaders will have left the stage, when it will be somebody elses problem. This country has a particularly woeful record in facing up to the reality. Last month, it was reported that we have the worst record in the EU in tackling climate change. There is a reluctance to make difficult choices, to tell the populace that climate change is going to effect standards of living at least in the short term. There is an urgent need for a pull-back on the political cowardice on climate change. As far as the future of the planet is concerned, todays leaders will reap a major legacy for generations to come. Whether that is positive or negative is entirely in their hands today. Happy New Year. Heres hoping for a good one. Two drones found by police near Gatwick Airport have been ruled out of involvement in the incident which disrupted hundreds of flights before Christmas, Sussex chief constable Giles York has said. Mr York told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that police have searched 26 potential launch sites for drones near the airport but do not believe they have found the drone believed to have been flown near runways on December 19 and 20. "I don't think we have found the drone responsible for this at this time," said the Chief Constable. "I think the fact that we have found two drones so far as a result of this does show the extent of the search that has been carried out. I am led to believe that we are able to rules those drones out of this investigation at this time." Mr York said he was "absolutely certain that there was a drone flying throughout the period that the airport was closed". Police received 115 reports of sightings in the area, including 92 which have been confirmed as coming from "credible people", he said. He told Today: "Of course, we will have launched our own Sussex Police drones at the time with a view to investigate, with a view to engage, with a view to survey the area looking for the drone, so there could be some level of confusion there. Mr York said he was "really sorry" for Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, who said they felt "violated" after being questioned for 36 hours in custody before being ruled out of involvement in the disruption of Gatwick. However, he said he was "convinced that the grounds for arrest - the lawful suspicion - in the first instance was well-founded". The Chief Constable said: "I'm really sorry for what he has experienced and the feeling of violation around it. "I am really sorry for what he went through, but the reason why we held him was so that we could dispel everything in the first instance. What might have been worse as an experience for him would have been to be released under investigation still. We are able to exhaust all our lines of inquiry on that first instance and, however hard it is, able to release him from police custody saying he is no longer a suspect in this line of inquiry. "That's why we took the time - in order to allow him the best opportunity to put his life back on the rails." Mr York confirmed that military technology was now in place at Gatwick, though he declined to identify the nature of the equipment. "The systems that are in place today are dramatically different to what was in place a week ago," he told Today. Asked whether he could rule out a repeat of last week's disruption, Mr York said: "I don't think you can ever rule out anything happening again. "But what we can say is what is at the heart of this is ensuring it is safe for the aircraft to take off and that's the different position that Gatwick Airport finds itself in today." - Press Association Dateline After Difficult Year For Myanmar, Some Cause For Hope in 2019 The Irrawaddy discusses the prospects for peace and prosperity for Myanmar in 2019 and the lessons to learn from the past year. Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! We are now bidding farewell to 2018 and welcoming 2019. We will discuss the lessons we can learn from 2018 and our expectations for 2019. U Win Myo Thu, director of EcoDev Myanmar, and Ma Thida (Sanchaung), who is on the board of directors of Pen International, join me to discuss this.. Im Kyaw Zwa Moe, The Irrawaddys English editor. Thank you both for joining me. Now is the time we review 2018. In 2017 our country was hit by a political tsunami the Rakhine issue. We experienced a lot of aftershocks, repercussions in 2018. The country underwent political instability and was seriously criticized by the international community. It suffered a serious economic downturn, and there was no international investment. There were mountains of problems. U Win Myo Thu, what big lessons can we learn from 2018? What are the good things and the bad things? Win Myo Thu: The Rakhine issue has impacted the country politically, economically and socially. So how to respond to the international community is important. And there is a need for the entire country to clearly understand and acknowledge human rights. We must avoid defining human rights loosely. If we want to get on well with the international community, we should make a careful review of the issue and make our position public. Only then will we be able to avoid becoming a pariah nation and get on well with the international community. This is the most important thing. Another is about the weakness of the current government. In my opinion the main weakness of the current government is that it fails to strengthen democratic governance, which is the key task of a democratically elected government. Though there are restrictions imposed by the 2008 Constitution, if the government had formed grass-roots organizations such as media, civil society groups, farmers and so on to promote democratic governance, it would have been able to handle the Rakhine issue better. Due to the lack of those organizations, the democratic government could not establish democracy and the countrys politics have reached a standstill. The 2018 by-election is a good indicator of this and came as an alarm bell for the current government. KZM: Ma Thida, what is your personal assessment of the year 2018? Thida: The good thing is that a presidential pardon was granted on Myanmar New Year this year to annul all the suspended penalties against political prisoners. That is very good. And we think the presidents responses to two cases are very encouraging. We view them as a very strong message (from the president). He intervened in the Aung Yell Htwe case because (law officers) took bribes. In the case of the journalists sued by the Yangon Region chief minister, he intervened by instructing him how to settle it. We view that as a sign that he is objective in his judgment of issues and that he only cares for justice and fairness. Regarding the Rakhine issue in 2018, I think what Facebook could dig up is quite important in cooling the Rakhine issue. In the past, we could only make wild guesses about who was deliberately spreading propaganda in a systematic way. We could only make guesses based on our decades of experience. But now Facebook has proven it (the militarys use of Facebook to spread hate speech). Now it is clear because they could be identified. This has contributed to cooling the Rakhine issue. I am very sad that (the government) failed to make big strides in bringing about social harmony in the country. It is a cause for concern. KZM: Taking a look at the driving forces of the country, the Tatmadaw (military) is an essential part of the society. And the 2008 Constitution, which was drafted by the Tatmadaw, is an even bigger force. We have Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government elected by the people. There are ethnic parties, armed organizations and civil society organizations. But the most important part is the people. There are clashes due to those driving forces. Some call our government a hybrid government of the Tatmadaw and the elected government. I sometimes call it a forced marriage, a couple forcibly married by 2008 Constitution. What is your assessment of the entire mechanism? It is quite confusing, so how can we clear it up? WMT: Of course we dont want to go back to 2008 because we are already in 2018. But if you ask me if it is good now, my answer is no. But then we dont want to go back to the days of 2008. So we need to think about how to clear up the existing mess. The countrys leader is working for peace mainly through the channel of the (21st Century) Panglong conference. There are ups and downs in the peace process. That is its nature, and it is important to negotiate an outcome despite this. The statements issued last week are somewhat encouraging. KZM: The unilateral ceasefire declared by the Tatmadaw. WMT: Yes. Some are suspicious that it is a trick. And the transfer of the General Administration Department from the Home Affairs Ministry to the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government is also an important step for democratic governance. KZM: These are two good pieces of news at the end of the year 2018. WMT: Yes they are, as 2018 ends. So hopes are being revived. It is like watching a film it makes you laugh and cry from time to time. Though the summit held on Oct. 15 failed to reach any agreement, I like some statements. The army chief said he accepted a democratic army in principle. I like that statement very much. So we need to see what the Tatmadaws understanding of a democratic army is. If we find an answer to how to build a democratic army, there will be political changes. I myself am a participant in the peace talks, focusing on the topic of land and the environment. But those issues are connected with politics and economics. We have problems defining words such as Naing-ngan-daw (which can be loosely translated as nation), Naing-ngan-thar (citizen) and Tine-yin-thar (ethnic minorities). Finding answers to those issues depends on the peace talks. (Leaders) spoke out as the drama escalated. There will be answers if we can follow up on their words. But it is risky for the National League for Democracy government to focus solely on the peace talks, and I think it should think about alternatives or a Plan B. The Panglong may or may not bring about peace. So it should adopt a parallel track to achieve the political gains it wants. KZM: Ma Thida, as I have said, the countrys politics is quite complicated. People are quite confused. Many are criticizing Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government even though they elected it. Perhaps it is because they had high expectations of it. What is its exit strategy? The 2008 (Constitution) was the exit strategy for the military government. What can be done to break the existing deadlock between the democratic forces, the Tatmadaw and the previous establishments? Some have called for thinking out of the box as opposed to thinking inside the box, which is conventional thinking. And now there is a new concept of thinking boxless. Ma Thida, what approaches will break the deadlock? Thida: In fact, identity politics is the legacy of the colonial period. We were lost for many years, not just a generation. We still have the mindset and practices of the monarchial period. So the general assumption is that if the prime leader or the monarch is good, all will be good. That mindset remains. Again, there is the problem of identity politics, the bad legacy of the colonial period. This leads to excessive focus on preserving our own identity and repulsing the others. So there is a broad-based deprivation of human rights. The problem with (Myanmar people) is that they tend to add so many adjectives to human beings. I want there to be a national-level policy to recognize all humans as equal, removing all those adjectives. I want (the government) to focus on social harmony. The ongoing peace process is quite confusing. Looking (at the peace process) from the perspective of conflict resolution, you can see that there is no moderator. Negotiators, who have their own interests, are playing the roles of both moderator and negotiator. So it is like a single person is acting at once as both referee and actor in the peace process. I have always viewed this as a weak point. So I would suggest that the peace process be reviewed and that those without self-interests play the role of moderator. If (stakeholders) assume the peace process can be completed within a few years, why are there doubts about the (militarys) four-month ceasefire declaration? This is the reason. KZM: They will continue fighting after that. Thida: Many stakeholders have suffered from conflict and trauma for over 50 years. So it is impossible that a stakeholder group can resolve all those conflicts in a couple of years. So I want there to be a law. I want to see a law with two parts, one for peace and another for national reconciliation. One part is to ensure transitional justice. It is quite unrealistic to think that (the two sides should) shake hands while one side has not yet healed the wounds it has inflicted on the other. Another part is to detail various issues after that. Identity politics may still persist, but it wont have much impact then. All the discussions should be based on state building, how we want to see Myanmar society in the future. The NPC (National Peace Center) was founded under the previous government, and the NRPC (National Reconciliation and Peace Center) was founded under the current government. So I want the process to be implemented according to the law because I dont want to see another center formed under the new government after 2020. And certain people at different levels should be allowed to make decisions depending on the magnitude of the issues. But at present all the concerned authorities are involved in the decision-making no matter how minor the issue is, which causes confusion. So it is very difficult to negotiate. KZM: Ko Win Myo Thu, you said some are suspicious of the four-month unilateral ceasefire declaration issued by the Tatmadaw on Dec. 21. Earlier, the commander-in-chief of the defense services said the peace process would be completed by 2020 and that peace would be handed over to the people. Why did he say that at the end of 2018? There is a years time in 2019 and then there will be the general election in 2020. How can we interpret the resolution of the commander-in chief of defense services and the Tatmadaw? WMT: They want to achieve something by 2020. Only they know what attitude they have. We can only guess from the outside. First of all, we need to consider whether they have political objectives. If so, they may try to achieve peace it may or may not be the kind desired by all in one way or another to pave the way for the political situation they require (to achieve their political objectives). KZM: Could it be a desirable outcome? WMT: Maybe, maybe not. It could be both good and bad. But in my opinion the main issue is there are two ideological groups in the peace negotiation. The first group says the current Constitution can facilitate federalism while the other group says it cannot. In my opinion, however, it is clearly stated in the NCA (Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement} that federalism will be implemented. It is certain and indisputable. However, when federalism is defined, there is a group that says the current Constitution cannot facilitate federalism and is unlikely to create genuine federalism. In my opinion, the current Constitution facilitates a unitary state. It is not compatible with federalism. If the Tatmadaw is pushing other stakeholders to implement federalism in accordance with it, the outcome will be so-called federalism and the outcome in 2020 will not be the one desired by all. They will compromise on what they can do and It will be a pseudo federalism acceptable to them. The question is whether the group demanding genuine federalism can accept it. Even if it is not acceptable, that group might have to accept it because its members are in crisis and are deadlocks and have no other options. The political conundrum will persist in other forms. KZM: The government has been given a mandate by the people. We can see that the government is doing what it can along the way despite obstacles. How can it break the deadlock? WMT: I am not sure what you mean by the government? Who you are referring to? KZM: I am referring to the government elected by the people. WMT: However, the people taking part in the peace negotiations are not them but departmental personnel. Therefore, they work according to the law within the scope of the 2008 Constitution and never go beyond it. The desired solution cannot be found, as you said, by thinking out of the box. However, we cannot see what attitude the NLD government has on federalism. It recently said what will be amended in the Constitution. I am not sure it is true because the information was posted on Facebook. We need to find out. When I scanned it, I could not see much about the federalism demanded by us, the ethnic [minority] groups. They may be seeking just a workable peace during their term in office. If the current government cant find a solution during its term, it will damage the political reputation of the government. It can be seen that the government sometimes gives priority to saving its reputation. What is worrisome is that this will lead not to the federalism we have been calling for but to a politically workable one. This is to be questioned. KZM: Before the 2015 elections the [NLD] pledged that it would amend the 2008 Constitution, and it is now working under the slogan Together With the People. Is it now working against that slogan and its campaign promise? WMT: No, it isnt. It will amend some provisions that can be compromised on. However, such constitutional amendments might not be the ones we desired. They might not be compatible with democratic federalism. It might say it is being pragmatic. However, most of the public expects much more than that. So if the federalism is not genuine, peace cannot be achieved because there is still so much injustice across the country. This injustice is deeply intertwined with environmental conservation and natural resources. There is environmental injustice. If such injustice is not solved, it would be a bad prescription. As long as there is struggle, including public protest and armed conflict in one way or another, genuine peace cannot be restored. Thida: I would like to urge the government to start thinking of the formation of the Ministry of Justice in the same way as the General Administration Department, which was recently placed under a new ministry. Law enforcement agencies such as the police should be under the chain of command of the Ministry of Justice. Currently the judiciary has a separate chain of command and the police are under the Ministry of Home Affairs. So the flow of command between them is not convenient. One way to think out of the box is to place law enforcement under the judiciary. The problem can be solved in this way. Alternatively, considering our discussion, it is time for the Tatmadaw to review its role immediately. This is because the international pressure from the likes of the ICC (International Criminal Court), a cause for concern for the Tatmadaw and the entire nation, is specific to the Tatmadaw. It has something to do with the position taken by the Tatmadaw itself. If the Tatmadaw were willing to be part of the elected government, no one would blame it separately. No one would accuse it of anything else. No one would point a finger at it. Because the Tatmadaw itself has chosen a position in which it is not a part of the (elected) government, it has locked itself in a box. If it wants to get out of that box, it just needs to get rid of it. It needs to accept that it is a part of every elected government. Furthermore, members of the Tatmadaw should abandon their right to vote like members of religious orders. If the Tatmadaw is able to choose a position that proves it is neutral and concentrates only on national defense, it will be able to overcome the crises it is encountering. I think the path the Tatmadaw has taken has locked us in crises too. I urge the Tatmadaw to choose the correct path. KZM: Frankly and pragmatically speaking, I think that is very unlikely. They do not just enjoy suffrage but also take 25 percent of parliamentary seats, according to the Constitution. Thida: If they want to think out of the box, just get rid of it. KZM: It is a good idea, if they want to think out of the box. WMT: In my opinion, there are many things they can be compromised on, but they havent put the options on the table. The point is that there is a problem and a solution, but they do not identify it, diagnose it. No solution can be found by way of the current discussion. Now there are people who know the problem and what prescriptions should be given. There are many options option one, two and three. If options are put on the table, peace can be achieved soon. This is gradually gaining momentum. For example, we discussed the eight-states principle. This is the fundamental to the formation of federal territories. Based on this, power sharing and solutions have been taken into consideration. There are some factors that worry the Tatmadaw. There are factors that worry ethnic (minority) groups. Ways to solve them have been taken into considerations. The problem is that all these (options) have not been put on the table like a buffet. KZM: As Ko Win Myo Thu just said, the political decisions will be had by the top leaders, maybe only one or two or three. There will be a lot more to discuss about that. Finally, with two pieces of good news in December, how should we approach 2019? WMT: With the optimism of a human being, I would like to say that it might be better than 2018. If it is not so, we can discuss it next December. First of all, we will have to talk about the daily economic life of the people. In terms of economics, 2018 was a bad year because the U.S. dollar has appreciated and GDP has dropped slightly. However, government infrastructure projects are about to be implemented and this will create employment opportunities. There will be jobs. Japan will import laborers from Myanmar. Whether we like it or not, there are opportunities for Myanmar workers to work in Japan based on the relationship between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Japanese government. These are benefits in terms of economics in 2019. KZM: Another thing is that the government is inviting investors from East Asia. WMT: Only China will enter the market, based on its strategic interests. For others, we still have many defects. So I dont expect too much. However, China is sure to start implementing the Silk Road. We will see advantages as well as disadvantages related to these projects. When these projects are implemented and China pushes Myanmar politically to protect its interests, ethnic armed organizations will have to participate in peace negotiations whether or not they are willing to do so. I dont know if it will be positive. But China cannot push Myanmar too much. Leverage is limited. When it reaches its limit, there will be repercussions. I hope the economy will be slightly better in the coming year. On the other hand, as it is approaching to 2020, opportunists will find it an opportune time to create chaos. KZM: It is a good time for saboteurs to make the situation worse. WMT: These two factors coincide in 2019. In addition, climate change and natural disasters might hamper the process. It is an exogenous factor. KZM: They cant be predicted and controlled. Ma Thida, we have been focusing on the internal situation. In the international arena, however, this is a time when we can hardly see any positive signs. If we look at the U.K., there is Brexit. It is getting worse and worse. When we look at the U.S., there are problems between the Trump administration and the media. The trade war between China and the U.S. is very intense. With this backdrop, how can we see Myanmar? Is the situation in Myanmar not as bad as in those places amid such confusion? Thida: It depends a lot on the decisions of the groups in Myanmar that think they can make decisions by themselves and how they want to be seen, whether as a nation or as a government or as the Tatmadaw or as ethnic groups. I think their choice is important. For social harmony, all of us are present in Myanmar. Only when all our actions, words and thinking are fine will all of Myanmar be fine. I usually say that if one wants to look for the most important and responsible person in Myanmar, one has to look into a mirror. I want everyone to accept this concept. The day we all decide how we would like our country to be seen is the day no one can insult us. KZM: Ko Win Myo Thu and Ma Thida, thanks a lot. Let us welcome 2019 with this limited good news. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Saturday, December 29th, 2018 (8:04 am) - Score 16,773 Cable ISP Virgin Media UK has begun their New Year sale early by discounting the prices of their dual-play ultrafast broadband and phone packages back down to levels not seen since the Black Friday week. For example, the price of their top 350Mbps package is now just 37 per month for 12 months (57 thereafter). As usual all new customers will also receive a Hub 3.0 (SuperHub v3) wireless router, a 12 month minimum term contract, unlimited usage, access to Virgins UK network of WiFi hotspots (e.g. London Underground), free UK weekend phone calls, internet security / parental controls and email. A one-off set-up fee of 25 (one-off) also applies. The following prices will be available to order until 17th February 2019. Sadly this also means that Virgin Media have now ended their previous discounts on the standalone broadband packages. We should also remind readers that Virgins network is mostly only available in urban areas and this covers over half of UK premises. VIVID 50 fibre broadband and phone Average speed: 54Mbps down / 3Mbps up PRICE: 27 per month for 12 months (42 thereafter) VIVID 100 fibre broadband and phone Average speed: 108Mbps down / 6Mbps up PRICE: 27 per month for 12 months (47 thereafter) VIVID 200 fibre broadband and phone Average speed: 213Mbps down / 12Mbps up PRICE: 32 per month for 12 months (52 thereafter) VIVID 350 fibre broadband and phone Average speed: 362Mbps down / 21Mbps up PRICE: 37 per month for 12 months (57 thereafter) Interestingly the SALE only applies to their 100Mbps, 200Mbps and 350Mbps tiers, which does create a rather odd situation with Virgins entry-level 50Mbps package that ends up being the same price (at least for the first 12 months of service) as their 100Mbps tier. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. BEATTY, Ore. -- The Klamath County District Attorney's Office said on Saturday morning just before 4AM, Klamath County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to a call of an assault in progress at a home near Beatty in Klamath County. When officers arrived, the adult son of the assault victim went into a nearby building and refused to cooperate with the investigation. Deputies then contacted a mental health crisis counselor who went to the home. Nearly 4 hours later, just before 8AM, investigators said deputies requested that an ambulance be dispatched to the area, shots had been fired, the suspect needed medical attention, and all deputies were uninjured. It was soon determined that 33-year-old Mark Farrell was dead. Investigators said the initial investigation revealed the subject approached the deputies with a weapon and lethal force was used. The Klamath County Major Crime Team was activated and the Oregon State Police is the lead investigating agency per established protocol. Two involved Sheriffs Office deputies will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. This is a developing story. As soon as NewsWatch 12 gets any new information, we will be sure to update you. 154 Shares Share This article is sponsored by Careers by KevinMD.com. To err is human, and in the health care arena, avoiding errors is crucial. Efforts to address communication-related or soft skill failures have been ongoing since about 20 years ago when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published reports titled To Err Is Human and Crossing the Quality Chasm. When we rely on extrinsic approaches to reducing human errors such as using only color-tinted intravenous tubing or keeping detailed checklists its harder for us to make mistakes. Such human interactive skills, also discussed at length in Successful Nurse Communication, a 2015 book by Beth Boynton, are linked to patient safety, patient experience, and workforce health. But, while extrinsic approaches to controlling human behavior are essential, we should also consider intrinsic approaches that prepare health care professionals to optimize their own behavior. In order to appreciate how important this concept is, a basic understanding of complex adaptive systems (CASs) is required. CASs are made up of elements that are interconnected and able to respond to change in varied ways. A flock of birds is a good example of a CAS. Consider a flock flying towards a feeding area or away from danger. Moving as a group, the individuals respond to the environment in the moment, and the flock appears fluid. No one is telling each bird where or how fast to go, and they did not attend an in-service to prepare for changes in wind velocity. Instead, they are following a few simple rules that guide their relationships, such as maintaining distance from each other and matching speed with their neighbors. They also share common goals, e.g., finding food or safety. In a health care workplace, all participants also share a common goal: making sure patients receive the quality care they deserve. There are seven primary properties of CASs that are closely related to the soft skills that are important in such a setting, and we will discuss three of them here: adaptability, the butterfly effect, and emergent behavior. Adaptability Adaptability refers to the ability of the participants to adapt and learn from changes in their environment. In a high-stakes, high-stress health care environment, we could not be adaptible without consistent, effective and respectful communication. For example, inviting input on an issue and listening to it is key for engaging staff. Leaders sometimes avoid such engagement, because they assume that staff will expect them to follow all recommendations, which could lead to conflict if they dont. Instead of validating, considering input and setting limits, they simply avoid asking. Staff who dont feel heard may become disengaged or use resistance to solutions (consciously or subconsciously) as a passive-aggressive way of being heard. Whereas, many people will accept reasonable limits if they feel heard. Leaders can also embrace this idea to increase staff accountability for stubborn problems like, for instance, hospital-acquired infections. By asking staff, What do you need to comply with hand-washing protocols? and then listening carefully to the responses, they create the conditions for learning new information that might help, and they relay the message that input is valued. The butterfly effect The butterfly effect refers to a small event happening in one place, like a butterfly flapping its wings contributing to a large event happening someplace far away, such as a hurricane on the opposite side of the world. The butterfly effect of disrespectful versus respectful communication can be seen in these two health care-related examples: A doctor yells at a nurse on Tuesday. On Saturday, she hesitates to call him to report a subtle change in a patients condition. Instead, she reports her concern to the oncoming nurse, who makes it a priority to check this patient, but the telemetry alarm beats him to it. The patient dies. Nurse A overhears Nurse B talking about her in a negative way and interrupts the conversation. Id appreciate it if you have concerns about my work that you discuss them with me directly. Nurse B apologizes and later helps Nurse A get pain medication to her post-op patient quickly. The patient and his wife feel cared for. The patient experience scores improve. Emergent behavior Emergent behavior refers to how we behave in the moment and in relationship to others. To gossip or not, to offer or take in constructive feedback versus avoiding conflict, or to speak up or remain silent about a concern are soft skills that are intrinsic in each of these behaviors: The nurse assistant who went in and held a patients hand in the middle of the night when she sensed the patient was anxious. The surgeon who tells the OR team she expects each of them to watch for and report problems. The social worker who reminds the unit coordinator that computer system is going to be down during the evening shift. The nurse leader who negotiates budget allocations for delegation skill training for nursing staff and a part-time nurse assistant during the busiest times. The housekeeper who shares her insight with the clinical team that a post-op patients fear of falling was the reason she was afraid to walk with the physical therapist. Conclusion These soft skills and how they relate to outcomes in health care may be hard to see, but now that you know how to look for them, youll spot them more easily. As you do, you may see or suspect their impact in the workplace. Did the nurse who hurt her back ask for help? Was the surgeon receptive to challenges during the wrong-site surgery? Would the resident have fallen if the nurse assistant sat with her for a few minutes and listened to her concerns? Hard-to-measure yet critical, healthy soft skills can improve the care we give to our patients, the workplace culture and the rewards of our important work in the health care industry. Beth Boynton is a writer, Careers by KevinMD.com. Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. OREGON -- Gov. Kate Brown's election to her first full term was voted Oregon's top news story of 2018 by Associated Press staff. Other top news items of the past 12 months included President Donald Trump's pardoning of the ranchers whose imprisonment sparked a standoff at a remote Oregon wildlife refuge, a fatal cougar attack near Mount Hood and protests in Portland. RELATED: KEZI'S TOP 9 STORIES OF 2018 Here are 2018's Top Oregon stories: CHARLES CITY, Iowa - Charges are pending against three men and others after an investigation that started with a stolen computer that was listed on a 'for sale group' on a social media site that eventually lead into the discovery of stolen handguns and narcotics. Around 2:25 p.m. on Thursday, Charles City Police obtained and executed a search warrant on an apartment in the 600 block of Milwaukee Street, and recovered the laptop. Over the course of five hours, a series of search warrants and traffic stops lead to three arrests as well as seizure of drug-related items and stolen guns, as well as information on them. While more and more departments are having some presence on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it is also proving to be a useful tool during investigations, but authorities say it can be a double edged sword. Police Chief Hugh Anderson didn't anticipate that the seemingly small case would evolve how it did. "We started at 7 o' clock in the morning, and I think by the time deputies and officers were finished, it was into the early morning hours of this morning." But he sees the bigger picture. "It's always a pleasant surprise when we can recover something else, in this case it's stolen guns. It's always great to get some guns off the street that may go into criminal hands and may be used in some sort of criminal activity." He recounts a similar incident to Thursday's involving a stolen saxophone that went for sale on social media. "We did a sting operation and ended up buying the stolen saxophone back from the person who had taken it and ended up charging him at that time." In addition, Anderson notes that social media can aid them when they're trying to keep community members safe from harm, citing a recent unrelated example. "We're looking for somebody that might've threatened to harm themselves. Through social media, we were able to locate that person, whereas we had no other way to locate that person at that time. So social media helps us in so many different avenues, that we can get out there and meet these people through the social media, and sometimes make a personal contact through that also." But can social media also be a hindrance to investigators? Anderson notes that with an active investigation, people should be careful to not reveal pertinent information to an active case. "We like to have things kept close to the vest in case we're doing an active investigation that maybe the suspect we don't want them to know at this time, so we just caution people sometimes what they put on social media." The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Department also uses social media to aid in investigations, but Sheriff Kevin Pals says every tip or post that comes in has to be investigated first. "We don't just take the tips and say 'Go arrest them!' We have to follow up on that and do our due diligence to get that information." 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Carl Wilson CEO Since my father, Jim Wilson, founded KAJO in 1957, you could say that I literally was "raised on radio". My first memories are of going to visit my dad when he was behind the mic at KLAD in Klamath Falls, OR. We moved to Grants Pass when I was five and shortly thereafter, dad founded the venerable `ol AM 1270. My heroes have always been DJ's... and I am fortunate to have known every announcer who has ever been on KAJO in its entire history, dating from the summer of `57. It is an honor to be counted in that crew... and, have we ever seen some interesting guys and gals during that time! I made my on-air debut in the summer of `68. For the most part, I've been on the air continually since that time... with a couple of partial detours. I joined the navy right after high school and spent two years active duty and a bunch of years in reserve. Another very interesting detour was an appointment to the Oregon State Legislature in 1998 and two subsequent reelections. I took a hiatus at the end of 2002 and returned to the family business. Radio is SO much fun... One highlight of my career was going through the process of adding KLDR to the fold back in 1991 and getting an opportunity to do contemporary radio on FM as a morning jock. Those were heady years indeed! In 2014 I again felt the call to return to the State Legislature and have been serving proudly as a right minded voice for Southern Oregon ever since. I am married to Malinda and have been since summer of `72, and we have two adult children, J.L. and Lora. J.L. is the owner of a longtime lobbying and public affairs firm in Salem, Public Affairs Counsel. Lora is a marriage and family therapist with a practice in Salem. They are both married to great people... J.L.'s wife is Heather... and Lora's husband, Greg. We also have grandchildren Abigail, Ruby, and Ava Wilson, Tyler Johns, Ashlynn and Johnny Withers and Samson Goodenough. My hobby is motorcycles. I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of miles I have ridden since the summer of `68, but it has been too many to count. My old Harley and I are slowing down and I am happy to be getting interested in travel trailers. Malinda and I have really enjoyed this hobby over the last several years and there is more to come, I trust! Malinda and I are very active in the ministry at River Valley Church and enjoy having our bibles close at hand. We don't just carry them, we believe them. Life without Jesus Christ would be useless to me. Again, thank you for your interest in our stations. Our desire is to be a "city on a hill" in our community. Please let us know if we can do more to serve you. Thank you! Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions We loved the way it looked, so our upgrades were all hidden, Tanner told Elite Street. We upgraded all of the systems, (we) put in LED lights on an app controller, (we) upgraded the four air conditioning units with a Honeywell app controller, trying to decrease the energy consumption. (We also) put in nine Sonos zones, upgraded the cooktop stove, refrigerator (and) dishwasher without changing the aesthetic of the steel kitchen (and we) put in a closet system in the master bedroom and laundry room. For all who have left us; their time was too brief. The victims, who had been doing roof work from inside the structure, told firefighters more people were hurt, but crews werent sure how many more so they ordered five more ambulances for a total of at least 10 to the scene. "He said that I was a safety threat to the other guests and that I was trespassing and that I was a disturbance because I took a personal phone call from my mom in a more remote area of the lobby," Massey wrote in the post. He was dealing with a family emergency at time, Massey says in the video. Plans to open a Carsons store in Orland Park in a former furniture store will be beneficial for the village, even though its too early to say what the financial impact as far as sales tax revenue will be, village officials said. Dave Belmontes contribution to local law enforcement has been significant, Walldorf wrote in an email. From his work with the Lake County Chiefs of Police Association (Belmonte is the secretary), to his position as a founding board member of the Lake County Incident Management Assistance Team, and his work as a longtime assessor for the Commission for the Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Dave leaves both the Lake Bluff Police Department and our industry better off than when he started. Operations are still on to rescue 15 trapped miners underway in Khelerihaat in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya for the 17th day (Photo Credits: PTI/File) Shillong, December 28: Operations are still on to rescue 15 trapped miners in Khelerihaat in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya for the 17th day. The water level has not reduced since yesterday. SK Singh, Assistant Commandant National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), says, Even today our divers went down. The water level is the same as yesterday." Meanwhile, on Thursday, an assessment team from Kirloskar Pumps (KBL) in Kolkata had arrived at the remote site of the accident. What Is Rat-Hole Mining? 15 Meghalaya Miners Trapped in Illegal Mine Waits for Help From Government. The Meghalaya government had made clear that it would not call off the rescue operation to evacuate the trapped inside a coal pit. The Indian Navy is even deploying a 15-member diving team from Visakhapatnam to assist in the rescue operations. The Indian Air Force C-130J transport airport also reached Meghalaya to provide additional help to the rescue process. Earlier in the day, the Odisha fire department team landed in Guwahati. On December 13, about 20 miners entered the quarry owned by Krip Chullet in Meghalaya. According to reports, a man has been arrested in connection with the mine mishap. The man admitted that he was the owner of the 370-foot-deep illegal quarry. Reports informed that two mine managers, Mohesh and James Sukhlain, are still on the run. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2018 08:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Just across Jefferson Avenue, the Naperville Land of Nod outlet store at 1860 W. Jefferson Ave. closed in February along with two other Illinois locations."No, we haven't disappeared," a sign posted on the door read at the time. "We've just moved into the Crate and Barrel location right next door. So stop reading this and come see a specially curated collection of Nod furniture, bedding, decor and more. (You don't even have to say any magic words.)" In the wake of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians by South Africans, an exclusive report has revealed how notable cities like Hillbrow become dungeons of social vices, where Nigerian migrants become victims of crime lords. The report by The Guardian, which claimed that Hillbrow, a city close to Johannesburg, is where Nigerians settlers "begin their hustle in South Africa," revealed that there are no few minutes passing without the sound of screaming sirens or gunshots and police raids. Legit.ng gathers that in the city, many of the houses are empty and derelict, as rent is cheap, making it possible for Nigerian settlers to quickly establish their living and business engagement. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda A Nigerian, Felix Ndukwe, who is also an academic in one of the top South African universities, likens the city to ghetto place, Ajegunle in Lagos. He said the community is ridden with social vices, where crimes like stealing, daylight robbery, house burgling can be perpetrated without nobody to help, even when the victims calls for help at a close distance. He said: "However, there are so many Nigerians conducting genuine business in that area, but its not a safe place to go. As a normal person, you are not safe in Hillbrow, unless you are part of that society." On the rise of the xenophobic attacks, especially against Nigerians, the university don said the fear that foreigners are taking their jobs led to most of the attacks by the youths of South Africa. He said: South Africans think other Africans are taking their jobs and this creates some form of anger against foreigners in the country. Several researches have identified this as one of the major causes of xenophobia in the country. "On the other hand, the role of our brothers in drug dealing and prostitution racketeering means that Nigerians are easy targets of such xenophobic attacks. Another Nigerian, Akinola Ajenifuja, corroborating Ndukwe's claims, added: "Most South Africans, after the severely lengthy apartheid regime, which locked them in and kept them away from contact with other African nationals, have been finding it extremely difficult to relate and be receptive to foreigners. Ajenifuja, who is a graduate of theatre arts from one of the South African universities, also added that: "It shouldnt surprise you that even if foreigners leave South Africa, the many years of systemic divisions among the ethnic groups in the country will keep them divided. Apartheid, therefore, remains the numero uno foundational reason for most attacks." There is a lack of drive amongst South Africans and are comfortable with self-pity and entitlement mentality. Unlike visitors, South African citizens seem extremely reliant on government to do virtually everything. "Other African nations, however, have become used to finding a way out of dire situations, due to ineptitude of their leadership. So, when other African nationals get to South Africa, they quickly begin to enjoy the benefit of a working society. "Another reason for enmity could be the way foreign men treat South African women. Women, who have, at any time, enjoyed the care and respect that foreign nationals give them, scarcely would admire their own type of men. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the South African government had promised to do everything to protect Nigerians from xenophobic attacks as violence in the country became subject of global concerns. Recently, there had been report of attacks on foreigners in South Africa with Nigeria specifically calling on the African Union to look into these issues. Which country would you leave Nigeria for? | Legit TV Source: Legit The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi has said that what Nigeria needs now is a team with a firm understanding of global economic realities to plan the re-engineering of the country along those realities. He said this at Isuofia in the House of Chief Ozomma Uba during the stakeholders meeting of Aguata people on December 27, 2018. Peter Obi Source: UGC Obi who said his visit was by accident, as he had merely come to see a friend, assured that Atiku/ Obi candidacy has the requisite knowledge to turn the economy around, create jobs and tackle unemployment, which, according to him, is the roots of many crimes in the country. Speaking during the event, the Managing Director of Pokobros Nig Ltd and a renowned industrialist, Chief Paul Okonkwo said that the election of Atiku and Obi would mark the beginning of Nigeria's economic rebirth, going by their antecedent of wealth- creation and sound management of resources. Recalling Obi's tenure as the governor of Anambra state, Chief Okonkwo said: "Obi's era marked the awakening of industrialization in The state. As an industrialist, we interacted with him on regular basis, he understood what the sector needed and gave it 100% support. We are optimistic that he will do more for Nigeria if he eventually becomes the vice president." The highlight of the event was his endorsement by 13 traditional rulers from Aguata that were present. They jointly prayed for him and assured him that Anambra traditional rulers and indeed all lovers of progress who are concerned with Nigeria's economic recovery are interested in Atiku/Obi Presidency. Other prominent stakeholders from Aguata who were present includes: Chief Godwin Okafor, the MD of Winco Foam; Chief Uche Obiakor, Chief Patrick Ifionu2; Chief Emma Nwafor, among others. [Sponsored] Source: Legit.ng The civilian administration of former President Shehu Shagari was overthrown by a military coup led by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari by the end of 1983. The coup was the fifth after independence in 1960, with troops taking key positions around the capital in Lagos. The takeover is reportedly as a result of an allegation of corruption under Shagari's administration also dealing with a deepening crisis in its finances. Read the report by UPI in 1983 below: Nigeria's civilian government was overthrown Saturday in a 'bloodless' coup by military officers who charged that President Shehu Shagari had plunged Africa's largest democracy into a 'serious economic predicament.' Lagos Radio, monitored in London by the British Broadcasting Co., identified the new head of state and armed forces commander as Maj. Gen. Mohammad Buhari, who said he took over 'with humility and a deep sense of responsibility.' READ ALSO: Shehu Shagari: 14 facts about Nigerias first executive president Buhari was an important member of the military government of Gen. Murtala Mohammed who gained power in a bloodless coup in July 1975, according to a journalist in London specializing in African affairs. FLASHBACK: How the media reported the coup that removed Shagari in 1983 Source: Facebook Newspaper report of the coup that removed Shagari in December 1983. Photo credit: UPI ARCHIVES Source: UGC Diplomatic sources in Paris said Shagari, 58, a pro-Western Moslem elected to a second four-year term in August, was under arrest with most of his ministers and parliamentarians, a French news agency reported. There was no confirmation on Lagos Radio. 'The changes became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and the crisis of confidence now afflicting our nation,' Buhari said on the radio broadcast. Buhari said a 'federal military government' was in power and members of a new Supreme Military Council, National Council of States and other governing bodies to be presided over by a military governor would be named soon. The new rulers sealed off the oil-rich west African country of more than 90 million people and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew. One radio broadcast 14 hours after first news of the coup broke said 'the situation is well under control and there is no cause for alarm.' In Washington, a State Department spokesman said the U.S. Embassy in Lagos had monitored the radio announcements of the coup but had no further comment. Coup leaders promised to protect all foreigners. British television said there were reports of shots being fired but that Lagos was generally quiet after troops took up positions in the streets. A senior army officer, Brigadier Sanaa Abacha said the coup had been a 'bloodless and painstaking' operation and urged the nation to be law-abiding. All airports, seaports and border crossings were closed and most communications cut. The new 'federal military government' said the American-style constitution had been suspended, all political parties banned and all federal officials and 19 state governors must surrender within seven days to police stations. Lagos Radio said the army chief had resigned by noon Saturday and the staffs of the army, navy and air force had accepted 'voluntary retirement.' It was the fifth military coup in Nigeria since the country gained its independence from Britain in 1960. Nigeria had been the world's fourth largest democracy, after India, the United States and Japan. The Lagos Radio announcement blasted Shagari's civilian administration for nearly bankrupting Nigeria, which three years ago was riding the crest of an oil boom with $12 billion in reserves. 'You are all living witnesses to the grave economic predicament and uncertainty which an inept and corrupt leadership has imposed on our beloved nation for the past four years,' said Abacha. 'Our economy has been hopelessly mismanaged and we have become a debtor and a beggar nation.' Shagari was first elected president in 1979, ending 13 years of military rule at a time when the economy was booming because of high oil prices and expanding production. As oil prices started to drop in 1981, Nigeria's oil revenues - which account for 85 percent of government revenues -- fell from $26 billion a year to under $10 billion. Some 2 million foreign workers were expelled by the Shagari government in February because of rising unemployment caused by the oil industry slump. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Only Thursday, Shagari presented a stringent 1984 budget to the National Assembly and warned of heavy cuts in government subsidies because of declining oil revenues in the face of a world oil glut. In his coup broadcast, Abacha charged there was inadequate food at reasonable prices in Nigeria, health services were in a 'shambles,' hospitals had no drug or equipment and the educational system was deteriorating at an alarming rate. Legit.ng previously reported that Nigeria's first executive president Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, is dead. His grandson, Bello Shagari, confirmed that the president in the second republic, from 1979 to 1983, died at the National Hospital, Abuja, on Friday, December 28, at the age of 93 in a tweet. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! Between Buharis Next Level And Atikulate - Nigerians React| Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - The police have given update about the reported invasion of Senator Melaye's residence - The Force spokesman, DCP Jimoh Moshood, said the police operatives are at Melaye's residence to arrest him over culpable homicide - DCP Moshood said the operatives will continue to occupy Melaye's residence until he surrenders himself for arrest The Nigeria Police said the personnel currently at Senator Dino Melayes residence were there to effect his arrest over a case of culpable homicide. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Melaye and some suspects were accused of shooting a police officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty in Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi. A statement by the force spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood in Abuja, said the police would continue to occupy his residence until he surrendered. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army replies online news medium over report on alleged missing of about 700 soldiers in Baga The police operatives will continue to be at the residence of Senator Dino Melaye until he surrenders himself for arrest, he said. Moshood said that the offence for which Melaye was being investigated was capital in nature and not compoundable. He said that the officer was yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack. The spokesman alleged Melaye had refused to report to the police command in Kogi to answer the charges in spite of the letter written to the clerk of the National Assembly. The force will not tolerate attack on its personnel by any individual, no matter how highly placed. The law must take its course, he said. He said that members of the public would be kept informed on further development in the investigation of the matter. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app A combined team of mobile and regular police personnel had laid siege to the Abuja home of Melaye on Friday, December 28. The Kogi West senator reported the invasion of his house in a thread of tweets via his official Twitter account, @dino_melaye. However, in their earlier response to Melaye's claim, DCP Moshood and spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory police, Manzah Anjuguri, had earlier both claimed to be unaware of the invasion. Moshood had said: Why would they enter his residence? I am not aware of such I will make inquiries and get back to you. I will check with the relevant quarters and command. His colleague, Anjuguri, had also said: I dont have any information on that. I am not aware of it." NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. News Nigeria Today: What happened to Dino Melaye? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his party condemned the APCs reported inclusion of Dangote and Otedola in its campaign council - Atiku, speaking through his spokesman, said Dangote and Otedola are businessmen who are supposed to be included in the economic management team - The PDP also accused the APC of naming the businessmen in its campaign council without their consent The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his party have questioned the motive for the inclusion of two billionaire businessmen, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. According to Vanguard, Atiku and the PDP described the move as an act of desperation on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling APC. Legit.ng gathers that Atiku spoke through one of the PDP presidential campaign spokesmen, Kassim Afegbua. Atiku said as businessmen, the president ought to have included the duo in his economic management team to avail him their wealth of knowledge on how to create jobs, adding that listing them as campaign members shows that President Buhari is out to blackmail the successful entrepreneurs. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army replies online news medium over report on alleged missing of about 700 soldiers in Baga He said: These people are businessmen, not politicians. These are the kind of people Nigerians expect to see in the economic management team because of what they have done for this country. He (Buhari) is simply out to blackmail them because by the time they fund his campaign, he will turn around and call them corrupt businessmen. Nigerians can now see for themselves what we have been talking about all this while and we call on them to vote out this grossly incompetent administration, whose stock in trade is blackmail of perceived enemies. Similarly, the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) added that the inclusion of serving ministers, heads of ministries, parastatals in Buharis campaign council, was to serve as conduit pipes to divert public funds to fund Buharis reelection campaigns. The PPCO also accused the presidency and the APC of secretly drawing over N478 million from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC,)to rent a crowd and offset bills in President Muhammadu Buharis re-election campaign rally in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state. In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, director of media and publicity of PPCO, the party said it was aware of the protests by some eminent Nigerians, including foremost businessmen who were allegedly named as members of the APC campaign council without their consent, in a desperate bid to showcase an impression that they are supporting Mr Presidents re-election bid. The N478 million NDDC fund which was originally budgeted for development projects in the Niger Delta was diverted to renting and transportation of crowd from other parts of the country to the rally to create an impression of popularity for President Buhari in the region. Further information at our partys disposal, shows that the said N478 million is part of the wholesome sum of N1.2 billion allegedly siphoned in tranches from the NDDC treasury by the cabal at the presidency and APC leaders, who have been stealing money from various government agencies to finance President Buharis campaign. Our party also has it on good authority that this ignoble scheme of siphoning NDDC development fund to finance his campaign was the main reason President Buhari foisted an unpopular leadership at the management of the NDDC despite the protests by critical stakeholders in all the states of the Niger Delta. Furthermore, the PPCO is aware of the dissention by some APC leaders over President Buharis unilateral listing of individuals into his campaign council as announced by his media aide, without recourse to the selection process of the APC leadership. This further shows the dictatorial tendencies of the Buhari presidency and his arrogant disdain for constituted authority, the statement read in part. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the inclusion Dangote in the list of the APC presidential campaign council had been clarified. The presidency in a statement signed by by Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president media and publicity said the businessman is not a member of the APC. The statement read: "It has become imperative to further clarify the status of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, named under the sub-head ADVISORY MEMBERS in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council announced on Friday, December 28, 2018. "Africa's richest man, not being a card-carrying member of APC, cannot, and is not member of the PCC. He is also a member of the Peace Committee, and thus cannot be in a partisan campaign council." NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Nigeria Latest News: Buhari vs Atiku - 2019 Elections | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Nigeria's over increasing unemployment is capable of threatening the nations unity according to an agriculturist, Chief Chidike Ukoh - Ukoh said if the menace was not addressed urgently, Nigeria might lose its potential youths to other countries - The agriculturist urged the ruling class to consider reviewing the youth policies in the country to give room for better youth engagement An agriculturist, Chief Chidike Ukoh has raised alarm over increasing unemployment in the country, saying it is capable of threatening the nations unity. Ukoh, who is the secretary, National Fish Association of Nigeria (NFAN) said if the menace was not addressed urgently, Nigeria might lose its potential youths to other countries in the nearest future. READ ALSO: Dangote, Otedola ought to be included in economic team, not campaign council - Atiku tells Buhari, APC Ukoh disclosed this in Agwa in Oguta on Saturday, December 29, during the conferment of his chieftaincy title by the Traditional Ruler of Agwa, Eze Ignatius Asor during his 20th anniversary of kingship. He noted that the reason for the underdevelopment of the country was because the political class had misplaced the main priority of the countrys progress. The agriculturist urged the ruling class to consider reviewing the youth policies in the country to give room for better youth engagement. Youth policies in this country should be reviewed and our leaders must stick to the constitutional provisions of governance to enable the country move forward. High level of unemployment in this country is threatening the security and peace of the nation and we keep losing our potential youths to other countries due to unemployment, he said. Ukoh urged the federal government to ensure that job creation became a top agenda of governance to curb the menace of youth restiveness. Our youths have been turned to political thugs while others are engaged in different king of vices. I dont believe that Nigerian graduates are unemployable but the problem is given a level playing ground for all, he said. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Speaking on the conferment of the title, the Traditional Ruler, Eze Ignatius Asor said he decided to confirm Ukoh the chieftaincy title following his contributions to the society. He said Ukoh had played a major role in the development of Nigeria and had been known as a frontline philanthropist, adding that the new title would help him to do more for the nation. The monarch also condemned youth restiveness in the country adding that no nation could move forward with the present state of the youths. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the minister of labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige, expressed optimism that President Muhammadu Buharis second tenure would end youth unemployment in the country. He also explained that the federal government has put in place a programme that would achieve the objective. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | - on Legit TV. Source: Legit Nigeria - Linda Ikeji has shared photos of her son's N120 million white Bentley Mulsanne - The popular blogger revealed that the Bentley finally arrived in Lagos - It was earlier reported that the blogger had acquired the Bentley for her son before his arrival while she was in Atlanta Popular Nigerian blogger Linda Ikeji who recently became a mother of one has showed off her son Jayce's Bentley Mulsanne on social media. The blogger had promised to buy her son the expensive car even before he arrived. Legit.ng had earlier reported that the blogger acquired the the white Bentley Muslanne which reportedly cost N120 million in Atlanta before her baby arrived. Jayce who was born on Monday, September 17, was spotted in photos, sitting like a boss in his expensive car. READ ALSO: Yomi Casual acquires Lincoln Navigator as Christmas gift The blogger who showed off the Bentley on her Instagram page noted that it recently arrived in Lagos. In the photos, little Jayce was spotted in a white t-shirt paired with blue jeans while his mother rocked off white top paired with white pants. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app The mother and son duo were spotted posing for shots in front of the newly arrived Bentley Muslanne. See photos below: PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Linda Ikeji: Why I'm Pregnant But Not Married - on Legit TV Source: Legit - Fatai Owoseni, and nine other senior police officers have retired from the Nigeria police - They were pulled out from the Force on Saturday, December 29, after 35 years in service - Among the retiring officers were AIG Abdul Bube, AIG Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, CP Agyole Abeh, CP Joseph Agaji and CP Gbemisola Akinpelu Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos state, Fatai Owoseni, and nine other senior police officers, were pulled out from the Force on Saturday after 35 years in service. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Owoseni was police commissioner in Lagos from July 1, 2015 to September 1, 2017. NAN reports that the retiring officers were pulled out at a colourful ceremony in Lagos amidst cheers by family members, colleagues and other dignitaries. READ ALSO: Shehu Shagari laid to rest in Sokoto (photos) Deputy inspector general of police, Force Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department (FCIID), Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, who represented I-G Ibrahim Idris, commended the retiring officers for their service to the nation. Congratulations to all the retiring senior officers and to their families, we say a big thank you for the support. As you bow out today, the I-G, the entire police and the nation say a big thank you. You have served well and God will reward you abundantly, she said. A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tunji Alapini, who represented Police Service Commission (PSC) Chairman, Musiliu Smith, also advised the retiring officers to be wary of the environment they were retiring to. You are retiring into a new world, the world of the police is different from the world of retirement. A lot of people are waiting for you thinking you have money to invest, you have to be wary and careful. Please, be faithful to your family, he said. Speaking at the ceremony, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi of Elegushi Ikate, commended the retiring police officers for their service to the nation. I know how passionate you are about the country. How you work to keep the country safe. We Nigerians often forget where we come from. Nigerias problem has been there for a while and it will take more than four years to solve. It is just for our government to the right thing, he said. Also speaking, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Akanbi, commended the retiring police officers for their service to the nation. I understand what the police stand for as they have made Nigeria more secure, they are the greatest law enforcement agents, the monarch said. Among the retiring officers were AIG Abdul Bube, AIG Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, CP Agyole Abeh, CP Joseph Agaji and CP Gbemisola Akinpelu. Others were CP Bello Ahmed, CP Abdullahi Ibrahim, CP Bello Yahaya, CP Adekinte Ademoju, CP Wakili Maye, CP Fave Semili and CP Ahmed Magaji. NAN further reports that 55 police officers of the ranks of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Commissioner of Police (CP), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) retired from the force across the country. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Nigeria Police said the personnel currently at Senator Dino Melayes residence were there to effect his arrest over a case. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Melaye and some suspects were accused of shooting a police officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty in Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. News Nigeria Today: What happened to Dino Melaye? | Legit TV Source: Legit "When you walk out, you give up something. That's kinda the point. In the end, we are giving up something for a greater cause. If we are going to be giving up school, it is for a good reason," she said. An effort to restore a stretch of the Bushkill Creek in Northampton County got a leg up from the state Friday. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced a grant of $80,000 to the Bushkill Stream Conservancy for a restoration project on the waterway. The watershed group plans to use the money to install boulder structures and rocks in Bushkill Creek to create a better habitat for aquatic life. "Basically it helps with habitat for the fish," conservancy President Kathy Altmann said. "It also gets the water moving faster. That helps move sediment so the bottom isn't becoming full of sediment that harms macroinvertebrates." The money will also be used to install riparian buffers that will stabilize 1.5 miles of stream bank in the project area from the Main Street bridge in Tatamy to Newlins Mill Road in Palmer Township. Once those buffers are installed, more than 6,500 feet of the stream will be restored allowing for better water flow, according to the DEP. Although designated as a high-quality cold water stream, Bushkill Creek is classified as impaired in this section for pathogens, which allows for special protections, the DEP says. The improved habitat from the project will help protect aquatic life from possible exposure to pathogens. This work will help improve a stream that provides valuable outdoor opportunities for people who enjoy fishing or just watching Bushkill Creek flow, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a statement announcing the grant. The health of the creek is vital to the community." The Growing Greener grant is supported by the Environmental Stewardship Fund, which receives its funding from landfill tipping fees. It wont cover the full project cost, which remains fluid based on contracting, fuel and other costs, Altmann said. The Bushkill Stream Conservancy also secured a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant for the project and is working on the project with the Trout Unlimited Forks of the Delaware Chapter 482, which is contributing funding. The work is broken into eight phases and could begin as early as late summer 2019, though 2020 offers a more realistic timeframe, Altmann said. The conservancy invites anyone interested in learning more about the group to attend a monthly meeting that starts at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in Tatamy Borough Hall, 423 Broad St. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Wells Fargo will pay $575 million in a settlement with attorneys general from New Jersey and all other states that are investigating fake accounts opened without the knowledge of customers and a string of other dodgy practices. Under the agreement, announced Friday, the bank will also create teams to review and respond to customer complaints about its banking and sales practices. The bank has been under a cloud since 2015, when it acknowledged that employees had opened millions of fake bank accounts for customers in order to meet sales goals. It has also said that it sold auto insurance and other financial products to customers who didnt need them. Wells Fargo has already been ordered to pay more than $1.2 billion in penalties and faced stricter regulations. "This agreement underscores our serious commitment to making things right in regard to past issues as we work to build a better bank," said CEO Tim Sloan. Tim Sloan apologized for the phony accounts and other practices during a congressional hearing in 2017, but the company remained under pressure from the weight of all the scandals. The company has announced plans to lay off up to 10 percent of its workforce over the next three years. California, the banks home state, will get more than a quarter of the settlement funds because of the number of Wells Fargo customers residing there. It was not immediately clear how much settlement money will go to New Jersey, other U.S. states and the District of Columbia. UPDATE: Under terms of the settlement, New Jersey will receive nearly $17 million, according to an announcement by state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. "Wells Fargos corporate culture led to repeated breaches of its customers' trust, Grewal said. "This settlement should send a message to all financial institutions that they need to take steps to avoid similar consumer protection violations, because we stand ready to hold the financial industry accountable. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called the banks behavior disgraceful. Wells Fargo customers entrusted their bank with their livelihood, their dreams, and their savings for the future, said Becerra. Instead of safeguarding its customers, Wells Fargo exploited them, signing them up for products - from bank accounts to insurance - that they never wanted. This is an incredible breach of trust that threatens not only the customers who depended on Wells Fargo, but confidence in our banking system. Note: A full copy of the Wells Fargo consent order can be found here. An international traveler in Newark Liberty International Airport on Christmas Eve had the measles and may have exposed New Jersey residents to the highly-infectious disease. A public health alert from state health officials about the infected traveler Friday comes as a measles outbreak continues in Ocean and Passaic counties. That unrelated outbreak has sickened at least 30 people in Ocean County and three in Passaic County since October 26, officials said. The New Jersey Department of Health said in the alert that the traveler flew into Terminal B from Brussels, Belgium but may have been in other parts of the airport, potentially exposing the droves of holiday travelers to measles. Anyone who suspects he or she was exposed should contact a health care provider. If you were in the airport on Dec. 24 between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., you may have been exposed to measles and, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as Jan. 14, the alert said. The alert said anyone who has not been vaccinated or has not had measles is at risk of developing the illness if exposed. Anyone who may have been exposed is advised to call before going to a medical office or emergency department, so special arrangements can be made to protect others from possible exposure. Other passengers on the flight from Brussels with the infected person are being notified personally by their local health department, the state health officials said. The illness is spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes, or by contact with body fluids from a sick person. It comes with symptoms including rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, but it can also lead to serious complications like pneumonia and swelling of the brain. It can also seriously affect pregnancies in expecting mothers, health officials said. We urge everyone to check to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations, said state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it protects others around you who are too young to get the vaccine or cant receive it for medical reasons, she said. The outbreak in Lakewood in Ocean County began in October with a person who traveled to Israel and was exposed to the virus, health officials said. The Ocean County Health Department said most of those infected were not age-appropriately up-to-date with the measles vaccine. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips NJ Transit will be getting some safety upgrades thanks to a $6.5 million federal grant. Awarding of the funds was announced Friday NJ Transit and by Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat whose 5th District in North Jersey includes northern Warren County, where NJ Transit has a Hackettstown station. The money comes from a federal program for rail safety and infrastructure. Specifically, the grant is earmarked for whats called a positive train control system, or PTC, on 33 new multilevel cab cars to replace the oldest cars in the fleet, NJ Transit said. The PTC system is intended to reduce crashes and derailments by automatically controlling train speed and movement. Its installation is required by a 2008 act of Congress. The NJ Transit website says that its rail system is safe to ride as work is done. It said it has met all milestones for the year and that installation is on track to be completed by 2020. CLARIFICATION: The original report said that the improvements were for the line through Hackettstown. They apply across the entire NJ Transit system. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. In November three schools in Laois were caught up in the Western Building Systems controversy that stemmed from defects in the structures. Work was carried out at Gaelscoil Phortlaoise, Educate Together NS Portlaoise and Presentation Primary School Portarlington to ensure they would open after the mid-term break. Stradbally resident Elizabeth O'Kelly's bequeathment of a staggering 30 million to five charities was one of the greatest gifts ever meted out in this country. The 6 million donation to the Irish Cancer Society alone was the largest donation ever received by the organisation. Almost two years after her death Ms Kelly's extraordinary act of charity and the life behind it caught the public imagination. Her generosity came about as a result of her ownership of a 22 per cent stake of the Leinster Leader newspaper group, of which the Leinster Expres was a member. In 2005, the group was sold for 138.5 million, and she pocketed up to a quarter share of this, after paying tax. A 128 million capital budget plan listed the projects Laois County Council prioritised for the next three years. The Indicative Capital Programme 2019 - 2021 outlined that 128 million would be splashed on projects, including 50 million on housing. Some 40 million was set to be spent on building houses while 8 million was allocated to taking over existing houses with almost 2 million for energy efficiency and improvement to existing houses. One-fifth of the total spend would be in Portlaoise, with urban regeneration projects totalling 26 million. Meanwhile, Laois County Council agreed the sale of land in Portlaoise that had the potential to create more than 50 jobs. Another nearby project that promised 140 other jobs by next summer was put on ice though. County councillors gave the green light to sell 4.5 hectares of land near the Togher M7 roundabout to Robinson Distribution Limited for 670,000. Councillors were told that the company, which is based in Garryhinch, intends to open a facility that could create up to 55 jobs. Hardworking volunteers and groups from across Laois were rewarded for their trojan work at the Laois Community and Voluntary Awards night in Portlaoise. The heroes of local communities were celebrated by Laois County Council in association with Laois Public Participation Network when over 280 people gathered in The Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise for the 9th edition of the Awards. The Awards were hosted to recognise the tremendous contribution made by community and voluntary groups to life in Laois. Carmel O'Connor, of the Laois Branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association was crowned Unsung Hero. The five star Heritage Hotel & Spa in Killenard was sold for 9 million by its US owners to FBD Hotels & Resorts, an Irish based company that owns four other Irish and Spanish hotels. The new buyer is part of Farmer Business Developments PLC, an investment holding company of 4,400 mostly farmer shareholders. Electric Picnic 2019 proved to be one of the most popular festivals in the country and another massive sell out before any acts are even announced for the Laois based festival next year. In a change from the norm, Electric Picnic organisers put all of the remaining tickets on sale on Monday morning, December 3 at 9am and sold out in just 15 minutes in record time. For the first time ever in the festivals 15 year history, tickets sold out months in advance of the line-up being revealed, which is a testament to the enduring popularity of Irelands biggest music and arts festival. The Express reported that a major development is on track next year in Portlaoise to solve a chronic shortage of parking at the town's train station and provide new homes for people on the council's social housing list. The Leinster Express understands that land beside the train station that was once part of the CBS school playing pitches is to be developed. The five-acre site will include 1.2 acres for a train station car park. A further two acres of the site are planned to build 80 small homes, possibly apartments, of one to two bedrooms that would be suitable for single people or small families. The homes are intended to be built by the Cluid housing agency, for rent to people on Laois County Council's waiting list. It stands at about 1,500 people and families. The remaining section of the town centre land is understood to be earmarked for other developments such as businesses. The application is to come before Laois County councillors in January for approval. A mixture of anger, exasperation and fear filled the hall in Newtown Mill near Durrow when communities from across Laois met to unite to force action on issues threatening the future of CCTV schemes to fight crime in Laois. Committee members who travelled from the four corners of Laois made the journey either at the end of their tether or confused that their cameras are illegal. People power is the only way to overcome obstacles to crime fighting community-led CCTV schemes in Laois, crime journalist Paul Williams told the meeting. The first ever Laois Camino organised walk took place in Timahoe in December. This is set to be a five-year plan with a new walking location revealed each year to explore different parts of the county. A host of fun, outdoor activities were organised in communities all across the county to finish out the year from the annual St Stephen's Day walk in the Slieve Bloom Mountains to Laois Kayak and Canoe Club's family paddle. There will be some more pain next year as construction work continues on the widening of the M7, as well as an interchange at Osberstown and a bypass to remove many of the 22,000 plus vehicles which go through Sallins daily. The work started last January. The pain is coming in the from of delays which are inevitable because of the nature of the work. The project does not involve a land take. This means that the road is being widened to three lanes using land in the centre, rather than at the sides. Traffic has for some time been slowed in either direction to 60kph. And the situation is further complicated because the route taken by vehicles travelling north or south is changing slightly to accommodate the works. And there was an unintended consequence when the residents of Kill, mainly parents of children attending primary school, deliberately slowed down traffic coming through the village. They did this as part of a protest for a pedestrian crossing, which was ultimately successful. The total estimated cost of all three jobs has been put at 110m. The most expensive of the three is the road widening work, estimated at 55m. Currently the route has a capacity of 52,000 vehicles per day but there are 71,000 vehicles using it every day. It has been estimated that this figure will rise by a third by 2030. The Naas bypass as it was then known opened on 4 October 1983. It was the first motorway road in the state. The scheme consisted of 12km of dual carriageway and five major bridges, including key structures at the Rathangan Road, Maudlins Interchange and the Grand Canal. Kildare County Council road-design staff were responsible for the engineering design and construction management of the bypass. Since 1983, an estimated 400 million vehicles have used the bypass. SEE ALSO: Local Kildare roads being used as rat runs for motorway roadworks A CASTLECONNELL boy showed the true meaning of Christmas by jumping into the icy cold Shannon to help terminally ill children. A month ago David Bermingham, aged 11, told his mum, Siobhan, that he wanted to raise money for Share A Dream. Two years ago David did the swim on Christmas Day with Lisnagry FC. He raised 600 so he said he wanted to do it again this year for Share A Dream. He recruited a few from his class and all the boys and girls have been doing great fundraising, said the proud mum. Hes a good little kid, hes great. Its a nice thing to do at Christmas time, said Siobhan. So when Lisnagry NS broke for the holidays, David and his friends headed down to the Worlds End. What was the water like? asked this silly reporter. It was freezing! It was like pins and needles when you jumped in. I came straight out when I realised how cold it was. After I came out, my friends were jumping in again so I jumped in again! laughed David. Up to 10 children braved the Baltic river for the good cause. One was Davids younger brother, Jack, who is eight. Afterwards there was plenty of towels, hot water bottles, hot chocolate and crisps to get them over the shock. Their dad, Shane Bermingham, was stationed on a safety boat kindly supplied by Castleconnell Boat Club. They were all brilliant. It is a charity close to Davids heart. He has met Shay Kinsella [founder and CEO of Share A Dream] a few times. He is delighted to do it for the kids and is delighted to be able to do it, said Shane. It all started from mum Siobhan, an architect, volunteering to work on some projects for Share A Dream including the Dreamland fun centre in Limerick. I was telling David that they make the little kids dreams come through, said Siobhan. That conversation obviously stuck with the kind-hearted boy and he decided to organise the Christmas swim for the charity off his own bat. While all the money hasnt been collected yet, a cheque of over 500 will be presented to Share A Dream in the New Year. Every cent will go to the charity which moves heaven and earth to make a dream come true for a child who is terminally ill. While Dreamland is a dream come true for disabled children all over Ireland. And David is going to continue to support them with another Christmas swim in 2019. Im definitely going to try and do it again next year, said David. LIMERICKs unforgettable All-Ireland final victory will be relived on Sunday when RTE Radio 1 airs an hour-long documentary titled, Limerick Pure Proud. And the programme which looks back on that historic day on August 19 last is the work of a proud Limerick woman, journalist Petula Martyn, from Corbally. Tom McGuire, head of RTE Radio 1 heard pieces I did before and after the final, and it was kind of obvious I was from Limerick and he asked me would I do something. It was a labour of love, not work at all because I am from Limerick, explained Petula ahead of the hour long programme that goes out at 4pm this Sunday, December 30. Four fans are featured on the programme which concentrates on the day of the final; the build-up and excitement ahead of the match, the match itself and the last eight or nine minutes. I was listening back on the commentary and your eyes would be welling up with all the emotion from Marty Morrisseys commentary - it was brilliant, great fun doing it, Petula said. Im working on a radio documentary for @RTERadio1 on Limericks All-Ireland win. Watching the match back this morning to pick commentary clips. Saw this sign in Croke Park - great statistic! They had only minutes to wait that day. pic.twitter.com/2CjdEmbZ6F Petula Martyn (@petulamartyn) December 2, 2018 We named it Limerick Pure Proud, because Valerie Lynch (mum of hurling star Cian) was saying during the interview how she was pure proud of her son Cian Lynch and pure proud of all on the Limerick hurling team, she explained. Also featuring is Conor Lavery, 7, from Granagh who featured in a preview piece Petula did prior to the final. At the time I thought it was a great coup that I got JP McManus to agree to be interviewed, but as it turned out, it was this little boy who won everyones hearts, because he said We bate (beat) them in the league; we will bate in the final on Sunday, well bring back the Liam MacCarthy Cup. He has this little head of red hair. He was great, such a great speaker with such enthusiasm. I tracked him and his mum down and they agreed to allow him to be featured on the documentary, explained Petula Young Conor didn't actually get tickets for the match despite being one of the biggest fans but he talks about watching the match and all the excitement of the great win. The programme also features Aine Fitzgerald, News Editor of the Limerick Leader. Aine Fitzgerald is in it, not so much because of her Limerick Leader connections but because of her GAA background and she tells a great story, said Petula. Also included is Darragh Moloney from Knockaderry who featured in all the local and national newspapers hugging his two sons Cillian and Rian after the final. Petula also had great fun on the day of the match as her father Noel Martyn, who runs a successful carpet shop near Limericks Milk Market is a native of Galway, while her mum Pauline is from Raheenagh. LISTEN: Here is something for Limerick hurling supporters to look forward to after Christmas. Limerick: Pure Proud will be broadcast on @RTERadio1 on Sunday, December 30 at 4pm. https://t.co/3CwxiKlj3E Petula Martyn (@petulamartyn) December 21, 2018 Limerick Pure Proud goes out on Sunday, December 30 at 4pm on RTE Radio 1. A COUNTY Limerick councillor has called for political parties to cease church gate collections in the New Year in light of the abortion referendum result. Cllr Eddie Ryan, of Fianna Fail, said his party and Fine Gael are the ones that most avail of the fundraising practice that has gone on for decades. They both advocated a yes vote in the recent referendum and, of course, are free to take any view they wish. However, I would question their right to stand at a church gate to collect money to promote their policies, one of which is taking the life of the unborn. How can they have the cheek to stand outside the House of God and ask Mass goers to pay to finance this policy? I am calling all local political activists in the county of Limerick to make a stand on this hypocritical practice of standing outside the House of God, said Cllr Ryan, in a statement to the Limerick Leader. The pro-life candidate said the permit used is for a street collection in an area on a given day and time. It is not necessarily confined to the church gate, and long may this form of collecting money for charities such as St Vincent de Paul, Trocaire, Concern and many others continue. However, the practice of collecting money at church gates for political parties in my opinion, and in the opinion of some priests and Mass-goers in the county, should now cease, said the Galbally man who accepts that the people have spoken and abortion is now a reality in our country. He said political parties havent had church gate collection in Limerick city for many years and it isnt done in Dublin either. Why dont the they stand outside the mart in Kilmallock, the Crescent Shopping Centre or at the Gaelic Grounds. Its time to stop this practice and leave our Mass-goers attend their church in peace. The facts are that each political party gets 44,000 of taxpayers money per elected member. They also have membership fees and super draws to fund themselves. They are cash rich for the next general election, said Cllr Ryan, who told the Leader in November that he believes his support for the Pro-Life campaign is a barrier to being selected to run for Fianna Fail in the next general election in Limerick County. At the beginning of the month, Bishop Brendan Leahy touched on the referendum result when he announced the Team Ministry approach for Limerick Diocese to deal with the drop in number of the priests and need for greater lay engagement. The result of the Eighth Amendment referendum was a difficult moment for many who come regularly to church. I thank you for your continued commitment to the faith and to the church despite the often negative comments we hear about the church, said Bishop Leahy. See page 5 for Bishop Brendan Leahy's new year's address on abortion Dan Murchek, 58, of Schererville, was sentenced in September to two years of probation by federal Judge James Moody. Murchek was indicted in April for allegedly making false statements to the FBI, according to court documents, and reportedly lied to investigators during an interview about towing operations under convicted former Buncich when the former deputy chief was asked about campaign contributions he received from a tow operator. A MAN was disqualified for two years after he was convicted of dangerous driving following a high-speed pursuit. Oran Breen, aged 29, of Green Road, Murroe had denied the charge which related to an incident on the outskirts of the city at around 12.30am on February 19, 2017. During a contested hearing, Garda Niall Deegan of the divisional Roads Policing Unit said while parked near Annacotty village, he observed a BMW 5 Series car which he believed was being driven above the 60km/h speed limit. Garda Deegan said the the vehicle, which was travelling inbound, accelerated and drove away at high speed to avoid being stopped. Limerick District Court was told the car was then pursued by Garda Deegan initially through Annacotty village and later in the direction of Lisnagry and Newport. Garda Deegan said the BMW was travelling at speed and that at one point the driver had turned off the headlights in an effort to evade him. Due to the speed and nature of the road, the vehicle ran the risk of leaving the road, he said adding that Mr Breen had performed a number of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres - forcing one car to pull into the ditch. Both overtaking manoeuvres were done blindly, it was impossible to see oncoming traffic, he said adding he also observed the car crossing the white line in the centre of the road. After Garda Deegan stopped the BMW, the defendant was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and brought to Henry Street garda station for processing. While at the garda station, Mr Breen who suffers from diabetes, informed gardai he felt unwell and was unable to supply a sample of his breath when asked to do so under the Road Traffic Act. The regular on-call doctor was not available on the night so a doctor from Shannondoc was contacted instead resulting in a delay in a doctor arriving at the garda station. A blood sample which was supplied at 3.38am confirmed the presence of alcohol (48milligrammes per 100ml) once analysed. Seeking to have the dangerous driving charge dismissed, barrister Liam OConnell submitted there was no evidence of dangerous driving at the location identified on the charge sheet. Mr OConnell said there was no evidence before the court as to the condition of the road or the weather conditions on the night. It would be unsafe to convict, he said. However, having considered the submissions, Judge Marian OLeary said she was satisfied the State had proven its case. She fined Mr Breen 500 and disqualified him for two years. An appeal against the conviction has been lodged. A LIMERICK building firm has donated a van to a charity helping people in need in Kenya. McMahons Builders, based at the Corcanree Business Park at the Dock Road, is helping Le Cheila Africa motor forward with the donation of the vehicle. A non-profit organisation that aims to build healthier lives by enhancing the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities, La Cheila Africa commits time, resources, knowledge and hope to bring quality healthcare, education and development to impoverished families in Kenya. One of the original founders, Derry Desmond, has worked for McMahons Builders Providers for over 10 years. He recently decided to relocate to Kenya in order to give direct organisation and assistance to Le Cheila Africa We are tremendously proud of the work already completed by Derry in setting up a medical clinic and have no doubts that the organisation will go from strength to strength. We hope this vehicle will provide opportunities to help the organisation and the communities it serves and we wish Derry every success, said a spokesperson for the firms directors. For more information on the Le Cheila Africa charity visit their website www.lecheileafrica.org. A BURST water main on the outskirts of Limerick city and Clare has disrupted up to 600 households, leaving many families without water during this festive period. On Thursday, Irish Water received a report of a burst water main in Parteen, which caused disruptions to residents in the area and in surrounding communities. Irish Water stated that it was making every effort to ensure that the alternative drinking water supply provided, and installed a standpipe at Westbury Shopping Centre on Friday evening. The utility installed a tanker/browser in the community. However as it is not practical to provide sterilised containers for the public to transport drinking water from the standpipe to their homes, we cannot guarantee that any containers used by the public do not negatively impact or contaminate the drinking water. Residents have been advised to boil all water obtained from public supplies. While local councillor Cathal Crowe commended the work of the crew, he has hit out at Irish Water as disruptions are common in the area, he said. The network is quite vast out here. It comes on a feeder pipe from the Castletroy resevoir...it initially affected 100 local residents but as it [the network] spreads then, I suppose, upwards of 600 householdsor thereabouts were affected. Irish Water crews continue to work at the scene this Saturday. Strange space launches (Image credit: Rocket Lab) This past year, engineers launched many oddities into space, including a Tesla Roadster, a gold-plated canopic jar and a cosmic disco ball. The total list of launched objects is lengthy, so here are the top 10 coolest objects (in our opinion) that blasted spaceward in 2018. Tesla Roadster (Image credit: SpaceX) In February, SpaceX launched its first Falcon Heavy rocket, lofting the craft from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This powerful rocket carried the ultimate payload: a cherry-red Tesla Roadster that had a mannequin dubbed Starman behind the wheel. Starman and the Tesla are now in an elliptical orbit around the sun, and they recently passed beyond the outer bounds of Mars. [Read more about the Tesla Roadster's journey] Canopic jar (Image credit: LACMA/U.S. Air Force via collectSPACE.com) In December, SpaceX launched a 24-karat-gold canopic jar in the shape of Robert Henry Lawrence Jr., NASA's first African-American astronaut. For those who aren't ancient-Egypt buffs, a canopic jar is a container that holds a mummified person's organs. In 1967, the U.S. Air Force chose Lawrence for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program, which was designed to help the U.S. spy on the Soviet Union and other rivals. But Lawrence died in a jet crash less than six months later, meaning the 32-year-old never made it to space. To honor Lawrence, SpaceX shot his gold bust, along with more than 60 tiny satellites, into space atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket. [Read more about Lawrence's canopic jar] 36,000 worms (Image credit: Shutterstock) SpaceX also shot about 36,000 tiny worms into space. The wriggly load left Earth on Dec. 5 and landed at the International Space Station, where astronauts are now studying the C. elegans worms. These worms have similar muscle structures to those of people, so analyzing the critters can help scientists understand why and how astronauts lose muscle mass in space. [Read more about the space worms] "The Expanse (Image credit: Leo Fonsaka and Robert Scott/Airads.com) When the Syfy show "The Expanse" was canceled, its fans rallied to save it. To raise awareness, they launched a model of the Rocinante (nicknamed Roci), a spaceship from the series. The Roci model was attached to a balloon that lifted the ship up to nearly 110,700 feet (33,732 meters) above sea level. That's below the Karman line, which, at 62 miles (100 kilometers), is used to define the start of outer space in space treaties. But the Roci model still reached great heights. You can see the video on this Reddit thread. [Read more about the effort to save "The Expanse"] Space tourists (soon) (Image credit: Virgin Galactic/www.MarsScientific.com & Trumbull Studios) Virgin Galactic's spaceliner reached space, at least as defined by U.S. standards. Once the program is up and running, this spaceship the VSS Unity suborbital spaceliner will carry space tourists toward the heavens. There, they'll experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth's curvature, all for $250,000 a ticket. On Dec. 13, the VSS Unity reached 51.4 miles (82.8 km) over the Mojave Desert in California. While this is below the Karman line, it's above the 50-mile (80 km) boundary that the U.S. Air Force uses to award astronaut wings. [Read more about the VSS Unity] Cosmic disco ball (Image credit: Rocket Lab) Got an urge to dance some disco? This past year, you had the opportunity to do it under the cosmic disco ball, which was launched into orbit on Jan. 21 by the U.S. company Rocket Lab. The 3-foot-long (1 m) reflective ball's official name is the Humanity Star, and it was created to reflect the sun's rays and serve as "a bright symbol and reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe," said Peter Beck, the founder and chief executive of Rocket Lab. However, just like the 1970s, the cosmic disco ball is now dead. It fell back into Earth's atmosphere in March. [Read more about the humanity star] Trash collector (Image credit: Surrey Nanosats) The days of space junk are limited, at least if the space net takes off. In September, the European RemoveDebris mission used a net to snare a piece of space junk. Actually, the "junk" was a small cubesat, but it was a good target for the demonstration. In early 2019, RemoveDebris will use a pen-size harpoon to pierce and seize space junk. [Read more about the space trash collector] Mars lander (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) On May 5, NASA launched the Mars InSight, a rover that uses a seismometer (SEIS) to measure "marsquakes" and gather more information about the Red Planet's geology. After zooming through space for months, InSight landed on Nov. 26. [Read more about InSight's landing] Orbital reflector (Image credit: Nevada Museum of Art) The same December mission that launched the canopic jar also carried up a piece of shining artwork. The masterpiece, called "Orbital Reflector," is by Trevor Paglen, who created the artwork in collaboration with the Nevada Museum of Art. The Orbital Reflector is made out of a Mylar-like material that can reflect light. Stargazers will be able to see the 100-foot-long (30 m) balloon for the next few months before it falls and burns up in Earth's atmosphere. (The orbital reflector doesn't have a tracking number yet, but check here for updates.) [Read more about the Orbital Reflector] Chinese space station (Image credit: CMSA) As an honorary mention, here's an oddity that fell out of space this past year. In March, China's first space station, Tiangong-1 (which means "heavenly place"), fell back to Earth in a fiery streak. China knew that Tiangong-1 was heading Earthward, but scientists weren't exactly sure where it would land during its uncontrolled entry. The world breathed a collective sigh of relief when Tiangong-1 crashed into the south Pacific Ocean near American Samoa. [Read more about Tiangong-1's descent] That brings the ranks of remaining board members, who now serve in an advisory capacity, down to four. The remaining board members can name replacements, however. By state law, the board can only hold four meetings a year and can receive no monetary compensation. A day laborer with gang affiliations and past arrests for drunken driving, who was in the country illegally, was captured outside Bakersfield in the high-profile killing of a Stanislaus County police officer, officials announced Friday. But while the arrest of Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, ended a statewide manhunt in Wednesdays killing of Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh, revelations about the suspects immigration status and criminal history reignited criticism of Californias sanctuary state policy. At a news conference Friday, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson echoed President Trumps calls for stricter border security as he railed against the states sanctuary law. The policy, pushed by Democrats and signed in 2017 as SB54, prohibits local law enforcement from notifying or sharing detained immigrants information with federal immigration agents, when they are not accused of serious criminal charges. Christianson, a Republican, has been a vocal critic of the policy and met with President Trump at the White House in May to speak out about the bill. The sheriff appears in a YouTube video posted by the White House seated beside Trump during the meeting. On Friday, the sheriff said, The last thing in the world I want to do is politicize the death of officer Singh. He then used the case to criticize Californias law and suggested it led to the deadly encounter. We were prohibited law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws and that led to the encounter with officer Singh, Christianson said at Fridays news conference. The outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasnt restricted, prohibited, or had their hands tied because of political interference. Christianson never said when Arriaga was arrested, but records show and officials confirmed that he was picked up for a DUI in Madera County on June 5, 2014 years before the states sanctuary law prohibited local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. It was unclear Friday whether officials in Madera County knew of Arriagas immigration status or alerted immigration authorities. It was in Madera County that Chowchilla police arrested Arriaga on a speeding violation on June 5, 2014, and found he was driving with a blood alcohol level of more than .08 percent and without a license, Chowchilla Police Chief David Riviere said Friday. At the time, Arriaga also had a warrant out for his arrest for driving unlicensed and having no insurance, Riviere told The Chronicle. As far as immigration status, I can tell you we do not ask those questions. We have no reason to, Riviere said. He was stopped for a traffic violation and found to be DUI. More for you Deputies search for suspect accused of killing Newman officer It also remained unclear Friday whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had ever encountered, arrested or deported Arriaga. Because of the government shutdown, ICE officials were unavailable Friday for comment on the case. Christianson said he did not know if Arriaga had ever been deported. Were not here to enforce federal immigration law thats not our job, Christianson said at the news conference. But law enforcement should be able to turn people over to ICE who are gang members who victimize and exploit others. The sheriffs comments came a day after Trump seized on the killing in his fight over border security and demanded Congress fund a U.S.-Mexico wall. The fight has been at the center of the government shutdown that began on Dec. 22. There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop, Trump wrote on Twitter. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall! Supporters of Californias policy pushed back on Christiansons pointed statements Friday, underscoring that the law was written to encourage cooperation between law enforcement and immigrants, who may be reluctant to come forward if they are crime victims. This situation is more about what this persons state of mind was and how he got into this situation, and it has less to do with the fact that hes not a citizen, said Bill Hing, a San Francisco immigration attorney and University of San Francisco law professor. Arriaga a day laborer who worked at miscellaneous farms and dairies around the Central Valley surrendered early Friday outside a house surrounded by SWAT officers on the 8200 block of Brooks Lane just south of Bakersfield in the town of Lamont (Kern County), officials said. Authorities said he was fleeing to his native Mexico when he was captured. Arriaga allegedly shot Singh a 33-year-old husband and father of a 5-month-old boy during a DUI stop around 1 a.m. Wednesday in Newman. Singh, too, immigrated to the United States, but he came legally from Fiji to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a police officer. Singhs younger brother Reggie and other family members stood alongside the Stanislaus County sheriffs officials at Fridays news conference. Ronil Singh was my older brother. Yes, hes not coming back, but theres a lot of people out there that miss him and a lot of law enforcement people that I dont know, who worked days and nights to make this happen, Reggie Singh said through tears. Id like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said six people were in the home when Arriaga was arrested including some children. Deputies arrested three Bakersfield residents there on suspicion of aiding and abetting Arriaga. They are Bernabe Madrigal Casteneda, 59, Erasmo Villegas, 36, and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57. The Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department additionally arrested Arriagas brother, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen, and a co-worker, Erik Razo Quiroz, 27, on suspicion of aiding Arriagas attempted escape from the country. They intentionally lied to us, Christianson said of of the latter two suspects. They tried to divert us off the investigation. They misled us. They provided information that was false all in an attempt to protect their brother. Arriaga was a known associate of the Sureno street gang, Christianson said, and was pictured on one of his various Facebook pages posing with a gun and machete. Deputies brought Singhs handcuffs down to Kern County to place on Arriaga before he was transported to jail in Stanislaus County. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Lauren Hernandez contributed to this report. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky Several Capital Region-area sites are among the recipients of state grants meant to support and maintain farms. The statewide total of $35 million marks a historic level of funding awarded in a single round of the state's Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last week. Here are the local beneficiaries: Agricultural Stewardship Association $658,655 to protect property owned by the Cottrell family in Rensselaer County. The 383-acre property is leased to a nearby dairy operation and lies in the Hoosick River Watershed Priority Area. Once the property is protected, it will provide the opportunity for the owners of the nearby dairy farm to purchase it at agricultural value. The farm has extensive frontage along and serves as a buffer to the Walloomsac River. $615,990 to protect a 422-acre property owned by Dustin and Kassie Gibson in support of their first-generation grass-fed livestock operation in Rensselaer County. The association will contribute $5,000. $508,294 to protect a 286-acre property owned by the Sheldon and Cary families that helps support their 1,250-cow dairy operation in Washington County. The farm has extensive frontage along and serves as a buffer to the Battenkill River. $650,017 to protect a 547-acre portion of an organic pork and grass-fed beef operation owned by Mark Faille. It will help facilitate relocating the family's farm operation from New Jersey to Washington County. $603,349 to protect a 333-acre property owned by the Betts family that is leased to a nearby dairy operation in Rensselaer County. $194,368 to protect a 100-acre property owned by Ed Meagher in Washington County. $700,265 to protect a 389-acre dairy operation owned and operated by the Hoag family in Rensselaer County. $536,991 to protect a 351-acre orchard in Washington County owned and operated by Daniel Wilson, which is the state's oldest pick-your-own orchard. Saratoga PLAN $219,914 to protect 65 acres owned by the Lendl and Stina families and leased to the largest dairy operation in Saratoga County. $565,291 in Saratoga County to protect 127 acres owned by the Pott and Van Vorst families. The landowners will contribute $30,000 toward this project. $311,044 to protect 74 acres in Saratoga County owned by Michele Peters, who operates a horse- boarding operation for retired show and race horses, for mares when it is time to wean their foals, and other horses when they need time to heal from injury or to take a break from training. Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy $389,710 to protect a 20-acre property, which is owned by Al Lansing and operated as Community Supported Agriculture in Albany County. Equity Trust and Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy will contribute a total of $130,500. Town of Clifton Park $408,750 to protect a 73-acre beef cattle operation owned by Kurt and Juliette Swartz. The town will also contribute money to this project. "Since 2000, the Town of Clifton Park has expanded our parks and recreational network and worked with our farming community to assist them in their efforts to remain successful businesses despite the many headwinds they face," said Town Supervisor Phil Barrett said. "The New York State grant award announced today in partnership with the Town of Clifton Park and the Swartz Family, will ensure the picturesque Maple Hill Farm remains an important part of our community and economy." Columbia Land Conservancy $478,551 to protect properties, totaling 117 acres, owned by the Saulpaugh, Myers and Kukon families. $507,221 to protect a 205-acre organic beef operation owned by the Grimaldi family in Columbia County. Staff report AMSTERDAM A Round Lake man was arrested Thursday after an investigation into the sales of heroin around the Blood Street area, Amsterdam police said. Christopher D. Brothers, 35, of Covel Avenue is charged with felony criminal sale of a controlled substance and he was held pending arraignment City Court. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Stoltz and his wife, Jenilee, knew that moving to Guam for his military career would be an adjustment. But after two typhoons struck the Pacific island this fall, the family now faces another worry: a federal government shutdown with no end in sight. The shuttering of parts of the government has not affected the other military services because the Defense Department has a budget approved into next year. But the Coast Guard receives funding from the Department of Homeland Security, subjecting it to the shutdown along with the department's other agencies. The situation came into sharp focus as Congress adjourned this week without resolution in the dispute over President Donald Trump's proposed $5 billion border wall. The shutdown could affect about 42,000 active-duty Coast Guardsmen and 1,300 civilians assigned to the service, said Lt. Cmdr. Scott McBride, a service spokesman. An additional 7,400 Coast Guard civilians are now on indefinite furlough. The Coast Guard announced Friday that it will pay service members through Dec. 31, McBride said, reversing an even more serious situation. But any paycheck after that will require a new spending agreement. The last pay period for civilian employees ended Dec. 22. Overall, about 420,000 government employees are working under the promise they will be paid retroactively, with another 350,000 on furlough at home. The situation has grown increasingly frustrating for many Coast Guard family members, several of whom said they are angry they are being treated differently than the rest of the military. With many assignments in expensive coastal areas, service members rely not only on paychecks but also now-frozen government housing allowances that supplement income. "The fact that I now have to worry that our bills are paid on time because Congress and everyone else waited until the last minute to do this is frustrating," said Jenilee Stoltz, who already cut back on Christmas presents this year because of expenses caused by the typhoons. "We're out of luck. We're out of options." Coast Guardsmen shied away from interviews, in line with the military's tradition of keeping rank-and-file members away from political issues. But several military spouses, who do not face the same restrictions, said that if Trump and lawmakers cannot come to an agreement on the wall, they want a deal reached now to save service members from financial ruin. The Pay Our Coast Guard Act was introduced by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to do so in 2015 but did not get traction. Natalie Daniels, the wife of a petty officer, said that when her family was reassigned to San Diego from Maine, they were struck by how much higher the cost of living was. The family, which includes four children, rents a small three-bedroom home for $2,600 per month. "The fact that we are sitting here at this point is absurd," said Daniels, who is finishing a bachelor's degree. "There are Coast Guard pages on Facebook where women are saying, 'I know there's not a lot out there, but if someone needs diapers, let's help them. Let's set up a spreadsheet and help each other out.' That's the sad part. The government isn't trying to help us." The service will remain deployed during the shutdown and carry out operations that include law enforcement, search and rescue, port security and environmental response, McBride said. Other "nonessential" operations will be delayed or curtailed, including recreational boating safety checks, fisheries enforcement patrols and routine maintenance on maritime navigation aids. The Coast Guard's situation has stirred up old feelings that the service's contributions are not as appreciated in Washington as the rest of the military's. In some corners, it also has undermined good will that Trump established with the service by spotlighting hurricane relief, praising its "brand" and promising to fund icebreaker ships that have been requested to boost polar security. Funding for the ships is now in flux, with the Senate version of an appropriations bill including $750 million to begin construction on the first new ship. The House version does not include the money, a symptom of trying to find money for Trump's wall. Brooke Kuczka, whose husband is a petty officer assigned in Mobile, Alabama, said she was upset to see Trump tweet Thursday without evidence that most of the people not getting paid through the shutdown are Democrats. "A lot of people in the military are traditionally Republican, so I can't believe he said that," she said. "It's bananas that the people working down on the border right now are the ones not getting paid right now." Ashley Totten, who lives with her petty officer husband near Houston, said she does not care whether someone is a Republican or Democrat, as long as they advocate for her family. She stays at home taking care of a son who has multiple heart defects. "We are already stressed out worrying about if he will need open-heart surgery or not," she said. "That deserves my attention, not trying to figure out how long we are okay without money coming in." Several Coast Guard family members said the situation has been compounded by USAA, a financial services firm that provides banking and insurance to about 11 million people with connections to the military. During previous government shutdowns, the company offered zero-interest payroll advance loans to service members, who were required to pay the money back when the government reopened. This time, USAA decided to instead offer loans with a minimum amount of $2,500 and an annual percentage rate of 0.01. "We have been with USAA for 14 years now, and we actually have started the process of moving away from them," said Kristin Kuzik, whose husband is stationed on the Saginaw River in Michigan. "We were very disappointed that they did not have our backs and would not allow us to defer loans." A USAA spokesman, Matthew Hartwig, said the company understands "the angst many Coast Guard families are feeling during this shutdown." USAA decided to "redesign" its offerings to offer affected service members 12 months to pay back the money with a loan, rather than requiring them to do so immediately. "The product we are offering now is meant to be more flexible," Hartwig said. "It would be available to other active-duty service members in the other branches of the military if they were facing a pay disruption. There is a new reality of potentially recurring or prolonged government shutdowns." Kuzik said she is grateful that members of her church pooled $340 for food and gasoline gift cards when they heard how the shutdown would affect their family. Not everyone is that lucky, she said. "To me, this is a crisis right now for people," she said. "They're strapped, and we don't know when the pay is going to come." Our museum is housed in what was the former home of the Porter County Sheriff. The home was built in 1860 and is attached to what was the original Porter County Jail. While her husband was sheriff in the early 1900s, we know from records that Della Green prepared food as a matron of the Porter County Jail. So its possible that this cookie recipe might have been made in the kitchen of what is now our museum. We have included additional instructions and measurements to aid todays baker. A San Antonio sex offender was arrested Friday after confessing he sexually assaulted a teenage girl on two occasions, officials said. Stanley Wilson Washington, 61, faces a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault of a child. Additional charges are likely, a spokesman with the Bexar County Sheriffs Office said. The arrest Friday came 25 years after Washington was accused of engaging in sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl in Travis County, court records show. In 1994, he was convicted of indecency with a child and sentenced to 10 years in prison though it appears he did not serve the entire sentence. He is required by law to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Washington, who lives on the Northeast Side, turned himself in to detectives around 2 p.m. Friday after a family member told him an investigation was underway. Deputy Johnny Garcia, a department spokesman, said Washington was cooperative and provided pretty explicit details about the assaults, one of which had occurred hours earlier. The first assault occurred on Dec. 20, authorities said. Washington kept his head down and remained quiet as he was escorted to jail Friday evening. RELATED: Mugshots: 18 fugitives allegedly still on the run from SAPD After Washington was released from prison, likely sometime in the late 1990s, he continued to have run-ins with the law. Since 2000, he has been convicted of failing to register as a sex offender and failing to identify himself to a police officer with a Texas warrant, records show. He was twice convicted on minor theft charges. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton According to a CNN analyst, within three months of the Democrats taking over the House of Representatives the president will be impeached. So if you had high hopes of the Democrats are working to help the working men and woman of this country, then your going to have to put your hopes and dreams on hold, while they use everything they have to try and impeach the president. Hope we don't get attacked by the Russians while theyre busy doing the peoples work for them, instead of just waiting for the 2020 elections. You don't think theyre worried that president Trump will get elected again, do you? Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Archaeologists in north China's Hebei Province have discovered a new Great Wall relic built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to guard against northern invaders. The relic in the city of Wu'an features structures and designs similar to the 19 Great Wall sites found in the same area in 2007, suggesting that they belong to the same defense system, according to the city's cultural relics conservation bureau. The limestone fortification winds for about 300 meters between two hilltops in the mountainous area, with altitudes between 1,592 and 1,625 meters, Jia Mingtian, an archaeologist with the bureau, told Xinhua. Due to years of neglect, the central structure of the walls has seen serious damage, while the walls are relatively well preserved. Remains of draining holes and defense platforms have also been discovered at the site. The Great Wall, a symbol of China, are many interconnected walls built between the third century B.C. and the Ming Dynasty. It was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Apart from those turned into tourist sites, many such relics are little-known, tucked away in remote mountains where they face the threat of natural erosion. A 32-year-old woman was arrested Friday in connection with the murder of Garfield Thomas, who died after being shot in Mattapan in May, police said. Jocelyn Vasquez, of Dorchester, was arrested at 147 Seaver Street in Stoughton Friday on a warrant for murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, Boston police said. On May 15, police responded to 50 Evelyn Street in Mattapan following a call reporting gunshots. They found Thomas, 33, with gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died, police said. Vasquez is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on the charges. A 90-year-old woman drove her car into the front of a Stoneham ice cream parlor Saturday morning, police said. At 8:52 a.m. Saturday police received a call reporting a car had driven into the building of The Daily Scoop at 232 Main St. in Stoneham, fire and police officials wrote in a statement. When police and firefighters arrived they found a 90-year-old Stoneham woman, who has not been identified, sitting inside inside the store after she crashed her 2009 Toyota Camry into the front bay window, police said in the statement. The woman told police she was in the shopping plaza for a hair appointment. As she searched for a parking spot she said the sun got into her eyes and she sped into the building, police said. The store was not open, but one employee was inside the building at the time of the crash. Both the driver and the employee were evaluated by EMS at the scene and declined further medical treatment, authorities said. The Daily Scoop following a crash on Dec. 29. "We're grateful that the store wasn't open for business because the extent of the damage occurred where patrons would normally be sitting," Stoneham Fire Chief Matthew Grafton said. The store sustained serious damage and will be closed, police and fire officials said. All of the remaining businesses in the area were not affected and will remain open. The crash is under investigation. A tiny Hampshire County hilltown has decided to go with a Comcast cable deal rather than build their own fiber optic network. Middlefield Town Meeting voters on Dec. 20 approved 69 to 49 a proposal from Comcast to build a cable network to serve at least 96 percent of the households. The town, with population less than 600, will pay around $231,680; the state will pay $776,000 through the Massachusetts Broadband Institute; and Comcast will kick in $268,000, according to the Country Journal newspaper. The numbers are estimates. Conversely, a town-owned fiber network built by Westfield Gas & Electric's Whip City Fiber division would require the town to appropriate $1.3 million, and $545,000 of that would be covered by the state, leaving the town with an approximate $979,677 to fund. That proposal failed 39-89. Going with fiber would have raised property taxes significantly, the weekly hilltown paper reports. Of the 44 original towns in Western Massachusetts that had no broadband service, some have chosen to pursue town-owned fiber; some have accepted turnkey deals from cable companies; and some are pursuing other solutions, such as hybrid wireless. Charlemont, in Franklin County, last month rejected a Comcast deal and decided to build municipal fiber. The state subsidy for the Comcast builds comes from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, and the municipal funding for the fiber builds comes from infrastructure grants available directly from the Baker administration. The monies were included in bond bills passed by the state legislature. The towns are also devoting time and money to bridging the digital divide. The endeavor to build rural broadband began under former Gov. Deval Patrick and has continued, with reformed grants and programs, under Gov. Charlie Baker. The last exhibition of the National Museum of China in 2018 kicked off Friday, featuring the Han tombs of Mancheng, discovered in north China's Hebei Province. In 1968, the undisturbed tombs of the Zhongshan King of the Han Dynasty (202 BC - AD 220) Liu Sheng and his wife Dou Wan, were accidentally found during a defense construction project, marking one of the most prominent archeological discoveries of China during the 20th century. Liu was an elder brother of Emperor Wu, whose reign represented one of the most prosperous periods in China's history. Liu Bei, founder of the Shu state during the Three Kingdom Period (220-280), was branded as the late king's descendant. The exhibition was arranged based on Liu's life as well as the flourishing age of China at the time. Half a century ago, excavation of the tombs lasted for 150 days, while a total of 10,633 cultural relics were found. The exhibition showcases 722 pieces of cultural relics from Hebei's provincial museum and two pieces collected at the national museum, incorporating almost all of the most exquisite items discovered in the tombs, including Liu's jade burial suit. Titled "Splendors of Great Han: Exhibition Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Excavation of the Han Dynasty Tombs in Mancheng," the exhibition lasts until March 28, 2019. While other MediaPost newsletters and articles remain free to all ... our new Research Intelligencer service is reserved for paid subscribers ... Subscribe today to gain access to every Research Intelligencer article we publish as well as the exclusive daily newsletter, full access to The MediaPost Cases, first-look research and daily insights from Joe Mandese, Editor in Chief. New research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, found that higher levels of physical activity boost mood and energy levels. The benefits were particularly noticeable in people with bipolar disorder. Share on Pinterest Being physically active might help people with bipolar disorder fight off depressive symptoms. In the United States, almost 3 percent of adults experienced bipolar disorder in the past year. Around 4.4 percent of adults have bipolar at some point in their lives. Depression is even more prevalent, both in the U.S. and across the globe. In fact, about 8 percent of people over the age of 20 in the U.S. have depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With 300 million people living with depression, the World Health Organization (WHO) describe it as the leading cause of disability worldwide. New research may help alleviate depressive symptoms, particularly in people with bipolar disorder. A team led by Vadim Zipunnikov, Ph.D. an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD found that increased physical activity improves mood and energy levels for those living with the condition. 2018 has been the year of grand weddings and it looks like we are not done yet. After Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas tied the knot in a beautiful and lavish ceremony in Rajasthan, another star-studded wedding journey has begun. SS Rajamouli's son SS Karthikeya is all set to tie the knot in Jaipur, and to make the occasion extra special, the entire cast of 'Baahubali' has descended. The director welcomed the actors and other stars from the Tollywood industry with great pomp and glory. Rana, Anushka and Prabhas were seen joining the fun with some crazy dance moves of their own. Did you ever imagine Bhallaldeva could play the dhol so well? Prabhas is known to be a shy person in real-life, which is why watching him let his hair down is so much fun! Nagarjuna, Akhil Akkineni are among the other actors who are present at the wedding. Northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region will publish visual dictionaries to save three endangered ethnic languages, according to the region's nationalities affairs committee. The dictionary collecting the historical, cultural, religious and economic texts and files of the ethnic minority of Daur has been published and the other two dictionaries of Oroqen and Ewenki are in preparation for publication. The dictionaries use colorful pictures, cartoons and illustrations to explain the words and phrases of the languages along with Mandarin descriptions and dialect pronunciation for each entry. Language training classes are also being organized in communities of the three ethnic groups to encourage the younger generation, especially students in primary and middle school, to learn their ethnic languages and culture. The three small ethnic minorities of Oroqen, Daur and Ewenki do not have their own written languages, and many of their records were in Manchu and Mongolian. A TV channel dedicated to women was launched recently in Istanbul amid a gloomy picture for the second sex in Turkey, with a pledge to be "the rising voice of women from every segment of society and in every field of life." As the country's first, Woman TV seeks to become a new platform for women to freely discuss a wide range of issues with experts and get informed, said Ahu Ozyurt, editor-in-chief of the broadcaster. For Ozyurt, the timing of the channel's launch is right at the moment when women's voices need to be heard in a more specific way not only in Turkey but also across the globe. A woman in Turkey is usually associated with a never-dropping rate of violence, including sexual assault, homicide, as well as inequality in society. According to womenhomicide.com, a total of 363 women have been murdered by their male partners, husbands or family members across Turkey this year, while 86 percent of the females have encountered physical or psychological violence once in their life. "We see Turkish media outlets give less and less airtime to successful women, female opinion leaders, women's health issue and children issues," Ozyurt told Xinhua. "We see women are becoming less and less visible on mainstream televisions," she continued. "There was a huge need for an expert channel on women issues." In her view, Turkish women love watching TV, but there are not many channels catering to them. Ozyurt believes that women should have more options, like being able to keep a favorite channel open all the time in their homes. Woman TV is on the air for eight hours daily for the moment, starting with programs on the health of women and children. "We attribute significant importance to health issues, as we think it is where the notion of families starts," explained Ozyurt. In the afternoon, the channel turns to political and social issues, including the growing violence against women and other annoyances in their everyday life. "Later in the day, we deal with more stylish issues like makeup, hair and fashion with a little bit of fun and shows," said Ozyurt. As the producer of the channel's "Woman's Agenda" program, Ebru Gungor discusses with experts various social topics related to women, including divorce, violence and underrepresentation in politics. "Of course the major issue of our program is violence against women, which is the core problem of our society," she said. "There are too many victims who do not know what to do or where to go in case of such an experience." Women can join the program to share their bitter experiences and ask for assistance or protection from the authorities. According to the editor-in-chief, the target audience is women from the growing middle class. "We also have the tendency to appeal to the conservative and upper-middle-class women," said Ozyurt. "But at least, we want to make all watch and see something familiar to themselves, like food, nutrition or a health issue," she noted. "If we keep them watching 15 minutes, it is a good start for us." Ozyurt is hoping for her channel to grow beyond the border to go on the air in other countries one day, including in neighboring Syria. In the view of Mine Kara, a university student, it is very important for Turkey to have such a TV channel dedicated to women only. "I hope it could reach the most suppressed women in our society and be their voice as well," she said. Ex-Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings Enters Guilty Plea In Felony Criminal Case Ex-Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings Enters Guilty Plea In Felony Criminal Case LANSING Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced that ex-Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings has pleaded guilty to felony Misconduct in Office, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and to a charge of soliciting a prostitute. Schuette originally charged the sitting prosecutor on March 14, 2016, driving Dunnings from office, following investigations by the FBI, Ingham County Sheriff and Michigan Attorney Generals office into an unrelated Mid-Michigan human trafficking case and leads resulting from that case. Driven from office: After Felony Guilty Plea, Schuette Seeks Prison Sentence Dunnings, who resigned from office after Schuette filed charges, was originally to have his preliminary exam conference today. Instead, Dunnings entered the guilty plea to the new felony charge of Misconduct in Office, which carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, following negotiations with the Department of Attorney General. Dunnings also entered a guilty plea to one count of Engaging the Services of a Prostitute, a 93-day misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $500 and mandates collection of the defendants DNA upon conviction for entering into the CODIS database. Schuettes office announced it intends to seek a prison sentence for Dunnings on the charge of Misconduct in Office, a decision that will be made by the court at a later date. Felony Misconduct in Office carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Law License to be Suspended; Schuette supports permanent suspension Additionally, while Dunnings law license will be automatically suspended due to the felony plea, Schuette said he is sending a letter to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission notifying them of the felony plea. Schuette supports a permanent suspension of Dunnings ability to practice law in the State of Michigan. The plea was entered this afternoon before Judge Michael J. Klaeren of the 12th District Court in Jackson. Judge Klaeren is currently acting as a judge of the 54-A District Court. Goals: Achieve justice and protect victims While some of the March 14th charges were dropped as part of this agreement, Schuette said he has a strong concern about re-victimizing women involved in a potential trial and sought to protect them and their families from further publicity, while ensuring that justice is done in this case. This is why the original charges were amended today to include the felony Misconduct in Office charge that carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, and one charge of prostitution. Schuettes office intends to seek a term of incarceration at sentencing. The system in Michigan is not rigged. We have one system of justice and the rules apply to all, said Schuette. Today we are one step closer to accountability for the defendant, justice for victims, and a chance to restore the public trust tarnished by a public servant who only served himself. Case Background The charges against Stuart Dunnings grew out of a federal investigation into a Michigan-based human trafficking ring which took place in 2015. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan filed federal charges in that case against human trafficking ring leader Tyrone Smith in July 2015. On May 16, 2016, Tyrone Smith was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sex trafficking young girls and women, including one minor. Following the federal investigation into Smith, members of the Michigan Attorney Generals office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ingham County Sheriffs Office jointly conducted an additional investigation based on information provided by witnesses in the federal investigation of Smith, which led to Dunnings. That resulted in evidence that Stuart Dunnings, the then-Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney, engaged in commercial sex numerous times with multiple women in three counties (Ingham, Clinton and Ionia) from 2010 2015. Furthermore, evidence showed that Dunnings also allegedly induced a woman to become a prostitute who had not previously been one, resulting in the original charge of Pandering, a 20-year felony. In order to achieve justice and avoid victimizing the victim and her family, this charge is being dropped at this time. The defendant instead pleaded guilty to Misconduct in Office, a felony which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence. ### The end is near and 2018 is leaving many with broken homes and hearts. Last years major hurricanes; Harvey, Irma and Maria left such wide paths of destruction that it was believed nothing could be worse. Pat and I gathered in the Florida Keys with friends in December 2017 where Irma had struck in September. There were smiles on all of our faces as we encountered one another and expressed how grateful we were that we survived. Those who suffered less damage pitched in to help neighbors in need. People who had experienced total losses located temporary lodging while considering what they could do. Some residents cleared away the debris of their destroyed homes in our campdominion, and were able to bring in new ones to place on the lots. They were thankful they could stay in the same surroundings and expressed it could have been worse. We traveled around the area and saw cars sunk in the salt water, homes washed into deep canals, stacked atop one another. Piles of debris were everywhere lined along the roadways. A boat storage area had vessels of all sizes thrown off their cradles, lying in total destruction. We encountered an odd sight; a very large, multi-mast sailboat had washed a couple of hundred feet ashore and looked totally undamaged. We realized our loss could have been a lot worse and were grateful. All the people reeling from the terrible events of 2017 were stunned at the horrendous events that took place in 2018. I reviewed ABCs World News report posted by Emily Shapiro Dec. 8, and learned about the five worst disasters to hit our country this year. We saw immediately in January what worse could be. Wild fire scarred Montecito, California was hit by torrential rains causing mudslides. The devastation described by homeowner Rob Lowe was, A perfect storm of bad events. He later was quoted saying, It was like Armageddon. In May, images of the flash flooding that destroyed historic Ellicott City, Maryland were heart wrenching. More than eight inches of rain fell there in a few hours. The city had not fully recovered from damage caused by flooding in 2016 North Carolina had 36 inches of rain, South Carolina 24 inches, delivered by Hurricane Florence in September. Before they had a chance to begin the clean-up, Hurricane Michael swept through after visiting Florida and Georgia. Michael had devastated Panama City in Floridas panhandle, an area rarely touched by storms in the past. The nearby small town of Mexico Beach was crushed by the massive category four storm as it charged ashore When the whole country was certain there could be no worse, in November, California was hit. Wildfires from the Campfire North to the Woolsey South became the deadliest to occur in the states history. We all watched with utter disbelief as a small town named Paradise was literally destroyed. We viewed days of heroic rescues by first responders. Sadly, the death toll is still mounting and may never be accurately determined. A website titled, Floodlist compiles information about flood events worldwide. A post dated Oct. 8 states: Floods and major storms are increasingly battering the country and recovery costs are spiraling upwards. The article went on to say some experts are calling for a managed retreat to safer areas away from coasts and rivers. Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Managers, was quoted in the article saying, despite the rising threats, it remains difficult to discuss the idea of buying properties and moving populations. The article noted a citizen who owned three properties in flood ravaged Ellicott City said its impossible to see how it would be safe to rebuild over a stream in an area that had two deadly floods in two years. She expressed a willingness to relocate. Nancy Shaver, mayor of St. Augustine, Florida admits the prospect of managed retreat is fraught with political pitfalls because residents are reluctant to abandon their homes. In October, President Trump signed a law allowing some of the national disaster relief funds to be used for pre-disaster projects including home buyouts. After believing 2017 had delivered the worst, we certainly learned what worse looked like this past year of 2018. As I see it, we need to encourage our government to take any and all necessary steps to protect us from Mother Natures fury. I sure hope all my readers will enjoy a Happy New Year and dodge any bad events. Capt. Fred Davis is a retired charter captain and nationally published author of boating articles. "As I See It" columns appear bi-weekly in the Huron Daily Tribune. LANSING A Pigeon native is headed to Lansing to, among many things, clean up the drinking water in Flint, Democratic Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer announced this week. Liesl Eichler Clark, 42, was named the director of Michigans Department of Environmental Quality. She is the daughter of Ed and Wanda Eichler, who still reside in the Pigeon area. "We're pretty excited about how a different structure could better enable the governor's policy priorities, and we look forward to sharing that more publicly shortly," said Clark, who now resides in Howell. I look forward to using my 20 years of professional experience in the business sector and in the public policy sector at the intersection of food, energy and water to help this administration do just that, she said in a video on Gov. Whitmers Facebook page. Michigan has an opportunity to take advantage of those resources that are available to our beautiful peninsulas. Locally, Clark sits on the board of directors for Agri-Valley Communications, Inc. She is the third generation of the Eichler family to lead Agri-Valley Communications. "DEQ is a department that is going to be fundamental to making sure that we clean up our drinking water in the state of Michigan and that we protect this resource, Whitmer told the Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report. HURON COUNTY Small businesses continued to surge in the county in 2018. Many local entrepreneurs opened up businesses across Huron County during the year, which was good news for the local economy. In Bad Axe, the county's largest commercial destination, the city saw a new restaurant open its doors, a dance studio, a head shop, a graphics store, and the announcement of a new walk-in clinic. Peppers Mexican Grill opened at 769 N. Van Dyke Road, Self Expressions Dance & Gymnastics Studio at 524 N. Port Crescent St., Happy Daze Smoke-N-More at 32 Thompson Road, Janets Graphics & Printing moved to its new location at 782 S. Van Dyke Road, and Scheurer Hospital of Pigeon announced its intent of building a new clinic to be located behind Walgreen's. But Bad Axe wasn't the only community to flourish in 2018. Caseville welcomed the opening of Chuck's Coffee, located at 6966 Main St., as well as Caseville Boat Rental, at 6450 Riverside Drive, and the Shipwreck Distillery, at 4895 N Caseville Road. Some other area businesses that sprung up during the year included C & J Services at 6665 N. Lakeshore Rd. in Port Hope, and Renew Wellness Center at 109 State St. in Harbor Beach. Pigeon welcomed the merger between the Champagne Funeral Chapels of Elkton and Caseville, and the former Meyersieck/Bussemal Funeral Home of Pigeon, which will be located at 7356 W. Michigan Ave. The business will officially open Jan. 1. Also helping economic growth in the area was a practice called ecotourism or tourism directed toward the natural environment that has seen big gains in popularity. Ecotourism has helped power a multitude of area businesses, considering the county's 93 miles of beautiful shoreline. "We've seen an increase in inquiries, visits to our website, all of those things," said Carl Osentoski, Huron County Economic Development Corporation executive director. "We've seen that kind of building over time and the last several years it has exploded." Director Fei Xing, speaking in Beijing on Friday, described how he worked hard to introduce new blood and fresh air to the latest installment of the controversial smash hit Chinese tomb raider fantasy franchise "Mojin." "Mojin: The Worm Valley" is the new film adaptation based on Zhang Muye's "Ghost Blows out the Light" series of novels. Fei, who has directed the project for the past five years, chose unknown actors to be part of his cast, including Cai Heng, Gu Xuan and Yu Heng. In previous two movie installments, director Lu Chuan's "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" starred Mark Chao, Yao Chen, Feng Li and Li Chen, while director Wuershan's "Mojin: The Lost Legend" starred Chen Kun, Shu Qi and Huang Bo. Other famous actors such as Joe Chan and Ethan Ruan were also in two TV adaptations. "Other directors have used those famous movie stars," Fei said, "[but] we decided to opt for new people and add fresh blood to the franchise." The action-packed new film tells a story about the Mojin tomb raider team entering a lost world in southwest China's Yunnan province inhabited by gross giant worms and monsters, to find a mysterious gem in an ancient royal tomb needed to break a curse afflicting them. Mojin refers to Mojin Xiaowei, a government job in ancient times in China mainly in charge of exploring tombs in a hunt for treasure, thereby providing financial aid to the military. Those who took the job were required to have a good knowledge of geomantic omens and occult sciences, and have superb kung fu skills, wisdom and courage not found in ordinary tomb robbers. MONROE- Its the mystery of the Christmas cheer. Police said a UPS driver called in to report that his helper was intoxicated, and he couldnt figure out how it happened. When police arrived at the delivery truck on Melon Patch Lane they said the helper, Jeffrey Levasseur, was refusing to get out of the truck. They said Levasseur smelled strongly of alcohol. Officers eventually convinced Levasseur to alight from the truck and he stood against it swaying back and forth. Police said he denied drinking any alcohol and told them, I work for UPS, its all good. Police said the driver told them he had begun making deliveries with Levasseur that morning and Levasseur appear sober and didnt have any alcohol beverages on him. But every time the driver returned to the truck after making a delivery Levasseur appeared to be getting drunker and drunker, police said. Officers decided they couldnt let Levasseur get back into the delivery truck. But when put him in the back of the police car he became belligerent and had a number of off-color remarks for the officers. Police said they ended up charging the 31-year-old Levasseur with second-degree breach of peace. He was later released on a promise to appear in court. MIDDLETOWN For the majority of the last 50 years, Jerry Schiano, founder of Jerrys Pizza on South Main Street, has eaten between a half and whole unadorned, large cheese pizza every day. And he never gets tired of it, said his daughter Carmela Lockwood, who now owns the eatery at 635 South Main St., as well as Mattys Next Door in the same plaza to the north of the pizza house. She runs the place with her oldest son, Antonio Lockwood, a staple at the family restaurant, whose red polo shirt and tan cargo shorts sport evidence of easily one of the hardest working families in Middletown. Carmela Lockwood also owns the Carmelas on the Extension breakfast spot at 139 Main St. Ext., and Antonios Market & Catering at 650 S. Main St., named for her oldest son. Mayor Dan Drew, along with other local dignitaries, stopped by Thursday for the festivities, pizza of all sorts, ziti with Schianos trademark freshly made sauce, and presented a proclamation to the patriarch, which declared Friday Jerrys Pizza Day in Middletown. What originated Dec, 28, 1968, in the Washington Plaza on Route 66 near the Middlefield line has, for a decade, enjoyed loyal customers who form everlasting memories, and insist Jerrys pies are some of the best tasting in the city. Its one of the oldest and best-known pizzerias in the central Connecticut, and one of the first businesses to open up in Washington Plaza. Schiano was born in Monte di Procida, a small town in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, west of Naples. He was the quintessential Italian immigrant, according to the family. His first restaurant experience was in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he started as a dishwasher at Little Venice Restaurant. Between 1963 and 1968, Jerry worked at a handful of family-owned and operated pizzerias in New York City and Long Island before opening his namesake eatery. It was the only Middletown pizzeria to sell pizza by the slice, and also the first pizzeria to offer calzones in Middletown. He and his wife Toni own Lakeside Farm in Guilford on Route 77. I learned everything I know from my grandfather. Every person who comes and knows Jerry. They say, Jerry did this with me, or he kicked me out, Antonio Lockwood told those gathered to a round of laugher. Hes been in the Merchant Marines, hes traveled all over the world. You ask him about a country, hell tell you. Hes just real, said longtime customer Bob Vinci. How do you make good pizza? Three or four things: with good flour, good cheese, good sauce, and a good person sitting next to the oven to watch. Less than two minutes makes the pizza good or not. Two minutes before, the pizza is undercooked. Two minutes after, the pizza is overcooked, Schiano said. I see guys who say, I make the pizza for many years. You dont know anything. The pizza, you put in the oven, boom! You put it in the box: What are you doing? hell say to others from long experience. He added one teaspoon of baking soda for each gallon of sauce. Schiano doesnt use salt in the tomato sauce, but its a crucial ingredient in the dough, evening off the acidity. The best pizza is just cheese, Schiano said, who insists on the finest ingredients, saying other restaurant owners often try to save 50 cents here and there. He uses good American cheese from Wisconsin. For years and years, it was the only thin-crust pizza that Im aware of. You feel at home. Youre greeted warmly, said Vinci, who also loves plain cheese. Its consistent. Everywhere Ive been, sometimes is underdone, sometimes its overdone, not enough sauce. When you come to Jerrys, its perfect every time. Employee Megan Cyr has worked at the restaurant for a decade. Its like a crazy family a good kind of crazy, she said, comparing the atmosphere to the television show Cheers. Everybody knows everybody. Everybodys been coming forever. Probably 50 people will tell you theyre the first customers. If you come on a Friday night for a large cheese pizza, theyve been doing the same thing since 1968. Schiano is a very strict, the old-school Italian, but one of the greatest people to ever work for, Cyr said. Its nice to work for a family. Most people think Im their other kid, because Ive been with them for so long. I used to sit on the counter. My earliest memory is going to Gianellis (Early Learning Center) as part of field trips. I would always feel so special because I knew how to do everything. We didnt have have babysitters. I just came to work with my parents, Carmela Lockwood said. Cheese and pepperoni are customer favorites, she added. People base a good pizza on what their cheese pizza is . Her son was a mainstay while young, in his high chair, eating pieces of crust. There was little question shed follow in her fathers footsteps in the business. For while there, I thought I might be a nurse, but this is what Im good at, Carmela Lockwood said. Its really satisfying when someone comes in and they know your name, you know their name. You gain a connection with them. You help the community. We help build traditions, Antonio Lockwood added. The story her son told about Schianos toughness is not an exaggeration. Its always, he kicked me out when I came from Mirage (the now-closed Hartford nightclub), he slapped me when I put my foot on the booth. But everybody always came back, Antonio Lockwood said. When Carmela Lockwood was in high school, she convinced her father to begin offering buffalo chicken as a topping. We cant have that cat [vomit] on our pizza, her purist dad told her at the time. The same with blue cheese: He flipped out and then we added wraps, she said, to which her father observed, they look like dirty towels. She recalls a recent contest that asked patrons to share their best memories of Jerrys. One of them was a woman who was pregnant. She had to come here if it wasnt every day, it was every other day for two slices of extra onion pizza. That was her craving. I remember making those for her. That son is now about 19, and hates onion, hates Jerrys Pizza, she said. GUILFORD Shoreline Arts Alliance announces the opening of applications for the 39th annual Scholarships in the Arts: Top Talent. This program is open to juniors and seniors residing within Shoreline Arts Alliances 24 town region and who want to pursue an education in the arts. Applicants can apply in 7 different categories of study. The winner in each category will receive a $1,000 scholarship for continuing education and/or supplies as well as a mentorship from a professional artist in the winners chosen field. Applications are now available on the website and will be open until April 24, 2019 which will be followed by in person auditions, interviews, and portfolio reviews on May 3-4. Applications for the scholarships can be found on the Shoreline Arts Alliance website. Applications can be submitted online or through a mail-in form. An in person audition, interview, and/or portfolio review is required for each application and will take place at the ACES Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven in May. These in person auditions/interviews/portfolio reviews give the students the opportunity to learn about presenting themselves and their art before a jury of professionals. Students who reside in the 24 town region (region includes all of Middlesex County, Madison, Guilford, North Branford, Branford, East Haven, Lyme, East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Salem) and are interested in the arts are encouraged to apply. The categories are, Theatre, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Creative Writing, Dance, Visual Art, and, our newest category, the Jeffrey Dobbs Scholarship for Excellence in Painting. These 7 categories are judged by professional, working artists in each field of study. These professionals pay special attention to detail, to the students commitment to the art form of their choosing, and give valuable feedback to each student. Judges choose a winner in each category and they may also choose a special recognition in any given category. Visit www.shorelinearts.org/top-talent to learn more about this program, find submission information, and to download the application or apply online. A $25 non-refundable fee is required for each application. Contact Shoreline Arts Alliance for further information by emailing office@shorelinearts.org or calling 203-453-3890. Shoreline Arts Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)3 based in Guilford, CT. Shoreline Arts Alliance is the state appointed arts council for a 24 town region including all of Middlesex County, East Haven, Guilford, Madison, Branford, North Branford, Lyme, Old Lyme, Salem, and East Lyme. Shoreline Arts Alliances mission is to Transform Lives through the Arts and we do so by educating students, encouraging artists, engaging the community, and enriching the cultural landscape of the Shoreline and beyond. Shoreline Arts Alliance offers free programs and services across the State of Connecticut. To learn more about these programs, go to www.shorelinearts.org or contact office@shorelinearts.org or 203-453-3890. Winter programs include talent search MIDDLETOWN Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater in Middletown has announced its winter 2019 programs in the arts for young people ages 6-20. Programs begin in early January and range from classes in theater, music, and visual arts to mainstage theater and circus productions. This winter the Playhouse is offering young people of all ages opportunities to create, train and perform. Programs for teenagers include the Middletown Teen Talent Search, the Teen Repertory Company and Circophony Teen Circus. The Middletown Teen Talent Search will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19, and is open to Middletown young people ages 12-19. The event will be hosted by Connecticut State Troubadour Nekita Waller and the top act will win a cash prize of $500. The Teen Repertory Company, the Playhouses senior company for ages 14 -20, is developing an original, ensemble-created performance piece with music and dance this winter and spring. An Ensemble Creation Experience, offers five winter workshops in which students will develop text, movement and music based on their own experiences of navigating contemporary life as a teenager. The work will be developed into an original, mainstage show which will have auditions in March and be performed in May. Circophony Teen Circus, open to ages 12-19, is a collaboration between ARTFARM and Oddfellows Playhouse and will be mounting a mainstage production this winter called Circus Botanicus. Auditions are Jan. 8-9 and performances will be March 21-23. Circophony is open to all teens, regardless of circus experience, though a background in gymnastics, dance, theater, parkour, improvisation or any physical discipline may be helpful. Middle School students and home schoolers are served by the Junior Repertory Company (ages 12-14), which will be producing the classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters. A feast of slapstick, disguises, mistaken identity, misguided romance, rebellious teens and clueless parents, auditions are January 10 and the show will hit the main stage March 14 - 16. Ages 12-14 may also join our weekly Improv Jam, held on Saturday mornings starting January 19 and run by Carmine Lavieri. Young people ages 6-11 are offered a host of classes in the after-school hours Monday through Thursday. Classes for ages 6 - 8 include Stories from the Middle East, Junior Circus, Creating Characters and Slapstick & Clowning. For ages 9 -11 there is Circus Arts, a visual arts class called Beads, Baubles, Boxes and Beans, Scene Study, and a Mini-production (which rehearses two afternoons per week) called Fairytale Fantasy. All classes and the mini-production begin the week of January 14. Middletown Public School students ages 6-14 can sign up for Oddbridge, an extended-day program in which students take the bus directly from school to Oddfellows and participate in an hour of Arts Programming before formal classes start at 4:30pm. Oddbridge is designed to take you from the school bus to performing arts classes, while preparing you for successful class and production experiences. Oddfellows programs are tuition based, but the Playhouse is committed to making these experiences available to every young person, regardless of ability to pay. Please refer to the website for financial aid information. For details about any of the above programs and more, including tuition and financial aid, or to register, go to www.oddfellows.org or contact Oddfellows at info@oddfellows.org or call 860-347-6143. Nearly 9,000 Marines Didn't Get Vaccinated By the Deadline. Many Risk Getting Kicked Out of the Corps. The Marine Corps reported that 5% of the force had not gotten even one shot before the deadline passed. The Pentagon is urging America's Pacific allies to increase their military presence in the South China Sea in line with its own efforts to confront China. Randy Schriver, the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, made the call during a recent interview with The Australian newspaper. Chinese influence operations in the South Pacific, which have included donations to politicians and financing infrastructure projects in small island nations, have caught the attention of officials in Australia and New Zealand, and Schriver warned that the communists may want to establish military bases in the South Pacific. "I think what could potentially bring more pressure on the Chinese is other partners and allies joining in these activities [in the South China Sea]," he said. "If not freedom-of-navigation operations ... just joint patrols, presence operations." U.S. freedom-of-navigation operations are a challenge to Chinese territorial ambitions that have seen military facilities and equipment such as aircraft and missiles placed on artificial islands claimed by neighboring nations. American ships involved in the operations have clashed with Chinese vessels. In August, for example, a Chinese warship almost collided with the USS Decatur, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, near the disputed Spratly Islands. "There have been several public accounts of Australian activities in the South China Sea and some of the assertive challenges [to Australia] from China," Schriver said. In April, three Royal Australian Navy ships transiting the South China Sea on their way to Vietnam were harassed by Chinese navy vessels. In September, the HMAS Melbourne, a guided-missile frigate, traveled through the Taiwan Strait. The USS Mustin and the USS Benfold had passed through the strait two months earlier. Schriver told The Australian that other U.S. allies, including Britain, France and Canada, have enhanced their military activities in the South China Sea. "We've seen a lot more activity from other interested parties because I think there is recognition that an erosion of international law and norms in the South China Sea has implications globally," he said. U.S. allies are likely to respond favorably to the call to get tougher on China, said Paul Buchanan, an American security analyst based in Auckland, New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand, major trading partners of China, are balancing economic and defense relationships he said. "[The Australians] have to walk a tightrope with the Chinese, but, as of late, they have been a lot more forceful in pushing back," Buchanan said, noting the recent moves to establish a military base on Manus Island, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, and the ban on Chinese telecom company Huawei participating in new 5G services in Australia and New Zealand. The moves haven't been met with major blowback from China, Buchanan added. "China may realize that what is happening is that they are shoring up a defensive alliance, whereas before there were differences [between America and its allies]," he said. "Now there seems to be a coordinated effort to push back ... particularly in the South China Sea [where China's behavior] ... is seen as egregious." In contrast to the Western powers, Japan's relations with China are thawing. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October to resume mutual naval visits. Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force may join the Chinese navy's fleet review in April, the Japan Times newspaper reported recently. The visit to the city of Qingdao marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of China's navy would be the first by a Japanese warship since 2011, the newspaper reported. U.S. Navy officials did not indicate whether an American ship would participate. "As a matter of policy, we do not discuss future operations," Pacific Fleet spokeswoman Navy Lt. Rachel McMarr said in an email Friday. You are here: Business China has allowed imports of rice from the United States, said the General Administration of Customs in a statement on its website Friday. A list of inspection standards and quarantine requirements was also released in the statement. The decision was made according to laws and regulations in China and an agreement on phytosanitary protocol for U.S. rice exports to China reached by the two countries earlier. The Navy has put development of hypersonic weapons on its acquisition wish list even as Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted this week of a successful test and planned deployment in 2019 of "invincible" nuclear-armed versions that can fly at more than 20 times the speed of sound. Under his plan, released Dec. 17, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson listed the Navy's intention to "develop and field an offensive hypersonic weapon by 2025" as a top priority. The Air Force also has put a priority on hypersonics, reflecting the increasing concerns of the Pentagon that Russia and China have taken the lead on a technology that potentially poses the threat of making existing missile defense systems obsolete. In April, the Air Force awarded a contract to develop a prototype hypersonic cruise missile, or the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon. Officials have been candid in acknowledging that the U.S. is likely playing catch-up to Russia and China in the development of hypersonics. In a roundtable discussion with reporters last January, Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "We have lost our technical advantage in hypersonics," but "we haven't lost the hypersonics fight." The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working with the Air Force on the joint Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) program to perfect hypersonic weaponry. In the boost-glide system, a rocket accelerates the payload to speeds many times the speed of sound. The payload then separates from the rocket and glides unpowered to the target. Putin has boasted that the Russian hypersonics weapon, in addition to its high speeds, which limit the warning time for defenses, can also change directions in flight, thereby thwarting tracking. On Wednesday, Putin oversaw the test launch of the "Avangard" hypersonics weapon from a silo in the Dombarovsky missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. Only the missile launch was shown by Russian state television, but Russian officials claimed that the hypersonic payload successfully hit a target on the Kura shooting range on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia, more than 3,000 miles away. Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told Russian state television that the test's success showed that Russia now has a hypersonic weapon that "essentially makes missile defenses useless." Putin and other Russian officials increasingly have claimed that new weapons in Russia's arsenal can easily get past U.S. defenses, particularly as the U.S. threatens to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. In his State of the Union speech last March, Putin claimed that Russia has a nuclear-propelled underwater drone, nuclear cruise missile and high-powered combat laser. Putin said the "hypersonic" nuclear cruise missile could be launched from a bomber and evade any existing defenses. The hypersonic cruise missile "flies at a speed 20 times the speed of sound," he said, "and it can maneuver thousands of kilometers up and down and right to left. It's like science fiction." The Navy's push for a hypersonic weapon was included in Richardson's "Design 2.0" plan, intended to "guide our behaviors and investments this year and in the years to come." He said that specifics "will be reflected in our annual budget documents." The Design 2.0 plan reflects the concerns of the 2018 National Defense Strategy in stating that "China and Russia are deploying all elements of their national power to achieve their global ambitions. In addition, our competitors have been studying our methods over the past 20 years. In many cases, they are gaining a competitive advantage and exploiting our vulnerabilities." To counter the threat, Richardson listed a number of ASAP capabilities and programs that the Navy needs to acquire or put in operation more quickly. Among those priorities are acquiring the Columbia-class replacements for the Ohio-class ballistic submarines; awarding the Future Frigate contract by 2020; building up the 2nd Fleet to full operational capability in 2019; and awarding contracts by 2025 for a new family of underwater unmanned vehicles. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image) Controls - all media types Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device. Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen. < and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys. < and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts LANSING, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday vetoed a bill that would have prohibited state agencies like the Attorney General or Secretary of State from requiring nonprofits to disclose their donors. Senate Bill 1176 would have prohibited a public agency from requiring disclosures from 501(c) nonprofits, which some lawmakers use for things like charitable giving and community events. Nonprofits are not currently required to disclose donors, but the bill would prevent state agencies like the Attorney General or Secretary of States office from requiring that in the future. Secretive funds allow Michigan lawmakers to accept corporate cash The bill would have also prevented public agencies from releasing any information about a nonprofit without permission from the organizations members and donors. Snyder said in his veto letter he understood the goal of the legislation was to prevent the creation of target lists of donors who support nonprofits with controversial viewpoints. However, he said, the legislation was a solution in search of a problem which does not exist in Michigan. It met with strong opposition from Democrats like Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, who voted against it on the House floor. This bill is literally the opposite of the direction that we need to be going, he said at the time. The bill was among a string of vetoes Snyder handed down recently. LANSING, MI -- At the tail end of his tenure, Gov. Rick Snyder signed an executive directive ordering state agencies not to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in all state procurement, grant and loan programs. Michigans continued reinvention and economic growth depend on talented individuals choosing to live and work here, Snyder said in his directive. It is essential for state government to be a leader in welcoming all people to our state and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. The directive instructs departments to include language in state contracts preventing contractors or sub-contractors from discriminating against an employee of applicant based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, familial status, marital status, or a disability or genetic information. Those terms must also be included in agreements between the state and private companies where the state issues grants or loans. The state of Michigan already prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation within its own workforce through civil service rules. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not specifically protected under the states Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which protects Michiganders from discrimination based on other things like race and gender. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission voted earlier this year to interpret the laws ban on discrimination based on sex to include discrimination against sexual orientation or gender identity. Attorney General Bill Schuette issued an opinion afterward, determining the law did not prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The commission spurned his opinion and said it would continue to investigate discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity, leaving the law in an interpretive grey area. Snyder is nearing the end of his term, and the governorship will officially transition to Gretchen Whitmer, a longtime supporter of LGBT rights, on Jan. 1. LANSING, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday vetoed a bill that would have given the legislature the power to intervene in court cases. He said in a veto letter the current process, where the legislature must seek intervention through court rules, has worked well. Furthermore, were this litigation in place during my term as governor, I believe it would have limited my offices ability to coordinate and manage the defense of the state in lawsuits, he wrote. House Bill 6553 would have let the legislature intervene if a court action challenged the constitutionality of a state statute or the validity of any legislative act. The sponsor, Rep. Rob VerHeulen, R-Walker, said earlier this month the bill was about good government. "This is an institutional bill, it is not a partisan bill. It is designed to give the institution of the legislature, the House or the Senate, the ability to intervene when its actions are being challenged, VerHeulen said. The bill was vocally opposed by Democrats, who saw it as undermining the power of the incoming Attorney General, Dana Nessel. Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, spoke out against the bill when it was up on the Senate floor. "No matter how many times my colleagues say that this bill is about allowing the legislature to provide clarification on legislation, I just dont believe it, Bieda said. Nessel also spoke out in opposition to the bill as it was going through the legislative process, and she praised the governors veto. "We are grateful to Gov. Snyder for demonstrating his integrity and commitment to upholding the Michigan Constitution, Nessel said in a statement. The bill was among a number of bills opponents worried would strip power from newly-elected Democratic officials before they took office in January. The governor also vetoed Senate Bill 822, which would have clarified that memorandums of understanding stay intact beyond the term of a governor. In his veto letter, Snyder wrote that while the aim of the legislation appears to be a noble purpose, which is transparency, it also has the potential to lead to more routine legislative encroachment into regulating the activity of future governors. The vetoes come among a string of recent vetoes from Snyder, who is sorting through hundreds of bills the legislature passed during its lame-duck session. COVERT, MI Palisades nuclear power plant returned to service this morning, following the completion of a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage, according to Entergy Corporation, which owns the facility. Control room personnel returned the plant to operation on Dec. 28, sending electricity to the grid after a planned shutdown that began Oct. 28, Entergy said in a statement. This was the 26th refueling in the plants history. We are committed to continuing to provide safe, secure and reliable electricity to area families and businesses through the plants permanent closure in 2022, Site Vice President Charlie Arnone said. Entergy continues to make the investments needed for the plant, as evidenced by the $87 million of work performed during this outage. During the scheduled refueling and maintenance outage, trained professionals replaced about one-third of the fuel in the reactor, inspected and upgraded hundreds of pipes, pumps, electrical components and other equipment, Entergy said. Around 1,900 professionals, including nearly 1,300 specialist contractors, performed hundreds of activities that can only occur while the plant is offline, Arnone said. Hundreds of thousands of person-hours of work were performed over the last several weeks to prepare Palisades for safe and continuous operation over the next 3.5 years." This is the second-to-last refueling outage planned at Palisades before the plants permanent retirement in the spring of 2022. On Aug. 1, 2018, Entergy announced that it had agreed to sell the subsidiaries that own Palisades and the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to a subsidiary of U.S.-based Holtec International for purposes of accelerated decommissioning after those plants respective shutdowns and reactor defuelings. For Palisades, the transaction would not occur until after the spring of 2022 and would include the sale of the decommissioned Big Rock Point Plant near Charlevoix. The sales include the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, and Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts. The transactions are subject to conditions to closing, including federal approval of the license transfers, Entergy said. The Palisades plant employs about 600 workers and began generating electricity in 1971. The plant generates 811 megawatts of virtually carbon-free electricity, enough to power more than 800,000 homes, Entergy said. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. The company has annual revenues of approximately $11 billion and more than 13,000 employees. FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, MI -- Police have evacuated the Fruitport High School after a bomb threat was reported Saturday, Dec. 28. The Fruitport Township Police Department posted information about the evacuation on its Facebook page. The building has been evacuated safely and steps are being taken to confirm that there is no hazard, according to the post. As police and firefighters investigate, they are asking the public to stay out of the area. China's express delivery sector has handled 50 billion parcels so far this year, the State Post Bureau (SPB) said on Friday. Boosted by booming e-commerce, the express delivery industry saw fast growth over the past few years, with the number of handled parcels increasing by 10 billion on average in each of the past three years, the bureau said. China has topped the world's market for five consecutive years, surpassing the combined amount handled in developed economies including the United States, Japan, and Europe. Feng Lihu, SPB's spokesman, said the express delivery sector supports an annual e-commerce sales of nearly 6.9 trillion yuan (1 trillion U.S. dollars), or over 19 percent of the country's retail sales, a new economic growth momentum. Seven express delivery companies have gone public, with annual revenues from one exceeding 100 billion yuan and four to five exceeding 50 billion yuan. The sector has three cargo airlines, with a combined fleet of 113 cargo planes. The use of big data and intelligent and autonomous equipment has greatly improved the efficiency of the delivery business, helping the industry players transition quickly from labor-intensive to tech-intensive, said Yang Daqing, a researcher with China Society of Logistics. Wu Jian, a fruit grower in Zhouzhi County of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said it used to take at least one week for his kiwi fruits to get to his customers before 2016. Now, it takes three to four days and sometimes even one day, Wu said. "Without middlemen, fruits growers can earn more while customers can eat more fresh fruits," he said, adding that e-commerce helps him earn 20,000 yuan more per year. Industry insiders said JD's announcement of a $1 billion share buyback program will reassure investors and boost its currently falling stock price, after authorities in the United States decided not to charge the e-commerce giant's CEO Liu Qiangdong for alleged sexual assault. JD's American depositary receipts have plunged 52.3 percent in recent months, as the company has grappled with the fallout of the accusations against Liu, and has faced tougher competition from rivals such as Alibaba and Pinduoduo. The company announced on Wednesday night that its board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program, under which the company may repurchase up to $1 billion of its shares over the next 12 months. The program covers about 3.5 percent of JD's market capitalization. According to a company statement, the proposed repurchases may be made from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades, and through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. Shen Meng, director of boutique investment bank Chanson & Co, said the buyback plan could boost investor confidence, and the cost of repurchasing is relatively low at the moment. "The repurchase plan seems to be reassuring investors. The fundamental problem lies in JD's corporate governance structure," he said. Liu's case in the US has reflected shortcomings in the company's corporate governance structure, as the CEO controls nearly 80 percent of JD's voting rights, Shen explained, adding the situation has also flagged the great uncertainty such governance could create for the company's daily operations. Liu will not face sexual assault charges in the United States, as the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, which is handling the case, said on Dec 21 they could not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Jin Xiangyi, an analyst at Huachuang Securities, agreed that Liu has absolute control over the board of directors, but added the effect of the legal case would be limited in the long run because the e-commerce platform's monthly active users and trading volume are seeing steady growth, and there is no problem with the overall business performance. JD reported its slowest quarterly revenue growth in the third quarter this year, with net revenue reaching 104.8 billion yuan ($15.3 billion), a 25.1 percent year-on-year increase. Analysts polled by financial data and analytics firm FactSet had estimated that JD would report revenue of 106.09 billion yuan in the third quarter. Guyana Goldfields Inc. provides exploration and production of gold. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of gold mineral properties. The company also owns and operates gold drilling rights. The company was formerly known as Chiboug Copper Company Limited and changed its name to Guyana Goldfields Inc. in January 1995. Guyana Goldfields Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. As of August 25, 2020, Guyana Goldfields Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited. Read More China has decided to cut tariffs on a range of imported raw materials used in medicines, which industry analysts said signaled the government's heightened efforts to reduce high drug prices and improve people's healthcare, in addition to further opening up the economy. The government will lower or remove import and export duties on 706 items starting from 2019, as part of a tariff adjustment package, with the duties on certain raw materials used for medicines removed altogether, the Ministry of Finance said in an online statement. The medicines covered include a range of treatments, for example for cancers and rare diseases. Certain immunotherapy products, vaccines, genetic materials and transgenic organisms will also be exempt. Shi Lichen, an industry analyst and founder of Beijing Dingchen Medical Consultancy, said the tariff reductions will reduce pharmaceutical companies' costs, and when combined with other policies and incentives, will motivate the firms to cut their drug prices. "The government's moves certainly reduce the companies' costs, but it is up to the companies whether to reduce their drug prices and benefit the patients or not," he said. "Companies want to make profits, and they will make their own calculations to decide what is best." Shi cited examples of the State Medical Insurance Administration's recent reimbursement program negotiations with pharmaceutical companies. Through three rounds of negotiations, 17 anti-cancer drugs were included in the national medical insurance list with significantly lowered prices in October. Statistics from the administration showed that the prices dropped 56.7 percent on average, and most prices are lower than those in neighboring countries or regions. Quan Ming, chief analyst for the pharmaceutical industry at Soochow Securities, said the elimination of the tariffs will certainly benefit patients as part of the government's integrated efforts to cut drug prices, which also include tax reduction, medical insurance negotiation, and the pilot group-buying program, she said. However, Quan added, tariff costs only represent a very small proportion of medicines' sales prices, while medical insurance negotiations and group-buying are more efficient means to cut drug prices. In May, China granted zero-tariff rates to imported cancer treatment drugs, as well as reducing the value added tax from the original 17 percent to 3 percent, in a bid to reduce cancer treatment costs and stimulate imports of new drugs. Experts said the tariff and tax reductions provide more opportunities for drug prices to decrease, which will eventually benefit Chinese patients. Zhu Hengpeng, a researcher in health policy and industry at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, estimated that tariff and tax reductions will make it feasible for pharmaceutical companies to trim cancer treatment medicine prices by about 8 percentage points on average. That would save a large amount of money in total, considering the large cancer patient population in China. According to the Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report 2017, about 4.29 million new cancer cases occur in China annually. ASKCI Consulting Co estimated the cancer treatment drug market would reach more than 200 billion yuan ($29 billion) in scale in 2022. Since May, pharmaceutical companies have lowered their prices on a number of medicines. The price of Merck and Co's immunotherapy cancer drug Keytruda in China is about half the cost in the United States. The company also provides discounted and even free medicine for low-income patients. Shi from Beijing Dingchen Medical Consultancy said the tariff exemptions on raw materials for some medicines is set to bolster domestic pharmaceutical companies' research and development ability, and eventually help to upgrade the domestic industry structure. China exports many low-end medicine ingredients and raw materials, such as vitamin C and antibiotics, but relies heavily on imports for the high-end ones, according to Shi. As the Chinese market becomes more open, trade and cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies will be boosted, which is mutually beneficial and provides Chinese companies with opportunities to learn from their foreign counterparts, he said. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More State-owned Bank of India on December 29 said the government has decided to infuse Rs 10,086 crore in the bank as part of Rs 28,615 crore capital infusion to be done in about half a dozen public sector lenders. The Finance Ministry had informed the bank about the capital infusion on Wednesday (December 26), Bank of India said in a regulatory filing. The fund infusion would be by way of preferential allotment of shares, it said. The board of directors would be considering by way of circular resolution on or after January 2, 2019, the proposal for raising capital by this infusion and further issue of equity shares at an appropriate time and other incidental matters, it said. According to sources, the government has decided to pump Rs 28,615 crore into seven public sector banks (PSBs) through recapitalisation bonds soon. Out of these seven PSBs, United Bank of India also announced about the capital infusion communication from the finance ministry. The government had earlier announced an infusion of Rs 65,000 crore in PSBs in 2018-19, of which Rs 23,000 crore has already been disbursed, while Rs 42,000 crore is remaining. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government would put an additional Rs 41,000 crore in PSBs over and above what was announced earlier. On December 20, the government sought Parliament's approval for infusion of an additional Rs 41,000 crore. The recapitalisation, the finance minister said, would enhance the lending capacity of PSBs and help them come out of the Reserve Bank of India's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. Eleven out of the total 21 PSBs are under the RBI's PCA framework, which imposes lending restrictions on weak banks. By the end of February 2019, the life insurance industry will be ready with a mega Rs 100 crore campaign to create awareness about the importance of buying a policy. A joint initiative of the life insurers and industry body Life Insurance Council, the campaign will look at busting myths and try to make insurance a pull product. The success of the 'Mutual Funds Sahi Hain' campaign by Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) could have been a motivator for the insurers to come together for this mammoth initiative. LIC is expected to contribute more than 70 percent for this initiative. But how the insurers bridge the trust deficit among policyholders through this campaign will be an area to watch out for. There is a perception among a certain set of policyholders that insurance companies delay payment of claims. Endowment plans that offer a lumpsum amount on the completion of the policy term are more preferred than the essential pure term plan that offers a payout only if the policyholder dies during the policy tenure. When insurers have tried to offer life insurance together with a home loan, customers have been convinced to buy the product. This is because any untoward incident will lead to the deceased's family members bearing the burden of the Rs 20-40 lakh loan that an individual might have taken. However, enough stress has not yet been given on how the death of one earning member may mean families being pushed to the brink of poverty. Yes, there have been many old advertisements about wives, mothers living a comfortable life because their husband/son had taken a policy. These campaigns have failed to evolve with modern times. What about the single mother/father who is bringing up a child? Won't it be relevant for them to buy an insurance product? What about a farmer in rural Maharashtra whose 10-member family depends solely on his earnings? Or a delivery executive at an e-commerce firm with ailing parents? Natural and man-made calamities including the floods at Assam, Nagaland and Uttarakhand, Mumbai terror attacks or the Bhuj earthquake have occurred time and again causing several deaths. However, these incidents have been unable to boost the sale of insurance. Maybe getting real-life case studies of people with and without insurance could jolt people out of their ignorance. With a 1.2 billion population with social security schemes that provide little or no coverage, life insurance is a necessity. Now whether the Rs 100 crore campaign merely grabs eyeballs or is able to bring behavioural change will be interesting to watch. The year started badly for the banking sector with the infamous scam pulled off by diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, in which they issued Letters of Undertaking worth over Rs 13,000 crore from a single branch of Punjab National Bank. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Modi and Choksi, who have fled the country. Many have been arrested in related to these scams by the CBI. (Image: Reuters) The non-banking finance sector was hit in September as Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) subsidiary companies started defaulting on loans. On 1st October, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs appointed a new board for the company. On the same day, Serious Fraud of Investigation Office started investigating the company. Following this, NBFCs in India faced a severe liquidity crunch, the aftershocks of which were felt in the debt and equity markets. (Image: PTI) Rotomac Industries, a Kanpur-based manufacturer of pens and other stationery, defaulted on loans worth Rs 800 crore from five state-owned banks. Promoters Vikram Kothari and his son Rahul were arrested by the CBI in February. Rotomac had taken around Rs 3,695 crores from a consortium of seven banks. The company claimed fame in the late nineties with advertisements featuring Salman Khan and the tagline "Likhte-Likhte Pyaar ho Jaye". Another default came from Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech, which failed to repay loans worth Rs 5,383 crores as on December 31, 2016. The CBI registered a case against the company directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan, Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi and chartered accountant Hemant Hathi and former director of Andhra Bank Anup Garg. (Image: sterlingbiotech.in) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Highlights: - Eye-catching valuations- Leadership position in automotive cable industry- Growth drivers: capacity expansion, aftermarket and export market - Well diversified business with strong clientele -------------------------------------------------- The market's fall in the last few months has uncovered many buying opportunities that become more attractive if the company has a dominant position in the market. One such company is Suprajit Engineering Ltd (SEL), a manufacturer of automotive and non-automotive cables, which has established itself as India's largest manufacturer of automotive cables. What's more, it is well diversified across products and clients, has a promising aftermarket and export market, plus capacity expansion coupled with attractive valuations. These qualities make SEL a long-term buy. Attractive valuations There has been a 38 percent correction in SEL's stock price from its 52-week high, making the valuation extremely attractive. The stock currently trades at 20.4 and 18.2 times FY19 and FY20 projected earnings, respectively. Leadership position SEL is a dominant player in the automotive cable segment with 70 percent market share in the two-wheeler (2W) segment. From being only a two-wheeler cable supplier, SEL has started focusing on four-wheelers and increased its market share from 20 percent to 35 percent in the last five years. It recently got new business from Tata Motors and plans to bring the leader, Maruti, on board. Capacity expansion to fuel growth SEL has been investing in increasing production, with cable capacity registering a compounded annual growth (CAGR) of 15.6 percent over FY11-17 to reach 250 million units. Now, it has earmarked Rs 100 crore to boost capacity to 300 million units in the next two years. It has started working in that direction with two greenfield projects. Strong aftermarket opportunities After the introduction of GST, the company has been receiving benefits of a shift in business from the unorganised sector to organised players. SEL senses a big market opportunity in the space and has been focusing on expanding its presence. This would not only help in achieving strong topline growth, but in margin expansion as margins are higher in the aftermarket. Export market seems promising The management has highlighted that automotive exports through Suprajit Automotive and Suprajit Europe have been doing well. The company has bagged significant new export orders as well. The management expects automotive exports to double to Rs 280 crore by FY21, from Rs 140 crore in FY18. Decent Q2 FY19 performance Reflecting the growth in the automobile industry, SEL posted a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 16 percent. The growth came from the core cable business, partially offset by poor performance from its acquired businesse--Phoenix Lamp (PLL) and Weson. PLL saw muted growth due to subdued demand in Turkey and Iran, coupled with challenges in Europe. Suprajit Engineering non-automotive (SENA) divisions overall performance was satisfactory. What troubled SENA is the margin contraction at Wescon attributed to the rise in commodity prices, US tariff on imports from China, freight cost and expenditure on new business development. In terms of overall operating profitability, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) saw a year-on-year decline of 5 percent and margin contracted y-o-y by 306 bps. This was primarily due to a significant surge in raw material (RM) prices and rise in employee cost, which was partially offset by reduction in operating expenses. Well diversified Started as a cable supplier to 2W segment only, it now caters to customers from passenger vehicles, commercial vehicle and non-automotive segments. In the first half of FY19, it generated 36 percent of its business from 2W and 21/21/22 percent from aftermarket/ non-automotive/ automotive businesses, respectively. Moreover, the acquired businesses of Phoenix Lamp and Wescon Control also de-risk SELs product portfolio. Follow @NitinAgrawal65 British authorities have informed India that bank fraud fugitive Nirav Modi is living in the UK, the government has said. Replying to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told Rajya Sabha that National Central Bureau of Manchester conveyed to Indian agencies that their investigations have led to the location of Nirav Modi in the UK. "In August 2018, the government sent two requests, one from the CBI and the other from the Enforcement Directorate, to the authorities of the UK seeking the extradition of Nirav Modi to India," he said. He said the requests are presently under the consideration of the authorities concerned of the UK. In June, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had written to several European countries seeking help in tracing Nirav Modi. (Image: Rahul Gandhi's Twitter feed) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on December 29 met Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and the two discussed bilateral relations. The meeting took place at a local hotel. "I had an excellent meeting today with the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dr Lotay Tshering. We discussed the political situation in the region and other matters of common interest. I look forward to continuing our dialogue in the future," Gandhi said on Twitter. The Bhutanese prime minister is on a state visit to India and had earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Tshering arrived here on Thursday on his first foreign visit after taking charge as PM of the Himalayan nation last month following his party's victory in the general elections. President Ram Nath Kovind on December 28 said false impressions were being created and spread about Yoga that it pertains to only a few people or a specific community. The President, who was in the metropolis to deliver the keynote address at an event organised to celebrate the centenary of the Yoga Institute, added that Yoga belongs to all and binds everyone. "False impression are being created and spread about Yoga that it pertains to only few people or a specific community. But this is not the truth. Yoga is a way to make body, mind and soul healthy and this binds everyone," he said. Kovind said that going for morning walks was also a part of Yoga and doing it regularly prevents illnesses as it enriches one's immunity. "Yoga is the best way to cure high blood pressure, hypertension, asthma etc if someone does it regularly," he said. Kovind hailed Yoga Institute's contribution in keeping scores of people healthy by popularising Yoga all over the world. "I have been told that the Yoga Institute has devised a new aasan (posture) to cure spine problems among truck drivers caused by sitting for hours at the steering wheel. This aasan's name is truckaasan," he said. Recalling his visit to Suriname last year, Kovind said, "When I and the President of Suriname were doing Yoga, it was the first time that the heads of state of two countries were doing Yoga at the same time on one platform." Kovind also told the gathering about his interaction with the President of Cuba on the topic of Yoga. "Cuba is a Communist country and people in Communist countries do not see Yoga favourably. However, the (Cuban) President and the the First Lady told me how both had become staunch followers of Yoga and were practising it diligently," Kovind said. Among those present for Friday's event were Maharashtra GovernorC Vidyasagar Rao,state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik and spiritual leader Swami Chidanand. Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis lauded the institute for playing an outstanding role in spreading Yoga, adding that the ancient practice had the power to erase differences between individuals and nature as well as fight problems caused by modern day lifestyle. He also sought advice from the institute on how his government could popularise Yoga among all sections of society. The institute's director, DrHansa J Yogendra, said it would continue its efforts to popularise Yoga across every section of society. The Yoga Institute, established in 1918 by Yogendra ji, is holding a two-day concluding function here, on December 28-29, of its year-long centenary celebrations. The year-long celebrations were inaugurated in December last year by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. TheYoga Institutewas earlier this year selected for the prime minister's award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and development of Yoga. It has produced more than 50,000 Yoga teachers and has over 500 publications to its credit. China's top alcohol brand Kweichow Moutai said Saturday that the company plans to sell about 31,000 tonnes of product in 2019. "The sales volume in 2019 will increase by 3,000 tonnes more than in 2018," said Li Baofang, chairman of Moutai Group. A total of 17,000 tonnes of liquor will be supplied to distributors and the rest will be sold through e-commerce retail channels, according to Li. The group is going to sell 7,500 tonnes of liquor during the coming New Year and Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, period. Customers will be able to buy a special Year of the Pig edition after the New Year's Day holiday. Moutai is a sorghum-based spirit produced by Kweichow Moutai and is China's top brand of baijiu (white alcohol). The liquor, often served on official occasions and at state banquets, is considered a luxury item and has long been a popular gift. Despite its high price, domestic demand for Moutai has always exceeded supply. BJP Congress Jharkhand election results 2019 A proposal to withdraw "politically-motivated cases" registered against Congress leaders and workers under previous BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh is on the anvil, newly-appointed Madhya Pradesh Law and Legislative Affairs Minister P C Sharma said Saturday. Similarly, a plan will be prepared to quash the cases filed against employees' union leaders for taking part in agitations. "I will soon consult with the Principal Secretary of the department (Law and Legislative Affairs) and prepare a proposal to withdraw politically-motivated cases against Congress workers and leaders," the minister told reporters. He said the proposal would be submitted to Chief Minister Kamal Nath for further action. "A proposal to withdraw cases filed against employees' leaders for (participating in) agitations and protests, will also be prepared," said Sharma. In recently-held elections, the Congress came to power for first time after 2003 by defeating Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. The minister also said that his department would propose to withdraw cases filed against journalists under the erstwhile BJP rule. "We will also bring a law for protection of journalists," he said. In its poll manifesto, titled as "Vachan Patra", the Congress had promised to bring such a law. Replying to a question, Sharma said appropriate provisions would be made to fast track hearing of cases related to crimes against women. "It is our top priority to check crimes against women and every possible arrangement would be made," he said. The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is supported by four Independents besides two legislators of the BSP and lone MLA of SP. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attended a meeting of his JD(U) here on Saturday, in which the top leaders of the party discussed the ways and means to improve its prospects in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting was held at the residence of Janata Dal (United) state president and Rajya Sabha member Vashishtha Narayan Singh. A host of senior leaders, including the party's national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, spokesperson Sanjay Singh, minister Jai Kumar Singh and MLA Lesi Singh, were among those present. JD(U) sources said the meeting that lasted for nearly three hours focussed on making the party more popular among the upper castes, who have traditionally supported the BJP or, earlier, the Congress. The JD(U) enjoys tremendous popularity among the Extremely Backward Classes and the Mahadalits -- numerically large but politically submissive social groups -- thanks to the schemes of Kumar's government that have aimed at the betterment of these segments. The support base of the JD(U) remained intact in the worst of times, but the votes failed to translate into seats whenever the party decided to go it alone like the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when it managed to win only two of the 40 seats in Bihar. The JD(U) is looking forward to putting up a sterling performance in next year's general election, which it will be contesting in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Last week, BJP president Amit Shah had announced the seat-sharing formula of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, wherein his party and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each while the LJP will fight the remaining six. Kumar had said at Shah's press conference that in 2019, the NDA would better its previous record of 32 seats in Bihar, which was achieved in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Being at the helm of affairs in Bihar for long, Kumar has the responsibility to ensure that the NDA romps home successfully in the 2019 polls. The BJP national council will meet at the Ramlila grounds on January 11-12 to discuss a host of issues, including the 2019 Lok Sabha election, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) discussed the preparations of the national council meet at a meeting on December 29. The meeting was attended by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari. Besides Modi and Shah, several Union ministers and senior office-bearers of the saffron party are likely to participate in the national council meet. BJP national general secretary Anil Jain, secretary and Delhi BJP co-incharge Tarun Chugh were among those who attended the Saturday meeting. Jain informed that the national council meet at the Ramlila Maidan on January 11-12 would be the largest meeting of the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls. "About 12,000 delegates from every district of the country will participate in the meeting. This has become more important in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha election," he said. Christian Michel_ A Delhi court hearing the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case on Saturday imposed restrictions on alleged middleman Christian Michel meeting his lawyers in ED custody after the agency said that he was misusing legal access by passing chits to the advocates asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi'. In its application seeking extension of Michel's remand, the Enforcement Directorate also claimed that he has spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he is going to become the next prime minister of the country. The ED also sought that Michel be barred from meeting his lawyer during its custody, alleging that he was tutored from outside through his lawyers. The agency told the court that Michel had made a reference to 'Mrs Gandhi' during interrogation on December 27. During medical examination, the accused had handed over a folded paper to his advocate AljoK Joseph and it was noticed by ED officials. After perusal of the paper, it was revealed that it pertained to a set of follow-up questions on 'Mrs Gandhi'. Though the agency did not make any clear reference Sonia Gandhi, the Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of using agencies to put pressure on Michel to "name a particular family" as elections were near and it has no real issues. The ED told the court that it is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield or to tamper with the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused. "The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused. It should be stopped henceforth," the agency said. The court directed that the three defence counsel will be able to meet Michel one at a time at a distance from the accused and legal assistance will be only for 15 minutes at 10 am and at 5 pm during a day. The direction came after Michel was produced before vacation judge Chandrashekhar, who extended his ED custody by seven days. Michel's custody was required for "unearthing the deep-rooted conspiracy and identification of all his accomplices including the IAF officials, MoD (Ministry of Defence) officials, bureaucrats and politicians who gained undue advantage for getting the contract in favour of AgustaWestland," the ED said in the remand application. The accused is trying to introduce new alibis to save himself and his aides who have received/facilitated in laundering of proceeds, it said. Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the scam after he was produced in a court here. He was earlier lodged in Tihar Jail in the related CBI case. The CBI has alleged that he was paid a huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP Helicopter deal. It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million - about Rs 2,666 crore - to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million. Pakistan has sent recommendations to India for facilitating visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims through the upcoming Kartarpur corridor, according to a media report here on December 29. Islamabad has given a 59-page document with 14 key recommendations to New Delhi, Express News TV reported quoting Pakistani diplomatic officials. The recommendations call for Indian pilgrims to be given free entry and that facilitation centres and security check-posts to be set up on both sides of the border. The pilgrims shall be allowed in groups of a minimum of 15 people and Pakistan shall issue special permits to them. Both countries will compile a record of visitors which will include their names, travel records and other details, according to the recommendations. The Indian government shall provide a list of pilgrims to Pakistan three days in advance and it will be mandatory for all visitors to bear a standard Indian passport. The recommendations further say that all visitors shall be required to obtain a security clearance certificate from Indian authorities. Pakistan shall issue permits to 500 visitors per day and local authorities shall reserve rights to admission. On November 28, Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone for the corridor on the Pakistani side that will connect Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak situated in Indian Punjab's Gurdaspur. Two days earlier, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone for the corridor on the Indian side of the border. Pakistan has said it will complete and open the corridor before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November, 2019. (Image: Reuters) A Canadian citizen who was detained in China this month has returned to Canada after being released from custody, a Canadian government spokesman said on December 28. The spokesman did not specify when the Canadian was released or returned to Canada. Earlier in the day, broadcaster CBC identified the citizen as Canadian teacher Sarah McIver. China's Foreign Ministry said this month that McIver was undergoing "administrative punishment" for working illegally. McIver was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd., but a Canadian official said there was no reason to believe that the woman's detention was linked to the earlier arrests. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mention the woman in calling for the release of the other two Canadians last week. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, a Chinese court will hear an appeal in the case of a Canadian citizen held on drugs charges, that could further test the tense relations between the two countries. The high court in the city of Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning will hear the appeal of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg from 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), it said in a statement this week. A Dalian government news portal said Schellenberg was a Canadian and that this was an appeal hearing after he was found by an earlier ruling to have smuggled "an enormous amount of drugs" into China. Canada's government said this week it had been following the case for several years and providing consular assistance, but could provide no other details, citing privacy concerns. Drugs offences are usually punished severely in China. China executed a Briton caught smuggling heroin in 2009, prompting a British outcry over what it said was the lack of any mental health assessment. Atal Bihari Vajpayee | On August 16, one of India's most revolutionary politicians and first non-Congress prime minister breathed his last after prolonged illness. Vajpayee, who died at 93, is well known for the Pokhran nuclear tests conducted by India in 1998. (Image: PTI) Narayan Datt Tiwari | Another exemplary politician bid India goodbye on October 18. Tiwari, who served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for three terms and Uttarakhand for one term, passed away at the age of 93. Tiwari was formerly with the Praja Socialist Party and later joined the Indian National Congress. Muthuvel Karunanidhi | Fondly known as Kalaignar, the writer and politician from Tamil Nadu, died at 94. He served as CM of the southern state for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He was a long-standing leader of the Dravidian movement and 10-time president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party. (Image: Reuters) George Herbert Walker Bush | The 41st US president and member of the Republican Party died at 94 on November 30. Prior to presidency, he served as the 43rd vice president. (Image: Reuters) Stephen Hawking | Touted as the smartest man on the planet, Hawking passed away at 76 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since a young age. His work in theoretical physics and cosmology won him many accolades in the field of science. (Image: Reuters) Sri Devi | The veteran actress and India's first female superstar, Sri Devi's demise shocked the country. On February 24, Sri Devi was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Dubai. She was 54. (Creative: Network 18) Stan Lee | The patriarch of Marvel Comics who introduced the world to superhero storytelling died at the age of 95 in November. (Image: Reuters) Paul Allen | The billionaire co-founder of Microsoft (pictured right) breathed his last in October at the age of 65. Along with Bill Gates (pictured left), Allen helped spark the microcomputer revolution following the launch of Microsoft which became the world's largest PC software company. (Image: Reuters) Kofi Atta Annan | A Ghanaian diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. He passed away at the age of 80. He was Founder and Chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organisation founded by Nelson Mandela. (Image: Reuters) Hubert de Givenchy | Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy, the famous French fashion designer who founded the successful fashion brand House of Givenchy in 1952, passed away in March at 91. He is known for having designed the wardrobe of actress Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and clothing for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. (Image: Reuters) The third of China's domestically-developed C919 passenger planes to roll off the production line landed safely at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after successfully completing 21 different tests during a 1 hour and 38 minute flight. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China plans to build six of the aircraft to use for flight testing. The first three are primarily for testing performance, operability, and the structure of the aircraft. The following three will be used mainly for tests on the plane's electronic equipment, internal control systems, cabin systems, and resistance to extreme weather. The third test aircraft will now head to the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province for further testing. The first and second C919s, which made their maiden flights in May and December last year respectively, are currently conducting test flights in various Chinese airports. According to a statement made on Wednesday by China's Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng, all six test aircraft are scheduled for tests next year. December 29, 2018 To Win The 2020 Race Trump Will Need To Fire More Of His Staff We pointed out that overruling his advisors by ending the U.S. war on Syria was a decision that will define Trump's presidency: This was the first time Trump took a decisive stand against the borg, the permanent neoconservative and interventionist establishment in his administration, the military and congress, that usually dictates U.S. foreign policy. It was this decision, and that he stuck to it, which finally made him presidential. Three analysts explain why Trump will need to go further down that road by finding people who diligently implement his foreign policy instead of undermining it. Gareth Porter describes how the U.S. military under Secretary of Defense Mattis implemented its own policy, one far from President Trump's wishes. It delayed his policy of withdrawal from Syria again and again. Trump finally broke the scheme: Mattis and Dunford were consciously exploiting Trumps defensiveness about a timeline to press ahead with their own strategy unless and until Trump publicly called them on it. That is what finally happened some weeks after Trumps six month deadline had passed. The claim by Trump advisors that they were taken by surprise was indeed disingenuous. What happened last week was that Trump followed up on the clear policy he had laid down in April. The former Indian Ambassador Bhadrakumar also calls Mattis resignation a defining moment in U.S. foreign policy. He points out that the resistance of the borg against the elected president's policy is in defiance of the will of the people: The really stunning part is that the bulk of Americas political class, think tanks and the media have rallied to support Mattis in an astounding display of defiance and spite toward their elected president. Suffice to say, there has been an insurrection against Trumps foreign policy agenda and Mattis was a key figure in that enterprise. Quintessentially, the established American political system what Trump calls the Swamp refuses to make way for the elected president, his mandate from the people for his political platform notwithstanding. Isnt it a sham that the US claims to have a government of the people, by the people, for the people? The majority of the people indeed agree with Trump's policy: Fifty-two percent of respondents said they back the moves in Syria and Afghanistan, which came as a surprise to the presidents own national security advisers when it was announced last week. By contrast, 48 percent said they oppose the troop withdrawals and reductions, the poll found. Now, that the decision is made, even Obama's Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who personally instigated the insurgency against the Syrian government, comes out in favor of the Trump ordered retreat: Many observers have asserted that the withdrawal gives victory in Syria to Russia, Iran and the Syrian government. Thats absurd. Bashar al-Assads regime already controls about two-thirds of Syria, including all of the major cities. The portion of Syria that U.S. forces control alongside their Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) allies is mostly either desert or drought-prone plains. The oil fields there produce high-sulfur, low-value crude, and production has long been diminishing. Oil revenue made up only about 5 percent of Syrian gross domestic product before the 2011 uprising, according to the International Monetary Fund. In sum, holding northeastern Syria would not have enabled Washington to leverage any important concessions from Damascus, Tehran or Moscow. In a clear rejection of John Bolton's and Mattis' overt manipulation of Trump's policies, Ford urges Trump to bring the people under him in line with his own ideas: [T]he president needs to consider how his own foreign policy team got so far out ahead of him on Syria. He needs a National Security Council staff that can more clearly relay his cautions and concerns about U.S. foreign policy to the people in charge of executing it. That staff needs to make clear to officials in the departments that, while he hears various departments views, those departments must act on his guidance. Ensuring implementation is the NSCs job. The president would benefit politically and, more importantly, U.S. national security would benefit from a more effective foreign policy team. Porter makes a similar point: The Syria withdrawal affair is a dramatic illustration of the fundamental quandary of the Trump presidency in regard to ending the state of permanent war that previous administrations created. Although a solid majority of Americans want to rein in U.S. military deployments in the Middle East and Africa, Trumps national security team is committed to doing the opposite. ... Trump is now well aware that it is virtually impossible to carry out the foreign policy that he wants without advisors who are committed to the same objective. That means that he must find people who have remained outside the system during the permanent war years while being highly critical of its whole ideology and culture. If he can fill key positions with truly dissident figures, the last two years of this term in office could decisively clip the wings of the bureaucrats and generals who have created the permanent war state we find ourselves in today. Bhadrakumar sees a continuous struggle ahead, but believes that Trump knows of the importance to assert his policy: [Mattis'] exit is not going to be the end of the vicious struggle going on in American politics. The good part is that Trump seems to understand that it will be a downhill slope ahead of him unless he took a last-ditch stance and dug in now to assert his constitutional prerogative as the president to push his foreign policy agenda. The point is, that agenda also happens to be linked to Trumps campaign platform for the 2020 election. To win in the 2020 elections Trump needs to show that he fulfilled the promises he made during the 2016 campaign. Draining the swamp and ending U.S. military involvement throughout the world were two of his major points. Both have a large constituency. Finally finding people who support these policies, instead of undermining them, would definitely increase his chance to win the next election. Who will he choose? Posted by b on December 29, 2018 at 18:59 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page In a matter of months, the Midland County Commissioners Court showed the voters they were elected to make decisions and that elections wouldnt always have consequences. The five-member court first showed itself to be a team player, donating $10.66 million to other government entities inside Midland County. That included $5 million to Midland ISD and $2.5 million each to Midland College and Midland Memorial Hospital. It was philanthropy that drew praise from around the community. Commissioners during that August meeting also decided to give another $1.5 million-plus to nonprofits in the community, including $700,000 to the Midland Humane Coalition and $100,000 each to Keep Midland Beautiful, Midland County Airfield Foundation, The Fields Edge and Chris Davidson Opportunity Park. Shanghai officials on Thursday announced the construction of a demonstration zone in the coastal Lingang area in Pudong as part of the metropolis' exploration into future city development. The 148,000-square-meter demonstration zone, also known as Harbor City Plaza, will serve as a community comprising office spaces, residential apartments, commercial entities, hotels and a library when it is completed in 2021, according to He Xiaotao, chief planner of the project. The project was announced on Thursday at the Lingang Future City Forum which was attended by experts in the fields of city planning, economic innovation, ecology, humanity and culture. As China has been undergoing rapid urbanization over the past few decades, many large cities in the country now face problems such as city congestion, ecological degradation and soaring property prices. Experts said that that through a system of innovation, the development of a future city, which has become one of the major drivers in China's quest for further reforms, offers solutions to those challenges and brings about healthier, wealthier and cleaner cities for everyone. Stephen Evans, a professor from Cambridge University, said a future city offers promises of improved efficiency, technology and ecological environment. As a city with a leading role to play in the development of the Yangzte River Delta region, Shanghai is spearheading the development of a future city with the project, said Weng Zuliang, Party chief of Pudong New Area. "Developing Lingang into a future city will serve as an example of Pudong's further opening-up and innovation," Weng said. The first stage of the four-phase project will see the establishment of office spaces, corporate headquarters, an industrial park, shared office spaces and lifestyle facilities. The buildings will also have green and sustainable features. The second phase will focus on residential apartments tailored for young people and white collar workers. The third phase of the project will revolve around culture and will include a landmark that comprises a library, a culture center and a theater. The commercial entities in this phase will include a cinema, a high-end supermarket, various trendy consumer brands, an art hotel and a business hotel. Local planner said they are already in discussion about introducing another big-name hotel in the fourth phase. The Pinewood Derby isnt just for Boy Scouts anymore. Not now that the Budweiser Adult Pine Car Derby is racing to Jacksonville to raise money for a good cause. The event, hosted by Tom Finch Automotive and Jacksonville Speedway, will feature races for both the casual and the casually competitive pinewood racer. Kenny Dobson, owner of Jacksonville Speedway, said the idea was a natural fit for his business. Its an idea that just kind of came to us over the winter as something that people could enjoy and that would be fitting for a racetrack to host, Dobson said. The derby will have two categories, the simple class and the super stock class. The simpler or conservative build is for people who just want to participate and help the cause, Dobson said. Those builds dont require a lot of ingenuity or engineering. Then we have what Im calling the super stock class. Its a different class for people who want to use a little more ingenuity and creativity. Winners could take home a cash prize and trophies. There also will be a vintage class for those who have raced a pinewood car in the past. The cars used in that class must have been built more than eight years ago and that class will have its own trophy. Ultimately, the event is all about fun and fundraising, Dobson said, noting that highlights of the day will include food and music being spun by DJ Andy Ezard, otherwise known as Jacksonvilles mayor. We view it as a fun day, not a serious competition, and it really does benefit a good cause, Dobson said. I really invite everyone to find a way to participate. Pick up a car and relive a little bit of your childhood. The derby will be from 2 to 11 p.m. Jan. 26 at Jacksonville Speedway. A kit for a Boy Scout-regulation pinewood derby car and pre-registration can be purchased for $20 at Tom Finch Automotive in Jacksonville. The car without pre-registration is available at the business for $5, though registration at the gate the day of the event also will cost $20 meaning advance registration saves $5. Proceeds of the event will benefit the nonprofit Ken Bradbury Foundation, which supports west-central Illinois students who are involved in the arts. Rules can be found at jacksonvillespeedway.com. Along with participants, organizers are looking for a Pinewood Derby track that could be used as a spare track, Dobson said. Anyone who might have a track to loan to the event for the day can reach Dobson at 217-371-3653. Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper. Two child traffickers were sentenced to death in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, after a public hearing on Friday. The verdict against Zhang Weiping and Zhou Rongping was handed down by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Friday morning. All the assets they illegally gained from trafficking children were confiscated, the verdict said. Additionally, the court sentenced Yang Chaoping and Liu Zhenghong, key members in the gang, to life in prison. Another gang member, Chen Shoubi, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars and fined 3,000 yuan ($440). All the defendants are from Zunyi, Guizhou province. The court said Zhang, Zhou and their gang were found to have participated in nine cases of abducting and trafficking children between 2003 and 2005and the whereabouts of the nine are still unknown. The verdict said Zhang and Zhou had committed serious crimes and harmed society, and they should be harshly punished to deter others. Zhang, Zhou and their gang members were detained separately from March to June in 2016, as police busted the gang. Zhang admitted to have sold the nine children via an intermediary he called Mei Yi, who is still on the run. The Guangzhou Public Security Bureau published Mei Yi's portrait in June last year and is now posting a reward for the whereabouts and capture of Mei Yi. In one of the cases, the gang broke into the rented home of migrant worker Shen Junliang and his wife when Shen was not at home, tied up the wife and took away her 11-month-old boy in 2005. The boy was sold via Mei Yi for 13,000 yuan. Shen, from Henan province, quit his job to look for his son for the past 13 years, and ended up heavily in debt. Shen's wife has suffered from psychological trauma since her son was abducted. After attending the public hearing on Friday, Shen said he had mixed feelings when he learned Zhang and Zhou were sentenced to death. "They should be sentenced to death ... but police will have even more difficulties to find Mei Yi and thus locate the abducted children after the pair are put to death," Shen said with tears in his eyes. Shen said he hoped police would be able to help him find his son, since he had failed to find him after having traveled in every small lane in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan and other major cities in Guangdong. Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen are ranked first, second, and third in the "China Integrated City Index 2018" released Thursday at a symposium in Beijing. The index was compiled by the National Development and Reform Commission's development planning department and Cloud River Research Institute, who jointly hosted the symposium. The index evaluates 298 Chinese cities in terms of their society, economy, and environment, while establishing a set of quantitative standards and references for the urbanization and development of Chinese cities. This year's report focuses on the theme of "metropolitan area and development strategies." On rankings, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen are followed by Guangzhou, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanjing, and Wuhan to round up the top 10. In the environment category, Shenzhen, Sanya and Haikou take the first three positions, followed by Pu'er, Beijing, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Fuzhou and Chongqing. In the society category, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are the top three followed by Hangzhou, Tianjin, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Nanjing. In terms of the economy index, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen are the top three cities, followed by Guangzhou, Tianjin, Suzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan. "Based on indexes of all categories, we can observe a clear evidence of the concentration of functions in big cities as well as the polarization between cities," said Zhou Muzhi, head of Cloud River Research Institute and the index expert group. For instance, the top 30 cities account for 42.5 percent of the nation's total GDP, 74.9 percent of the manufacturing export, 92.8 percent of universities listed in Project 211 and Project 985, and 50.2 percent of Tier 3A hospitals. As to the number of listed companies on the main board, enterprises from the top 30 cities account for 69.7 percent, among which 39.6 percent are located in the top three cities. Meanwhile, airports in the top 30 cities have received a large number of visitors, making up 81.3 percent of the total, while container ports in the top 30 have contributed to up to 97.8 percent of the nation's total throughput. A major feature of the report is the introduction of the concept of densely inhabited district (DID). The report defines a district with a population density of 5,000 or more per square kilometer as a DID, and it analyzes the relationship between the DID population and key indicators. It found that the DID population is highly correlated with the vitality and quality of urban development. Zhou said China has overemphasized the pressure on the urban environment and infrastructure brought by population size and density without realizing that high-density population is an important foundation of urban development. He said China must discard such a misconception, promote intelligent urban governance and enhance the vitality and quality of the development through improving DID quality and scale. "The real economic development of China has only started since the beginning of the 21st century," Zhou said. "There are two main driving forces for China's economic development. One is international trade after it joined the WTO and the other is urbanization." The report analyzes key indicators of urbanization in China from 2000 to 2016, showing that during this period, China's GDP increased by 330 percent and the urban area expanded 180 percent, whereas the population in DID only increased 20 percent. "It is more of the urbanization in land than urbanization in population," Zhou said. During this period, the energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by 40 percent, and the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP fell by 30 percent. However, the energy consumption per capita rose sharply. For example, the electricity consumption per capita increased 330 percent, leading to an increase of 210 percent in the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions and making China the world's largest carbon dioxide emitter. Zhou said he believes China has an urgent need to improve the quality of economic development and urban construction. The report also compares two major metropolitan areas of East Asia -- the Beijing metropolitan area (Beijing and its suburbs) and the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba) in terms of population, GDP, carbon dioxide emissions, and PM2.5 levels. According to the report, while the Beijing metropolitan area is 1.2 times the size of the Tokyo metropolitan area, its permanent population and DID population are only about 60 percent of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Beijing's GDP is only 30 percent of the Tokyo metropolitan area, and its GDP per capita is only half that of the Tokyo metropolitan area. However, Beijing's energy consumption per unit of GDP is 7.4 times that of the Tokyo metropolitan area, and Beijing's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP are 4.7 times that of Tokyo's. As a result, despite a much smaller population and GDP, Beijing's carbon dioxide emissions are 1.2 times that of the Tokyo metropolitan area. "Beijing needs to implement the metropolitan area development strategies, optimize the urban DID spatial structure as well as the economic structure, improve the lifestyle, and enhance the resource utilization efficiency," Zhou said. Zhao Qizheng, former director of the State Council Information Office and the first director of the Pudong New Area Management Committee, spoke highly of the index and said he believes the index provides new ideas, discourses, and frameworks for understanding and governing a city. Yang Weimin, chief expert of the index expert group, said he believes the three-dimensional view of cities reflects a well-balanced conception and provides guidance for a more comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of cities. "The report is not only an evaluation, but also a direction for progress," Yang said. Sonora, CA While being arrested for trying to cash a stolen check, a search of the suspects vehicle uncovered a loaded handgun. Tuolumne County Sheriffs Deputies were called to the Money Mart in the Junction Shopping Center on Mono Way in East Sonora. Once on scene, they questioned 42-year-old Cali Gibb and 27-year-old James Brant, both from Discovery Bay. Deputies learned that Brant had tried to pass a check with the same persons name on it at a Sacramento Money Mart weeks earlier. A call to the victim named on the check revealed that a briefcase and checkbook were stolen from his car. The pair was taken into custody and their 2007 Ford Mustang was searched. Sheriffs spokesperson Sgt. Andreas Benson details, Inside deputies uncovered a loaded 9mm Glock handgun, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a stolen cell phone, two vehicle pink slips that had been washed of all information, a US Bank card, and a debit Visa card containing altered information. While being processed at the jail, a search of Brant turned up a small bindle of methamphetamine. Both face charges of forgery, carrying a concealed firearm, addict in possession of a firearm, drug possession, and conspiracy. A passenger was taken to a San Antonio hospital early Saturday after an alleged intoxicated driver crashed into a median on Interstate 410. A man was driving north about 3:45 a.m. on the frontage road of Interstate 35 and lost control, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Journeys of Hope: Mission Concepcion 8-9 p.m. Guadalupe Radio Network, 89.7 FM-KJMA. Take a virtual tour of the oldest unrestored church in the United States. Learn about the illuminations of the missions famous Immaculate Conception painting. PilgrimCenterofHope.org; 210-521-3377. Free clothes closet 9 a.m.-noon Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. 210-333-4947. Trunk of Treasures 9 a.m.-2 p.m. St. Benedict Catholic Church, 4535 Lord Road. Cars with their trunks open to sell garage sale-type items line the parking lot. $10 for parking slot to sell items; free admission to shop. 210-648-0123. Jan. 6 Migration Mass 10:30 a.m. Chapel of the Incarnate Word, 4503 Broadway. The Migration Mass marks the Feast of the Epiphany. It will be followed by a talk on migrants and refugees for National Migration Week. Fiesta de Los Tres Reyes Magos 1 p.m. San Fernando Cathedral Hall, 231 W. Commerce St. The Puerto Rican Heritage Society celebrates the Epiphany with its annual Three Kings Day. The childrens event features a visit by Melchoir, Gaspar and Balthasar. Free. Jan. 20 Choral Evensong 4:30 p.m. St. Lukes Episcopal Church, 11 St. Lukes Lane. Featuring the premiere of Kevin Salfens Preces & Responses, dedicated to St. Lukes Choir. Reception following. For more information, contact Russell Jackson, music director & organist, St Lukes Episcopal Church, russellj@stlukes-sa.net Feb. 17 Choral Evensong 4:30 p.m. St. Lukes Episcopal Church, 11 St. Lukes Lane. The choir of the University of the Incarnate Word joins Februarys Evensong that features American composers. The Evensong includes New Year Canticles, and the introit is by the much-loved American organist and composer Jack Ossewaarde. Reception following. Contact: russellj@stlukes-sa.net Feb. 23 Catholic Mens Conference 2019 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Norris Conference Center, Park North Shopping Center, 618 NW Loop 410 No. 207. The theme is Your Spiritual Boot Camp for the Soul. Speakers include Father Larry Richards, Father Ken Geraci, and Dr. Ralph Martin; Mass with Bishop Michael Boulette. For more information, contact CMCSanAntonio.com or call 210-521-3377. Ongoing Nar-Anon family groups meet at 7-8 p.m. Mondays; 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, Recovery Place, 10929 Nacogdoches; 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, 7575 Tezel Road. Nar-Anon is a support group for those affected by someone elses addiction. Nar-AnonSA@gmail.com . Israeli dancing 7:30 p.m. Mondays, Barshop Jewish Community Center, 12500 Northwest Military Highway. All dance levels welcome. 210-302-6820, israelidancesa.org. God encounter 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays, Kings Mission Fellowship, 610 Moursund. kingsmissionsa.com, 210-922-5366. In-depth Bible study Wednesdays, Mayfield Park Church, 700 W. Hutchins Place, with Pastor Mike Sutton. Meetings with meal 5:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall; Bible study 6-6:45 p.m., followed by open discussion until 7:30 p.m. Child care available. Contact: 210-923-2241. Farmers market and craft show 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays, Journey Fellowship Church parking lot, Interstate 35 North, Selma. Vendors sell vegetables, eggs, honey, nuts, plants, crafts and more. Contact Lance Tiner, 210-828-3053; Lance@4CityMarket.com 12-step recovery group for compulsive overeaters noon-1 p.m. Thursdays, Cresholme Presbyterian Church, 1602 Goliad. Small building behind church. Free. 210-977-8379. City Base Cancer Support Group 7 p.m. Thursdays, Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Contact: Brenda Fox, 210-415-2830. Families recovering 7 p.m. Thursdays at Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Free 12-step group program similar to Al-Anon. 210-863-1813 or 210-861-4161. Recovering in unity 5:30 p.m. Fridays, Unity Heights Building Community Center, 8103 Broadway. Combines traditional 12 steps with spiritual empowerment; appropriate for those who dont subscribe to the idea of an anthropomorphic God. 325-245-3057. Celebrate Recovery Fridays, Mayfield Park Church, 700 W. Hutchins Place. Free 12-step program for people struggling with hurts, hang-ups and habits. Meetings with meal 6:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Large group time 7:15 p.m.; smaller groups 8:15 p.m. Child care available. Contact: 210-923-2241.New Life Cancer Support Team 7 p.m., third Monday of the month, Fellowship Building, New Life Baptist Church, 101 North St., Converse. Contact: 210-658-1972. Calendar Deadline Progressives have some intellectual and moral work to do. What are cast as political challenges to liberals and the left are also philosophical problems. Resolving them is essential to sorting out the tensions among the movements goals and establishing its priorities. It comes down to this: Whom do progressives think theyre fighting for? Its a question joined most pointedly in arguments over identity politics. The debate itself is flawed because its not clear what it means to be for or against identity politics. All politics is about identity in some way, since all of us think of ourselves as, well, something. To use an example I am especially familiar with: Im a reasonably well-off white male liberal who grew up in a middle-class family in a working-class city in Massachusetts where Catholicism and trade unions were important parts of life. I was born in the United States of French-Canadian heritage. Im a husband, a father and a baby boomer. I was also inspired by teachers, friends and books. Id love to claim these various intellectual and moral influences as the primary shapers of my worldview. But social scientists and psychologists would be quick to point out that Id be lying if I pretended that my demographic background has had no effect on how I think. This limited tour of my political psyche is the sort of exercise all of us can engage in. Such a reckoning is a commentary both on the limits of identity politics (we are all multiples of some kind) and on the limits of any argument for abandoning identity politics (we can never entirely divorce ourselves from who we are). Disputes over the merits of identity politics are vexed because they are often seen as code for unstated claims or points of view. For example, calls for an end to identity politics are frequently (and reasonably) interpreted by African-Americans, Latinos, women and LGBTQ people as not-so-veiled attempts to make politics about straight white men again. This alone makes the war on identity a non-starter among progressives and Democrats. One of liberalisms most noble commitments is to advancing the rights of minorities and those who have suffered discrimination. Contemporary progressives would lose their moral compass, not to mention a lot of votes, if they cast this mission aside. But there is another strong, if fluid, identity at play in politics and social life: class. What many critics of identity politics are implying is that progressives have downplayed class politics to their own detriment and the countrys. Moving away from a robust focus on the interests of working-class men and women of all races, this view holds, was a mistake on two levels. Liberals lost a rhetoric that can appeal across the divides of race, ethnicity and gender. And they moved away from an approach to politics and policy that would deal with one of the premier problems of our time: the rise of extraordinary inequalities of wealth and income. On the left, the word intersectionality has gained popularity as it deals with the cross-cutting effects of race, gender and class, and there is no doubt that progressive politics will, of necessity, be intersectional. But beyond buzz words, progressives must find a politics that links worker rights with civil rights, racial and gender justice with social justice more broadly. In the 2018 elections, Democrats found that an emphasis on health care, access to education and higher wages worked across many constituencies. A war on corruption targeting the power of monied elites holds similar promise. It was a start. What all sides need to acknowledge is that identity politics is, of its nature, highly combustible. In his book Modernity and Its Discontents, Yale political scientist Steven B. Smith offered this in an essay on the philosopher Isaiah Berlin: Identities are not just things we have, they define who we are. We can compromise and balance interests. We cannot so easily adjudicate our identities. This is important to bear in mind, because political coalitions and democratic nations alike require a degree of solidarity rooted in our willingness to uphold each others rights partly to protect our own rights but also to fashion a more just social order. In grappling with the tensions entailed in identity politics, we can do worse than to remember Rabbi Hillels celebrated observation: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? Hillel was not a political consultant, but his balanced approach remains sound, electorally as well as morally. @EJDionne Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services deputy minister Energy Mutodi has rubbished claims by Nelson Chamisa that he met with President Cyril Ramaphosa last week to seek help from SA to break Zimbabwes political and economic impasse. Mutodi said SA ambassador to Zimbabwe Mphakama Mbete had said he was not aware of any meeting Chamisa had with Ramaphosa ostensibly to seek his help to mediate in talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stem Zimbabwes worsening economic crisis. Economic conditions have deteriorated since Julys contentious election narrowly won by Mnangagwa, as world powers keep their distance. Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party in the former British colony, has been pushing for a transitional authority to move the country forward. Mnangagwa has outrightly rejected this. Ive spoken to the SA Ambassador to Zimbabwe Cde Mphakama Mbete & he has said he is not aware of any official meeting between President Cyril Ramaposa & opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa. The SA gvt is fully behind President Mnangagwa & will not waste time entertaining MDC, Mutodi said on microblogging site Twitter last night. In a message he posted on Twitter this week, Chamisa said he had sought assistance from Ramaphosa over Zimbabwes challenges. A few days ago I had a fruitful meeting in Pretoria with my distinguished brother and fountain of wisdom the president of the republic of South Africa His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa on a wide range of urgent and important issues regarding the well being of the people of Zim, Chamisa tweeted. MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume was quoted saying the meeting sought to reach out to Mnangagwa. The economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is worsening and what is important is that this affects our neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa. We feel that Zimbabwe is becoming a regional security threat because of the failure by Mnangagwas government to solve the political stalemate over his illegitimacy. The economic crisis has the effect of causing a burden to South Africa owing to the exodus of people that are fleeing the worsening economy. Mnangagwa has refused to listen to our concerns, so we felt it was better for us to meet President Ramaphosa to listen to our concerns and also to relay our message to Mnangagwa. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News AN unintended slip-up by health ministry officials has triggered a new frontier in the on-going war of attrition between government and medical practitioners. In a stinging statement Friday, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) claimed Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo and Acting President Constantino Chiwenga must explain after it was claimed that the administration was distributing expired drugs. Chiwenga on Thursday visited Parirenyatwa Hospital as well as government drugs manufacturer Natpharm in Harare as part of what medical practitioners claim is a sinister campaign meant to turn them into the fall-guys in the fight. Doctors have been on strike for over a month now demanding better working conditions including availability of drugs. When we visited Natpharm, we did not see the protective clothing and laboratory machines we requested. Instead we noted that some of the medication which was being peddled as stocks was beyond expiry date and the said consignment has donor drugs (that) should not be passed for bought drugs to the taxpayer, the statement claimed. The ZHDA added that Moyo told Chiwenga that the drugs had been procured a fortnight ago. However, in the statement the medical practitioners questioned why these medicines had not been distributed to hospitals. Furthermore, the Minister (Moyo) said the medication was procured two weeks ago but none has reached our hospitals. We would like to know whether the medication was kept until it expired or was procured as is both of which are acts of sabotage to the nation and the Presidium and the Minister should be taken to task, said ZHDA. Government claims it is doing everything possible to make sure ordinary people have access to affordable drugs, but doctors have argued that the State has not done enough to ease the situation. NewZimbabwe Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Giraffes just silently went to the list of endangered animals facing extinction India Today (furzy) :-( Richard Overton (19062018), oldest U.S. WWII veteran Legacy (EM) Dramatic collapse of Indonesian volcano BBC New calculations may finally make fusion energy a reality Futurism (David L) Under current policies, residential batteries increase emissions in most cases ars technica Chinese Gene-Editing Trial Loses Track of Patients, Alarming Technologys Inventors Wall Street Journal China? Brexit Varadkar says hes reluctant to use the term vulture fund to describe firms that have bought up Irish mortgages The Journal. PlutoniumKun: Some context it is much harder under Irish law for banks to foreclose on mortgages, hence they are often stuck with underperforming loans on their books for many years (some claim this has led to Ireland having higher mortgage costs than anywhere else in Europe). Hence the attractiveness to the mainstream banks to sell these off to vulture funds. To be fair, some do seem better than Irish banks at more imaginative ways to manage these loans, but there are increasing fears that they will start ejecting people (no clear evidence of this yet). Syraqistan Former McKinsey Executive Imprisoned by Saudis Wall Street Journal (Brian C). As one former McKinzoid noted, I remember a time when acquisitions were as verboten as operating in dodgy countries. Trump Transition Martha r: I (left) was proud to appear with my partner and his son and daughter this afternoon and thrilled to be retweeted by greta around the world! Why did nobody mention that Beto ORourkes wife is a billionaire heiress? Spectator USA (furzy) California Town OKs Destruction Of Police Shooting Records Days Before They Could Be Obtained By The Public Techdirt (Randy K) Hoyer says House will not seat a North Carolina Republican amid questions about integrity of election Washington Post (furzy) Maine governor deems congressional election stolen while certifying result CNN. Kevin W: What a dick! He actually wrote stolen election next to his signature. You can see it in the image. As U.S. soldiers battle landlord, confidential records shine light on his lucrative business Reuters (resilc) There have been 8,662 trading days since August 1984 (the furthest back we have intraday data). Of all those days, there has been only 1 when the S&P 500 was down more than 2% at 2:30 and reversed enough to close up by more than 0.5% That was October 28, 2008. SentimenTrader (@sentimentrader) December 27, 2018 Tesla adds Larry Ellison to its board after SEC slapdown Engadget (EM). What sexual favors were exchanged for Tesla to get this headline? As if Ellison were a model of corporate governance. Gah. His board is packed with cronies. An even more telling take: Tesla Brings On The Grizzled Theranos Team Seeking Alpha Sears wins reprieve from liquidation as Chairman Lampert makes last-minute bid on bankrupt company CNBC. Kevin W: Am I reading this right? He destroys Sears and the uses his hedge fund to buy it up on the cheap? Confirming our dim vies of Paetron (Chuck L): So @Patreon suspended my account. They did this in secret. They have not notified me. I simply noticed that they stopped sending me money. Scott Helme (@Scott_Helme) December 24, 2018 Class Warfare Antidote du jour (margarita): And a bonus video: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. (Natural News) An attorney for Trump confidante Roger Stone has sent a letter to the House Intelligence Committee demanding the panel release the full testimony his client gave the panel in September 2017 during a closed-door session. In his Dec. 20 letter, which was addressed to committee chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., attorney Grant J. Smith said that it was imperative that Stones four-hour testimony be released publicly so his client could combat allegations that he lied under oath to the panel. Since the end of the 2016 election and, more specifically, in the 15 months since Mr. Stone testified before HPSCI, he has been subjected to unprecedented and unrelenting falsehoods and mischaracterizations concerning the substance and subject matter about which he may or may not have provided testimony to your Committee, Smith wrote. Notwithstanding the ceaseless torrent of partisan claims to the contrary to which Mr. Stone has been subjected by certain minority members of the Committee, Mr. Stones testimony provided during the Interview was forthcoming, truthful, and wholly consistent with his many detailed public statements on the matters being investigated, Smith continued. Given the sheer volume of partisan aspersions cast on Mr. Stone and his veracity by some of the Committees minority members, the accurate and full record of his testimony warrants immediate and full release for everyone to see. Smiths letter is dated a day after special counsel Robert Mueller requested a full transcript of Stones testimony. The Associated Press reported that the panel voted unanimously in favor of releasing it to the special counsel. The AP noted that Muellers request could be an indication that he is considering using the transcript to support criminal charges against Stone. Democrats have stated publicly they will send Muellers office all transcripts related to the Intelligence Committees Russia investigation once they take over Congress in January. (Related: FBI tried to frame Roger Stone as part of Russia collusion hoax, but Stone didnt take the bait.) Nothing to hide The AP noted further: Stone has been under investigation for months as prosecutors try to establish what knowledge he may have had about plans by WikiLeaks to release stolen Democratic emails in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Just before WikiLeaks released hacked emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, Stone tweeted Trust me, it will soon the Podestas time in the barrel. But Stone says he had no inside knowledge about the content, source or timing of WikiLeaks disclosure. Mueller has been aggressive in pursuing perjury charges against associates of POTUS Trump and others targeted by his investigation. But so far, no one has been charged under Muellers original mandate of finding collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Moscow. In his letter, Smith said Stone first requested that he be allowed to provide testimony to Intelligence Committee in a public setting, but that was declined. He also said that Stone requested the panel make his testimony public immediately following his appearance, but the panel has failed to do so. Currently, Smith wrote, the committee has made the transcript available only to authorized House members and Stone or his legal designees who can review the testimony by appointment in a secure office facility. In order for Mr. Stone to properly and effectively defend himself from the partisan attacks that have only been made possible by the Committees ongoing retention in secret of the only verified and accurate record of his testimony, Mr. Stone must be immediately provided this record, in full and without any arbitrary restrictions, Smith wrote. Smith added that Stone did not have advance knowledge of either the course or content of releases by WikiLeaks in the weeks prior to the 2016 election of hacked or stolen emails damaging to Hillary Clinton. Its not clear why the committee has not agreed to release Stones testimony to the public or why the panel wanted him to provide it behind closed doors. Stay current with Robert Muellers investigation at RobertMuller.news. Sources include: StoneColdTruth.com TheNationalSentinel.com (Natural News) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials have documented an immigrants father saying that his son felt better after vomiting, and that he was declining further medical treatment for his son (even though the boy died later), but mainstream media has conveniently left out this immensely important fact from the news, in another sad and desperate attempt to implicate President Trump for anything that goes wrong near the border. Independent media is setting the record straight now, once again, since the MSM fake news (CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, NYT, WaPo) has to put their slant on everything these days. What really happened? It was Christmas Eve, and a little 8-year-old Guatemalan boy and his father entered a holding facility in El Paso, just 90 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The child had been vomiting before they arrived, and began vomiting again under care. Doctors ran an initial examination on the boy, who was running a fever, and diagnosed him with a common cold. He was prescribed antibiotics and fever reducing medication, then released, under the fathers recommendation. Later that evening, the two arrived at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in New Mexico, and the boy, who was still vomiting, ending up passing away. At that point, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) were still unsure of the cause of death, but now medical examiners are saying he had the influenza B, which may have contributed to his death, among other possible infections. Its time to test the Guatemalan boys blood for malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, hepatitis A-E, parasites, pathogens, AIDS, Chagas disease, and Hansens disease If it werent for the insane Democrats screaming for open borders and no more walls, all immigrants (legal or illegal) would be required to have medical screenings to make sure theyre not carrying infectious diseases into the U.S. Malaria was eradicated from the U.S. way back in the 1940s, but recent outbreaks popped up in southern California and Houston. Coincidence? Hansens disease (a.k.a. leprosy) has been documented in 9,000 people in the U.S. over the past three years, most of whom were illegal aliens. Yes, leprosy is being imported across southern Texas and southern California from South America, and the mass media refuse to report on the pandemic. Hepatitis is a viral infection that attacks the liver. The vaccine against Hepatitis B is only partially effective and will not cure someone whos already infected. There is no vaccine for preventing Hepatitis C-E. Chagas disease was nonexistent in the U.S. until recently. Now, its estimated up to half a million people are infected, and the majority of those folks are illegal aliens. Most doctors dont even recognize it. The rate of HIV and AIDS infections among Latino women in California is double that of white women, and even higher in southern California clinics, where most of the patients are Central American or Mexican immigrants. Tuberculosis (TB) kills over two million people every year and is highly contagious. If a leading Democrats child caught TB from an illegal immigrant and died, theyd probably start singing a different tune about the border wall. Just like the common cold, TB bacilli germs spread through the air, from sneezing and coughing. One illegal immigrant with TB can easily infect 15 people inside of a year. Though the U.S. has one of the lowest TB rates in the world, thats all about to change, as more untested and untreated illegal immigrants flood into the country, just like the Democrats are pleading for right now. Mexico has 10 times the rate of prevalence of tuberculosis compared to developed countries, including the multi-drug-resistant strain (MDR) American hospitals are already under water battling superbug infections like MRSA that are immune to all antibiotics. Now, illegal aliens are bombarding the southern U.S. border like zombies from the movie World War Z. These alien zombies are carrying all kinds of diseases, despite the epidemic of lies that mainstream media spreads (pardon the pun). Treating just one single case of MDR TB costs a quarter of a million dollars, and still half of those patients die from it. Undocumented aliens and foreign-born patients (mainly from Mexico and the Philippines), who have been in the U.S. less than five years, make up the majority of the people in the U.S. who are dying from MDR-TB, all while they spread it to legal U.S. citizens. The percent of TB cases among the foreign-born jumped last year from around 30 percent to over 50 percent. Still want open borders? Still unknown if dead Guatemalan boy had parasitic worms or deadly pathogens in his blood Since there is no blood work documented on the poor little boy who died near the border, nobody can rule out that he died from an infection of deadly parasitic worms or pathogens he carried from his third world country, or that he picked up on the journey to the USA. The child could have easily been infected with Schistosomiasis, Guinea worms, whooping cough, cysticercosis, or Morgellons disease. Will we ever know? Unscreened illegal immigrants often carry a plethora of diseases and pathogens with them, that spread to their relatives, camp mates, and then to the unsuspecting U.S. population. DHS is now requesting that the CDC investigate the causes of so many sick migrants that are storming and crossing our border in their so-called innocent disease-infested caravans, that are still invading the U.S. as you read this article. Its time to stop blaming the President of the United States, who is doing everything he can to contain and prevent this pandemic of a problem. If anyone is to blame, it was the abominable Obama himself. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com DailyCaller.com Patch.com NaturalNews.com CDC.news (Natural News) An astonishing report from Judicial Watch reveals how the same deceptive media that goes insane over U.S. children who are unvaccinated simultaneously goes to extraordinary lengths to cover up the disease infestation of illegal migrants. The media is actively conspiring to bury the truth about how migrants are bringing HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis to America, all while receiving favored protections in sanctuary cities that effectively grant illegals legal immunity from the very same crimes that would send U.S. citizens to prison. (Calif. Governor Jerry Brown just pardoned violent convicted murderers in order to prevent them from being deported.) Heres the full article from Judicial Watch, an organization worthy of your year-end donations. Judicial Watch is doing the job the DOJ refuses to do. Media Buries Key Facts to Conceal Migrant Health ThreatTB, Hepatitis, HIV From Judicial Watch Heres a great example of the mainstream media distorting information to promote a liberal agenda, an act that is especially pervasive when it comes to immigration coverage. A story published by NBC news, and reiterated by various other outlets, claims illegal immigrants dont bring disease into the United States. The headline reads: Migrants dont bring disease. In fact, they help fight it, report says. The article focuses on a study commissioned by a medical journal called the Lancet and University College London. The finished product is titled Global patterns of mortality in international migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis and one of the researchers, Dr. Paul Spiegel, proclaims that migrants spreading disease is a false argument used to keep them out. The editor of the Lancet said; In too many countries, the issue of migration is used to divide societies and advance a populist agenda. Nevertheless, buried deep in the news article the reporter offers this important nugget from the study, only after writing that migrants are less likely than people in their host countries to die of heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and other ills: The exceptions are hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV. Last we checked those are deadly diseases and Judicial Watch has interviewed medical experts that confirm illegal immigrants do indeed pose a serious public health threat to the U.S. by bringing dangerous diseases into the country. This includes tuberculosis, dengue and Chikungunya. Just last month a prominent physician in a key border state warned that the caravan streaming north from Honduras will undoubtedly bring infectious diseases into the U.S. Among them are extremely drug resistant strands of tuberculosis and mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya that are widespread in the region. The same week Judicial Watch published the story about the caravan health threat a major newspaper reported on the health crisis created by the influx of Venezuelans fleeing to neighboring countries. The migrants are spreading malaria, yellow fever, diphtheria, dengue, tuberculosis and AIDS throughout South America. Many of the diseases had been considered eradicated in the neighboring Latin American countries, according to government officials cited in the article, which states that contagion from Venezuelas economic meltdown is starting to spread to neighboring countriesnot financially, but literally, in the form of potentially deadly diseases carried among millions of refugees. As an example, the story reveals that measles reappeared with a vengeance in a Brazilian city near the Venezuelan border that had declared the highly contagious airborne disease vanquished nearly two decades ago. Measles is already spreading beyond the Brazilian Amazon to other Brazilian states, as well as Colombia, Peru and as far south as Argentina, according to recent Pan American Health Organization reports, the article states. Other diseases racing through communities in Venezuela are now crossing borders and raising concerns among health authorities as far away as the U.S. Years ago, when Barack Obama let tens of thousands of illegal immigrant minors into the country, health experts warned about the serious hazards to the American public. Most of the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) came from Central America, like the current caravan, and they crossed into the U.S. through Mexico, in the same way that the caravan expects to. Swine flu, dengue fever and Ebola were among the diseases that the hordes of UACs brought with them, according to lawmakers and medical experts interviewed by Judicial Watch during the influx. At the time, a U.S. Congressman, who is also a medical doctor, told Judicial Watch about the danger to the American public as well as the Border Patrol agents forced to care for the UACs. The former lawmaker, Phil Gingrey, referred to it as a severe and dangerous crisis because the Central American youths were importing infectious diseases considered to be largely eradicated in this country. Many migrants lack basic vaccinations such as those to prevent chicken pox or measles, leaving Americas young children and the elderly particularly susceptible, Gingrey pointed out then. To handle the escalating health crisis the CDC activated an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that largely operated in secrecy. Even the recent study twisted by the mainstream media acknowledges that illegal immigrants are likely to carry hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV. Selectively burying the information doesnt change the severity of the matter. Though not a mainstream media outlet, a popular leftist news and opinion site went so far as to label those who claim migrants pose a threat to public health racist. Donate to Judicial Watch at this link. Read more news about the dangers of open borders at OpenBorders.news. (Natural News) Mosquitoes and other insects could be carrying an unexpected and completely different type of toxin in their bodies. A new study from the United Kingdom warned that these bugs could turn out to be carriers for microplastic pollution, stated a Scientific American article. The study found that mosquito larvae will swallow tiny bits of plastic waste floating in their watery homes. These microplastics will survive inside the adult insects until the day the latter die. If the bug gets consumed by a predator or scavenger, the microplastics in its body will get absorbed by the animal that ate it. Microplastics are known to heavily contaminate aquatic environments like rivers, oceans, and seas. They disrupt the food chain by poisoning, maiming, and killing marine lifeforms and seabirds. But they are also found in terrestrial locations. A lot of plastic waste gets dumped in landfills, where they are abraded into microplastics but retain their toxic properties. Researchers from the University of Reading (UR) are concerned that contaminants from aquatic environments might be affecting terrestrial ecosystems. The microplastics could be transferred over by bugs that start their lives out in water, (Related: Microplastic pollution is changing ocean ecosystems.) Microplastics eaten by mosquito larva stick around for a long time In the experiment, mosquito larva were presented with microscopic fluorescent plastic. The wrigglers received sufficient time to interact with the microplastics. Afterwards, the immature insects were transferred to clean water. The researchers took some of the larva for dissection. The guts of the animals were found to contain microplastics, suggesting that the mosquito larva ate the fluorescent plastics earlier. The larva were allowed to develop into pupa, which are unable to eat. Samples of the partially-metamorphosed animals were taken and cut open for examination. Like their earlier stage of development, the guts of the mosquito pupa also revealed microplastics. Since the bugs did not eat during this stage of their life, the plastics could only be leftovers that got eaten during the larval stage. Finally, the remaining pupa were permitted to grow into adult mosquitoes. Another round of dissection came up with the same results: There were still microplastics in the guts despite mosquitoes definitely not being the type to eat plastic. Are insect-borne microplastics a threat to the food chain? According to UR researcher Amanda Callaghan, the microplastics found inside the mosquitoes decreased with each stage of development. She theorized that the insects were able to expel some of the plastics over time. Callaghan added that the mosquitoes did not seem to be affected by the food they ate during their larval stage. But the threat posed by the microplastics isnt directed at the skeeters. Many animals feed on insects like adult mosquitoes. Bats, birds, and spiders are just some of these predators. And the larger the predator, the more mosquitoes it needs to eat. Microplastics are as tough as their larger equivalents. If they are consumed by mosquito larva and avoid getting expelled during development, the plastics will still be inside the fully-grown mosquito when the latter gets gobbled in droves. An animal that eats a lot of mosquitoes could also end up with plenty of microplastics in the gut. From there, the toxic plastics could enter the rest of the body and cause various health effects. Fortunately, Callaghan believed it unlikely for mosquitoes to pass the microplastics over to humans through bites. The plastics had little chance of ever reaching the salivary glands of the bug. But if you are still worried about the pests, you can always build your own mosquito traps. Learn how you can help preserve the environment for future generations at Ecology.news. Sources include: ScientificAmerican.com RoyalSocietyPublishing.org The 2-year-old boy whose Yemeni mother was granted a waiver to visit him at an Oakland hospital died Friday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said. Abdullah Hassan was battling a degenerative brain condition and was clinging to life at the UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital. "We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives," said father Ali Hassan in a statement. "We want to thank everyone for your love and support at this difficult time. We ask you to kindly keep Abdullah and our family in your thoughts and prayers." Abdullah's funeral service is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the California Islamic Center in Lodi, California, according to CAIR. Mother Shaima Swileh was able to receive a visa waiver from the State Department on Dec. 18. after a law firm filed an emergency lawsuit. "This was the best day ever," Hassan said. "I'm glad that my wife got her visa." Hassan previously broke down in tears at a news conference in Sacramento as he pleaded with authorities to allow Swileh to travel to the U.S. "My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold our son for one last time," Hassan said. "Time is running out, please help us get my family together again." Abdullah turned 2 years old two weeks ago. His father brought him to the U.S. earlier this year. Both Abdullah and his father are U.S. citizens. Swileh, however, is a Yemeni national and, before receiving the visa, was unable to visit under President Donald Trump's travel ban, which applies to mostly Muslim majority nations. Doctors had told the family that the boy's body wouldn't withstand life support much longer. "Our hearts are breaking for this family," said Saad Sweilem, a civil rights attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "The loss of a child is something no parent should experience, but not being able to be there in your child's last moments is unfathomably cruel." The family's plight had drawn support from a wide spectrum of religious leaders and civil rights activists, who hope to put pressure on Congress and the Trump administration. Betty Williams, president of the Sacramento branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, also called on Trump to allow an exception. "It's criminal that we have to stand before you and beg" for the family to be together, Williams said. An online action alert by CAIR, demanding that the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo reunite the family, had received more than 6,000 entries of support. Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee released a statement Monday: "As a mother myself, I am stunned by the cruelty of barring a mother from reuniting with her sick child. The case of Shaima Swileh shows clearly the damage wreaked on families across this country by the Trump administrations un-American travel ban. I am committed to doing all I can to fight it and to restore decency and humanity to our nations immigration laws. I have written to the State Department to urge this administration to grant Swilehs request for a ban waiver and will work with her family and federal authorities to help reunite her with her son, Abdullah." With only days before the New Year, law enforcement are on the lookout for impaired drivers. The CHP set up DUI check points in Redwood City Friday night in efforts to keep intoxicated drivers off the road. "Looking for the smell of alcohol, swerving, the smell of marijuana or any other drug," Joseph Tomlinson from the San Francisco Police Department said. Last year, during the New Years maximum enforcement period, 936 people were arrested for driving under the influence. "Our son Matt was home from the Naval Academy was killed when we were hit by a DUI offender," said Mary Klotzback, advocate for safe driving. The man who killed Klotzbach in 2001 was a repeat DUI offender driving with a suspended license. Staring Jan. 1, first and second time offenders will have an ignition interlock device installed in their car which acts as a breathalyzer. Cars will not start if drivers fail the test. "It's the only thing short of putting them in prison that will stop them from starting the car," Klotzbach said. An Arlington newborn baby boy is breaking records and melting hearts. Ali James Medlock was born on Dec. 12 at Arlington Memorial Hospital. At 21.5 inches long, Baby Ali weighed 14 pounds, 13 ounces. Alis parents, Jennifer and Eric Medlock, are both music teachers in the Arlington Independent School District. Jennifer says the hospital told them their son was a record breaker for Arlington Memorial and the biggest baby their doctor delivered in his 30-plus-year career. Baby Ali had to remain in the NICU for a week due to his size his blood sugar and platelets were too low according to his mother. He also experienced rapid breathing. Fortunately, Baby Ali has improved since his stay in the hospital. Ali James has a big sister named Annabelle, who weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces when she was born, according to mom. Police suspected no foul play in the death of an 80-year-old woman found dead at her home early Thursday in University Village, over a week after she was reported missing by a family member. Lessie Patton was reported missing by her daughter Dec. 17 from Pattons home in the 1200 block of South Racine Avenue, according to Chicago police. Patton was located at home 10 days later and pronounced dead at 12 a.m. Thursday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiners office. Police believed there was no foul play in Pattons death, and that she had never actually left her home even though she was reported missing by her daughter, police said. Detectives used surveillance video to confirm that Patton had not left her residence. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More An autopsy Friday found she died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease and diabetes and ruled that she died of natural causes, according to the medical examiners office. Patton had mild dementia when she went missing, according to police. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen went to an Arizona border city Saturday on the second day of a southwest tour following the recent death of another Guatemalan migrant child in U.S. government custody, which President Donald Trump said was "strictly the fault of the Democrats.". DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said Nielsen was in Yuma, Arizona, but gave no other details. Earlier in the week, Waldman had said that Nielsen would meet at the Mexican border with emergency medical technicians and medical professionals, as well as local officials. Nielsen went to El Paso, Texas, on Friday but the visit was closed to the media and no further information was provided by the department. Late Friday, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo confirmed he was among those who met with Nielsen, saying they discussed "our immigration needs on the border." The statement from Margo, a Republican, did not mention the deaths of migrant children or whether it was discussed. The trip came days after the death of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Felipe was the second Guatemalan child to die in government custody in three weeks. Trump addressed the two deaths for the first time Saturday, tweeting, "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They cant. If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try! ... Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit!" Nielsen has called the death "deeply concerning and heartbreaking" and requested medical help from other government agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard. As Nielsen made the trip to Texas, New Mexico's Democratic senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, sent her a letter Friday seeking answers about the boy's death. "The timeline, action and factors that led to Felipe's death are still developing, but the information that has become public so far is alarming and demands immediate attention and investigation," the letter says. Felipe and his father, Agustin Gomez, were apprehended by border agents on Dec. 18 near the Paso del Norte bridge connecting El Paso to Juarez, Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The two were detained at the bridge's processing center and then the Border Patrol station in El Paso, until being taken at about 1 a.m. Sunday to a facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. After an agent noticed Felipe coughing, father and son were taken to an Alamogordo hospital, where Felipe was diagnosed with a common cold and found to have a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius), CBP has said. Felipe was held for observation for 90 minutes, according to CBP, before being released with prescriptions for amoxicillin and ibuprofen. But the boy fell sick hours later on Monday and was re-admitted to the hospital. He died just before midnight. New Mexico authorities said late Thursday that an autopsy showed Felipe had the flu, but more tests need to be done before a cause of death can be determined. Three days, maybe four. That's how long Ethan James, 21, says he can realistically miss work before he's struggling. So as the partial government shutdown stretched into its sixth day with no end in sight, James, a minimum-wage contractor sidelined from his job as an office worker at the Interior Department, was worried. "I live check to check right now," he said, and risks missing his rent or phone payment. Contractors, unlike most federal employees, may never get back pay for being idled. "I'm getting nervous," he said. Federal workers and contractors forced to stay home or work without pay are experiencing mounting stress from the impasse affecting hundreds of thousands of them. For those without a financial cushion, even a few days of lost wages during the shutdown over President Donald Trump's border wall could have dire consequences. As well, the disruption is starting to pinch citizens who count on a variety of public services, beyond those who've been finding gates closed at national parks. For example, the government won't issue new federal flood insurance policies or renew expiring ones. Trump and congressional leaders appear no closer to a resolution over his demand for $5 billion for the border wall that could now push the shutdown into the new year. The House and Senate gaveled in for a perfunctory session Thursday, but quickly adjourned without action. No votes are expected until next week, and even that's not guaranteed. Lawmakers are mostly away for the holidays and will be given 24-hour notice to return, with Republican senators saying they won't vote until all parties, including Trump, agree to a deal. The president spent part of the day tweeting about the shutdown, insisting "this isn't about the Wall," but about Democrats denying him "a win." "Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?" he asked in one tweet, citing no evidence for that claim. That earned him a reprimand from Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who tweeted: "Federal employees don't go to work wearing red or blue jerseys. They're public servants." Roughly federal 420,000 workers were deemed essential and are working unpaid, unable to take any sick days or vacation. An additional 380,000 are staying home without pay. While furloughed federal workers have been given back pay in previous shutdowns, it's not guaranteed. The Senate passed a bill last week to make sure workers will be paid. The House will probably follow suit. The longer the shutdown lasts, the more government activities will grind to a halt. It's already caused a lapse in money for nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice. Many national parks have closed while some have limited facilities. The National Flood Insurance Program announced it will no longer renew or issue policies during the shutdown. "I think it's obvious that until the president decides he can sign something or something is presented to him that we are where we are," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who opened the Senate for the minutes-long session. "We just have to get through this." House Democrats tried Thursday to offer a measure to re-open government, but they were blocked from action by Republicans, who still have majority control of the chamber until Democrats take over Jan. 3. "Unfortunately, 800,000 federal workers are in a panic because they don't know whether they'll get paid," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who tried to offer the bill. "That may make the president feel good but the rest of us should be terribly bothered by that, and should work on overtime to end the shutdown now." Government contractors like James, placed indefinitely on unpaid leave, don't get compensated for lost hours. James said the contracting company he works for gave its employees a choice: take unpaid leave or dip into paid time-off entitlements. But James doesn't have any paid time off because he started the job just four months ago. His only option is forgoing a paycheck. "This is my full-time job, this is what I was putting my time into until I can save up to take a few classes," said James, who plans to study education and become a teacher. "I'm going to have to look for something else to sustain me." Mary Morrow, a components engineer on contract for NASA, is in the same predicament. In addition to caring for a family largely on her own, she's got a mortgage. "I have three teenage boys, it's near Christmas time and we just spent money, there are credit card bills and normal bills and it's really nerve-wracking," she said. "It's scary." As federal employees tell their stories on Twitter under the hashtag #Shutdownstories, Trump has claimed that federal workers are behind him, saying many have told him "stay out until you get the funding for the wall.'" He didn't say whom he had heard from, and he did not explain the incongruity of also believing that most are Democrats. Steve Reaves, president of Federal Emergency Management Agency union, said he hasn't heard from any employees who say they support the shutdown. "They're all by far worried about their mortgages," Reaves said. Reaves said the shutdown could have consequences that stretch beyond a temporary suspension of salary. Many federal government jobs require a security clearance, he said, and missed mortgage payments or deepening debt could hurt their clearance. David Dollard, a Federal Bureau of Prisons employee and chief steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 709 union in Colorado, said at least two agency employees lost their homes after the 2013 shutdown suspended their salaries. Bureau of Prisons employees are considered essential, and must work without pay. The agency is already understaffed, Dollard said. Shutdown conditions make everything worse. "You start out at $44,000 a year, there's not much room for anything else as far saving money for the next government shutdown, so it puts staff in a very hard situation," he said. "We've got single fathers who have child support, alimony. It's very hard to figure out what you're going to do." Candice Nesbitt, 51, has worked for 1 years for the U.S. Coast Guard, the only branch of the military affected by the shutdown. About 44,000 Coast Guard employees are working this week without pay; 6,000, including Nesbitt, have been furloughed. Nesbitt worked for a contractor but took a pay cut in exchange for the stability of a government job. She has a mortgage, is the guardian of her special needs, 5-year-old grandson, and makes about $45,000 a year, she said. Any lapse in payment could plunge her into debt. "It shakes me to the core," she said. North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat. The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seoul's rosier presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the fragile trilateral diplomacy to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war. The latest from North Korea comes as the United States and North Korea struggle over the sequencing of the denuclearization that Washington wants and the removal of international sanctions desired by Pyongyang. The statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency also raises credibility problems for the liberal South Korean government, which has continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons as Seoul tries to sustain a positive atmosphere for dialogue. The North's comments may also be seen as proof of what outside skeptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide. The statement suggests North Korea will eventually demand the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, a major sticking point in any disarmament deal. Kim and President Donald Trump met June 12 in Singapore where they agreed on a vague goal for the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. The leaders are trying to arrange another meeting for early next year. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. In Thursday's statement, the North made clear it's sticking to its traditional stance on denuclearization. It accused Washington of twisting what had been agreed on in Singapore and driving post-summit talks into an impasse. "The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and especially, must study geography," the statement said. "When we talk about the Korean Peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of (South Korea) where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean Peninsula," the statement said. The United States removed its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in the 1990s. Washington and Seoul did not immediately respond to the North Korean statement. North Korea's reiteration of its long-standing position on denuclearization could prove to be a major setback for diplomacy, which was revived early this year following a series of provocative nuclear and missile tests that left Kim and Trump spending most of 2017 exchanging personal insults and war threats. The statement could jeopardize a second Trump-Kim summit as the United States may have difficulty negotiating further if the North ties the future of its nukes to the U.S. military presence in the South, analysts said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim three times this year and lobbied hard for the Trump-Kim meeting, has said Kim wasn't demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. But Kim has never made such comments in public. "The blunt statement could be an indicator that the North has no intentions to return to the negotiation table anytime soon," said Shin Beomchul, a senior analyst at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "It's clear that the North intends to keep its nukes and turn the diplomatic process into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation with the United States, rather than a process where it unilaterally surrenders its program." Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said it's unlikely that the North would push things too far and allow the momentum for dialogue to collapse. Pyongyang has been strengthening its demands for the removal of sanctions and its latest statement is another attempt to win concessions from Washington, Yang said. "Pyongyang is sending a message to Washington that confrontation and dialogue cannot coexist," Yang said. The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the Trump-Kim meeting. The United States wants North Korea to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal, while the North is insisting that sanctions be lifted first. Since engaging in diplomacy, North Korea has unilaterally dismantled its nuclear testing ground and parts of a missile engine test facility and suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. However, none of those moves were verified by outsiders, and most experts say they fall short as material steps toward denuclearization. In the third meeting between Kim and Moon in September, the North also said it would dismantle its main nuclear facility in Nyongbyon if the United States takes "corresponding measures," which the state media later specified as sanctions relief. Kim declared his nuclear force was complete after the torrent of weapons tests in 2017, including the detonation of a purported thermonuclear weapon and three test-flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Several reports from private analysts in recent weeks have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. "If we unilaterally give up our nuclear weapons without any security assurance despite being first on the U.S. list of targets for pre-emptive nuclear strikes, that wouldn't be denuclearization it would rather be a creation of a defenseless state where the balance in nuclear strategic strength is destroyed and the crisis of a nuclear war is brought forth," the KCNA said. "The corresponding measures we have asked the United States to take aren't difficult for the United States to commit to and carry out. We are just asking the United States to put an end to its hostile policies (on North Korea) and remove the unjust sanctions, things it can do even without a snap of a finger." The North Korean statement came a day after Stephen Biegun, the Trump administration's special envoy on North Korea, told reporters in South Korea that Washington was reviewing easing travel restrictions on North Korea to facilitate humanitarian shipments to help resolve the impasse in nuclear negotiations. During his four-day visit, Biegun plans to discuss with South Korean officials the allies' policies on North Korea, including the enforcement of sanctions. The meetings are likely to include conversations about a groundbreaking ceremony the Koreas plan to hold at the border village of Panmunjom next week for an aspirational project to reconnect their roads and railways. The North has yet to respond to Biegun's comments. A local Connecticut police department tried using a hidden camera to catch a thief, but criticism over where they put it led to an independent investigation and changes in how they treat their own female officers. The investigation report, obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates, still pointed out several problems. This past August an officer at the Wethersfield Police Department believed someone had gone through belongings in her gym bag in the womens locker room. While the department immediately launched an investigation, its how it was done that caused concerns. A report by the Marcum Advisory Group, a national firm that conducts independent investigations of law enforcement agencies, says Wethersfield Police put a small surveillance camera inside the womens locker room to try to catch a custodian suspected of going through an officers bag and leaving her underwear outside a zippered pocket. Police never got any evidence from what the Marcum Advisory Group called an aggressive investigative measure, but its use in a locker room, while allowed by law for the purpose of a criminal investigation, angered female officers. Wethersfield Police Chief James Cetran told NBC Connecticut Investigates, theres a lot of things that we learned from this. He says the female officers were told in advance that detectives would use a camera in the locker room, but not the precise times. The bigger issue, according to the Marcum Advisory Group, was that the female officer who was the victim and made the original complaint, on several occasions, on her own, placed the camera in the womens locker room and recorded. Theres been times when weve actually had victims do certain things for us, in the real world. Weve wired up victims to talk to people, and get information, Cetran explained. But as far as having a crime victim set up a surveillance camera for detectives Cetran said, That was not authorized, thats all I can say about it. One of the departments female officers was concerned the hidden locker room camera might have recorded her showering. The Marcum Advisory Group concluded though that that was unlikely. The custodian accused of going through the officers belongings was fired and arrested. He did not admit to rummaging through her gym bag, but did confess he stole toilet paper and a pair of sunglasses from the womens locker room. None of the female officers wanted to comment to NBC Connecticut Investigates. The police union president did not respond to multiple messages we left on his work phone. The interim town manager tells NBC Connecticut Investigates the department now has card key access only to the womens locker room, and procedures will be put in place to better control how the police departments surveillance equipment is used. The department will also start initiatives in the near future to have better communication with its female officers. What to Know Polls conducted around the midterm elections suggest more voters are choosing climate change as their top priority. A corps of young people are demanding action from politicians. Even among Republican millennials, a third say the Earth is warming because of human activity. Going into the midterm elections, few candidates made the warming planet a keystone of their campaigns despite devastating fires and storms that scientists say have been worsened by carbon pollution. Climate change has typically been low on voters lists of priorities. But as a new Congress comes into power in January, that indifference could be changing. Surveys conducted for the midterms found that between 7 and 9 percent of the electorate named climate change or the environment as the top issue facing the country. Typically, the number lags around 2 percent, environmentalists say. Thats a green wave, said Nathaniel Stinnett, the founder of the Environmental Voter Project, a three-year-old organization that is dedicated to getting environmentalists to vote. Americans continue to voice more concern about health care, immigration, the economy and jobs, and depending on the poll, gun policy or federal taxes and spending. But with a record 113 million people voting in this years elections where Democrats retook control of the House, that could mean that up to 9 million named the environment their primary concern. Thats an enormously powerful constituency and I think youre going to see more and more politicians trying to appeal to these environmental voters, especially among those running in the [2020] Democratic presidential primary, Stinnett said. The surveys -- one around Election Day called AP VoteCast and two conducted for NPR and PBS NewsHour by the Marist Poll, in October and after the election -- are just one indication that climate change is taking on urgency with voters, particularly young voters. Also pointing to the increased seriousness with which the issue is being treated: differences between millennials and older Americans, demands from newly elected politicians and worry about the damage that climate change is already doing to communities from Miami to Los Angeles. A confluence of factors is driving the new attention to the devastation threatening the environment. Repeated natural disasters have brought havoc to parts of the United States, from deadly fires in California to destructive hurricanes sweeping over Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and the Carolinas. Warnings about the worlds need to curb the use of fossil fuels come as younger people more convinced of the scientific consensus on climate change become old enough to vote. Going into the New Year, there will be more pressure on Congress to tackle the greenhouse gases that are raising temperatures. Heres a breakdown of the polls. AP VoteCast found that more of the electorate, 26 percent, choose health care as the number one issue facing the country than any other issue while 7 percent picked the environment. The Marist Poll in October recorded 7 percent of registered voters choosing climate change as the most important factor in deciding their vote and earlier this month, 9 percent saying that it should be Congress' top priority. Economy and jobs was the most important for the most voters, with 20 percent in October and 17 percent this month. Stinnett said that how much change was occuring would become clearer as more data becomes available about voters and the midterm elections. if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["j6PVO"]={},window.datawrapper["j6PVO"].embedDeltas={"100":555,"200":410,"300":381,"400":352,"500":352,"700":323,"800":323,"900":323,"1000":323},window.datawrapper["j6PVO"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-j6PVO"),window.datawrapper["j6PVO"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["j6PVO"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["j6PVO"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("j6PVO"==b)window.datawrapper["j6PVO"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"}); Youth Demand Action on the Environment Young people are particularly engaged in confronting climate change, a crisis that has gathered momentum throughout their lives and which threatens to leave the Earth a much less hospitable place in the coming years. A pre-election survey from Tufts University that focused on young people and politics found that 59 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds support or are an active part of the environmental movement, up from 42 percent in 2016. Numbers were even higher among Democrats, and particularly those who said they were likely to vote, according to the September poll by the universitys CIRCLE, or The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. The polls director, Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, said political engagement was more common among young people now than two years ago, with triple the number saying they attend marches and demonstrations up from 5 percent to 15 percent. Part of the change can be traced to the activism of students from Parkland, Florida, which encouraged other young people to be a part of political causes, including the environmental movement, she said. It wasnt drowned out by gun violence, for example, which is a big player this year, but just as many people if not more young people said, Its a really important issue that Im actively engaged in, she said. The Sunrise Movement is a corps of young people working to make climate change an urgent priority across the country. As they prepared to launch, a core challenge was how to make climate change an urgent priority in the United States. They helped Democrats to take the House and now are determined to keep the issue at the top of lawmakers agendas. In November, 150 members of the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats held a sit-in at House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis office on Capitol Hill to demand action on climate change. They were joined by newly elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who has been pushing for a Green New Deal to promote green energy and jobs and cut carbon emissions. "She was elected as part of the movement, she intends to govern as part of the movement," Corbin Trent, a spokesman for Ocasio-Cortez, said at the time. She thinks there is no other priority that we should be focused on and supports the Sunrise Movements call for Democrats to create a plan to transition the economy to a zero carbon economy so we have that ready to go when we take back the presidency in 2020." The activists were criticized for targeting Democrats, who support taking on climate change, but they say they know that if they do not push Democrats they will not get the action they need. We targeted the Democrats because we believe in them, said a spokesman for the group, Stephen OHanlon. We dont think were going to get anywhere by calling on Donald Trump to stand up to fossil fuel lobbyists. They believe that as young people they have leverage over Democrats because it was young people turning out in record numbers that helped Democrats win the House majority. If Democrats are to win the presidency and the Senate in 2020, they will need young people again to turn out in record numbers, OHanlon said. [[C, 503157721, 620, 413]] So many politicians and especially establishment politicians think about the range of political options as whats currently politically possible and oftentimes with climate and a lot of other issues too thats just radically from what we need to give our generation a livable future, he said. And we made the choice when we launched to push for solutions that are actually in line with what we need. Generational Divide in GOP Republicans have been the most resistant to believing that climate change presents a critical danger. A Pew Research Center poll done before the midterms found that 72 percent of registered voters supporting Democrats thought climate change was a very big problem compared to only 11 percent of those backing Republicans. But other Pew surveys found wide differences within the GOP. About a third of Republican millennials say the Earth is warming because of human activity, double the share of Baby Boomers and older, according to a May survey. Forty-five percent of millennials say they are seeing some effects of global climate change in their communities, compared with a third of older Republicans. But they also are in agreement with older party members that policies aimed at reducing climate change effects would make no difference. Sara Blazevic, a co-founder and managing director of the Sunrise Movement, said the organization was made up of young people angry and frustrated after having watched a lifetime of political inaction, of witnessing hurricanes and other disasters getting worse but the environmental movement stagnating. Looking at some of the data a few years back we called this the urgency gap, she said. Because there actually are a super majority of Americans who understand that climate change is happening, is real, believe that its happening already because they can see with their own eyes and want something to be done about it. Other Pew research ranks the publics policy priorities for the president and Congress. Protecting the environment has risen from 44 percent in January 2010 to 62 percent at the beginning of this year. Dealing with climate change similarly rose from 28 percent to 46 percent. In December, nearly 200 countries met in Poland for the U.N.s 24th annual climate change conference and agreed to rules for curbing greenhouse emissions, but delayed a decision on creating a market in carbon credits. The meeting follows a series of reports, among them the National Climate Assessment and one from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, warning of irreversible environmental damage absent quick action to rein in carbon emissions. Environment Gains Prominence in the Midterms During the midterm elections, ads highlighting global warming began appearing in races across the country, a phenomenon that was new. The League of Conservation Voters through its Victory Fund was among environmental groups that spent heavily to elect green candidates, in its case $80 million. Pete Maysmith, its senior vice president of campaigns, said that the more environmental issues were localized, the more voters responded. So were talking about environmental issues that are directly impacting peoples lives, and doing that in the context of the election, he said. It motivates them and it impacts their vote choice. In southern New Jersey, the organization matched environmental concerns with what it knew would be the top issue of the elections, health care, then targeted what it viewed as an important bloc of swing voters, suburban women. In a tight race, Democrat Andy Kim, a former national security aide in the Obama administration, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur, who had tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act. When you pair the issue of pollution, whether its water or air pollution so youre talking about healthy drinking water, youre talking about concerns around asthma and other illnesses, other disease and then link that into the health care debate, that again is a very powerful motivator, he said. The League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund and the Environmental Defense Fund Action connected the health impact of MacArthurs record of gutting environmental protections and allowing more toxic pollution into our air to his efforts to eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions, according to post-election analysis. In another race in California, the League teamed up with Michael Bloombergs Independence USA PAC to defeat 30-year congressman, Dana Rohrabacher. One ad juxtaposed Rohrabachers statement that global warming is a fraud with black smoke and wildfires in the background. Democrat Harley Rouda, who called out Republican leaders for denying the threat of man-made climate change, ousted Rohrabacher Maysmiths colleague, Tiernan Sittenfeld, the senior vice president of government affairs, said of the 62 new members of the House of Representatives, 55 of them have committed to trying to bring about 100 percent clean energy by 2050. She said the organization was looking at opportunities for a green infrastructure package from the Democrat-dominated House and oversight as the Trump administration tries to roll back public health and environmental protections. Its especially exciting because there are so many of these new members for whom the environment and addressing the climate crisis is really an enormous priority and central to who they are and in many case part of why they decided to run, she said. The AP VoteCast survey replaced exit polling that The Associated Press had participated in with the television networks. It was conducted for the AP and Fox News by the non-partisan research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. The AP VoteCast also found that significant numbers were concerned about the effects of climate: 70 percent of all voters were very or somewhat concerned versus 29 percent who were not too or not at all concerned. Democrats were more worried than Republicans. This years exit polling, which NBC and other networks continued separately, did not ask voters across the country to rate the environment among their top issues, but it did ask voters in Florida about climate change as it had done in 2016 and in both years, 66 percent said climate change was a serious problem. Over the last decade, the environment has historically ranked low among voters priorities. Polling that the Environmental Voter Project did of likely voters in the 2016 presidential election found that only 2 percent listed the environment as their top priority, with another 2 percent setting it as their second highest priority. 'Politicians Go Where the Votes Are' This is why its so hard to get politicians to lead on climate and lead on environmental issues, Stinnett said. Because politicians go where the votes are, thats what they do. Politicians are in the business of winning elections and if voters dont deeply care about a set of issues, its really hard to get politicians to care about those issues. The Environmental Voter Project targets environmentalists who dont vote or who seldom vote to convince them to change their behavior. It focuses on the 18- to 24-year-olds and to a lesser extent 25- to 29-year-olds who are disproportionately likely to care deeply about environmental issues. Blacks and Hispanics and those who make less than $50,000 a year and who have a higher chance of being victims of environmental racism are also in their sights. Stinnett estimates that the non-profit has turned more than 100,000 non-voting environmentalists into consistent voters since it started. It began in Massachusetts, in 2017 moved into Georgia, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania and expects to expand further into about 20 states where it has identified large populations of non voting environmentalists. It does not spend money on changing minds, just getting people to the polls. Politicians care about winning elections and so theyre going to follow the voters, Stinnett said. I think this change will happen very quickly once environmentalists start voting. I just cant tell you when that number in the electorate will get big enough that it forces change. But its getting bigger, its definitely getting bigger. This electorate might not force change as quickly as we want it to, but somethings happening, something is absolutely happening and politicians are beginning to pay attention, Stinnett said. Baggage claim at Dallas Love Field looks like a luggage store. Unclaimed bags sit in rows, like the passengers they belong to sat on planes, thinking their bags were along for the ride. "It's like, dark green," said Joe McKirahan as he walked the rows of bags looking for his. "I think it's kind of ridiculous." "I looked through this maybe 8 times, and then I finally figured it wasn't actually in the pile," said McKirahan who landed in Dallas two days ago. "Yes, this is the exact same thing I was wearing. I only have one pair of clothes." Many passengers told NBC 5 they understand weather was bad, but were frustrated to find such a bad situation with baggage claim. "I was told in Houston that my bag had been flown to Dallas. When I got to Dallas, I was told my bags were still in Houston," said Richard Harris of Allen. "Nobody knew what was going on." "When we got off the plane, there was luggage everywhere. It looked like a maze," said Loleeta Maye, who landed Wednesday night. "They act like it's the first time it's ever rained or they've ever had a storm like this and it's just ridiculous!" Southwest said the timing of the storm was unfortunate with holiday flights fully booked. At the peak, the airline had more than 1,600 unclaimed bags. On Friday, Southwest said that number was down to 400. Southwest hoped to get bags to their owners by Saturday. At DFW airport, an American Airlines spokesperson said the airline had 85 diverted flights and was working to get passengers and baggage where they needed to be. "It's the holidays," said passenger Rachel Hagen. "More people are traveling than normal, and with all the storms and flights being cancelled, I think this is probably the best they can do at the moment." Two Texas men accused of robbing a North Carolina bank have been arrested in Oklahoma. News outlets cite a Fayetteville police release that says 48-year-old Willie Williams and 26-year-old Lorenzo Allen were arrested in Oklahoma City on Saturday, December 15, a day after the Sharonview Federal Credit Union in Fayetteville was robbed. Fayetteville police have charged Williams and Allen with robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. Further details have not been released. It's unclear whether the pair has lawyers. Cooped up in the White House after canceling a vacation to his private Florida club, President Donald Trump fired Twitter barbs at Democrats on Saturday as talks to end a weeklong partial government shutdown remained at a stalemate. As the disruption in federal services and public employees' pay appeared set to continue into the new year, there were no signs of any substantive negotiation between the blame-trading parties. Trump held out for billions in federal funds for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, which Democrats have said they were intent on blocking. Trump tweeted Saturday that he was "in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security." But there has been little direct contact between the sides during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. As he called for Democrats to negotiate on the wall, Trump brushed off criticism that his administration bore any responsibility for the recent deaths of two migrant children in Border Patrol custody. Trump claimed the deaths were "strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally." His comments on Twitter came as his Homeland Security secretary met with medical professionals and ordered policy changes meant to better protect children detained at the border. Trump earlier had upped the brinkmanship by threatening anew to close the border with Mexico to press Congress to cave to his demand for money to pay for a wall. Democrats are vowing to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that won't accomplish anything unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it. Talks have been at a stalemate for more than a week, after Democrats said the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security last Saturday. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Vice President Mike Pence that it wasn't acceptable, nor was it guaranteed that Trump, under intense pressure from his conservative base to fulfill his signature campaign promise, would settle for that amount. Trump has remained out of the public eye since returning to the White House early Thursday from a 29-hour visit to U.S. troops in Iraq, instead taking to Twitter to attack Democrats. He also moved to defend himself from criticism that he couldn't deliver on the wall while the GOP controlled both the House and Senate. "For those that naively ask why didn't the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us "NONE" for Border Security!," he tweeted. "Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown." Meanwhile, the effects to the public of the impasse grew as the Environmental Protection Agency, which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight Friday night. EPA spokeswoman Molly Block said many of the agency's 14,000 employees were being furloughed, while disaster-response teams and certain other employees deemed essential would stay on the job. That includes workers needed for preventing immediate public health threats at more than 800 Superfund hazardous-waste sites. Also running short on money: the Smithsonian Institution, which said its museums, art galleries and zoo in the capital will close starting midweek if the partial shutdown drags on. But federal flood insurance policies will continue to be issued and renewed, in a reversal prompted by pressure from lawmakers, said Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Trump appeared no closer to securing money for his signature border wall, which he vowed during the campaign that he would make Mexico pay for. He's failed to do so. Now Democratic leaders are adamant that they will not authorize money for the project, calling it wasteful and ineffective. They show no signs of bending, either. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. The White House has not directly engaged in weeks with the House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who has all but locked up the support she needs to win the speaker's gavel after the new Congress convenes on Thursday. Pelosi has vowed to pass legislation to reopen the nine shuttered departments and dozens of agencies now hit by the partial shutdown as soon as she takes the gavel. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill added that Democrats are united against the wall and won't seriously consider any White House offer unless Trump backs it publicly because he "has changed his position so many times." Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Lisa Mascaro and Juliet Linderman contributed to this report. The man suspected of gunning down a Newman police officer during a traffic stop Wednesday was captured in Central California following a three-day manhunt, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said Friday. The suspect, identified by the sheriff as Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 33, is accused of killing Cpl. Ronil Singh. Arriaga was arrested on a murder warrant in a house south of Bakersfield, Christianson said during a Friday afternoon news conference. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said a SWAT team was preparing to raid the house when Arriaga came out with his hands up and surrendered. Authorities said Arriaga was trying to flee back to Mexico. Getty Images Christianson said Arriaga was a native of Mexico and had been in the U.S. illegally for several years after crossing the border in Arizona. The sheriff didnt say when that happened but told reporters Arriaga had known gang affiliations and two prior drunken driving arrests. Christianson blamed Californias sanctuary law for preventing local authorities from reporting Arriaga to federal immigration officials for the DUI arrests. If he had been deported, the sheriff said, Singh would still be alive. "We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable," Christianson told reporters, before asking why the state was "providing sanctuary for criminals (and) gang members. It's a conversation we need to have." The Stanislaus County sheriff was not mincing words at a press conference Friday. In the process, he opened up a debate that extends beyond the death of Officer Ronil Singh: immigration and sanctuary cities. Its a lot to unpack, and all of it while a government shutdown is in place over President Donald Trumps proposed border wall. NBC Bay Area... U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not confirmed Arriagas immigration status. The agency did immediately respond to an email request for comment. California's sanctuary law limits cooperation between local authorities and U.S. immigration officials and has drawn scorn from the Trump administration. It includes more than 800 exceptions for violent crimes and felonies and bars police from asking people about their citizenship status. A federal judge upheld the law earlier this year after a Trump administration challenge. Gov. Jerry Brown has said the law strikes a balance between protecting families and ensuring consequences for serious criminals. His spokesman said Friday that if the suspect was a known gang member, police could have provided that information to federal authorities. [[503625291, C]] "California law fully permits the sharing of information on dangerous gang members," spokesman Evan Westrup said. Former state Sen. Kevin de Leon, the Democrat who wrote the legislation, said it's unfair to blame the law for the officer's death. Adrian Virgen, Arriaga's 25-year-old brother, and the suspect's co-worker, 27-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, were also arrested for lying to investigators, Christianson said. In addition to the arrest of Virgen and Quiroz, officials named three other people who have been detained for allegedly aiding and abetting Arriaga. They have been identified as Bernabe Madrigal Castaneda, 59, Erasmo Villegas, 36, Maria Luisa Moreno, 57. Upon arresting Arriaga, his girlfriend Ana Leyde Cervantes, 30, and brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, were also arrested for aiding him in evading authorities, sheriff's said. Getty Images Standing alongside Singh's family, the sheriff thanked officers and deputies for working day and night to capture the suspect. During the media briefing, Singh's brother Reggie provided an emotional statement and said "I was waiting for this to happen," regarding the arrest. "There's a lot of people out there that misses him," he said of his brother. A vigil will be held Friday night to honor Singh. The Newman community is expected to gather at 6 p.m. at Newman Downtown Plaza to pay respect to Singh, who colleagues described as an American patriot. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson fought back tears as talked about his officer at a news conference Thursday, saying Singh fought hard to serve his adopted country while the man suspected of killing him crossed the border illegally and is a "coward." Richardson said the department and its 12 sworn officers were grieving. Singh, who emigrated from his native Fiji, was shot at about 1 a.m. Wednesday after stopping a suspected drunken driver in Newman, southeast of San Francisco in the San Joaquin Valley. Investigators Thursday searched a farmhouse in the town of El Nido in neighboring Merced County but didn't find the suspect, authorities said. Singh, 33, was the first officer to die in the line of duty, Richardson said. Singh drove more than two hours each way to attend the police academy in Yuba City, Richardson said. He joined the Merced County sheriff's office as a reserve officer and worked as an animal control officer in Turlock before being hired by the Newman force in 2011. English was Singh's third language and he had a thick accent but took speech classes to improve his communication, the chief said. Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika, and their 5-month-old son. A cyberattack originating from outside the United States disrupted The Los Angeles Times' printing and delivery for many of its print editions Saturday, according to the newspaper. The virus caused production problems at various newspapers across the country, along with the California Times printing plant in downtown Los Angeles, where the Times is printed, the paper said. Along with the Times, California newspapers affected by the apparent attack included the San Diego Union-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and several major newspapers that share the production platform, according to the newspaper. The Southern California editions of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times were affected as well. The Times said the company "is investigating whether the computer problems were the result of a cyberattack by a third party," sources with knowledge of the situation said, according to the Times. The Times said the issue -- which apparently began late Thursday night -- was first detected Friday. Technology teams made significant progress in fixing the problem, but were unable to clear all systems before press time. Distribution director Joe Robidoux said he expects the majority of Times subscribers would receive their paper later Saturday. Those who don't will get it with their regularly scheduled delivery of the Sunday edition. House Republicans say more investigation is needed into decisions made by the FBI and the Justice Department in 2016 as they brought an unceremonious end to their yearlong look at the department's handling of probes into Democrat Hillary Clinton's emails and Donald Trump's ties to Russia. In a letter released Friday evening, less than a week before Republicans cede the House majority to Democrats, the chairmen of two House committees described what they said was the "seemingly disparate treatment" the two probes received during the presidential election in 2016 and called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate further. House Judiciary Chairman Robert Goodlatte and Rep. Trey Gowdy, House Oversight and Government Reform chairman, both of whom are retiring next week, sent a letter to the Justice Department and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying they reviewed thousands of documents and conducted interviews that "revealed troubling facts which exacerbated our initial questions and concerns." Republicans have said since the election that they believe Justice officials were biased against President Trump when they started an investigation into his ties to Russia and cleared Clinton in a separate probe into her email use. The wrapping up of the congressional investigation, done in a letter and without a full final report, was a quiet end to a probe that was conducted mostly behind closed doors but also in public as Republican lawmakers often criticized interview subjects afterward and suggested they were conspiring against Trump. The investigation's most public day was a 10-hour open hearing in July in which former FBI special agent Peter Strzok defended anti-Trump texts he sent to a colleague as he helped lead both investigations. Strzok fought with Republican lawmakers in a riveting spectacle that featured Strzok reading aloud from his sometimes-lewd texts, and Democrats and Republicans openly yelling at each other. Goodlatte and Gowdy laid out several concerns in the letter, many of them echoing a report issued this year by the Justice Department's internal watchdog. That report concluded that Strzok's anti-Trump text messages cast a cloud on the agency's handling of the probe and also that fired FBI Director James Comey repeatedly broke from protocol, including when he announced his recommendation against charging Clinton. But unlike the congressional investigation, the report also found there was no evidence that Comey's or the department's final conclusions were motivated by political bias toward either candidate. Democrats have blasted the GOP-led congressional probe, saying it was merely meant as a distraction from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, and Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, top Democrat on the oversight panel, are expected to end the investigation when they take power in January. Nadler has called it "nonsense." California Rep. Adam Schiff, who does not sit on either panel but is the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, tweeted Friday evening that the Republican investigation is ending "not with a bang, but with a Friday, buried-in-the-holidays whimper, and one foot out the door." The Republicans have insisted that they were not trying to undermine the Mueller probe. "Contrary to Democrat and media claims, there has been no effort to discredit the work of the special counsel," Goodlatte and Gowdy wrote in the letter. "Quite the opposite, whatever product is produced by the special counsel must be trusted by Americans and that requires asking tough but fair questions about investigative techniques both employed and not employed." Republicans have repeatedly asked for a special counsel to look into the 2016 questions, but former Attorney General Jeff Sessions never granted their request. The department is now led by Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, a Trump ally who has not weighed in on the issue. The Republicans sent the letter not only to McConnell but to several other Republican Senate committee chairmen, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who will become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Goodlatte and Gowdy wrote that "while Congress does not have the power to appoint a special counsel, Congress does have the power to continue to investigate. They said they believe "the facts uncovered thus far" warrant continued oversight. Goodlatte and Gowdy have also asked for the Justice Department release transcripts from their investigation. The committees sent the transcripts to the department last week so they could be reviewed for any classified information, but they have not been released. China summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing on Sunday to protest Canada's detention of a senior executive of Chinese electronics giant Huawei at Washington's behest and demand the U.S. cancel an order for her arrest. The official Xinhua News Agency said Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng "lodged solemn representations and strong protests" with Ambassador Terry Branstad against the detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Meng, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran, was detained on Dec. 1 while changing planes in Vancouver, Canada. The Xinhua report quoted Le as calling Meng's detention "extremely egregious" and demanded the U.S. vacate an order for her arrest. It quoted Le as calling for the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrong actions" and said it would take further steps based on Washington's response. The move followed the summoning of Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over Meng's detention and a similar warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. The Canadian province of British Columbia said in a statement Sunday it canceled a trade mission to China because of Meng's detention. The announcement came amid fears China could detain Canadians in retaliation. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Meng's arrest has threatened to increase U.S.-China trade tensions and shook stock markets globally last week. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," downplayed the impact of the arrest on trade talks between the two countries aimed at defusing the tensions. "This is a criminal justice matter," he said. "It is totally separate from anything that I work on or anything that the trade policy people in the administration work on. ... We have a lot of very big, very important issues. We've got serious people working on them, and I don't think they'll be affected by this." Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained on the same day that President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed over dinner to a 90-day cease-fire in the trade dispute. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. The U.S. alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that Chinese pressure on Canada's government won't work. "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide," Paris tweeted in response to the comments from Beijing. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York on Aug. 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled U.S. banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei." Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: She's facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing is to resume Monday. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said "we have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Canadian officials have declined to comment on Chinese threats of retaliation over the case, instead emphasizing the independence of Canada's judiciary along with the importance of Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said Canada "has assured China that due process is absolutely being followed in Canada, that consular access for China to Ms. Meng will absolutely be provided." "We are a rule-of-law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do," Freeland said Friday. While protesting what it calls Canada's violation of Meng's human rights, China's ruling Communist Party stands accused of mass incarcerations of its Muslim minority without due process, locking up people exercising their right to free speech and refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country in order to bring pressure on their relatives accused of financial crimes. The party also takes the lead in prosecutions of those accused of corruption or other crimes in a highly opaque process, without supervision from the court system or independent bodies. Associated Press writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report. Activists urging more states to ban gay conversion therapy for minors are expecting major gains in 2019, thanks to midterm election results and the buzz generated by two well-reviewed films. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have already enacted laws prohibiting licensed therapists from trying to change a minor's sexual orientation. Leaders of a national campaign to ban the practice are hopeful that at least four more states Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and New York will join the ranks in the upcoming legislative sessions. "We'd be disappointed if we don't get those this year they're overdue," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, one of the groups campaigning to impose bans in all 50 states. The campaign has gained momentum in recent months thanks to the national release of two films dramatizing the experiences of youths who went through conversion therapy "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" and the higher-profile "Boy Erased" starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. Sam Brinton of the Trevor Project, another of groups leading the ban campaign, said thousands of people have signed up to assist the effort since "Boy Erased" was released on Nov. 2. "They're recognizing this is still a problem and joining our campaigns in droves," said Brinton, a child of Baptist missionary parents who has written about agonizing conversion therapy sessions experienced as an adolescent in Florida. Brinton recalls being bound to a table by the therapist for applications of ice, heat and electricity. Just four days after the "Boy Erased" release came the midterm elections, which altered the partisan political dynamic at several statehouses and boosted prospects for conversion therapy bans. In three of the states now being targeted, previous efforts to enact a ban gained some bipartisan support but were thwarted by powerful Republicans. In Maine, a bill was vetoed last year by GOP Gov. Paul LePage. In New York and Colorado, bills approved in the Democratic-led lower chambers of the legislature died in the Republican-controlled state senates. In January, however, a Democrat will succeed LePage as Maine's governor, and Democrats will have control of both legislative chambers in New York and in Colorado, where gay Gov.-elect Jared Polis is believed eager to sign a ban. A lead sponsor of the New York ban bill, Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman, predicted passage would be "straightforward" now that his party controls the Senate. "For a lot of my colleagues, they consider conversion therapy to be child abuse," he said. In Massachusetts, both legislative chambers voted last year in support of a ban but were unable to reconcile different versions of the measure before adjournment. Chances of passage in 2019 are considered strong, and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker who was re-elected is viewed as likely to sign such a measure given his strong support for LGBT rights. More Republican governors like Baker are getting behind the bans, reflecting activists' belief that opposition to conversion therapy is increasingly bipartisan. Bills proposing bans are pending or anticipated in several GOP-controlled legislatures, including Florida, Ohio and Utah. LGBT activists are particularly intrigued by Utah because of the possibility that the powerful Mormon church, which in the past supported conversion therapy, might endorse a bill to ban the practice for minors. In Florida, the proposed ban faces long odds in the legislature in 2019, but activists note that about 20 Florida cities and counties have passed local bans more than any other state. In Ohio, supporters of a bill that would ban conversion therapy for minors realize they have an uphill fight in a legislature with GOP supermajorities. Still, Sen. Charleta Tavares, a Columbus Democrat, believes her proposal got "new legs" in November. That's when the state board overseeing counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists warned the 40,000 professionals it regulates that anyone found practicing conversion therapy on LGBT patients could lose their license. "I am glad to see that our state boards are carrying this movement, regardless of the inaction by our General Assembly," Tavares said. For now, LGBT activists are not seeking to ban conversion therapy for adults. A gay California legislator, Evan Low, withdrew a bill he introduced earlier this year that would have declared conversion therapy a fraudulent practice and banned commercial use of it for adults and minors. Some opponents had threatened to sue to block the bill, saying it would jeopardize free speech and free exercise of religion. Low says he may try again after revising his bill. If so, his arguments could be bolstered by input from John Smid, the real-life model for the "Boy Erased" character who ran a coercive conversion therapy program. For years, Smid was director of Tennessee-based Love in Action, a ministry which operated such a program. Smid left the organization in 2008. He subsequently renounced the concept that sexual orientation could be changed and apologized for any harm he had caused. In 2014, he married his same-sex partner, with whom he lives in Texas. Smid recently cooperated with a law firm as it compiled a report about Love in Action for the Washington-based Mattachine Society, which studies past instances of anti-LGBT persecution. One of the report's co-authors, Lisa Linsky, said Smid depicted Love in Action as "a complete and utter failure," with none of its participants actually changing their sexual orientation. A Florida couple is accusing a retired Vermont doctor of artificially inseminating the woman with his own sperm rather than that of a donor in the 1970s. They filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Dec. 4 against Dr. John Coates and then-named Central Vermont Medical Center seeking at least $75,000 in damages. The complaint says Coates agreed to inseminate Cheryl Rousseau with donor material from an unnamed medical student, who resembled Rousseau's husband and had characteristics that she required. Rousseau had wanted a child with her husband but he had a vasectomy that could not be reversed, according to the complaint. Coates performed the artificial insemination but inserted his own genetic material, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit says the couple recently discovered what had happened when their now-grown daughter sought information about her biological father through DNA testing. The daughter determined in October that Coates was her father, according to the complaint. The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus first reported on the complaint. Coates' choice to insert his own genetic material into Rousseau "was harmful, offensive and constituted a battery upon Plaintiff Cheryl Rousseau," the lawsuit said. Coates has denied that he is her father, the lawsuit said. He declined comment when reached by phone on Friday. His lawyer, Peter Joslin, was out of the office and not available for comment. The hospital, now named University of Vermont Health Network at Central Vermont Medical Center, said it could not speak to the lawsuit but noted that Coates had a private practice and wasn't employed by the medical center. Jerome O'Neill, a lawyer for the Rousseaus, said he didn't know if other women were possibly affected but referred in general to other cases where more than one woman was inseminated. A retired Indianapolis fertility doctor used his own sperm to impregnate possibly dozens of women after telling them the donors were anonymous. Dr. Donald Cline was given a one-year suspended sentence last year after he pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice. A terminally ill boy whose Yemeni mother fought to visit him after being barred from entering the U.S. by the Trump administration's travel ban has died in hospital in California, NBC News reported. Abdullah Hassan, 2, had suffered from a genetic brain condition and died at the UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement released Friday. We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives, Abdullahs father, Ali Hassan, said in the statement. Hassan who is a U.S. citizen and has family in Stockton, California brought his son to the U.S. for treatment a few months ago, CAIR said. But Abdullahs mother, Shaima Swileh, is a Yemeni national and was barred from entering the country under the Trump administration's travel ban against people from mostly-Muslim-majority countries. CAIR launched a campaign to publicize the familys plight earlier this month and on Dec. 18 the State Department granted Swileh a waiver to visit her dying son. The 21-year-old mother arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 19. Farouk Baakar was on duty as a medic at al-Rashid hospital the day a bleeding man was brought into the emergency room with gunshot wounds and signs of torture. He'd been whipped across the back and hung by his wrists for days. The patient, Baakar learned, had been left for dead by the side of a highway after being held captive in a prison run by the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen. Baakar spent hours removing bullets and repairing ruptured intestine. He tended to the patient's recovery for 80 days and, at the end, agreed to pose for a selfie with him. Weeks later, Houthi security officials grabbed the man again. They searched his phone and found the photo. Then they came for Baakar. Militiamen stormed the hospital, blindfolded Baakar and hustled him away in a pickup truck. Because he'd given medical help to an enemy of the Houthis, they told him, he was now their enemy too. He spent 18 months in prisons within the expanse of Yemen controlled by the Houthis. He says they burned him, beat him and chained him to the ceiling by his wrists for 50 days until they thought he was dead. Baakar and his patient are among thousands of people who have been imprisoned by the Houthi militia during the four years of Yemen's grinding civil war. Many of them, an Associated Press investigation has found, have suffered extreme torture being smashed in their faces with batons, hung from chains by their wrists or genitals for weeks at a time, and scorched with acid. The AP spoke with 23 people who said they survived or witnessed torture in Houthi detention sites, as well as with eight relatives of detainees, five lawyers and rights activists, and three security officers involved in prisoner swaps who said they saw marks of torture on inmates. These accounts underscore the significance of a prisoner-swap agreement reached Thursday at the start of United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Sweden between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States. As a confidence-building measure, the two sides agreed to release thousands of prisoners, though details must still be hammered out. But while the coalition side would release captured Houthi fighters, the rebels would largely free civilians who, like Baakar, were imprisoned in brutal sweeps aimed at suppressing opposition and obtaining captives who could be traded for ransom or exchanged for Houthi fighters held by the other side. The Abductees' Mothers Union, an association of female relatives of detainees jailed by the Houthis, has documented more than 18,000 detainees in the last four years, including 1,000 cases of torture in a network of secret prisons, according to Sabah Mohammed, a representative of the group in the city of Marib. The mothers' group says at least 126 prisoners have died from torture since the Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014. Mosques, ancient castles, colleges, clubs and other civilian structures have served as first-stop facilities for thousands of detainees before they are moved into official prisons, according to testimonies of victims and human rights agencies. The mother's group counted 30 so-called black sites in Sanaa alone. Houthi leaders previously have denied that they engage in torture, though they did not respond to repeated AP requests for comment in recent weeks. The Houthis' Human Rights Ministry said in a statement in late 2016 that "there is no policy or systematic use of torture on prisoners." It added that the ministry and prosecutors are working to "ensure the rights of prisoners and provide all legal guarantees to achieve justice and fair trials." Amnesty International says that "horrific human rights abuses, as well as war crimes, are being committed throughout the country by all parties to the conflict." But international outrage over the bloodshed in Yemen has largely focused on abuses carried out by the U.S.-backed and Saudi-led military coalition fighting on the side of the Yemeni government. The AP has exposed torture at secret prisons run by the UAE and their Yemeni allies and has documented the deaths of civilians from strikes by drones in the United States' campaign against al-Qaida's branch in Yemen. Abuses by the Houthis have been less visible to the outside world as the rebels worked to eliminate dissent and silence journalists. From the capital, Sanaa, the Houthis rule over around 70 percent of Yemen's 29 million people. The Houthis believe they are the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad and, as such, have a divine right to rule Yemen. Those who oppose them are "God's enemies," worthy of punishment. One of the former prisoners of the Houthis who spoke to the AP was a school teacher from the northern city of Dhamar who, after his release, fled to Marib, which is under control of the Houthis' opponents. He asked that he be identified only by his first name, Hussein, because he fears for the safety of family members still in rebel territory. He was held for four months and 22 days in an underground cell. He was blindfolded the entire time, he said, but kept count of the days by following the Muslim calls to prayer. Throughout his confinement, he said, his jailers beat him with iron rods and told him he was going to die. "Prepare your will," he said they told him. ___ 'CRY TEARS OF BLOOD' The Houthis began in the 1990s as a Shiite revivalist religious movement. The group turned into an armed militia in 2004, when the military under then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh killed their founder, the brother of the current leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi. Saleh fought the Houthi insurgency for six years, with thousands killed on both sides before reaching a cease-fire just months ahead of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that put an end to his rule. Less than three years later, the Houthis joined ranks with Saleh in an alliance of convenience the former autocrat saw a possible route back to power, while the rebels gained backing from the army units still loyal to him. Together, they occupied most of northern and western Yemen, driving out Saleh's successor, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. In response, the U.S.-backed coalition launched its campaign to restore Hadi's internationally recognized government and thwart what Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates claim is an attempt by Iran, the Houthis' ally, to take over. The Houthis have sought to entrench their rule by cracking down on a wide range of perceived enemies young activists, religious minorities, socialists and others who might oppose Houthi rule. But there are divisions within the movement. Internally, a moderate faction of Houthi leaders acknowledged abuses and sought to put an end to them. The leader's brother, Yahia al-Houthi, set up a committee in 2016 to investigate reports of torture and indefinite detentions, and helped free 13,500 prisoners in its first three months. The committee sent a video report to the leader, Abdel-Malek, showing scenes of overcrowded prison wards and prisoners with bruises, along with testimony from senior Houthi figures. Abdel-Malek never responded. Instead, hard-line security officials shut down the committee and briefly detained two of its members. The video was not made public, but the AP obtained a copy, and it contains startling admissions from prominent Houthi figures about abuses. "What we saw would make you cry tears of blood," one committee member says. ___ 'HELP ME' The first few months in Houthi detention sites are usually the worst, ex-inmates say, as the militants improvise and inflict their torture. Anas al-Sarrari recalls slowly regaining consciousness in a dark corridor in the Sanaa's Political Security prison. The 26-year-old critic of Houthi brutality held his head between his swollen hands and bruised wrists, as flashes of two months of torture raced through his mind. He was eating grilled corn when masked militiamen snatched him from a main street in Sanaa one morning in September 2015. He remembered hanging for 23 hours by his handcuffed wrists from the ceiling of a stuffy interrogation room as numbness claimed his fingers, arms and much of his body. The cuffs began to slit his wrists and he tried to rest on his toes. "Death must be less painful than this nonstop torture," he recalled thinking at the time. "One more hour like this and I will die." His jailers unchained him from the ceiling for a couple hours each day, when he was given hard bread and a plate of vegetables and dirty rice crawling with cockroaches. When they gave him yogurt, he was able to see the date written on the container and mark the passage of time. "My mother doesn't even know if I am alive or dead," he thought. He remembered seeing a torturer with a stun gun staring at his head before dealing a blow with all his might. Al-Sarrari collapsed. He doesn't know how long it took for the Houthi militiamen to untie him from the ceiling and then dump him in the corridor. He tried to stand but couldn't pull his body together. "Maybe I am in heaven?" he remembers thinking. "Maybe it's a bad dream?" At daylight, he tried again to move, but failed. "Help me," he screamed. Militiamen dragged him into a cell. Only then did he realize he was paralyzed. He had no one to talk to, no one to take him to the bathroom. He urinated and defecated like a newborn baby. Guards sometimes took him out to wash and returned him to the filthy cell, where he banged his head on the wall in desperation. After four months, they cleaned him up and released him. Al-Sarrari showed AP copies of his medical records. He now uses a wheelchair and believes that the purpose of his torture and release was to send a message to others who might want to criticize the Houthis. "To see people with disabilities, coming out of prison after excessive torture will terrify everyone: Look, this will happen to you if you speak up," he said. ___ 'PRESSURE ROOM' The selfie of Baakar with an escaped prisoner was all the evidence seven Houthi militiamen needed of the medic's disloyalty when they came for him at al-Rashid hospital. "How much money did they give you to treat the enemies?" one militiaman screamed in his face. Baakar says they slapped and kicked him, beat him with batons on his face, teeth and body, and taunted him: "You will be killed because you are a traitor." The militiamen took him to a location he couldn't identify, stood him on a wooden box, chained his wrists to the ceiling and then kicked the box out from under his feet. He says they stripped him and whipped his naked body, then pulled out his nails and tore out his hair. He fainted. "It was so painful, especially when they come the next days and press on the bruises with their fingers," he said. The Houthis became more and more creative, Baakar said. They once brought plastic bottles and with a lighter melted the plastic over his head, back, and between his thighs. Eventually, Baakar was taken to Hodeida castle, the 500-year-old Ottoman-era fortress on the Red Sea coast. He says guards pushed him into a filthy basement known as the "Pressure Room" and hung him by his wrists. In a dark corner, he could see shapes of dead cats and even torn fingers. When he grew thirsty, he said, torturers splashed water on his face and he licked off the drops. At times, they would let other prisoners enter his cell and give him water from a bottle. On the day guards thought Baakar had died, then realized he was still alive, they untied him and allowed two prisoners to feed and clean him. As Baakar began to recover from his wounds, other detainees who had been tortured began asking for his help. He tried to heal the injured. He carried out simple surgeries, without anesthesia, using electric wires, the only tool he had in prison. Sometimes the guards allowed him to go about his medical work. Other times, he says, they turned on him and punished him for helping his fellow prisoners. Baakar recalled helping a man who'd been hung by his penis and testes and was unable to urinate. Another man with a white beard and white hair had been badly burned when the Houthis poured acid on his back, melting his skin and nearly sealing his buttocks. Baakar used wires to make an opening and, with his fingers, removed the stool. "When I asked Houthi guards for help, saying the man is dying, their only answer was: 'Let him die'," Baakar said. The Houthis released Baakar on Dec. 3, 2017 after his family paid 5.5 million rials, about $8,000 at the time. Soon after he fled to Marib, the anti-Houthi stronghold. He lives in a tent with other refugees, where he continues to treat the sick and wounded. ___ The AP's reporting on the war in Yemen is supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff says that the man who escaped from San Quentin State Prison was has been taken into custody Saturday afternoon in Paso Robles. A San Quentin inmate, Shalom Mendoza, 21, was last accounted for at the prison Wednesday night before walking away from a prison work crew, according to prison officials. Mendoza was also spotted in other northern San Luis Obispo County locations before he was caught at a Taco Bell in Paso Robles, the sheriff said. A witness inside the Taco Bell told NBC-affiliate KSBY that she recognized Mendoza from the news because of his tattoo. She said she was getting ready to call the police when a task force unit came in and told the suspect to put his hands up. "Taco Bell had no idea that they had an escaped inmate inside," the witness said. "There were children in the Taco Bell and everything." California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said Mendoza was taken into custody around 12:30 p.m. Saturday without incident after a civilian contacted agents. Mendoza was then transported to Salinas Valley State Prison. Investigators believe Mendoza was heading south towards the Los Angeles area, according to CDCR. Mendoza was reportedly seen at a Dollar Store in San Miguel about 4:20 p.m. on Friday, corrections officials said. San Rafael police said that they believe that Mendoza was the same person who carjacked a woman's vehicle on Wednesday. A vehicle matching the stolen vehicle description was found abandoned off the 101 Freeway north of Paso Robles on Friday, the CDCR said. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The suspect allegedly motioned to the victim that he had a weapon under his shirt and told her he would kill her if she didn't surrender the vehicle, a Toyota RAV4, police said. The victim gave the suspect her vehicle and he fled. She was uninjured. Another inmate also went missing from a nearby state prison on Saturday, Dec. 22, according to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Justin Franks, 27, escaped from the minimum-support facility at Folson State Prison during an inmate count. He was sentence for first-degree burglary and scheduled to be released in June 2019. Franks is a white male of light complexion, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 143 pounds and has brown eyes and short black hair, officials said. A man's body was found floating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Imperial Beach, Calif. Friday evening, San Diego County Sheriff's Department confirmed. Deputies were called to near Border Field State Park, the area just north of the U.S.-Mexico border at 5:30 p.m. to assist U.S. Border Patrol agents with a body spotted floating in the ocean. San Diego Fire-Rescue crews pronounced the man dead at 6:06 p.m., deputies said. The unidentified man was removed from the scene by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office whose staff will notify the next of kin. No other information was available. Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available. A man who served as a head pastor at several Southern California churches faces child molestation charges, police said Friday. John Rodgers McFarland, 66, was arrested on Dec. 18 in Fullerton, Calif. for an incident that allegedly occurred while he was visiting relatives in Escondido. He's accused of two felony charges of lewd act upon a child that occurred between July 26, 2012 and July 23, 2013, according to a criminal complaint provided by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. The child is identified in the complaint as a girl under the age of 14. McFarland has worked and lived in the Orange County area so law enforcement authorities believe there may be additional victims, according to Gloria Scott with the Fountain Valley Police Department. Investigators executed search warrants at McFarland's Fullerton home, his place of employment and the Fountain Valley Methodist Church. McFarland is the current pastor at Orangethorpe United Methodist Church in Fullerton, Calif. where he has worked since 2014. Prior to that, he served as the head pastor of Fountain Valley United Methodist Church for 26 years, police said. He also served as a pastor at Surf City Church in Huntington Beach from 2009 to 2014. "There is evidence that McFarland abused other victims during his time as a pastor in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach," Fountain Valley police said in a news release. McFarland worked as a chaplain within the Fountain Valley Police Department from 1993 to 2014, according to Sgt. Antonius Spangler. Anyone who has information regarding this case can call Detective Scott with the Fountain Valley Police Department at (714) 593-4480 and mention Incident #18-44828. McFarland was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and has a court hearing scheduled for Jan. 16 in San Diego Superior Court. A woman was killed and her husband was wounded in a shooting at a home in Vista Saturday in what might likely turn into a murder-suicide investigation. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department (SDSO) said a person called 911 at around 6:40 a.m. from a home in the 1800 block of Hartwright Road, reporting that two people had been shot and one was not breathing. SDSO Lt. Jason Vickery said deputies arrived at the home to find a woman dead from a gunshot wound. The womans husband, who is around 50 years old, had also suffered a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital with a severe injury, the SDSO said, and, as of 11 a.m., his prognosis was unknown. Deputies believe two of the couples children were home at the time of the shooting. They said no one was arrested at the home and there are no outstanding suspects at this time, but did not confirm if the husband pulled the trigger. There is no danger to the public, said SDSO Lt. Rich Williams. We are obviously affecting traffic here on this street while processing the scene, but impact should be minimal as were able to get most residents in and out of here as needed. The woman's name was not immediately released by investigators. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine her cause and manner of death via an autopsy. Neighbor Eddie Bautista said he usually sees the couple around the neighborhood and never noticed anything amiss with them. Usually walk by there, theyll wave or nod, Bautista told NBC 7. [The home] was really calm; you dont hear yelling around there, so its strange something like this would happen." Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available. A 21-year-old man has been charged in the fatal stabbing of his mother outside a Rockville, Maryland, Catholic church. Jaclyn McGuigan, of Marwood Court in Rockville, was seen leaving her home with her son Friday night. Thirty minutes later, police were responding to reports of a deadly assault at Saint Raphael Church, police say. The 49-year-old mother appears to have been stabbed. Police arrested her son, Kevin Justin McGuigan, about 7 a.m. Saturday in Rockville at a gas station. He is charged with first-degree murder. Montgomery County police said Jaclyn and her son drove from her home in Rockville about 5:30 p.m. Friday to the church on Dunster Road. According to police, witnesses reported hearing loud screaming from the front of the church and saw Kevin standing over his mother. Police responded about 6 p.m. to reports of an assault and found Jaclyn by the flagpole at the entrance to the church, bleeding and unresponsive. Police say she was likely attacked with a cutting instrument. Witnesses, officers and first responders tried to help her, but she died at the scene, police say. Homicide detectives roped off the entrance to the church and looked for surveillance cameras inside and outside. Police said Kevin McGuigan fled the scene in a Honda sedan registered to his mother. Police found the abandoned Honda at Fallsgrove Park less than an hour later. Kevin McGuigan's belongings were inside, police said. Police didn't detail a motive in the killing. "It occurred at a very public place at a busy time in the evening so, its, it's very concerning," said Rick Goodale, spokesperson for Montgomery County police. In a statement to News4, the Archdiocese of Washington said Jaclyn's death did not appear to be connected to the church. "At this time, we have little information on what happened, but the incident does not appear to be related to the parish or school. The parish staff who were on site this evening have been speaking with the police and they are cooperating with the police investigation. We extend our heartfelt prayers to the individuals family," the archdiocese said. The church is across from Ritchie Park Elementary School and next door to an assisted living facility. A group of journalists will ring in the New Year in Times Square on Monday Night. The Times Square Alliance announced that a group of journalists will be honored as the evenings special guests. NBCs Lester Holt is on the list of established journalists set to take part in the evenings festivities. As the official special guests, the group will appear on stage with the Committee to Protect Journalists just before midnight to push the crystal button that signals the lowering of the New Years Eve Ball in Times Square in New York City. Other news organizations participating in the event include The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, CBS, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, ABC, Fox News and more. In one of the worlds most famous public squares, it is fitting to celebrate free press and free speech as we reflect on where weve been during the past year and what it is we value most as a society, said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 53 journalists were killed while on assignment in 2018. In June, five journalists were killed in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Maryland. President Donald Trump has also scrutinized the news media, saying organizations like CNN and MSNBC dont cover him fairly. Earlier this year, the White House revoked CNNs Jim Acostas press credential following a heated argument during a press conference. A court eventually ruled the White Houses ruling was unconstitutional and his credential was reinstated. They are also representatives of all journalists in the United States, and around the world, Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said of the journalists set to participate in the ball drop. They work hard every day to keep their communities informed and hold the powerful to account. Its the freedom to do this critical work that we celebrate. The Committee to Protect Journalists is an organization that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. NBCs New Years Eve special with Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen will air Monday night from 10-11 p.m. Coverage will then pick back up at 11:30 p.m. after your local news for the final countdown. The Vatican's sexual abuse case against ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has expanded significantly after a man testified that the retired American archbishop sexually abused him for years starting when he was 11, including during confession. James Grein testified Thursday in New York before the judicial vicar for the New York City archdiocese, who was asked by the Holy See to take his statement for the Vatican's canonical case, said Grein's attorney Patrick Noaker. The testimony, which lasted about an hour, was difficult and stressful but Grein was proud to have done it, Noaker said. "He wants his church back. He felt that in order to accomplish that end, he had to go in and testify here and tell them what happened, and give the church itself the chance to do the right thing," Noaker said in a telephone interview Friday. Grein initially came forward in July after the New York Archdiocese announced that a church investigation determined an allegation that McCarrick had groped another teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. Grein's claims, first reported by The New York Times, are more serious. He has alleged that McCarrick first exposed himself to Grein when he was 11 and then sexually molested him for years thereafter. Noaker said in the testimony Thursday, Grein also gave "chilling" details about alleged repeated incidents of groping during confession - a serious canonical crime on top of the original offense of sexually abusing a minor. Grein had previously not made public those claims, but Noaker confirmed his testimony to The Associated Press. Grein also allowed McCarrick's defense lawyers to listen to his testimony by telephone. Grein testified that McCarrick a close family friend who baptized Grein would take him upstairs to hear his confession before celebrating Mass for the family at home. "He touched James' genitals as part of the confessional. That became the course, it happened almost every time," Noaker said. McCarrick would absolve Grein and "touch him on the forehead, shoulder, chest and genitals." Noaker said combining sexual abuse with a sacrament like confession haunts Grein to this day. "People are vulnerable in the confessional. Very vulnerable," he said. "If you manipulate that, and try to sexualize that, it's extremely emotionally damaging." McCarrick denied the initial groping allegation of the altar boy and has said through his lawyer that he looks forward to his right to due process. It wasn't clear when he would testify in the Vatican case. The McCarrick scandal has sparked a credibility crisis for the U.S. and Vatican church hierarchies, since it was apparently an open secret for some that "Uncle Ted" slept with adult seminarians. Yet McCarrick still rose to the heights of church power, and even acted as the spokesman for U.S. bishops when they enacted a "zero tolerance" policy against sexually abusive priests in 2002. Pope Francis initially ordered McCarrick removed from public ministry in June after he was accused of groping the teenage altar boy - the first known allegation against him involving a teen. A month later, after former seminarians and Grein came forward, Francis removed McCarrick as a cardinal and ordered him to live a lifetime of penance and prayer while the canonical process ran its course. Now 88, the former archbishop of Washington is living at a Kansas religious residence. The Vatican is under pressure to finalize its case against McCarrick before Francis hosts church leaders at a February sex abuse prevention summit, since Francis himself has been implicated in the years-long cover-up of McCarrick's misconduct with adults. If convicted by the Vatican, Francis could defrock McCarrick or give him a lesser penalty. While victims have long complained about the way they have been treated during canonical proceedings, Noaker praised the judicial vicar, the Rev. Richard Welch, saying he was compassionate, respectful and patient during Grein's testimony. Noaker said Welch gave Grein time to compose himself when he testified about an incident in which McCarrick allegedly masturbated Grein in a car. When McCarrick dropped Grein back at home, he allegedly told Grein's parents that the mess was caused by a spilled soda, so Grein's mother went to clean up the car seat. "That was a really psychologically damaging moment," Noaker said, adding that Grein had to relive it during his testimony. "He closed his eyes. He was sitting in that car with McCarrick, and you could see it. It was moving and terrifying." Grein has told AP in the past that he struggled for decades with immense shame and guilt over the abuse. He said he struggled with alcoholism, which broke up his marriage, and attempted suicide multiple times. The AP does not identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission. Grein has gone public with his full name. In addition to the canonical case against McCarrick, Noaker filed a police report against McCarrick in July in Virginia. Flash Two Vietnamese tourists were killed Friday when a home-made bomb hit a bus carrying foreign tourists in Marioutiya area near the Giza Pyramids, Egyptian interior ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said a roadside home-made bomb hit a tourist bus carrying 14 Vietnamese in Marioutiya area near the Pyramids on the outskirts of the capital Cairo. The ministry added that 10 Vietnamese tourists, the Egyptian driver and an Egyptian tour guide were also injured in the attack. Security forces moved to the scene and started an investigation, the statement added. The attack came days before Egyptians celebrate New Year and Christmas, which is marked by Coptic Egyptians on January 7. Copts make up 10 percent of Egypt's 100 million population. This week, Egypt's Armed Forces, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, intensified measures to secure Christmas and New Year's celebrations nationwide. The army and police said they have deployed forces to ensure the safety of citizens at places of worship and vital facilities, adding that all forces have been trained on how to deal with threats that may disturb the celebrations. Egypt has been fighting against a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military toppled former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood group. Terror attacks in Egypt had mainly targeted police and military men in North Sinai before spreading nationwide and targeting the Coptic Christian minority as well, leaving dozens of them dead. Terrorists attacked two Coptic churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria in early April last year, killing a total of 47 people and wounding 106 others. Most of the attacks were claimed by a Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State extremist group. MP whose constituency includes West Berkshire is knighted THE MP for Wokingham, John Redwood, whose constituency includes parts of West Berkshire, has received a knighthood in the Queen's New Year's Honours list. Mr Redwood (pictured, centre) is a former cabinet minister and leading Brexiteer. The veteran member of parliament receives the honour in recognition of his political and public service. One of the most familiar figures in British politics, Sir John Redwood has played a leading role in Conservative debates over Europe and internal battles over four decades. Sixty-seven-year-old Sir John, an arch Euro sceptic, stood against John Major for the leadership of the Conservative party in 1995, losing by 129 votes. BRIDGEPORT An Ohio man accused of fatally shooting a Bethel woman in Bridgeport is expected to be arraigned here Monday. Meanwhile, police said they are investigating Brandon Roberts own claim that he shot another woman in Washington Park in June 2017. On Friday, detectives flew to Ohio to pick up the 26-year-old Roberts, who is charged in Bridgeport with murder, felony murder, first-degree robbery, using a firearm in the commission of a felony and carrying a pistol without a permit. Police said they expected to have him back in the city for arraignment in Superior Court on Monday. Roberts is accused of shooting 25-year-old Emily Todd in the back of the head near the boat ramp on Seaview Avenue. Todd a therapist at a Danbury senior center, was found lying face down in the sand along the shore on the morning of Dec. 9. Police said she was fully dressed and appeared to be wearing a long, blond wig, and that a spent bullet shell casing was found near her feet. Police said Todds mother later told detectives that her daughter had met Roberts, who was staying with relatives at a Stratford hotel, on an online dating app. After several dates, police said, Todd called off the relationship. But they said Roberts convinced Todd to meet him one more time, luring her to the area of the boat ramp. After killing her, Roberts took Todds car, cell phone and credit cards, police said. Video surveillance later showed Roberts driving Todds car into the drive through at the Peoples United Bank in Trumbull where he used Todds debit card to withdraw $400 from Todds bank account, police said. Police sources say Roberts confessed to killing Todd and also confessed to shooting a woman at Washington Park in June 2017. The sources said the womans injuries were not life threatening. They would provide no other details. Were putting out feelers out there, were reaching out to other police departments, asking if they have similar cases, because we could be dealing with a serial killer here at this point, Police Chief Armando Perez told New 12. We need to put people like this in jail because we dont know who were dealing with here. It could be, like I said, a serial killer, someone who does this, he has no conscience whatsoever. BROOKFIELD The leader of Danburys Head Start education program was arrested Friday and charged with embezzling $12,700 from a Brookfield elementary schools parent teacher organization over two years. Monica Bevilacqua is accused of taking money from the Center Elementary School parent teacher organizations accounts through a series of checks and more than 180 personal orders charged to the organizations credit card. She was arrested by Brookfield Police on Friday morning and is charged with one count of second degree larceny, three counts of second degree forgery and one count of illegal use of a credit card, according to a Brookfield Police report. She was released Friday on a written promise to appear and a hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10 in Danbury Superior Court. The PTO is a private organization that does not receive any public funding from the town of Brookfield or its school district. Brookfield Superintendent John Barile said in a statement that school officials were deeply disappointed to hear of the police findings, but noted that it appears to be isolated conduct. Bevilacqua will pay full restitution to the PTO accounts, said Gene Zingaro, Bevilacquas attorney. Monica has a clean record and to my knowledge shes never had any allegation like this before, he said. Shes going to make whole restitution up front. Clearly shes trying to make this right. Police began investigating in August when new leadership at the PTO raised concerns to police and schools leaders after finding irregularities in the organizations financial records. Bevilacqua served as treasurer of the PTO from November 2016 to July 2018. The ensuing investigation found Bevilacqua wrote eleven checks to herself or to cash and forged another persons signature on three of those checks, police said. Investigators also found Bevilacqua had used the organizations credit to make 139 purchases from Amazon, 19 purchases at other merchants and 24 purchases from DoorDash, an on-demand meal delivery service. Bevilacqua is the past chair of the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee and she briefly served on the Huckleberry Hill PTO in September. She also has worked for the Connecticut Institute For Communities for more than a decade leading the regional Head Start program, an initiative that helps provide early education to more than 350 low-income preschool children and support for their families. CIFC has reviewed its own finances and concluded that there are no financial irregularities in their accounts and that Bevilacqua has never had signature authority in connection with any CIFC bank anyway, CEO Jim Maloney said. CIFC has placed Bevilacqua on indefinite suspension, with pay, as CIFC Director of Early Learning and Head Start, pending the outcome of the court proceedings, he said. She has never been accused of any misconduct while at CIFC, Maloney noted. Mrs. Bevilacqua has served in her Program Director position with distinction and integrity, and has been very well regarded by her supervisors, her peers, and her staff, he said. Brookfield Police did not release additional information about their investigation Friday. Current leadership of the Center Elementary School PTO were no able to immediately comment on the investigation late Friday. zach.murdock@hearstmediact.com Head Mistress Betty Stephen (right) and Librarian and IT, Helen Louis at work Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with Rashid Alimov, the outgoing Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). During the three-year tenure of Alimov as the SCO secretary general, the organization has successfully expanded its membership, held the Qingdao summit and entered a higher stage of development, Wang said. China is full of confidence in the future of the SCO and is ready to work with other SCO members to implement the outcomes of the Qingdao summit as well as push for further development of the SCO, he added. The cooperation fields of the SCO have broadened and its global influence has risen in the past three years, said Alimov. "I hope and believe that China will continue to play a positive role in promoting the development and growth of the SCO," he said. BRIDGEPORT The police department in the states largest city saw its share of ups and downs in 2018. Among the positive: the department added a Fusion Center to help keep an eye on crime and develop predictive policing measures, confirmation of acting Police Chief Armando Perez as permanent chief, and introduction of body and dashboard cameras to record police interactions with the public. But the bad included a veteran cop who was accused of abusing the departments payroll and overtime system, and the sudden retirement of Perezs right-hand man, who left the job after racist messages allegedly sent from him surfaced. In mid-February, Bridgeport police arrested Lt. Stephen Shuck for theft after a criminal investigation. Shuck, a 34-year veteran of the department, was charged with first-degree larceny following allegations that he was abusing the payroll and overtime system. Perez announced April 20 that he had fired Shuck. Perez recently said the department plans to roll out a new payroll and overtime system in 2019. In July, private Facebook messages of a racist manner surfaced, allegedly sent by Capt. Mark Straubel, a longtime colleague of Perez. Some the messages targeted Police Capt. Roderick Porter, the citys highest ranking black police officer. Straubel retired the following month after being placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. An additional probe by Bridgeport States Attorney John Smriga found that Straubel did send private racist messages via Facebook messenger but that he did not commit a crime though Smriga did call the messages repugnant and alarming. Perez had said the situation left him heartbroken. Despite 2018 being what Perez termed a tough year, the chief said the department has come out stronger and more prepared for 2019. Becoming more productive Lt. Manuel Cotto said the department worked on some minor changes to be more productive in 2018, including fixing some broken computers to free up more time for officers to focus on community policing, traffic enforcement and more. Over the past 12 months, Bridgeport police lost 67 officers to retirement. But those ranks were filled and then some, Perez said, by the roughly 100 new officers that went through recruitment and joined the force. Every body thats out there helps, Perez said. The departments biggest addition in 2018 were the body and dashboard cameras added to 255 patrol, traffic, K-9 and Tactical Narcotics Team officers and their vehicles. The program launched in August, after a pilot program earlier in the year. As things were finalized for the body and dash cameras, the police department added some other technology to its arsenal. In early May, the city added NexGen software to all first responders vehicles. The computer program allows police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel to share information with each other while responding to calls. The new program was installed to keep all agencies in the loop and improve efficiency, Perez said. Also in May, Bridgeport police launched the Fusion Center at 999 Broad Street, staffed 24/7 to monitor the 1,200 cameras around the city. The centers focus has remained the same since its first day: quality of life in the city. Its not meant to be an invasion of privacy, Perez said recently. Its about keeping the Bridgeport community safe. With the Fusion Center, the department dove head-first into predictive policing. By using the cameras, police track areas where criminal activity happens repeatedly and adds additional patrol units in the area. Its data-driven analysis, Cotto said. Were tracking trends. And it works. Thats the future, Perez added. In November, Bridgeport police acquired Dennis, a police dog trained in explosive detection. Perez recently said there are currently four trained K-9 officers on the force. But, he said, the department is hoping to get 25 more trained sometime in March 2019. In December, the ShotSpotter system went live. The system detects and time stamps gunfire-like sounds, confirms the sound heard to be gunshots, and then triangulates where the shots were fired and alerts all Bridgeport officers to the location. All of this, Cotto said, happens in less than 45 seconds. Once officers are alerted to gunfire, theyre able to tap into nearby cameras on their department-issued devices to see possible victims, suspects or suspect vehicles in the area. Cotto said the new system in no way replaces the need for residents to call 911 when they hear gunshots. ShotSpotter also helps police with predictive policing, allowing them to dig into crimes, notice trends and hopefully catch some of the bad guys, Cotto said. ShotSpotter is a complete game-changer, he said. Were going to save lives. Two weeks after 15 mine workers got trapped in a 'rat hole' in Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, there's no sign of them. No one knows what the inside of the coal mine looks like, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has no blueprint or maps either. NDRF assistant commandant SK Singh, who has been camping at the site since news about the miners being trapped reached the authorities, says the task force has tried everything using sonar radios, diving, taking in boats, and water pumps. But so far, it has encountered only failure. With the help of the locals, the NDRF team found out that the depth of the mine is about 350 feet. "There's at least 70-feet water inside," he says. For more immersives like this subscribe to our newsletter. A 'rat hole' is a term used in coal mining. It involves digging of small tunnels, usually only 3-4 feet high. The name is because of the tiny size of the holes. The mining is done by digging small holes into the ground, much like the holes dug by rats. Often children are employed to enter and extract coal from these mines because of the small size. It mostly exists in North Eastern part of the country, a majority of which is in Meghalaya. Accidents, particularly cave-ins, are common during coal extraction. On 13th December, 15 workers entered the coal mine using a crane. Once they reached the bottom of the pit, they crawled inside the horizontal 'rat holes'. The locals believe that one of the diggers accidentally punctured the walls of the cave, letting in water from the nearby Lytein River. "I have been in this situation before and I have witnessed deaths. I knew from the first day that they need at least 100 pumps to take the water out. I even told the NDRF team there that I can help them. But no one listened," says Ali, miner Mominul Islam's brother. Mominul is one of the miners who is trapped inside the 'rat hole'. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned 'rat hole' coal mines in 2014, and retained the ban in 2015, on grounds of it being unscientific and unsafe for workers. However, in large parts of Meghalaya 'rat holes' are still operative. Ali, who worked in coal mines for eight years before the NGT ban, says even when it was legal, workers often got injured and death wasnt uncommon. "It's dangerous, we know. But we are poor and it pays for our bread," he says. However, while these coal mine workers could earlier go to the police to file a complaint, they can no longer do that because of the illegality involved. There are two kinds of 'rat hole'. Narrow tunnels are dug on the hill slopes and workers go inside until they find the coal seam. The other one is called box-cutting. In the box-cutting method, a rectangular opening is made. A vertical pit of 100-400 feet is dug through that. The workers enter the pit using cranes, and once they reach the bottom, they enter tunnels that are dug horizontally. In East Jaintia Hills, this was the kind of 'rat hole' that trapped 15 miners. While most of the coal-mine owners and dealers who handle the day-to-day work are locals, the labourers who risk their lives and enter the rat holes are usually outsiders from Nepal, Bangladesh, Assam and the outskirts of the state. Many of these mine workers are Bengali Muslims, often subjected to humiliation as the general idea is that they are 'Bangladeshis'. This kind of coal mining activity has a huge negative impact on surrounding communities, quite literally leaving their villages uninhabitable. The areas where coal mining has been rampant is left with dead rivers and barely any ecology. A migrant worker from Nepal whose job was to shovel coal onto trucks for around Rs 300 a day said she did the work because she had nothing else to do. In most of the areas where coal mining is rampant, there's no agriculture and not enough water. In the mining areas, the water is so polluted that most of the rivers and streams are brownish-orange in colour. Most villagers have to walk for hours to get access to drinking water. The communities that would earlier depend on fishing have only 'dead' rivers left now. "We go there because they offer us money. We are poor. What can we do? Coal mining happens in the state and everyone is aware. Why can't the government help us?" asks Abdul Karim. Six years ago, a spinal cord injury inside a rat-hole mine in the same area had left Karim paralysed. A big chunk of rock fell on my neck while I was digging for coal. It affected my spinal cord. I cant walk anymore. I am on wheelchair, the native of Magurmarai village says. On December 6, Karim's 30-year-old brother Abdul Kalam left his home to work as a labourer in a mine. But the official record of 13 labourers does not list his name. "I only found out about it when I couldn't reach him for days. But nobody is counting him," he says. Flash At least six Palestinian protesters were injured on Friday afternoon by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during clashes in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that six Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, adding that two of them are in critical condition. He went on saying that dozens had suffered burns and suffocations after they inhaled the tear gas fired at them by the Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza Strip. Despite the rainy weather in eastern Gaza Strip, clashes broke out on Friday afternoon between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza, according to local Gaza TV stations. Paramedics said that the soldiers fired tear gas and live gunshots at the protesters who approached the fence of the border. They said dozens suffered burns and suffocation after inhaling tear gas, adding that at least six were injured by the soldiers' gunfire; one of them is a 14-year-old boy who was shot in his head and is in serious condition. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli snipers are targeting the protesters with live gunshots and that the snipers target the upper parts of the protesters. Friday's anti-Israel protests are the 40th Friday of protests that are part of the marches of return and breaking the siege that broke out on March 30, according to the marches' organizers. Al-Qedra said that since the start of the marches, the Israeli army had shot and killed 245 Palestinians and wounded more than 25,000; around 40 percent of them were shot by live gunshots. Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in an emailed press statement that "the massive public participation in the 40th Friday of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege despite all the difficult circumstances confirm the great national cohesion in the face of the Israeli occupation." Hamas leaders who have been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007 and the organizers of the marches of return insist that their protests, rallies and marches will go on until Israel ends its 12-year-old blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. Flash A Canadian citizen will face trial over drug-smuggling charges in China's northeastern Liaoning province on Saturday, amid media reports of another Canadian, who was earlier detained for "working illegally" in China, being released. "I have taken note of the notice that an appeal on the drug-smuggling charges against Robert Lloyd Schellenberg will be heard by Liaoning Higher People's Court," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said when asked to respond on the Canadian's case. "I would refer you to the competent authority for specifics. China and Canada maintain unimpeded consular communication. We will provide necessary assistance for the Canadian side to fulfill its consular duties," Hua added. Citing a statement released on the official website of Liaoning Higher People's Court on Wednesday, China's Global Times newspaper reported that "the court will accept and hear the case of appellant Schellenberg at 2:00pm local time Saturday." The Canadian national was held by local authorities and believed to have smuggled an "enormous amount" of drugs, ECNS, the English-language website of China News Service, reported citing runsky.com, a website run by the Dalian Radio and Television Station. The amount of drugs that he allegedly smuggled "will surprise you when it goes public," Global Times stated, also citing runsky.com. The Chinese newspaper explained that the trafficking of drugs is a felony in China, especially when the amount is enormous. Schellenberg is the first foreigner to be tried in China on drug-smuggling charges in nine years. The last foreigner to be tried for drug smuggling was British national Akmal Shaikh, who was caught in 2007 while smuggling over 4 kilograms of heroin into China. Canadian teacher released Schellenberg's trial comes amid reports in international media that another Canadian, Sarah McIver who was taken into "administrative detention" for "working illegally" in China has been released and has returned to Canada. Global Affairs Canada, the government department that manages Ottawa's diplomatic and consular relations, confirmed that the Canadian teacher is back home without naming the person. "Global Affairs can confirm that a Canadian citizen, who was detained in China this month, has been released and has now returned to Canada," BBC quoted the department's spokesman Richard Walker as saying. "Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed," he added. Chinese Foreign Ministry had confirmed last week that a local public security authority imposed an "administrative penalty" on McIver for "illegal employment." Two other Canadian nationals, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor, remain under detention in China on suspicion of "engaging in activities that endangered China's national security." Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday replied in negative to a question whether the government was not satisfied with the functioning of the Reserve Bank of India. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the minister quoted a report of International Monetary Fund (IMF) which said the supervision and regulation by the RBI was strong and improved in recent years. "No, madam," Jaitley said to a question whether the government is not satisfied about the functioning of the RBI. The government and the RBI under the previous Governor Urjit Patel were at loggerheads on several issues, including over appropriate size of reserves which the central bank should hold. There were also differences over the lending to the small and medium enterprises, and norms concerning supervisory action over public sector banks under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) of the RBI. The differences reached a flash point with Patel suddenly quitting the RBI on December 10. Patel's resignation was being speculated right from the time the government cited a never-before-used provision of the RBI Act to get him to consider its views on relaxing lending norms for segments such as small and medium enterprises, appropriate size of reserves the central bank must maintain and easing norms for weak banks. Earlier, RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had raised concerns over the autonomy of the central bank, triggering speculations that the government and the central bank were not same page on many issues. Meanwhile, the RBI has said that banks under PCA have reported slower NPA growth in FY18. The 11 public sector banks that are under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework have shown lower growth in gross non-performing assets as against non-PCA banks, the Reserve Bank said in a report Friday. Of the 21 state-owned banks, as many as 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These 11 banks constitute a fifth of the system-wide credit and deposits. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, Uco Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. The PCA banks have also increased recoveries, while containing the growth in advances and deposits, reducing riskiness of assets and focusing on better rated assets. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Delhi: The Bihar Board of Open Schooling and Examination has released the BBOSE class 10th Admit Card December 2018. The candidates can visit the official website of the board i.e. bbose.org to download the admit card.We have mentioned the process through which students can download the admit card: Step 1: Visit the official website of Bihar Board Open School. Step 2: Click on BBOSE 10th Admit Card December 2018. Step 3: Now fill in the form by submitting all the required credentials. Click on the submit button. Step 4: Once, you will submit the credentials, your BBOSE 10th Admit Card December 2018 will appear to you. Step 5: Download the admit card and take the printout of it for the future reference. Information Available on BBOSE 10th Admit Card December 2018: Examination Type Roll Number of the Candidates Enrollment Number Students Name Date of Birth Fathers Name Mothers Name Name of the Exam Centre Centre Code Examination Time Exam Date Subject Code Subject Name Other Necessary Instructions BBOSE Eligibility criteria: Applicants must have passed 9th standard from a primary school located in the state of Bihar in order to get admission in SSC class in different universities. Minimum 50% marks are required by the applicant from a recognized board in order to apply for the admission procedure. For the reserved category, minimum 45% marks are required. At the time of admission, applicants must hold a valid medical fitness certificate approved by a known medical center. Applicants who want to get admission in SSC or HSC class needs to appear for the admission procedure conducted by the official authorities of the university. The Bihar Board of Open Schooling and Examination conducts an entrance exam for the eligible applicants in order to provide admission to the eligible applicants in the school. Delhi: Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, who has given many blockbuster movies in his career spanning over four decades, is currently in Los Angeles, undergoing treatment for a chronic backache. As per the recent reports in Times of India, the actor has been suffering from back pain issues for years, and recently his pain aggravated because of which he decided to go to LA for treatment. Further reports suggest that he has been hospitalised there and his family is by his side to take care of him. Mithun first faced this problem while doing a stunt in his movie, Lucky in 2009. He also underwent treatment for the same in 2016. He is doing fine now. On the work front, Mithun Chakraborty was last seen in Anil Sharmas Genius. The movie featured Uttkarsh Sharma in the lead role and also starred Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a supporting role. He will next seen in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film and in Vivek Agnihotri's The Tashkent Files. Apart from this, Mithun also grabbed the limelight when his son Mahaakshay Chakraborty and wife Yogeeta Bali were accused of rape and cheating an actress on the pretext of getting married. They were later granted anticipatory bail in the matter. Following this, Mahaakshay tied the knot with actress Madalsa Sharma in a private ceremony. Mahaakshay was launched in Bollywood with the 2008 film Jimmy. After a handful of flops, he vanished from Bollywood. Mahaakshay's last release was 2015's Ishqedarriyaan. In an earlier interview, talking about his son, Mithun had said, I have come up the hard way. I had no godfather in the industry. I want my children to learn their lessons too. I have told him (Mimoh) that he has to fight his own battles, and not expect someone else to do it for him. I will do everything that a father can for his child, but I will not interfere in his career. He has been working hard. His first film was a disaster, but his second film was a hit. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Around 70 Haryana Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers were detained in a late Friday night police raid across the state allegedly for calling Manohar Lal Khattar a CM of Punjabis, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed. AAP workers in several places sat on a Dharna in front of police stations to protest the dictatorial move. AAP IT cell head and spokesperson Kuldeep Kadyan claimed that the Crime Investigation Agency of Haryana police raided homes of around 70 AAP workers allegedly for their Facebook posts claiming that the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana was working only for Punjabis. Its a bizarre irony that BJP itself can advertise about their Punjabi leader but if someone else shares those snapshots, they got arrested in a manner as if they were terrorists. Is this democracy? Kadyan tweeted along with the purported snapshots of BJP advertisement calling Khattar CM of Punjabis. Also Read | As mutiny singes AAP, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel explains what exactly happened AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also slammed the BJP-led Haryana government over the arrests of his party workers allegedly for calling Khattar a CM of Punjabis. What kind of dictatorship is this? Late last night 70 people were arrested for calling Khattar Sahib chief minister of Punjabis? Kejriwal wrote on Twitter. Another AAP leader Ankit Lal claimed that people who were arrested for posting on Facebook were charged under the sections 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act. 70 people arrested in Haryana for posting on FB. 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) of IPC and Section 66 of Information Technology Act, Lal said. Also Read | Watch: Nitin Gadkari comes to Arvind Kejriwals rescue when BJP trolls tried to heckle him Early on Friday, the police had also arrested an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) student leader for allegedly posting an article that quoted Haryana CM as saying - "I am just the CM of Punjabis, have nothing to do with other castes". The Haryana chief minister, who was born in Punjab's Nindana (Now part of Haryana), is often accused of playing Punjabi card to woo voters by the Oppositions parties. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middlemen in the AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper Scam, has named Mrs Gandhi, the Enforcement Directorate told the Patiala court on Saturday. According to the news agency ANI, the probe agency told the court that Michel also spoken about "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country." The ED also said that Michel has identified how the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was removed from the deal and the VVIP chopper deal was offered to Tata instead. The ED also sought to ban Michel's lawyer's access to him alleging he is being tutored from outside. The ED told the court that, "We need to decipher who the "big man" referred to as "R" is in the communication between Christian Michel and other people. We need to confront Michel with other people to decipher who "the big man" or "R" is." However, Michel's lawyer Aljo K Joseph told the court: Michel Christian had a query regarding something and how legal response needs to be given. He tried to give us something, we didn't see what it was. It was immediately pointed out that he was slipping us a paper and paper was taken away." Also Read: 'Big man - R', 'son of Italian lady': Know what AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel told ED in 5 points The Patiala House Court listened to all the arguments and sent Michel to seven-day ED remand. However, the Congress countered the charges and said that there is pressure on Michel to name a particular family. Addressing the media, Congress leader RPN Singh asked "why is the chowkidaar trying to pressurise the government agencies to name a family? BJP scriptwriters are working overtime." Michel was extradited to India from Dubai on December 4. At that time, Congress had alleged that facing "imminent defeat" in state polls, Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government were seeking to "weave a web of lies" and construct a "mesh of deception to hoodwink" the people of India in the chopper case. Michel was subjected to intense questioning after he reached India and slept barely for two hours. The 57-year old had an anxiety attack upon reaching the CBI headquarters in wee hours and doctors were called to attend to him. After giving him treatment, he was put to an intense grilling about money trail and identification of documents in the multi-crore rupee deal. He was allowed to sleep for two hours between 4 am and 6 am Wednesday before being provided with breakfast. Meanwhile, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed the Congress over Christian Michel's revelations. "Christian Michel spoke about 'son of Italian lady'. Revelations by the ED show that there is a 'son of Italian lady', 'big man' and 'R' involved. It points towards a family." He added, "The Congress government was a government of corruption that compromised with national security." (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : In an explosive claim that may change the course of country's politics, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday told Delhi's Patiala House Court that Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland scam has named one "Mrs Gandhi", "son of Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country". During the interrogation, the probe agency claimed, that Michel also identified how the HAL was removed from the deal and Tata got the contract. The ED also sought custody of the alleged middleman saying they need to confront him to decipher who the "big man" referred to as "R" is. The court granted the probe agency seven-day custody of the Michel. What ED told court on Christian Michel's revelation: 5 points 1. The Enforcement Directorate told Delhi's Patiala House Court that Christian Michel has taken the name of "Mrs Gandhi". The agency, however, didn't say in what reference he took the name of "Mrs Gandhi." Also Read | AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel takes names of Mrs Gandhi, 'son of Italian lady': ED to court 2. The probe agency told the court that Michel also spoke about "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country". 3. The ED demanded seven-day custody of the alleged middleman saying they need to confront him with other people to decipher who the "big man" referred to as "R" is. 4. The Enforcement Directorate claimed that Michel also identified how HAL was removed from the deal which was later offered to Tata. 5. The ED also sought to ban Michel access to his lawyer, alleging that he was being tutored from outside. Earlier this month, Michel was extradited to India from Dubai. Upon his arrival in the country, he was subjected to intense questioning by the probe agencies and slept barely for two hours. The 57-year old had an anxiety attack upon reaching the CBI headquarters and doctors were called to attend to him. After giving him treatment, he was put to an intense grilling about money trail and identification of documents in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam case. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Barely moments after the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday informed Delhi's Patiala House Court about 'middleman' Christian Michel's statement on "Mrs Gandhi" and "the son of the Italian lady" in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper scam case, the Congress countered the charges, saying that there is pressure on Michel to name a particular family. Addressing a press conference, Congress leader RPN Singh said, "why is the chowkidaar trying to pressurise the government agencies to name a family? BJP script writers are working overtime". RPN Singh Congress on ED says Christian Michel has taken the name of "Mrs Gandhi": There is pressure on Michel to name a particular family, why is the chowkidaar trying to pressurize the govt agencies to name a family? BJP script writers are working over time. #Agustawestland pic.twitter.com/qCxYeObJYN ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 "As per law, the first thing a person gets is a lawyer... But they don't allow him to meet the lawyer, so you know what kind of a case is going on. We have seen what the BJP is doing here. The person who has done the biggest chori cannot be spared," Singh added. Read | AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel takes names of Mrs Gandhi, 'son of Italian lady': ED to court Reacting strong to the latest development in Patiala House court on Saturday, Congress leader and former union cabinet minister Anand Sharma said, "I have never heard anything more absurd than what I have heard today and that too coming from ED as claimed before a court. The Modi government is guilty of a malicious and vicious propaganda". "Theres brazen and shameless abuse of agencies of the state; CBI has been wrecked, ED has no credibility left. These are actions of a government in its dying days. Agencies should act according to law. There's no prosecution taking place. There's no evidence being produced," Sharma added. Anand Sharma, Congress on ED says Christian Michel spoke about 'son of Italian lady': I have never heard anything more absurd than what I have heard today & that too coming from ED as claimed before a court. The Modi government is guilty of a malicious & vicious propaganda. pic.twitter.com/0CX9m1ZKFG ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 Read | 'Big man - R', 'son of Italian lady': Know what AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel told ED in 5 points However, the ED is yet to ascertain that in what reference Michel took the name of "Mrs Gandhi" and "the son of the Italian lady". The probe agency will further confront Michel to decipher who the "big man" referred to as "R" and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country. Following this major breakthrough in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper scam case, the court has sent Michel to seven-day ED remand. The hearing in AgustaWestland case is currently underway. Michel was brought to India following his extradition by the UAE early in early December and kept at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi under heavy security overnight. The subsequent day he was produced in Delhi's Patiala House Court where lawyer Aljo K Joseph who is representing Michel moved a bail plea. The AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper case pertains to the Indian governments deal to purchase 12 AW101 helicopters from AgustaWestland. The deal was signed by the then Congress-led UPA government in February 2010. The choppers were supposed to ferry VVIPs, including the President of India and the Prime Minister. Read | Congress rattled after Christian Michels extradition, sent team to save him: BJP However, controversies surrounded the deal after reports that Finmeccanica paid a huge amount of money to several officials and politicians to win the VVIP choppers deal with the Indian Air Force. It was alleged that the some of the technical specifications were changed to help AgustaWestland bag the deal. According to a CBI claim, the deal had cost the taxpayers a loss of approximately Rs 3,666 crore. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least four terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out on Saturday morning between terrorists and the security forces in Rajpora area of Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district, news agency ANI reported. The forces launched search and cordon operation after they received information about the presence of terrorists. "Exchange of fire underway between security forces and terrorists in Rajpora, Pulwama. Search operation was launched after inputs that terrorists were hiding in the area," ANI tweeted. #UPDATE Four terrorists have been killed.Arms and ammunition recovered https://t.co/23BX6oZUie ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 ALSO READ | NIA arrests 10 after busting ISIS-like module in Delhi, UP On Friday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in a brief encounter in South Kashmirs Pulwama district. Based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Banderpora area of district Pulwama, a cordon and search operation (CASO) was launched in the morning hours jointly by Police and security forces in the area, police had said. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed. The slain militant was identified as Ishfaq Yousuf Wani, a resident of Koil Pulwama in South Kashmir. The area where the encounter took place was an orchard, said police officials. Wani was involved in several terror crimes. He was wanted by the law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities, the Indian Express quoted an official as saying. ALSO READ | J-K: ITBP personnel dead, several injured as bus skids off highway Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that Cordon and search operations (CASO) launched in the extreme cold weather should immediately stop. Taking to micro-blogging website Twitter he wrote, At #JamaMasjid today. Grossly Inhuman on part of GOI that even in this severe cold as mercury has dipped to minus 8 degree celsius, children women and men forcibly brought out of their homes for conduct of Cordon and search operations (CASO)! This should be immediately stopped. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The mega rescue operation to save 15 miners trapped inside 370-feet-deep coal pit in Meghalaya is gaining some momentum. After the Indian Air Force and Coal India teams, the Indian Navy is also sending its special diving unit to assist the rescuers. According to the navy officials, the team is expected to reach the site today. Indian Navy is deploying a 15-member diving team from Visakhapatnam two assist in rescue ops for missing miners in Meghalaya. The team is carrying special diving equipment including a re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater, the Navy said on Twitter. It should be noted that its only now that the Navy has been called in. On Friday, the Navy officials had done an initial assessment to determine an effective response. On Friday, 20 pumps were flown in by the Indian Air Force. As per latest reports, the rescuers from the Air Force and the Coal India are now on their way travelling 200 km to the exact spot to save the miners trapped for a fortnight. Superintendent of Police Sylvester Mongtynger said two teams from Kirloskar Brothers Ltd also arrived on Thursday to help in rescuing the miners trapped in the 370-foot-deep illegal mine. "We are deeply concerned about the trapped miners in Meghalaya and are ready to help in whichever way possible. We are in touch with the officials of the Government of Meghalaya to offer our assistance in this regard," Kirloskar Brothers Ltd said in a statement late Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the NDRF battalion based in Guwahati, which is carrying out the rescue operation, said the statement of its Assistant Commandant Santosh Kumar Singh on "foul smell" had been "misinterpreted and he was misquoted as saying that foul odour could indicate that the miners were dead and the bodies are beginning to decompose." The NDRF explained the foul smell could be of the stagnant water. "The fact is that the pumping process has been halted for more than 48 hours. The foul smell detected by the divers may be due to stagnant water. The same has been misinterpreted and newspapers quoted it saying the odour could indicate the miners are dead and bodies are beginning to decompose," the statement issued by Commandant of Guwahati-based NDRF Battalion S K Shastri said. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a major setback to Janata Dal (United) ahead of general elections, slated for next year, party's Jharkhand state president Jaleshwar Mahato has joined the Congress party. Mahato, who represented the Baghmara Assembly constituency during the year 2000 to 2009, was considered close to Bihar Chief Minister and party president Nitish Kumar. He joined the Congress party on Saturday in the national capital in presence of party president Rahul Gandhi. Mahato is Jharkhand State President of Janata Dal (United). The former cabinet minister of Jharkhand is known for his infrastructural developments in the state during his tenure. According to reports, Congress leader Nirmal Singh played an instrumental role in making sure that Jaleshwar makes the switch. He has been critical of Dulu Mahato, a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha MLA Baghmara, off late. When asked about his decision to join the Congress party, Mahto said that there was 'mafia raj' in the Baghmara constituency and he has joined the Congress to bring an end to it. It is being speculated that the Congress may field him as its candidate from Baghmara constituency in the next year Assembly elections. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Pakistan has set new conditions on the entry of Sikh pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan via Kartarpur corridor. According to local media reports, the Pakistani government has sent a proposal on Kartarpur corridor to India. As per the proposal, the entry of the pilgrims via Kartarpur corridor would be permit based and passport would be compulsory. Earlier, there were reports that Sikh pilgrims would be allowed free one day access to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Besides this, Pakistan has also limited per day entry permission to only 500 pilgrims. The Indian government will have to provide the list of visiting pilgrims three days prior to their visit. Also Read | Kashmiri Pandits rally in support of Sharda Peeth Corridor to PoK Earlier in September, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor that will connect Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Dubbed as a ground-breaking initiative towards ending the enmity between the hostile neighbours India and Pakistan, the Imran Khan governments gesture to open the corridor was praised by many in India. The corridor is expected to be completed by June 2019. The 4-km corridor will facilitate the visit of Sikh pilgrims to the historic shrine of Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib believed to be the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. The Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara is visible from the Indian side and every year, thousands of Sikhs gather at Dera Baba Nanak shrine for darshan. The ground-breaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor was attended by Pakistani PM Imran Khan, Pak Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and from the Indian side, Union Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ghazipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released a commemorative postal stamp on the Rajbhar community icon Raja Suheldev in Ghazipur while NDA partner Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) - named after the icon of Rajbhar community - boycotted the event. Apart from the SBSP, the Apna Dal (S) also decided to distance itself from the event. The prime minister also laid the foundation stone of a medical college and released a commemorative postal stamp on Maharaja Suheldev. "Several important steps have being taken to transform Purvanchal into a big medical hub and to strengthen the small industries of UP," he said. PM Modi said the effort was to take Maharaja Suheldev's contribution to all Indians through the postal stamp. "It is said that when he was the king people did not lock doors. Such brave sons were not given proper honour by previous governments and we have taken it as our duty to accord them the respect due to them," he added. PM Modi also targeted Congress party for not fulfilling their promise of farm loan waiver in Karnataka. He said only a small number of loans were waived in Karnataka after the recent assembly elections in the state, where a JD(S)-Congress government is now in power. Interestingly, SBPS president Om Prakash Rajbhar, a legislator from Zahoorabad assembly constituency in Ghazipur district, is a Cabinet Minister in the Yogi Adityanath government and Anupriya Patel, a parliamentarian from Mirzapur, is Union Minister of State for Health in Modi Cabinet at the Centre. Rajbhar is reportedly upset over the commemorative postal stamp on backward caste-Dalit chieftain Suheldev not mentioning his full name i.e. Maharaja Suheldev Rajbhar. The SBPS chief said that he was not invited to the event despite the fact that Suheldev is the icon his part and caste. The party also claimed that the Modi government is trying to erase the history of the community. The Rajbhar community has a presence in nearly 125 Assembly seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh and constitutes 2.60 per cent of the entire state's population and SBSP chief Rajbhar had claimed that in 62 Assembly seats, the Rajbhars need a little support from other communities to win those seats. Rajbhar had formed the SBSP in October 2002. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A police constable, identified asA Suresh Vats,A 48, was killed on Saturday in Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The incident took place less than a month after inspectorA Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead by a mob in state's Bulandshahr on December 3 during a violence that broke out over cow slaughter allegations. #WATCH One constable dead & two locals from the area injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area, earlier today. #Ghazipur pic.twitter.com/FnviOzuRIU a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018 The occured when policemen posted at the district's Nonhara police station were returning from duty at PM Modi's rally and were asked to control a mob allegedly from the Nishad communityA demanding reservation by blocking a highway. The police team was attacked with stones by the protesters when it tried to disperse them. Earlier visuals from Ghazipur: 1 constable dead & 2 locals from the area injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area today. pic.twitter.com/FAGzcFSyUe a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation ofA Rs 40 lakhA for the wife of the constable. "CM Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the unfortunate death of Constable Suresh Vats in Ghazipur in a stone-pelting incident," the chief minister office said. Mahipal Pathak, CO, Sadar: He(Constable Suresh Vats) was returning after completing his duty at the PM event today.Some ppl from Nishad community were protesting near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area where stone pelting incident took place during which he was hit.#Ghazipur pic.twitter.com/vesUmxIXfn a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018A The Congress slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the death, alleging that in Yogi Adityanath's "jungle rule" neither the people are safe, nor the police. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed: "In Adityanath's grand jungle rule, neither the people were safe, nor the police."A "Today in Ghazipur after Modi ji's rally, a mob mercilessly killed police constable Suresh Vats," he tweeted.A "Democracy in BJP rule=mobocracy," he added.A On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr district apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, police inspector Singh and 20-year-old man Sumit Kumar died of gunshot wounds. Singh had gone for a search operation following specific inputs about stone pelting in the region and fell unconscious after a stone hit his head. While being rushed to the hospital an angry mob again attacked his vehicle. While other policemen in the Jeep fled the spot, Singh was allegedly shot dead byA Army jawan Jitendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji. He was later arrested. On Thursday, the police arrested another accusedA from the Bulandshahr-Noida borderA involved in the murder case. Bulandshahar's Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhakar Chaudhary said the accused, identified as Prashant Nutt, is being interrogated and confessed of shooting Singh. However, the weapon of the killing, a pistol is yet to be recovered, Chaudhary added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Amid reports that China is still very well present in the disputed Doklam area, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met with Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering in Delhi to discuss the political situation in the region. Sharing the picture of their meeting on Twitter, the Congress chief wrote, I had an excellent meeting today with the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dr Lotay Tshering. We discussed the political situation in the region and other matters of common interest. I look forward to continuing our dialogue in the future. Interestingly, the Congress chief is in the Opposition and his meeting with the Bhutanese prime minister has raised many eyebrows on social media. The Gandhi scion has been attacking the Narendra Modi government over the Chinese presence in Doklam a plateau between India, China and Bhutan even as both countries decided to mutually withdraw their troops. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi lambasts PM Modi for not discussing Doklam issue during his China visit The government refused to accept the reports and claimed that there was no change in the status-quo at Doklam. However, media reports, citing satellite imagery, claimed that China has built new roads in the region after Doklam standoff. Chinese havent evacuated Doklam, they have built huge infrastructures in the territory and yet PM Modi when he visits China, has a conversation without agenda and doesnt discuss these issues, the Congress president had said during his Interaction with London-based Indian Journalists Association in August this year. The meeting also holds significance as the Doklam standoff between India and China was started after New Delhi on Bhutans request stopped a Chinese construction party from building a road in the disputed region. Doklam is claimed by both China and Bhutan. India, however, supports Bhutans claim as both countries share a very strong diplomatic and people to people ties. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: The CBI probed the alleged fake encounter killings of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati with a 'pre-conceived and premeditated' theory to implicate political leaders, a special CBI court has said. Special CBI Judge SJ Sharma made the remarks in a 350-pages judgment on December 21, while acquitting all the 22 accused in the case. The court acquitted the accused due to insufficient evidence and expressed sorrow over the loss of "three lives." While the judgment copy was unavailable Friday, media was given access to portions of the judgment. In his order, Judge Sharma said his predecessor (Judge MB Gosavi) while passing an order of discharge in the application of accused number 16 (BJP president Amit Shah) recorded that the investigation was "politically motivated". "Having given my dispassionate consideration to the entire material placed before me and having examined each of the witnesses and the evidence closely, I have no hesitation in recording that a premier investigating agency like CBI had before it a premeditated theory and a script intended to implicate political leaders," the judgment said. The order said the CBI, during its probe into the case, was doing something other than arriving at the truth of the offences in question. "It clearly appears that the CBI was more concerned in establishing a particular pre-conceived and premeditated theory rather than finding out the truth," the judgment said. It said the CBI did what was required to reach that 'goal' instead of conducting a probe in accordance with law. "The entire investigation was thus targeted to act upon a script to achieve the said goal and in the process of its zeal to implicate political leaders, CBI created evidence and placed witness statements in the chargesheet," the judgment said. Such statements could not withstand the judicial scrutiny of the court and the witnesses deposed fearlessly before this court clearly indicating that their statements were wrongly recorded by CBI to justify its script to implicate political leaders, the court said. The court noted that there was negligence on part of the CBI towards material evidence which clearly indicated that the agency "hurriedly" completed the investigation. "...the CBI thus implicated police personnel who had no knowledge of any conspiracy... rather they appeared innocent," the court said. The judge said he is not oblivious to the agony and frustration caused to the families of the deceased persons and to the society in general when a crime of such a serious nature goes unpunished. "...but then the law does not permit the court to punish the accused on the basis of a moral conviction or on suspicion alone. The burden of truth in a criminal trial never shifts. The burden is always on the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt," the court said. The court noted that there is 'regret' that three persons were killed, which was going unpunished. It added that it has no option but to conclude that the accused are not guilty. The order said there was no evidence to prove CBI's theory that the three deceased were abducted by a police team. "The CBI has also failed to establish presence of the accused police personnel at the spot of the alleged incident," the order said, adding that no witness was examined to show that the policemen were issued service weapons. Of the 22 accused, 21 were junior police officers from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who the CBI said were part of teams which abducted and killed the three in staged encounters. The court said there was nothing to show if service weapons of the accused policemen were used in the killings. The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. CBI said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. Prajapati, who was lodged in an Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006. The CBI had charged 38 persons, including Shah, who was then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like DG Vanzara and P C Pande. The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile. Before the December 21 verdict, 16 people, including Shah, Kataria, Vanzara and Pande were discharged by the CBI court due to lack of evidence. Amit Shah was arrested in the case in July 2010, but released on bail by Gujarat High Court in October 2010. He was discharged by CBI court in December 2014. The December 21 verdict was Judge Sharma's last judgment of his career as he is set to retire on December 31. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: From passing path-breaking verdicts on Triple Talaq and Sabarimala Temple to Section 377 and Adultery, it has been a remarkable year for the Supreme Court of India. Here's a look at 10 landmark judgments of 2018: Lifting ban on women's entry to Sabarimala temple: The Supreme Court removed a ban that prevented women between 10 and 50 years of age from entering Kerala's Sabarimala temple. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said devotion cannot be subjected to gender discrimination, and patriarchal notion could not be allowed to trump equality in devotion. It said that banning the entry of women into the shrine was gender discrimination and the practice violated rights of Hindu women. Apex court says Aadhaar constitutional, but strikes down some provisions: A five-judge bench of Supreme Court on ruled that Aadhaar was constitutional, but said making it mandatory for availing government services was unconstitutional. The constitution bench held that Aadhaar would remain mandatory for filing of Income Tax returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN), but struck down some of its provisions including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions. A review petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on seeking re-examination of its five-judge bench's verdict. Decriminalistion of Gay Sex - Section 377 partly struck down: The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment in early September, decriminalised gay sex holding that consensual sex between two adults was covered under the right to privacy. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by CJI Dipak Misra partly struck down Section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), holding it violative of the fundamental right to privacy. It also held that Section 377 of IPC was a weapon to harass members of LGBTQ-plus community resulting in discrimination against them. However, the top court said that Section 377 would continue to be in force in cases of unnatural sex with animals and children, which continues to be a penal offence. Adultery is no longer a crime | Supreme Court scrapped Section 487 of the constitution: The Supreme Court struck down a 150-year-old law that considered adultery to be an offence committed against a married man by another man. Defined under Section 497 of the IPC, adultery law came under sharp criticism for treating women as male property. Previously any man who had sex with a married woman, without the permission of her husband, had committed a crime. While reading out the judgment in the case, CJI Dipak Misra said that while adultery could be grounds for civil issues like divorce, it cannot be a criminal offence. Live-streaming of court proceedings approved: The Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra, in a 2:1 verdict, ordered live-streaming and video recording of the court proceedings on , saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. The CJI and Justice AM Khanwilkar delivered a common judgment. Justice DY Chandrachud gave a separate but concurring judgment. The Supreme Court said that live streaming would bring in more transparency in judicial proceedings and effectuate the public right to know. It also directed the Centre to frame rules for this and said the project will be carried out in phases. Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid pleas turned down: The Supreme Court turned down two petitions in the Ayodhya case on . One that directly deals with the way the disputed land was split according to the 2010 Allahabad High Court ruling, and another that would have had a direct impact on the Supreme Court's final verdict in the case. Reservation for job promotions: The Supreme Court has made it easier to grant caste-based reservations to members of the Scheduled Castes and Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) during job promotions. But, the apex court has also potentially made it harder for economically advanced SCs and STs to reap reservation benefits by extending the 'creamy layer' exclusion to those members. Politicians with criminal antecedents: The Supreme Court on in September held that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the Election Commission before contesting an election, saying criminalisation of politics of the largest democracy is "unsettling". A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said citizens have a right to be informed about the antecedents of their candidates. In the unanimous verdict, the bench, also comprising Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said that political parties are obligated to put all the information about their candidates on their websites. Sajjan Kumar gets life sentence for abetting, instigating Sikh killings: The Delhi High Court on called the anti-Sikh riots case of 1984 communal frenzy after the then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards as it sentenced Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to life imprisonment in one of the cases. As it reversed the trial courts order acquitting Kumar, the court also directed him to surrender by , 2018, and slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him and Rs 1 lakh on all other accused in the case. The case relates to the murder of five members of a family during the anti-Sikh riots in the Raj Nagar area in the Delhi Cantonment on , 1984. Horrendous acts of mobocracy: One of the most important decisions passed by the top court this year was recognising the rising incidents of mob violence in India. The Supreme Court in July asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become a new norm. When any core group with some kind of idea take the law into their own hands, it ushers in anarchy, chaos, disorder and, eventually, there is an emergence of a violent society. Vigilantism cannot, by any stretch of [the] imagination, be given room to take shape for it is absolutely a perverse notion, said the court. (With agency inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: No matter how strong, a wave always crashes against the shore. Thats the nature. Thats how it is. In 2014, India was swept by the unprecedented, robust Modi lehar. The country saw the BJP coming to power with prachand bahumat of 282 seats. Cut to 2018, looks like the saffron wave is crashing against the shore. In what can be called the toughest year for the BJP government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced the stinging attack from Opposition parties. From Rafale deal to the loss in the recent state Assembly elections, detractors are saying the star campaigner of the ruling party is losing his sheen. As the year comes to an end, here are some of the key issues that Narendra Modi faced, the hurdles he overcame and the milestones he achieved in the toughest phase of his prime ministership: Hindi heartland loss: It hurts and how Though the year started with good news from North East, but it ended with heartland loss. In a nerve-wracking see-saw battle, BJP lost Madhya Pradesh. The Congress on December 11 bagged 114 assembly seats and secured the support of seven more MLAs, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and four independent MLAs, to cross the simple majority mark of 116 in the 230- member Madhya Pradesh Assembly. In Chhattisgarh, it was a clean sweep for the Congress with wins in 68 out of the 90 assembly constituencies. Similarly, in Rajasthan, the Congress emerged victorious signalling a newfound energy in the party ranks to stop the BJP juggernaut before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It bagged 99 seats in the 199-member strong Rajasthan Assembly. If these state polls were seen as the semi-final of the 2019, the BJP lost the plot. With four months to go for the crucial, big battle, the party is focusing on devising new strategy. Rafale controversy: The combat jet deal and the scam sortie French President Francois Hollandes sensational claims regarding the multi-billion Rafale combat jet deal sent the shockwave across India. Hollande purportedly said tthat the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal and France did not have a choice. Political commentators claimed that Rafale would be Bofors for Narendra Modi. Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi have constantly attacked Mdoi government over the alleged corruption in the deal. The opposition has been accusing the government of chosing Reliance Defence over state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to benefit the private firm though it did not have any experience in the aerospace sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after holding talks with then French President Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris. Triple Talaq Bill: Victory in Lok Sabha but Rajya Sabha trouble remains Triple Talaq Bill that criminalises the practice of instant divorce by Muslim men is being hailed as the landmark bill for women equality. The Lok Sabha on December 27 passed the bill with 245 voting in its favour and 11 opposing the legislation. Most opposition parties staged a walkout. The passage of the bill in the Upper House is likely to be a difficult task for the government as it lacks a majority there unlike in the Lok Sabha. From Chinas Wuhan to Russias Sochi: The art of informal meetings When Narendra Modi took over as the 14th Prime Minister in 2014, there were some doubts over his capacity to pursue Indian cause on the global stage. But four years and 55 foreign trips later, the PM has silenced his critics. The Wuhan Summit after last years Doklam standoff and the Sochi informal interaction helped the Modi government in resetting the ties with all-powerful neighbours. Mann ki Baat completed 50 Episodes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio broadcast 'Mann ki Baat' completed 50 episodes on November 25. During the broadcast, the PM had flagged several key issues, including education of the girl child, tackling exam stress, curbing pollution and drug menace, in his previous addresses. Through 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi reached out to millions across the country, shared the views and opinions of the citizens and lauded their contribution in nation-building. "On October 3, 2014, we began the journey of 'Mann Ki Baat'. With your blessings, this journey completes 50 episodes tomorrow (Sunday), of sharing joy, positivity and amplifying the power of collective efforts. I hope you will enthusiastically tune in tomorrow for the 50th episode," PM Modi had tweeted. Inauguration of Sardar Patels Statue of Unity The Prime Minister inaugurated an imposing 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel, touted as the world's tallest, on October 31. Modi said that it will serve as a reminder about his courage to thwart conspiracy to disintegrate India. He used to occasion to slam those criticising the decision to build the monument, questioning whether any crime had been committed by constructing such memorials for national heroes like Patel. The imposing monument, named as the 'Statue of Unity' and built on an islet Sadhu Bet near Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat's Narmada district, is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the US. The monument was conceptualised by Modi during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and he had laid the foundation stone for it in 2013. Bogibeel bridge: Special gift from North East Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25 inaugurated the country's longest rail-cum-road bridge over Brahmaputra river at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh in Assam. After reaching Dibrugarh in the afternoon from New Delhi, Modi directly flew to Bogibeel in a chopper and inaugurated the 4.94-km-long double-decker bridge from the southern bank of the river. GST bonanza: Pleasing the masses In one of the biggest decisions which will directly impact the finances of a common man, the GST Council reduced the rates of 33 items. After the meeting, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that "(Many) items have come down from 18% to 12% and 5% as they are common man's consumption goods." He also said that the original demand by the Congress that all goods should come down to 18% and below has been agreed by the Government of India. However, the 34 luxury items will not be part of the current changes. Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prakash Pant said that "22 goods have come down from 28%. Goods like TV, auto parts, computers etc included." In the election year, the Opposition party saw this as another ploy by Modi govt to please the public. When 10 Chief Ministers and a Prime Minister walked the streets of Delhi for one of Indias tallest leader On a humid morning of August 17, 10 chief ministers and the Prime Minister walked solemnly for the political stalwart, whose popularity remains unmatched till today. Atal Bihari Vajpayees funeral procession saw PM Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and BJP chief ministers from several states walking the streets in the heart of the Capital. Though Vajpayee was out of public life for several years, yet BJP will not be able to find anyone of his stature. Modi and Media: Its complicated The Opposition has alleged that the Prime Minister never held a press conference in his tenure since 2014. This year was no different. Though the PM did have a full-page interview in leading dailies and some news channels, where he categorically said that lynching is a crime, there were never any on camera, live direct interaction. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The year 2018 will be remembered for political slugfest and controversies, with two top parties taking on each other in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2019. While the Narendra Modi government came under direct attack from the Opposition for the Rafale jet deal and the snooping row, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a matured, more credible leader after his party's victories in the assembly polls held recently. Here are top 11 political events of 2018: Congresss surge: The defeats in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly elections, results of which were declared on , turned out to be the biggest setbacks for the BJP ever since the Narendra Modi government came to power at Centre in 2014. Interestingly, exactly a year back, Rahul Gandhi was appointed as Congress president on , 2017. In the two-phase polls on and , the Congress romped home to power in Chhattisgarh after 15 years with a two-third majority, winning 68 seats in the 90-member House. The BJP, in power in the state since 2003, was reduced to 15 seats. In Madhya Pradesh, the party won 114 seats in the 230-member House. It has secured support of a total of 121 MLAs, including SP - 1 and BSP - 2 legislators as also of four independents, to cross the majority mark of 116 seats. In Rajasthan, the Congress went from 21 seats against the BJP's 163 in 2013 to getting 99 seats (plus one of the Rashtriya Lok Dal) in the assembly elections. Bhupesh Baghel, Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot became chief ministers in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively. However, the Congress suffered a defeat in Mizoram as its chief minister Lal Thanhawla lost both the seats he had contested. The Mizo National Front (MNF) returned to power after a gap of 10 years by defeating the Congress in its last bastion in the northeast with a lead of 26 seats. In the southern state Telangana, K Chandrashekhar Rao, popularly known as KCR, established his supremacy. His TRS had won a whopping 88 seats, way more than the 59 it needs for a majority in the 119-member assembly. End of Sarkar raj in Tripura: The biggest nightmare for the Left this year came in March when the BJP-IPFT alliance scripted history by securing a majority in the Tripura Assembly, marking the end of 25-year long reign of Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the state. The BJP won 36 seats on its own, while its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), was victorious in 8 constituencies. Surprisingly, the CPI (M) only bagged 16 seats in total. The Left front party had won 50 out of the 60 Assembly constituencies in the state in 2013. The secured 43 per cent vote share, which was less than two per cent votes in the 2013 Assembly election in the state. Its ally IPFT, which fielded candidates in nine seats, got nearly 8 per cent votes. The CPI (M), on the other hand, saw a little over 42 per cent voting in its favour. The Congress has not won a single seat in the state. Relatively new in politics, Biplab Kumar Deb, 46, became the Chief Minister. 10 agencies can now 'spy' your computer: In December, the Union Home Ministry authorised central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt "any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer". The move created a political storm with the opposition parties decrying it as unconstitutional, undemocratic and an assault on fundamental rights. The issue rocked Rajya Sabha as Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that "undeclared Emergency has taken final shape" and "all federal agencies have been let loose". According to the order, the subscriber or service provider or any person in charge of the computer resource will be bound to extend all facilities and technical assistance to the agencies. Failing to do so will invite a seven-year imprisonment and a fine. The central agencies authorised to the government are Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (for service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Northeast and Assam only) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi. Union Minister Arun Jaitley hit back saying the Congress was crying foul over powers created by it when it was in government, adding that the opposition parties were playing with the national security and "making a mountain where even a molehill doesn't exist". Jammu and Kashmir political turmoil: In June, Jammu and Kashmir was pushed into a major political crisis on after the BJP suddenly pulled out of the ruling combine with the PDP, bringing down Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's 27-month-old government amid surging violence in the state. The decision, which surprised the Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and came days after the central government decided not to extend the Ramadan ceasefire, made another round of Governor's Rule imminent in the state where no political group or alliance won enough seats in the December 2014 elections to form a government on its own. Mehbooba Mufti resigned as the Chief Minister immediately after BJP announced its decision in a televised news conference. On , Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the 87-member state assembly after the PDP, supported by the Congress and their arch rivals National Conference, had staked claim to form the government. Simultaneously, the two-member People's Conference led by Sajjad Lone had also staked claim to form a government with 25 members of the BJP and other 18 unknown members. The governor had dissolved the assembly citing horse-trading and lack of stability to form a government as the reasons. On , after completion of six months of Governor's rule, the state came under President's rule from midnight paving the way for the Union cabinet to take all policy decisions related to the militancy-hit state. Rahul Gandhis 'jaadu ki jhappi': He is known for his hugs, but this was one hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not expecting. After a no-holds barred and scathing criticism of Modi on several issues, including Rafale jet deal on , Congress president Rahul Gandhi walked across the green-carpeted well of Lok Sabha to Modi and hugged him, a gesture which took the Treasury Bench members by surprise. Gandhi's unexpected gesture, which quickly became a favoured video clip for television channels, came during a debate on no-confidence motion moved by the TDP against the Modi government during the Monsoon Session. Gandhi's speech was frequently disrupted and prompting Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for 15 minutes. When he resumed his speech, Gandhi continued his attack. Just before wrapping up, he strode over to Modi for the now-famous hug. Kathua and Unnao rape horrors: The brutal rape of and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Rasana village near Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir in January shocked the entire nation. The victim belonged to the nomad Bakarwal community. The girl disappeared for a week before her body was discovered by villagers a kilometre away from the village. The incident made national news when charges were filed against eight men in April. The arrests of the accused led to protests by the Panthers Party, along with other local groups. One of the protests, in support of the accused, was attended by two ministers from the BJP, both of whom later resigned amid a massive outcry. On , doctors recorded their statement on the post-mortem report of the victim before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate. The report states the victim was sexually assaulted and died due to asphyxia. She was kidnapped on and was gang-raped in a temple and then killed on . On , the crime branch had submitted a supplementary charge sheet in which it highlighted that the victim was administered a mixture of sedatives throughout her captivity to stop her from resisting sexual assault and murder. According to the police, Sanji Ram, who was the temples custodian, hatched the plan to terrorise the Bakarwals because 90 per cent of the Gujjar-Bakarwal community are Muslims. Raping and killing the victim was an attempt to evict the tribal community from the area, especially from the Jammu region. The Supreme Court took a dig at some lawyers of Jammu Bar Association as well as the Kathua Bar for hindering the judicial process of the case. The Jammu and Kashmir government appointed two Sikh public prosecutors for the trial in this delicate case to ensure neutrality in view of Hindu-Muslim polarisation over the case. The Unnao rape case came to light in April when a 16-year-old victim and her family tried to immolate herself outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths residence, alleging police inaction against the accused. The family alleged that the woman was raped by the BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplices last year. The family added that the girls relatives were thrashed after a complaint was filed with the police in this regard. The case worsened when the victims father died in judicial custody a day later. The MLAs brother, Atul Singh Sengar, was arrested along with four others, by the UP Crime Branch, for allegedly thrashing the victims father. On , Sengar was arrested by the CBI. The arrest came hours after the Allahabad High Court had ordered the probe agency to immediately arrest the lawmaker and severely reprimanded the Adityanath government. Ahead of the high court ruling, the CBI, which had taken over the probe, had started questioning Sengar. The BJP lawmaker has been charged under the stringent sexual offences law to protect children and the penal code. It took the CBI 16 hours to arrest him. Yogi Adityanath government in name-changing spree: The BJP- led Uttar Pradesh government has been busy changing the names of cities, schemes and projects in the state this year. It all started in May when the Adityanath government decided to name the Agra airport after Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, a Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker and co-founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. In June, the Uttar Pradesh government proposed the name changing of iconic Mughalsarai station near Varanasi after Upadhyaya. In August, it was officially inaugurated. On , Adityanath announced the renaming of Panki Railway Station in Kanpur as Panki Dham Railway Station on. Dham suggests a sacred place for Hindus. It drew criticism from citizens on social media. He also said the Kanpur Airport will be named after Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi. On , Adityanath announced to rename the historic city of Allahabad to Prayagraj, ahead of the 2019 Kumbh Mela. The move had drawn flak from the Opposition parties, including Congress and the Samajwadi Party. In November, the name of Faizabad district was changed to Ayodhya. On the occasion of the Diwali, Adityanath said the Faizabad district will henceforth be known as Ayodhya. Mahagathbandhan in the making: Karnataka saw attempts at coming together of "like- minded secular parties" against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year, with top opposition leaders attending the swearing-in ceremony of the new Congress-JDS coalition chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. After the elections threw up a hung assembly, the Congress and JDS stitched together a post-poll alliance to clinch power. From Keralas Pinarayi Vijayan to West Bengals Mamata Bannerjee, chief ministers of the few states that are yet to have a BJP dispensation in power joined hands with leaders of former UPA, and Third Front constituents like the NCP and CPI(M). However, the Congresss strategy to stitch a Grand Alliance appears to be farfetched one. Despite the Congress's decent show in Assembly elections, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav are not ready to form an alliance with Rahul Gandhi's party. In fact, in a big blow to Rahul's grand alliance dreams, the Samajwadi Party chief said his party would go for a Congress-less alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Yadav's big statement came a day after the Congress didn't induct Samajwadi Partys sole MLA in the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet. Rafale jet deal controversy: The fighter jet deal controversy remained one of the most talked-about issues of 2018, with the Congress accelerating its attack on the Modi government with every passing day. The Rahul-led Congress force has been alleging that the government had knowingly overpaid for the Rafale fighter jets and that it had promoted crony capitalism. The deal originally took shape under the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's second term. That deal was to buy 126 Rafale jets, which are manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. Under the UPA agreement, 18 Rafale jets were to be bought off-the-shelf or in a 'flyaway' condition while the rest were to be manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). However, the Modi government, when it came to power, scrapped the UPA-era deal and signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 Rafale jets in a 'flyaway' condition. The government's deal also mandated that Dassault make investments in India by tying up with Indian companies. One of those companies chose by Dassault was Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence. The Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the deal and attacking the government for procuring just 36 jets when IAF required 126 jets. On , the Supreme Court said it had found nothing wrong with a deal the Modi government signed with France to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said it had studied the matter "extensively" and that it was "satisfied that there is no occasion to doubt the process [of signing the Rafale deal]." The ruling came on four petitions that had asked the Supreme Court to set up a court-monitored probe into the signing of the Rafale deal. The petitions had alleged that the Modi government not only overpaid for the Rafale jets but also promoted crony capitalism. AgustaWestland 'middleman' Christian Michel takes name of 'Mrs Gandhi': On December 29, the Enforcement Directorate told Delhi's Patiala Court House that Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, had named 'Mrs Gandhi', but did not specify in which context the reference was made. The ED also told the special court that Christian Michel had spoken about "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become the "next prime minister of the country". ED's lawyer said that Michel has spelled out how state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was removed from the deal and how it was offered to Tata instead. The ED also sought to ban Michel's lawyer's access to him alleging that he is being tutored from outside. Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the scam after he was produced in a court in Delhi. He was earlier lodged in Tihar Jail in the related CBI case. The CBI has alleged that he was paid a huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP Helicopter deal. It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Oppositions impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra: In April, a day after the Supreme Court dismissed pleas seeking an inquiry into the death of Justice Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, the Opposition made its move to seek the impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Leader of Opposition and Congress member Ghulam Nabi Azad said the motion to dismiss Justice Misra, submitted to Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Head Venkaiah Naidu, had received the signatures of 71 Parliamentarians (of which seven have retired). Naidu, however, rejected the notice. In his 10-page order, Naidu has dealt with every charge mentioned and claimed that the Opposition MPs were "unsure" of their own case and was based on "suspicion and conjectures." Naidu's order observed, "The Hon'ble Members of Parliament who have presented the petition are unsure of their own case. Page 1 of the petition uses phrases such as 'the facts and circumstances of the Prasad Education Trust show prima facie evidence suggesting that the Chief Justice of India 'may have been' involved in a case of illegal gratification..." Naidu cited a Supreme Court order to reiterate that the CJI, as Master of Roster, was entitled to allocate cases as he deemed fit and referred it as an internal matter of the judiciary." Rajya Sabha sources said the Chairman took a quick decision to avoid an "uncomfortable" situation for the occupant of one of the highest constitutional authorities, the Chief Justice of India. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to "entirely close" the Southern border with Mexico and change the immigration laws if the opposition Democrats did not agree to his demand of funding for a border wall. The Trump administration is seeking more than US dollar 5 billion for the construction of the border wall. Trump also threatened to end all US aid to three Latin American countries--Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras-- arguing that these nations have done nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the US. Donald Trump made a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking a key campaign promise in the 2016 election, when he said it would be paid for by Mexico. ALSO READ | US President Trump to visit Mexico border wall for groundbreaking "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve," Trump said in a series of four tweets. "The United States looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a 'profit making operation'," the US President tweeted. "We build a wall or close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border..," Trump said. Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi, who is the Speaker-designate to the House of Representatives beginning January 3, said that her party which will have a majority in the lower chambers next year will vote for a responsible end to the ongoing government shutdown. ALSO READ | Trump makes surprise visit to Iraq, defends Syria withdrawal "We will vote swiftly to reopen government and show that Democrats will govern responsibly in stark contrast to this chaotic White House," Pelosi said in a statement. The New York Times and other media outlets reported that the Democrats are considering ways to end the shutdown without giving Trump the funds for a border wall. Trump also threatened three Latin American countries to end US aid. "Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of US for years," he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Saudi Arabia's new foreign minister voiced defiance on Friday in the face of international outrage over critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder, rejecting the kingdom was in crisis and his predecessor was demoted. "The issue of Jamal Khashoggi... really saddened us, all of us," Ibrahim al-Assaf told news agency AFP, a day after he was appointed foreign minister in a government reshuffle. Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to The Washington Post, was killed shortly after entering the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul on October 2. "But all in all, we are not going through a crisis, we are going through a transformation," he added, referring to social and economic reforms spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. ALSO READ | Turkey sends troops to Syria border as US prepares for pullout talks The prince, the heir to the Saudi throne, has faced intense international scrutiny over the October 2 murder of journalist Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate -- which critics say has left the oil-rich Gulf nation diplomatically weakened. Assaf, a former finance minister who was detained last year in what Riyadh said was an anti-corruption sweep, replaced Adel al-Jubeir as foreign minister in the sweeping government shake-up ordered by King Salman. Jubeir, who sought to defend the tainted government internationally after Khashoggi's murder, was appointed minister of state for foreign affairs, which was widely seen as a demotion. "This is far from the truth," Assaf said. "Adel represented Saudi Arabia and will continue to represent Saudi Arabia... around the world. We complement each other." Khashoggi was critical of Prince Mohammed and the countrys intervention in Yemen. Prince Mohammed has overseen Saudi Arabias Yemen war effort, a highly controversial intervention to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadis government in the face of an insurgency by Huthi rebels. ALSO READ | Amid shutdown, Trump tweets, I am all alone (poor me) in White House Jamal Khashoggi was highly critical of the Saudi crown prince and had labelled him a beast and pac-man adding that more victims he eats, the more he wants, as reported by news agency ANI. As many as 400 WhatsApp messages were exchanged between Khashoggi and Canada-based activist and fellow Saudi exile Omar Abdulaziz. A number of messages were believed to be intercepted by Saudi officials this year in August, prompting Khashoggi to write God help us. He was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two months later on October 2. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Syrian troops have been deployed in support of Kurdish forces around the strategic northern city on Friday. This came after the US announced its withdrawal from Syria. Nearly eight years into Syria's deadly conflict, the move marked another key step in President Bashar al-Assad's Russian-backed drive to reassert control over the country. A military spokesman said in a televised announcement that the army would be bent on "crushing terrorism and defeating all invaders and occupiers". More than 300 government forces deployed in the Manbij area, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Syrian army announced that it had raised the flag in Manbij, a strategic city close to the Turkish border where Kurdish forces have been deployed since 2016 and where US-led coalition forces are also stationed. ALSO READ | Trump makes surprise visit to Iraq, defends Syria withdrawal Nura al-Hamed, deputy head of the Manbij local authority, told news agency AFP that the regime deployment was the result of Russian-sponsored negotiations. "The regime forces will not enter the city of Manbij itself but will deploy on the demarcation line" with Turkish-backed Syrian groups, she said. Hamed said that US and French coalition forces stationed there remained at their positions and continued to conduct patrols. The US military said the Syrian army had not entered the city itself. "Despite incorrect information about changes to the military forces in Manbij city, (the US-led coalition) has seen no indication of these claims being true," US Central Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Earl Brown said. The Syrian army's deployment creates a regime buffer arching across northern Syria that fully separates the Turkish army and its proxies from the Kurds. Turkey reacted to the deployment by warning "all sides to stay away from provocative actions" while a large convoy of its Syrian auxiliaries were seen moving closer to the western edge of Manbij later on Friday. US President Donald Trump's shock withdrawal announcement last week left the Kurds in the cold. 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. ALSO READ | Turkey 'determined' to take on US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, 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. 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. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Wells Fargo will pay $575 million under a 50-state settlement led by Connecticut and three other states relating to fraudulent mortgage and insurance fees, as well as the scandal in which millions of accounts were created without consumers consent, Attorney General George Jepsen announced Friday. The settlement is the latest in a series of steps by Wells Fargo, the nations third-largest bank, to resolve allegations of unfair trade practices first disclosed two years ago by federal regulators. It agreed to pay $1 billion in April to federal regulators and $65 million in October to New York. Connecticut Magazine has asked their readers to share their favorite places to eat and drink and once again, readers responded in force. Now the ballots have been counted, and Connecticut Magazine is pleased to present the winners of their 40th Readers' Choice Awards. In the statewide and county results, more than 70 restaurant and food categories ranked some of residents' most favorite dining spots in the state, making it the biggest, most extensive Readers' Choice ever. Connecticut Magazine enlisted the help of 10 local experts to weigh in on some of the best places to eat and drink in the Nutmeg State, and their culinary expertise has combined to form a delectable list of dining recommendations from around the state. Among the restaurants named Best for Overall Excellence are Bantam's Arethusa al tavolo, a locally-sourced stop known for its New American cuisine, and The Cottage, a Westport locale serving seasonal dishes and signature cocktails. RIDGEFIELD Developers planning to build a nine-unit affordable housing project on Turner Road were recently denied a request to rezone their lot, despite claims that the land was left unusable by construction of the nearby Turner Hill development. Attorney Bob Jewell, on behalf of GRC Property Investment and Development LLC, a group of the parcels original owners, has told the Planning and Zoning Commission that the farm road, which is on the Danbury line north of Turner Road, is technically on the books as a town road. The development team wants to build a multifamily housing development on the parcel under the state 8-30g affordable housing law, Jewell said. Under 8-30g, builders can get around local zoning laws, so long as they agree to set aside 30 percent of the new housing units built as affordable housing. Jewell said Assessor Al Garzi raised the prospect of an affordable housing development to Jewells client, who wanted to reduce the 1.2-acre propertys tax liability. Essentially this is a leftover parcel, that was not purchased as part of the Turner Hill development, and therefore not rezoned, Jewell explained, adding that because the lot is in the Corporate Development District it was essentially left unusable by rezoning for the Turner Hill project. The interesting thing is the minimum lot size in the CDD zone is 20 acres, and the setbacks in the CDD zone are 100 feet. So you basically left a property that was un-developable, he said. But the commission didnt seem to have an appetite for rezoning the land for residential use. I find changing a zone more objectionable the end result might be the same but I dont see why we should change the zone to accommodate, said Commissioner John Katz. Jewell said because the parcel is not zoned for industrial use a developer could successfully build under the states 8-30g affordable housing law as the lot stands today. He said Tom Beecher, the commissions legal counsel, advised that rezoning the lot would allow it to match the surrounding residential zone. Rezoning to two-acre residential, however, would mean the roughly 1.2-acre lot would be out of compliance with the town zoning regulations. Planning and Zoning Director Richard Baldelli pointed out the lot is already out of compliance as part of the corporate development district, which is supposed to be at least 20 acres in size. Rezoning to two-acre lots, as Beecher advised, would at least bring the small parcel closer to the town regulations. Katz argued that leaving the zone as it stands could mean 8-30g wouldnt apply. Jewell said the burden of proof would be on the commission. The burden on proving that its an industrial zone where residential uses are not permitted is on the commission, just like everything else under 8-30g, he said. Jewell suggested he might also be able to get the project built under a variance he received to put a residential home on the lot. Baldelli said that if the project goes to an appeal, the litigation might be longer and more complex because of the CDD zone. The commission members, however, indicated this month that they would rather have the applicant come in with a development application than just give the rezoning request the green light. Trang left the poverty and repression of Vietnam for a new life in Connecticut in the late 1980s, but soon ran into trouble. In his late teens, Trang fell in with the wrong group of youths and was arrested with several others for breaking into a home and burglarizing it. He served time in prison, but straightened out his life after he was released. Now married and a father with a steady job in the Hartford area, Trang is very likely to be deported to a country he has largely forgotten because of a change in federal immigration policy. Earlier this month, President Donald Trumps administration pressured Vietnam to uphold a 2008 agreement and take back refugees like Trang who came to the United States before 1995. But many Vietnamese who came to the United States before 1995, some of them fleeing the Vietnam War, have lived in a gray area as far as immigration law. If they had a criminal record, they could not attain legal status, but they could not be deported either. Trangs attorney, Alex Meyerovich of Bridgeport, said Vietnamese immigrants who ran afoul of the law and were deportable would be required to check in with immigration officials periodically. Meyerovich shared his clients story with the CT Mirror on the condition he be identified only by his first name. There was an understanding that [Trang] would not be subject to physical removal, Meyerovich said. But now Trang is likely to be detained for deportation at his next check in, Meyerovich said. Hes going to take the brunt of the decision to change policy, Meyerovich said. And hes a great guy who is not going to ever again get into trouble. No ties to old countries Crimes that put Vietnamese residents at risk for deportation range from distribution of narcotics and sexual assault to possession of marijuana. More than 7,000 Vietnamese have become suddenly deportable under the new policy. Immigration advocates argue that in some cases the convictions are for petty crimes, many the result of youthful indiscretions. Others, like Trang, who committed more serious offenses, have been rehabilitated and, over the decades, have become solid members of their U.S. communities. A lot of these people have no ties to their original country, said Wayne Chapple, an immigration lawyer in Hartford. Theres another concern, one that prompted the former United States ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius, to leave the Trump administration last year after he was suddenly reassigned. The administration wanted an ambassador appointed by Trump in place, rather than one who had opposed him on this issue of deportations, Osius told the Huffington Post. To Osius, the deportation effort is a broken promise to South Vietnamese families who had been allies of the United States during the war and would not be safe in Vietnam. But to the Trump administration, the deportations are part of a larger plan to rid the nation of immigrants who have committed crimes. Katie Waldman, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that its a priority of this administration to remove criminal aliens to their home country. In general, the effect of this has sown fear and distrust in the Vietnamese community, said Michelle Ross, chair of the Connecticut chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. In essence the U.S. government has decided to change a policy that it has had for decades. Vietnamese immigrants lean Republican when they vote. Two GOP lawmakers who have large Vietnamese populations in their states, Reps. Ed Royce of California and Michael McCaul of Texas, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen that said they were deeply concerned by reports of a new Administration policy to deport certain Vietnamese-Americans who have lived in the United States for longer than 23 years. A virtual wall against immigrants According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 11,000 Vietnamese living in Connecticut. But the move to deport some of them shows how committed the Trump administration is to creating a virtual wall against immigrants, both legal and illegal, as the president fights to build a real wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrant activists say. Besides roundups and deportations of those who have entered the country illegally, the Trump administration has slowed or halted many seeking to come to the United States for a job offer or through a relationship to a citizen. The Trump administration has also made it more difficult for refugees or asylum seekers to gain entry to the United States. The year is ending with the administration saying those seeking asylum would be forced to wait in Mexico and could not press a claim unless they show up at a port of entry. That means those who entered the country illegally could not apply for asylum, a reaction to recent caravans of migrants from Central America. But last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that determined federal law does not allow the president to make such changes. The law said asylum applications must be accepted from any alien physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States whether or not at a designated port of arrival . . . irrespective of such aliens status. We are thrilled to hear that the Supreme Court has prevented the Trump administration from unilaterally re-writing the nations immigration laws by restricting the places where migrants could ask for asylum, said Juan Hernandez, vice president of 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union in Connecticut. This attempt to re-write our nations asylum policies is one more sign of the extreme lengths that this administration is going to persecute all immigrants. Those who seek to restrict immigration to the U.S. say the current asylum process allows for frivolous claims and for tens of thousands of immigrants who should be immediately deported to stay in the country for months and years while their cases are adjudicated. Many of these people, they say, dont show up for hearings at immigration courts and remain in the country as undocumented aliens. Since there are sometimes too many asylum applicants to detain, they can be released to await a hearing on their claim, the Federation for American Immigration Reform said in a statement. Having obtained their freedom, these asylum applicants often fail to show up for their hearings and simply disappear into society. Dear Joe Giulietti, First, congratulations on your nomination to become Connecticuts new Department of Transportation commissioner. Gov.-elect Ned Lamont made a good choice. As the former president of Metro-North, you are well aware of the need to improve rail service in our state. In your three years heading the railroad you brought safety to the forefront a badly needed focus after several terrible accidents on the commuter line. When you first took over Metro-Norths operation in early 2014, the Hearst Connecticut Editorial Board requested a meeting with you. Your press person demurred, saying you couldnt take time away from your desk in New York City. (Maybe you heard of traffic congestion on I-95 and the Merritt? You could have taken the train.) Our meeting never happened. Now that you will soon be the lead transportation person in the state, we would like to reissue you the invitation. Heres an idea: Meet with us on the Danbury branch line to South Norwalk. We want you to see first-hand what its like and why this crucial branch needs more attention. Well hop the train in Danbury, using our nifty MTA Tix app for tickets. Notice the options at the station your car or the train. The place is ripe to become a transportation hub, where travelers could catch a bus or rent a bike. Maybe you could negotiate a deal for a car rental franchise to open. Youll see that downtown Danbury is growing with hundreds of apartments newly built or planned near the station. Help make it more convenient for people to get around thats what it will take to attract graduates here. Our first stop is Bethel, where 120 parking spots were added earlier this year to meet the demand. The town is working to create a transit-oriented district around the train station, a key to future economic development. Be sure to look out the window on the ride south to Redding and on to Branchville in Ridgefield the rock outcroppings, streams and ponds are bucolic contrasts to Manhattan. Well go through the Cannondale, Wilton and Merritt 7 stations before reaching South Norwalk, where well have to wait something like eight minutes (it can vary) to catch a different train heading to Grand Central. Sometimes you have to walk rapidly through the tunnel under the tracks to get to the right side for the connection this can be confusing to the occasional rider. From our Danbury start, it is 64.9 miles all the way to Grand Central, yet it takes nearly an hour just to get to South Norwalk. This is not the most efficient use of time. No wonder some riders will drive 20 minutes to the Southeast, New York, station and hop on the Harlem line, which has hourly trains. Once youve experienced the Danbury branch (hoping the diesel aroma doesnt permeate), you will understand why we need faster, more frequent service. What will it take? I bet you already know the answer electrification of the line. The cost is estimated at $400 million, but it wasnt included in the five-year plan for state transportation improvements in 2015. Only a small portion of the southern tip of the line will be electrified to enable work on the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River. Move full electrification up on the project list, the benefits will be manifold. All but one of the seven stations on the Danbury branch opened in 1852. (You might want to consider extending the line north to New Milford, which ran from 1886 to 1971.) We have a long relationship with trains and the stations in the hearts of our communities. When accepting your nomination as transportation commissioner, you said Connecticut is a state ripe for rail enhancement and upgrades on its Metro-North lines... We heartily agree. And once you ride the Danbury line to South Norwalk, we hope you will see those enhancements should start here. Contact Editorial Page Editor Jacqueline Smith at jsmith@hearstmediact.com. On New Years Day, people will see something astonishing an object in space about 4.5 billion years away, in a realm, the Kuiper Belt, thats totally unexplored. The New Horizons spacecraft, which sent back stunning pictures of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon in 2017 has kept sailing into parts unknown. On New Years Day, it will get within 2,200 miles of a Kuiper Belt object astronomers have nicknamed Ultima Thule the name medieval mapmakers gave to the land they thought was farthest north. (Norway, Greenland and Iceland all got the Thule treatment at one time or another.) No one has any idea what theyll see. Ultima Thule is also totally terra incognito. It will be really fascinating, said Cliff Watley of Ridgefield, who runs the astronomy nights at New Pond Farm in Redding. Its gone a billion miles past Pluto. Monte Robson, director of the John J. McCarthy Observatory in New Milford, said on one hand, he is troubled that people ignore our own planets troubles climate change, wars. But he said the quest for knowledge is always what humans do and should do. It helps us find new questions to ask, he said. Its exciting. Like Watley, Bill Cloutier of New Milford one of the leaders of the McCarthy Observatory will be glued to his computer to watch the show. We dont know what Kuiper Belt objects are, so any information could be a huge expansion of our knowledge. Well be going into a place weve never explored at all, Cloutier said. The Kuiper Belt is the vast ring that encircles the solar system beyond Neptune. Some are as big as Pluto and Charon. One, Eris, is bigger than Pluto. Because there are trillions of objects in it, no one really knows what theyre like. The belt is named after the Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper, who theorized in 1949 there was a huge belt of objects some comets encircling the outer planets. In the 1990s, better telescopes proved him right. New Horizons is the first satellite to travel there. Geoff Chester, spokesman for the US Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., said this mission will be even more surprising than New Horizons unprecedented trip to Pluto. This is a pinpoint of light that was never more than a pinpoint of light to us, he said. On New Years Day, it becomes a place. Chester said the astronomers in charge of New Horizons were apprehensive at first about letting New Horizons get so close to Ultima Thule whose real name is the drab 2014MU69. It was only when they learned it had no rings or debris encircling it, that they decided it was safe. Henry Throop, a professor with the applied physics department at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and one of the lead scientists on the New Horizons project, admitted that he was as excited as anyone about the fly-by. This is so cool, he said. Its the coldest, smallest, farthest-away thing weve ever studied. If we can see any features, any craters, thats new. Astronomers, once they get the New Horizon pictures, will be looking for evidence of collisions other rocky objects bashing into Ultima Thule. They will also be looking for evidence of ice slides off its face. They will also try to answer a basic question about Kuiper Belt objects are they leftovers tossed off into deep space as the solar system formed? Has Ultima Thule been sitting out for 4.5 billion years all by its lonesome? Throop gave credit to the scientists and engineers who designed New Horizon. Launched in January 2006, it has succeeded spectacularly. One of the reasons for this is that New Horizon, traveling billion of miles into deep space, has no moving parts. If youre sending a rover to Mars, you need lots of moving parts, Throop said. We dont. That even applies to the satellites camera. It doesnt have a shutter or a color filter, he said. As for Ultima Thule and its medieval nickname, its unclear whether that will ever become official the coldest, the farthest north and replace 2014MU69. For one thing, Chester of the US Naval Observatory said, naming objects in space can take years, with the international Astronomical Union having the final say. And, Throop said, the New Horizon pictures may suggest better, as yet unimagined names. It depends on what we see, he said. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com China was planning to use Westinghouse AP1000 and french EPR (Evolutionary Power Reactor) nuclear reactors. China normally completes nuclear reactors in 4-5 years and at a half or a third of the price of nuclear construction in the USA and Europe. China just finished its first EPR reactor but it was five years late and about double the budget. China has also completed several AP1000 reactors but there delays and budget overruns there as well. Westinghouse and Toshiba went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017. There are some who believe that a pause in Chinas licensing of nuclear reactors is a shift in China away from nuclear power. Nextbigfuture believes that is incorrect. China still needs hundreds of nuclear reactors. China will double its electrical power generation or more by 2050. China will not be using oil, gas and coal as its main power because of massive air pollution problems. Air pollution kills over 1 million people per year in China and costs 7% of Chinas GDP in damage to crops and buildings. China imports 70% of its oil. This is a massive geopolitical strategic vulnerability. Oil dependence was a primary reason for the German loss in WW2. The pause in nuclear reactor licensing is while China sorts out the reliable nuclear technologies that they will be able to build at scale. China will still be doubling its energy production. China already produces about the same amount of electricity as the USA and Europe combined. China will go 100% electric cars and other vehicles over the next 20 years. China Will Build Deep Pool Nuclear Reactors for Heating China will more than double its current nuclear power by adding deep pool nuclear reactors for heating. CNNC, CGN and SPIC have announced concepts for low-temperature district heating reactors. Development of these acknowledges the role of heating in air pollution, particularly PM2.5 particulates, which are reported to be more than ten times higher in winter. CGN The NHR200-II reactor is a low-temperature district heating reactor. Its design is described by CGN as mature, having passed the National Nuclear Safety Administration review in the 1990s. In February 2018 it was announced that CGN and Tsinghua University were carrying out a feasibility study on constructing Chinas first district heating nuclear plant using the NHR200-II design. CNNC The District Heating Reactor-400 (DHR-400) or Yanlong is a low-temperature 400 MW pool-type reactor. It is designed to provide heat at 90C for up to 200,000 three-bedroom apartments. The reactor prototype achieved 168 hours of continuous heat supply in November 2017 seen by its developers, CNNC, as the first major step towards commercialization of the design. SPIC The Advanced Happy200 is similar to the Yanlong, 200 MW and producing hot water at 110C. Pre-feasibility studies suggest first commissioning in 2022. China is developing molten salt nuclear reactors and has started building some Russian nuclear reactors. China is also building Russian breeder reactors. Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo NEW HAVEN A Hamden firefighter, who doubles as the head brewer for BAR in New Haven, created a beer in honor of a Massachusetts firefighter who died in the line of duty earlier this month. Worcester, Mass., firefighter Christopher Roy died fighting a five-alarm fire on Sunday, Dec. 9, according to a statement from the Worcester Fire Department. NORWALK Open Doors Shelter case worker Yolanda Mateo frequently makes the rounds in the city, looking for people who need assistance with housing and food. Some people are hesitant. Others turn down services. Some recognize Mateo and other case workers as they walk around parks and bus stations. Mateo said her approach is casual. We ask if theres anything in particular they need, she said. We let them know the services we offer. During the summer months, she finds clients more often reach out to shelter staff. During the winter, she finds shes the one reaching out. As temperatures drop, shelters in Norwalk and beyond are preparing for increased need for their services. Bitter cold, strong winds and the wind chill factor require that shelters expand their services. Bad weather can prompt severe weather alerts by state government. The alerts ask shelters to expand their capacity to ensure public safety. Outfits including Homes with Hope in Westport also have their own individual policies in place. For example, at 20 degrees or colder, or if its sleeting or snowing, the organization provides shelter even if at capacity, said program director Ryan Soto. He and other local shelter staff said their facilities are generally stocked with extra roll-out couches and cots, and have floor space for makeshift beds. If shelters surpass capacity, they provide immediate shelter until severe weather subsides. Then the person is directed to 211, which connects them to the coordinated access network to help with long-term living options, said Corky Stewart, executive director at Open Doors Shelter. For individuals who are not residents and come when its inclement, we take them in right away, Stewart said. Were not going to ask somebody to stay outside and wait for the process. In Novermber, Stewart met with other social services agency leaders to talk about finding those who live outdoors during the winter. So instead of wandering aimlessly, well know those spots and are more likely to find people, he said. Families with children pose additional problems. If people show up with children at Community Connections, a Family & Childrens Agency day center in Norwalk, staff will direct the parent to Kids in Crisis, a youth center, in Greenwich. Karen Betances, manager of supportive housing, said if a parent is homeless and sleeping in a car with the child, for example, they could be charged with neglect. Referring the family to Kids in Crisis could avoid that, she said. During the winter, shelters stock up on extra food, blankets, sheets, clothing and other necessities. Grocery stores and individuals typically donate in larger quantities, said Jeff Wieser, president and CEO of Homes with Hope. As the weather gets colder its a particularly tough time for people, he said. There is a pattern of giving that occurs with the end of the calendar year. Pantries and social service organizations need that additional support. FAIRFIELD, Conn. It was a lively scene at The Chelsea restaurant on Dec. 18 when their very own head chef, Eric Felitto, was announced as the winner of the most recent episode of Chopped on the Food Network. Mike Fedell, the general manager at The Chelsea for the past year-and-a-half, said that customers and attendees had booked reservations and were waiting in their spots almost three hours prior to the shows 9 p.m. broadcast. A 100-inch HD television was brought in for the viewing party. In and out, there were probably around 100 people who attended, Fedell said. I was so excited and nervous leading up to it, but I had confidence in Eric and as we watched the episode, we all felt more and more confident. For Felitto, it was an 11-month wait from the taping of the show to the moment when he would actually bask in the victory of his achievement. It was horrible keeping that secret. Someone would ask me about when I would be on as we got closer and closer to the release, Felitto said. Felitto has worked at The Chelsea since July 2013, starting as sous chef and becoming head chef 11 months later. Felitto also is the co-owner of the Tasty Yolk food-cart business. Since its happened, my phone has been going off nonstop, Felitto said. Its a little weird and especially with social media, Ive had to put the phone away. Felitto still remembers the morning of Jan. 18, when he went to the Harlem section of New York for the taping of the show after an exhausting series of shifts. He and three other chefs were tasked with making three breakfast courses: appetizer, entree and dessert. I was so beat. It was early in the morning and I had just done three shifts until 5 a.m. each day, Felitto said. I got on the first round and I felt that all of my cooking was tired and I wasnt sure where things in the kitchen were. As the competition progressed, however, Felitto began getting into the swing of things, his confidence buoying him. The judges included big names like Martha Stewart, Marc Murphy and Amanda Freitag. I felt more comfortable because I started knowing where things were and talking to the judges. It felt better and the nerves were going away, Felitto said. When the judges announced their final decision, which included an award of $10,000, Felitto was stunned. It was surreal, it didnt register at first at all and it felt amazing, Felitto said. Mike Bertanza, co-owner of Tasty Yolk, has known Felitto since their school days together at Stratfield Elementary. Im so proud of him, Bertanza said. He has worked so hard to get where he is and I also know from hearing a few people say that his performance has inspired them. Bertanza said that the shows popularity has helped boost the Tasty Yolk's notoriety in town. The duo recently opened their third food cart and first in their hometown on Nov. 1. Keeping his victory secret from people was difficult, but Felitto has appreciated the way the television show has brought more attention to his food-cart business and The Chelsea. For the foreseeable future, Felitto plans to stay where he said he belongs: cooking breakfast and American cuisine. Im just going to keep doing what Ive always been doing, Felitto said. Its funny how much a television competition can change thingsand if that means people come try my food, thats the goal. humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com An emotionally disturbed man who was shot in his home last week by Jersey City police has been charged with weapons offenses for a projectile gun he was carrying at the time police confronted him, authorities said. According to the criminal complaint, Stanley Menzies, 37, told police officers who responded to his home on Orient Avenue on Dec. 21 that he had a gun and he then patted his waistband. At some point after that, a police officer with the Emergency Services Unit, identified as John Boamah, fired at Menzies and struck him twice in the torso. Police at the scene then saw a black handgun land on the floor, according to the criminal complaint, which described the handgun both as a spring gun and a black Beretta 92 replica capable of firing projectiles. Menzies, a military veteran who a source said has struggled with mental health issues, was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. He is still hospitalized in critical condition, officials said. The police shooting is being investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office, which is standard protocol. According to New Jersey Advance Medias comprehensive Use of Force report, Boamah averaged two use-of-force reports per year between 2012 and 2016, below the average of 2.7 for Jersey City police officers. It could not be determined if Boamah, who joined the force in 2007, has returned to active duty after the shooting. He is a decorated 12-year veteran with the police department. Boamah won a Hudson County 200 Club Valor Award in 2017 and was recognized as one of 16 police officers and firefighters who helped save three people from a burning building in 2012. He is also a member of the Black Law Enforcement Servicing the Community (B.L.E.S.C.) organization. Police responded on Dec. 21 after a family member reported that Menzies was acting erratically and could hurt someone, the criminal complaint said. A law enforcement source said that Menzies had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court, stemming from an arrest after a dispute in October. Pablo Santiago, the Mercer County sheriffs detective who took his own life Wednesday while at work, will be laid to rest next week following a service at St. Raphael-Holy Angels church in Hamilton. The popular and veteran law enforcement officer was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday afternoon in the Mercer County Administration Building. He was 42 years old and leaves behind a wife and two daughters, and a large extended family. His visitation will be Wed. January 2, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church, at 3500 S. Broad Street in Hamilton, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at the church at 1 p.m. He will be buried in St. Marys Cemetery in Hamilton following the Mass. Santiago started his law enforcement career in 1999 as an animal control officer in Trenton. He worked at a city dispatcher as well before joining the Trenton Police Department, where he worked as a detective before transferring to the Mercer County Sheriffs Office in 2004, his obituary notes. At the sheriffs office, he worked as a detective on a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) task force and was president of the the sheriffs offices police union starting in 2010. On and off the job, Santiago was ubiquitous at an array of community and policing events in Trenton and Mercer County, and was remembered this week by residents, local leaders and organizations around the state for his humor, smile and positivity. Or as his obituary says, Most of all Pablo enjoyed spending time with loved ones and friends, being the life of the party, and was never seen without his contagious smile. Santiago lived in South Trenton and is survived by his wife Jennifer Nini Santiago, and his daughters, Ava and Gianna. The sheriffs union started a GoFundMe page to aid his family, which has already raised over $20,000. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Another New Jersey Kmart will be shuttered next year after the stores bankrupt parent company announced 80 additional closures Friday. The Kmart located at 213 Highway 37 in Toms River will close by late March 2019, Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart, said. As part of Sears Holdings' processes to accelerate its strategic transformation and facilitate its financial restructuring, on December 27, 2018, the company informed associates at 80 stores that we will be closing these Sears and Kmart stores in late March 2019, a release from the company stated. This brings the total number of announced Sears and Kmart closures to over 260 after Sears Holdings declared bankruptcy on Oct. 15 after years of declining sales and mounting debt. The companys chairman, Eddie Lampert, submitted a bid this week to help stave off liquidation this week, CNBC reported. Sears advisors have until Jan. 4 to decide whether or not Lamperts hedge fund, ESL Investments, is a qualified bidder, the report stated. In October, it was announced that Sears locations on Route 35 in Middletown and at the Deptford Mall in Gloucester County were going out of business along with the Kmart location on Delsea Drive in Glassboro. This was in addition to the previously announced closure of 46 unprofitable stores that was completed to be in November. That round included the Sears store in the Hamilton Mall in Atlantic County. The company has closed 72 percent of its stores since 2013 as it tried to offset the revenue losses, according to its bankruptcy filing. Liquidation sales at the Toms River location and all the other soon-to-be closed stores are expected to begin in two weeks, Sears Holdings said Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. When the news broke on Christmas Eve that a Bergen County surgery center might have exposed almost 4,000 patients to HIV and hepatitis B and C, there were scant details about what actually went wrong. A state report released on Friday afternoon on HealthPlus Surgery Center in Saddle Brook shows what did: Staff regularly failed to wash their hands; I.V. bags and tubes were used on multiple patients; powerful opioids were handled recklessly; and the facility was relying on an infection control plan almost 10 years old. The New Jersey Department of Health inspected the HealthPlus Surgery Center on Sept. 7 after receiving a complaint about the facility, and immediately shuttered it for three weeks. Earlier this month, HealthPlus sent letters to 3,778 patients who had procedures done at the facility between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7, urging them to get tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C. Mark Manigan, a lawyer representing HealthPlus, said in an interview with NJ Advance Media on Friday that the surgery center believes a former employee filed the complaint. He added that two staffers had been fired from the facility but declined to identify them. Manigan also declined to identify the facilitys current medical director, saying that threats had been made against HealthPlus personnel. For-profit surgery centers like HealthPlus have been a source of ongoing controversy as theyve gained in recent popularity, with critics charging that the push for profit leads to unsafe conditions in certain facilities. A USA Today investigation published in March detailed widespread problems found at for-profit surgery centers nationwide, including ones in New Jersey. Rust-like stains' and a bloody sheet Among the most alarming findings in the states report: Operating rooms at the facility were not properly cleaned and disinfected between procedures, upping the chances of exposure to dangerous diseases. According to the report, surgical tools were sometimes discovered with brown rust-like stains just before use. In one instance, a state inspector observed a stretcher in a hallway with a blood-stained sheet that wasnt properly disinfected even after the inspector pointed out the problem to staffers. Most troubling, a HealthPlus employee told a state inspector that due to the high volume of procedures, surgical trays were not always allowed to dry in sterilizers before being used. What kind of volume was HealthPlus dealing with? Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7 this year, 3,778 patients had procedures done at HealthPlus. That comes out to an average of more than 15 procedures per day at the facility, assuming that surgeons were operating seven-days-a-week with no closures for holidays. Infection control wasnt the only problem at HealthPlus. The Sept. 7 report paints a picture of possible opioid theft by HealthPlus employees. Multiple examples are listed in the report of large amounts of potent opioids like Fentanyl and Oxycodone going missing. Someone was either throwing out the medication, or it was being stolen, Manigan said. We believe that the problem has been resolved. The state also found that drugs which needed to be refrigerated were stored at room temperature. Deja Vu? The state found Healthplus most current infection control plan was dated 2010 and bore the previous name of the facility, Renaissance Surgery Center, which used the same building as and directly preceded HealthPlus. In 2013, Renaissance was blasted by the state health department for poor infection control, employing workers whod tested positive for tuberculosis, and for lacking basic sanitation items like soap and disposable hand towels at handwashing stations. HealthPlus Surgery Center reopened on Sept. 28, a day after the state health department determined that it had corrected the deficiencies found in its Sept. 7 survey. We have made significant improvements to ensure our patients' safety and good health, said HealthPlus Administrator Betty McCabe in statement issued to media on Monday. In addition to the firing of two employees, a new director of nursing has been hired, according to Manigan. Under the corrective plan, the new nursing director is responsible for all of the new policies. HealthPlus is also required by the state to conduct quarterly infection control audits and sterilization audits every six months. The state health department has said that the risk of infection is low, and the department is not aware of any illness as a result of the infection control issues at HealthPlus. Nonetheless, Those affected can call 1-888-507-0578 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to schedule a test at Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, or at and LabCorp locations in New Jersey or New York. Read the states Sept. 7 report, the corrective plan submitted by HealthPlus and the states follow-up report below: Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A naked man doused himself with fuel and was trying to light it on fire at a Woodbridge gas station Friday evening, township police said. Michael Green, a 35-year-old Ohio resident, poured 17 gallons of diesel fuel on himself and the ground near the pumps at a Shell gas station on Amboy Avenue shortly before 6:30 p.m., according to Scott Kuzma, chief law enforcement officer of the Woodbridge Police Department. Green then apparently tried to ignite the fuel using a lighter, Kuzma said. Nothing turned out to be set on fire, and police took Green to a hospital to be evaluated. The native of Ridgeville, Ohio, was charged with risking widespread injury or damage, according to a police press release. Calls to phone numbers associated with Greens name went unanswered. Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips 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. New Jerseys attorney general will host a series of forums across the state to address the findings of NJ.coms recent investigation into police use of force, including a review of cultural diversity and implicit bias among officers. The announcement comes a week after leading civil rights and faith leaders announced their own series of statewide forums in response to the investigation, which found widespread racial disparities in how police use force. Local groups in towns including Maplewood and South Orange also plan to hold events to discuss the findings. All of this comes one month after the debut of The Force Report, a 16-month investigation by NJ Advance Media for NJ.com that exposed how the state had for years had failed to track and analyze how and when police officers use force. As part of the project, the news organization filed 506 public records requests and spent more than $30,000 to build the most comprehensive statewide database of police use of force in the United States, now available at http://force.nj.com. In response, the attorney general, Gurbir Grewal, and every leading law enforcement official in the state issued a rare joint statement conceding they had failed to properly track police force and promising broad reforms to the system. We committed ourselves to not only creating a new system to track, analyze and contextualize use-of-force reporting in New Jersey, but also to redoubling our efforts to improve transparency, accountability and trust between law enforcement and community, Grewal said. These upcoming listening sessions are an important part of that process. The greatest authority granted police officers is the legal right to harm another person. But The Force Report found the states system for tracking use of force and stopping dangerous officers was little more than a facade. As a result, alarming trends went undetected for nearly two decades. The investigation found departments and a small group of individual officers using force at alarming rates, as well as significant racial disparities in who force was used against. Grewal and Gov. Phil Murphy have said little about those findings. But Grewal has vocally acknowledged the failure by state officials to uniformly track and analyze use-of-force trends to help prevent cases of excessive force. He said the meetings he will host, which will begin in Bridgeton in January, are the first part of his plan to design a new system to obtain police use-of-force data and ensure meaningful monitoring and transparency of such data. They will coincide with the organizing efforts of the New Jersey chapter of the NAACP, which plans on holding its own series of forums across the state in coordination with local community and faith leaders. Gregg Zeff, the legal redress chair for the state chapter, said the meetings were intended to personalize the investigations findings that black people in New Jersey were three times more likely to face police force than white residents. Even when accounting for the fact that black people were arrested at a higher rate than white people, they were still 38 percent more likely to face some type of force. Zeff said after the meetings the group would "deliver a strong message and plan to the attorney general and administration on our expectations moving forward. We are continuing to make this dataset better. The numbers in this story were last updated Jan. 8, 2019. See the changes weve made here. Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook. The year in theater in New Orleans goes down as a generally good one. The various companies around town have presented works up to the standards that audiences have come to expect, and, at times, have greatly exceeded those expectations. Several troupes took advantage of the tricentennial of the city's founding to offer new, original works that were completely local creations. There were, along the way, some missteps in various aspects of casting, direction or execution of ideas, but few outright flops were seen in 2018. Persistent challenges continue to plague the local stage scene. While Southern Rep Theatre has finally moved in to its new home on Bayou Road amid great celebration and some fine performances, the metro area still needs more dedicated stage venues. Productions in particular need are those that cannot fill a huge space, but need more than 40 or 50 seats just to have a chance of breaking even. No matter how fancifully named, someone's garage or the backroom of a bar, just isn't cutting it. Secondly, the continued undercutting of other's efforts by various members of the local theater community, ranging from simple badmouthing of someone else's show to outright attempts to sabotage other productions, reflects poorly on the entire scene. Such foolish rivalries are pointless, and certainly unprofessional. That said, here are some of the highlights of individual and company-wide accomplishments to be remembered from 2018. THEATER PERSON OF THE YEAR After nearly three decades of struggling, most would've given up tilting at the various windmills of parish and state government. Ever since founding the Jefferson Performing Arts Society in 1978, however, Conductor Dennis G. Assaf, the group's founding artistic and executive director, envisioned a full-scale professional theater to serve the citizens of Jefferson Parish and beyond. As what began as a choral society grew into a multidisciplinary arts organization, that dream persisted. With dogged determination, Assaf beat the odds against him and finally saw the realization of his longtime vision in June 2015, when the doors to the Jefferson Performing Arts Center on Airline Drive opened to the public. Now in the third year as the primary tenant of the center, which draws a wide variety of performances, Assaf has been able to provide JPAS with a suitable, professional venue and great theater in Jefferson Parish. It's worked. This year's top 10 list of musicals cites a trio of JPAS productions. Under Assaf's guidance, in addition to presenting programming at the 1,000-seat East Jefferson theater, his hard-working 21-member staff at JPAS also produces shows for a pair of theaters on the West Bank, the 255-seat Westwego Performing Arts Theatre and the smaller cabaret-style space, Teatro Wego. Productions at one of the three spaces often follow quickly on the heels of another. In the past year, JPAS presented 20 separates productions, offering 96 performances across the three sites, reaching more than 23,000 audience members. In addition to the staff, the company employs about 350 cast members, crew, musicians, designers, directors, choreographers each year. The various youth programming and educational outreach programs serve more than 10,000 younger people across the metro area each year. In 2002, a national arts group estimated that JPAS has an overall economic impact on its community of more than $16 million annually, with a then $1.5 million budget. Today,the organization's budget is $3 million and that impact has likely grown substantially, particularly since the opening of the Airline Drive theater. Assaf's personality and style are inseparable from the organization that he founded. While some scoff at his pre-curtain speeches, for example, they always aim to promote the mission of JPAS and to connect with his audience. Those are two goals that he has steadily accomplished for 40 years. And in honor of that, Dennis G. Assaf is our Theater Person of the Year for 2018. BEST DIRECTORS OF A PLAY Two directors were at the very top of their game this year, between them accounting for half of the productions on our list of the top 10 best plays for 2018. In addition to their roles as artistic directors of their respective companies, Aimee Hayes and Maxwell Williams consistently present some of the finest theater local audiences get to see. With Southern Rep's "All the Way," Hayes tackled a lesson with enough figures to fill a U.S. History final exam. Corralling a year in the life and presidency of Lyndon Johnson, during which he maneuvered to get the Civil Rights Acts through Congress, Hayes blew the dust off the history books and turned it into a suspenseful look at the wielding of power and the acts of conscience that have been at the heart of drama since the time of Euripedes. Hayes also scored for the subtle balances between comedy and drama that she established in "A Doll's House, Part 2." With three distinctly different shows at Le Petit Theatre, Williams showed what might be considered his vision for the most venerated stage in town - attending to the Little Theatre's rich tradition, while also expanding its reach by diversifying audiences with work's that have distinct links to the city, and also willing to take risks to present lesser known works of top quality. In directing "A Christmas Carol," which Williams adapted with Curtis Billings (who also co-starred as Bob Cratchit), Williams showed his inherent talent for pure storytelling. The work was respectful of all its traditions but Williams was willing to dust off some of the cobwebs, resulting in a smoothly fresh take that made it the single, most richly rewarding production of the year. With both "Satchmo at the Waldorf" and "An Act of God," Williams also showed skill in handling a pair of bravura performances by two individual stars playing larger-than-life figures (Barry Shabaka Henley as Louis Armstrong, and Bryan Batt as, well, God), reining each in just enough to avoid indulgent excess while letting both sweep the audience along BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY Southern Rep Theatre opened its new home with a splendid production of Lucas Hnath's "A Doll's House, Part 2," which was highlighted by an unforgettable performance by Jessica Podewell as Nora. In a piercing star turn that combined bitingly funny moments with deep longing, Podewell captured all the complexities of Ibsen's heroine. This proto-feminist figure fought her internal battle with an iron will that nevertheless felt the weight of expectations of her society. A tour-de-force performance in every way. Other key performances included Kali Russell as a scrappy D'Artagnan in the NOLA Project's rollicking re-imagination of "The Three Musketeers" by Pete McElligott. Melisande Cook chilled the air as the coldly manipulating Lady Macbeth in the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival's "Macbeth." Kelly Fouchi found all the laughter through the tears in her stoically lovely performance as M'Lynn in "Steel Magnolias" at Rivertown Theaters. BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY The bellowing was likely the easiest part of the role as Jason Kirkpatrick embodied President Lyndon B. Johnson in "All the Way." A tall, commanding figure on stage, Kirkpatrick captured all the force of LBJ's ferocious temperament. The genius of the portrayal, however, came in the revealing look into his heart and mind as he struggled to be on the right side of history - often fighting his own party and fellow Southerners - to get key Civil Rights legislation passed. Kirkpatrick gave a bold performance, but one also delicately threaded the needle in depicting one of the most complex political figures of the 20th century. In other grand performances seen this year, Bob Edes delivered a newly defining performance as Ebenzer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol." To take such a well-worn, virtually cartoon of a character and return to the original heart of the role is challenge enough, but Edes created layers of genuine humanity and humor in the archetypal miser. In an equally tour-de-force performance, Barry Shabaka Henley was eye-opening in his portrayal of Louis Armstrong in Le Petit's "Satchmo at the Waldorf." A masterful raconteur, Henley moved easily between telling the life story through three distinct voices - Armstrong himself, manager Joe Glaser and a critical Miles Davis. Bryan Batt gave a remarkably funny portrayal of the title character in "An Act of God." With tongue firmly in cheek, however, and a distinctly self-effacing performance, Batt was snappy but never snippy. As a result, he drew out more from the trifle of the script than is actually there. In the title role of "Macbeth," John Neisler delved into the complexities of the ruthless autocrat. And Michael Martin proved that one needn't have a grand production to pack a wallop. An attic space lit by a few shop lights can do, when delivering such a thought-provoking performance in "An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening." BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL In addition to helming productions of "My Fair Lady" and "Ragtime" at Tulane's Summer Lyric Theater, where he is artistic chief, director Michael McKelvey scored with another pair of major shows this year. At Rivertown Theaters, he brought out the magic of one special night of music, where rock 'n' roll and country converged in "Million Dollar Quartet." The entire show, featuring a cast of actors who actually played their own instruments as they depicted Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, exploded with a spirit of spontaneity. McKelvey also showed his eye both for grand spectacle and the intimate detailing in a stunning "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by JPAS. Young director Michelle Taylor brought exactly the right touch to the breezy retro-chic tone of "Catch Me If You Can," guaranteeing that the audience would be swept up into its world of successively outlandish capers and larceny. Never forgetting its fairy-tale roots, "Uncle" Wayne Daigrepont brought "Peter Pan" to life, giving it the spirit of an out-sized cartoon. Equally at home in transferring an animated classic to a live stage, Gary Rucker found both the heart and humor in Rivertown's "Beauty and the Beast." In the most fun-loving look at the city's tricentennial, director Ricky Graham and his band of co-creating merrymakers took audiences on a cheery ride through the cultural and social history of New Orleans with "Gone Pecans" also at Rivertown. BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL In a strong year for men on local stages, one performance stood out that defies placement by gender. With sheer energy and attitude, Edward Carter Simon commanded the stage and the year in the title role of the revival of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at Cafe Istanbul. As the "slip of a girlyboy who has become an internationally ignored song stylist," Simon artfully developed this cult character living in a sexual no-man's land, and threw political correctness to the wind as he captured the primal energy within Hedwig's preening strut and campy attitude. Far from a typical musical leading man, it was one of the most compelling performances of the year. As the con-man and counterfeiter Frank Abagnale Jr. in "Catch Me If You Can," young Anthony Harvey charmed his way into the audiences' hearts with his spirited performance. Jimmy Murphy, playing against type and virtually unrecognizable, also gave an astonishing performance in that show, as the FBI agent Carl Hanratty, finding in him an Ahab-like obsession to capture his fugitive. And in revisiting a part that he's played in the past, Murphy scored again as the foppish Captain Hook in "Peter Pan." Marc Fouchi scored in a pair of musical roles, each quite different. While he seemed quite the natural to portray Professor Harold Hill in Rivertown's "The Music Man," his rockin' chops were cheerily exposed as the wild Jerry Lee Lewis in "Million Dollar Quartet." Jason Kyle Dowies was an imposing Beast in "Beauty and the Beast." BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL As the boy who wouldn't grow up, Shelbie Mac tackled the role she was born to play in the JPAS revival of "Peter Pan." Her acrobatic aerial work was only topped by boldly crowing voice and an utter charm that spilled across the footlights. In other performances, Leslie Castay offered a compelling performance and marvelous voice as Mother in "Ragtime." Micah Desonier was a gutsy Esmerelda, also displaying powerfully bold vocals, in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Emily Heck also was an enchanting Belle in "Beauty and the Beast." BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY In the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans' production of "Vieux Carre," Kyle Daigrepont created a stark figure of loneliness, eliciting deep sympathy as Nightingale, a tubercular artist destined to die alone in a dingy boarding house. In Williams' autobiographical work, Daigrepont takes on the role of the older artist warning the callow young writer that he must develop his own sense of compassion before realizing his own passions. It was another gripping performance by Daigrepont. In other strong performances, as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hubert Humphrey, respectively, in "All the Way," Dominique McClellan and Mike Harkins brought their historical figures to life beyond the images seen only in old news footage. John Neisler was merrily villainous as Cardinal Richelieu in "The Three Musketeers," and provided genuinely eerie moments as Marley's ghost in "A Christmas Carol." Leon Contavesprie brought a humanizing touch to "An Act of God," as the archangel Michael. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY In Tennessee Williams' "Vieux Carre," Tracey E. Collins could have easily gone strictly for laughs and made the boarding house landlady just a snooping harpy. Yet while still holding on to the funniest moments in the playwright's semi-autobiographical work, Collins plumbed the lode of psychological riches behind Mrs. Wire's eccentricities, leaving audiences with a bittersweet smile as it considered this humorous but lonely figure. Wendy Miklovic was the sober comptroller of an archangel adding to the humor in "An Act of God." BEST COUPLE IN A MUSICAL Every time that Bryce Slocumb takes to a stage, he conveys an infectiously happy presence. Co-star Mandi Mueller's beautiful bearing and knockout voice have always enchanted. Brought together by director Michael McKelvey for JPAS' "White Christmas," they delivered the most joyous pairing of the year, flashing those mega-watt smiles. Their dancing and singing throughout the night reflected their delightful comic chemistry. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL In a show that could be easily overrun by the spectacle of its dancing, John Fitzpatrick's touching performance as Crutchie, the lame newspaper boy, kept the heart beating at the center of Summer Lyric's production of "Newsies." Also at Summer Lyric, strong support also was seen by Bob Edes in as the boisterous Alfred Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." Kevin Murphy created a detailed portrait of Tateh in "Ragtime." And Dennis Jesse created deeper psychological layers within the villain Frollo in JPAS' "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." One other special pairing particularly stood out - in Rivertown's "Beauty and the Beast," Gary Rucker's Lumiere and Alan Payne's Cogsworth proved to be fine comic foils, adding a touch of vaudeville-style humor to that gorgeous production. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL In addition to directing the show, Kimberly Kaye was a magnificent, if quieter, co-star to Edward Carter Simon in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." As Hedwig's "drag husband," Yitzhak, Kaye drew out the heightened emotions of the show, wearing the heart of the piece, so often broken, on her sleeve, while leading the show to its powerful catharsis. Other fine performances came from Charis Gullage as the sympathetic Sarah in "Ragtime." She gave the role an especially beautiful voice. Emily Gyan added sultry layers, burning up the stage with her rendition of "Fever," in "Million Dollar Quartet." Jennifer DeLatte entertained as Mrs. Potts, singing the title song to "Beauty and the Beast" with high merit. And despite the small size of the part, Beverly Trask boldly impressed as a staunchly strong Mrs. Higgins in "My Fair Lady." BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION From the pit of the Jefferson Performing Arts Center, Dennis Assaf drew out a bold sound from the JPAS Symphony Orchestra for the company's polished production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Joined by the Jefferson Chorale effectively perched overhead and upstage, and directed by Louise LaBruyere, the score soared, driving the energy and heart of the entire work. All together, it created a perfect marriage of music and theater, resulting in a night of epic storytelling. In the pit at Dixon Hall, C. Leonard Raybon luxuriated in Fritz Loewe's inimitable score for the Summer Lyric production of "My Fair Lady." And as an orchestra of one, pianist Harry Mayronne was one of the prime delights of "Dames at Sea." BEST CHOREOGRAPHER Diane Lala surely had the hardest working cast in town at her disposal to pull off the electrifying dances for "Newsies." In her direction of that show, she also proved to be a swift storyteller, as she corralled that large cast. Lala also designed the rousing Cockney dance numbers, as well as the stately movement for "My Fair Lady." Jaune Buisson's flurry of fabulous dance numbers also made her choreography an equal co-star of "White Christmas." Her impressive work also was seen in "Peter Pan" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." BEST PRODUCTION VALUES This year saw a distinct upswing in the level of production design elements on many local stages. The technical abilities have been visibly outstanding making a huge splash when necessary; other effects were brilliantly non-intrusive in their subtle impact. Le Petit Theatre led the way all year. In "An Act of God," the technical effects achieved by designer James Lanius and technical director Kyle Salzman astonished. Eric Porter's simple but majestic set (matched by Julie Winn's costumes) was brilliantly lit by George Johnson. Kathleen Van Horn's gorgeous costumes for "A Christmas Carol," each so richly textured, made carefully visualized, individual statements about every character. The designs for each of the Spirits were filled with symbols and meaning. Evan Adamson's brooding sets, Andrew Griffin's moody lighting, and Nicholas Hussong's production design, provided the perfect canvas for director Maxwell Williams and his fine cast. Other fine technical achievements included Joan Long's lighting for "A Doll's House, Part 2," which was integral to its most dramatic moments. Cecile Casey Covert's dress for Nora was among the most exquisite seen all year. Covert's costumes for "The Three Musketeers" shared both a period look and an appropriate touch of whimsy. Helen Ruiz created the appealing hats and jewel-toned costumes for "Crowns." Designer Rick Paul scored for his expressionistic sets for "Ragtime," as well as the historically informed industrial behemoths he created for "Newsies," both at Tulane's Summer Lyric Theatre. The bright colors in Derek Blanco's sets and Shelbie Mac's painted backdrops also created the fairy-tale world of Rivertown Theaters' "Beauty and the Beast." This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. According to word on the grapevine, Samsung could be testing out Android Pie on the Galaxy A5 (2017). Not particularly noteworthy until you realize that the A5 was released on Marshmallow, and a Pie update would be the third major OS it receives. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker Samsung began sending the stable Android Pie-based One UI update out to the Galaxy S9 this week in certain markets, and US users are set to get their dues next month. After that will be the Note 9 and last-gen flagships like the Note 8 and S8 phones. All of that is expected, but its a bit surprising to find out that a mostly ignored Samsung phone, the A5 (2017) could also be set to get Android Pie. The A5 was spotted on Geekbench running on Android Pie and reports claim that alludes to Samsung being set to send out the Pie update to the device. Theres nothing particularly newsworthy about a Galaxy A phone being prepped for Pie but A5 is something of a curious case. It was released in January 2017, rather surprisingly with Android Marshmallow out of the box. Nougat was already months old by then, and it would be akin to a device being launched on Oreo next month, whichcome to think of itisnt out of the norm anymore. The Nokia 6 (2018), for example, was released on Nougat back in January. The A5, since then, has received the Nougat and Oreo updates, which already makes for two major updates, the absolute most weve ever seen on an Android device. Until now, that is. If Samsung does indeed send out the Pie update to the A5, it will be the third major update it receives, and the first Android phone to receive three OS updates. Google promised three major updates starting with the Pixel 2, but the phones have received just one major update so far. Likewise, the OnePlus 3T could also receive its third major update but that is yet to be seen. A few days ago, a purported roadmap for Samsungs Pie rollout surfaced but a quick check reveals that the A5 is very much missing from that list, so the source report here should be taken with a grain of salt, especially since the Galaxy S6 played host to similar rumors last year but still didnt receive Oreo. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play Music | How to Listen In his new book, Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny, Edward J. Watts writes that his account will allow readers to better appreciate the serious problems that result both from politicians who breach a republics political norms and from citizens who choose not to punish them for doing so. On this weeks podcast, Yascha Mounk, who reviewed Mortal Republic for us, talks about Rome and also about the current day. The image that he conjures is this analogy to Donald Trump, Mounk says of Watt. The idea, in my mind, that I got reading the book, is that we now stand at the beginning of this long process of decline, potentially. Image Also on this episode, Jonathan Lethem discusses his essay about how, in the past year or two, a fresh wave of fake prescription drugs have flooded the bookshelves. What interests me most is when real concoctions arent enough, Lethem says, when the writer has to make up something that doesnt exist. A spokesman for the mayor, Eric Phillips, did not respond directly to the accusations of abuse. In a statement, Mr. Phillips said, For an extremely small number of young detainees facing credible safety threats in our jails, the safest option is a transfer to another facility. The Albany County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The inmates situation was exacerbated when they were sent to solitary confinement, the suit claimed. Isolation increases the risk of depression or suicide, especially among younger inmates. The citys jail reforms were inspired, in part, Mr. de Blasio said, by Kalief Browder, a teenager who committed suicide after spending much of his three years at Rikers in solitary confinement before robbery charges against him were dropped. Hundreds of inmates have been kept out of isolation since the city implemented its ban on solitary confinement for young people and reduced its use for other inmates. Still, the transfer of inmates to outside jails seems to highlight the limitations of the ban. Two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit were 19 and 21 when they were transferred to Albany. The other two were older than 22. One of the plaintiffs is identified only as John Doe because he fears retaliation by correction workers. One of the plaintiffs, Davon Washington, who is now 22, said in an interview at his home in the Bronx that he wrote the mayor and provided a detailed account of the abuse, and asked to be transferred elsewhere. He said he never received a response. Mr. Washington was transferred from Rikers Island to the Albany facility in March, two weeks after he said he got into an altercation with a city deputy warden. He was there until November and released from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in Albany on Monday. He had been convicted of attempted robbery. David M. OBrien, a scholar and author who dissected the Supreme Courts internal machinations and ideological dynamics, treating it as a political institution as much as a legal one, died on Dec. 20 at his home in Charlottesville, Va. He was 67. His daughter Sara OBrien said the cause was lung cancer. Dr. OBrien taught politics at the University of Virginia for almost four decades. He wrote, helped write or edited more than a dozen books, the best known of which was Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics (1986). It received the American Bar Associations Silver Gavel Award and is now in its 11th printing. Storm Center focuses on the inner workings of the court and its culture, which Dr. OBrien said is often more chaotic than it appears. The book takes its title from Oliver Wendell Holmes, who said, We are all quiet here, but its the quiet of a storm center. As Dr. OBrien said during a C-Span interview in 1986, Within the court internally there is a dynamic, a political dynamic, in which justices compete for power, compete for influence over the final decisions. Liza Redfield, who broke a barrier on July 4, 1960, when she raised her baton at the Majestic Theater to start a performance of The Music Man, becoming the first woman to be the full-time conductor of a Broadway pit orchestra, died on Dec. 23 in Manhattan. She was 94. Her death, at the Amsterdam Nursing Home, was announced by Barbara Sandler, her longtime friend and caregiver. Other women had served as assistant conductors and might have filled in on Broadway podiums, but Ms. Redfield was widely reported to be the first engaged full time when she took over The Music Man, the crowd-pleasing musical with a score by Meredith Willson, which had been running since 1957. She replaced Herbert Greene, the shows original conductor as well as one of its producers, and the changeover made news. Woman Conducts Music Man Today, The New York Times announced in a headline. Time magazine, in gushingly sexist language typical of the period, rhapsodized, With striking Titian-red hair, plus face and figure to match, Liza Redfield has the looks for anything except what she is: Broadways first full-time woman conductor. Sometime in the 1980s, microscopic mites that had been afflicting honeybees outside the United States found their way to Florida and Wisconsin and began wreaking havoc across the country. These parasites have invaded and decimated wild and domestic bee colonies. Along with other dangers facing bees, like pesticides and the loss of forage lands, the viruses these mites carry threaten the bees we rely on to pollinate many of the fruits, nuts and vegetables we eat. This mite, Varroa destructor, injects a slew of viruses into bees, including one that causes shriveled wings, a primary factor in widespread colony collapse. Worse, these parasites have rapidly developed resistance to synthetic pesticides. Beekeepers in the United States lost an estimated 40 percent of their colonies between April 2017 and April 2018. But we might be able to save honeybees at least from this parasitic scourge without chemical intervention. I along with scientists at Washington State University and the United States Department of Agriculture recently published in Scientific Reports, a journal from the publishers of Nature, a study that could inspire a paradigm shift in protecting bees. If historys greatest novelists and playwrights were to come back from the dead so they could tell the improbable tale of Donald J. Trump, how would they do it? How might they capture the man and his presidency in all of its hallucinatory, absurd and terrifying detail when we journalists usually seem to come up short? Lets begin with Shakespeare. Would the Bard write Trump as a comedy or a tragedy? Back in 2015, when Trump announced his candidacy, it would surely have been a comedy. The Donald would have been Falstaff, that huge hill of flesh, as Prince Hal calls him, whose lies are gross as a mountain, open, palpable. Here we would have a character who always plays for the cheap seats ribald and ridiculous; magnetic but pathetic and who, fortunately, would be destined for nothing more. Except that in our real-life, present-day drama, this Falstaff has somehow managed to usurp Henry and seize his crown. Thus we move from comedy to tragedy: Trump as Macbeth. Admittedly, its hard to picture Melania as a model for Lady Macbeth. But Roger Stone, Steve Bannon and Ann Coulter are perfect as the three witches. Banquo? Thats easy: Michael Cohen, both as living accomplice and ghostly reproach. Macduff, of course, is Bob Mueller. FRONT PAGE The Interpreter column on Friday about Facebooks troubles with hate speech and misinformation on its platform misstated a restriction imposed by Pakistan on Election Day. It applies to campaigning, not the news media. An article on Friday about the partial government shutdown misquoted Senator Pat Roberts discussing the shutdown. Mr. Robertss full quote was, In Dodge City, Kansas, they say a horse divided against itself cannot stand, putting a Kansas twist on an aphorism made iconic by a former Senate candidate from Illinois. NEW YORK An article on Friday about the effects of a transformer explosion in Queens misspelled the surname of an Astoria resident. She is Yiota Androtsakis, not Androtsokis. BUSINESS A picture caption with an article on Friday about the long-term value of Vespa scooters misidentified the manufacturer of three scooters. Only one of the scooters pictured is a Vespa, not all four; the others are Lambrettas. Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how news, features and opinion come together at The New York Times. Covering a major prosecution such as the drug conspiracy trial of Joaquin Guzman Loera, the Mexican crime lord known as El Chapo, is, I imagine, a bit like commuting to work on a space station. It takes a long time to make it to your job and actually get inside the courtroom. Once youre there, you tend to feel as if youre floating in an isolated capsule, far away from Earth. The trial began two months ago in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, but for the dozen or so reporters who have shown up every day and plan to be there until the end comes in another month or two it has seemed like an eternity. Routines have formed. Inside jokes have developed. As a community of El Chapo watchers, we study the defendants choice of clothing and try to read the cryptic expressions that every now and then flicker across his face. I have been covering trials on and off for almost 20 years, but this trial, more than most, has been a true immersive experience. Here are a few notes jotted down on a morning of quiet testimony about what an average day at the El Chapo trial is like. The Saudis would give us a phone call and then pull back. They treat the Sudanese like their firewood. AHMED, 25, one of the tens of thousands of survivors of the Darfur conflict who have been hired by the Saudis to fight the kingdoms war in Yemen. Just a few weeks ago, protesters marched through the Michigan Capitol claiming that Republicans were trying to subvert the will of voters and seize power from the Democrats who had just been elected governor, attorney general and secretary of state. The protesters worst fears did not come to fruition. On Friday, Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican whose eight-year tenure ends next week, vetoed a bill that would have allowed lawmakers to intervene in court cases, a measure seen as an effort to dilute the authority of the new Democrats. Other legislation that would have stripped power from incoming officials never made it to a floor vote. The results gave Michigan Democrats some measure of relief, though they were not at all thrilled with what had happened in recent weeks. Mr. Snyder also signed or vetoed dozens of other bills this week passed by lawmakers during their busy, contentious lame-duck session. Some of the ones that he vetoed, we are a little surprised that he vetoed, State Representative Adam Zemke, a Democrat, said. And so thats a positive thing. When the government shutdown began a week ago, many federal workers were more irked than anxious. Theyre really anxious now. What at first seemed like ho-hum political brinkmanship is looking more like a prolonged, punishing shutdown, more akin to the 27-day funding lapse in 1995 and 1996 than the blink-and-miss-it shutdowns earlier this year. This one feels different, said Celia Hahn, a Transportation Security Administration officer at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, who is working without pay and worried about her mortgage and her sons orthodontic expenses. If it were to go about two weeks, thats when people would start panicking. Dena Ivey, a furloughed probate specialist in the Anchorage office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, lost many of her possessions during the recent Alaska earthquake, and feels overwhelmed by the man-made disaster now afflicting her family. Were sort of being held hostage in the middle, and we have families and obligations, said Ms. Ivey, a single mother. I dont know if Im going to be able to make rent. She added: Im basically living on credit now. WASHINGTON In one of their final acts in the House majority, Republicans released a letter on Friday urging their Senate counterparts to pick up their politically charged inquiry into the handling of the F.B.I.s investigations of President Trumps campaign and Hillary Clintons use of a private email server, and called again for the appointment of a special counsel to study the matter. Detailing some of their findings, the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees said it appeared to them that the F.B.I. had treated the Trump and Clinton cases differently, cutting Mrs. Clinton and her associates crucial breaks while assigning agents who privately exchanged reams of messages bashing Mr. Trump to investigate his campaigns links to Russia. It is not the discovery of bias that is so destructive to fairness, it is the existence of it, the chairmen, Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia and Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, wrote of the officials. They also used the letter to resurface Republicans contested charge that the F.B.I. abused sensitive surveillance powers to spy on a former Trump campaign associate believed to be compromised by Russia. A man who was in the United States illegally and involved in a street gang was arrested on Friday in connection with the shooting death of a California police officer during a traffic stop two days earlier, the authorities said. The man, Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, was taken into custody at a home near Bakersfield, Calif., Sheriff Adam Christianson of the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department said at a news conference on Friday. The police, following leads in their search for the gunman, had the home under surveillance for more than 24 hours after the shooting of the officer, Ronil Singh, 33, of the Newman Police Department. Officer Singh was shot after stopping a driver, identified by officials as Mr. Perez Arriaga, on suspicion of drunken driving, in Newman, Calif., which is not far from Modesto. Officer Singh was then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to a statement from the Sheriffs Department. SHENZHEN, China The Chinese scientist who shocked the world by claiming that he had created the first genetically edited babies is sequestered in a small university guesthouse in the southern city of Shenzhen, where he remains under guard by a dozen unidentified men. The sighting of the scientist, He Jiankui, this week was the first since he appeared at a conference in Hong Kong in late November and defended his actions. For the past few weeks, rumors had swirled about whether Dr. He was under house arrest. His university and the Chinese government, which has put Dr. He under investigation, have been silent about his fate. Dr. He now lives in a fourth-floor apartment at a university guesthouse, a hotel run by the school for visiting teachers, on the sprawling campus of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhens Nanshan District, where many of Chinas best-known tech companies, like Tencent, have their offices. In November, Dr. He stunned the global scientific community when he claimed to have created the worlds first babies from genetically edited embryos, implanted in a woman who gave birth to twin girls. While he did not provide proof that the gene-edited twins were born, he presented data that suggested he had done what he claimed. Still, many scholars and legal experts argue that American copyright law, which is mind-numbingly complex, has skewed toward enriching companies and the heirs of writers and artists at the expense of the public. When the first Copyright Act was passed in the United States in 1790, the maximum term was 28 years. Over the decades, lawmakers repeatedly prolonged the terms, which now stretch to over a century for many works. Its worse than the tax code, said Rebecca Tushnet, an intellectual property expert at Harvard Law School. The copyright term is way too long now. Image Next year, Penguin Classics is publishing new editions of several works from 1923, including Jean Toomers Cane. Credit... Sonny Figueroa/The New York Times Some studies show that extending copyright can actually have a negative impact on the sales and availability of books. A few years ago, Paul J. Heald, a law professor at the University of Illinois, used software that randomly sampled books available on Amazon, and discovered that there were more new editions of books published in the 1910s than from titles published in the 2000s. Publishers often stop printing books that arent selling, but still retain the copyright, so no one else can release new editions. Once the books enter the public domain, a wider variety of new editions become available again, filling in a hole in the public and cultural record. Legal experts say that Congress is unlikely to pass yet another copyright extension because the political dynamics have shifted over the decades, with growing public opposition to stringent intellectual property protections. For readers and book buyers, the proliferation of competing texts and editions will mean more selection and cheaper books. In 2019, the digital publisher Open Road Media is publishing around a dozen newly available works from 1923, including e-books of Jean Toomers Cane, Gibrans The Prophet, Sigmund Freuds The Ego and the Id, P. G. Wodehouses The Inimitable Jeeves and Christies The Murder on the Links, one of her early novels featuring the detective Hercule Poirot. Legacy publishers are also snapping up newly available works. Penguin Classics is releasing new editions of Cane, Gibrans The Prophet and Prousts The Prisoner. Vintage Classics is publishing a new edition of Robert Frosts New Hampshire which will feature the original woodcut art and some of his best-known poems, including Nothing Gold Can Stay and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening as well as Dorothy Sayerss Whose Body? and three new editions of classic Agatha Christie novels. The children of Carlos Ghosn, the jailed auto executive who oversaw an alliance that sold more than 10 million cars a year, believe accusations of financial misconduct against him are part of a revolt within Nissan against exploring a possible merger with Renault. Caroline Ghosn, the eldest of Mr. Ghosns four children, said that when she saw Hiroto Saikawa, the chief executive of Nissan, condemn her father during a televised news conference after his arrest, she suspected that Nissans investigation was rooted in opposition to proposed changes to the Nissan-Renault alliance and the merger my dad was setting up. For Saikawa to so adamantly denounce someone who had been his mentor and then immediately without any benefit of the doubt condemns him? Ms. Ghosn, 31, said in a phone interview. An entrepreneur, she had awakened hours before that briefing to the news that her father, who was Nissans chairman and Renaults chief executive, had been arrested on suspicion of violating Japans financial reporting laws. [Read about the rise and fall of Mr. Ghosn, who wasnt supposed to succeed in Japan but never expected to fail like this.] Catholic Charities has also helped Ms. Danso adapt to her apartment, which she moved into this fall. It is the first time since losing her vision that Ms. Danso has lived without an adult relative or friend. Staff members placed 3-D dots on the microwave and taught her how to use adaptive kitchen tools, like a device that beeps when liquid reaches the top of a container. The Catholic Guild for the Blind also provided Ms. Danso with a watch that speaks the time, a crucial tool for her. Since Kofi arrived, Ms. Danso has relished the chance to cook meals that they had enjoyed together in Ghana, like fried red plantains, bean stew and fufu, a West African mainstay made from cassava or other starchy staples. I manage to work around it, said Ms. Danso, referring to her vision loss. I love cooking. In Ghana, Ms. Danso worked for a utility company as a customer service representative. As she has assembled the pieces of her life in New York, she finds herself yearning for a new career. She would like to become a social worker to assist others with vision loss. For somebody like me, who was seeing for 36 years and then all of a sudden, you lose your sight, you may think that your world has come to an end, she said. But you still have life and if you have life, you have everything. Im happy because Ive been able to come out with something good. And Im pressing forward to reach higher. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] There is an industrial stretch of 37th Street in Long Island City, Queens, just off Queens Boulevard where you can walk and suddenly be hit with the most incongruous of odors: the pungent, earthy smell of truffles. You have arrived at the nondescript warehouse of Regalis Foods, which sells fine truffles and other expensive wild foods. Inside, the truffle smell is more intense and the work pace is on full holiday bustle. The week before New Years is our busiest of the year, said the owner, Ian Purkayastha, 26, who started Regalis at age 19 with a cooler in a beat-up minivan. He now supplies many of the finest restaurants in Manhattan including Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin which are typically packed for New Years Eve. It also happens to be the tail end of white truffle season and the beginning of black truffle season in Europe, both products that Mr. Purkayastha has become a go-to supplier for among the citys top chefs. Shehu Shagari, the former president of Nigeria who sought to revive democratic rule only to be deposed by military officers impatient with his seeming inability to confront endemic corruption and economic crisis, died on Friday in Abuja, the capital. He was 93. Mr. Shagari died at the National Hospital after a brief illness, his grandson Bello Shagari said on Twitter. It was a token of Nigerias long tug-of-war between the barracks and the ballot box that President Muhammadu Buhari who, as an army general, removed Mr. Shagari from power in 1983 returned to office in the 2015 elections. It was the first peaceful transfer of power between civilians of different political parties since Nigerias independence from Britain in 1960. By then Mr. Shagari, patrician and mild-mannered, had become what his followers called an elder statesman as his country grappled with challenges that had become familiar: an almost reflexive recourse to graft; an economic malaise relating to falling prices of oil, Nigerias dominant foreign-currency earner; and a fierce divide between its northern Muslims and southern Christians that became ever more stark with the rise of a bloodthirsty jihadist movement called Boko Haram. Thirty years ago, a NASA scientist, James Hansen, told lawmakers at a Senate hearing that global warming is now large enough that we can ascribe with a high degree of confidence a cause-and-effect relationship with the greenhouse effect. He added that there is only 1 percent chance of accidental warming of this magnitude. By that, he meant that humans were responsible. His testimony made headlines around the United States and the world. But in the time since, greenhouse gas emissions, the global temperature average and cost of climate-related heat, wildfires, droughts, flooding and hurricanes have continued to rise. This fall, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released an alarming report warning that if emissions continue to rise at their present rate, the atmosphere will warm up by as much as 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels by 2040, resulting in the flooding of coastlines, the killing of coral reefs worldwide, and more catastrophic droughts and wildfires . To avoid this, greenhouse gas emissions would need to fall by nearly half from 2010 levels in the next 12 years and reach a net of zero by 2050. But in the United States, the worlds second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, President Trump continues to question the science of climate change, and his administration is rolling back emissions limits on power plants and fuel economy standards on cars and light trucks, while pushing to accelerate the use of fossil fuels. Other major nations around the world arent cutting emissions quickly enough, either. Theres an undeniable satisfaction in pulling thread through the last letter-limb of an embroidered expletive or sewing up the image of a raised fist. Consider the even more radical figures common in story cloths created by Hmong women. On these ornate panels, subjugation and survival coincide: Soldiers burn down villages, families cross the Mekong River, women cook dinner in a refugee camp. Even when the design at hand has no straightforward message, the act of embroidery can feel transgressive in its silence and domesticity. It is a haven from news whorls and internet noise, a return to a female tradition when our bodies and minds feel so keenly under assault. The history of embroidery affords a glimpse of the private inner world of women, as a chronicler of the Korean tradition puts it. Because it has tended to flourish in female and feminine spaces namely, the home it is a kind of secret. To embroider is to embellish: to create a fantasia and thus be momentarily free. None of this is to argue for retreat, let alone to the sewing room. Resistance is necessarily public, manifested in rallies and pickets, door-knocking and debate. Yet for all the time I have spent outside in the Trump era, there is a corresponding need for time indoors, where I can be still and let the mind wander. Textile work resembles meditation, though it can also take place in knitting circles and quilting groups, where silence is shared. Image The author's embroidery depicting her mother. Credit... Tammy Kim I recently reread Embroideries, by Marjane Satrapi, a graphic memoir about the lives of women in her extended Iranian family. The young Marjane sits with her grandmother at home over tea and listens to the stories told by female relatives and neighbors. The title of the book refers not only to needle and thread but also to the elaboration in old wives tales, domestic labor, fashion and nose jobs. Feigned virginity becomes the full embroidery. I know just a few things about my grandmother. She was a passionate student who, despite the limited opportunities available to Korean women during Japanese rule, became a high-school math teacher. Her husband forced her to quit when they were married, but she applied her intellect and skills to work in the home. I used a photo of my grandmothers embroidered parrot to guide a recent project: a bust of my mom sewn into a periwinkle handkerchief. The weave of her face isnt as delicate as in my grandmothers work. But there is a hint of her, there in the eyes and red-thread smile. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. To be sure, not every poll shows the same thing. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll recently asked people if they believed climate change is serious and requires immediate action. Only around 15 percent of Republicans said yes compared with 71 percent of Democrats. Its notable that the poll did not ask, as the Yale study did, for views on specific remedies which is where the two parties seem to find more common ground. Opinion Conversation The climate, and the world, are changing. What challenges will the future bring, and how should we respond to them? What should our leaders be doing? Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, finds reasons for optimism in the Biden presidency. Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, finds reasons for optimism in the Biden presidency. What are the worst climate risks in your country? Select a country, and we'll break down the climate hazards it faces. Select a country, and we'll break down the climate hazards it faces. Where are Americans suffering most? Our maps, developed with experts, show where extreme heat is causing the most deaths in the U.S. Our maps, developed with experts, show where extreme heat is causing the most deaths in the U.S. What does climate devastation look like? In Sept. 2020, Michael Benson studied detailed satellite imagery. Here's the earth that he saw and the one he wants to see. On a trip to rural Louisiana in 2016, we visited Mike Schaff, a Trump and Tea Party supporter who recently retired from a career in the oil industry. He had lost his beloved home to an enormous sinkhole caused by a reckless drilling company and become an active board member of Louisianas GreenArmy , a small but remarkable environmental group. But about climate change, Mr. Schaff shook his head. Ill worry about global warming in 50 years, he said. Out fishing on the bayou in the late-afternoon mist, he told us: Were running out of oil anyway, so Id love to rely on clean energy. Wouldnt have to drill. And as soon as its as cheap as fossil fuel, and feasible, I think we should switch. It would make us independent. He continued, Its time for a modern-day Manhattan Project to effect a major change in the way humans use and produce energy. Climate change activists would do well to embrace Americans like Mike Schaff, even if they dont agree on everything. Many conservative Republicans feel that frightening news of climate change usually comes from alarmist liberals who belittle their religious faith, elitists who condescend to them and a federal government that, until Mr. Trump, had forgotten them. Curiously, Americans who live near extreme flooding and fires are no more likely to worry about climate change than those far from the threat of such disasters. But that doesnt mean they cant change their minds. Studies by a University of Colorado psychologist, Leaf Van Boven, and two colleagues points to a party over policy effect, in which peoples views on a carbon tax depend less on the content of the proposal than on the party they believe proposed it. This is true for both Democrats and Republicans. So maybe Republicans just need to hear from messengers they trust. A talk by an evangelical climate scientist, one study shows, altered the views of climate skeptics studying at evangelical colleges. Similarly, we need to find ways of showing science-doubting Republican oil workers that the leaders of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP have acknowledged the risk of climate change and that steps must be taken to address it . Republicans who greatly admire the military could learn about the ways the Pentagon has already acknowledged the risk of climate change as a security issue and has quietly set about installing renewable energy projects on bases across the country. If you thought 2018 was a bad year for tech, 2019 might turn out to be even worse. This year was filled with revelations about privacy, security and cyberwarfare. Next year, the consequences of those revelations will unfold. And we should be very worried about what the future holds. Privacy Is Dead In 2018, it became very clear that Americans have no control over their digital information. We discovered that our cellphones could be monitored, and many of the apps on our phones are tracking us. We found out that Facebook shared our private messages with third parties and let developers using its platform harvest and exploit our data in order to influence political elections. Our data is perpetually being gathered, leaked, exploited, breached and sold. And perhaps worse is what the future holds. We most likely arent aware of all the companies that hold our personal data and what they are doing with it: the social media companies that know us as well as our friends do, the financial technology companies that sell our bank account transaction data, the messaging apps that hold our private photos and texts. But 2018 was also the first year of privacy protection in Europe: The General Data Protection Regulation went into effect in May. Despite the protestations of those who complain that G.D.P.R. places an undue organizational burden on start-ups, it could return privacy to millions of people living in the European Union. SAN DIEGO When Antonio Aaron Bianco arrived for work at his Roman Catholic church office on a recent Monday morning, he was rattled to discover that someone had broken into the conference room and spray-painted a message in large yellow letters on the wall. It said No Fags. For Mr. Bianco, a gay layman in charge of managing St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the break-in was just another terrifying omen. Two weeks earlier, someone tried to set the sanctuary doors on fire before the early Sunday Mass. Before that, a stranger swung a punch at Mr. Bianco after Mass one day. For months he had received anonymous phone calls and letters with messages like Sodomites not welcome in the church. Located in the heart of San Diegos largest gay neighborhood, St. John the Evangelist is one of about 300 Catholic parishes around the country that quietly welcome gay Catholics. Although the Catholic church teaches that same-sex relationships are sinful, growing pockets of the church have accepted openly gay parishioners, staff members and even priests. But after this summer, when the church faced renewed allegations of clergy sexual abuse, some bishops and conservative Catholic media outlets immediately blamed the crisis on homosexuality. That set off a backlash, fueling a campaign to purge the church of gay clergy members and church workers. But as white men, Mr. Biden, Mr. Sanders and Mr. ORourke do not reflect the gender and racial diversity of many Democratic candidates and swaths of the electorate that dominated the 2018 midterms. Ms. Harris, Ms. Warren, Ms. Gillibrand and Mr. Booker, by contrast, would instantly make the 2020 Democratic field the most diverse array of presidential candidates in history. And they might well scramble the early polling leads held by Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders, who benefit from strong name recognition but would be in their late 70s by Election Day 2020, at a moment when some in the party are agitating for generational change. The four senators hope that jumping into the race early will give them some organizational advantages in a contest that will almost certainly grow to more than a dozen candidates. This kind of early frenetic activity almost two years before the election has happened before in primaries without a clear front-runner. At this time four years ago, many Republicans began preparing campaigns, wooing supporters and tacitly permitting fund-raising by allies in the wide-open race for the 2016 nomination, a contest that would ultimately attract more than a dozen candidates within months. Already, at least two of the senators have nearly settled on close political lieutenants to serve as campaign managers, turning to male aides with whom they have deep and trusting personal relationships. Ms. Gillibrand is eyeing Jess Fassler, her current top aide, who is leaving his role in the Senate early in 2019, as a leading contender to manage her campaign. Ms. Harris is expected to name Juan Rodriguez, who helmed her campaign for the Senate in 2016, as her manager. In a further sign of how developed her plans are, Ms. Harriss aides are close to selecting Baltimore or Atlanta for her headquarters, according to people who have met with her team. She is likely to maintain a sizable office on the West Coast, perhaps in her native Oakland, but her political advisers have concluded that for practical reasons it is essential that she have a base in the Eastern Time zone. Ms. Warren is expected to install Dan Geldon, her former chief of staff who was once her student at Harvard Law School and left her Senate office to plan her likely campaign, in a senior role directing campaign strategy. She has a head start on staffing: During the midterm campaign, Ms. Warren deployed staff to the four early primary states and a number of general election battlegrounds to elect other Democrats. Many of those organizers stayed involved after her re-election, leaving her with a staff of several dozen total. About two-thirds of Republicans returning to the House for the 116th Congress this week have never experienced the exquisite pain of being on the outs in an institution where the party in charge is totally in charge. Majority control runs the gamut from determining the floor agenda to determining access to the prime meeting space. It will be a rude awakening for many who have known only their exalted majority status. They say you will have a lot more time on your hands and will vote no a lot more often, said Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who was elected in the 2010 wave that handed control of the House to Republicans in President Barack Obamas first midterm election. The reign lasted eight years before the November midterms and the Democratic gain of 40 seats, a thorough beating that many Republicans did not anticipate. Mr. Kinzinger said the culture shift might be hardest on those colleagues who, unlike himself, believed the election was going to turn out quite differently. We have come to grips with the shock of the election, he said, but the shock of governing will still be a wake-up call for some people. Billy Wynne, a health care lobbyist who used to work for Senate Democrats, said: The literal meaning of Medicare for all would include Medicare Advantage. But that is not what most supporters of Medicare for all have in mind. The champions of Medicare for all generally see insurance companies as part of the problem, not the solution. There are a lot of insurance companies and medical companies that are advocating for their own best interests, and those best interests are usually money, and not peoples health, Representative-elect Deb Haaland, Democrat of New Mexico and a supporter of Medicare for all, said in an interview. We need a national public health care system, which would be more affordable in the long run, and the outcomes might be better. Wendy Kaplan, 53, of Evanston, Ill., who has found family coverage under the Affordable Care Act rather expensive, said she liked the idea of Medicare for all. In principle, said Ms. Kaplan, a Democrat, I feel that health insurance should be available to everyone. Single payer is a great idea in principle. I dont think health care should be a for-profit endeavor. My biggest reservation is whether our government could be competent at running something like that. Large majorities of Medicare beneficiaries say in surveys that they are satisfied with their coverage. With a Republican president and a Republican-controlled Senate, proposals for a major new health care entitlement have no chance of becoming law in the next two years. But they show how an idea long relegated to the sidelines is edging back into favor with some Democrats and could be embraced by the partys nominee in the next presidential election. She called me into her office and explained to me why I wasnt qualified to be there, Ms. Thomas remembered. I tell that story to young girls, who need to know that people are going to judge you, but they are going to misjudge you. That, in turn, reminded the women of a time when Ms. Abrams was invited to the governors mansion as one of many high school valedictorians, only to be stopped by a guard who didnt believe she was a guest. They relished what Donna Akiba Sullivan Harper, a professor of English at Spelman College, called Mrs. Obamas sassiness in the book an outspokenness that the first lady held in check after early criticism of her as angry or abrasive. Do you think her honesty increased because of the things said by the person who now occupies the White House? Professor Harper asked the room of women, who deliberately avoided mentioning President Trump by name. When one referred to the gentleman in the White House, the otherwise decorous group hooted. Ms. Smith and her friends, some of whom were also reading Becoming in their book clubs, welcomed an unleashed Mrs. Obama as well. But they said they struggled, as she did, with the stigma of caricature. There are these extra steps that we as black women have to go through to make sure were not appearing angry, aggressive, mean, nasty, insubordinate, said Alexis Watt, who works as a communications and social media consultant. We have this stereotype that black women are angry, but we have every right to be angry. Both generations of women who spoke in interviews said they were fighting despair at the contrast between the Trump White House and the barrier-breaking Obama White House. This approach is evident in his shifting statements about the payment that Michael D. Cohen, his former lawyer, made to a pornographic film actress to keep her from speaking about their alleged affair. In April, Mr. Trump falsely denied knowing about the payment. After the F.B.I. raided Mr. Cohens office, Mr. Trump acknowledged on Twitter in May that Mr. Cohen received reimbursement for the payment and asserted that it had nothing to do with his presidential campaign. Mr. Cohen would later tell prosecutors that he acted at Mr. Trumps direction and to influence the election. After the release of an audio recording of the two men discussing a hush-money payment to another woman, Mr. Trump claimed in an August interview on Fox & Friends that he did not know about the payments until later on and that Mr. Cohen made the deals. He then misleadingly compared Mr. Cohens actions a willful violation of campaign finance law to a civil infraction incurred by former President Barack Obamas 2008 campaign. By December, Mr. Trumps defense had shifted further: I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. Misleading Vagueness and Fanciful Details The president is known for being unscripted and loose with language, but he sometimes shows tactical restraint. After Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court and in the days before the midterm elections, Mr. Trump told rallygoers in Missouri that the accuser admitted she never met him, she never saw him, he never touched her, talked to her, he had nothing to do with her, she made up the story, it was false accusations. The omission of a name and the use of the words the accuser may give the misleading impression that Christine Blasey Ford, who testified to Congress that Justice Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, had recanted her account. But in fact, Mr. Trump was referring to another little-known accuser named Judy Munro-Leighton, who recanted her claim of sexual assault. Mr. Trump has since sought to blame Democrats for the shutdown, remaining in the White House in recent days rather than taking a planned extended trip to his private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla. But he has made no effort to reach out to the incoming Democratic House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in several days. The president dug in further on Saturday, claiming: For those that naively ask why didnt the Republicans get approval to build the wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us NONE for Border Security! Now we have to do it the hard way, with a shutdown. Too bad! Democrats have repeatedly indicated that they would support substantial funding increases for security at the southern border with Mexico. Many voted to do so in 2013 as part of a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration overhaul. But they view a wall like the one Mr. Trump advocates as an ineffective and costly response to an immigration system in disrepair. Lawmakers in the party have offered Mr. Trump $1.3 billion for border security. Democratic leaders say they see little incentive to negotiate with the president after he repeatedly reversed himself on border funding, or to allocate more than $1.3 billion since the administration has spent only a small fraction of the money Congress approved last year for barriers along the border. White House officials say that the president, who is concerned about the collapse of his own political support, feels good about his stance on the shutdown and sees no urgency toward making a deal with the incoming Democratic majority. And Mr. Trump has indicated to people that he believes the shutdown will slow down the Democrats in other pursuits, such as oversight investigations into his administration. The childrens deaths have prompted a wave of criticism of Customs and Border Protection practices. Officials with the agency have described such occurrences as rare, and have said that the systems in place are not set up to handle the influx of families with young children trying to enter the United States. They were built 30 to 40 years ago for single adult males, and we need a different approach, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Kevin K. McAleenan, told CBS News last week. We need help from Congress. We need to budget for medical care and mental health care for children in our facilities. A Yemeni mother who fought to obtain a visa waiver to travel to California to see her terminally ill 2-year-old son was finally reunited with her only child just over a week ago. On Friday night her son, Abdullah, died at the U.C.S.F. Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland, where he was being treated for hypomyelination, a genetic degenerative brain condition, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group known as CAIR, said on Saturday. We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives, Abdullahs father, Ali Hassan, said in a statement. We want to thank everyone for your love and support at this difficult time. The familys plight received widespread attention in the news media and drew support from three members of Congress who wrote a letter to the State Department asking for an expedited decision on the visa waiver. DHAKA, Bangladesh Bangladeshi voters will decide in parliamentary elections on Sunday whether to punish the governing party for worsening human rights conditions or reward it for overseeing a booming economy. During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas two terms, the economy and social development have improved, according to most measures. But as she has tightened her grip on power, fundamental rights have been eroded. Now the 71-year-old leader is seeking her third consecutive term on Sunday. In defending her record, Mrs. Hasina questioned the very definition of human rights. If I can provide food, jobs and health care, that is human rights, she said this month in an interview with The New York Times. She vowed, if re-elected, to deliver 10 percent annual growth, up from the current 7.8 percent, and eliminate extreme poverty while continuing to strengthen welfare programs. BEIJING A Chinese court on Saturday ordered the retrial of a Canadian man on a drug-smuggling charge after siding with prosecutors who argued that his original 15-year prison sentence for his conviction had been too light. The decision threatened to create another source of contention between two countries whose relations have deteriorated rapidly this month after a string of arrests. The Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, was arrested in 2014 and tried and sentenced in obscurity. But he is likely to became a focus of attention in Canada after the court in Dalian, a port city in northeast China, responded to his appeal against a sentence he received last month by siding with prosecutors and opening the possibility of an even harsher sentence. If the prosecutors prevail in the retrial, Mr. Schellenberg could be sentenced to a longer term, or even the death penalty, at a time when China and Canada are locked in an escalating dispute that began with the arrest in Vancouver of a prominent Chinese technology executive. SKOPJE, Macedonia As he awaited a ruling on his appeal against a corruption conviction, Nikola Gruevski, the former Macedonian prime minister, gave the impression that he was resigned to going to prison. It was early November, and Mr. Gruevski contacted the prisons authority about conditions inside jail. He asked his bodyguards, allocated to him by the state, to buy him clothes to wear while incarcerated. He strolled around central Skopje as if savoring his last days as a free man. But on the day he was finally told to report to jail, Mr. Gruevski vanished. He re-emerged four days later but in Hungary, where he was soon granted political asylum by the far-right government of his political ally, Prime Minister Viktor Orban. It was like out of a movie, said Vessela Tcherneva, deputy director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a research group. Then, as now, the Kremlins denizens measured themselves in comparison to the United States. Stalin thought people would find Communism deficient if Moscow lacked skyscrapers. Yet simply aping American style would not do, either. They go to America and they say Ah, the buildings are so huge, the Soviet dictator said, according to a 2011 history of the buildings. Let them come to Moscow and see that type of building. Let them say, Ah! The government decree issued in 1947 to start construction ordered that the buildings look uniquely Russian. So the decor is Russian baroque, even if various American landmarks heavily influenced the architects, including the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower in Chicago, as well as the Woolworth and Municipal buildings in Lower Manhattan. Some people find the resulting confection magnificent, others eerie and intimidating. The heavy stone cladding and crenelations of their fortresslike exteriors would fit right into Gotham City. On a dark snowy night, with exterior lights casting deep shadows across their imposing facades, one almost expects the Batmobile to come roaring out of any one of them. In a city previously dominated by church bell towers, the buildings spectacular scale reshaped the skyline. They became symbols of Moscow and defined the modern face of the Soviet Union. Clones were constructed in various outposts of the empire, including Warsaw, Riga and Bucharest. After Stalin died in 1953, the new leader, Nikita Khrushchev, found the entire project ostentatious, so construction of the 8th building, just off Red Square, was canceled. The rest, costing what was at the time a staggering $500 million overall, were completed by 1957. LONDON Royal Mail of Britain is used to apologizing to customers, mostly for missing parcels and letters sent to the wrong address. But an error in a design for a stamp to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day it showed American troops on the wrong beach, in Asia instead of Europe has spurred an apology to veterans and their families. Royal Mail announced the special series of stamps showcasing the Best of British on Thursday. One design trumpeted on Twitter showed troops knee-deep in water as they disembarked from a landing craft. The caption said, D-Day: Allied soldiers and medics wade ashore. But the beach shown was in Dutch New Guinea, today a part of Indonesia, not in Normandy, France. And the stamp used an image of the wrong craft. CAIRO Egyptian security forces killed at least 40 people suspected of being militants in North Sinai and Giza, officials said on Saturday, a day after an explosion hit a tour bus, leaving four people dead and 10 others wounded. The Ministry of Interior did not explicitly link the killing of the suspected militants to the attack on the tour bus on Friday, in which an improvised device hidden in a wall less than 2.5 miles from the pyramids at Giza exploded and killed three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian guide. The ministry said in a statement that security forces had learned that a number of terrorists had planned a series of attacks that targets state institutions, tourism, armed forces, police, and Christian places of worship. The security forces simultaneously raided two sites on the outskirts of Giza on Saturday, killing 30 militants there, as well as another refuge in Arish in North Sinai, killing 10 more in shootouts. Chandrababu Naidu cries at press meet; vows to step into Assembly again only after returning to power Cyclone 'Jawad': North coastal Andhra braces up; 11 teams of NDRF and three SDRF on standby 1 dead, 10 injured as two cranes collapse at Kakinada Deep Seaport India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Kakinada, Dec 29: One dead and ten others injured after two cranes collapsed at Kakinada Deep Seaport on Saturday. Many workers trapped under the cranes. Fire and Safety wing personnel of Kakinada Sea Port Limited rushed to the spot and took rescue efforts. Port police also rushed to the spot on being alerted of the accident. The accident took place at berth number six where workers were involved in the repair works. 12 firefighters injured while dousing fire in Mumbai's Sadhana House According to reports, one worker identified as Vattipalli Lakshman Kumar (35) of Kovvur in West Godavari district died on the spot. Times of India reported that more than 40 workers were attending the repair works at one of the cranes when the accident occurred. Modi attacks Congress over farm loan waiver in Karnataka, says it betrayed farmers India oi-Deepika S Lucknow, Dec 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued Saturday with his attack on the Congress over its "unfulfilled" loan waiver promises. Addressing a public meeting here, Modi said only a small number of loans were waived in Karnataka after the recent assembly elections in the state, where a JD(S)-Congress government is now in power. He laid the foundation stone of a medical college here and released a commemorative postal stamp on Maharaja Suheldev. "Several important steps have being taken to transform Purvanchal into a big medical hub and to strengthen the small industries of UP," he said. Later in the day, Modi will dedicate to the nation the 6th International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre campus in Varanasi. It will serve as a hub for rice research and training in South Asia and SAARC region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Ghazipur holds significance as among other things he is also likely to release a commemorative postal stamp on the Rajbhar community icon Raja Suheldev. The PM is also slated to visit the places where the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas would be held from January 21, to review the arrangements. The PM would be visiting Ghazipur after a gap of two years. He last went there on November 14, 2016, when he announced several projects, most of them of Railways. Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha also represents Ghazipur in the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, state Cabinet minister and the SBSP president OP Rajbhar has announced that he wouldn't be attending PM's rally in Ghazipur. Rajbhar, who represents the Zahoorabad assembly constituency in Ghazipur district, is the Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment minister in the state government. His SBSP is an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Minister was upset over not getting the invitation on time so he chose to boycott the PM's rally though BJP leaders were reportedly trying to pacify him. Bangladesh: India did right by not entertaining BNP; it would want Hasina to continue India oi-Shubham Ghosh New Delhi, Dec 29: Bangladesh will be witnessing its 11th general election on Sunday, December 30, and the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia is finding it too tough in the current situation. Zia has been in jail since February while her son and political heir Tarique is in London and it has left everything to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the party's 70-year-old general secretary. Alamgir recently spoke exclusively with The Indian Express said there is no campaign but a state-backed terror in this election season. He tried to stitch an Opposition alliance against the ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and even tried to contact with Indian leaders outside Bangladesh. He said they sought appointment from the Indian High Commissioner and met three times but felt that the Indian diplomats were not too much interested to engage with the BNP leaders. According to him, India is not kin for it thinks such a quest could upset the incumbent Hasina government with which the Narendra Modi government shares a cordial relation. Bangladesh polls; Security at all time high ahead of Dec 30 "We seek friendship with India. And contrary to the perception in India, we don't believe in communalism, fundamentalism. That's a totally a false perception that we are anti-India, this is part of Awami League's concerted propaganda," Alagmir was quoted as saying in the interview. The BNP indeed has an anti-India image, thanks to its actions in the 2001-06 period when Zia was the prime minister, while its alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political outfit which the Hasina government has banned from contesting the December 30 election, is something that doesn't convince many about the BNP's pro-India claims. Alamgir tried to shed the Jamaat baggage saying the BNP is not Jamaat and doesn't believe in Islamic laws but there is little to believe that the Indian side will be convinced about these claims. Alamgir said Zia had a good meeting with PM Modi in June 2015 but yet nothing progressed on expected lines. "There was no follow up," he said, adding: "We were disappointed. We tried to fix up a meeting with BJP's general secretary Ram Madhav in Bangkok in August this year, but the Indian side chickened out." Holding national polls on Victory Day month is a farce, says Bangladesh Oppn leader India will like to have the status quo If the BNP is disappointed with India's gestures despite it trying to reach out to the former, New Delhi can not be held guilty for that. Bangladesh's politics now has Hasina as its dominant figure and New Delhi will not like to mess up things by opening parallel contact line with the BNP, which is not perceived to be India-friendly. India needs Hasina to be in power to ensure that its eastern borders are secured in times of terror threats and also that China doesn't get another opportunity to make inroads. It just had two developments in the Maldives and Sri Lanka that gave it respite. Why make things worse in Bangladesh by entertaining the BNP which is facing its worst crisis in history? For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 15:46 [IST] World Population Day: UP announces new population policy for 2021-2030, all you need to know BJP LS MP Sanjeev Balyan to bring private member bill on population growth India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 29: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and some of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislators have been talking about uncontrolled growth of the population of the country. They have also been saying that it must be curved. A think tank associated with the RSS called Tax Payers Associations of Bharat (TAXAB) has started a campaign to curve uncontrolled growth of population by saying that this kind of growth in population is putting an extra burden on the resources of the country. Sanjeev Balyan said that he has handed over a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on this issue and advocated that people having fewer children to be given more facilities. Another senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Lok Sabha member Prahlad Patel said there is a need to discuss how to check population growth in the country. It is a win win situation for the ruling dispensation in Rajya Sabha on triple talaq issue! One of the Bharatiya Janata Pary Lok Sabha member and former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan plans to bring a private member bill on the issue. Many MPs present on the occasion demanded that a law should be made in this regard. Tax Payers Associations of Bharat (TAXAB) organised a seminar on the issue in which such issues cropped up. Even the one billionth girl of the country terms such growth of population wrong who turned 18. Chairman of Tax Payers Associations of Bharat Manu Gaur told Oneindia that TAXAB has been trying from the past five years that indiscriminate growth of population must be curtailed. Another member of Parliament Rajesh Ranjan said that this is hampering the development of the country. It has emerged during the discussion that the country has limited resources in terms of water, food, houses and many other things including air. If population continues growing like this, it will have its impact on everything. Member of Parliament Raghav Lakhanpal said that he had talked about population policy in Parliament on several occasion and clearly advocated people having more than two children must not get any government facilities. The population of the country at the time of partition was 33 crore which has gone up to 135 crores how can population growth with this speed be tolerated. India cannot compare population policy of China. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 19:52 [IST] Call Your MP Campaign: 127 MPs say 'YES' to Women's Reservation Bill India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Dec 29: Shakti - Call Your MP Campaign- mobilising support for the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, has got a positive response from 127 MPs. Around 20 partner Women groups in the North-South, East & Western region of the country, reached out to respective MPs on Dec 27 between 7 PM to 9.30 PM. Within 2.5 hours, 127 MPs from 21 states and 23 political parties have said YES and over 130 MPs reached. And the rest the phone was off/unreachable/number not found. On Dec 15th - the first volunteer meeting was held after unveiling Shakti - 'Political Power to Shakti'. Over 500 callers including farmers, women in corporations, rape survivors, students, women in IT, rehabilitated manual scavengers, women in media, bankers, trainers, researchers, civil society activists, domestic workers, advertising professionals, entrepreneurs etc. participated in the campaign. Tara Krishnaswamy, the co-founder of Shakti on the success of the campaign said, "This is a landmark India wide effort for women's political rights with a simultaneous outreach to 127 elected representatives within just 2.5 hours. It is a thumping success to hear MPs who represent the voices of a whopping 192 million people of India say YES to the Women's Reservation Bill (16 lakhs voters per constituency.) This includes MPs from 23 major political parties other than the BJP supporting the Bill. Many non-BJP MPs including from state parties mentioned that they have been raising the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, including on Dec 27th but that they were not permitted by the House to discuss it." She asked, "What is stopping the ruling party from passing the Bill when the most complicated Aadhaar, GST & controversial Instant Triple Talaq have been passed? We hope that the 127 MPs will discuss with each other and aggregate the demand in the House, with time running out Shakti will continue to ramp up this campaign until women get their political due." Bhim Raskar of RSCD (Resource and Support Centre for Development) Maharashtra, said, "This was an amazing campaign and scores of our Panchayat members and teams participated. The real challenge is to maintain and create more pressure till the bill is passed." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 16:25 [IST] CBI slammed by Bombay HC in custodial death case India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Dec 29: The Bombay High Court came down heavily on the Maharashtra government and the CBI over their "failure" to implement a list of orders passed by several benches of the court in the 2014 case of sexual assault and alleged custodial death of Agnelo Valdaris. In an order passed earlier this month, a bench of Justices B P Dharmadhikari and Sarang Kotwal noted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the state and police authorities were yet to implement the court's directions while conducting a further probe into the case, and were also yet to implement a slew of security measures at police stations, including installation of CCTV cameras. The bench, accordingly, directed the government, the CBI and the city police to file their respective affidavits explaining "why action should not be taken against them" for their failure to implement the previous orders of the high court in the case. Suo motu HC proceedings against prosecutor who slapped judge Valdaris, who was 25-years-old at the time of his death, had been arrested on April 15, 2014 by the Government Railway Police in Wadala over charges of theft. A subsequent probe by the CBI revealed that three others, including a minor, had been arrested along with Valdaris, and over the next three days in custody, all four were allegedly stripped, tortured, beaten up and forced to perform sexual acts with each other. While Valdaris died on April 18 that year, the remaining three were granted bail subsequently. The Wadala police claimed that Valdaris had fled from custody and was killed by a passing train. Following a litigation initiated in the Bombay High Court by Valdaris' father Leonard, the CBI took over the probe and in 2016, it booked seven policemen and one woman official from the Wadala railway police station on charges of criminal conspiracy and causing grievous hurt. In March 2017, the CBI added the charge of sexual assault under section 377 against the eight police personnel booked in the case. The hearings had prompted the high court to direct further probe into the case to check if the charge of murder could be invoked against the accused. The HC had also directed the state and the police to implement a slew of measures, including installation of CCTV cameras inside police stations, keeping in mind the safety of those in police custody. On a previous hearing, another bench of the court had noted that it could not accept the CBI's statement that Valdaris' death was accidental in nature, and directed the agency to conduct further probe. In December last year, the CBI submitted that the statements of witnesses had led it to believe that the charge of murder under section 302 of the IPC could not be invoked against the accused. The submission, however, was disputed by Leonard's lawyer Yug Chaudhary. The court had at the time directed the CBI to grant access to the said statements to Chaudhary to help him make his arguments. Bombay HC dismisses petition seeking Manohar Parrikar's medical examination However, in the last hearing earlier this month, Chaudhary informed the bench that he was yet to receive the copies of the said statements. The state also informed the court that it was yet to install CCTV cameras within the premises of all police stations across the city. At this, the bench sought an explanation from the authorities for their inaction and warned that if they failed to file their affidavits by the first week of January 2019, their senior representative will have to remain present in court. "We direct the respondents through their Heads of Department to file a responsible affidavit explaining why suitable action for not implementing court order should not be initiated against them," it added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 10:30 [IST] Finance is life and blood of economy, tech its carrier: PM at InFinity Forum PM to inaugurate projects worth Rs. 18,000 cr today: Soon, you can reach Delhi from Dehradun in just 2.5 hrs Constable killed in stone-pelting hours after PM Modi's rally in Ghazipur India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Lucknow, Dec 29: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the unfortunate death of Constable Suresh Vats in Ghazipur in a stone-pelting incident. He has announced Rs 40 lakh compensation for the wife of the deceased. The constable died after he was hit by a stone thrown by a protesting mob on Saturday hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally. Also, two locals from the area were injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area. Modi attacks Congress over farm loan waiver in Karnataka, says it betrayed farmers Mahipal Pathak, CO, Sadar, said, "He(Constable Suresh Vats) was returning after completing his duty at the PM event today. Some people from Nishad community were protesting near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area where stone pelting incident took place during which he was hit." Earlier visuals from Ghazipur: 1 constable dead & 2 locals from the area injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area today. pic.twitter.com/FAGzcFSyUe ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018 This is the second incident this month where a policeman in Uttar Pradesh has been killed by a mob. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead by a mob in western Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr on December 3 after violence broke out over cow slaughter allegations. India requests Pakistan government to allow Srinagar-Sharjah flight to use its airspace J&K: Four Jaish militants killed in Pulwama encounter, clashes erupt India oi-Deepika S Srinagar, Dec 29: At least four terrorists were killed in an encounter that took place between security forces and terrorists on Saturday in Rajpora town of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. As many as 16 persons were injured in clashes that erupted thereafter. One of the militants was identified as JeM commander Muzamil Bhai alias Abu Jandal, a resident of Rahmoo in Pulwama. The identity of the other militants is being ascertained. This takes the total number of the militants killed in 2018 to more than 250 the highest in over 10 years. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation after receiving specific information from intelligence agencies about the presence of terrorists in Hanjan area in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, a police official said. J&K 2018: 240 terrorists killed, 130 recruited, sniper squad busted 86 security personnel martyred He said as that the security forces were conducting searches when the terrorists who were hiding fired on them. Security forces retaliated, leading to the encounter, the official added. The encounter was still ongoing and further details are awaited, the official said. This is the second encounter in the last 24 hours in the area. A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Awantipora area in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Friday. Government may give some package to farmers but at the cost of development projects? India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 29: To make the condition of farmers better in the country the Congress has decided for loan waiver where it has formed the government and to counter their move politically, the government at the Centre too is mooting very seriously some financial assistance to them but any such move may cause burden on the coffer. When the government is not finding goods and services tax (GST) collection satisfactory and below expectation, in such a situation arranging money to give a big package to farmers is quite challenging for the government. Rating agencies feel that any such measure will not only destroy financial structure of the country but also halt the development activities. The big farm push ahead of the mega 2019 LS polls A report on fiscal deficit released by the finance ministry does not tell very encouraging story in this regard. The government has fixed fiscal deficit at 3.3 per cent (Rs 6.24 lakh crore) for the 2018-19 financial year but the situation from April to November has been at Rs 7.16 lakh crore which is 118 per cent of the target. In such a situation, the government will be able to bear the burden of loan waiver to farmers only if there is an unprecedented increase in revenue and austerity measures is taken in every ministry. Actually the government expenditure is pre-decided on pension, salary, interest payment and other expenditures for running the government. So for waiving loan of farmers, development projects will have to take a back seat. The government has fixed revenue collection for this fiscal at Rs 14.8 lakh crore but in the past seven months it has been at just Rs 7.31 lakh crore. The government was expecting an average Rs 1.12 lakh crore GST collection per month while data for 2018 suggest average collection has been at Rs 97 thousand crore. On an average Rs 15 thousand less tax collection means Rs 1.80 lakh less for the year if things don't improve. Government plans bonus on MSP for every farmer to end subsidy and loan waiver Sources said that whatever announcement is made by the government, the big part of the money will have to arranged in this financial only. How big the burden will be, it depends of the package and its structure. Looking at the situation of coffer, it is very difficult to waive agriculture in one go. This will give the burden of Rs 3.25 lakh crore to the government coffer. The other option is adopting the Telengana model of package by providing a certain amount of money per acre for which the government will have to manage Rs 2.50 lakh crore in four years. This can be managed on yearly basis and the government may get some relief after Bimal Jalan report comes that may allow government getting more share from the RBI reserve. This may give government some relief. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 10:43 [IST] Right to be forgotten: HC asks Centre, Google to reply to plea for removing verdict from search engine Delhi HC asks Centre, Google to respond to mans plea to remove articles on his conviction in criminal case Who is Saurabh Kirpal? Indias likely to get its first openly gay judge of Delhi high court Delhi HC dismisses plea to stop publication, sale of Salman Khurshid's book : 'Ask people not to buy it' HC seeks reply on plea of visually impaired man who lost out on Railway job India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 29: The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's response on a visually impaired man's plea that he be appointed on a group D railway post he has qualified for but could not join as sufficient opportunity was not given to him to get his documents verified. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait also asked the Indian Railways to be ready with its stand by the next date of hearing, January 10, or its Chief Personnel Officer will have present himself in the court that day. The direction came on a plea by Ranjit Kumar Gupta -- an Other Backward Class (OBC) candidate who suffers from 100 per cent visual impairment -- who claimed that he was not informed in time that the verification date of his documents would be August 12, 2016. National Herald Case: Delhi HC dismisses AJL's plea challenging eviction order He has said his call letter was also uploaded on the Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC) on that day only. As a result, he was unable to reach Kolkata where the verification was to be carried out on August 12, 2016, he has said in the petition, filed through advocate Arpit Bhargava. Gupta's claims were denied by the RRC. The candidate has sought that he be again issued a call letter and be appointed to the group D post for which he had qualified. He has also sought a vigilance enquiry in the case. In his plea, the candidate has claimed that according to the Railway Board guidelines on exams, a second date was to be given for document verification if a candidate could not appear in the first one. When he sought a second date, the RRC declined his request, the petition has said, adding that subsequently he had filed a complaint before the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. The commissioner, however, after some hearing, disposed of his complaint without giving any reasons, the petitioner has alleged. 1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Delhi HC dismisses Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking more time to surrender Thereafter, he had moved the high court which in March this year had asked him to make a representation before the RRC which was directed to deal with it by passing a reasoned order. The petitioner has claimed that RRC did not pass a reasoned order and merely rejected his representation after which he met the railway minister also, but got no relief and, therefore, he moved the high court again. In his petition, Gupta has alleged that while other candidates who missed their respective first date for document verification were granted a second opportunity, he was not given the same benefit in violation of the Railway Board guidelines. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 11:30 [IST] Amit Shah on two-day trip to Meghalaya; All set to meet all northeast CMs Meghalaya Mining Disaster: 3 helmets recovered as rescue operations resume India oi-Deepika S Vizag, Dec 29: Three helmets were recovered from the Ksan mine near Lytein river where 15 miners have been trapped for the past 17 days. Rescue operations by Indian Navy divers commenced on Saturday. The miners have been trapped in the flooded rat-hole coal mine since December 13. The Navy spokesman had said in a tweet that a 15-member diving team from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh was on their way to the accident site in the remote Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district on Saturday morning. "The team is carrying specialised diving equipment including a re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater," he said. The Navy carried out an initial assessment on Friday to determine an effective response. Pump manufacturing company Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and Coal India were jointly moving 18 high-powered pumps to drain water out of the 37-foot-deep mine. A team of surveyers from the two companies also conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. They will submit a report to East Jaintia Hills district authorities on the technicalities about positioning pumps for effectively carrying the operation, officials at the site said. The team would carry special diving equipment including a remote-operated vehicle capable of conducting underwater search. The Air Force has airlifted 10 pumps from Bhubaneswar. Its personnel have landed in Guwahati, 270 kilometres away from the coal mine, official sources said. Meanwhile, an Odisha fire service team equipped with more high-powered pumps reached Guwahati on Friday morning around 11:30am. But according to reports they have not been able to reach the site as they were not provided with transport by the state government. They had to travel the remaining 225km to reach the site on their own and latest reports suggest they are still around 25 to 30km away from the spot. The mine got flooded when water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into it on December 13, trapping the 15 diggers. According to PTI reporter the mine is located on top of a hillock fully covered with trees. To reach the mine, a person has to pass the 30-foot wide Lytein river three times. No habitation was found nearby and 80-90 illegal coal mines dot the area. Locals said that the illegal private mine was closed for a long time but opened for mining 2-3 days before the the miners were trapped on December 13. The mine is owned by Krip Schullet, a local who has been arrested since the incident came to the adminstration's knowledge, state officials said. General Manager of North Eastern Coalfields J. Bora arrived with two officials of the company on Friday and they were followed by a 10-member team of experts of the Coal India (CIL) to the site to assess the situation, they said. Bora said CIL is arranging eight high-powered pumps for the rescue operation. "We are waiting for the initial 10 high-powered pumps. They will be brought here this evening," the superintendent of police said. The high-powered pumps will be transported by road from Guwahati till about two kilometres from the accident site. From there, vehicles have been requisitioned to carry them to the mine, a senior district official said. Pumping of water from the mine was suspended on Saturday as there was no visible receding of the water level. The district authorities had written to the state government seeking high-powered pumps as the two 25 hp pumps, which were being used, were found to be inadequate, an official of the NDRF, which is involved in the rescue operation, said. The incident has become a political issue after Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted about it and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help save the miners. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital on Thursday. OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) How an illegal telephone exchange in Hyderabad helped ISI snoop on the Indian Army India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 29: The busting of an illegal telephone exchange in Hyderabad has brought out further details on how the ISI is looking to tap into sensitive information relating to the Indian Army. The Telangana police made the arrest following inputs from the Military Intelligence, Jammu and Kashmir. Following the raids at Nallakunta, the police seized laptops, computers, and 53 illegally procured SIM cards. ISIS in India is just the ISI minus the 'S' The intention behind setting up the exchange was to enable the Pakistanis to make calls to Indian Army officials. The exchange was set up in a bid to mask the numbers as the Indian officials would not take calls from Pakistan numbers. This illegal exchange enabled callers from Pakistan to call Indian numbers by hiding their identity and also displaying an Indian number to the receivers. Officials tell OneIndia that they found that the accused persons had used SIM boxes, a modem-like device and also the illegally procured SIM cards. The calls were made using Voice of Internet Protocol and then same would land at this telephone exchange. Once the VoIP landed at the exchange, it would get converted into a regular telecom call. Ban on KLF is a step forward on cracking down on ISI-SJF sponsored Khalistan movement The MI kept a tab on the exchange after it grew suspicious of the VoIP exchange being run in Hyderabad. It was found that this exchange was being used to make calls from Pakistan to security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to extract sensitive information. The caller from Pakistan would pose as a senior Army officer and then try and extract information, the MI learnt. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 9:37 [IST] Indian man overwhelmed by Pak cab drivers gesture; social media showers blessings India oi-Shubham Ghosh New Delhi, Dec 29: It's not that many Indians prefer to make Pakistan a travelling destination for the general picture about that country in our mindset is a negative one. But here is a man called Prabhdeep Singh who decided to visit Pakistan and returned with such a heart-touching experience that he will treasure it for the rest of his life. Singh recently went to Lahore to attend a friend's wedding and there he was received with overwhelming love and hospitality. However, if that was still a gesture of love from known people, Singh had a bigger surprise in store for him. On his return, the Indian took an Uber and to his pleasant surprise, he saw the driver named Ahmed not only greeting him warmly but also refusing to take any money from it while giving him a ride till the Wagah Border just because he is an India and a guest in Pakistan! The story has touched several hearts on both sides of the border after Singh revealed about his experience on social media. I have taken Uber in 5 continents but my best Uber experience was earlier this week in Pakistan. Ahmed dropped me to Wagah border from Lahore. Refused to take money because I am an Indian and a guest. Waited till I crossed the border. Spoke about love and brotherhood. @Uber_PKR pic.twitter.com/E0XfDvQyCW Prabhdeep Singh (@singhofstanplus) December 27, 2018 Singh, an entrepreneur of private ambulance services company in Hyderabad, said he has taken Uber in five continents but his best experience of all came in Pakistan. His tweet was accompanied with a photo of himself and the Pakistani driver standing in front of the cab and a Pakistani flag. He also tagged Uber Pakistan in his tweet. Talking to indianexpress.com, Singh said he did not expect such an overwhelming. "To be honest, I just shared it to let Uber Pakistan know about Ahmed's hospitability. It was meant to appreciate him for his warmth and kindness and making the trip more special than it was already. I'm glad to see such positive feedback from people on both sides," he said in a telephonic talk. Uber Pakistan also chipped in by deciding to hold a felicitation ceremony in Ahmed's honour for promoting harmony between the two neighbouring countries that have shared a sour relation since their birth in 1947. GM of Pakistan Uber Safee Khan called it an "amazing story". Uber India also thanked both Ahmed and Singh for serving as a bridge. Here are some of the reactions that poured on to Singh's fabulous experience from both sides of the border: Sometimes a border is just a bridge to bring us closer. Thank you Ahmed and @singhofstanplus, for the reminder https://t.co/ptZOKSgpaw Uber India (@Uber_India) December 27, 2018 What an amazing story of how #Uber brought an Indian and a Pakistani together. Six stars for our legendary #driver partner Ahmed and special thanks to @singhofstanplus for visiting #Pakistan and sharing his experience. @Uber_PKR @Uber_India @Uber https://t.co/SLt7J9WoNV Safee Shah (@SafeeShah) December 27, 2018 An amazing story of building bridges - and taking people on their road to opportunity while spreading love all the way! https://t.co/gu9bOPu1Pb Aemad M (@Aemad_Mehdi) December 28, 2018 This reminds me of a Pakistani driver in Washington in the year 2009 who used to take me to the best Afghani restaurants to treat me without ever letting me pay. All is not lost between India & Pak. New generation on both sides of border wants friendship and love. https://t.co/Bb0kvXVOeq Rakesh Kr Sinha (@rakeshsinha65) December 28, 2018 For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 12:43 [IST] ISIS in India is just the ISI minus the S India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 29: The National Investigation Agency had earlier this week busted a module which was inspired by the Islamic State. Ten persons were arrested for plotting attacks. While the module was ISIS inspired, it has been learnt that the the entire operation was being handled from Pakistan. Chat transcripts between the module members in India and Pakistan clearly suggest that instructions were coming from across the border. An NIA official told OneIndia that they are probing the ISI link. Prima facie it is clear that the entire operation being controlled from Pakistan, the officer also said. The handler has been identified as Abu Malik and according to the NIA, he was in touch with the module boss, Suhail. Intelligence agencies in India have always maintained that the operations of the so called ISIS inspired modules in India are not being handled from Iraq or Syria. In the busting of every module, we have come across clear instances of the events being staged by Pakistan. The ISIS problem in India have been two-fold. One is the setting up of modules, while the other is regarding recruitments for the mainland. Be it modules in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, they have all been staged by Pakistan. In each case, the Pakistan link has cropped up and the handler has always been traced to that country. However there have also been stray incidents in which some Muslim youth have left India for Syria or Iraq. These are cases of self-motivation or self-radicalisation. Their intention has always been to join the war that the ISIS is waging in a foreign land. The Kerala episode was similar as well. Around 19 persons went missing to join the ISIS in Afghanistan. They had gone to Afghanistan to be part of the ISIS war in Afghanistan. However intelligence agencies do not rule out the possibility of them being contacted by the ISI, who will look to ensure that their return to India and carry out strikes. The birth of the ISIS: The birth of the ISIS has an interesting history in India. Following the death of the Indian Mujahideen, Pakistan needed a deniability factor and also a home grown outfit. It roped in the two brothers from Bhatkal, Sultan and Shafi Armar. There have been several reports about the two brothers having died in Syria, but the agencies maintain that they would not confirm this until and unless their bodies are found. At the behest of the ISI, how the Bhatkal brothers set up ISIS modules in India The Armar brothers kept in constant touch with the founders of the Indian Mujahideen, Riyaz and Iqbal Shahbandri Bhatkal, who are currently living in Karachi. The agencies have several transcripts to confirm the association between the Armar and Bhatkal brothers. These are clear indications that it was the ISI which was the guiding force behind the setting up of the ISIS modules in India. The Armar brothers began recruiting in India through a handle called Yusuf Al-Hindi. The modus operandi and the kind of attacks they were seeking were text book ISI-Indian Mujahideen. When coming out of the IM, the Armars said that they did not wish to be stooges of the ISI. This was completely stage managed, the Intelligence Bureau says. They even said that for an Islamic Caliphate to be set up in India, they could rely only on the ISIS. Many within the intelligence circles feel that this was a completely stage managed drama by the ISI. It wanted to use members of the Indian Mujahideen to set up the ISIS in India. Since the ISIS is an Iraq-Syria based outfit, any attack in India would not be blamed on the ISI. This was done intentionally so that Pakistan could play on the deniability factor, officials also point out. A similar modus operandi has also been found in the recently busted module. The ISI has been trying to make further inroads in Delhi, UP and Haryana. It has also been funding Mosques through the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's charitable wing, Falah-e-Insaniyat. Now, ahead of the 2019 elections, it seeks to set up a couple of modules to carry out attacks in India, officials also say. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 9:26 [IST] Killing of another RSS worker shows how deep rooted Islamic radicalisation is in Kerala DHSE Kerala Plus One Result 2021 soon: Steps to check marks Drug addict is principal offender in case which killed two Kerala models Kerala couple separated during freedom movement, meets after 72 years India oi-PTI Kannur, Dec 23: In a touching reunion, 93-year-old EK Narayanan Nambiar, who was imprisoned for participating in the 1946 violent peasant struggle in Kavumbayi village of Kerala, met his first wife after 72 years, leaving them both speechless and teary-eyed. As the two sat quietly and wiped away tears, Sarada, now 89, said she did not harbour any anger against anyone. "I am not angry with anyone," she told Narayanan. "Then why are you quiet? Why are you not saying anything?" said Narayanan as Sarada sat quietly with bowed head. Sarada was 13 and Narayanan 17 when the two entered into wedlock. Just ten months into their marriage, Narayanan and his father Thaliyan Raman Nambiar, who led the Kavumbayi agitation, went underground. They were caught two months later and imprisoned for taking part in the land struggle. The young bride was sent to her parental home as Malabar Special Police knocked at her doors at odd hours in search of Raman and Narayanan. "Their house was ransacked and set on fire...," Narayanan's nephew, Madhu Kumar said. Narayanan was sent to prison for eight years. He served his term in three jails at Kannur, Viyyur and Salem. His father was shot dead in Salem jail on February 11, 1950 and Narayanan, a living legend of the struggle, had 22 shells pierced in his body, of which three could not be removed, Kumar said. A few years later, Sarada's family decided to marry her off to another person. After his release in 1957, Narayanan also got married again. Years later, Sarada's son, Bhargavan, an organic farmer, bumped into relatives of Narayanan. As they discussed their family history, it dawned on them that their families were connected. It was then decided that the long-lost couple should meet. A meeting was arranged and Narayanan, now a widower, came to see Sarada at Bhargavan's home at Parasinikadavu along with some of his relatives. At first, Bhargavan said, his mother refused to step out and talk to Narayanan, but after much coaxing, she agreed. Both were quite for some time and wiped away tears. They were emotional, Bhargavan said. Bhargavan' family also arranged a 'sadya' (elaborate lunch) for Narayanan and the two families promised to meet soon. Sarada, who was widowed 30 years ago, had six children of whom only four are alive. Narayanan's grand daughter, Shanta Kavumbayi, has penned a novel on the Kavumbayi peasant struggle titled "December 30". In December 1946, the people of Kavumbayi village in this district raised their demand for 'punam' cultivation. It is a type of shifting cultivation. A strong police contingent was sent to the spot. The peasants resisted the armed forces which led to the killing of five farmers in the firing. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 13:43 [IST] Lalu returns to Patna and minutes later son storms out of mothers home Bihar By-polls: Lalu Yadav to campaign for RJD candidates on Wednesday to ensure 'visarjan' of Nitish Kumar He can get me shot, cant do anything else: Nitish on Lalus visarjan claim Lalu Prasad Yadav appears before CBI court in Patna in fodder scam case, to attend RJD event on Wednesday Lalu doing to Tej Pratap what he did to us, say estranged brothers-in-law India pti-PTI Patna, Dec 29: RJD national president Lalu Prasad's estranged brothers-in-law Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav on Saturday sought to fish in troubled waters by accusing the former Bihar chief minister of having ignored his elder son Tej Pratap when naming Tejashwi as his political successor. Brothers of Prasad's wife Rabri Devi, who succeeded him as chief minister, they used to wield tremendous clout in the state's politics and administration when the RJD was in power. They were also elected to Parliament when Prasad moved to Delhi and became a Union minister in 2004. Over the years, however, the two fell out of favour with the RJD supremo. Constable killed in stone-pelting hours after PM Modi's rally in Ghazipur Talking to a regional news channel separately, Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav squarely blamed Lalu Prasad for the perceived struggle for supremacy between Tej Pratap who of late has shown greater interest in the RJD's affairs and Tejashwi Yadav who was declared the party's chief ministerial candidate last year. "It was his (Lalu's) excessive fondness for Tejashwi that led him to turn his back on us. Now he is doing the same to his elder son. Being the elder child, Tej Pratap too must get something," Sadhu Yadav said. Similar views were echoed by Subhash Yadav, who suggested that in the event of the RJD winning power in Bihar, one of the brothers should head the government while the other should lead the party. Sadhu Yadav recently made an appearance at a dharna staged by Tej Pratap at a police station, triggering speculation that the maternal uncle was egging on his mercurial nephew to take on the younger brother who enjoys a greater clout within the party. However, Tej Pratap Yadav sidestepped queries about his being goaded by his maternal uncles to embark on a collision course with Tejashwi Yadav. "If the uncle does not act in a way that benefits the nephew, he gets finished like Kansa was slain by Krishna," Tej Pratap Yadav, known for his fondness for mythological metaphors, remarked cryptically. PTI Meghalaya: 'No way trapped miners will come out alive,' says survivor India pti-PTI Shillong, Dec 29: As the operation to rescue 15 trapped miners continue at the 370-foot-deep illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, a survivor of the December 13 accident said Saturday there is no way the trapped miners will come out alive. Sahib Ali, hailing from Assam's Chirang district, is one of the five men who narrowly escaped the flooding coal mine a fortnight ago. He said four others who made it alive had fled to their homes in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. "There were 22 of us who went in that day. I had worked for two weeks. Many are diggers who went to the farthest part of the mine. Some are cart pullers like me and we all work in synchronised manner in small holes that barely fit a big man," Ali told PTI over phone Saturday. Meghalaya Mining Disaster: 3 helmets recovered as rescue operations resume He said four of those who escaped were the men who were tasked with loading coal into the metal box. Recounting the December 13 nightmare, Ali said," all men started work early at about 5 am. By about 7 am, the entire mine was full of water." "I was about 5 to 6 feet inside the mine pulling a cart full of coal. For some unknown reasons, I could feel a breeze inside the mine which was unusual. What followed was big sound of water gushing in. I barely made it to the opening of the pit," Ali said. "There is no way the trapped men will be alive. How long can a person hold his breath underwater?," he added. Going by Ali's story, at least 17 people are still trapped inside the illegal coal pit as only five narrowly escaped the flooding mine out of the 22 men who went in. "My only hope is to see that their bodies pulled out and last rites be carried out as per traditions," a sobbing Ali said. On December 13, he spent the entire day at the flooded mine and slept in a nearby active coal mine in the night, he said. The ill-fated mine is roughly 370 feet and as of December 29, the rescue officials have calculated that about 170 feet is full of water, an NDRF official said. In Lumthari village where Ali and his fellow miners went to work, coal is found roughly between 200-500 feet underneath the ground. Asked on what prompted him to go and work in the dangerous coal mines of Meghalaya, Ali said the mines promised a big amount of money at the end of the week. "I earn between Rs 800-1500 on a full day of work at the mine. I had in mind that I will work for sometime only and return home," he said. Family members of at least 7 trapped miners, hailing from West Garo Hills district of the state, have already given up hope to rescue their kins alive and requested the government to retrieve the bodies for the last rites. Shohor Ali who hails from Magurmari village in West Garo Hills district and whose son, brother and son-in-law were among the victims at Lumthari village, told PTI, "We have lost all hope to see them alive. I just wanted the authorities to help retrieve the dead bodies for their last rites." The three were allegedly lured to the coal mines at Lumthari as it involves bigger wages and on an average each miner gets paid Rs 2000 per day, he said. Kins of four other victims also did not sound optimistic of seeing their dear ones alive Shohar Ali was among the first people who came to know of the accident when he received a call within minutes when the mine was flooded. One of the 5 persons who narrowly escaped the flooded mine called him up to inform of the accident. Ali in turn called up his MLA (Rajabala constituency) Azad Aman to find out about the accident and who later called up the SP of the district to verify. It took the police several hours before finally locating the place where the accident took place, the MLA said. In all, 7 persons from Rajabala in West Garo Hills district, 3 from Lumthari village itself, and the other 5 from Assam have been confirmed to have been trapped inside the ill-fated mine. The state government had announced a Rs 1 lakh interim relief on December 22 to the family members of each of the 15 miners trapped and feared dead, 10 days after the accident took place. PTI Once onion price rise saw govts tumble; this time fall in price is threatening the leaders India oi-Shubham Ghosh New Delhi, Dec 29: Onion is known to be a political vegetable in India. In the past, rise in prices of onions saw governments tumble in India in the past at various levels. Now, the humble onion continues to pose a threat to the political rulers although this time, by the virtue of its falling price. The ruling BJP saw what the electorate is capable of in the three states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh recently and if a report in the Reuters is to go by, several impoverished farmers have warned that they will make Prime Minister Narendra Modi pay for the collapsing prices of the vegetable in the general elections scheduled in 2019. Steep fall in prices of onions and potatoes in the recent times have badly hit the rural economy in a number of India's states and this, accompanied with the bigger agrarian issues, is bound to make it challenging for the saffron rulers in the next big election. Reuters interviewed several farmers to see that they were too upset with the BJP for not helping support incomes in the rural belts. In a number of regions, the famers have already said that they are going to vote against the BJP in the next Lok Sabha election and not repeat the "mistake" of 2014. Farmer who sent Rs 1,064 to PMO to protest poor crop price asked to pay the money online Recently, a farmer in Maharashtra got around Rs 1,000 for 750 kilograms of onions and sent the money he fetched to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund as protest. In 1980, Indira Gandhi returned to power after India's first non-Congress government lost the general election because of high onion prices (less than Rs 10 though!) while in 1998, the BJP government in Delhi tumbled because of a sharp rise in the prices of the vegetables. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj was the chief minister of Delhi then. However, the consumers have not benefited from this fall in prices of onions since large cuts are taken by the middlemen. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 6:57 [IST] Sometimes silence is louder than words, says Shekhawat on Vasundhara Raje Raje out, Gehlot in: 2018 has been an eventful year in Rajasthan India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jaipur, Dec 29: After being reduced to just 21 seats in the last assembly elections, the Congress bounced back in Rajasthan in 2018. This was also the year when the Zika virus struck, the law caught up with actor Salman Khan and godman Asaram Bapu, and a man was beaten to death after being branded a cow smuggler. The year started well for the Congress, when it won the three bypolls held in January, wresting Alwar and Bhilwara Lok Sabha seats and the Mandalgarh assembly seat from the BJP. The Congress built on this over the months even as the Bharatiya Janata Party stepped up its own act. As chief minister, Vasundhara Raje led a Gaurav Yatra' that crisscrossed the state. When the assembly polls drew nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah launched a series of public meetings. After being ruled by a lady, new Rajasthan Cabinet has just 1 woman minister These were matched by rallies by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in some high-pitched electioneering, which ended with his party winning 99 of the 199 seats where polling took place. A tussle followed within the Congress between veteran Ashok Gehlot and party's state unit chief Sachin Pilot first for the chief minister's post and then over the allocation of portfolios. Gehlot is now CM and retains nine main portfolios, including home and finance. Earlier in the election-year, Raje faced her share of dissent. Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari accused her of corruption and misgovernance and wrote several letters to the party's top leadership. He went on to launch his own 'Bharat Vahini Party', but faced a drubbing in the December 7 elections. Veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh's MLA-son Manvendra Singh, who had old scores to settle with Raje, also quit the party and switched over to the Congress just ahead of the elections. But tribal leader Kirori Meena returned to BJP-fold after about a decade and was made a Rajya Sabha MP. Raje's BJP government courted controversy over a Bill that barred the prosecution of public servants without official sanction. It would have also put curbs on the media on identifying the accused in such cases. Facing protests, her government withdrew the Bill. In July, cow vigilantism claimed a life in Alwar district. Rakbar Khan (28) was lynched by a group of people who suspected him and a companion of smuggling cows. The police faced flak for allegedly not rushing the badly injured man to hospital, and focusing instead on taking the cows found with him to a cattle shelter. An assistant sub-inspector was suspended and two constables were shunted to police lines for this. Three men were arrested for attacking Rakbar Khan even as BJP MLA Gyan Deo Ahuja appeared to defend the cow vigilantes, arguing that the death should be blamed on the police and not on them. Courts in Jodhpur dealt with a couple of high-profile cases. Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in jail in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Dabangg actor spent two days in Jodhpur jail as prisoner number 106 before being released on bail. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam were acquitted in the case that goes back to the days when they were shooting together in Jodhpur for Hum sath sath hain'. A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur awarded life imprisonment to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and 20-year sentences to two co-accused for the rape of a teenager at his ashram in 2013. Rajasthan: Gehlot keeps home, finance portfolios, gives Pilot PWD, Panchayati Raj An outbreak of Zika virus in Jaipur rang alarm bells in Delhi. The city reported 144 cases. Teams from the Centre and the National Institute of Virology in Pune camped in the state capital to help contain the virus. There were no deaths. Prime Minister Modi also travelled to Rajasthan to launch the commencement of work on the Barmer oil refinery and petrochemical complex. The Congress cried foul as the foundation stone for the project in 2013 by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. But the BJP government said it had renegotiated the stalled project. For 68-year-old Gajanand Sharma, 2018 could not have been better. He returned home to Jaipur, 36 years after crossing the border by mistake and landing in a Pakistani jail. All this while, his family had no idea about his whereabouts. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 12:33 [IST] India not for starting conflicts but always ready to face challenges: Rajnath Singh India no longer weak, will give befitting reply to anyone threatening its territorial integrity: Rajnath Singh Ready to hold polls in J&K: Rajnath Singh India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 29: The Centre said in the Lok Sabha that there was no other option left with the Governor but to recommend President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir as no party or alliance staked claim to form government and asserted that it was ready to hold assembly polls in the state. Replying to a discussion on the resolution on a presidential proclamation about imposition of President's Rule in the state, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also rejected claims of some opposition parties that the BJP was propping up a regional party to form government. J&K cops to get non-lethal pepper-ball launching systems The resolution was adopted by a voice vote. If the BJP wanted to indulge in horse-trading to form government, then it would have done so during the six-month Governor's Rule, he said. The Home Minister said the then Governor N N Vohra had sent a report in June after speaking to leaders of all major parties that none of them had expressed any intention to form a government. 2018: The year of 'Operation All Out' The Central government would take no wrong or immoral action in the state, Singh asserted, saying it is ready for assembly polls but the decision has to be taken by the Election Commission. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 6:18 [IST] Sutli bombs: To stay off radar, terror has gone from conventional to unconventional India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 29: A decade ago, following every terror act, investigators would look into the signature of the attack. Terror groups had an unwritten handbook and going by the composition of the bomb and the manner in which it had been triggered would give a general idea as to which group was behind it. However outfits such as the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State changed that with the use of unconventional weapons. There was a debate on the social media after the National Investigation Agency busted a module which was said to be inspired by the Islamic State. The NIA shared images of the seizures and among the material seized were also sutli bombs. This had in fact generated a debate and even former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti had said that conclusions cannot be drawn after seizing such items. The sulti bomb may not be a conventional weapon of choice. However terror groups these days have been experimenting with various items in a bid to create fear and panic. In today's world of terror, even a rope can be a weapon of choice. Groups such as the ISIS and Al-Qaeda have demonstrated how unconventional weapons can be used in acts of terror. When the vehicles were used as a weapon of choice by the Hamas in Palestine, it came as a surprise to the world. A vehicle which was not considered to be a conventional weapon became a favourite for terror groups especially the Islamic State. The vehicle was used in terror attacks at Glasgow, Barcelona, France, London and also America. What these incidents tell us is that terrorists are moving away from the conventional weapons of terror such as the gun or the bomb. A vehicle is a simple but a deadly choice of weapon. It is never on the radar and any person can create havoc by mowing down people in large numbers. It does give that element of surprise which has been a nightmare for security agencies to deal with. Several security experts tell OneIndia that the intention is to carry out the act of terror without coming under the radar. There is no convention where these things are concerned any longer, the officer also explained. Vehicles as weapons of terror: Unconventional is now conventional The 2015 propaganda: In 2015, al-Qaeda called on jihadists to attack with trucks. In a lengthy article that was written in its propaganda magazine, Inspire, it termed the truck as the 'ultimate mowing machine'. The article said "Pick up the truck not to mow grass, but mow down the enemies". The other call was made by the Islamic State. In a statement released by Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, a leader of the group, said, "If you are unable to find an IED or a bullet, run your enemy over with a car". In a more recent message, it once again called for the use of cars. The message read, "There are cars available and targets ready to kill. Kill them, spit on their faces and run them over with your cars." These messages clearly suggest that terrorist groups are going beyond the conventional weapon. The weapons is no longer important. It is more important that the so called infidel is killed. Adnani not only speaks about cars in his message. He even says poison, rocks and knives can be weapons of choice. Further he also says that it is fine if you push your enemy down from a high place. The message from Adnani reads, "If you are unable to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman, or any of their allies. Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him." The basic idea is to ensure that the terror spree continues. Terrorist groups are going to use the more unconventional method to strike in the days to come. The intent is just one and that is to create panic and fear and for them the manner in which it is done is no longer important. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 15:39 [IST] PNB scam The year 2018 began with lid being taken off from the country's biggest ever banking fraud. Billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, in connivance with certain bank officials, allegedly cheated state-run Punjab National Bank of about Rs 14,000 crore through issuance of fraudulent letters of undertaking. A Mumbai branch of PNB had fraudulently issued LoUs to a group of companies belonging to Modi since March 2011 and there were hundreds of such LoUs. The magnitude of the scam shook the entire banking system and PNB is still trying to overcome this. Videocon wrongdoing As intricacies of the Nirav Modi scam were still unfolding, a whistle-blower in March raised the issue of impropriety against Chanda Kochhar, the then managing director of the country's largest private lender ICICI Bank Ltd. The 56-year-old Kochhar, who rose through the ranks to occupy the corner office of the bank, was mired in allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of disclosures and quid-pro-quo while extending loans to the now-bankrupt Videocon Industries. Subsequently, another complaint was filed against her and she had to eventually to say goodbye in October to the bank which she had joined as a management trainee in 1984. As regulatory and internal probes continued, the bank and Kochhar denied any wrongdoing. Shikha Sharma's exit Another high-profile banker Shikha Sharma was denied extension by the Reserve Bank of India as managing director of Axis Bank, the third largest private sector lender. The bank's board had proposed another three-year term for her till May 2021, but she was allowed to serve only till Dec. 31, 2018. Another exit story continues to play out at Yes Bank, where Rana Kapoor's tenure as chief executive officer has been curtailed by the RBI and he has been allowed to occupy the position only till Jan. 31, 2019. The lender also saw Ashok Chawla quitting as its chairman last month. Patel out, Das in The biggest of the exits, however, took place at the RBI itself with Governor Urjit Patel announcing his sudden resignation with immediate effect on Dec. 10 citing "personal reasons". The resignation followed a run-in with the government over several issues including autonomy of the central bank. The very next day, the government appointed former bureaucrat Shaktikanta Das as the new RBI chief. OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) With multiple warnings, ATC averts mid-air collision of three planes India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 29: Three planes of three foreign airlines, carrying hundreds of passengers, came perilously close in the Delhi flight information region and collisions were averted after multiple auto-generated warnings and intervention from ATC, an official said Friday. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has started a probe into the incident, which happened on December 23. Flights of Dutch carrier KLM, Taiwan's Eva Air and the US-based National Airlines were involved in the incident, the official said. The incident happened in the Delhi Flight Information Region (FIR). An FIR refers to a specified airspace where flight information and alerting services are provided. Generally, an FIR can be land and sea territory as well as any international airspace as defined under global norms. Dense fog hampers flight operations in Delhi Airport According to the official, at the time of the incident, National Airlines' flight NCR 840 was on its way to Hong Kong from Bagram in Afghanistan while the KLM Flight KLM 875 was heading to Bangkok from Amsterdam. The Eva Air flight EVA 061 was flying to Vienna from Bangkok, the official said. "First it was NCR 840, which was flying at flight level 310 (31,000 ft) and EVA 061 at flight level 320 (32,000 ft) which breached mandatory separation. The pilots of both the aircraft were alerted by the onboard TCAS warning system," the official said. Around the same time, the KLM flight was at 33,000 ft, he added. Following the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) warning, the pilot of NCR 840 sought to climb to 35,000 feet but was told to remain at that current level till the time it gets a go-ahead. Israeli strike on Syria threatened civilian flights says Russia "However, when the air traffic controller (ATC) observed it climbing, it was immediately asked to take a left turn. In the meantime, EVA also continued climbing at flight level 330, a level at which KLM was already flying, and at this time, another TCAS warning went off, alerting the pilots to steer the aircraft to a safer distance," the official said. As the NCR 840 again descended to flight level 330, it came across the EVA flight, triggering another TCAS alarm, the official said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 6:02 [IST] Details of the two patients who have been detected positive for Omicron variant Bengaluru woman gets triple talaq text from husband in US; Maneka Gandhi steps in India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Dec 29: Union minister Maneka Gandhi on Saturday assured help to a Bengaluru woman who was allegedly given triple talaq over WhatsApp by her US-based husband. Taking to Twitter, the women and child development minister said she had reached out to Reshma Azeez's and requested details of the case. Triple Talaq Bill passed, but women groups raise 10 concerns "My ministry @MinistryWCD has taken up case of #TripleTalaq on absolute priority. The first instance post the passing of the bill, criminalising the act of instant divorce in the Muslim community will be dealt with and we shall ensure that justice is done," she said. My ministry @MinistryWCD has taken up case of #TripleTalaq on absolute priority. The first instance post the passing of the bill, criminalising the act of instant divorce in the Muslim community will be dealt with and we shall ensure that justice is done.https://t.co/jiyuAi36kf Maneka Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) December 29, 2018 The minister also said that they have reached out to the brother of the woman for the details. "We have reached out to the brother of the woman and have requested for all details at gandhim@nic.in. She has been assured all assistance," Gandhi said. We have reached out to the brother of the woman and have requested for all details at gandhim@nic.in. She has been assured all assistance. Maneka Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) December 29, 2018 Javeed Khan who is married to Reshma Azeez kept on abusing her, as per her complaint. "He started abusing me emotionally and kept insulting me. He never asked for a legal divorce but kept asking me to leave. In the initial days of the marriage, we lived UK and then moved to the US. Last month, he brought me back to Bengaluru. He later went back to the US, taking all my documents along. He wanted to resolve the issues between us after speaking with the families," Reshma said in her complaint. "Once we reached, he left with his family, while I was stranded at the airport. He had taken away my passport, academic certificates and other identity cards. On December 4, a day after I filed the police complaint, he sent me talaq on WhatsApp," she added. The couple has two kids, aged 13 and 10 who continue to live with Khan in Illinois, while he has cut off all communication with Reshma. It is a win win situation for the ruling dispensation in Rajya Sabha on triple talaq issue! The message from Javeed, which was also sent to their family group reads, "TALAQ I am sending this message in my full sense and I am not under any influence of anger or intoxication. ALLAH as my witness. I, Dr. JAVEED KHAN (dob 01/19/1976), son of late Taj Ahmed pronounce TALAQ (Divorce) to RESHMA AZEEZ (dob 12/06/1978), daughter of Mr. Azeezuddin, according to ISLAMIC LAW OF SHARIAH, Meher has been completely fulfilled [sic]", reports News 18. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court had struck down the validity of instant triple talaq among Muslims, following which the government had brought in an ordinance to criminalise the offence. The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the revised bill to make instant Triple Talaq - a practice among Muslim men to instantly divorce their wives by uttering "Talaq" thrice - a punishable offence after five-hour debate. The proposed law makes Triple Talaq an offence with a jail term of up to three years and a fine for the husband, and makes the woman entitled to maintenance. Bangladesh to vote on Dec 30; 300 seats, 10.4 crore voters, 69 women candidates International oi-Shubham Ghosh Dhaka, Dec 29: Bangladesh will witness election to its 11th parliament or Jatiyo Sangsad on Sunday, December 30, and eyes from across the world will be set on its outcome in the South Asian democracy. The last election held in January 2014 was seen with suspicion as crackdowns preceded it and the Opposition parties had kept away from polling in over 50 per cent of the seats. The scenario this time is also heavily tilted in favour of the ruling Awami League as the main Opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia is behind the bars since February in relation to a corruption case. The election was earlier scheduled on December 23 but was postponed by a week later after the Opposition sought more time for preparation. Bangladesh: India did right by not entertaining BNP; it would want Hasina to continue Though Bangladesh's politics has seen a tendency of becoming a single-party instead of a two-party system as it had been throughout, there is also opinion that Hasina's rule has given the country a form of stability and it should continue for the sake of economic growth. However, in terms of credibility of the election in the wake of party clashes and violence, the United Nations has sought for a peaceful and inclusive polling. On Thursday, December 27, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "an environment free of violence, intimidation and coercion" to allow peaceful, credible and inclusive polls." The US has also wished the country a free and fair election. If Hasina wins tomorrow, she will be in for her third consecutive term after the wins in 2008 and 2014 elections. Bangladesh has made rapid economic progress in her rule but its human rights abuse rates have also reached new lows. Bangladesh polls; Security at all time high ahead of Dec 30 Facts and figures of Bangladesh election, 2018: Total number of seats: 300; 151 seats required for majority Total voters: 10.41 crore Men voters: 5.25 crore Women voters: 5.16 crore Total candidates: 1,848 Women candidates: 69 Total parties: 39 2014 election results: Awami League won 234 seats with 72 per cent vote share Wakefit unveils #SleepIndiaSleep campaign: Highlights why sleep is important for all Eye on West Bengal assembly polls, JP Nadda to take part in door-to-door campaign in Kolkata Bangladesh polls; Security at all time high ahead of Dec 30 International oi-Madhuri Adnal Dhaka, Dec 29: Campaigning ended on Friday for Bangladesh's December 30 general election as army troops patrolled the streets along with paramilitary forces and police with intensified nationwide security 48 hours before voting. "I expect the law enforcement agencies to ensure security so the people cast vote freely to their desired candidates and return home safely," Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda said as the military and paramilitary forces set up makeshift camps across the country after being called out on election duty. Bangladesh goes for polls on Dec 30; crucial for India concerning security and development Huda asked security agencies to keep an extra vigil on religious minority communities during the voting on Sunday as media reports said at least three Hindu households were set on fire by miscreants between December 16 and 26. "The elections particularly in 2001 and 2014 appeared as a nightmare as far as minority communities were concerned, the situation is good this time barring the three arson attacks in Feni and Thakurgaon," Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council spokesman Kajol Debnath told PTI. He said minority community leaders held a series of meetings with the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies who promised to pursue a 'zero tolerance' policy against any attack or intimidation. Law enforcement agencies in major cities are checking vehicles as part of their vigil as some 600,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards were deployed across the country. But overnight violence saw the death of an activist of the ruling Awami League and arrests of several opposition workers as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks to retain power for a third consecutive term while Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia is its main rival. The BNP has stayed out of the parliamentary process since 2014 when it boycotted the last general election over its demands for a poll-time non-party government. It returned to parliamentary politics as part of a new alliance - National Unity Front (NUF) - that was cobbled together three months ago with eminent lawyer Kamal Hossain as its convener. Holding national polls on Victory Day month is a farce, says Bangladesh Oppn leader But the party is in a state of disarray in the absence of its two top leaders Zia and her fugitive son Tarique Rahman who is the acting party chief. Zia, 73, is serving a 10-year prison term on graft charges while Rahman is living in London ostensibly to evade the law as a court has sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack on a rally in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. The opposition, however, said they are facing violent attacks and intimidation, including arrests that has affected their electioneering. Awami League's election posters are plastered on walls and poles across the country but those of opposition candidates are barely visible as they alleged that the police have created an atmosphere of fear to debar their supporters from staging street campaigns. At least six people have been killed in poll-related clashes since the campaigning began as Awami League claimed that five of them were its supporters while BNP alleged that over 12,000 opposition activists including several candidates were injured in attacks by the ruling party's activists. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 10:00 [IST] Mumbai 26/11 attacks were bad, but the lack of will to hit Pakistan hurt the nation No military dimension in CPEC says Pakistan International oi-Madhuri Adnal Islamabad, Dec 29: Pakistan has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a bilateral economic project and has no military dimensions. Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said this at the weekly media briefing here on Thursday when asked about a US media report that alleged that China has hatched a secret plan to build fighter jets and other military hardware in Pakistan as part of the USD 60 billion project. Post Doklam, Indo-China ties back on 'normal track' The Islamabad datelined report in the New York Times said Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were putting the final touches to the secret proposal. China last week dismissed as untrue the report.Responding to the report, Faisal said the CPEC is an economic project between Pakistan and China, the Dawn reported. "The CPEC has helped Pakistan improve its economy, particularly energy and infrastructure sectors have improved under it. The CPEC is a bilateral economic project, which is not against any country, he was quoted as saying by the daily. Jehadi attack in Pakistan, a wake up call for China The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).All-weather friends and close allies, China and Pakistan have been jointly building the J-17 Thunder, a single seater multi-role combat aircraft. Pakistan has been eyeing a number of new advanced Chinese jets including the stealth fighter. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 8:00 [IST] Race for post-US Syria begins? Russia asks Turkey to stay out even as Ankara plans attack International oi-Shubham Ghosh Moscow, Dec 29: After the US announced to withdraw its troops from Syria, the field is open for other powers to play and two of the frontline powers that aim to fill the US's shoes in the region are Russia and Turkey. The latter reportedly convinced the US to move out of Syria and now has plans to execute its own script in the war-torn country, especially with regard to the Kurdish fighters who Ankara targets to neutralise. However, Turkey though has much geopolitical gain to make in Syria, Russia could be yet another obstacle. The Kremlin has reportedly asked Ankara to stay away from Syria and let its ally Bashar al-Assad to reclaim the territories after the US pullout. According to reports by agencies and UK's Daily Mail, the Russian foreign ministry has said that it expects to territory to be handed back to Assad's forces after US President Donald Trump decided to pull out from Syria, which has been witnessing a year into its eighth year now killing hundreds of thousands of people, on December 22. Turkey said it is working with the US to coordinate the withdrawal of the American forces but remains firm to clear the Kurdish fighters, who were backed by Washington to fight the Islamic State, from the town of Manbij in northern Syria near its own border. Pictures emerged on Saturday showing Turkish military vehicles and troop carriers being sent to the country's southern border with Syria. Meanwhile, Syrian dictator Assad's troops along with Russian forces have also been deployed to the town's front line areas. On Friday, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that territories in Syrian eastern parts should be transferred under the control of Damascus as per the international law. She also said that Russia and Turkey had closely coordinated their actions in Syria but did not divulge anything further. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 15:07 [IST] With over 4,200 people dead or declared missing, 2018 was Indonesias deadliest year in a decade International oi-Shubham Ghosh Jakarta, Dec 29: With at least 4,231 people losing their lives or getting declared missing in natural disasters, Indonesia saw its deadliest year in little over a decade in 2018, the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said, according to Jakarta Post/Asia News Network. The world's largest archipelago was hit by a series of natural disasters during the year, starting from the earthquake that shook the capital Jakarta on January 23. The BNPB has recorded 2,426 natural disasters since that daytime quake, including the 7.4-magnitude quake that rattled Central Sulawesi in September and the 6.4-magnitude quake that hit Lambok and Bali islands in July. Avoid coast near erupting volcano: Indonesian authorities ask people Though the number of disasters in 2018 was lesser than that of 2017 when 2,862 instances were recorded; the toll of casualties were higher than the previous year (378) and the year before (578) when 2,306 disasters took place. "This year is a disastrous year for Indonesia. At 4,231, it is the largest death toll that we've seen since 2007," BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho was quoted as saying in Jakarta recently. Most of the casualties were caused by geological hazards like quakes, tsunami and soil liquefaction even though these hazards constituted just three per cent of the total of 2,426 disasters recorded till mid-December and they claimed almost 4,000 lives, the report added. Christmas in tsunami-hit Indonesian region; prayers offered for victims The casualties figure, however, do not include the death toll from the recent tsunami in the Sunda Strait which was caused by Anak Krakatua's volcanic eruption. In that tragedy of December 22, 430 were reported to be death with dozens still missing. Chairman of Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati said the country lacked programmes to raise adequate disaster awareness despite it being located on the Pacific Ring of Fire which makes it highly prone to quakes and volcanic eruptions, the reports added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 7:42 [IST] Web Real Time Communication Market 2018-2023: Find Out What Are the Biggest Opportunities to Business Growth and Market Strategies of Key Players Such as Cisco Systems, Oracle, AT&T https://www.reportconsultant.com/request_sample.php?id=1714 https://www.reportconsultant.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=1714 https://www.reportconsultant.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=1714 WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications) is an open source project that seeks to embed real-time voice, text and video communications capabilities in internet browsers. The aim of WebRTC is to allow peer to peer (P2P) communication natively between browsers.Global Web Real Time Communication Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of +41% during the forecast period 2018-2023.The Web Real Time Communication Market report has been devised based on the key finding by the analysts. The facts and figures mentioned in it have been carefully scrutinized after conducting numerous interviews and surveys. The collection of prime information such as the current trends, present-day pitfalls, and futuristic opportunities aids the reader to analyze his business goals and to compare them if they best-fits the current market scenario.Request for A Sample Copy of This Report @Company profiled in this report:TokBox, Inc. (U.S.), Apidaze (France), AT&T (U.S.), Avaya, Inc. (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), GENBAND Inc. (U.S.), Dialogic, Inc. (U.S.), Polycom, Inc. (U.S.), Oracle (U.S.), Twilio, Inc. (U.S.), Quobis (Spain), and Cafex Communications, Inc. (U.S.).web RTC offers better video and audio quality at a lower cost with improved security level compared to other telecommunication systems, thus could drive the growth of Web Real Time Communication Market. The organizations allowed with web RTC technology products could expand customer interaction, promotional activities and rise their sales in a cost-effective way. The growth in customer facing industries for example retail, healthcare and hospitality would further drive the growth of the marketThe report studies the Web Real time Communication market from a global perspective while also analyzing it for key regional markets, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The market is studied on the basis of criteria such as market value, key segments, market volume, and distribution channels.The most basic step undertaken by the experts is the SWOT analysis depicting the multidimensional prospects, which ultimately gives a clear picture of the markets future growth. The analysis also includes the examination of the data collected through a variety of primary and secondary research. The statistical data has been a source of a reasonable comprehension of the state of drivers, threats, major opportunities, and the prime standards, rules, plans, and strategies affecting the Web Real Time Communication Market.To Get Reasonable Discount:Table of Contents:Global Web Real time Communication Market Research Report 2018-2023Chapter One: Market OverviewChapter Two: Market Data AnalysisChapter 3: Market Technical Data AnalysisChapter 4: Web Real time Communication Market Government Policy and NewsChapter 5: Market Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter 6: Market Up and Down Stream Industry AnalysisChapter 7: Marketing Strategy of Web Real time Communication Market AnalysisChapter 8: Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter 9: Market Production Development TrendChapter 10: Web Real time Communication Market New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisChapter 11: Global Market conclusionFor More Information:About Us:Report Consultant - A global leader in analytics, research and advisory that can assist you to renovate your business and modify your approach. 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NFC Academy goes the extra mile to offer a personalized touch to all their students and parents even being Oregon produces more Christmas trees than anywhere else, but some big retailers import their trees from far-flung places like North Carolina nonetheless. Thats more than just bad form. The Oregon Department of Forestry warned Friday that some of those trees carry invasive pests that could attack the states native trees. State foresters suggest careful disposal to reduce the risk to Oregon forests. Heres the issue: The Oregon Department of Agriculture found an insect called the elongate hemlock scale on out-of-state trees destined for big box stores this fall. Chains like Walmart and Home Depot sell more than a quarter of all natural Christmas trees, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. The agriculture department ordered the infested trees be destroyed but others, undiscovered, may have made their way to stores with the bugs hiding among the branches. The fear is that when Christmas trees are left for weeks or months in a yard or dumped in a park or the woods, eggs laid on them will hatch and the pest may escape into nearby trees, the forestry department said in a news release. The department warned the bug could attack true firs, spruces, Douglas fir trees and other conifer species native to Oregon. If you bought your tree at a big box store, Oregon officials ask that you inspect it carefully. The elongate hemlock scale is tiny, about 1.5 millimeters long (0.06 inches). Its brown (with a yellow or orange hue) and feeds on the underside of needles, leaving a brown waxy layer all year round. The forestry department advises Oregonians who suspect a bug on their out-of-state Christmas tree to email the department, cut up the tree and dispose of it inside plastic bags in a sealed garbage can. Do not leave it in the backyard for an extended period or dump it in a park or forest. Oregon harvests 5.2 million of its own Christmas trees each year, according to the latest data from the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association. The vast majority of those leave the state, nearly half of them to California. -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 f The DoubleTree Portland has fired the two employees a security guard and a manager responsible for evicting an African-American hotel guest who was talking on the phone in the lobby. The Hilton-owned hotel wrote on Twitter Saturday morning that the employees mistreatment of Jermaine Massey was inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again. We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey. Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again. DoubleTree Portland (@doubletreepdx) December 29, 2018 Earlier, the hotel had placed the two employees on leave as it reviewed the incident. Massey, 34, was visiting Portland for a concert at Moda Center. Last Sunday night, after returning from the concert, he found a quiet corner of the hotels lobby to return a call to his mother. Jermaine Massey While Massey was on the phone, the security guard asked him whether he was a guest, and Massey said he held up the key card to his room. The guard, however, wasnt satisfied and demanded his room number. When Massey didnt provide it and continued with his call, the guard consulted with the manager, and the hotel called police. The result: Massey was kicked out of the hotel. Police escorted the Kent, Washington, resident to his room to retrieve his belongings. They told him he could be charged with trespassing if he refused to check out and leave. Massey documented much of the incident with cellphone video, which he posted on social media. He said he was guilty only of calling his mother while black. Noting that the security guard told Massey he was a threat to security, Masseys lawyers Gregory and Jason Kafoury asked the hotel earlier this week to publicly explain in detail in what manner [he] was a threat to safety or security. DoubleTree initially called the confrontation a misunderstanding before taking further action. After the hotel terminated the two employees Saturday, Gregory Kafoury responded: Why did it take the Hilton chain a week to figure out that the conduct violated their values?" He added: "We are investigating similar reports from other Hilton hotels. -- Douglas Perry @douglasmperry Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The Portland Business Alliance has asked a board member to leave the organization and another to step down from a leadership position after a racist comment was made at a meeting with city employees, officials confirmed Friday. Clayton Hering, the 77-year-old retired president of real estate consulting firm Norris, Beggs and Simpson, resigned from the alliances government relations committee and from the alliance itself Dec. 22 after he made comments that suggested racial and ethnic minorities dont have the education to participate in business and civic life, according to people present and officials who heard them second-hand. David Chown, vice - president of Chown Hardware, has stepped down from his position as leader of the committee where the comment was made after people at the meeting said he did not shut down or rebuke Hering. New alliance CEO and President Andrew Hoan said Friday that Herings comments are not shared by the Portland Business Alliance as an organization or its members. He acknowledged that people at the meeting were deeply affected by what happened and has tried to take action with that in mind. The comments were racially offensive and completely inappropriate, Hoan said in an interview. Hering also apologized for his comment on Friday. I feel terrible about my choice of words in seeking to better understand this important subject matter, Hering said in a statement. They do not reflect my values or what is in my heart. I take responsibility for my actions and apologize to everyone involved. The comment came during a Dec. 20 meeting of the chamber of commerces government relations executive committee, which is made up of business leaders who want to be more engaged with the public sector or who are already involved in that sphere. That morning at the sparsely attended meeting, members were discussing an initiative aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion in the Portland business world. Prosper Portland staff, including Director of Economic Development Bobby Lee, visited to talk about a mayoral initiative called Portland Meets Progress. Lee and Prosper Portland did not respond to requests for comment. Hoan said that he and the alliance have supported the initiative from the beginning. He said that the idea of making sure people of color and other marginalized people are better represented in the private sector aligns with the Portland Business Alliances mission. However, after the presentation, Hering made remarks that some present at the meeting characterized as rambling and racist. While no one would or could say exactly what Hering said, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler protested to the alliance after he heard about the incident. For anyone to suggest that people of color do not have the mental acumen to thrive in business is racist, uninformed and counter-factual, Wheeler said. Eventually, former board chairwoman Debbie Kitchin rebuffed Hering and redirected the conversation. Afterward, Hoan said he and board chairman Dave Robertson spoke with the Prosper Portland staff who were present and with his executive leadership at the alliance. During that time, he also spoke with Wheeler, who oversees the development agency. Wheeler then followed up with a sharp email that made clear the comments were inappropriate and that the Portland Business Alliance must take action. The comments, as reported to me, were racist and deeply offensive. Not just to me, but to my team and to all people of color in this community who have struggled for equal access to economic prosperity," Wheeler wrote Dec. 21. He continued: I am especially troubled that there were apparently other people in the room who agreed with the thrust of the conversation. Moreover, it is my understanding that only one person, Debbie Kitchin, had the courage to call out the conversation as being completely misguided. Portland Business Alliance has presented Debbie Kitchin with the 2017 William S. Naito Outstanding Service Award. Kitchin owns InterWorks LLC, a Portland-based construction services company and general contractor specializing in commercial tenant renovations and residential remodeling. By Christmas Eve, the executives of the alliance had reached consensus that while the decisions were difficult, Hering and Chown were right to step down. This, for us, is just unacceptable and we reject it, Hoan said. The day after Wheelers email, Hoan replied to him that Hering had left the chamber of commerce and that Kitchin had taken over leadership of the government relations committee. Hoan told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday that Robertson asked Kitchin to take that position to offer the committee fresh perspective moving forward. Kitchin served as the alliances board chairwoman in 2014 and 2015. As chair of the government relations executive committee, I speak on behalf of the members who were in attendance and those who were not, that given our historic commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, this incident is an anomaly and in no way reflects the views of our committee, Kitchin said in a statement. Chown, the former chairman of the committee, said that he does not condone what was said and does support programs that elevate diversity, equity and inclusion. I am deeply sorry and saddened by any negative impact of comments made at the meeting I was leading, Chown said. The Portland Business Alliance board of directors will undergo a training on diversity, equity and inclusion during its retreat in four weeks. Hoan said that he and his current board chairman Dave Robertson will continue to meet with staff at Prosper Portland in the new year. Wheeler said in an email to Hoan and in a statement through his spokeswoman Friday that he was pleased with Hoans response but expects more concrete steps to address the racist comments in the future. I look forward to hearing about the progress being made in these efforts, Wheeler wrote. I appreciate your commitment to ensure not only that public sector staff are made to feel welcome but also to create an organization where board members and staff can immediately confront actions or words that stand at odds with your stated values. Hoan told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday that he agrees. In no way should it be understood that these are the last steps taken, Hoan said. Jermaine Massey recorded an encounter with staff from the DoubleTree in Portlands Lloyd District. who called police while he was making a phone call in the lobby. His lawyers have now asked the hotel to account for why he was approached -- and subsequently kicked out -- of the hotel when he was a guest there. The hotel has requested a private discussion, but Mr. Massey was publicly humiliated, said a release from Masseys attorneys. Therefore, he demands a public statement response. Here is the full press release from Masseys attorneys at the Kafoury & McDougal law firm: On December 22, 2018, at about 11 p.m., Jermaine Massey was, calling his mother while black, from a quiet corner of the lobby of the DoubleTree hotel in Portland, Oregon, when hotel security demanded to know if he was a guest. Mr. Massey replied that he was. The security guard persisted in questioning his presence, even after Mr. Massey presented his hotel key to the guard. When Mr. Massey asked why he was being singled out, security guard Earl Meyers replied that he was a security threat. The hotel manager called Portland police, who explained to Mr. Massey that the hotel demanded that he be arrested for trespass if he did not leave the premises. The officers escorted Mr. Massey to his room, where he gathered his personal belongings and left. The officer offered him a ride, but Mr. Massey explained he had his own car and would drive himself, rather than leave in the back of a police car. Mr. Massey has retained our law firm, Kafoury & McDougal. Through our firm, Mr. Massey invites the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel chain to publicly answer the following questions: As the video shows, the incident took place in a quiet corner of the hotel lobby which was open to the public. At the time, Mr. Massey was returning a personal phone call from his mother who lives on the East Coast. Why was Mr. Massey approached by security? Why was he interrogated? The security guard told Mr. Massey that he was a threat to security, a statement echoed by the hotel chains press release, which states, Safety and security of our guests and associates is our top priority. Please explain in detail in what manner Massey was a threat to safety or security. Once these questions are fully and completely answered, Mr. Massey may be willing to speak publicly on this matter. The hotel has requested a private discussion, but Mr. Massey was publicly humiliated. Therefore, he demands a public statement response. The press is requested to make all contacts with Mr. Massey through our office. Please respect the privacy of Mr. Massey and his family during this difficult time. A federal magistrate judge has declared that certain parts of state law and its administrative rules that govern engineering practices in Oregon violate the First Amendment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman made the ruling Friday in a case filed by a Beaverton man, Mats Jarlstrom , against the Oregon Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying. Beckerman, in the 25-page written ruling, declared that Jarlstrom may study and, communicate publicly or privately about his theories relating to traffic lights, as long as his remarks occur outside the context of any employment or contractual relationship with a governmental or other group that regulates traffic light-timing. Jarlstrom also may describe himself publicly and privately, using the word engineer, the judge ordered. The ruling is a win for Jarlstrom, who has been challenging state law for years. Jarlstrom, who holds a bachelors of science degree in engineering from Sweden, has repeatedly challenged Oregons timing of yellow traffic lights as too short. He was investigated by the Oregon Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying for the unlicensed practice of engineering, after he sent his traffic light calculations to the state board, and identified himself as an engineer to local media and the 60 Minutes TV news program, and in discussions with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Jarlstroms interest stemmed from a red-light-running ticket his wife received in 2013. He spent three years analyzing the method for calculating the duration of a yellow light and found that the formula failed to account for drivers who must slow down to make a legal turn. The state fined him $500 for violating a state law that governs who may call themselves an engineer, finding he wasnt an Oregon-registered professional engineer. Last year, the state board conceded in court it violated Jarlstroms free speech rights and pledged it would not pursue the Beaverton man any further when he's not acting in a commercial or professional manner and urged a federal judge to dismiss the case. The state also refunded its $500 fine against Jarlstrom. The Beaverton man and his lawyer countered that the state's proposed settlement didnt go far enough. Jarlstrom, backed by a lawyer from the national Institute for Justice, asked the court to take a broader look at the state law and its administrative rules and declare them unconstitutional . In the alternative, the state law should be restricted to only regulating engineering communications that are made as part of paid employment or a contractual agreement, his lawyers argued. Beckerman ruled that the states definition of an engineer is overbroad, and cited the state boards history of overzealous enforcement actions. She directed the state to remove the definition of "engineer,'' from its state law and administrative rules, and simply restrict who can consider themselves a professional engineer, or a registered professional engineer. The states limits that bar anyone who is not registered as a professional engineer in Oregon from describing themselves as an engineer violate the First Amendment, the judge ruled. First, the statutes prohibit truthfully describing oneself as an engineer, in any context, the judge wrote. This restriction clearly controls and suppresses protected speech, and enforcement of the statute against protected speech is not a hypothetical threat. The record before this Court demonstrates that the Board has repeatedly targeted individuals for using the title engineer in non-commercial contexts, including core political speech such as campaigning for public office and advocacy against a local ballot initiative. Unlike an M.D. or certified public accountant, there is no fixed meaning to the title engineer, but many different types of engineers, the judge found. The judge also ruled that Jarlstrom may describe himself publicly and privately using the word engineer, and the state board cant enforce the Professional Engineer Registration Act, or any of its regulations against Jarlstrom for what he did regarding the traffic-light timing. The court noted the state has since adopted new regulations that will prevent the board from taking similar regulatory actions against Jarlstrom or others like him who engage in engineering outside of a commercial or professional context. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian The partial U.S. government shutdown enters its second week on Saturday, with nearly 14,000 workers at the Environmental Protection Agency going on furlough and the Smithsonian announcing its museums will close Jan. 2 unless the shutdown ends. There's been no sign of progress toward ending President Donald Trump's standoff with Democrats over funding for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Smithsonian said all museums, research centers and the National Zoo will close starting Jan. 2 unless the shutdown ends. Closings would include the popular National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of African American History & Culture on the National Mall in Washington, and the Cooper Hewitt design museum in New York. The EPA used funds already on hand to continue operation for a week, but was set to exhaust those. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said that without new funds by midnight Friday, employees would be put on furlough and travel would be canceled. Coast Guard service members almost had to miss their final paychecks of 2018. Chief Warrant Officer Chad Saylor, a spokesman, had said in an interview Friday that the service's Dec. 31 paychecks wouldn't be delivered because unlike other U.S. military branches, it's under the Department of Homeland Security. The Defense Department isn't affected by the shutdown. Later Friday, a Coast Guard workforce blog said the service had found a way to pay its military workforce in a one-time action. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine called the move good news on Twitter, where shed earlier posted that it was not fair that the Coast Guard members wouldnt be paid. Collins tweeted on Friday that shed called the White House urging an immediate fix. Here are the latest developments: Theres little indication of any imminent agreement to resolve the standoff before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. Trump is demanding $5 billion for the wall, while Democratic leaders proposed $1.3 billion for border security. The Senate and House are set to hold brief sessions Monday but no votes are scheduled. Lawmakers will be given 24 hours notice if theres a breakthrough that would require a vote. Trump tweeted on Friday that he would completely close the border with Mexico unless Democrats provide money for the wall and change immigration laws. If the standoff continues, all workers in the nine departments and dozens of agencies affected by the closure will miss their next paycheck on Jan. 11. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have been negotiating with the Trump administration. Once they reach agreement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said hell seek a vote on the deal. Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3, when Nancy Pelosi, who;s in line to become speaker, says the chamber will pass a spending bill to reopen the government -- without money for a wall. The shutdown, which began Dec. 22, affects nine of the 15 federal departments, dozens of agencies, and hundreds of thousands of workers. Among the departments without funding are: Justice, Homeland Security, Interior and Treasury. Independent agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, are also affected. The departments whose funding lapsed represent about a quarter of the $1.24 trillion in government discretionary spending for fiscal year 2019. An estimated 400,000 federal employees are working without pay and 350,000 are furloughed, according to a congressional Democratic aide. Federal employees working without pay and those now furloughed got their Dec. 28 paychecks under a decision by the White House budget office since pay reflects work before Dec. 21. The remaining parts of the government, including the Defense Department and the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, were already funded and wont be affected by the shutdown, nor will mandatory entitlement programs like Medicare payments. -- Bloomberg News The agency that oversees the governments civilian workforce is facing scrutiny after suggesting federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown barter with their landlords if they cant make rent payments, advice that has been called laughable. On Thursday, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management tweeted sample letters to help the roughly 800,000 affected workers negotiate with creditors and mortgage companies. One letter, meant for employees to send to their landlords, discussed a temporary reduction in rent payments and further suggests "the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments." On CNN Saturday morning, Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, called the suggestion about trading services for rent payments "laughable" and "unfortunate." "I think it's disgusting, candidly," Reardon said on "New Day." He added, "It's wrong to treat human beings this way." An estimated 350,000 workers are on furlough at home without pay due to the ongoing partial shutdown over Trump's demand for $5 billion in funding for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall. The rest are working without pay due to the "essential" nature of their jobs. The partial shutdown entered its eight day on Saturday. An OPM spokesperson acknowledged receipt of the emailed questions but said a response would be delayed. The internet provided a much quicker response. The Internet Archive's "Wayback Machine" shows that OPM has offered similar advice for furloughed workers in the past, such as in 2015 when Barack Obama was president, as some pointed out. Critics also called OPM's tweet tone-deaf for telling furloughed workers to "consult with [a] personal attorney," for legal advice. The partial shutdown is expected to last until at least the start of the new year. On Friday, Trump issued an order to freeze federal employee salary rates at their current levels in 2019. In a statement, Reardon likened the order to pouring salt on the wound. -- The Washington Post Oregons senior U.S. senator wants the Trump administration to explain how a Saudi citizen jumped bail and apparently fled to his home country with his governments help just before his manslaughter trial in Portland. In a letter Friday, Sen. Ron Wyden asked two of Trumps top Cabinet members what the administration is doing to get Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah back and hold him accountable for allegedly running down teenager Fallon Smart. He called for a thorough investigation of Noorahs disappearance. Federal law enforcement officials told The Oregonian/OregonLive this week they believe the Saudis helped orchestrate Noorahs remarkable 2017 escape and that the young man arrived back in Saudi Arabia 18 months ago. The revelations have since garnered international attention. These are shocking claims in any event, but with the barbaric murder of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi, they suggest a brazen pattern of disregard for the law and abuse of diplomatic privileges, Wyden wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker. If they are accurate, they would require significant restrictions on Saudi Arabias diplomatic privileges and call into question the future of Americas bilateral relationship with the Saudis. Khashoggi, a journalist, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul this fall, according to Turkish officials. The CIA believes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing. Wyden, a Democrat, sits on the Senates Select Committee on Intelligence. Portland police say Noorah, a Saudi national, was speeding on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard when his car fatally struck Smart, 15, while she crossed the street in August 2016. The then 20-year-old had 17 parking violations as well as a suspended license for driving without insurance at the time of his arrest, according to court documents. Records show Noorah had been a student in Portland since 2014 and received an $1,850-a-month stipend from the Saudi government for living expenses. After his arrest, the Saudi consulate retained private defense attorneys to work on his case and cut a $100,000 check to provide him bail, according to court records and prosecutors. Two weeks before his June 2017 trial, authorities say, Noorah cut an electronic tracking monitor he was required to wear as a condition of his release and disappeared. Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshals Service now believe he left his Southeast Portland neighborhood in a black SUV and later used an illicit passport and private plane likely provided by the Saudi government to flee the country. This past July, more than 13 months after he first disappeared, the Saudis contacted Homeland Security to inform the agency Noorah was back home. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have no extradition treaty, which means an arrest of Noorah inside the kingdom is unlikely. Nor have federal officers confirmed the young mans precise whereabouts within the Middle East nation. Since the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia, what steps is the Trump administration taking to ensure Mr. Noorah is accountable for the death of Ms. Smart? asked Wyden in his letter to Pompeo and Whitaker. The senator said he also wants to know if the Trump administration has evidence of other assistance the Saudi government provided to Noorah. He asked the State and Justice departments for answers no later than Jan. 31. The departments did not respond to requests for comment. Read Wydens full letter here. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 By Dr. Nagi Naganathan For todays generation of college students, yesterdays university model is not working very well. If you think college is still the same place it was when some of us graduated, its time for some re-education. While millennials and Gen Zs have a bad rap for being a pampered generation, that simply does not play out in reality -- particularly when it comes to paying for college. With increasing state and federal disinvestment in higher education since the 1990s, todays universities struggle to keep tuition affordable while students juggle to minimize student debt. With the average debt around $30,000 for Oregons university graduates, students are not assessing college attendance in the same way. Instead, the age-old question is top of mind: Whats in it for me? Students want a skill set that they are passionate about and that can pay the bills. During the recent Great Recession, many of these students saw their parents lose jobs, self-worth and sometimes, their homes. So financial stability is crucial to them. They learned that times rarely stay the same, and their degree must adapt to economic shifts. In UCLAs annual freshman survey, students are asked to select which reasons were very important to them in deciding to go to college. In 1971, about 70 percent of freshmen chose to be able to get a better job. In 2016, that response grew to 85 percent of freshmen. To this same question, in 1971, 57 percent of respondents said it was very important to them to make more money. In 2016, that response had grown to almost 73 percent. Back in the 1970s, student loans were not the primary financial aid vehicle. Grants were. But as aid packages shifted with federal priorities, more students began borrowing. This has certainly been a contributor to career relevancy in students academic choices. So, what is the opportunity for universities working hard to meet student and workforce needs with relevant degrees? Higher education institutions must approach student learning through a future-focused lens. They must look to where students are also pointed: at degrees that meet their career desires and the reality of their financial responsibilities. That doesnt mean universities should walk away from offering liberal arts, which continue to have a very important role in developing students critical thinking and communication skills and preparing them for graduate schools. But it does mean universities must work more closely with employers, whether its top manufacturers or rural health care clinics. They must ensure that students are prepared with relevant, immediately applicable skills that reduce expensive workplace training costs, and they must offer salaries that meet graduates very real financial obligations. Thats what we have done at Oregon Institute of Technology, where our programs continue to adapt with the times and the ever-changing technology landscape. Newly established bachelors and masters programs at Oregon Tech are based on industry and societal needs, such as renewable energy engineering, optical engineering, applied behavior analysis and population health management. Beginning as freshmen, students engage in professional practice labs, internships and field studies, gaining real-world and relevant experience. This helps polytechnic graduates earn higher-than-average starting salaries almost $60,000 a year in some cases for Oregon Tech graduates, for example. Within six months of graduating, 97 percent of our students are employed or enrolled in graduate school. Despite the metrics we have to celebrate today, the changing world demands that none of us stop adapting and innovating. Higher education must strive to ensure that students gain relevant, in-demand skills and an education that allows them to be successful well after graduation. After all, our responsibilities go beyond preparing our students for their careers. We prepare them for their lives. Dr. Nagi Naganathan is president of Oregon Institute of Technology, which has campuses in Wilsonville, Klamath Falls and Seattle. FILE- In this file photo taken on Monday, July 16, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) APAP When I was young and traveled the world singing, I was always so happy to come home to the United States, even though I had a wonderful time. Now Im afraid we are growing weaker and weaker with a real threat of our nation creating a situation that we have never experienced one that could be horrible. We were strong because we were respectful of other nations, called out those nations that had nothing but bad intentions, and compromised with those different from us. We were powerful because of our hard work with other countries. Now that has all changed and not for the better. What does Putin have on Trump? We don't need a wall. We need a good plan that makes sense. We don't need to be protected from those crossing our southern border. Sure, there are some who are desperate enough to do harm, but we have those same people born right here in the United States. Don't we have some smart people here who can figure out an immigration plan that works? For the religious, our current president has only done everything anyone's god would be against. The list is long. Let's admire those who are highly educated. While not all highly educated people have the desire to try and bring our nation together, we do need someone educated with the desire to help our nation heal without being on a quest for money. Bernie Sanders is a good example. He might not have everything right, but his intentions were good. President Trump's intentions are only for his own profit and he seems to have made some deal with Putin that could make our whole nation crumble. What can we do? Joanna Ceciliani, Portland CenturyLink said late Friday it has completely restored service after a massive, nationwide outage cut off customers internet access and blocked 911 services in many areas for more than a day. The company still hasnt explained what caused the problems, though, and both the Federal Communications Commission and Washington state said they plan investigations. Service was offline for many customers from early Thursday until Friday. CenturyLink issued a statement Friday evening declaring, All consumer services impacted by this event, including voice and 911, have been restored. The Louisiana company did not respond to questions about what caused the outage, how many customers lost service, or how widely it affected Oregon customers. CenturyLink is Oregons largest local phone company and second-largest internet service provider. Emergency 911 service had been unavailable in much of Washington on Thursday. That prompted an emergency alert from Clark Countys emergency services agency that went to cellphones throughout the region including an erroneous alert to people in Oregon. Throughout CenturyLinks outage, 911 service continued working in the Portland area and across Oregon. The states Office of Emergency Management said 911 call centers in Oregon use a different technology than those in Washington. By midday Friday, 911 calls were again going through in Clark County and the Seattle area but outages persisted in some areas. In Washington, the states utility commission announced an investigation Friday to look into the cause of the outage, the companys emergency preparedness and response, restoration efforts, and communication with the public. Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, directed the FCCs Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau to investigate the outages cause and impact. When an emergency strikes, its critical that Americans are able to use 911 to reach those who can help," Pai said in a written statement. The CenturyLink service outage is therefore completely unacceptable, and its breadth and duration are particularly troubling. The Oregon Public Utility Commission did not respond to a question about whether it plans its own inquiry. -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 A fight broke out early Saturday at the Lux PDX dance club at 12436 S.E. Powell Blvd., ending with gunshots that landed a man in the hospital, Portland police say. Officers responded to reports of a disturbance at the Southeast Portland "hookah and nightclub" at about 2 a.m. When they arrived they found a wounded man outside the club. Paramedics tended to the man and took him to an area hospital. The victim's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Police recovered a handgun at the scene and evidence of gunfire at Southeast Powell Boulevard and Southeast Powell Court. They believe the altercation started inside the club and then spilled outside, where the gunfire took place. No suspects have been apprehended, but police say they do not believe there is any ongoing danger to the public. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Police ask anyone who witnessed or has any knowledge of the fight or shooting to contact them at 503-823-2137. -- Douglas Perry Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. For 54 years Barbara DuRussel, of Midland, has taught piano lessons, inspiring her students along the way. This past autumn she was on the receiving end of that same encouragement when she was presented with a Teacher of the Year award from the Michigan Music Teachers Association. Originally from Bay City, DuRussel developed an interest in piano in the third grade, went on to take a double major in keyboard and choral at Central Michigan University and graduated with a master of music in piano performance. She began teaching piano in 1964; 10 years later she joined the Midland Music Teachers Association. This year she taught 19 students, some of whom she has instructed since they were in elementary school themselves. Her home studio features two baby grand pianos, one for DuRussel, and the other for the pupil to rehearse. "They get to choose which piano they want. It's so interesting. I love watching them choose," she commented. In addition to teaching lessons and holding recitals right in her home, DuRussel prepares students for the state Student Achievement Testing program in March. The participating pianists must perform three memorize pieces, take theory tests as well as oral awareness exams. "It's very comprehensive," DuRussel said. DuRussel takes time to make sure that the people who come to practice have everything down, from rhythm to melody. If a student is having a problem with a piece, DuRussel plays one clef on her piano parallel to the student while the individual takes the other clef. Sometimes practicing a new piece of music begins with drumming the cadence on the piano lid. "We have no wrong notes. You're just working on the rhythm and the coordination." DuRussel's patience comes from the view that the experiences students have at the keyboard can be applied to life in general. Her main goal is to give her pupils the tools to succeed and the confidence to do so. "If they're important and they're comfortable coming here, then they're just going to shine. They'll feel good about themselves and they'll work harder if they want this to happen," she said. Her hard work has not gone unnoticed. Dr. Wendy Wan-Hsing, Midland Music Teachers Association president, nominated DuRussel for the Michigan Music Teachers Association's Teacher of the Year award. In August DuRussel learned that she would receive the honor along with instructors from Zealand, Detroit, Battle Creek, Port Huron, Grand Rapids and Lansing. While she was humbled, DuRussel faced the challenge of writing a bio for the program. "I've never had to write a bio before so you don't keep track of a lot of things," she explained. On Oct. 8, DuRussel, her husband Michael and fellow area teachers gathered in Novi for the banquet and awards presentation. DuRussel was very touched by the whole experience. "It is a great honor. It truly is." Motorists driving down Smith's Crossing Road in Ingersoll Township during the Christmas holiday might have spotted a blunt message written on the side of a barn. Inscribed in blue paint on the broad side of the gray barn belonging to Howell Painting was "Wayne Garrett dirty, no good, (expletive)." The owner of the barn and business, Brandon Howell, 48, painted the message as an insult to the owner of the neighboring field, 63-year-old Wayne Garrett. Howell painted the message on the night of Sunday, Dec. 23 -- and it was clearly visible to motorists and neighbors. He painted over it on Thursday afternoon. Garrett said his biggest concern with the sign was its potential to bring emotional distress to his family, including his children and grandchildren. The message is the product of a land dispute between Howell and Garrett, which resulted in an incident on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 22, when Garrett along with several other men took down a fence Howell had put up, which Garrett said was on his property. Howell said Garrett arrived with seven men, though Garrett said it was only four men, plus one of the wives of one of the men. The fence was then deconstructed so it would not be damaged. Garrett also partially trimmed a tree planted on Howell's property with branches overhanging onto Garrett's property. Howell called the Midland County Sheriff's Office, and a deputy arrived shortly after 10 a.m. After Garrett produced the results of a land survey showing the fence had encroached on his land. The deputy said it was within his rights to remove the fence. Howell said the responding deputy told both men that Garrett was not to touch the trees on Howell's property. Garrett said that conversation did not take place. Garrett said it was within his right under Michigan law to trim the trees as he did. According to Michigan Complied Laws Section 750.382, a neighbor has the right to trim overhanging tree branches up to the property line if doing so does not result in irreparable damage to the tree. Howell also claims Garrett and company damaged the Invisible Fence system he put up for his dog when they used a rototiller on the area, along with a portion of his paved driveway -- which he had installed at a cost of $3,500. "It's blatantly just a rude thing to do -- there was no point in it," Howell said. Ingersoll Township supervisor Charles Tabb said he is disappointed to see a conflict like this in the community. "It's sad that emotions got so high that someone would put up a sign like that," Tabb said. The message Howell painted on his barn violated the township's zoning ordinance, Tabb said. Chapter 7 of the Ingersoll Township Zoning Ordinance details what is and is not acceptable for signs in the township, including a section stating signs must "protect and enhance economic viability by assuring aesthetic appeal for visitors and residents" -- which a large vulgar sign does not do. Jerry Nielsen, Ingersoll Township ordinance enforcement officer, advised Howell of the violation, and Howell painted over the message before 4 p.m. Thursday. Nielsen also told both property owners they needed to have the land surveyed. "I told both parties to seek legal advice and to get their property in question surveyed," Nielsen said. "I did try to get them to work something out with each other and that obviously was not as agreeable as I had hoped." In mid-November, a representative from Ingersoll Township told Howell he needed to erect a fence near the side of the barn to hide his employees' cars. The same day the fence went up, Garrett confronted Howell to tell him the fence encroached on his property. Howell disagreed, and said he purposely kept the fencing one-foot away from the "grass line" to avoid Garrett's property. Using a satellite, Garrett determined that there was a "pie-shaped wedge" of his land on which the fence was intruding. The two have not been in contact since Howell painted the message. Garrett said he has not talked to Howell for his own safety. Howell is looking into having another survey done in the future, and said he has plans to pursue legal action. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Thursday, Dec. 27 11:20 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to the area of N. Hope Road near East Saginaw Road for a request to "be on the lookout" for a silver lifted-pickup truck driving at a high rate of speed. The deputy checked the area and the vehicle was not located. 11:02 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to Homer Township for a suspicious vehicle in the area. The deputy checked, but could not find any vehicles driving in the area. 10:44 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to Oil City in Greendale Township for a report of several suspicious subjects near the gas stations. Upon investigation, deputies discovered the subjects were waiting for a 71-year-old Lincoln Township man who was helping them get gas. One of the subjects, a 28-year-old Gratiot County woman, had an outstanding warrant out of Gratiot County for failure to appear. The woman was arrested and transported to the Gratiot County line where she was turned over to a Gratiot County deputy. 8:58 p.m. -- Officers responded to the 4900 Block of Artcrest Drive for a suspicious situation. 8:48 p.m. -- Officers responded to the intersection of E. Patrick Road and Springfield Dr. for parking violations. 8:20 p.m. -- A deputy went to a Larkin Township residence when a resident reported that for the last two days, at about 6 p.m., a vehicle had pulled into their driveway and into the yard. The deputy checked the area and no vehicle was located. 7:41 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to an Edenville Township roadway for a vehicle crash involving injuries. After investigation, the at-fault driver was issued two citations and both drivers were treated at MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland for their injuries. 5:48 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 3100 Block of Darby Street for a suspicious situation. 2:06 p.m. -- A deputy located a vehicle with its hazard lights on in the middle of a Village of Sanford intersection. The driver's trailer had fallen off the hitch. The passengers were able to get the trailer reattached and pulled into a parking lot to fix the issue. 12:45 p.m. -- Officers responded to the area of East U.S. 10 and Waldo Aveenue for a traffic hazard. 12:34 p.m. -- Officers responded to the 1500 Block of Wildwood Street for a suspicious situation. 12:02 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 1100 Block of Corrinne Street for a suspicious situation. 11:07 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a Jerome Township residence for a report of a verbal argument between a 37-year-old man and his wife. No physical assault took place. 10:26 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a Hope Township residence for a report of a deceased 63-year-old woman. She appeared to have died of natural causes. 10:24 a.m. -- Officers responded to the corner of Stark Road and West U.S. 10 for a suspicious situation. 9:05 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a Jerome Township residence for a report of a deceased 81-year-old man. He appeared to have died of natural causes. 8:22 a.m. -- Officers responded to the 2200 Block of Wackerly Street for a hit-and-run crash. 5:55 a.m. -- A deputy located a vehicle parked partially in the travel portion of Meridian Road, south of Wackerly Road. The vehicle was impounded as a road hazard, and entered into the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network. The owner, a 71-year-old Mount Haley Township woman, came to the Law Enforcement Center and picked up the impound form. 3:19 a.m. -- A deputy found an abandoned vehicle parked in the roadway of a Mount Haley Township road. The deputy was not able to locate any contact information for the owner. The vehicle was impounded. 1:04 a.m. -- Officers responded to the 3200 Block of Bay City Road for a liquor inspection. 12:05 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Mount Haley Township residence for a request from an 81-year-old woman to have her late husband's medications disposed of. The deputy picked up the unused medication and properly discarded it at the Law Enforcement Center. To the editor: I wanted to write a letter of support for Sheriff Scott Stephenson. I have worked with the man since he came into office and find him to be a solid citizen, worthy of your support. As a member of the Midland County Search and Rescue organization, I have seen him work tirelessly to support my organization and to try to organize the state organizations to better meet the needs of all of Michigan's sheriffs. None of us is perfect. And from what I have seen and what I know of him, he does his job admirably and is concerned with meeting the needs of the citizenry. He is worthy of your support. JOHN HUTCHESON Midland To the editor: Sheriff Scott Stephenson should resign,or if he refuses be removed by the governor. His mea culpa was less than satisfactory in light of the body cam video showing him trying to avoid responsibility for his actions. Sheriff Stephenson attempted to use his position to avoid arrest. He attempted to use his connection with the former Kalkaska County sheriff to avoid arrest. He was not honest with the arresting officer about how much and when he was drinking. Sheriff Stephenson declined to take responsibility for his actions until he was left with no other choice. His behavior also calls into question his willingness to enforce the law if a fellow law enforcement officer is involved. If you gamble big (driving super drunk and playing the "I'm the sheriff" card) you need to be prepared to lose big. JERRY MAYER Midland The ownership of the House of Music, Arts and Culture, also known as HMAC, have filed a defamation lawsuit against 14 people and one Philadelphia-based blog. The lawsuit comes after a social media firestorm this summer that began when a woman posted to Facebook, blaming HMAC after she was sexually assaulted. Owner John Traynor previously told PennLive that there was a direct correlation between the post and HMAC losing business, ultimately causing the ownership group to file for bankruptcy protection. The lawsuit, first reported by The Burg, was filed by Bartlett, Traynor and London, LLC against several individuals who used social media to criticize HMAC and discuss the social media allegations, plus the writers of Philadelphia-based blog and the blog itself, YC.com, that reported on the allegations. HMAC, formerly known as the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionin August. The lawsuit filed Friday demands Traynor and the ownership group be awarded more than $50,000. The womans original story was posted to social media on July 13, but was taken down quickly. However, her original allegations were shared around Facebook through screenshots and copies of the post. Harrisburg police made an arrest in her case but denied many of the claims the woman made, including that she was drugged inside the bar. Although the woman also said several other people came forward to state they had been drugged or mistreated at HMAC, Harrisburg police said they received no complaints of that nature. The lawsuit states that the woman and others listed in the lawsuit, acted individually and/or in concert to publish false, malicious and defamatory statements about HMAC, and Traynor. The lawsuit also claims the defamatory posts actually date back to November 2017. The lawsuit also states that these people acted to intentionally interfere with HMACs business relationships with artists, musical performers and patrons." The Philadelphia based blog YC News is singled out in the lawsuit as posting additional stories after the police denied the womans allegations, reiterating many of her allegations and stating that HMAC is infamous for feeding vulnerable and helpless girls to men regularly." The lawsuit describes the ways several of the defendants posted to social media, on video and blogs, to either reiterate the original allegations or expand on them, in several cases blaming Traynor specifically as one who participates in the drugging of women and assaulting patrons. The lawsuit lists these allegations as false claims. Traynor said in the suit that as a result his reputation was blackened and his integrity impugned, that the allegations exposed him to hatred, contempt and ridicule, deterred people from associating with or doing business with HMAC, and cost him credibility within the business and music community. The lawsuit claims Traynor suffered serious and permanent damages, including but not limited to mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment and loss of his good reputation. Among the evidence provided in the lawsuit are emails and posts from people that were sent to bands expressing the concerns about the safety of HMAC and the allegations surrounding Traynor. These bands cancelled their shows. Heres a link to the complete lawsuit that was filed Friday. Update: Flood insurance will continue to be sold after all. Prospective buyers looking to take out mortgages to purchase homes in a floodplain might find it difficult to secure the proper insurance. Thats because an ongoing federal government shutdown also means a shutdown of the National Flood Insurance Program, officials announced this week. Now, realtors such as William Festa, the first vice president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, are worried about how the shutdown could affect home sales. And they also are also questioning the validity of the move to halt insurance deals, a decision Festa said is flawed. We have properties that are going to settlement before the end of the year, Festa said Friday. This needs to be resolved and resolved quickly." State Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman on Friday sent out a news release, outlining the impact that the insurance issue could have on Pennsylvanians. Prospective homeowners looking to take out federally backed mortgages to purchase homes in designated floodplains are required to have flood insurance, Altman said on the phone Friday afternoon. The vast majority of those hopeful homeowners choose to purchase insurance through the federally backed National Flood Insurance Program, she said. The program also is available to renters and business owners. On Thursday, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that an ongoing partial federal government shutdown spurred by a dispute between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress over funding for a wall at the Mexican border might mean that the insurance program is not available to new or renewing policy holders. Officials at FEMA said insurance dealers authorized to sell the National Flood Insurance Programs standard flood insurance polices were notified about the possible effects of the shutdown and urged to halt flood insurance transactions. In light of this requirement, yesterday, NFIP sent a message to its industry partners providing guidance to suspend sales operations as a result of the current lapse, officials said in their Thursday announcement. The inability to issue and renew policies is the result of a lapse in annual appropriations available to the program during the shutdown, according to FEMA officials. The lack of appropriations means that a fee owed to insurance dealers when policies are sold or renewed possibly cannot be paid, officials said, noting that the fee could be considered an impermissible funding obligation during a lapse of annual appropriations. The federal Antideficiency Act prohibits government agencies from making payments in excess of appropriations available to them, and Festa said the act has been used to justify the decision to halt insurance sales. That is despite a Dec. 21 decision from Congress to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program until May 31, 2019. Festa said he and other realtors oppose that view, which they feel is flawed. The realtors, Festa said, claim that the National Flood Insurance Program is funded by premium payments, not appropriations. And even if the program is funded by appropriations, the threat that a shutdown poses to the around 40,000 policies sold each month in the United States should be enough to allow an emergency exemption to the rule, Festa said. Pennsylvania sees the 12th most policies sold in the country, he said. Active flood policies sold or renewed by Dec. 21 will remain unaffected and eligible to receive insurance claim payments during the shutdown, according to FEMA officials, who also explained that there is a 30-day grace period for expiring policies. In the Thursday announcement, FEMA officials also said they are reviewing legal options that might allow for normal operations of the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA is aware of the concerns regarding this situation ... and is actively working with external stakeholders to assess the impact and determine what options exist to enable the NFIP to allow the sale and renewal of flood insurance policies to continue, according to the announcement. The government shutdown has no impact on private flood insurance policies. Those private policies remain an available option for interested homebuyers, Altman said. For many years, the National Flood Insurance Program was able to offer less costly premiums than those from private insurers because it was heavily subsidized, Altman said. Those subsidies were drastically decreased in the wake of recent severe storms like hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, Altman said, explaining that premiums were increased to compensate for the lack of funding. Now, National Flood Insurance Program premiums are more comparable to those offered by private insurers, Altman said. We started to see an uptick in sales of private, she said. Its growing very quickly. Festa said he has not dealt with private flood insurance. Buyers purchasing homes without a federally backed mortgage would not be required to purchase flood insurance, Festa said. But he stressed that he would not recommend that any homeowner in a floodplain go without the insurance. And Altman took that notion further, saying that she believes even homeowners outside of floodplains should consider purchasing insurance. We encourage everyone to consider flood insurance, she said. We do see a lot of flooding out of those areas. Police in Lancaster County are investigating after a Jeep crashed early Saturday near a local elementary school, damaging four vehicles and two street signs. According to emergency responders, the Jeep was found rolled over onto its roof, and its driver had fled the scene. Responders from the Lancaster Township Fire Department posted about the hit-and-run crash on Facebook, explaining that they were called at 2:29 a.m. to the incident near Buchanan Elementary School. There, they found the white Jeep, which had flipped onto its roof, according to the post. Firefighters said the Jeep was driven along South West End Avenue where it crashed, damaging four vehicles on the streets 300 block. A third vehicle, a silver Toyota Prius, was pushed into a black Chevrolet Malibu, firefighters said. The Prius' front and rear bumpers were damaged, and the Malibu received damage to its rear bumper. Three of the four vehicles belonged to the same family, firefighters said. The Jeep eventually flipped onto its roof, landing in the intersection of South West End Avenue and Fourth Street, firefighters said, adding that two street signs also were damaged in the crash. The Jeeps driver fled the scene after the crash, according to the post, which noted that responders were able to collect a copious amount of papers and photographs from the crash scene. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, and Manheim Township Police are investigating the incident. SHIPPENSBURG -- Michelle Sullivan was a senior at Williamsport Area High School when she gave birth to a son on June 9, 1992. She knew could not care for the baby so she and her family made plans to give the child up for adoption when he was born. Michelle Sullivan But the Shippensburg resident said she always has wondered whether he had been placed in a good home. She got an answer on Christmas Eve, in a letter she received from Williamsport attorney Scott A. Williams, who handled the private adoption. The letter said the adoptive father had authorized him to tell her that her 26-year-old son is in good health and studying for his PhD. "All I wanted to know if he had a good life and if I had made the right decision," Sullivan said Friday. "I did." Williams said he knew the boy was being adopted by a Christian family who then lived in Duncansville. "It was a real miracle" finding them because they had moved and he said he lost contact with them. "I'm so pleased they made contact with me," he said. He has passed on to Sullivan information that her son is single, really intelligent. He graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, earned his master's degree in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has traveled to more than 50 countries. "I gave birth to a genius," she said about the son she has never seen. It was an unplanned pregnancy with the father being a "cute" college student she met riding "the circuit" in downtown Williamsport, she said. It was a one-night stand, she said. He told her his name was Pete but, she said she does not know if that was his real name. She does not know his last name and doubts he is aware he is father, she said. Sullivan, a senior, gave birth after attending graduation rehearsal in the morning. She was discharged from the hospital in time to wear a cap and gown two days later. She started her search for information about her son on Facebook after he turned 18. One of her later posts, which included a picture of herself, stated: "I'm looking for the opportunity to know about the well-being of the child that I lovingly placed for adoption 25 years ago. There hasn't been a day when I did not think of the child and hope and pray that he was loved and well-cared for." Sullivan, who has a bachelor's degree in computer information technology from the Pennsylvania College of Technology, said she would like to meet her son someday. She has no plans to try to locate the adoptive parents, who she was told are retired. Williams believes they know how to contact her. Sullivan, who works in accounting at Foot Locker, said she has achieved her goal of knowing her son is well. She has a daughter, Caitlyn Davis, 24, in Florida from a brief marriage. Her father, Michael Toner, still lives in Williamsport but her mother, Diann Sullivan, died in 2006. Dry weather is expected for the rest of the weekend for most of Pennsylvania, but another storm system will make 2018s exit a wet one. The storm system will also bring rain to popular travel destinations just a few hours from central Pennsylvania for New Years Eve. Revelers from New Orleans to Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston should be prepared for wet weather if they will be heading out to parties or spending time outdoors for First Night activities, AccuWeather reports. Temperatures will also surge as a result of the storm, with highs in the 40s and 50s expected across most of the Northeast. Heres a look at the forecast for Harrisburg: Saturday - Some sunshine, increasingly windy. High: 45 Saturday night - Cloudy skies. Low: 31 Sunday - Partly sunny skies. High: 45 Sunday night - Partly cloudy skies. Low: 31 New Years Eve Mostly cloudy skies, occasional rain followed by steadier rain. High: 46 Monday night - Periods of rain. Low: 41 New Years Day Mostly cloudy skies. High: 56 Tuesday night - Low clouds. Low: 35 Two people died and one person was injured in a single-vehicle crash into a pole, according to Harrisburg police. The crash occurred around 6:48 p.m. Friday in the area of 7th and Schuylkill streets in Harrisburg. The car hit a pole and sheared it, police said. Two of the three occupants died at the scene, police said. The neighborhood did not lose power, but PPL was on the scene. The crash is under investigation. Its not every day that a company presents a work so original, both in concept and execution, with dancers so well suited to its unique strengths, as Stuttgart Ballet in Christian Spucks revival of Lulu. A Monstre Tragedy. Spuck, now artistic director at Zurich Ballet, choreographed the ballet while resident choreographer of Stuttgart Ballet in 2003. Amatriain (center) with members of Stuttgart Ballet. Photo Courtesy Stuttgart Ballet. Alicia Amatriain, who originated the title role, is the works throbbing heartbeat. Her Lulu is raw, with lanky and pulsing movements and a questionable moral compass. The score, an artful compilation of works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Alban Berg and Arnold Schonberg, alternates between sweeping waltzes, reeling circus jaunts and sultry cabaret stints, while dancers adapt to Spucks wavelike movement with stylish ease. But its the atmosphere that transforms the dancing into a living work of art. Spucks turn-of-the-century world is smoky and disheveleda sea of leering faces and blurry eyes. The story is told as a whirlwind of cameos that achieve dreamlike and grotesque confusion. Revived for artistic director Reid Andersons final season, Lulus reworked choreography and fresh take artfully signify how Stuttgarts dancers can sink their teeth into the unknown. 297 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Michael Hirtzer and Tom Polansek CHICAGO (Reuters) The U.S.-China trade war resulted in billions of dollars of losses for both sides in 2018, hitting industries including autos, technology and above all, agriculture. Broad pain from trade tariffs outlined by several economists shows that, while specialized industries including U.S. soybean crushing benefited from the dispute, it had an overall detrimental impact on both of the worlds two largest economies. The losses may give U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, motivation to resolve their trade differences before a March 2 deadline, although talks between the economic superpowers could still devolve. The U.S. and Chinese economies each lose about $2.9 billion annually due to Beijings tariffs on soybeans, corn, wheat and sorghum alone, said Purdue University agricultural economist Wally Tyner. Disrupted agricultural trade hurt both sides particularly hard because China is the worlds biggest soybean importer and last year relied on the United States for $12 billion worth of the oilseed. China has mostly been buying soy from Brazil since imposing a 25 percent tariff on American soybeans in July in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. The surge in demand pushed Brazilian soy premiums to a record over U.S. soy futures in Chicago, in an example of the trade war reducing sales for U.S. exporters and raising costs for Chinese importers. Its something thats crying for a resolution, Tyner said. Its a lose-lose for both the United States and China. Total U.S. agricultural export shipments to China for the first 10 months of 2018 fell by 42 percent from a year earlier to about $8.3 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The most actively traded soybean futures contract averaged $8.75 per bushel from July to December 2018, down from an average of $9.76 during the same period a year earlier. As of Dec. 28, futures in the last month of the year were averaging $8.95-1/2 a bushel. That was down from $9.61-3/4 for all of December last year. To compensate suffering farmers, the U.S. government has allocated about $11 billion to direct payments and buying agricultural goods for government food programs, after consulting economists, including Tyner. In North Dakota, which exports crops to China through ports in the Pacific Northwest, soy farmers face at least $280 million in losses because of Beijings tariffs, said Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union. You could almost put another $100 million on top of this because all commodity prices are down and that affects North Dakota farmers indirectly, Watne said. Chinas tariffs improved margins for U.S. soy crushers such as Archer Daniels Midland Co by leaving plentiful supplies of cheap soybeans on the domestic market. Chinese soybean mills, on the other hand, front-loaded soy purchases ahead of the tariffs. This led to an oversupply that reduced Chinese processing margins and led factories this summer to make the biggest cuts in years to the production of soymeal used to feed livestock. China resumed purchases of U.S. soybeans in early December following a trade truce agreed to by leaders from the two countries during G20 summit in Argentina. But Beijing kept its 25 percent tariffs on the oilseed from America, which effectively curbed commercial Chinese buying. With the tariffs, the beans cant go into the commercial system, said a manager at a major Chinese feed producer, speaking on condition of anonymity. The buying will have a very limited impact on the market. China also suffered as products such as phone batteries were hit by U.S. tariffs, and customers began looking to buy from other countries. A study commissioned by the Consumer Technology Association showed U.S. tariffs on imported Chinese products cost the technology industry an additional $1 billion per month. The conflict also squeezed U.S. retail, manufacturing and construction companies that had to pay more for metal and other goods. Input price pressures remained elevated in part due to tariffs, particularly in manufacturing and construction, and firms were struggling to pass these higher costs onto customers, the Dallas Federal Reserve said. The Big Three Detroit automakers General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have each said higher tariff costs will result in a hit to profits of about $1 billion this year. The pain is ongoing, economists say: Ford and Fiat expect a similar hit in 2019. (Reporting by Michael Hirtzer, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Tom Polansek in Chicago, Ann Saphir in San Francisco, Humeyra Pamuk and David Lawder in Washington, Ben Klayman in Detroit and Hallie Gu in Beijing. Editing by P.J. Huffstutter and Jonathan Oatis) 1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard y Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) The Trump administration on Friday said limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants were not necessary as their costs outweighed the benefits, sparking an outcry among environmentalists who say the move favors the coal industry at the expense of public health. Under the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, or MATS, enacted under former President Barack Obama, coal-burning power plants have been forced to install expensive equipment to cut output of mercury, which can harm pregnant women and put infants and children at risk of developmental problems. Since August, the Environmental Protection Agency has been reconsidering the justification for the rule. A coalition of electric utilities has pushed back on the potential loosening of requirements, saying they have already invested in technology to cut emissions of the dangerous pollutant. A study published this month by Harvard Universitys School of Public Health said coal-fired power plants are the top source of mercury in the United States, accounting for nearly half of mercury emissions in 2015. It said the standards have markedly reduced mercury in the environment and improved public health. In a statement issued on Friday during a partial government shutdown, the EPA said the emission standards of the MATS rule would remain in place. But it proposed withdrawing justification for the requirements after re-examining its cost analysis. EPA is proposing that it is not appropriate and necessary to regulate HAP (Hazardous Air Pollution) emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants because the costs of such regulation grossly outweigh the quantified HAP benefits, it said. EPA said its reassessment showed the cost of compliance with MATS was between $7.4 billion to $9.6 billion annually, while the monetized benefits were between $4 million to $6 million. It also said the identification of unquantified benefits was not enough to support the standards. Among the unquantifiable benefits are reduced healthcare costs, breathing cleaner air and drinking cleaner water, environmentalists say. The policy (Acting EPA Administrator) Andrew Wheeler and (President) Donald Trump proposed today means more pregnant women, young children, and the elderly will be exposed to deadly neurotoxins and poisons, just so wealthy coal and oil barons can make a few extra bucks, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Mary Anne Hitt said in a statement. Wheeler is a former coal industry lobbyist. Virtually every coal plant in the U.S. has already met this lifesaving standard, and now Trump is recklessly trying to roll it back, she said. PLEASE STOP HELPING The coal industry had challenged a 2016 conclusion by Obamas EPA that the rule was justified because savings to U.S. consumers on healthcare costs would exceed compliance costs. The calculations accounted for how pollution-control equipment would reduce emissions of other harmful substances in addition to mercury. Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has targeted rolling back Obama-era environmental and climate protections to maximize production of domestic fossil fuels, including crude oil. U.S. oil production is the highest in the world, above Saudi Arabia and Russia, after a boom that was triggered more than a decade ago by improved drilling technology. Trumps industry allies, including Robert Murray, CEO of private coal mining giant Murray Energy Corp, had complained that the MATS rule contributed to the demise of the coal business by triggering hundreds of coal-fired power plant shutdowns and driving coal demand to its lowest in decades. U.S. coal-fired power generation has fallen more than 40percent since a peak in 2007, while natural gas-fired generation soared by about the same amount, according to the EnergyInformation Administration. Utilities demand for U.S. coal is projected to fall further this year, by around 2.5 percent to 648.2 million short tons, the lowest in 35 years, according to the EIA. Electric utilities and utility groups favoring the rule asked the administration in July to keep it in place. They noted that billions of dollars in investments for anti-pollution equipment have already been made, and costs are being recovered from electricity customers through regulated pricing. This is like when your four-year-old kid tries to clean up your kitchen it actually makes things worse. Please stop helping, said a utility industry lobbyist based in Washington, who asked not to be named. The rule itself forced coal plant shutdowns, but they arent coming back. EPA said it will take comment for the proposal for 60 days and will hold at least one public hearing. (Additional reporting by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Dan Grebler) 4.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A new poll shows that 60 percent of U.S. voters want Donald Trump impeached and removed from office or formally censured. The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll that came out yesterday says that a large majority of American voters polled think there needs to be some kind of action taken against Trump at this time. Given the fact that federal prosecutors have not charged the president with a crime or even released any evidence saying he has committed crimes, these are surprisingly high numbers. The poll shows that the small amount of information about Trumps crimes that has been reported in the media is enough for the majority of voters to form opinions about Trump. The implication is that once special counsel Robert Mueller and other federal prosecutors issue indictments then public opinion will turn even more against the president. Trump will probably also be hurt when Mueller releases his final report on the Russia investigation sometime in the next few months. The poll also shows that Americans have different views concerning how far Congress should go after Democrats take over the House majority next Thursday. The poll asked voters for a response to the question of what actions Congress should take concerning Donald Trump. The choices were: Trump should be impeached and removed from office for his actions, Trump should be censured by Congress, and Congress should take no action. The poll found that 39 percent of respondents believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office. It is possible that a House of Representatives controlled by Democrats would bring impeachment proceedings against Trump. It requires only a simple majority vote by the House to impeach a president, but the Senate must also take action to remove him from office. Conviction in the Senate requires a two-thirds vote, which means 67 senators would have to vote to remove Trump from office. With just 47 Democrats in the new Senate, this would be highly unlikely, unless more evidence comes out concerning Donald Trumps crimes. An additional twenty percent of poll respondents said Congress should vote to formally censure the president. Forty-one percent of respondents chose #3: Congress should take no action. This latest poll has results similar to other polls in recent months which show the percentage of voters who believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office in the range of 32 percent to 43 percent. The percentage of voters who believe he should be censured has stayed in a range between 14 and 22 percentage. The percentage of voters who believe that Congress should take no action has remained in the 40-percent range for several months. It is likely that these poll numbers wont change much until new damaging information comes out that implicate Trump in more crimes. He already faces criminal investigations into whether and how much his presidential campaign colluded and conspired with Russians to help him win the 2016 presidential election. Several weeks ago federal prosecutors implicated the president in the Michael Cohen case concerning hush money payoffs made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal to keep them quiet about affairs they had with Trump before he became president. In Cohens sentencing memo, federal prosecutors said Trump illegally directed the payments to the two women in violation of federal campaign finance laws. The payments can be considered illegal contributions to the Trump campaign. Forty-nine percent of voters polled said they favor trying to impeach Trump over the hush money payoff allegations, 51 percent do not. Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, said: When it comes to going after the president on campaign violations, a narrow majority of voters said it would be a repeat of 1998 when President Clinton was acquitted over charges he lied about sexual affairs. Voters are evenly split on whether they believe Robert Mueller has uncovered evidence that Trump campaign officials coordinated with Russians during the 2016 election. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they believe he has, while another 39 percent say that he has not. 7.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Ever since the Steele Dossier was published Michael Cohen has denied that he has ever been in or near Prague in the Czech Republic. But most people thought he was lying. This week McClatchey reported that there is convincing evidence that his cell phone was used near Prague in 2016, so we thought this was proof that Cohen has been lying all along about the Prague visit. "Four people spoke with #McClatchy on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of information shared by their foreign intelligence connections. Each obtained their information independently from foreign intelligence connections." McClatchy (@mcclatchy) December 27, 2018 But now there is speculation that Cohen is telling the truth. The thinking is that he himself was not in or near Prague in 2016, but someone else from the Trump campaign was there with one of his cell phones. This is plausible because when the FBI raided Cohens office and hotel room last April they took into their possession over a dozen cell phones. Why did Cohen have so many cell phones? Its likely that most of them were burner phones such as the kind used by drug dealers and other criminals. The idea is that a temporary cell phone cant be traced, so the criminals use them for a small number of calls and then throw them away. Except Michael Cohen didnt throw his away. He stuck them in a drawer in his office so the FBI could find them and use them as evidence. This sounds really dumb until you realize that Cohen may have kept them to prove the complicity of his boss, Donald Trump, in his crimes. So who would have taken a Cohen burner phone to Prague in 2016 to secretly meet with Russians and arrange for their help to elect Donald Trump president? Well, it turns out that there was a member of the Trump campaign who was more senior even than Michael Cohen who is fluent in the Czech language and has traveled extensively to Prague. That persons name is Donald Trump, Jr., whose mother Ivana Trump was born and raised in Prague. And Ivanas father lived near Prague and was visited by Don Jr. many times during his childhood. So for Don Jr. to visit Prague would not be surprising or suspicious, since he has been going there his whole life. This leads us to the following headline in Daily Kos: Cohen Wasnt In Prague, But He Hears Its Beautiful In The Summertime. Is Michael Cohen Trolling Don Jr.? This article has a link to a video of Donald Trump, Jr. speaking fluent Czech and explaining how he and his family went to the Czech Republic every summer for 2 months while he was growing up. The article mentions Cohens tweet also where he said, after the McClatchey story came out: I hear #Prague #CzechRepublic is beautiful in the summertime. I wouldnt know as I have never been. #Mueller knows everything! I hear #Prague #CzechRepublic is beautiful in the summertime. I wouldnt know as I have never been. #Mueller knows everything! Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) December 27, 2018 Whats interesting is how Cohen uses the phrase I hear. Who would he have heard from that Prague is beautiful in the summertime? How about his bosss son, Don Jr.? That makes a lot of sense. It also makes sense that Don Jr. would use a burner phone provided by his fathers fixer to make calls to Russians, thinking this would protect him from exposure. If Mueller knows everything, but Cohen was never there, then it is likely that Mueller has the burner phone proving the calls were made to Russians, just as was outlined in the Steele Dossier. This would confirm whatever Cohen has already told Mueller about who made the Prague trip if it wasnt him. As the Daily Kos article points out, Cohens tweet wasnt necessary. He could have kept silent. But maybe he was sending a message to the person who actually WAS in or near Prague in 2016. Maybe he was trolling Don Jr., which would fit within his character. As the article concludes: Tweeting that, you hear its beautiful in Prague, and Mueller knows everything, seems very odd when you are under the eye of a prosecutor and you dont need to and shouldnt be tweeting anything. It almost seems like youre not tweeting for your followers, but that you are trying to send a message to a very, very, few people. Eventually we might learn what Mueller already knows, but for now we have to be satisfied with learning small bits and pieces of the truth. And this week we may have gotten some hints that fill in key parts of the puzzle concerning the Prague trip that would prove there was an illegal conspiracy between Russia and the Donald Trump campaign. 946 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The incoming head of the House Armed Services Committee has vowed to expose all of Donald Trumps lies. Even before he takes over this important committee, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), has given the president a taste of what difficulties he will face with a new Democratic majority starting January 3rd. According to Smith, Constant misinformation from the president is a real problem in a democratic society, and we in Congress have got to do our best to hold him accountable. A few weeks ago Smith promised that under his leadership the committee would no longer allow Trumps falsehoods to go unchallenged. The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported. Smith was reacting to a tally of inaccurate claims by President Donald Trump, in speeches or tweets, on issues military people and veterans care about, such as the size of pay raises, the purpose of border deployments, assertions of readiness in disarray before he became president, and his premature claims of expanded health care choices for veterans who rely on the VA medical system. The latest occurred during Trumps visit with U.S. troops in Iraq on Dec. 26, when he said again, as he did in May, that the big pay raise you just got 2.4 percent in January, a 2.6 percent increase to take effect next month was the first raise in more than 10 years, according to a White House transcript. Trump added, falsely, that the military raise was 10 percent. Smith also has stated publicly that he and his committee will strongly oppose Trumps plan to create a new Space Force which he believes is misguided, unnecessary and a waste of money. In addition, Smith said that in his view it was not necessary to continually increase the bloated budget of the U.S. military by 5 percent every year, which Trump and other Republicans have demanded. As for Mexican border security, Smith said Trump doesnt understand the issue. Over the past 12 years, the border security budget has quintupled, resulting in a significant decline in unlawful border crossings, Smith said. Smith has promised that as he holds the purse strings to military appropriations in the U.S. budget, he will hold the Defense Department accountable for the hundreds of billions of dollars that they spend every year. He pointed out that under Trump and a GOP House the nations total debt has also skyrocketed to $22 trillion and will soon be increasing by $1 trillion each year. Interest on that debt will surpass the size of the defense budget this fiscal year. According to Smith, he will not be able to ignore these numbers. The debt hangs over everything, he said. 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump falsely blamed the Democrats for his policies that are killing migrant children along the southern border. Trump tweeted: Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They cant. If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try! The two.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018 children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadnt given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018 Trump was lying as he blamed the Democrats NBC Newss Jacob Soboroff had previously explained why Trumps blaming of Democrats is a lie. Video: Trump blames Dems for migrant kids dying. No. DHS told reporters child hasnt died in CBP custody in 10 years now two in a month. Deterrence policy funneling migrants to deadly crossings started under Clinton but *only* targeted families under Trump. pic.twitter.com/vfyEZZi3kt Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) December 29, 2018 Trump is targeting families and children Trump is intentionally using extreme tactics to harm children and families in an effort to create a crisis at the border that will make Democrats pay for his wall. [mashtweet tweet=When Donald Trump blames Democrats for the deaths of migrant children on the border, he is lying. text= username=@politicususa] The Executive Branch of the government implements immigration policies. The deaths of innocent children who were seeking asylum in the United States are on the hands of Donald Trump. No one, except for the die-hard Trump cultists believe that Democrats are responsible for these deaths. Trumps ham-handed attempts to pass the buck arent working, as every move that he makes puts another crack in the foundation of his crumbling presidency. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 824 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Donald Trumps anti-climate Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday a change in policy that could lead to thousands of pollution-related deaths per year. According to The New York Times, The Trump administration proposed on Friday major changes to the way the federal government calculates the benefits, in human health and safety, of restricting mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants. The report notes that the administration concluded the cost businesses have to pay for the environmental protections are too high to justify the clear health benefits. In other words, saving money for a pro-Trump special interest group is more important than saving lives. More from The New York Times: [The rule change] drastically changed the formula the government uses in its required cost-benefit analysis of the regulation by taking into account only certain effects that can be measured in dollars, while ignoring or playing down other health benefits. The result could set a precedent reaching far beyond mercury rules. It will make it much more difficult for the government to justify environmental regulations in many cases, said Robert N. Stavins, a professor of environmental economics at Harvard University. In announcing the proposed rule, the E.P.A. said that the costs to industry in installing pollution controls ranged from $7.4 billion to $9.6 billion annually, while the health benefits of cutting mercury ranged from $4 million to $6 million annually. In other words, it said that the costs of the rule outweigh the benefits. The Obama rule prevented 11,000 premature deaths and thousands of other health issues As The New York Times pointed out, Among other things, the Obama administration calculations estimated that the rules would prevent 11,000 premature deaths not from curbing mercury itself, but from what is known as a co-benefit, the reduction in particulate matter linked to heart and lung disease that also occur when a plant reduces its mercury emissions. The Trump administrations revised procedures would essentially ignore co-benefits and count only the direct potential benefits of cutting mercury. Not only does that open the door to thousands of premature deaths, but as the report also pointed out, it could lead to nearly 5,000 more heart attacks and 130,000 more asthma attacks. It has become abundantly clear not only that the Trump administration rejects the science of climate change, but that they care very little about the devastating impacts that some types of pollution have on people especially if it gets in the way of lining energy industry pockets. After promising to drain the swamp of special interest money, the president is shaping policy based on what the fossil fuel industry wants and it could cost thousands of American lives. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 4.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Donald Trumps presidency continued its tailspin on Saturday with a new poll showing that just 22 percent of Americans will definitely support him in 2020. According to a CAPS/Harris survey obtained by The Hill, Democrats will start the presidential election with a major advantage. The poll found, Thirty-three percent said they would definitely vote for the Democrat in that race, while 11 percent who will probably vote for Trumps eventual Democratic opponent. For Trump, the definitely number stands at just 22 percent with another 11 percent saying they will probably support his re-election. Combined, that gives Democrats a 44 to 33 percent double-digit edge ahead of the 2020 campaign season. The majority also wants Trump impeached or censured In more bad news for the president, another CAPS/Harris survey obtained by The Hill this week showed that a majority of the country supports Trump being impeached or censured by Congress. According to The Hill, Asked whether Trump should be impeached and removed from office for his actions, censured by Congress or whether Congress should take no action, 39 percent of respondents said Trump should be impeached and removed from office. Another 20 percent believe Trump should be censured by Congress, which is essentially a public expression of disapproval. Enthusiasm is still with the Democrats After Democratic victories all across the country in November, the blue wave of enthusiasm hasnt dissipated. It likely wont until Donald Trump is adequately held accountable or removed from office. As the polling indicates, not only do Democrats have a huge advantage heading toward the 2020 campaign, but a majority of the country wants action taken before that to rein in this president and prevent further damage from being inflicted. With the public on their side, Democrats will take power in just a few days with a mandate to hold this corrupt, out-of-control president accountable. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. Half of Southerners believe the US was founded as 'explicitly Christian,' new poll finds Abigail Darlington is a local government reporter focusing primarily on the City of Charleston. She previously covered local arts & entertainment, technology, innovation, tourism and retail for the Post and Courier. Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine. Angie Jackson covers crime and breaking news for The Post and Courier. She previously covered the same beat for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com in Michigan. When shes not reporting, Angie enjoys teaching yoga and exploring the outdoors. 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. Assistant Columbia bureau chief Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill. Alan Nakagawa wanted to change the way people in Los Angeles perceive streets. So last year the artist created an interactive exhibit at a city bus shelter that housed a light green, cylindrical "perfume box." Commuters could stick a hand inside and activate a spritz of scent. Nakagawa developed the perfumes at a lab in Chinatown, and each represented something different: Into Town smelled like California sagebrush. Economic Development first smelled like lavender, but quickly changed to a coffee scent. The idea, he said, was to try to evoke conversation and alter the sensory character of the street. "We perceive through our senses. Changing an element of that sense may help how we perceive traffic," Nakagawa said. "So I proposed we change the smell of traffic." For a year, Nakagawa created art projects in his role as the Los Angeles Transportation Departments artist in residence. Fresh approach to planning While transportation agencies typically are stodgy behemoths, slow to adopt changes and filled with engineers who rely on data and scientific principles, some numbers-minded officials have been trying to think creatively. So theyre turning to artists like Nakagawa to bring a fresh approach to projects and planning. A growing number of cities are hiring visual artists, musicians and performers to work on small- and large-scale projects that deal with transportation, often in collaboration with arts and culture agencies. Artists have designed colorful crosswalks, created displays about historical events at highway underpasses and put on performances to draw people to neighborhoods disrupted by light rail construction. A handful of cities have gone even further, creating artist-in-residence programs hosted by transportation agencies, such as the one in Los Angeles. Next year, Washington will become the first state to do so. "This isnt like commissioning a piece of artwork," said Barbara LaBoe, a spokeswoman at the Washington State Department of Transportation. "This is bringing in someone with an artistic sensibility and fresh eyes who can help us identify or develop new programs or improve the way we do something." Government officials envision that these programs will help generate creative solutions to long-term transportation problems, such as reducing congestion and making streets safer for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, and get communities more involved in the planning process, especially when residents and businesses will be affected by construction and road projects. "We are trying to advocate for experimenting with new approaches. That can be a hard sell for organizations like DOTs," said Ben Stone, director of arts and culture for Transportation for America. His nonprofit advocacy group is funding and administering the Washington state project through a $125,000 grant from ArtPlace America, a public-private partnership. Affects peoples lives Washington states transportation department hopes to have its artist in residence on board by March, LaBoe said. The artist, who will get a $40,000 stipend and $25,000 for materials and related expenses through the grant, will spend a year embedded in the agency, rotating through 10 divisions during the first four months. A committee of staffers from the transportation department, Transportation for America and ArtPlace America will interview and select the artist. "The goal will be to investigate how decisions are made," Stone said. "City and state DOTs control so much of the public space we interact with every day. Their (the officials) job is thinking about how people move through it, but less on how infrastructure impacts peoples lives." Transportation officials need to consider, for example, how they communicate with the community about upcoming projects, the kind of barriers they put up around highways and the type of surroundings that people wait in at train or ferry stations, Stone said. As Washington begins its program, officials there can look to cities that already have done it. In Los Angeles, Nakagawa worked on about a dozen projects during his yearlong residency that ended last year at the transportation department. He was paid $20,000. A local artist with a background in sound and music and visual arts, Nakagawa loved the gig and said it was important to be able to spend lots of time with the engineers, watching them in action. "We want to look at government as a monolith, but it is people. If you get paid to do an artwork for a site, youre only going to have interaction with a handful of them, or maybe just one," he said. "If youre an artist in residence, you meet hundreds of people. It was an amazing experience." Meeting of the minds Nakagawa held a workshop for the engineers in which a professional storyteller taught them how to humanize their presentations to the public and communicate stories people would be interested in, rather than use dull, technical PowerPoint slides. "The engineers said theyre trained not to tell stories, to be objective. We were telling them to be subjective," Nakagawa said. "It was an amazing moment a meeting of the minds." Nakagawa also recorded oral histories of agency staff past and present and produced a series of podcasts about the history of transportation in Los Angeles, including memories from one of the first female engineers. Many of Nakagawas projects used public art to heighten awareness of traffic fatalities. In one, he produced two zines, which are small self-published works of texts and images. Both focused on pedestrian safety and traffic in Los Angeles and were filled with stories, photos and artwork from photographers, visual artists and poets. Nakagawa said the artist-in-residence program, in which the transportation department partnered with the Department of Cultural Affairs, was a way for government to put a fresh spin on its mission to end roadway deaths. "LA DOT is trying to save lives," he said. "They thought art could help soften the edge of the message and at the same time be fun and inclusive." Touching history The Seattle Department of Transportation envisioned something different for its artist-in-residence program. It focuses on producing art and performances that explore the role of the citys three historic ship canal bridges. Artists are embedded, but do not live, in a tiny space in one of the 101-year-old drawbridges towers, where they can work on their project and experience the bridge firsthand. They are paid $10,000 for a four-month contract, which can be extended. The program is run by the Office of Arts & Culture and the transportation department, which funds it through a city ordinance that requires that 1 percent of its construction budget be spent on art. "Our program draws attention to these beautiful old bridges that bring a real sense of civic pride," said Kristen Ramirez, the transportation departments project manager and a former artist in residence at Seattles historic Fremont Bridge. One artist in residence was a Native American writer who researched and wrote two historical essays about the bridge canal and how it impacted indigenous people in the region. Another was a musician-composer, who is composing a piece about the Fremont Bridge for eight string instruments that will debut in May at Seattle Town Hall, a historic performance venue. The transportation department also hired an artist-in-residence team to create a lighting plan for the three bridges to "make them sparkle," Ramirez said. So far, lights only have been installed on one of them the Fremont Bridge because of funding. Offering artists space to work in the bridge towers helps them as well as the public, who can enjoy the work they produce, Ramirez said. "Were having an affordability crisis in Seattle. A lot of artists are leaving the city," she said. "They cant afford studio space, so this gives them a place to do their work." While city artist-in-residence programs still are rare, a growing number of local governments are turning to artists for a range of projects that deal with transportation. In Orange, N.J., artists and archaeologists worked on a project in 2016 that used oral history, murals and ethnography to tell the story of what it was like for African-American and Italian-American neighborhoods before an interstate highway cut through the center of town in the 1960s. Bridging that gap In Indianapolis, the citys public transportation agency, arts council and other groups collaborated on a project last year called Moving Stories, which gathered tales from bus riders and shared them through images and quotes displayed in buses, as well as with interactive components on social media. And in Oakland, the transportation department this summer rolled out "Paint the Town," a beautification program that offered community artists supplies and gave them permission to paint temporary street murals at intersections and mid-block sections of streets. The melding of art and transportation will only become more popular, said Seattles Ramirez. "Bridging that gap between artists and engineers and people focused on transit can be very challenging," she said. "But this is a burgeoning, emerging field, and it will bring more imagination, color and beauty to our communities." Cherry Grove Cowboy Church will be held at Cherry Grove United Methodist Church starting at 6 p.m. Jan. 6. Cowboy Church is nondenominational and another way of spreading Gods message through music. The service includes a mix of country, Christian country, cowboy and Southern gospel, and bluegrass music. Musicians are welcome, and should contact Cindy Seabright at seabright.cindy@gmail.com or 507-272-1682 one week prior to the service. Cowboy Church services are held the first Sunday each month. Cherry Grove United Methodist Church is at 18183 160th St. in the small community of Cherry Grove, rural Spring Valley. The church is handicap accessible. You dont have to be a cowboy to visit! Church hosts six-week yoga sessions Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester will host "A Path of Peace: Yoga and Meditation" for six Tuesdays starting Jan. 8. The yoga sessions from from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on six dates: Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, and Feb. 5 and 12. The physical practice of yoga prepares the body, breath, mind, and spirit to enter into the quiet space of meditation. Participants will begin each session with a gentle yoga practice and conclude with a guided meditation. The class is suitable for adult beginners as well as those experienced in yoga who wish to deepen their practice. All aspects of the practices are adaptable to practice in a chair or with assistive devices. Class leader is Patricia Barrier, a registered yoga teacher who teaches gentle and adaptive yoga, beginner yoga and Vinyasa flow classes at public and private venues in the local Rochester area. All equipment is provided or bring your own yoga mat. Participants should arrive 10 minutes early to set up. Cost is $90 for the entire six-week session payable upon registration via PayPal, credit card or cash/check. Register by calling the church office at 507-282-9429. Calvary Episcopal Church is at 111 Third Ave. SW. Learn about yourself when you create a collage Learn more about yourself and explore the possibilities that lie ahead in an upcoming event at Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester. Participants in the event will create SoulCollage cards, in a transformative process of creating personal cards for greater awareness of your inner wisdom. In a relaxed and supportive space, spend time with images, assembling collages, composing reflective writing using a journaling technique while tapping into your intuition and spirituality. No artistic experience is necessary. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at the church. The participation fee is $20, for which all the workshop materials are provided. Call the church office at 507-282-9429 to sign up. If you have questions, email Elise at hollymaedesigns@icloud.com. Calvary Episcopal Church is at 111 Third Ave. SW. Over the past three decades I have gotten a handful of reports of mountain lions, or cougars, spotted in the Rochester area. Those that are verified are usually attributed to wandering males from out west looking for a mate. However, of the other two wildcats that can be found in Minnesota, the bobcat seems to be making inroads to once again expand its range into the southern part of the state. Recently I got an interesting tip about an area bobcat sighting, not in the Whitewater or Root River valleys, but right in the city limits of Rochester, less than three miles from downtown. Checking it out, I am confident it was an actual bobcat, even though a very grainy photo was the only evidence, other than coming from someone I believed a reliable source. Bobcats are the most common of the three wild Minnesota felines, which along with the cougar mentioned above, also include the lynx. Although bobcats are mostly found north of Interstate 94 in Minnesota, they can be found throughout most of the U.S., and once were even common in southern Minnesota. Hunting and agricultural practices are believed to be what extirpated them from this part of the state until their recent return. Bobcats feed mostly on smaller mammals such as rabbits and squirrels, but can take a fawn or adult deer, even though bobcats seldom weigh more than 40 pounds. In decades past they were often shot when raiding farmyards, although current confinement of most farm animals has reduced that problem. And, although I could find no reports of pets being taken by bobcats in Minnesota, in other states, including Texas and California, there have been a few pet losses reported due to bobcats. According to John Erb, a DNR furbearer biologist based in Grand Rapids, the increase of bobcat sightings might be more due to movement north from Iowa rather than south from northern Minnesota. He bases this on DNA sampling taken of bobcats in both states, with Iowas bobcat concentration being mostly in the south, or along the eastern river corridors. John also says that bobcat numbers in northern Minnesota have increased over the past couple decades, most likely due to increased logging, which opened up areas more preferred by bobcats. Thicker boreal forests along the Canadian border, and further north, are the favored habitat for Lynx. John estimates current bobcat numbers in the state to be in the 5,000 to 7,000 range from spring to fall. And, even though he spends a lot of time in the woods, he indicated he has "only seen one in the wild." Bobcats are legal to take by firearms or trapping in northern counties, with a five-cat limit per person. Data shows an average of 1.2 taken by those who try to harvest these elusive cats, rarely seen by humans. With depressed fur prices, a Minnesota bobcat hide might be only worth about $100. Interestingly, John stated "bobcats from western states, with a bit more coloration than ours, might bring $1,000 each for making full coats, hoods, or other clothing trim". Although bobcat sightings are increasing in southern Minnesota, John said there are no current plans to extend hunting and trapping to our region, although he said it may be possible in the future. I questioned, why harvest rarely seen animals like bobcats and otters, and John indicated "it helps to get data for management, and doesnt appear to limit or reduce the overall population." When I shared the story of the recent bobcat sighting in Rochester with a friend, he indicated an acquaintance told him of seeing bobcats in the same location a couple years ago. Given both reports were along a river corridor, habitat favored over open fields by bobcats, I suspect Rochester has had other bobcat visitors over the past few years. More than likely, most of us will never see a bobcat in the wild around here, although you may be able to see both a bobcat and lynx at Oxbow Park. However, if you do see one in the wild, I hope you are able to shoot it with a camera. And, if so, make sure to report it to DNR officials. The big ships keep coming Port Canaverals way as Norwegian Cruise Line will send its first Breakaway-Plus class ship to the Florida port in 2020. Norwegian Escape was the first of four ships in the fleets largest class when it debuted in 2015. The 164,600-ton, 4,200-passenger vessel would surpass Norwegian Epic as the lines largest ship to call Port Canaveral home. The cruise line is now in its second season with Norwegian Epic, and will send the slightly smaller, although newer, Norwegian Breakaway to the port for 2019-2020. The port is also home to one Oasis-class ship from Royal Caribbean and will be the first home for Carnivals new XL-class ship Mardi Gras when it debuts in 2020. Escape is one of the cruise lines best-rated ships. It has a lot of Florida influences, from the hull artwork from marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey to the first Margaritaville at Sea. Also on board is a version of Miamis famed Tobacco Road blues bar, a craft beer hall that partners with Wynwood Brewing Company and a dining partnership with restaurateurs Jose Mendin, Andreas Schreiner and Sergio Navarro of The Pubbelly Restaurant Group, which has several dining concepts in South Florida. Other notable features of the ship include a massive water park, ropes course and a spa with a snow room. Escape will sail five- and seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries starting Nov. 21, 2020. It will also offer two- and four-night Bahamas cruises. Sailings will stop in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Cayman Islands; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The short Bahamas cruises will make stops in Nassau, Freeport and Great Stirrup Cay. Elsewhere, the lines newest ship, Norwegian Encore, which will debut in 2019, will return to Miami along with Norwegian Joy, which has spent most of its life sailing the Asian market. Norwegian Epic, meanwhile, will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico. "We are so pleased with the variety of itineraries we are providing, including positioning sister ships, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Encore, to sail from the cruise capital of the world, where we can showcase the ships stand-out amenities to thousands of guests each week," said Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart in a press release. Also on tap for 2020 will be Norwegian Breakaway back in New Orleans, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Gem from New York, Norwegian Jade from Tampa, Norwegian Pearl from Miami, Norwegian Bliss from Los Angeles including a couple of Panama Canal crossings to and from Miami plus some round-trip Miami sailings as well. Overseas, Norwegian Jewel will sail Australia and New Zealand cruises while Norwegian Star will sail South American cruises. New itineraries are already on sale. For more details, go to www.ncl.com. But wait a minute. Cant we see the night sky simply by stepping outside after dark and looking up? Well, yes. But for most of us, that means seeing the glow from artificial lights reflecting off clouds, water vapor and dust particles in the air. Its called sky glow; the night sky is so bright, its hard to see the stars. For most of the time people have lived on this planet, the night sky was inky dark and filled with visible celestial objects. Its inspired poets and dreamers, artists and scientists, linking humankind with its past and perhaps its future, as people looked to the sky to ponder lifes mysteries. Its only been in the last 100 years or so that light and air pollution have diminished those views. And its only been in recent years that people have started traveling in search of what has been lost, whether its seeking out spots in the Midwest or venturing farther afield in the Southern Hemisphere. "Were seeing dark-sky tourism as a reaction against our increasingly busy, tech-filled lives," said Daniel Levine, a travel trends expert and director of the Avant-Guide Institute, a global trends consultancy. "Its a chance to decompress, be somewhere quiet and be awed by the biggest question in life: Why are we here?" Southern exposure Hoping for a dark-sky experience, myself, earlier this year, I headed to a mountain plateau west of the Andes in Chiles Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth and a mecca for astronomers and stargazers. I settled in at the small town of San Pedro de Atacama with plans to do some stargazing and to visit the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Better known as ALMA, its billed as the "most complex astronomical observatory ever built on Earth" by the U.S.-based National Radio Astronomy Observatory. In cooperation with the Chilean government, an international partnership from North America, Europe and East Asia built and operates the facility. Scientists from around the world share time on the telescopes for research. The town is a tourist center with muted lighting and dirt streets lined with restaurants, souvenir shops and tour operators offering desert adventures. It seemed there was a stargazing operator on every block. I worked with Astronomic Tour Licanantay Observatory, a company that mixes astronomy with culture to explore the night sky and how it was interpreted by the ancient Atacameno people. (Another good option is San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations, or SPACE. Except for the days around the full moon, both companies offer nightly tours leaving from San Pedro.) A late-night, half-hour bus ride took me out of town into the desert. After climbing out of the bus, I stopped in my tracks. It was so dark I couldnt see the ground. But no one needed to point out the Milky Way: There it was up above, a vast streak composed of billions upon billions of stars packed so close together, it seemed as though one blended into another. These "envoys of beauty" (Ralph Waldo Emerson) and "jewels of the night" (Henry David Thoreau) that made Vincent van Gogh paint masterpieces were on display for me in a place where the ancient Atacamenos were long-ago astronomers. Guided view About a dozen people on our tour spent the next hour sitting on wooden benches lining a raised platform while a guide pointed out the stars, constellations and planets. He talked about the people who lived here long ago, when there were so many stars twinkling in the skies that people named the dark spaces in between them, similar to the way we name constellations. We had a telescope at our disposal for magnified viewing, but I preferred just looking up and listening to him talk. Before it was over, each of us posed for a photo with the Milky Way as a backdrop, providing a nice souvenir. The next morning, I got a tour that was decidedly more scientific at ALMAs Operations Support Facility, an engineering marvel open to the public Saturday and Sunday mornings. Admission is free, but its best to make a reservation well in advance at almaobservatory.org/en. Click on "Outreach" and "Visits." Perched 6,000 feet above the operations facility, the radio telescopes arent within view of the public, but people can see the data pouring into computers monitored by scientists. The facility has an extensive education program that can keep visitors entertained for hours. Because most of us dont have access to clear skies like those in the Atacama, destinations offering dark-sky experiences have become tourist attractions. Its part of a larger trend of so-called astro tourism, according to Levine, the travel trends expert. "We are living in a new age of space awareness," he said. "People are looking to the skies as never before." Witness the crowds who traveled to see the solar eclipse in 2017, and others taking trips to experience the Northern Lights. Vanishing wonder Even before astro tourism took off, the International Dark-Sky Association had raised the alarm that the visible night sky is a vanishing natural wonder. Formed 30 years ago, the association has designated more than 100 locales around the world as dark-sky places, ranging from light pollution-minded suburbs such as the Chicago suburb of Homer Glen and the small Indiana town of Beverly Shores, where shields on street lighting keep the illumination focused downward, to dark sky parks in the Southwest U.S. and much larger reserves or sanctuaries in places such as Namibia and New Zealand. Utah has the worlds highest concentration of IDSA-certified parks, some of which offer regular stargazing events. Sue Ann (Schreiber) Fakler, age 68, of Osage, Iowa, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City, Iowa, from complications following the heart attack she suffered the previous week. Sue was born on Aug. 17, 1950, to Robert and Marjorie (Bosshardt) Schreiber in Faribault. She attended school in Albert Lea, and graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1968. After high school, she completed a one-year secretarial certification at Austin Junior College. Following her certification, Sue worked for nine years as a secretary for Albert Lea Manufacturing Company (ALMCO) in Albert Lea. On May 27, 1973, she was united in marriage with Jerome Martin Fakler in Albert Lea. In 1978, following the birth of her firstborn son, Sue transitioned from her secretarial position to a rich and fulfilling life as a full-time homemaker. She loved to cook meals for her family, friends, and other loved ones. Sues search for new and interesting recipes was unending, and she often read cookbooks like many would read mystery novels. She also greatly enjoyed other crafts such as sewing, knitting, and crocheting, and made thoughtful gifts of her completed projects to many people in her life. Sue believed cooking and crafting were some of the best ways to serve those she held dear, and she spread her love of all of these abilities throughout her family, including patiently teaching children and grandchildren these important skills. Sue was a member of the United Church of God, where she played piano for both hymns and special music, sang in the choir, and served her local congregation in countless other ways. Memorial services for Sue will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 1100 37th St. NW, Rochester. United Church of God Elder, Ron Peterson, will officiate. Visitation will take place from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, at the same location. He was called a hero by his community and hometown after taking actions that helped save dozens of lives in California's deadliest wildfire in history. Vietnam War veteran Frank A. Funes Jr. woke up early on Nov. 8 to a plume of smoke billowing outside his bedroom window. Spot fires were spreading outdoors as the Funes family, including his wife, Guam-native Barbara Ann, prepared to evacuate, but the destruction of a community he helped build tugged at Funes' heartstrings. The Purple Heart recipient decided he would drive his water truck, which held 2,000 gallons of water, to spray spot fires as they ignited near the street along the 9 miles out to the main road. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. I watered about 4 or 5 miles of blowing flames and smoke. I blew my horn all the way to safety, Funes said. At least eight cars parked on the side of the road, trapped by fire and blinded by smoke, joined Funes in a caravan as he cleared the way and led them to safety. He estimates at least 25 people initially trapped were able to reach the main road. I like helping people. It comes naturally and I am not afraid of the devil. Been this way all my life, Funes said. The anti-conservative bias exhibited by Silicon Valleys tech giants and its impact on our cultural and political life is a huge topic that we have addressed many times. This post will just note a few recent developments. Tyler ONeil reports on Facebooks consideration of dueling bias claims: On Tuesday, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced a few results from the civil rights audit led by former ACLU lawyer Laura Murphy. That audit focuses on liberal concerns like voter suppression and targeting of minorities. How voters could be suppressed on Facebook is anyones guess. But this liberal audit, in which groups like the NAACP, Color of Change, the Human Rights Campaign, the Urban League participated, is dear to the hearts of those who run Facebook: Sandberg personally endorsed the civil rights audit, writing, the civil rights audit is deeply important to me, and its one of my top priorities for 2019. For some reason, Facebook is conducting an entirely separate investigation into bias claims by conservatives, which has not been similarly endorsed by the companys management. The results of that investigation, which is being carried out by Covington & Burling, a highly-respected Washington law firm, will be released next year. I can give the Covington lawyers a head start, based on testimony by Jeremy Tedesco of the Alliance Defending Freedom before the House Judiciary Committee, highlighted by Mark Pulliam. Put aside for a moment the fact that Facebook, as Tedesco testified, once banned the Declaration of Independence as hate speech, and generally suppresses any criticism of, or opposition to, abortion. The problems go deeper. For one thing, Facebook has adopted the European Unions restrictive (and non-American) views on hate speech: Facebook takes its cues on hate speech from Europe. Along with other tech giants, it signed an agreement with the European Commission to suppress hate speech online, including all forms of intolerance. Liberals generally define intolerance and hate speech to include more or less everything with which they disagree, so that tolerance requires suppression of views other than their own. Orwell should have thought of that one. But there is more. Where does Facebook turn for advice on what constitutes hate speech? Silicon Valley polices hate speech and intolerance by delegating their regulation to far-left advocacy groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center. Facebook acts on the SPLCs advice to identify hate speech, which in the SPLCs opinion includes mainstream religious or conservative views. Our readers probably know that the SPLC, apart from being the worlds richest organization with the word poverty in its name, is a thoroughly-discredited hate group that exists only to pursue a far-left political agenda. We hope that future defamation cases, like the $3.375 million settlement the SPLC recently paid to Islamic moderate Maajid Nawaz, drive the SPLC into bankruptcy. But that process, given the SPLCs vast offshore riches, could take a while. Meanwhile, we are stuck with their vicious slanders. Mr. Tedesco testified on behalf of the Alliance Defending Freedom, which the SPLC libeled as a hate group: Amazon excluded ADF from the Smile program after five years of participation based solely on SPLCs ideologically driven hate group designation. SPLCs designation of ADF as a hate group is, frankly, preposterous. ADF is one of the nations most respected legal organizations advocating for the freedom of every American to peacefully speak, live, and work according to ones convictions without fear of government punishment. Since 2011, ADF has won nine victories in the United States Supreme Court, including: National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, 138 S. Ct 2361 (2018) preventing states from requiring pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise for abortion or otherwise undermine their pro-life message; Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 138 S. Ct. 1719 (2018) overturning a court order requiring a cake artist to create custom wedding cakes celebrating same-sex weddings based on religious hostility; Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, 137 S. Ct. 2012 (2017) barring the government from excluding religious institutions from a grant program that enables qualifying applicants to purchase rubber playground surface to ensure childrens safety; Geneva College v. Burwell & Southern Nazarene University v. Burwell, 136 S. Ct. 1557 (2016) (these two ADF cases were consolidated with Zubik v. Burwell, which vacated lower courts rulings against the schools and remanded for further proceedings, stating that the government may not enforce the abortion-pill mandate until the issue is resolved); Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (consolidated with Conestoga Wood Specialties), 134 S. Ct. 2751 (2014) striking down federal burdens on ADFs clients free-exercise rights; Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 135 S. Ct. 2218 (2015) unanimous decision upholding a churchs free speech right to place signs inviting people to its services on equal terms with other signs; Town of Greece v. Galloway, 134 S. Ct. 1811 (2014) upholding a towns practice of opening its public meetings with prayer; Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn, 131 S. Ct. 1436 (2011) dismissing an Establishment Clause challenge to Arizonas tuition tax credit program, which allows residents to claim a tax credit for donations to private organizations that provide scholarships for children to attend private schools. Recently, one expert ranked Alliance Defending Freedom first among [t]he top performing firm[s] in the nation because it won all four of its decisions before the Court during the five-year period spanning 2013-2017. So the U.S. Supreme Court is a hate group too, apparently. And the Constitution, like the Declaration of Independence, is a hate document. Dont laugh: that is exactly what the SPLC thinks. Maybe Facebook agrees. We will have much more to say about the left-wing dominance of supposedly neutral platforms like Facebook during the months to come. In the meantime, it is safe to say that any platform that relies on the Southern Poverty Law Center to police hateful contentcontent which is, almost always, protected by the First Amendmentis a tool of the Left. McClatchy News reporters Greg Gordon and Peter Stone are the authors of the latest version of the Russia hoax story featuring Trump attorney Michael Cohens putative trip to Prague to work out the details of the Trump campaigns collusion with the friends of Vladimir Putin. The story is more of the same bushwa they have been peddling for some time (see below). The byline of Gordon and Stone is a sort of fake news guarantee. The Daily Callers Chuck Ross notes that their current story is based on third-hand information. I would call that information, with quotation marks of its own. Gordon and Stone own the byline on my nominee for the fakiest story of 2018: Lawyer who worked for NRA said to have had concerns about groups Russia ties. The story smeared Cleta Mitchell with another thread of the Russia hoax, this one allegedly involving the NRA. We can infer that the smear was planted in his accustomed style by Fusion GPSs Glenn Simpson with his friends at McClatchy. Chuck Ross was on the case. Rosss August 13 Daily Caller story Fusion GPS founder shared false story about GOP lawyer in meeting with DoJs Bruce Ohr presented the final piece in the puzzle of the trail from Simpson to the Department of Justice, Congress and McClatchy. The smearing of Cleta Mitchell by Glenn Simpson via McClatchy News replicates in small the techniques that Simpson used to conjure the Russia hoax and roil the United States over the past two years. Please note: Simpson and Fusion GPS have at all relevant times worked on behalf of the Clinton presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and other prolific Democrat funders. I wrote Cleta to ask if she had anything she wanted to add to the August 31 Wall Street Journal editorial Anatomy of a Fusion smear. Oh, yes. Indeed she did. Earlier this year I invited readers to retrace my steps: A word from Cleta Mitchell: Drawing on her own experience at the hands of Simpson and his friends at McClatchy, Cleta comments: I was vociferous about the false story they [the McClatchy reporters] were told, and which they repeated. Simpson should be prosecuted for making false statements to federal investigators [as set forth in the Journal editorial]. Thats a crime. The Mueller investigation should be stopped. Ended. It is built on lies and false narratives from beginning to end. Cleta Mitchell: Glenn Simpson is a liar: Cleta forwarded a copy of the April 24 letter from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to her this past April. In the letter the committee requested records of her contacts with specified Russian and Russian entities. I have posted that letter here. Cleta responded to the committee by letter dated May 8, 2018. In her letter Cleta wrote: I have no information about any of the individuals referenced in your letter. Whatever stories Glenn Simpson, Dan Jones, and other operatives associated with FusionGPS, have told your staff about me, they are lying. They have made false statements regarding my knowledge, or role, or information in my possession related to the persons listed in your letter none of whom had I ever heard of before reading their names in the erroneous news reports falsely accusing me of having some information that you now think I have. The story is false and you are wrong. I have nothing whatsoever to say on this topic other than it is a lie, completely fabricated and concocted by Glenn Simpson & Co. You should be pursuing them for perjury and for making false statements to congressional investigators. I embedded a copy of Cletas letter at the bottom of the Glenn Simpson is a liar post via Scribd. Fake news: A case study: Cleta forwarded a copy of her email correspondence with Stone and Gordon before and after their publication of the story retailing Simpsons smear. I pasted it into a single document and posted it in its entirety at the bottom of this post. Here the reader can see with his own eyes that Stone and Gordon had nothing to back up the substance of their smear. The smearing of Cleta Mitchell: Martha MacCallum usefully reviewed the story and invited Cleta to discuss it briefly on her Fox News show. I have reposted the video of this six-minute segment below. Anatomy of a Fusion smear (1): In this post I trace the circumstantial evidence laying the smear at the feet of Glenn Simspon and Fusion GPS. Anatomy of a Fusion smear (2): We are getting to know Glenn Simpson and his modus operandi. He works with his media friends under the veil of anonymity. There is no good excuse for the anonymity that Simpsons conduits in the press grant him. The Fusion smear follows a template with four hallmarks in the news stories that disseminate it after it has been planted. I lay out the template and illustrate it with examples in this post. Anatomy of a Fusion smear (3): In this post we follow the trail of Glenn Simpson to ProPublica with a little help from Sharyl Attkisson. Attkisson knows what she is talking about. Anatomy of a Fusion smear (4): Stone and Gordon are still pushing the line that Michael Cohen visited Prague in 2016, assumedly in furtherance of the Trump campaigns collusion with Russian intelligence. They reported that Mueller has the evidence, but where is it? Who says? Glenn Simpson and Fusion GPS have not given up their efforts to undermine Donald Trump. The Federalists Sean Davis reported earlier this year CONFIRMED: Former Feinstein Staffer Raised $50 Million, Hired Fusion GPS And Christopher Steele After 2016 Election. The mission continues unabated. Four NGOs, including Oxfam and Greenpeace, have initiated legal proceedings against the French government, claiming that France has defaulted on its environmental obligations by eliminating, under intense pressure from Yellow Vests, the stiff carbon tax it had imposed. The initial filing gives the government two months to formulate a response, after which the organizations can choose to move forward with their lawsuit in administrative court. To an American lawyer, the lawsuit might seem absurd. To my knowledge, France has no legal obligation to impose the carbon tax. Nor, in our system of jurisprudence, is there a general cause of action against the government for not doing enough to combat a particular problem. Otherwise, I might sue our government for not doing enough to keep criminals off the streets. According to this source, however, governments have been sued successfully for not doing enough to protect the environment: In 2015, an NGO and 886 plaintiffs won a case against the Dutch government for not doing enough to reduce domestic greenhouse-gas emissions. The judge ordered the government to reduce emissions by at least 25% within five yearsa ruling recently upheld in appeals court. In Colombia, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a suit brought forward by 25 children against their government for not halting the deforestation of the Amazon. Im pretty sure some left-liberal judges in America would love to issue similar orders to our government. But we havent reached the point where such rulings would stick. We may get there, but not for a while. As for the French lawsuit, it would be fascinating to see how the Yellow Vests would respond if a tribunal ordered the government to reinstate the carbon tax. Lets hope we dont find out. The Palais de Justice in Paris is a beautiful building. Id hate to see it set ablaze. French enviros claim there is no tension between their lawsuit and the Yellow Vests: What [the Yellow Vests] want first and foremost is social justice and financial justice. And there will be no social justice without action for the climate, In Our Common Interest President Marie Toussaint told reporters. Her group is one of the four non-government organizations seeking to sue France. Global warming feeds on inequalities and strengthens them. It strikes the most fragile first. It is destroying our economy and our territories. So, it can be a process that can be done in parallel, Toussaint said. The best way to enact the carbon tax is to offset it with a subsidy for those who rely on transportation, she added. Thus far, the Yellow Vests have demonstrated little interest in subsidies. Nor have I seen evidence that they desire the lefts version of social justice. Maybe Ms. Toussaint will be able to persuade them that the carbon tax is in their interest. However, shed be well-advised to make her case at a safe distance. This Washington Post article about homicide rates in Baltimore is important for two reasons. First, it confirms with updated statistics the killing spree that followed attacks on policing in Baltimore after Freddy Grays accidental death. Second, it demonstrates why recidivism rates based on arrest statistics vastly understate the amount of crime committed by those released for prison. This point has major implications for the federal jailbreak legislation that recently became law. First, the homicide stats. The Post reports: Baltimore has seen a stunning surge of violence, with nearly a killing each day for the past three years in a city of 600,000. . . . Baltimore is also one of 30 cities that have seen an increase in homicides in recent years, with the greatest raw number increase in killings of any city other than Chicago, which has four times the population. . . . The wave of violence here began not long after the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray. . .Its an open market, open season for killing, said Daphne Alston [a co-founder of Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters United], whose son Tariq was murdered in 2008. After Freddie Gray, things just went berserk. (Emphasis added) Actually, it was the left that went berserk. Local politicians failed to back the police when thugs rioted. They brought baseless charges against officers involved in the Gray incident (an African-American judge found each of the defendants whose cases he decided not guilty on all counts). The Obama Justice Department attacked the police department in a heavy-handed effort to force it to adopt, in effect, criminal friendly policing practices. Not surprisingly, officers became passive, morale plummeted, and the police force shrank. And, as the Post demonstrates, homicides surged. This is mostly old news. The new element in the Posts story a related one is the inability of Baltimores police force to solve homicides: [H]omicide arrests have plummeted. City police made an arrest in 41 percent of homicides in 2014; last year, the rate was just 27 percent, a 14 percentage point drop. . . . For most of the decade before 2015, Baltimores annual homicide arrest rate hovered at about 40 percent. Since 2015, the arrest rate hasnt topped 30 percent in any year. And while most cities saw their arrest rates drop gradually, Baltimores decline was sudden plummeting 15 percentage points in 2015, after Grays death, the largest single-year drop for any city already solving less than half its homicides. Theres no mystery here. A depleted, demoralized police force is going to struggle to solve crimes, especially when crime is increasing. And a police force thats demonized by politicians and the federal government is probably going to receive less help from residents in solving crimes than a force thats not under concerted assault. But heres the point thats relevant to legislation, like the recent jailbreak bill, that results in less jail time for criminals, especially felons. The inability of the police to solve crimes means that the recidivism statistics based on arrest rates vastly understate the amount of crime released prisoners actually commit. The accepted practice is to calculate recidivism based on re-arrests. The shockingly high recidivism rates that result from this calculation demonstrate that early release and shorter sentences will produce huge amounts of crime that would have been avoided in the absence of leniency legislation. Proponents of leniency argue that recidivism statistics are misleading because not everyone whos arrested is actually guilty. Thats true, of course. Occasionally, police officers make mistakes. But the leniency advocates are hiding the ball as is their wont. The Baltimore experience shows how common it is for crime to result in no arrest. This is true not just of crimes like theft that sometimes arent even reported, but also of homicide, the most serious form of crime. Even before the Freddy Gray effect kicked in, Baltimore officers were solving only about 40 percent of homicide cases, which is fairly typical of big cities (nationwide, the rate is about 60 percent). Now they are solving just slightly more than one-quarter of them. Even without accounting for unsolved crimes, recidivism stats are alarming. Five out of six prisoners end up rearrested within nine years, according to a recent Justice Department study. 77 percent of drug offenders are rearrested for serious nondrug crimes, such as murder and rape. Think of how much worse the numbers would be if the police were more successful in arresting criminals. No wonder Team Jailbreak fought, successfully, against an amendment offered by Sen. Tom Cotton that would have required disclosure of crimes committed by those who obtain early release under the Dick Durban/Mike Lee (Donald Trump/Jared Kushner/Heritage Foundantion/Van Jones)) legislation. Their main argument was that recidivism stats are misleading because not all arrests result in convictions. This argument is misleading, at best, as we have seen. The real reason for opposing Cottons amendment is that recidivism information must be hidden, lest the backers of this legislation be held accountable for the dire consequences of their brainchild. Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Winston Churchill Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. Inscription on the Liberty Bell The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said there were a total of 591 Ebola cases, 543 of which are confirmed, and 357 deaths, 309 of which are confirmed, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It said some aspects of the response to the Ebola outbreak had been temporarily disrupted in Beni and Butembo following election-related violence and general strikes. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the UN and partners working in DRC have reaffirmed their commitment to stay and deliver in support of the Ministry of Healths fight against the Ebola epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. WHO explained that its officials remained in place, ready to resume critical field work, including vaccinations, contact tracing, and following up on alerts of potential new cases as soon as security permits. The UN health agency said there had been no interruption in the response elsewhere. Following the scale up in the response since August, substantial progress has been made in beating back the disease in many areas, including the recent decrease in new cases in Beni and the vaccination of over 53,500 persons to protect against the disease. WHO said that partners had also made progress in gaining community acceptance, which was critical to the response, but remained fragile. The UN agency called on everyone to protect health facilities and provide access for responders to the affected populations so as to stop the Ebola outbreak. The population must also have safe access to transit and treatment centers that save lives and stop the spread of Ebola, WHO added. Protests have reportedly erupted in three key towns Beni, Butembo and Yumbi following the Governments decision to postpone elections there, amid fears of Ebola transmission, and an uptick in violence by armed groups. In Beni, protests at Government buildings spilled into an Ebola transit centre, causing panic among both those seeking services as well as health workers. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director General of WHO warned that it would be a tragedy for the local population, if the disease were to come back, as they have already suffered too much. Working side by side with DRC health authorities and partners, the priority is to end the Ebola outbreak, he said, adding we cannot afford to take a step back at this critical point in the response. (NAN) About six weeks to the 2019 presidential election, most Nigerians are probably unaware of the circumstances under which one of the frontrunners, Atiku Abubakar, left his first public service career 30 years ago. Mr Abubakar is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he served as vice president between 1999 and 2007. He has also been adopted by about four dozen minor parties under the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), making him the main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari who is seeking re-election on the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Abubakar will be standing in the crucial election almost three decades after he left the then Department of Customs and Excise on April 30, 1989, over his disappointment at being denied the top position in the agency; and the lure of politics. He had joined the agency as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent on June 30, 1969, a few weeks after taking a diploma in Law at the Institute of Administration of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. When he joined the Customs at the age of 23 years, he had drawn a graph anticipating his career progression from Cadet to heading the agency by age 40. I told myself that if by the time I was 40 years old I did not head the organisation, I would quit, Mr Abubakar said in his authorised biography, ATIKU: The Story of Atiku Abubakar. The 338-page book was written and published in 2006 by the late Adinoyi Onukaba, who at the time was Mr Abubakars Senior Special Assistant on Media. According to the accounts of Mr Onukaba, who died in 2017 while trying to escape a roadblock by armed robbers in Ondo State, Mr Abubakars joining the Customs was fortuitous. Fortuitous entrance into Customs It was the period of the Nigerian civil war which broke out in 1967 as an immediate consequence of the first military coup of January 15, 1966, that sacked the Nigerian First Republic and the counter-coup that followed six months later. As the war raged on, some radical university students did not feel comfortable with the general indifference of Nigerian students to the unfolding tragedy in the country, Mr Onukaba stated in the book. They began to mobilise their colleagues in support of the war to keep Nigeria one. There were demonstrations by students in support of the Federal Government. From Zaria, Atiku and other students marched to Kaduna to demonstrate against French support for Biafra. Twice they were arrested and detained briefly by the police. One day after participating in a protest in front of the French Consulate in Kaduna, Atiku marched off to the headquarters of the First Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna to sign up for the war. He told the recruiting officers to take him, that he was ready to go to the war front to fight. The officers took a long look at him and then dismissed him: We are looking for school certificate holders and not undergraduates. Atiku, frustrated and disappointed, headed back to Zaria. Before completing his diploma in Law programme in June 1969, a team from the Federal Civil Service Commission came on a recruitment drive to the university. The departure of Ibo from the Federal Civil Service and federal agencies and parastatals had left many vacancies. The team was touring Nigerian universities to interview graduating students interested in filling up such vacant positions. Atiku attended the interview. By chance one of the interviewers found in his file a report that he had been found suitable to join the police force and had in fact received some training in 1966. This information was brought to the attention of the chairman of the interview panel who promptly ruled: O.k., you go to the Department of Customs and Excise. Atiku Abubakars early years in the Nigeria Customs and his marriage to Titi Abubakar That was how Atiku joined the Customs in June 1966. Bitter Disappointment Fast-forward to 18 years later in 1987 and Mr Abubakar was appointed Deputy Director of Customs and Excise in charge of Enforcement and Drugs. As one of the six deputy directors, he was in the line of succession to the post of Director, as the head of the agency was then known. The incumbent, Abubakar Musa, was his friend but their relationship was no longer cordial. Despite having played a role in Musas appointment by lobbying two key ministers (in the Second Republic), Ali Baba and Abubakar Iro Dan Musa, Atiku felt that as Director of Customs Musa surrounded himself with people who were telling him that he (Atiku) was after his job. For eight years Atiku was kept on one rank Assistant Comptroller. He was disappointed that his friend could allow people to come in between them and destroy a relationship of many years. It was only after Musa was retired that Atiku was able to move up. He was promoted thrice from Assistant Comptroller to Deputy Comptroller, Comptroller and Deputy Director on the same day by the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Brigadier John Shagaya, who oversaw Customs following the removal of Customs from the Federal Ministry of Finance. In the unending reorganisation of the Department by successive governments, the Customs, Immigration and Prison Service Board (CIPB) was established with the Minister of Internal Affairs as Chairman. The Board was responsible for appointment, promotion and disciplining of Customs staff. In February 1988, the post of Director of Customs was moved from Level 16 to 17 while the six Deputy Directors were moved from Level 15 to 16. In addition, 18 Assistant Director positions were created on Level 15 and six zonal commands were set up as part of the decentralization of the service, which was aimed at facilitating quick decision-making. Mr Abubakar hoped to be appointed Director after Mr Musa retired from service and Mr Shagaya recommended him for the appointment to the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida. His father-in-law, Aliyu Musdafa who was then the Lamido of Adamawa, also put in a word for him following which Mr Babangida assured the traditional ruler that he would do it. High profile appointments, such as Director of Customs and Excise, are political. Merit counts but political connection counts more. Atiku knew he had to lobby the right people and drop hints at the right places that he was available to lead the Customs, Mr Onukaba wrote. Mr Abubakar was confident of bagging the appointment, more so too that he counted the military president among his friends. Atiku had known Babangida since 1974 when he was just a Major. They met at a party in Lagos, and became good friends. In 1982 when Babangida, then a Major-General, imported a BMW car into the country, it was his friend, Atiku, who helped him to clear it from the Lagos ports. Babangida was not the only top military officer or prominent civil servant that Atiku had assisted. Mr Abubakar narrated to the author: They would import cars and come and hand over the documents to me. I paid duties on those cars from my own pocket. What could I do? They were all my friends and they did not want to go through the hassles at the ports. Being the man on the ground, they wanted me to do that for them. I enjoy helping people. According to Mr Onukaba, Since taking over power in 1985, Atiku had not asked him (Mr Babangida) for anything. The only matter before him was Shagayas recommendation for him (Atiku) to be appointed Director of Customs. It was a position for which he felt he was eminently qualified. He thought Babangida would not hesitate to give it to him. Indeed, Babangida approved Shagayas recommendation. But before it could be made public, a group of eminent Gongola State (the state was later broken into the current Adamawa and Taraba states) indigenes in his government pleaded with the President to drop Atiku. Ibrahim Babangida, Former Nigerian head of state They said there were already too many functionaries of the administration from the state. If Atiku were appointed, they said, other states would protest the preponderance of Gongola State people in top government positions. At the time, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Gambo-Jimeta, the Chief of Air Staff, Ibrahim Alfa, and the Minister of Education, Jubril Aminu, were the most visible members of the government from the state. Murtala Nyako, then a Vice Admiral, was hoping to be made the Chief of Naval Staff. He might have also felt that giving the Customs top job to Atiku could affect his chances. Some people considered Atiku already too powerful and uncontrollable in the state and they felt that making him the Director of Customs would give him too much clout. Atiku was seen as an upstart, a boy from nowhere who was already threatening those who saw themselves as the power brokers in Gongola State. They did not want somebody outside their circle to rise, was how an observer put it in an interview. Babangida yielded to pressure from those people and appointed an outsider, Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed, as Director. Mr Mohammed would later become National Chairman of the PDP. Naturally, Atiku was disappointed. From that period, Atiku said he could not trust Babangida again. He felt Babangida was not firm and reliable. It was not the first time that Babangida had disappointed both Atiku and the Lamido of Adamawa. Mr Abubakar found working under his new boss, Mr Mohammed, most frustrating. According to the book, Mohammed was not comfortable with having around him someone who had competed with him for the same position. He felt he could never trust Atiku and that Atiku would not be loyal and committed to his success in the job. He wanted Atiku gone. Thrice he recommended him for retirement, but thrice Shagaya turned it down. Atiku went to see Shagaya and told him that he would like to leave service voluntarily because he did not want to be disgraced out of office. Shagaya advised him not to quit. Atiku had at least 10 more years to go in the service and Shagaya felt he could still head the agency before his retirement. But Atikus soul was no longer in the Customs. He needed to move on. He had always wanted to work for himself anyway. He asked for his annual leave and it was approved. He left for the lesser hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Before his departure, Atiku had written his resignation letter (dated April 28, 1989), put it in an envelope, sealed and given it to his friend, Adamu Yaro, to hand it personally to Bello Mohammed, his boss. He enclosed in the letter the receipt of the payment into government treasury of his three months salary in lieu of notice. Atiku had by then packed out of his Reeve Road official flat in Ikoyi and moved into a spacious, furnished guesthouse owned by NICOTES (his oil services company) on Bourdillon Road in Ikoyi. He had established Nigeria Container Services (NICOTES) with an Italian friend, Gabrielle Volpi in 1982 while serving as Customs Area Administrator at the Apapa Ports. The company was later renamed INTELS after it was seized by the regime of late Head of State, Sani Abacha. The new name was retained after the company was returned to the original owners after the death of Mr Abacha. Politics: You will run Nigeria by age 52 One of those Atiku consulted about his planned resignation was his old friend from Apapa Ports, Oyewole Fashawe. He visited Fashawe at Owo, his hometown. Like most of his friends, Fashawe advised him not to rush out of Customs until he had served as Director. But Mrs Lydia Ijamolayemi, Fashawes mother, had a different opinion. She advised Atiku to leave the Customs and embark on the journey God has destined for him. Five years earlier, she had visited Atiku in his office in Lagos and predicted that Atiku would be presiding over the affairs of Nigeria by age of 52 to 55 years. The matriarch of the Fashawe family was well known all over Owo and beyond as an extraordinarily gifted seer. Mr Abubakar jumped into politics at the deep end of the pool. In fact, he was attending meetings of the political association of his friend and business associate, Shehu Musa YarAdua, a year before he quit the Customs. Mr YarAdua had retired from the Nigerian Army as a Major-General in 1979 after serving as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters between 1976 and 1979. Mr Onukaba narrated how the paths of the two men crossed. How Atiku met YarAdua While in office one day, Atiku was informed that Shehu Musa YarAdua, the retired Major-General and deputy to Obasanjo, was waiting to see him. Atiku invited him in. The General entered and they greeted each other warmly. It was the first time Atiku was meeting him. He was simple and humble. YarAdua wanted an import license to bring beans from Niger Republic for sale in Nigeria. Since leaving office in 1979, the General had gone into business to keep body and soul together. His business included agriculture, banking, shipping and manufacturing. Some of them, such as agriculture, banking, shipping and manufacturing businesses had been disastrous, due largely to unstable government policies, mismanagement and inadequate supervision. Now, the General wanted to try his hands at buying and selling. Atiku told him that he would have to write an application to President Ibrahim Babangida for an import license. He showed him how to write it. YarAdua thanked him and left. He wrote the application as Atiku had advised and Babangida gave his approval. He obtained the import license, imported the beans from Niger Republic, sold it and made a lot of money. He felt he needed to show appreciation to the Customs officer who had assisted him. He offered Atiku a token of appreciation, but Atiku declined, saying it was not necessary. He said he was just doing his job. Atiku and his political mentor, Shehu Musa Yaradua YarAdua was highly impressed. In an organisation known for its endemic corruption and other unethical deals, he was happy to find one decent officer. From that day, a friendship developed between YarAdua and Atiku. They discovered they had a lot in common: they had both been big time farmers; both had interest in maritime business; and they shared a common vision for Nigeria. YarAdua briefed him about his own efforts to build a grassroots political movement that would be the vanguard of a new Nigeria with a common purpose. He wanted Atiku to work with him to realise that vision. Mr Abubakar would later offer 20 per cent of the shares of NICOTES to Mr YarAdua. By that time, the company had turned into a multi-million dollars enterprise and made Mr Abubakar fabulously wealthy. Early involvement in politics In fact, Mr Abubakars involvement in partisan politics dated much further back to 1983 when he worked for the election of Bamanga Tukur of the then National Party of Nigeria as governor of the Gongola State. He said he had always been involved in the affairs of his immediate community in the state. I was spending all the money I had to assist people and the community. If people needed employment, they came to me for assistance. As much as our people appreciated my little contributions, I felt I was not doing enough. I began thinking seriously about the possibility of using political power to transform the lives of our people, of using political power to help more people and to continue to render social services, but this time, on a grander scale. Honestly, this was when I really began to consider going into politics after retiring from service, Mr Abubakar explained. By 1988, Mr Abubakar had started attending regular meetings at YarAduas Ikoyi home. Earlier in 1987, on the second anniversary of his coup, Mr Babangida set up a 46-member Constitution Review Committee and a Constituent Assembly to debate and adopt a new Constitution. He also created a National Electoral Commission (NEC) and placed a ban on past politicians from seeking and holding public office for 10 years effective from the date the ban on politics would be lifted. Intels office building (Photo Credit: The Guardian) While waiting for Babangida to lift the ban on politics, YarAdua and his group began to put together the structure of a political party. From Peoples Front of Nigeria to Social Democratic Party A month after Atiku formally left the Customs, the Babangida administration lifted the ban on politics in May 1989. The President also announced a revised transition timetable that would lead to the establishment of elected civilian government on October 1, 1992. The YarAdua group immediately unveiled its political association, the Peoples Front of Nigeria (PF). At its first national convention in June 1989, Atiku was elected one of the National Vice Chairmen of the party. Atiku had won the position as a result of his substantial contributions to the association Among the original founders of the association, he was the wealthiest and had one of the widest contacts. He and YarAdua paid the initial expenses of the PF. Besides income from NICOTES, his oil servicing company, he had become a big time trader. With his friend, Peter Okocha, he imported green tea from China, long before the communist country became the favourite destination of many importers. Business was so good that Atiku bought three Mercedes Benz 600 series for himself, Okocha and YarAdua. Money as well as his personal qualities brought him respect and influence within PF. NICOTES The PF was one of the 80 political associations that applied to NEC for registration in 1989. Although NEC prequalified 13 of the associations and recommended them to Mr Babangidas Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) for approval, on October 7, 1989, Mr Babangida announced that the AFRC had decided not to register any of them because they were set up by the same discredited politicians who must not be allowed back in power. Instead, he set up two new parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) and asked politicians to join either of the two. Although Mr YarAdua, like other politicians, was shocked that Mr Babangida refused to register his association, he and his group later joined the SDP. That very year, Mr Abubakar ran a tempestuous race against his local political rival, Bala Takaya, for the SDP governorship ticket in Adamawa, which led to both of them being banned from the race by Mr Babangida. In 1993, he was drafted by the YarAdua group to run for the presidential ticket of the SDP, after Mr YarAdua had the previous year been banned following the cancellation of the partys presidential primary which he was on the verge of winning. He came third in the first ballot, behind the late Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe. He supported Mr Abiola to win the race during the second ballot. Hours after naming Africas richest man on the special advisory committee to President Muhammadu for his re-election, the presidency has clarified that the businessman is not actually a member of the campaign team. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Dangote was named among seven members of the advisory committee in a list provided by Mr Buharis spokesperson, Femi Adesina. Another businessman, Femi Otedola, was also on the list; while the other five were politicians. The other five are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; APC national leader; Bola Tinubu; Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan; House of Representatives Leader Femi Gbajabiamila; and the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. The advisory committee was one of the committees listed in the APC Presidential Campaign Council. The naming of the two businessmen was condemned by many Nigerians including the main opposition party, PDP. In another statement on Friday night, however, Mr Adesina explained the status of Mr Dangote. It has become imperative to further clarify the status of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, named under the sub-head ADVISORY MEMBERS in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council announced on Friday, December 28, 2018. Africas richest man, not being a card-carrying member of APC, cannot, and is not member of the PCC. He is also a member of the Peace Committee, and thus cannot be in a partisan campaign council, Mr Adesina said. The spokesperson did not explain why the advisory committee was listed as part of the PCC or whether his exemption of Mr Dangote also applies to the other six members of the advisory committee. In its reaction to the naming of Messrs Dangote and Otedola, the campaign organisation of the PDP said it was an improper action by the president. He (Buhari) is simply out to blackmail them because by the time they fund his campaign, he will turn around and call them corrupt businessmen., a spokesperson for the PDP campaign, Kassim Afegbua, was quoted as saying by Vanguard Newspaper. Mr Afegbua said both men should have been named in the economic team and not the campaign council. These people are businessmen, not politicians. These are the kind of people Nigerians expect to see in the economic management team because of what they have done for this country. Many other Nigerians have been reacting to the naming of Messrs Dangote and Otedola in the advisory committee. A Twitter user, @chosensomto, said: Ill wait for Dangote and Femi Otedola to accept the appointment into Buharis Campaign before i comment. Reasons; 1. People rejected Buharis appointment in the past for different reasons; one of which was appointing people without consent. 3. He has appointed dead people before. The convener of #EndSARS @Segalink while reacting said: Nigeria is a funny country. It is okay for Femi Otedola and Alhaji Aliko Dangote to be on GMBs campaign organisation in the bid to ensure he Cements his reign upon the ruin of the Nation but All Hell will break loose if @segalink supports Atiku, Sowore or FELA Durotoye?! What they are doing with Femi Otedola and Dangote now was what they Punished the MD of SkyBank for. His only crime was funding the election of an admin they loathe. Hypocrisy and identity politics of hate will implode this cult. Mark my words. #NeverAgain Nigeria is a funny country. It is okay for Femi Otedola and Alhaji Aliko Dangote to be on GMBs campaign organisation in the bid to ensure he Cements his reign upon the ruin of the Nation but All Hell will break loose if @segalink supports Atiku, Sowore or FELA Durotoye?! SEGA L'eveilleur (@segalink) December 28, 2018 Another user who reacted with handle @SmithVinci said the inclusion of Mr. Dangote and Mr. Otedola will make sending Mr Buhari to Daura, his hometown easier in 2019. I think its a good thing that Buhari has Dangote and Otedola on his campaign team. It will make sending him back to Daura a bit easier. Dangote Truck to pack his load, Otedola Forte Oil to fuel the truck. Olawoyin Eedris, a social media influencer who tweets with the handle @Olawoyin4u, said the businessmen will be used by APC to spend huge funds in the election. With that list now, if APC spends Trillions of Dollars on 2019 General Elections, they will tell you the money is from Dangote and Otedola. #AnotherScam Also, @Naijadailyfeeds said: Buhari is doing so much to get rich people on his team so he can have more financial support for his election campaign. Quick puzzle, if buhari did so well from 2015 to date, would he need people like Dangote, otedola on his side? or would he be giving out 10k to bribe traders? However, @Yaqlumb said: Dangote and Otedola on released APC list shows the real investors know the party that is getting it right.They know Atiku as past VP and Investor. So also Obi Mr container economy. Atiku/Obi is a confirmed bad market. @APCUKingdom @apcyouthomoodua @ynabena @OfficialAPCNg Dangote and Otedola on released APC list shows the real investors know the party that is getting it right.They know Atiku as past VP and Investor. So also Obi Mr container economy. Atiku/Obi is a confirmed bad market. @APCUKingdom @apcyouthomoodua @ynabena @OfficialAPCNg Yaplumb- Laycon Da Icon (@Yaplumb1) December 28, 2018 Also, @aibinuola wrote: Hmm #Dangote and #Otedola have never openly declared their support for any political party in #Nigeria. What changed? They both realised that #Buhari is different and means well for #Nigerians. Good move. Hmm #Dangote and #Otedola have never openly declared their support for any political party in #Nigeria. What changed? They both realised that #Buhari is different and means well for #Nigerians . Good move. Aibinuola (@1Vitalsplash) December 28, 2018 The two businessmen are yet to speak publicly on the appointment. The presidential election holds on February 16, 2019. The Nigerian Air Force on Friday provided details of how its aircraft repelled a major Boko Haram onslaught on a top military base. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Boko Haram sect attacked the headquarters of the 7 Brigade Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Baga. The attack on the fishing town is believed to have been executed by the Boko Haram faction also known as Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Wednesday. The spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force, Ibikunle Daramola, narrated how several aerial strikes were carried out on the terrorists during the attack. It may be recalled that the Headquarters 7 Brigade Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Baga came under attack by members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the evening of December 26, Mr Daramola, an air commodore, said in a statement. Upon receipt of the information of the attack, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE immediately dispatched a NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), platform along with two Mi-35M Helicopter Gunships to provide support for the troops to repel the attack. The NAF ISR aircraft, which was overhead the troops location as at 7.15pm, also worked closely with a NAF and another allied ISR aircraft that are also in the operation area at the time of the attack. The ISR platforms were in contact with the ground troops and assisted in directing their fire against the terrorists, while the helicopter gunships engaged the terrorists at isolated locations destroying some of their vehicles and neutralising some fighters, he said. Mr Daramola said the ATF also provided support for Nigerian Army (NA), and Nigerian Navy (NN) troops at the Naval Base at Doron Baga, which equally came under attack by ISWAP fighters on the morning of December 27. According to Mr Daramola, the ATF deployed two ISR platforms, two helicopter gunships and two Alpha Jet aircraft to provide ISR and close air support to the troops. After establishing communication with the ground troops, the location of the terrorists was ascertained and engaged by the Alpha Jet aircraft. The NAF and allied ISR platforms also spotted two ISWAP vehicles heading southwards from Baga and vectored the Alpha Jet aircraft to attack the vehicles, completely destroying one of them and neutralising the occupants. In order to enhance the quality of coordination between the air and ground operations, the Theatre Commander and Maritime Component Commander were carried onboard the ISR platform during one of the flights, he said. The spokesman said in all, the ATF conducted 20 missions in 21 sorties with a total of about 39 hours flown on December 26 and 27 in support of operations in Baga general area. The NAF appreciates the existing synergy with our gallant surface forces as well as our Regional Allies in adding value to our collective efforts to protect our territory and people, he said. Also on Friday, the army said the terrorists tried to take the town but lost in the fight. Baga town is not in the hands of the Boko Haram. They contested it but they lost the contest, Lamidi Adeosun, the Armys Chief of Training and Operations said at a news conference in Maiduguri. Mr Adeosun, a major general, said troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce battle to repel them. They terrorised the town and attacked the Headquarters of the 7 Brigade of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, he said. Military sources had told PREMIUM TIMES that at the heat of the battle with the terrorists, soldiers fled Baga and the military base. Reinforcement troops sent to assist the soldiers were also ambushed by the terrorists. A top air force official, however, told Nigeria, a news agency close to military authorities, that the soldiers withdrawal from Baga was tactical. The Nigerian Air Force in response to distress call quickly mobilised military aircraft and flew over 20 sorties Wednesday night and throughout Thursday. Some Boko Haram insurgents had earlier launched an attack at the military formation after tactical withdrawal of our troops, PRNigeria quotes the source as saying. The NAF also launched a coordinated missile raid on the routes as the terrorists fled towards Doro-Baga and other axes. After the ground troops had withdrawn from the base, some of the insurgents moved in and pretended to be soldiers, before they were bombarded. The military is yet to state any casualty figure from the battles apart from admiting the death of one Navy personnel. Boko Haram terrorists have in the past few months attacked military bases in Borno State, showing their ability to carry out attacks on not just civilian targets, contrary to the federal governments claims. Although the terrorists have been largely reduced to operating in three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, their actions show a lot more needs to be done to defeat them. President Buhari has repeatedly stated his administrations commitment to ensuring their defeat. The president on Friday restated this at the flag-off of his re-election campaign in Akwa Ibom. I assure you that eventually, we are going to clear them off from our country, Mr Buhari said. As Nigerias Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (MITI), Okechukwu Enelamah for over three years has overseen policy-making and implementation relating to industrialisation of the economy, development of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and promotion of trade. The ministry under his leadership says it is structured around five pillars which serve as roadmap. The pillars include: Business Enabling Environment; Industrialisation of the economy; Promotion of Export and Foreign Direct Investment; Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Expansion of Trade. Mr Enelamah came into office fairly credentialed. With a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard University in 1994 and membership of ICAN (1992), very few people doubted his ability to deliver on the mandate of promoting business and industrial growth. He has recorded breakthroughs that are difficult to ignore, such as efforts in positioning Nigerias investment environment but he has also been partly criticised for a number of controversial decisions of the government, including Nigerias refusal to sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). The minister, who is rarely in the news, attracted public attention when PREMIUM TIMES reported in July that he was enmeshed in a N993,000 accommodation allowance double payment mess, according to details of the annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation for 2016. The controversial payment was made to the minister after he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. It is however unclear whether the controversy has been resolved. Meanwhile, here are some key policy initiatives of the ministry and how successful they have been. The ministry has been part of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. It also facilitated the launch of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES), which in turn is fostering better coordination and collaboration between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Experts say the initiatives have gone a long way in repositioning the nations investment space. In industrialisation, the ministry says it has stepped up and is aggressively implementing the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) by the establishment of the Nigeria Industrial Policy & Competitiveness Advisory Council, (Industrial Council) comprised of the Government and Private Sector representatives at the highest level. It has also commenced the establishment and upgrading of some existing industrial parks to world-class special economic zones (SEZs) across the geo-political zones in the country. On Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), the ministry also facilitated the Inauguration of the National Council on Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (NCMES) to increase focus on MSMES and boost the development of the MSMES sub-sector in Nigeria. It also says it has increased access to finance for MSMES by providing capital for both start-ups and expansion. Many Nigerians start-up owners have however complained of how difficult it is for them to access these funds. On trade, it says deliberate efforts are ongoing to integrate into various regional and global value chains and increase the amount of local value addition. Already, the ministry says Trade Remedy Mechanism for the Rules-Based Safeguard and Protection of the Nigerian Economy and Industry is being finalised. Similarly, it says it is modernising Nigerian Trade Policy to update it and bring it to 21st Century standards in accordance with the priority of President Buhari that trade should work for all Nigerians in accelerating growth, improving the quality of growth, creating jobs and enhancing welfare. On the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), it says there is serious on-going technical work to strengthen Nigerias Trade Policy Infrastructure. On bilateral relations, with the ministrys input, Nigeria has hosted delegations from The United Kingdom, led by Prime Minister Theresa May which explored more opportunities for trade for post-Brexit Britain; from Germany led by Chancellor Angela Merkel; and also attended the Forum For China Africa Corporation (Focac) Summit in China, during which bilateral talks were held with Chinese delegates. By the visit, the ministry says the leaders of those nations demonstrated belief in the potentials of the Nigerian economy and endorsed governments efforts in growing the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians. Many ordinary Nigerians have however said the impact of such visits have not been felt in their daily lives. The Chinese Agreements: In China, President Xi promised to open Chinas market for agricultural products from Nigeria, based on trade negotiating engagements by Nigerias Trade Negotiators. The ministry says 13 Memoranda Of Understanding were signed, valued at USD 5.05 billion. In all, more than USD 10 billion agreements were signed. Others, still under discussion are being quantified. One of the keys among them was the MOU signed with Shandong Ruyi International Fashion Industry for USD 2 billion, for a first-ever cotton value chain industry that is from cotton growing to ginning, spinning, textile manufacture and garment- in Katsina, Kano, Abia and Lagos States. The investments would comprise: aggregation and offtake of cotton from farmers for ginning, spinning and weaving; manufacturing at least 300 million metres of African Print, which will meet 20 per cent of West Africas demand; producing cotton and denim garments for export and local consumption. The locations and nature of investments by Ruyi Group include Abia, Lagos and Kano States. As the nation basks in the euphoria of the various deals with China, however, experts have warned of the need to exercise caution in the deals with the Chinese, in the interest of Nigerias local market and investors. Recent initiatives by the ministry include fight against smuggling, an initiative designed to end smuggling; Trade and Markets, with the key objectives being to identify and implement initiatives to improve access to Nigerias priority markets, drive 30-40 per cent increase in ICT exports, increase in foreign earnings ($1bn -$4bn annually from Agro-allied businesses) and create 475,000 jobs. The Ease of Doing Business initiative and its attendant effect in many areas of the nations economy is by far one of the ministrys most impactful policies, experts say, executed in partnership with numerous ministries, departments and agencies. The initiative saw the nation move 24 places from its 2016 spot of 169 to 145 in 2017 on the World Bank ranking. By far the most controversial decision taken by the Nigerian government in 2018 was its refusal to sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). Many analysts, including former president Olusegun Obasanjo, lampooned the government over the decision. But Vice Presdient Yemi Osinbajo said the government needed to embark on consultations with relevant stakeholders on the agreement. With respect to the ACFTA, there are clearly huge advantages for us no question about it at all, he said. The rest of Africa sees the enormous advantage of Nigerias participation, everybody is waiting for us naturally and that is because they see a huge market, there are advantages of our being there, but we must ensure to get the best possible terms for Nigerian trade and commerce. Our experiences with dooming and other injurious practices make it obvious to us that our market could be a real target, our local manufacturing could become unprofitable, our agricultural advantage could be reversed. Consequently, we have embarked on an extensive consultations with trade groups, manufacturers and organised labour in all the six geo-political zones in other to get a clear sense of concerns as we navigate the process of signing the treaty. On the flipside, the ministry ended the year in October with a fairly unfavorable news as the nationslipped on the World Bank ranking on Ease of Doing Business. Of the 190 countries ranked by the World Bank, Nigeria ranked 146 in 2018, dropping by a spot from its 145th position in 2017. Exactly 100 days since PREMIUM TIMES exposed Nigerias communications minister, Adebayo Shittu, for skipping the mandatory one-year national youth service, President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to act on the matter and is still keeping the official. This newspaper published details of its investigation on September 20, showing how Mr Shittu deliberately shunned the service, which is organised by the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC). Activists described Mr Buharis inaction on the issue as demoralising, and said it was a negative commentary on his governments claims to morality. Another cabinet minister, Kemi Adeosun, who was Mr Buharis finance minister, was earlier in the year busted by PREMIUM TIMES for a similar offence, and for forging a document to cover it. Mrs Adeosun was eventually eased out of her post following public outcry. But in the case of Mr Shittu, the government has not taken action, despite the ministers admission of the offence. NYSC management had also discredited the ministers attempt to rationalise his action. Mr Shittu admitted to PREMIUM TIMES that he did not serve but claimed he thought his first political post after graduation sufficed as national service. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in October, disqualified Mr Shittu from the governorship race of his native Oyo State, citing his absconding from the national service as the reason. The party, however, did not take any step to have the minister sacked from government. Mr Shittus Violation The minister graduated from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) at the age of 25 in 1978. Mr Shittu attended the Nigerian Law School immediately after graduation, qualifying as a lawyer in 1979. However, instead of participating in the national service, he got elected into the Oyo State House of Assembly in the 1979 general elections. Months of discreet checks at the NYSC headquarters showed that the minister never presented himself for service after graduation. Skipping the compulsory national service is an offence under the NYSC law, punishable with up to 12 months imprisonment. Section 2 (1) of the NYSC Act mandates all Nigerians who earn degrees or higher national diplomas from tertiary institutions in Nigerian and abroad (effective 1972/73 session) to participate in the scheme. Employers are mandated by law to request NYSC certificate of national service as part of the conditions for hiring. Exempted by the law are those who graduated after their 30th birthday, persons with national honours and individuals who serve in the military and intelligence organisations. Mr Shittus Defence The minister said he deliberately skipped the NYSC scheme because he was convinced that his membership of the state assembly was itself a service. The constitution provides for the qualification needed for state assembly members, NYSC is not there, Mr Shittu said at the time. I didnt need it to become a member of the state assembly, and that is already a service. Mr Shittu disagreed with our reporter who laboured to explain to him that the NYSC Act makes participation in the scheme mandatory for all graduates like him and that election or appointment to political office does not qualify as a basis for exemption. Lawyers described the ministers defence as ridiculous. The NYSC management also repudiated Mr Shittus interpretation of its law, saying the ministers state assembly membership could not have relieved him of serving the country. Serving in the National (or state) Assembly is not one of them (conditions for exemption from national service), NYSC spokesperson, Adenike Adeyemi, told the Nigerian Tribune, after PREMIUM TIMES broke the story. Wrong Signals Anti-corruption campaigners say Mr Buharis inaction on the matter sends wrongs signals about the genuineness of his governments commitment to ethics and values. The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, said by his inaction, President Buhari has shown that the government has scapegoats in its anti-corruption campaign. He said the action of persons such as Mr Shittu should be treated the same way as financial corruption as it also amounts to a contravention of extant laws. [It] is a very troubling development. It sends wrong signals. Sometimes you wonder what kind of due diligence took place before the president constituted his cabinet, which we shouldnt forget took six months to put together. Sometimes, of course, some of these things dont get detected at the beginning but when they do through media or civil society intervention any president who wants to be taken seriously must act, said Chido Onumah, Coordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL). Another activist, Adetokumbo Mumini, who is the Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), said the government must take action on the lingering issue. He said any issue that touches on integrity is not to be delayed. It should be treated with despatch and with all the attention it deserved. The national chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, is currently in a serious battle with some state governors, a fallout of the partys primaries recently held to elect candidates for various elective offices in the 2019 general elections. Mr Oshiomholes main enemies are Governors Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo States. The four governors are accusing Mr Oshiomhole of highhandedness in his handling of the primaries held to elect their successors. In November, the APC national chairman was interrogated by the State Security Service (SSS) following petitions allegedly filed by some governors. Mr Oshiomhole later travelled to London, where he reportedly met one of the partys national leaders, Bola Tinubu, who had been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed medical ailment. On his return, the former Edo State governor confirmed that he was interrogated by the SSS and declared that it was not their business to investigate corruption allegations against him. Sources within the intelligence services last week told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Oshiomhole has recently become an interesting individual to them. One source, who did not reveal if the petition came from any state governor, said we have received strong new materials which suggests him as an interesting individual, who should be thoroughly investigated, adding that, We have commenced work in that regard. Amid the possibility of such probe, Mr Oshiomhole continues to face other battles, and the most notable fronts are as follows: Abdulaziz Yari Mr Oshiomhole incurred the wrath of the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, over the mode of conduct of governorship primary and the politics that played out afterwards. This led to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring that Zamfara APC did not submit the names of its candidates before the deadline given by the commission. Trouble began when the national headquarters of APC issued a statement three days to the deadline for elections, dissolving the Zamfara State executives and banning Mr Yari from participating in the conduct of primaries because of interference. APC had earlier directed states to decide which mode of primary they will use in selecting candidates, the options being direct, indirect and consensus. While the camp of Mr Yari, including the executive officials, preferred the indirect mode, another camp, comprising most of the other governorship aspirants, preferred the direct mode. However, despite dissolving the executive officials and sending two different committees to conduct the exercise, APC Zamfara still found it difficult to conduct a primary acceptable to all. Mr Yari and his camp organised an election supervised by security officials and others, but the partys headquarters refused to accept the results. A source in Zamfara, on Saturday, said Mr Oshiomhole played one of the aspirants, a senator, Kabiru Marafa, into believing that he was the preferred candidate of the leaders of the party. Unknown to Marafa, the national chairman and his people deliberately kept frustrating the conduct of the primary so that they will sit in Abuja and submit a name as consensus candidate and that person is not Marafa, he said. Mr Yari blames Mr Oshiomhole for the mess that befell APC in Zamfara, after INEC declared that the states APC has no candidates to field for the 2019 elections. Rochas Okorocha The fight between Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, and Mr Oshiomhole also arose from the conduct of the governorship primaries in the state. Even before the primaries, Imo APC was divided into two, one led by Mr Okorocha and the other by his deputy, Eze Madumere. Mr Okorocha was plotting for the emergence of his son-in-law, Henry Nwosu, to succeed him, while a senator, Hope Uzodinma, was the leading aspirant on the other group, which has the support of most of the key members of the party in the state. The National Working Committee (NWC), sent a panel led by a former presidential aide, Ali Gulak, to conduct the election. Mr Gulak, thereafter, declared Mr Uzodinma winner of the election he said his committee conducted. He said the senator garnered 423,895 votes, beating the deputy governor, Mr Madumere, who came second. However, shortly after Mr Gulaks announcement, eight members of his committee alongside the secretary, Henry Idahgbon, announced a separate result declaring Mr Okorochas in-law, Mr Nwosu as the winner of the Imo APC governorship primary. They announced that Mr Nwosu scored 455,655 votes. Reacting to the development, Mr Oshiomhole said both results are fake. Speaking with State House journalists, Mr Oshimhole said, They have two fake results. None of them is genuine and we will disband. We will appoint (a) fresh committee, an Electoral Panel that will conduct transparent direct primaries that reflects the will of members of APC in Imo State, regardless of the interest and the powers that were behind any of the groups. Mr Gulak responded saying, I dont want to join issues with my national chairman. The result I submitted was not fake, is not fake and cannot be fake. Despite announcing the result as fake and following persistent attack on his person by the Imo governor, Mr Oshiomhole made a U-turn and accepted the result announced by Mr Gulak. He said he turned his back on Mr Okorocha because the governor wants to use him to create a dynasty in Imo state. Governor Rochas Okorocha, the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, is a beneficiary of the court process. We rescued him. The primary conducted by my predecessor completely swept Governor Okorocha out of the system-from ward, local government to the state. What I am not able to do for Governor Okorocha is to assist him with the instrument of the APC to help him to build a political dynasty. Consequently, he said, We have prepared the name of Sen. Hope Uzodinma and submitted to the INEC. If Governor Rochas chooses to relocate to the Villa and use the grounds of Villa to try to intimidate me to create a dynasty, I wont accept it. I will uphold the truth in the best interest of the APC members and indeed of the APC people in Imo State. The truth does not require a supporters club to stand, it has its own legs, and it can stand, Mr Oshiomhole told reporters. Ibikunle Amosun Like in other states, the relationship between Mr Oshiomhole and Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, degenerated after the partys governorship primary. Ogun State held two separate primaries, producing two candidates. While the state chairman of the party, Derin Adebiyi, declared a member of House of Representatives, Adekunle Akinlade, as the winner, the panel sent by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party declared oil businessman, Dapo Abiodun, the winner. Mr Akinlade was the preferred candidate of Mr Amosun. The governor, a close friend of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, literally relocated to Abuja, putting pressure on the president and other top government and party officials to accept his choice as the partys candidate for Ogun State. However, all his efforts failed as the NWC upheld the election of Mr Abiodun. As soon as the decision was taken, rumours began flying that the Ogun State governor was planning to leave the APC for another party, with his loyalists. Although, the governor denied planning to leave the governing party, he told reporters that he still believed he will handover to Mr Akinlade in 2019. Shortly after the election, Mr Amosun accused Mr Oshiomhole of conniving with a cabal in Lagos State to write fake results of the APC governorship primary. Speaking with reporters shortly after the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Judge for Ogun State, Mr Amosun said even Mr Buhari knew that there was no election in Ogun State. The president already knows that there was no election in Ogun State. He knows that they just went to Lagos and wrote all results, and that all they did was fraud, he said. If the National Working Committee (NWC) or the national chairman said there was any election in Ogun State, it was all fraud. That is what I said, he said. On his part, Mr Akinlade suddenly announced on Thursday that he was defecting from the APC to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). It is not yet clear if Mr Akinlade will be the candidate of his new party. All political parties have up till December to replace their governorship candidates. Rotimi Akeredolu The main grouse that Mr Akeredolu, the Ondo State governor, has with Mr Oshiomhole is his alleged manipulation of the Ondo State legislative primaries in favour of those seen to be the arch enemies of the governor. Mr Akeredolu defeated Olusola Oke in 2016 to emerge as the candidate of the APC for the state governorship election. Mr Oke was the preferred candidate of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu. After his defeat, Mr Oke moved to the Alliance for Democracy where he ran for governor and during the election, the senator representing Ondo North in the Senate, Ajayi Borrofice, and some state lawmakers who are loyal to Mr Tinubu supported Mr Oke, despite being APC members. Mr Akeredolu, therefore, wanted to use the opportunity of APC primaries ahead the 2019 election, to deal with all the lawmakers who supported his opponent for their anti-party activities. As a result of the bitter feud, parallel congresses were held from the two opposing camps. However, Mr Oshiomhole, a Tinubu loyalist, reportedly identified the group opposed to the governor and their names have been forwarded to INEC as APC candidates in the 2019 elections. Campaigns kick off Mr Buhari, on Friday, formally kicked off his campaign for re-election in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. The president had earlier also released a list of his campaign council which he co-chaired with Mr Tinubu, to be assisted by vice president Yemi Osinbajo and Mr Oshiomhole. However, APC governors were named simply as coordinators for the states, while in states governed by other parties, APC governorship candidates would serve as coordinators. Almost all governors belonging to the APC attended the campaign kick-off on Friday, including Messrs Okorocha and Amosun. Before then, Mr Buhari did not give any indication that he either supports Mr Oshiomhole or any of the governors in conflict with him. The president regularly receives Mr Amosun, despite the fact that the governor openly campaigned against the APC in his state. He had also earlier taken the national chairman of the party he supports in his state, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Yusuf Dantalle, to Mr Buhari, to give him a letter adopting him as the partys presidential candidate. Few days later, former Ogun State governor, Oluswgun Osoba, also took Ogun State APC candidate, Dapo Abiodun to Mr Buhari and the president assured them that he is in full support of his partys candidate; Mr Abiodun. Face off with Saraki Apart from his running battles with some governors belonging to his party, the APC national chairman is also engaged in a war of words with the senate president, Bukola Saraki. Mr Saraki left the APC and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Oshiomhole said given his defection, Mr Saraki lacks the moral right to remain as President of the Senate. Mr Saraki responded by saying that Mr Oshiomhole should also resign and even quit politics following allegations that he accepted bribes during APC primaries. Speaking after a memorial programme in honour of his late father, Mr Saraki said Oshiomhole has no locus standi to talk about morality in todays Nigerias politics. That must be a joke coming from Oshiomhole talking about moral ground, he said. Oshiomhole is somebody who has been told to have been collecting not even naira but dollars from candidates and he is being accused by his partys aspirants and governors. I dont think he has any moral ground, even to continue to be in politics not to talk about being a chairman of a party. I remember in those days even Oyegun, they never accused him of something like this. I have left that party. Im sure the president, based on integrity, knows the right thing to do. So, on moral ground, he cannot speak on moral ground. Dousing tension Following the crisis generated by the outcome of the primaries, Mr Oshimhole, last week, inaugurated six reconciliation committees to go round the six geo-political zones and reconcile aggrieved party members. The Committees, which are all headed by elected governors, have already started work in earnest, ahead the kick-off of the main campaign activities towards the 2019 elections. Josiah Oluwole contributed reporting. The remains of Nigerias second republic President, Shehu Shagari, was laid to rest on Saturday at his hometown in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Mr Shagari died on Friday at the age of 93 at the National Hospital, Abuja. His remains were received by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport Sokoto at about 1: 00 p.m. He was later buried according to Islamic rights in his house at about 3:25 p.m. The funeral prayer was led by Shehu Galadanchi and dignitaries that attended included Wazirin Sokoto, Sambo Junaidu as well as Governors of Kebbi and Zamfara States, Atiku Bagudu and Abdulaziz Yari, respectively. Others were state, Yahaya Abdudkarim, Sokoto Deputy Governor, Manniru Daniya, Aliyu Wamakko, Emir of Argungu, Samaila Mera. The federal government delegation at the funeral was led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustspha, Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and Minister of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar. Mr Mustapha described Mr Shagari as a humble leader who contributed immensely to democracy in Nigeria. The SGF enjoined Nigerians to emulate his good qualities and condole the people of Sokoto State and Nigerians in general. The General Commanding Officer (GOC), 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Stevenson Olabanji, led the military processions at the funeral. In his condolence messages, Governor Tambuwal condoled the family of Mr Shagari, people of Sokoto State and Nigeria at large. Mr Tambuwal described the death as a great loss and prayed Allah to grant him eternal bliss. He said Mr Shagari was a national and international statesman, who made unparalleled contributions to the development of education, as a teacher at a basic level and as president of Nigeria. He said the Shagari administration witnessed social and economic advancement, setting the pace for the nations industrialisation, particularly through the establishment of the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill. He said that the Shagari Presidency played a frontline role in the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980 and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. Mr Wamakko (APC-Sokoto) also recalled the agricultural programme the Green Revolution by the former president. He described Mr Shagaris death as a great loss, especially his sterling virtues of unrivalled humility, piety and patriotism. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prayers were offered to the departed soul and the SGF extended the federal governments condolences to the deceased family, people of Sokoto and Nigerians at large. The former president held the traditional title of Turakin Sokoto and is survived by several children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mr Shagari was president of Nigeria from 1979 to 1983 and was toppled three months into his second term by the then military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, who is now Nigerias president. The former leader was born February 25, 1925, in Shagari in Sokoto State. After his early education, he worked as a teacher for a brief period before entering politics in 1951. In 1954, he was elected to the Federal House of Representatives. He served seven times in a ministerial or cabinet posts as a Federal Minister and Federal Commissioner from 19581975, before he was elected president in 1979. (NAN) The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has lashed out at the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over the latest attempt to arrest a senator, Dino Melaye. Mr Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the invasion of the Abuja home of the senator as another instance of police being used to suppress the rights of the citizenry and silencing people with opposing views to the current administration. Police on Friday laid siege to the house of the lawmaker in a bid to arrest him saying the senator was wanted for his alleged involvement in an attack on a police officer in June. While the siege was on, Mr Melaye told reporters he was out of the city but was monitoring the situation. But the police believed that he was hiding somewhere in the building. Mr Saraki in a statement on Saturday said the timing of the invasion and the desperate attempt to arrest the senator was suspicious as the lawmaker had raised an alarm a few days earlier that there was a plan by the police to get hold of him and harm him, an allegation that was denied by the police. He noted that the conduct of the police at the property, in interfering with power and water supply, manhandling domestic staff and disturbing peace in the neighborhood was unacceptable. The Senate President said he believed the police were resolute in keeping the senator out of public ahead of 2019 elections. He added that there was no formal request to the Clerk to the National Assembly for the arrest of Mr Melaye as claimed by the police. The general belief now is that the Police action against Senator Melaye was aimed at keeping him out of circulation so that he would not participate in the general elections coming in February. The manner of invasion on his house is highly suspicious. This same man has been charged with sundry and needless allegations and he has attended the various court sessions. He is also a candidate in the coming elections and therefore has no reason to run away from the country. He was also present in the Senate for plenary, committee meetings and oversight functions till the Senate went on recess on December 20, 2018. Though the police in their statement claim that there was a request to the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) inviting Senator Melaye to report to the police, my enquiry from the CNA showed that he had no such letter. If there was an offence allegedly committed in July and the police waited till now, we do not see the urgency in the need to arrest him about six weeks to the election in which he is a candidate. He could have been invited to report to the police on Monday. This desperation to haul him in is beyond normal. This same IGP who refused to honour the invitation of the Senate for him to give information on the security situation in the country and rushed to the court to seek protection of his rights is now violating the rights of other people. In the same manner, a Senate resolution to the effect that his security personnel that were withdrawn should be reinstated has not been obeyed. Mr Saraki accused the police of partisanship as no member of opposition is experiencing such treatment. He also described the police boss as the most partisan individual to have headed the force. It has not gone without notice that Senator Melaye is a member of the opposition. We cannot remember any member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) being treated in this manner. Even the one who allegedly led thugs to forcefully seize the mace while Senate was in session, in the full glare of television camera, is still roaming the streets free without prosecution. This method of digging out some old charges and allegations to arrest and incarcerate political opponents has presented this current Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, as the most partisan head of the Nigerian Police ever in the history of this country. We have continued to call on the security agencies to steer clear of partisanship and be professional in their activities. This country is not a banana country. Nobody is saying the police should not do their work in the prevention of crime and enforcement of laws. However, a pattern of creating trumped up charges, implicating those who have contrary views to the administration and employing crude tactics under the pretext of enforcing laws is unacceptable to us. It is not because Senator Melaye is the victim this time around. This should not happen to any Nigerian. We are disturbed that the administration remains nonchalant about this negative development by claiming that these excesses and anti-democratic activities of the police are proper and normal and that they do not want to interfere with the work of the law enforcement agents, but we all know these oppressive tactics of the police have something to do with the coming Polls. The Police cannot act outside the law of the land. They should not be infringing on the rights of people. They should not be oppressing the people and they should not be adopting extra-legal measures under the guise of enforcing law. They should vacate Senator Melayes house immediately, release the innocent domestic staff in his house who cannot be said to have committed any offence, stop the interference with utility services in his house and ensure that all their actions are within the ambit of the law, Mr Saraki was quoted by the statement as saying. Naseem Adam, the 30-year-old candidate of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), is contesting for a seat at the Bauchi State House of Assembly to represent Lere/Bula constituency in Tafawa Balewa local government from 2019. He is an ex-banker, who resigned his appointment to focus on his political ambition ahead of the general election in 2019. In this interview, he explains his foray into politics and how he hopes to effect positive change if elected as a legislator. Excerpts: PREMIUM TIMES: Can you tell us how far you have gone in your campaign preparation? Adam: Our campaign has been good so far, we started early as the youth. We had to go to places the ruling party and `the aged persons cannot go, we call it door to door campaign. We started the movement since 2016 and we are still on it. PT: Do you have agents at the wards and polling units? Adam: Yes, I have agents at every polling unit. I have three representatives at every polling unit. I have youth and aged persons to help protect our votes in every unit. PT: How has your experience been in politics? Adam: My experience, I would say, is kind of bitter because there is no transparency in politics and it takes courage. It takes someone that can stand firm to overcome what is happening in politics in Nigeria. You know some people say before you can win an office in Nigeria you need to have a godfather but we say with focus and determination you can attain what you want. PT: What would you do differently if elected? Adam: I cannot (single-handedly) turn the hands of the clock. As a young legislator, if elected I will need the alliance of our members to understand the importance of LG autonomy and sponsor it as a bill. As an opposition party member, I will organise programmes on TV and radio stations for people to know their rights and if possible a weekly peaceful rally until our demands are met. The issue of agreeing or not does not arise as Im (if) elected to speak on behalf of the good people of Lere/Bula constituency of Tafawa Balewa LG which you will agree with me that, its simply what they dream of. If there is a part of the Constitution that gives power to state legislatures to impose on their governors to conduct chairmanship elections, we will do just that. Take this from me. PT: It means you support Local Government autonomy? Adam: I strongly support LG autonomy. One, as a concerned citizen who needs a rapid growth in democracy. Two, for ease of transparency and accountability. Three, for effecting changes where need be. People might be misguided about what autonomy means. Its simply to make an informed un-coerced decision. This means the people in the grassroot will have a say in representing their people. You, as a journalist, will agree with me that its a deliberate action that autonomy has been rejected in Nigeria due to the selfish interest of the people in charge. This is more reason why we, the youth, must stand firm and appeal to our fellow youth and women to change the change with youth who are committed, focused and determined. I also appeal to the electorate not to mistakenly vote for either the PDP or APC but to have a rethink on the good people vying on other (party) platforms. PT: You sound confident. Is this your first time in politics? Adam: No, and yes because I joined politics March 2016. That was a year after the general elections in 2015, that was when my friends came home. We decided that we ought to start something and join politics and prepare for the next general elections; we all agreed to it. We joined the Green Party of Nigeria which had former (Bauchi) governor, Isa Yuguda, though he later left the party for the APC. People have been saying the party would not go any further because Mr Yuguda left. We said we would stay and win the elections. When we went for our primary elections, we were three; two stepped down for me. That was how I emerged as candidate. A titanic clash is expected at Anfield on Saturday as table toppers Liverpool take on Arsenal in a crucial Premier League tie. The Reds are currently six points clear of Tottenham and seven ahead of Manchester City; meaning the EPL title is virtually theirs to lose. As for the Gunners, they are two points off the top four with a chasing and rejuvenated Manchester United six points behind them. The above scenarios give room for a fierce contest at Anfield as both teams need all the points they can get in every match. In the reverse meeting between these two sides, the final score was 1-1 with Milners strike being cancelled out with a late equaliser from Lacazette in a fairly even game. While the outcome of Saturdays game may be difficult to predict, previous meetings suggest there should be goals to celebrate after 90 minutes. Stay with PREMIUM TIMES for Live updates Kick off is 6.30 p.m. Liverpool vs Arsenal Starting Line ups *Liverpool* 13 Alisson 66 Alexander-Arnold 6 Lovren 4 van Dijk 26 Robertson 3 Fabinho 5 Wijnaldum 23 Shaqiri 11 Salah 10 Mane 9 Firmino *Arsenal* 19 Leno 12 Lichtsteiner 20 Mustafi 5 Sokratis 15 Maitland-Niles 11 Torreira 34 Xhaka 31 Kolasinac 8 Ramsey 17 Iwobi 14 Aubameyang Kick off at Anfield Arsenal win an early free kick Arsenal win the first throw in Home or away it is now seven games unbeaten for Liverpool.. can they continue that fine run against the Gunners Michael Oliver is the referee in charge of the match here at Anfield ChanceMohamed Salah misses with an attempt on goal. Iwobi gets in a shot. Off target GOAL!!!Ainsley Maitland-Niles gives Arsenal FC a 1 0 lead in Liverpool. Iwobi does well to set up the goal Liverpool trying to get a quick equaliser.. they win a free kick GOAL!! Roberto Frimino gets the equaliser Another goal.. Frimino makes it 2-1 in favour of Liverpool Scrappy defending by Arsenal.. Mane almost gets the third goal for Liverpool Interesting football at Anfield.. Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal Liverpool FCs Andy Robertson has been booked .. first yellow card Lucas Torreira of Arsenal down injured GOAL!!! LIVERPOOL MAKE IT 3-1 Mohamed Salah extends Liverpools lead Xhaka gets a yellow card for a rash challenge on Liverpools Robertson Liverpool Alexander Arnold flagged offside Iwobi tries to run Arsenal though from the left flank but he has been stopped More trouble for Arsenal as Liverpool win a penalty kick Salah to take it its a GOAL!!! Liverpool 4-1 Arsenal.. Iwobi and his teammates being torn apart Half Time: Liverpool 4-1 Arsenal.. Two goals from Frimino and one each from Mane and Salah has seen the Reds cruising at Anfield Second half underway Free kick for Arsenal Already Shkodran Mustafi has been replaced with Laurent Koscielny. Roberto Firmino of Liverpool FC smashes in a shot on target. The Arsenal keeper saves this time Liverpool not slowing down despite the 4-1 lead over Arsenal First change by Liverpool.. Jordan Henderson in for Sadio Mane Bernard Leno saves Arsenal again as Liverpool pile in more pressure Penalty for Liverpool.. Frimino takes it and its a GOAL!!! Hat-trick for Firmino as Liverpool lead Arsenal 5-1 Lacazatte about to come in to help Arsenal Liverpool players quite ruthless tonight.. not taking thier Feet off the pedal despite thier 5-1 lead Lacazatte in for Aubameyang With Tottenham losing earlier today.. Liverpool are on course to open a nine-point gap at the top of the EPL table Matteo Guendouzi replaces Sead Kolasinac Full time Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal In defiance of the appeal of its national chairman, top officials of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) attended the unveiling of Jerry Ganas presidential campaign. The national publicity secretary and national treasurer of the party, Alfa Mohammaed and Emeka Atuma, were both present at the unveiling of Mr Ganas presidential programme. The national chairman of SDP, Olu Falae, had appealed to all members of the party not to attend any of the events scheduled by Jerry Gana and his Presidential Campaign Committee, as doing so may amount to contempt of court. Following SDPs presidential primaries, which held on October 7, the party had declared former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, as its flag bearer for the 2019 general elections, having polled 812 votes, closely followed by Mr Gana, who polled 611 votes. Mr Gana, who was dissatisfied, went to court seeking to be declared winner in line with the zoning and rotation formula of the partys constitution. The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on December 14 declared Mr Gana as the rightful candidate of SDP in the 2019 election. The national chairman, in his appeal, said they have filed a motion at the Court of Appeal, through their counsel, praying for certain relief, including stay of execution of the judgment of the High Court and injunctive relief against Jerry Gana, pending the determination of the Appeal. In the light of the foregoing, we cannot and should not attend any of the events being scheduled by Prof. Jerry Gana and his Campaign Committee as it will amount to a breach of the court process and may amount to contempt of Court. I appeal to all Party officials at all levels, leaders and members to stay calm and refrain from participating in actions designed to pre-empt the courts. We must remain loyal to the Party, which is more important than any of us, he said. Mr Falae also said all relevant processes have been served on Jerry Ganas counsel, but the director general of Jerry Ganas campaign organisation, Ike Naliak, at the event, denied this, stating that his boss, Mr Gana, is yet to be served anything. Mr Gana speaking at the event, said his programme, codenamed SWIFT, highlights Security regeneration (S), Wealth creation (W), Infrastructure excellence and power supply (I), Fight against corruption and discipline (F) and Technology, education and human development (T). Mr Alfa, when asked if his presence was not a violation of the chairmans order, said his presence and that of others does not pose any form of anti-party activities. He also said the chairman was trying to stay neutral and with the majority, but he believes his presence is proof they have the support of majority in the party. Mr Gana, when asked when and where his campaign will commence and who was his running mate, said that will be addressed in another meeting in January and his running mate will be revealed at the flag off of his campaign. The Peoples Democratic Party has called for the immortalisation of former President Shehu Shagari who died Friday. Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the party, said Nigeria had lost one of its most compassionate and humane leaders. Mr Secondus, in a statement issued by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, on Saturday, said that Mr Shagari was the last man standing among principled leaders upon whom the democratic foundation of the country was established. He said that Mr Shagari as president in the Second Republic ensured that his reign caused minimal pain to the people because of his humane approach to governance. The national chairman said that Nigeria would miss Mr Shagari s fatherly counsel, especially at this time when the country is passing through difficult challenges ahead of a major election. The Second Republic president will be remembered for his principled approached to governance and his God-fearing disposition as evidenced in the way and manner he piloted the affairs of the country within the ambit of the rule of law, without nepotism, bias of religion, tribe or geography from 1979 to 1983, Mr Secondus said. The PDP national chairman further said that the former presidents legacies in the political evolution in the county would endure. He added that Nigerian politicians had great things to learn from the way and manner the great democrat operated while he held sway in the nations polity. He said that the PDP had a lot in common with the late president in the development of democracy in the country and said that he would be greatly missed. He said the PDP had already sent its condolences to the Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal, and the entire Shagari family, on behalf of the National Executive Committee and members of the party at home and abroad. Mr Secondus charged the people of Sokoto state and the immediate family of the late former president to take solace in the fact that Mr Shagari lived a peaceful life and left behind huge legacies as a teacher, politician, and father. In a related development, the PDP has in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Mr Shagaris death as a national tragedy. Mr Ologbondiyan described Mr Shagari as a man of peace, an exceptionally honest Nigerian, outstanding leader, quintessential administrator and a symbol of national unity. He said the deceased made immeasurable sacrifices for the development, unity and stability of the country. He added that Mr Shagaris excellent performance as a political party administrator stood him out for the Presidency in 1979. Mr Shagari was a member of the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, at various times minister of Commerce and Industries; Economic Development, Pensions, Works and then Finance. Shagari was also a governor of the World Bank and member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) committee of 20. The PDP is therefore, deeply sorrowful that President Shehu Shagari took his bow at the time our nation needs his wealth of experience the most, particularly in the quest to restore good governance, national cohesion and economic prosperity that have eluded us in almost four years. In all, President Shehu Shagari remains a political colossus and the PDP urges the National Assembly to further immortalise him, by mandating the Federal Government to name a foremost national institution after this great patriot. The PDP commiserates with the Shagari family, the government and people of Sokoto state, the Council of State and the entire nation for this irreparable loss and prays the Almighty Allah to grant him eternal rest, he said. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the demise of a former President of Nigeria, Shehu Shagari. Mr Shagari, 93, died Friday evening at the National Hospital Abuja after a brief illness. The death of the elder statesman was announced by his grandson, Bello Shagari, via his Twitter handle. In a statement signed by the presidents special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Mr Shagari described the death as the departure of a patriot whose life of service and humility was widely acknowledged. On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Nigeria, it is with immense sadness that I received the news of the passing away of the First Executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari which event happened Friday in Abuja, he said. President Buhari restated part of the birthday message he sent to the late ex-president last February when he said, we are enthralled and regaled with the many years of unequalled patriotism, sacrifices and contributions to national development. More specifically, we celebrate the role modelling qualities of integrity, diligence and humility that have been the hallmark of your visionary leadership. Nigerians held him in the highest esteem even when he was out of office until his demise and will forever miss his wise counsels, he said. In his reaction to Mr Shagaris death, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan described him as a nation builder who cemented a good relationship between the North and South. In a statement by Ikechukwu Eze, the former presidents spokesman, Mr Jonathan described Mr Shagari as a nice man with a clean heart who was sincere and selfless in service. Late President Shagari was a very nice man with a clean heart. As a President, he was humble, sincere and selfless in service. He was indeed a true democrat who left no one in doubt about his loyalty to his country, love for peace, desire for unity and vision for a greater Nigeria. Shagari was an exceptional leader and exemplary statesman whose modesty, commitment to common good and deep sense of patriotism will continue to inspire many generations of Nigerians. He will be remembered as a teacher, parliamentarian and President whose model of service was anchored on diligence, broad-mindedness and humility, Mr Jonathan said. Similarly, Nigerias Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described Mr Shagari as the Last of the First and Second Republic Titans. Mr Saraki disclosed this in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Friday. In the statement, Mr Saraki described Mr Shagari as a man of peace who dedicated the greater part of his life to the service of the fatherland. He noted that Mr Shagari would be remembered for his contributions to the political and socio-economic development of the country as well as his peaceful disposition. Lets be consoled by the fact that Alhaji Shagari lived his life in the service of God and country, he said. In his reaction, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in a condolence message by his spokesperson, Turaki Hassan, stated that the former president was a true democrat and an icon of transparency. We have lost a father, man of peace, true democrat, patriot and a nationalist. He led an exemplary life of service to God and country worthy of emulation, he was a president for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or region. President Shagari led Nigeria with dignity and honour and respected the independence of the legislature and judiciary in the second republic under the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), he said. When anti-democratic forces truncated his government, President Shagari took it in good faith and continued to play the role of an elder statesman and father without grudge or bitterness. His death came at a time we are in dire need of his elderly wisdom and counsel as we navigate the most challenging pace as a nation, the speaker said. In a similar statement, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, expressed deep grief over the passing of the Second Republic President. He described the death as a heavy loss to the nation, noting that the late politician was a sage, democrat, and statesman. I received with a heavy heart the news of the passing on the Second Republic President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the lawmaker wrote on his social media handle @iamekweremadu, He was a democrat by nature, orientation, and conviction. He was a patriot par excellence, a detribalised elder statesman, bridge-builder, servant-leader, and an epitome of humility, who served the nation and humanity most creditably. In and out of office, Alhaji Shagari clothed the Office of the President with decorum and social grace. Mr Ekweremadu said although the late elder statesman lived to a 93, his wealth of experience and treasury of wisdom would still have been most invaluable in our quest to build the Nigeria of our dreams. The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, also described Mr Shagaris death as a sad loss to the entire country. Mr. Wike stated this in a condolence message signed by Simon Nwakaudu, his special assistant on electronic media. He said the late president would be remembered for his patriotic contributions to the development of the country. The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, also mourned the passing of the former president. The governor said Mr Shagari played an active role in the growth and development of Nigeria, and until his death, rendered invaluable support to successive administrations for the uplift of the country. As an elder statesman, Shagari maintained a rather quiet and simple lifestyle and was always available to advise the nations leaders. I commiserate with his family, the government and people of Sokoto State on his passing and pray that God grants them the fortitude to bear the loss, he said. The former President remains a major shaper of what Nigeria has become today. In his own tribute, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State described the death of Mr Shagari as a major loss to the country. The governor, who expressed shock, and his heartfelt condolences over the passage, described the late president as a compassionate leader and decent politician who was considerate of the peculiar challenges of the Niger Delta and the Ijaw Nation in particular. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, the governor said Mr Shagari passed on at a critical time his vast experience and wise counsel was needed in the country. Governor Dickson urged Nigerians to learn from and emulate the simple, decent and peaceful lifestyle the former President lived. He condoled with the Shagari family; Muktar Shagari, former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State; Aminu Shagari, a former member of the Federal House of Representatives the Governor of Sokoto State and others on the sad occurrence. Our country will miss Alhaji Shehu Shagari dearly as his passing came at such a critical time when his wise counsel, extensive historical knowledge and vast experience of the Nigerian polity would have served all of us, Mr Dickson said. On behalf of my family, the good people of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation, I express my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family, community, Sokoto State and indeed all of Nigeria on this irreparable loss. The governor prayed God to grant the departed president eternal repose and the family, community and entire nation the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Mr Shagari was born in Shagari village in Sokoto State in 1925 and served the country in various capacities as a minister, with his political career culminating in his election as Nigerias first elected executive president in the Second Republic in 1979. He led Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He was removed from office via a military coup in December 1983. The coup plotters eventually named then Major General Muhammadu Buhari as the Head of State. The Nigerian presidency bungled a condolence message to the victims of ongoing armed bandits attacks in Zamfara State earlier this week, misidentifying a community that is perhaps the hardest-hit by the rampaging bandits this year. Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, was extending the condolences of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the administration strongly condemned the killing of innocent Nigerians in Birnin Magaji community in Tsafe Local Government Area and Magami community in Faru District of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, following attacks by suspected armed bandits. These horrendous acts of violence are crimes against humanity. This violence must stop, Mr Shehu quoted the president as saying, while highlighting efforts the government had put in place to check the armed bandits, whose successive deadly attacks on villagers have left thousands dead in the northwestern state this year alone. But Birnin Magaji is a local government entity on its own, although its seat is also Birnin Magaji. Therefore, contrary to what the presidency told Nigerians, Birnin Magaji is not a town in Tsafe Local Government Area, which has also been under siege from armed bandits with thousands fleeing from its villages. At least 25 villagers were killed in successive attacks on three villages in Birnin Magaji LGA between 19-20 December. Tsafe Local Government Area was also attacked two days later, leaving dozens dead. Maradun LGA also endured deadly attacks on its villagers within the same period, as well as Zurmi Local Government Area which recorded 18 deaths. Mourning template While analysts deemed the presidents comments assertive enough, the fumbling of one of the two locations mentioned in the statement has fueled doubts about whether the president and his aides even bothered to make basic findings, despite waiting days before releasing the condolence message on December 24. It is both embarrassing and worrisome that the presidency would fail to get the location of a place where so many innocent and harmless citizens were brutally murdered, said political analyst Sola Olubanjo. It is almost as if the presidency has a prepared template and they just tweak it a little bit after any attack they wish to react to. Birnin Magaji and Zurmi LGAs have witnessed some of the deadliest and frequent attacks by armed bandits, earning them frequent headlines throughout this year. There is no way you could excuse this level of incompetence at the highest office in the nation, Mr Olubanjo added. If the president does not know Birnin Magaji by now, then you wonder what he really knows about the acute insecurity that is ravaging our country. Mr Shehu could not be reached for comments by PREMIUM TIMES, his telephone line signalled it was switched off when dialled between Thursday and Friday. The family of former Vice President Alex Ekwueme have expressed their condolences over the death of former President Shehu Shagari. Mr Shagari, 93, died on Friday at the National Hospital in Abuja. He was president between 1979 and 1983, with Mr Ekwueme as the vice president. In a statement on behalf of the family, Mr Ekwuemes first son, Goodheart Obi Ekwueme, described Mr Shagari as an epitome of high moral leadership, having meritoriously served Nigeria without any blemish whatsoever, a virtue he evidently shared with his late Vice, Dr Ekwueme. The Ekwueme family noted that Mr Shagari had the most cordial working relationship with his vice president and both had greater hearts of service for the nation. They were more Nationalistic in their work relation and even though they both had different religious backgrounds, they were not polarized by the issues of religion and tribe, the statement said. They were first and foremost Nigerians before Christians or Muslims, Fulani or Igbo. They were both selfless, the family said. The family recalled that Mr Shagari demonstrated his humility in his message through his son, Aminu Shagari, at Mr Ekwuemes burial, where he said he chose him as his Vice President because of his impeccable integrity and character. Mr Shagari through his son had said, Im not here to give undeserved praises on Ekwueme, whatever I say here I have told him so in his life. I never thought his last birthday was his last though he was younger than me. Death is a certainty and we will all face it one day. I chose him because he came across as a man of impeccable integrity and character. We worked harmoniously because we had the same vision. He was a deputy I trusted and mischief makers could not drive a wedge between us. His character remained impeccable. Even in death his achievements cannot be diminished. The Ekwueme family also expressed gratitude to God that Mr Shagari lived to a ripe age and led an exemplary life, and urged Nigerians of all walks of life to emulate him. We pray that Almighty God will comfort the family of the ex-president and all those who mourn him and will grant his soul eternal rest, the statement said. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari again paid tribute to the late President Shehu Shagari on Saturday, directing that Nigerian flags at government buildings fly at half-mast for three days, starting from Sunday. Mr Shagari, Nigerias first elected president who held office between 1979 and 1983, died Friday evening at the National Hospital Abuja after a brief illness. He was buried on Saturday at his hometown, Shagari in Sokoto state. He was 93. In a statement on Saturday, Mr Buhari said, The late President represented almost the last link with the government of our Founding Fathers under Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He was also the first elected President of Nigeria. The late Alhaji Shagari was a man of many parts: teacher, local authority administrator, politician, minister, and finally President. He served his country with dedication and moderation. Over the years, through interaction at the Council of State, he and I came to understand and appreciate each other, whatever the differences we may have had in the past. On behalf of the Federal Government, myself and family, I send my condolences to the people of Nigeria, particularly to the late Presidents family and the Government and people of Sokoto State. May his soul rest in peace. The Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Olanisakin, accompanied by the Chief of Air Staff, Abubakar Sadique, and Chief of Naval Staff, Ibot-Ette Ibas, on Saturday visited Maiduguri, Borno state amid growing insecurity in the state. They were received by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, who had been on ground in the Military Command and Control Centre. The CDS and the other service chiefs had paid a similar visit to the command a week ago. Mr Olanisakin held more than a four-hour closed-door meeting with the service chiefs, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Chiefs of Training and Operations from the Defence Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air Force and field commanders. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the meeting deliberated on recent attacks by Boko Haram terrorists on troops locations at Baga and Monguno in Borno and Gonori in Yobe. Briefing journalists after the meeting, the army spokesman, Sani Usman, described the CDS visit as a routine trip meant to assess the situation in the theatre in view of current development. Mr Usman, a brigadier general, also said that Mr Olanisakin, a lieutenant general, used the meeting to receive briefs from the theatre commander and field commanders. The army spokesman quoted the CDS as commending the troops for their doggedness in repelling the various attacks by the terrorists, especially the attack on troops location at Monguno on Friday evening. The terrorists attacked Baga on Wednesday, and Gonori on Thursday but were repelled by troops. Mr Usman said Mr Olanisakin charged field commanders to put in more effort to strengthen ongoing operations against remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents. (NAN) A prominent pentecostal pastor in Akwa Ibom has rejected the idea that the state must be separated from religion. Cletus Bassey, an archbishop, and founder of Destiny International Mission Inc, Uyo, said it was wrong for people to want to separate the state from religion. It is only happening in Christianity; it does not happen in the Islamic world. In the Islamic world, who are the people that rule? Their own spiritual leader is the one that directs what goes on in that nation, Mr Bassey said, Monday, during a radio interview with Bush House Nigeria. The question is, the laws that are made if they are negative, do they affect Christians? Christians are first of all the citizens of a given nation and they have rights as citizens to exercise their own civic responsibilities. So, dont use religion to now cage us and make us look as if we are stupid, the cleric said. Mr Bassey, a former chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom state, said it was only foolish people who ask religious leaders to stay away from politics. They are foolish. Yes, they are because the word of God didnt say that. The word of God says you must always pray for those who are in governance. It teaches us to obey them. Go back into the Bible, you will discover that God has always been instructing his prophets to take messages to those who are in leadership. And if they were wrong, he will prophesy for them to be dethroned. And if they were okay, he will prophesy for them to be sustained. The interviewer asked the pastor if it was fair for him, as one of the religious leaders in the state, to declare political support for a particular governorship candidate when there are other candidates in the state. Mr Bassey, before now, had publicly declared support for the incumbent governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel, who is seeking re-election in 2019. The pastor and other Christian leaders in the state, like Uma Ukpai, an influential evangelist; Isaiah Isong, a bishop, and prelate of Christ Believers Assembly Inc, Uyo; and Sunday Mbang, prelate emeritus of Methodist Church of Nigeria and national president of CAN, have gone a step further to set up a group called Akwa Ibom Christian Association (ACA) to mobilise Christians in the state for Mr Emmanuels re-election. Is that something God Himself would support? Mr Bassey was asked in the interview? Can you ever question God? he responded. God does not act based on opinion. He added, The church is coming full swing, not just in Akwa Ibom state, but in Nigeria. The time has come that we must have to rise to the challenge because we cant keep folding our hands. The pastor, apparently referring to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom, said, Even the people on the other divide, if they think that the church is not important, why are they still going behind our back to try to tell some of our people, We will give you jeep, we will give you money, or we will give you this, just come and support us. It is because they know the church plays a major role. We have the right to choose who we want, he said. Mr Bassey said the Christian community in the state was in support of Governor Emmanuels bid for re-election. He said his support for the governors re-election is something he preaches from the pulpit, inside the church. When asked if his opinion on politics in the state represented that of his congregants, Mr Bassey said: The people need the pastor to lead them. I mean if you go to the Catholic Church, it is what the priest says that the people will do. You come to the Anglican Church, or you come to most of these our churches, it is what the pastor, or the bishop, or their leader in the church say is what the people will do. It doesnt necessarily mean it would be a 100 per cent, because even in Jesus days, there were those that listened to Jesus and then said stone him. But when they needed a miracle, they went to him. In fact, you must also understand that in all our churches we have people of the different political parties, we do not tell people which party to belong to. But we have a responsibility to say we believe this is the person God is giving us direction. The pastor said wherever the church stands in politics, it will always win. So, what happens if the church doesnt win? the interviewer asked him. Who has that power to win? he responded. All power belongs to God. The church can never fail. Lets go to the field. The seat Udom (Emmanuel) is sitting is not vacant and will not be vacant until 2023, he said. Akwa Iboms over 5 million population is predominately Christians. Governor Emmanuel is a member and deacon of Qua Iboe Church which was founded in 1887 in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom state, by an Irish missionary, Samuel Bill. The governors major challenger in the election is Nsima Ekere, the candidate of the APC. Mr Ekere, who is the managing director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is a member and a knight of John Wesley, the Methodist Church Nigeria. Mr Ekere enjoys the endorsement of Josephine Eggah, a bishop and founder of New Birth Bible Church, Uyo, as well as that of Patrick Jerome, an apostle, and prelate of the Christ Believers (Evangelical) Mission, Uyo. The Ondo State Police Command on Thursday searched the forest around Owo and Akoko area to clear them of kidnappers. The officers, numbering 87, led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mudashiru Abudulahai, led the raid on some dens of kidnappers. Two suspects were apprehended on Friday. Several persons travelling on the Owo-Akoko axis have been kidnapped in recent times. While most of those kidnapped were released after huge sums were paid as ransom, a few were killed by the bandits in the process. Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, confirmed that two persons suspected to be kidnappers, were arrested during the exercise. The two suspects, Jahae Mohammed and Jimoh Ahmed were said to be leaders of the kidnap gang, were apprehended at Ose-Oba-Akoko along Owo-Ikare road by the police special patrol team. The team reportedly trekked about 20km into the forest along Ose-Oba-Akoko road to bust the two camps of kidnappers. Mr Joseph, who was part of the search team, said the police team destroyed the camps as the kidnappers had already fled the scene before the arrival of the security operatives. He said objects such as clothes and shoes suspected to be from their victims, as well as cudgels were recovered and destroyed at the camps. The police spokesman urged the people to always give useful information at ensuring safety of the communities and travellers in the state. "College football and the passionate communities who support their favorite teams are part of what make the South so vibrant and exciting," said Lisa Harper, Belk CEO. "Last year, we launched Project Hometown to strengthen our southern communities through local programs and national partnerships. Belk is honored to once again partner with Habitat for Humanity to build new homes and give each of these inspirational families a fresh start to the new year." The gift of home this holiday season The Pierce family from Columbia, S.C. has been on a journey to homeownership for nearly 10 years, but their path has not been easy. In 2010, the matriarch of the family, Tara Pierce, was declared legally blind after a disease attacked her immune system and deeply impacted her vision. With support from Belk associates and Habitat for Humanity's Columbia affiliate, Tara will accomplish her dream of providing a sustainable home for her two school-aged children as their home build is scheduled to begin in spring 2019. "The generosity Belk is displaying through its Project Hometown initiative is overwhelming. This donation will change lives and have great impact on the Pierce family," said Roy Kramer, Habitat for Humanity Central South Carolina Executive Director. "Habitat for Humanity understands that we can't change one neighborhood at a time, alone. We are grateful for supportive partners like Belk, that share the common vision and values for our communities." The Shelton family from Charlottesville, Va. has been building homes alongside Habitat for Humanity for several years, and with support from Belk and local Habitat volunteers, they will have their own place to call home in spring 2019. Holly and Damon Shelton currently rent a two-bedroom home where they live with their three children, all under the age of seven. The Shelton's look forward to their kids having their own rooms, building their first home and making memories together. "It's going to be a special new year for the Shelton family, thanks to the support from Belk," said Dan Rosensweig, Habitat for Humanity Charlottesville President and CEO. "Belk is a treasured retailer in the South and we feel so blessed for this partnership, that will make the dream of homeownership come true." In addition to Belk's $250,000 Home for the Holidays contribution, the retailer invited South Carolina and Virginia fans to participate in the Field Goal Challenge, during the Belk Bowl Fan Fest, for a chance to have Belk donate $10,000 to a local nonprofit in the winning team's hometown. Belk launched Project Hometown at the 2017 Belk Bowl with an initial five-year, 15-million-dollar commitment to organizations that support southern hometowns and strengthen local communities. In the first year of that commitment, Belk has contributed $3 million through local programs and national partnerships, including Habitat for Humanity, Family Promise and The Salvation Army. To learn more about Project Hometown, please visit Belk.com/ProjectHometown. About Belk Belk, Inc., a private department store company based in Charlotte, N.C., is where southern customers shop for their Saturday night outfit, the perfect Sunday dress, and where family and community matter most. But Belk is more than shopping it's where you find your own unique way to express who you are. It's where southern style lives. Shop Belk in 16 southern states and on www.belk.com to find an assortment of national brands and private-label fashion, shoes and accessories for the entire family, along with top-name cosmetics, a wedding registry and southern style for the home. Check out the Belk Newsroom to see the retailer in action as they give back to the community, deliver fashion-forward trends and more! About Habitat for Humanity Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org. SOURCE Belk, Inc. Related Links www.belk.com VANCOUVER, Dec. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (ASM: TSX/NYSE American; GV6: FSE; "Avino" or the "Company") announces that it has filed a new short form base shelf prospectus dated December 21, 2018 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus") in Canada, pursuant to which Avino may distribute common shares (the "Offered Shares") from time to time through Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (the "Agent"), as agent or as principal, pursuant to an amended and restated sales agreement currently in effect with the Agent for the distribution of the Offered Shares in the United States up to the aggregate sales amount of US$8.0 million (the "Maximum Amount"), in accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement (the "Offering"). The Offering is being made in the United States under the terms of a registration statement on Form F-3 (SEC File No. 333-226963) (the "Registration Statement") filed and effective with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and a prospectus supplement dated December 28, 2018 (the "Prospectus Supplement") filed in each Province of Canada, except Quebec, to the Base Shelf Prospectus; the Registration Statement, Prospectus Supplement and Base Shelf Prospectus being collectively, the "Prospectus"). Sales of Offered Shares under the Prospectus will be made in transactions that are deemed to be "at-the-market distributions" as defined in National Instrument 44-102, Shelf Distributions ("NI 44-102"), including sales made directly on the NYSE American. The Offered Shares will be distributed at the market prices prevailing at the time of sale. As a result, prices may vary as between purchasers and during the period of distribution. The period of distribution will be until the Maximum Amount has been achieved, unless terminated earlier under the terms of the Sales Agreement. The Company has agreed to pay the Agent a cash commission equal to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering. The Prospectus Supplement relating to the Offering, together with the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement (collectively, the "Offering Documents") will be filed with the securities commissions in all of the Provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and the Registration Statement previously filed with the SEC. The Offering Documents will contain important detailed information about the securities being offered. Before you invest, you should read the Offering Documents and the other documents the Company has filed for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. Copies of the Sales Agreement and the Offering Documents will be available for free by visiting the Company's profiles on the SEDAR website maintained by the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedar.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, as applicable. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor will there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. About Avino: Avino is a silver and gold producer with a diversified portfolio of gold, silver and base metals properties in Mexico and Canada employing approximately 500 people. Avino produces from its wholly owned Avino and San Gonzalo Mines near Durango, Mexico, and is currently evaluating the potential economics of possible future production at the Bralorne Gold Mine in British Columbia, Canada. The Company's gold and silver production remains unhedged. The Company's mission and strategy is to create shareholder value through its focus on profitable organic growth at the historic Avino Property near Durango, Mexico, and the strategic acquisition of mineral exploration and mining properties. We are committed to managing all business activities in an environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner, while contributing to the well-being of the communities in which we operate. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "David Wolfin" ________________________________ David Wolfin President & CEO Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. Safe Harbor Statement - This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (together, the "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including our belief as to the expected closing of the Offering and the use of proceeds from the Offering. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and the dates of technical reports, as applicable. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, our ability to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Offering and to use the proceeds from the Offering as expected, the effects of general economic conditions, the price of gold, silver and copper, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated with legal proceedings and negotiations and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking information. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; uncertainties and risks related to carrying on business in foreign countries; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers, directors or promoters of with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; tax consequences to U.S. investors; and other risks and uncertainties. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. Cautionary Note to United States Investors - The information contained herein and incorporated by reference herein has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. In particular, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserve". The Securities Exchange Commission's (the "SEC") disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards, unless such information is required to be disclosed by the law of the Company's jurisdiction of incorporation or of a jurisdiction in which its securities are traded. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Disclosure of "contained ounces" is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. SOURCE Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. Related Links www.avino.com For their outstanding facilities and high-quality service, this September, Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel won the Annual High Quality Conference Service Hotel Award from the New Media Alliance, which is composed of Toutiao, Tencent, Baidu, Netease, Sina, Sohu and other media. Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel will never forget their core mission: to move forward, constantly innovate their service, improve service facilities, and provide their distinguished guests with better and better conference experiences. The Best Conference Hotel Award On Oct. 10, 2018, City Traveler's Tenth Anniversary Awards Ceremony was held in Shanghai. Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel won The Best Conference Hotel Award in the Tenth Anniversary of Urban Tourism theme for their outstanding conference facilities and personalized service. The award is not just recognition from the market for the quality of hotel conference service, but also a celebration of the hotel staff's unremitting efforts and impeccable performance in their daily work. Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel will continue to contribute new strength to the hotel industry and bring better and better service to the business travelers that pass through its doors. Annual Recommendation of Chinese Restaurant Finally, at the end of November, situated in the exquisite backdrop of the Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel, the legendary Yue Chinese Restaurant won the honor of Annual Recommendation of Chinese Restaurant from Target, one of the authoritative restaurant reviewers in China. Artfully combining classic Chinese architecture and garden elements with elegant Chinese poetry and calligraphy, Yue Chinese Restaurant invites travelers to enjoy the taste of the four seasons from their seats overlooking the beauty of Macau through floor-glass windows. SOURCE Zhuhai Huafa Group Milan, Dec 29 : Italy's hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini on Friday welcomed a charity rescue boat's arrival at the southern Spanish port of Algecircas with 310 migrants aboard who had spent a week stranded in the Mediterranean. "The NGO Open Arms has docked in Spain with 310 illegal immigrants on board. Mission accomplished," Salvini wrote on social media. Most of the migrants are African and were picked up off the Libyan coast, where Proactiva Open Arms and two other charities said last month they were launching a joint rescue operation for migrants. Several European countries including Malta and Italy had refused entry to the Proactiva Open Arms vessel although a mother and her newborn baby were taken by helicopter to Malta. Since taking office in June, Salvini, who is also deputy premier, has taken a tough line against migrants and has closed Italy's ports to rescue vessels, demanding that other European Union countries help out. Over 700,000 migrants have landed in Italy since 2014, fleeing poverty and conflict in their homelands. Mexico City, Dec 29 : Seven children died in a pre-dawn fire on Friday in Iztapalapa, a populous town within Mexico City's greater metropolitan area. The fire broke out just before 5 a.m. local time (11:00 GMT) at a cardboard-and-sheet metal shack tucked between cement homes in the neighbourhood of Buenavista, Xinhua reported. The victims were children aged 2 to 13, including five siblings and a cousin as well as their minor caregiver, and all of their bodies have been found by firefighters, according to Iztapalapa prosecutor Jose Antonio Escobar. The parents were reportedly out working at the time. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. One local TV news reporter speculated the occupants may have been trying to keep warm beside a fire that got out of control. Iztapalapa Mayor Clara Brugada said her government will launch a campaign to warn residents about the hazards of using gas to heat homes this time of year, when temperatures plunge during the night. Srinagar, Dec 29 : Two militants were killed on Saturday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said. According to police, the security forces surrounded Hajin Payeen village after receiving information about the presence of militants there. "As the cordon was tightened, the militants who were hiding opened fire. That triggered an encounter in which two militants have been killed," an informed source said. Reports from the area mentioned that the slain militants belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit. Searches are underway in the area. Washington, Dec 29 : An American social worker who died of cancer has left behind $11 million for children's charities in the US city of Seattle. No one who knew Alan Naiman could have guessed he had amassed a fortune. The frugal social worker bought his clothes at Costco, cut coupons and liked to take thrifty road trips for his holidays, the BBC reported on Friday. But when he left $11 million to the charities, friends say they were not surprised by his generosity. Naiman died in January 2018 of cancer at age 63 in Seattle, Washington. "I think everyone was shocked, I mean really shocked that he had so much money to give away," says his friend Mary Monahan, who worked with Naiman at Washington state children's services. Soon after being diagnosed with cancer, he told her that he would donate everything he had to charity upon his death."People will be surprised at the amount," she recalls him saying."Yeah, people were -- I'm sure -- very surprised," she told the BBC. Naiman left a lucrative banking career to work with children 30 years ago. Monahan believes his experiences working with children in social services, many of whom had disabilities, inspired him to put others first."I guess he thought he had what he needed, and a lot of other people didn't have what they needed," she says. "The kids that came into care got into Alan's heart." Naiman inherited some of his wealth from his parents, but he also saved and invested most of his earnings throughout his life. San Francisco, Dec 29 : Facebook has dismissed media reports claiming that thousands of its content moderators rely on inaccurate and disorganised information to determine what content to allow or remove from its platform. Reacting to a report in The New York Times that accused Facebook of being "ad hoc", "disorganized", "secretive", and doing things "on the cheap", the social media network on Saturday said the debate on content moderation should be based on facts not mischaracterizations. The documents that are used to guide Facebook's moderators span more than 1,400 pages which often contain inaccuracies and outdated information, said the Times report on Thursday. "The Times is right that we regularly update our policies to account for ever-changing cultural and linguistic norms around the world. But the process is far from 'ad hoc'," said Facebook in a response. The company said it makes changes to policies based on new trends that its reviewers see, feedback from inside and outside the company -- as well as unexpected changes on the ground. "What the Times refers to as a gathering 'over breakfast' among 'young engineers and lawyers' is, in fact, a global forum held every two weeks where we discuss potential changes to our policies," said Facebook. The team responsible for safety on Facebook is made up of around 30,000 people, about 15,000 of whom are content reviewers around the world. "When discussing our efforts to curb hate speech in Myanmar, the Times incorrectly claims that a paperwork error allowed an extremist group to remain on Facebook. "In fact, we had designated the group - Ma Ba Tha - as a hate organisation in April 2018, six months before The Times first contacted us for this story. "While there was one outdated training deck in circulation, we immediately began removing content that represents, praises or supports the organization in April - both through proactive sweeps for this content and upon receiving user reports," explained Facebook. The report also claimed that the content moderators rely on material based on incorrect interpretation of certain Indian laws. One of these documents tells moderators that any post degrading an entire religion violates Indian law and should be flagged for removal. Another document for moderators instructs them to "look out for" the phrase "Free Kashmir" -- though the slogan, common among activists, is completely legal, the report said. The moderators are even warned that ignoring posts that use the phrase could get Facebook blocked in India. Earlier this month, Facebook refuted another New York Times report that claimed it allowed large technology companies and popular apps like Netflix or Spotify access to its users' personal information. Facebook said it did not give large tech companies access to people's data without their permission as its integration partners "had to get authorisation from people". Lucknow, Dec 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Saturday, will view a detailed presentation on the proposed 400 metre Kashi-Vishwanath Corridor project, an official said. The official said the Prime Minister will be viewing a 12-minute documentary on the ambitious multi-crore project which envisions a widened and beautified corridor to the fabled temple. The official told IANS that the detailed project report (DPR) for the corridor will be presented in the first week of January 2019 after which the project will be moved in the Union Cabinet for approval. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kashi Vishwanath temple Vishal Singh said that tenders will be floated for the project after it is cleared by the cabinet. The foundation is likely to be laid in February 2019. The proposed corridor between the temple and the banks of river Ganga will have two pathways around 400-metre-long and 50-feet-wide. According to the blueprint, the corridor will have an open auditorium between the Lalita Ghat and the famous Manikarnika Ghat, a rest house, a hospital, Vedic study centre, restrooms for the priests and other staff, a library, 150-175 shops, cafeteria, toilets, visual library and help desks. In view of the proposed project, 80 per cent of the buildings in the area of the corridor have been registered. Of the 270 buildings and houses in the area 210 have registered in favour of the Temple Trust and currently demolition of 140 houses is underway. Officials also informed that before the foundation is laid, as many as 10,000 square metres of land of the total 25,000 square metres would be cleared. Shoppers can find great deals on the Mitsubishi Outlander at Continental Mitsubishi. The new year is a great time for Chicago shoppers to start looking for their next vehicle. Whether theyre purchasing their first vehicle, or looking to upgrade their current ride, the deals available now at Continental Mitsubishi are the type shoppers wont want to miss. Going on now through January 2nd, 2019, with the exception of January 1st, due to the dealership closing for New Years Day, Continental Mitsubishi is hosting its New Year New Ride Season Ending Sale. During this annual sales event, shoppers that visit the Countryside, Illinois, dealership can get great prices on vehicle purchases and leases. Drivers that take advantage of this impressive savings opportunity have the chance to receive $500 - $3,000 cash back or zero percent APR financing for 72 months with an additional $1,000 cash back, depending on the new Mitsubishi models chosen. Further details on the New Year New Ride sales event can be found on the Continental Mitsubishi website at http://www.continentalmitsubishi.com. Interested shoppers who are still in the researching part of the car-buying process can find information on the models available at the dealership through its model research library, as well as the Continental Mitsubishi Blog. Questions or inquires can be directed towards dealership staff through the website, by calling Continental Mitsubishi at 708-669-0516 or by visiting its location at 5800 S. La Grange Road in Countryside. Get the new 2019 VW Passat at Elgin Volkswagen. Now is a great time for drivers in the Chicago area to begin shopping for their next Volkswagen vehicle. To celebrate the end of 2018, one local dealership is hosting its annual Year End Savings Event, which offers incentive leasing opportunities for select new Volkswagen vehicles. The dealership, Elgin Volkswagen, which is located in Elgin, Illinois, encourages shoppers to take advantage of this great opportunity for savings. The Year End Savings Event at Elgin Volkswagen is going on now through January 4, 2019, so interested shoppers are encouraged to hurry in now so they dont miss out. Models available with incentive leasing opportunities include the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, 2019 Volkswagen Passat, 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan and the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. To learn more about the Year End Savings Event and the models available at Elgin Volkswagen, readers are encouraged to visit the Elgin Volkswagen website at http://www.elginvw.com. There theyll find plenty of resources for model research as well as the ability to look through the full inventory available on the dealerships lot. Customers with questions or inquiries can reach out to dealership staff through its website, by calling 877-797-6424, or by visiting Elgin Volkswagen directly on is location at 2630 Auto mall Dr. in Elgin. Today FMS Solutions announced that it has been selected as the new accounting provider for Piggly Wiggly of Alabama, the first retailer to franchise independent grocers to operate under the self-service method of food merchandising. Piggly Wiggly, currently with more than 530 stores, represents one of six groups on the target list for FMS moving forward. Robert Graybill, CEO of FMS Solutions, shared, after the absorption of AWG Nebraska Divisions works in the last quarter of 2017, this marks the continuation of our strategic plan to grow both organically and through acquisitions. FMS has provided accounting, payroll, and financial services to independently owned groceries since 1974. The acquisition of Piggly Wigglys stores will expand their reach in the Southeast region of the country. The Piggly Wiggly Birmingham warehouse has many very successful family-owned independent grocery stores spread throughout 17 states. FMS is excited to have the opportunity to work with these independent owners and the Piggly Wiggly warehouse. Im confident, FMS will help them succeed by providing them with timely and accurate financial information and the support they need to run their operations said Stan McClintock, VP of Sales at FMS With FMSs best practices, estimated weekly financials, and the ability to go paperless, along with these outstanding independent operators, this great partnership will set the precedent to help other retailers succeed in the marketplace. FMS Solutions Holdings LLC (FMS) Since 1974, FMS has helped independent retail grocers succeed by transforming historic accounting activities into timely, accurate decision support tools. The companys keen understanding of the challenges the industry faces has positioned it as the National Grocers Associations (NGA) preferred provider of industry benchmarking, best practices and mission-critical decision support. FMS is headquartered in Maryland with additional offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oregon, and Ontario, Canada. FMS services organizations in more than 4,200 locations across North America, and the Caribbean, enabling them to improve profitability through better decision support. Piggly Wiggly Today there are more than 530 Piggly Wiggly stores serving communities in 17 states. All Piggly Wiggly stores are independently owned and operated, and though they are located primarily in the Southeast, there are Piggly Wiggly stores and as far north as Wisconsin. Piggly Wiggly, LLCs corporate headquarters are in Keene, N.H. It issues Piggly Wiggly franchises to qualified independent grocery retailers. The company also provides the retailers with services such as support, marketing programs, and a line of promotional items. Clipping of the Old National Bank of Chambersburg depicts the bank in early 1900. Following the January 31 investigation, the Ghost Pit will give an update of paranormal activity at 15 South Main Street during IceFest Saturday, February 2, in the second-level Great Room of the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center at 2 PM. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau is pleased to name the Ghost Pit as the official investigation team of the Franklin County Visitors Bureau and announce a third investigation of paranormal activity at the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center in downtown Chambersburg on Thursday, January 31, 2019. The investigation, led by Ghost Pit founder Brian Phillips, begins at 8 PM and runs until 11 PM. The Ghost Pit team performed two investigations prior to the nine-month renovation of 15 South Main Street. The property, built in 1865 as the National Bank of Chambersburg, served the community as a bank for 150 years. It replaced a previous bank, burned by Confederate soldiers in July 1864 when residents of Chambersburg could not pay a ransom demand of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in Yankee currency. FCVB launched its relationship with the Ghost Pit in December 2017 with an initial investigation of the property. A second investigation was completed two months later, just before renovation of the property began. In these investigations, the Ghost Pit documented several paranormal interactions, including a playful exchange with a young boy, who played a game of hide and seek. Though all interactions were benevolent, a 19th century bank executive was worried about the security of bank funds as was a 20th century bank guard. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites the public to join the paranormal investigation. Tickets are limited to the first 26 participants and are $10/person. Following the January 31 investigation, the Ghost Pit will give an update of paranormal activity at 15 South Main Street during IceFest Saturday, February 2, in the second-level Great Room of the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center at 2 PM. Exploring paranormal activity with The Ghost Pit is just one way to discover Franklin County PA. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Plan a visit at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com, contacting 866.646.8060, or stopping by the new Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center on the square in Chambersburg. GT Shareholder Bina Palnitkar Bina Palnitkar, a shareholder in the Dallas office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, has been selected to D Magazines 2019 list of Best Lawyers Under 40. Palnitkar is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on resolving complex business and intellectual property disputes through litigation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution. She has broad experience handling breach of contract, trademark infringement litigation, anti-counterfeiting enforcement, international FCPA compliance matters, medical malpractice defense for health care entities, fraud, tortious interference, and theft of trade secrets. Binas dedication to her clients, the community, and our firm is outstanding, and we are fortunate to have her on our team, said Joseph Coniglio, managing shareholder of the Dallas office. Her selection to this prestigious list of talented lawyers is a great compliment to her, and also shines a light on what an enterprising lawyer like Bina can accomplish on our firms platform. Earlier in 2018, Palnitkar was recognized by peers and colleagues for her dedication to the legal profession when she was named nationally as one of five Trials Rising Stars by legal media outlet Law360, and received the On the Rise Professional Excellence Award from Texas Lawyer. Additionally, each year since 2012, Palnitkar has been on the Super Lawyers magazine Texas Rising Stars listing. D Magazines 2019 Best Lawyers Under 40 listing is determined through a peerreview voting process, with ballots submitted by thousands of area lawyers. The final list was compiled by an independent panel of distinguished attorneys working in conjunction with the magazines editors, according to the publication. The complete list will be featured in the January 2019 edition of D Magazine and available online at http://www.dmagazine.com. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2018 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. Executive Producer, Phil Lebherz recently announced the ability to order the film, Holden On, through iTunes. Based on a true story, the film focuses on exposing the stigma surrounding mental illness. Set in the mid 90s, the movie takes viewers on an emotional journey through the life of a teen from a small town in Georgia. The once promising and popular star athlete attempts to hide his dark secret through self-medication that spirals to the desolation of addiction. As an advocate for whole and balanced healthcare for Americans, I felt honored to be a part of this thought-provoking film that humanizes the realities of mental Illness, said Phil Lebherz. Written and Directed by Tamlin Hall, the film has already received multiple awards including: WINNER - Atlanta Film Festival - Audience Award WINNER - Dances With Films - Audience Award WINNER - Breckenridge Film Festival - Best Director WINNER - Orlando Film Festival - Best Director WINNER - Breckenridge Film Festival - Best Actor WINNER - Macon Film Festival - Audience Award WINNER - South Bay Film & Music Festival - Jury Prize Outstanding Social Impact Filmmaking NOMINATED - Ultra Indie Award - Woodstock Film Festival ** Georgia Film Critics Association - Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema Nominee Phil Lebherz has been working in the field of health insurance benefits for over 30 years. He founded LISI in 1977. Today, LISI serves thousands of brokers from six fully staffed offices statewide. As Chairman, Phil is charged with working on the bigger picture for LISI. His leadership in finance, acquisition, and negotiations has developed LISI into one of Californias leading agencies. Phil is known in the industry for being a passionate broker advocate and committed to reframing the issues affecting the brokerage community. In 2004, he founded the Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE), a non-profit organization with the mission to simplify public and private health insurance eligibility information in order to help more people access coverage. Under the former Advisory Board of Leonard Schaeffer, Carly Fiorina, Congressman Tom McClintock, Alain Enthoven, and David Helwig, Phil and the FHCE assisted more than 5 million Americans with navigating the complex United States health coverage system. In 2012, Phil founded PointCare, a patient advocacy company dedicated to helping health systems educate self-pay patients about their eligibility for health coverage at point-of-care. PointCares mission is to strengthen the dignity of self-pay patients through the effective, empathetic, and compassionate communication of health coverage options from the hospital, clinic, or doctors office to the patient. Known for his expertise and innovative thinking, Phils sound advice has helped a great number of consumers, brokers, and companies achieve success and financial security. His input on the health care debate, the uninsured, and group health trends are featured regularly in numerous health care publications and media, including the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Washington Post, and CNN. Phil and his wife have been married for 35 years and reside in the Bay Area. Contact Jeff Grocky Director of Marketing jgrocky(at)lisibroker.com 818.431.0474 Contact AZ Foothills Magazine 2019 Best of Our Valley Winners We know that there are other options out there. That is why each of us feels extreme gratitude when given the opportunity to prove our dedication by vigorously representing those during their time of need! - Kevin Rowe, ESQ. Past News Releases RSS Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys... Lerner and Rowe Donates... Lerner And Rowe Gives Back 2019... AZ Foothills Magazine annually asks their readers to vote for their Favorites in the Valley. For the fourth year in a row, Lerner and Rowes legal team was voted winners in the categories of Best Personal Injury Law Firm, Best Bankruptcy Law Firm and Best Criminal Defense Law Firm. They were also awarded for the third time with a win for the Most Philanthropic Company. Plus, one of our law firm's founding attorneys, Kevin Rowe, was honored with a second-time win for Best Tucson Lawyer! Our legal team truly appreciates the honor of once again being voted best for the categories of Personal Injury Law Firm, Bankruptcy Law Firm, Criminal Defense Law Firm and Most Philanthropic. I am equally honored and appreciative to have been voted Best Tucson Lawyer for the second year in a row, stated personal injury attorney Kevin Rowe. We know that there are other options out there. That is why each of us feels extreme gratitude when given the opportunity to prove our dedication by vigorously representing those during their time of need! More About Lerner and Rowe For additional information about Lerner and Rowes Phoenix personal injury attorneys call (602) 977-1900. To learn more about the criminal defense and bankruptcy legal services offered by their partner law firm Lerner and Rowe Law Group, visit lernerandrowelawgroup.com or call (602) 667-7777. Need help filing an application or appeal for Social Security benefits? Contact the law firms other legal partners at Social Security Disability Advocates by calling (602) 952-3200 or online at socialsecuritydisabilityadvocatesusa.com. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, or become a fan of their Facebook page. Also visit lernerandrowegivesback.com to learn more about the community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support. ### Milan Brandt "I have been a member of LIA for some 32 years and this has enabled me to not only stay abreast of the latest developments in technology and applications but also develop global connections and networks in the area." - Milan Brandt The Laser Institute of Americas (LIA) latest edition of the LIA Today, a bi-monthly newsletter discussing latest laser industry news, featured a farewell message from Milan Brandt discussing his presidency and the milestones the professional society have achieved over the last year. "As I come to the end of my Presidency, I would like to reflect on what 2018 has been for the Association and for me personally. 2018 has been a very special year for LIA, said Milan, who also spoke of new areas of focus for LIA: We have developed a new marketing plan. This will rebuild our digital footprint and increase our social media critical to promotion of the Associations activities in the future. 2018 has been a year of change and notable success for LIA, in particular, the achievement of its 50th Anniversary celebrating its continued efforts to support and promote lasers and its applications globally. These efforts have resulted in measurable growth for LIA, with noteworthy attendance at their flagship International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO) earlier this year, ahead of the International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC) held in March 2019. "ICALEO 18 was one of our best conferences in terms of attendance and 'bottom line' for the last four years," quoted Milan. Also featured in the LIA Today November/December 2018 issue was an interview with Milan Brandt, entitled, "A Cuppa With Milan Brandt. LIA Today seized the opportunity to discuss Laser Materials Processing, industry global trends, and Milan's time at LIA as a member. Milan had this to say about being a member of LIA: "LIA, in my view, has played a central role in the promotion, education, and growth of laser technology and applications globally. It has been the focus for this since its inception. I have been a member of LIA for some 32 years and this has enabled me to not only stay abreast of the latest developments in technology and applications but also develop global connections and networks in the area." This article was released to Laser's Today for immediate publication and can be read at Laser's Today. Visit LIA Today to read the full interview, and to explore past issues. Wine bottles throughout the world will now have Monterey County on the label, bringing value not only to the local wine industry but also extra value to tourism, agriculture, and other industries aligned with brand Monterey. Contact: Kim Stemler. Executive Director kim(at)montereywines.org 831.375.9cl400 or 831.915.6621 (c) Monterey Wines Conjunctive Labeling Goes into Effect January 1, 2019 Starting January 1, 2019, all wines labeled with an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located entirely within Monterey County, must also include the term Monterey County on the label. An AVA is a federally designated wine grape growing region distinguishable by unique geographic features. This practice, known as conjunctive labeling in the wine industry, involves legislated requirements to include the region of origin on a wines label. According to a study completed in 2016 by the Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute, conjunctive wine labeling results in greater levels of awareness of a wine region. Internationally, the wine industry has a historic tradition of relying on place to convey a product's unique characteristics and serve as a reference for quality. Bottles throughout the world will now have Monterey County on the label, bringing value not only to the local wine industry, but also extra value to tourism, agriculture, and other industries aligned with brand Monterey, shared Kim Stemler, Executive Director of the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association (MCVGA). The original bill was authored by Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay), requiring Monterey County wines be labeled to identify the region where the grapes were grown. The state law was passed by the California Legislature in 2015 and officially enacted in 2016. Enforcement of the law was delayed for three years until January 1, 2019, to provide wineries with several years to change their labels. Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association (MCVGA) Board President Scott Caraccioli shared, Monterey County is one of the premier wine regions in the world. This is very exciting and provides a tremendous platform on which to build and leverage further brand equity and loyalty of our grapes and wines. Monterey County grows 7% of the wine grapes in California, cultivating approximately 46,000 acres of wine grapes. (For reference, similar in size to Napa Valleys cultivated acreage.) Monterey Wine Country has nine AVAs including Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley, Chalone, Hames Valley, Monterey, San Antonio Valley, San Bernabe, Santa Lucia Highlands, and San Lucas. The Chalone AVA, although mostly in Monterey County, is also slightly in San Benito County and therefore is exempt from this law. Another exemption includes any wine with the Monterey AVA already on the label. This was specifically designed to prevent brand confusion that could result by having two Montereys on the label. Wineries have creative flexibility on the font, size, and location of Monterey County within their label design. Stemler added further, This is yet another example of the cohesiveness of the Monterey wine industry. Over the course of a year in 2014, the local wine industry met together to cooperatively construct the conjunctive labeling parameters that worked for both growers and winemakers. We also deeply appreciate the tremendous support of our local wine industry by our state representatives, especially Assemblymember Stone, who transformed our industry constructed concepts into state law. More information about conjunctive labeling of wines from the Monterey region, go to MontereyWines.org/Labeling. About the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association (MCVGA) The Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association is a unique non-profit organization with a mission to promote Monterey County wines and grapes, support cooperation and collaboration among vintners and growers, and develop awareness of the industry. For more information on the MCVGA, please call 831.375.9400 or visit montereywines.org. ### Being recognized as one of the nations Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is a great honor and a recognition everyone at OpticsPlanet is proud of, said Jill Geimer, Director of Human Resources at OpticsPlanet, Inc. OpticsPlanet, Inc. today announced that it has been named one of 2018s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). This year, the Best and Brightest Program honored 512 winning companies out of 2,400 nominations, and OpticsPlanet placed in the Top 101 of these organizations. The 2018 national winning companies were assessed by NABR which reviewed a number of key measures which were relative to other nationally recognized winners, and OpticsPlanets scores secured a spot amongst the top 101 companies in the nation. This new distinction comes in addition to recently being named a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune for 2018. Being recognized as one of the nations Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is a great honor and a recognition everyone at OpticsPlanet is proud of, said Jill Geimer, Director of Human Resources at OpticsPlanet, Inc. We feel that our employees are our most valuable resource. Weve made a point to create a work culture that prioritizes employees, their needs, and their enrichment. To be able to be recognized for that is truly gratifying. To explore career opportunities at OpticsPlanet, Inc. visit careers.opticsplanet.com About OpticsPlanet, Inc. Founded in 2000, OpticsPlanet, Inc. is the leading online destination for technical and high-performance gear. OpticsPlanet, Inc. serves demanding enthusiasts and professionals who are passionate about their jobs, serious about their recreation and devoted to their service. Currently offering over 1 million items from over 3,500 brands in over 500 specialty categories, OpticsPlanet.coms wide selection of outdoor sporting goods, military and law enforcement gear, as well as scientific products and eyewear. In 2018, the company was recognized for the 11th straight year by Internet Retailer Magazine as one of the top 200 e-retailers in the United States. OpticsPlanet, Inc. has also been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the top 5,000 fastest growing companies in the country. Other stores in OpticsPlanet, Inc.s portfolio include OpticsPlanet.com, Dvor.com the worlds first members only store devoted to gear and Tactical-Store.com. For more information visit http://www.OpticsPlanet.com, and follow OpticsPlanet.com on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Whether shoppers are looking for a fuel-efficient commuter car or a spacious family vehicle, theyll have plenty of options available to them in the Bob Tyler Toyota used model inventory. Car shoppers on a budget in Pensacola, Florida, who are looking to replace their current vehicle with an affordable, high-quality pre-owned vehicle can find a wide selection available to them at Bob Tyler Toyota. Located right on Pensacola Blvd., Bob Tyler Toyota is a local new and used dealership that offers its customers a wide range of models, including pre-owned vehicles from a variety of different automakers. Whether shoppers are looking for a fuel-efficient commuter car or a spacious family vehicle, theyll have plenty of options available to them in the Bob Tyler Toyota used model inventory. Also available at Bob Tyler Toyota is a wide variety of Certified Pre-Owned Toyota models. These vehicles have overgone a thorough inspection by the dealerships expert service staff to ensure that they offer the best quality possible from a pre-owned vehicle. Pensacola drivers interested in seeing the used models available at Bob Tyler Toyota are encouraged to take a look at the dealers inventory, which can be viewed on its website at http://www.bobtylertoyota.com. Additional model research and information resources can also be found on the dealerships website, including the Bob Tyler Toyota Blog. Those with questions or inquiries about the used inventory at Bob Tyler Toyota are encouraged to reach out to the dealerships staff through its website, by calling 850-308-1887 or by visiting dealerships location at 7201 Pensacola Blvd. UK: An intermediate car from Alstoms Pegase AGV demonstrator arrived at the National College for High Speed Rail campus in Doncaster in early December, having been transported more than 1 000 km from the supplier's La Rochelle factory in France. Built in 2007, the car previously formed part of Alstoms ... On December 20th, President Trump called for the withdrawal of 50% of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. This would be catastrophic not only for Afghanistan but for U.S. and allied interests worldwide. We are in an unprecedented moment in the war and the brink of the first possible for peace in the nation. However, if the U.S. decides to withdraw prematurely, we would repeat the same foreign policy mistake that has plagued us in the Middle East since 2001. For better or for worse, the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003 as part of the War on Terror. The war dragged on for eight years, and in December 2011, the last U.S. troops left Iraq before the country had stabilized. In the power vacuum left in our absence, ISIS took over. By January 2014, they took Fallujah. That summer, they took Mosul. In June, an American-led coalition had to recommit troops to Iraq. It has been three and a half years since that recommitment, and we still have troops in Iraq. For better or for worse, NATO intervened militarily in Libya in March 2011. By October of that year, Muammar Gaddafi was killed by Libyan forces. Before things settled, NATO forces withdrew. In the instability and chaos created by the power vacuum left behind, Libya became, and indeed still is, a hotbed for terrorist activity. Since 2015, the U.S. has been conducting airstrikes on terrorist leadership and training camps in the country. For better or for worse, following the 9/11 attacks and the Talibans refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden, the U.S. and the U.K. invaded Afghanistan. Within three months, the Taliban-led government fell, however, not all of the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces had been killed or captured. Instead, these forces fled across the border into the ungoverned tribal areas of northwest Pakistan. Instead of increasing pressure on the terrorists networks, the decision by then-President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to limit our involvement to a modest footprint further contributed to the resurgence of the Taliban. This decision would prove to be catastrophic as we are still fighting them over seventeen years later. The lessons of U.S. foreign policy since 2001 ought to be painfully obvious: withdrawing forces before achieving stability creates a power vacuum that leads to future problems and continued U.S. and allied involvement. The war in Afghanistan has passed its seventeenth birthday; it can drive in all fifty states, it is past the age of consent in most, and it can drink in Europe. In all this time, we have not achieved peace. What is the way forward? Is it time to call this war a sunk cost and bring our troops home? We are currently closer to peace than at any time in recent memory according to a report published by the Department of Defense this month. The Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan report states that the reason that 41 nations have troops in Afghanistan (27 NATO allies and 14 operational partner nations) is singularly to prevent it from becoming a safe-haven from which terrorist groups can plan and execute attacks. We know that al-Qaeda planned, operated, and attacked us from under the safety of the Taliban. This is a mission of self-defense. As the war stands currently, the Taliban have conceded that they will not win militarily. To our end, the commanding general in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller also admitted the same. As distasteful as it sounds, this war must end with a political settlement that sees reconciliation and reintegration of the Taliban into Afghan society and government. It is the only possible way forward. To that objective, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation (SRAR), Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, was appointed in September to bring all parties to the negotiating table and discuss the path toward peace. The DoD report goes on to say that increased military pressure on the Taliban, international calls for peace, and the new SRARs engagement appears to be driving the Taliban to negotiations. Meaning: our policy is working. After seventeen long years in Afghanistan, we finally have a credible strategy that is bringing the Taliban to the peace table. President Obama received much criticism for establishing a pullout date for forces in Afghanistan. This criticism was justified. Since the Taliban knew the U.S. would be leaving, they simply needed to bide their time and wait us out. Now, when there is a real chance for peace, President Trump is repeating the mistake of his predecessors. If half the U.S. force is withdrawn before a negotiated peace, the Taliban need only be patient instead of negotiating. The offer to remove 7,000 troops would have made for a great bargaining chip in negotiations, instead of being unilaterally announced. Resolute Support Mission Troop-Contributing Nations, as of November 2018 If the Trump administration follows through on this decision, it removes nearly all Taliban incentive to negotiate, practically guaranteeing a Taliban takeover after our departure. The Afghan/Pakistani branch of ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), also stands to gain in the event of a power vacuum created by a U.S. drawdown. The future consequences of this decision are not clouded in tea leaves. It is a clear glass of water. For the first time, the Afghan elections this past October along with increased diplomatic efforts, and social and religious pressure on the Taliban [over the last few months] have generated optimism within the Afghan government and the [Afghan National Defense & Security Forces] that a durable and inclusive settlement with the Taliban is possible. The next line is critical. According to the DoD, the key to success remains sustained military pressure against the Taliban. By convincing the Taliban that they cannot win on the battlefield, and credibly committing to a conditions-based strategy, we have greatly increased the odds of concluding a settlement on terms favorable to the United States and Afghanistan. It is clear that withdrawing troops from Afghanistan is the wrong move. Now is the time for political peace. Captain Aseef Raihan, U.S. Air Force, is deployed to Afghanistan at the time of this writing. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has served on active duty for over 4 years. The opinions and positions stated here are his alone and do not represent the views or policies of the Government of the United States or any of its agencies. President Donald Trumps recent signals on Syria and Afghanistan turned 2018 from a colorful year in foreign policy to perhaps one of the most significant since 2011 when the United States waged an ill-fated war against Libya. Even before President Trumps December Syria announcement, the year was eventful, with signature moments like the Trump-Kim meeting and the presidents controversial appearances at the NATO summit and World War I commemoration. Unfortunately, it also was a year that saw relative continuity with the past despite what Trumps election had seemed to auger just two years before. But by tweeting last week that the United States would be withdrawing all troops from Syria, and with news leaking from the Pentagon that a major drawdown of forces in Afghanistan is imminent, the president provided year-end fireworks that could have major ramifications for the future. Indeed, we could end up regarding 2018 as the beginning of a more thorough-going change in American foreign policy from a primacist approach to one of greater realism and restraint, particularly if the president fully implements the Syria and Afghanistan withdrawals. Even partial withdrawal from Afghanistan would beg the question of what our 7,000 remaining troops would be doing there, what they would accomplish that far greater numbers did not, and why we wouldnt just bring them home too. The logic of the cuts should lead to further troop drawdowns. And if Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad can find almost any path in the Hindu Kush to a negotiated settlement with the Taliban, an end to Americas longest war might even be in the offing. Trumps 2018 moves on North Korea also fit into this picture. Following the rhetorical excesses of 2017 in which the world worried about real fire and fury on the peninsula, Korea turned out to be a bright spot. Our exchanges with the two Koreas became more realistic and there was movement toward real peace. While we are only in the beginning stages of this important process, we seem headed toward a more prudential approach that elevates peace over denuclearization and maybe even a settlement of our grandfathers war. The events of 2018 also signal a shift in U.S. policy toward Yemen. After movement to reassert itself this year, Congress is set for another go at ending U.S. support for the war. Despite President Trumps odd loyalty to Saudi Arabia, he might be pressured or even forced by Capitol Hill to change course on Yemen. Perhaps the most significant highlight, though, was 2018s lack of major new military interventions or escalations. For those of us who favor a restrained approach to foreign policy, this cant be stressed enough. It is especially noteworthy when hawks like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo occupy key administrative positions and when conflict with Iran remains a major worry. President Trump also made NATO an issue this year and pushed wealthy allies to get serious about burden sharing. As Notre Dames Michael Desch noted, the execution was not perfect, but the more we goad these countries to contribute, the better. Given Europes inclination to ignore responsibility for their security and the Washington establishments unwillingness to hold allies accountable, it will take a sustained effort by the Trump administration to produce lasting success. Despite a year with no new major interventions, the United States primacist grand strategy, in which we play an aggressive, interventionist role in the world, remained in place and it is likely that this will continue despite the Syria and Afghanistan news. Our approach to Ukraine exemplifies the problem. We unwisely increased arms sales to Ukraine in 2018, threatening to enmesh us further in a fight peripheral to our interests. With primacy still the prevailing view, its no surprise we saw another increase in defense spending. While it is important to have the worlds strongest military, the United States spends more than $700 billion a year defending other countries and policing conflicts that have little to no bearing on American safety. And since economic power is the foundation of military power, So is protectionism, especially regarding China. While we must confront tech transfer and theft challenges, as well as protect intellectual property, tariffs arent the best way to do so. Tariffs are taxes on Americans, and protectionism undermines our economic power. The administrations rhetoric, which suggests its actions are not meant to promote open trade but to install a mercantilist agenda, is particularly worrying. NAFTAs replacement, the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, is better than no deal but portends more managed trade than is wise. Free trade is good for Americans. Lets hope Congress and the public will wake up to the danger that protectionism poses to our prosperity and push for removing trade barriers. Given the fear President-elect Trump provoked two years ago, the continuity of the past year was no doubt soothing for some. But to realists and advocates of restraint who yearn for a shift in the U.S.s approach to world politics, the basic operating system running largely, as usual, was no win. But President Trumps year-end surprises could signal that this flawed operating system has finally met its creative destroyer. Americans deserve that. William Ruger is vice president of research and policy at the Charles Koch Institute and a veteran of the Afghanistan War. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available This article originally appeared in RECOIL Issue 31 WHEN PRONE ISN'T POSSIBLE Prone shooting is the shooting worlds missionary position. Its the default choice when you want to get the job done and get it done as predictably as possible. Similar to your partner saying, Babe, lets change it up, youve also got to alter the normal routine when shooting. While spicing up the bedroom is driven by lust, shooting positions are dictated by the environment and situation. And just like passionate pillow pounding, things can get weird and uncomfortable real fast when problem solving with alternative shooting positions. Shooting in the prone offers the most stability because the shooters body has the maximum amount of contact with a solid shooting surface. The more contact you have with mother earth, the less you and the rifle will move. Prone shooting strategies work on a flat practice range. But shooting anywhere other than the square range means boning up on options for building shooting positions with supportive devices. STABLE, ADAPTABLE, REPEATABLE Supportive devices assist in creating positions that are stable, adaptable, and repeatable. Even if theyre stable, realize some positions just wont feel comfortable, and it may take time to find which supportive devices work best for your given scenario. Before going any further, weve got to discuss wobble. Its not the smooth, beat-driven wobble thats mesmerizing at the club; its the movement of the reticle you witness while looking through the scope. Anytime you touch a gun, a variable is introduced that causes movement. Wobble area is the amount of unintended, natural movement of the weapon while aiming at the target. To the shooter, this movement looks like the crosshairs dancing all over the target. If the wobble area includes areas outside the target, youre heading for a missed shot; your position should be adjusted until the wobble area is as small as possible, covering the center of your target. Stable: The goal of every good position is to reduce the wobble area and increase your hit probability. The stability factor can be simplified by asking, Can I hit the target from this position? Adaptable: How quickly can you get into the position, and how long does it need to be maintained? The position has to be adaptable to your environment. If youre taking one quick shot, the speed of employment must be hasty, and not highly durable. But, if youre in the same spot for hours on-end, neither you nor the position can begin to break down. Using a more stable or sturdy shooting support can create a more durable position. The most durable positions are the ones where the full weight of the rifle is supported by the position so that your muscles dont get fatigued or cause involuntary movement to the gun. Repeatable: This is the practice makes perfect characteristic of creating a good position. When youre able to recreate and reuse a position, in a stable and adaptable way, your shooting proficiency will improve. Even if you encounter a new obstacle, practiced alternative positions will assist in problem solving. NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL Natural, or found supports are anything from a downed tree to a stack of cinder blocks. Artificial supports are commercially manufactured devices that use friction, support, and leverage to reduce the effort needed to build and maintain a supported firing position. Shooting bags, bipods, tripods, shooting sticks, and shooting straps all have a place in a precision shooters bag of tools. Shooting bags are as simple as a homemade sand sock or as complex as a Velcro strap-laden beast with sewn-in attachment points that aid positional improvisation. Bags can be used in countless ways; rear support under the stock, pistol grip or handguard, providing a cushion between hard surfaces and the rifle. Bags are versatile, can be directly strapped onto a rifle or handheld and then positioned. If a snipers going to be working in a dynamic environment, its best to use stability bags to build a hasty position. Id have never thought Id carry one of the bags used in Precision Rifle Series Competitions in combat until I started using them, says Shawn Wiseman, a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant, former special operations sniper, and the director of the Precision Rifle Series. They allow me to build a much more stable shooting position that reduces my area of wobble to the size of a quarter at 100 yards. They also make getting into position much faster because youre not fighting to steady the rifle as you would if you were resting your rifle on a hard surface. At PRS competitions, competitors use multiple medium- to large-sized fat bags. Once the bag is in place, your support hand controls the bag. You can adjust the vertical position of the rifle by squeezing the bag. If its a long-term sniper overwatch mission, says Wiseman, tripods are by far the best equipment to use. Tripods are the most predictable, versatile, and stable shooting supports. A tripod can be used as support for the front or rear of the rifle, or both at the same time. Manufacturers produce quick detach plates that attach to handguards or pic rails. For rifles without direct-mount capability, a vise-like device can be used on the tripod instead. The vise-like mounts secure any section of the rifle stock or chassis directly to the tripod. The better tripods on the market allow for positional adjustments of the tripod head with your support hand so you can quickly adjust or aim the rifle without breaking your firing grip. To give merit to tripods stability, long-range competition directors incorporate them in their stage design. At the 2016 PRS Finale, competitors engaged a 16-inch square target nine times from three different tripods of varying heights in under 90 seconds, all while dealing with gusting winds. To put that into perspective, thats 10 seconds to get into position, acquire each target, and shoot. The competitors who were acquainted with tripods prevailed. The downside of a tripod is the time it takes to set one up. And, good tripods are by no means cheap; you get what you pay for when it comes to stability and durability. Shooting sticks are widely used by hunters, many of which are cobbled together from found items; got some paracord and some long sticks? Youve got homemade shooting sticks. The easiest home build is tying three identical sticks together with paracord about 6 inches from the tops, then splaying the sticks out until you get the desired height. Use your imagination, or Google, and youll come up with plenty of other homemade options. Commercial models have more features, such extendable legs that quickly deploy with the press of a button. Like tripods, you can use shooting sticks to support the front of the rifle or the buttstock. They generally arent as steady since they arent usually affixed to the rifle. If youre trying to create a durable position, shooting sticks arent the best answer. Theyre great for a shot that needs to be taken quickly and with minimal setup. Shooting straps are any type of strap, string, or band used to create a shooting support. A small set of synthetic straps fit in your pocket while larger, ratchet straps perform double-duty securing items in bed of your truck until you need them for a shot. The thickness and tensile strength of the strap will determine how supportive a position it can provide. A flimsy strap will stretch and bounce, so you wont be able to load it as much as a monster tow strap ratcheted between century oak trees. But, a light strap, used carefully will still provide more stability than an offhand shot. Direct-mount bipods are the most frequently used supportive device. Theyre standard issue for military snipers, if that tells you anything about their importance. Bipods have advanced over the years to include legs and bases that not only extend, but also rotate, swivel, and cant. More angles mean more options for setting up on odd-shaped and off-angle surfaces. Bipod legs can range from 4.75 to 27 inches; longer legs allow shooting from more upright positions, such as sitting and kneeling. Keep in mind, mechanical options add to the complexity and cost of a bipod, and if they arent well designed, they will cost you in setup speed and stability. TYPES OF PRESSURE Applying pressure to the rifle improves stability and decreases the size of the wobble area. Understanding the types of pressure needed for stability will help you choose the appropriate shooting device for a given scenario. Forward Pressure is pushing some or all of your body weight into the rifle. Sturdy supportive devices allow forward pressure to be applied. A frequently used term is loading the bipod, which means applying forward pressure to the bipod through the rifle. Forward pressure decreases wobble area and dampens the recoil, helping a shooter call their shot and get back on target quickly. Neutral Pressure means the rifle sits in a neutral position without forward or rearward tension. The downside is that wobble and recoil are both tougher to control. Neutral pressure means the rifles recoil is unmitigated, and its going to take a bit to get back behind the scope, making it tough to call your shot. There is little benefit to neutral pressure; selecting a position where this can be avoided is best. Rearward Pressure means pulling back on the rifle as the supportive device resists your pull. Positions that allow for rearward pressure are stout; think barricades, building or vehicle windows, heavy rocks, and large tree limbs. The benefits of rearward pressure are similar to those of forward pressure. As a bonus, theres likely less felt recoil with rearward pressure since the supportive device is acting against the recoil. WHOS USING THEM According to Brian Sain, a Texas Peace Officer and a bigwig at both AmericanSnipers.org, and the American Sniper Association (ASA), shooters from different backgrounds can pick up tips and learn about new gear from related shooting disciplines. One subtle point often overlooked, said Sain, is that most law enforcement sniper weapons, tactics, and equipment trickle down from USSOCOM and from civilian competition. The missions of the former and the courses of fire of the latter, both require precision weaponry and double tough gear and that eventually finds its way into law enforcement. In competitive shooting, accuracy and speed are key. Competitors shoot in scenarios requiring them to build shooting positions and engage targets while timed. Match directors purposely put competitors in situations where they have to work around obstacles, virtually requiring the use of supportive devices. The combination of a decent bipod and a big, puffy shooting provide competitive shooters a great combination of speed, adaptability, and stability. This combination is beginning to find its way into the ranks of precision law enforcement and military shooters. Military snipers not only deliver precision fire, but also collect information. These multitasking combatants require highly adaptable shooting positions. Ryan Castle is a former U.S. Army sniper, lead instructor at Core Shooting Solutions, and competitive shooter. He says, Laying down to engage your target is extremely rare. With areas of operation such as mountainous terrain and urban environments, the need to establish firing positions other than prone and to do so rapidly is critical. The ASA compiles hard data on sniper engagements and releases it as the ASA Sniper Utilization Report. The report puts data behind Castles anecdotal evidence. It impacts training standards and provides the firearms industry with data, helping it design and improve products that reflect real-world application. Many shots documented within the ASA Sniper Utilization Reports were taken from positions other than prone, said Sain. Tall grass, shrubbery, vehicles, [buildings], and fences are just some of the obstacles that must be negotiated. END GAME Unless youre sitting in decked-out hunting stand or working from the plush interior of a Bearcat, supportive devices are a just about a necessity for any real-world precision work. The ability to make a shot comes from a variety of skills, but having an effective shooting position is the base that supports all your other efforts. You can get away with a lot more long-range ergonomic sins if you at least have a stable shooting platform. Whether youre a hunter, competitor, or professional long-range shooter, being able to quickly determine and build the best shooting position is elementary. Successful shooters build stable positions with whatever they have on-hand or whatevers around them. Whether youre well equipped or running light-and-fast, learning to combine found, homemade, and commercially available shooting supports will up your game. In 2018, the BJP's rare successes in north east India aside, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the party. Archis Mohan reports. IMAGE: BJP national President Amit Anilchandra Shah at an election rally in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. Photograph: Kind courtesy Amit Shah/Twitter Electorally, 2018 has turned out to be the Bharatiya Janata Party's annus horribilis, comparable only to 2015. In 2018, the BJP's rare successes in north east India aside, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the Amit Anilchandra Shah-led party. After its successes in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in 2014, the BJP had lost both the assembly polls that took place in 2015, in Delhi in February and Bihar in November. The defeats forced the Narendra Damodardas Modi government to replace its reforms pitch with garib kalyan, or welfare of the poor. Now, 2018 has ended with a reminder to the party that Modi government's garib kalyan has failed to overcome the twin impacts of demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax, particularly on the rural economy. The recently concluded assembly polls also mark the resurgence of the Congress in the Hindi heartland and shatter Shah's dream of a 'Congress mukt' India. The Congress now has governments in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, in the latter two states for the first time since 2003. In 2014, the BJP had swept these three states, winning 62 of their 65 Lok Sabha seats. In contrast to 2018, nothing could go wrong for the BJP in 2017. That year, the BJP scored famous wins in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and formed governments even where it failed to emerge as the single largest party, in Manipur and Goa. Then there was Bihar, where the BJP had lost in 2015, but formed the government midway into 2017. The march of saffron looked inexorable. Then on February 1, the Election Commission announced results of the Ajmer and Alwar Lok Sabha by-polls in Rajasthan. Its scale of defeat astounded the BJP. The disappointment was short-lived. On March 3, the BJP ended the Left Front's 25-year rule in Tripura. It also succeeded in becoming a junior partner in coalition governments in Meghalaya and Nagaland. Another jolt awaited the party less than a fortnight later when it lost the Lok Sabha by-polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. This was exactly 12 months after its famous assembly win in UP, that too on seats vacated by its current UP chief minister and his deputy. A couple of months later it also lost in UP's Kairana. The PM campaigned aggressively for the Karnataka assembly polls. The BJP emerged the single largest party. Having learnt its lessons from Goa and Manipur, the Congress moved swiftly to offer the Janata Dal-Secular the chief ministerial post. With Lok Sabha elections less than four months away, the electoral reverses of 2018, particularly in the Hindi heartland that had propelled BJP to form the first majority government in 30 years in 2014, has the party worried. Party strategists hope to make up for the losses in the Hindi heartland by potential gains in West Bengal, Odisha, the north east and Telangana in 2019. They believe the Modi magic, in the absence of any credible leader in the Opposition, could help it to return to power. Not more than 500 Sikh pilgrims will be allowed per day through the Kartarpur Corridor and a database of the pilgrims with their travel history will be maintained, Pakistan has said in a draft agreement that it plans to send to the Indian government for signing. In the agreement, Pakistan government has also said that information of pilgrims and security clearance by the Indian side will be needed three days prior. According to the proposed agreement, which is widely circulated in the Pakistani media, Islamabad will reserve the rights to refuse entry into its territory, reduce the period of stay or terminate the stay of any pilgrim despite the grant of permit if it considers him/her a threat to the country or finds undesirable for security or other purposes. The draft also underlines that entry in Pakistan territory will be permit based and a passport is compulsory and the pilgrims will not be exempted from the obligation to respect laws and regulations of Pakistan after entering in its territory. All laws must be respected, not just concerning entry and exit, the proposal stated. The pilgrims will be subjected to several terms and condition including creation of a database which contains information about their names, travel history and other relevant information. The draft added that while the purpose of the agreement is to facilitate a visa-free travel, still India will have to give three-day prior information of the visiting pilgrims and they will need to have Indian passports and individual security clearance issued by the government of India. The agreement also proposes establishment of infrastructure on the both sides, including facilitation centres and counters for running security check and issuance of permits for the facilitation of the pilgrims. The proposal states that the corridor will remain open from 8 am to 5pm ever day. On November 28, Pakistans prime minister laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, it would allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539. Always be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. Every once in a while, my family and I all sit down together on our comfy, sectional sofa and watch a movie. Based on a book written by a talented author R.J. Palacio, the movie we chose to see one evening was titled, Wonder. The motion picture told the story of a courageous young boy named Auggie Pullman. He was a born with a facial deformity; because of which, Auggie didnt go to regular school. Rather, he was homeschooled by his mother. That was until he got to the fifth grade. And with the support of his loving family, Auggie began to attend school with other children. One of the main themes of this movie was to: always choose to be kind. For on Auggies first day of school, an inspiring teacher had a precept written on his chalkboard that said, When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind. Brilliantly done, the movie showed its audience how the kind-hearted boy navigated through the ups and downs of life. And it demonstrated just how far simple acts of kindnesses can go. So always be inspired to choose kind. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to give of your time and to bring help and happiness to someone. Think of it this way: Live in such a way that those who know you, but dont know God, will come to know God because of you. No matter where you are in life, be a beacon of hope and encouragement to someone else. So wake up each day and ask yourself, How can I be a blessing to a person today? Then, go out each day and use a portion of your time to do kind deeds. As you give out love, benevolences and helpfulness, the same will always come back to you. For as you reach out to others with daily acts of kindness, all of sudden, things will turn in your favor. Youll feel better. A need will be met. God has big things in store for you. And past stumbling blocks will become stepping stones to your hearts desire. Whose life are you influencing? Stay on the high road. Be open and honest, and be consistent at home, at work and outside the home. For my last birthday, my daughter made me a handcrafted birthday card and wrote a lovely compliment to me within the card that read: You are the friendliest person I ever met. You never fail to make me or anyone smile. Let your joy be seen by those around you. Smile! And choose to live this day happy. Thus, focus on kindness. Aspire to excellence. Lift people up. Pray for others. Provide a helping hand. Encourage someone; motivate them to fulfill their highest potential. God sees everything that we do. So share and care generously. Applaud anothers good efforts. Listen to them talk, and offer an inspiring word to start them moving on the right path. There is great power in your words. How will you use them? Speaking a few caring words to another might be one of the most important things youll ever do. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones (Proverbs 16:24). Let your speech always be gracious. Give sincere compliments daily. Tell your friends and family often that you appreciate them. Offer your childs teacher or co-workers a word of praise. Speak hope into others dreams and goals. Assure them, what they can do, what they can become, what they can achieve. Tell someone who is working hard to complete a task that you believe in them, youre praying for them, and that Gods hand is moving greatly in their life. There is no difficulty that cant be overcome. Theres no dream that is too big to accomplish. Point the way to others to look at the positive side of situations, for optimism is one of the secrets of those who succeed against the odds. Years ago, I telephoned a well-known author whom I had met only once before. I had a question about the world of publishing, and I wanted to talk to him for a few minutes and ask for some advice. After a couple rings, the author answered the phone; and I introduced myself. I didnt even tell him why I was calling, I just said my name. But Ill never forget how he responded after my brief introduction. He gently asked, Catherine, how can I help you? I was taken back for a moment by his question. Yet, clearly, this gentleman understood the principle of kindness. With just a few words of advice, a recommendation or wise counsel, you can open up someones eyes to new experiences and wonderful possibilities for their future. Through the years, readers have written to me and shared some of the acts of kindnesses that they carry out to bring a little light into the lives of others. Here are a few: Write an, I love you note and place it in your childs lunchbox or on their pillow. Sincerely compliment your spouse often. Say, thank you for a job well-done. Bring homemade goodies in to your co-workers. Help out a neighbor with their yard work. Provide food to a shelter, or take a bag of groceries to a family in need. Offer a ride to church or the store to someone who doesnt drive. Adopt a pet if you can. Pass on to others the books you have read, childrens books and clothes that they have outgrown. Pay for someones coffee. Give a gift anonymously. Share your creativity and organize a charity event. There is a quote from the movie Wonder that I liked: The best way to measure how much youve grown isnt by inches or the number of laps you can now run around the track, or even your grade point average though those things are important, to be sure. Its what youve done with your time, how youve chosen to spend your days, and whom youve touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success. God created you with your own set of unique talents and abilities. Draw on your one-of-a kind gifts; make the most of them and God will bless you abundantly, as you determine to forge ahead inspired to choose kindness. And youll make the world a better place in which to live. Email Catherine Galasso-Vigorito at cgv@anewyouworldwide.com. To order a copy of her new book, The Open Window, 8 Weeks to Creating an Extraordinary Life, visit www.anewyouworldwide.com or bookstores nationwide. Like me on Facebook! In a file photo, women who defected from North Korea to South Korea walk for their class at the Hanawon, a state-run official shelter for North Korean defectors. A South Korean resettlement center for North Korean defectors was hacked into and information about 997 of them has been leaked, Seouls Ministry of Unification said on Friday. The defectors names, birthdates and addresses were stolen from a personal computer found with malicious code at the Hana Center in North Gyeongsang province, the ministry said. The leak was discovered after a Dec. 19 on-site probe, performed by the ministry in cooperation with the provincial government. There were no other confirmed cases of hacking at any of the other 24 Hana relocation centers across the country, according to the ministry. The 997 defectors have been notified of the data breach, but none have reported any damage, the ministry said. The leak raises a safety concern not only for the defectors themselves. [Many of us] have family still living there, said North Korean Defector Park Kwang-il in an interview with RFAs Korean Service. The North Korean authorities may try to use this information as leverage to put pressure or punish [them]. Another defector, Kim Young-jin, who entered South Korea in 2011 said, The North Korean government isnt always aware when people defect, Their family members can go on with their lives in North Korea without telling anybody, Kim said, adding, Im worried that this could lead to [relatives of] defectors coming into harms way. Authorities are still investigating the cyberattack and have not yet discovered who is behind it or from where it originated. The unification ministry said it would work with police in their investigation, and would take measures to ensure that no further breaches occur. Starting next year, computer networks in Hana centers will be reorganized, with computers meant for data storage and those for internet use placed in separate networks. Additional Reporting by Jae-wan Noh for RFAs Korean Service, with translation by Dukin Han. Vietnamese democracy activist Huynh Truong Ca was sentenced on Friday by a court in southern Vietnams Dong Thap province to a five-year, six-month prison term for criticizing the countrys communist government in a series of online postings, state media and other sources said. A member of the Hien Phap Group, a network of activists calling for rights to freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed by Vietnams constitution, Ca was arrested in September after calling on social media for public protests, sources said. Speaking to RFAs Vietnamese Service, Hien Phap Group member Nguyen Uyen Thuy said that family members attending Cas trial told her that Ca had defended his call for protests, saying that he had acted out of patriotism, and from his heart. Ca refused to be represented at trial by a defense attorney, asserting his innocence and the right to defend himself, Thuy said, speaking to RFA from Thailand, where she has applied for refugee status after fleeing Vietnam ahead of arrest by police. Eleven other members of the groupwhich was formed on June 16, 2017, to promote a better understanding in Vietnam of political rights and freedoms, including the right to protest, promised under Article 25 of the countrys constitutionhave already been arrested, sources say. Hien Phap played a major role in calling for widespread protests that rocked Vietnamese cities in June in opposition to a proposed cyber security law and a law granting concessions of land to Chinese businesses, group members say. Ca told the court that as a patriot, he could not accept the Special Economic Zones Bill, which would throw open Vietnams borders to an influx of Chinese, Thuy told RFA on Friday. Family members were allowed to observe Cas trial but were not permitted to bring mobile phones or other digital devices into the building, Thuy said. Investigation ongoing Meanwhile, also speaking to RFA, the wife of a Vietnamese citizen active on Facebook who disappeared in police custody in September said that she is now able to send her husband food and money for necessities, though they are not allowed to meet. Ngo Van Dung, a resident of Buon Me Thuot city in the central highlands province of Dak Lak, vanished on Sept. 4 and is now being held at a Police Detention Center in Ho Chi Minh City, also called Saigon, sources say. I can send him food twice a monthmeat, peanuts, biscuits, and money to buy what he needs, Dungs wife Kim Nga said. I dont have any further information [on his case], though, as an investigation is still going on, she said. Vietnam, with a population of 92 million people, of which 55 million are estimated to be users of Facebook, has been consistently rated not free in the areas of internet and press freedom by Freedom House, a U.S.-based watchdog group. Dissent is not tolerated in the communist nation, and authorities routinely use a set of vague provisions in the penal code to detain dozens of writers and bloggers. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Richard Finney. Ahmadinejad's favored successor Esfander Rahim-Mashei The Iranian president may have bitten off more than he can chew in taking on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. For years he has treated it with imperious disdain. But now, with his political capital hemorrhaging, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is being subjected to a relentless assault by Iran's parliament with the apparent approval of the country's most powerful cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader.The attacks come in the wake of a bruising public power struggle between the two men and appear to be part of a concerted move by Khamenei to weaken a president he once treated as a protege.The latest in a series of anti-Ahmadinejad ambushes came on May 25 when the parliament voted to investigate allegations that the president misused state funds as effective bribes by giving $80 each to 9 million voters before the 2009 presidential election.To compound Ahmadinejad's indignity, the offensive is being spearheaded by the influential parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, a man he fired as secretary of the supreme national security council in 2007.Larijani demonstrated his increasing clout this week by publicly calling on Ahmadinejad to name a permanent new oil minister to replace Masud Mirkazemi, who was sacked on May 14.The appeal was part of a move to counteract the president's attempted takeover of the Oil Ministry, Iran's most strategically important ministry because of its control of the country's vast oil wealth.Days earlier, the powerful Guardians Council had delivered a powerful rebuff to Ahmadinejad by declaring his proposal to name himself caretaker oil minister unlawful.That ruling has reportedly forced Ahmadinejad to scrap ambitious plans to preside over next month's meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, a gambit that would have boosted his standing in the ongoing domestic tug-of-war.The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on May 23 that -- counter to earlier expectations -- the president would not attend the gathering, which Iran is chairing.More immediately, his ongoing rows with parliament and Larijani may reflect maneuvering by Khamenei to end Ahmadinejad's ambitions to carve out a power base for himself after his presidential term ends in 2013.Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born commentator with the Middle East Economic and Political Analysis Company based in Israel, says the supreme leader no longer wants a divisive president and is seeking a less problematic figure to succeed Ahmadinejad in 2013.Parliament will be instrumental in that search, with Larijani playing a leading role."I think for the next presidential candidate Khamenei's going to back more of a consensus figure. For the sake of the stability of the regime, he needs a consensus figure." Javedanfar says."Otherwise, if the regime folds, historians will [see] Ayatollah Khamenei's bad choices in presidents and backing Ahmadinejad [as] one of the biggest factors."The key institution to look at from now on is the Majles [parliament]. This is going to be Khamenei's tool to create some limitations for what Ahmadinejad's doing. And this is going to boost Ali Larijani's position. This will make him a very viable candidate for the 2013 elections."That would appear to finally crush Ahmadinejad's hopes of anointing his confidant and chief-of-staff, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, as his successor.That ambition was already looking tattered following the recent arrests of more than 20 presidential advisers close to Rahim-Mashaei, some of whom have been accused of spiritualism and "sorcery."Rahim-Mashaei's advocacy of a nationalistic form of "Iranian Islam" in place of the more traditional theocratic form has angered powerful clerics, who have branded him a leader of a "deviant current."It was a row over Rahim-Mashaei that triggered the current standoff between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad.The supreme leader vetoed Ahmadinejad's attempts to fire the intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, in April after it emerged that the chief-of-staff had been subjected to electronic surveillance.But while Rahim-Mashaei might have become a lightening rod for conservative opposition to Ahmadinejad, it is the headstrong president who has miscalculated by overreaching himself, according to Michael Axworthy, an Iranian scholar at Exeter University in England.Ahmadinejad, he says, is learning the same bitter lessons as his predecessors in the Islamic Republic -- that an Iranian president has little real power:"[Abolhassan] Banisadr tried to make himself a powerful politician within Iran on the strength of the president's office," he says."He failed and he was removed.[Ali Akbar Hashemi] Rafsanjani as president certainly didn't achieve what he intended to achieve and he encountered heavy opposition."Then of course, perhaps most famously, [Mohammad] Khatami had his reform program blocked. That was taken as evidence of the superiority within the Iranian system of the hard-line faction."But it did also show the relative weakness of the Iranian presidency and I think what we're seeing with Ahmadinejad shows it once again."Comparisons with Banisadr have loomed large in recent weeks, with some predicting Ahmadinejad may ultimately share his fate. Banisadir, Iran's first elected president after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was impeached by parliament after falling foul of Khamenei's predecessor, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and eventually fled the country.Yet some suggest the parallel is, at least, premature. While Khamenei may have finally lost faith in his troublesome president, he wants to retain him for the time being, according to Javedanfar:"Khamenei doesn't want to let him go for now because the infighting that he has created has not reached a critical stage and at this moment, if he removes Ahmadinejad it would damage Khamenei's image and own standing," he says."The important issue to look at here is whether this is sustainable. I don't think it is, I think the fighting's going to continue and if it reaches a stage that the damage is becoming unbearable for Khamenei before the 2013 election, he will either remove Ahmadinejad or basically force him to resign."Such a scenario may yet unfold. Scott Lucas, an Iran specialist at Birmingham University in the UK and editor of the EA World View website, argues that the president's "street fighter politician" instincts preclude the possibility of him being quietly sidelined."He's like a prizefighter," Lucas says. "If he feels pressure, he's going to pull back but then he's going to jab back.""It happened with the Ministry of Intelligence matter. When he got rebuffed on that, he finally admitted defeat but almost immediately came back and jabbed and said I'll be the caretaker minister of oil."Larijani said to the parliament, 'We want the president to name the permanent minister of oil, we want him named before the eighth of June before the OPEC meeting,' and as far as I know, there was absolutely no response from Ahmadinejad to that. So the situation is up in the air but it's still one of conflict."If Ahmadinejad were to stage a fait accompli by turning up in Vienna on June 8, it would represent an audacious attempt to annex a huge swathe of Iran's economy at a time when parliament is trying to wrestle it from his grasp.Parliamentarians have repeatedly accused the president of diverting precious oil revenues to pet projects without disclosing them.To Lucas, Ahmadinejad's appearance at the OPEC meeting would also raise an intriguing question of whether Khamenei has rubber-stamped it with the intention of keeping the warring forces in balance."Ahmadinejad will use it as part of the continuing struggle to establish that he has legitimacy, he has authority," Lucas says."It will mean he will have shown that to the rising criticisms from the parliamentarians, including the factions surrounding Larijani.He will have displayed a signal regarding the supreme leader. If he actually makes it to [the OPEC meeting in] June, the way to read the signal is: has he succeeded because the supreme leader, in this balancing role he often plays, has gone ahead and backed Ahmadinejad, or has he actually defied the supreme leader's office to hang onto this ministry?"Either way, the sight of Ahmadinejad strutting on the world stage again will hardly be pouring oil on troubled waters. Britain has rejected comments by Russia's ambassador to London claiming the two countries have agreed to gradually reinstate dozens of diplomatic personnel who were expelled by both sides following the Novichok poisoning in the English city of Salisbury, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reports. "No new arrangements have been agreed," TASS quoted a spokesperson at the British Embassy in Moscow as saying on December 28. "There has been no change in our position on the Russian diplomatic presence in the U.K., including the measures taken after Salisbury," the spokesperson said. "The staffing of our respective missions takes place within those constraints." The spokesperson added that Britain had had a "continuous dialogue with Russia" about diplomatic visas even prior to the Salisbury events. The remarks from the British spokesperson came hours after Moscows ambassador to London, Aleksandr Yakovenko, told the Rossia-24 TV channel that diplomatic personnel in the London and Moscow embassies would begin to be reinstated in January. "I am not sure that it will affect all the employees, but at least half of the embassy staff will be restored," Yakovenko said. Neither the British Foreign Office nor the Russian Foreign Ministry released official statements on the matter on December 28. Relations between the two countries deteriorated after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent in the English town in March. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the scandal, and Russia in response expelled the same number of British diplomats and ordered the closure of the British Consulate-General in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, and the British Councils offices operating in the country. The United States and European Union also expelled Russian diplomats and added to their existing sanctions on Moscow. London has blamed Moscow for the poisoning, while Russia has repeatedly denied evidence that its agents were behind the poisoning and accused British intelligence agencies of staging the incident to stoke what they called "Russophobia." The Skripals survived the poisoning, in which a Soviet-made military nerve agent known as Novichok was used. Two other British citizens were exposed to the same nerve agent in June, apparently by accident. One of them, Dawn Sturgess, died. With reporting by Rossia-24, Reuters, and TASS The images of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov sending his New Year's gift in the form of song to the country's people seemed fitting. Tragic, but fitting. It shows the incredible disconnect between the world he lives in and the world Turkmenistan's people live in. Berdymukhammedov took the stage, again, this time on December 21 (the 12th anniversary of his predecessor's death) at the Mizan Center in Ashgabat, where he was joined, not for the first time, by his grandson Kerimguly. They performed songs in Turkmen, including "Arzuw" (Dream), which was reportedly penned by the president himself. But the dynastic duo also performed songs in English and German. The choice of a German song puzzled some people. But so did those reports from Global Witness and The Economist about billions of dollars, clearly belonging to someone in Turkmenistan, in German banks. So, auf Deutsch? Warum nicht? Poking fun at Berdymukhammedov's latest appearance on stage would be like shooting fish in a barrel, but before leaving that topic I must say I would have appreciated a side-angle camera shot proving that the Turkmen president was actually tickling the ivories. In the video aired, we can see him swaying and singing full-frontal, but the piano is blocking his hands. When we do see a close-up of Berdymukhammedov's alleged finger work, you cannot be sure the president is the one playing. The man, with hands on the keys, are never shown at the same time. It was not very convincing. Not to me, at least. A Different Turkmenistan Outside of Turkmenistan it's difficult to fully understand how the citizens of the country, those who watched the New Year's special anyway, reacted to this latest round of low theater. Their lives are very different from those of the well-fed, affluent grandfather and grandson seen on state television. Turkmenistan's economy has been in sharp decline for more than three years. Reliance on natural-gas exports for state revenue finally caught up with Turkmenistan, which is exporting less gas now than it did 10 years ago and is receiving less than half the money it earned from gas sales five years ago. The 2018 state budget was some 95.5 billion manats ($27.3 billion), an 8 percent reduction from 2017. The recently approved budget for 2019 is some 83.8 billion manats. For the average Turkmen citizen this has translated to waiting in line outside stores for basic goods such as cooking oil, flour, sugar, bread -- all of which are now rationed. State stores quickly run out of such staples, leaving people with a choice of waiting until state stores receive new supplies -- and it is never clear when that will be -- or purchasing them at private stores, where they are available, but at two to three (or more) times the price. The government has countered by airing television footage of well-stocked state stores. Cash is in short supply, in part because of government attempts to make Turkmenistan a cashless consumer society. Unfortunately, not all stores and bazaars have the necessary machines to accept plastic. Turkmen citizens must depend on withdrawing money from bank machines, which are not regularly restocked and run out of cash quickly. Police and security forces are increasingly tasked with watching places where lines are likely to form -- stores and banks -- to not only prevent disorder among the frustrated public, but also to keep people waiting in line from openly criticizing the government. Police and security forces also watch over markets and bazaars to ensure no one is purchasing more than their allotted portions of basic goods and that merchants do not overcharge customers. New regulations in 2018 made it more difficult for many citizens, mainly men under 40, to leave Turkmenistan, removing the possibility of finding employment in another country as some have done for more than two decades. The reason for this has not been explained. And as of January 1, 2019, Turkmen citizens will have to pay for all their water, gas, and electricity, a portion of which had been given free by the state for some 25 years. The state has threatened to shut off utilities to those who do not pay, and forced citizens to pay for the meters to track use A new burden for a new year. Not much worth celebrating this December 31. Looking at Berdymukhammedov's smiling face as he sat behind the piano, one could get the impression he has no concept of what life is like for Turkmenistan's people. As a final bitter piece of irony, the Turkmen parliament has declared 2019 to be the year of "Turkmenistan -- the Home of Prosperity." The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has voiced doubts about Romania's ability to take over the EU's six-month rotating presidency next week. Juncker was quoted on December 29 as telling Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper that Romania was "technically well-prepared. "But I think the government in Bucharest hasn't yet fully understood what it means to take the chair over the EU countries," he added. Romania assumes the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1 for the first time since it joined the bloc in 2007 amid political divisions at home. Juncker said the EU Presidency "requires a willingness to listen to others and a willingness to put one's own concerns in the background. I have some doubts about this." He also questioned the capacity of the country, faced with internal political tensions, to appear as a "compact unit" in Europe. "There needs to be a united front at home to foster unity in Europe as well during the presidency," he said. In November, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said his country was not prepared to fulfill the task. He referred to a situation which has led to the most powerful politician in Romania, Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea, being unable to become prime minister because of a conviction for election fraud. The president has since struck a more optimistic note. "We are well prepared and I'm confident that we'll handle [the presidency] in a suitable way," Iohannis said on December 21. Meanwhile, Maria Grapini, a European Parliament lawmaker with Romania's Social Democrats, said Juncker was being "duplicitous." She told the private Mediafax news agency that, during a recent meeting with Romanian officials in Brussels, Juncker had said it was "clear...that Romania was up to the presidency." "You can't say it's black today and tomorrow it's white," she said. With reporting by AP, dpa and AFP Turkey and Russia have agreed to coordinate "on the ground" in Syria following a planned U.S. troop withdrawal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said following a meeting with Turkish officials in Moscow. "Certainly, we gave special attention to the new circumstances that arose in connection with the troops withdrawal announced by the United States," Lavrov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on December 29. Turkey and Russia have the common aim of clearing Syria of all terror organizations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after the talks, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. Cavusoglu also said Turkey would continue to be in close cooperation with Iran and Russia on Syria and regional issues, according to Anadolu. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Washington would withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, upending a pillar of U.S. policy in the Middle East and alarming U.S. allies. Russia and Iran are key backers of the Syrian government in the country's seven-year war, while Turkey has backed rebel groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces. The United States has been supporting an alliance of Syrian Arab and Kurdish forces fighting against Islamic State (IS) militants and Assad's government forces. Russian state-run TASS news agency reported on December 29 that a summit of countries involved in the Astana round of Syrian peace talks is likely to be held in mid-January in the Kazakh capital to discuss the situation. Russia, Iran, and Turkey established the so-called Astana process, a series of talks held since 2017 designed to complement a UN-led peace process. Based on reporting by Interfax, AFP, and Reuters Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced a ban on Ukrainian goods, including agricultural and industrial products, days after adding Ukrainian firms and individuals to Russia's sanctions list. Posting on his Twitter page on December 29, Medvedev said the Russian action was a "retaliatory measure against Ukrainian restrictions." Relations between Ukraine and Russia have plummeted since Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and its subsequent support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, where some 10,300 have been killed in fighting since April 2014. Kyiv has imposed sanctions on Russian citizens and companies, a course of action also taken by the European Union and United States. On December 25, Medvedev said he had signed a decree expanding the sanctions list by some 200 individuals and legal entities to "defend the interests of the Russian state, companies, and citizens of Russia." On November 1, Russia imposed "special economic measures" against 322 Ukrainian individuals and 68 companies. The sanctions included freezing of noncash accounts and other assets in Russia and a ban on capital transfers from Russia. Among the individuals on the original list were Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, Security Service chief Vasyl Hrytsak, former Prime Ministers Yulia Tymoshenko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev, and former Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh. The list is based on an October 22 decree by President Vladimir Putin. Putin said at the time that the punitive measures could be canceled if Ukraine lifted all restrictions it had imposed against Russian citizens and companies. With reporting by TASS The Russian Foreign Ministry has rejected what it says are unacceptable demands by Germany and France to release Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. The statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on December 29 follows an appeal by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in a statement on December 28. Russia is holding the 24 Ukrainian sailors after capturing them along with their Ukrainian naval vessels last month near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. Moscow alleged that the vessels had illegally entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea, which Russia occupied and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine and most UN member states do not recognize the annexation. Macron and Merkel said in their joint statement on December 28 that these "excessive inspections" were a source of "deep concern." "We call for all ships using the Kerch Strait to be given safe, free, and unhindered passage, and for the immediate and unconditional release of the Ukrainian sailors. They too must be allowed to spend the holidays with their families." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed demands to free the sailors with Merkel. However, Peskov said Russia would "act in accordance with Russian law," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying on December 29. The European Union and the United States say Russia's actions were illegal and have called on Moscow to immediately return the vessels and their crews to Ukraine. Merkel and Macron also welcomed a cease-fire that took effect at 12:01 a.m. on December 29 in the conflict area of eastern Ukraine. "The approach of the New Year's and Orthodox Christmas holidays must serve as an opportunity for the stakeholders in the conflict in eastern Ukraine to focus on the needs of civilians, who have suffered all too long as a result of this conflict and its consequences," the leaders said. "The guarantee of a safe and secure environment should enable the implementation of crucial humanitarian measures. We now call on the parties to assume their full responsibilities, especially with regard to civilians in the area." The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) also welcomed the deal to establish the New Year's cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. On December 26, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced the end of martial law in the country's borders regions that was imposed following Russia's seizure of the sailors and their ships in the Black Sea. Ukrainian government forces have been fighting against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since April 2014, shortly after Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and forcibly annexed it. Some 10,300 people have been killed in the fighting 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." The current truce is scheduled to run through at least January 7 and was reached by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, which consists of Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE. Several cease-fires have been called in the region as part of the so-called Minsk agreements, but none has met with success. With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and AFP Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, have held talks in the Kremlin on an energy dispute that has hurt ties between the two allies. It's the second time the two leaders have met in recent days following a December 25 confab at the Kremlin. Earlier this year, Russia changed its tax system in a way that left Belarus paying significantly more for Russian oil and natural gas. Belarus has criticized the change, but Moscow maintained that Minsk was still paying less than other countries. "I made a joke that we are sick and tired of each other. But we will probably never grow tired of each other because there are issues that need to be discussed. It's our work," Lukashenka was quoted as saying by Interfax as the two leaders headed into their December 29 meeting. Commentators say Moscow is increasing pressure on Belarus for further integration under a 1999 union treaty. The Kremlin on December 29 rejected as "unsupported statements" that there are plans to incorporate Belarus into Russia. "Of course, we are not talking about any joining, etc. It's more likely movement toward each other. It's not movement in one direction," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Interfax as saying on December 29. Earlier this month, Lukashenka, who has relied on loans and cheap energy from Russia to keep its state-controlled economy afloat, accused some politicians in Russia of proposing to make Belarus part of Russia, plans he said he would stop. Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, and AP Thousands of Serbs have protested against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in in the capital, Belgrade. Protesters demanded media freedoms and an end to attacks on journalists and opposition politicians as they marched peacefully through the city center on December 29 for the fourth straight week. They carried banners saying "I'll not shut up," "I'm not stupid," and "Why are we fighting with all neighboring countries," among other slogans, while blowing whistles. In a December 29 interview with the pro-government Studio B TV during the protest, Vucic said he was ready to discuss the opposition demands. "I am ready to look at what causes dissent of the people," he said after being jeered by a group of protesters as he entered the television station building. The demonstrations were triggered last month when a gang of thugs beat up opposition politician Borko Stefanovic. Officially, the president in Serbia plays a largely ceremonial role, but Vucic's Progressive Party has dominated the legislature since 2012. A former nationalist, Vucic is now guiding Serbia toward membership in the European Union. Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa Hundreds of students of Iran's Azad University have protested in the capital, Tehran, to express anger over last weeks bus crash that killed and injured about two dozen students. Some of the students called for the resignation of the universitys managers, whom they blamed for the incident. Some family members of the dead students also joined the protest, Iranian news agencies reported. At least 10 students were killed and 27 injured after a bus carrying students overturned on the campus of the science and research branch of the Islamic Azad University in Tehran. The police say they're investigating the reasons behind the incident. Tehran's prosecutor said on December 26 that two people had been detained in connection with the crash. Iran has one of the world's highest death rates from road accidents. With reporting by IRNA, ISNA, and RFE/RLs Radio Farda At least two people have died and nine have been rescued after being buried by a series of avalanches in Russia's Far East Khabarovsk region, Russian state media report. Rescuers found the last missing person under the snow, state-run TASS news agency reported. "He is in critical condition, but he is alive," the agency quoted a representative of the Mnogovershinnoye gold-mining company as saying. The victims were employees of the company. "Several avalanches struck the settlement of Mnogovershinny. We think that 11 people are buried under the snow," the administration told TASS earlier on December 29. Ten people had been trapped under the snow and one in a barrack. One had been found dead and another victim died later at a first-aid station. The condition of the other victims was satisfactory, TASS reported. Reports said several of those trapped were members of a crew sent to rescue a person buried by the first of the avalanches before they, too, were trapped. The avalanche struck a station belonging to a gold-mining company, TASS said. "A group of 10 rescuers went there. It was a rescue group of the gold-mining company. Another avalanche came down, burying them under the snow," local officials were quoted as saying. Officials said medical crews had been sent to the scene and that the injured were being evacuated to a local hospital. Based on reporting by TASS and dpa Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Cancun International lists more than 30 new routes during 2018 Cancun, Q.R. The Mexican Caribbean has listed more than 30 new air routes into the region during 2018 says the secretary of tourism. As a result of continual promotion, more than 30 new routes were added, allowing more passengers to arrive at the Cancun International Airport. Tourism secretary Marisol Vanegas Perez says that a majority of the new routes came from the United States, Germany, Russia, Canada, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Belgium. He reports that from January to November, the Cancun International Airport reported 22.9 million passengers, which represents a 6.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2017. He also says that the 24th million passenger has been received and that they are expecting passenger 25 million to land at the Cancun airport December 30, adding that according to Aeropuertos del Sureste data, they anticipate that passenger will arrive around 11:30 a.m. on one of the incoming flights at Terminal 3. Vanegas Perez expressed that visitors are attracted by our natural beauties and clean beaches, of which we are proud. Data shows that the most frequented passengers arrive to Cancun from Austin, Chicago, Columbus, Indianapolis, Lansing, New Orleans, Raleigh, San Francisco and Newark in the United States. From Puerto Rico, they arrived from San Jose. Photo: Aeropuertos del Sureste German passengers arrived to Cancun most frequently from Munich, while Russian visitors came mostly from Vnukovo. For Canadian visitors, Windsor was the top city while most Caribbean visitors from Mexico arrived from Chihuahua, Queretaro and Toluca. Vanegas Perez reports that the newly added air routes into the Cancun International Airport during 2018 included Torreon (Mexico) operated by Vivaaerobus and Moscow and Domodedovo (Russia) operated by STC Russia and Azur Air respectively. They also included Palenque (Mexico) operated by Calafia Airlines. St. John Nel operated by Sunwing. Medellin (Colombia) operated by Aeromexico. Richmond (United States) operated by Miami Air. Des Moines operated by Suncountry and Liege Bierset operated by Jet Air. Cozumel has also seen new routes added to the island which include charter flights from the Nexus agency with flights from the United States and, for the first time, Swift Air with eight different air routes from Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Nashville, Newark, Pittsburgh. Army rescues over 2,500 stranded tourists Gangtok, Dec 29: The Indian Army has rescued more than 2,500 tourists stranded near East Sikkim's 17th Mile area, close to the India-China border, due to heavy snowfall, officials said Saturday. The tourists were returning from Nathu La pass and Tsomgo (Changu) Lake on Friday evening when snowfall in the region blocked roads, leaving over 300 to 400 civil vehicles stranded at various points on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, East Sikkim District Magistrate Kapil Meena said. Stranded tourists rescued by Army Advertisement He said the Army immediately swung into action and rescued the tourists. They were then brought to a camp in 17th Mile area and served food and medicines. Arrangements were being made to transfer the tourists to the state capital. "#IndianArmy rescued more than 2500 civilians stuck in more than 400 vehicles around Nathula, Sikkim due to heavy snowfall. 2500 civilians stuck in more than 400 vehicles All were provided food, shelter & medical care last night," the Army tweeted Saturday. As of now, no tourist vehicle will be allowed to ply on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road on way to the border region, the DM said, adding operations were underway to clear snow and restore road connectivity. Home Minister Rajnath Singh New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Lok Sabha on Friday adopted a resolution on imposition of President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Centre asserting that it was committed to democratic process in the state after the Opposition termed the decision to dissolve the Assembly as "unconstitutional". The Statutory Resolution on imposition of President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, which requires Parliament's approval, was adopted with voice vote amid din in the House. However, after members insisted, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed a discussion on the issue as a "special case". As opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and NCP questioned imposition of President's Rule and dissolution of J-K Assembly, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the House that no party was in a position to form government even a day before December 19 when the Governor took the decision. Advertisement He also rejected claims of some opposition parties that the BJP was propping up a regional party to form government, saying if his party had such an intention, it would have done so within six months of the Governor's Rule. "The government doesn't conduct elections but the government is ready for election. It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to hold elections... we are totally committed to democratic process," he said. Lok Sabha The Minister assured the House that security requirement of the Election Commission will be met for free and fair assembly election in the state. Soon after imposition of the Governor's Rule in June, Singh said, the Governor's report of June 19 to the President indicated that no party or coalition of parties in the state was in a position to form government. The Governor's rule was imposed in these conditions, he said, adding the Assembly was not dissolved for six months in anticipation of formation of government in the state. Advertisement However, no party staked claim to form government and the Governor had to recommend President's Rule. President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir follows if the Governor's rule extends beyond six months. The Statutory Resolution will now go to Rajya Sabha for approval. Initiating the debate, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said Governor Satya Pal Malik acted in "gross violation" of the Supreme Court order in S R Bommai case that had stated that whether an alliance has a majority or not can be decided only on the floor of the assembly. Malik's decision to impose Governor's rule after the NC, PDP and the Congress made a move to form the government in the state was also in "violation" of the Sarkaria Commission's guidelines on Centre-state relations, he said. Trinamool Congress' Saugata Roy termed the governor's decision as "arbitrary" and claimed the Centre had propped up a rival alliance led by Sajjad Lone, who had the support of "only two MLAs". Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Advertisement As Singh was speaking, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah interjected, saying, "The PDP approached our party and we agreed to provide them support along with the Congress. But the irony was that the fax and phone of the Governor were not working." Referring to the decision to dissolve the Assembly without giving an opportunity to the proposed NC-PDP-Cong alliance to form government in the state, he said, "Governor's House is not the place to prove majority but the Assembly is. Governor didn't wait and dissolved it." The Home Minister, however, asserted said that no party was in a position to form government even a day before the Governor took the decision about dissolution of the Assembly. "Our intentions should never be doubted on Jammu and Kashmir. If the BJP had to form the government, we could have done it within six months of the Governor's Rule," he said. As far as the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, he said, it is an old problem. The government is trying to improve the conditions by taking various steps like creating more employment for the people of the state. Grassroots democracy is being strengthened, he said, noting that local bodies elections have been held after a gap of many years. Elected representatives of the local bodies are being given administrative and financial powers, he added. Advertisement Farooq Abdullah Biju Janata Dal's Bhartruhari Mahtab supported the resolution, saying the Governor's rule in the state had become necessary and noted that two main regional parties, the NC and PDP, boycotted the panchayat polls. He said assembly elections should be held in the state along with 2019 Lok Sabha polls. AIADMK's P Venugopal expressed his party's opposition to the imposition of Governor's rule as a matter of principle and asked the Centre to explain the reasons for taking such an "extreme" step. Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party called for holding elections in the state. Expressing anguish over the situation in J-K, Abdullah said the state is going through great "turmoil" which does not seem to end. "The solution to the problems of the state is not through the police and the Army.... Something has to be done immediately," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said. "For the sake of India, Kashmir needs to be given priority. The state has been suffering a lot," he said. Vasundhara Raje Jaipur, Dec 29 (PTI) After being reduced to just 21 seats in the last assembly elections, the Congress bounced back in Rajasthan in 2018. This was also the year when the Zika virus struck, the law caught up with actor Salman Khan and godman Asaram Bapu, and a man was beaten to death after being branded a cow smuggler. The year started well for the Congress, when it won the three bypolls held in January, wresting Alwar and Bhilwara Lok Sabha seats and the Mandalgarh assembly seat from the BJP. The Congress built on this over the months even as the Bharatiya Janata Party stepped up its own act. As chief minister, Vasundhara Raje led a Gaurav Yatra' that crisscrossed the state. When the assembly polls drew nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah launched a series of public meetings. These were matched by rallies by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in some high-pitched electioneering, which ended with his party winning 99 of the 199 seats where polling took place. Advertisement Zika virus A tussle followed within the Congress between veteran Ashok Gehlot and party's state unit chief Sachin Pilot first for the chief minister's post and then over the allocation of portfolios. Gehlot is now CM and retains nine main portfolios, including home and finance. Earlier in the election-year, Raje faced her share of dissent. Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari accused her of corruption and misgovernance and wrote several letters to the party's top leadership. He went on to launch his own 'Bharat Vahini Party', but faced a drubbing in the December 7 elections. Veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh's MLA-son Manvendra Singh, who had old scores to settle with Raje, also quit the party and switched over to the Congress just ahead of the elections. But tribal leader Kirori Meena returned to BJP-fold after about a decade and was made a Rajya Sabha MP. Advertisement Salman Khan Raje's BJP government courted controversy over a Bill that barred the prosecution of public servants without official sanction. It would have also put curbs on the media on identifying the accused in such cases. Facing protests, her government withdrew the Bill. In July, cow vigilantism claimed a life in Alwar district. Rakbar Khan (28) was lynched by a group of people who suspected him and a companion of smuggling cows. The police faced flak for allegedly not rushing the badly injured man to hospital, and focusing instead on taking the cows found with him to a cattle shelter. An assistant sub-inspector was suspended and two constables were shunted to police lines for this. Three men were arrested for attacking Rakbar Khan even as BJP MLA Gyan Deo Ahuja appeared to defend the cow vigilantes, arguing that the death should be blamed on the police and not on them. Advertisement Amit Shah Courts in Jodhpur dealt with a couple of high-profile cases. Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in jail in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Dabangg actor spent two days in Jodhpur jail as prisoner number 106 before being released on bail. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam were acquitted in the case that goes back to the days when they were shooting together in Jodhpur for Hum sath sath hain'. A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur awarded life imprisonment to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and 20-year sentences to two co-accused for the rape of a teenager at his ashram in 2013. An outbreak of Zika virus in Jaipur rang alarm bells in Delhi. The city reported 144 cases. Teams from the Centre and the National Institute of Virology in Pune camped in the state capital to help contain the virus. There were no deaths. Advertisement Saif Ali Khan Prime Minister Modi also travelled to Rajasthan to launch the commencement of work on the Barmer oil refinery and petrochemical complex. The Congress cried foul as the foundation stone for the project in 2013 by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. But the BJP government said it had renegotiated the stalled project. For 68-year-old Gajanand Sharma, 2018 could not have been better. He returned home to Jaipur, 36 years after crossing the border by mistake and landing in a Pakistani jail. All this while, his family had no idea about his whereabouts. A week after a Yemeni mother was granted permission to fly to the United States to say goodbye to her dying 2-year-old son, the boy has died in Oakland, family attorneys announced Friday night. Shaima Swilehs urgent pleas garnered nationwide media coverage after the U.S. Embassy in Cairo gave her a presidential proclamation waiver and visa to visit her son, Abdullah Hassan, at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland, where he was being treated for a rare brain condition. We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives, said Abdullahs father, Ali Hassan. We want to thank everyone for your love and support at this difficult time. We ask you to kindly keep Abdullah and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Swilehs visa application had been denied, and she was barred from entering the United States because of the Trump administrations travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries, family attorneys said. Saad Sweilem, a civil rights attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations Sacramento Valley office, said in a statement that Swileh and Hassan are in the councils prayers. With their courage, this family has inspired our nation to confront the realities of Donald Trumps Muslim Ban, Sweilem said. In his short life, Abdullah has been a guiding light for all of us in the fight against xenophobia and family separation. On Dec. 19, Swileh arrived at the San Francisco International Airport just a day after she was granted a visa waiver and listened to her attorneys and Hassan give brief statements to journalists before she was rushed to the Oakland hospital to see her son that night. 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. Abdullah, a U.S. citizen, had been diagnosed with a rare brain condition called hypomyelination. Hassan, also a U.S. citizen, brought the boy to California to receive medical treatment as his condition worsened in recent months, family attorneys said. Family attorneys accuse the embassy in Cairo of ignoring 28 desperate pleas, including medical documents confirming the boys condition from the family to expedite requests for Swilehs visa. A funeral service for Abdullah was held Saturday afternoon at the California Islamic Center in Lodi. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor It takes a certain intellectual virtuosity to hear songbird melodies in the deep guttural croakings made by northern elephant seals, but marine biologist Caroline Casey has a uniquely scientific perspective about the vocal abilities of the worlds largest pinnipeds. The researcher at UC Santa Cruz has detected in the calls of male elephant seals off the California and Mexico coast a verbal rhythm, a dialect, that until recently had been documented only in birds. The sounds, apparently adapted to their social situations, are potentially critical to our understanding of the evolution of language. Elephant seals produce distinctive songs during the breeding season, just like songbirds do, said Casey, a doctoral candidate at the universitys department of ecology and evolutionary biology. They arent as beautiful, but they are songs nevertheless. Casey is the lead author of a study published Nov. 28 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B analyzing the tunes trumpeted by bull elephant seals. These seals can grow up to 16 feet and weigh as much as 5,100 pounds. They are notable not only for their size, but also for their aggressive tendencies toward one another. Now Playing: Marine scientists visit Ano Nuevo and explain the evolving language of elephant seals, the worlds largest pinnipeds. Video: San Francisco Chronicle The males have large floppy noses, called proboscis, which they use to make extraordinarily loud noises to ward off rivals during mating season in December and January. Caseys study shows how the elephant seals calls have evolved over the past 50 years as a result of the species growing population, changing environmental and social conditions. Using a grant from National Geographic, she and her fellow researcher, Colleen Reichmuth, have spent the past four years documenting vocalizations at historic elephant seal gathering spots on Ano Nuevo, San Miguel and San Nicolas islands in California, and Guadalupe Island in Mexico. Their research retraced the footsteps of Burney Le Boeuf, another UC Santa Cruz biologist whose pioneering study, published in Science in 1969, found that male elephant seals use the percussion-like grunts and growls to identify themselves to their rivals. Le Boeuf, a co-author of Caseys study, discovered that the males on each island used almost the same call, but that each island population had a different dialect. It was the first time anyone had found evidence of dialect in non-human mammals. Caseys research almost a half-century later showed a remarkable difference in communications between the giant fin-footed beasts. Now Playing: Audio of historic seals call. Video: San Francisco Chronicle We found this really amazing change, said Casey, as she stood recently next to an elephant seal colony at Ano Nuevo. First of all, the dialects were gone. Its now so diverse. ... You have some with fast-tempo calls, some with slower-tempo calls and others with quarter notes followed by a half note a short-long-short-long pattern. Casey believes the change occurred because the population has grown since 1969, when it was about a third of what it is today, and the previously isolated island colonies mixed with one another. She added that the increase in competition forced the males to adapt their sound to be more distinctive and recognizable, like a rhythmic code. Its important, she said, because it allows the bulls to claim the prime harem locations without unnecessary bloodshed. They need the energy because dominant males can sometimes impregnate as many as 50 females in one season. These animals emit what we call vocal displays and each male has its own unique vocal signature that others within the colony come to recognize. ... They learn the rhythms, Casey said. Its as if a guy walked into a bar and called out, Im Sam, and the other tough guy in the bar said, Oh, thats Sam. Sam beat me up before. Im going to run away. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle The research is crucial in the understanding of a marine mammal that has proved to be one of the most remarkably adaptive and durable species on Earth. Northern elephant seals and their cousins the slightly larger southern elephant seals were hunted relentlessly for their oil and blubber starting in the 18th century. They were thought to be extinct by 1884. 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. Then, in a seemingly miraculous stroke of good fortune, an 1892 Smithsonian Institution expedition to Gaudalupe Island off Baja California discovered what was thought to be the last eight elephant seals on the planet. The delighted scientists then did something that still causes marine biologists like Casey and Le Boeuf to shake their heads. They promptly killed seven of the animals for their collections. Those scientists were wrong about their assumption, and amazingly, the elephant seals survived. They expanded their range from the islands along the coast to the mainland, including what is now Ano Nuevo State Park, after grizzly bears and other large carnivores known to prey on them were exterminated in California. There are now more than 210,000 elephant seals thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and other marine hunting bans. They are known to travel great distances to their feeding grounds along the continental shelf from Washington to the western Aleutians in Alaska after they leave their rookeries. Now Playing: Audio of contemporary seals call. Video: San Francisco Chronicle Genetic testing indicates that the entire population is descended from fewer than 20 individuals. Scientists are concerned the lack of genetic diversity could make them more susceptible to disease, environmental changes and pollution. As it is, less than 10 percent of the pups born at elephant seal rookeries survive to adulthood, which is age 7, Casey said. Casey, Reichmuth, Le Boeuf and evolutionary biology professor Dan Costa are hoping now to determine whether the elephant seals learned their new calls from other elephant seals or innately developed their dialects. In humans and in birds it is learned. In elephant seals were not sure, but it would be really exciting if they did learn it, said Casey, who plans to attach electronic tags to young males to see where they go and document who they associate with and how their vocalizations change over time. A lot of people think that language is what separates humans and animals, but it turns out a lot of animals, including elephant seals, have similar patterns of behavior in terms of how they communicate with each other, she said. I think this study can provide a window into how dialects form in humans and what are the conditions that lead to changes in those dialects. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite University of California student leaders said Friday they will fight a plan to scrap UCs student-adviser program, an experiment in its second year that allows a student to join in regents meetings and try to influence policy but not vote. Only two other students participate fully in the meetings and can interact with the universitys top decision makers at the table and behind the scenes: the student regent, who votes, and the student regent-designate, who doesnt. On Friday, student leaders who were scattered around the state on holiday break said they were forced to respond to an unexpected letter from a regents committee, including student Regent Devon Graves, recommending that the regents vote in January to eliminate the student adviser beginning next fall. The letter also implied that student leaders across UC are on board with that plan. All of the student leaders Ive talked to are very opposed to this change, and feel that it was very misleading for the letter to characterize us as supporting the proposal, said philosophy student Michael Skiles, student body president at UCLA and graduate chairman of the UC Council of Student Body Presidents. He and other student leaders met by phone Friday and agreed to urge the regents not only to keep the student advocate, but also to clarify and improve the job. The role was recognized as unique and valuable to students, and we agreed that there could be more done to develop and strengthen the position, said Edward Huang, a UC Berkeley senior studying applied mathematics who is this years student adviser to the regents. The debate raises questions about how much influence students should have in running UC, and how any expansion should be achieved. The regents oversee the autonomous $30 billion university of 10 campuses, 238,000 students, five hospitals and three national laboratories. For years, students have said they want more control over decisions that affect them: tuition, housing and meals, for example. Students have also said they want a second voting student regent a change that would require amending the state Constitution. Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown was a hard no on that, said Caroline Siegel-Singh, a junior at UC San Diego and president of the statewide UC Student Association. The compromise in 2016 was a pilot program creating a non-voting student advocate to participate with the regents without being a regent to get around the seemingly unscalable wall of the Constitution. The idea came from then-student Regent Avi Oved, now a law student at UCLA. With 26 regents, influencing UC policy is less dependent on a single vote than it is on building relationships with the regents and being consistently present, Oved said Friday. A lot of times, the work is done before an item gets to the regents for a vote. The idea also expanded student representation: If the student regent was a graduate student, as Graves is this year, then the student advocate would be an undergraduate, and vice versa. 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. Graves, a UCLA doctoral student in higher education, said he favors eliminating the advocate because few students applied for the post, and because it doesnt have the strong support from UC headquarters that the student regents do: tuition waivers and help from the regents staff, for example. He also pointed to 11 other student roles: Some can make presentations to the regents, others can eat lunch with them, and others can sit in on committees. Yet Graves, who participated in the phone meeting with student leaders, said he supports the students decision to fight for the student advocate. I think the regents will hear out the students concerns and try to rectify and implement something that everyone is happy with, he said. At the same time, he said, the push for a second student regent isnt dead. Brown may not have supported the idea, but we have an opportunity with the new governor to see where he lies on that issue. Siegel-Singh, the student association president, agreed. I think hell be a lot easier to work with than Jerry Brown, she said. As lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom has been a regent for years, known for student-friendly votes against tuition hikes. As governor, hell become the regents president. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Technically, Corey Duffel is supposed to work every Sunday afternoon in a store just off Market Street. But because hes a professional skateboarder and because his place of employment is the new Thrasher store on Sixth Street, its understood that some weeks he wont quite make it to work. It just depends if Im out doing my other job, which is riding a skateboard, he said. Duffel is one of a crew of amateur and professional skaters who staff the new Thrasher outlet that opened this fall at 66 Sixth St. The Thrasher spot is part retail, part clubhouse, and part shrine to the culture and history of skateboarding in San Francisco. In addition to Duffel, store clerks include noteworthy pro skaters like Chico Brenes and Al Davis. The skaters come and they go, which is the way it should be, said Tony Vitello, who runs Thrashers day-to-day operations. The point of the store, Vitello said, is to tell the under-appreciated story of skateboarding in San Francisco. And who better to do that then the pros who have been bombing hills and breaking bones here for decades? You dont want to tie these guys down, Vitello said. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Thrasher magazine, founded by Vitellos late father, Fausto, in 1981, has a circulation of about 90,000 and a ubiquitous line of clothing. For most of its 37-year history, Thrasher has operated out of a two-story concrete structure on Underwood Avenue in the Bayview District. Its just an ordinary building theres not even a sign but Thrasher enthusiasts stop by regularly and ring the doorbell, hoping to see inside. We go to work there, Vitello said. Its a warehouse and an office. Its not a place to give tours. You let people in and invariably things go missing. But in recent years, as the Thrasher brand took off, Vitello started to think about creating a place where people could go and learn about skateboarding, San Francisco and the magazines history. In an industry where L.A. dominates, he wanted to give San Francisco its due. Its a way to let people interface with us, as opposed to just buying something, Vitello said. Its our hometown. The tiny Thrasher space with it 66 Sixth St. sign-of-the-devil address is the San Francisco skateboarding aesthetic brought to life in brick and mortar. Near the entrance there is a manifesto written by Thrasher editor Jake Phelps: Skateboarding vs. San Francisco is war. Its 49 miles chock full of cops, vagrants, speeding cars, gang bangers and, the most humbling of all, the hills. The first thing you hear entering the space is the scrape, clatter and metallic hum of skateboard wheels on asphalt. A bank of 12 video screens shows skateboarders bombing down city streets, weaving through traffic on Nob Hill, cruising down the long back road from Twin Peaks. The videos are made by Ryan Garshell, a frequent Thrasher videographer who goes by the name GX-1000. On the opposite wall is an illustrated map of the city through the eyes of the San Francisco skateboarder. There are pictures and illustrations of skater hangouts like Tradr Sams on Geary Boulevard, Tommys Joynt on Van Ness, and the Roxie Food Center, a deli across from Balboa Park. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Its got photos of skate spots like the China Bank a pedestrian bridge that connects the Chinatown Hilton with Portsmouth Square as well as Justin Herman Plaza, Fort Mason, West Portal Elementary School and the School of the Arts campus in Diamond Heights. There are a lot of pictures of staircases and metal railings on the outside of public buildings not something a typical visitor would be drawn to. The average human being does not look at the city the way a skateboarder does, Duffel said. There is also an exhibit called mail drop, a collage of 138 envelopes illustrated by Thrasher readers and mailed to the magazine. Mail drop is a longtime feature of the publication, and most of the envelopes were decorated by inmates from state prisons and county jails around the country. Duffel thinks that makes sense. Skateboarding is about freedom and most of those guys sending those letters are missing their freedom, he said. Your skateboard can take you anywhere. Thrasher has had offers to open stores in fancier shopping districts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, but Vitello always turned them down. He wanted to locate in a part of the city that hasnt been transformed by tech money. Sixth Street with its collection of residential hotels, social service agencies and underground economy fit the bill. 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. I always go back to being a kid skating in the old Union Square before it was fixed up, he said. It was gritty and gnarly, and I thought it was the coolest place on the face of the earth. Sixth Street has been attracting other new businesses lately the bar Rumpus Room, Pentacle Coffee, a Greek deli called the Argentum Project and the kosher deli Frena Bakery and Cafe. The trendy clothing store Supreme recently was granted city planning permission to open a 10,000-square-foot store right around the corner from Sixth on Market Street. And Vitello has been talking to city officials about creating a skating feature it could be as simple as a Jersey barrier those modular barriers used to separate lanes of traffic on Minna Street next to his store so that skateboarders will have another reason to go to Sixth Street. The street still needs to evolve enough for a teenager to feel comfortable rolling down the block. Right now thats not always the case there are opiate addicts with needles in their arms, fencers selling stolen goods, overturned shopping carts next to heaps of trash dumped on the sidewalk. As hard-core as skateboarders are, they are not going to want to deal with that, Vitello said. The hope is that the new businesses will lead to a better street. Some people call it gentrification, but any improvement of Sixth Street is a step in the right direction for the small businesses that have made it their home. On a recent Friday Randy Ponciano, a 43-year-old skater and San Francisco native, stopped in at Thrasher to say hello after work. He said the store captures his youth in the 1990s, an era he considers the golden age of San Francisco skating. We were outcasts. No one liked us not the cops, the girls, the public, the president, nobody, Ponciano said. A lot of the kids I grew up with are on that wall. Thrasher is the bible to our culture and it started here. The arrival of Thrasher on the street has help business at the Pentacle Coffee, a cafe and art space next door, especially since owner Bobby Valentino Sanchez added cannabidiol, or CBD, drops to the coffee menu. The Thrasher customer is definitely more interested in CBD coffee than regular coffee, Sanchez said. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen Like a lot of kids who grew up in San Francisco, I was always fascinated by the salt water the Pacific Ocean on one end of the city, the bay on the other. My favorite streets were the Embarcadero and the Great Highway. I used to talk about running away to sea. Most San Francisco kids get over this sort of obsession, but I never did. So when the Sailor Girl, my companion in small adventures, signed us up for a 10-day cruise to Mexico, I was more than delighted. I could hardly wait. We took the Grand Princess the week before Christmas, sailing from San Francisco to Mexico and back again. I know old salts would sniff at this. You call this going to sea? Their idea of a ship is a big sailing schooner, heeling over in the wind. Or at the very least, a steamship, like the Queen Mary or the Lurline. Not a cruise ship like the Grand Princess, a kind of floating resort. But still. You take what you can get. Ive been to sea a little on cruise ships, freighters, and even an unforgettable voyage on the World War II Liberty Ship Jeremiah OBrien from San Francisco to France to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day. I had to work on that trip, chipping paint, hauling lines, cleaning the head, steering the ship sometimes. An ordinary seaman. The Grand Princess is a familiar sight on San Francisco Bay. It has been based in San Francisco for five years, sailing every 10 days or so to Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska, or on short coastal cruises. It is a big ship, more than 950 feet long and displacing 109,000 tons, more than six times the size of the old Matson liner Lurline. The Grand Princess can carry 3,000 passengers and a crew of 1,000, a seagoing community the size of a small town. San Franciscos cargo business went to Oakland years ago, but cruise ships all tie up in San Francisco and earn money for the region. The Grand Princess gets all its fuel in San Francisco. And when the ship comes in, big trucks line the terminal dock, bringing it food, produce and supplies. Every time a cruise ship docks in San Francisco, about 200 workers are on the job, loading luggage and supplies and processing the passengers. Michael Nerney, the ports marketing manager, says each port call is worth $1 million to the economy. The Grand Princess sailed in and out of San Francisco 35 times this year. Our trip was smooth. We were on the ship and in our cabin only 40 minutes after walking out our front door on Bernal Heights. The ship sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge just at sunset. We settled in easily. Gray skies on the way down the long California and Baja coast, and the ship rolled just enough to make you notice. Fair winds and following seas, good food and excellent service. It is three days and more than 1,000 miles by sea from San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta. The sun came out in Mexico, as advertised. You hear a lot about Mexico these days, especially in the overheated world of politics. Mexico is a dangerous place, we are told, full of marauding gangs and criminals, caravans of desperate people trying to sneak into our country. We didnt see anything like that. Of course, we were tourists in tourist towns, like Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. But the streets were a lot cleaner than the fabled streets of San Francisco. We saw a drunk passed out in Puerto Vallarta, a derelict, and a woman begging with a child in Mazatlan. No obvious street crazies. Unlike San Francisco. Maybe it is Mexico that should build a wall to keep undesirables from California out. We liked Mexico a lot, but the star of the voyage was the ocean. It always is. Once you sail away from the land, you are in a separate world. We saw a ship once or twice a day, and occasionally a glimpse of land. But most of the time it was only the sea, rolling away to the west, the horizon nearly always empty. 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 sea is strange and unknowable to people who live on the land. It is full of life, but the life is out of sight, under the surface. Old sailors will tell you that nothing beats a quiet day on the timeless sea, but that is a topic for Joseph Conrad, or Herman Melville, not me. On the last day, I got up just after 4 so as not to miss the landfall. The first familiar sight is the light on Southeast Farallon Island off to the left side of the ship. The pilot came aboard in the dark at 5 a.m., and the Grand Princess turned east, toward the Golden Gate. It is always impressive to sail into San Francisco, especially just before dawn. The city rises up out of the dark bay on its hills, and the towers on the skyline are lit up, especially during the holidays. The moving lights on the Bay Bridge are magical. In all the ports in all the world, there is nothing quite like this one. Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His column appears every Sunday. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf In a conference room 13 miles from Paradise, Doug Boxer explains to survivors of the states worst wildfire why they should choose his law firm to sue PG&E Corp. He walks a fine line between listening to Butte County victims coping with devastation and promoting the expertise of attorneys based thousands of miles away. Under the law, he says, the dozen or so residents whove gathered for this meeting on a Saturday in December have two years to file a complaint. But Boxer urges them not to wait that long, implying that if they sign on now theyll have a front seat negotiating a payout from the utility. If we have the biggest book of cases, who is PG&E going to come to first? said Boxer, the son of Barbara Boxer, a Democrat who represented California in the U.S. Senate for 24 years. Dozens of lawyers are vying for the chance to sue the $12 billion power company, even before state investigators have determined the cause of the November blaze in Paradise that destroyed more than 13,000 homes and killed 86 people. Displaced residents living in shelters or temporary housing in nearby towns have found themselves inundated with legal advertising on signs, billboards, radio, television and mailers. The competition is so intense that some California attorneys whove developed a specialty suing utilities over wildfires refer to out-of-state firms as carpetbaggers. Boxers Washington firm, Mauro Archer & Associates, made itself stand out by enlisting as its front woman perhaps the most famous person ever to spar with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Erin Brockovich. Her success in a court case against the utility over water contamination in the 1990s inspired a movie bearing her name that won an Oscar for Julia Roberts, and in turn, helped Brockovich propel a career as an activist, author and consultant. Mauro Archer and its partner firm, Watts Guerra in San Antonio, now count about 700 clients from the Camp Fire. That includes Kathy and David Terstegen, a couple close to retirement who figure that insurance will cover only about 50 percent of their losses from the incineration of their mobile home, which stood on a third of an acre five miles northeast of Paradise. Many homes in Paradise were underinsured or lacked coverage entirely, which can make the suits more lucrative for lawyers, who generally take a 33.3 percent cut of any uninsured recovery. Overall, insured losses from the Camp Fire stand at about $7 billion, and Citigroup analysts estimate $15 billion in gross liabilities. Even before Kathy Terstegen attended Boxers Dec. 15 presentation, she decided to sign on with his firm based on its connection with Brockovich, which she discovered browsing online. She sent Brockovich a message and was surprised to get a call back. In an hour-long conversation, Terstegen said she found the activist to be a very gracious lady, kind and compassionate. I know there are a lot of different firms doing this, Terstegen said. But I really wanted to be with the firm that Erin Brockovich was connected to. To veteran wildfire attorney Mike Danko, whose law firm in Redwood City has partnered with two other in-state firms to represent 925 Camp Fire victims, Brockovich is client bait. They have the money to hire Erin and somehow clients say, This is the place to go. But anyone couldve done that, Danko said. Because Erin Brockovich is not working on your case, its the wrong thing to be looking at. Suing PG&E is expensive, and theres no doubt that firms from out of state bring deep pockets to the fight, Danko said. But based on his past experience, hes dubious that those firms are as committed as he and his local peers are to the grunt work of preparing for a trial against a company fighting for its very survival. These people from out of state, they end up not showing up, they get shoved aside, theyre not involved in the process, Danko said. It comes down to the same few lawyers in every case like this who are doing the work in court and otherwise driving the bus. Still, he said, the distant firms can walk off with a decent payday by scooping up and settling suits on a mass basis to compensate for the money theyre leaving on the table. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California No ones going to hire a Texas lawyer, Danko said. So out-of-state firms find a local straw man they team up with, he said. He does the advertising so it seems very local, but the money behind it is from Texas. Watts Guerra co-founder Mikal Watts, a nationally prominent trial attorney, rejects the notion that hes an opportunist seeking to profit from an area where he has no connections. His teams website touts a team of local professionals who live and work in the communities impacted by the fires and are deeply concerned about this recovery. Boxer, who lives in Oakland, introduced Brockovich, whom he knew through his mother, to Watts. Since the team started litigating against PG&E in the wake of the 2017 blazes that tore through the Wine Country, Watts said he has invested $10 million preparing for cases. The expenses range from California arborists and forensics experts to a mobile home and an $81,000 trailer that are parked in Chico, a 25-minute drive from Paradise. To my knowledge there are no lawyers from any other part of California that have opened a permanent office in Chico and staffed it with Butte County residents to serve the needs of the Camp Fire, Watts said. His team also has an office in Santa Rosa to serve its 2,500 clients from the 2017 Wine Country fires. Brockovich said she was drawn to the D.C.-Texas team precisely because its invested in building a local presence. She sees herself not as a marketing magnet, but as an adviser for victims facing a feeding frenzy of lawyers. Theyre overwhelmed in a disaster, and a sea of lawyers shows up. Who do they trust? she said. Im never going to tell you what law firm to go with. I will always tell you: nobody can make an appropriate choice for their health, and welfare and their future if they dont have all the information. I will give them every bit of information I know. Joel Rosenblatt is a Bloomberg writer. Email: jrosenblatt@bloomberg.net An inmate who escaped from San Quentin State Prison was arrested Saturday afternoon at a Taco Bell in Paso Robles, authorities said. Shalom Mendoza, 21, was taken into custody about 1 p.m. after a person saw him at the fast food restaurant and called corrections officials, said Sgt. Justin Graham, a spokesman for San Rafael police. He had been spotted Friday afternoon in San Miguel (San Luis Obispo County), buying clothes at a Dollar Store. Authorities said Mendoza had ditched his getaway car near Paso Robles and may have been headed for Los Angeles. He was taken to Salinas Valley State Prison. Corrections officials said his case will be presented to the Marin County district attorneys office for consideration of escape and carjacking charges. Mendoza slipped out of the prison sometime before 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, then went to a nearby home depot and stole a Toyota RAV4 from a female driver, according to a statement from the San Rafael Police Department. He was assigned to work outside the secured perimeter of the prison, as many inmates are, and he took advantage of an opportunity to leave, said prison officials in a statement. During the carjacking, Mendoza held what appeared to be a weapon under his T-shirt and threatened to shoot the victim if she did not hand over her car keys, according to police. Mendoza let the woman take her small dog before he fled in the vehicle. The victim was not physically harmed. Roughly 15 minutes after officials believe Mendoza swiped the RAV4, surveillance footage shows the sport utility vehicle passing through the Bay Bridge toll plaza toward San Francisco, according to the San Rafael Police Department. Mendoza had been serving a five-year sentence for use of a weapon during a carjacking/attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly. 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. California Highway Patrol officers found the stolen RAV4 abandoned off the southbound shoulder of Highway 101 just north of Paso Robles around 5 p.m. Friday, police said. It was towed to the CHP Monterey office for processing. Authorities today apprehended Shalom Mendoza, who walked away from #SanQuentin prison on Dec. 26. Read more...https://t.co/bMtwVqnoNv pic.twitter.com/PdoFG7bzcN CA Corrections (@CACorrections) December 29, 2018 Corrections officials did not immediately release additional information on the hours and days leading up to Mendozas arrest, but said that as part of our ongoing investigation into this incident we will be gathering additional information. Officials were still searching Saturday for 27-year-old Justin Franks, a minimum-security inmate who escaped from Folsom State Prison north of Sacramento a week earlier. He was serving a sentence for a San Bernardino County burglary. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor A 32-year-old man who led authorities on a statewide manhunt after allegedly fatally shooting a Stanislaus County police officer was being held without bail Saturday at a facility in Modesto on a murder charge, according to jail records. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, an immigrant in the country illegally with gang affiliations and past arrests for drunken driving, was taken into custody just outside Bakersfield for the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said. On Friday evening, authorities announced they also arrested Arriagas 34-year-old brother, Conrado Virgen Mendoza, in Livermore and his 30-year-old girlfriend, Ana Leyde Cervantes, in Turlock. Bail for each was set at $25,000, according to jail records. In all, seven people are in custody on suspicion of aiding Arriaga in what investigators said was his attempt to escape to Mexico. The others are Bernabe Madrigal Casteneda, 59; Erasmo Villegas, 36; Maria Luisa Moreno, 57; Arriagas 25-year-old brother, Adrian Virgen; and a co-worker, Erik Razo Quiroz, 27, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department. They intentionally lied to us, Christianson said of Virgen and Quiroz. They provided information that was false, all in an attempt to protect their brother. The incident unfolded about 1 a.m. Wednesday after Singh left his 5-month-old son and his wife, Anamika, at their home in Modesto. Singh pulled Arriaga over for a suspected DUI violation. The owner of Newman Food Store, Yoon Kim, said Arriaga had purchased two 12-packs of beer shortly before the time when investigators said he was stopped. Within minutes of pulling Arriaga over, Singh announced shots fired on his police radio. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died. He loved being a police officer, Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said Thursday, holding back tears. He loved being a husband. He loved being a father. 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. A vigil was held for the corporal Friday night in Newman. At a news conference earlier Friday, Christianson echoed President Trumps calls for stricter border security. He criticized the states sanctuary policy, which prohibits local law enforcement from notifying or sharing detained immigrants information with federal immigration agents when they are not accused of serious crimes. The outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasnt restricted, prohibited, or had their hands tied because of political interference, Christianson said about Arriagas encounter with Singh. Arriaga was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Madera County on June 5, 2014 several years before the states sanctuary law prohibited local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani A week after a Yemeni mother was granted permission to fly to the United States to say goodbye to her dying 2-year-old son, the boy has died in Oakland, family attorneys announced Friday night. Shaima Swilehs urgent pleas garnered nationwide media coverage after the U.S. Embassy in Cairo gave her a presidential proclamation waiver and visa to visit her son, Abdullah Hassan, at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland, where he was being treated for a rare brain condition. We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives, said Abdullahs father, Ali Hassan. We want to thank everyone for your love and support at this difficult time. We ask you to kindly keep Abdullah and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Swilehs visa application had been denied, and she was barred from entering the United States because of the Trump administrations travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries, family attorneys said. Saad Sweilem, a civil rights attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations Sacramento Valley office, said in a statement that Swileh and Hassan are in the councils prayers. With their courage, this family has inspired our nation to confront the realities of Donald Trumps Muslim Ban, Sweilem said. In his short life, Abdullah has been a guiding light for all of us in the fight against xenophobia and family separation. On Dec. 19, Swileh arrived at the San Francisco International Airport just a day after she was granted a visa waiver and listened to her attorneys and Hassan give brief statements to journalists before she was rushed to the Oakland hospital to see her son that night. Abdullah, a U.S. citizen, had been diagnosed with a rare brain condition called hypomyelination. Hassan, also a U.S. citizen, brought the boy to California to receive medical treatment as his condition worsened in recent months, family attorneys said. Family attorneys accuse the embassy in Cairo of ignoring 28 desperate pleas, including medical documents confirming the boys condition from the family to expedite requests for Swilehs visa. A funeral service for Abdullah was held Saturday afternoon at the California Islamic Center in Lodi. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor Citlali Gonzalez-Watson and Justin Watson were living in a two-bedroom mobile home in Sunnyvale with six other people when their son Daniel was born over the summer. Citlali and Justin slept in one bedroom with their baby, Citlalis parents had the other bedroom, and her four younger siblings slept in the living room. The crowded environment quickly took its toll. There was so many of us, and then they had different schedules and stuff, so it was just overwhelming, Citlali recalled. We were like, No. We need our own place again. Citlali, 19, and Justin, 20, used to live in military housing in Alameda while Justin was serving in the Coast Guard. But he obtained a voluntary discharge because he was facing deployment and did not want to leave his wife, who was pregnant at the time and has a heart condition that required frequent doctor appointments until the baby was born. At first, the couple lived with Justins parents in Ventura County. But Justins parents are both in the military, making them less available to help with child care than Citlalis parents, he said. So after a few months, the couple returned to the Bay Area. It quickly became apparent they needed more living space than the mobile home allowed. But Citlali and Justin both work service-sector jobs, and getting a foothold in the tough local housing market was all but impossible without help. So they turned to the nonprofit Sunnyvale Community Services, which tapped into the The Chronicles Season of Sharing, which agreed to provide Citlali and Justin with the first months rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Milpitas. To keep costs down, one of Citlalis co-workers moved in with them. We were getting back on our feet because we just left from her parents home, Justin said. We just needed help for the first month, and then once her co-worker moved in, we knew that we could handle it. And each of them is still hard at work as they settle into their new living situation. Sitting on the couch together with Daniel on a recent weekday morning, Citlali and Justin said it was a rare instance when neither of them had to be on the clock that day. The two of them work long hours, she on the closing shifts managing a McDonalds in Mountain View and he at a Wayback Burgers thats walking distance from their apartment. Citlalis family cares for the baby when neither of them is home. They rarely have a full day of free time to spend together. Sometimes well be lucky and have one day off, but its never the same day, so its kind of pointless, Justin said. But theyve made some life adjustments to try to get the most out of the precious few hours they do spend together in their home. At night, we have a no-phone rule, Citlali said. After we get home, its just like: Relax. Phones in the corner. How to help For 32 years, The Chronicle's Season of Sharing Fund has helped more than 150,000 Bay Area individuals and families facing unexpected life crises. Want to help? You can donate at www.seasonofsharing.org. You can also use our text message options: Text-to-Give: Text SOS to 27722 to make a one-time $25 donation to the Season of Sharing Fund. The donation is added to your cellphone bill. Text-to-Donate: Text SHARING to 27722 to make a donation to the Season of Sharing Fund using your credit card. See More Collapse The couples ability to communicate well with one another stood out to Maria Buenrostro, their caseworker at Sunnyvale Community Services. Buenrostro described them as a wonderful, working together kind of couple. One of the most important things that I saw was how closely they communicated, not just as a married couple but as parents, Buenrostro said. It makes sense how they were able to live in spite of the crowdedness in the mobile home. Still, all the work can be overwhelming to Citlali at times, complicating her efforts to balance her job against routine matters such as staying on top of the laundry or simply spending time with her child. But juggling is nothing new to her. She was enrolled in two classes at Foothill College while pregnant with Daniel, to whom she gave birth the week before a take-home final exam was due. Citlali did not seek an extension, instead choosing to complete the assignment on a laptop alongside her infants bassinet. She recalled thinking silently to Daniel, Dont cry, dont cry, while scrambling to complete the exam which she did. Citlali has put her education on hold for now, as Daniel and her job demand her full attention. She may end up taking classes online depending on plans she and Justin have been discussing for themselves. With Citlalis health now in the clear, the two have started considering whether Justin should try to re-enter the military. Justin said stability is the biggest factor driving his thinking about the military, given the housing and health benefits he and his young family would receive. Hes thinking of joining the Navy like his father, who would be able to offer guidance. But trying to re-enlist would once again raise the prospect of deployment. One minute youre in California, and then another minute youll be in Japan or somewhere crazy, Justin said. Citlali is willing to move overseas with Justin if duty calls even though it would mean leaving her parents and siblings behind for an extended period of time. Like my mother-in-law once said, You have to put your big girl panties on, she said. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris Eric Reynolds will tell you that he is on the verge of freeing much of humanity from the deadly scourge of the cooking fire. He can halt the toxic smoke wafting through African homes, protect what is left of the continents forest cover and help rescue the planet from the wrath of climate change. He is happy to explain, at considerable length, how he will systematically achieve all this while constructing a business that can amass billions in profit from an unlikely group of customers: the poorest people on earth. He will confess that some people doubt his hold on reality. A lot of people think its too good to be true, says Reynolds, a California-born entrepreneur living in Rwanda. Most people think I am pretty out there. The company he is building across Rwanda, Inyenyeri, seeks to replace Africas overwhelming dependence on charcoal and firewood with clean-burning stoves powered by wood pellets. The business has just a tad more than 5,000 customers and needs perhaps 100,000 to break even. Even its chief operating officer, Claude Mansell, a veteran of the global consulting company Capgemini, wonders how the story will end. Do we know that its going to work? he asks. I dont know. Its never been done before. Inyenyeri presents a real-world test of an idea gaining traction among those focused on economic development that profit-making businesses may be best positioned to deliver critically needed services to the worlds poorest communities. Governments in impoverished countries lack the finance to attack threats to public health, and many are riddled with corruption (although, by reputation, not Rwandas). Philanthropists and international aid organizations play key roles in areas such as immunizing children. But turning plans for basic services into mass-market realities may require the potent incentives of capitalism. It is a notion that has provoked the creation of many businesses, most of them failures. Profit feeds impact at scale, says Reynolds, in the midst of a global tour as he courts investment on top of the roughly $12 million he has already raised. Unless somebody gets rich, it cant grow. More than four decades have passed since Reynolds embarked on what he portrays as an accidental life as an entrepreneur, an outgrowth of his fascination with mountaineering. He dropped out of college to start Marmot, the outdoor gear company named for the burrowing rodent. There, he profited by protecting Volvo-driving, Chardonnay-sipping weekend warriors against the menacing elements of Aspen. Now, he is trying to build a business centered on customers for whom turning on a light switch is a radical act of upward mobility. Inyenyeri is betting that it can give away stoves and make money by charging people for fuel. It vows to deliver virtues that go well beyond the bottom line. The forests would be spared, because making wood pellets requires far fewer trees than wood fires and charcoal. Customers would gain a reprieve from ailments related to smoke from cooking, including cataracts, heart disease and respiratory ailments that, in many countries, kill more people than malaria, HIV and tuberculosis combined. Rwandans in rural areas and, eventually, across Africa and South Asia would be freed from the time-sucking drudgery of having to look for wood. People in cities, who rely on charcoal, could switch to cheaper wood pellets, using the savings to buy health care, food and school uniforms. In much of the developing world, initiatives aimed at sparing the environment tend to pit the livelihoods of poor people against the protection of natural resources. Peasants in the Amazon are supposed to stop hacking away at forests to clear land for crops so the rest of the planet can benefit from a reduction in carbon emissions. Yet in Inyenyeris designs, the everyday concerns of poor households are aligned with environmental imperatives, because people prefer to cook with the stoves. At 66, with sunburned cheeks and intense blue eyes, Reynolds can at times sound like the latest white man come to save Africa. Its just outrageous that we have 3 billion people still cooking in the Stone Age, he says. Its entirely solvable. On a recent evening, he visits Buzuta village, a scattering of mudwall huts on a rutted dirt road in western Rwanda, not far from the shore of Lake Kivu. He sits opposite Mukamurenzi Anasthasie, who is rearing two grandchildren and two orphans in a house with neither plumbing nor electricity. For most of her 60 years, Anasthasie watched the daylight seep away with a sense of dread, anxious that darkness might fall before she could find enough wood to cook a meal. The forests that once surrounded her village had been dismantled and hacked into firewood. She and her neighbors wandered for hours into the surrounding mountains looking for sticks. Sometimes, wed just collect dry grasses and try to cook with those, she says. Sometimes especially if it rained we just didnt eat. It was painful. We were constantly worrying about where we could find wood. Two years ago, Anasthasie traded her cooking fire for an Inyenyeri stove, a red cylinder holding a chamber to burn pellets that sits on her dirt floor. She no longer spends her day worrying about wood. She and the children have been relieved of their constant coughing. She can put beans on to simmer and walk away and do something else. I dont have to waste time waiting for food, she says. In Reynolds telling, his career in business was born of a simple desire to sleep comfortably. It was the early 1970s, and he was 21 years old, officially studying climatology at UC Santa Cruz, yet spending most of his time scaling the granite walls of the Yosemite Valley. He and his climbing partner were unhappy with their bulky sleeping bags. They began sewing their own. As word spread that their bags were lightweight and warm, demand soared. Reynolds left school to pursue Marmot full time. Revenues multiplied, but Reynolds was restless. As a kid in Davis, where his father taught microbiology at UC, he had been reared on the works of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. He carried a sense that he was supposed to be addressing injustice. At the end of the day, he says, all we really did was keep yuppies warm and dry. He left Marmot in 1987, passing the years scaling peaks from the Andes to the Himalayas while based in Boulder, Colo. He took over a startup that sold water-purifying pumps for backpackers. He worked as a consultant. Then, in the summer of 2003, he conceived what was supposed to be his ultimate creation, a business engineered to achieve social-minded goals. The company, Nau, designed and sold outdoor gear made from environmentally sustainable fabric. It sent 5 percent of its revenue to activist organizations. It raised $35 million in less than two years. Barely a year in, Reynolds was pushed out in a power struggle. He descended into depression. An old friend was helping design a memorial to victims of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. She invited Reynolds to help. He flew into the capital, Kigali, in March 2007, and drove seven hours over horrendous dirt roads to the village that held the memorial. The country he traversed was raw and broken. Thirteen years had passed since the wave of murder that had killed perhaps 800,000 people in 100 days, yet Rwanda was still seething with grief and distrust. The infant mortality rate was one of the highest on earth. Life expectancy was less than 60 years. The typical Rwandan had an income of $206 per year. As Reynolds visited villagers, he was struck by the impossibility of their daily existence. Clean drinking water was nonexistent. So were electricity and toilets. People spent hours fetching water and looking for wood. Every time I went inside, I became more and more intrigued, he says. How are these people surviving? Signs of the charcoal industry were inescapable. Fires wafted up from supposedly protected national forests. Steep, verdant hills once covered in rain forest were denuded and exposed to the elements. Rivers were choked with brown silt, the soil and nutrients stripped off the land by pounding rains. All this, to produce fuel that was quietly killing hundreds of thousands of people across Africa. There is nothing in the house that causes as much suffering as cooking, Reynolds says. Its dirty. Its smoky. Momma is there with the baby on her back, and both are coughing. Its ruinously expensive. I could see the trees disappearing and the mudslides forming. I could see that this was a time bomb. After three weeks in Rwanda, he returned to Boulder and tore into books and academic reports on cooking practices and stove technology. Philanthropic efforts were focused on distributing cleaner-burning stoves. For-profit ventures were developing models for sale. But all of these undertakings were bedeviled by the same problem. The high-tech stoves that limited toxic smoke were as much as $150 each preposterously expensive for African villagers, many of whom lived on less than 50 cents a day. The cheaper models were useless. He settled on a Dutch-made stove that reduces wood down to clean-burning gases. Using pellets reduced the need for wood by 90 percent compared with charcoal. But those stoves cost more than $75. Then came the epiphany: Inyenyeri could supply the stoves for free while collecting revenue from subscriptions for pellets. Rwanda was urbanizing rapidly, and city dwellers rely on charcoal. They would be eager to switch to pellets, which were 30 to 50 percent cheaper. If you sell fuel every day rather than selling a stove every two years, Reynolds says, thats a business. Customers in rural areas could not afford to buy pellets, but Inyenyeri could serve them with a barter system. People could gather sticks, although less than they needed for cooking, and exchange them for pellets. Inyenyeri would use the sticks to make more pellets. In this way, Inyenyeri would effectively become a utility providing clean cooking fuel. It would construct a network of factories to produce pellets. The bigger the business grew, the cheaper the cost of making them. As charcoal rose in price a trend propelled by growing numbers of people flocking to cities and needing the product the more appealing pellets would look. That development was getting a push from African governments intent on reducing the use of charcoal. Across the continent, charcoal is a $40 billion-a-year industry, one dominated by criminal gangs that pilfer public forests and employ child labor. Rwandas government has vowed to phase out its use. To be able to sell something that is essential to life, and where the government is actively trying to kill your competition, Reynolds says, is the kind of investment that venture capitalists hunger for. Inyenyeri would start in Rwanda, where the government has gained credibility with international aid organizations for its success in reducing poverty. It could use success there as a springboard for expansion across Africa. The business model would get more attractive as the cost of charcoal climbed, and as innovation inevitably made stoves more efficient. Inyenyeri would also stand to collect revenue from an arrangement it later entered into with the World Bank to sell credits for reducing emissions. In 2010, Reynolds sold his house in Boulder and went all in on Inyenyeri. He unloaded his wine cellar, liquidated his retirement accounts and moved to Rwanda with no plan to leave. Today, Inyenyeri has distribution offices in cities and villages in Rwanda, including one inside a camp for refugees from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. It runs a small-scale pellet plant in Gisenyi, a city on Lake Kivu, and is developing a bigger factory. Company representatives go home with new customers to help them cook their first meal using their new stoves. Inyenyeri delivers pellets for free using bicycle messengers and is close to rolling out a system that will allow customers to place orders using a smartphone. The company has engineered its own customer management software to track purchases of pellets, customer cooking habits and a host of other data, updated in real time by people in the field using a mobile app. The data has attracted research institutions including the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Carolina. They have undertaken studies probing how clean cooking technology affects public health, and how families freed from gathering wood use their extra time. But one crucial element is still missing scale. In every company projection, a steep increase in customer numbers is required for the business to become profitable. Inyenyeri needs to persuade investors to deliver the cash to buy hundreds of thousands of stoves and erect new pellet plants. But Reynolds nurses fears. Once Inyenyeri demonstrates the potential in the clean cooking fuel industry, he says, greedy competitors are likely to emerge. They could pick off the wealthiest urban customers while abandoning the rural poor. They could buy wood from unsavory sources. I worry we could create a monster, he says. Youre going to see us make a lot of money, and others are going to flock to this to make even more money by not being scrupulous. But if the virtues of the business model have yet to be demonstrated, the demand for Inyenyeris product appears overwhelming. Everywhere the company expands, word-of-mouth swiftly exhausts the supply of stoves. Customers speak of emancipation from smoke, and of less need to haul jerrycans of water to their homes from taps 20 or 30 minutes away by foot, because their pots are no longer covered in soot and need less washing. This business model will happen, he says. If its not Inyenyeri thats the first mover, then it will be someone else who learns from our mistakes and does it better. Its too big of an opportunity. Peter S. Goodman is a New York Times writer. We may remember 2018 as the year when technologys dystopian potential became clear, from Facebooks role enabling the harvesting of our personal data for election interference to a seemingly unending series of revelations about the dark side of Silicon Valleys connect-everything ethos. The list is long: High-tech tools for immigration crackdowns. Fears of smartphone addiction. YouTube algorithms that steer youths into extremism. An experiment in gene-edited babies. Doorbells and concert venues that can pinpoint individual faces and alert police. Repurposing genealogy websites to hunt for crime suspects based on a relatives DNA. Automated systems that keep tabs of workers movements and habits. Electric cars in Shanghai transmitting their every movement to the government. Its been enough to exhaust even the most imaginative sci-fi visionaries. It doesnt so much feel like were living in the future now, as that were living in a retro-future, novelist William Gibson tweeted. A dark, goofy 90s retro-future. More awaits us in 2019, as surveillance and data-collection efforts increase and artificial intelligence systems start sounding more human, reading facial expressions and generating fake video images so realistic that it will be harder to detect malicious distortions of the truth. But there are also countermeasures afoot in Congress and state government and even among tech-firm employees who are more active about ensuring their work is put to positive ends. Something that was heartening this year was that accompanying this parade of scandals was a growing public awareness that theres an accountability crisis in tech, said Meredith Whittaker, a co-founder of New York Universitys AI Now Institute for studying the social implications of artificial intelligence. The group has compiled a long list of what made 2018 so ominous, though many are examples of the public simply becoming newly aware of problems that have built up for years. Among the most troubling cases was the revelation in March that political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica swept up personal information of millions of Facebook users for the purpose of manipulating national elections. It really helped wake up people to the fact that these systems are actually touching the core of our lives and shaping our social institutions, Whittaker said. That was on top of other Facebook disasters, including its role in fomenting violence in Myanmar, major data breaches and ongoing concerns about its hosting of fake accounts for Russian propaganda. It wasnt just Facebook. Google attracted concern about its continuous surveillance of users after the Associated Press reported that it was tracking peoples movements whether they like it or not. It also faced internal dissent over its collaboration with the U.S. military to create drones with computer vision to help find battlefield targets and a secret proposal to launch a censored search engine in China. And it unveiled a remarkably human-like voice assistant that sounds so real that people on the other end of the phone didnt know they were talking to a computer. Those and other concerns bubbled up in December as lawmakers grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a congressional hearing a sequel to similar public reckonings this year with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other tech executives. It was necessary to convene this hearing because of the widening gap of distrust between technology companies and the American people, Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said. Internet pioneer Vint Cerf said he and other engineers never imagined their vision of a worldwide network of connected computers would morph 45 years later into a surveillance system that collects personal information or a propaganda machine that could sway elections. We were just trying to get it to work, recalled Cerf, who is now Googles chief internet evangelist. But now that its in the hands of the general public, there are people who ... want it to work in a way that obviously does harm, or benefits themselves, or disrupts the political system. So we are going to have to deal with that. Contrary to futuristic fears of super-intelligent robots taking control, the real dangers of our tech era have crept in more prosaically often in the form of tech innovations we welcomed for making life more convenient. Part of experts concern about the leap into connecting every home device to the internet and letting computers do our work is that the technology is still buggy and influenced by human errors and prejudices. Uber and Tesla were investigated for fatal self-driving car crashes in March, IBM came under scrutiny for working with New York City police to build a facial recognition system that can detect ethnicity, and Amazon took heat for supplying its own flawed facial recognition service to law enforcement agencies. In some cases, opposition to the tech industrys rush to apply its newest innovations to questionable commercial uses has come from its own employees. Google workers helped scuttle the companys Pentagon drone contract, and workers at Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce sought to cancel their companies contracts to supply tech services to immigration authorities. It became obvious to a lot of people that the rhetoric of doing good and benefiting society and Dont be evil was not what these companies were actually living up to, said Whittaker, who is also a research scientist at Google who founded its Open Research group. At the same time, even some titans of technology have been sounding alarms. Prominent engineers and designers have increasingly spoken out about shielding children from the habit-forming tech products they helped create. And then theres Microsoft President Brad Smith, who in December called for regulating facial recognition technology so that the year 2024 doesnt look like a page from George Orwells 1984. In a blog post and a Washington speech, Smith painted a bleak vision of all-seeing government surveillance systems forcing dissidents to hide in darkened rooms to tap in code with hand signals on each others arms. To avoid such an Orwellian scenario, Smith advocates regulating technology so that anyone about to subject themselves to surveillance is properly notified. But privacy advocates argue thats not enough. Such debates are already happening in states like Illinois, where a strict facial recognition law has faced tech industry challenges, and California, which in 2018 passed the nations most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data. It takes effect in 2020. The issue could find new attention in Congress next year as more Republicans warm up to the idea of basic online privacy regulations and the incoming Democratic House majority takes a more skeptical approach to tech firms that many liberal politicians once viewed as allies and prolific campaign donors. The leave them alone approach of the early internet era wont work anymore, said Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat poised to take the helm of the Houses antitrust subcommittee. Were seeing now some of the consequences of the abuses that can occur in these platforms if they remain unregulated without meaningful oversight or enforcement, Cicilline said. Too much regulation may bring its own undesirable side effects, Cerf warned. Its funny in a way because this online environment was supposed to remove friction from our ability to transact, he said. If in our desire, if not zeal, to protect peoples privacy we throw sand in the gears of everything, we may end up with a very secure system that doesnt work very well. Matt OBrien is an Associated Press writer. Tesla added Larry Ellison, executive chairman and founder of the software giant Oracle, and a senior executive at Walgreens Boots Alliance to its board of directors, fulfilling a key provision of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The board added Ellison, who bought 3 million shares of Tesla stock this year, and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, who is in charge of human resources at Walgreens Boots Alliance, as independent directors Thursday, the company said in a securities filing Friday. In September, the SEC required Tesla to add two independent board members and an independent chairman to settle a securities fraud lawsuit the commission brought against the company and CEO Elon Musk. Securities regulators brought the case after Musk said that he had secured funding for a private buyout of the company in August, when in fact he had not. In November, Tesla named Robyn Denholm chairwoman after Musk stepped down from that role, another requirement of the settlement. Denholm was chief financial officer of Telstra, the dominant telecommunications company in Australia. Ellison founded Oracle in 1977 and became one of the wealthiest people in the world as the company expanded during the technology booms of the 1990s. In October, Ellison defended Musk, whom he called a very close friend, at an Oracle corporate meeting with financial analysts. Wilson-Thompson spent 17 years in human resources at Kellogg before joining Walgreens Boots Alliance in 2010. With Wilson-Thompsons arrival, Teslas board now includes three women. In addition to Denholm, the companys board includes Linda Johnson Rice, chairman and chief executive of Johnson Publishing Co. The companys board includes several people who have close personal and professional ties to Musk, including his brother, Kimbal; Brad Buss, who served as chief financial officer of SolarCity, the solar-panel maker run by Musks cousin that Tesla acquired in 2016; Ira Ehrenpreis, an investor in SpaceX, Musks rocket company; and Antonio Gracias and Steve Jurvetson, who are both directors of SpaceX. The SEC is still examining Teslas claims about production goals. Since the settlement Musk has continued to spar with the agency, calling it the Shortseller Enrichment Commission on Twitter, and saying in a recent interview on 60 Minutes that he does not respect the SEC. Neal E. Boudette is a New York Times writer. TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa 2018 was a year full of wonderful, scary, frustrating and unusual travel stories. We've been stunned by fare deals to Hawaii, frightened by near misses at SFO, amazed seeing more travelers dragged off planes, and much more. 2018 was also the first full year of TravelSkills on SFGate :) Our new platform and distribution have helped us inform and assist millions of travelers in California and across the country on other Hearst news sites such as the Houston Chronicle, the Seattle Post Intelligencer, the San Antonio Express news and of course, the San Francisco Chronicle. Thanks for reading! If you have not already done so, be sure to sign up for our free bi-weekly travel news email updates. Let's take a look at our ten most-read posts in the last year- you can see them below, or via the slideshow at the top of this post. 1. Dramatic new video of Air Canada near miss at SFO Air Canada flight 759 was carrying 135 passengers when it nearly crashed into 4 jets while attempting to land at SFO. This post includes a video of the incident and statements from SFO on their new safety improvements. 2. American woman dragged off SFO-bound flight from Seoul [VIDEO] An American passenger refused to leave business class and return to her assigned economy seat, so Korean Air removed her from the flight. 3. Hawaiian Airlines abruptly cancels hundreds of flights Delayed delivery of new A321neo aircraft caused Hawaiian Airlines to cancel hundreds of summer flights, including two new non-stop services from Oakland. 4. United pays passenger $10,000 to get off plane Allison Preiss was unable to board her oversold United flight since she was the lowest fare passenger and got a $10,000 voucher out of it. Check out her tweets about the incident and our Q&A with her in this post. 5. California Driver's License: A new look and procedure Californians got new options and a new look for their ID cards in 2018. The new REAL ID compliant driver's licenses and ID cards are ideal for travelers since standard ID cards will not be accepted at airport security after October 2020. 6. Where pilots and flight attendants sleep on long flights [PHOTOS] Take a peek at the crew rest areas on United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and more. 7. United's "gate wait" situation at SFO riles flyers TravelSkills readers were tired of waiting for a gate when landing at SFO, so we asked SFO and United Airlines about it and they gave some insight on the issue. 8. Deal! Fare war to Hawaii erupts Roundtrip fares to Hawaii dropped to just $197 on Alaska Airlines in August. This was the lowest rate offered during the fare war with competing fares from United, Delta, and Hawaiian Airlines 9. Southwest Airlines flights to Hawaii: An update on what we know so far Details of Southwest's new Hawaii service including info on routes, aircraft, and on-board food. 10. Routes: Alaska, United drop Bay Area routes; AA, Delta to Europe; China routes ending, more Alaska and United trimmed down their Bay Area routes in August while other airlines started planning their 2019 transatlantic schedules. What were the most important or interesting travel stories to you in the last year? How did we help inform or assist you in getting a great travel deal, a comfortable seat or fast passage through the airport? Let us know in the comments! Thanks and happy New Year! Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. An inmate who escaped from San Quentin State Prison was arrested Saturday afternoon at a Taco Bell in Paso Robles, authorities said. Shalom Mendoza, 21, was taken into custody about 1 p.m. after a person saw him at the fast food restaurant and called corrections officials, said Sgt. Justin Graham, a spokesman for San Rafael police. He had been spotted Friday afternoon in San Miguel (San Luis Obispo County), buying clothes at a Dollar Store. Authorities said Mendoza had ditched his getaway car near Paso Robles and may have been headed for Los Angeles. He was taken to Salinas Valley State Prison. Corrections officials said his case will be presented to the Marin County district attorneys office for consideration of escape and carjacking charges. Mendoza slipped out of the prison sometime before 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, then went to a nearby home depot and stole a Toyota RAV4 from a female driver, according to a statement from the San Rafael Police Department. He was assigned to work outside the secured perimeter of the prison, as many inmates are, and he took advantage of an opportunity to leave, said prison officials in a statement. During the carjacking, Mendoza held what appeared to be a weapon under his T-shirt and threatened to shoot the victim if she did not hand over her car keys, according to police. Mendoza let the woman take her small dog before he fled in the vehicle. The victim was not physically harmed. Roughly 15 minutes after officials believe Mendoza swiped the RAV4, surveillance footage shows the sport utility vehicle passing through the Bay Bridge toll plaza toward San Francisco, according to the San Rafael Police Department. Mendoza had been serving a five-year sentence for use of a weapon during a carjacking/attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly. California Highway Patrol officers found the stolen RAV4 abandoned off the southbound shoulder of Highway 101 just north of Paso Robles around 5 p.m. Friday, police said. It was towed to the CHP Monterey office for processing. Authorities today apprehended Shalom Mendoza, who walked away from #SanQuentin prison on Dec. 26. Read more...https://t.co/bMtwVqnoNv pic.twitter.com/PdoFG7bzcN CA Corrections (@CACorrections) December 29, 2018 Corrections officials did not immediately release additional information on the hours and days leading up to Mendozas arrest, but said that as part of our ongoing investigation into this incident we will be gathering additional information. Officials were still searching Saturday for 27-year-old Justin Franks, a minimum-security inmate who escaped from Folsom State Prison north of Sacramento a week earlier. He was serving a sentence for a San Bernardino County burglary. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor Coloradans are getting closer to sinking their teeth into an In-N-Out burger. The Gazette reports that the beloved California chain will open its first Colorado outpost in Colorado Springs by late 2020. A patty production plant and a distribution center will begin construction spring 2020 and anticipated to operate that summer. ALSO: In-N-Out wants to remain 'unique' in the West "It is great to be able to report progress being made, although we are still likely two years away or so from serving our first double-double in Colorado," Carl Arena, the restaurant chains vice president of real estate and development, told the Gazette. "We are very much looking forward to that day, and we appreciate our customers in Colorado that have shared their anticipation with us as well." In-N-Out first announced plans to expand to Colorado in 2017 but hadnt announced when they anticipated the opening. As the restaurant continues to expand, its not yet clear how many In-N-Out restaurants Colorado will get but Arena hinted that more may come. "We do know that growth will be deliberate and controlled," Arena said to the paper. "That has always been part of our strategy here at In-N-Out Burger." -- Follow Susana Guerrero on Twitter and email her at sguerrero@sfchronicle.com Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. While honeymooning in San Francisco this fall, Steve Peterson and his wife saw the requisite sights. They snapped photos in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, gazed into prisoners' cells on Alcatraz and schlepped all the way up Bernal Heights for a panoramic view of the city. But Peterson's path diverged from the standard tourist's. When the sightseeing was done and over with, he sought out scenes of a different kind: film locations, from the Palace of Fine Arts to obscure street corners off-the-well-trod touristy path. In all, Peterson visited 109 locations. He took photos of the scenes, where everything from "Ant-Man and the Wasp" to "Vertigo" was filmed, and will eventually match them with corresponding stills from the movies. He posts the composite images on his popular Instagram page. At the War Memorial Opera House, Peterson recreated a still from the 1996 classic thriller "The Rock." A few blocks away, at San Francisco City Hall, he captured a nearly identical image to a scene from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," only his photo has no Donald Sutherland and more leaves on the English sycamores. "I've always been a huge movie nerd," said Peterson, a 37-year-old accountant from South Florida. After film school and a brief stint at a small production company, he decided making movies wasn't for him (hence the accounting degree), but he never lost his passion for the moving image. It all started in 2001, on a road trip to New York with his dad and sister. Peterson tagged along under one condition: the trio stop at Quick Stop in New Jersey, the stand-in for RST Video in Kevin Smith's cult classic "Clerks." Visiting a place he first viewed on the silver screen left an impression on Peterson. He has since recreated 863 film still comparisons. In that time, he has been chased by two men at the cemetery used in "Nightmare on Elm Street," nearly been hit by three cars on Chicago's LaSalle Street while trying to snap the famous location of the Joker-Batman fight, and basked in the suburban aura of Marty McFly's childhood home. He finds the scenes by combing the web there's a subset of the internet devoted to identifying film locations in the real world or carefully viewing movies for "clues," like storefronts, street signs and unusual angles. Chasing film sites like this, Peterson says, "makes for a fun way to explore the world." "There have been a lot of locations we would never have seen were they not in a movie." You can see some snapshots from Peterson's San Francisco trip in the above slideshow, with stills from the movies they reference. To view the rest of Peterson's opus, follow him on Instagram at @hollywood_irl. Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. PASO ROBLES (BCN) A San Quentin inmate who had walked away from the prison on Wednesday and carjacked his way to the Central Coast was arrested after he was spotted a fast-food restaurant Saturday afternoon, prison officials said. Shalom Mendoza, 21, was taken into custody about 12:30 p.m. at a Taco Bell in Paso Robles, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Someone saw Mendoza at the restaurant and called authorities. The escapee was the subject of a manhunt, and his photo had been posted on several sites. Mendoza had been assigned to work outside the secured perimeter at San Quentin and apparently walked away from the facility around 9:35 p.m. Wednesday. He was discovered missing during an institutional check, prison officials said. Mendoza then carjacked a woman at a Home Depot parking lot in San Rafael and fled in a Toyota RAV4, police said. Mendoza had been spotted Friday in San Miguel after he apparently ditched the carjacked getaway vehicle along Highway 101, just north of Paso Robles, Lt. Samuel Robinson said. He was seen at a Dollar Store in San Miguel, where he purchased dark clothing to replace his prison garb. Mendoza was sentenced to five years in prison for using a deadly weapon during a carjacking/attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade peace officers while driving recklessly in Los Angeles County in December 2017. He arrived at San Quentin on April 28. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN QUENTIN (BCN) An inmate who walked away from San Quentin State Prison on Wednesday was spotted Friday in San Miguel on the Central Coast after apparently ditching a carjacked getaway vehicle, prison officials said. Investigators believe Shalom Mendoza is now heading south towards the Los Angeles area, Lt. Samuel Robinson said. Mendoza, 21, was seen at a Dollar Store in San Miguel about 4:20 p.m. Friday. He purchased dark clothing and is no longer wearing his prison uniform, Robinson said. Mendoza, assigned to work outside the secured perimeter of San Quentin, apparently walked away from the facility around 9:35 p.m. Wednesday. He was discovered missing during an institutional check, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said. Officials believe Mendoza then carjacked someone in a Home Depot parking lot in San Rafael and fled in a Toyota RAV4, California license plate number 6STZ502. San Rafael police said today that surveillance video shows the stolen RAV4 passing through the Interstate Highway 80 Bay Bridge Toll Plaza, about 15 minutes after the carjacking. On Friday, a vehicle matching that description was found abandoned on the shoulder of southbound U.S. Highway 101, just north of Paso Robles on Friday, officials said. Mendoza was sentenced to five years in prison for using a deadly weapon during a carjacking/attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade peace officers while driving recklessly in Los Angeles County in December 2017. He arrived at San Quentin on April 28. He is described as 5-feet 5 inches tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and weighs 177 pounds. Mendoza is considered dangerous and anyone with sees him is asked to call 911. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call Special Agent Eric Lauren at (559) 351-3979. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A man who allegedly shot and killed a police officer in Central California Wednesday and prompted a search alert in Santa Clara County was arrested early this morning near Bakersfield, Kern County sheriff's officials announced. Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh was killed during a traffic stop at Merced Street and Eucalyptus Avenue in the city of Newman, according to Stanislaus County sheriff's officials. Singh was a 33-year-old Fiji native and had been with the Newman Police Department since 2011. Sheriff's officials said he initiated the traffic stop for suspected drunk driving at 12:57 a.m. and reported "shots fired" over the radio moments later. He was found at the scene with gunshot wounds and died at a hospital. The suspect, since identified as 32-year-old Gustavo Perez Arriaga, fled the area and law enforcement didn't know where he went. The California Highway Patrol issued a "blue alert" in five counties, including Santa Clara, and law enforcement began a statewide effort to locate Arriaga. Police in Martinez are investigating a vehicle crash that left one person dead Thursday night. Officers with the Martinez Police Department responded Thursday at 10 p.m. to the 800 block of Howe Road on a report of a vehicle crash. Responding officers located a 37-year-old man trapped in a passenger car that had crashed into a parked commercial vehicle, police said. The man was unresponsive and had to be removed from the vehicle by emergency crews. He was then transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Police said it appears the man was the only occupant of the car at the time of the collision, and there were no other victims located. Police have not released the identity of the man. New Year's Eve and the weekend leading up to it are expected to be chilly, according to the National Weather Service. The East and South Bays will see lows in the 30s Saturday morning, and North Bay temperatures are also expected to be around freezing. Temperatures should rise slightly for New Year's Eve, but not by much. "If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, temperatures will likely be in the low to mid 40s," meteorologist Cynthia Palmer said. Winds are expected to pick up Sunday night and Monday, and then die down again. New Year's Day highs will be in the upper 50s. No precipitation is expected, and dry weather should last until at least next weekend. Jan Null, a meteorologist with the Golden Gate Weather Service, said a streak of dry weather doesn't mean the area is in drought. A weeks-long dry spell during the rainfall season is normal for the Bay Area, Null said. Police are investigating a fight between a man and a teen at a Treasure Island home Thursday afternoon that ended with the man being stabbed. According to police, officers responded around 3:55 p.m. to a home in the 1400 block of Gateview Avenue. At the scene officers learned that a 16-year-old boy allegedly tried to enter the home of the victim, a 46-year-old. A fight between the two then ensued and the boy, armed with a knife, stabbed the man, police said. The boy apparently fled the scene and officers were unable to apprehend him. The victim was taken to a hospital with stab wounds not considered life-threatening, according to police. A 48-year-old woman was arraigned today on an attempted murder charge for allegedly stabbing her ex-boyfriend during a domestic violence incident in Oakland in August. Kimberly Clark had been at large since the stabbing at an apartment in the 300 block of Euclid Avenue in the Adams Point neighborhood near Interstate Highway 580 and Lake Merritt on Aug. 6 but she was finally arrested on Wednesday, according to court documents. In addition to attempted murder, Clark is charged with an enhancement that she used a knife and inflicted great bodily injury on her ex-boyfriend under circumstances involving domestic violence. Oakland police Officer Brian Kline wrote in a probable cause statement that Clark stabbed her ex-boyfriend, causing lacerations to his neck, right shoulder, chest, right forearm and right thigh. Clark's ex-boyfriend, who said he wanted to press charges against her, also had surgery on his right index finger, according to Kline. A suspected burglar was caught in the act this morning after he triggered an alarm at a Petaluma hardware store, according to police. Petaluma police officers were called to an alarm at M. Maselli & Sons on Lakeville Street around 5:45 a.m. When officers arrived they saw a man, later identified as 50-year-old Jeffrey Turner, running from a garage on the property. Turner was arrested. Officers learned he climbed a fence to get onto the property and then stole a tow strap. "Turner then entered a garage used for storing equipment," police said in a news release. "Turner admitted to entering the garage in search of items to steal." Turner was on probation for vehicle theft when he was arrested this morning. He was charged with burglary and violation of probation and was booked into the Sonoma County Jail. An ice cream company founded in San Francisco's Mission District is celebrating its 10th birthday today, company officials said. The celebration will take place from noon to midnight at the original San Francisco shop at 2790A Harrison St. Customers can get free scoops of ice cream at the store to celebrate the company's success. 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. BERKELEY (BCN) A San Leandro man was arrested after a police officer on patrol in South Berkeley found a gun and a club in his car during a DUI traffic stop, police said. At about 11 p.m. on Dec. 22, the officer noticed a vehicle near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Stanford Avenue speeding through the area, according to police. The officer eventually caught up with the vehicle at Stanford Avenue and Vallejo Street, which is nearby in Emeryville, and stopped it, police said. When the officer contacted the driver, the officer noticed the smell of both alcohol and marijuana coming from inside the car, according to police. When the officer searched the vehicle, he found open bottles of alcohol, a quantity of marijuana, a handgun, ammunition and a blackjack club, police said. The suspect, Jason Andre Clardy, 42, was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed and loaded firearm and possession of a blackjack, according to police. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged Clardy with misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed firearm in a car and carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle and he remains in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $10,000 bail. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A man who allegedly shot and killed a police officer in Central California Wednesday and prompted a search alert in Santa Clara County was arrested early this morning near Bakersfield, Kern County sheriff's officials announced. Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh was killed during a traffic stop at Merced Street and Eucalyptus Avenue in the city of Newman, according to Stanislaus County sheriff's officials. Singh was a 33-year-old Fiji native and had been with the Newman Police Department since 2011. Sheriff's officials said he initiated the traffic stop for suspected drunk driving at 12:57 a.m. and reported "shots fired" over the radio moments later. He was found at the scene with gunshot wounds and died at a hospital. The suspect, since identified as 32-year-old Gustavo Perez Arriaga, fled the area and law enforcement didn't know where he went. The California Highway Patrol issued a "blue alert" in five counties, including Santa Clara, and law enforcement began a statewide effort to locate Arriaga. "We have spared no expense, we will relentlessly continue to hunt our suspect down and bring him to justice," Sheriff Adam Christianson of Stanislaus County said on Thursday. At about 4 p.m. that day, Christianson contacted Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood to notify him the suspect was believed to be between Modesto and Bakersfield, headed toward Mexico. Deputies in Kern County began surveilling Arriaga and located him at a home in the 8200 block of Brooks Road near the unincorporated town of Lamont early this morning. After officers served a warrant and a SWAT team arrived, Arriaga emerged from the house with his hands in the air and surrendered himself to deputies, Youngblood said at a news conference in Kern County today. Three other Bakersfield residents at the house were arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting: Bernabe Madrigal Castaneda, 59, Erasmo Villegas, 36, Maria Luisa Moreno, 57. Two other men, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen and 27-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz were arrested Thursday on suspicion of being accessories to a felony and more arrests may be made. According to Newman police, Arriaga was residing in the United States illegally. Youngblood said Arriaga's status still needs to be confirmed, and the loss of a police officer's life is the priority in this case. "His immigration status is secondary, however it's extremely important that we get there and confirm whether the person had a right to be in this country or not," Youngblood said. President Donald Trump leveraged the killing to promote his border wall plan on Thursday, tweeting, "There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!" Youngblood emphasized his opposition to sanctuary county laws that limit deputies from sharing information with federal authorities and said law enforcement in California have an extremely good network of communication. "When you use a firearm against a police officer, you can run but you can't hide," Youngblood said. "When you attack someone who's doing an honorable profession, no stone goes unturned." The Stanislaus County sheriff's office has created an official donation page at https://bit.ly/2LDVO6z to raise money for Singh's family. Singh had been on track to lead the Police Department one day, Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said, and was a proud officer who did everything he could to improve at his job. "He was a police officer, but more importantly he was a human being, and that's how he would want to be remembered," Richardson said. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, joined law enforcement officials this afternoon in San Francisco to tell residents of a new state law going into effect next week for people convicted of driving drunk. Senate Bill 1046, authored by Hill, requires that repeat DUI offenders and first-time offenders involved in injury crashes install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. Also known as an IID, the device calls for the driver to blow into a tube, which measures their blood alcohol concentration. If the would-be driver's breath is above a preset level, the device prevents the vehicle from starting. The new law, which is an expansion of a pilot program implemented in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tulare counties between 2010 and 2015, goes into effect statewide on Jan. 1, 2019. "Driving under the influence kills more than one thousand people every year and injures over 20,000," Hill said. "Senate Bill 1046 mandates ignition interlock devices for all repeat DUI offenders and if first offenders want to continue to drive... after they get arrested with a DUI, rather than get a suspended license they can drive as long as they install an ignition interlock device. "This is about saving lives. It's about trying to prevent those from getting behind the wheel," Hill said. According to Hill, DMV data show that DUI drivers with IIDs in California are 73 percent less likely to be convicted of a subsequent DUI or an accident compared with convicted DUI drivers with no device. Over the last 30 years, more than 50,000 people have been killed and more than 1 million have been injured due to drunk driving in California, according to Hill's office. San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the new law's launch coincides with increased efforts by the Police Department to prevent drunk driving as New Year's Eve approaches. Scott added that the California Office of Traffic Safety has awarded the Police Department a $237,000 grant for increased public safety and enforcement efforts. "Staying safe is simple: designate a driver when going to functions where there will be drinking. Please make use of public transportation; public transit, Muni, BART or rideshare services will help. We don't want you to start the New Year in custody, or even worse in the hospital or at our medical examiner's office," he said. According to California Highway Patrol Capt. Aristotle Wolfe, this year the CHP has seen an increase in statewide drunk driving arrests, up by 20 percent from last year. During the Christmas holiday last week, Wolfe said 230 people were arrested in the Bay Area for drunk driving. That number is a roughly 50 percent increase from last year, he said. Wolfe said drivers on New Year's Eve should expect more law enforcement out in the community and the possibility of DUI checkpoints. 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. LODI (BCN) Funeral services for a 2-year-old boy, whose Yemeni mother sued the Trump administration to allow her to visit the child before he died, will be held this afternoon in Lodi. The boy, Abdullah Hassan, was on life support at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital with a terminal brain condition. The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced his death Friday night. "We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives," said his father, Ali Hassan. "We want to thank everyone for your love and support at this difficult time. We ask you to kindly keep Abdullah and our family in your thoughts and prayers." His mother from Yemen, Shaima Swileh, arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 19 after obtaining a waiver from a ban that prevents citizens of mostly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. Swileh is not a U.S. citizen, but Abdullah and his father are U.S. citizens who live in Stockton. The couple had brought the boy to the U.S. to get medical care for his degenerative brain condition. A delay in processing a waiver for Swileh, so she could visit her son before he died, drew criticism, and CAIR and a law firm filed an emergency lawsuit. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. at the California Islamic Center, 12882 Lower Sacramento Road in Lodi. Burial will be at the California Islamic Cemetery, 14273 Beckman Road in Lodi CAIR-California and the Yemeni Alliance Committee have created a crowdfunding campaign on LaunchGood for the public to help the family: launchgood.com/forabdullah. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Santa Clara County prosecutors this week filed a $67 million lawsuit against a Watsonville mushroom grower, accusing it of dumping toxic wastewater into Bay Area waterways. A California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation found Monterey Mushrooms Inc. had intentionally dumped up to 700,000 gallons of wastewater at its Morgan Hill facility in a 48-hour period between Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, 2017, prosecutors said. The waste went into overflow pipes, culverts and hoses that flowed into Fisher Creek, which leads to Coyote Creek and the San Francisco Bay. On other occasions, water samples allegedly had as much as 90 milligrams per liter of ammonia nitrogen, with 17 milligrams per liter defined as "acute toxicity" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Businesses should never make illegal and dangerous trade-offs between pollution and profit," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. "We will vigilantly protect the health of our county's waterways." Monterey Mushroom Inc. said on Thursday it was "shocked and disappointed" by the lawsuit, adding that the storm water release was a result of "catastrophic" winter storms in late 2016 and early 2017. Rain flooded Coyote Creek and inundated the Morgan Hill mushroom facility, the company said, pushing the location to invest in millions of dollars of extra storm water storage and separation technology. "Monterey Mushrooms has a long history being a responsible member of the community and is committed to the highest standards of environmental compliance," company officials said. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. MOSCOW Top Russian and Turkish ministers agreed during a meeting in Moscow on Saturday to maintain cooperation in northern Syria as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw and Turkey threatens to launch a military operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces controlling nearly a third of the country. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said before the talks began that they would focus on the situation in and around Idlib, as well as what can and should be done when the U.S. withdraws from Syria. After the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that much of the discussion focused on the pending U.S. withdrawal, and that Russia and Turkey managed to agree on coordinating their steps in Syria to ultimately eradicate the terrorist threat. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Russia and Turkey have a shared will on cleaning Syria from all terror organizations, and added Turkey would continue its close cooperation with Russia and Iran in Syria and the region. The Syrian military said it entered the Kurdish stronghold of Manbij on Friday as part of an apparent agreement between the two sides. The Kurds are looking for new allies to protect against a threatened Turkish offensive as U.S. forces prepare to leave. With President Trumps surprise decision to withdraw troops earlier this month, Turkey announced it will hold off on a threatened offensive against Kurdish militants that it considers terrorists. It has, however, continued massing troops at the border as it monitors the situation. The movements follow days of equipment transfers across the border into a Turkish-held area of northern Syria near Manbij. Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters said they have started moving along with Turkish troops to front-line positions near the town as a show of readiness. A statement released by the rebels said they are ready to begin military operations to liberate the city in response to calls by our people in the city of Manbij. Turkish news agency IHA showed video of at least 50 tanks arriving at a command post in Sanliurfa province early Saturday. The province borders Kurdish-held areas east of the Euphrates river in Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Saturday that, in addition to the foreign and defense ministers of Turkey and Russia, the meeting was attended by intelligence chiefs from both sides. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend the meeting. Peskov said the two would later schedule a separate meeting. Matthew Bodner and Zeynep Bilginsoy are Associated Press writers. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more Page Content Business and technology roles have shown the fastest rate of growth over the last five years, according to U.S. data from global professional networking site LinkedIn. Six of the top 15 fastest-growing jobs, ranked based on job titles added to users' profiles, are related to data science and machine learning, but working with blockchain technology has grown the mostby a factor of 33 since 2014. "It may not shock you that blockchain developer is topping the list following this year's surge in interest around blockchain and cryptocurrency," said Guy Berger, LinkedIn's chief economist. Over the past 12 months, total job openings for blockchain skills have grown to over 12,000, representing a growth rate of more than 300 percent, according to job data analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies. LinkedIn data showed that the top industries hiring for blockchain skills are information technology services, computer software and Internet companies. Demand is highest in San Francisco, New York City and Atlanta. "Only time will tell if blockchain will be a long-standing trend in the job market," Berger said. He pointed to the growth of machine learning and data science roles as evidence that those fields are surer to expand. "We are likely to see continued growth in fields and functions related to artificial intelligence [AI]," he said. "Our research shows that skills related to AI are starting to infiltrate every industry, not just tech. Researchers predict that AI will have applications across nearly every industry sector, from manufacturing to financial services and beyond." The top 10 emerging jobs in the United States according to LinkedIn are: Blockchain developer. Machine learning engineer. Application sales executive. Machine learning specialist. Professional medical representative. Relationship consultant (banking). Data science specialist. Assurance staff. Sales development representative. Business support consultant. There are jobs that have had sustained high hiring rates since 2014, making them potentially more-stable career choices. They include software engineer, realtor, recruiter, account manager and marketing specialist. There were over 8,000 job openings for recruiters on LinkedIn in December 2018. [SHRM members-only online discussion platform: SHRM Connect] Seattle Claims the Most Jobs, January the Most Job Searches Based on 2018 data from job site Monster, the healthiest employment markets this past year were in Seattle, New York City, Houston and Atlanta. The most job searches per capita were conducted for Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Orlando and Tampa, Fla. "Atlanta appears on both lists, suggesting it's one city where a large pool of candidates is matched by an equally healthy job market," said Vicki Salemi, a careers expert with Monster based in New York City. "Pittsburgh's top spot could be proof positive of the city's growing status as a tech hub capable of drawing job seekers from far and wide." Monster's top keyword searches of the year"administrative assistant," "part-time," "accounting," "receptionist," "customer service" and "sales"are evidence of the disparity in the types of job seekers browsing the site, compared to the typical LinkedIn user. Trade-oriented industries such as construction and warehousing accounted for the largest share of hiring in 28 states via Monster searches. Sales and marketing took the lead in another 10 states. According to Monster, people tend to job-search most in January and February. The top 10 busiest days for job searches using the site were in the first two months of the year. "It's no surprise that the most job searches occur in January and decrease as the year progresses," Salemi said. "But hiring is a year-round endeavor, and your job search should be too." She added that job seekers should avoid "dated hiring myths," such as that the holidays or summer are slow times for seeking a new opportunity. "Employers want to interview and hire strong candidates regardless of the time of year." U.S. Is the Most Popular Destination for Job Seekers Worldwide The United States attracted the highest percentage of job seekers from other countries in 2018, according to global job search engine Indeed, which operates in 60 countries. Of all the job searches conducted by Indeed users for employment abroad, 41 percent were for opportunities within the United States. That's up 4 percentage points from 2017. "International interest in U.S. jobs remains fairly constant," said Nick Bunker, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab. "Steady interest may reflect the continued strengthening of the U.S. labor market, creating a certain luster for international job seekers." But while the United States remains an attractive destination for international job seekers overall, important differences stand out, depending on from where job seekers are searching. "Job seekers from several Latin American countries have shifted away from the United States [since 2016]," Bunker explained. "Of the top 10 countries with the largest declines in interest to the U.S. since 2016, nine are from Latin America. The timing of the drop is tellingfor example, the downward trend for [job seekers in] Colombia and Mexico started in late 2016 and early 2017, around the time of President Donald Trump's election and inauguration." Interest in the U.S. has increased in Europe. "The share of cross-border searches going to the U.S. has risen in a number of European countries such as Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Denmark and the Czech Republic, indicating that the U.S. continues to be attractive to job seekers from that continent," Bunker said. The second most popular destination for professionals looking for work abroad based on Indeed job searches in 2018 was the United Kingdom (10.5 percent of all such searches) followed by Canada (7.2 percent). Venezuela, devastated by an economic freefall, was the country with the highest percentage of job seekers looking for work abroad, with 70 percent of job seekers using the site for work outside the country. Japan was the most insular in 2018, with only 0.2 percent of all searches conducted on Indeed aimed at opportunities abroad. The latest MLB trade and free agent rumors, news and gossip on stars such as Manny Machado, J.T. Realmuto, David Robertson, Dallas Keuchel and more. Yasmani Grandal turns down big Mets offer The Mets offered star free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal a four-year, $60-million deal, according to the Los Angeles Times Jorge Castillo. But the 30-year-old backstop turned it down. Thats why they went another route, adding Wilson Ramos on a much-less-expensive two-year, $19-million pact. Since Grandal also turned down the $17.9-million qualifying offer from the Dodgers, the Mets would have also lost more in compensation. Many teams talking to Josh Harrison The Yankees are among a handful of clubs keeping tabs on 30-year-old utility man. According to MLB.coms Jon Morosi, the Nationals, Reds, Astros, brewers and Giants each are in the mix for Harrison, who has played a lot of second base, third base and corner outfield. Figure Harrison waits to see who doesnt land Manny Machado. An All-Star in 2014 and 2017, Harrison hit .250 with eight homers, 37 RBI and a .656 OPS in 97 games last year. How many years does Dallas Keuchel want? According to MLB.coms Jon Morosi, the top starter remaining on the free agent market lefty Dallas Keuchel wants a five-year deal. The Phillies want him but they dont want to give him five years, Morosi added. The 30-year-old Keuchel went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in 34 starts last year. Keuchel won a Cy Young in 2015. Another team in the Robertson race The Angels have interest in reliever and former closer David Robertson, according to MLB.coms Jon Morosi. Los Angeles would seem an odd fit for the 33-year-old righty, considering he reportedly wants to remain near his Rhode Island home, meaning teams such as the Red Sox and Yankees would seem to be most in play. But Angels GM Billy Eppler knows Robertson well from Epplers days as one of Cashmans assistant GMs. Padres talking Realmuto San Diego and Miami remain engaged in talks regarding star Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to Morosi. Realmuto would bring some much-needed star power to San Diego. Neither Machado, nor Harper want to play for Philly Bryce Harper and Manny Machado each would pick the Yankees if they could meaning, if New York matched their asking prices and neither of them is particularly thrilled with the idea of playing for Philadelphia, according to the New York Posts Joel Sherman. The thing about that: The Phillies may very well offer the kind of money no other team will match, with their owner this offseason saying they had stupid money to spend. Several teams eye Ottavino Morosi reports that the White Sox, Red Sox and Rockies each are the teams in the running for the services of Adam Ottavino, who was a superb righty out of the bullpen last year for the Rockies. The Yankees are also thought to be a potential landing spot, with his agent meeting with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman during the Winter Meetings. Rays stepping down bat search With Nelson Cruz heading to the Twins, the Rays appear more likely to target complementary bats, according to the New York Posts Joel Sherman. Sherman points out J.T. Realmuto could still be an option, as could Nick Castellanos, but that a Wilmer Flores type is more likely. Cardinals trying to keep Goldschmidt around? The St. Louis Post-Dispatchs Derrick Goold reports that the Cardinals believe they have a good idea of what it would take to sign star first baseman Paul Goldschmit to a long-term extension. St. Louis received Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks, and hes got just a year left on his deal. Goold reported that if the team wanted to give Goldschmidt a five-year extension, they could go as high as $150 million for him. Stroman to the Padres? The Padres are also looking at a trade for Blue Jays left-hander Marcus Stroman, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee, though it's apparently unexpected that they would land him. They also have been discussing Corey Kluber with the Indians. Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook. The In Class education column will be published regularly to highlight area school happenings. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Seventh-grade students at Sacred Heart School, West Brighton, spread the holiday cheer this season. My students decided that they wanted to put what they learned into action right in their own community, said teacher Christine Gullo. For two months, students donated their unused snack money after lunch, while Gullo contacted Jennifer Dominguez, Continuing Medical Education coordinator at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC). Dominguez assigned the students a family -- including six Staten Island children in need. Using the donated money, the class purchased gift items for the six children, and wrapped and labeled them from Santa. The gifts were then delivered to RUMC. As part of our new education column, In Class, we are highlighting some of the activities Staten Island students are engaged in -- both inside and outside the classroom. Heres a look at some additional recent education-related happenings. NEW CLUB AT PS 54 PS 54 recently started a new club called the PS 54 Girl Empowerment Club that talks about influential women from the past and present. Joanna Sciarrillo began the club, which involves mostly fourth- and fifth-graders. The club conducts self-esteem boosting activities to help students feel good about who they are on the inside and outside. As part of our curriculum, I have invited important women throughout the community to come talk to our members, said Sciarrillo. Earlier this month, the club listened to Bridget Lorenzo of Bee Forever Event Planning -- a self-made, college-educated woman who created her own business. LADDERS FOR LEADERS Applications are open for the United Activities Unlimited Ladders for Leaders program. The program offers high school and college students between the ages of 16 and 22 the opportunity to participate in a paid professional internship with leading companies. The program gives students a unique experience to explore their interests and discover new ones through pre-employment training, paid summer internships and the opportunity to join the alumni network. The application is open until the end of January. Applications are evaluated based on academic performance, response to essay questions and resume quality. HAIRCUTS FOR HOLIDAYS A local barbershop visited PS 31 to give about 75 students haircuts for the holiday season. On Dec. 10, barbers from Untouchable Cutz visited the New Brighton school, where they cut and styled students hair. On Dec. 21, the barbershop also donated toys collected via a toy drive. James Scianna, owner of the barbershop, visited the school last year and in June to give haircuts to students before the last day of school. You can view more photos from the haircut event on PS 31s Facebook page. Untouchable Cutz is located at 177 Garretson Ave. in Dongan Hills. Untouchable Cutz gave haircuts to nearly 70 students at PS 31, New Brighton, for the holiday season. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Rodriguez) Do you have a story idea for the new In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Students who complete their degree face-to-face will also be given priority over those who do it online, with the exception of those who have no other option. "If there is less quality control on the way in, there needs to be more quality control on the way out," Mr Stokes said. President of the NSW Teaching Federation Maurie Mulheron also criticised the influx of students with lower ATARs being accepted into courses and the growth of online courses. "High entry standards into initial teacher education are critically important," Mr Mulheron said. There are also far fewer students entering teaching degrees with ATARs in the highest band, with only 11 per cent achieving a rank between 91 and 99.95, compared to 27 per cent of students across all university degrees. Changes to the lowest ATAR and selection rank for each degree are caused by changes in the number of places available and the number and quality of applicants. If more places in teaching degrees become available or more students with lower ATARs apply, the cut-off for the course is likely to fall. "The lowest selection rank for any course can increase, decrease or remain the same," according to the Universities Admissions Centre, which administers ATARs and centrally manages university applications and offers. "It does not represent the average ability of the students accepted for the course and does not reflect the difficulty or quality of the course." There has also been an increase in the proportion of undergraduate teaching students who were admitted straight from high school on a non-ATAR basis, from 27 per cent in 2007 to 31 per cent in 2016. Loading However, the proportion of non-ATAR entrants was 5 percentage points lower in 2016 than in 2015, representing a reversal in the upward trend of previous years. The number of students doing their teaching degrees online has also increased dramatically between 2007 and 2016, from 15 per cent to 25 per cent. The rise in entrants with lower ATARs or no ATARs and students doing their degrees online is likely to further lower the retention rate for teaching students, which is already 3 per cent lower between the first and second years of university than the average for similar degrees. About 76 per cent of teaching students who started their degrees in 2015 were still enrolled in 2016. Students studying online have a first-to-second-year retention rate at least 5 per cent lower than the average retention rate of 76 per cent for undergraduate teaching degrees, while those with an ATAR between 71 and 80 had the highest retention rate from 2015 to 2016. The six-year completion rate for students who began their teaching degree in 2011 was 56 per cent, which was 3 per cent higher than the average or other degrees. However, the six-year completion rate has declined 6 per cent between the 2006 and 2011 commencing cohorts for teaching. Additionally, 19 per cent of students in 2016 said they were considering an early departure from their teaching program. Nearly 30,000 students started an initial teacher education program in 2016, a 3 per cent fall from the previous year. The figures for New South Wales contrast with those from Victoria, where students applying for undergraduate teaching courses in 2018 were required to obtain an ATAR of 65 or above to secure a place. Victorias state Labor government set the cut-off in 2016 in a bid to attract the best and brightest students to the profession. Next year the ATAR threshold will increase to 70. The push to raise teaching entry standards came after several years in which some education courses in Victoria had cut-off scores as low as 30. Figures published in December by the states tertiary admissions body show the ATAR cutoffs for teaching courses were maintained by the final round of admissions. Students admitted to the primary school teaching course at Australian Catholic University Melbourne campus, the largest education subject for which there is publicly available information, had a median ATAR of 73.85, and one year 12 leaver who achieved a score of 95.90 enrolled in the course in 2018. The lowest raw ATAR among the students selected for this course was 51.40, however, once special consideration was applied (which takes into account illness or hardship that may have affected test results) this student's ATAR was above the 65 threshold. The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Council data also shows that every student admitted to the highest-enrolled teaching courses at Victoria University, RMIT or Federation University had an ATAR above 65. The Australian Catholic University's executive dean of education, Professor Elizabeth Labone, said: "An ATAR is one of a number of factors that ACU considers in order to provide the strength and diversity needed for teachers in our classrooms. "It is very rare for students to be accepted on low ATARs, but when they are, its because there are extenuating personal circumstances that we take into account. "The reality is that most of ACU students enter on a much higher ATAR than the published cutoff, which only lists the lowest entrant not the highest or median." The median ATAR for a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at ACU is 64.45. Kidman, however, isn't one to shape illusions about her life or her career. She says she almost gave up acting a few years ago, after a disappointing time of making films such as The Railway Man, Trespass and Before I Go to Sleep, movies that were barely seen and, aside from Kidman's acting, harshly reviewed. The low point came at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival when the audience greeted her Grace Kelly homage Grace of Monaco with boos and hisses. Kidman sobbed in her hotel room. Nicole Kidman has earned her 13th Golden Globe nomination for her role in Destroyer. Credit:Annapurna Pictures Lucas Hedges as Jared and Kidman as his mother Nancy in Credit:Kyle Kaplan "It's probably not great to talk about when you're old, but you start out as flavour of the month and then you're not; you have some things that work and some that don't, and suddenly no one's interested," Kidman says. "Then it's, 'You've squandered or lost your talent.' And that's not true. It's always there if you're nourishing it. And that's what I was doing. But that doesn't mean it wasn't frustrating." Unlike Matthew McConaughey and his celebrated, self-labelled McConaissance of a few years ago, Kidman didn't have the luxury of choice. Women in Hollywood don't. She tried to find funding for projects she wanted to produce. She starred in a celebrated production of Photograph 51 on the London stage. ("I was terrified no one was going to come," she says. The entire 11-week run sold out.) And she tried to jump-start her film career. "I wasn't the first, second or third choice for Lion," Kidman says. "[Director] Garth Davis was told not to cast me. That hurt. And Garth said, 'No. That's what I'm doing. I want to cast her.' And he fought hard for me. So you know as an actor, they're saying 'No. I don't want her. She's not very good.' And you just ... " Kidman pauses, remembering the wound. "'Oooooh. OK.' But that's where I was with things not working and people go, 'Eh. Not her.'" Kidman as Sue and David Wenham as John with Sunny Pawar as five-year-old Saroo in Credit:Transmission Films Destroyer director Karyn Kusama has had her own ups and downs and appreciates the candour with which Kidman discusses her career. "For her to be honest about feeling she was down in the dumps and not excited about her work is testament to her actual love for the art form," Kusama says. "Because she just powered through those times. And I'm sure she had some really dark nights staring up at the ceiling, but it seems like that ebb and flow and the understanding that there's good times and bad times really informs her work right now." Kidman remembers thinking that maybe she'd write or just focus completely on being a mum in Tennessee and finding a philanthropic path that would engage her creatively. Looking to vent, Kidman called her mother Janelle a feminist who didn't have the career she probably wanted and challenged her two daughters to reject societal expectations and her mum repeated what she has always told her. "Do not give up your career." "And I remember saying, 'I'm tired. I want to,'" Kidman remembers. "And she said, 'Keep your toe in the water. You'll want that.' I'm so glad she said it. Because I'd probably be sad and I would grieve it if I had stopped." Kidman (centre) with her mother Janelle Ann Kidman (left) and niece Lucia Hawley (right) at the AACTA Awards in December. Credit:James D. Morgan Kidman, an introvert, speaks in a hushed tone that occasionally lowers to a whisper. She celebrated her 50th birthday in 2017 in the way that suits her, going to her Bahamas beach house, unplugging every device and swimming in the ocean with her husband, her daughters, her sister and her nieces and nephews. Her favourite thing about acting isn't the glamour or the parties or the premieres but the time she spends researching and working on characters, a process she finds soothing. ("I find it like balm," she says. "It completely allows me to feel close to humanity.") With age, Kidman says she's more comfortable in her skin, allowing herself to be more outgoing. Take the time earlier this year, when she was heckling Urban from the side of the stage during a listening party for his new album, calling on him to play the song Parallel Line. Urban's reply: "Only if you come up here and sing with me." With much trepidation, she did. "I would never have normally got up there on the stage," Kidman says. "Never. That's a step. When time is of the essence, you think, 'Well, why not try to push through things and have more experiences?' And also, with children, not wanting to develop their personalities that way. Because they obviously mimic you and pick up on all that and absorb it. My little one, who's probably more introverted, I see her start to respond to that, so I'm always trying not to lump them with my garbage." She laughs. "Probably about 10 years ago, I could have gone two directions, which would have been into that very isolated, hermetic life, which would not have been a good place for me. Or I kind of went into, 'OK. I can move out.' "And I'm also very loved. The love helps. And it heals a lot. It's very nice to have it." Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman in season two of Credit:Instagram.com/nicolekidman Though she prefers to put herself in a place of discomfort in her roles, Kidman loves to laugh and possesses a kooky sense of humour that's rarely seen in her work. She shouldered the drama in the first season of Big Little Lies, playing the straight woman to co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. That remains true for the second season, due next year, which adds Meryl Streep to the cast as Celeste's mother-in-law. "You need a Meryl, someone to come in and shake us up," Kidman says. "She helps us get into the ramifications of how the first season ended. The weight of that is heavy. It has to be. There's no way around it." Those hankering for a look at Kidman's lighter side would do well to see Aquaman, a movie she made partly because she and director James Wan, a fellow Australian, have long wanted to work together (a previous project never got off the ground) and mostly because her daughters can actually see a movie that their mum made. Kidman (right) with Credit:Jordan Strauss "She actually said that her getting to play in this movie gave her kids a lot of street cred at their school," Wan says, laughing. "I think that's really adorable given how beloved she is in the filmmaking community and the world. At the end of the day, she still wants her kids to look at her and go, 'My mum's cool.'" Kidman loves Wan's take on her motivations. "They do consider Aquaman a worthy project," she says, letting out a huge laugh. "It's funny. I come to their classrooms and read stories, but I'm not allowed to do too many voices because it's embarrassing. I have to be kind of neutral. There's a lot of stipulations, and I'm very obedient. "Now, I don't hang out of the window in the car in the line-up, going, 'Hiiiii!' I was trying to do that because, again, I'm more of a shy person and I thought it'd be a great thing to have your parent show much they love you and are desperate to see you." She smiles. "But they know that I'm crazy about them. They can feel it without me shouting it from the mountaintops." A more than two-year community effort to build a bike track primarily for children in Hall looks set to fail after the ACT Heritage Council decided not to approve construction despite heritage consultants assessing the proposal's impact as being minimal. The Hall community raised $10,000 for the bike track project at the 2016 Hall Ball, while Hall Rotary pledged $12,000. A map showing the route of the rejected Hall bike track, after it was revised to avoid three sites where Aboriginal artefacts were found. Credit:Navin Officer Heritage Consultants Residents of the heritage village approached the ACT government with the idea and the Transport Canberra and City Services directorate began assisting with the proposal, offering to chip in the final $2000 needed to fund the project. A report prepared by Michael Pilbrow, the co-owner of Yass consulting firm Strategic Development Group, reveals 57 of the 63 people who participated in community consultation on the project in December 2017 supported a bike track, with three against the idea and the other three not stating a view. Commuters would be able to travel from Canberra to the capital cities of four Australian states within an hour under a futuristic proposal to fix Australia's "broken" public transport system. US company Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has pitched its vision for an "ultra high-speed", tube-based transportation system in a submission to the federal parliamentary inquiry into automated mass transit. Commuters would travel in capsules as part of the "ultra high-speed" hyperloop system proposed for Australia. Credit:Hyperloop Transportation Technologies While the submission warns that station locations, routes and timings can only be finalised after a comprehensive feasibility study, it is estimated that a trip from Canberra to Sydney would take just 14 minutes. Canberrans could also get to Melbourne in 23 minutes, Brisbane in 51 minutes and Adelaide in 56 minutes, according to estimates in the submission. Every Saturday scores of people flock to Canberra's parks to participate in a trend that has swept the capital and the nation. Parkrun is a free five-kilometre run or walk hosted by volunteers at numerous locations across Canberra. Participants can run or walk, and the each has their own barcode to time the journey. There is friendly competition against friends or strangers, but for many the event is about personal bests. Denise Clarke is running her 250th Parkrun on Saturday. Pictured with her husband Gary Clarke. Credit:Elesa Kurtz Denise Clarke has become a fixture of parkrun in the ACT. On Saturday, January 5, she will become the first woman in the capital to achieve the milestone of participating in 250 events. Neil Armstrong's iconic moon walk would not have been as impressive to a captivated audience tuning in globally had he stepped out of the spacecraft and immediately fallen over. This is the fate NASA scientists fear could face the first person to step foot on Mars, so they've turned to researchers at the University of Canberra to help solve the problem. Professor Gordon Waddington and Ashleigh Marchant are studying how humans could one day walk on Mars. Credit:Lawrence Atkin Professor in physiotherapy Gordon Waddington and PhD student Ashleigh Marchant are the only researchers outside the United States working on a project that will hopefully allow astronauts to maintain the ability to walk after months in zero gravity. A person's ability to stay upright and move around in any environment is controlled by information travelling from the body to the brain, like vision, balance and sensory information. One of the new solar-powered public safety CCTV cameras installed in the ACT. The ACT government has expanded the territory's public safety CCTV network, which police have used to investigate crime on 298 occasions since the start of 2018. Police and Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman said 12 solar-powered CCTV units had been installed at crime hotspots across the ACT since June 2017 as deterrents and to support police investigations. The new cameras are at locations including the entrances to Glebe Park in the city and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands car park in Kingston, as well as in the Tuggeranong town centre between Anketell Street and Lake Tuggeranong. They join 72 existing public safety cameras that cover a range of locations including Canberra's central business district, GIO Stadium, Manuka Oval, Exhibition Park, the Kingston and Manuka shopping precincts, and the capital's bus stations and depots. Learning how to swim at aquatic centres and community pools is a rite of passage for thousands of Canberra children. For some Tuggeranong residents, however, they've been learning how to swim in lessons run out of a Calwell backyard. Aqua Calwell swim school students Riley Simmonds and Zoe Briggs. Credit:Elesa Kurtz Jacinta Hasler is the owner of Aqua Calwell, a backyard swim school that's been running since 2005. The Calwell home has a 10 metre by 4 metre indoor pool on the property, which sees more than 200 students a week. Former prime minister Tony Abbott, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and more than a dozen federal MPs have dialled up their taxpayer-funded mobile phone bills to $1000 plus a week in figures from January 2016 to December 2017. The cost of supplying mobile phones to travelling representatives and their staff can vary from zero to more than $8500 per phone per month, a Sydney Morning Herald analysis has found. The highest spending politician on the mobile phone was Coalition MP Andrew Laming, who rang up charges of $8669 in November 2016. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The highest spending politician on the blower was Andrew Laming, Coalition MP for Bowman in Queensland, who, on a single phone, dialled up charges of $8669 in November 2016. In July 2014, he also recorded the highest monthly mobile data bill of $8457, in figures from January 2014 to December 2017. Sydney took the full blast of summer during the week. Some of us might have wondered: is this the turning point? The season when the summer outstays its welcome, drier and hotter with every year? And whatever happened to those cute Christmas beetles? Meanwhile, 2018 ends with the world mired as it has been for more than a decade in the politics of alleviating global warming. At the climate summit in Katowice, Poland, renowned British naturalist David Attenborough warned: "If we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon." But the summit produced another frustrating outcome, as did its forebears, Paris, Copenhagen, Kyoto and Rio. A climate protest outside Sydney Town Hall earlier this month. Credit:Christopher Pearce Listening to those who govern us, it sometimes seems as if despair is the only logical response. We have a Prime Minister who, as treasurer, gleefully wielded a lump of coal in Parliament, saying it was nothing to be afraid of. Scott Morrison has made restraining power costs, not fixing emissions, the focus of his bid for re-election in May. He says Australia is meeting its Paris pledge of a 26 per cent cut in emissions by 2030, based on 2005 levels, "in a canter", but experts say this target is no longer enough to help the planet stave off dangerous warming. But despair, so damaging to mental health, is not the answer. When despair leads to apathy, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We can't escape climate change entirely but any action that leads to a better future is worth taking. Sydneys ocean pools are one of the things Imogen Wiseman loves best about the city. Im from Adelaide originally and theres nothing like it there, she said. Its unique to Sydney. Iggy Wiseman, 7, and brother Jet, 5 (in green), at Mahon Pool. Credit:Janie Barrett Ms Wiseman and her two boys, Iggy, 7, and Jet, 5, who live in Pagewood in Sydneys south, are regulars at Mahon Pool, carved into a sandstone rock platform below the northern headland at Maroubra Beach. From a parent perspective, the biggest bonus is Im not dealing with sand, but its still a seawater swim, she said. I prefer going there to the beach because theres so much more the kids can do like explore the rocks and the environment is always different. A Brisbane man is dead and two people fell ill after they took an "unknown substance" at a music festival on the NSW Central Coast, reigniting the debate over whether pill testing should be trialled at the events. Josh Tam, 22, was taken to Gosford Hospital from the Lost Paradise music festival at Glenworth Valley, near Gosford, about 8pm on Saturday. He died a short time later. Josh Tam, 22, died at the weekend after falling ill at the Lost Paradise music festival near Gosford, NSW. Credit:Facebook Mr Tam was a QUT student, Marist College Ashgrove old boy and former GPS rugby player. Tributes flowed on social media on Sunday night, as friends of Mr Tam left heart emojis and wrote supportive messages on Facebook. The state government's first Counter Terrorism Strategy unveiled on Saturday highlights a multi-agency approach, with the private sector, owners and operators of critical infrastructure and community leaders all set to play critical roles. NSW Counter Terrorism Minister David Elliott. Credit:AAP NSW Counter Terrorism Minister David Elliott said the risk of future terrorist attacks is an "unfortunate" reality for the community. "Countering terrorism and violent extremism is not a goal that can be achieved by government alone. It is a shared responsibility," Mr Elliott said in a statement on Saturday. The education sector, local governments and healthcare workers and all have an important role to play in helping to identify and alert authorities to potential threats, he said. After reading about groups such as Vote Tony Out, Think Twice Warringah, Voices of Warringah, People of Warringah, and North Shore Environmental Stewards, maybe there is a Santa Claus after all ("Sending a message to you, Tony", December 23). - Gail McAlpine, Griffith ACT If Tony Abbott did in fact have any principles, he would admit in good conscience that he no longer represents his constituents and invite the Liberal Party to choose another candidate. If he had any principles and not just naked personal ambition. - Michael McMullan, Five Dock While Abbott may oppose the majority of his constituents on climate change and same-sex marriage, who is to say these are the major and only concerns of his entire electorate? Indeed it is more than likely that across the board, Abbott does represent majority concerns. It just so happens these are not the concerns of the vocal minority. - George Fishman, Vaucluse C'mon John Hewson, your country needs you. Stand in Warringah as the credible independent at the next election. - Frances Parker, Bayview The movement in his electorate for Vote Tony Out seems to be gaining momentum. He was a disaster as a prime minister and "Mr Obstruction " as opposition leader. He remains not only a climate change denier but in denial about the wishes of the people he was elected to represent. His replacement, irrespective of who it is, can't come soon enough. - Stephanie Edwards, Roseville Blame lies with church Well may Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher emphasise the church's role in healing humanity, as it is the church that has been responsible for so many wounds to humanity, particularly to those little children in its care ("Leader defends faith in public life", December 23). - Don Smith, Ashfield Archbishop, in Australia we are all free to attend church if we want to; we are also free to choose to have or not any deity and there is no law that stops us. Introducing religion in the law would deny freedom to those who choose not to have a religion. Archbishop, please consider that there could be other reasons for the decrease of attendance to your church. You may wish to consult the proceedings of the royal commission. - Alfredo Bustos-Ramirez, Mosman There can be no greater misappropriation of the Christmas message than that made by Archbishop Fisher in totally pre-occupying himself with a persecution complex over his beloved institution. By making no mention of the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church, he conveniently sidesteps those countless innocents who, like the central figure of Christmas, are the true victims of persecution. - Vincent Zankin, Rivett ACT Archbishop Fisher trots out once again that religion is under attack and people of faith are being discriminated. To substantiate his allegations, he cites attempts to make reporting of child sexual abuse compulsory. Protecting children from the horrors his church has inflicted on thousands in the past is not discrimination, on the other hand suppressing the name of somebody who has been found guilty of playing a role in that abuse is. - John Bailey, Canterbury Minneapolis: A US judge has ruled that a former officer who fatally shot an Australian woman last year can inspect a Minneapolis Police Department Ford Explorer squad car as part of his defence against charges in the killing. Mohamed Noor's lawyers asked for access to the SUV he was in on the night of the shooting because the moon could be in the same phase as it was on the night in July 2017 when he shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Justine Damond, 40, originally from Sydney's northern beaches, was killed in a police shooting in Minneapolis. Hennepin County Judge Kathryn Quaintance ruled late on Friday that Noor and his lawyers could have access on Friday evening US time (Saturday Australian time) to "a Ford Explorer squad car", but did not say it would be the one used on the night Damond died. Authorities say Damond had called police to report a possible sexual assault happening in an alley behind her Minneapolis home but was shot as she approached Noor and his partner's patrol vehicle. Damond was unarmed. Embattled Opal Tower residents housed in accommodation booked out for the New Year's period might have to move a third time in days, in "another nuisance" admitted by the building's developer. People living in the months-old 36-storey tower at Sydney Olympic Park were again forced out on Friday after a Christmas Eve evacuation that left residents and some holidaymakers in limbo and triggered an urgent investigation into the cracked concrete panel believed to be at the centre of the building's structural woes. Some evacuated residents of the Opal Tower could have to move again on New Year's Eve. Credit:Nick Moir Bassam Aflak, the director of the tower's developer, Ecove, said he had been made aware by liaison officers for Icon, the building company behind the development, that "a small number of residents may have to move again on New Year's Eve because some hotels were already fully booked". "We realise this is another nuisance for those impacted, and sincerely apologise to them. We are supporting Icon which is working hard on solutions," Mr Aflak said. Several fellow former Bellarine Secondary College students, who were in the same age group but grew up in the neighboring town of Barwon Heads, have died of cancer in the past three years, one of Hodgkin lymphoma. The family of Barwon Heads nurse Georgie Stephenson, who died in 2017 aged 26 after a second bout of leukaemia, have pushed for answers about what might have caused her cancer, and those of her peers. (Georgie did not attend Bellarine Secondary College). They say they have heard of more than 20 young people in the area, many of whom attended the high school and are now in their late 20s and early 30s, who have been diagnosed with cancer, mainly blood disorders, in recent years. In early 2017, principal Alison Murphy wrote in the school newsletter in response to concerns over stage one of the sporting complex revamp over the road. The Drysdale bypass is intended to divert traffic away from the town's main street. Credit:Joe Armao "Some members of the Bellarine SC community have expressed concern over the earthworks taking place across from the Drysdale campus on Peninsula Drive," Ms Murphy wrote. "The concerns raised were around the potential chemical contamination of the soil ... when the land was used for agricultural purposes and any potential health risk the dust from these earthworks might cause..." Ms Murphy said she contacted the City of Greater Geelong, which provided a report and soil testing data conducted in November 2016 by a consulting geologist. "The soils tested did not reveal indicators of contamination in respect to human health," she said, quoting the report. The samples, taken from soil stockpiles at the site, did contain some dieldrin but did not reveal indicators of contamination, according to the geologists report, supplied to The Age after a freedom of information request to the council. The college's senior campus at Drysdale opened in 1996. It had been previously been used as farmland. Credit:Joe Armao Soil tests have been carried out at the school by WorkSafe in recent months, at the direction of the Education Department, following complaints to the school and questions from Gordon Legal. The health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority, a department spokeswoman said. Given the seriousness of these concerns, the department and WorkSafe both conducted soil tests in September which confirmed pesticides, including dieldrin, are below levels harmful to human health. Tests carried out prior to and around the time of construction of the school found that the land was suitable for school use. The department would like to reassure staff, students and the school community that the school is operating safely. The land was owned by the council before it was transferred to the Education Department to build the school, which opened in 1996. The school's theatre is called the Potato Shed, a nod to the site's former use. St Thomas Catholic Primary School and St Ignatius Catholic Secondary College have since opened on the same road, and share the theatre. St Ignatius is building a new year 9 wing and gymnasium on neighboring land it bought from the council. In 2004, 51 Victorian farmers whose properties were contaminated by dieldrin, many of them from the Bellarine Peninsula, shared in $1.75 million in state government compensation. Work on the Drysdale bypass near Bellarine Secondary College. Credit:Joe Armao They had used the pesticide on the advice of the state agriculture department, even though authorities were aware of related health risks since dieldrin was banned in the US in the 1970s. It was banned in Australia in 1987 after a contamination scare involving exported beef. Dieldrin was widely used by the region's potato farmers to control worms and weevils. It is a form of synthetic organochlorine and can persist in the soil for decades. "They are extremely persistent in the environment and in humans and animals. Dieldrin ... was classified as probably carcinogenic to humans," a 2016 review for the International Agency for Research on Cancer into compounds including dieldrin found. There was limited or insufficient evidence of an association with breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the scientists said. However, they found "sufficient evidence" of a link between dieldrin and cancer in some animals. In response to an independent inquiry into the EPA, the state government pledged in early 2017 to develop a statewide database of sites that pose a risk to the community due to their past use. Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said she inquired into the matter with the ministers for education and finance (responsible for WorkSafe) and received assurances that after soil tests undertaken in recent months "there is absolutely no risk to the health of local families". WorkSafe tested 65 soil samples, four of which contained traces of dieldrin, but well below guidelines for human health, findings that were consistent with previous tests as far back as the 1980s, Ms Neville said. The Major Road Projects Authority tested soil outside the schools and at 19 other sites along the bypass route for pesticides including dieldrin and found no risk to human health. The Australian health investigation level in a residential setting for dieldrin is 6 milligrams per kilogram. In the US, the soil screening value for dieldrin in a residential setting is 0.034mg/kg. A mother of two drowned while trying to rescue a child who got into trouble at a lake in eastern Victoria. The 34-year-old was with her children, aged six and seven, and another child when one of them needed rescuing while swimming in Lake Victoria at Forge Creek, near Paynesville, about 1pm on Saturday. A 34-year-old mother drowned after trying to save a child from Lake Victoria in Forge Creek. Credit:Nine News Bairnsdale Sergeant John Hodder said the woman helped the child to safety but was unable to swim back to shore herself. One child we believe was wearing a life jacket but had sustained some difficulty in the water, Sergeant Hodder said. Seeing police search suspect individuals is not an unusual sight on Perth streets in the wee hours but on Friday morning it wasn't drugs or weapons a patrol found, it was flowers. At about 2.45am on December 28 Perth police officers spoke with a man stopped on the side of Havelock Street in West Perth. Police allege the man stole the flowers from Kings Park. The man had a bicycle and three large bags of native flowers. Police will allege the man stole the flowers from Kings Park. Last-chance pill-dumping bins and sniffer dogs will be used at a major Perth music festival on Sunday and Monday following several suspected overdose deaths at Australian dance events this year. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the Origin Fields festival being held at Langley Park. More than 40,000 people are expected at the music festival on Sunday and Monday Credit:Facebook / Origin Fields The festival will feature international acts like Cardi B, Khalid and Pendulum. WA Police announced on Saturday it would have uniformed and undercover officers at the event to keep revellers safe. When David Pescud walks into a room and with his slightly lopsided grin tells his friends, "I've had an idea ..." they have learnt to run. Because Mr Pescud is a man who dreams big. In 1984 he founded the charity Sailors with disABILITIES after hearing a disabled ABC listener say they wanted to sail in the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race. The former businessman, who is dyslexic, made that wish come true and went on to found a national charity that now takes hundreds of disabled schoolchildren on the water year round up and down the east coast and enters the landmark Hobart race each year with a disabled crew. The Wright of Passage crew in Woolwich Dock: Mark Basciuk, Liam Gough (sitting), Jackson McCabe and Delilah Scott. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer So, last February, when the charity was given an extremely dilapidated 53-foot timber ketch, Mr Pescud's busy mind clicked into overdrive. Sources close to Bob Hawke say there are no specific medical conditions posing an imminent threat to the former Labor prime minister's life but they warn he is now 89 years old, increasingly frail and won't be around forever. The cautious warnings come after Mr Hawke spoke publicly about his "terrible" health, with The Courier-Mail reporting Mr Hawke had hinted he would not live to see a widely predicted Labor victory at the next election, likely to be held in mid-May. Mr Hawke made the comments at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland on Friday, where he has used a regular spot on stage to talk politics and lead the crowd in renditions of Waltzing Matilda. Now wheelchair-bound, he did not take up the invitation to speak this year, but attended the festival privately. Mr Hawke, who led the Labor Party from 1983 to 1991, turned 89 on December 9. It is understood his body has weakened over recent years, as occurs to any person of his advanced age. The survey questions on migration showed Australians vastly overestimate the proportion of the population born overseas. The average respondent guessed the share was 41 per cent, when the actual figure is 29 per cent. Were especially wide of the mark when it comes to Muslims. When respondents were asked what share of the population were adherents to the Muslim faith, the average guess was 17 per cent, more than five times the actual figure of about 3 per cent (Americans were ever further off the mark they guessed 17 per cent of their population is Muslim when it's actually just 1 per cent). We also wildly over-estimate the future growth in the Muslim population. In Australia, the average guess is that the Muslim population share will surge to 21 per cent by 2020, which is six or seven times higher than the projections by professional demographers. Theres a revealing trend in the publics thinking about the prevalence of overseas born in our population the margin of error in our estimates is growing. The average guess for overall migrant share of the population has risen by 3 percentage points since the question was last asked in 2015. Loading The erroneous trend is even more pronounced when it comes to Muslims; since 2016 the average guess for the share of Muslims in Australia has jumped from 10 per cent to 17 per cent. Ipsos researchers have noticed that public perceptions are often most inaccurate on topics that are being widely discussed in the media, and on issues that are of concern to us. The tendency for Australians to overestimate our Muslim population is a classic example. Another case in point is renewable energy and the response to climate change, a policy issue that has plagued both major parties. This years Perils of Perception survey asked respondents what share of energy consumed in Australia comes from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. The average guess was 21 per cent, more than double the actual figure of 9 per cent. In other words, voters have the impression that Australia is doing more to reduce greenhouse gas emission than we actually are. Also, Australians underestimate the level of temperature change over the past two decades. The typical respondents said nine of the past 18 years were among the hottest on record globally when in reality it is 17. Economic management is always a core issue at federal elections. But were wildly wrong on one of the most basic economic indicators: unemployment. People think that 23 per cent of working age Australians are unemployed and looking for work when the actual figure is just 5 percent. We also overestimate the scale of another important economic challenge: the ageing of the population. When Australians were asked what proportion of the population is aged 65 and over, the average guess was at 37 per cent. Thats a mammoth 23 percentage points more than the actual proportion of around 14 per cent. When respondents were asked what share of the population will be aged 65 years or older by 2050 the average guess was 51 per cent, more than double the actual figure projected by the World Bank. When it comes to gauging our economic place in the world, Australians are too pessimistic; the average guess is that Australia has the 30th largest economy by GDP when in reality the World Bank ranks us 13th (when measured in US dollars). Why are we so wrong, so often? We are often exposed to being misled by those around us, be it family members, friends, the media or politicians. But the cause of our collective misconceptions runs much deeper than the fake-news effect". Loading Our own internal biases are crucial. The Perils of Perception survey shows there is a systematic pattern to our errors. People the world over tend to think things are worse than they really are. Previous Ipsos surveys have shown Australians wrongly think the homicide rate is unchanged or rising even though it has been in decline for some years. We incorrectly assume deaths due to terrorism are on the rise and that the prevalence of diabetes is worse than it actually is. We overrate negatives and underrate positives and often assume the world is a more frightening and dysfunctional place than it really is. Cairo: Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said on Saturday, a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people. Loading The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Friday's attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said "terrorist elements" were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry. Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State. State news agency MENA said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle. Berlins clubs turn the night into day, the Visit Berlin website says. Go partying till the sun comes up and goes down again! Unlike other German cities, Berlin has no official closing time. Berlins government has also pledged 1 million ($1.6 million) to fund the sound-proofing of nightclubs and address conflict between residents and venues. Berlins late-night revellers can thank hotelier Heinz Zellermayer whose meeting with the US Colonel Frank Howley during the citys occupation by Allied forces after World War II led to the abolition of the curfew in West Berlin in 1949. The citys laissez faire attitude to nightlife is a world away from Sydneys lockout laws, heavy-handed policing and onerous regulations that have led to the closure of many venues. Professor Michael Hutter, an expert in cultural economics at Berlins Social Science Research Centre, traces the citys permissive approach to partying back to the devastation wrought by two World Wars, which caused the collapse of social and moral conventions, and the ideological confrontation with the Soviet bloc. The hedonism of the interwar Weimar Republic has been depicted in movies such as Cabaret, based on semi-autobiographical novellas by Christopher Isherwood, and television series such as Berlin Babylon. The 1931 travel guide Fuhrer durch das lasterhafie Berlin (Guide Through Sinful Berlin) documented the citys gay and lesbian clubs, bars and cabarets. The Cold War also shaped the city as the West sought to show the attractive face of capitalism, Hutter says. West Berlin was nothing but a statemen ... It was a statement by Western powers that we will not give up this spot. This will be a sore spot in your eastern territory. Residents of the divided city were exempt from military service and many of the country's prestigious universities continued to operate in West Berlin, which otherwise lacked major industry. The whole place ran on subsidies, Hutter says. There was a sort of laidback atmosphere where we knew were the outpost of the Western world and were paid well for that. Wild days The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 unleashed a wave of euphoria among Germans and fuelled Berlins electronic music scene, according to Ben Gook, a postdoctoral fellow at Berlins Humboldt University and the University of Melbourne. "Young Germans acutely felt this release from stasis and rushed to the techno-scene, Gook wrote in Ecstatic Melancholic: Ambivalence, Electronic Music and Social Change around the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Similar scenes also flourished in neighbouring European countries, the United States and Britain around the same time. But the historical events of those years in Berlin gave techno an impetus that attracted disc jockeys and producers from elsewhere, building a legacy evident today. Berlin's electronic music scene is key to the city's ability to attract tourists and entrepreneurs. Credit:Berlin Atonal Hutter says uncertainty about what laws applied in the unified city, which became the German capital in 1999, contributed to the thriving club scene of the 1990s, the birth of electronic music and the annual Love Parade. The concept of zwischennutzung (between use) meant artists could make temporary use of the citys abandoned and decaying buildings to live and work, usually on favourable terms from the owner, he says. Those were really the wild days because nobody knew what rules were applicable, Hutter says. Since then, year by year, step by step, these lines are drawn more tightly. Buildings were restituted, neighbours moved in and started complaining, so the clubs had to move out. And now you get the situation you know in Sydney. Yet residents of the German capital still enjoy various freedoms that have been regulated out of existence in Sydney. The co-curators of the Berlin Atonal music festival Laurens von Oswald (left) and Harry Glass. Credit:Berlin Atonal Berlin has a reputation for hedonism, which is certainly true at most of these clubs, but it has much less of a binge-drinking culture, Gook says. People can drink on the street and buy beer at convenience stores, but the atmosphere is far less aggressive than in Sydney streets at night. The wegbier (literally a beer for the way) and all-night public transport are two ways the German capital nurtures its nightlife and attracts creative workers such as Harry Glass, co-curator of the Berlin Atonal music festival, who left Sydney after finishing university. The legal and regulatory framework [in Sydney] makes it difficult for venues to be self-sufficient and risk-taking tends to prevent ambitious cultural promoters from finding the right spaces to host their ideas, according to Glass and his fellow curator Laurens von Oswald. In contrast, the after-dark economy is regarded as crucial to the continued desirability of Berlin as its museums and national art galleries. This is reflected in the policies it implements to protect and nurture this sector and keep it open for business to locals and tourists, von Oswald says. Yet policymakers and the police still find ways to make life difficult for night owls in Berlin. Loading Lutz Leichsenring, a spokesman for Berlins Club Commission, says the citys nightclubs have faced heavy-handed policing in relation to the consumption of illicit drugs. "We ask ourselves 'why dont they do raids in hotels?' Obviously in hotels people take drugs, he says. Why arent the police showing the same sort of force at different venues where they know people are taking drugs? Leichsenring concedes there is a downside to nightlife but adds: We need to work on it in a dialogue and in a cooperative way with law enforcement and not be treated like criminals. As cities gentrify and politicians become less tolerant of clubs, the importance of being a good neighbour grows, he says. Were very pleased that Berlin has been a 24-hour city for almost 70 years, he says. We dont have curfews and arent told how to run a venue. But that means you have to take care you get along with neighbours." Loading Berlin police reported a slight decline in crime in 2017, with a significant drop in homicides offset by a rise in assaults. Leichsenring says he could not see any relationship between crime rates and opening hours of bars and clubs. Its safer because when nobody is on the street you feel unsafe, he says. Also what I think helps is that people dont feel the pressure to go Now I have to get drunk because the club is closing. Clubbers v property developers Cheap rent and a low cost of living has been a vital component of Berlins vibrant cultural scene. If you really want quality nightlife, not just mainstream, you need space for experimentation, underground DIY grassroots, Leichsenring says. Loading In contrast, Gook says the high cost of living in Sydney and Melbourne stifles creativity. Quite a few places in Berlin are only open a couple of nights a week, he says. That seems unimaginable in most Australian cities. It means you dont get the mix of clubs where people can try out new things to 20 people on a Tuesday night the drive with high rents is always to get people through the door." Gook says it is not unusual to see people in their 40s or 50s in Berlin's clubs and concert venues. "In Sydney and Melbourne, you see uni students and people in their 20s, but it really tails off from there," he says. "Whereas if the club is just 10 minutes away, for example, its not impossible that a parent can sneak out for the night after their kids are in bed." However, the German capital has changed drastically since the heady days of the 1990s as property developers eye off the city's empty buildings and vacant space. The city is no longer "poor but sexy" as former mayor Klaus Wowereit put it, with property prices in Berlin rising faster than Hong Kong, London, New York, Sydney or Melbourne, according to the 2018 Global Residential Cities Index. Loading Berlins population has grown rapidly in the past decade, yet its 2017 total of 3.7 million residents remains considerably less than its pre-World War II population of more than 4 million people. Its the same old story of gentrification pushing up prices and pushing out established venues, Gook says. Alongside the campaigns to keep down the prices of housing are attempts to save various clubs. Its important that these are seen together the same processes also price out artists from living near to the venues and social scenes these create, while also denying them the free time needed to make music, research new releases, rehearse and so on. Leichsenring says he does not believe property developers should have an unfettered right to rebuild a city. If you just give the market all the power to develop the city, ask yourself why is there politics if the real estate market is defining what your city centre looks like, he says. London: World-renowned human rights advocate Mary Robinson stepped into the strange affair of an Arab princess this week, and found herself accused of giving political cover to rights abuses by the royal family of Dubai. The case involves Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, a daughter of Dubai's ruler, who left the Gulf emirate against her father's wishes in late February, was seized and returned against her will in early March, and then was not seen by outsiders for more than nine months. Days after return to Dubai, her friends released a video she had made before her escape in which she accused her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, of a range of offenses, including having people killed and having her and one of her sisters locked up, tortured and drugged to keep them docile. She had been imprisoned for more than three years for a previous attempt to escape Dubai, she said, and "it was constant torture, constant torture," both physical and psychological. A photo released by the UAE showing Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, a daughter of Dubai's ruler, with Mary Robinson, a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Ireland. Credit:UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs The video and the story of her dramatic escape drew enormous attention from the news media, and the video has been watched millions of times. Lodi, California: Mourners at a mosque in California are saying goodbye to a two-year-old boy whose Yemeni mother successfully fought the Trump administration's travel ban to hold him as he died. The woman sued the Trump administration to let her into the United States to be with the ailing boy. The little boy died from a genetic brain disorder. Credit:Not for syndication Abdullah Hassan died on Friday at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, where his father, Ali Hassan, brought him to get treatment for a genetic brain disorder, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said. He had been on life support when his mother, Shaima Swileh, arrived last week. "We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives," Hassan, a US citizen, said in a statement released by the advocacy group. Nancy Grace Roman, a renowned astronomer who led the drive to launch the Hubble Space Telescope, died on Dec. 25 at the age of 93, according to the Associated Press. Roman was nicknamed "the mother of Hubble" for her work on the pioneering telescope, which launched in 1990. She joined NASA's headquarters office soon after the agency's founding in 1958. She was the first chief of astronomy, drawn to the offer of having the leeway to create such a pivotal department from scratch. A previous astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, proposed exploring the idea of a space-based optical telescope in 1946, but the budget and technology required for such a project wasn't available. Roman began leading talks around the idea in 1960, three decades before the instrument finally flew. She also helped spearhead the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), another orbiting instrument. [Hubble in Pictures: Astronomers' Top Picks (Photos)] "She made it possible to get early telescopes up [into space] to learn what needed to be learned," science historian Bob Zimmerman told Space.com in 2009. "As soon as that technology started to mature, she was pushing for the design work. Her hard-nosed nature helped get the telescope built." Nancy Grace Roman was the first chief of astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, and she helped fight for what would become the Hubble Space Telescope. She is seen here in 1963 with a model of the Orbiting Solar Observatory. (Image credit: NASA/Kepler Team) Over the course of decades of observation, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed the way astronomers and science-aficionados alike see the universe around us with its stunning imagery. But Roman's path to NASA leadership was full of the usual challenges. Although her mother took her outside during the long Michigan nights to point out constellations and watch the northern lights, teachers often dismissed her interest in math and science. "I was told from the beginning that a woman could not be an astronomer," she said in a video released by NASA earlier this year. In high school, her guidance counselor was also unsupportive of her academic interests. "She looked down her nose at me and sneered, 'What lady would take mathematics instead of Latin?'" She later earned a bachelor's in astronomy at Swarthmore College, then completed a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, where her thesis advisor once ignored her for six months straight, Roman later said. She was a decade out from her doctorate when she joined NASA. Roman retired from the agency in 1969. After her retirement, she regularly spoke out about the importance of making astronomy more equitable, and last year, she was immortalized in Lego's Women of NASA set. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. Original article on Space.com. T hats a wrap for film in 2018 now the focus is on what's coming over the next 12 months. Its set to be a huge year for Disney, with four live action remakes of classic animations arriving in cinemas, as well as two bumper sequels. Few original works on the horizon, though. Elsewhere, there are star-studded crime thrillers and plenty of superheroes to keep us all entertained over the next year. These are 10 of the biggest releases set for 2019. Dumbo Dumbo - Trailer What we know: Tim Burton is directing the upcoming remake of 1941 animated classic Dumbo, bringing his trademark visual flair and idiosyncratic storytelling to the fore. One things certain youll have seen just about everything when you see this elephant fly. Release date: March 29 It: Chapter Two What we know: Pennywise returns to haunt the citizens of Derry, 27 years after the events of hit 2017 horror It. Jessica Chastain leads an impressive cast, which also includes James McAvoy, Bill Hader and the returning Bill Skarsgard. Release date: September 6 Spider-Man: Far From Home What we know: Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is swinging into cinemas in 2019, with Tom Holland continuing his excellent run in the title role. The film sees Parker and his pals head out on a European vacation. Release date: December 8 Once Upon A Time In Hollywood What we know: Quentin Tarantino is teaming up with Brad Pitt and Leonardo Di Caprio for one of the most hotly-anticipated films of the year, in this crime drama based around the Manson Family murders. Release date: July 26 The Lion King The Lion King - Trailer What we know: Jon Favreau is back in the director's seat for the Lion King, after helming Disneys Jungle Book reboot in 2016. Beyonce and Donald Glover lead a steller voice cast, while Funny or Dies Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen voice the duo Timon and Pumba. Release date: July 19 Toy Story 4 Toy Story 4 - Teaser Trailer What we know: The Toy Story franchise is reaching infinity and beyond in 2019, welcoming Buzz, Woody and the gang back one last time. Bring the tissues kids (and mum and dad), it's going to get emotional. Release date: June 21 Aladdin Aladdin - Teaser Trailer What we know: The diamond in the rough is back in action in Aladdin, yet another Disney remake happening in 2019. Will Smith has the unenviable task of stepping into Robin Williams pointy slippers as the Genie. Release date: May 24 Joker Joaquin Phoenix filming Joker (2019) - In pictures 1 /33 Joaquin Phoenix filming Joker (2019) - In pictures Actor Joaquin Phoenix, dressed as The Joker, sprints down the street and enters the subway during filming of "The Joker" in the Bronx in New York City SplashNews.com Actor Joaquin Phoenix, dressed as The Joker SplashNews.com Actor Joaquin Phoenix, dressed as The Joker, sprints down the street and enters the subway during filming of "The Joker" in the Bronx in New York City SplashNews.com Actor Joaquin Phoenix, dressed as The Joker, sprints down the street SplashNews.com Actor Joaquin Phoenix, wearing street clothes, films 'The Joker' directed by Todd Phillips in the Bronx in New York SplashNews.com Actor Joaquin Phoenix, dressed as The Joker, sprints down the street and enters the subway during filming of "The Joker" in the Bronx in New York City SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix pictured for the first time wearing his Full costume and Make-up at the "Joker" SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com SplashNews.com SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com SplashNews.com SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com SplashNews.com SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com SplashNews.com SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix SplashNews.com What we know: Joaquin Phoenix is taking on the role of Batmans greatest adversary in this upcoming origin story from director Todd Phillips marking the first big screen portrayal of the character since Heath Ledgers unforgettable performance in 2008s The Dark Knight. Release date: October 4 Frozen 2 What we know: The biggest Disney film of recent times is getting a long-awaited sequel in 2019, with Frozen 2 arriving in the Winter. Expect more winter wonderment, empowering female leads in the form of sisters Anna and Elsa, as well as more anthems on the soundtrack. Release date: November 22 Hellboy TODO: define component type brightcove What we know: One of the most idiosyncratic superheroes, Hellboy, is back in cinemas in 2019. Stranger Things star David Harbour has beefed-up beyond belief in preparation for the role taking over the mantle from Ron Pearlman. Release date: April 12 Five more picks from film critic Charlotte O'Sullivan Can You Ever Forgive Me? Can You Ever Forgive Me? - Trailer What we know: The true story of celebrity biographer-turned-literary-forger Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) is aimed at misanthropes, wordsmiths and anyone who becomes foolishly happy when McCarthy gets to shine. What a performance. Like Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal, McCarthy puts lesbian cat-lovers on the map. Awards glory beckons, too, for Richard E Grant as Israels gay, non-pet-friendly sidekick Jack. Release date: February 1 Us Us - Trailer What we know: A new nightmare from the sublime Jordan Peele, starring Lupita Nyongo and Winston Duke as a couple who, while ensconced in a cosy beach hut with family and friends, are assailed by uninvited guests. The poster suggests one of these guests will be wielding spooky scissors. The result is already being compared to Darren Aronofskys Mother! Its bound to be better. Release date: March 15 Avengers: Endgame Avengers: Endgame - Trailer What we know: It's the biggest of the many hot Disney/Marvel films out this year (Captain Marvel; Spiderman: Far From Home). The plot, rumour has it, involves time travel. Will Ant-Mans Quantam Realm mini-machine help the decimated heroes beat Thanos? Will Captain America get a cold chin now hes shaved off his beard? Release date: April 26 Rocketman Rocketman (2019) Official Teaser Trailer What we know: A musical fantasy about Sir Elts early years in the business, with Kingsmans Taron Egerton in the lead (doing his own singing) and Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin. Reg Dwights first boyfriend and manager, John Reid, will be played by Bodyguards Richard Madden. Release date: May 24 Godzilla: King of the Monsters Godzilla II: King Of The Monsters - Trailer 2 What we know: Godzilla and Mothra, its rumoured, will take down Rodan and King Ghidorah. This sequel to the 2014 reboot also has a big part for Millie Bobby Brown aka Stranger Things Eleven. Brown a 14-year-old Brit, with cockamamie hair and almost jaded eyes is an acting titan. She and the monsters should be a perfect fit. Release date: May 31 The Woman in the Window Amy Adams / Getty Images What we know: Nothing to do with the Fritz Lang noir. Its Joe Wright, directing Amy Adams, Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman in a thriller about an agoraphobic child psychologist, from a script by Tracy Letts. Sounds like the classiest project in all of Classy Town. Release date: September 27 The Goldfinch Nicole Kidman / AFP/Getty Images What we know: Warning all Finchheads! A major character in Donna Tartts Pulitzer-winning 864-page novel is the heros single mum (killed in a Met Museum explosion). Yet she barely figures in the publicity for this adaptation. On the plus side, writer Peter Straughan did a brilliant job with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Irish director John Crowley (Brooklyn) is the opposite of a hack; and Nicole Kidman will play mercurial NY socialite Mrs Barbour. Fingers crossed that the essence of Tartts beautiful thing has not been lost. Release date: Oct 11 Star Wars: Episode IX Lupita Nyong'o / Getty Images for Breakthrough Pr What we know: It was meant to be dominated by General Leia and released in May. So much about Episode 9 has failed to go according to plan. Still, with JJ Abrams finishing the trilogy he started, were in safe hands (no offence to Colin The Book of Henry Trevorrow, but the thought of him taking over gave us the willies). One last thing: where does Matt Smith fit into all this? The Doctor entering the Star Wars universe Its a sci-fi brain-squeezer. A British woman has appeared in court accused of murdering her toddler twins. Samantha Ford is accused of killing her two 23-month-old twins Jake and Chloe on December 26. The 37-year-old was in Canterbury Magistrates' Court on Saturday charged with two counts of murder. Ford was taken to hospital after a car crash on Thursday, which prompted police to go to her home in Margate. Police found the dead children at the house. Her appearance in court on Saturday comes as her husband Steven posted a heartbreaking tribute to his children on social media. Posting a picture of the twins, he wrote: "Daddy's twins. My beautiful babies, I love you." Just three days before Jake and Chloe were found dead, Mr Ford also posted a picture of him with his daughter. "Snuggling with my fave girl," he wrote alongside the hashtag #myworld. A Labour MP convicted for perverting the course of justice has said she intends to stay in the House of Commons, despite facing a possible jail sentence. Fiona Onasanya was suspended by Labour after being found guilty at the Old Bailey earlier this month and the party said in a statement that she should quit as MP for Peterborough. But writing in the Peterborough Telegraph, she said constituents should "rest assured" that she would remain their representative fighting injustice in the corridors of power. Under parliamentary rules, Ms Onasanya would lose her seat in the Commons only if she is jailed for 12 months or more at her sentencing, expected next month. In the article - headlined "I will continue to fight against injustices" - Ms Onasanya made no mention of her December 19 conviction for lying to police to avoid a speeding charge. Instead, the 35-year-old solicitor provided a recap of her involvement in events at Westminster over the past year, including battles over Brexit, Universal Credit and austerity, as well as local controversies about working conditions at an Amazon warehouse and the planned closure of a tax office. "It's an honour to be your voice for change over an incredibly consequential period of British politics," said Ms Onasanya. And she pledged: "While it has been a successful year fighting back against these injustices, there is still much more to be done, and you can rest assured that I will continue to do so as your representative in the corridors of power." The paper's editor, Mark Edwards, said he had been asked why the Telegraph was continuing to print Ms Onasanya's regular column following her conviction. "While she is still the MP - and therefore the elected representative - we believe it would be wrong to deny our readers the chance to read what she has submitted," he said. "To censor the column would, in my view, be wrong, and in my experience our readers are quite capable of making their own minds up about the columns submitted by local politicians." Shortly after her conviction, Ms Onasanya compared her position to that of Biblical figures Joseph, Moses and Daniel who "were each found guilty by the courts of their day". And in a WhatsApp message to Labour colleagues she added that Jesus "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". If she does resign or lose her seat, Labour will face a tough fight to hold on to Peterborough, which it seized from the Tories by a wafer-thin margin of 607 in 2017. O ne of Parliament's most prominent supporters of Brexit has been knighted in the New Year's Honours list. Tory MP John Redwood was one of the Eurosceptic cabinet ministers branded "b*******" by John Major as he fought to ratify the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. He has continued to fly the anti-EU banner in the Commons ever since. Mr Redwood is among three MPs to be awarded knighthoods, alongside Conservative former minister Gary Streeter and Labour's deputy chief whip Alan Campbell. New Year Honours 2019 - In Pictures 1 /25 New Year Honours 2019 - In Pictures England manager Gareth Southgate receives an OBE PA English fashion model and sixties icon Twiggy receives a damehood Getty Images British actress Sophie Okonedo has her OBE upgraded to CBE AFP/Getty Images Harry Kane receives an MBE PA British director Christopher Nolan AFP/Getty Images Actress Thandi Newton Getty Images Geraint Thomas receives an OBE PA Former England captain Alastair Cook receives a knighthood PA John Redwood receives a knighthood AFP/Getty Images Daphne Selfe Dave Benett Virtuoso violinist Nicola Benedetti, Getty Images Bunny Christie who has been awarded an OBE for services to Theatre PA artist Gillian Wearing who has been awarded a CBE for services to Art PA Dr Helen Pankhurst who has been awarded a CBE for services to Gender Equality PA Margaret Atwood who has been made a companion of honour for services to literature PA Vernon Unsworth receives an MBE for his part in the Thai cave rescue AP Connor Roe receives an MBE for his part in the Thai cave rescue PA Rick Stanton from the British Cave Rescue Team who has been awarded an MBE for the Thai cave rescue in the New Year Honours list. PA (left to right) Josh Bratchley (OBE for services to cave diving overseas), Jason Mallinson (Queen's Gallantry Medal) and Chris Jewell (Queen's Gallantry Medal). PA John Volanthen from the British Cave Rescue Team who has been awarded a George Medal for the Thai cave rescue. PA Chris Packham who receives a CBE BBC/Pete Dadds Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason receives a CBE AFP/Getty Images Michael Palin receives a knighthood PA Jim Carter receives an OBE Dave Benett Philip Pullman who has been awarded a knighthood for services to literature PA With the crunch vote on Theresa May's EU withdrawal agreement due within the next three weeks, Westminster has been buzzing with speculation that honours may be deployed as a means of luring MPs to back the PM. In an apparent bid to reassure supporters that he will not be swayed by his gong, Mr Redwood published a blog just days ahead of the announcement of his honour outlining "eight things wrong with the withdrawal agreement". Mr Streeter, who backed Remain in the 2016 referendum, has already made clear that he supports the Mrs Mays deal. A banker and academic, Mr Redwood headed the 10 Downing Street policy unit under Margaret Thatcher between 1982 and 1987, where he championed privatisation. John Redwood began his career as an MP under Margaret Thatcher / PA Wire/PA Images He entered Parliament as MP for Wokingham in 1987 and rose to cabinet rank in 1993 as Wales secretary, where his most memorable moment came when he attempted to mime the Welsh national anthem despite clearly not knowing the words. His clash with Mr Major over Europe came to a head in 1995 when the prime minister called on his critics to "put up or shut up" and resigned to permit a leadership contest. Mr Redwood stood against him but received only 89 votes to Mr Major's 219. After being defeated in a second bid for the leadership in 1997, he returned to the Tory frontbenches from 1997 to 2005 under William Hague and Michael Howard. An early supporter of an in-out referendum on Europe, Mr Redwood has argued for a clean break from the EU since the 2016 Brexit vote. The 67-year-old investment strategist said he saw his knighthood as "a great honour". Alongside his political work, he is a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford University, and has supported the children's charity, Variety. Tory MP Gary Streeter has been awarded a knighthood / PA Fellow Tory MP Mr Streeter, 63, entered Parliament in 1992 as MP for Plymouth Sutton and has represented South West Devon since 1997. A solicitor by profession, he was a junior minister in the Lord Chancellor's department in the final years of the Major administration before serving as Mr Hague's shadow international development secretary from 1998 to 2001. He is also a committed Christian and said he hoped his honour recognised his work over the past 10 years as chairman of the all-party group on Christians in Parliament as well as mentoring new MPs after their arrival at Westminster. "I am deeply honoured," Mr Streeter said. "As far as I am concerned, I want to dedicate the award to my wife and family for supporting me through the last quarter of a century at Westminster, which has involved sacrifice on their part." A history teacher before entering politics, Labour MP Mr Campbell, 61, has represented Tynemouth since 1997. Labour MP Alan Campbell has also been awarded a knighthood in the New Year's Honours List / PA He served as a whip in Tony Blair's government and was a minister in the Home Office for two years under Gordon Brown. He was appointed opposition deputy chief whip by Ed Miliband in 2010 and remains in that position under Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Campbell said: "It is a great honour to receive this award. My first priority has always been and still is my constituency and that includes issues around the regeneration of seaside and coastal towns. "If this award is a recognition of that, then that is great. "I think it also recognises my work in government and in opposition. I have been deputy chief whip for the last eight years and these have been pretty turbulent times for our politics. Whitehall honours also included a knighthood for Roy Stone after more than 40 years in the civil service under seven prime ministers and a CBE for deputy principal private secretary to Prime Minister Theresa May, William Macfarlane. H ome secretary Sajid Javid has spoken out on the English Channel migrant crisis, saying it's "vital" to "strike a balance between protecting them and protecting our borders". It comes after Mr Javid cut short his family holiday to deal with the major incident of rising numbers of migrants attempting to cross the Channel by boat. In a statement, Mr Javid said on Saturday: "The situation in the Channel is of grave concern, with people gambling their lives in reckless attempts to reach the UK in unsafe boats and treacherous conditions. "It is vital we strike a balance between protecting them and protecting our borders, ensuring we do not encourage more people to make this dangerous journey. Border Force officers on patrol in Dover on Saturday / Victoria Jones/PA "We have been working closely with our domestic partners and the French for some time to address this issue." Two boats carrying 12 men from Syria and Iran were brought to shore on Friday, just days after 40 migrants attempted the crossing on Christmas Day. Mr Javid, who was appointed home secretary in April, added: "After a rise in activity over Christmas, I immediately stepped this up, declaring a major incident and returning to the UK to drive our continued and enhanced response. "I continue to keep the number of Border Force cutters in the Channel under close review, but there is no one easy answer to this complex problem. T he Government has spent more than 100 million on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Department for Transport has signed contracts with France's Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and the UK's Seaborne to ease pressure on Dover should Britain leave without a deal. The additional crossings are understood to be the equivalent to around 10% of the current traffic on the Dover Strait and will see ports in Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe used. The BBC reported the value of the contracts is 107.7 million - 47.3 million to DFDS, 46.6 million to Brittany Ferries and 13.8 to Seaborne Freight. More than 100 million has been spent on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit / PA A spokesman for the DfT said: "This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transport's no-deal Brexit planning. "While remaining committed to working to ensure a deal is reached successfully, the department is helping ensure the rest of Government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes." The report into Government spending comes one day after the most senior police officer in the country warned that a no-deal Brexit could put the British public at risk. Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick said there would be consequences if the UK suddenly has no access to systems including the EU's policing and security databases. Asked about a no-deal Brexit, she said the UK works closely with the bloc at the moment and it would be very difficult to replace that in the short term, "no doubt" posing a risk to public safety. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The consequences are that we will have to replace - and of course if there was a no-deal scenario that would be very difficult to do in short term - some of the things we currently use in terms of access to databases, the way in which we can quickly arrest and extradite people, these kind of things, we will have to replace as effectively as we can. "That will be more costly undoubtedly, slower undoubtedly, and potentially yes put the public at risk - no doubt about that." Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted her Brexit deal protects security but MPs have raised concerns over the level of UK access to European security measures. A man sparked a major security alert at Germany's Hannover Airport after he broke into an airfield and pursued a plane which had just landed. The man forced open a locked gate and drove onto the airfield, coming to a halt under an Aegean Airlines plane which had just landed from Athens. Hannover Police chased the vehicle until it stopped underneath the plane, which had 172 passengers on board. The force said officers then "overpowered" the driver and arrested him. The man, in his mid-20s, was driving a silver BMW with Polish licence plates. Police said he tested positive for amphetamines and cocaine. An armed police officer at Hannover Airport on Saturday after a security incident resulted in flights being suspended / Clemens Heidrich/AFP/Getty Images Officers said the man's motive was unclear. There was no indication he had an extremist history, or that the incident was terror-related. It's thought he acted alone. The security scare forced flights to be suspended for four hours on Saturday night as bomb disposal experts examined the car, which police described as a routine measure. Passengers wait at the airport on Saturday / Clemens Heidrich/AFP/Getty Images It was found not to have any "dangerous items", with flights eventually resuming just after 8pm local time. Take-offs as well as landings had been suspended while the incident was investigated, though the airport's terminals remained open. No one was hurt in the drama. Police were considering whether to have the man taken before a judge on Sunday. His identity remains unknown. A hero police diver smashed through ice on a frozen lake to rescue a stray puppy and has since adopted the animal. Officer Burak Okten swam 150 metres across the Bostanici Goleti lake in Turkey to rescue the puppy from the freezing water. He smashed through the ice with his bare arms to reach the dog and carried it to shore. Dramatic video shows him hitting the ice and then cradling the puppy in his arms as he brings it to safety. The police diver has adopted the puppy / BBC News Mr Okten, who was hailed for his bravery, said: It was hard to reach the dog. It was a tough swim but well worth it as I am happy to save the animal. The puppy was clinging to life when it was rescued but made a swift recovery over the next two days. After announcing his decision to adopt the dog, he said: We had very little hope when she got out of the water. I didnt expect her to survive. I ncredible images show the construction of Chinas famous Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin. The annual festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and opens to members of the public on January 5. Temperatures in Harbin at this time of year drop to -35C, allowing the festival to stay open for around a month. The venue spans some 600,000 square metres and contains copies of famous world landmarks such as Romes Coliseum A Chinese worker takes a picture with his phone of ice sculptures he and others built in preparation for the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival / Getty Images Visitors will be able to see over 2,000 ice sculptures created by artists from all over the world. To celebrate its anniversary, the festival will present popular ice and snow landscapes from the past 20 years. Cranes are seen next to workers sculpting a giant snowman by the Songhua river in Harbin / Reuters It will also increase its number of slides from three to six. According to Xinhua, it took workers around 15 days to build the ice and snow theme park. Images show workers using ice picks to dislodge large blocks of ice that were then used to create the giant structures. Chinese laborers gather around ice sculptures as they work in preparation for the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival / Getty Images The blocks each weigh up to 700kg. In other images, labourers are seen installing lights into the blocks of ice to create the beautiful colourful buildings. The ice blocks each weigh up to 700kg / Getty Images According to Newsweek, around 10,000 labourers have worked on the project this year. P olice in the United States are hunting a violent dad after he went missing with his two young sons. Gennaro Passaro has not been seen since saying he was taking his sons Federico Passaro, 5, and Biagio Passaro, 6, to California. Police have issued an amber warning after the 49-year-old disappeared from Seattle with his two children. Mr Passaro, who police say may be driving a white van, has allegedly made threats of harm, has violent tendencies and is known to abuse substances, Kiro 7 reports. Federico Passaro and Biagio Passaro have been reported missing (Seattle Police ) / Seattle Police Police urged anyone who has seen Gennaro or his sons to call 911. Five-year-old Federico and his six-year-old brother Biagio have been described as being around 4ft tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. T he two-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died. The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced that Abdullah Hassan had died at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, where his father Ali Hassan brought him in the autumn for treatment for a genetic brain disorder. The boy and his father are American citizens, but his mother Shaima Swileh is not so she remained at their home in Egypt while fighting for a visa. Yemeni citizens are restricted from entering the United States under President Donald Trump's travel ban. She applied for a waiver in 2017, but US officials granted it only in December after the council sued. Ms Swileh held her son for the first time in hospital on December 19. Abdullah Hassan died at the Oakland hospital / AP Following their son's death, Mr Hassan said: "We are heartbroken. We had to say goodbye to our baby, the light of our lives." Citizens from Yemen and four other mostly Muslim countries, along with North Korea and Venezuela, are restricted from coming to the United States under President Donald Trump's travel ban. When the boy's health worsened, the father went ahead to California in October to get their son help, and Ms Swileh remained in Egypt hoping for a visa. As the couple fought for a waiver, doctors put Abdullah on life support. "My wife is calling me every day wanting to kiss and hold her son for the one last time," Mr Ali Hassan said at a news conference earlier this month Abdullah Hassan on life support at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland / CAIR/AFP/Getty Images He started losing hope and was considering taking his son off life support to end his suffering. Then a hospital social worker reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which sued on December 16, according to Basim Elkarra, executive director of the group in Sacramento The US state department granted Ms Swileh a waiver the next day. Saad Sweilem, a lawyer with the council who represents the family, said: "With their courage, this family has inspired our nation to confront the realities of Donald Trump's Muslim Ban. "In his short life, Abdullah has been a guiding light for all of us in the fight against xenophobia and family separation." I f anyone can do glamour in copious amounts its an A-lister - and this year saw a host of the biggest stars owning the red carpet, living it up at invite-only parties and award shows. With a first look in at every exclusive event, Dave Benett gave fans an enviable behind-the-scenes insight into all of the hottest events of 2018. The year kicked off with a bold controversial move from Stromzy, who shocked the nation after he used his Brit Awards slot to make a political statement on the Grenfell Tower tragedy. But it wasn't the only out-of-the-box idea the rapper had this year. Stormzy left fans stunned when he posted an invite to his birthday party online, giving a select number of fans the chance to jet out on a customised #MerkyAirways aircraft to celebrate his 25th birthday. Merky Airways: Stormzy took a handful of fans away for the lavish bash / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spo The lucky content winners were given the experience of a lifetime, with passengers on-board being treated to number of personalised Merky Airways goodies as they boarded, including sunglasses, T-shirts and headphones. As well as flying out fans for the occasion, he also invited celebrity pals Not3s, Krept and Konan, Lethal Bizzle and Mo the Comedian. It was also a busy year for the Beckham family who had their fair share of red carpet appearances as well as celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Victoria's line. Brilliant: Beckham appeared in the background without his mum realising / Dave Benett/Getty Images She partied with husband David at The Fashion Awards alongside Brooklyn, who clearly had other ideas about being there. The 19-year-old budding photographer was hilariously captured photobombing his mum as she sat poised and unaware next to American actress Brooke Shields at the event. Benett was on-hand to capture the priceless moment. The model, 44, jumped out of the makeshift sponge before performing a special tribute to the birthday boy. Surprise!: Kate Moss jumps out of a giant cake / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Cir The celebratory bash, hosted by Ciroc at MNKY HSE in Mayfair, attracted a wealth of famous faces including Naomi Campbell and Lindsay Lohan. Chungsgiving: Alexa Chung hosted the special event with friends (Dave Benet/Getty Images for ALE) / Dave Benett/Getty Images for ALE The dinner was inspired by Chung's years stateside - the presenter-turned-designer spent years as a New York resident - and was hosted in a private penthouse at London's Edition hotel. Chung entertained guests with a sing-along focusing on all-American classics: Frank Sinatra and Don McClean, as well as a few tracks from David Bowie's Young Americans album. Evening Standard appeal: Take That took to the stage in support of the charity event / Dave Benett/Getty Images Famous faces at the A-list event included Robin Hood star Taron Egerton, comedian David Walliams and actress and model Elizabeth Hurley. Police are investigating after an explosion displaced an ATM in Brasov on Friday night, informs the Brasov County Police Inspectorate. ''On 29 December, 2018, at 3:34 pm, the Police were informed that an explosion occurred in a banking unit in the Brasov district. The investigators found that the notifications were confirmed, the access door to a bank branch, as well as an ATM were displaced from the place where they were located," informs a press release sent on Saturday by the Brasov County Police Inspectorate. Police investigations are ongoing to determine precisely the circumstances under which the event occurred, as well as to identify the culprits. The Official Gazette published on Saturday the decree signed by President Klaus Iohannis on extending the mandate of General Nicolae Ciuca as Chief of Defence Staff for a year. The head of state warned on Friday, in a press release, that the delay in the publication of this decree "has serious consequences and draws the legal responsibility of all the people involved." "Immediately after the meeting of the Supreme Council for Country's Defence (CSAT), the Decree of the President of Romania no. 1331/2018, which extended the mandate of the Chief of the Defense Staff, was transmitted, under Law no. 202/1998, to the Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies, for publication in the Official Gazette of Romania. The Official Gazette of Romania is the official publication of the Romanian state, which publishes the documents provided by the Constitution, by Law no. 202/1998, as well as by other normative acts," the release of the Presidential Administration stated.At the end of the CSAT meeting on Friday, President Iohannis declared that he had signed the decree extending the mandate of General Nicolae Ciuca as Chief of Staff, adding that the proposal made by Defence Minister Gabriel Les was not approved."This proposal made by the minister of defence does not observe the rigors of the law. As a result, the CSAT did not approve the defence minister's request, a very unpleasant situation, which shows once again, if needed, that the PSD is not capable to handle the country's big problems. In this situation we have practically no valid proposal for the person who will take over the position of Chief of Staff of the Army. So, there is no proposal for the Chief of the Army. General Ciuca's term ends on 31 December. Romania cannot remain without the head of the Army. This situation generated by the PSD incompetence has to be resolved. After the CSAT meeting, we have solved it. I have made the decision, signed and sent for publication the decree extending the mandate of Army chief for General Ciuca," said Iohannis.He underscored that General Nicolae Ciuca is "a recognized, competent soldier with the most beautiful results". "It would have been better if this issue had found its solution faster, but I still believe that the Romanian Army needs to know who and how is commanding it," the president said.The minister of defence stated that his proposal for the Chief of Staff was General Dumitru Scarlat, representing Romania at NATO and the European Union. According to Les, the head of state allegedly told him in the CSAT meeting that he does not want "to move people around, that they are good where they are"."My proposals were rejected. He did not have arguments, only said they were not legal without saying why they are not legal. (...) The law says the extension proposal is also made by the minister of defence," added Les. UNP Kalutara District MP Lakshman Wijemanne said yesterday said he would take a serious political decision if he was not given a ministerial portfolio. He said it was unfair for UNPers like himself not to be given a ministerial portfolio. We have never left the party at times of trouble and defended both the party and the leadership and therefore it is unfair not to be given a ministry, he told Daily Mirror. Ministerial portfolios have been given to some who are junior to me. I asked the party leadership why they were given ministries leaving me out. They said it was done based on their performance. I dont understand what was meant by performance as those who were appointed as ministers have shouted in Parliament while I have managed to bring in more votes than they have done. I have been with the UNP from the time of President J. R. Jayewardene." he added. The MP said he would take a political decision which will be felt by the whole world. However, I am not going to reveal what I am going to do just yet, he said. Mr. Wijemanne was the second UNP MP to demand a ministerial portfolio while former Minister Palitha Range Bandara also expressed his displeasure at being overlooked. (Yohan Perera) Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran said yesterday that the Tamils voted for former minister Sarath Fonseka in 2010 and for President Maithripala Sirisena in 2015 not because they liked them but because they disliked the other presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said this at a function held to mark the death anniversary of former Batticaloa district TNA MP Joseph Pararajasingham who was gunned down in 2005 during the Christmas Day Midnight Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, in Batticaloa. Mr. Sumanthiran said Tamils do not want Mr. Rajapaksa to return to power. Jim CAREY While much of the western media is fretting over the decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from northern Syria there is another potential conflict brewing. This time, the trouble is, once again, coming from Ukraine, where NATO may end up getting the confrontation with Russia they so desire. Last month, the long-simmering tension between Russia and Ukraine came to a head when Ukrainian Navy ships entered the Sea of Azov heading towards the Kerch Strait. According to Moscow, this was a violation of Russias territorial waters and resulted in the Ukrainian ships being stopped by Russian vessels and 24 sailors being detained. Even though this event took place in late November and now it is almost January, the fate of the Ukrainian sailors seems settled with the denial of an appeal by five of the detainees by a Russian court this week. The court decided against the appeal of five of the sailors to end their time in custody and declared that they would be held by Russia until the end of January. Predictably, all 24 of the Ukrainian sailors didnt take the news of the failed appeal well as they have already been attempting to use their arrests as propaganda. The sailors legal team even doubled down on this after the ruling, with one of their Russian lawyers, Nikolai Polozov posting on Facebook that As of December 27, all 24 captured Ukrainian sailors told the investigation that they were prisoners of war. While it may seem surprising to hear a Russian lawyer say this, he is likely just reflecting his clients attitudes. This is also a reflection of the overall attitude of the Ukrainian government which now considers Russia stopping their vessels from violating their territory as an attack. In fact, following the last attack, Ukraine has done nothing but prepare for a future act of Russian aggression which they say is likely. The initial sign of this attitude was the fact that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared martial law following the incident in November to prepare the military for potential conflict (which likely didnt work) and, although he has called it off now, the military is now fully ready for a confrontation. This sentiment was voiced publicly as recently as this past holiday weekend when Vice Admiral Andriy Tarasov, chief of Ukraines naval staff told Kyiv post that Theres a war going on, initiated by Russiaand this war is raging at the sea too, since 2014. Whether we want and dont want to lay low at bases and offices; we have to fulfill our duties regarding the protection of our sovereign interests. And the sovereign interests of Ukraine apply to the Kerch Strait as well. Tarasov then went on to warn Russia that, should they attack again his country is fully entitled by international and Ukrainian law, to apply the rules of war to the situation as far as military responses go. Moscow, for their part, has called out this dangerous behavior by the military junta that still rules in Kiev since the Euromaidan coup in late 2013. Following these latest threats by Ukraine to respond to an attack that hasnt happened (and that there are no signs of) Russian officials have rightfully deemed this language as provocative. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said as much on the 24th when she told reporters that based on Kievs actions, it is quite possible Ukraine might switch to full-scale combat actions within the next few days. Most western media, of course, treated Zakharovas statement as the provocation yet this was at the same time that Kiev had ordered more troops to their border with Russia in preparation for a potential clash. As of right now, Kiev and Moscow are currently in a standoff and it is unclear which side (probably Ukraine) if any, is going to make the first actual military move but the two countries are continuing to fight in the economic sphere (as has always been the case). Russia has already expanded their sanctions on Ukraine freezing the assets of 68 Ukrainian companies and over 300 individuals. There are also elections in Ukraine next year and these further sanctions, on top of the rampant government corruption, are likely to make things hard for Poroshenko who already has lost the support of over 50% of Ukrainians according to some polls. With election prospects like these, Poroshenko may be looking to make a grand gesture to drum up support among voters. While an attack by Ukraine on Russia would presumably need NATO support before going forward, Poroshenko may be getting desperate enough to skip that step. geopoliticsalert.com It is easy to imagine ridiculous young President Emmanuel Macron of France as his fellow-free trading liberal King Louis XVI. Macrons extraordinary pretensions to dignity and being a king far from elevating him have stripped him of all the bogus credibility that the corrupt, servile and stupid mainstream media of Europe and the United States tried to give him. Far from raising the embattled Fifth Republic to new heights of achievement and success, it is already clear that Le Jeune Macron is destroying it. The contrast with the founder of the Republic, the great and truly regal Charles de Gaulle could not be greater. The 1.96 meters tall De Gaulle towered over his nation in many ways. Twice he was his countrys literal savior: First as the leader of the Free French Resistance against the Nazis and as President of France from 1944 to 1946. And then returning to power in 1958, De Gaulle saved his nation from disintegration and civil war. He ended the long ferocious conflict in Algeria, survived at least six assassination plots on his life and rebuilt his nation into the most powerful and prosperous state in Western Europe. He also defied the United States repeatedly, courageously criticized US conduct of the Vietnam War and built a lasting relationship of friendship and understanding with the Soviet Union. Macron is physically not a small man, standing at 1.78 meters: He only acts and looks that way. Only a year into office, it is now irreversibly clear that young Macron is fated to make a mockery of every great achievement of De Gaulle, Le Vieux, including the Fifth Republic itself. Ridiculous young Macron has inflicted ruinous new hardships on the long-suffering French people in the name of his global financial masters. He has loyally proved to be Washingtons poodle in petty-minded and destructive attempts to impose yet more economic sanctions on Russia. Far from withdrawing France from needless ruinous wars in the Arab and Muslim worlds as Le Grand Charles did in Algeria, Macron continues to eagerly support and promote the disastrous Western interventions in Syria and Libya. The true parallel to Macron is not De Gaulle, who restored the wealth, stability, dignity and pride of his nation but of the hapless, witless, very internationalist and liberal King Louis XVI, last monarch of LAncien Regime. Like Macron Louis was an eager, arrogant and idiotic young technocrat. Like Macron, he was an internationalist revolutionary and a free trader. He supported the American colonies in their successful revolution against the British Empire. It never occurred to Louis, just as it never occurred to Macron, or his predecessors Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande that supporting revolutionary wars thousands of miles away could ever come back to haunt them at home. But that is exactly what happened. The collapse of ordered societies in Syria and Libya unleashed of millions of immigrants into France and other European nations with dire social consequences. Louis suffered blowback too. American revolutionary Benjamin Franklin set up underground societies in France that within a decade toppled the most powerful kingdom in Europe. Far from being the reactionary he has been caricatured as for more than 200 years, King Louis was one of the leading fashionable liberals and technocrats of his time. He especially revered English free-market economist Adam Smith, whose book The Wealth of Nations was published in 1776 (the same year as the American Revolution). So only a decade later, Louis fatefully signed his own 1786 Eden Free Trade Treaty with neighboring Britain. As I noted in my own 2012 economic history That Should Still Be Us, the treaty proved to be a catastrophe: Cheap industrialized goods from the more advanced British economy flooded into France while the British cannily retained barriers of their own against French agricultural and other exports. The French economy collapsed. Millions of people were thrown out of work. They and their families starved. Within three years the Great Revolution had exploded and the monarchy was toppled. Louis, like Macron today, was convinced his advanced economic theories were more important than petty human suffering. It took the French Revolution and the loss, first of his crown and then of his own head to teach him otherwise. Like Louis, Macron has shown no understanding or sympathy for the sufferings of ordinary people crushed beneath his absurd, unnecessary policies. Like Louis, his mask of liberalism and civilized compassion vanished as soon as his own people dared to disagree with him. Like Louis his only answer now is repression. Like Louis, he does not have a clue. The Yellow Vest protestors are not going away. The French people are heartedly sick and tired of the 50- percent real unemployment, wide open immigration borders, slashed welfare programs and breakdown of law and order that Macron and the European Union elite has foisted on them., The Latest French Revolution is not over: it is only beginning. Macron has ignored the ominous lessons of history. Now he is doomed to repeat them. Photo: Flickr In the aftershock of US President Donald Trumps bombshell decision to pull American troops out of Syria and to draw down US forces in Afghanistan, plus the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis and Brett McGurk, the Special Envoy to the anti-ISIS Coalition [sic: never mind who created ISIS in the first place ], we are already seeing progress. The Syrian flag has been raised over Manbij as the Kurds scramble for protection from Damascus against threatening Turkish forces. Were not out of the woods yet though. Given the orgy of shrieking and caterwauling, the horrifying collective scream emanating from Washington, a pushback from the Deep State and the bipartisan Washington establishment is inevitable and possibly imminent. A false flag chemical attack blamed on the Syrian government but perpetrated by the jihadists (and likely cooked up with assistance from the British MI6) remains a looming danger. Also unpredictable is the next move by Israel, whose jets operating in Lebanese airspace struck targets near Damascus following Trumps withdrawal order. In turn, Syria and Russia responded by considering extension of air protection to Lebanon and declaring that future Israeli strikes on Syria will prompt counterattacks on targets inside Israel. The danger of escalation should not be underestimated. But the big worry remains Ukraine. Given the more than two-year long Russiagate witch hunt, the most toxic smear against Trumps Syria withdrawal is that its a big gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin. As shown by the unanimous western response to the November Kerch Strait incident, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko knows he can do pretty much anything and any Russian response will be blamed on Russia. Poroshenko has a menu of options. He can go back the well at the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, a tempting possibility if the British (who are at the root of Russiagate and are at least as desperate to prevent a Washington-Moscow detente than Poroshenko is) are dumb enough, or cynical enough (they dont call them Perfidious Albion for nothing), to risk the lives of sailors of Her Majestys Navy on a confrontational stunt where Moscow has an overwhelming preponderance of power. Likewise, Poroshenko could launch an attack on the Donbas. Kievs forces recently occupied most of the gray zone separating forces at the Minsk agreement ceasefire line. There are also concerns over reports of chemicals stockpiled at Mariupol (hey, if a chemical provocation works in Syria, why not Ukraine?). But the most likely proximate avenue for Poroshenko may be an attack on the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is an autonomous (self-governing) part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Following what some are already calling the Robber Council of Kiev on December 15, which purported to create an autocephalous (independent) church headed by Metropolitan Epiphany (Dumenko) from a merger of schismatic groups, Poroshenko and the Ukrainian parliament are moving with alacrity to strip the canonical Church of its legal status and turn its property over to Dumenkos bogus church (which actually isnt independent at all but is subject to the Patriarchate of Constantinople). Lists of monasteries for seizure are being prepared. Canonical clergy are investigated and harassed by the SBU, Ukraines successor to the old Soviet KGB. Any resistance or disorders these actions will provoke are already being blamed in advance on you guessed it Putin and the canonical Church. Where is the US government, that great proponent of human rights and religious freedom? Cheering it on of course. On the day of the Robber Council, the US Embassy in Kiev tweeted out its congratulations in English and in Ukrainian (not in Russian of course, the language of Untermenschen). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo placed a personal call to Dumenko as the newly elected head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Metropolitan Epifaniy. US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch extended her congratulations to Dumenko in person. When the trouble starts, theres no mystery as to on whose side the US government, or at least the State Department, will come down. One might well ask why? Aside from the obvious impropriety of the United States taking sides in a question of the Orthodox Churchs internal governance, why is the State Department so committed to promoting a transparently political power grab by Poroshenko, the schismatics, and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople? The short answer is that it is strictly geopolitics. From the point of view of the State Department, the Russian Orthodox Church and hence the canonical autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church is nothing more than an instrument of the Kremlins soft power. According to one person rather new to the relevant issues but nonetheless considered authoritative by the State Department: The Church, for its part, acts as the Russian state's soft power arm, exerting its authority in ways that assist the Kremlin in spreading Russian influence both in Russia's immediate neighborhood as well as around the globe. The Kremlin assists the Church, as well, working to increase its reach. Vladimir Yakunin, one of Putin's inner circle and a devout member of the ROC, facilitated in 2007 the reconciliation of the ROC with the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (which had separated itself from the Moscow Patriarchate early in the Soviet era so as not to be co-opted by the new Bolshevik state), which reconciliation greatly increased [Patriarch of Moscow] Kirill's influence and authority outside of Russia. Putin, praising this event, noted the interrelation of the growth of ROC authority abroad with his own international goals: The revival of the church unity is a crucial condition for revival of lost unity of the whole 'Russian world', which has always had the Orthodox faith as one of its foundations. Hence, weaken Russian state's soft power arm, weaken the Russian state. But unfortunately there is even more to it than that. The authors of the current US anti-Russia, anti-Orthodox Church policy know, or at least instinctively sense, that the revival of Russias Church-State symphonia after a hiatus of eight decades is not just a political alliance of convenience but is the source of deep spiritual, moral, and social strength. This is reflected, for example, in Putins warm remarks on the dedication of a Moscow monument to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the acknowledged godfather of Russias restoration as a Christian country, on the centenary of the writers birth. In Russias reborn symphonia, President and Patriarch speak as one: At the height of the Cold War, it was common for American conservatives to label the officially atheist Soviet Union a godless nation. More than two decades on, history has come full circle, as the Kremlin and its allies in the Russian Orthodox Church hurl the same allegation at the West. Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, including Christian values, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a recent keynote speech. Policies are being pursued that place on the same level a multi-child family and a same-sex partnership, a faith in God and a belief in Satan. This is the path to degradation. [ . . . ] Mr. Putins views of the West were echoed this month by Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow, the leader of the Orthodox Church, who accused Western countries of engaging in the spiritual disarmament of their people. In particular, Patriarch Kirill criticized laws in several European countries that prevent believers from displaying religious symbols, including crosses on necklaces, at work. The general political direction of the [Western political] elite bears, without doubt, an anti-Christian and anti-religious character, the patriarch said in comments aired on state-controlled television. We have been through an epoch of atheism, and we know what it is to live without God, Patriarch Kirill said. We want to shout to the whole world, Stop! [Who's 'godless' now? Russia says it's U.S.: Putin seizes on issue of traditional values, by Marc Bennetts, The Washington Times, January 28, 2014] Such sentiments can hardly sit well with Western elites for whom the same-sex partnerships decried by Putin (and placed by him on a moral level with belief in Satan) are esteemed as a mark of social enlightenment. Thats why an inseparable part of the European choice the people of Ukraine supposedly made during the 2014 Revolution of Dignity is wholesale acceptance of European values, including the kind of Pride symbolized by LGBT marches organized over Christian objections in Orthodox cities like Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Kiev, Odessa, Podgorica, Sofia, and Tbilisi. (Note that after the march in Odessa in August of this year a priest of the canonical Church targeted by Poroshenko cleansed the street with Holy Water.) It is hard to assess exactly how significant the moral/sexual component of undermining Orthodoxy in Ukraine is, but there is no denying it is a factor. There is a curious consistency between advocacy for non-traditional, post-Christian sexual morality and support for the schismatic pseudo-Church sponsored by Poroshenko and Patriarch Bartholomew. To start with, the relevant US government officials cheering the church schismatics are also up-front and visible in Ukraine in their advocacy of the LGBT agenda. The US Embassy Kiev website displays Pompeos declaration on behalf of all Americans that The United States joins people around the world in celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride Month, and reaffirms its commitment to protecting and defending the human rights of all, including LGBTI persons. As of this writing, the press release describing the Secretarys call to Metropolitan Dumenko appears just below the Pride Month message. Ambassador Yovanovitch has really gone the extra mile literally. Not only did she tweet out her Pride message, she also participated in the parade (and took 60 Embassy personnel and family members with her!) proudly marching behind the American flag. Your tax dollars at work! (Must watch video posted by HromadskeUA, an independent Ukrainian media outlet reportedly funded by, among others, the US Embassy, the Canadian Embassy, and George Soross International Renaissance Foundation, though the cited HromadskeUA financial reports no longer seem to be available.) Both Yovanovitchs remarks in the video and the posted text draw an explicit connection between the freedom of the 2014 regime change and the new sexual morality (Google autotranslation from Ukrainian): The atmosphere is wonderful. It is important for us because we maintain equal rights. In 2014, people in Ukraine were in favor of freedom, and this is an organic continuation US Ambassador Marie Yovanovich goes to the March of Equality Column. With her together with about 60 representatives of the American embassy. The locals were quick to make the same connection. KyivPride, a local LGBT advocacy group supported by (surprise, surprise) the US Embassy, the Canadian government, the German embassy, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Freedom House were quick to hail creation of the new pseudo-church, no doubt reflecting the deep piety of the groups members. As posted by OrthoChristian.com, The organization posted a message on several platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, reading: KyivPride congratulates all LGBTI Orthodox believers on the formation of a united and independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church and reminds everyone that love does no harm to others! Also remember that article 35 of the constitution of Ukraine states: Everyone has the right to freedom of personal philosophy and religion. This right includes the freedom to profess or not to profess any religion. Human rights above all! Last but certainly not least is the involvement of certain fringe elements in the Orthodox Church itself, plus at least one not-so-fringe element. As this analyst warned months ago the Ukrainian church crisis seemingly facilitates the anti-Christian moral agenda of certain marginal Orthodox voices like Orthodoxy in Dialogue, Fordham Universitys Orthodox Christian Studies Center, and The Wheel. As Anatoly Karlin points out, many of the biggest supporters of Ukrainian autocephaly in the West are for all intents and purposes SJWs. The website Orthodoxy in Dialogue, for instance, wants Orthodoxy to get with the times and start sanctifying gay marriage: We pray for the day when we can meet our future partner in church, or bring our partner to church. We pray for the day when our lifelong, monogamous commitment to our partner can be blessed and sanctified in and by the Church. We pray for the day when we can explore as Church, without condemnation, how we Orthodox Christians can best live our life in Christ in the pursuit of holiness, chastity, and perfect love of God and neighbour. We pray for the day when our priests no longer travel around the world to condemn us and mock us and use us as a punching bag. We pray for the day when the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Christ ceases to be our loneliest closet. Sadly, Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon is anything but marginal. Considered one of the worlds most prominent Orthodox intellectuals, his titular see in Asia Minor has been devoid of Christians for many decades, a sad example of the rotten boroughs that make up the Patriarchate of Constantinople apart from its extravagant assertions of universal authority based on an imperial reality that died centuries ago. Metropolitan John is one of the foremost polemicists in asserting Constantinoples fictional claims over Ukraine in the lead-up to the Robber Council. Not surprisingly, there is reason to suppose Metropolitan John also shares the revisionists views on sexual morality. As this analyst was recently informed by a knowledgeable Church source: I have a friend who just came back from an academic conference in Greece. He told me about an incident at the council in Crete [i.e., presumably a reference to the abortive 2016 Eighth Ecumenical Council] where [Metropolitan John] Zizioulas had the doors closed and regaled the bishops about how they needed to support the LGBT agenda and gay marriage. How much is the [Ecumenical Patriarchate] pushing this agenda, albeit quietly? This report is not inconsistent with the Metropolitans public views. As one Orthodox blogger commented in 2015: Another example of gravely twisting the teachings of the Holy Fathers is [Metropolitan John] Zizioulass view on homosexuality, quoted by an Anglican publication (the Tablet): When I raise the question of homosexuality he claims that the Greek Church is traditionally flexible and non-Judgement on such issues (!!!), but is now becoming more puritanical due to Western Influence. So, after Zizioulas, the Orthodox tradition does not condemn homosexuality, but the condemnation of this sin would be a Protestant influence! What would the Ap. Paul, St. John Chrysostom and all the saints of the Orthodox Church would say about these serious and blasphemous statements? To sum up, we can expect the crisis in Ukraine to get worse, with malign geopolitical and moral agendas both making their mark. It is not easy to sort out which in the end may have the most deadly impact. It was recently noted that the Russian firm Yandex, which has been providing mapping services via the Internet since 2004, has been, for their satellite photos, blurring military and other sensitive sites in Turkey and Israel. This was odd because there are several major Internet firms (like Google) that have provided similar satellite image services longer than Yandex that have learned that blurring sensitive sites (at the request of the nation involved) does not work and only brings attention to a sensitive (usually military) site that can be seen minus the blur on several other commercial satellite image services. Most major nations have learned that the best you can do is keep a list of all commercial satellite firms and request that some sensitive sites only be made available at lower resolution. Thus a user would not have an easy time finding these sensitive sites unless they searched large areas at a lower resolution, a process that takes a lot more time. Another, more effective solutions is for the owning nation to simply put very sensitive sites underground, undercover (as in some shipyard facilities) or carefully camouflage them and check the effectiveness of your concealment efforts with your own photo satellites. Israel is known to use this method in some cases. But most major nations (with large militaries) use these methods and still find the lower resolution approach works for bases and other military facilities in combat zones. Even that does not help much now because Islamic terrorists have been using quadcopters equipped with high-resolution vidcams to get the latest details of combat zone bases. Meanwhile, there are still some nations that make the mistake of asking Google to help conceal something. There was an example in 2016 when Taiwan has asked Google to hide some new construction on Itu Aba Island. That activity was not much of a news item even though it was clearly visible on Google Earth. Taiwan was soon reminded that making that request has quite an opposite effect. Countries can request that Google not show classified military facilities but in making that request they point out where the classified operation is. So far, a lot of this stuff is just there for anyone to find. And Internet users find it. This is called "crowdsourcing" (where large numbers of people accomplish impressive feats of research or analysis because they can quickly mobilize and get to the task via the Internet). The U.S. military will not say that they appreciate the work done via crowdsourcing, but individual analysts and intelligence officials have made it known, unofficially, that crowdsourcing is another useful tool that unexpectedly came their way via the Internet. For Taiwan requesting that Google blur out or erase there new concrete structures (apparently for mounting air defense systems) simply provided more publicity for the construction effort that was completed by late 2015. Meanwhile, many nations simply build new military facilities in remote areas and remain quiet about it. The government and military intel community have the money and software chops to screen and analyze huge quantities of data on the Internet, both text and pictures but it can take a while to find new military facilities in remote areas. Thus despite all these resources, the intel behemoths continue to get overtaken by civilian amateurs. A large factor in this was the appearance of Google Earth and other commercial satellite photo sources. This revolutionized military intelligence and the way news on military affairs is developed and spread. Case in point was the details on the transformation of the Chinese armed forces, their activities in the South China Sea and usually unpublicized details of what North Korean, Iranian and other secretive military organizations are up to. China and North Korea have long been very secretive about military affairs. But the appearance of Google Earth (originally as Earth View) in 2005 changed everything. By putting so much satellite photography at the disposal of so many people, in such an easy-to-use fashion, unexpected discoveries were made. People soon discovered that if they had a high-speed Internet connection, they could use Google Earth to find satellite photos of all sorts of interesting stuff. This was especially true of the "Forbidden Kingdoms" (China, Russia, North Korea, and a few others). While the CIA and the military have had access to satellite photos of these countries since the 1960s, little of it was shown to the public. Now that so many people can examine these lower resolution, civilian satellite images many have gone over vast stretches of the Forbidden Kingdoms and found things that were newsworthy and never reported before. Things like new military bases, test sites for new weapons, and the new weapons themselves. The open discussion of these findings, most of them already known to the large national intel agencies, brought forth insights and analysis that was often superior to what the much smaller number of professional analysts were capable of. Another example of the wisdom of the crowd. Meanwhile, new problems have appeared because of how the Internet collects and makes available data with unforeseen military uses. This became news in mid-2018 when the U.S. Department of Defense banned all personnel in operational areas (usually overseas combat zones) from using commercial devices with GPS geolocation capability. This included cell phones and PSMs (Physiological Status Monitors) like Fitbit. What triggered this was the discovery that a social network for athletes called Strava had developed software that enabled anyone to track users wearing a Fitbit or other GPS enabled PSMs. Dedicated (often professional) athletes joined Strava to exchange PSM information and that led to Strava developing features that enabled user locations worldwide. Turns out that intelligence agencies had discovered Strava as well and reported that they could not only detect PSM users anywhere in the world but could often identify these users by name. Not surprisingly many intelligence and military personnel used their Fitbits while overseas, often while on secret missions. From January to July 2018 the extent and implications of this became quite clear. The intel agencies quickly (and quietly) ordered their personnel overseas (and often at home as well) to stop using PSMs that made their data accessible to public networks, even ones that were not open to the public. These could be hacked. Now there is a market for secure (encrypted) PSMs for military and intelligence personnel. Actually, work on that sort of thing has already been underway for some time as a project for monitoring the health of troops in real time. Then there is pattern analysis. You can track all manner of activity on the Internet and the intel agencies are often not the first to discover how to find and analyze this data to reveal secret operations. Instead, the intel agencies still depend on, whether they like it or not, the wisdom of the crowd to let them know. What the experts dont know the crows may discover first. A California Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is lowered to the ground by a CH-47F Chinook helicopter at the end of a ferry flight to a maintenance facility at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, California, July 10, 2018. The Black Hawk required maintenance while on a training mission in a remote area inaccessible by vehicles. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Crystal Housman) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller has erected a billboard sequence on State Highway 2. He completed installing the trio of billboards on Christmas Eve, in an attempt to remind everyone driving past that a National Government would have started construction on the proposed Tauranga Northern Link. Its unacceptable that it has been cancelled, says Todd, who is determined to add his weight to the Fix the Bloody Road campaign. The first of the three signs reads This road isn't very safe." The second reads "National was building a 4-lane highway here." The third sign completes the message: But Labour cancelled it." Im getting increasingly disappointed at the Governments deliberate misleading information on this road, says Todd. The facts are clear. The first stage of the Tauranga Northern Link, with seven kilometres of a four-lane bypass of Te Puna was budgeted, with tenders underway. This government has stopped it, now to be a replaced by a two-lane road which has no start date. Continuing the four-lane through to Katikati was an election promise, and based on our track record on the Tauranga Eastern Link, the community can be assured it would have been built. Its all about priorities. Our priority is to build roads once and build them right. Theirs is new sticks and wires in poor roads and calling them safe. The red and blue signs, in a paddock opposite Te Karaka Drive can be read from both directions. One of the worlds favourite American rock bands will meet Tauranga residents all the way, at whats been pegged as the regions hottest gig of the summer. Toto touches down in Tauranga on January 9 at Trustpower Baypark, supported by Jefferson Starship and Kiwi favourites, Dragon. Toto keyboardist and songwriter Steve Porcaro spoke to The Weekend Sun ahead of the coveted New Zealand tour, to fill us in on what the last few years have looked like for the group. Its been fantastic, says Steve. Theres definitely been this upward momentum with more people showing up to our concerts and the support for Africa has been crazy. Weve heard so many different versions of it. Its hysterical, and of course we love it, but were as baffled as everyone. Steve says the group has been enjoying life and creating new music, the most recent being their 40 Trips Around the Sun album. The album includes archived tracks, featuring Steve, his brothers late band members Jeff and Mike Porcaro along with new tracks written by current members David Paich, Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams. I feel like Im just getting going writing-wise, none of us think well be Justin Timberlake or Bruno Mars but Im really excited at what were going to be working on going ahead. As one of Totos founding members, Steve says its been great watching the band develop. He identifies their fourth studio album Toto IV as one of the groups greatest milestones. The stars just aligned really well during this album and we were making tracks like Rosanna which showed what the band was all about. That part of our career is something Ill always be really proud of. Steve says one of the bigger challenges however has been losing both of his brothers. Ive always been Jeffs little brother, I grew up that way until suddenly I became older than he ever was. Thats sometimes daunting, because he casts quite a shadow. Steve explains his relationship with his brothers as complex, particularly with Jeff. We were often at each others throats while we also loved each other deeply. He was one of my biggest fans but would never tell me that to my face. Until the day he died I would always call him when I had a demo to play for him and he would always be there within a half-hour. Nowadays Steve says the band is more relaxed. Its so much more fun. Were different people and theres this new level of confidence were bringing to these shows. You can really feel it. Steve says this renewed confidence coupled with the level of musicianship the band is bringing will be a recipe for one of the best parties in town. Tickets are available at: www.theticketfairy.com Despite a 27-year break from touring, Steve says hes fallen back into old routines easily. I was with the band from the very beginning until after the sixth album Farenheit. After this I was no longer an official member but I was still touring and working with the band on new music, just not at the same level of intensity. I took a 27-year break before I started touring again. Even though I was out of the band for a long time Ive jumped back into my old role easily. We appreciate each other a lot more now the band has been through a lot of ups and downs so we know when things are good to enjoy it and appreciate it. Life kicks your ass and weve all evolved because of it. Every day is an adventure, theres always some insanity that we laugh until we cry about. We live for the gig and no amount of money can pay for that. Were so looking forward to coming to New Zealand. We get so much love from this part of the world, yet we so rarely get to go there. The visit to New Zealand will be a first for Steve. I have never been to New Zealand. My first real gig was when I was 17, working with Gary Wright while he was touring for his album The Dream Weaver. This was in 1976 to 1977. When I left, the next place Gary went on tour was to New Zealand and Australia. After this Porcaro played with Boz Scaggs and similarly his departure from the touring band meant he missed another chance to visit the country. Then I was in Toto for a very large chunk of time, left and the very next place they went after that was Australia and New Zealand. Im finally getting the chance to come here and Im hoping to make some favourite spots while Im there. Steve says while the tour schedule hasnt been finalised yet, he still hopes to get around the Bay of Plenty and enjoy the region. Our fans are continually changing, thats the great thing. You see the same people as you saw in high school but then we also get a lot of them bringing their children. Its always very calculated Im not up there improvising, I love pulling off what happened on the records live, thats always been my thing in the band. I have fun, theres no rules. Bay of Plenty Have you got your Class 2 manual license and are looking to get your foot in the door of a well renowned company? Read on!he... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Syracuse, N.Y. -- Atlas Health Care Linen Services Co. has filed for reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, but the company says the jobs of its 307 employees in Syracuse and Buffalo are safe. Atlas, which does business as Clarus Linen Systems, filed Dec. 19 under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Law, the section of the law that allows a company to reorganize under the courts supervision while being protected from creditors. Atlas also filed notices with the state under the New York Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, warning that it may close it operations in Buffalo, Syracuse and Troy and lay off their staff. However, Ron Teplitsky, the companys chief restructuring officer, said only the Troy operation, which according to the WARN Act notice employs 10 people, will close. The Troy facility, at 3 East Industrial Parkway, is shutting down because it recently lost a major customer, he said. He said Atlas has no plans to close its Buffalo operation, which employs 146 people at 60 Grider St., or its Syracuse operation, which employs 161 people at 414 W. Taylor St. Both of those operations are doing well, he said. Teplitsky said the companys troubles stem primarily from the poor performance of its parent company Centerstone Linen Services operations in Georgia and South Carolina, which employ approximately 300 people. The Chapter 11 filing will facilitate the sale of those operations to a competitor, he said. Atlas provides linens and uniforms and laundry service for staff and patients of hospitals, care centers, physicians' offices and nursing homes. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A 25-year-old Jamesville man accused in a September murder has also been indicted for tampering with a witness, according to the Onondaga County District Attorneys Office. Amir Williams, 25, faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence and tampering with a witness in the third degree, according to assistant district attorney Shaun Chase. In addition, two other men are accused of being with Williams before and after the murder. Williams is accused of threatening to physically harm a witness if the witness did not falsely testify, Chase said. He was indicted on Dec. 19 and is set to be arraigned on Jan. 7, Chase said. Williams shot Zyree McMullen, 26, of Syracuse, on Sept. 14 in front of Yusuf Market, a convenience store on the 100 block of Davis Street, police said. McMullen later died at Upstate University Hospital from his injuries. Williams was arrested in Cleveland on Sept. 27. Two other men -- Jahlil Williams, 20, and Markell Suber, 19 -- are also accused of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence, Chase said. Each of the three men had the gun used to kill McMullen at various times after the murder and tried to destroy it, Chase said. They are also accused of being with Amir Williams before and after the shooting on Davis Street. The honoring of a citys New Years Baby has been a newspaper and television tradition for generations. It is a practice that may date back to as far as ancient Greece, when the people would celebrate the rebirth of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, with festivities including the placing of a newborn in a basket and parading the baby through town. While there were no parades in Syracuse, the local newspapers always made a fuss about the years first newborn at a local hospital. Reporters covered the New Years morning maternity wards like a sporting event or an election night, and gave readers all the necessary information, about how busy the night was, the number of boys born versus girls and how it stacked up to the past. A photo of mother and child often made the front page on January 2nd, though reporters usually gave the stork the credit. The stork hovered over Syracuse as the New Year made its bow and, in the first hours of 1940, delivered five babies at city hospitals, the Syracuse Herald reported on Jan. 2, 1940. Syracuses first baby that year was born at Syracuse Memorial Hospital, at 3:09 a.m., to Charles and Mary Klaven, followed by the next, at St. Josephs, exactly 33 minutes later. The stork was said to have made a poor showing in 1940, with only five deliveries. Here are some more stories about past Syracuse New Years babies. Mrs. Marvin Miller, of Parish, holds her newborn son, Kenneth, on New Year's Day 1954. The boy was the second child born in Syracuse that year. For the Millers the disappointment of being runners-up was nothing new. The couple's daughter was Syracuse's second child born the year before. Clipping taken from the Post-Standard, Jan. 2, 1954.Heritage Microfilm COINCIDENCES ABOUND IN 1954 The race to be Syracuses New Years Baby in 1954 was a slow one. It was not until 3:15 a.m. before little Brian Motz made his appearance at Memorial Hospital. St. Josephs Hospital, which averaged six to seven births on previous New Years Days, did not have a single baby born. Nor did Onondaga General. But the stork still had some fun with some strange coincidences. The father of the last baby born in 1953 and the first from 1954 were both engineers at General Electric. The parents of the second child born in Syracuse in 1954, Kenneth Lynn Miller, who hit the local scene at 7:54 a.m., were a little disappointed that he had missed out on being Number One, but they were used to it by now. Their daughter, Evelyn Lucille, was the second Syracuse baby born the year before. 1952S BABY GETS A HAUL Being the first baby born in Syracuse was a pretty good deal. The first baby, Karen Ruth Douglas, received $1,000 worth of gifts, including her very own bank account. Her mother received a rose each day she was in the hospital, while her proud father would appear on stage at the Eckel Theater at 9 p.m. on New Years Day where he would receive the rewards in a special ceremony, including a complete layette, a years worth of food and a $25 bond from Eckels manager, Henry Weiner. A tape recording of the program at the Eckel was made so that Karens mother could hear it at while in the hospital. More than 35 Syracuse merchants combined to give the 1952 Baby Syracuse a good start. In this clipping from the front page of the Jan. 1, 1955 Herald-Journal, Mrs. John King holds her newborn daughter, who was officially born just one second into the new year, beating the child on the right, by just 39 seconds. Heritage Microfilm SYRACUSE HAS A NATIONAL CONTENDER A baby girl born at Syracuses St. Marys Maternity Hospital on New Years Day 1955 for a brief time shared the national spotlight. The seven-pound, eight-ounce baby girl, born to Mr. and Mrs. John King of Fairmount, entered the world at 12:00:01, just one second into the new year. (She shared the honor with another baby girl, born at the exact same moment in Macon, Georgia.) The delivery was flawless, but the parents seemed to disagree over the naming of the child; Dad told a reporter the girl was named Theresa, Mom later told a photographer the baby was named Elizabeth. The reporter asked the father of seven, who worked as a carpenter, if he was concerned about missing out on a whole years tax exemption after his daughter was born just one second into the new year. With all the other children, it wouldnt have affected us anyway, he explained. Syracuse had a second child born in 1955s first minute. At Crouse-Irving Hospital, a son was born to Syracuse patrolman Arthur Mullet just 39 seconds after the King baby. TWINS WERE GIVEN THE CROWN There might have been a little bit on controversy around the crowing of 1930s New Years Baby in Syracuse. The Herald decided to go with the better story. Twin girls were born at 7 a.m. at Crouse-Irving Hospital, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. George Klamm of Bryant Avenue and the hospital declared they were the first children born in 1930 in Syracuse. But record keepers were inclined to believe that a child had been born at home before the twins. The Heralds reporter was left telling readers that nothing would be official until complete records were filed at the Bureau of Vital Statistics. On January 5, the paper declared the twins the winners. A SUBDUED 1942 New Years Day 1942 occurred less than a month following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entrance into World War II. The traditional celebrations were still held but they quieter. Syracuse gave a cold shoulder to 1941 last night and turned hopefully and more or less hilariously to 1942, The Syracuse Herald said. New Years Eve was celebrated as usual, but it was a somewhat more subdued celebration. The coverage of the citys New Years Baby was also subdued. A single sentence was used to say that a son, born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Morgan of Harrison Street, was this years winner. No photo was taken. BABY BOOM The post-World War II baby boom was truly on in 1948 with 18 babies born on the first day of the year. (Compare this to 1912, when a coy story delivered just one baby.) The uptick in births began the Syracuse newspapers tradition of giving the New Years Baby almost a sport-like quality. To make the event more interesting to readers, reporters used terms like derby or sweepstakes," and said that the local hospitals were competing for top honors, including first birth and most births. The Post-Standard kept a running tally for the entire day and noted how the year compared to the year before. Read More 1919: People of Syracuse watch the sun, wondering if its the end of the world 1929: A British Prime Minister makes a brief stop in Syracuse and the city goes bonkers 1939: In pursuit of love, not loot, Syracuses Jumping Burglar is finally caught This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or by calling him at (315) 427-3958. Scientists at the Uppsala University in Sweden has devised a new model of the universe that might finally solve the mystery of dark energy. The Mystery Of Dark Energy Back in the 90s, scientists discovered that the universe continues to expand. It was initially assumed that, at some point, the expansion will slow down. While the slowing down of the expansion was never actually observed, theoretically, gravity will pull matter together. Eventually, the expansion of the universe has to slow down. However, when the Hubble Space Telescope came along, scientists discovered that the expansion of the universe was not slowing down; it has been accelerating. The explanation was that space is not empty; it is made up of 68 percent dark energy that pushes the universe to continue expanding. To this day, dark energy remains to be the biggest mysteries of the universe. Scientists hoped that the string theory, which posits that all matter consists of vibrating string-like entities. The theory also implies additional spatial dimensions than the three that are visible. Several models have been presented that give rise to dark energy. However, researchers have come out to assert that none of these models are workable. The Universe On An Expanding Buble In An Extra Dimension So, Souvik Banerjee and his colleagues at the Uppsala University proposed a new model with dark energy. In the paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team claimed that the universe is riding on the edge of an expanding bubble within an extra dimension. The authors also demonstrated how the new model works within the framework of the string theory. "The whole Universe is accommodated on the edge of this expanding bubble," the researchers wrote in a news release. "All existing matter in the Universe corresponds to the ends of strings that extend out into the extra dimension." In addition, the new model opens up the possibility of the existence of other universes that also sit on their own bubbles. "It is conceivable that there are more bubbles than ours, corresponding to other universes," the researchers added. The scientists at Uppsala University hopes that their new model of the universe, which paints a different picture of its creation and its future, will pave the way for methods to test the string theory one day. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Netflix has officially banned paying subscription fees via in-app subscriptions on iOS. Now, new and existing customers are required to pay for the streaming service directly, a move that signals Netflix's decision to ditch Apple's payments ecosystem to reign in more profit. Through in-app subscriptions, the Cupertino brand receives a cut of sales. Netflix likely realized it can avoid this by forcing people to pay for subscriptions directly on Netflix's website, as it's done on any non-iOS device. VentureBeat was the first to report the change. Netflix has since confirmed it, stating that "we no longer support iTunes as a method of payment for new members." Subscribing To Netflix On iOS As mentioned, both new and existing users now have to begin a subscription through a web browser on iOS, such as the default Safari browser app. To be clear, people who already have an in-app Netflix subscription will be able to continue paying that way, provided they haven't missed any billing periods. Those who have missed a month will be unable to reactivate in-app subscriptions should they decide to pay for Netflix again they'll have to go to the browser and subscribe from there. From a user's perspective, paying for Netflix via an in-app subscription is a lot easier and hassle-free than going to the website. It offers a much more streamlined process, for one, and it uses the billing information already stored on one's Apple account. The change is most likely Netflix's response to Apple's infamously sizable cut of the profits for every sale made in its App Store. It's not clear how this will affect Netflix users, but the streaming service is clearly willing to sacrifice convenience if it means not letting Apple get away with taking a huge cut of every subscription. Apple Takes This Much From App Sales Developers have long complained about Apple's 30 percent cut of recurring in-app subscriptions on iOS. That drops to 15 percent, but only after customers maintain their subscription for a year. That means for a whole year, a developer only gets 70 percent of total profits. Netflix isn't the first to do something about this, though. Spotify has also disabled in-app subscriptions for similar reasons. It's just not Apple, either. Google has also received plenty of flack for taking a huge cut from in-app subscription sales. Netflix had stopped accepting in-app payments on Android a while ago, in fact. Fortnite, meanwhile, isn't even available on the store, which is perhaps Epic Games' way of maximizing profit on in-game items. It's not clear if Google or Apple will eventually relax their policies on subscription cuts. Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It's not rolling out for everyone just yet, but Android Messages just got a new feature that can save users the headache of having to deal with spam texts. Nobody likes spam texts, of course, so the new feature on Google's default messaging app is a godsend for many. Android Police was the first to report about the feature. The update seems to be on a limited rollout still since it's not live on every compatible device yet. Those who have received it report seeing a notification upon launching the app that announced the new setting. It reads, "To help protect against spam some data about your messages, but not any content, is sent to Google." Android Messages Gets Spam Protection Spam Protection is an opt-in feature, so users wary about sending data to Google can manually turn it off in the Settings menu. When it's enabled, however, Google claims it doesn't actually collect the content of messages or phone numbers. In that regard, this is different to spam reports manually sent to Google, which include the full message sent by the spammer. In some cases, a copy of the message may even be sent to the user's carrier. The company has yet to offer more information about the feature, such as how it works, when it's going to release it, and what kind of data Spam Protection collects. How Does It Work? Google's support page doesn't reveal the inner operations of Spam Protection, but presumably, the company uses software to statistically look at similarities between spam messages to accurately detect them. There might even be machine learning sprinkled in somewhere, who knows? It'll take real-world tests to determine whether the feature works well, however, so hopefully the feature rolls out sooner rather than later to a lot more users. Again, the new Spam Protection feature on Android Messages isn't mandatory. Those who are concerned about providing data to Google willy-nilly can turn it off if they wish. It's probably best to have it turned off at the moment, at least until Google properly explains how the feature works and what kind of data is involved in the process. Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more about Spam Protection. Have you received Spam Protection on your Android Messages app? Does it work as described? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below! 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Travelers who passed the Newark Liberty International Airport on Christmas eve might have been exposed to measles from a passenger from Brussels who was ill with the highly contagious illness. Measles Public Health Alert The New Jersey Department of Health is warning members of the public who were at the Newark Liberty International Airport on Christmas eve that they might have been exposed to measles through an ill traveler. The said traveler arrived at Terminal B on a flight from Brussels, and might have visited other parts of the airport as well. As such, anyone who was at the airport from noon to 4 p.m. may have been exposed to the illness, and New Jersey residents who are deemed as potentially exposed will be contacted by the health department. Furthermore, anyone who thinks they might have been exposed must immediately contact a health care provider before directly going to a clinic or emergency department. If exposed, a person could develop symptoms as late as Jan. 14. The case is unrelated to the ongoing measles outbreak in Ocean County where 30 cases have already been reported. Measles Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of the infected individual, and may be passed to other people when a person breathes in contaminated air or touches contaminated surfaces. Infected persons may spread the virus to others from four days before to four days after the rash develops. The virus can live for up to two hours in the airspace where the infected individual coughed or sneezed. It is so contagious that an infected person may pass it to 90 percent of the people close to them who are not immunized. As such, authorities are urging members of the public to get vaccinated against measles. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it protects others around you who are too young to get the vaccine or cant receive it for medical reasons. If youre planning an international trip, the World Health Organization recommends that adults or adolescents unsure of their immune status get a dose of measles vaccine before traveling, said state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nancy Grace Roman, one of the people credited for the creation of the Hubble Space Telescope, has passed away. She was 93 years old. The sad news was confirmed to the press by her cousin, Laura Verrau. She died on Christmas Day after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. A memorial service is currently being planned. Nancy Grace Roman: Paving The Way For Women in Astronomy Roman is an inspiration to many. She became the first chief of astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA HQ and the first woman to hold an executive position at the U.S. space agency. She is also often referred to as the "Mother of Hubble" due to her efforts to make the Hubble Space Telescope a reality and helping establish the new era of space-based astronomical instrumentation. However, as a woman in a male-dominated field, becoming an astronomer was a challenge. While her family was supportive of her aspirations, the people around her were not. In an interview, Roman recounted how a school counselor reacted when she asked permission to take the second year of algebra in high school instead of the fifth year of Latin. "She looked down her nose at me and sneered, 'What lady would take mathematics instead of Latin?'" she said. At university, her experience was not any better. She also shared how, while at Swarthmore College, the head of the physics department dissuaded her and women from going into physics. Then, at the University of Chicago, her thesis adviser refused to speak to her. She joined NASA in 1959 as the chief of astronomy. Throughout her time at the U.S. space agency, she was involved in several projects, including what would become the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman retired from NASA in 1969. However, she continued to serve as a contractor at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland for several years and, up to until her final days, she continued to encourage young women to pursue careers in science and engineering. NASA Administrator Pays Tribute To Nancy Grace Roman On Thursday, Dec. 28, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine issued a statement to honor Roman and her contribution to science. "The NASA family and the entire astronomical community are saddened by the news of Nancy Grace Roman's death," the statement reads. "She first became interested in the stars around 11 years old and her dedication and drive led her to the very top of her profession, deeply respected and admired by scientists around the world." 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Advocate will hold its first Economic Outlook Summit at 8 a.m. Tuesday where 14 Baton Rouge business and community leaders will provide a 2019 forecast for the south Louisiana economy. Tickets for the summit can be purchased at TheAdvocate.com/EconomicOutlook for $20, plus fees. The summit is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Entergy Louisiana, Home Bank and Beta Land Services. If you're unable to attend the summit, The Advocate is inviting readers to submit a question they have for the panel. The event will be shown live on theadvocate.com. Can't see the form below? Click here. GONZALES The appraisers have arrived on East Silverleaf Street in Gonzales, calculating pre-flood home values in one of the last major steps of a federal buyout program for the neighborhood that was built next to wetlands in the 1980s and that has flooded repeatedly ever since. The progress on the federal buyout of Silverleaf Street, which involves demolishing the homes and restoring the neighborhood to wetlands, has been steadily moving forward since it was begun in the spring of 2017. In an unexpected development this month, the state Restore Louisiana program assisting victims of the 2016 floods announced a new program to help residents living in especially flood-hazardous areas, if they're willing to relocate. But it's not time to break out the champagne yet. "As much as I know everybody wants to move, it has to be financially feasible for them. Everybody is anxiously awaiting an offer," Gonzales City Engineer Jackie Baumann said. "Every family is in their own financial situation with their own challenges," she said. Silverleaf residents a little closer to possible federal buyout of oft-flooded properties GONZALES The city's efforts to bring about a federal buyout of properties on flood-prone East Silverleaf Street got a boost recently when it By mid-December, 16 of the approximately 40 properties had been appraised by Axia Valuation, the Independence company awarded the project, Baumann said. The residents will learn of their appraisals all at the same time, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Emergency Watershed Protection Program. "No person can get an offer ahead of another person," Baumann said. "It will be several months before they get their offers, all together." Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Restore Louisiana program is expected to fill in the gap for the Silverleaf homeowners, up to $200,000, if the appraisal they get falls short of the current per-square-foot home market in Ascension Parish, Baumann said. "They can go anywhere in Louisiana, but the (per-square-foot) price is based on Ascension Parish," she said. The city, which has been aided by the Baton Rouge-based Center for Planning Excellence in the buyout process, is helping residents apply for the Restore Louisiana program. Much of the information the property owners will need has already been gathered for the buyout program. Meanwhile, it's been a time of limbo for the Silverleaf Street residents. Joe West, one of the first homeowners on Silverleaf, has fought flooding there for more than 30 years. After the flood of 2016 he used flood insurance money to restore his home, which took on 4 feet of water. "It's better than it was before," said West, who will turn 70 in February. West said he's got about a year left on his mortgage, so he'll have to pay that off with whatever money he may get from federal and state sources. "I can't make any decision until I know how much I can get from this" process, he said. Of the new Restore Louisiana program, West said, "Anything is helpful, if they can come in and help us." A state appeals court says the St. Charles Parish sheriff must turn over more documents related to his travel to North Dakota to observe protests over a pipeline owned by the company that's also building the controversial Bayou Bridge line in Louisiana. In 2016, Sheriff Greg Champagne was president of the National Sheriffs' Association and traveled to the Standing Rock reservation where demonstrators were protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Because the events provoked a large law enforcement response, Champagne said it was worthwhile for him to visit as president of the association, which paid for his two trips. The sheriff's office also sent four deputies to perform routine law enforcement duties and a pair of staffers to record video of clashes among protesters and law officers. The handful of deployments, which lasted a few days to a week at a time, went through the normal process by which agencies can share resources, as happens after a hurricane or other overwhelming event, Champagne said. The nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights filed a public records request seeking documents related to all the trips. Champagne's office sent about 60 pages of records, according to court filings, but the Center felt the sheriff withheld others. Among the items requested: documentation of Champagne's travel on the Sheriffs' Association's dime, full receipts of the deputies' expenditures rather than summaries and the videos taken during the protests. A district judge had sided with Champagne, but this week Louisiana's 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the sheriff's office to turn over more records. Judge dismisses suit seeking St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne's travel records A state judge dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday that accused St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne of refusing to release public records relat "The constitutional right of the public to access public records must be construed liberally in favor of free and unrestricted access to the records, and that access can be denied only when a law specifically and unequivocally provides otherwise. ... Whenever there is doubt as to whether the public has the right of access to certain records, the doubt must be resolved in favor of the publics right of access," wrote appellate judge Marc Johnson. The sheriff believes he was targeted and harassed because he was the head of the Sheriffs' Association during the Standing Rock protests and because he posted on Facebook that, having visited the site, he saw that some protesters were violent. After that post, he was "besieged" by records requests and threatening letters and phone calls, he said. Champagne had argued that since the Sheriffs' Association paid for his travel not taxpayers those expenses are not public records, but the appellate panel disagreed. The sheriff said his staff would look for the videos they took at Standing Rock, but they turned the recordings over to local law enforcement and he isn't sure if there are still any copies in St. Charles. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Champagne said his office would comply with the request to send over every gas station and hotel receipt, but "I think they're going to be very disappointed when they get those records." The Center for Constitutional Rights isn't looking for any specific evidence of wrongdoing; however, the refusal to release documents does raise questions, said attorney Pam Spees. "It's a public transparency issue," she said. "They didn't bother searching for (the videos of clashes between protesters and law enforcement.) ... Who knows what's in that footage?" Pipeline critics have long complained that law enforcement is too cozy with oil and gas companies. Spees said it's important to see Champagne's travel expenditures with the Sheriffs' Association because private security firms donate to the organization, including contractors who have done work with Energy Transfer Partners. ETP built the Dakota Access pipeline and is currently constructing Bayou Bridge to carry oil between Lake Charles and St. James. The company has said it hoped to be operational by the end of the year, but officials did not return a Friday message on the pipeline's current status. The Center for Constitutional Rights is one of several organizations fighting the pipeline in court. They recently represented landowners who sued the company for trespass, though a St. Martin Parish judge gave Bayou Bridge permission to seize the land and ordered they pay the landowners $450. Bayou Bridge Pipeline builders must pay $450 for trespassing; judge OKs land seizure After spending $750 million to construct an oil pipeline thats scheduled to open at the end of the month, the builders must spend another $45 Champagne wondered aloud if the anti-pipeline crowd was just looking for a win and decided to take him to court rather than work with his office to get the documents he said he'd be happy to provide. Spees remains skeptical of the sheriff's office's motivations. While her organization has a legal team to challenge agencies that don't provide public records, the average citizen probably doesn't have the time, means or know-how to do so, the attorney said. "They withheld (the documents) with no basis," Spees said. Timothy Gray hasnt been in Iraq for years, but his time in combat with the U.S. National Guard still affects him. His back and shoulder injuries make it hard to change positions, especially moving from sitting to standing but mostly he is overwhelmed by whats in his head. The night terrors. The anxiety. The panic that comes with a simple trip to the grocery store. For four years, Gray had his self-trained service dog at his side, helping him get through the daily aftermath of his time at war, but in October the dogs cancer left the Gonzales man alone. Its been rough without him, Gray said. Still to this day I see demons in my sleep. Its difficult but with the right support, it makes everything a lot easier. Can't see video below? Click here. And less than two months later, Gray found a surprising place the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to provide him with just the support he needs. There, a group of inmates is training rescue dogs to be service animals to help veterans like Gray deal with day-to-day activities like taking medication or navigating crowded rooms and handle the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injuries or other physical injuries. And it was there that Gray met Magnum, his new highly-trained service dog and companion. He is huge, Gray said, laughing as he crouched down to meet the large, black animal, who was a rescue. (He) gives me life back. Magnum, a black Labrador/mastiff mix, worked with an inmate for about a year, becoming trained in more than 30 obedience commands and seven tasks, some specific to the needs of Gray, said Maj. Keavin Tanner, who runs the service dog academy for the Department of Corrections. The dog is trained to wake Gray up if hes having a nightmare, intervene when it senses Gray is becoming anxious and be a brace for Gray when stands up. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Tanner, the prisons unofficial "dog whisperer," works at least once a week with the dogs and inmates, all of whom volunteered to be in the PAWS programs Prisoners Assisting Warriors Service. He said they slowly build on the progress the trainers make each week as they work and live with their dogs. Gray was the third veteran to receive a service dog from the program since it kicked off in July 2017. All the dogs come from the Department of Corrections PenPals program, a shelter for rescued animals at the Dixon Correctional Center in Jackson. The PAWS program operates solely on donations and volunteer work, with the support of the corrections department, but no state funding. Its a win-win, for the animal, for the inmate and for whoever ends up with the dog, said state Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc. Its a really unique opportunity for everyone. Stevenson Strogen is currently training Magnums brother Scott, and theyve already developed a unique bond, spending almost every hour of the day together. Its taught me a lot about responsibility, Strogen, 36, said. I got into this program to help a veteran, so although I may want (to keep the dog), I know someone needs him. Like most of the inmates at Angola, Strogen is serving a life sentence; he was convicted of second-degree murder almost two decades ago. But he said being a part of PAWS has felt like a positive way to spend his time in prison and this program hits close to home for him. This has been awesome. My moms a veteran (of the) Air Force, and my little sister is currently active duty in the Army, Strogen said, so I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to give back to society, helping people who risk their lives every day. And Angola Warden Darrel Vannoy said he can see the difference the dogs are making around the prison. Right now, only about a dozen dogs are in the program, but as the program expands, Vannoy hopes to keep some of the trained dogs at the prison to support and give comfort to those inmates who could most benefit, like those with disciplinary issues or mental illness. I can see the difference in a lot of these guys, Vannoy said. It gives them a sense of self-worth; theyre proud of what they do. Were proud of them. Were so happy we can help a veteran and serve the country. This is Angolas way of giving back. As Gray spent the rest of the day with the inmates and employees who trained Magnum learning about his capabilities and building a connection, it seemed like the veteran started to relax. Gray joked with his wife about how much room the dog will now take up in their bed. At times Gray would almost remove himself from the conversation, simply absorbing the comfort of his new right-hand 'man.' To me, dog is God spelled backward, Gray said. The closest thing you can get to Gods love is a dog. The Trump administration reversed course Friday and said it will restart the sale and renewal of federal flood insurance policies amid an ongoing government shutdown. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had said this week that since its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, had not received funding prior to a showdown between Congress and President Donald Trump over border security, it couldn't write new flood insurance policies or renew expiring ones. The decision threatened home sales dependent upon having valid flood insurance in force. Members of Louisiana's congressional delegation criticized the initial decision, and were quick to celebrate the reversal Friday. "FEMAs initial (National Flood Insurance Program) guidance made no sense, and Im happy to announce they ... will start selling new flood insurance policies again. Its unfortunate so many people were inconvenienced due to FEMAs error, but Im glad they are correcting it so home sales in limbo can proceed," Sen. Bill Cassidy wrote in a statement. In an interview, Rep. Steve Scalise said the federal Office of Management and Budget, which administers the federal budget, gave FEMA the go-ahead to continue writing policies. He said the outcry from members of Congress and real estate agents whose transactions were in danger played a strong role in the reversal. "I commend the agency, FEMA, for at least recognizing that we wanted this reversed and to have it done quickly because of the negative effect to the real estate market and homeowners," Scalise said. "Flood insurance policies have always been written in shutdowns. I think it was a bad legal interpretation they had gotten and when OMB gave them new guidance they were quick to reverse. "Most important(ly), people can continue buying homes and getting flood insurance, and have the peace of mind they deserve if a storm hits or flood occurs that their home will be protected," the Louisiana Republican said. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, tweeted at the Republican president to thank the administration for stepping in. "This is welcome news for the thousands of homeowners in Louisiana who depend on the National Flood Insurance Program. Thank you @POTUS for recognizing how important this is," Edwards tweeted. As rain fell Thursday, the governor had reminded federal authorities that Louisiana has more than half a million NFIP policies, and about 40,000 renew each month. Property owners in high-risk floodplains which cover much of the state are required to carry flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgage. Coverage rose dramatically in areas hit by the 2016 flood; Livingston and Ascension parishes saw a 36 percent and 34 percent increase in policies, respectively. Those policies and existing coverage would not have been available for renewal under FEMA's initial plan. The announcement that insurance policies would not be available caused havoc in the housing market. Bankers were limited in issuing mortgage loans. Real estate agents said transactions were falling through as prospective home buyers feared they wouldn't be able to protect their investments, even though the federal government would have legally demanded they carry coverage just days before. Katie Gagliano of The Advocate staff contributed to this report. Pay raises for Louisiana teachers will be Gov. John Bel Edwards' priority heading into 2019, but there are some items on the governor's wish list that have remained elusive as he heads into the final year of his first term. "I'm optimistic because if you talk to Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, there is near universal support for the (teacher) pay raise," Edwards told reporters during a year-end news conference at the Governor's Mansion on Wednesday. "It's my No. 1 priority for the next year's session." But the inability to address two other priorities both coincidentally issues dealing with pay, as well top the governor's list of disappointments during his first three years in office. Edwards, a Democrat who took office in 2016 and is seeking re-election in 2019, had campaigned on support for an increase in the minimum wage and efforts to address equal pay. Its no secret that I ran on, believe in, and have on multiple occasions asked the Legislature to increase the minimum wage in Louisiana," he said. "That has not happened, and I think that is a travesty. Both proposals have been repeatedly rejected in the GOP-controlled Legislature after intense lobbying from business groups. Gov. John Bel Edwards gives update on economy, priorities heading into 2019 Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is heading into a heated re-election battle next year, spent his final news conference of 2018 touting successes th Were going to keep fighting for it but Im very disappointed to stand here at the end of my third year and tell you we havent been able to get that done," Edwards said. Two Republicans have announced plans to challenge Edwards as he seeks a second term Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone and U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, of Alto. Others could also get into the race ahead of the Oct. 12 election. A runoff will take place on Nov. 16 between the top two vote-getters, if no one gets more than 50 percent in the primary. For his top priority heading into the election year, Edwards is recommending that the Legislature in the coming year approve an annual $1,000 pay raise for teachers and a $500 increase for support workers. The proposal has been embraced by Democrats and Republicans at the State Capitol a sharp difference from Edwards' past pay priority legislation addressing the minimum wage and pay disparities by gender. As other states OK minimum wage hikes, Louisiana advocates still working to build support Voters in two Republican-controlled states this week overwhelmingly approved minimum wage hikes, giving new hope to advocates in Louisiana, wh The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Minimum-wage workers in Louisiana make $7.25 an hour because it remains one of just five states that never adopted a state-level minimum wage rate and, therefore, defaults to the federal rate that hasn't changed in a decade. Several other states have set minimum wage levels at the federal rate, as well. But Arkansas and Missouri voters last month approved minimum wage increases in those states, and the minimum wage went up in 18 other states at the start of 2018, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The previous year, 19 states saw minimum wage hikes. Seven dollars and a quarter is not a meaningful wage in 2018 and here we are about to be in 2019," Edwards said. Renee Amar, small business director for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said LABI will continue to oppose the minimum wage hike. House committee shoots down second attempt at equal pay legislation, minimum wage hike The effort to increase the minimum wage in Louisiana appears to be dead for the third year in a row, after bills that aimed to set the state's Setting a minimum wage for the state is a one-size-fits all approach, she said. We think business owners know best. Edwards has called for a minimum wage hike of $1.25 over two years to $8.50 an hour. Others have suggested that as other states around Louisiana set theirs higher, a bigger increase is warranted here as well, even though a House panel last year soundly rejected a $15 an hour proposal in a 9-3 vote after listening to pleas from minimum-wage earners who filled the committee room to tell their lawmakers how they've struggled to make ends meet. If Im reading the tea leaves correctly, Congress is out of the business now of increasing the minimum wage, Edwards said. They are looking to states to do it. Similar to the minimum wage issue, Edwards also campaigned on promising to tackle the state's gender pay disparity. The Louisiana Legislature has rejected 28 equal pay bills in the past decade, after facing opposition from some business groups and others who argue that it could encourage frivolous lawsuits. Critics also say statistics on the gender pay gap often don't reflect the differences in skill and job type that can separate men and women in various employment fields that are reflected in pay, making arguments about discriminatory wages moot. Amar said LABI also believes that equal pay legislation doesnt get to the root of the issue. Louisiana already has a law against discrimination that covers gender, and the issue is covered by federal policies in place. Louisianas biggest gender pay issue, in LABIs view, is that fewer women than men choose to enter STEM fields that pay higher. Amar said the state should do more to encourage women to enter higher-paying fields. Thats a way to close the wage gap, she said. Baton Rouge fisherman Gary Krouse shows off this near 15-pound red snapper he caught during 2017's extended recreational red snapper season. Private recreational anglers will have another chance at an extended season in federal and state seasons now that federal fisheries managers approved the state's application for an Exempted Fishing Permit for this year and 2019. Our state lost a legal titan when former Louisiana Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr. died Dec. 20 at the age of 87. He served nearly 36 years on the high court, more than any other justice in Louisiana history, including 18 years as Chief Justice. His legacy will be measured by much more than his impressively long tenure on the court, however. Former Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr. dead at 87 Former Louisiana Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr., the longest-serving state Supreme Court justice in Louisiana history, died Thursday. He was 87. I would like to be remembered as an energetic, hard-working, honest and able judge who contributed during his service on the Louisiana Supreme Court to maintaining stability in the law and jurisprudence, while serving the least privileged of our citizens with compassion, integrity and fairness, Calogero said at his 2008 retirement ceremony. He was all that and much more. I know this because I had the honor of knowing the Chief for nearly 45 years and the greater honor of serving as one of his law clerks, briefly, in 1994. Three things have always stood out in my mind about Calogero the enormity of his intellect, the tirelessness of his work ethic, and the depth of his humility. Any one of those qualities is unusual in a politician; finding all of them in one public servant is extraordinary. I met him in 1974, when as a cub reporter for The Times-Picayune I covered the first of his three very difficult re-election campaigns. I was struck then by how dignified he remained as his opponents savaged him with exaggerated attacks. He didnt raise his voice or respond in kind; instead, he spoke of the "rule of law" and every person's constitutional right to fairness. Those were his values, and that was his style. In fact, in all the years Ive known him, I never heard the Chief raise his voice, not even to those who criticized him. In 1993, as a freshly minted lawyer, I ran into him at a bar association function, and he said something that floored me: "I owe you an apology. "What for?" "I failed to take note of your recent graduation from Loyola Law School by offering you a clerkship," he said. "Pas," I answered, "I didn't ask you for a clerkship. Besides, I already have a job at a law firm." Turns out one of his law clerks was about to go on maternity leave, and he needed a pinch hitter. Thus began, in early 1994, my six-week tenure as a clerk at the Louisiana Supreme Court. What I saw during those weeks and for years afterward was a man whose devotion to justice and to the judicial system was unflagging, and whose intellect was unsurpassed. He once called me into his office to assign me an opinion on a matter about which I knew absolutely nothing. Before I could begin to try to mask my ignorance, he began discussing a case that had been decided more than 10 years earlier citing it by name and year, without benefit of notes (he never did learn to use a computer) reviewing the facts of that case and analyzing why it was controlling law in the case at hand. I quickly realized he was dictating the opinion that I was supposed to write, so I fumbled around for a pen. When I pulled the old case, it was exactly as he described. He did this as effortlessly as you or I might pick up a newspaper and read the headlines. And then there was his late afternoon ritual: packing up all the day's work and stuffing it into a half-dozen boxy briefcases, wheeling them to his car outside, and loading them into his trunk to take home and read at night. When he pulled out of the parking lot, the back end of his car literally sagged from the weight of all the paperwork in his trunk. Each morning, he would unload it all much of it marked up with his notes from the night before or earlier that morning and haul it back up to his office. Our Views: Pascal Calogero Jr., a giant on Louisiana Supreme Court, will be greatly missed In legal circles, the intelligence and hard work of Pascal Calogero Jr. is being remembered and praised after his death Thursday at 87. He ret A former law colleague of mine, Martin Landrieu, told me of the time he and his father, former Mayor Moon Landrieu (who was Calogeros law partner early in their careers), went duck hunting with the Chief. Martin got up in the middle of the night and noticed one of the vehicles outside the camp had its lights on. When he went out to investigate, he found Calogero in the front seat reading briefs and writ applications. The Chief worked that way throughout his tenure on the Supreme Court. He never considered working any other way. He authored more than 1,000 majority opinions and countless concurring and dissenting opinions. More than that, he literally raised the bar for lawyers and judges throughout Louisiana by tightening the Supreme Court's rules on judges' and lawyers conduct. He also played a leading role in establishing Louisianas indigent defender system. His crowning tangible achievement was returning the Supreme Court to its former home at 400 Royal Street, a historic masterpiece of a building that now also houses the state Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal. It took more than a decade to get the state to restore the building, but when completed it was universally hailed as a triumph. I hope someday the state will see fit to name the building for Pascal Calogero Jr. His impact on the court, and the law, earned him nothing less. This tribute borrows heavily from a 2008 column I wrote upon the retirement of Chief Justice Calogero from the Louisiana Supreme Court. As punishing winds and storms lashed southeastern Louisiana this week, a full contingent of forecasters reported for duty each day to the National Weather Service office in Slidell. The work has been more exciting than in some weeks. But this week has also come with a catch: For the time being, none of the forecasters is getting paid. The Weather Service staffers are part of an untold number of federal employees in the New Orleans area who must continue working without pay through the partial government shutdown that is entering its second week. We dont get paid until it opens back up, said Mike Shields, a senior forecaster in the Slidell office. He stressed that the shutdown has had no impact on the offices forecast capabilities. Other federal employees working without pay include TSA screeners at Louis Armstrong International Airport and the Coast Guard members who rescued two people whose boat ran aground near Hopedale on Wednesday. A thousand miles away in Washington, D.C., both parties traded blame for the partial shutdown Friday, and President Donald Trump sought to raise the stakes in the continuing impasse. As agreement eludes Washington in the waning days of the Republican monopoly on power, it sets up the first big confrontation between Trump and newly empowered Democrats. Trump is sticking with his demand for money to build a border wall with Mexico, and Democrats, who take control of the House next week, are refusing to give him what he wants. Trump raised the stakes on Friday, reissuing threats to close the U.S.-Mexican border and to shut off aid to three Central American countries from which many migrants have fled. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," he wrote in one of a series of tweets. The president also signaled he was in no rush to seek a resolution, welcoming the fight as he looks toward his bid for re-election in 2020. He tweeted Thursday evening that Democrats may be able to block him now, "but we have the issue, Border Security. 2020!" The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay, and many are experiencing mounting stress. It also is beginning to pinch citizens who count on certain public services. Gates are closed at some national parks, and in New York, the chief judge of Manhattan federal courts suspended work on civil cases involving U.S. government lawyers, including several civil lawsuits in which Trump himself is a defendant. A federal employee who works at one agency in the New Orleans area, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the shutdown, said employees in his office were frustrated. We all have jobs to do. We have deadlines weve established to complete various tasks. Nobody likes not getting the job done. Thats kind of the bottom line, he said. He also worried about the financial impact on younger employees in the office. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up They have student loans theyre paying off. They have other expenses. They dont have much of a cushion, so not having a paycheck could be a hardship for them, he said. Locally, the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is closed. Trails remain open at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve on the west bank, but emergency and rescue services are limited. The visitor center and restrooms are shuttered. Peter Strasser, the U.S. attorney in New Orleans, said prosecutors overseeing criminal cases are on a list of essential employees who must show up for work. But like Strasser himself, they are not getting paid. Employees handling civil cases have been furloughed. Since this is happening over the holidays, when traditionally everything has been slow regardless, it doesnt have the deleterious effects it would otherwise, Strasser said. With another long holiday weekend coming and nearly all lawmakers away from the Capitol, there is little expectation of a quick fix. "We are far apart," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS on Friday, claiming that Democrats "have left the table all together." Trump's incoming acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, said Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier White House offer to accept less than the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall. Democrats said the White House proposed $2.5 billion for border security, but Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Vice President Mike Pence it wasn't acceptable. "There's not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal," Mulvaney said Friday. He added of the shutdown: "We do expect this to go on for a while." Democrats brushed off the White House's attempt to cast blame. "For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn't pass the laugh test," said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has vowed to pass legislation as soon as she takes the gavel as speaker to reopen the nine shuttered departments and dozens of agencies now hit by the partial shutdown. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill added that Democrats "are united against the President's immoral, ineffective and expensive wall" and said Democrats won't seriously consider any White House offer unless Trump backs it publicly because he "has changed his position so many times." "While we await the president's public proposal, Democrats have made it clear that, under a House Democratic majority, we will vote swiftly to reopen government on Day One," Hammill said. But that will be difficult without a compromise because the Senate will remain in Republican hands and Trump's signature will be needed to turn any bill into law. This story contains material from The Associated Press. "It is definitely different to Breakfast," Irani says. "I got to lean heavily on my business finance background, and I hope that's one of the things I bring to the program that intellectual value. It's not just a fluffy lifestyle show." Escape From The City is presented by rotating hosts. ABC weekend radio presenter Simon Marnie is passionate about regional Australia. Co-host of 7Two's Best Houses Australia, Dean Ipaviz, is a builder and carpenter. Buyer's agent and author Bryce Holdaway co-hosts the Lifestyle channel's Location, Location, Location. Radio personality Jane Hall has bought a holiday house on the Victorian coast. Making perhaps the biggest career side step of them all is ABC News Breakfast finance reporter and former Mumbai correspondent for BBC News, Del Irani. The local adaptation of long-running BBC property series, Escape to the Country, is touted as "timely". The clue as to why the idea of Australian urbanites moving to greener pastures is suddenly topical is in the reworked title. Our British counterparts may have spent the last 16 years vicariously inspecting thatched cottages and dreaming of The Good Life. We are now in desperate need of an escape route from our overcrowded, overpriced and infrastructure-impoverished cities. The first time Irani appears on the program, in episode three, she shows a retired transgender woman and her best friend through houses in the Victorian spa country town of Daylesford. Despite her initial meeting with the pair falling on what is clearly a freezing winter morning, Irani exudes a natural warmth in her new role. Looks can be deceiving. "After the first few episodes, the producers pulled me aside and said, 'You're so chatty and bubbly off camera, but we need to see that more'. It was about letting my personality out, having fun and not having to be so serious and middle ground. I'm trained to not show emotion or express an opinion. So that, to me, was lovely letting my guard down and enjoying the highs and lows of the process." Throughout the series, Irani also travels to regional postcodes in far north Queensland, WA and NSW, encouraging those in the mood for a sea or tree change to take the leap. "I'm not a real estate agent. I'm not making any commission on the sales. If I find them their dream home, that's just a bonus. It's about going on that journey with them and a lot of the times, challenging them. People would say, 'I want a big backyard, something that's close to the school, four bedrooms, and my budget's $500,000'. Yes, prices are cheaper in the country but we've got to be realistic. Are you willing to do a bit of work? Are you willing to move a bit further away? Those were the conversations we were having." While a slower, more sustainable lifestyle is a common motivator, a major incentive is, of course, price. MISSION CONTROL: THE UNSUNG HEROES OF APOLLO 8.30pm, SBS The newfound appreciation for Earth that astronauts get from gazing at the tiny blue sphere from space is perhaps the rationale behind SBS' start to Planet Earth Week. This documentary charts the American space quest through to the moon landing. Neil Armstrong: First Man on the Moon follows at 10.20pm. The focus shifts closer to home later in the week, with highlights including Mystery of the Northern Lights (Tuesday, 7.30pm), and Hawaii Volcano: River of Death (Wednesday, 8.30pm). An Air France Boeing 777 gets the ''Heavy Check'': Reassuring in its thoroughness. RIDICULOUS CAKES 7pm, 7Food Network Offering inspiration for the parent caught up in the fiercely competitive amateur sport of birthday cake making, this series profiling American professionals shows how it's really done. The specialty bakers sharing some of their trade secrets tonight are variously charged with creating a penguin icescape for a child's party, a gravity-defying tower of musical instruments for cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, and a tiered Vegas monstrosity for the wedding of an "edgy" couple from Dubai. GRAND DESIGNS AUSTRALIA 8.30pm, ABC The wildly experimental home of Melbourne couple Glenn and Kate Morris is hidden away on the remote, windswept Victorian coast near Inverloch, so unless you're a family or friend, this may be the closest you'll get to it. Likened to a croissant, a sand dune and a space ship, the striking structure is a triumph of adventurous architecture and engineering. The toil that has gone into it, including the building of a large-scale model, is impressive. Grand Designs Australia: This house near Inverloch is a triumph of adventurous architecture and engineering. Credit:Rhiannon Slatter TRAVEL GUIDES 8.30pm, Nine This lay person's travelogue is always a laugh, especially when the jolly Fren family and the blissfully ignorant Outback twins are involved. A little snobbery from Kevin and Janetta doesn't go astray either. Low points of our national representation in Cape Town include the twins' response to their black South African cab driver's question, "Have you ever heard of Nelson Mandela?": "Nup". And this: "I didn't even realise there was (sic) cars over here." Like many words before it, from "bae" to "yeet", the past year had another confusing "internet" word: thicc. But as a Californian aquarium learnt the hard way last week, keeping up with the "hip" meme culture of social media isnt always a strategic move. Rihanna who has been a big supporter or celebrating all body types has been labelled 'thiccanna' by the internet. Credit:AP The aquarium received significant backlash on Twitter after posting an image of its 11-year-old otter with the caption, Abby is a thicc girl. What an absolute unit. It also included the hashtag #bodypawsitivity. Many social media users called out the aquarium for misusing the term thicc, which is derived from African American vernacular English. Four women in Brisbane's south have been targeted by a thief who allegedly assaulted them and stole their handbags on Friday night and escaped in a stolen vehicle. Police are searching for a dark grey coloured Audi RS6 Station Wagon with New South Wales registration NBR34E which was reported stolen earlier this month in Wakerley. Police were called to Comer Street at Coopers Plains about 10pm after reports of a woman being assaulted by a man and having her handbag stolen while walking into a car park. The woman was taken to hospital for treatment of an injury to her shoulder. About 10.30pm, officers were called to Valhalla Street at Sunnybank after a woman was pushed to the ground and had her handbag stolen. This is really a column about absence of faith. The objects of my unbelief make no claim to infallibility. But, like the Pope, they feel their authority should suffice. I refer to the seers and prophets who rejoice in the name of meteorologists and foretell our future in the clouds. I love rain, and day after day I peruse the weather in The Age and on the Bureau of Meteorology website, hoping for good news. And often I get it: ''High (80 per cent) chance of showers,'' they loftily proclaim. But, lo and behold, so it comes not to pass. Nothing. No rain at all, time after time. Obviously 80 per cent chance of rain is not 100 per cent chance of rain, but it would be reasonable to expect such a forecast to be right four days out of five rather than none or one. I dont know how the shamans are reading the entrails or cutting the cards or throwing the dice, but its not working. And if that is not their scientific method, perhaps it ought to be it could scarcely be less accurate. Beijing: A Chinese court has ordered the retrial of a Canadian man on a drug-smuggling charge after siding with prosecutors who argued that his original 15-year prison sentence for his conviction had been too light. The decision threatened to create another source of contention between two countries whose relations have deteriorated rapidly this month over the arrest in Canada of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on bail in Canada, will face extradition to the US. Credit:AP The Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, was arrested in 2014 and tried and sentenced in obscurity. But he is likely to became a focus of attention in Canada after a court in China responded to his appeal against his sentence last month. The government sided with prosecutors, opening the possibility of an even harsher sentence. This is not to say that England or anybody else is ready to knock Champagne off its effervescent throne. England offers a mere trickle compared with the volume and diversity of Champagne. And the English wines, though inspired by and modelled on Champagne, are different, befitting a terroir that although it may share certain geological features with Champagne has its own singular characteristics. What marks these sparkling wines as distinctively English is both a spirited, glowing acidity and an orchard-fruit freshness. When all is kept in balance, the wines can be delightful. If the acidity dominates, the wines can be astringent and rustic in an unpleasant way. In visits to 10 producers both new and old during a quick trip in late November to southern England's wine country, I was struck by the high level of quality and consistency, much improved since my last trip in 2011. It was most noticeable in the best cuvees, especially from the more established producers like Nyetimber and Chapel Down, which both issued their first bottles in the late 1990s. Picking fruit in the vineyards at English winemaker Chapel Down Wines. Credit:Alamy Nyetimber planted the first major vineyard in Sussex specifically for sparkling wine in 1988. Long-established producers here have had an opportunity to see which grapes work best where, and to fine-tune both their viticulture and their winemaking. Nyetimber just released its first vintages of what it calls its prestige cuvee, a 2009 white and a 2010 rose. They are named 1086 after the year the Nyetimber estate was cited in the Domesday Book, the survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror, and are priced well beyond other English wines: about $190 for the white and $220 for the rose. The 2009 was silky, creamy and fine, with great depth, length and restraint, while the 2010 Rose, with aromas and flavors of red fruit and herbs, was long, deep and harmonious. I thought they were the best English sparkling wines I had ever tasted, but they were soon joined by others. Wiston Estate, situated in an old turkey slaughterhouse on a huge Downton Abbey-like dominion in Sussex, is a more recent entry its first vintage was 2008. But under winemaker Dermot Sugrue, Wiston Estate is making a number of wonderful sparkling wines from chalk soils in Sussex, including a rich, voluminous, lingering 2011 blanc de blancs and a savory, fresh 2010 blanc de noirs. "We don't know how good English sparkling wine can be," said Josh Donaghay-Spire, Chapel Down's head winemaker. "If we're not pushing, then what's the point? This is the birth of a viticultural region, right now. The pace of change is so rapid because everything is new." Chapel Down, which makes crowd-pleasing nonvintage sparklers, has also demonstrated how expressive and beautiful its top wines can be. A 2013 Kit's Coty Vineyard blanc de blancs, from chalk soils in the North Downs of Kent, was elegant and linear, with creamy mineral flavors. The 2013 Coeur de Cuvee is a tiny selection from the Kit's Coty Vineyard that, unlike the blanc de blancs, was entirely barrel-fermented with indigenous yeast. It was complex, pure, savory and superb. Many English producers are making excellent, less-expensive sparklers as well. Coates & Seely, which does not yet export its wines to the United States, offers a superb nonvintage Brut Reserve. I was thrilled to find it in a restaurant in Basingstoke. Hattingley Valley in Hampshire, which planted its first vineyard in 2008 but gets most of its grapes through contracts with growers, makes a set of sparklers under its winemaker, Emma Rice, that are noteworthy for their gentle elegance and refinement. Its Classic Reserve is a featured holiday wine across the United States at Whole Foods Market. The early pioneers of English sparkling wine were bold, though idiosyncratic in the way of visionary entrepreneurs. Since then, aside from the lessons of experience, almost all of the newer winemakers have been trained professionals; this has helped to make the wines more consistent. "The influx of capital and professional expertise has been a step up from untrained eccentrics," said Simon Robinson, the proprietor of Hattingley Valley, who saw winemaking as a way of diversifying his family's agricultural business. The growth in English sparkling wine is apparent all over the south of England. From Kent in the east through East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset and as far west as Cornwall, new vineyards for sparkling wine are being planted at a dizzying rate. Winemakers who once imagined they were bound for France or Australia are instead staying home in England to make sparkling wine. Since 2010, the vineyard area for the three main sparkling wine grapes has more than tripled, rising to about 4490 acres in 2017 from about 1360 in 2010, according to Wines of Great Britain, a trade group. Most of the new vineyards are far bigger than the Laithwaites's and much better financed. Mark Driver was an investment manager and his wife, Sarah, a solicitor, when they caught the wine bug in the early 21st century. After tasting some English sparkling wines in 2009, they bought almost 600 acres in the South Downs of Sussex near Polegate, just three miles from the English Channel. So far they have planted more than 200 acres on a south-facing chalk slope. Their first vintage of Rathfinny, a fine, austere 2014 blanc de blancs Brut, was just released this year. Hambledon in Hampshire, which released its first sparkling wine in 2011, has about 60 acres of productive vines, with another 140 or so already planted. Chapel Down, England's biggest wine producer, already has almost 400 acres of vineyards, with almost 300 more to be planted through 2020. Nyetimber had about 250 acres of vineyard in 2011. By 2018, it had about 420 acres, and another 210 will become productive in 2020. Gusbourne Estate, which makes excellent blanc de blancs among other sparkling wines in Kent, had about 49 acres when I first visited in 2011. Now it is farming almost 150 acres in Kent and another 75 in West Sussex. Nobody would mistake an English vineyard for one in Champagne. Walking through Gusbourne's Boot Hill Vineyard with the winemaker Charlie Holland on a blustery, misty fall day, I noted that the rows of vines were far wider than one would find in Champagne, and the vines trained higher on their trellises. In order to achieve ripeness in the colder English climate, the vines need to be planted less densely than in France, Holland said, to minimize the competition. And the vines need to have a denser canopy of leaves to promote photosynthesis, so the rows have to be wider apart so the leaves in one row won't shade the fruit in another. "It's not the same parameters as in Champagne, and not the same ripeness levels," Holland said. Indeed, the Champagne region was once considered a marginal climate, on the blurry edge of the line at which grapes could reliably ripen. Thirty years ago, it was a struggle. Now, with climate change, the issue is whether Champagne is getting too warm. The edge has now moved up to the south of England, where everybody agrees that the 2018 vintage was the biggest and best ever for sparkling wine. "It was a fantastic, happy year for English wine," said Tamara Roberts, chief executive of Ridgeview Estate in Sussex, a family operation that planted its first vines in the South Downs in 1995. It was so good that many estates spent the harvest scrambling for vats and tanks to hold the unexpected volume of wine. Yet 2016 and '17 were both lean harvests. Late spring frosts after early bud breaks kept yields low. Still, the years were not as bad as 2012, when the weather was so wretched virtually no wine was made at all. "Yields are going to fluctuate," said Sugrue of Wiston Estate, who also makes sparkling wine under his own label Sugrue "The Trouble With Dreams.""It's one of the challenges in England, and I don't think it will ever change." Even so, the best English producers seem to have a ready market for their wine, whether it's people looking for alternatives to Champagne or Prosecco, which is hugely popular in England, or those simply driven by curiosity. For the Laithwaites of Harrow & Hope, whose do-it-yourself, small-production setup is as different from the big English names as Champagne's grower-producers are from the big houses, selling their English wine has not been nearly as challenging as it was to sell Bordeaux. "We've been surprised at how people have jumped on board," Henry Laithwaite said. "It's easier to sell than 20-quid Cotes de Castillon." Among the best English producers English sparkling wines are not yet widely distributed, but each year more are available and in greater numbers internationally. Here are 10 to seek out, in alphabetical order. Chapel Down: Entry-level, nonvintage wines are fair, but vintage bottles like Three Graces show style and skill. Coates & Seely: Excellent wines, painstaking craftsmanship. Gusbourne: Well-made, precise wines. Blanc de blancs are best. Hambledon: Light-bodied, tangy, attractive wines. Harrow & Hope: Promising new producer making savory, harmonious wines. Hattingley Valley: Gentle, elegant wines that show great finesse. Nyetimber: Wines of great character, fresh, nuanced and impressive at every level. Rathfinny: Promising startup making fine rose and blanc de blancs. Ridgeview: Rich, ripe, lovely wines. Wiston Estate: All-around excellent wines. The skillful winemaker, Dermot Sugrue, is also in charge of production at Digby Fine English, Jenkyn Place, Black Dog Hill and his own label, Sugrue "The Trouble With Dreams." London: It's hard to keep a secret when the internet is watching. Especially if plane spotters are involved. Reporters accompanying President Donald Trump on his visit to US troops in Iraq on Wednesday, his first to a combat zone, were sworn to silence. Air Force One was given a call sign that identified it as a military cargo flight. Trump himself later marvelled at having travelled on a "darkened plane, with all windows closed, with no lights on whatsoever, anywhere pitch black." Air Force One, carrying US President Donald Trump, was spotted over northern England. Credit:AP But that wasn't enough to stop a semiretired information technology specialist in Sheffield, England, from spotting and photographing the jet, or to prevent fellow aviation enthusiasts online from deducing what was happening, hours before Trump arrived at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. The information technology specialist, Alan Meloy, who describes himself on the photo-sharing website Flickr as "a lifelong aviation nut", looked out from his kitchen window in Chapeltown, a suburban district of Sheffield, on Wednesday morning and saw an unusual plane flying above. He quickly took a long-lens photograph and posted it online. Belgrade: Thousands of Serbians protested against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in downtown Belgrade, chanting "Vucic thief". The peaceful march through the city centre was the fourth such protest in as many weeks. They demanded media freedoms, an end to attacks on journalists and opposition politicians. People march during a protest against populist President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade. Credit:AP Backers of the Alliance for Serbia, an opposition grouping of 30 parties and organisations, say Vucic is an autocrat and his party is corrupt, something its leaders vehemently deny. In an interview with the pro-government Studio B TV during the protest, Vucic said he was ready to discuss the opposition demands. Washington: Donald Trump has said that "any deaths of children or others" in US custody at the US-Mexico border were "strictly the fault of the Democrats" in a sharp ramp-up of the president's rhetoric over the proposed wall along the roughly 2000-mile frontier. In a series of tweets, the president blamed the "pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They cant. If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try!" The US-Mexico border fence under construction near the Santa Teresa border crossing in El Paso, Texas, in June. Credit:The New York Times "Border Patrol needs the wall and it will all end," Trump said in a follow up message on Twitter in which he reflected on the deaths this month of two young Guatemalan children in the custody of US border patrol agents. Washington: More and more US Democrats, fed up with private health insurance companies, are endorsing the goal of a government-run, single-payer system like Medicare for all Americans. But they have discovered a problem. More than one-third of Medicare beneficiaries are in Medicare Advantage plans, run not by the government but by private insurers. Universal health care is a highly political issue in the US. Credit:AP Whether to allow younger Americans to enroll in such private Medicare plans has become a hotly debated political question as Democrats look to 2020. When liberal Democrats started advocating "Medicare for all" more than 25 years ago, Medicare was the original fee-for-service program run by the government. Since then, it has changed in big ways. More than 20 million of the 60 million beneficiaries are in comprehensive Medicare Advantage plans sold by private insurers like UnitedHealth, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. 3 Vietnamese Tourists, Local Guide Killed, 10 Injured in Bus Blast Near Giza Pyramids in Egypt CAIROThree Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday, Dec. 28, less than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Egypts world-famous Giza pyramids, authorities said. The bombing is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for over a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, recovers from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the countrys 2011 uprising. No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Islamist extremists, including terrorists linked to the ISIS terrorist group, are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past. At least nine Vietnamese tourists were injured, as well as the Egyptian driver, according to official statements. Windows Blown Out The tourists were heading to a sound and light show at the pyramids, which they had visited earlier in the day, said Lan Le, 41, who was also aboard the bus but unhurt. We were going to the sound and light show and then suddenly we heard a bomb. It was terrible, people screaming, she told Reuters, speaking at Al Haram hospital, where the injured were taken. I dont remember anything after. Egypts interior ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall at around 6:15 p.m. local time (1615 GMT). About two hours later the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said. Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow side street close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally. Shortly afterward, workers brought a pick-up truck to tow the bus away. An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall. The interior ministry confirmed the death of two of the tourists, and the state prosecutors office later said a third had died. In total, 14 Vietnamese tourists had been traveling on the bus, it said. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told local TV from Al Haram hospital that the guide had died from his injuries. The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces, Madbouly told Extra News channel, an assertion also made by the owner of the company that organized the bus tour. We have been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam to contain the impact of the incident, and what is important now is to take care of the injured, the prime minister said. The bus driver later told local media he had not deviated from the route. Fighting Islamic Terrorists a Priority: Government Egypts army and police launched a major campaign against terrorist groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist terrorists is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the Arab Spring protests of 2011. Those events and the bombing of a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015 caused tourist numbers to plunge. The last deadly attack on foreign tourists in Egypt was in July 2017, when two Germans were stabbed to death in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. Ellen Lee Zhou during her mayoral campaign in March 13, 2018. (The Epoch Times) Anti-Marijuana Advocate Joins 2019 San Francisco Mayoral Race SAN FRANCISCOEllen Lee Zhou, one of the leading figures in the city against commercial marijuana, has joined the 2019 mayoral election. The liberal city currently has 50 recreational cannabis businesses in operation within its 47-square mile boundary, meaning at least one cannabis store per square mile. The city also has more than 200 pending applications for pot store operational permits. Zhou, a 49-year-old mother with two college-aged children and a Chinese immigrant who came to the U.S. during her high school years, has been one of the most vocal leaders calling for a drug-free city. The Chinese community, which makes up more than 20 percent of the citys total population, has been a strong opponent of commercial marijuana operations. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors in July passed a resolution that banned pot stores in the Chinatown area of the city. Commercial marijuana was approved by California voters through Prop. 64 in 2016. However, the drug is still listed as a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government based on the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. Marijuana operations have met with strong resistance in many cities in California, especially in jurisdictions with heavy Asian populations. Zhou was also one of the candidates in the 2018 San Francisco special mayoral election when former San Francisco mayor Ed Lee died in office in December 2017. The special election was to elect a mayor to serve Lees remaining unfinished term until the end of 2019. The upcoming election in Nov. 2019 will elect the next mayor to serve the city starting January 2020. Zhou is a longtime public employee as a social worker in the city. She ran her mayoral campaign in the 2018 election on a platform of reducing government waste, cleaning up government corruption, and standing up against commercial marijuana. The candidate ran as an independent in 2018, but she has announced that she will run her campaign in 2019 as a Republican candidate, giving her support to President Trump. Zhou stated that Trump is doing an excellent job, with only $1 annual pay and almost all of his salary donated. Zhou said that she would also donate half of her salary if elected. In the 2018 elections, almost all of the Republicans, independents and moderate Democrats in the city lost their campaigns. The citys political landscape has shifted extensively to the far left. This means that Zhou will face an uphill battle in 2019. However, she said that she is confident she will win if her message reaches out to all Republicans and Asian Americans in the city. Zhou also claimed that she had evidence of corruption in the city. She said some managers are getting kickbacks from the public employee hiring process and said that she would fight to stop corruption in City Hall if elected. Shes also a devoted Christian and says that she believes in traditional family values. Zhou announced her candidacy at a Christmas party on Dec. 23 in a small Chinese restaurant, where she led a crowd of her supporters singing Christmas songs. Zhou said she would formally file her legal paper as a candidate in the citys election office after the New Year. The current mayor, London Breed, already confirmed that she will run in next years mayoral race as the incumbent candidate. The election will be held on Nov. 5, 2019, and the filing deadline for any potential candidate is 5:00 p.m. on June 11, 2019. (L) Sheep grazing on a dry paddock in the drought-hit area of Duri in New South Wales on Aug. 7, 2018. (R) Sunbathers are seen on Bondi Beach as temperatures soar in Sydney on December 28, 2018. (Saeed Khan/Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images) Australia Swelters Through Heatwave Australia is experiencing one of its hottest end-of-year periods ever, as fire bans are effected and health warnings are issued across the country, while big crowds find different ways to cool offbe it on the beach, the local pool or at an ice rink. Forecasters said the heat is headed to southeast Australia where the big cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide would endure monthly average temperatures some 10 to 14 degrees Celsius higher than usual. That means temperatures are expected to pass 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Farenheit) in many parts of the country. In Marble Bar, a town and rock formation in the north-western region of Western Australia, temperatures reached 49.1 degrees Celcius (120.38 Fahrenheit) on Dec. 27the highest temperature the town has ever experienced in December, beating its own previous record by 0.1 of a degree, according to Ten Daily News. The town only has a population of 174 people. The all-time record for the country was reached in 1960 at 50.7 degrees (123.26 Fahrenheit) in Oodnadatta, South Australia. #Heatwave conditions are being experienced across large parts of the country. Temperatures peaked at 49.1C at Marble Bar (WA). Heatwave conditions occur when both maximum and minimum temperatures remain well above average for the time of year https://t.co/qCG9wWrJ8U pic.twitter.com/rRC7mGZn8h Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 27, 2018 Tom Saunders, Sky News Chief Meteorologist, told news.com.au: Were in the middle of a heatwave at the moment in much of Australia. He added that theres no sign of a cool change before New Years Eve. New Years Day will be day nine of that heatwave, he said. We wont see a cool change until the middle of next weekit could be after that or another full week. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says that from Dec. 30, there will be widespread severe heatwave conditions stretching from central parts of WA, across central Australia and then patchy as it spreads down over southeastern NSW. Low-intensity conditions spread out around this and include far northern parts of VIC, southwestern parts of QLD, central NT and southern interior WA. This is all because of a high-pressure system coming off the Tasman Sea that is slow moving and has set up a pattern over several days, said Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Nick Neynens, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Its a very stable situation with not a lot changing, meaning everywhere is pretty much going to be hot and we dont see a strong change coming yet. The Fire Risk is Very Real Health authorities have issued warnings for pregnant women, babies, and people aged over 65. NSW Health executive director Jeremy McAnulty warned people to be prepared. Its important to keep up water intake, stay cool and avoid strenuous physical activity in the heat of the day because heat places a lot of strain on the body and cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, he said, Nine News reported. Authorities have also issued warnings to people with lung conditions since the heat can erode air quality. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said people need to stay vigilant. While we havent got total fire bans in place, this hot air mass is having a baking effect on the landscape that is rapidly drying out and curing the vegetation, which makes the vegetation susceptible to rapid fire spread, he said, according to news.com.au. We dont need to wait for severe, extreme or catastrophic fire conditions to have a fire risk. The fire risk is very real and thats why it is very high in such large geographic areas. He added that the hot air currently over South Australia, which had prompted fire bans across the state, will move east and reach regional NSW over the coming days. Reuters contributed to this report From NTD Television Michael Kovrig, an employee with the International Crisis Group and former Canadian diplomat, appears in this photo provided by the International Crisis Group in Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 11, 2018. (Crisis Group/Julie David de Lossy/Handout via Reuters) Beijings New Hostage Diplomacy The party-state in China is expanding its hostage-taking from Chinese dissidents to overseas Chinese, to non-Chinese from Western countries With Beijings retaliation for Canadas arrest of the CFO of Chinas technology giant, Huawei, the Chinese regime has escalated its use of hostage diplomacy. Since Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver for Huaweis violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Beijing has detained three Caucasian Canadians, one of them a former Canadian diplomat, Michael Kovrig. This development signifies a sharp turn from Beijings previous policy to mainly target Canadian citizens of Chinese ancestry when it wants to use hostages to advance its interests. According to the Toronto Stars report The Forgotten Canadians Detained in China, approximately 200 Canadian citizens are currently under police custody or have been sentenced and imprisoned in the Peoples Republic of China. While most of these cases are not political, these Canadians are at the mercy of the Chinese judicial system, where the justice dispensed is not anything resembling Western courts. Life in prison is also especially harsh where abuse and torture are common. Hostage Diplomacy With Chinese Characteristics Hostage diplomacy isnt a new trick by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Over the past few decades, it has served as a bargaining chip by Beijing in seeking political and economic favors from Western countries. The CCP released the high-profile dissidents Wang Dan in 1997 and Wei Jingsheng in 1998, ostensibly for medical reasons when, in fact, the gestures were deals negotiated behind closed doors to have America drop its support for a resolution condemning China at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Both Wang and Wei were Chinese nationals serving long jail terms for pro-democracy activities. That was at a time when Western leaders were actively pursuing the so-called constructive engagement policy with Beijing, hoping to gradually turn the communist state to a civil society governed by rule of law. As Beijings economy and military have grown stronger, China has begun to imprison naturalized U.S. citizens who were born in China. In 2003, according to The New York Times article Wife Fights for Husband Jailed in China, Dr. Charles Lee, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was imprisoned for attempting to raise the publics awareness about the CCPs persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Lee grew up in China, where he received his medical education. In 1994, Lee obtained a masters degree in neuroscience at the University of IllinoisUrbana-Champaign in 1994. In 1995, he conducted research at Harvard Medical School and passed the U.S. medical board exams. In an interview with The Free Library, Lee said of his imprisonment: They did not allow me to sleep for 92 consecutive hours. They forced me to stand up for 16 days, from morning to evening in front of prisoners. Lee also disclosed: They forced me to do slave labor at the end of 2003, to make shoes, Christmas lights, and other things for U.S.A. export. The shoes used an industrial glue containing benzene. Its very toxic and irritating. I felt short of breath and had a headache. On Nov. 25, 2018, The New York Times reported that in order to catch Liu Changming, a fugitive bank official, Beijing is preventing his two children, Victor and Cynthia Liu, who are both U.S. citizens, from leaving China. In her email to a family associate, Ms. Liu wrote, The Chinese authorities have been consistent that neither Victor nor I are accused of or suspected of any criminal activity. The reason we are here is exclusively to lure their father, she wrote. International Reactions Professor Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies, wrote, Hostage diplomacy is repulsive in the international community, and any country that practices it will significantly damage its reputation, international image and credibility as an international partner. Professor Donald Clarke of George Washington University Law School pointed out in an op-ed in The Washington Post: You cannot just go around arresting innocent people and holding them hostage. That is the mark of a thuggish state, not a permanent member of the Security Council. If detaining two Canadians is an acceptable response, how about 20 or 200? In the op-ed Chinas Canadian Hostages, the New York Times Editorial Board asks, Is the use of pawns (by Beijing) the bad new normal in trade and diplomatic disputes? Despite grave concerns and protests from Canada, the United States, and the international community, Beijing isnt backing down. Both the United States and Canada are reportedly considering the option of issuing a travel warning for individuals considering visiting China. Some longtime China watchers hold that had Moscow taken so many Western hostages groundlessly, the mainstream media and politicians would have gone bananas. What, one might wonder, makes Beijing so exceptional? State-Sponsored Terrorism If Western countries are now quietly engaging Beijing to gain the release of their citizens or hostages in this case, from a legal perspective, are they negotiating with a terrorist organization? Such efforts would appear to differ little from negotiating with terrorists over kidnappings in the Middle East. After all, the Western world is known for its longstanding policy of no negotiation with terrorists for hostages. Clarke makes an important legal argument: To call this a hostage-taking and not a regular criminal investigation is a serious charge. 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. In this case, official and quasi-official Chinese sources have been clear. The Chinese ambassador to Canada has not just admitted it; he has also proclaimed it in an op-ed in the Globe and Mail, saying that those who object to the Kovrig detention should reflect on Canadas actions. Obviously, if there were no connection, those who object should no more reflect on Canadas actions than they should reflect on the actions of, say, Saudi Arabia. While Meng is given due process in accordance with the law in Canada, foreign hostages in China are not so fortunate, including Kovrig, the former Canadian diplomat who has been denied the right to legal counsel, as well as to meet with his family members. Above all, Meng is being accused of some serious criminal acts, while the foreign hostages in China are mostly innocent. A critical question remains: Should the international communities see Beijings hostage-taking as the act of a terrorist state? Over the years, international concern over communist Chinas ill-treatment of its own citizens may derive from the universal jurisdiction of human-rights law, as well as from international treaties to which China is a party. With Beijing no longer content only to use its own dissident citizens for hostage diplomacy, Western democracies are beginning to worry about their citizens being taken hostages by this party state. Other nations should call hostage diplomacy what it is, and Beijings acts of state terrorism should be taken seriously. The international community should be unequivocally united to condemn such lawless behavior, and not let state-sponsored terrorism become normal and rule our lives. Peter Zhang focuses his research on political economy in China and East Asia. He is a graduate of Beijing International Studies University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and Harvard Kennedy School as a Mason fellow. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. OTTAWA, CanadaOver a decade ago, a group of artists came together in New York. They had one wish: to revive Chinas 5,000 years of semi-divine traditional culture and share it with the world. Their passion and dedication gave birth to the world-class dance and music company, Shen Yun Performing Arts. Year after year, the company continues to inspire audience members, showcasing beauty and harmony through universal principles and timeless messages. And these timeless messages are what captivated Leonard Reil and his wife, who experienced the performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada, on Dec, 28. There are certain timeless truths that are important to keep, Reil said. You know, our forebearers had a lot of great things that they could teach us and that we could appreciate. The world changes a great deal but I think in our core, humans remain largely the same and those things that we need to deal with and the principles by which we can live our lives are timeless things, he added. Reil, who is a political and economic consul for the Consulate General of Canada in Mumbai, said it was wonderful to see Shen Yun using art as a way to share whats important to the world. Its a great thing to do if you think you have a useful message, to try and find a way to resonate that message with others. I think its a great endeavor, he said. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, are some of the timeless messages portrayed in Shen Yuns performances. These principles are portrayed in many Shen Yuns story danceswhich are like little excerpts from Chinese history. A unique feature of Chinese civilization is that its history has been recorded and passed down uninterrupted for 5,000 years, sometimes in vivid detail, according to the company website. This provides Shen Yun with a vast amount of source material to retell ancient stories on stage. Reil said he really enjoyed the story dances for the meaning behind each story. Describing one story of romance from this years program, he said, I enjoyed that idea of recognizing that rash actions can have bad consequences and that love is something worth fighting for. He also enjoyed the piece, Goodness in the Face of Evil, a story about a person trying to teach her mom about Falun Dafa. Being willing to endure genuine trials for whats important in your own life. I thought thats a timeless message, he said. Those things that are most important in your life are worth standing for. Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, is a spiritual practice thats currently banned in China. Many of Shen Yuns performers practice Falun Dafa, which is guided by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Because of its spiritual nature, the practice has helped over a hundred million Chinese people understand and return to the essence of traditional Chinese culture. But the Chinese regime, whose ideology is in stark contrast with the traditional culture of China that continued for five millennial unbroken, has targeted Falun Dafa for persecution since 1999. Shen Yun showcases some Falun Dafa-related dance stories and lyrics, which, like other stories, portray themes like spiritual devotion, the benevolence of gods, good and evil retribution, and the search for the meaning of life, according to the companys website. These items touch peoples minds and hearts and are unconcerned with politics. Meanwhile, Reils wife, Jennifer, also enjoyed that particular story piece, saying that she was moved and almost cried during the performance. I just felt really sad for those that cant worship or believe how they want to, Jennifer said, adding that she still wanted to cry even after the performance. Im a spiritual person, and I believe in God and I believe we did come from Heaven and will go back to Heaven, and its nice to see other believers. Again I feel, its unfortunate that not everybody can worship how they want to. The sheer beauty of the music and dance was what helped communicate such moving messages. Initially, Jennifer had no idea what Shen Yun meant, but the emcees explained during the performance that it translated into something like the beauty of divine beings dancing, and those words clicked immediately. I was like yes! Thats what it is, it is the beauty of divine beings dancing. It was incredible, she said. With reporting by NTD Television and Janita Kan. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. China Has the Worlds Worst Stock Market With $2.4 Trillion Loss Trade war, slowing economy and deleveraging have hurt stocks For Chinas stock investors and forecasters, 2018 has been a gloomy year marked by unwelcoming milestones. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index is 25 percent below where it started this year, making it the worst-performing major stock market in the world. The breakout of a trade war between the U.S. and China has wiped out $2.4 trillion this year, while a deleveraging drive has squeezed margin debt to just one-third of its peak in 2015. While foreign investors continued to pour money into onshore equities via the stock connects and state funds were said to have bought exchange-traded funds to rescue shares, they did little to arrest declines. There was no place to hide with even the safe-havens losing ground, as the weak Chinese economy hurt spending and weighed on consumer stocks, while a vaccine scandal and a gene-editing controversy sparked a sell-off in the health-care sector. Here are six charts to sum up the year: Evaporating Value Stock declines have shaved $2.4 trillion off Chinas market value this year as of Thursday, the biggest on record since Bloomberg started compiling the data in 2002. The closest loss was during the global financial crisis 10 years ago, when the Shanghai gauge plunged 65 percent. China also ceded its place as the worlds second-biggest stock market to Japan earlier this year. Bleeding out Shrinking Volumes Investors havent been this disengaged with stock trading in years. Average daily turnover on both the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges fell to about 368 billion yuan ($53.7 billion) this year, the lowest since 2014, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Just 239.1 billion yuan of shares traded on Friday, about 1/10 of its peak in 2015. Spare No One None of the sectors were safe enough to shield investors from losses. All 10 industry groups on the CSI 300 index fell on the year, the broadest decline since 2011, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Thats a stark reversal from last year, when all sector gauges rose. Nowhere to Hide All 10 industry groups on Chinas CSI 300 Index fell this year. Fewer Levers Chinas crackdown on financial leverage has achieved some results, at least in the stock market as speculators disappeared. Outstanding margin debt stood at 756 billion yuan as of Wednesday, as investors grew risk-averse. Thats about a third of its 2015 peak, when investors borrowed record sums to bet on further gains, fueling the great stock market bubble. Mutual Fund Liquidations Burnt investors have hit the exit button. A total of 75 Chinese mutual funds with an equity focus liquidated this year, Bloomberg compiled data show the most since 2007 when such data became available. That compared with the 88 equity mutual funds that were liquidated in total over the past 11 years. Cooling IPOs New mainland listings usually surge in their early days of trading as regulatory caps on initial pricing makes it a bargain for investors. Stocks that debuted on domestic exchanges this year rose by an average of 193 percent in their first month of trading, Bloomberg data show. While that may not seem that bad, thats just half the return seen in 2016, and its also the weakest performance in four years. Losing Momentum New Chinese listings first-month rally waned this year. Chinas Detention of Canadians Shows Regimes True Colors Commentary TORONTOChinas refusal to relent on releasing detained Canadian citizenswhich, despite Beijings public claims to the contrary, seems to be in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on Canadian soilfinally prompted Ottawa to depart from the careful tone it had taken and ask allies to show a unified front in demanding the release of the Canadians. Just weeks prior to the Dec. 1 arrest of Meng at the request of the United States, Chinas ambassador to Ottawa reiterated the regimes desire for a free-trade deal with Canada, part of an ongoing charm offensive by Beijing to lure more countries to its side, against a backdrop of rising trade tensions between China and the United States. But the arrest of the heir to its flagship company irked Beijing enough to reveal its true colors, says Chinese-Canadian author Sheng Xue. In a statement released shortly after Mengs arrest, Chinas foreign affairs ministry warned Canada of grave consequences if Meng wasnt released immediately. Meng Wanzhou is not just a simple businesswoman. She is not just a simple Chinese citizen. She is the secret weapon of the Chinese tyrannical state, Xue said. According to Xue, Huawei is part of the soft power strategy adopted by China decades ago, after realizing that it cant influence the world in isolation. The strategy saw the launch of initiatives such as culture and education exchanges and closer trade ties with Western democracies. On the technology front, Huawei is a key part of Chinas ambition to dominate the global telecom sector. As the eldest daughter of Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, and the person next in line to take over the company, Meng is of great importance to Beijing. She knows a lot of secrets, Xue said. When she was arrested, China was so mad and scared, so it reacted just as a rogue regime in front of the world without hesitation. Although the arrest was at the behest of the United States, it wasnt U.S. citizens that Beijing went after. China doesnt dare to arrest Americans, but instead detained three Canadians. This is obviously bullying, because they think Canada wouldnt fight back. While the U.S. administration has been increasingly tightening the vise on Beijing to force it to play by the rules, the Canadian government has continued to seek closer ties with China in line with its policy since winning the elections in 2015. Shuvaloy Majumdar, Munk Senior Fellow with the Ottawa-based think tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute, says Canada shouldnt be thinking of itself as an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of two superpowers. I think we have common interests in a Western alliance to work with our allies and our partners in market democracies to shape a world that responds to those rules better, Majumdar said. China is increasingly on one end of a multi-polar world in which they seek to see an international order calibrated around their own system. That is not the system that the West developed of the right to democracy and the rule of law. Law and Politics In attempting to pressure Canadaa country with an independent judiciary systemto bypass the courts and release Meng, Beijing is clearly showing that it has no respect for the rule of law, Majumdar adds. For her part, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has insisted that Canada wont be cutting corners in the judicial proceedings regarding Meng, outright rejecting suggestions by some business leaders and analysts that Canada should have found a loophole to not arrest Meng and thus, avoid the resulting diplomatic spat. The rule of law is not about following the rule of law when it suits you, Freeland told The Canadian Press. Under the Canadian extradition process, once a court determines there is sufficient evidence to justify a suspects extradition, the case comes to the federal justice minister who has to decide whether to proceed with the extradition. It is rare for a justice minister to go against the courts decision, but it can happen if, for example, the suspect is potentially facing the death penaltywhich is abolished in Canada. The minister can look at health issues, he or she can look at whether or not the trial will be fair, and he or she can look at the penalty, and then decide that, You know what, Im not going to extradite because it offends Canadian values, explained Leo Adler, a lawyer specializing in Canadian and international criminal law. Both the courts decision, as well as the ministers decision, are subject to appeal. Michael Spratt, a lawyer specializing in criminal law, says playing politics with an extradition process is a perilous game. Indeed, one of the defining features of Canadian democracy is the rule of law and any steps that weaken judicial institutions or our international obligations is dangerous, he said. According to Irwin Cotler, a justice minister during Paul Martins Liberal government, the minister is obligated to base his or her decision on whether to proceed with the extradition purely on legal considerations, without being influenced by politics. He recalled a case in 2004 in which he signed off on the extradition of two Spanish nationals, once he made sure there would be no ill-treatment for them if they were sent back. Paul Martin literally heard on the radio that I had extradited these two nationals of Spain at the time, and said to me, How come I didnt know anything about it that I had to hear about it on the radio? Cotler recalled. I said, because youre not supposed to know anything about it. This is purely a legal process. Not only am I not obligated to bring it before the Canadian cabinet, Im not to discuss it with the Canadian cabinet, including the prime minister. Cotler adds that by detaining Canadians, China is showing contempt for the rule of law in Canada, and is not respecting and is even showing contempt for the rule of law in its own country. Meng has been released on a $10 million bail in Vancouver and will be going back to court in early 2019 for extradition hearings that could take months or years. She is charged with committing fraud by allegedly misrepresenting the relationship between Huawei and Skycom, a Hong Kong-based company reportedly doing business with Iran. Each of the crimes she is charged with carry a maximum sentence of 30 years. Canadians Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, were detained in China over what Beijing says are national-security concerns. A third Canadian, Sarah McIver, was detained for illegal employment but was released Dec. 28. Colorado Man Convicted of Class Six Felony, Hunting Mountain Lions A man in Colorado was convicted for the illegal trade of big game wildlife and the illegal possession of a mountain liona Class Six Felonyon Nov. 8. For years, Andrew Pashley, 35, had not only illegally hunted wildlife, but had also organized illegal hunts in the state of Colorado. Various reports of illegal hunting and outfitting led to Pashleys conviction, according to the Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) news release. In 2017, CPW Wildlife Officer Joe Nicholsons suspicions were aroused when a hunters mountain lion was inspected by CPW during a mandatory inspection, which is required within five days of harvest. The Hunted Lead to the Hunters After teaming up with wildlife Officer Scott Murdoch, the duo located the site where the mountain lion was killed and interviewed the hunter. Nicholsons suspicions were confirmed when the hunter was caught lying about the details of the mountain lion hunt and his ties with Pashley, states the news release. As the investigation continued in Feb. 2017, a search warrant was issued on Pashleys home where multiple evidence of illegal outfitting activities were found along with illegally possessed wildlife. The wildlife officers efforts proved fruitful: it was found that Pashley knowingly and unlawfully accepted $3,000 cash from another Colorado man in exchange for providing unregistered illegal outfitting services, according to the press release. Evidence and Guilty Pleas In an interview with The Epoch Times, the Northeast Regions Public Information Officer (PIO) Jason Clay, said that the hunter who had payed Mr. Pashley for the illegal outfitting services pled guilty to hunting on private property without permission, illegal possession of a mountain lion, and illegal method of hunting. The hunter, who was only convicted of misdemeanor charges, was sentenced to one-year supervisory probation. During that time, he is suspended from hunting, trapping, and fishing. This does not include the possible addition of another suspension following a future CPW hearing. Part of the hunters plea agreement was to testify against Pashley on trial. Like the hunter, Pashley was sentenced to supervisory probationbut Pashley received one additional year and even faces the possibility of a lifetime suspension from hunting, trapping, and fishing privileges in Colorado. Pashley is also restricted from possessing guns. He was ordered to forfeit his truckwhich was used in the illegal outfitting businessalong with the hunting equipment he owned for his hounds. Big Game Hunting in Colorado From 2016 to 2017, 450 mountain lions were legally harvested in Colorado, according to the lion harvest sheet provided by the CPW. CPWs Statewide PIO, Travis Duncan said, Legal hunting is an effective tool that wildlife managers use to balance wildlife with their ecosystems and ensure healthy populations in an email to The Epoch Times. But Duncan says cases like Pashleys do a disservice to this effective tool used to balance the ecosystem. In 2015, James Hirschboeck, 53, was also charged for running an unlicensed outfitting business where he would charge $3,000 for each illegal deer and elk hunt13 counts total, according another news release by CPW. Hirschboeck was additionally charged with counts of unlawfully taking and possessing a 56 bull elk, hunting on private property without permission, providing an illegal hunt for big game wildlife for profit, and menacing with a deadly weapon. Clay said that these cases put a black-eye on the legal and ethical sportsmen and sportswomen of the city; these are crimes that wildlife officers are always working against. Poaching undermines that tool and is a crime against everyone in the state of Colorado and their visitors. If you see a poaching incident, report it. Call 1-877-265-6648 (1-877-COLO-OGT) or email game.thief@state.co.us, Duncan stated. Group Appeals Public Urination Lawsuit Against San Francisco SAN FRANCISCOA lawsuit has been filed against the city with the California Court of Appeals for allegedly encouraging public urination, according to the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), the organization behind the lawsuit. The city was accused of public nuisance, as well as violations of disability access and basic health and safety laws of the city. San Francisco built a non-enclosed public pissoir at the corner of Dolores Park in 2016, which caused alleged indecent exposures by users of the urination facility. The semi-circular structure is built on a concrete base around a hole in the ground. The facility is completely open at the back without a roof or doors. A metal open fence covers the hole, with green leaves and vinyl panels partially blocking the view. Men using the pissoir are easily visible to children playing in the park and to people on adjacent streets, sidewalks, buses, and light rails. City residents living nearby can also see the mens activities from their homes. The city attorney previously stated in court that the reason for building the pissoir was because too many people urinated in the area. Kevin Snider, the Chief Counsel of PJI, told The Epoch Times that residents in the city worried there would be more of these types of pissoirs built on the city streets. PJI is a nonprofit organization specialized in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. In this case, PJI represents plaintiffs including a Chinese Gospel Church, and several residents in the neighborhood around the urination facility. San Franciscos use of tax dollars to promote public urination is not only disgusting; it is also blatantly illegal, said Brad Marcus, PJIs president. PJI stated that the city has released documents confirming that it spent at least $15,000 to construct the pissoir. Frank Lee, Chair of PJIs San Francisco Bay Area Advisory Board, said that these kinds of actions by the City has contributed to the moral degradation of the society. Why does the City want its residents to go backwards, and to live in conditions of a few hundred years ago? asked Jim Chow, a pastor at Chinese Christian Union. The case was previously filed in the states lower court. But after the City and County of San Francisco filed a motion to dismiss the case, the case was dismissed by a San Francisco Superior Court judge. Snider said that it would possibly take the appeals court one to six months to make a decision. Lee said that PJI was also seriously considering filing a lawsuit in federal court and reporting the problem to the Department of Justice. Heavy Snow Blamed in 3 Fatal Midwestern Accidents MINNEAPOLISA powerful winter storm that caused whiteout conditions and treacherous roads in parts of the Upper Midwest is blamed in at least three fatal accidents, officials said. The Minnesota State Patrol said it responded to 167 crashes, 259 spinouts and 13 jackknifed semis on Thursday due to the heavy, blowing snow that began late Wednesday. Northern Minnesota snowfall reached 18 inches (46 centimeters) at Finland, along Lake Superiors north shore. Twelve inches (30 centimeters) fell in Brainerd, according to the National Weather Service. The driver of a pickup truck was killed Thursday when he collided with another vehicle on a snow-covered highway in Dunn County, North Dakota. The Highway Patrol says the vehicles crashed when visibility was reduced by blowing snow kicked up by a plow. The driver and three passengers in the other vehicle were not hurt. Also Thursday, a small bus and an SUV collided on a slippery road near Big Lake, Minnesota, leaving one bus passenger dead. Sherburne County sheriffs officials said 47-year-old Marilyn Balogi of Zimmerman was killed, while seven other passengers, the bus driver and the SUV driver were taken to hospitals. Big Lake is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis. In central Minnesotas Crow Wing County, a pedestrian was struck on a road by a pickup with a plow blade. Sheriffs officials say road conditions and visibility were very poor at the time of the accident around 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The victim was identified as 51-year-old Michael Donnay, of Merrifield, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect for much of the Dakotas and part of Minnesota through Friday morning. Snow from the same system also left roads blanketed in Nebraska. The Nebraska Transportation Department listed nearly two-thirds of the states highways as partially or fully covered with snow Friday morning. The department pulled its plows from clearing highways in parts of northeast Nebraska because visibility was so limited. The Latest on the weather in the Upper Midwest: https://bit.ly/2LFQnUD A construction crew broke a natural gas line in Carmel Valley Friday morning, Dec. 28, prompting police to block off a stretch of El Camino Real for more than 90 minutes, officials said. The crew was working on a new construction project at the southwest corner of Del Mar Heights Road and El Camino Real. San Diego police blocked off El Camino Real in a busy commercial district between Del Mar Heights Road and Neurocrine Place. No one was injured and no buildings were evacuated. The 2-inch gas line rupture was reported about 9:40 a.m. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. crews arrived shortly after 10 a.m. and had the gas shut off in less than half an hour, a company spokesman said. The roadway was reopened by 11:20 a.m., police said. Repairs were expected to take several hours. House Committee Recommends Special Counsel Probe Into DOJ, FBI Bias Against Trump A House oversight committee recommended on Dec. 28 that a special counsel be appointed to probe how the two federal agencies were biased against President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and election. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee conducted an investigation into how the agencies handled the investigation into Hillary Clintons private email server and extensive use of private email. Our 2016 presidential candidates were not treated equally, the lawmakers, which also included the House Judiciary Committee wrote in a summary of the investigation. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received unusual treatment from the Obama Justice Department during its investigation of her use of a private email server for sending and receiving classified information. The investigation into the Clinton email scandal was over before it began, the lawmakers asserted, noting that then-FBI director James Comey admitted to writing a statement exonerating Clinton months before he publicly announced so, and before FBI agents interviewed a number of witnesses, including Clinton. Additionally, the FBI was looking for evidence of willful intent in Secretary Clintons email activities, even though the relevant federal law doesnt require it, the lawmakers wrote. They also noted that Clinton and former president Barack Obama exchanged email communications on her private email server, a fact that came to light after Obama denied knowledge of the server. Investigators also analyzed the evidence that indicates the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) were biased against Trump. Peter Strzok and Lisa Page exchanged more than 40,000 text messages, including messages such as, Trump is a loathsome human, the lawmakers wrote. Director Comey himself stated, had he known of their bias, he never would have allowed them to serve on the investigative team. Nevertheless, both Strzok and Page served on the Clinton email and Russia investigations, with Strzok playing a leading role. After the text messages began to be made public, FBI agent Strzok was fired from special counsel Robert Muellers team. His work phone as well as a phone belonging to his mistress Lisa Page, who was working for the DOJ, was wiped and reset after Strzoks stint on the Mueller team. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), chairman of the oversight committee, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va), chairman of the judiciary committee, wrote in a letter (pdf) to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz that their investigation was delayed considerably by stonewalling on the part of the DOJ and FBI. DOJ continues to refuse to declassify documents necessary to the investigation despite the presidents request the documents be declassified, the lawmakers stated. The lawmakers recommended the appointment of a special counsel to investigate not only the decisions made and not made during the pendency of these investigations but also the disparate way these two investigations were seemingly conducted. They added, Confidence in venerable institutions like the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation must be restored so the public can trust these institutions. From NTD Television Maine Governor Paul LePage takes part in a meeting on infrastructure with state and local officials in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on Feb. 12, 2018. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) Maine Governor Writes Stolen Election on Election Certificate, Slams Ranked Choice Maine Gov. Paul LePage wrote stolen election on an election certificate he signed this week, then slammed ranked choice voting. In normal American elections, whichever candidate earns the most vote wins. But ranked choice voting can lead to a second-place finisher ending up in first. Voters in ranked choice place numbers next to names, as in 1 next to their preferred candidate, 2 next to their next favorite candidate, and so on. If one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, he or she wins, but if that doesnt happen, the person with the fewest 1s is eliminated and the ballots of voters who voted for that candidate are counted for their second choice. The process continues until one candidate has a majority vote. The election that LePage was not happy with was that of U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, who beat Rep. Bruce Poliquin, the Republican incumbent, after initially getting thousands of fewer votes than Poliquin. Ive signed off on [Maines 2nd congressional district] election result as its no longer in federal court, LePage wrote in a statement accompanying the certificate, which clearly showed the words stolen election. Ranked Choice Voting didnt result in a true majority as promisedsimply a plurality measured differently. It didnt keep big money out of politics & didnt result in a more civil election, he added, taking aim at some of the claims by ranked choice voting proponents. Ranked Choice Voting The system was heavily influenced by George Washington University math professors Daniel Ullman and E. Arthur Robinson, who claimed that a majority wins system makes sense in contests with only two contenders but when fields are crowded, a spoiler candidate could win even though hes the least popular. In an interview posted on their universitys website, the professors cited the 2000 presidential election, blaming population Green Party candidate Ralph Nader for Democratic candidate Al Gores loss, saying that votes that went to Nader should have gone to Gore. If we werent stuck on plurality, if voters could express preferences for several candidates rather than picking just one, the numbers would have looked very different, Ullman said. The system started in Maine in the midterms this year following a referendum that passed in 2016, 52 percent to 48 percent. Others have slammed the system, saying whichever candidate gets the most votes should win. Poliquin, the Republican incumbent, said that he heard from hundreds of voters who expressed concern with the new voting system, noting that at any other time in Maine history, and in any other state in the nation, the election would have been over on November 6. He mounted a legal challenge, asserting that the ranked voting system was unconstitutional and therefore illegal. He conceded on Christmas Eve after the challenge was turned down by two courts. As such, despite winning the largest number of votes on Election Day, I believe its in the best interest of my constituents and all Maine citizens to close this confusing and unfair chapter of voting history by ending any further legal proceedings, his statement read. From NTD News Man Arrested After Thousands of Stolen Library Books and DVDs Found in His Home A man was arrested by Sacramento County Sheriffs Department on Dec. 26 for allegedly stealing thousands of books and DVDs from at least one local library. The suspect, 46-year-old Shahin Sadighian of Fair Oaks, California, is facing charges of felony shoplifting and grand theft after 2,689 books and 3,846 DVDs were discovered in his home. Investigators estimated that the stolen items are worth more than $100,000. It had some very odd characteristics. The books were they werent mutilated for the most part, and all of them still had their identifying markings on them, said Sgt. Shaun Hampton of Sacramento County Sheriffs Department. A picture provided by authorities shows books and DVDs piled up in a room of Sadighians home at Fair Oaks. In addition, the recovered books and DVDs were still attached with labels that indicated they were from the Sacramento Public Library. Sacramento Library Director Rivkah Sass told Fox that the books and DVDs are from Fair Oaks Library, where the staff has noticed some of their items started disappearing over the past year. KCRA also reported the library had a higher than normal number of items missing when staff did a routine inventory analysis. They began actually looking at patterns of usage and discovered that a lot of items were missing on a certain day of the week, Sass said. On Dec. 18, the library reported to sheriffs deputies that their surveillance camera captured a man putting several books in a backpack while only checking out one book. The man was later identified as Shahin Sadighian. And deputies served a search warrant the day after Chrismas at Sadighans Fair Oaks home. There were items piled floor to ceiling in many rooms, Sass said. She also told Fox that nearly half of the recovered items were taken within the last year. Sadighian was later released on bail but still faces charges of grand theft and felony shoplifting. Its a real cost because those items cost money that we use to purchase items that people share, Sass said. You know, its not like the old Seinfeld show where the old library police come, this is a big deal. George Strake Jr. and his wife, Annette Strake, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2018. (Diane Gao/The Epoch Times) HOUSTONBusinessman and philanthropist George Strake Jr. and his wife, Annette Strake, have watched Shen Yun Performing Arts every year for the past six years. It does get better every year. These young people are just marvelous, George said. The couple attended the performance with their daughter, Shelley, and her friend, Gina, at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 28. Shen Yun Performing Arts, the premier classical Chinese dance company, seeks to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through music and dance. The New York-based company recently commenced its 2019 tour that will see six equal-sized groups traveling to more than 100 cities around the world. George Strake Jr. has had a distinguished career as a politician, businessman, and philanthropist. He previously served as Texas Secretary of State after building his name in the oil and gas industry. He is president of the Strake Foundation, a charity that supports Catholic education in schools, and is involved in a range of charities and and community groups. George had nothing but praise for the performance. Its awesome, he said. The whole thing is just so professionally done and so meaningful and so effective. George and Annette have been seeing the show every year around this time, which roughly coincides with their wedding anniversary. In the new year, the couple will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Annette said they keep coming back because they love watching the performance. Its one of the most beautiful, amazing things I have ever seen, she said. She said she was touched by the beauty and truth conveyed by the performers. It comes across and makes your heart happy, Annette said. The word Shen Yun means the beauty of divine beings dancing. The company seeks to portrays this beauty through classical Chinese dance, as well as traditional ethnic and folk dances form Chinas 50-plus ethnic groups. At the same time, Shen Yun aims to present the essence of Chinas rich and far-reaching culture through the medium of this art form. In traditional Chinese culture, people believed in the divine or heaven. China itself was called Shen Zhou or divine land. People believed that they should live in harmony with heaven and earth, and improvement of moral character was key to achieving this. Such concepts can be found in Chinese lore and records passed down over millennia. Shen Yun presents these stories on stage, connecting a modern audience with ancient values and ideas. Annette was particularly impressed by the dancers gliding movements across the stage. She said she didnt know how they do it. Its like gliding from heaven, she said. Shen Yun performers, many of whom are award-winning dancers, are classically trained artists who excel in traditional Chinese dance forms, including classical Chinese dance. This dance system is itself a jewel of Chinese culture, a craft refined over thousands of years. Alongside ballet, it is one of the most complex and rigorous dance forms in the world. This year the Strakes brought their daughter, Shelley, who was watching Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time. Like her parents, Shelley was blown away by the performance. Its the best Ive ever seen, she said. Shelley said the show was filled with meaning behind every movement and story. She added that couldnt wait to come back next year. It just makes you appreciate your life so much. With reporting by Diane Gao and Cathy He. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. Suspicious White Powder Packages Washed Up on Beaches in Australia Police officers in Queensland, Australia are seeking public help after two packages of white powder were found washed up on beaches in Bundaberg. Two separate one-kilogram (2.2 pounds) packages of white powder were foundone at Elliott Heads on Dec. 21, and another further north at Mon Repos on Dec. 27, according to a police release. Superintendent Craig Hawkins of the Wide Bay Burnett District said police suspect the brick-sized packages contain an illicit substance. Obviously the nature of the way it was packaged and the way its been presented certainly we strongly suspect its an illegal substance, Hawkins said to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (The ABC). Police are waiting for the results of forensic examination of the mysterious powder. The early indications are that its an illegal substance but until we have it formally analysed by our forensic analysts we wont know for sure. Suspicious white powder washes up at Bundaberg Blocks of suspicious white powder have washed on Queensland beaches with police suspecting they're illicit drugs.www.7plus.com.au/news#7News 7 News Melbourne 20181228 The blocks of white powder are suspected to be cocaine, according to 7 News. Hawkins added that Australian Border Force authorities are trying to figure out where the packages came from. Police are concerned because there are many children and tourists in the area where the packages were found, especially over the risk that the packages may be harmful to the handler. Hawkins said it is possible that more packages may wash ashore due to tidal flows and ocean currents. The public is urged to report to police if they find any suspicious packages, and to not open them as the substance could be hazardous. Any further information we can get from the public may help us establish the locations of further packages, Hawkins said. Anyone who was at sea or on the coastline near these locations and saw anything suspicious in the water or other suspicious activity is urged to contact police. Cocaine Bust in August In Aug. 2018, packages of white powder were found off Byron Bay, NSW, about 500 km (310 miles) south of Bundaberg, in one of Australias largest drug busts. About 600 kilograms (1100 pounds) of cocaine were found in the ocean having been tossed overboard by suspected drug traffickers. That we have stopped such a large amount of cocaine from hitting the streets of Australia is a testament to the combined efforts of all agencies involved, Australian Federal Police detective superintendent Andrew Donoghoe said in a statement on Aug. 2, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Two men were charged after Border Force and defence officers who were patrolling the coast from the air saw their vessel heading towards coast. Police alleged the men then dumped their drugs overboard and tried to flee, but police sent a boat to intercept them and caught them about 70 kilometres (43 miles) off Byron Bay. The two men, Dru Anthony Baggaley, 36, and Anthony Trevor Draper, 53, were charged with possessing a commercial quantity of illegal drugs. Australians: If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day. You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24 hrs per day. Officer Ronil Singh, of the Newman Police Department, is survived by his wife and child. (Stanislaus Sheriff's Department) Officer Smiling With Wife and 5-Month-Old Son Hours Before He Was Shot Photos show Newman, California, officer Ronil Singh smiling with his family next to his Christmas tree hours before he was shot and killed by a suspected illegal alien. The photos, shared by the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department, show the 33-year-old officer, spending time with his loved ones before his final shift. They show him with his wife, Anamika, and their 5-month-old son at their home in Modesto on Christmas Day, according to the Daily Mail. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, the suspect, was captured by police, said the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Office. Arriaga surrendered as a SWAT team was about to raid the house that he was hiding in. The arrest was made nearly 200 miles away in Kern County, CNN reported. Several years ago, Arriaga came into the United States illegally via the Arizona border. He then worked as a laborer in various jobs, several of those were at dairies, said Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, reported The Associated Press. Arriaga was believed to have been fleeing his native country of Mexico, according to Christianson. The Mexican national was arrested for DUIs and had gang affiliation. Arriaga was also found to have had multiple Facebook accounts, registered under various names. In the incident, Singh, 33, pulled over the suspect at 1 a.m. on Dec. 26, before he was shot. Other officers discovered Singh shot and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Singhs brother, Reggie, thanked the officers and individuals who helped capture Arriaga. I was waiting for this to happen. You working day and night made this happen, Reggie said. Ronil Singh was my older brother. Yes, hes not coming back, but theres a lot of people out there that misses him, he also said, CNN reported. More Arrests Seven other people have been arrested for lying to investigators, trying to throw them off while Arriaga fled to Mexico, according to Christianson. Anyone who provided protection is going to go to jail, said Christianson in a news conference, reported NBC News. Ana Leyde Cervantes, 30, Arriagas girlfriend, and his brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, were arrested on Friday. They were expected to be charged with accessory after the fact, or aiding and abetting, reported the Sacramento Bee. On Thursday, another of the suspects brothers, Adrian Virgen, 25, and a co-worker, Erik Razo Quiroz, were arrested. We had them in custody and asked for their cooperation and they lied to us, Christianson said. In a statement, the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department said that the pair were arrested yesterday for helping Arriaga escape after he shot and killed Corporal Singh for accessory after the fact to a felony. The investigation also included three other arrests on suspicion of aiding and abetting on Friday. The adults were in the house where Arriaga was found. They were identified as Bernabe Madrigal Castaneda, 59; Ermasmo Villegas, 36; and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57. Officials also said that investigators believe that they recovered the handgun that Arriaga used to shoot Singh. On Dec. 27, President Donald Trump tweeted about the slaying, highlighting the crime that illegal aliens can bring. There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall! he tweeted. In a press conference on Thursday, Christianson said, We will relentlessly continue to hunt our suspect down and bring him to justice so that we can bring closure to this community and this police department. This suspect is in our country illegally. He doesnt belong here. He is a criminal. This is a man that I saw every day he worked. This is a man that I relieved on Christmas Day so he could go home and spend time with his family and his newborn child, added Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson, reported KCRA. I think that whats being lost here is yes, he was a police officer and thats why all of you are packed in this roombecause he was tragically taken from us. But what needs to be known is he was truly just a human being and an American patriot. NTD News reporter Zack Stieber contributed to this report Trump: Any Deaths at the Border Are Strictly the Fault of the Democrats President Donald Trump on Dec. 29 placed the blame for any deaths at the southern border squarely on the Democrats. Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They cant. If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try! Trump wrote on Twitter. Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They cant. If we had a Wall, they wouldnt even try! The two.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018 children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadnt given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018 The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadnt given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard and getting so little credit! The president has been trying to negotiate with Democrats to include funding for the border wall with the government budget. The standoff has resulted in a partial government shutdown. Democrat leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), voted for legislation authorizing hundreds of miles of barriers along the border in 2006 during the Bush administration, but have switched their stance since then. Many also voted in 2013, during the Obama administration, for a bill that called for 700 miles of fencing along the border. Trumps barbed missive came after two Guatemalan children died after crossing the border and being apprehended by Customs and Border Protection personnel. A 7-year-old girl who was with her father was rushed to the hospital in New Mexico via air ambulance but died, likely of septic shock, officials said in mid-December. Jakelin Caals father had signed a government form hours earlier stating that his daughter was in good condition. Officials said she hadnt been given food or water for days, an assertion that the father disputed. An 8-year-old boy died in a hospital in New Mexico on Dec. 25. His father specifically brought his son with him because he heard a rumor that adults with children had an easier time getting into the United States. Neither of the children would have qualified for asylum. Both families said they left Guatemala due to poverty, which isnt one of the accepted parameters for migrants seeking asylum. Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and White House officials have urged parents to stop taking their children on the dangerous trek from Central America to the United States. No one should risk injury, or even death, by crossing our border unlawfully, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a statement. This is why I asked Congress on Tuesday to change our laws so that the United States is not incentivizing families to take this dangerous path. Its a horrific, tragic situation, deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters on the White House lawn after the first death. Our hearts go out to the family and to anyone whos suffered any type of danger and peril that they see so often when they make that trek up from the southern border. Its a sad time, but its also senseless. Its a needless death and its 100 percent preventable, he added. If we could just come together and pass some common sense laws to disincentivize people from coming up from the border and encourage them to do it the right way, the legal way, then those types of deaths, those types of assaults, those types of rapes, the child smuggling, the human trafficking, that would all come to an end. And we hope Democrats join the president. From NTD News Chairman Ajit Pai speaks ahead of the vote on the repeal of so called net neutrality rules at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, on Dec. 14, 2017. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters) US Investigating CenturyLink Internet Outage, 911 Failures BOISE, IdahoU.S. officials and at least one state said Dec. 28 that they have started investigations into a nationwide CenturyLink internet outage that has disrupted 911 service. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai called the outage that began Dec. 27 completely unacceptable because people who need help couldnt use the emergency number. Its breadth and duration are particularly troubling, he said. CenturyLink has been dealing with a network event. All consumer services impacted by this event, including voice and 911, have been restored. Any latency issues will clear in the next few hours. CenturyLink (@CenturyLink) December 29, 2018 The commissions Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau will investigate the cause and effect of the outage, he said. The Monroe, Louisiana-based telecommunications giant is one of the largest in the United States. It offers communications and information technology services in dozens of states. Customers from New York to California reported outages. CenturyLink spokeswoman Debra Peterson said the outage is not related to hacking, but she declined further comment. The company said on Twitter that its working to restore service and appears to be making progress. It hasnt provided a cause for the problems. Where CenturyLink is the 911 service provider 911 calls are completing, the company said in a tweet. Regulators in Washington state also said they were opening an investigation into an outage of its statewide 911 service. The state Utilities and Transportation Commission said interruptions began about 8:30 p.m. Dec. 27. The commissions regulatory services division director, Mark Vasconi, said the system appeared stable Dec. 28 but the agency was monitoring it. CenturyLink is having issues since 03:54 AM ESThttps://t.co/AfS59RwNLi RT if it's down for you as well #centurylinkoutage pic.twitter.com/Rw97YwMzno Outage.Report (@ReportOutage) December 27, 2018 In Idaho, Emergency Office Management Director Brad Richy said he didnt receive any reports of 911 service failures, but some state agencies, including the state Department of Correction, lost service on internet-based phones. Some businesses in Idaho also lost the ability to make credit card sales, and some ATM machines werent working in Idaho and Montana. Due to sporadic 911 outages in Massachusetts, public safety officials recommended individuals looking for emergency help use the 10-digit telephone number of the fire or police departments they wanted to contact. In Greeley, Colorado, the Weld County Regional Communication Center on Dec. 28 said 911 calls were being dropped, but callers should keep trying and emergency dispatchers would try to call back. The 911 dispatch center and emergency management in western Missouris Johnson County were hit by the outage, county Emergency Management Director Troy Armstrong said on Dec. 28. He said the 911 lines were not affected, but the internet was down at the dispatch center and phone services also were spotty. By Keith Ridler Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin John Lloyd (Reuters) Washington, United States Sat, December 29, 2018 13:14 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e496864 2 Opinion #USA,#Russia,#India,#global,#security,#politics,#Mattis,#JamesMattis,US,USA,global-challenges,security,security-ties,defense,#defense-cooperation,James-Mattis Free The resignation of US Defense Secretary James Mattis stands not only as a radical disassociation from the actions of the president he served, but as a foreboding for the future, a warning for 2019 and beyond. And, for all the assurances that the world is getting better, such as Steven Pinkers Enlightenment Now, there are huge geopolitical challenges to face and master to make that optimism real. The key passages of Mattis resignation letter include statements asserting that the United States cannot protect its interests or effectively serve its role as the indispensable nation in the free world without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to its allies. [W]e must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances, says Mattis. It is clear that China and Russia want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model. These are implicitly harsh criticisms of Donald Trump, a president who has denigrated and insulted allies as close as Canada, Britain and Germany, and deferred to Russian president Vladimir Putin, often treating him as a friend. More, Mattis remarks are red flags signaling the prospective collapse of the institutions and common policies of democratic states now in increasing peril. As the United States under Trump retreats to Fortress America, China under Xi Jinping retreats behind that version of Marxism which brooks no competitor on the political or ideological levels. The Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang have over the past year seen many of their number taken to re-education camps to purge them of their devotion to Islam; some Chinese authorities have ordered Christmas displays in shopping and office centers to be taken down. Chinas news media have been squeezed into conformity with the Party line for the past few years. The internet and social media provide some space for dissent, but its usually quickly cut off consistent, as Mattis might say, with Beijings authoritarian model. Putin both retreats and advances. He publicly embraces Orthodox Christianity and refers glowingly to the doctrine of Eurasianism which stresses Russias separation from Europe. At the same time, he advances piling pressure on neighboring Ukraine, most recently in the Sea of Azov which lies between the two countries, where Russian warships fired on poorly-armed Ukrainian vessels part of Moscows overall strategy to, as Orysia Lutsevych writes, prevent the Ukrainian state from delivering security, economic prosperity and closer integration with the EU and NATO for its citizens. Putin is also ratcheting up pressure on Belarus, the smallest of the three Slavic states, to integrate more closely with Russia a move which the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has so far resisted. Were Russia to bring Belarus back under direct Russian control and engineer a pro-Russian government in Ukraines capital Kiev, Putins new Slav empire would be a reconstruction of much of the Soviet Union. India, forecast to be the worlds most populous nation in three years time, becomes at one both more populist and more authoritarian in the fifth year of Narendra Modis rule. The countrys democratic institutions survive and debate is often robust, but a relentless centralization of authority and a sapping of the strength of formerly relatively independent institutions as, this month, the Central Bank of India are warnings of potentially unchecked executive power. The largest project of a different kind of power, the European Union, now learns the hard way that the soft powers of education, culture, democracy, civil society and common markets all of which the EU actively champions can go only so far without military power to underpin them. 2019 will be a huge test for the Union not just because the UK is due to leave it at the end of March, but also because the EU parliamentary elections in May are likely to see a large influx of populist and Eurosceptic deputies, dedicated to returning centralized power to national parliaments. After the collapse of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1990s, a new spirit went abroad. Call it the export of democracy: the certainty that democratic practices and the institutions of civil society as non-governmental pressure groups, independent research centers, the news media could, once released from servitude, rapidly change into free societies on the Western model. They would do so because their people wanted freedom the revolutions in the former Soviet bloc and elsewhere seemed to prove it. In the United Nations, steam built up behind a project named genocide prevention and the responsibility to protect the view that all rulers had a duty to protect their citizens, and to refrain from subjecting them to war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. If leaders did descend to attacking their own people as did Saddam Hussein of Iraqthroughout much of his 24-year reign then they would be the target of sanctions, and even military force. The debacle of Iraq, above all else, convinced many Western publics and leaders that idealistic imperialism led to disaster, and always would. Those espousing it as had Hillary Clinton faded. Both a liberal like Barack Obama and a populist like Donald Trump tacitly agreed that such foreign adventures were, on any large scale, a thing of the past. Thus, both the new soft power of the European Union and the idealistic imperialism to which the responsibility to protect gave birth have been seen to have demonstratively failed. We are left with hard power in the ascendant powers at whose summits are men (in every case) who use nationalism and the projection and growth of military force to bolster their popularity, and who saw liberal globalism as having offered a threat to their ruling strategies but which is now ceasing to do so. And because large sections of the Western publics experienced marginalization, a loss of identity and no rises in income, they too turned against the liberal vision. It is this state of affairs which, ironically, an American general turned politician (turned out early by a president tired of the opposition he mounted against his policies) described in leaving office. The world, in many ways presently richer, healthier, safer than ever before, still needs global stability to enjoy the fruits of the medical, agricultural and technological revolutions which could enhance lives, especially of the poor. 2019 will be a crucial testing ground for efforts to establish a firm foundation for that stability. ======== John Lloyd co-founded the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. His books include What the Media Are Doing to Our Politics and The Power and the Story. He is a contributing editor at the Financial Times and the founder of FT Magazine. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Desk (The Nation/ANN) Bangkok Sat, December 29, 2018 12:13 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e494b07 2 Opinion #Thailand,#facebook,#social-media,#SocialMedia,#threat,Thailand,Facebook,Facebook-Live,social-media,threat Free When Facebook Live, the social networks self-broadcasting feature, made its debut in 2015, all the indications suggested it might change beyond recognition the way we receive and share information. Narcissists wasted no time putting it to use and the conventional news media began a feeding frenzy over its content, but we have not yet seen the tool reach its full potential. The past year saw significant proliferation in the use of Facebook Live. Italys populist politicians utilised live streaming on Facebook to bypass the mainstream media and foment discord in the midst of an election campaign with such success that the idea could catch on elsewhere. Merchants large and small use it to sell merchandise, their followers able to click on images of the items and take photos of what interests them. Thais, massively attached to Facebook, adore testing new features, and more and more independent retailers are using Facebook Live to sell everything from cosmetics to clean (healthy) food. Thai fans of Manchester United used the tool a couple of weeks ago when Jose Mourinho was sacked as the teams manager, and they garnered a remarkable number of views by breaking news and offering in-depth analyses. In fact, they did such a thorough job of covering the story that media academics began discussing whether journalism studies should emphasise that the best reporters are those focusing on their own greatest passions. Countless important interviews have been conducted via Facebook Live, further indicating the growing acceptance of the features utility and impact. And the mainstream media are not shy about picking up content generated from Facebook Live. The mainstream media and social media are constantly reacting to each others content, but viewers are taking sides. In one telltale comment, a Thai politician recently said he preferred a short, viral clip of his statements to be circulating online rather than a lengthy TV interview being aired. Of course the live and video-sharing functions have resulted in some heinous broadcasts, both in Thailand and abroad. Unnecessarily gory depictions of crimes, suicides and self-inflicted injuries have come via Facebook Live, despite outcries and efforts to curb the practice. There will be no stopping this sort of personal broadcasting, however. Technology is making sure of that. What the future holds cannot be disputed. Thanks to constantly improving Internet transmission, live streaming is getting smoother and more watchable. Video screens have undergone an amazing evolution in terms of size and clarity. Soon, any pane of glass in your vicinity could serve as a broadcast display screen. Count on conventional television, despite its long history and immense investments made, to continue losing its audience and market share. The nature of broadcasting stardom will never be the same again. The new technologys greatest promise rests in giving society more educational opportunities. For all the money and politics associated with revolutionary aspects of the social media, Facebook Live does possess truly noble potential. The ways children can be taught through the new medium seem limitless. Geographical distance need never again be an obstacle to schooling. A future in which Facebook Live or some similar tool democratises education now seems within reach. Technology has opened the door. Its now a simple question of when we walk through it. Topics : This article appeared on The Nation newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Bloomberg) Sat, December 29, 2018 12:03 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e494142 2 Science & Tech China,university,research,Science Free Chinas Ministry of Education has asked universities to inspect all research work on gene editing and submit a report to the government by year end showing that the work doesnt breach ethical boundaries. The order comes a month after Shenzhen-based researcher He Jiankui shocked the world by claiming he had edited the genes of a pair of twin baby girls while they were embryos. The announcement was met with criticism globally and at home. Hes current whereabouts are unknown. The ministrys notice, posted on the websites of several universities on Thursday, ordered the institutions to focus their self-inspection on all programs relating to gene editing since 2013. Universities were asked to particularly address work conducted with affiliated hospitals and international bodies and that involve germline editing -- where reproductive cells are altered, resulting in changes that are passed down to descendants. Read also: How can genetic data be better encrypted? Researchers find a way Brave New World of Editing Human DNA Starts in China: QuickTake The ministry asked that universities scrutinize if ethical boundaries have been respected in the work and relevant laws followed. It also required universities to submit details of the programs, plus suggestions on how to strengthen life science and medical ethics in higher education. Chinese researchers have been ambitious in experimenting with the use of Crispr, a gene-editing tool that makes altering DNA relatively easy and which He used in his trial. While the technique was perfected in 2012 in the U.S., the Chinese have been first at many junctures -- from using it successfully in monkeys, testing it on lab embryos not intended for live births, and using it in adults with cancer. Chinas government has said Hes work flouted 2003 regulations governing in-vitro fertilization, which bans the use of gene-manipulated embryos for reproduction. But Chinese law is relatively silent on gene-editing in adult humans where changes wont affect future generations, urging only rigorous supervision by medical institutions. The U.S. doesnt allow the use of Crispr for editing the germline. And although U.S. regulators havent banned gene-editing of adult humans, the FDA has paid special attention to these proposals, placing months-long holds on the trials for regulatory scrutiny. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marina Koreneva (Agence France-Presse) Rappolovo, Russia Sat, December 29, 2018 19:03 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e49e182 2 Environment lion,bears,animals,animal-shelter Free A lion that escaped from an airport, a crocodile found at a rubbish dump and an elk attacked by stray dogs -- all these animals have found refuge in an unusual private shelter in Russia. Dozens of bears have also passed through the Veles center, just outside Saint Petersburg, since it was opened in 2009 by businessman Alexander Fyodorov, who says he spent more than $1 million on the project. "Our aim is to treat wild animals and get them back on their legs again in order to release them if that's possible," he said of the center in Rappolovo, 20 kilometers (12 miles) out of Russia's second city. "Some of the animals were found after accidents, others were abandoned. Sometimes their stories are like the plot of a film," said Fyodorov. One particularly dramatic story is that of a lioness called Elza, who escaped in Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo airport in December last year. "Elza was sent from Grozny (the capital of Chechnya) by a Chechen businessman to his friend in Saint Petersburg as a New Year's gift," Fyodorov said. "But the sleeping pills given to the lioness before the trip stopped acting too early. In the airport, the lion broke her cage open and made a run for it." The lion was soon captured and later taken to her new owner, but he quickly realized that "it was impossible for him to keep a lion" and brought her to the shelter. At the time, keeping wild animals at home was not illegal, but a law was recently enacted that bans the practice from next year. Less is known about the background of the crocodile named Gena who was found at a rubbish dump north of the city. Keeping exotic wild animals as pets has long been fashionable among certain rich or novelty-seeking Russians but often ends unhappily with animals mistreated or escaping. Read also: Lions, hyenas and tigers, oh my! Predators to fill Yogyakarta zoo's new zone - Little help from state - Other animals come to the shelter after incidents in the wild. Two years ago, while still a foal, an elk called Alyuminka was badly hurt by stray dogs attacking her. Elks are still common in European Russia, living in forests. She now paces the enclosure in Rappolovo. "Those animals that could not survive in the wild stay here," said Alexander Teplyakov, a 45-year-old volunteer at the center. Four staff and around 10 volunteers work in Rappolovo, where the animals are kept in huge cages or enclosures around a large stone building housing a medical facility. Despite Russia's huge size, human activity is increasingly encroaching on the animals' natural habitat and making it harder for them to survive in the wild. The state does little to support them, even as President Vladimir Putin gives speeches praising Russia's natural heritage and enjoys occasional photo opportunities with wild animals. "In Russia, you can count centers like this, where there is real help given to wild animals, on the fingers of one hand," said Svetlana Ilyinskaya, co-director of the Center for Legal Protection of Animals, a Moscow NGO. There are around 50 million abandoned pets in the country, particularly cats and dogs, that breed in the wild as owners often do not sterilize them, she said. For wild animals, road collisions are a frequent cause of death, with 161 vehicle accidents recorded in Russia last year involving large animals -- often elks. Ilyinskaya said that "there is no effective plan to help wild animals in need." "There are no shelters, nor (public) awareness of what you should do if you find a wounded animal in the wild. There's also no law that could protect them against industrial development," she said. And for private shelter owners like Fyodorov, the costs are prohibitive. "I'm not sure how long we can go on," he said, explaining that profits at his construction business had been hurt by the economic crisis that hit Russia in 2014. "You can't predict the future," he said, admitting that his friends think he is "crazy" for maintaining the shelter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Sat, December 29, 2018 23:02 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4a1abb 2 People united-states,World-War-II,Veteran,oldest-person,Richard-Overton Free Richard Overton, a World War II veteran who was America's oldest man, has died at the age of 112. Overton, who lived in Austin, Texas, died on Thursday at a rehabilitation home, his cousin, Volma Overton Jr, told the Austin-American Statesman. He had been hospitalized earlier this month with pneumonia, the newspaper said. Overton's longevity and his status as the oldest living American veteran of World War II made him a celebrity of sorts over the past few years. In 2013, he visited Washington and met with president Barack Obama at the White House. The street where he lived in Austin was renamed "Richard Overton Avenue" on his 111th birthday. Read also: 112-yr-old Japanese recognized as world's oldest man Overton was born on May 11, 1906 in Texas. He served in the US Army in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. After returning home, Overton worked in furniture stores and for the office of the state treasurer. Overton spent his later years sitting on his porch smoking cigars and sipping coffee or Coca-Cola with a dash of whiskey, the Statesman said. He was married twice but had no children. According to the Gerontology Research Group, the oldest living man in the world is 113-year-old Masazou Nonaka of Japan. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Josa Lukman and Stevie Emilia (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29, 2018 13:32 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e49734b 1 People 2018,Sebastian-Gunawan,Joko-Anwar,sapardi-djoko-darmono,Mouly-Surya,Laksmi-Pamuntjak,arahmaiani Free The year 2018 is inching to a close, allowing people to look back, reminisce on their ups and downs, and then look ahead, planning for the coming New Year. SEBASTIAN GUNAWAN, a multitalented designer with a fashion career spanning over 25 years: The year 2018 is almost over and first of all, I am grateful that everything was just fine this year. There were challenges of course, but personally, I got through them just fine. I am also grateful, and thankful to God as things are much better [this year]. And I hope in 2019, the situation will be so much better. There are plans that are not yet realized, like as I said earlier, [I want] to come up with full collections from fashion, accessories, shoes and bags, to makeup, perfume, tableware and houseware, like renowned international brands. Ones ambition, especially those working in creative field, certainly wants to try to have such a complete collection. But again, it will depend on time, situation and with whom we have to partner up. For next year, so far, I dont have too many plans but to prepare my regular solo show. For me, New Year is a new challenge where we have to be able to look back to prepare for new challenges and better things in the future. JOKO ANWAR, a renowned film director and scriptwriter: My accomplishments this year? I finished a lot of projects. Gundala finished filming, I wrote the script for Orang Kaya Baru [Nouveau Riche] and I had the chance to play in five films this year. I think I was quite productive in 2018. My resolution for this year was to be more productive, and I accomplished that. The year 2019 will see the release of Orang Kaya Baru and Gundala, and also another one that will start filming in March and will be released by the end of the year. The title is Impetigore and the Indonesian title is Perempuan Tanah Jahanam [Woman of The Cursed Land]. Its a horror-thriller movie about a woman who returns to her village, without knowing that the village has been cursed. SAPARDI DJOKO DAMONO, a prominent poet and writer whose works have been translated into over 10 languages: This year, Im happy I was able to launch the third book in the Hujan Bulan Juni [Rain in June] trilogy, along with my poetry anthology Perihal Gendis[About Gendis], which I think is important in my efforts to find new literary devices to develop. In 2019, I will be launching two short story collections, hopefully along with a novel I couldnt finish this year. My problem every year is trying to find new ideas that are different to those I already published. I was not always be in my best physical condition this year, so Im thankful I could finish several books. I hope I can control my activities next year, so I can work from home a lot more. My hope for 2019 is that literacy can be improved by refining peoples ability in reading all kinds of literature, instead of merely giving out books non-stop. Increasing literary appreciation is much more important in my opinion. MOULY SURYA, a writer-director whose critically acclaimed 2017 film Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts won 10 awards at this years Indonesian Film Festival, including the Citra award for best director: The year was challenging because my father-in-law passed away earlier in the year. My own dad passed away as well before we shot Marlina in 2016. So, it was as if the film was bracketed by the death of both of our fathers, our role models. As you might probably know, my husband, Rama Adi, is my producer and also Marlinas co-writer. Professionally, I must say Marlina has changed my life. It opened up a lot of new opportunities. I know some people probably have this impression that all my films have won awards and are creatively successful; yes, but not on the scale of Marlina. I was proud but also wary. I dont want to bask in it, dont want to be complacent. I said this when we just finished editingMarlina in early 2017 to Rama: I still can do better. I still want to do better. Winning a Citra [award] is a great way to end this year. I was really happy my cast and crew got the appreciation they all deserved for their dedication to Marlina. Honestly, this year has gone by in a kind of a blur. Too much traveling, honestly, which was great, but I am not a fan of living in a suitcase and planes. But those travels brought me to two memorable highlights of my year meeting and speaking in great details with two film directors whose works I greatly admire. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival, they assigned the same car to drive me to LA with 120 Beats Per Minute director, Robin Campillo. And boy, it was a two-hour masterclass of filmmaking in that car. A few weeks ago, when I was a jury for Tokyo Filmex, I also spoke to Sergey Dvortsevoy about his award-winning film Ayka at a party. I was in awe of the film and he shared great details on how he made it. The film was so strong and intense and in a completely different level, it could be the highlight of my year, [even] without that conversation. [I have] no regrets [this year]. I am a very practical person. The New Year means a holiday; a lot of deadlines to meet for this week and then holiday! I dont romanticize it. The Roman calendar is not even accurate, or so Ive read. Finishing my new script is my most important plan [for next year] and keep practicing Ashtanga Yoga practice every morning and also spending more quality time with my daughter, Reisachi. LAKSMI PAMUNTJAK, an award-winning novelist, poet, journalist and food writer: The year 2018 has been a rather depressing year for me. Its seen a huge wave of hatred, xenophobia and violence sweeping across the world, the rise of the far-right across Europe and the United States, democracies from the Philippines to South Africa, from Hungary to Venezuela, tumbling and falling. Yemen and Syria continue to suffer deeply, and at home, we a nation long celebrated for its diversity and pluralist ethos are also sinking deeper into the mire of intolerance. So, in that sense, its been a terrible year, and it has affected the mood and charge of intellectual debates in public forums Ive participated in, especially in Germany and the United Kingdom. On the professional and personal front, its been, as usual, a mix of triumphs and defeats, action and reflection. Ive been doing what Ive always been doing. I get holed up, I protect my solitude, I write doggedly. Then once the book is finished, I travel and promote the book. I also take on multiple projects that would subsidize my creative writing. This part is never easy to juggle and remains a struggle. There were some career highlights that made me rejoice: launching my third novel, Herbstkind, at the Berlin International Literary Festival, the premiere of the movie Aruna dan Lidahnya [The Birdwomans Palate], based on my second novel. But most moving were the more personal moments: my daughters graduation from university in the US, her lovely wedding ceremony two months ago. My daughter is my pride and joy, my world entire, as Cormac McCarthy would say. [One thing that Id like to do differently this year] Id like to breathe more; be calmer and more focused. Id like to make life not or less about work. Spend more time with my parents, my daughter and my son-in-law in Boston, my beloved friends. We all know nothing intrinsically changes at one second past Jan.1. But, somehow, weve decided that this change is different. Its the time to reflect, take stock, assess how we did, and resolve to do better going forward. I think it stems from our basic instinct our motivation to survive. I dont have lofty ambitions. I just want to finish my latest book, a collection of short stories about women in relationships as soon as possible. Afterwards, I want to do a study on blasphemy. I also want to improve my German, my cooking and learn something new dance, maybe. ARAHMAIANI, one of Indonesias most respected contemporary artists: My focus is more on working with communities, dealing with cultural, social, political and environmental issues in Indonesia as well as abroad, like in Tibet and Germany. Yes, I am happy with what I have accomplished this year, especially with my solo show at Museum MACAN. My new Nusantara Flag Project with the Tritura art community and youths from 14 subdistricts in Yogyakarta also gave me happiness and a sense of hope that this countrys future is still quite bright. The New Year should mean new hope and new ideas. I want my biography and book about my work experience in Tibet to be ready and published either next year or the year after next year, as I will be celebrating my 10 years of work up in The Roof of the World. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) San Francisco, United States Sat, December 29, 2018 22:01 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4a1976 2 Science & Tech Google,Pixel,Pixel-phone,smartphone Free According to website Android Police, who spoke with a source familiar with the company's plans, Google will be launching 'Lite' versions of its newest flagship on Verizon in spring 2019. While we've been receiving Pixel 3 Lite leaks from Russian blogs Wylsa and Rozetked since November, the authenticity of these reports remained unconfirmed. Google has released any official ur unofficial indication that such a variant would be coming out. Yesterday, however, Android Police got the inside scoop we've been waiting for. The website's source stated that the Pixel 3 Lite iterations will arrive in early spring 2019 on Verizon, though we don't yet know the exact date. Read also: Google event on October 9 expected to star new Pixel phone According to the blog leaks outlining the specifications of the alleged prototypes (both of which sport a C in place of the trademark G of the Google logo), the smaller model will have a 5.5-inch screen and the larger a 6-inch screen. The processor will still be a Qualcomm-branded one, but it will be downgraded to either the Snapdragon 670 or 710. Both blogs state that each phone will come with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a headphone jack (unlike the flagship), a 12MP rear camera, and an 8MP front-facing camera. With cheaper competitors like OnePlus expanding in the US, the price of the Lite models is sure to be significantly lower than the flagship phones, priced at US$800 and US$900. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29, 2018 11:02 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4910ee 1 Lifestyle politics,Internet,netizens,election Free The internet, in recent years, has started to replace television soap operas for drama-hungry Indonesians. Especially in 2018, when unnecessary fights have been started by the myriad of people both famous and not famous for the sake of provocation and a sense of dominance in the online equivalent of bar fights. The attention that these figures received showed that there is significant demand for fights and drama. Probably the most prominent internet controversy in Indonesia that took place in 2018 was the saga surrounding actress-cum-activist Ratna Sarumpaet in October, where she falsely claimed that she had been assaulted by several people in Bandung. Ratna has served as a propaganda megaphone in favor of everything related to 2019 presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and was part of his campaign team. It turned out that the widely circulated photograph of her swollen face was just a temporary side effect of plastic surgery that she tried to spin in her favor. There was no assault. That was just a delusion inspired by Satan, Ratna told the media hours after the police held a conference questioning her claims. She was promptly arrested before she boarded a plane heading to Chile for what she said was a womens rights conference. Prabowos camp has since distanced itself from her as a political precaution. It was not the only internet controversy that surrounded politicians in this volatile pre-election year that will feature President Joko Jokowi Widodo versus Prabowo. Some politicians still retained their consistency in picking fights with all kinds of people for the sake of their credibility. Even going toward the pop culture spectrum. For one, this year also saw the intense but still unnecessary debate surrounding the release of two films; Putrama Tutas biopic A Man Called Ahok and the Manoj Punjabi production Hanum and Rangga: Faith In The City. These two films came out at roughly the same time, but both carried staunch political undertones behind the screen, partly because Hanum and Rangga is about the son of anti-Jokowi politician Amien Rais daughter Hanum whileAhok is about former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who has always been one of the presidents closest compadres. Hanum got substantial ire on the internet for allegedly instructing members of her fathers party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), to go and fill seats at the cinema, while there were similar accusations from the Ahok film camp of giving away free tickets to fill seats. Hanum herself launched her defense by posting a positive online review by one of the filmgoers as proof that the film is worth watching. A more recent controversy came from the depths of Indonesias myriad YouTube stars. Gaming YouTuber Qorygore entered the Aokigahara Forest, known as a popular suicide spot in Japan, and gleefully filmed his encounters with the bodies found in the forest. In his video, now taken down, he proclaimed that this is Logan Paul 2.0, referring to American YouTube star Logan Paul who did the exact same thing in January. Despite the backlash that Paul received over the video, which included the suspension of his ad revenue, Qorygore seemed to forgo all common sense and recreated the stunt for the sake of viewer numbers. He later clarified his actions in a video saying that he had a permit to film inside the forest and suggested that he did not get close to the bodies out of respect. Aside from these major controversies taking place on the internet, in reality there are hundreds of others that took place on both a small and large scale. It would be impossible to list them all and correctly determine which ones are truly public controversies. From the laughable political debacle regarding the claim by Prabowos spokesperson Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak about running mate Sandiaga Uno being the equivalent of Indonesian founding vice president Mohammad Hatta which was fiercely rejected by Hattas outspoken granddaughter Gustika Jusuf Hatta to celebrity beefs such as the ones surrounding bombshell Nikita Marzani, model Luna Maya, pop diva Syahrini and Vicky Prasetyos unlawful stalking of his ex-wife Angel Lelga, there was just too much to bear for Indonesians to consume. But at least some noble Twitter accounts such as @Lambe_Turah and@InfoTwitwor are willing to take one for the team and document almost every single feud that happened on the Indonesian internet. Bless their souls for doing something none of us really want to do to quench our thirst for drama. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29, 2018 16:06 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e49ba7d 1 Science & Tech GoBis,Suroboyo-Bus,surabaya Free The Surabaya Transportation Agency in East Java has launched a new smartphone application called GoBis as part of its efforts to improve commuters experience with the provincial capitals public transportation network. GoBis, a portmanteau of golek bis (catch a bus), detects and monitors the current position of double-decker buses and Suroboyo Buses, the citys bus rapid transit system. The application is available for free. Surabaya Transport Agency head Irvan Wahyudrajad told tempo.co on Wednesday that the app would be merged with GoParkir and other apps. In order to support a smart city, we are planning to merge the apps and keep developing them, he said. He went on to say that the app already included Suroboyo Bus routes, maps and estimated arrival times at bus stops. The GoBis app also displays information on intercity intra-provincial (AKDP) transportation and interprovincial (AKAP) transportation, as well as the public microbus, or Lyn. Read also: Surabaya touts waste management to win 2018 Guangzhou Award The Surabaya administration recently added 10 new Suroboyo Buses to its fleet. With the addition, the city now operates 20 public buses that include 18 Suroboyo Buses and two double deckers. Irvan went on to say that the expansion aimed at making Surabaya more environmentally friendly. Citizens who ride their own cars are expected to switch to public transportation. When this public transportation could be considered an alternative, hopefully, traffic congestion can be alleviated, he said. He also hopes that the improved public transportation system could also address the citys problem of underage students driving motorcycles and cars without a license. The transportation agency is planning to build eight new bus stops in 2019. They will be located in front of the State Islamic University (UIN), Royal Plaza, Jl. Joyoboyo, Jl. Mayjen Sungkono in front of the General Elections Commission (KPU) office, Jl. Mayjen Sungkono next to the gas station, Jl. HR Muhammad near At-Taqwa mosque, Jl. Dharmawangsa near Dr. Soetomo Hospital and Jl. Kertajaya Indah, next to the Ten November Institute of Technology (ITS) roundabout. (mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Khaliun Bayartsogt (Agence France-Presse) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Sat, December 29, 2018 14:06 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e497880 2 Lifestyle transgender,beauty-pageant,Thailand,Miss-Universe Free Make-up artist Solongo Batsukh braves Mongolia's below-freezing temperatures in just a skimpy black dress and light pastel pink coat -- the country's trailblazing transgender beauty queen wants to look good in any weather. "I don't like to look puffy," the 25-year-old said as she drove to a beauty salon that hired her to promote its products and services via Facebook live videos. It's with this typical bluntness, confidence and attitude that taboo-breaking Batsukh strutted into the country's first ever Miss Universe Mongolia competition in October. Though she fell short of representing her country at the Miss Universe contest in Thailand on December 17, her participation shed another light onto a group living on the edges of a deeply patriarchal country with conservative views about sexual orientation. Had she won, she would have joined Miss Spain's Angela Ponce as the first transgender contestants in Miss Universe's 66-year history. "I wanted to inspire as many women as possible," Batsukh told AFP. "But I'm still proud that I got the chance to compete in this contest, and the 'Solongo' I created was a true winner in my heart," she said. Her participation didn't please everyone, dredging up negative reactions on social media. "The world would have a negative image of our country if a man represents us while there are thousands of beautiful and real women in our country," one person wrote on the Facebook page of Miss Universe Mongolia. 'Correct misunderstandings' But Batsukh isn't deterred by such abuse. Born Bilguun Batsukh, she grew up as a boy in the semi-arid central province of Dundgovi. She couldn't pinpoint her gender identity until she learned about different gender orientations as a university student in her early 20s. It was when she started working as a programme officer at Youth for Health, a non-governmental organisation that provides safe-sex education for LGBT people, that she realised she was a woman born in a man's body. She started wearing wigs, putting on dresses and taking hormone therapy. Batsukh is among the few LGBT people who have dared to come out in Mongolia, where some 80 percent of the community remain in the closet, according to a UN survey. "It is extremely difficult for transgender people to be employed," said Baldangombo Altangerel, legal programme manager at the LGBT Centre. A video of a young transgender woman who had repeatedly been beaten in the streets went viral in Mongolia last year, highlighting the prejudices LGBT people face. Read also: Miss Spain breaking barriers as first transgender Miss Universe hopeful Batsukh wants to dispel the image that transgender women can only be sex workers or strippers living on the fringes of society. She flaunts her wealth, regularly travels abroad and is a celebrity in her country of three million people. Batsukh found fame in 2014, when she represented Mongolia in Miss International Queen, finishing in the top 10 of the international transgender beauty pageant organised in Thailand. She pursued a modelling career and became a make-up artist. "I had to reveal myself (as transgender) so I could correct the misunderstandings in society. If we keep hidden, society will keep on hating us. They don't know us," she said. Batsukh has used her public image to speak up on television and social media, fighting against perceptions that transgender people are suffering from mental illness. But she has tough words for Mongolia's transgender community, too, complaining that they should focus on working rather than talking about human rights. "Instead of saying 'we're human like everyone else', we need to prove ourselves through our actions. Just show others that we're making a living like ordinary people," she said. 'Her goals inspire me' Batsukh is seizing on the popularity of her Facebook page, which has more than 120,000 "likes", to create a reality show featuring women seeking a makeover. The beauty queen will help the women lose weight, change hairstyles and apply make-up. Sarangoo Sukhbaatar, 25, who works in a cashmere company and was among 25 women competing to be among the five participants, said she trusted in Batsukh's ability and skills to transform her looks. "Solongo truly understands what women feel," said Sukhbaatar, who started following Batsukh on social media two years ago. "Her goals and patience inspire me," she said. "If a man can be beautiful like her, women can be much more beautiful than we are today." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anwar Iqbal (Dawn/ANN) Washington, United States Sat, December 29, 2018 15:15 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e49a72b 2 World #Afghanistan,#India,#USA,#military,#defense-cooperation,#security,Afghanistan,India,USA,military,defense,security Free President Donald Trumps plan to reduce US troops in Afghanistan has set off alarm bells in India with experts suggesting New Delhi change its hostile attitude towards Taliban who in the new situation could gain significant influence in the war-ravaged country. In comments published in various Indian and US media outlets, Indian scholars and think-tank experts noted that Washington appears to be preparing for a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, which will give an advantage to both the Taliban and Pakistan. This is bad news for New Delhi, which must prepare for the fallout, Avinash Mohananey, a former Indian intelligence official who has served in Pakistan, wrote in the Economic Times. Mohananey urged India to first ask Washington not to withdraw precipitately and then to reach out to Taliban because their anticipated rise could sound the death knell for the government of Ashraf Ghani and also for Indian influence there, he warned. The main Indian objective according to him should be to ensure that Afghanistan remains friendly towards it, not a haven for hostile elements. The Trump administration announced last week that the US will pull out nearly half of its more than 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, triggering speculations across about how this withdrawal would impact Afghanistan and its neighbouring states, particularly Pakistan. Islamabad also views this development as hugely significant and last week it sent its foreign minister to Afghanistan, China, Russia and Iran to discuss with them various options for a peaceful transition in Kabul. Pakistan is already working with the United States to persuade the Taliban to join the Afghan peace process. Islamabad also attended last months talks between the US and Taliban representatives in the UAE, which led to Washington announcing its intention to reduce its military presence in Afghanistan. Indian scholars argue that this development could change the security scenario in South Asia as well, requiring reorientation of (Indias) strategic policy in dealing with both the Taliban and Pakistan. Harsh Pant, of the Indian think-tank Observer Research Foundation, wrote that the US withdrawal could lead to Afghanistans gradual descent into a civil war, not just because local actors would fight for power but also because various regional stakeholders (would) try to reshape the battlefield in accordance with their own strategic priorities. Pant warned that a strengthened Taliban in Afghanistan could subsequently spread its influence to neighbouring Pakistan and Kashmir, which would be bad news for India. CNBC News also included a statement by K. Rajendra Kumar, former director of police in India-held Kashmir (IHK), saying that a change in US policies in Afghanistan would also have implications for IHK, which is home to independence movements and anti-India protesters. CNBC noted IHK has also been the site of brutal crackdowns by Indian soldiers against suspected armed Kashmiris and warned: Add the ideological backing of a reinvigorated Taliban to the mix and the results could provoke another insurgency in the Himalayan valley. Nitin Pai, director of the Takshashila Institution, a Bangalore-based think-tank, also warned India that changes in Afghanistan would impact IHK. The Voice of America radio reported that the US commander in Afghanistan travelled to Pakistan on Thursday to discuss Afghan reconciliation efforts with Pakistans military chief. Topics : This article appeared on the Dawn newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29 2018 Dian Pramana Poetra (kapanlagi.com) As the year draws to a close, the country was hit by yet another piece of sad news, namely that of the sudden passing of legendary Indonesian musician Dian Pramana Poetra. The stage 4 leukemia that took Dians life on Thursday evening at the age of 57 had come without warning, diagnosed only after he had been taken to the emergency ward of Hermina Hospital in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, on Dec. 21, complaining about back pain. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Medan Sat, December 29 2018 The Langkat Police have apprehended a 19-year-old male for allegedly burning a Quran near a mosque in Besitang district, Langkat regency, North Sumatra, on Friday. North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tatan Dirsan Atmaja said the man, identified as Zulhamsyah, was caught red-handed burning the Quran. The police were questioning Zulhamsyah to find out his motive. We are still looking at what lies behind the perpetrators actions. He has been detained at the Langkat Police station, Tatan said on Friday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29 2018 Jakarta will go ahead with public New Years Eve celebrations in five locations of the capital, but a special event to remember those who lost their lives in a tsunami that hit neighboring Banten province is also planned. The acting head of the Jakarta Tourism Agency, Asiantoro, said he expected the celebration to bring happiness to Jakartans. We dont want to make people grieve after the tragedy. People should not be traumatized [by the disaster]. However, everyone should celebrate it modestly, he said on Friday, adding that no fireworks would be set off by the administration because of security concerns. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mario Rustan (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Sat, December 29 2018 Time Magazines Person of the Year 2018 is The Guardians: Saudi journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi, tortured, murdered and mutilated; Maria Ressa of the Philippines Rappler news site, charged under controversial circumstances; Reuters Myanmar journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, imprisoned; five journalists of The Capital in Maryland, the United States, gunned down in the newspapers offices. For the cynic, its shameless self-congratulation and the martyr complex. The media is full of lies and trash in their opinion. Even non-journalists are wrongfully accused and killed by random shooters, so journalists are not that special. The Asian journalists named above, however, were not attacked in a burst of rage. Khashoggi was not accidentally killed in a fistfight. There is strong evidence that Ressa and the two Myanmarese Reuters staff were targeted by their own governments because of their reporting, and its suspicious that several Filipino and Myanmarese men on social media are strongly concerned about tax evasion and the standard of journalism. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29, 2018 15:44 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e49b488 1 National #Bandung,#WestJava,#family,#Divorce,#school,#Discrimination,bandung,West-Java,family,divorce,discrimination,discrimination-against-women Free The West Bandung administrations plan to establish what it calls "wife schools" to prevent divorces has sparked outrage among the public, particularly from women activists, who have called the program unfair and sexist. West Bandung Deputy Regent Hengky Kurniawan revealed the plan on his Instagram account on Thursday, citing the high number of divorce cases in the regency as the reason. The administration recorded 244 divorce cases from Nov. 5 to Nov. 30. This is a serious problem for us. Therefore, the West Bandung administration intends to establish wife schools in 2019 to teach wives how to treat their husbands, to hold back their anger and to properly communicate with their kids, said the celebrity-turned-politician. Hengky tagged the Instagram accounts of West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil and Vice Governor Uu Ruzhanul Ulum in his post. Many Instagram users derided the idea as sexist, saying that both men and women could contribute to a divorce. Men, too, should pay attention to how they treat their partners. An Instagram user with the handle @mamamolilo suggested that the administration instead offer premarital courses, where future wives and husbands are taught about good communication, anger management, financial management and so on. The Instagram account of the Aliansi Laki-laki Baru (New Men Alliance), a community that strives for women's rights on the assumption that the patriarchal mentality that supports men's dominance also harms men, also commented on Hengkys post, saying Kang [elder brother] Hengky, let us meet so we can discuss what can cause divorces. On Twitter, a user called Sekar Lintang Hapsari said it would be better to establish a school for abusive husbands. Well, Hengky, why dont you [share your] Sekolah Ibu idea with the husbands who beat the crap out of their wives and neglect their children. The comment received more than 800 likes in less than 24 hours. As of Saturday morning, Hengky has closed the comment section for his controversial post. People can no longer comment or see comments in the post. He also slightly edited the caption, adding the following note: Nobody aims to blame wives for divorces, but such a program is working well in Bogor [West Java] to bring down the divorce rate. This is a good program that we can also implement. The trainers in the program will be professors, psychologists, lecturers, female police officers and career women. The governor has expressed appreciation for the plan. I apologize for any misunderstanding. Thank you. Hengkys wife Sonya Fatmala, an actress and mother of three, supported her husbands idea, explaining the planned program in her Instagram Story posts. She claimed that Sekolah Ibu would be a great program to develop womens character and make them independent. She said the schools would teach women how to use makeup, how to behave toward their husbands and how to handle their children. [The school] will teach us [wives] to be mothers and wives who can control our emotions for our family. There are still many women who lack confidence and need a place to share [their feelings], she wrote. (yan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29, 2018 18:07 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e49da99 1 National #Papua,#protest,#humanrights,#HumanRightsAbuse,#Jayapura,Papua,Jayapura,Jayapura-Police,protest,human-rights,human-rights-abuse Free A human rights group has condemned the banning of a protest by Jayapura Police in Papua on Thursday. The so-called kamisan is a peaceful, silent protest held every Thursday to call on the government to resolve cases of past human rights abuses. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the ban reflected the states repression of the freedom of expression. We warn [the police] that every citizens right to express their opinion is guaranteed by the Constitution, Kontras coordinator Yati Andriyani said, citing Article 28E of the Constitution and the 2005 law on the international covenant of civil rights. She added that the polices decision to ban the kamisan also contradicted the governments promise to resolve cases of right abuses in Papua, such as the Wamena case of 2001 and the Wasior case of 2003 by the police and the military, as well as the December 2014 shooting by security forces in Paniai that killed four Papuan students. The kamisan usually takes place in front of Merdeka Palace and is occassionally attended by noted figures, including Catholic priest and philosopher Franz Magnis Suseno. Kontras pushed the government and all stakeholders to show more concern for the protest and protect the peoples freedom of expression. That includes to guarantee that people in Papua can hold the kamisan safely, Yati said. The commission also called on the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) to immediately evaluate the Papua Police chiefs actions and to refrain from issuing any policies that would restrict peaceful protests. Yati also demanded that President Joko Jokowi Widodo use his authority to ensure that all police forces, including those in Papua, upheld principals of human rights and democracy and instruct the National Police to protect people who participate in protests. The police have yet to comment on the ban. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michael Hirtzer and Tom Polansek (Reuters) Chicago Sat, December 29, 2018 09:21 1070 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e48f1de 2 Business #USA,#China,#Trade,#war,US,USA,China,Trade,trade-war Free The US-China trade war resulted in billions of dollars of losses for both sides in 2018, hitting industries including autos, technology - and above all, agriculture. Broad pain from trade tariffs outlined by several economists shows that, while specialized industries including US soybean crushing benefited from the dispute, it had an overall detrimental impact on both of the worlds two largest economies. The losses may give US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, motivation to resolve their trade differences before a March 2 deadline, although talks between the economic superpowers could still devolve. The US and Chinese economies each lose about US$2.9 billion annually due to Beijings tariffs on soybeans, corn, wheat and sorghum alone, said Purdue University agricultural economist Wally Tyner. Disrupted agricultural trade hurt both sides particularly hard because China is the worlds biggest soybean importer and last year relied on the United States for $12 billion worth of the oilseed. China has mostly been buying soy from Brazil since imposing a 25 percent tariff on American soybeans in July in retaliation for US tariffs on Chinese goods. The surge in demand pushed Brazilian soy premiums to a record over US soy futures in Chicago, in an example of the trade war reducing sales for US exporters and raising costs for Chinese importers. Its something thats crying for a resolution, Tyner said. Its a lose-lose for both the United States and China. Total US agricultural export shipments to China for the first 10 months of 2018 fell by 42 percent from a year earlier to about $8.3 billion, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The most actively traded soybean futures contract averaged $8.75 per bushel from July to December 2018, down from an average of $9.76 during the same period a year earlier. As of Dec. 28, futures in the last month of the year were averaging $8.95-1/2 a bushel. That was down from $9.61-3/4 for all of December last year. To compensate suffering farmers, the US government has allocated about $11 billion to direct payments and buying agricultural goods for government food programs, after consulting economists, including Tyner. In North Dakota, which exports crops to China through ports in the Pacific Northwest, soy farmers face at least $280 million in losses because of Beijings tariffs, said Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union. You could almost put another $100 million on top of this because all commodity prices are down and that affects North Dakota farmers indirectly, Watne said. Chinas tariffs improved margins for US soy crushers such as Archer Daniels Midland Co. by leaving plentiful supplies of cheap soybeans on the domestic market. Chinese soybean mills, on the other hand, front-loaded soy purchases ahead of the tariffs. This led to an oversupply that reduced Chinese processing margins and led factories this summer to make the biggest cuts in years to the production of soymeal used to feed livestock. China resumed purchases of US soybeans in early December following a trade truce agreed to by leaders from the two countries during G20 summit in Argentina. But Beijing kept its 25 percent tariffs on the oilseed from America, which effectively curbed commercial Chinese buying. With the tariffs, the beans cant go into the commercial system, said a manager at a major Chinese feed producer, speaking on condition of anonymity. The buying will have a very limited impact on the market. China also suffered as products such as phone batteries were hit by US tariffs, and customers began looking to buy from other countries. A study commissioned by the Consumer Technology Association showed US tariffs on imported Chinese products cost the technology industry an additional $1 billion per month. The conflict also squeezed US retail, manufacturing and construction companies that had to pay more for metal and other goods. Input price pressures remained elevated in part due to tariffs, particularly in manufacturing and construction, and firms were struggling to pass these higher costs onto customers, the Dallas Federal Reserve said. The Big Three Detroit automakers General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have each said higher tariff costs will result in a hit to profits of about $1 billion this year. The pain is ongoing, economists say: Ford and Fiat expect a similar hit in 2019. 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Photo: Supplied via Bangkok Post Local authorities met at the Koh Samui District Office yesterday (Dec 28) to discuss complaints that have proliferated online about cabbies setting fares by themselves. Sutthipong Klai-udom, the deputy governor of Surat Thani, said an investigation had found that taxi drivers on the resort island had devised a set of fares for numerous destinations, with prices quoted identically in dollars and euros. But given the prevailing exchange rate, passengers using euros end up paying substantially more than those using dollars for the same trip. A ride priced at copy00 works out to 87 euros, but a European would be charged 100 euros just the same Cabbies usually displayed their fare charts when serving foreign tourists arriving on luxury boats, Mr Sutthipong said. As a result, local authorities have issued a fresh order to prohibit local taxi drivers from imposing their own fares. In order to ensure fair treatment of all visitors, they must use their meters only. Otherwise, their licences would be revoked at once, he said. Read original story here. For Subscribers Long-time Disc Shop owner's record collection huge and still growing At 88, Chuck Olsons love of vinyl records keeps growing. For more than 70 years, he has been the face of recorded music in Watertown. With his starring role in Sundays finale of the historical prison-break drama Escape at Dannemora (on Crave in Canada), Michael Imperiolis roles have traversed an almost 30-year arc from one extreme end of the law to the other: from New York gangster to New York governor. Imperioli first drew wider attention in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas, playing Spider, a harmless mob flunky who winds up on the wrong end of Joe Pescis jokes and worse. By the end of that decade, his characters werent so harmless. His Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos was ruthlessly brutal from Episode 1. Michael is a great actor who has gravitas and a believable New York pedigree, said Ben Stiller, who directed Dannemora, in an email. I thought he could really embody the energy of Gov. Cuomo. Imperioli, who was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., spoke by telephone about that role, as well as his memories of Goodfellas and The Sopranos, which debuted 20 years ago next month. He also talked about his debut novel, The Perfume Burned His Eyes, set in 1976 Manhattan. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. Did you do much research to play Gov. Andrew Cuomo? I watched a lot of interviews. Then I went to his office and hung out with him. We spoke a lot about why he did what he did during the prison break. He said that since 9/11, theres a lot of anxiety and he feels a real responsibility to be where things happen so people feel like theres leadership. I respect that. How did the meeting happen? Did you call him and say, Hey, Im playing you? The production told Cuomos office I was going to do the role, then they invited me. I actually went to his birthday celebration. I sat with him, Bill Clinton and Billy Joel, so that was pretty cool. Did you feel pressure to do him right, since you had gotten to know him? Well, I wanted to do him right, regardless. Its a strange thing to play somebody real and, with every character you play, you have to find something to respect, even when youre playing a horrible or immoral person. But hes neither. I think hes a really good person and hes very good at what he does. How do you feel about The Sopranos turning 20? Whats kind of cool is theres a whole generation of people who were too young to see it when it was on the air. Ive met a lot of people in their 20s who are discovering it for the first time. The show is 20 years old, but they really relate. How would you say the TV landscape changed because of The Sopranos? The upside is the bar is really high on television now because of The Sopranos and a bunch of other shows that came right after it. The downside is now a lot of networks want movie stars. If you look at three shows that changed the landscape, The Sopranos, Mad Men and Breaking Bad, the leading guys James Gandolfini, Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston were known in the acting community but werent stars. Its almost like the old Hollywood studio system: you couldnt star in a big movie unless you were a star. Its becoming like that in television, which is not so great. Looking back, how does your work on The Sopranos fit into your own narrative? Im really proud of what we did on that show. Psychologically or emotionally, its always great when youre playing a role thats somehow close to where youre at or what youre doing in your life. Doing that role now wouldnt have the same feeling. You felt psychologically close to being a gangster? He was very ambitious, which at the time I was. He wanted to improve his standing in life and that was really important to him. I felt connected to that. What were your expectations going into the pilot? A show about the mob was really a risky thing. I thought it was a long shot that it would run for a long time, just because there hadnt been anything like that. I was immediately impressed by the cast. It was really hard to tell from the pilot what the show would be. Was it going to be a spoof? Because there was a lot of funny stuff in the pilot. We didnt really know until we started shooting the first season. I was, like, Wow, were onto something good. Did you develop a familial relationship with Gandolfini? Absolutely. Doing that show was like going down to the corner and hanging out with your friends every day. Thats a very rare thing. He was such a tremendous talent and such a good actor, so committed, passionate and kind. How do you feel about The Many Saints of Newark, the coming prequel movie to The Sopranos? Its going to focus on Christophers dad. I like that its going in that direction rather than something right after the last episode ended, picking up those pieces. Doing something that has the DNA of the show but is its own thing is really smart. Im sure its going to be great. How do you look at the other series youve done that havent lasted as long as The Sopranos, like Life on Mars and Detroit 1-8-7? You just need to take each job as it comes. If you say, Ive got to wait for the next Sopranos, you may be waiting forever. Its such a difficult business to have longevity in, to be frank. Youve got to find what youre passionate about, and if youre not getting the roles on TV and in movies you want then try to do it yourself: independent film, theatre and writing books. Your novel is set in the New York City of the 70s. Do you feel that city is gone? I do. I didnt start spending a lot of time in Manhattan until 1983, but in the 70s Id go to the city with my family to see a show or go to Rockefeller Center. I have a lot of nostalgia for the movies of the time and I was always drawn to that period. I mean, everything changes and New York City has changed as much as everywhere else. Its hard to know if that feeling of nostalgia is for your youth or the city. What was it like to get your break in Goodfellas? I am so grateful for the way Marty Scorsese treated me. I had done three tiny roles in movies no one had seen. I was on the set for two days and he treated me like all his other guys, with a lot of respect and freedom. At the time, I just kind of went with it, but looking back I realize how rare that is. He trusted me enough to allow me to basically improvise everything. All the other actors were really generous, too. Listen, I was 22, an Italian-American kid from New York. It was like going from college to playing in the World Series for the Yankees. On a cloudy December afternoon, Maggie Allison stands over the grave of Pte. Richard Staples at Prospect Cemetery in Toronto. She talks to him, as she often does, and tells him she is about to meet his great-niece, Catherine Staples. While Staples and Allison have exchanged emails, theyve never met in the five years Allison has been caring for the grave. According to Allison, who is in her 40s, she found Richards grave by accident while on a late-afternoon jog through the cemetery in October 2013. Something pulled her to an unkempt grave in a poorly maintained section of the cemetery. And she had a strong emotional reaction the discovery made her break down crying. But Allison still doesnt know why, since she had never heard of him and has no apparent ancestral connection. I just felt this overwhelming feeling of finding something that I had lost, Allison said in an interview in November. She has been drawn to his grave ever since, bringing flowers each season and keeping his plot tidy. She even planted a cedar tree next to his gravestone. Allison was determined to find out everything she could about Richard, who died in 1916. Information was scarce until a post on memorial website Find A Grave in October 2015 provided details of his trip to Canada and enlistment in the military. The post lead her to Richard Staples great-niece, Catherine Staples, who had also found the post and had commented on it. Allison then sent her an email in explaining the story. Over the next three years, they kept in contact, always intending to meet, but never finding the right opportunity. Theyve even narrowly missed each other a few times while visiting other family in the cemetery. As Allison and Staples finally meet, their eyes light up, with smiles galore and arms outstretched. They share a hug as if they themselves were long-lost relatives. It was like I was hugging a part of Richard, Allison later says. For Catherine, the whole experience has been surreal. When she first read Allisons email, she was shocked and surprised. My first reaction was my God, this is so special, says Staples, 69. She has a keen interest in genealogy and had been scouring Prospect Cemetery for months before Allison reached out, looking for a shabby grave rather than a well-maintained one. Im being rewarded for all my hard work of searching for ancestors. It was really special. The post on Find A Grave and an entry on Veterans Affairs Canadas virtual war memorial explain that at age 16, Richard came to Canada from England in 1914 with his parents and two siblings, one month after World War One started. Records indicate he and his father were shoemakers. He enlisted in the 169th Battalion in February 1916. Though the age requirement was 18, recruiters would often overlook the ages of young recruits to fill their quotas, particularly after 1916. Staples was stationed at Exhibition Place in Toronto, which was used as a military training camp during the war, when he contracted pneumonia. He died on May 16, 1916. Along with his death his family had also received news of a relative killed in action. According to a report at the time, Richards stepfather, Henry, had also enlisted. He had previously been discharged from the British military for having a nervous breakdown. In Staples research, she found that Richards name was originally Eugene Edward when his birthfather Thomas Edward was still in his life. When or why he changed his name is a mystery. While it was not uncommon for children to take their stepfathers name, he changed his first name, as well. While there are large gaps in the information, Allison and Staples speculate on the kind of man Richard was. I think that he was just like a really sensitive, sweet man, says Allison. Do you get any feeling, Catherine? I have a good feeling because maybe he was following in his dads footsteps, says Staples. They both appreciate being able to learn as much as they have about his life, crediting that to the community of World War One enthusiasts who dedicate much of their time to uncovering the stories of forgotten soldiers. Find A Grave is one of their many outlets for connecting people with their lost relatives. Owned by genealogy company Ancestry, the site claims to have over a million contributors of virtual memorials and thousands of contributions are made per day. Margaret Rose Gaunt, who posted Richards Find A Grave information, is one of them. She wanted to learn more about her uncle, who was killed in Normandy in June 1944. Gaunt made a post on the Canada Remembers Facebook page in 2010, which was met with many comments from war enthusiasts. One even visited her uncles grave in France and photographed it for her. Gaunt then resolved that shed pay the favour forward. She says its a noble hobby, having made over 1,800 contributions to Find A Grave alone. Part of what makes this important to her, she says, is the fact that she was adopted by her uncle and didnt know who her birth parents were until she was in her 40s. And so, she feels a duty to connect people to their relatives. They gave their lives for our freedom and they need to be remembered, says Gaunt, 75. And if you can touch somebody else, that makes it all worthwhile. Staples and Allison now share the upkeep of Richards plot. They admit its a strange situation, but they have a mutual respect for each others connection to him. Their next goal is to spruce up his ragged section of the cemetery. Allison also hopes to one day solve the mystery of why Richard changed his first name. Ive asked him but I get no response, she says with a laugh. OTTAWAAlbertan Sarah McIver has been released from custody in China, Global Affairs Canada says. McIver had been detained over a work-permit issue related to her teaching job. The department didnt say when McIver was released, or when she returned to Canada. Global Affairs can confirm that a Canadian citizen, who was detained in China this month, has been released and has now returned to Canada, spokesperson Richard Walker said Friday. Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, no further information can be disclosed, he said. McIvers arrest followed those of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians living and working in China, on allegations they were harming Chinas national security. Read more: Hundreds of Canadians held by China raises the stakes for Trudeaus government China, Canada said to discuss third detainees return, Post says The forgotten Canadians detained in China China arrested Kovrig and Spavor separately after Canadian authorities detained a Chinese technology executive in Vancouver. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of electronics giant Huawei Technologies, is wanted in the United States on allegations she lied to American banks as part of an effort to get around sanctions on Iran. China and Canada insisted McIvers case was different from Kovrigs and Spavors. Kovrig is a Canadian diplomat on leave from the foreign service to work with the anti-war International Crisis Group, travelling through China as a researcher and analyst. Spavor has run an organization called the Paektu Cultural Exchange, promoting business and cultural ties with North Korea. He has met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and helped arrange retired basketball star Dennis Rodmans visit to North Korea in 2014. Chinese officials have not quite said that Kovrig and Spavor are in custody in retaliation for Mengs arrest on the U.S. extradition request, but they have pointedly linked the cases insisting at length that Mengs arrest was illegal and an international affront, while Kovrig and Spavor have been detained properly under Chinese law. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has treated McIvers case much more briskly when its come up in the ministrys daily news conferences. The competent Chinese authority will deal with it in accordance with the law, Hua said in answer to one question about McIver last week, in an English transcript posted to the ministrys website. Read more about: In 2013, Toronto writer Don Gillmor wrote a three-part series in the Star, focusing on the suicide of his brother, David. The author has now built on the story, which won the National Newspaper Award for best long feature, into a book, To the River: Losing My Brother. I had lunch with a woman Id known for decades. She asked what I was working on. A book on suicide. Have you ever considered it yourself? she asked. Committing suicide, she meant. No. It was the truth. Have you? I think about it every day. Its not something I intend to do, but its always there, an option. She told me that most days she took the idea out and examined it, like a sharp sword passed down through generations of a military family, lethal and comforting. You dont need to worry, she added. But I did. The worry stayed with me and I sometimes imagined her day, getting up in the morning and choosing life as if it was an outfit to wear. How for her death had become a daily companion. Each day they acknowledge one another, like an old married couple who no longer have much to say but still find comfort in each others presence. Death is everyones companion, of course. It informs every life. But it was a shock to find out how many of us actually carry the idea of suicide around like a wallet. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that in the United States in 2008, 8.3 million adults had suicidal thoughts. Of those, 2.3 million made a suicide plan and 1.1 million made an actual attempt, with 666,000 ending up in hospital emergency rooms. Just over 36,000 succeeded. The survey was the first scientific inquiry into suicidal ideation. Like so many suicide statistics, they induce doubt: Who can see into our dark thoughts? Still, Nietzsche may have been right when he wrote that the idea of suicide is a comfort for many. Occasionally I find myself looking at people and wondering if they are carrying the idea of their own death around like a concealed weapon. The middle-aged woman at the Motor Vehicles wicket where I am renewing my drivers licence is wearing a knock-off Burberry scarf against the air-conditioning, assessing the lengthy lineup, her face pretty but worn, institutional weariness emanating from her like perfume. Perhaps she had her heart broken and then went on a series of online dates that further shook her faith in love and the future. After she processes our error-filled applications, dealing with the natural hostility we have for any government line-up, shell take the overcrowded subway home to an empty condo and a screen filled with Netflix and drink a nice bottle of Bordeaux and take the pills shes been hoarding. Or perhaps tonight, just the Bordeaux. My brother David killed himself at the age of 48. I have no idea how long he carried the idea inside him. Weeks certainly, perhaps much longer. After his death, a friend of Davids sent me an email that read, Ive survived prostate cancer, and, most recently, have had surgery to remove skin cancer. Am I alright? Im not sure. I sometimes lie awake at night and wonder whether or not Dave got it right. Does all of the worry, planning and work we do actually pay off? Is it worth the time and effort? Will I be happy at the end of the road? Perhaps these thoughts also crossed Daves mind. While I am not suicidal, from the time I was in high school until the present, I have always considered suicide as an alternative to continuing to struggle with life. And maybe thats what Dave decided. The dark thoughts come very rarely and are easily subdued. But they do come and perhaps that is what Dave struggled with as well. Many of us struggle with dark thoughts. And its not always possible to tell who, and how dark. The history of suicide is a history of that internal fear, the fear that today would be a good day to kill ourselves. In ancient Athens, suicides were buried outside the city, with the self-murdering hand cut off and interred separately, as if it were somehow responsible. In the Middle Ages in Europe, people who killed themselves were considered criminals and treated as such. People caught attempting suicide were hanged. The bodies of suicides were degraded, sometimes horrifically. In Britain they were hanged from a gibbet and left to rot. Or they were placed at a crossroads, a stake driven through the corpse, a stone covering their face to prevent the ghost from rising. In France, the corpses of people who killed themselves were dragged through the street and burned. Noblemen who committed suicide lost their rank and property their woods cut, their land forfeited to the Crown. The societal fear was that suicide was contagious, something that could be passed on like the plague. To some extent that is true, as evidenced by cluster suicides in schools, where one student kills himself and others quickly follow his example. Or in First Nations communities where suicide is the leading cause of death for those under the age of 44. In communities where there is collective despair, one person killing themselves can feel like permission for others who have been carrying the idea around. The meaning of suicide is elusive, which makes preventing it so difficult. It embodies so many factors social (alienation), economic (unemployment), personal (depression, mental illness, alcoholism). It is a complex issue that hasnt found its poster child. The suicides that get a lot of attention are usually those of celebrities. Robin Williamss tragic end was discussed and analyzed for months. Kurt Cobains suicide became iconic. We still puzzle over Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Yet celebrity suicides dont inspire the same political or fundraising efforts as other celebrity problems or diseases. The Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised $450 million for research into Parkinsons disease, for example. By contrast, comedian Drew Carey, who attempted suicide when he was 18, offered a low-key, heartfelt public service announcement telling people to get help. There remains a stigma with mental illness, fading, but still potent. And there is the problem of identifying who is at risk. With cancer and Parkinsons and multiple sclerosis, the victims are visible. With suicide, we dont always know. Globally more than a million people take their own lives each year. Most years that is a toll greater than homicide and war. And there is a rough consensus among suicidologists that suicide is underreported by as much as 60 per cent. In 2013, reported suicides in the United States numbered more than deaths from car accidents, AIDS or prostate cancer, and were almost on par with breast cancer. Yet suicide isnt widely studied or heavily funded. Suicide isnt a medical condition, its an outcome. The worst outcome. Suicide had been the province of the soft sciences psychology and sociology but now harder science is turning its gaze toward suicide. In 2011, John Mann, chief neuroscientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, conducted genetic tests on 412 people with depression, 154 of whom had attempted suicide. A variant of a gene called RGS2 appeared more often in the subjects who had tried to kill themselves, supporting the theory that there is genetic risk for suicide. Kurt Cobain had two uncles who killed themselves, Ernest Hemingways father killed himself, as did two of his siblings and a granddaughter. If genetic testing can reveal suicidal tendencies, then precautions can be taken. In 2017, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh took the scientific approach further. They developed a brain scan that can discern suicidal thoughts. Using a machine-learning algorithm and brain imaging, they examined 34 subjects, half with known suicidal tendencies, the other half without. All of them were given three lists of 10 words each. The first list had death-related words (death, fatal), the second had positive words (praise, carefree), and the third had negative words (boredom, trouble). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done on them while they read the lists. The algorithm was applied to the resulting scans and distinguished the suicidal group 91 per cent of the time. This should be encouraging news. But when it comes to the human mind, science has often overpromised and underdelivered. Great hope has been invested in electroconvulsive therapy, in drugs as diverse as LSD and chlorpromazine for curing everything from depression to schizophrenia. While drugs and ECT have helped, they also caused a lot of damage along the way. The magic bullet approach often neglects social and human factors. Once we identify suicidal people, what do we do? If the predictive science pans out and is widely adopted, it will be both a help and a worry as parents identify a child as suicidal. They will do what many parents are doing now whatever they can to help their child, while learning to live with that dark companion. And what of those people whose will to live defies all odds? What makes them want to live? There was a woman I used to see marching down Queen St. muttering to herself. She was bent over completely, her back at a 90-degree angle to her legs. She was always dressed in black, perhaps the same clothes. I saw her once in an upscale shoe store, muttering, her head tilted up to see the world. No one approached her. A mix of fear and pity; what could we do for her? We avoided her as if she was dangerous. She was likely in her seventies and, despite her obvious and ongoing misery, she soldiered on. One foot in front of the other in what must have been a painful succession. Something primitive, something at the cellular level, told her to keep trudging. At the cellular level, we all want to live. But cells make sacrifices millions of cells kill themselves in aid of our survival. Cells kill themselves when they become a threat to the organism; cells infected by viruses fall on their swords. The cells that kill the virus have to go too. After theyve killed the invader, lymphocytes die. They are brave and necessary, but now that the threat is gone, we dont want them around. Even when our mind feels otherwise, the body perseveres in its struggle to survive. When a young woman with anorexia starves herself, exhausting her fat reserves, the body tries to protect itself by growing hair as insulation. At the biological level, we crave life. Suicide is an argument with our own biology. The body states repeatedly, under awful conditions grinding poverty, disease, disfigurement, abuse that it wants to continue. The mind respectfully nods in agreement, then pulls the trigger. Adapted from To the River by Don Gillmor. Copyright 2018 Don Gillmor. Published by Random House Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Ltd. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved. If you or someone you know need help, call Toronto Distress Centre at 416-408-4357. If you require emergency assistance please go to the nearest hospital or call 911. A man suffering serious gunshot wounds took himself to hospital in a taxi after an early morning shooting in the West Queen West neighbourhood, police say. Toronto police received a report of the sound of multiple gunshots shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday, said Const. David Hopkinson, but when police arrived in the Queen St. W. and Ossington Ave. area, they did not locate any victims. However, they did find shell casings in the street to indicate that a shooting had occurred. Not long after police began investigating that scene, Toronto Polices 14 Division was called regarding a patient who had just arrived at hospital. Acting Staff Sgt. Anthony Williams said a man roughly between the ages of 25 and 30 had taken a taxi to the emergency room. Hopkinson said through the investigation police determined the man had received his injuries at the Queen St. W. and Ossington Ave. shooting. His injuries are described as serious, but not life-threatening. He said a white SUV was reportedly seen fleeing the area. He said although the vehicle is not considered a suspect vehicle at this time, police are hoping to locate the driver. It could be people fleeing the scene. Holy cow! Theres a shooting!and they drive away, Hopkinson said. Regardless of if theyre a suspect or a witness, we would like to speak to them. There is no detailed suspect description at this time. Williams said the victim has not been particularly co-operative with police: Hes not assisting. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has video footage, to come forward and speak with them. Two menacing thieves, four oversized backpacks and zero worries, evidently, that this will end badly for them. This is what liquor theft in Toronto looks like today. On a recent Saturday afternoon at a busy east-end LCBO, a brazen, broad-daylight heist begins. Two twentysomething men, faces shrouded beneath hoodies, hats and sunglasses, push their way through a crowd of customers to an aisle of premium vodka and proceed to strip the shelves bare. Clink, clink, clink go the bottles as the loot bags swell. And then, smash a $75 bottle of Grey Goose slips sideways and shatters upon the floor in their frenzy to get the job done. One of the bandits shouts a warning, Stay the f- away from us. The pilfering continues. The customers some 40 eyewitnesses, including a Toronto Star reporter are frozen in place, stunned by the close-up glimpse of high-volume larceny. The staff three on the checkouts, two more elsewhere in the store are the only ones not watching. Theyve seen it before. Over and over. Now they avert their morale-battered eyes. Tension rises as the thieves stumble toward the exit, each burdened by something close to their body weight in the peoples booze. So heavy is the bounty that as they pass within arms reach, even a slight nudge might send them tumbling, putting a stop to it. But then what? Already, the floor is littered with broken glass. Every single item in this store is a potential weapon for someone who wants badly enough not to get caught. Nobody makes a move. It all lasts barely three minutes. Outside, a stunned group of volunteer fundraisers with the nearby Crescent Town Swimming Club witnesses the final scene, as the bandits make their slow-motion escape west along the Danforth, toward Victoria Park Ave. They arent even running, says one of the swim volunteers. Theyre literally just walking away. The loot at least $2,000 worth of premium liquor in this one instance came straight out of your pocket, Ontario. Read more: First-time shoplifters wont be charged in project Letters to shoplifters threaten legal action Inside the store, as the tension eases and business resumes, a clerk winces when asked whether hed ever seen anything like it. Every single day, he fires back in frustration. Sometimes twice a day. Is it really as frequent as that? The Star went looking for answers, and in a word, yes. The sobering numbers look like this: more than 9,000 thefts at LCBO outlets in Toronto in the past four-and-a-half years (Jan. 1, 2014 to June 26, 2018), according to a crunching of Toronto Police Service data obtained by the Star. That makes the Liquor Control Board of Ontario far and away the most targeted retail entity in the city. And though retailers as a whole have reported a major spike in shoplifting incidents in the city 11,010 thefts in 2014, versus 16,667 in the first 10 months of 2018 the spike in liquor theft appears to be the single biggest driver. The LCBO declined a request for an interview on the Stars findings. Instead, the provincially owned liquor retailer responded in writing to a summary of the troubling data, acknowledging, We can confirm that the LCBO is seeing an increase in shop theft, with the majority taking place in urban areas. No single explanation unpacks the whole of the LCBOs theft problem. And it is far from a Toronto-only phenomenon. Twitter is littered and Facebook is festooned with both Crime Stopper-style alerts from police and customer eyewitness accounts that reference thefts throughout Ontario. But LCBO theft stings especially deep in Toronto, where some suggest overlapping policies the LCBOs hands-off instruction to staff never to intervene with thieves while they are in the building, coupled with the Toronto Police Services policy to rarely, if ever, dispatch officers to a low-priority theft scene after the thieves have left has opened a pathway to friction-free larceny. The LCBO doesnt want their staff getting into tussles with thieves inside the store, and I understand that, said Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association. But when you couple that with a policing decision that says we just dont have the resources to respond unless the thief is on the scene, you lose a lot of the deterrent. Thats where we are right now and its rampant, like a butterfly effect of unintended consequences. Im hearing from LCBO people directly that theyve seen guys come in and fill up duffle bags and walk right out the door and when they call 911, if these guys are not on the scene nobody is going to respond. What do actual LCBO workers say? One clue arrived recently at the Stars doorstep a typewritten, snail-mailed, anonymous plea for help purporting to be from a frontline liquor store staffer. What the public doesnt know is the amount of theft that goes on and how our lives are in jeopardy because of it. Every day we lose thousands of dollars to theft and we cant do anything about it, the letter said. We have been threatened with knives, needles, guns, physical harm, weve been shoved into fixtures, our lives threatened to where they will wait for us after shift, and yet the public doesnt know as its kept quiet from the media. We are all fearful that something will happen to one of us and its scary. THE LCBO DOESNT CARE. They barely support us and we barely see security once a month if we are lucky enough to have them in our store for a full shift. The Star has no way to independently authenticate the letter, which ended with name withheld due to fear of retaliation. But upon hearing its message, OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas, who represents LCBOs unionized staff, responded: That really disturbs me but that is the mood of the workers and it captures it very well. I think most of the managers do care but they feel as hamstrung as the front-line workers feel. They are telling us that theft has increased substantially in the past year especially. Verbal abuse is common, and while violence itself is rare, the threat of violence is there. OPSEU followed up with additional comment, noting that meetings between the union and LCBO to address surging theft are occurring at various levels. We continue to advocate for greater security measures and do see improved measures of which our staff have been able to suggest, OPSEU wrote. Unfortunately, it seems the act of shoplifting has turned into a larger-scale enterprise as thieves are stealing higher-end products and larger bottles. Likewise, in response to a list of questions from the Star, an LCBO spokesperson sent a statement citing a series of measures it has taken to curb theft while maintaining a safety-first posture. Safe stores and the safety of our employees are our top priorities and the policies and procedures we have in place reflect that. The LCBO has taken appropriate steps to prevent shop theft through security investments and theft protection tactics. We have increased our guarding and investigator expenditures, as well as CCTV technology, in-store deterrents, and always collaborate with local police on active investigations, the statement said. As is industry standard, we never encourage our employees to physically engage with the perpetrator when an active shop theft is taking place. Instead, the LCBO ensures employees are given shop-theft procedures and critical training. Stephen OKeefe, an Ontario-based retail loss consultant, said that the LCBO is not alone in experiencing a theft surge. Companies across the Canadian retail spectrum, he said, are reporting rising rates of shrinkage. Yet with no new studies of the issue since 2014, Canadian retailers have relied upon U.S. data to get a handle on the increase. OKeefes company, Bottom Line Matters, is in the process of launching new research to gain a more comprehensive understanding of whats behind the spike. One factor, he suspects, is that with Canadian retailers now in a race to allocate resources to digital commerce, many companies simply cant afford to obsess on the bricks-and-mortar reality with the intensity they once did. This, unfortunately, means that the risk appetite for shrinkage due to theft has grown, and loss-prevention resources have been strained, he told the Star. The spike in liquor theft, if especially acute in Toronto, has also triggered a rash of headlines recently in Manitoba, where officials cite the opioid crisis as a factor driving increasingly brazen, violent and frequent heists. One stopgap solution being tried in Winnipeg that has yet to take hold in Ontario is the outright removal of premium liquors from display shelves. Instead, expensive vodkas and the like are kept in a more secure space out of public view, and retrieved upon request to customers one bottle at a time, in a bid to strip the lowest-hanging fruit from temptation, a spokesperson for the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union told the Star. In April 2018, Toronto police sent a letter to the security sections of the LCBO, said police spokesperson Meaghan Gray. The letter indicated that unless there is a public safety risk, certain crimes could now be reported online. Calls that require an immediate police presence would still be responded to, Grey said. The online reporting allows the security personnel at the LCBO to enter the information for investigation by TPS. This is one of many initiatives the Service is undertaking through its modernization process of ensuring we are where the public needs us the most. At least one Toronto police jurisdiction, meanwhile, is trying something else. The Community Response Unit at 14 Division, in response to a rash of public complaints, last month launched a multifaceted pilot project that includes circulating plainclothes officers at several LCBOs in the area. I cant speak to all of Toronto, but in our patch were trying hard to find a new way to deal with the LCBO theft problem, said Sgt. Nelson Barreira, who is leading the effort. I dont want to give too much detail but were raising our presence. Were averaging about one arrest a day involving LCBO theft. Basically were seeing two types of theft on one hand you see brazen repeat offenders coming in pretty much daily and taking a single bottle and those cases usually involve addiction issues, either alcohol or drugs and sometimes mental health issues, said Barreira. And then we see the big-bag approach large quantities are being taken and resold at a discount. Our team is predominantly on bicycle but we mobilize a police car for this project to transport suspects. The approach is intelligence-led policing, acting on what the community shares with us as smartly as we can. Do you have any stories of LCBO shoplifiting to share? Write Mitch Potter mpotter@thestar.ca or share stories on Twitter with the hashtag #LCBOtheft On Dec. 19, Barreiras team led a bust of two people involved in an alleged 12-person shoplifting ring that targeted Toronto LCBOs. Police estimate the value of goods stolen by the group at over $200,000. Have your say One point of agreement for the LCBO and everyone else: whatever else you might say about liquor theft, the cameras never lie. In the store on the Danforth the day the Star bore witness to a four-backpack heist, 13 ceiling-mounted cameras caught it all. Sgt. Barreira of 14 Division emphasizes those high-quality images never blink and they are there forever and once retrieved, the LCBO screenshots circulate to every officer in the division, often forming the basis for future arrests. In the short term they get away with the bottle, he said. But in the longer term, because every theft is captured on video, the chances are good they are not gonna get away with it. By Washington Times , Dec. 27, 2018 Special counsel Robert Mueller is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for evidence of Russian collusion. A Russian company is accusing the special counsel of having collected a nude selfie as part of the probe. The charge, according to The Hill magazine, was made in a court filing by Eric Dubelier an attorney for Concord Management and Consulting that accused the Mueller investigative team of illegally withholding information from the firm. Read More: Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com Follow Larry Elder on Follow Larry Elder on Twitter "Like" Larry Elder on Facebook ULYSSES, KAN.A 16-year-old Kansas boy will soon earn his high school diploma and a few days later hell travel to Harvard to collect his bachelors degree. Ulysses High School senior Braxton Moral will attend both commencement ceremonies in May, becoming the only student to successfully pursue a four-year high school degree and a bachelors degree from Harvard at the same time, The Hutchinson News reported . Harvard has changed the rules, Braxtons father Carlos Moral said, so his son will be the one and only reaching that milestone. Braxton Moral will be 17 when he gets his diplomas. Carlos Moral said they began to realize their son was special when he was in the third grade. They told us: You need to do something. Hes not just gifted. Hes really, really gifted, he said. Braxton Moral skipped the fourth grade. The Ulysses school district allowed him to take some high school classes while he was still in middle school. Before high school he took a class offered at Fort Hays State University. Then he was admitted into Harvard. Braxton Moral simultaneously studied at the high school and the Harvard Extension School. The program typically serves adults who work and cant attend classes on campus full time. Ulysses High School math teacher Patsy Love served as the proctor for the Harvard program, administering Morals tests in Kansas. Moral spent the summer before his junior year at Harvards campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We constantly are monitoring Braxton to make sure he is not too overwhelmed, said Julie Moral, Braxton Morals mother. No achievement is worth him being unhappy. Braxton Moral is on track to graduate from the Bachelor of Liberal Arts program, with a major government and a minor in English, said Harry Pierre, associate director of communications for Harvards Division of Continuing Education. Braxton Moral said he hopes to attend Harvard Law School next. Politics is end game for me, he said, though hes still too young to vote. SAO PAULOBrazils largest left-leaning opposition parties said Friday they will boycott the inauguration of far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro on Jan. 1. The Workers Party, which governed between 2003 and 2016, and the Socialism and Liberty Party said their lawmakers and executives will not attend the ceremony in the capital city of Brasilia. Several members of the Communist Party of Brazil also said they will shun the inauguration of the former army captain who won 55 per cent of the vote in the Oct. 28 presidential runoff. The three parties will have 75 of the 513 lawmakers in Brazils lower house. The Workers Party had fielded former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as its candidate in the election and he was considered the front-runner until he was barred from running after being jailed for corruption and money laundering. The party said in a statement that it recognizes the legitimacy of the results of the vote but will boycott the inauguration due to the electoral process itself. Read more: Brazils Jair Bolsonaro has history of offensive comments Bolsonaro wins Brazils presidential election Brazilian candidate woos voters of colour, even as he insults them The illegal prohibition of the candidacy of former president Lula and the criminal manipulation of social media to spread lies against candidate Fernando Haddad favoured the far-right leader in the elections, it said. Both the Workers Party and the Socialism and Liberty Party said the decision was also an act of resistance to Bolsonaro, who has angered many with comments seen as homophobic, racist or offensive to women, as well as expressing nostalgia for Brazils 1964-1985 military dictatorship. Also Friday, Brazilian authorities said security preparations for the inauguration are the most comprehensive ever. The Secretary of Public Security in Brasilia told The Associated Press that they are expecting as many as 500,000 people to attend the ceremony. Brazils military has deployed anti-aircraft missiles and fighter jets to protect the event from the air. On the ground, more than 3,000 police and military will take to the streets. Security around Bolsonaro has been elevated following a Sept. 6 knife attack that left him with a ruptured intestine. Read more about: BEIRUTFeeling betrayed by the United States, its Kurdish allies in Syria asked the Syrian government on Friday to protect them from possible attack by Turkey. The request surprised some U.S. officials and could help open the way for the forces of President Bashar Assad of Syria, backed by Russia and Iran, to start retaking the Kurdish-held part of the country near Turkeys border. That would be a big step toward Assads goal of reclaiming all of Syria, upended by almost eight years of war. It was also the first sign that President Donald Trumps abrupt announcement last week that he was withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria was not only shifting alliances in the conflict but directly benefiting Assad a brutal autocrat once described by Trump as an animal responsible for chemical attacks and other atrocities. U.S.-backed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, said the Syrian government should send troops to the city of Manbij, near the Turkish border. The request amounted to a U.S. ally calling on an enemy of the United States to protect it from another American ally, Turkey. Read more: Turkey masses troops near Kurdish-held Syrian town Syrian Kurdish-led fighters take Hajin, last town held by Daesh Trump is pulling out of Syria. Will Afghanistan be next? The Kurdish militias are regarded by Turkey as dangerous autonomy-minded insurgents. The United States regards them as valuable partners in helping rout Islamic State extremists from Syria the original purpose of the U.S. military deployment four years ago. Although the U.S. troops in Syria number only about 2,000, they have been a deterrent to an assault on the Kurdish militias by the Turks. The U.S. presence also discouraged Assads forces from sweeping into the area even as they retook major areas elsewhere from anti-government fighters, often with the support of Russia and Iran. With the request for help Friday, the Kurds invited Assad into at least some of those areas he had coveted. Some U.S. officials were taken aback by the Kurdish announcement, voicing frustration and anger to their Kurdish counterparts, according to a senior U.S. official. There was no consultation or coordination, the official said. While the United States understands the Kurdish motivation to open discussions with the Assad government, the official said, the Kurdish position did not necessarily reflect views of Arab members of the Kurdish-Arab coalition fighting the Islamic State in eastern Syria, and said it amounted to a unilateral bargaining gambit. The Kurdish-led militias control about one-quarter of Syrias territory, including valuable agricultural land and oil reserves in the north and east of the country. Kurdish control is opposed not only by the Turks, but also by the government of Assad as well as its Russian and Iranian backers, who want the territory to fall back under the control of Damascus. Trumps surprise announcement that he would pull U.S. troops had raised fears of a scramble by competing forces to exploit the resulting vacuum. Through their alliance with the United States, Syrias Kurds gained unprecedented military and political power during the war. As Islamic State fighters were pushed back, the Kurds often filled the political gap left behind, establishing councils to run local affairs. But aware that the United States could eventually withdraw, they also began talks with the Syrian government about reconciling. Abdulkarim Omar, a foreign relations official with the Kurdish-led administration in northeastern Syria, said by phone Friday that the talks continued and the only issue that had been agreed upon so far was the Syrian army deployment near Manbij after the Americans withdraw. When asked if that agreement had been co-ordinated with the United States, he said: You can ask the Americans. But much remains uncertain for the Syrians living in those areas, especially since the two parties to the agreement described it in different ways. The Kurds said the Syrian army would take over border only areas to protect against a Turkish attack, but would not deploy inside the city itself. The areas run by the Kurds in Syria have long stood apart in the conflict. They had hoped, with their American friends, to pioneer an alternative model for Syrias future. While none of the other powers fighting in Syria liked the situation, they mostly avoided attacking the area for fear of provoking the United States. Now, with that deterrent set to end, the future of the northeast is up in the air. Those most likely to gain, analysts say, are the Syrian government and its allies, who want to bring the northeast back under the control of Damascus, both for the good of Assad and for their own interests. Russia would like to see Assad regain control of Syrias oil reserves to help finance the countrys reconstruction, while Iran wants to geographically connect forces it supports in Syria and Lebanon with those in Iraq. An American withdrawal from Syria is the equivalent of handing Syria on a silver plate to Iran and its militias, said Muhannad al-Talaa, the commander of an Arab militia near the U.S. military base at al-Tanf, near the Iraqi border. If the U.S. withdraws and we are forced to leave, Iran will have a steady supplies route through Iraq to its militias and Hezbollah in Syria. A swift U.S. withdrawal could also benefit the remnants of the Islamic State. While the organization has lost nearly all the territory it once held, experts estimate it still has thousands of fighters who have returned to their insurgent roots and can still mount attacks. If the local forces fighting the jihadis lose their U.S. battlefield commanders, they would be forced to rely on the small cadre of British and French forces still in Syria, which could cause confusion, experts say. Although Trump initially lobbied to pull U.S. troops out in 30 days, the Pentagon has pushed for a withdrawal that could take months, citing the danger to U.S. forces if ordered to dismantle their outposts quickly. It is also possible that the Pentagon will allow Kurdish militia fighters to keep at least some of their American-supplied weapons, a U.S. defence official said, despite assurances to Turkey last year that the armaments would be repossessed when combat operations concluded. Read more about: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that hed spoken at length with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that big progress is being made toward a deal between the worlds largest economies. The agreement will be very comprehensive and will cover all subjects, areas and points of dispute, the president said in a tweet. Trumps comment comes as a U.S. delegation prepares to travel to Beijing early in the new year for talks with Chinese officials, and is another sign that trade tensions may be cooling after months of brinkmanship. Chinas leader said both he and Trump hope to push for stable progress in U.S.-China relations, according to a Xinhua News Agency report on the phone call. Xi added that China supports further talks between the U.S. and North Korea, and hopes for positive results, Xinhua reported. The White House typically doesnt release details of Trumps calls with foreign leaders beyond what the president reveals himself via Twitter. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that a U.S. government delegation will travel to Beijing in the week of Jan. 7 for talks, according to two people familiar with the plans. Read more: Trump-Xi summit produced no winners U.S. and China reach 90-day ceasefire in their trade dispute White House hails China trade truce, but Tariff Man Trump fuels skeptics doubts Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish will lead Trumps team, which will also include Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs David Malpass, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, whom Trump named to be in charge of the China talks, isnt scheduled to join the delegation. U.S. stocks got a boost this week from news of the upcoming talks. The gathering will be the first face-to-face discussion between the two sides since Trump and Xi agreed to a 90-day truce during a meeting in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Dec. 18 that the U.S. and China have held discussions over the phone. Beijing this week announced a third round of tariff cuts, saying it would lower import taxes on more than 700 goods from Jan. 1 as part of its efforts to open up the economy and lower costs for domestic consumers. Trump has agreed to put on hold a scheduled increase in tariffs on some $200 (U.S.) billion in annual imports from China while the negotiations take place. Hes pushing the Asian nation to reduce trade barriers and stop alleged theft of intellectual property. Beijing so far has pledged to resume buying U.S. soybeans and to at least temporarily lower retaliatory tariffs on U.S. autos. Read more about: SANAA, YEMENYemens Shiite rebels on Saturday said they handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the coast guard and local administrators, but the government denied that, calling it a ploy by the Iran-aligned rebels to maintain control of the strategic facility. The handover was supposed to be the first in a series of confidence-building measures agreed to in Sweden that could pave the way for a political settlement of Yemens 4-year-old war pitting the rebels known as Houthis against the internationally recognized government backed since 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition. But the pro-government Sabaa news agency quoted what it called an official source as saying the Houthis assertion about giving up the port was an attempt to sidestep the Sweden agreement. We cannot accept these violations, which will lead to the failure of the agreement, the agency quoted the source as saying. Military and local Hodeida officials loyal to the government said the Houthis had taken advantage of their control of the city to place loyalist administrators and fighters in both the port management and the coast guard. Its a stage play in which the Houthis handed over the port to their fighters after they put on coast guard uniforms, said the Hodeida governor, al-Hassan Taher. The rebels control most of northern Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa, while their foes control much of the south, including the Arabian Sea port city of Aden, where the exiled government is located. The two sides have observed a cease-fire in Hodeida for more than a week, ending months of fierce fighting between the two sides for control of the city. A U.N. team led by retired Dutch Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert arrived last week in the city to monitor the cease-fire. Some 70 per cent of Yemens 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. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, and has driven millions to hunger. The U.N. calls it the worlds worst humanitarian disaster. The two sides also agreed in Sweden to exchange prisoners of war in a deal involving thousands captured from both sides. The implementation of that deal is yet to begin and may run into difficulties. Government officials maintain that the Houthis are denying the presence in their detention facilities of nearly 3,000 people among a total of some 8,500 prisoners whose names were submitted to the rebels. Read more about: Its easy to feel hopeless when, year after year, progress on womens rights and equality is seemingly measured in inches, not miles. Yes, only 11 out of 192 heads of government are women. Yes, the faces of heads of industry are overwhelmingly male. And, yes, theres even some evidence that the number of women who make it to the top rung is actually decreasing. But in 2018 there was reason to celebrate, if one looked at more basic measures of equality than who makes it into a political or corporate corner office (though thats important, too). Indeed, there has been steady, if not massive, progress on rights affecting millions of girls and women around the world on important fronts such as access to education and clean water, elimination of the practice of female genital mutilation, and the banning of child marriages. The reason? An increasing number of countries are focusing more of their aid on projects targeted at helping girls and women. On that front, Canada is sensibly leading the way. In 2017, the Trudeau government launched its Feminist International Assistance Policy, which promotes sustainable development through a gender-equality lens. This is not just political hokum. It works to improve the world, not just for girls and women, but for boys and men, too. Indeed, almost two decades ago, the World Bank found that simply educating girls was the No. 1 way to improve family health, increase economic output, and reduce government corruption. Since then, studies from world organizations have only backed up the importance of bettering girls lives to improve the lot of the world. A 2018 report from the World Bank, for example, found that limiting girls education cost countries between $15 trillion and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings. Another suggested that promoting girls education can even help fight climate change. Happily, then, UNESCO reports that the gap between girls and boys access to education is steadily closing. Still, theres a long way to go. The UN agency estimates 130 million girls between the 6 and 17 are out of school and 15 million girls of primary-school age half of them in sub-Saharan Africa will never enter a classroom. Why would that be? Sometimes its something as commonplace as a lack of access to clean water. Instead of going to school, girls must work as community water carriers, sometimes making multiple trips to ponds many hours away. As well, a lack of sanitation facilities at schools can inhibit girls from going to classes when they are menstruating. Thats where aid programs, such as Global Affairs Canadas $4.4 million over four years to help get clean water and sanitation to Tanzanian mothers and children, come in. Another barrier to girls attending school is the practice of marrying them off as children. That also poses a threat to maternal and infant survival rates because of the increased risk of complications in pregnancy and childbirth among young mothers. Progress is being made on that issue, too. According to the UN, 25 million child marriages were prevented in the last decade. In 2000 one in three women between 20 and 24 reported they had been married as children, if not sold off as brides (sometimes on Facebook) for the dowries they bring to their families. By 2018 that number was down to around one in five. Perhaps one of the biggest successes in the fight for girls and womens rights is the downturn in the practice of female genital mutilation. The procedure which the World Health Organization describes as the partial or total removal of external female genitalia can lead to painful sex, problems with urination and menstruation, difficulties in childbirth, chronic kidney infections and even death. The bad news is it has been inflicted upon at least 200 million women and girls. The good news is that more countries are banning the practice, leading to dramatic declines in some parts of the world where it once was commonplace. In fact, in 2018, BMJ Global Health reported the rate of FGM among girls aged 14 and under in east Africa had dropped from 71.4 per cent in 1995 to just 8 per cent in 2016. In other words, when countries focus their aid programs on a problem, it can be solved. And those numbers could drop much further as more and more girls become educated and have a say in banning a practice that most dont support. As heartening as that is, the UN Population Fund warns that the number of women predicted to be mutilated each year could rise to 4.6 million by 2030, despite the bans, because of population growth in communities that practice it. Thats one of the many reasons why countries cant afford to turn away from aid projects that promote the rights of girls and women. They should do so not only on these issues, but on efforts to stem sexual assaults, domestic violence, spousal rape and closing the world-wide gender pay gap. As study after study shows, promoting girls rights is a sure path to a healthier and more prosperous world for all. That is a cause worthy, then, for all governments support. Canada is showing the way. Elizabeth May heads into 2019 with hopes of gaining some new, Green Party company in the House of Commons by years end. But May is already gaining some extra company in her personal life this year, even before the election. On Earth Day in April, the Green Party leader will marry John Kidder in a big wedding at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria. Yes, May says, it will be a low-carbon wedding. The two have known each other for years and have many mutual friends, but the romance and engagement happened in a whirlwind this fall. Its the first marriage for May, 64, who has a daughter, Cate May Burton, and an extended family of stepchildren; its the second marriage for Kidder, who has three children and four grandchildren. Im a happier person, thats for sure, May says. As for Kidder: Im energized. This has energized me, he says. When I spoke to May and Kidder for this column, they were happily soaking up some time in Sicily after attending international climate-change meetings in Poland earlier in December. Kidder, 71, has been a tech entrepreneur and a Green Party candidate, and has a hops farm in Ashcroft, B.C. He bought the farm after the death of his wife in 2009, fleeing Vancouver for a quieter life. The next few years saw him shedding at least one other relationship too: Kidder abandoned the Liberal Party the day after Justin Trudeau entered the campaign for the leadership in 2012, disgusted with Trudeaus open outreach to the oilsands industry in Alberta. Trudeau has, however, wished the couple well. When May told him that she was dating the brother of Margot Kidder, who was romantically linked to Trudeaus father in the early 1980s, the prime minister told her, I loved Margot! This May-Kidder romance began, as some do in politics, at a political convention the Green Party holding its big annual get-together in Vancouver at the end of September. At dinner, Kidder was seated next to Sylvia Olsen, a good friend of Mays and the mother of Green Party MLA Adam Olsen, who represents roughly the same area as the national leader in the B.C. provincial legislature. Sylvia Olsen had been urging May to find a man for several months before the convention, and had assigned herself the job of matchmaker. May was not entirely an enthusiastic proponent of this scheme. About a couple of years ago, Id decided its not worth having this delusional notion that Im going to meet somebody. I have no time to date, no time to think about it, she said. But Olsen was sure she could find a good man for her friend. So when she was seated next to Kidder at the Green Party convention, the dinner turned into an interrogation though Kidder seemed to enjoy it, and he definitely passed. Olsen wanted to make sure, for instance, that he didnt have ego issues. Some of them were questions, some of them were statements, he said of the interview. Even before dinner had ended, Olsen ran over to the Green Party leader and reported shed found the guy for May. When she told her who it was, May immediately brightened. Shed even told Kidders daughter at one point in the past that she had a crush on her father. That statement yielded zero in the way of contact, as Kidder was still getting over the death of his wife; theyd been together 32 years. But this time, May and Kidder did connect. Kidder got Mays email address and the two spent the rest of the convention trying to snatch a few moments together, here and there in the corridors and the hotel coffee shop. They even posed for some photos together, with Kidders arm chastely, as he put it, across Mays shoulder. The Green Party leader joked that this was rehearsal for being a couple. Jokes aside, both came away from that convention knowing that something big was happening. It was so like high school, it was astonishing, Kidder laughed. They began to talk via email and then by telephone nearly every night. John replaced Netflix in my life, May said. I used to finish work in Parliament around 11 or whatever and Id go to my apartment to watch Netflix to fall asleep. Instead I started calling John. Wed talk for an hour. Then they started to figure out how to fit in visits during Mays frenetic work schedule and travel. After a few weeks, Kidder was convinced he was in this for the long term and decided to tell May so. Both of us had people telling us to go slowly now, this is risky territory. And my response was, Im way too bloody old to go slow. Thats ridiculous, he said. So Kidder asked May whether shed heard of a planning technique called future perfect, in which you imagine an ideal situation and plan backward from there. He wrote her an email, which he initially worried was too bold, but ultimately decided to send it anyway. I suggested that we just operate on the working premise that we were going to be together forever, Kidder said. If things come up in the way, theyll be like speed bumps rather than roadblocks or detours. That sealed it for May. She began to tell people (including this journalist) that shed found a forever mate. Yeah, I was pretty much toast, gone, after that, she said. Together, they started planning any occasion they could to see each other and by November, they were engaged. Kidder asked first by telephone and then made the proposal more formally in the Library of Parliament (naturally) in person in Ottawa. Their life now is another whirlwind, trying to figure out how to plan a wedding and then an election campaign within the space of one year. Kidder isnt sure he is going to run again as a candidate. He said he will be happy to help May whatever it requires, even schlepping her bags, and has joked with the Green Party office that his official title in the database can be consort. They havent even worked out where theyll live. Both divide their time already between two homes May in her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding and at work in Ottawa; Kidder keeps a place in Vancouver as well as his farm in Ashcroft. I asked May whether she thinks shell be a different kind of politician when shes married, and what having Kidder by her side will do to her approach to politics. I am naturally a positive and happy person, she said. But I didnt know what it was like to be really happy. This is the first really solid relationship Ive ever known. I dont know what kind of politician it will make me, but it definitely makes me a happier human being, which should translate into more energy and a better way of communicating a positive future. We wont know until October whether that means more seats in the House for May, but we do know that shes setting one more place at home in the meantime. Correction December 31, 2018: This column was edited from a previous version that misidentified Green Party MLA Adam Olsens given name. Susan Delacourt is the Star's Ottawa bureau chief and a columnist covering national politics. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: VANCOUVERRamazan Gencay was a teacher, dancer and lover of the outdoors, according to family and friends. Gencay, known to them as Ramo, was found dead in Colombias second-largest city on Christmas Day. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his death are under police investigation, according to local media reports. He was in Medellin to attend seminars at Eafit University and was reported missing on Dec. 6. Gencay taught economics at Simon Fraser University in the Vancouver area and loved salsa dancing, trail running and travelling. His wife, Carole Gencay, posted video clips of her husband dancing, many of which show him swaying while holding a cat. His wife did not respond to an interview request, but Gencays dance instructor, Nina Perez, told StarMetro he was one of her most dedicated students. It was a genuine pleasure to have him around, said Perez, who owns Baila Vancouver Dance School. He would always have something positive to say. Out of a lot of students that I see, he stood out because of that. Gencay picked up salsa dancing as a hobby three years ago and enthusiastically took lessons wherever he travelled, she said, adding he went to Colombia every year. It was a big part of his life, to dance. He found that it was a great way to meet the locals and connect with people. Gencay, who is originally from Turkey, completed his masters degree at the University of Guelph and received his PhD from the University of Houston. He was an outstanding contributor to the university community and will be sorely missed by all who knew him, Simon Fraser Universitys president, Andrew Petter, said in a written statement. Dozens of people with Colombian connections responded to Caroles Facebook post about her husbands death, lamenting the amount of violence in the country. In response, Carole emphasized she harboured no resentment toward Colombians. I have been deeply touched these past three weeks with Colombians of stellar character, truly honest and caring people, from Medellin colleagues and students to the police and attorney generals office, she wrote. I cannot know the complexities of why incidents like these occur in Colombia. It seems as though Colombia has an infectious, grave illness. My wish now is that Ramos case can push the issue toward solutions at all levels of society. On Dec. 27, Colombian authorities confirmed that his body was found in San Sebastian de Palmitas, a rural township on the outskirts of the city, according to local media reports. The facts surrounding his disappearance and death are matters of investigation. What is known so far is that the teacher disappeared on Dec. 6 Days later it transpired that funds in the professors (bank) cards were emptied, and the search of the authorities in Medellin intensified, the national El Espectador newspaper reported. Local police had recovered a body on Christmas Day but were unable to immediately confirm its identity due to decomposition, according to the report. It is unclear whether a robbery occurred before or after his death. StarMetro called multiple police stations in Medellin on Friday but was unable to reach anyone. The Canadian government last updated a travel advisory on Nov. 29 that said people should exercise a high degree of caution in Colombia due to a high level of crime. Canadian Mark Atkinson has lived in Medellin for the past two months and told StarMetro the people have been among the best he has ever met. I have not met one person from Medellin who hasnt gone out of their way to help me, whether its because they see me struggle with Spanish or they know I am here on my own, he said. Atkinson, who travelled from Moncton to Medellin to help his father navigate the Colombian health-care system, acknowledged he does hear gunshots at night and that he once saw a truckload of guys with ski masks and assault rifles. Twenty-five years ago, TIME magazine named Medellin the most dangerous city on Earth because of the dominance of drug cartels, frequent assassination of officials and police officers and disappearances of ordinary people. Around 3,000 people were murdered in 1987. While crime has declined dramatically in the past decade and the city has developed a reputation as a good hub for entrepreneurs, murder remains relatively commonplace in the city of 3.9 million. A total of 613 homicides occurred in Medellin in 2018 a five per cent increase from 2017. That is more than double the number of homicides in New York City, which has a population of 8.6 million. On Christmas Day alone, there were four homicides in different sectors of the city, El Espectador reported. With files from Andres Plana Read more about: Felony cases filed recently by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include: Cody L. Harper, 36, of the 200 block of S. 13th Street, Wood River, was charged Dec. 28 with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. According to court records he allegedly kicked a pregnant woman Dec. 25 in Wood River. Bail was set at $20,000. William G. Cauble, 48, of the 2900 block of Myrtle Avenue, Granite City, was charged with one count of aggravated assault, a Class 3 felony; and two counts of aggravated assault, both Class 4 felonies, after an incident near Illinois State Route 111 and Horseshoe Lake Road. The charges were brought by Alton & Southern Railway police, and allege that on Dec. 18 Cauble operated a motor vehicle in such a way to endanger a special agent with the Alton and Southern Railway Police, the passengers of a passenger vehicle, and the driver of a tractor-trailer. Bail was set at $25,000. Amanda L. Jones, 36, of the 600 block of Bowman, East Alton, was charged Dec. 28 with unlawful delivery of a firearm to a felon, a Class 3 felony; and Stephen D. Green, 36, of the 1400 block of George Street, Alton, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony. According to court records, on Dec. 27 Jones gave Green a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun. Green had a 2016 conviction for robbery. Bail was set at $20,000 each. Brandon W. White, 38, listed as homeless out of Alton, was charged Dec. 28 with burglary, a Class 2 felony; and possession of burglary tools, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents on Dec. 27 White attempted to enter a building in the 200 block of Whitelaw Avenue to commit a theft, and had several tools used to facilitate that crime. Bail was set at $60,000. Alexander C. Creekpaum, 18, of the first block of Holiday Mobile Home Park, Pontoon Beach, was charged Dec. 27 with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 3 felony. According to court records he attempted to strangle an intimate partner. Bail was set at $60,000. Cody L. Harper, 36, of the 200 block of S. 13th Street, Wood River, was charged Dec. 28 with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. According to court records he allegedly kicked a pregnant woman Dec. 25 in Wood River. Bail was set at $20,000. Dominick L. Huppert, 18, of Waterloo, was charged Dec. 28 with unlawful failure to register as a sex offender, a Class 3 felony. According to court records on Dec. 6 Huppert failed to register as a sex offender within three days of leaving his Wood River residence. Bail was set at $20,000. Jazmine R. Griggs, 24, of the 1000 block of Douglas Street, Madison, and Maebell White, 24, of East St. Louis, were both charged Dec. 27 with retail theft over $300, a Class 3 felony. According to court records on Dec. 21 both attempted to take more than $300 worth of hover boards from the Wood River Wal-Mart. Bail was set at $20,000. EDWARDSVILLE Multiple Madison County police agencies were led on two separate, consecutive pursuits Wednesday night, resulting in charges against two men involved in the incidents. Tyler J. Devers, 24, of the 200 block of Sterling Drive, Moro, was charged Dec. 27 with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony. According to court records, he allegedly elbowed a Wood River police officer in the face. The incident occurred just after 10 p.m., and led to a chase starting in Wood River and ending near Illinois State Route 140. Bail was set at $50,000. A second felony charge, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony, was also filed against Devers on Dec. 27 stemming from a Nov. 9 incident in Wood River. Bail on that charge was set at $20,000. In Wednesday nights other police pursuit, John A. Sanders, 32, of the 2321 block of Edwards, Granite City, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 3 felony. According to court records and scanner traffic, the chase began at about 8:45 p.m. Dec. 26 in Venice, and worked its way through Southern Madison County until after 10 p.m. after Granite City police used three spike sticks to stop the vehicle. According to police radio traffic, the vehicle continued to weave around the Granite City area with two flat driver-side tires at speeds between 10 and 20 mph. Much of the chase was described as a very low-speed pursuit by Granite City police. Bail was set at $15,000. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The last year was a 12-month champagne toast for the legal marijuana industry as the global market exploded and cannabis pushed its way further into the financial and cultural mainstream. Liberal California became the largest legal U.S. marketplace, conservative Utah and Oklahoma embraced medical marijuana, and the U.S. East Coast got its first commercial pot shops. Canada ushered in broad legalization, and Mexicos Supreme Court set the stage for that country to follow. U.S. drug regulators approved the first marijuana-based pharmaceutical to treat kids with a form of epilepsy, and billions of investment dollars poured into cannabis companies. Even main street brands like Coca-Cola said they are considering joining the party. I have been working on this for decades, and this was the year that the movement crested , said U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat working to overturn the federal ban on pot. Its clear that this is all coming to a head. With buzz building across the globe, the momentum will continue into 2019. Luxembourg is poised to become the first European country to legalize recreational marijuana, and South Africa is moving in that direction. Israels Parliament approved a law allowing exports of medical marijuana. Thailand legalized medicinal use of marijuana, and other Southeastern Asian countries may follow South Koreas lead in legalizing cannabidiol, or CBD. Its a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana and hemp plants and used for treatment of certain medical problems. Its not just the U.S. now. Its spreading, said Ben Curren, CEO of Green Bits, a San Jose, California, company that develops software for marijuana retailers and businesses. Currens firm is one of many that blossomed as the industry grew. He started the company in 2014 with two friends. Now, he has 85 employees, and the companys software processes $2.5 billion in sales transactions a year for more than 1,000 U.S. retail stores and dispensaries. Green Bits raised $17 million in April, pulling in money from investment firms including Snoop Doggs Casa Verde Capital. Curren hopes to expand internationally by 2020. A lot of the problem is keeping up with growth, he said. Legal marijuana was a $10.4 billion industry in the U.S. in 2018 with a quarter-million jobs devoted just to the handling of marijuana plants, said Beau Whitney, vice president and senior economist at New Frontier Data, a leading cannabis market research and data analysis firm. There are many other jobs that dont involve direct work with the plants, but they are harder to quantify, Whitney said. Investors poured $10 billion into cannabis in North America in 2018, twice what was invested in the last three years combined, he said, and the combined North American market is expected to reach more than $16 billion in 2019. Investors are getting much savvier when it comes to this space because even just a couple of years ago, youd throw money at it and hope that something would stick, he said. But now investors are much more discerning. Increasingly, U.S. lawmakers see that success and want it for their states. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. states now have legalized some form of medical marijuana. Voters in November made Michigan the 10th state and first in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana. Governors in New York and New Jersey are pushing for a similar law in their states next year, and momentum for broad legalization is building in Pennsylvania and Illinois. Lets legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana once and for all, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last week. The East Coasts first recreational pot shops opened in November in Massachusetts. State lawmakers in Nebraska just formed a campaign committee to put a medical cannabis initiative to voters in 2020. Nebraska shares a border with Colorado, one of the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana, and Iowa, which recently started a limited medical marijuana program. Attitudes have been rapidly evolving and changing. I know that my attitude toward it has also changed, said Nebraska state Sen. Adam Morfeld, a Democrat. Seeing the medical benefits and seeing other states implement it has convinced me that its not the dangerous drug its made out to be. With all its success, the U.S. marijuana industry continues to be undercut by a robust black market and federal law that treats marijuana as a controlled substance like heroin. Financial institutions are skittish about cannabis businesses, even in U.S. states where they are legal, and investors until recently have been reluctant to put their money behind pot. Marijuana businesses cant deduct their business expenses on their federal taxes and face huge challenges getting insurance and finding real estate for their brick-and-mortar operations. Until you have complete federal legalization, youre going to be living with that structure, said Marc Press, a New Jersey attorney who advises cannabis businesses. At the start of the year, the industry was chilled when then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a policy shielding state-licensed medical marijuana operators from federal drug prosecutions. Ultimately the move had minimal impact because federal prosecutors showed little interest in going after legal operators. Sessions, a staunch marijuana opponent, later lost his job while President Donald Trump said he was inclined to support an effort by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, to relax the federal prohibition. In November, Democrats won control of the U.S. House and want to use it next year to pass legislation that eases federal restrictions on the legal marijuana industry without removing it from the controlled substances list. Gardner and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren have proposed legislation allowing state-approved commercial cannabis activity under federal law. The bill also would let states and Indian tribes determine how best to regulate marijuana commerce within their boundaries without fear of federal intervention. If those provisions become law, they could open up banking for the marijuana industry nationwide and make it easier for cannabis companies to secure capital. Blumenauers blueprint to legalize marijuana also calls for the federal government to provide medical marijuana for veterans, more equitable taxation for marijuana businesses and rolling back federal prohibitions on marijuana research, among other things. We have elected the most pro-cannabis Congress in history and more important, some of the people who were roadblocks to our work are gone, Blumenauer said. If were able to jump-start it in the House, I think there will be support in the Senate, particularly if we deal with things that are important, like veterans access and banking. Gillian Flaccus is a member of APs marijuana beat team. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus . Find complete AP marijuana coverage here: https://apnews.com/LegalMarijuana. What a ghastly year it is been for the superstar trinity. Salman Khan mincingly did his usual all-strut, no-sense routine and ended up at the losing end of the Race. Aamir rode a donkey, wore blue-eyeliner, aped a Hollywood star and fed drugged ladoos to Englishmen who spoke to each other in Urdu, even when they were alone. Most recently, Shah Rukh Khan shrunk himself down to four feet six inches, and played a cocky thirty-eight-year-old dwarf and romanced two of the nations beautiful women before departing on a space mission to Mars. The audience was not impressed either by Salmans lazy/safe more-of-the-same offering or the gimmicky outlandish fare the other two put out and showed its annoyance at having its Diwali and Christmas ruined by ungratefully not showing up at the theatres. Illustration: Bhaskaran The empty seats clearly stated that the audience is done with superficial, one-tone drivel that presumes to take it for granted. Do not think that you can just do gora-bashing and Ill love you, it is telling Aamir. Do not assume that if you sport stubble, boots, dark glasses and do a new dance step Ill love you, they are telling Salman. Dimples can only do so much, its quite frankly telling Shah Rukh. I have been there, cheered for that, tired of it, and now Im craving substance. (This the point when everybody turns around and blames the writers. But please understand that writers are the most bullied people in the movie business, and the primary reason they churn out drivel is not because they are only capable of writing drivel, but because the stars are making them write drivel and they are too much in awe of the stars to say no.) This is the reason why any number of movies featuring non-stars like Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal and Ayushmann Khurrana have done so well this year. These are all small, rooted, solid, sincerely made films, without goodies or baddies, made by people with mutual respect for each other, and no superstar bloating the budget. The parallel with politics easily writes itself. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana resoundingly rejected the stale, formulaic, good guys vs bad guys rhetoric of the fifty-six inch chested, tried and tested superstar Narendra Modi and left his hit-making production studio, the BJP, totally red-faced. As usual the star is being praised for trying to rise valiantly above a sloppy script, and the writers are being blamed for all that sloppiness. Nobody is mentioning the fact that the writers wrote originally about development. And then had to sit by sadly as their plot was arrogantly hijacked by quickie-fix tracks featuring evil, cow-killing Muslims, mandirs, gigantic statues, and luridly coloured currency So please huddle with your core team of writers again, Modiji. Listen to them and hammer out a fresh, sound script with a grand theme, a neatly defined first, second and third act, plus a killer climax. Spread out to last over a period of five years. Then stick to that script. Do not get derailed because your ratings slip on a certain Friday. Stay steady. If you have committed yourself to developmentthen work hard and sincerely towards giving the audience development instead of trying to sex things up by randomly turning on beef-eaters or menstruating ladies. Remember, focus, dedication and no dicking with the script will win the day. (Also, writers, please have the gumption to stand your ground.) You do not want that Ayushmann Khurrana of politics, that unlikely, puppy-faced Rahul Gandhi and his ensemble cast to run away with the Filmfare Trophy, do you? editor@theweek.in Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her... On his birth anniversary, India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna was remembered by his daughter Twinkle Khanna as she shared a beautiful black and white picture of the actor on Twitter with a caption that said, "As a toddler, I was convinced that all the truckloads of flowers that would arrive for his birthday were actually for me...#nowandforever." As a toddler, I was convinced that all the truckloads of flowers that would arrive for his birthday were actually for me...#NowAndForever pic.twitter.com/Ky5JBPkR5J Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) December 29, 2018 Twinkle Khanna, who shares her birthday with her father, remembered the late actor in her typical funny style. Pointing to the fact that it was her birthday too and also to the aspect that her father used to receive "truckloads of flowers". Mrs Funnybones, as she is popularly know, is known to have been very close to her father and shares a photo of her dad every year on their birthday. Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna's husband and a noted actor in Bollywood, also paid tribute to his father-in-law with an old photograph of the 'first superstar' of Indian cinema and did not forget to wish his wife for her birthday. "While growing up Id heard fascinating tales of his superstardom, never imagining one day Ill marry his fascinating daughter...thank you for giving me this precious one. Happy birthday to both of you," he tweeted. Three helmets were recovered from the Ksan mine near Lytein river where 15 miners have been trapped for the past 17 days. Rescue operations by Indian Navy divers commenced on Saturday. The miners have been trapped in the flooded rat-hole coal mine since December 13. The Navy spokesman had said in a tweet that a 15-member diving team from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh was on their way to the accident site in the remote Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills district on Saturday morning. "The team is carrying specialised diving equipment including a re-compression chamber and remotely operated vehicles capable of searching underwater," he said. The Navy carried out an initial assessment on Friday to determine an effective response. Pump manufacturing company Kirloskar Brothers Ltd and Coal India were jointly moving 18 high-powered pumps to drain water out of the 37-foot-deep mine. A team of surveyers from the two companies also conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. They will submit a report to East Jaintia Hills district authorities on the technicalities about positioning pumps for effectively carrying the operation, officials at the site said. The team would carry special diving equipment including a remote-operated vehicle capable of conducting underwater search. The Air Force has airlifted 10 pumps from Bhubaneswar. Its personnel have landed in Guwahati, 270 kilometres away from the coal mine, official sources said. Meanwhile, an Odisha fire service team equipped with more high-powered pumps reached Guwahati on Friday morning around 11:30am. But according to reports they have not been able to reach the site as they were not provided with transport by the state government. They had to travel the remaining 225km to reach the site on their own and latest reports suggest they are still around 25 to 30km away from the spot. The mine got flooded when water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into it on December 13, trapping the 15 diggers. According to PTI reporter the mine is located on top of a hillock fully covered with trees. To reach the mine, a person has to pass the 30-foot wide Lytein river three times. No habitation was found nearby and 80-90 illegal coal mines dot the area. Locals said that the illegal private mine was closed for a long time but opened for mining 2-3 days before the the miners were trapped on December 13. The mine is owned by Krip Schullet, a local who has been arrested since the incident came to the adminstration's knowledge, state officials said. General Manager of North Eastern Coalfields J. Bora arrived with two officials of the company on Friday and they were followed by a 10-member team of experts of the Coal India (CIL) to the site to assess the situation, they said. Bora said CIL is arranging eight high-powered pumps for the rescue operation. "We are waiting for the initial 10 high-powered pumps. They will be brought here this evening," the superintendent of police said. The high-powered pumps will be transported by road from Guwahati till about two kilometres from the accident site. From there, vehicles have been requisitioned to carry them to the mine, a senior district official said. Pumping of water from the mine was suspended on Saturday as there was no visible receding of the water level. The district authorities had written to the state government seeking high-powered pumps as the two 25 hp pumps, which were being used, were found to be inadequate, an official of the NDRF, which is involved in the rescue operation, said. The incident has become a political issue after Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted about it and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help save the miners. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital on Thursday. The National Disaster Response Force on Thursday contradicted media reports which quoted it as saying the trapped minors were suspected to be dead on the basis of the foul odour the force's divers had smelt when they had gone inside the mine. It said the foul smell could be due to the stagnant water in the mine as pumping had been halted for more than 48 hours. Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually 3-4 feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat-holes" as each just about fits one person. (With inputs from PTI) In an embarrassment to former Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf, video clips have emerged of him attempting to seek covert US support to regain power and telling US lawmakers that he was "ashamed" of the ISI being negligent about the whereabouts of al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden. The undated video clips, which have been posted by dissident Pakistani columnist Gul Bukhari, also shows Musharraf, currently in self-imposed exile, as saying that he thinks that the negligence of the ISI was "pardonable" as the CIA was also involved in same level of negligence with respect to the 9/11 attacks. Musharraf, 75, was Pakistan's president between 2001 and 2008, before resigning to avoid impeachment. Musharraf, who was Pakistan's army chief, had seized power in a coup in 1998, deposing then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Musharraf has been living in Dubai since March 2016 after he left for medical treatment and has not returned to Pakistan since, citing security and health reasons. He is facing the treason case for suspending the Constitution in 2007, a punishable offence for which he was indicted in 2014. "All I am saying is, I have certain credentials from the past. I need to come (to power) again and I need to be supported. Not overtly, but in a covert manner. So that we win again," Musharraf is seen as telling US lawmakers in one of the leaked videos of the meeting. When posed with tough questions, Musharraf rued that US lawmakers "are too involved in minor tactics". Musharraf also claimed that Pakistan used the money, given by the US for fight against terrorists, to bring down its poverty rate from 34 per cent to 17 per cent. To which, those present in the meeting, were quick to point out that none of the US Congress members voted for $20 billion aid to Pakistan in the last 10 years because of poverty. Money was given to Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and the Taliban, the lawmakers said, to which the former Pakistan president sought the US to help him get back to power. In the first video clip, Musharraf is seen walking in the corridors of the US House of Representatives. The video clips seems to be from 2012, after he was ousted from power. In the third segment of the clip, Musharraf is seen in conversation with a lobbyist and Chairman of the powerful American Jewish Congress, Jack Rosen, during an informal get-together. One of those present in that meeting was Congressman Gary Ackerman. Musharraf is seen arguing that there was no complicity in Pakistan not being able to find out Osama bin Laden. "There are aspersions against Pakistan of hiding Osama bin Laden," Musharraf says in his meeting with US Congressmen. "First of all, is the US against Pakistan, or annoyed with the army and ISI, because they believe there was complicity? My view is that there was no complicity, and I would like to say a few words on that," he told the lawmakers. "There was negligence. Certainly. And we are all ashamed. Even, I, though I am not in the government now, I am ashamed that there was this level of negligence by the ISI that we did not know. I think negligence is pardonable," Musharraf said, adding that the CIA was also involved in same level of negligence on 9/11. Referring to the 18 people being trained in the US, Musharraf alleged that CIA being such a big organisation was sleeping. "ISI was also sleeping. Let's leave it at that," he said. -PTI A 25-year-old woman was sentenced to three years in prison for sexually harassing a monkey in Egypt. An Egyptian court charged the woman with "inciting debauchery". The state daily Al-Ahram reported on Friday said that a court in Mansoura city also charged the woman with committing an obscene act in public. Basma Ahmed, the woman, was arrested in October after a 90-second video of the incident went viral. The video shows Ahmed laughing while touching the genitals of a monkey at a pet shop in the Nile Delta city and making sexual innuendos as people around her chuckle. At court she "confessed... to the incident but said she did not mean to commit an indecent act and that she had been tickling the monkey". The video sparked a fierce backlash online. I hope nation states start paying greater attention to the rise of cryptocurrency. what looks like a very interesting and somewhat exotic effort to literally mine new coins in order to trade with them has the potential for undermining currencies. for destabilising nations.... Hillary Clinton former Democratic presidential candidate The heartbreak isnt because a particular government or political party had to withdraw laws. The heartbreak is because the laws were good for Indian agriculture. Chetan Bhagat author, after the Union government repelled the farm laws Pakistan denied O. Bin Laden in Pak until Abbottabad raid, denied Quetta Shura until opening of Qatar office, denied presence of Siraj Haqqani in Pak until Aug 15 and now denies safe havens of IS-K. Until when? Amrullah Saleh former first vice president of Afghanistan, on Twitter State-sponsored actors like the NSO Group spend millions of dollars on sophisticated surveillance technologies without effective accountability. That needs to change. Craig Federighi Apples senior vice president of software engineering, after the company sued the makers of Pegasus spyware Growing up in the Hindi belt, I had access only to films that came to theatres. That meant only mainstream Bollywood, or Hollywood blockbusters like Titanic. Content-driven films were few and far between. I discovered films from different languages only recently. As late as 2013, with Pather Panchali. In 2014, after moving to Mumbai after a decade in Delhi, Marathi films became a constant. That year, I had watched some amazing films, including Court (Marathi), Labour of Love (Bengali), Killa (Marathi) and Bangalore Days (Malayalam). The list continues to grow, though slowly. Here is a list of films from five languages that I am looking forward to in 2019. Lucifer (Malayalam) There are two reasons why Lucifer is on this listactor Prithviraj Sukumaran turns director, and star Mohanlal plays anti-hero. The teaser, which released recently, is packed with intensity. Father, I can only confess to sins I have committed. How do I confess to sins I am yet to commit? Mohanlals character asks. That it is a political drama only increases curiosity. Mohanlal plays the role of Stephen Nedumballi, while Manju Warrier plays the female lead. Bijoya (Bengali) For the Bangla film, I was conflicted between Bisorjons sequel Bijoya and Nagarkirtan. Both Bisorjon and Nagarkirtan got national awards in 2018, and both have stories we rarely see on the big screen. Nagarkirtan charts the story of an invisible community, the transgenders. Bisorjon is about the partition and the love between a Muslim man and a Hindu woman living in India and Bangladesh, respectively. Bijoya begins where Bisorjon ends. I chose Bijoya because of todays religious climate, and the need for such a film. It only makes sense. The plus is that Kaushik Ganguly has directed all three. Even if one pips the other, it is his filmmaking that wins. Just after the the national awards were declared, he had told me that his interest lay in bringing out humanity. I am sure that is what will win. N.T.R. Kathanayakudu and Mahanayakudu (Telugu) Last year, the Telugu industry gave us the elaborate biopic of actor Savitri. And the way it was madewith more poise and depth than most Hindi biopicsgives us hope for the N.T.R. films. Krish Jagarlamudi directs the two-part series on actor-politician N.T. Rama Rao, which will release in a span of two months. The first, N.T.R. Kathanayakudu, will cover his film career and the second, N.T.R. Mahanayakudu, will trace his political ascent. As Rama Raos son, Balakrishna, portrays the lead, it could well be adulatory. Rana Daggubati has been roped in to play the role of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while Vidya Balan will make her Telugu debut by playing N.T.R.s wife. Thackeray (Marathi, Hindi) Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh, will play Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Let that sink in for a moment. While many have already made their pleasure/displeasure known on social media, for us, Siddiqui looks uncannily similar to a young Thackeray, which makes the choice apt. The question is: Will the film be a hagiography? Or will it be propaganda? The answer is: It could very well be both. Producer and scriptwriter Sanjay Raut is a Shiv Sena MP, while director Abhijit Panse was once with the party. It should not concern anybody that we are Shiv Sainiks or not, Panse had earlier told THE WEEK. Even Nawaz is not from Shiv Sena or any other party. Well wait for the review in Saamna, the Shiv Senas mouthpiece. Bulbul Can Sing (Assamese) Rima Dass last, Village Rockstars, beautifully explored life in a farming village in Assam, often troubled by incessant rains. It was Indias official entry to the Oscars and was, amazingly, shot only on a Canon 5D camera with one lens! Rimas next, Bulbul Can Sing, has already been screened at several festivals, including those in Mumbai, Toronto and Berlin. The film is a visceral coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who she really is. In Rimas words, While focusing on subjects like these, I am exploring the many emotions encountered by each age group. We are too, Rima, through you! (Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Dec. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ), Vietnam's largest consumer jewelry brand, in collaboration with Mirum Vietnam, launch the "True Love" campaign. This is the first and only Vietnamese jewelry brand to support the LGBT, minority and sub-cultural community. The campaign features a video telling stories of couples who challenge the presumed notion of "perfect couple" in Vietnamese society. It encourages lovers, regardless of gender, body type, or career, to celebrate their love and inspire the world. "We are thrilled to see millions of Facebook fans joining our campaign to break the 'perfect couple' stereotypes," said Phan Nguyen Hoai Anh, PNJ Group Brand Manager. "We would like our consumers to realize that the right way of being a true couple is to refute stereotypes, to not focus on looks, wealth, career or gender, but to focus on the one you love." "As Vietnam's leading jewelry maker in the wedding jewelry market, PNJ is committed to diversity and inclusion of all people," added Phan Nguyen Hoai Anh. "We're calling participation in our 'True Love' campaign, to encourage all couples everywhere not to hide their love, but celebrate it." In that spirit, PNJ works intensively with Mirum Vietnam to encourage this important message of love without limits. Love can be expressed in a wedding vow, or more subtly, in the discreet yet powerful rings that bond couples over the years. The campaign promotes the company's message of embracing diversity among Vietnamese consumers and across the world. For more information, please visit the company's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PNJ.COM.VN/ or watch the video on https://bit.ly/2QTKzNi. About Phu Nhuan Jewelry Established in 1988, Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Co. is the largest consumer jewelry brand in Vietnam with more than 320 stores and the largest jewelry production based in South East Asia. It is the first Vietnamese jewelry brand to receive the JNA's Employer of the Year Award for four consecutive years since 2015. PNJ has more than 5,000 employees including hundreds of goldsmiths and a thousand-plus sales team. https://www.pnj.com.vn/ About Mirum Vietnam Mirum Vietnam is a borderless digital creative & marketing agency established in 2007. The agency believes that the online ecosystem and technology has powerful impact on both brands and our living experience. https://www.mirumagency.com/en/country/vietnam pnj@pnj.com.vn Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/802800/PNJTrueLove_Campaign.jpg PWR PWR Mumbai, Dec 29 (PTI) Katrina Kaif, who was all set to team up for the first time with Varun Dhawan for a dance film, to be directed by Remo D'Souza, Saturday announced that she has decided to opt out of the project due to date issues. The film to be produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, is touted to be India's biggest dance film. The yet-to-be-titled film also features actor-choreographer-director Prabhudeva, Dharmesh Yelande, Raghav Juyal and Punit Pathak. The project was scheduled to release in November, 2019. "Katrina Kaif had to opt out of Remo D'Souza's upcoming dance film owing to her hectic schedule for 'Bharat'. Katrina has always been a thorough professional. She decided to step out of the film as her dates were clashing with 'Bharat', which she is currently shooting for," Katrina's official spokesperson said in a statement. "Bharat", an official remake of the Korean film "An Ode To My Father", will depict the history of India through the life of an ordinary man. Reportedly, Salman Khan will be sporting five different looks, spanning over 60 years. Salman, had recently revealed that, the shoot of the film will go on for 30 days. Katrina was roped in as the leading lady for the film after Priyanka Chopra walked out of the project owing to personal reasons. "Bharat", also starring Disha Patani, Nora Fatehi, Sunil Grover and Tabu in pivotal roles, is slated to arrive in theatres on Eid 2019. PTI KKP SHD SHD New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours: FGN10 PAK-INDIA-KARTARPUR Pak sends recommendations to India for visa-free travel of Sikh pilgrims through Kartarpur corridor Islamabad: Pakistan has sent recommendations to India for facilitating visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims through the upcoming Kartarpur corridor, according to a media report here on Saturday. By Sajjad Hussain FGN8 BANGLA-LD POLLS Bangladesh intensifies security as Hasina seeks re-election on Sunday Dhaka: Bangladesh stepped up security with thousands of army troops patrolling the streets along with paramilitary forces and police as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term in Sunday's general elections. By Anisur Rahman FGN5 US-MUSHARRAF Leaked video shows Musharraf seeking covert US support to regain power Washington: In an embarrassment to Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani dictator, in a leaked video, was purportedly seen seeking covert US support to regain power and telling American lawmakers that he was "ashamed" of the ISI being negligent about the al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts. By Lalit K Jha. FGN4 YEAR-NEPAL Nepal-India ties move upward with high-level visits in 2018 Kathmandu: Nepal-India relations saw an upward trend in 2018 as high-level bilateral visits gradually helped remove the mistrust, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying New Delhi was ready to be the 'Sherpa' in the land-locked Himalayan nation's quest to scale the mountain of success. By Shirish B Pradhan. FGN7 PHILIPPINES-2NDLD QUAKE 6.9-magnitude quake hits Philippines triggering small tsunami Manila: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday triggering a brief tsunami warning. (AFP) RUP RUP RUP Dubai, Dec 29 (AFP) A rescue helicopter crashed on Saturday in the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah, killing all crew members, according to the United Arab Emirates state news agency WAM. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi, ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah, ordered an investigation into the incident that took place at 5:50 pm (1350 GMT). "The General Civil Aviation Authority announced the crash of an Agusta 139 helicopter during a rescue mission in Jebel Jais in Ras al-Khaimah," said the report. It was not immediately clear how many crew members were on board. The UAE comprises the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain. (AFP) SCY SCY Beijing, Dec 29 (AFP) The leaders of both the United States and China want "stable progress" in ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a phone call on Saturday with his American counterpart Donald Trump. The Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying China and the US are working to implement the terms of the trade war truce reached between the two leaders earlier this month. During the call, Xi expressed the hope that "both teams can meet each other halfway and reach an agreement beneficial to both countries and the world as early as possible", according to Xinhua. Washington and Beijing have imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods, and the bruising trade conflict has spooked markets worldwide. Relations between the world's top two economies are "now in a vital stage", Xinhua quoted Xi as saying during the Trump call. "China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and appreciates the willingness of the US side to develop cooperative and constructive bilateral relations," Xi said, according to Xinhua. Tensions have eased since Trump and Xi met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina and agreed to a 90-day truce as they try to negotiate an end to the trade war. Signs of progress since that meeting include the absence of new threats from Trump. And China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, after its major state-owned grain stockpiler said it had resumed buying US soybeans. Beijing also announced it would suspend extra tariffs added to US-made cars and auto parts starting January 1. China is also targeting intellectual property theft in the country -- one of the main sticking points in the dispute with the US. Trump initiated the trade war because of complaints over unfair Chinese trade practices -- concerns shared by the European Union, Japan and others. (AFP) SCY SCY New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours: FGN8 BANGLA-LD POLLS Bangladesh intensifies security as Hasina seeks re-election on Sunday Dhaka: Bangladesh stepped up security with thousands of army troops patrolling the streets along with paramilitary forces and police as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term in Sunday's general elections. By Anisur Rahman FGN5 US-MUSHARRAF Leaked video shows Musharraf seeking covert US support to regain power Washington: In an embarrassment to Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani dictator, in a leaked video, was purportedly seen seeking covert US support to regain power and telling American lawmakers that he was "ashamed" of the ISI being negligent about the al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts. By Lalit K Jha. FGN4 YEAR-NEPAL Nepal-India ties move upward with high-level visits in 2018 Kathmandu: Nepal-India relations saw an upward trend in 2018 as high-level bilateral visits gradually helped remove the mistrust, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying New Delhi was ready to be the 'Sherpa' in the land-locked Himalayan nation's quest to scale the mountain of success. By Shirish B Pradhan. FGN7 PHILIPPINES-2NDLD QUAKE 6.9-magnitude quake hits Philippines triggering small tsunami Manila: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday triggering a brief tsunami warning. (AFP) RUP RUP Chicago, Dec 29 (AFP) Parts of the US were digging out Saturday from winter storms that media reports said led to at least seven deaths, while warmer regions braced for potential flooding during the New Year's travel period. Hardest hit were parts of the northern Plains, the upper Midwest, and a southwestern region from Arizona to western Texas. As storm clouds moved east, they were set to bring heavy rain and probably flooding to the Gulf Coast, and both rain and freezing rain to New England. Flight tracker FlightAware reported more than 129 flight cancellations and 1,006 delays Saturday -- down from more than 500 cancellations and 5,700 delays on Friday -- as the winter storm hit north-central and Midwestern states with up to 12 inches (30 centimetres) of snow. In the southwestern state of New Mexico, forecasters called for up to 18 inches, with temperatures far below normal, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Southeastern states braced for a deluge of rain, and millions in the South were warned of potential flooding. Biloxi, Mississippi was soaked with five inches of rain. Tallahassee, Florida braced for three inches or more of rain just a week after being hit by eight inches, adding to fears of flooding, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. The weather contributed to several deaths during the week. A 58-year-old woman in Louisiana was killed Wednesday when a tree struck by lightning fell on her home, according to TV station WDSU. In Kansas, police said icy roads caused a fatal car crash Thursday on an interstate highway. A crash Thursday involving a snowplow and a pickup truck in Dunn County, North Dakota, claimed the life of the 37-year-old truck driver, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press newspaper reported. A 17-year-old boy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was killed in a two-car collision that police blamed on icy roads, the Des Moines Register reported. A woman on a camping trip in Tennessee died when she was swept away by flood waters while trying to cross a creek, CNN reported. It said two people died in weather-related collisions in Minnesota, one when a pedestrian was struck by a snowplow blade in Crow Wing County amid poor visibility. Numerous roads were closed Thursday in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Kansas and Iowa, but by Saturday crews were making progress clearing affected areas. TV channel KWCH in Wichita, Kansas said on Saturday that safe travel conditions had finally been restored across that state. But the South Dakota Department of Transportation said warnings against travel remained in effect there. "Roads are icy, blowing snow is still limiting visibility," the agency said. "Crews are working but Mother Nature is making safe travel tough." North Dakota on Friday lifted a no-travel advisory that had been issued for the entire east side of the state, even as drifting snow continued to frustrate drivers. NWS officials in Minnesota cautioned that roads were cloaked in snow, with some areas receiving as much as 16.5 inches. The weather service predicted the treacherous weather would continue through the weekend in many parts of the country. Winter weather advisories were in effect Saturday for northern Indiana and southern Michigan. To the south, heavy rains were forecast in the central Gulf Coast, in the Florida Panhandle, and stretching east to the mid-Atlantic. Not all of the country suffered, though. The capital Washington enjoyed blue skies and a temperature around 57 deg F (14 deg C) on Saturday. (AFP) SCY SCY IIEST alumni to take part in 'nostalia' run for charity Kolkata, Dec 29 (PTI) A group of former Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) students will come together for a 'nostalgic' run along a 10-km stretch from the city as part of charity. The 2018 edition of 'Route 55' -- a tribute to the lone bus route between the campus in Howrah district and central Kolkata's Esplanade area till 1999 -- will see participation of alumni from 15 cities in India and abroad on December 30. First started in 2013 by 10 former students of IIEST, earlier known as Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), the initiative strives to give back to society as well as advocate personal fitness, the organisers said. The pre-requisite to participate in the run is a donation of USD 55 (about Rs 3,800) to Sramajibi Hospital in Howrah. "It is great feeling to see my students from around the world coming together to do their bit for the community," IIEST Director Prof Parthasarathi Chakrabarti told reporters on Friday evening. Sandeep Chatterjee, a former student based in Hyderabad, said a portion of the donation is used to provide discounted healthcare to the drivers and conductors of Bus 55. "We believe in giving back to the community that had formed an important part of our student lives ... Bus 55 has been an important part of the IIEST lore and those living in the community," Chatterjee said. PTI SUS RBT RBT BJP discusses organisational issues in West Bengal Kolkata, Dec 29 (PTI) BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav on Saturday held a meeting with leaders of its West Bengal unit and discussed various organisational issues. "It was a routine meeting. We discussed many organisational aspects," Yadav told PTI. The meeting comes at a time when the Bengal BJP has been organising law violation programs across the state, in protest against the Trinamool Congress government's decision to disallow the saffron party's proposed Rath Yatras. The three-phased Rath Yatra, also being called the 'Save Democracy Rally', was scheduled to be held this month, covering all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The rallies were to be flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah. The Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on a BJP plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order disallowing its yatras in the state. PTI PNT RBT RBT New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday attacked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the probe into killing of a policeman during mob violence in Bulandshahr, saying over 25 days have passed, but no concrete action has been taken, and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. Mob violence broke out near Chingrawathi police post on December 3 after cattle carcasses were found strewn in a field near Mahaw village. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar were shot dead as the mob attacked police. Hitting out at the state government, UP Congress chief Raj Babbar, at a press conference here, said: "Over 25 days have passed and the government is still dilly-dallying. Some times Ajay Kumar Bisht's government seeks praise for itself, at other times it says it was a conspiracy." A "mobocracy" has prevailed in the country since the formation of the BJP government at the Centre, he alleged. "Earlier someone else was accused, now someone else is the culprit. The people whose names are coming out (in the investigation) are those who are close to the BJP leaders there," he claimed. His remarks come a day after a court sent to 14-day judicial custody the man who allegedly shot dead Singh. Prashant Nat was not named in the FIR but was held based on local intelligence, eyewitness accounts and assessment of the video footage that was gathered, Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhakar Chaudhary had said. Slamming the Yogi Adityanath government over inaction, Babbar said: "Ajay Singh Bisht had assured the family of the police inspector that they will get justice. He had called them. In all religions when someone dies, people go to their home, but here he called them." "Will there be justice done... in today's circumstances, it doesn't look like," he said. The Congress party wants that considering the circumstances prevailing in UP, there should be a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge, he said. Asked at what level the inquiry should be conducted, Babbar said it would be preferable that it is done under the supervision of the Supreme Court, but added that a probe under the UP chief justice would also bring out the truth. Alleging that UP was moving towards "anrachy", Babbar asked that should such a government continue. He also slammed the UP government over FIR being filed on court orders against the Unnao rape victim, her mother and an uncle for allegedly producing a forged age certificate to prove she was a minor. PTI ASK GVS Srinagar, Dec 29 (PTI) Four militants were killed Saturday in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, the Army said. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Hanjan area Saturday morning after receiving specific information about the presence of militants there, an Army official said. The search operation turned into an encounter after the ultras opened fire at the search party, who retaliated. Four militants were killed in the gunfight. Weapons and other warlike stores were found at the encounter site, the official said. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants was being ascertained, he said. The search and sanitisation operation is underway. PTI SSB GVS New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The BJP Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress' Gandhi family, claiming the ED's statement in a court that alleged middleman Christian Michel made reference to "Mrs Gandhi" and "son of an Italian lady" pointed toward its involvement in the AgustaWestland deal. It is, however, not clear in what context Michel, who is under arrest, mentioned this to the investigation agency. The Congress has rejected the charge, saying that the central government has been using agencies to implicate the Gandhi family. Hitting out at the Congress, Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters that truth was coming out of the probe into the alleged corruption in purchase of VVIP choppers during the UPA government, and that Michel's comments point towards one family. "The story of loot of public money is coming out, Everything went to one family," he alleged, accusing the Congress of compromising with national security during its rule. He claimed that Michel has made reference to 'Mrs Gandhi', 'son of Italian lady', 'big man', 'R' and added, "This all points to only one family". Taking a dig at the Congress, he said it should answer who all Michel was referring to and claimed that people know of one 'R', a reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who had torn an ordinance of the Manmohan Singh government. Referring to Gandhi's attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, Javadekar described it as a case "thief making noises" and claimed that Michel has also spoken about the public sector firm, HAL, being removed from the Rafala contract during the UPA rule. PTI KR AAR New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) India Saturday condemned the "cowardly" terror attack on a tourist bus near Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids in which at least four people were killed and 10 others injured. The Ministry of External Affairs said India stands with the government and people of Egypt in their fight against terrorism. "We condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on the tourist bus near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt on 28th December in which innocent lives were lost," the MEA said in a statement. "We convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery for those injured. We stand with the Government and people of Egypt in their fight against terrorism," it said. According to reports, a roadside bomb hit the bus killing three Vietnamese tourists and a local guide. It was first terror attack targeting foreign tourists in Egypt in nearly a year. PTI MPB CK New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) An eight-month-old baby got a new lease of life after undergoing a challenging surgery for a simultaneous cochlear implant in both his ears at a city hospital, doctors said. The baby, a resident of Punjabi Bagh area, was diagnosed with "severe hearing loss" in both his ears, they said. He recently underwent a surgery at Apollo hospital here and doctors observed him over some period as it was a case of bilateral simultaneous cochlear implant, an electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. "At the hospital, his case was referred to Dr Ameet Kishore, Senior Consultant, ENT & Cochlear Implant Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, and then assessed by audiologists at SpHear (Speech & Hearing) clinic (which supports the Apollo Cochlear Implant programme)," a spokesperson of the hospital said. He was initially fitted with hearing aids to ascertain the level of benefit, as per international protocol. The team eventually confirmed that the child would not get normal hearing with hearing aids, and the family was counselled for cochlear implants. Even though his age presented a huge challenge, the doctors with the consent of parents decided to go ahead with the surgery, she said. Kishore said, "When dealing with hearing loss in children at such a young age, the most important part is to restore the hearing of the child as early as possible. In this child's case the treatment of choice for good hearing restoration was cochlear implant, and on top of that, it was important to restore hearing in both his ears (bilateral simultaneous cochlear implant), which means that implantation was done in both ears at the same time." It requires extensive surgical expertise and efficiency to safely handle an eight- months-old baby, weighing just 10 kg, which is why many people would hesitate to do this surgery on such a little baby, he said. He is also probably one of the the youngest children to have received bilateral simultaneous cochlear implant in the country, the hospital said. "The boy has accepted the cochlear implants, is attending the clinic for habilitation twice a week and doing very well so far," said Neevita Narayan, the Audiology Director and Cochlear Implant Specialist at SpHear Clinic. PTI KND DPB DPB Jaipur, Dec 29 (PTI) The Rajasthan Chief Electoral Office has written to Election Commission of India (ECI), demanding further action into the matter of LJD leader Sharad Yadav allegedly "insulting" former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Rajasthan BJP had lodged a complaint in the matter. Joint Chief Electoral Officer Surendra Maheshwari said the department has written a letter to ECI for taking further action. Yadav, during an election rally in Alwar, had allegedly said that Raje has become fat and needs rest. A video of Yadav's purported comments has gone viral on social media. Taking umbrage to the comments, the former chief minister demanded action, saying she felt insulted. "I feel insulted. This is an insult to women. I am absolutely shocked because I did not think any experienced leader and one who had close ties with our family could not control his language," Raje said. PTI AG IND IND Jammu, Dec 29 (PTI) A low-intensity explosion rocked the main bus stand here, with the police suspecting that a grenade was lobbed to target the police station building in the vicinity, police officials said Saturday. No casualties were reported in the explosion that occurred around midnight, the officials said. Quoting preliminary investigations, they said it is suspected that the grenade was thrown from a moving vehicle to target the police station building, located near the main entrance of the bus stand. The grenade fell short of the target and exploded in the air, without causing any damage or casualty, the officials said. They said police immediately cordoned off the area and an alert was sounded to track the culprits. This was the second attack on the Jammu bus stand in over seven months. Earlier on May 24, two policemen and a civilian were injured in a grenade attack on the under-construction bus stand along the B C Road. The accused were subsequently arrested. PTI TAS DV DV Lucknow, Dec 29 (PTI) With the Lok Sabha elections slated for early next year, the legacy of Maharaja Suheldev, who is said to have killed the Ghaznavid general Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud in the early 11th century is up for grabs for the NDA partners in Uttar Pradesh. The Rajbhars who constitute 20 per cent of the Purvanchal population are regarded as the second politically dominating community to reckon with after the Yadavs in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The tussle for the Rajbhar vote bank is out in the open with the BJP on Saturday releasing the postal stamp of Maharaja Suheldev. However, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has distanced itself from the programme in Ghazipur, claiming he was not invited for the event well in time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while releasing the stamp in Ghazipur, said effort was to take Maharaja Suheldev's contribution to all Indians through the postal stamp. "It is said that when he was the king people did not lock doors," he said. Modi, who spoke at length on Suheldev starting his address in a local dialect of eastern UP, recalled his bravery and asserted that Suheldev belonged to all. "Such brave sons were not given proper honour by previous governments and we have taken it as our duty to accord them the respect due to them," he said. Addressing the function to release the stamp, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the government of India "has accorded the honour and respect to Suheldev after 1,000 years in order to ensure that his memory is kept alive for the future generations". But, UP Minister for Backward Classes Welfare and SBSP chief Rajbhar, has opposed the release of the postal stamp on the ground that it does not bear the full name "Maharaja Suheldev Rajbhar". A similar situation was witnessed in 2016 when BJP president Amit Shah had unveiled the statue of Suheldev in Bahraich and SBSP, which was then not a partner in the NDA, had announced it would oppose the BJP's efforts to appropriate the 11th century king for political gains. The BJP, which also has Rajbhar leaders like Harinarain Rajbhar (MP from Ghosi) and Anil Rahbhar (UP minister of Sainik Kalyan, Food processing) has released the postal stamp as a mark of respect to Suheldev. Maharaja Suheldev exists somewhere between the boundary of fiction and history. The only surviving account of him is the Mirat-i-Masudi, a historical romance written in Persian. Legends can barely agree upon his name, alternating between Sakardev, Suhirdadhwaj, Suhridil, Suhridal-dhaj, Rai Suhrid Dev, Susaj, Suhardal etc, much less on his caste or religious identity. At the end of the day, what we have is a king with a Hindu-sounding name and a historically unverifiable personal identity who defeated a Muslim invader. The Rajbhar community has a presence in nearly 125 assembly seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh and constitutes 2.60 per cent of the entire state's population and SBSP chief Rajbhar had claimed that in 62 assembly seats, the Rajbhars need a little support from other communities to win those seats. Uttar Pradesh assembly has 403 seats. Rajbhar had formed SBSP in October 2002. During his tenure as Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh had got Raja Suheldev's statue installed at the Lalbagh crossing in Lucknow. The BSP, on its part, had another statue installed in Sarnath. The party also has important Rajbhar leaders in its fold in the form of former state president, Ram Achal Rajbhar and former assembly speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar. It's no wonder that the legend of Maharaja Suheldev has been marshalled for the cause of vote bank politics. PTI SAB SMI RCJ New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Cases involving political bigwigs like P Chidambaram, Lalu Prasad and Shashi Tharoor made headlines in 2018 from Delhi courts which drew global attention while dealing with the case of extradited alleged middleman Christian Michel in the VVIP chopper scam. The eventful year in courts saw British national Michel, who was brought to India on December 4 after his extradition from the UAE in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper deal, spending 14 days in CBI custody and now in jail. While Michel's case drew eyeballs, fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, who is currently in London and has been declared a proclaimed offender here for evading summons in a money laundering case related to alleged FERA violation, also faced the heat when a court ordered attachment of his properties. The #MeToo movement gathered momentum in India and forced veteran journalist and former union minister M J Akbar to approach a Delhi court with a private criminal defamation complaint against a scribe, who accused him of sexual misconduct nearly two decades ago. Akbar, who had to resign as a minister following the uproar, has denied all the allegations. Cases involving political heavyweights dominated court proceedings here and the year saw both the CBI and the ED tightening the noose around Congress leader P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the Aircel-Maxis case by filing charge sheets against them. His party colleague Shashi Tharoor was also named in a charge sheet by Delhi Police for allegedly abetting the suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. Police in its nearly 3,000-page charge sheet also accused the former union minister of subjecting his wife to cruelty. The Congress further suffered an embarrassment when ED filed a charge sheet against former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, accusing him of projecting around Rs 7 crore proceeds of crime as agricultural income in connivance with others and investing these in purchasing LIC policies. The trial courts also dealt with some of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases and in one case, death sentence was awarded to a man and life imprisonment to another for killing two persons in south Delhi's Mahipalpur area. Even Sajjan Kumar, who after his conviction and life term in one such case resigned from the Congress, was attending the trial court in connection with another anti-Sikh riots case. So was the case of another senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, who is finding it hard to get discharged from his alleged involvement in the riots even after the CBI gave him clean chit and sought closure of the case against him. The criminal case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Congress leaders including Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case also made news from the trial court. The RJD, an ally of the Congress in Bihar, also had a bad time as its top leadership including jailed chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejaswi Yadav had to face legal proceedings in the IRCTC scam. Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar were summoned as accused and granted bail in a separate money laundering case in which the ED had earlier attached their Delhi farmhouse. Aam Aadmi Party and its leadership continued to hog the limelight from trial courts which summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as accused in Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case along with his deputy and others. Kejriwal had a sigh of relief when he settled various defamation cases against himself by apologising to Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and ex-Union minister Kapil Sibal's son Amit Sibal. While politicians were facing the heat in the trial courts here, bureaucrats also had a tough time, particularly in cases arising out of the alleged coal block allocation scam during Congress-led UPA regime with former coal secretary H C Gupta getting three-year imprisonment in one such case. Gupta, the coal secretary from December 31, 2005 to November 2008, has already been convicted in two other cases of coal block allocation in which he has been sentenced for two and three years respectively. He is out on bail in all the cases. Two other bureaucrats also were convicted in coalgate cases. The CBI vs CBI case also had its imprint on the courts as the agency arrested one of its own Deputy Superintendents of Police and an alleged middleman. While DySP Devender Kumar was released after the CBI preferred not to oppose his bail, alleged Dubai-based middleman Manoj Prasad secured relief after the agency failed to file its charge sheet within the stipulated time. A trial court also framed molestation charges against former TERI chief R K Pachauri in a case of alleged sexual harassment. The year witnessed anti-terror agencies tightening the noose against terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir with NIA filing charge sheet against separatists and naming Hafiz Saeed, the head of banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, for allegedly conspiring to wage a war against the country. The NIA also arrested and charged Syed Shahid Yusuf, son Salahuddin, with indulging in unlawful activities and raising funds for terror operations in a separate case of 2011. PTI UK ABA RKS ZMN GVS New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Indian population is a result of four major migrations, including that of the Aryans, into the country in prehistoric times, says a new book. "Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From" looks at how and when modern humans first arrived in India; what evidence they left behind; who their descendants are today; who else followed them as migrants to this land; how and when farming started and the world's largest civilisation of its time was built; when and why this civilisation declined; and what happened next. Based on recent genetic studies using ancient DNA as well as findings from disciplines such as archaeology and linguistics, journalist Tony Joseph writes that these migrations, including that of the Aryans from central Asia, were part of global population movements that affected not just India but many regions of Asia and Europe. The first modern humans arrived in India around 65,000 years ago as part of an Out of Africa migration that populated the entire world ultimately. The genetic lineage of these first migrants that the book calls First Indians still dominate the Indian population and accounts for 50-65 per cent of the Indian ancestry today. The second major migration happened 9000 to 5000 years ago, when agriculturists from the Zagros region of Iran moved into Indias northwestern part and mixed with the First Indians and helped speed up the farming experiments that were already beginning in the subcontinent. As a result, farming - especially of barley and wheat - spread like wildfire across the northwestern region, thus laying the foundation for the Harappan Civilisation that in its mature phase lasted from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. The Harappans, therefore, were a mixture of Zagros agriculturists and First Indians, the book claims. The third major migration happened from southeast Asia around 2000 BCE, when farming-related migrations originally starting from the Chinese heartland overran south-east Asia and then reached India, bringing the Austroasiatic family of languages, such as Mundari and Khasi spoken in the eastern and central parts of the country. The last major migration between 2000 and 1000 BCE brought central Asian pastoralists, who spoke Indo-European languages and called themselves Aryans, to India. The scientific evidence for all of these migrations - for long the subject of vigorous debates among both scientists and lay persons - is now coming from analysis of ancient DNA, or DNA collected from the skeletons of individuals who lived thousands of years ago. By looking at DNA from the same location at different periods, or from different locations at the same period, geneticists can work out which populations moved where and when. India's current population mix also includes many minor migrations that happened during the historical period, says the book, published by Juggernaut, though these did not leave a significant genetic impact. 'Early Indians' uses the metaphor of a pizza to explain the Indian population structure today. The First Indians form the base of the pizza, it says, since their ancestry is present in all population groups, no matter what region they live in, what caste they belong to, or what language they speak. Then comes the sauce that is spread all over the base of the pizza - the Harappans, who moved all over the country in search of new, fertile land when their civilization declined around 1900 BC. The rest of the migrants are the cheese, the capsicum, the tomato and other vegetables spread on top of the pizza, though not in a uniform manner - some pieces have a larger share of one and less of the other. Apart from the formation of the Indian population and the development of the Harappan Civilisation, the book also looks into when and how the caste system began. Genetic evidence suggests that the caste system did not begin with the arrival of the Aryans, Joseph says, adding that it began nearly two thousand years later, around 100 CE, probably due to a shift in political ideology at that time. PTI ZMN SHD SHD No undisputed tax payable, says Mahesh Babu Hyderabad, Dec 29 (PTI) Top Telugu actor Mahesh Babu, whose two bank accounts were attached by the Goods and Services Tax department, has said there was no undisputed tax payable and he is a law abiding citizen complying with all fiscal legislations. Besides, the actor's legal team said, a dispute on the matter was pending before court. "The GST Commissionerate Hyderabad has attached the bank accounts for a disputed tax demand of Rs 18.5 lakh claiming Rs 73.5 lakh towards Tax interest and penalty for brand ambassador services rendered in FY 2007-08 which was not taxable service," the team said in a release Friday. The brand ambassador service was brought in the statute only from July 2010, it said. "Mahesh Babu is a law abiding citizen complying with all fiscal legislations and has no undisputed tax payable," the release said. The GST Commissionerate, Hyderabad, has carried out the attachment without notice when several judicial pronouncements on the issue is in favour of the taxpayer and more so when the dispute is pending before the High Court, according to the team. The GST department had said Thursday the accounts were attached to recover service tax dues from him. According to a release issued by the Commissionerate, the actor has not paid the Service Tax during 2007-08 for the taxable services he rendered as brand ambassador, appearance money and advertising for promotion of products, among others. PTI SJR BN BN BN Jignesh Mevani evasive on support to "Rahul for PM pitch" Chennai, Dec 29 (PTI): Dalit rights activist Jignesh Mevani Saturday was evasive when asked about his stand on Rahul Gandhi, being propped by the DMK as the opposition's Prime Ministerial candidate. The independent MLA from Gujarat, when asked who he would support in the Lok Sabha polls next year, told reporters "my support will be to we the people, to the poorest of the poor, to the workers and peasants." The Gujarat based activist was here to take part in a cultural event coordinated by noted film director Pa Ranjit. Asked specifically about his opinion on Rahul Gandhi's candidature for the Prime Minister's post, the MLA did not give a direct answer and said "yes, yes, we should get two crore jobs and farmers suicides should not happen". Again, when asked if his support would be for the Congress, he repeated "I support we the people...I support Ambedkar...Phule." DMK president M K Stalin had on December 16 vowed to make Congress chief Rahul Gandhi the country's next prime minister and lauded him for having the ability to defeat the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. He stated this at a rally that day followed by the unveiling of a bronze statue of DMK patriarch and his father late M Karunanidhi at party headquarters Anna Arivalayam here. Besides the DMK, key opposition parties like Congress, TDP and CPI(M) had come together at the event to reaffirm their resolve to dislodge the BJP-led NDA government. Mevani later joined those present at the event in raising the "Jai Bhim" slogan. To another quesiton, he referred to the electoral setback for the BJP in states like Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The backdrop of such electoral drubbings and the Dalit assertion made it amply clear that notwithstanding the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and RSS, "they will not be able to bring back Dalits into the fold of RSS and BJP..they (BJP) will have to suffer a lot," he said. He lashed out at the Saffron party and alleged that it was "fascist and has a "casteist, manuvadi mentality and agenda." PTI VGN APR APR APR Over 3,000 TN fishermen chased away by Sri Lankan navy (Eds; rpting after change in 1st para) Rameswaram (TN), Dec 29 (PTI): Over 3,000 Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly chased away by Sri Lankan Naval personnel Saturday for fishing near Katchatheevu islet in the island nation's waters, a senior fisheries department official said here. The fishermen had put out to sea this morning in 514 boats and were fishing off the islet when the naval personnel came there in 15 boats and chased them away, Fisheries department Deputy Director Kathawarayan told reporters. They also cut the nets of 15 boats, he said. PTI COR APR APR APR APR Srinagar, Dec 29 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) Saturday declared the results of class 10 annual examination for Kashmir division, with over 75 per cent of the students passing the tests which were held in October-November. "The results have been declared within a record time of 45 days. A huge improvement in pass percentage was recorded at 75.44 per cent against 62.94 per cent last year," officials said. Out of the 55,472 examinees, 38,939 have passed, officials said, adding boys recorded a pass percentage of 76.41 per cent and the girls 74.40 per cent. Among the districts, Pulwama fared the best with overall pass percentage of 84.50 per cent, followed by Shopian at 83 per cent, Srinagar at 81.90 per cent, Kulgam 80.50 per cent, Anantnag 78 per cent, Baramulla 74.84 per cent, Ganderbal 73.16 per cent, Budgam 72.79 per cent, Kupwara 62.92 per cent and Bandipora 62.26 per cent per cent, they said. The officials said the government schools had recorded an impressive pass percentage of 63.71 per cent with 16,621 students out of 26,089 having passed the examination against the pass percentage of 46.70 last year. Among the candidates who passed the examination is Syed Tamheed Bukhari, son of Syed Shujaat Bukhari, a senior journalist who was shot dead in Press Enclave in June. Tamheed secured 98.4 per cent marks in the examinations which were held just a few months after his father's assassination. PTI SSB IND IND New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Congress Saturday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the death of a police constable during stone-pelting by a mob, alleging that in Yogi Adityanath's "jungle rule" neither the people are safe, nor the police. Police constable Suresh Vats, 48, was killed Saturday in Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reacting to the incident, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed, "In Adityanath's grand jungle rule, neither the people were safe, nor the police." "Today in Ghazipur after Modi ji's rally, a mob mercilessly killed police constable Suresh Vats," he tweeted. Before this, a mob had killed police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr which the chief minister had described as an accident, he said. "Democracy in BJP rule=mobocracy," he tweeted. PTI ASK AAR CALEB MAGGS, Chariho, Football, Junior; Maggs caught 11 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers loss to East Greenwich on Thanksgiving eve. He had scoring receptions of 1 and 29 yards. LUKE LOWRY, Stonington, Football, Junior; Lowry caught a pair of TD passes in the Bears Thanksgiving Day loss to Westerly. The two scoring receptions matched a record for the holiday game held by five others. Lowry had touchdown catches of 36 and 67 yards. He was named Stoningtons top offensive player in the game. ZACK TUCK, Westerly, Football, Junior; Tuck rushed for 241 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Bulldogs Thanksgiving Day victory over Stonington. Tuck was named the games MVP and was also selected as Westerlys top offensive player. Vote View Results As we look ahead to 2019, prospects seem pretty unsettled. In the UK, business confidence is waning, consumers are worrying and the economy is suffering. In America, the outlook is hard to gauge and trade wars with China are a growing concern. Continental Europe is faring better but populism is on the rise, fuelling fears about the future. For investors, however, there are pockets of hope. UK shares are widely acknowledged to be undervalued, presenting clear opportunities across the market. Cooking up a storm: Overcooked is a best-selling computer game for the developer Team17 Our three tips for 2019 all demonstrate certain defensive qualities, that should allow them to deliver growth, even under difficult circumstances. Team 17 Mention video games and most people think of teenage boys and violence. Team17 is run by a woman, Debbie Bestwick, and its best-selling products include Overcooked, where chefs have to prepare meals in kitchens filled with obstacles, and My Time With Portia, a fantasy game set in the town of Portia. Founded in 1990, the company floated on Aim in May at 1.65, soared to more than 2.80 by September and has now drifted back to 1.83. At this level, the stock is a buy. Bestwick, 48, has been a games enthusiast since the age of seven, when she started playing Space Invaders. A co-founder of Team17, she became chief executive in 2009, since when the company has amassed a portfolio of more than 90 games, played all over the world. These range from family products to more conventional games, such as the hugely popular Worms series, featuring warring worms, and The Escapist, where players try to break out of jail. Team17 creates games itself and helps small, independent developers turn initial concepts into commercial reality. Based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, rather than the west coast of America means that Team17s costs are much lower than many peers. Bestwick invests no more than 1million on each project, so risks are widely spread and game sales do not need to run into hundreds of thousands for the group to recoup its costs. Team17 is also known within the gaming industry for providing genuine support to developers so many of the most talented minds in the sector come to Bestwick with their ideas. Brokers expect sales of 37million and profits of 11.6million, rising to 44million and 13.7million respectively in 2019. Once, gamers could only buy physical copies of their favourite products. Today, enthusiasts prefer digital versions, which can be upgraded and updated, providing Team 17 with an ongoing opportunity to make money. MIDAS VERDICT: Gaming has become a multi-billion pound industry and gamers are likely to carry on playing regardless of economic conditions. Team17 is at the forefront of its field and the shares should rise. At 183p, they are a buy. 3i Group 3i Group is a publicly listed, private equity business so it buys private businesses, helps them to improve and sells them on to new owners. The shares are 7.95 and should rise materially in 2019 and beyond. Ten years ago, 3i owned hundreds of firms and had borrowed heavily to buy them. Today, the company has just 35 businesses in its portfolio so it can keep a close eye on all of them and actively support them when they need help. These firms are spread across the UK, Northern Europe and the US and they have all been selected for their growth potential with 3i aiming to double their value over three to five years. Businesses include Action, the leading non-food discount retailer in Europe; Dynatect, a US engineer; Christ, an upmarket German jeweller, and OneMed, a leading medical supplies group. 3i also has a 34 per cent stake in 3i Infrastructure, which invests in businesses expected to deliver consistent, long-term growth, such as Infinis, which generates electricity from landfill gas, and Wireless Infrastructure, Group, which owns thousands of mobile phone towers. The combination of 3is private equity operation and its involvement in 3i Infrastructure has proved a winner in recent years. Chief executive Simon Borrows also recognises the importance of rewarding shareholders with decent dividends. In the year to March 2018, 3i paid a 30p dividend and analysts expect it to be higher this year, putting the stock on a yield of just over 4 per cent. Importantly too, 3i is financially robust so the dividend is one of the safest in the FTSE 100 index. MIDAS VERDICT: 3i shares have suffered this year, in line with the wider market. At 7.95, they should prove a rewarding investment and the dividends add an extra bit of spice. Motif Bio Resistance to antibiotics is a big problem, so much so that the World Health Organisation recently described it as one of the greatest threats to human life today. Motif Bio has developed a new antibiotic, iclaprim, which is safer and more effective than existing drugs and saves hospitals money. The shares are 28p and brokers believe they could more than triple in the coming months. For most small biotech companies, the biggest challenge is whether they can receive regulatory approval for new products before running out of cash. Motif Bio is already well down the track. Trials have been completed and the US regulator, the FDA, is expected to approve iclaprim in February. At the same time, Motif Bio chief executive Graham Lumsden, is looking for a deep-pocketed partner to help bring the drug to market. Discussions are under way and further news should emerge in the next few months. Iclaprim will initially be used to treat elderly or otherwise high-risk patients with acute skin infections around a million people in the US alone. In time, the drug is likely to be prescribed for other conditions, including pneumonia. MIDAS VERDICT: Motif Bio shares have fallen this year but the company is doing everything right. At 28p, the stock has serious potential. Buy. Analysts are wasting no time in making their gloomy predictions for Britain's ailing high streets next year. On Thursday, fashion behemoth Next will be the first to publish its sales figures for the crucial Christmas period and finance analysts at Jefferies have already forecast that the retailer will be forced to downgrade its full-year profit guidance. The broker expects Next to report a 12.7 per cent drop in store sales in the run-up to Christmas, as mild winter weather and Brexit woes batter some of Britain's best known brands Retail woes? On Thursday, fashion chain Next will publish its sales figures for the crucial Christmas period While store sales are expected to disappoint, Next's online sales could offset some of the decay and rise by an estimated 10 per cent over the festive period. James Grzinic, an analyst at Jefferies, said: 'The combination of mild weather and Brexit-induced UK consumer weakness is bound to have impacted Next's Christmas performance.' Mr Grzinic expects Next to cut its full-year profit guidance by 3 per cent when its Brexit-backing chief executive Lord Simon Wolfson publishes the results. Current guidance for annual pre-tax profit stands at 727million, but Jefferies is pencilling in a figure of 705million, down from last year's figure of 726million. In October, Next reported sales growth had slowed in the third quarter as both high street and online trading eased back. The fashion and homewares chain recorded a 1.3 per cent rise in full-price sales for the three months to 27 October. Shares in Next are up 0.27 per cent or 11.00p to 4,030.00p. HMV became the first high street casualty after Christmas and slumped into administration With no let up for the retail sector on the horizon, music store chain HMV became the latest high street business to hit the buffers today. Customers are now scrambling to spend their gift vouchers, which could become worthless if a buyer for the collapsed firm is not found. Poll As a shopper, do you think retailer Next could be in trouble? Yes No As a shopper, do you think retailer Next could be in trouble? Yes 87 votes No 78 votes Now share your opinion The group, which has 130 stores and 2,200 staff, appointed administrators at KPMG following shocking Christmas trading. It is the second time HMV has collapsed in six years. Mr Grzinic predicts more pain for retailers in 2019 as Brexit continues to take its toll. He said: 'Looking at the early months of 2019, much of the outlook continues to be dictated by what shape the Brexit discourse will take. 'Whether UK consumers take full advantage of their improved ability to spend (with disposable income growth currently at 3%) will depend on politicians steering the Brexit process through calmer waters.' Woes: Well-known high street names such as Poundworld, ToysRUs and Maplin have all gone bust this year Well-known high street names such as Poundworld, ToysRUs and Maplin have all gone bust this year, while the likes of Marks & Spencer and Debenhams have announced plans to shut stores. Several others, including Superdry, Carpetright and Card Factory, have issued profit warnings. High street retailers have been battling the rise of online shopping, higher costs and plummeting consumer confidence as shoppers rein in spending, which some analysts attribute to uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Not all experts think Brexit is the driving force behind retailers' woes, however. Troubles in the UK retail industry 'will not go away, and could well intensify further' in 2019, regardless of the unknowns of Brexit, a think tank of industry experts warned earlier this week. Members of the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank said that, while it is 'easy to point the finger at Brexit' as the singular cause of all the woes in the industry, there is a wider array of forces at play. These include changing shopping behaviour, too many shops, high levels of debt, compliance costs, macro-economic challenges, and a lack of talent. However, one expert said that there may be a slight shift back in the favour of shops, as online spending's 18 per cent share of the market in the UK is high and people value a 'tangible experience'. Next week will see a string of retailers publish their Christmas sales figures, including Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Ted Baker, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Debenhams and Dixons Carphone. Glamping is helping a growing number of families realise the dream of a country life. Thats because running a site offering the luxury version of camping can be a savvy way to turn a profit while living in a beautiful location. It certainly worked for Elizabeth Tom when she set up the UKs first glamping site, Cornish Tipi Holidays, outside Port Isaac in 1996. I was living in London, expecting a child, and I wanted to move back home to Cornwall, says Elizabeth, who is in her 50's. Running the tipis enabled me to be a mother and have a business at the same time. Field of gold: A glamping business can be profitable and has grown increasingly more popular The 20 tipis proved popular with visitors hankering after the Swiss Family Robinson lifestyle. There is a trout lake where they can fish, swim or kayak, and building fires is encouraged. Its a natural experience, says Elizabeth who charges 160 per tipi for a weekend in low season, and 435 in high season. Theres something magical about hearing the tent canvas creaking above you in the wind at night.' Since those early days, glamping has become more and more popular. According to The Camping and Caravanning Club, Ready Camp, the largest glamping network in the country, has grown by 250 per cent in four years. Accommodation is offered in everything from yurts and wooden pods to gipsy wagons, shepherds huts and old airliners. Most of these can be found for sale on eBay. Yet there is more to running an upmarket camping site than offering some offbeat form of shelter and leaving the punters to get on with it. You must give a lot of thought to landscaping, says David Ager, 60, who has 22 yurts in his 40 acres of Devon woodland yurtcamp.co.uk. Some, for groups of friends, are clustered together; others, who come in search of solitude, are offered splendid isolation. We have an assault course and a zip wire, but no signage the woodland is left to look natural. Its all about adventure and discovery. To maximise profits, it makes sense to create a glamping site where land is relatively cheap. Ready Camp, the largest glamping network in the country, has grown by 250% in four years Carol Peett, of West Wales Property Finders, reports that they have been springing up all over the place in recent years. The most popular are those near beaches on the Pembrokeshire coast, she says. But sites on farms appeal to families with young children, and those that are hidden away in woodland or in the Brecon Beacons attract walkers. But she has a warning for newcomers. There are stringent planning conditions on glamping sites. 'So its imperative that you talk to the planning department at the local council or the National Parks planning department before advertising for business. As a rule it would be wise to choose a site with easy access to local shops, pubs and restaurants, so that guests dont have to trek too far for food if the fish arent biting or the fire wont light. Good washing and toilet facilities are important and if you want visitors to return, you would do well to provide a little luxury in the form of wood-burning stoves, high-thread-count Egyptian linen and sheepskin rugs. However, the charm of glamping is that each site is unique. Hollington Park, outside Newbury, Berkshire, run by Claire Lennon, 43 and Adam Demarco, 44, offers a more hard-core experience. Those who run glamping sites admit that it isn't for everyone - you either love it or hate it Approached from a lane of impressive country properties, the site is in a glade among ten acres of semi-ancient woodland. Shrouded by thick, overhanging trees, the accommodation comprises two pod-style cabins and two tents, though the tents are only used in summer. The toilets are earth closets and the bathrooms are in glorified summer houses. A stay costs from 50 a night in winter to 99 a night in the high season. Bookings are particularly good over the New Year period. Stressed City workers from London can jump in their car and be here in just over an hour, says Adam. They dont need to pack a thing they relax and enjoy the silence and the dark of the woodland. The couple admit that their form of glamping isnt for everyone especially in winter. Some of their visitors dont get it and complain about the bats, the owls and the cows noises. But thats glamping, says Claire. Its an experience; you either love it or you hate it. Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen in northeast Alberta. Its bitumen assets include Foster Creek, Christina Lake, and Narrows Lake, as well as other projects in the early stages of development. The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, and Clearwater operating areas of British Columbia and Alberta, as well as various interests in natural gas processing facilities. The Refining and Marketing segment transports and sells crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. This segment owns a 50% ownership in Wood River and Borger refineries located in the United States; and owns and operates a crude-by-rail terminal in Alberta. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Stryker: ActiViews, Aimago SA, Alcott Indemnity Company, Arrinex Inc, Arrinex Inc., Ascent Healthcare Solutions, Berchtold, Berchtold + Fritz GmbH, Berchtold Consulting GmbH, Berchtold Corporation, Berchtold GmbH & Co. KG, Berchtold Holding Switzerland GmbH, CHG Hospital Beds, Cactus LLC, Cardan Robotics, Changzhou Orthomed Medical Instrument Company Limited, Concentric Medical, Concentric Medical Inc., Entellus Medical, Entellus Medical Europe Ltd, Entellus Medical Inc., GYS Tech LLC, Gaymar Industries, Gongping (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. 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Sweden Holding AB, Patient Safety Technologies, Patton Surgical, Pficonprod Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control, Physio-Control (Shanghai) Sales Co. Ltd., Physio-Control Brazil Vendas Ltda., Physio-Control Czech Sales s.r.o., Physio-Control Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Physio-Control Holdings Inc, Physio-Control Hungary Sales Kft, Physio-Control Inc., Physio-Control India Sales Pvt. Ltd, Physio-Control Investments LLC, Physio-Control Lebanon Sales Offshore s.a.l., Physio-Control Manufacturing Inc., Physio-Control Operations Netherlands B.V., Physio-Control Sales Limited Liability Company, Physio-Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Physio-Control South Africa Sales Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control UK Sales Ltd., Pivot Medical, PlasmaSol, Porex Technologies, SSI Divestiture Inc., SYK Costa Rica Services Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, SafeAir AG, SafeWire, Sage Products, Sage Products Coperatief U.A., Sage Products Holdings II LLC, Sage Products Holdings III LLC, Sage Products LLC, Scopis GmbH, Sightline Technologies, Small Bone Innovations, SpineCore, Spirox Inc., Stanmore Implants Worldwide, Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited, Stanmore Inc., Stryker (Barbados) Foreign Sales Corporation, Stryker (Beijing) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co Ltd, Stryker (Thailand) Limited, Stryker AB, Stryker Acquisitions BV, Stryker Asia Holdings CV, Stryker Australia LLC, Stryker Australia Pty. Ltd., Stryker Austria GmbH, Stryker B.V., Stryker Berchtold BV, Stryker Beteiligungs GmbH, Stryker Canada GP ULC, Stryker Canada Holding Company, Stryker Canada Manufacturing ULC, Stryker Canada ULC, Stryker Canadian Management ULC, Stryker Canadian Sales Holding Company ULC, Stryker Capital BV, Stryker China Limited, Stryker Colombia SAS, Stryker Communications Inc., Stryker Corporation (Chile) y Compania Limitada, Stryker Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Stryker Customs Brokers LLC, Stryker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stryker Delaware Inc., Stryker EMEA Supply Chain Services BV, Stryker Employment Company LLC, Stryker European Coordination Center BV, Stryker European Holdings Cooperatief U.A, Stryker European Holdings I LLC, Stryker European Holdings II LLC, Stryker European Holdings LLC, Stryker European Holdings V LLC, Stryker European Operations B.V., Stryker European Operations Holdings I BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings II BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings III BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC, Stryker European Operations Limited, Stryker European Technologies C.V., Stryker Far East Inc., Stryker Foreign Acquisitions Inc., Stryker France Holding SNC, Stryker France MM Holdings SAS, Stryker France SAS, Stryker Funding B.V., Stryker GI Services CV, Stryker Global Technology Center Private Limited, Stryker GmbH, Stryker GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Grundstucks GmbH & Co KG, Stryker Grundstucks Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Holdings BV, Stryker IFSC Designated Activity Company, Stryker Iberia SL Unipersonal, Stryker India Private Limited, Stryker International Acquisitions BV, Stryker International Holdings BV, Stryker Investment Holdings B.V., Stryker Ireland Holding Unlimited Company, Stryker Ireland Limited, Stryker Italia S.r.l. S.U., Stryker Japan Holdings BV, Stryker Japan K.K., Stryker Korea Ltd., Stryker Lebanon (Offshore) S.A.L., Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Stryker Luxembourg Sarl, Stryker Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Mauritius Holding Ltd., Stryker Medical London LP, Stryker Medtech K.K., Stryker Medtech Limited, Stryker Mexico Holdings B.V., Stryker Mexico SA de CV, Stryker NV Operations Limited, Stryker Nederland BV, Stryker New Zealand Limited, Stryker Osteonics AG, Stryker Pacific Limited, Stryker Performance Solutions LLC, Stryker Polska Sp.z.o.o., Stryker Portugal - Produtos Medicos Unipessoal Lda., Stryker Professional Latin America S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Puerto Rico Limited, Stryker Romania SRL, Stryker Sage Inc., Stryker Sales Corporation, Stryker Servicios Administrativos S.de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Singapore Private Limited, Stryker South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Stryker Spine SAS, Stryker Spine Sarl, Stryker Sustainability Solutions Inc., Stryker Tibbi Cihazlan Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Stryker Turkish Holdings BV, Stryker UK Ltd, Stryker Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Vietnam Company Limited, Stryker do Brasil Ltda, Surpass Medical, Synergetics, TG SP Holdings Corp, TSO3 Corp, TSO3 Inc, Trauson, Trauson (China) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Trauson (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (BVI) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings Company Limited, VEXIM SA, Vexim, Waterloo Bedding Co., Wright Medical Group, ZipLine Medical Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ZipLine Medical Hong Kong Limited, ZipLine Medical Inc., and eTrauma.com. Urals Energy Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent exploration and production company in Russia. Its primary exploration and production operations are on the Kolguyev Island based in Timan Pechora, on Sakhalin Island, and Komi region. The company has 2P proved and probable reserves of 46.3 mmboe. It also processes crude oil for distribution in Russia and internationally. Urals Energy Public Company Limited was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Read More Resolute Forest Products Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates in the forest products industry in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Market Pulp, Tissue, Wood Products, and Paper. The Market Pulp segment offers virgin and recycled bleached kraft pulp, which is used to make a range of consumer products, including tissue, packaging, specialty paper products, diapers, and other absorbent products. The Tissue segment provides various tissue products, such as recycled and virgin paper products for the away-from-home and retail markets; and sells parent rolls. The Wood Products segment produces construction-grade and spruce-pine-fir lumber products, wood chips, bed frame components, finger joints, and furring strips for pulp and paper mills, as well as I-joists for the construction industry. The Paper segment offers newsprint to newspaper publishers, as well as to commercial printers for a range of uses comprising inserts and flyers. This segment also provides various uncoated mechanical papers, including supercalendered and white papers, as well as uncoated freesheet papers to commercial printers, direct mailers, publishers, catalogers, and retailers. Its specialty papers are used in books, retail inserts, direct mail, coupons, magazines, catalogs, bags, and other commercial printing applications. This segment sells specialty papers to commercial printers, direct mailers, publishers, catalogers, and retailers. The company also produces electricity at six cogeneration facilities and seven hydroelectric dams. Resolute Forest Products Inc. is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More Mullen Group Ltd. provides trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The company operates through three segments: Less-Than-Truckload, Logistics & Warehousing, and Specialized & Industrial Services. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products. The Logistics & Warehousing segment offers multimode transportation services, such as full truckload, specialized trucking, intermodal, and transload to customers through a network of terminals and transload facilities; and warehousing and distribution services. The Specialized & Industrial Services segment provides production services, such as well servicing, production fluid transportation, transportation of fluids for disposal, frac support, and industrial cleaning and turnaround services; and specialized services comprising dredging and dewatering services, large diameter pipe stockpiling and stringing services, water management, environmental services, civil construction, municipal development and emergency services, hydrovac excavation services, hydrostatic testing services to the pipeline industry and midstream sector, and transporting of oversize and overweight shipments. This segment also offers drilling and drilling related services, consisting of transportation, handling, and storage of oilfield fluids, tubulars, and drilling mud; drilling rig relocation; general oilfield hauling; well disposal facility; core drilling; setting surface casing; and conductor pipe setting services. Mullen Group Ltd. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Okotoks, Canada. Read More 6 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Aphria in the last year. There are currently 5 hold ratings and 1 buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities 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. View analyst ratings for Aphria or view top-rated stocks. With slow but steady progress, fair funding for Pennsylvania schools moved along in 2018, inching toward a resolution that would make public education equitable across the commonwealth. As 2019 begins, we continue our push to keep the effort on track with hopes for a finish line somewhere down the road. The effort is being led by schools in the five-county region surrounding Philadelphia. Most notably in this region are the parents in the William Penn School District in Delaware County who initiated a lawsuit against the state Department of Education and district leaders in the Pottstown School District in Montgomery County who tirelessly sound the call for reform. The William Penn lawsuit took a step forward in August, 2018, when Commonwealth Court rejected motions filed on behalf of state Senate President Pro-Tempore Joseph Scarnati and House Speaker Mike Turzai who claimed the 2014 lawsuit was moot after the legislature passed a fair funding formula in 2016. In a four-page opinion, Judge Robert Simpson said it was clear that a dispute about the significance and adequacy of the funding changes persists. The fair funding formula takes into account local factors like special education population and local property tax effort, but the payoff to the districts that would benefit from the formula was curtailed by the provision that only new education funding be distributed that way. Using this method, it could take as long as 20 years for some districts to reach parity. Pottstown Schools, for example, are currently underfunded by more than $13 million every year. Aggravating the situation was a 2017 study by the advocacy group POWER which found that, intentional or not, Pennsylvanias education funding has a bias against communities with high minority populations, even when the poverty levels are the same. I doubt very much this situation exists by design, said researcher David Mosenkis. I dont think people got together in a back room and said lets discriminate against students of color. But now that we have shone a light on its existence, now that we know there is a systemic bias that favors white populations, there is no excuse for not fixing it. This revelation further motivated Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez and members of the Pottstown School Board to step up their advocacy in Harrisburg. This absolutely angers me, said Rodriguez. It angers me for what opportunities it is robbing from our students and it angers me for the economic burden it is putting on this community. The drumbeat of protest continued through 2018, gaining some traction. In May, a flurry of bills was introduced in the General Assembly, all aimed at further empowering the fair funding formula and putting its provision to work more widely and more quickly. In August, state representatives Tom Quigley and Tim Hennessey jointly introduced a bill that would allocate 75 percent of all new Basic Education Funding proportionately to the underfunded school districts and the remaining 25 percent of all new Basic Education Funding to all 500 school districts through the student-weighted Basic Education Formula. If enacted, the bill, which also had the support of state Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th Dist., would speed up the pace at which underfunded districts catch up to their wealthier neighbors. The distribution of education funding through the fair funding formula remains a single-digit fraction of the whole just 8 percent in the current years budget despite Gov. Tom Wolfs endorsement of a more equitable method. While Rodriguez and other school leaders pressure the legislature, petitioners in the William Penn lawsuit look to the courts to remedy the situation. Dan Ackelsberg of the Public Interest Law Center, which represents the petitioners, told Digital First Media in August that the suit has always been about challenging the system. One statute change does not change that failure, that system, he said. This has always been a challenge to the system and the legislatures failure to adequately fund public schools. We look forward to children across the commonwealth getting their days in court. As we begin 2019, we await the day in court that could force the legislature to properly fund our schools all schools, not just those that are in wealthy areas with a strong local tax base. Every child is entitled by the state constitution to an education. We look forward to the finish line that will make that a reality. A deadline to have complex new safety systems operating on the nation's railroads is fast approaching. And while most railroads won't meet all the system's requirements, regulators apparently believe they are making enough progress to qualify for an extension of the Dec. 31 deadline. Positive Train Control, as it's called, is designed to slow or stop trains traveling too fast or heading for a collision with other trains or toward a misaligned track switch. PTC would have prevented the deadly derailment of a Metro-North commuter train that killed four passengers and injured dozens on Dec. 1, 2013, safety experts say. It also would have prevented the derailment of an Amtrak train derailment in Washington state that killed three. In both cases, the trains derailed on curves while exceeding the speed limit. In New York state, Amtrak has installed PTC along the 94-mile stretch of track it leases from CSX between Schenectady and Poughkeepsie and will be "fully compliant" by the end of the year, said Scot Naparstek, Amtrak's chief operating officer, in testimony before a Senate panel in October. PTC installation isn't yet complete on the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson line, which Amtrak uses south of Poughkeepsie. "We're in line with our peers across the nation," Metro-North spokesman Aaron Donovan told the Times Union. The system is operating in a revenue service demonstration between Tarrytown and Croton-Harmon, he added. CSX, which owns the tracks Amtrak operates over from Schenectady west to the Pennsylvania border and from Rensselaer east to the Massachusetts border, says it has completed installation of all PTC hardware, including more than 400 radio towers, 1,800 locomotives and 4,400 communication units along its 12,000 miles of track systemwide, and that all required training of 18,000 employees is also complete. A spokeswoman said CSX qualifies for a two-year deadline extension from the Federal Railroad Administration to focus on the system's interoperability with tenant railroads. "(T)he marjority of Amtrak trains are now running with active PTC on the CSX network," she added. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Amtrak said that by Jan. 1 it expects that all Amtrak-owned or controlled track would have PTC in operation, except for three miles of slow-speed track near its Chicago and Philadelphia terminal areas, and that it also would have PTC operating on 16,000 miles of host railroad-controlled tracks. On the 5,000 miles of track without PTC, Amtrak said it was taking other steps, including requirements that the engineer communicate to the conductor any critical speed restrictions posted along the track. In New York state, Amtrak also operates along track owned by Canadian Pacific Railway between the Capital Region and Montreal, as well as a stretch of track that carries the Ethan Allen Express services between Whitehall and Rutland, Vt. A Canadian Pacific spokesman said the railroad "meets all FRA requirements for PTC operation." A spokesman at the Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad, which owns the Whitehall-Rutland track, has said previously that its freight trains don't operate when Amtrak trains are using the track. FRA officials in Washington, D.C., couldn't be reached for comment. North Creek A rail bike company is suing the owner of an Adirondack rail line claiming that an insurance dispute is being used as a pretext to derail it so the tracks can be sold to a Denver-based freight railroad. This month, Revolution Rail Co. owner Michael Dupee sued owners of the Saratoga & North Creek rail line to protect a lease that allows Dupee to run tourist rail bikes on the line, according to a lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Essex County. The 30-mile line runs from the former Tahawus mine in the Adirondacks High Peaks to North Creek in Warren County. From there, it connects southward with a line owned by Warren County and the town of Corinth. After signing the five-year lease with Saratoga & North Creek in May 2017, Dupee operated the business that summer and again this season. Starting north of the North Creek rail station, customers rented manually-pedaled vehicles similar to paddle boats on rail wheels to make a six-mile round trip. In November 2018, Saratoga & North Creek officials told Dupee that his lease, due to expire after the 2021 season, was immediately canceled because he had violated its terms by providing inadequate insurance from the start. That claim is "a mere pretext" being used by the railroad so it can evict Dupee and sell the line unencumbered by the lease to Denver-based freight hauler OmniTrax, Dupee's lawsuit claims. A Nov. 29 letter from Dupee's lawyer, William Mason, said Dupee has spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars growing (the) business." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Saratoga & North Creek is owned by Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings, which has held the line since 2011 and for much of that time operated passenger trains as far as North Creek. The railroad stopped operations this year due to financial problems. A call to Iowa Pacific Holdings President Ed Ellis for comment was not returned. If OmniTrax buys the line, its plan is to use it to remove tailings from the Tahawus mine that could be used in road construction and other infrastructure projects. After Iowa Pacific Holdings last year started storing oil tanker cars on the line, state officials began an effort at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to wrest control of the line from the company. The state put that effort on hold in October to give the potential sale to OmniTrax time to develop. bnearing@timesunion.com 518-454-5094 @Bnearing10 A busy philanthropy group funded by rock legends Metallica didn't slow down ahead of the 2018 holidays. The charity effort, called All Within My Hands, has been raising substantial amounts of money over the last several months by way of an exclusive benefit concert and a subsequent vinyl sale. In December, the metal group's organization put some of the funds to use. Earlier this month, AWMH launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, a project that aims to fund "career and technical education programs" within community colleges. The goal, a post on the charity's website writes, is to assist students who hope to study a traditional trade and work within their communities. RELATED: Metallica to perform in rare acoustic benefit concert this November After receiving a number of applications, 10 colleges in total were selected by the charity and the American Association of Community Colleges to receive $100,000 each. "We hope to raise the awareness of the tremendous importance, value and impact of the education provided by our nation's community college system," said Dr. Edward Frank, executive director of AWMH in a press release. "The Foundation and the band are thrilled by the quality of proposals we received from these colleges, and are excited to do our part to help educate students so that they have the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying jobs in their communities." RELATED: Metallica to release recording of acoustic SF show for charity after $100k Camp Fire donation The 10 funding recipients include schools in North Carolina, Michigan, Oregon, Illinois, Washington, Wisconsin, Maryland, Texas, Idaho and Kansas. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira. UPDATE: 9:15 AM Friday From the Hawinton Volunteer Fire Department: Because so many were asking, here is an update on Jennifer, the cow we helped rescue from the mud on Wednesday. She continues to improve, is eating and drinking, and even had regained enough strength to stand up briefly on Thursday. She was checked over by a veterinarian, who said time will tell on her complete recovery, but things are looking up at this point! EARLIER STORY Why did the cow cross the swamp? Yes, maybe to get to the other side, but the cow ended up getting stuck in mucky mud. It happened around 2:30 p.m Wednesday in a swampy area off Woodchuck Lane in Harwinton in northwest Connecticut. The Harwinton.Volunteer Fire Department posted on Facebook that the owner was able to get the trapped cow unstuck using a strap and a winch on a quad, but the cow was cold and weak and unable to stand. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Cow rescuers from the fire department soon arrived on the scene to help the bogged-down bovine. We used several sheets of plywood, several ladders, some fence rails, the winches on two quads, and some ingenuity to successfully get the cow out of the swamp and to a barn where it was covered with blankets and awaiting the arrival of a veterinarian. As the fire department rightly said, Good team work made this happen. ALBANY Fourteen police dogs graduated from the Albany County Sheriff's training academy on Friday. Three of the dogs will join the sheriff's growing K-9 team, with the 11 others headed to other law enforcement agencies. SCHENECTADY City police spent six hours Friday investigating a bomb threat at the First Reformed Church and "somebody being barricaded in there with a weapon," that both turned out to be false, authorities said. At 2 p.m., police received a call from a person referring to possible explosive devices inside the building at 8 N. Church St. in the Stockade neighborhood, said Schenectady Police Sgt. Matt Dearing. Vatican City The Vatican's sexual abuse case against ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has expanded significantly after a man testified the retired American archbishop sexually abused him for years starting when he was 11, including during confession. James Grein testified Thursday in New York before the judicial vicar for the New York City archdiocese, who was asked by the Holy See to take his statement for the Vatican's canonical case, said Grein's attorney Patrick Noaker. The testimony, which lasted about an hour, was difficult and stressful but Grein was proud to have done it, Noaker said. "He wants his church back. He felt that in order to accomplish that end, he had to go in and testify here and tell them what happened, and give the church itself the chance to do the right thing," Noaker said in a telephone interview Friday. Grein came forward in July after the New York archdiocese announced that a church investigation determined an allegation that McCarrick had groped another teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Grein's claims, first reported by The New York Times, are more serious. He has alleged that McCarrick first exposed himself to Grein when he was 11 and then sexually molested him for years thereafter. Associated Press The young inmates were taken by van from a jail on Rikers Island in New York City to an airfield hours north of the city. There, the abuse started almost immediately, according to a federal lawsuit filed Friday. A dozen correction officers from a county jail led them inside a building and into metal cages. They would issue deliberately confusing commands and when the inmates failed to comply, the guards would pummel and kick them, use their Taser guns, and shove their fingers and batons into their rectums. This is not Rikers, the guards shouted before sending the inmates to solitary confinement at the jail, the Albany County Correctional Facility. The abuse was designed for inmates from Rikers who had been accused of assaulting correction officers, according to the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan by three inmates and another young man who had been held in the Albany jail. The lawsuit comes five months after a New York Times investigation found that New York City had increased the number of young inmates transferred to correctional facilities elsewhere in the state since 2015, when the city banned solitary for inmates younger than 22 and limited it for others. While New York has long had the power to transfer inmates, defense lawyers and inmate advocates criticized the increase as an end-run around the citys own rules, adding that it undermined Mayor Bill de Blasios promise to reform the criminal justice system. In many cases, inmates sent away from New York City have been accused of assaulting guards and are transferred in part because their safety cannot be ensured. But the lawsuit, filed against the city, Albany County officials and individual correction officers, said that the inmates constitutional rights were violated when they were sent upstate without any regard for their welfare, and that the men were systematically targeted for brutal treatment carried out by high-ranking correction staff. The lawsuit will reveal that the city knows whats going on and condones it, said Katherine Rosenfeld, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, who are represented by two private law firms. They keep putting people in the van and sending them up there. A spokesman for the mayor, Eric Phillips, did not respond directly to the accusations of abuse. In a statement, Phillips said, For an extremely small number of young detainees facing credible safety threats in our jails, the safest option is a transfer to another facility. The Albany County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The inmates situation was exacerbated when they were sent to solitary confinement, the suit claimed. Isolation increases the risk of depression or suicide, especially among younger inmates. The citys jail reforms were inspired, in part, de Blasio said, by Kalief Browder, a teenager who committed suicide after spending much of his three years at Rikers in solitary confinement before robbery charges against him were dropped. Hundreds of inmates have been kept out of isolation since the city implemented its ban on solitary confinement for young people and reduced its use for other inmates. Still, the transfer of inmates to outside jails seems to highlight the limitations of the ban. Two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit were 19 and 21 when they were transferred to Albany. The other two were older than 22. One of the plaintiffs is identified only as John Doe because he fears retaliation by correction workers. One of the plaintiffs, Davon Washington, who is now 22, said in an interview at his home in the Bronx that he wrote the mayor and provided a detailed account of the abuse, and asked to be transferred elsewhere. He said he never received a response. Washington was transferred from Rikers Island to the Albany facility in March, two weeks after he said he got into an altercation with a city deputy warden. He was there until November and released from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in Albany on Monday. He had been convicted of attempted robbery. Ive been trying to forget about Albany, he said. Like each of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Washington said that in Albany, he was forced to follow a series of commands. The moment he made a mistake, he was repeatedly punched in the face and then stomped by multiple correction officers. He said there was a lieutenant who led the attacks and directed the officers while a superintendent watched. The officers accused him of hiding contraband in his body, but he said he did not have anything on him. He said a correction officer inserted two fingers into his rectum. He said he was taken to a body scanner designed to detect contraband stored in a persons body. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. At one point, a nurse asked if he had any injuries. When he said he did, he was punched in the face. Washington, who was handcuffed and shackled, was eventually placed in isolation. While inside the small cell, he said, the officers attacked him again. After the beating, he was bleeding, his tooth was chipped, his lip was split, and he had bruises all over his body. During the attacks, he said, he thought he was going to die. He received an infraction ticket for trying to assault an officer, which he said was a bogus claim. At a disciplinary hearing, he was sentenced to 360 days in isolation and denied phone privileges for a month. I was losing my mind doing the same thing over and over again, Washington said. He said he was beaten again in October, after correction officers learned he had met with lawyers about his allegations of abuse. The city failed to investigate or remediate these conditions and has continued sending detainees, including many aged 21 and younger, to the Albany County Jail without notice or hearing, to be beaten and put in solitary confinement, the lawsuit said. The other plaintiffs include Pariis Tillery, 25, and Steven Espinal, 19. Espinal was one of four inmates charged with gang assault for the attack on Rikers Island correction officer Jean Souffrant, which was captured on video. The attack left the officers spine fractured. Espinal said he was beaten in Albany, lost hearing in his left ear, and passed blood in his urine after the attacks. He was hospitalized and sentenced to 600 days in solitary confinement. They would say these are violent kids. These kids have done some of them very violent things. Theyre human, said Steven Goldman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, adding that correction staff attach blame and now its open season. This article originally appeared in The New York Times [December 28, 2018] Virginia Delegate Presents a Resolution in Memory of Carter Bank & Trust's Founder, Worth Harris Carter Jr. Carter Bank & Trust (OTCQX:CARE) announced today that Virginia Delegate Les Adams, representing the 16th House District, recently presented a Virginia General Assembly Joint Resolution, honoring the life of its founder, Worth Harris Carter Jr. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181228005216/en/ Virginia Delegate Les Adams, representing the 16th House District, presents resolution to the children of Worth Harris Carter Jr. Pictured left to right are Worth Carter III, Adams, Katherine Carter and Ernest Carter. (Photo: Business Wire) Carter, 79, passed away unexpectedly on April 7, 2017, of cancer. Upon Carter's passing, he was the bank's chairman of the board. With representatives in attendance from Carter Bank & Trust and the Virginia Bankers Association, Adams presented the resolution to Carter's children, Worth, Katherine and Ernest, at the bank's Martinsville branch as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory as a banker, leader and philanthropist. The full resolution is as follows: WHEREAS, Worth Harris Carter, Jr., of Rocky Mount, a brilliant businessman who created a network of community banks throughout the Commonwealth and made many valuabe contributions as a banker, leader, and philanthropist, died on April 7, 2017; and WHEREAS, a native of Richmond, Worth Carter graduated from Hermitage High School, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond, and attended the University of Virginia School of Law; and WHEREAS, Worth Carter began his career in finance with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as a bank examiner, ensuring that banks in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina carried out operations ethically and lawfully; and WHEREAS, from 1964 to 1973, Worth Carter served as vice president and comptroller of Piedmont Trust Bank in Martinsville, then opened his own bank, First National Bank of Rocky Mount, in 1974; and WHEREAS, Worth Carter opened nine additional community banks in Danville, Martinsville, Floyd, South Boston, Lynchburg, Galax, Fredericksburg, Staunton, and Roanoke, all of which merged in 2006 to form Carter Bank & Trust; and WHEREAS, Worth Carter's first bank consisted of one office and eight employees with $1.2 million in capital and total assets; by 2017, he had grown Carter Bank & Trust to a network of 123 offices in Virginia and North Carolina with almost 1,000 employees, $434 million in capital, and approximately $4.5 billion in total assets; and WHEREAS, Worth Carter founded four subsidiary organizations, served on the Martinsville City School Board, and offered his wise leadership to Averett University, Ferrum College, Mary Baldwin College, and the University of Richmond; and WHEREAS, Worth Carter received many awards and accolades during his career, including the Heck Ford (News - Alert) Award from the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce for his work to promote economic growth in the region, the 2010 Technology Innovator of the Year award from Bank Technology News for developing a core software platform for his banks, and an honorary doctorate in business from Liberty University in 2012; and WHEREAS, Worth Carter enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community as a member of First Baptist Church in Martinsville, where he served as a Sunday school teacher; and WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife of 42 years, Katherine, Worth Carter will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Worth III, Katherine, and Ernest, and their families, and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Worth Harris Carter, Jr., a pillar of the Martinsville community; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Worth Harris Carter, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory. About Carter Bank & Trust: Headquartered in Martinsville, Va., Carter Bank & Trust is a state-chartered community bank in Virginia with 105 branches and more than 1,000 employees in Virginia and North Carolina. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181228005216/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] Vestas expands footprint in Western Australia with EPC order and passes 1 GW of orders in Australia in 2018 SINGAPORE, Dec. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestas' orders in Australia have passed 1 GW after the signing of a 184 MW engineering, procurement and construction contract for the Warradarge Wind Farm. The 1 GW of orders is Vestas' highest in one year since installing the country's first commercial-sized wind farm 25 years ago. The project announced also marks an expansion of Vestas' footprint in Western Australia, increasing the company's total installed capacity in the state to 561 MW. Located near Eneabba in mid-west Western Australia, the Warradarge Wind Farm project will feature 51 V136-3.6 MW turbines with hub heights of 84 meters to maximise performance in the site's specific wind conditions with hub heights of 84 meters to maximise performance in the site's specific wind conditions. The order is placed by Bright Energy Investments, a joint venture between Western Australian electricity generator and retailer Synergy, global infrastructure investment fund DIF and Australian industry superannuation fund Cbus. "We are extremely pleased to work with Bright Energy Investments on this project. It has an extraordinary wind conditions and will make an important contribution to powering Western Australia with competitive renewable energy," said Asia Pacific President Clive Turton. "After the Warradarge Wind Farm comes online, Vestas will have an installe base of 561 MW in Western Australia, expanding our service footprint and capability to support future projects in the state." "The high calibre of the parties involved in Bright Energy Investments and Vestas' world-class experience will ensure that the Warradarge Wind Farm is delivered smoothly and on-schedule," said Tom Frood, General Manager Bight Energy Investments. "Synergy has a strong history in Western Australian solar and wind assets, and is committed to increasing its renewable energy portfolio, and Vestas' rich industry expertise and proven track record will ensure that the first power generation is on track for 2020." Upon completion, Vestas will commence an up to 30-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement, designed to maximise energy production for the lifetime of the project. With a yield-based availability guarantee, covering both turbines and balance of plant assets, Vestas will provide Synergy with long-term business case certainty. Commercial operations at Warradarge Wind Farm are scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2020. About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 97 GW of wind turbines in 79 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled 83 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,400 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images. We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas www.linkedin.com/company/vestas www.facebook.com/vestas www.instagram.com/vestas www.youtube.com/vestas SOURCE Vestas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] Phoenix Tower International Closes $200mn Loan Facility with Goldman Sachs to Finance Further Expansion BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Tower International (PTI) announces it has closed a US$200mn senior secured credit facility with Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group to continue its growth in the United States. "This latest refinancing gives us a well-capitalized business plan to continue our growth in the United States with a strong lender group," stated Dagan Kasavana, Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Tower International. He continued, "We see various opportunities to expand in the United States through traditional macro tower construction and acquisitions as well as through small cell deployments to further help our customers grow their networks to meet consumer demands. This facility will allow us to accomplish both initiatives with dedicated financing in place." The credit facility was led by Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group. The facility is a landmark transaction for PTI's cotinued focus on being a leading provider of infrastructure assets. The credit facility provides financing on PTI's existing wireless infrastructure, new tower development, and growth of its small cell business. PTI was represented by Locke Lord. Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group was represented by King & Spalding. Terms of the transaction remain confidential between the parties. About Phoenix Tower International Phoenix Tower International ("PTI") owns and manages over 6,000 towers, 986 km of fiber and other wireless infrastructure and related sites throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, French West Indies, Jamaica, Argentina and Ecuador. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, PTI was founded in 2013 with a mission to be a premier site provider to wireless operators across the Americas in high-growth markets. PTI's investors include funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and John Hancock, as well as various members of the management team. For more information, please visit www.phoenixintnl.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-tower-international-closes-200mn-loan-facility-with-goldman-sachs-to-finance-further-expansion-300771341.html SOURCE Phoenix Tower International [December 28, 2018] Phoenix Tower International acquires Syscom Telecom, adding over 80,000 marketable small cell wireless communication sites in the United States BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Tower International (PTI) announces its acquisition of Syscom Telecom, LLC, thereby adding over 80,000 marketable sites to PTI's US portfolio. Syscom Telecom, LLC, a small cell deployment business in the United States, manages and markets over 80,000 sites for small cell and macro cell deployments with various small cell master agreements in place with wireless operators. "PTI has been evaluating opportunities to back a small cell focused team in the United States as a way to help our customers with their next generation deployments," stated Dagan Kasavana, Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Tower International. He continued, "Syscom Telecom's team, led by Santiago Quintana, has, since inception, been focused on small cell deployments on unique real estate assets such as billboards, rooftops and other locations, which are ideal for small cell installations and as a result, have made significant inroads with all wireless operators. As PTI focuses on delivering solutions for future network needs, we believe that having a strong small cell focused group, backed with capital alongside our traditional macro focused sales and operatios team, is the right approach to better serve our customers collocation and network connectivity deployment needs. We are confident that, between our owned towers and third-party real estate, Syscom and PTI will deliver the level of customer service and desirable site locations for our customers as they continue to upgrade their networks from coast to coast. Recently PTI has made numerous strategic investments across the Americas to support this business plan including the acquisition of 1,000 km of fiber in Mexico, the investment in Fast Site Solutions in Central America, and the investment in Syscom LatAm in South America, which have allowed PTI to lead next generation solutions on behalf of our customers with dedicated teams in all markets." Terms of the transaction remain confidential between the parties. About Phoenix Tower International Phoenix Tower International ("PTI") owns and manages over 6,000 towers, 986 km of fiber and other wireless infrastructure and related sites throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, French West Indies, Jamaica, Argentina and Ecuador. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, PTI was founded in 2013 with a mission to be a premier site provider to wireless operators across the Americas in high-growth markets. PTI's investors include funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and John Hancock, as well as various members of the management team. For more information, please visit www.phoenixintnl.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-tower-international-acquires-syscom-telecom-adding-over-80-000-marketable-small-cell-wireless-communication-sites-in-the-united-states-300771343.html SOURCE Phoenix Tower International [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] New Cyber Security Measures Are Stopping Cyber Attacks MIAMI, Dec. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its release in April of 2018, the latest book from Genaro Garcia Luna, the CEO of GLAC Consulting, titled "Seguridad Con Bienestar. Un nuevo modela integral de seguridad" has sold many books in Central, North, and Latin America. The books suggest how to make better security systems in Mexico. It touches overall security covering socially, politically and economically. It can be found on the website El Financiero. Genaro Garcia Luna, secretary of Public Security under the administration of the ex-president, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, presents in his book a unique vision of the model of security which begins with a summary of the history of crime in Mexico; in it, he compares five cities: Chicago, New York, Palermo, Medellin, and Ciudad Juarez, all of whom facedan important fight against organized crime. GLAC Consulting, a cybersecurity company, is very happy about the results and wishes to continue to spread the word. They want to make a difference in several countries that foresee many cybersecurity issues. GLAC hopes that newly elected officials in Mexico will utilize the strong proposals for positive change and information to improve the countries currently security issues and state. Genaro Garcia Luna states that because copies of the book have been released, the message he is sending is speaking and assisting to the change in Mexico and their governments. About The Company: GLAC Consulting also offers complete solutions for security, technology, and risk analysis for the whole world. Under its director, Genaro Garcia Luna, GLAC Consulting utilizes the GLAC Shield to further protect its clients. They are a risk management company that has the methods to help the world obtain better security. GLAC Consulting (786) 272-6361 [email protected] Related Links GLAC Consulting - About Us GLAC Consulting - Services View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-cyber-security-measures-are-stopping-cyber-attacks-300771319.html SOURCE GLAC Consulting [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] APHRIA SHAREHOLDER ALERT by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Aphria Inc. - APHA Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until February 4, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Aphria Inc. (NYSE: APHA), if they purchased the Company's securities between July 17, 2018 and December 4, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Aphria and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-apha/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by February 4, 2019. About the Lawsuit Aphria and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On December 3, 2018, Hindenburg Research reported in an article entitled, "Aphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side," that an extensive investigation revealed that "Aphria is part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders into their own pockets" and detailing the questionable value of its investments. On this news, the price of Aphria's shares plummeted. The case is Gloschat v. Aphria Inc. et al, 18-cv-11427. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181228005204/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] WELBILT SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Welbilt, Inc. - WBT NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 11, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Welbilt, Inc. (NYSE: WBT), if they purchased the Companys shares between February 24, 2017 and November 2, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Get Help Welbilt investors should visit us at https://www.claisfiler.com/cases/view-welbilt-inc-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Welbilt and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On November 5, 2018, the Company disclosed a restatement to its YE December 31, 2016 financial statements and likely revision to its December 31, 2015 and 2017 statements due to errors in the tax basis of a foreign subsidiary and incorrect amortization of the intangible assets held by the same entityIn addition, the Company discovered certain intercompany transactions were not recorded on a timely basis. On this news, the price of Welbilts shares plummeted. The case is Schlimm v. Welbilt, Inc et al, 18-cv-3007. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] TENARIS SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Tenaris S.A. - TS NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 11, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Tenaris S.A. (NYSE: TS), if they purchased the Companys securities between May 1, 2014 and November 27, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Get Help Tenaris investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.om/cases/view-tenaris-sa-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Tenaris and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On November 27, 2018, Bloomberg reported that Tenaris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paolo Rocca was indicted for his role in a widespread bribery scandal in Argentina involving payments made to government officials in monthly installments from 2009 to 2012 to facilitate a $1.9B payment from Venezuela relating to its seizure of a related unit, Sidor, which was transformed into a Venezuelan state-owned enterprise. On this news, the price of Tenaris shares plummeted. The case is Atanasio v. Tenaris S.A. et al, 18-cv-7059. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 28, 2018] XPO LOGISTICS SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits Against XPO Logistics, Inc. - XPO NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 12, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO), if they purchased the Companys securities between February 26, 2014, and December 13, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period). These actions are pending in the United States District Courts for the District of Connecticut and Southern District of New York. Get Help XPO investors should visit us at ttps://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-xpo-logistics-inc-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuits XPO and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On December 13, 2018, Spruce Point Capital Management reported that its lengthy investigation into XPO revealed concrete evidence to suggest dubious tax accounting, under-reporting of bad debts, phantom income through unaccountable M&A earn-out liabilities, and aggressive amortization assumptions: all designed to portray glowing Non-GAAP results and financial irregularities [covering] growing financial strain, among other findings. On this news, the price of XPOs shares plummeted $15.77 per share, or 26.17%. The first case filed is Labul v. XPO Logistics, Inc., 18-cv-02062. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Historically, Samsung has always demonstrated an eagerness to innovate at least where its phones are concerned. And that makes it all the more strange that the Galaxy S9 released last spring ended up being so infuriatingly decent. (Image credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide) It's not that the S9 was a bad phone far from it. But after the full-screen revolution the South Korean tech giant set in motion with the Galaxy S8 in 2017, the S9 felt like a half-hearted attempt at a follow-up. Samsung seemed to rest on its laurels, which didn't pay off as its bread-and-butter flagship struggled to match the retail success of its predecessors. Thankfully, everything we know about the Galaxy S10 indicates Samsung's next flagship will at least be markedly different from the smartphone that preceded it. Samsung has reportedly developed new technologies to wrap the display around the front-facing camera; it's adding a whole bunch of lenses to the front and back to punch up the phone's photography and it's stashing the fingerprint sensor inside its screen like so many Chinese phone makers figured out how to six months ago. It's go time for Samsung. If history is a reliable guide, we'll get our first look at the S10 in all its two, or three or possibly even four forms before the end of February at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And when we do, here's what we're hoping we'll see: A fresh design When it comes to design, Samsung's falling behind the pack and running out of road. One day we'll no doubt look back on the Galaxy S8 as one of those legendary designs that changed the trajectory of the industry, much like the iPhone 4 did earlier in the decade. But life moves fast in tech, and in smartphones, especially. And Samsung has to keep the pedal pressed to the floor. (Image credit: Adam Ismail/Tom's Guide) Nobody likes notches, but they're a necessary stopgap on our way to the bezel-free future everyone wants. Some of Samsung's competitors have brazenly embraced them, and the ones who haven't found clever ways around them, like with motorized cameras and sliding display panels. (Xiaomi's Mi Mix 3 is the latest example of the latter approach.) Samsung chose neither path with the Galaxy S9, and paid the price by being almost immediately forgotten once more interesting devices came along. By pretty much everyone's estimation, Samsung will release the Galaxy S10 with a radical new approach to the notch, taking the shape of a hole near the top of the screen for the front-facing camera. It will be divisive, but that's OK so was the notch, and so is just about everything phone makers have pumped out over the last year in the name of progress. But why stop there? The head of Samsung's mobile division, DJ Koh, said the company's next flagship would be offered in "amazing colors." Huawei has experimented with mesmerizing gradients and strange materials, like its vinyl-seeming hyper optical glass on the Mate 20 Pro. Not all of those risks paid off, but you can't knock the hustle. MORE: Samsung Galaxy S10 Rumors: Release Date, Specs, and More And while Apple figured out how to curve its display drivers to cut the bottom bezel out of the iPhone X, Android phone makers strangely havent been able to pull off that trick yet. Perhaps Samsung should try as a leading supplier of OLED panels, it might be the only one who can. Class-leading cameras Nobody would dispute the notion that the camera has become one of the defining features of any high-end phone, and to its credit, Samsung's lent some pretty impressive shooters to its handsets over the years. But it's also had its lunch eaten by Google, Apple and even Huawei when it comes to imaging in recent generations. (Image credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide) We regularly conduct camera comparisons between all the top flagships, and each has its own claim to fame. The iPhone XS is usually the best for capturing shallow depth-of-field portraits, thanks to its telephoto lens. The Pixel 3 is a tour de force that sometimes underexposes shots, though Google's recently released Night Sight mode has almost completely stamped out that issue. And Huawei's Mate 20 Pro has more than enough AI modes to suit any photo op. And the Galaxy S9? Well, it tends to blow out shots the competition doesn't, Samsung's Live Focus mode often yields appallingly bad bokeh and while the Note 9 especially is very good in low light, Google and Huawei's night modes have it licked. When the stars align, Samsung's phones may impress, but they'd never be your first choice anymore. MORE: Google's Night Sight Camera Tested: Shockingly Good That needs to change with the S10, and computational photography is how. Google's clever algorithms are able to turn the least favorable lighting into serviceable shots. Today, software separates good phone cameras from bad ones not tons of megapixels, marginally larger apertures or slightly faster image sensors. If Samsung understands that, it may be able to close the gap. Respect for software Right now, Samsung sells you a phone, and then immediately forgets about you. Delayed or nonexistent software updates have long been the bane of any Galaxy user's existence, and the situation is no better today. Consider that Android 9 Pie has been available since August on certain handsets from Google, Sony, Huawei and Nokia, and is still nowhere to be found on any of Samsung's flagships. (Image credit: One UI has been designed to improve reachability on larger displays. (Credit: Samsung)) With Oreo, Google introduced Project Treble an initiative to hasten the update process for OEMs by separating the core Android framework from the front ends most manufacturers employ. It hasn't yielded adoption rates that would make Apple sweat, but it has definitely helped things for everyone but Samsung, that is. Even the Essential Phone got its Pie release before Google's Pixels, and that startup must be working with a skeleton crew at this point. It's an attitude that Samsung must change, especially if it intends to demand upward of a grand for a rumored 10th anniversary Galaxy S10, and that exotic foldable phone its been teasing for so long. Fortunately, there's an excellent opportunity on the horizon for Samsung to turn things around. In January, the S9 duo should receive their long-awaited Pie update, alongside a new Android skin called One UI. The interface has been designed to be friendlier to larger displays by eliminating clutter and putting interactive elements within reach, closer to the bottom of the screen. But if Samsung is really intent on improving its user experience, it will imitate its competitors and institute quicker updates, as well as longer windows of support. Google now commits to three years of new Android versions for its phones. Again, its not the eternity of backing iPhones get, but it's better than nothing. Real leadership Apple takes a notoriously long time to add new features, be it wireless charging or LTE. But when it gets around to them, Apple usually does it right, and its implementation is typically more thoughtful. Samsung, though, is different it likes to be first. And the world needs both the wait-and-see types and the early adopters. Unfortunately for Samsung, being first is a thankless job. You're less likely to be remembered for being the first if the product is seriously flawed. Apple didn't invent the notch; Essential beat it to the market by several months, but "Essential copycat" isnt a phrase that gets tossed around often. (Image credit: No, not this kind of "leadership." (Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide)) We hope the Galaxy S10 marks the return of the Samsung that takes risks. The inclusion of an in-display fingerprint sensor would be nice, and will probably make it into at least the 6.1- and 6.4-inch variants of the phone that have been rumored thus far. But again, Huawei and OnePlus have already pulled that feature off, so Samsung will have to find another avenue to lead on. Likewise, Apple has already planted its flag on secure facial recognition. However, Samsung very well could be the first to something else entirely: 5G. The company has already announced partnerships with Verizon and AT&T to release 5G compatible phones in mid-2019. AT&T has confirmed its handset is the same device Verizon is launching, fueling speculation that the product in question is actually the highly anticipated 10th anniversary model of the Galaxy S10 that's been churning around the rumor mill lately. A special edition S10 with 5G support could be the boost the company needs to reaffirm its legacy as an innovator in the mobile space. And some reports claim this particular variant could go a few steps further, with a gargantuan 6.7-inch display, as many as six camera lenses across the front and back and up to 12 GB of RAM. If Samsung can pull off all of that without leaving the humble headphone jack behind, naysayers won't have a case to argue. Outlook The Galaxy S10 will probably be the first device with Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon 855 processor, at least in the U.S.. It will likely have an Infinity-O display that will take some getting used to, improved cameras and if we're really lucky, it'll charge faster and last longer, too. But those additions are really just table stakes. That was the approach the company opted for with the S9, and it didn't inspire customers to update. If all the S10 does is catch up to what everyone else has already done, the new phone will be hopeless before the first unit ships. Samsung needs to build something others want to copy, and now might just be one of its last chances to make that happen. As you know if you've been following my writing for awhile, I think that you have two choices when reading the Bible: You can take it literally or you can take it seriously. But you can't do both. In that... The Kansas Republican took heat during his last re-election for not owning a home in Kansas. On Thursday just his wife, who lives with him in Virginia, joined Roberts to man the empty Senate. Kansas City NYE Gun Check Police ask residents not to celebrate the New Year with celebratory gunfire "I kind of look up and saw a hole coming through the ceiling, so I knew then what it was," said Frank Ellison, who's home was hit by celebratory gunfire on the Fourth of July. KCI Scare Aftermath Flight makes emergency landing at KCI A flight had to make an emergency landing at Kansas City International Airport Friday afternoon. Next Gen Gets The Business Fund Me, KC: GenU looks in mirror to remove mental health stigmas Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs' efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs - like those working on behalf of the mental health support site GenU - to share their crowdfunding stories to gain additional support. Who are you and what is your organization? Golden Ghetto Fights For The Future Forward OP plans future of Overland Park OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The city of Overland Park is looking into the future, trying to find the best path forward in growing the city. Forward OP has spent a year gathering public input on what Overland Park residents would like to see implemented. Kansas City Farm Winning??? Kansas City Royals farm system improved greatly in 2018 A rebuild can be a lot speedier of a process if the team in rebuild mode has a good farm system. That the Kansas City Royals did not a year ago, but according to Jim Callis of MLB.com, their farm system is one of the most improved from last year. Local Lady Drama Debuts Spinning Tree Celebrates Young Women Worldwide With EMOTIONAL CREATURE Spinning Tree Theatre continues season eight January 17 - February 3 with the Kansas City premiere of Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World. Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) adapted her bestselling book into a unique theatrical experience: a fierce collage of monologues, chat sessions, songs (original music by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder) and dance. Weekend According To Katie First Alert: Partly cloudy, cold for your Saturday We've seen a few flurries to start your Saturday. Sunshine will break through the clouds later on. Look for a high near 29 degrees. Hottieand her newsworthy fashion goodness inspires this midday Saturday news look on all things slithery . . .Closer to home, here are weekend local news links we're checking today . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . The 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon is coming up quick, so you know its a guarantee that Toyota would show up with something outrageous wearing a TRD badge. And, it is, in the form of the Prius TRD, but well leave that for another conversation. Instead, I want to tell you about the Toyota Hilux Black Rally Edition that has TRD written, literally, all over it. Its aimed at Japan, but we want it in the States too! The 2019 Toyota Hilux Black Rally Edition Since the Hilux Black Rally Edition wont make its official auto show debut for a bit longer, so we dont know everything there is to know. From what we can see in these pictures, however, its bound to be one hell of a truck. Naturally, the first thing youll notice is the TRD branding. Its literally everywhere from the front grille to the front skid plate to the rear quarter panels and license plate holders. Its also dressed up with a set of rugged black wheel arch covers, black eyelids over the god lights, a blacked out grille, and black roll bars in the bed. Naturally, the Hilux sits a little higher than normal and rides on a set of black alloy, double-spoke wheels. Theres even a red gas cap and chromed out dual exhaust. As you know, the Hilux isnt sold in the United States at the moment. The only choices we have for a Toyota-branded truck is the Toyota Tundra and the Toyota Tacoma. We would love to have the Hilux, however, and one in TRD form too. As a TRD, one would expect the Black Rally Edition to have a rather powerful engine under the hood. After all, this is TRD were talking about, and this thing is meant to rally off-road, right? Well, unless TRD did anything special under the hood, dont expect much in the name of performance. Of all the engines available for the Hilux, none of them are particularly impressive. The base engine is a 2.7-liter gasoline drinker with just 164 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Thats not going to cut it, right? There is a 2.4-liter turbodiesel, but it only delivers 146 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. The only true option for this TRD, at this point in time, is the range-topping 2.8-liter diesel with just 174 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. And, since this is aimed at off-roading, that 310 pound-foot figure might just be good enough. Of course, we wont know for sure whats happening under the metal until the Black Rally Edition shows up at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Show, but heres to hoping. As one final note, I also wouldnt expect to see too much done to the interior of this concept either. It may be dressed up with TRD floormats, TRD embordering on the seats, and maybe even TRD-branded door sill panels. With any luck, itll even feature special TRD graphics programmed to the infotainment system, but dont get overly excited as were really not expecting that to happen. Its within the realm of possibility, but its not exactly plausible either. You will get to see the Hilux Black Rally Edition sit next to the aforementioned Prius TRD and the GR Supra Super GT that will offer up a glimpse at what we can expect from the GT-Spec Supra race car in the very near future. Well see the road-going Supra at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show in just a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for that as well. Further reading Read our full review on the 2018 Toyota Hilux. Read our full review on the 2018 Toyota Hilux Gazoo Racing. Read our full review on the 2018 Toyota Hilux Invincible 50. Read our full review on the 2016 Toyota Hilux. Treehugger and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Treehugger.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) TRENTON No crime here: The Trentonian has been fully exonerated of any wrongdoing in last weeks reported burglary at City Hall. The actual incident was a non-criminal event a maintenance worker had inadvertently knocked over some desktop items, police said Friday in a press release that vindicated Trentonian journalist Isaac Avilucea. Deputy Mayor Yoshi Manale, who serves as Trenton Mayor Reed Guscioras chief of staff, alleged his offices had been burglarized and named Avilucea as a possible suspect, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation. When Manale reported to work Dec. 21, his office door was open and he discovered some of his documents and business cards had been left on the floor, police said Friday in their news release. Items on the chief of staffs desk appeared to have been moved in addition to paperwork being misplaced, according to the Trenton Police Department, which conducted an extensive investigation into the suspected entry to get to the bottom of what happened at Manales office. TPDs Criminal Investigation Bureau determined that a city maintenance worker was cleaning the chief of staffs office and inadvertently knocked over Manales business card holder, which caused documents to fall onto the floor. Nothing was found to have been missing from the office, TPD said in its news release. As a result of the investigation, no crime was found to have been committed. Obviously I was always firmly convinced of my own innocence because I knew I didnt and wouldnt commit a crime in pursuit of a story or for any reason, Avilucea said Friday in a statement, but I am glad that is no longer an open question with members of the public who may have read that story and questioned my integrity. Now the question becomes why Mr. Manale allegedly threw my name into the mix in the first place. Was it a diversion tactic to divert attention from the administrations failures? Was it an intentional ploy to sully my reputation? Sources say police interviewed Manale last Friday and that the entire dialogue is recorded on police body-worn cameras. People with knowledge of the investigation say the body-cam footage captures Manale naming Avilucea as a possible suspect in the reported City Hall burglary. The Trentonian has filed an Open Public Records Act request seeking a copy of Manales interview with police. The newspaper on Friday reached out to the Gusciora administration for comment on this story. Santiago Melli-Huber, the citys new spokesperson, said City Hall had been notified of the TPD press release prior to its dissemination. He referred The Trentonian to the TPD press release, which the newspaper received about 5:20 p.m. Friday, and he declined further comment. Outspoken South Ward Councilman George Muschal issued comments Friday on this matter: There was no crime, he said, and allegations against a Trentonian reporter have been totally unfounded at this point. Trenton City Council held a public meeting during the evening of Dec. 20. Avilucea attended that meeting and left the building with Muschal and Council President Kathy McBride, according to the South Ward councilman. After leaving City Hall that evening, Avilucea went to The Trentonians offices on Perry Street and filed a story about the council meeting. Meanwhile, a city maintenance worker committed a non-criminal, inadvertent paper-shuffling mishap in Manales office sometime between the evening of Dec. 20 and the morning of Dec. 21, according to the police department. I think the administration has to answer serious questions about this alleged break-in, Avilucea said Friday, because it almost seems cooked up from the get-go. Why did Mr. Manale jump to the conclusion that his office had been burglarized just because he seen some papers on the ground? Avilucea said he looks forward to the newspaper obtaining the body-cam footage of Manales interview with police and said he hopes the city doesnt engage in a frivolous legal fight to try to prevent the newspaper from obtaining the footage and thereby obtaining the truth. The freshly exonerated staff writer said the entire episode seems like a twisted attempt to muddy a muckraker, adding, I wouldnt break into anyones office. Thats crazy. An award-winning reporter known for being a press corps bulldog, Avilucea has been falsely accused of being a lawbreaking journalist in the past. In 2016, authorities from the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office wrongly accused Avilucea of unlawfully obtaining a child custody report concerning a 5-year-old boy who had brought drugs into a Trenton charter school on two separate occasions. Avilucea won exoneration in that case last year when Mercer County Family Court Judge Lawrence De Bello found Avilucea had lawfully obtained the confidential documents. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Shimla, December 29 Braving bone-chilling cold, more than 1,500 tribals on Saturday held a protest in Reckong Peo, Kinnaur, against the district administrations failure to implement the Forest Rights Act. The catalyst of the protest was the December 17 decision of the Kinnaur administration to reject 47 individual forest rights claims of Lippa village in the district. The agitation was held under the banner of the Zila Van Adhikar Samiti and Him Lok Jagriti Manch, which have been struggling for the implementation of the Act. A memorandum has also been submiited to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in this regard. The decision of the district-level committee is not just about one village, it is about bureaucratic ignorance on the provisions of the Forest Rights Act as well as their attitude towards the common people of the state, Jiyalal Negi, Zila Van Adhikar Samiti, said. The government had been dragging its feet in clearing the claims under the Act for the last 10 years and that the objections being raised by the administration had no legal backing. Thousands of claims are hanging in Kinnaur district alone at various stages because of lack of bureaucratic action, he said. Daulat Ram, a non-official member of the DLC, said: The FRA is getting violated at each procedural step, and the voice of the non-official members gets completely overshadowed and ignored by the office-holding members of the DLC. In Lippa case too, all three non-official members had refused to accept the decision of the official members. Prakash Bhandari of Himdhara Collective said: When they have implemented Section 3(2) of the Act for the diversion of forest land for village development activities, why arent they doing the same for Section 3(1), which recognises individual and community rights. When it comes to Section 3(1), the people of Kinnaur are not considered as forest dwelling communities, whereas under 3(2) they are. As such, this is a partial reading of the Act. Negi also objected to the repeated stand of the administration that the tribals of Kinnaur did not qualify to be forest dwellers. We cannot survive in a remote area like Kinnaur without depending on land and forests. This is a question of not just our survival, but of our identity as tribals, he said. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Gangtok, December 29 The Indian Army has rescued more than 2,500 tourists stranded near East Sikkims 17th Mile area, close to the India-China border, due to heavy snow, officials said on Saturday. The tourists were returning from Nathu La and Tsomgo (Changu) Lake on Friday evening when snowfall in the region blocked roads, leaving over 300 to 400 civil vehicles stranded at various points on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, East Sikkim District Magistrate Kapil Meena said. He said the Army immediately swung into action and rescued the tourists. They were then brought to a camp in 17th Mile area and served food and medicines. Arrangements were being made to transfer the tourists to the state capital. #IndianArmy rescued more than 2500 civilians stuck in more than 400 vehicles around Nathula, Sikkim due to heavy snowfall. All were provided food, shelter & medical care last night, the Army tweeted Saturday. As of now, no tourist vehicle will be allowed to ply on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road on way to the border region, the DM said, adding operations were underway to clear snow and restore road connectivity. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Hyderabad, December 29 A racket in routing of overseas calls using internet technology has been busted here with the arrest of a 32-year old man, police said on Saturday. The man had allegedly been operating the racket for the past seven months with the help of Chinese-made equipment and SIM cards, they said. Telephone calls originating in foreign countries were illegally diverted to the local numbers using the equipment, thereby causing loss to the government. The man, arrested on Friday following information about the illegal activity, was diverting telephone calls violating the Indian Telegraph Act, a police official said adding it was an economic offence. Mostly the calls are from countries where voice and video call applications such as "Skype" or WhatsApp were not permitted, police said adding further investigation was on. Replying to a question, police ruled out terrorism angle in the racket. Diversion of voice calls over internet using the Voice Over Internet Protocol has been a thriving illegal business as it robs the government of revenue from telecom service providers. Several call routing rackets had been busted in various parts of the country, including in the city, over the past years. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Bengaluru, December 29 Taking a dig at BJP leaders, who were expecting the Congress-JDS coalition government to fall, JDS leader DC Thamanna has drawn an analogy between them and the street dogs while refuting BJP lawmaker Umesh Kattis claim that the dispensation would soon collapse. Katti had recently claimed that 15 disgruntled MLAs of the ruling coalition were in touch with him and that the saffron party would form the new government in Karnataka by next week. Hitting out at Katti, Thamanna said, JH Patel (former chief minister) had once narrated a story in the state Assembly about an elephant and street dogs. He recalled Patel saying an elephant was walking ahead of street dogs who were hoping something would fall from atop the tusker that they would eat. Neither the food fell, nor did the dogs get something to eat. This story fits perfectly with BJP leaders, who are expecting this government to fall, the Karnataka minister told reporters at Maddur near Mysuru on Friday. Replying to a query, Thamanna said Katti had been predicting the governments fall today or tomorrow for quite some time. For the past seven months, we are hearing this every day but this has not materialised, he said. Soon after Kattis claim, state BJP chief and Leader of Opposition BS Yeddyurappa had ruled out any attempt by his party to destabilise the present dispensation. He said his party would take an appropriate decision if there was political instability in the state. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, December 29 A Delhi court hearing the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case on Saturday imposed restrictions on alleged middleman Christian Michel meeting his lawyers in ED custody after the agency said he was misusing legal access by passing chits to the advocates asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi'. In its application seeking extension of Michel's remand, the Enforcement Directorate also claimed that he has spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he is going to become the next prime minister of the country. The ED also sought that Michel be barred from meeting his lawyer during its custody, alleging that he was tutored from outside through his lawyers. The agency told the court that Michel had made a reference to 'Mrs Gandhi' during interrogation on December 27. During medical examination, the accused had handed over a folded paper to his advocate Aljo K Joseph and it was noticed by ED officials. After perusal of the paper, it was revealed that it pertained to a set of follow-up questions on 'Mrs Gandhi'. Though the agency did not make any clear reference Sonia Gandhi, the Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of using agencies to put pressure on Michel to "name a particular family" as elections were near and it has no real issues. The ED told the court that it is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield or to tamper with the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused. "The benefit given by the court to the accused of legal access is being misused. It should be stopped henceforth," the agency said. The court directed that the three defence counsel will be able to meet Michel one at a time at a distance from the accused and legal assistance will be only for 15 minutes at 10 am and at 5 pm during a day. The direction came after Michel was produced before vacation judge Chandrashekhar, who extended his ED custody by seven days. Michel's custody was required for "unearthing the deep-rooted conspiracy and identification of all his accomplices including the IAF officials, MoD (Ministry of Defence) officials, bureaucrats and politicians who gained undue advantage for getting the contract in favour of AgustaWestland," the ED said in the remand application. The accused is trying to introduce new alibis to save himself and his aides who have received/facilitated in laundering of proceeds, it said. Michel, who was extradited from Dubai recently, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on December 22 and sent to seven days custody of the agency over money laundering charges in the scam after he was produced in a court here. He was earlier lodged in Tihar Jail in the related CBI case. The CBI has alleged that he was paid a huge bribe amount by AugustaWestland which was given to the officers of Indian Air Force, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and a family in India for showing favour in VVIP Helicopter deal. It alleged that an amount of euro 42.27 million was paid by Westland Group companies to the firms of accused as kickbacks. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million - about Rs 2,666 crore - to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million. The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received Euro 30 million - about Rs 225 crore - from AgustaWestland. - PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, December 29 The Mumbai police have put Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad 'Ravan' under virtual house arrest in his hotel in order to foil a rally planned by him in the city. On Friday night, police personnel from the Malad police station virtually locked up Azad at the hotel where he was staying. Not only was he prevented from stepping out, but neither media persons nor his supporters were allowed to visit him. However, Azad took to social media to hit out at the Devendra Fadnavis for 'violating his fundamental rights'. Security was also tight at the Jamboree Maidan at Worli in Central Mumbai where Azad was to take out a rally this evening. Police personnel simply rounded up anyone suspected to be a supporter of the Bhim Army and bundled them away. Dalit activists and workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxists) who came to visit Azad were also briefly detained before being let off. Senior police officials refused to comment on whether Azad and hissupporters would be externed from Maharashtra. The Bhim Army leader is to visit Pune on Sunday to interact with students. The party has also sought permission to hold a rally at Bhima Koregaon on December 31. However, the Maharashtra government has so far not granted any permission. Security in and around Bhima Koregaon is tight in order to prevent any recurrence of violence. Riots broke out in different parts of Maharashtra after groups of Dalits returning home after marking the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon were attacked allegedly by Hindutva elements. Though several Dalit organisations have announced that they would be mobilising record crowds, the state police have asked them not to allow provocative speeches and slogans at the event. editorial@tribune.com Vibha Sharma & Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 28 What are the chances of the BJP-led NDAs high-on-priority Triple Talaq Bill making it through Parliament this winter session? Quite difficult, if the stance adopted by Opposition parties like the Congress, AIADMK and the TMC in the Lok Sabha yesterday, their individual political compulsions before the 2109 poll and the current standing of various parties in the Rajya Sabha is taken into consideration. TMC leader Derek O Brien today claimed the support of 116 MPs plus 13 of the AIADMK in the 244-member Upper House. Claiming unity in demand to send the contentious Bill to a joint select committee, he said Opposition parties would hold an informal meeting on Monday over the strategy in the House. Numbers are clearly stacked in the favour of the Opposition in the Upper House, he said. They include the Congress (50), the TMC (13), the Samajwadi Party (13), the BSP (4), the RJD (5), the AAP (3), the JD(S), the DMK(4), the Kerala Mani Congress (1) , the TDP (6), the CPM(5) and CPI(2) and also some Independents apart from 13 members of the AIADMK, which yesterday opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha despite being perceived as favourable towards the BJP. The NCPs four members are also expected to support the move to send the bill to the joint Select Committee. We are not arguing about merits of the Bill, it is about the process, O Brien said, adding all controversial Bills, including on transgenders, trafficking and triple talaq, have to be referred to the parliamentary committee. In contrast, the BJP has 73 members in the House apart from those of allies Shiv Sena (3), the Akali Dal (3), the JD(U) (6), RPI(A) (1) and a couple of more. The government is hopeful that AAPs three members may support it given its positive response after the Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday. Meanwhile, the two sides are also trying to convince the fence sitters the BJD (9), the TRS (6) and the YSR Congress (2). With just about six more days left for legislation agenda in the Winter Session, it remains to be seen how the BJPs floor managers control the situation in the Upper House. Senior BJP leaders are hopeful of the amended Bill getting the Rajya Sabha clearance. rchopra@tribunemail.com Ghazipur (UP), December 29 Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued on Saturday with his attack on the Congress over its unfulfilled loan waiver promises. Addressing a public meeting here, Modi said only a small number of loans were waived in Karnataka after the recent Assembly elections in the state, where a JD(S)-Congress government is now in power. He laid the foundation stone of a medical college here and released a commemorative postal stamp on Maharaja Suheldev. Several important steps have being taken to transform Purvanchal into a big medical hub and to strengthen the small industries of UP, he said. The Prime Minister will also address a meeting in Varanasi later in the day. PTI editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Jaipur, December 29 Rajasthan Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today proposed to abolish the condition of minimum educational qualification of Class VIII and Class X for those contesting panchayati raj and civic body elections. Like Assembly and Lok Sabha poll, even illiterate candidates would be able to contest these polls now. An amendment to this effect would be brought in the next Assembly session, DIPR Minister Dr Raghu Sharma told a press conference here. Besides, mayor and chairman of local self bodies would be elected directly along with the councillors in the state. The criteria of minimum educational qualification was introduced by the previous BJP government. The Cabinet also decided to review the previous governments last six months of work and public announcements made on the eve of assembly poll. An inter-ministerial panel would be set up to take quick action on crop loan waiver. The Cabinet also raised the old-age pension in two categoriesfrom Rs 500 per month to Rs 750 and Rs 750 to Rs 1,000 per month. A committee has been set up to address grievances of contractual employees. It also decided that the government letterheads would no longer carry pictures of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya, as introduced by the previous BJP government. The letterheads would carry the picture of Ashoka Pillar only. All ministers would hold janta darbar at their official residences in Jaipur for two hours daily. The Congress poll manifesto was adopted as the policy document and the bureaucracy directed to fulfil every promise made in it. amansharma@tribunemail.com Yash Goyal Jaipur, December 29 The Rajasthan Cabinet headed by Ashok Gehlot on Saturday proposed to abolish the condition of the minimum qualification of class 8 and class 10 for contestants in Panchayati Raj and civic body elections. Like the assembly and Lok Sabha polls, now any unqualified candidate can contest these polls and an amendment to this effect would be brought in the next assembly session, DIPR Minister Raghu Sharma told a press conference here. Besides, mayor and chairman of local self bodies would be elected directly along with councillors in the state, Sharma said divulging the minutes of the first Cabinet meeting of the Gehlot government. The previous BJP government had imposed the condition of minimum qualification and stopped the direct election of mayor in municipal corporation and chairman in municipal council and municipal committees. The Cabinet also decided to review works carried out by the previous BJP government in the six months and important public announcements it had made on the eve of assembly polls, he said. Reversing the former Raje government's decision, the Cabinet announced to reopen the HariDeo Joshi Journalism University and Dr Ambedkar Law University through a new legislation to be brought in the House, he said. An inter-ministerial committee would be set up to make a quick action plan on the crop loan waiver scheme which the Gehlot government announced with a Rs 2 lakh waiver limit to farmers with a deadline of November 30, 2018, the minister said. The farmers (besides defaulters) who had obtained loans and paid some premiums would also be considered for this benefit, he added. This committee would prepare a list of beneficiaries, frame rules and guidelines for the waiver scheme in consultation with the cooperative, nationalised and rural banks, he said. The Cabinet also raised the old age pension in two categories from Rs 500 per month to Rs 750, and Rs 750 to Rs 1,000 per month. A committee has also set up to address the grievances of contractual employees like para-teachers, NRHM workers, Urdu para-teachers, Lok Jumbish Karmi, Aaganbari, Vidhyarti Mitra and Panchayat Sahyak. A logo picture of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay printed on the government letterhead by the previous BJP government would be removed. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and attended by Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, and 13 other ministers directed chief secretary D B Gupta to start the MNREGA works in villages after formalising an elaborate scheme. All ministers would hold 'janta darbar' at their official residence daily in Jaipur for two hours to resolve the public grievances, the Cabinet ordered. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Peshawar, December 29 A 22-year-old Pakistani national, who crossed over the border to meet Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, returned home after spending 22 months in an Indian jail. Abdullah Shah, a resident of Mingora of scenic Swat district of Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was arrested by the Indian authorities on May 25, 2017, when he had come to witness the Beating the Retreat Ceremony held every evening at the Wagah border gates. He crossed the Zero Line after the ceremony and told the Border Security Force officials that he wanted to meet Shah Rukh and Kajol. He was repatriated on Wednesday through the Attari-Wagah border on the basis of an emergency travel certificate issued by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, officials said. Upon arrival at his native home, he was garlanded by his relatives, neighbours, friends and well wishers. Speaking to local media in Swat, Abdullah said he crossed the border in a bid to meet Shah Rukh and Kajol of whom he is a great fan. I was arrested by the Indias Border Security Force and shifted to a police station before being sent to the Central Jail, Amritsar, he said. I wrote a letter to Indian Government through jail authorities for arranging a meeting with Shah Rukh and Kajol but no reply was made to his request, he added. Stating that his wish of meeting the duo Bollywood stars could not be fulfilled, Abdullah said that earlier he had applied for Indian visa to meet the two Bollywood stars, but the application was turned down. Abdullah appealed to the Pakistani citizens not to enter India through illegal ways. I will not try again to enter India through illegal way, he said. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, December 29 Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Ghazipur, a police constable returning from duty at the rally was hit by a stone by angry protesters. The deceased police constable, identified as Suresh Vats, was reportedly hit by Nishad community protestors agitating to get some protestors released who had been detained while demonstrating earlier in the day. While returning from duty at the PMs rally, Vats and his other colleagues were asked to rush to intervene at the demonstration site where members of the Nishad community had blocked the highway demanding reservation. When the police team reached the spot at Atwa Mor to evict the protesters, some persons from the crowd started pelting stones. In the heavy-brick batting, the constable was severely injured and succumbed to his wounds. Taking note of the constable's death, CM Yogi Adityanath has announced Rs 40 lakh as compensation for the wife of the deceased and Rs 10 lakhs to his parents if alive. He has also announced extraordinary pension for the wife of Vats and a government job for one member of his family. CM Yogi has instructed Ghazipur SSP Yesh Veer Singh and District Magistrate K Balaji to take strict action against the disorderly elements and ensure their early arrest. This is the second incident in December where a state policeman has been killed by a violent mob. On December 3 Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead by a ferocious mob in Bulandshahr after violence broke out over cow slaughter allegations. A civilian had also died in the incident. rchopra@tribunemail.com Kolkata, December 29 A 1,000-pound aerial bomb dating back to the World War-II era has been unearthed at a dock here during routine dredging operations. The area was cordoned off following the discovery of the bomb on Friday and the police, Navy and the Army duly informed, Kolkata Port Trust Chairman Vinit Kumar said. "The 4.5-metre-long aerial bomb was located around 2 pm yesterday during dredging operations at Netaji Subhas Dock berth II. Initially, we thought it was a torpedo, but the Navy has confirmed that it is a bomb," he told PTI. The explosive is likely to be defused with the help of officials from the Ordnance Factory, he added. Commodore Suprobho K De, naval officer-in-charge, West Bengal, said the bomb did not pose any risk as it had several security locks affixed to it. It is a 450-kg aerial bomb fitted with brackets to attach with fighter planes. There seems to be no threat from the bomb as it has locks affixed to it. Also, aerial bombs have to be dropped from a certain height to make an impact, he explained. De said there is not much that the Navy could do about the device. I hope the KoPT will seek help from the Ordnance Factory, which has expertise in making ammunition. If needed, we may contact Vizag naval base for assistance, De said. Netaji Subhas Dock, on the east bank of the Hooghly, was extensively used by the US Navy during World War II for its operations. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 29 State president of the BJP Shwait Malik, addressing a press conference here on Saturday, underlined the special love Prime Minister Narender Modi had shown to people of Punjab by developing the Kartarpur corridor, levying no GST on langar and taking action against anti-Sikh steps of the Congress. He was speaking in context of the January 3 rally at Gurdaspur which will be addressed by Modi. To thank Modi for his immense contribution to the people of Punjab, we are calling it Pardhan Mantri Dhanavad rally. Fulfilling 70-year-old public demand of connecting Darbar Sahib (Amritsar) with Kartarpur in Pakistan, Modi announced the Kartarpur corridor for the celebration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan soon reacted saying even they would do the same, Malik said. Malik said Modi played a major role in getting the heritage status for Sultanpur Lodhi, where Guru Nanak spent a long time of his life. The Centre had assured that it would get all the facilities of a Smart city. The world class railway station there would get train services connecting all major places associated with the life of Guru Nanak. Malik said the BJP, under Modi, had shown its commitment to get justice for the Sikhs, particularly those affected by the 1984 riots. The Congress kept the issue on its backburner. Our party gave Rs 5-lakh compensation per family to those affected, he said. Cops keep vigil Gurdaspur: Apprehending that anti-social elements may tiptoe their way near the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modis proposed rally on January 3, the Gurdaspur police are keeping an eagles eye on nearly 20 hamlets located near the PUDA ground on the Gurdaspur-Batala national highway. The PUDA ground is the venue of the rally. TNS editorial@tribune.com PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 29 Tajinder Singh, a resident of Baba Sri Chand Colony, was killed by five persons allegedly belonging to the SAD at Khalehra village, falling under the Jandiala Guru police station, here on Saturday. The deceased was a brother-in-law of Jasmer Singh, whose wife Davinder Kaur is the Congress candidate for the post of sarpanch in the village. He along with Jasmer Singh was doing door-to-door campaign in the wee hours when around five armed persons attacked them. While Jasmer narrowly escaped the attack as he managed to run away, the accused armed with swords and wooden sticks surrounded Tajinder and hit him on his head. He succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. Those booked have been identified as Harjinder Singh, Jaspal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, all residents of the same village, besides two unidentified persons. Parampal Singh, SSP, Amritsar (rural), said a case under Sections 302, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC was registered. Jasmer Singh told the police that as the farmers and labourers leave for their fields early in the morning, he along with Tajinder Singh started door-to-door campaign around 5 am. He said they were riding a bike on the main road when the armed assailants attacked them from behind. As their bike fell down, he managed to run away from the spot, while the assailants surrounded Tajinder and critically injured him. Tajinder later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. He claimed that the accused, belonging to the SAD, were threatening him of dire consequences if my wife did not withdraw her nominations. I remained sarpanch for two terms and we are expecting to win the third time also, he said. The wife of the deceased also demanded immediate arrest of the assailants. Parampal Singh said raids were on to nab the suspects, who had been absconding. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 29 PPCC president Sunil Jakhar has denounced the upcoming movie Accidental Prime Minister, while questioning its objective and timing. Addressing mediapersons here today, he said the apparent objective of the biopic was to tarnish the image of the Congress and its senior leaders. The timing of its release, ahead of the General Election, makes its objective clear to citizens of the country. He said the movie was an attempt to target a democratically elected leader Dr Manmohan Singh. He said the BJP and its supporters were indulging in mudslinging on Dr Manmohan Singh and SAD leaders and activists were applauding. When fingers are being pointed at the capability of Dr Singh, I wish to ask former CM Parkash Singh Badal and Akali patriarch about his stand on Dr Singh. The Lok Sabha MP said the SAD acted as the guardian of the Sikh community and so its leaders should make their stand clear on Dr Singh. He asserted that Dr Singh had a proven unblemished track record in public life. He had steered the country out of economic crisis as the Finance Minister. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Lucknow, December 28 The All-India Riot Victims Relief Committee (AIRVRC) on Friday accused CM Yogi Adityanath of misleading the Sikh community on the issue of setting up a special investigating team (SIT) to probe the 1984 riots in Kanpur. At a press conference here, committee head Kuldip Singh Bhogal said while the CM at a Sikh meet in Lucknow on October 28 had claimed to have set up a SIT to probe the matter, his government had repeatedly failed to submit a report with the Supreme Court as sought by the latter. Bhogal said the life sentence awarded to former Union Minister Sajjan Kumar had motivated them to step up efforts to bring the Kanpur culprits to book. Three years ago, we learnt through an RTI query that 127 members of the community were killed in Kanpur. A committee delegation visited various police stations and found that most of the records against the rioters were missing. None had been chargesheeted, leave alone punished. Subsequently, the committee filed a PIL in the Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe and a SIT. The apex court asked the Union Home Ministry to file an affidavit in this regard. It has been more than a year, but no affidavit has been filed. Nor has a SIT report been sent to the court, Bhogal said. The case is listed for hearing on January 2. The committee presented cheques for Rs 11,000 each to 1984 riot widows Parkash Kaur and Kuldeep Kaur on behalf of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGMC). Saba Naqvi Saba Naqvi Now that Baba Ramdev has declared that he does not know who the next PM will be, its clear that the forces of Hindutva are not super confident about their prospects in 2019. About the yoga guru-turned-entrepreneur, let me reveal that I last sighted him in the office of Akhilesh Yadav in early 2017. I was in Lucknow to meet the CM in the midst of the Assembly election campaign and in popped the Baba with his retinue, including Acharya Balkrishna, the business brain behind Patanjali. I noted Ramdevs genuflecting to the SP neta and mentioning a caste affinity (Ramdev is a Yadav). As we enter 2019, there are also reports that the sales of Ramdevs Patanjali products are declining. In business and in politics, self-interest is the primary mover, ideology way down the line. As the next year promises a brutal game of thrones, the real contest is not just about one man, Narendra Modi, winning or losing 2019. It is about the largest cadre organisation, the RSS, retaining the unprecedented influence and acceptability it got after 2014. The NDA led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, only gave a limited scope to the RSS because it was a coalition run on a common minimum programme. Vajpayee himself was not particularly enamoured by hardline agendas. The six years of NDA rule were then followed by a decade of reversal. Now the RSS is in the drivers seat and they will do everything possible to ensure retention of power and all their eggs are not in the Modi basket. In the recent weeks, various lines have been floated. There are the piquant statements of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. He is a sort of individual who gets along with everybody. I quote from my book published in mid-2018 (Shades of Saffron, from Vajpayee to Modi): The favoured leader of a section of the RSS has always been Nitin Gadkari, who served as the BJP president from 2010 to 2013 A Maharashtrian Brahmin like much of the Sangh leadership, he remains even today the figure the RSS would like in the top spot, were there to be a situation in the future when... allies were to be needed to run a government. As we enter 2019, let us ponder over the odd choice of Adityanath Yogi as UP Chief Minister that the BJP and the RSS have to live with. Its never been satisfactorily explained how a man with no competence in administration was given the charge of Indias largest state. Hard Hindutva and polarising politics is not a satisfactory answer as that works when it is carefully calibrated. Modi should know as after the 2002 riots in Gujarat he ensured peace in the state. Yet, while there is the likeable Gadkari being quietly floated, there is also the fact that in the last round of Assembly polls that the BJP lost, Yogi campaigned more than Modi. He is quite autonomous and unlikely to take orders from anyone, except, as he told a visitor, Lord Shiva and my guru, Goraknath. So, in the coming months, he will preside over the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad and speak of Ram Mandir even as he acts in words and policies against minorities. The problem is its so predictable that it has become a tad boring and offers no hope for the future. All eyes are on UP as it gave the BJP 73 seats in 2014 and a three-fourth majority in the Assembly in 2017. Yet, a year later, tactical understandings in three Lok Sabha byelections between state parties led to the BJP being defeated. Its fairly straightforward at this point: the SP and the BSP have mostly decided which seats each will contest, with a few left for the RLD while they will not put up candidates in the Gandhi family boroughs in Amethi and Rae Bareli. The Congress suddenly winning three Assembly elections has created a problem for the alliance. The party will be ambitious and possibly want to replicate a performance such as that given in 2009 when it won 21 Lok Sabha seats in UP. If the party pushes too hard, it will have to contest separately. The SP and BSP both would want to remind the Congress that its been decades since it was a primary player in UP politics. Will the Congress be willing to bend to conquer? 2019 also depends on that. Shahzad Raza Shahzad Raza IN the documented history, Greeks, Romans and other empires often beheaded the messengers who brought to them bad news. History is replete with the examples when letters from the enemy armies were replied through the heads of their emissaries. Those acts of barbarism have transformed into less lethal, yet highly tormenting tactics in the modern-day diplomacy. Take Pakistan and India for example. They expel diplomats, keep them under strict watch, place restrictions on their movement, etc. In short, the diplomats in both countries seem to be living in big prisons following strict rules and regulations. The authorities always find new tactics to make their life miserable. That is not because some sleuth in Islamabad or New Delhi dislikes their faces or hate how they smell. It is a language the two countries prefer to communicate with each other. At times of bilateral tension, as it is nowadays, the language gets harsher. Recently, videos and pictures went viral in Pakistan after its diplomats in New Delhi were harassed by the agencies. Videos showed riders stopping the embassy vehicles and refusing to let them commute. They took pictures of the commuters and their family members. This is not one of the cases, Pakistani diplomats are denied memberships of elite clubs in the Indian capital. Their meetings are also subject to strict scrutiny and prior permission. Things are no different in Pakistan. Indian diplomats have been waiting to get their memberships renewed of an elite club. The Indian embassy has built a huge compound to move its business and residences there. For months, the Pakistani authorities have been refusing its request to give a gas connection. While Pakistans foreign office complains against the Indian misbehaviour, the Indian embassy in Islamabad blames the Pakistani authorities of ill-treatment. However, life goes on. The diplomats learn the art of survival in the hostile territories, so as their families. Once Riaz Khokhar was Pakistans High Commissioner to New Delhi and had a very strong stance against India. Regardless of his husband views, the wife had her own way of dealing things. She found a unique way of using the sleuths who used to follow her. After shopping, she often asked them to carry her bags to the car. Thats a cute example how despite of state-level animosities the personal human relations work. Once an Indian diplomat came to see this scribe. The sleuths could not follow and lost him in the traffic. He received a phone call from one of them, requesting him to share his location. To my surprise, the diplomat revealed that he had shared his personal number with the sleuths. After all they have a job to do. I have nothing to hide. So I told them to contact me in case they lose me. Sometimes, I love to drive fast, he said, jokingly. In 2016, India declared Pakistan a non-school going station. The Indian diplomats sent their school-going children either back to India or to some other countries. Thats a fact that even during worst times the two countries never stooped to the level of harassing the school-going children. India cited security reasons for that decision. The diplomats either in Islamabad or New Delhi follow the policy and leads from their respective capitals. They work under tough situations. Whichever rabbit the leaders of the two countries plan to pull out of their hats to normalise the relations, the first step is to keep the diplomats at ease. Forget about trade, opening more holy sites or other so-called low-hanging fruits. The two countries should start from providing maximum possible leverage to each other's diplomats. Both the neighbours just try not to shoot the messenger anymore in anyway. Shiv Visvanathan Shiv Visvanathan The Delhi High Court judgment in the 1984 riots case is more than a technical treatise. Like all good judgments, it goes beyond the evaluation of a case. It is a powerful act of interrogation, a slice of storytelling that explores the civics of a broken society. In a more general context, it is an attempt to look at the massacre of the Sikhs following Indira Gandhis assassination in 1984, as a crime against humanity. In a narrow sense, it takes a slice of that story, the burning of the gurdwara and the killings of five Sikhs at Raj Nagar in southwest Delhi on November 1 and 2, 1984. It explores the eyewitness account of that story. There are two aspects to the narrative here. The court looks at the vulnerability of the judicial systems against the sheer brutality of power. Delaying justice at one level is like a roadside bully turned Leviathan, Sajjan Kumar. He was a Congress politician and Member of Parliament who incited the crowd to murder. At another level, it a story of courage of witnesses, especially Jagdish Kaur, whose husband and son were killed, Jagsher Singh and Nirpreet Kaur, who had to watch her father being burnt alive by a mob. It is a story of waiting for justice, fighting for justice. Time in its variants as silence, as delays, as postponements is the third character in the story. What the judgment captures ruthlessly, and yet with empathy, is the long periods of waiting, the repetition and redundancy of truth as it waits for redemption. Like all good judgments, it transcends the technical. It becomes a fable of courage, waiting, of Kafkaesque forays through the legal bureaucratic complex which makes Kafkas castle look like an easier game. It is a story of individual courage and mass crimes built around a small locality. Yet, it has the quality of a little miracle as the power of truth eventually overwhelms the truth of power. The despair of 40 years echoes through the 200 pages of the judgment as truth stumbles faithfully through the labyrinth of law. Reading the judgment, one senses the tiredness of witness and yet, one warms to the courage that has some epic quality. The three witnesses will win no awards for gallantry, or be cited in the pages of history. Yet, their courage simple, defiant, stubborn and consistent deserves a salute. It survived the massacre of 84 and the repeated attempts to distort the truths in the years after 84. The judgment is a tribute to the witnesses as heroes in keeping the criminal justice system alive. The mob, the witness, the politics that delayed justice, all find their chronicles in this narrative. II Jagdish Kaur, clerically labelled PW-1, was a resident of the Mandir Marg road. She lived with her husband, three daughters and two sons. Her husband, Kehar Singh, was a gun fitter at the EME workshop in Delhi Cantonment. Nirpreet Kaur (PW-10) was 16 years old when the incident occurred. She lived with her parents and two younger brothers at Raj Nagar, a Palam Colony, close to the Raj Nagar gurdwara. Jagsher Singh (PW-6) lived on Shiv Mandir Marg, Raj Nagar, at that time. On October 31, Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Nirpreet Kaur saw no untoward incidents that day. Yet, the next day, the granthi of the gurdwara came to her residence and informed her father, who was the president of the gurdwara, that the police was visiting it. The cops were worried about the safety of people praying. Oddly, as the prayer was taking place, the police disappeared. A mob appeared soon after and attacked the gurdwara, yelling slogans. Fearing that it would dishonour Guru Granth Sahib, Nirpreet and her brother rushed to pick it. They were attacked by the mob, but managed to escape. The Sikhs from the area defended themselves for two-three hours before the police personnel reached. The police merely disarmed the Sikhs taking away their kirpans. A compromise was sought, Nirmal Singh went with some of the crowd to negotiate. Nirpreet followed apprehensively. A mob surrounded him, doused him with kerosene. Ironically, they were unable to find a matchstick. One of the police personnel present commented sarcastically, Doob maro tumse ek sardar bhi nahi jalta hai. He gave them a matchbox and set Nirmal Singh on fire. He jumped into a nullah to save himself. The mob pulled him out, tied him to a telephone pole and set him on fire again. Singh jumped into water again. The mob caught him, beat him and doused him with white phosphorous powder. The mob then rushed to his house to attack his family. The police personnel standing by did not help. Luckily, the family escaped in an Air Force vehicle. Jagdish Kaur states that a mob entered her house armed with lethal weapons, pounced on her son and dragged her husband, crushing his head. The son ran down the street, encountered a mob, which set him on fire. On November 2, she went to lodge a report and saw a public meeting being addressed by a local Member of Parliament. She heard him say: Sikh saala ek nahi bachna chahiye. He also asked the crowd to burn any Hindu who went to their aid. Kaur also stated she heard the officer in-charge ask: Kitne murge bhun diye. She claimed that at this moment she lost faith in humanity. III The narratives are stark and yet the vulnerability of the witness begins after the event. Her truth has to run the gauntlets of time and suspicion, face the wear and tear of waiting, the interrogations which nitpick her story probing for tiny variations in detail. The court understands the epic drama of a witness, its need to survive the vulnerability and drabness of waiting, suspicion. In fact, the verdict is most brilliant in the way it examines the fate of a witness. It first explores the apathy, the indifference, complicity of the police, content to be involved as spectators. Its analysis splits in three parts the indifference of police, the power of Sajjan Kumar and the vulnerability of the narratives. The abject failure of the police to record FIRs is worrying. The court observes that in the area where 341 deaths took place in a span of four days, the police registered only 21 FIRs and of these only 15 pertained to murders. Each incident should claim a separate FIR, but the police club murders like a lucky dip. The FIRs and station dairies need to be regularly maintained, and yet all documents prove the indifference of the police. Its only answer to brutality is apathy and complicity, an active connivance in the brutal murders being perpetrated. The CBI, in its submissions, lists out the paralysing indifference of the Delhi Police. Firstly, the crimes were committed amid the patronising and encouraging presence of the police. Secondly, no reports were entered, nor any cases registered. Thirdly, no police personnel visited the scene of crime either to provide protection, shift the injured or to guard bodies before sending them for autopsy. The police ensured a complete breakdown of accountability. Its real role was to ensure cast-iron protection to the perpetrators of the crime. To the litany of the police indifference, one must add the liturgy of power. Sajjan Kumar, who orchestrated the mob, seemed untouchable. HS Phoolka, the senior counsel, pointed out that such was his position of influence that all attempts to prosecute him were thwarted. He was a master in subverting the criminal justice system. At least 11-12 affidavits filed by victims went in vain. In 1990, when the CBI proceeded to arrest him, its jeeps were burned and its officers kept hostage. It must be noted that Sajjan Kumar was not in power in September 1990, yet, his influence was such that no one dared to take him into custody for questioning. One must add to this the indifference of the State. Not only did it fail to provide assistance to the survivor and victim, it refused to take responsibility for prosecuting the perpetrators. It was a complete breakdown of the civics of justice. Fear became the key. It also explains why not a single spectator came forward to testify about the events which took place in broad daylight. So intense was the pressure that many of those who sheltered the victims became hostile witnesses. It is within such a background that one must confront the vulnerability and survival of the witness. The witness knows that the narrative has to survive the indifference, threats, apathy, bribe, delay, the exasperating nitpicking of lawyers, the transition across 10 to 12 pompous commissions. Procedure for all its correctness can wear down truth with its immaculate redundancy of repetition. The three witnesses survived it with simple courage, a tenacity beyond poetry, sticking to the consistency of the story, with a stamina that the court found impressive. Thanks to their courage, a broken system of civics and justice worked. The miracle of 84 is the indictment of Sajjan Kumar. One senses that his power grasped and outlasted everything except the indomitability of the human spirit, especially the commitment of the two women to pursue truth and justice. The court, in acknowledging and capturing this heroic effort, partially redeems the logic of justice. By redeeming the logic of justice, the two-judge Bench adds to the annals of law by locating the violence of 1984 in crimes against humanity. IV The court notes that crimes of this kind have to be seen through a different lens, a discourse that was first identified by governments after the genocide of the Armenians. It held that such crimes against humanity and civilisation are such that the entire Turkish government is held responsible. Such crimes are inhumane acts defined by the jurist Hersch Lauterpacht as systematic attack against the civilian population. Unlike a genocide which seeks to exterminate a group, no such intent is required for crimes against humanity. The mass killings that eliminated 2,733 Sikhs in Delhi alone and another 3,350 across the country echo the violence of the Partition. In chronicling all this, the Bench refers to the career of such killings across India as a result of political patronage. In all of them, the perpetrators evade justice. They call for a strengthening of such justice as neither genocide nor crimes against humanity, rather as part of the domestic system of law. In addressing this loophole, the judges add both to the imagination of justice and creative power of democracy. Maybe Jagdish Kaur and Nivpreet Kaur would be content with that. The writer, a sociologist, is a member of Compost Heap laxmi@tribune.com Dehradun, December 29 The Uttarakhand Government on Wednesday gave its nod to run seaplanes on the Tehri lake as part of the states strategy to develop the artificial reservoir as a tourist destination. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Addressing mediapersons, minister Madan Kaushik said the initiative had been taken under the Centres UDAN scheme. An MoU would be signed among the Centre, the Uttarakhand Government and the Airports Authority of India. The state government would arrange for 2.5 acre around the lake for the project. Agencies pardeepdhull@gmail.com Sydney, December 29 The Australian government has stripped citizenship from a man it believes is a top recruiter for Islamic State, Australias home affairs minister said on Saturday. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said Melbourne-born Neil Prakash had been central to Islamic States efforts in the Middle East, was a very dangerous individual and had his citizenship stripped. If given the opportunity Mr Prakash would harm or kill Australians and our country is a safer place for him having lost his Australian citizenship, Dutton said in a televised news conference. Prakash has been in Turkey on trial for terrorism-related activities since being caught there in October 2016 after leaving Islamic State-controlled territory. He is wanted in Australia over terrorism-related activities including an alleged plot to behead a police officer. Under Australias citizenship laws, a dual national can lose their Australian citizenship if they act contrary to their allegiance to Australia by choosing to be involved in terrorism. Islamic State was declared a terrorist organisation in May 2016 for this purpose, the Home Affairs Office said in a statement, and Prakash is the 12th person to be stripped of citizenship so far. Dutton said the law prevents the government from rendering somebody stateless so they must have Australian citizenship and citizenship of another country. Prakash, whose mother was Cambodian and father was Fijian, held both Australian and Fijian citizenship through his father. Dutton said Australias internal spy agency the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had thwarted 14 attempted attacks including a plan to smuggle explosives onto an A380 flight to the Middle East. The threat is very real, he said. The priority for us is to make sure that people like Neil Prakash dont come back to Australia. We dont want them here. Prakash has been notified of the decision by letter, and the Fijian government has also been notified, according to a source close to the Australian government. Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and has appeared in Islamic State videos and magazines. Australia says he actively recruited Australian men, women and children and encouraged acts of militancy. Australia has been pressing Turkey to extradite Prakash since he was first detained, but the request was rejected in July. It will remain in place until the conclusion of his case and any custodial sentence, The Australian newspaper reported. Canberra cancelled Prakashs passport in 2014 and announced financial sanctions in 2015, which cover anyone giving him financial assistance, with punishment of up to 10 years in jail. Reuters shalender@tribune.com Melbourne: Neil Prakash, Australias most wanted jihadist who became a recruiter for the Islamic State, has been stripped of his Australian citizenship. Australias Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton described the 27-year-old former rapper from Melbourne a very dangerous individual. Through his father, Prakash had joint Australian and Fijian citizenship. Under Australian law, a dual national can be stripped of their citizenship if they are convicted or suspected of terror offences. PTI Social worker leaves $11 m for childrens charities Washington: An American social worker who died of cancer has left behind $11 million for children's charities in the US city of Seattle. No one who knew Alan Naiman could have guessed he had amassed a fortune. The frugal social worker bought his clothes at Costco, cut coupons and liked to take thrifty road trips for his holidays, the BBC reported on Friday. But when he left $11 million to the charities, friends say they were not surprised by his generosity. Naiman died in January 2018 of cancer at age 63 in Seattle. ians Angelina Jolie open to idea of joining politics London: Angelina Jolie has hinted that she is fine with the idea of joining politics in future. The Hollywood actor-director, who is involved with the UN, in a recent interview did not rule out a stronger push into the political arena. Honestly, if you asked me 20 years ago I wouldve laughed, and I really dont know I always say Ill go where I am needed. I dont know if Im fit for politics, but then Ive also joked I dont know if I have a skeleton left in my closet, so Im pretty open and out there. I can take a lot on the chin so thats good, Jolie said during a visit to the BBC's Today as a guest editor. pti pardeepdhull@gmail.com Cairo, December 29 Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said on Saturday, a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people. The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Fridays attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said terrorist elements were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry. Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State. State news agency MENA said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle. The ministry did not give any details about the suspects identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously. The ministry published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them. Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypts world-famous Giza pyramids. Egypts military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the Arab Spring protests of 2011. Reuters Image: Shutterstock There's also a demand for investigation into the instances where the e-commerce companies flouted the rules in the last two years. To begin with, the government has issued Press Note 2, which will supersede Press Note 3. The government has tightened norms for online retailers, making it more difficult for them to use their nearly endless stream of foreign capital to fund high discount, banned exclusive tie-ups and covered group companies into the ambit of (foreign direct investment) FDI norms. It has also further tightened the norms under which discounts are offered to online customers, stressing upon the need for a level-playing field. The rules seem to be a death knell for e-commerce companies. These are the companies that were circumventing Press Note 3 by means of tie ups or stakes in third party entities. However, the government has also given them a comfortable time frame of complying with the rules by February instead of implementing it with immediate effect. The icing on the cake is the deadline of September 30 by when the e-commerce marketplaces will be needed to furnish a certificate along with a report of statutory auditor to Reserve Bank of India, confirming compliance of above guidelines. So, they have about nine months to figure out ways in which they can come up with ways to deal with this new set of rules. In 2016, the Press Note 3 was implemented with immediate effect. However, it seems the government does not want to ruffle the feathers of e-commerce entities, especially when global retail giants such as Walmart have entered the Indian market. The second important aspect is will the government ever be able to achieve its ambitious targets without having a regulator for the sector. Unlike sectors such as telecom or banking, e-commerce which is at a nascent stage doesn't have a regulator. While traders have been demanding for a watchdog, leading e-commerce companies are saying the the need for the hour is to be self regulated. It is crucial to note that, in 2016 the government had barred e-commerce companies from generating more than 25 percent of their sales from a single vendor. To cirmcumvent this, the companies had prepared a list of preferred vendors through which they were doing over 90 percent of their business. The rest of the business was coming from standalone vendors on their sites. The earlier rule also said that any warranty or guarantee offered to the customers will be the sole responsibility of the sellers and the marketplaces will not directly or indirectly influence the pricing of the goods. However e-tailers had set up third party units with 100% or lesser stakes in them to offer warranty and guaranty, thereby flouting the norms. Under Press Note 2, the government has now said that cashbacks provided by group companies of marketplace entity to buyers shall be "fair and non-discriminatory". It has also stated that for the purposes of this clause, provision of services to any vendor on such terms which are not made available to other vendors in similar circumstances will be deemed unfair and discriminatory. Now, while the government has not barred the group companies of e-tailers to help them offer cashbacks to customers, it has stressed that these companies will offer similar incentives to the vendors on their sites and will not have any preferential treatment. This is solely done to keep in mind the interest of small vendors who sell products through the marketplaces. When compared with the benefits offered to the preferred vendors, they are often laggards. In what could also be seen as a masterstroke for the offline retailers, the government has hit companies such as Amazon and Flipkart on their knees by barring them from selling products of entities in which they own stakes. This in principle bars entities like Couldtail and Appario from selling their products on Amazon.in. Cloudtail is the joint venture of Amazon and Narayana Murthy's Catamaran Ventures and also one of its important vendors. The online retailers are crying foul and are likely to reach out to the government for an amendment here. The $20 billion online commerce industry is a fraction of India's $700 billion offline retail sector. Interestingly, the government which is also working on an e-commerce policy, didn't have a specific round of consultation with any stakeholder of the sector, including the e-tailers and offline traders before announcing Press Note 2. Cashbacks and predatory pricing offered under the umbrella of the heavy pocketed e-commerce companies have actually been killing the businesses of small vendors. It is a brilliant stroke by the government to promote small and medium vendors but implementation will be the key. In a move which can be termed as politically opportunistic, the government has tried to clip the wings of e-commerce companies with an aim to appease offline traders - a huge vote bank.However, the move had a boomerang effect as stakeholders were riled by the government's new norms.While the e-commerce companies are crying foul, even offline sellers are calling this a weak move, as they feel it can be easily flouted like the Press Note 3, which was introduced in 2016.Original Source: pardeepdhull@gmail.com Montreal, December 29 A Canadian citizen who was detained in China this month has returned to Canada after being released from custody, a Canadian government spokesman said on Friday. The spokesman did not specify when the Canadian was released or returned to Canada. Earlier in the day, broadcaster CBC identified the citizen as Canadian teacher Sarah McIver. Chinas Foreign Ministry said this month that McIver was undergoing administrative punishment for working illegally. McIver was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd., but a Canadian official said there was no reason to believe that the womans detention was linked to the earlier arrests. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mention the woman in calling for the release of the other two Canadians last week. Chinas Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, a Chinese court will hear an appeal in the case of a Canadian citizen held on drugs charges, that could further test the tense relations between the two countries. The high court in the city of Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning will hear the appeal of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg from 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), it said in a statement this week. A Dalian government news portal said Schellenberg was a Canadian and that this was an appeal hearing after he was found by an earlier ruling to have smuggled an enormous amount of drugs into China. Canadas government said this week it had been following the case for several years and providing consular assistance, but could provide no other details, citing privacy concerns. Drugs offences are usually punished severely in China. China executed a Briton caught smuggling heroin in 2009, prompting a British outcry over what it said was the lack of any mental health assessment. Reuters shalender@tribune.com Washington, December 29 In an embarrassment to Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani dictator, in a leaked video, was purportedly seen seeking covert US support to regain power and telling American lawmakers that he was ashamed of the ISI being negligent about Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts. The undated video clips, which have been posted by dissident Pakistani columnist Gul Bukhari, also show the self-exiled former President as saying that he thinks that the negligence of the ISI was pardonable as the CIA was also involved in same level of negligence on 9/11. The former army chief has been living in Dubai since March 2016 after he left for medical treatment and has not returned since, citing security and health reasons. He is facing the treason case for suspending the Constitution in 2007, a punishable offence for which he was indicted in 2014. All I am saying is, I have certain credentials from the past. I need to come (to power) again and I need to be supported. Not overtly, but in a covert manner. So that we win again, Musharraf is seen as telling US lawmakers in one of the leaked videos of the meeting. He also claimed that Pakistan used the money, given by the US for fight terror, to bring down the poverty from 34 per cent to 17 per cent. To which, those present at the meeting, were quick to point out that none of the US Congress members voted for $20 billion aid to Pakistan in 10 years because of poverty. Money was given to Pakistan to defeat Al-Qaida and the Taliban, the lawmakers said, to which the former President sought the US to help him get back to power. The video clips seem to be from 2012, after he was ousted from power. One of those present in that meeting was Congressman Gary Ackerman. He argues that there was no complicity in Pakistan not being able to find out bin Laden. There are aspersions against Pakistan of hiding bin Laden, Musharraf says at the meeting. First of all, is the US against Pakistan, or annoyed with the Army and ISI, because they believe there was complicity? There was no complicity..., he said. There was negligence. Though I am not in the government now, I am ashamed that there was this level of negligence by the ISI. PTI shalender@tribune.com London, December 29 The British divers who helped rescue a young Thai soccer team from a flooded cave this year have been awarded medals by Queen Elizabeth II in her 2019 New Years honours list. Richard Stanton and Johnathan Volanthen, the first divers to reach the 12 boys and their coach after they became trapped in June, were awarded the George Medal, the second highest civilian gallantry award. Three divers were awarded the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and two others receive the Queens Gallantry Medal for exemplary acts of bravery. These divers were among 1,148 people, including 30 Indian-origin achievers, who appeared on the honours list. Such lists are issued twice at the New Year and for the Queens birthday. Agencies Ukrainian Navy Commander Ihor Voronchenko has said he is convinced that Ukraine will not lose control over the Sea of Azov. He stated this in an interview with Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. "We will not lose control. I will not give a definite estimate now. Now the situation is very complicated, especially in the Sea of Azov and in the key points of the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are in a state in which they can accomplish tasks [on defense]. This is not the year 2014," Voronchenko said. At the same time, answering the question about the balance of forces of Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov, he said that, unfortunately, the advantage was currently not in favor of Ukraine. "Most ships and boats of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the FSB are now located in the Sea of Azov. According to our estimates, their number has already exceeded one hundred. There are about 36-40 Russian ships and boats that can fully carry out their tasks. Ukraine, unfortunately, now has two boats and two ships there. So you can count the ratio," Ukraine will receive Island-class patrol boats from the United States in the summer of 2019, Ukrainian Navy Commander Ihor Voronchenko has said. He said this in an interview with Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. "They should be in Ukraine in July. Crews are being trained. The procedure for additional equipment of these ships and the procedure for joint training at a base in Baltimore [in the United States] have been agreed. The last steps we have to take to ensure that the boats arrive in Ukraine as soon as possible have also been coordinated," Voronchenko said. The tomos will be handed over to Epifaniy on January 6. Head of the nearly created Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epifaniy has shared details of the agenda of his visit to Istanbul for getting a tomos, a document of autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. "The tomos transfer procedure will begin on January 5," he told TV Channel Pryamiy. "We will be for the first time praying at St. George's Cathedral at the Phanar as head of the independent local Orthodox church together with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to thank God." Read alsoPatriarch Filaret says Ukraine would have never got tomos if he had run for head of new church It will be followed by an official ceremony where the tomos will be signed by the Ecumenical Patriarch on the Phanar on January 5. "And on January 6, the two primates for the first time will hold an individual service Patriarch Bartholomew I as the first patriarch among equals and the patriarch of the already free, independent, local Orthodox church," he said. "After the solemn service, after the solemn liturgy, the tomos about the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be handed over [to the new church's head]," Epifaniy said. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Unification Council of members of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches in Kyiv on December 15 elected Metropolitan of Pereyaslavsky and Bila Tserkva from the then Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate Epifaniy (also known as Epiphanius I) as head of the new local Orthodox church in Ukraine. On January 6 in Istanbul, he, as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, is to receive the tomos of autocephaly from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Chancellor also welcomed the agreement to establish the New Year truce in Donbas, which was reached within the Trilateral Contact Group for the Donbas settlement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 28, urged him to free 24 Ukrainian sailors who were captured near the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea on November 25. Read alsoAll 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia declare themselves prisoners of war Merkel also welcomed the agreement to establish the New Year truce in eastern Ukraine, which was reached within the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for the Donbas settlement on December 27, according to the Ukrainian-language service of Germany's Deutsche Welle (DW). As UNIAN reported earlier, despite the TCG agreement, Russia-backed militants opened fire from grenade launchers on Ukrainian positions near the village of Zalizne on the first day of the New Year truce, starting midnight December 29. UNIAN memo. On November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat "Yany Kapu" and two armored naval boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol," which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol. The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, damaging the Ukrainian vessel. As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them. All 24 crew members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack. Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers. Stacy Mungo made the announcement in her e-newsletter to constituents on Thursday, Dec. 2, the same day a Long Beach Unified School District board member Megan Kerr announced her candidacy for the Fifth District. The law is aimed at preventing smuggling and illegal entry of ships into the officially closed ports of the Ukrainian Crimea. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed the law "On the adjacent zone of Ukraine," backed by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on December 6, 2018. The main objective of the document is to harmonize the maritime legislation of Ukraine with the legislation of other Black Sea states and other states parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the presidential press service said on Saturday, December 29. The law also aimed at preventing smuggling and illegal ship calls to the officially shut-down ports in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Read alsoUkraine coast guards allowed to open aimed fire without warning when repelling attack According to the legislation, the adjacent zone of Ukraine is a zone of the open sea adjacent to the territorial sea of Ukraine, whose external border is at a distance of no more than 24 nautical miles measured from the baselines from which the width of the territorial sea of Ukraine is measured. In its adjacent zone, Ukraine exercises control to prevent violations of customs, fiscal (tax), immigration (migration), and sanitary national legislation within the territory of Ukraine, including its internal waters or territorial sea. Control is carried out with the aim of bringing perpetrators to responsibility for violation of the legislation of Ukraine committed within the territory of Ukraine, including its internal waters or territorial sea. In addition, to prevent violations of the legislation of Ukraine or to prosecute for its violation, an authorized agency that ensures the inviolability of the state border and the protection of Ukraine's sovereign rights in its adjacent and exclusive (maritime) economic zones can stop vessels, inspect them, detain or seize vessels and/or their crew members, with the exception of warships and other state ships used for non-commercial purposes. The law provides for the right to a hot pursuit of a ship that has violated the legislation of Ukraine and is trying to escape, with the aim of its detention and bringing the crew to responsibility in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The right to persecution is no longer valid as soon as the pursued vessel enters the territorial sea of the state whose flag the ship flies, or that of any third country. The document comes into force the day following the date of its publication. Ahead of the New Year, Novaya Gazeta published letters penned by several people who were either sentenced, are facing trial, or are under investigation in high-profile cases in Russia that many call politically motivated. Imprisoned Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, a Crimean native who opposed Russia's 2014 takeover of the Ukrainian peninsula, has written in a letter to the Moscow-based Novaya Gazeta newspaper that he is not "going to give in." "I do not expect good news [in 2019].... But it does not mean that I am going to give in, be disappointed, or regret anything," Sentsov wrote in a letter published on December 28, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reported. Read alsoU.S. calls on Russia to free Sentsov, other Ukrainian political prisoners Ahead of the New Year, Novaya Gazeta published letters penned by several people who were either sentenced, are facing trial, or are under investigation in high-profile cases in Russia that many call politically motivated. Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of terrorism in a trial criticized by human rights groups and Western governments as politically motivated. The newspaper also published letters from Oyub Titiyev, an activist who is on trial in his native Chechnya, and Aleksei Malobrodsky, the former director of Moscow's Gogol Center. Moreover, Novaya Gazeta published letters by three members of the so-called New Greatness movement: Ruslan Kostylenkov, who is in pretrial detention, and teenagers Maria Dubovik and Anna Pavlikova, who are under house arrest. Events in Donbas are considered to be the most dangerous conflict in Europe since the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Yuriy Biriukov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, says that almost the entire "grey" zone in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, has been liberated from Russian-led forces without breaching the Minsk peace agreements and is under control of the Ukrainian army. "Since that moment we started in May 2014, two-thirds of the territory [in Donbas] have been liberated. Almost the entire 'grey' zone has been liberated and brought under control," Biriukov said on Ukraine's Pryamiy TV. On occasion, the Ukrainian military in Donbas were forced to conduct operations to retake certain areas not to let Russian-led terrorists mount attacks on Ukrainian positions. At the same time, as reported by the headquarters of the Ukrainian Joint Forces, the Ukrainian military have not violated the Minsk agreements. Events in Donbas are considered to be the most dangerous conflict to grip Europe since the wars in the former Yugoslavia. The Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), conducted by Ukrainian forces against Russian-led forces in Donbas since April 2014, was converted into a Joint Forces Operation late in April 2018. As of the beginning of November 2018, over 3 million people left the war zone, where more than 10,000 people died, including 450 civilians who died in the last 14 months. The Ukrainian army's losses, which reach 7,000 people, were greater than those of U.S. troops during the entire period of the war in Afghanistan. Read alsoVolker: New sanctions recognize Russia controls occupied part of Donbas The so-called Minsk agreements on Donbas include the Minsk Protocol (later known as Minsk 1) with the Minsk Memorandum of September 2014 and the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements (Minsk 2) of February 2015. There are only two parties to the agreements, Ukraine and Russia, although the latter does not consider itself to be a party to the conflict. Names of representatives of the two Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics the "Donetsk People's Republic" and the "Luhansk People's Republic" are also under the agreements but their positions are not mentioned. France, Germany, and the OSCE oversee the peace talks. In keeping with the Minsk deal, both sides should observe a ceasefire, pull back troops and withdraw military equipment. Ukraine should pardon the "participants of the conflict," conduct local elections, and recognize a de-facto autonomy of the region in the Constitution. Russia should return its equipment and fighters to Russia, ensure the local military formations lay down arms, give Ukraine control over its border with Russia. However, not a single provision of the Minsk deal has been implemented by 100% as of today. What is more, on September 21, 2016, the participants of the Trilateral Contact Group committed in Minsk to an agreement on disengagement. The Framework Decision relating to disengagement of forces and hardware by Ukrainian armed forces and armed formations, starting in Petrivske, Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska areas, was signed by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine, representatives of the Governments of Ukraine and the Russian Federation to the Trilateral Contact Group, and initialed by representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. They call it "Marine Assault Regiment." Members of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") in eastern Ukraine have created its own "flotilla" of about 20-25 fishing boats, which control the coastline near the town of Novoazovsk on the Sea of Azov in Donetsk region. "The 'DPR' has created a mythical 'flotilla' out of fishing boats there. There are about 20-25 speedboats," Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Ihor Voronchenko told DW's Ukrainian Service. Read alsoUkraine's Navy "will be ready" to use weapons if Russia attacks again media "On their side, in the Mariupol sector, a certain 9th 'Marine Regiment' is being stationed," he said. Voronchenko says that the invaders call their 'flotilla' a "Marine Assault Regiment." "For 10 months of that 'marine' unit's stationing, the balance of forces was in our favor. There were no direct clashes at sea," he added. On the first day of the New Year truce, starting midnight December 29, the militants opened fire from grenade launchers on Ukrainian positions near the village of Zalizne. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 11 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA). Read alsoUkrainian forces advance to tactically important location near occupied Horlivka - OSINT expert "On December 28, Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire 11 times, including twice with the use of weapons proscribed by Minsk Agreements," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on December 29, 2018. "In particular, the enemy fired 82 mm mortars on JF positions near the villages of Novotoshkivske and Hnutove in the Luhansk and Mariupol directions, [respectively]," the report said. In addition, Ukrainian strongpoints were fired upon from grenade launchers of various types, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms near the villages of Bolotene, Stanytsia Luhanska, Slavne, Taramchuk, Opytne, Pisky, Pavlopil, Hnutove, and Vodiane. On the first day of the New Year truce, starting midnight December 29, the militants opened fire from grenade launchers on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Zalizne in the Horlivka direction, the press center added. It is noted that to suppress enemy provocations, the defending units returned fire. According to intelligence data, on December 28, one invader was killed and two were injured. A group of Russian specialists in the field of chemical warfare agents and toxic substances arrived in the occupied Donbas in the middle of December, according to intelligence data. Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadym Skibitsky says Russia is plotting a terrorist act in the occupied Donbas with the use of toxic substances. Read alsoKremlin's persistent claim of expected chemical attack by Ukraine Armed Forces in Donbas worrying MP "Ukraine's military intelligence is observing a number of intelligence indicators that clearly show Russia is plotting a terrorist act with the use of chemically hazardous toxic substances, which will further be covered by Russian propagandists as an employment of 'chemical weapons' against residents in the occupied Donbas by the Ukrainian troops. Russia's security forces are counting on a significant number of civilian casualties," he told a briefing on December 29. Moreover, the intelligence directorate established that a group of Russian specialists in the field of chemical warfare agents and toxic substances arrived in the occupied Donbas in the middle of December. The enemy also increased readiness of the Russian occupation forces to operate amid chemical contamination. The newest individual protective means for personnel of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Russian occupation troops were delivered from Russia in order to test them in combat conditions. According to the intelligence official, the occupation authorities are already conducting an influence operation in the occupied territories to convince local residents that Ukraine is plotting a chemical attack on civilians. "In order to create public opinion favorable to it, Moscow has been conducting a large-scale information campaign for more than a month on accusing Ukraine of hidden preparation for such actions. The Main Intelligence Directorate states that Russia conducted a similar influence operation on the eve of simulation of chemical attack near Aleppo in Syria on November 24 this year to justify further air strikes against Syrian opposition forces," Skibitsky stressed. As UNIAN reported earlier, on the first day of the New Year truce, starting midnight December 29, Russia-backed militants opened fire from grenade launchers on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Zalizne in the Horlivka direction. No casualties have been reported on the Ukrainian side. Russian-led forces mounted two attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on the first day of the New Year truce, starting midnight December 29. Read alsoRussia plotting chemical attack in Donbas Ukraine intel "Ukrainian strongpoints were fired upon from grenade launchers of various types near the village of Zalizne in the Horlivka direction and in the area of Hnutove in the Mariupol direction," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 18:00 Kyiv time on Saturday. It is noted that to suppress enemy provocations, the defending units returned fire. No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported since the start of the day. The situation in the zone of the Joint Forces Operation remains under control of Ukrainian troops. As UNIAN reported earlier, on December 27, Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) at the Minsk talks on Donbas Yevgenij Marchuk said the parties to the armed conflict in the east of Ukraine agreed on an indefinite truce starting midnight December 29. However, the militants opened fire on the first day of the ceasefire. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday warned Facebook and other social media they bore responsibility for lies spread on their platforms by human traffickers. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th December, 2018) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday warned Facebook and other social media they bore responsibility for lies spread on their platforms by human traffickers. "We must act decisively against smugglers to reduce illegal immigration and deaths in the Mediterranean. The European Union must put more pressure on Facebook so that it stopped their [smugglers'] activities there," he tweeted. Kurz said that social media like Facebook "bear a lot of responsibility" for lives lost at sea because many people fall for false promises disseminated by human traffickers and pay them thousands of Euros for the perilous voyage to Europe. Since 2015, Europe has been facing an acute migration crisis, with scores of refugees arriving there to flee conflicts and poverty in the middle East and North Africa. Thousands of migrants died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. (@rukhshanmir) The re-establishment of control over the border between Syria and Iraq by the Syrian government will positively contribute to the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization (IS, outlawed in Russia), Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik on Saturday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th December, 2018) The re-establishment of control over the border between Syria and Iraq by the Syrian government will positively contribute to the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization (IS, outlawed in Russia), Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik on Saturday. "We are also convinced that the restoration of the control over the entire Syrian-Iraqi border by Damascus will contribute to the final eradication of the IS threat by the coordinated actions of the armed forces of Syria and Iraq," Nebenzia said. He added that such coordination was already being implemented under the framework of the joint information center in Baghdad, set up by Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria in 2015. It comes a week after US President Donald Trump's announcement that he will withdraw US troops from Syria. During the ongoing conflict in Syria, much of the border between Syria and Iraq fell under control of the IS, though northern parts of the border are mainly controlled by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). In December, some parts of the eastern border controlled by the IS were also retaken by the SDF. Successful hit against drug smuggling : Record discovery of 100 kilo of cocaine has leads to Bonn BONN/ HAMBURG/STUTTGART A team of several police officers seized 100 kilogram of cocaine in Hamburg. The trace leads to a 38-year-old man living and working in Bonn and Hamburg. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken A team of several police officers seized 100 kilogram of cocaine in Hamburg. The trace leads to a 38-year-old man living and working in Bonn and Hamburg. Investigators from Stuttgart have arrested a 38-year-old man living and working in Bonn and Hamburg who is connected with the discovery of 100 kilogram of cocaine. During the "long and precisely planned" operation, officials came across the narcotics that had been hidden in banana boxes on a cargo ship and arrived in Germany from Ecuador. In total, the investigators seized 102 packages of white powder, each weighing about one kilogram. At the same time, investigators arrested the 38-year-old suspect, who was about to "take over" the cocaine. According to the police, the perpetrators used only encrypted means of communication to prevent police action. Investigators from the Bonn and Hamburg police headquarters as well as customs investigators from Hamburg were also involved in the investigation and arrest. Following the arrest, searches were carried out in Bonn and Hamburg at the places of residence and work of the arrested person. The investigators were able to seize evidence such as mobile phones, a notebook and written documents. The suspected drug dealer, who is in custody, has not yet provided any information on the allegations. The find is the largest in Germany this year. According to the police, the cocaine has a market value of about six million Euro. Original text: GA Bonn (@ChaudhryMAli88) The United Kingdom (UK) government on Friday said the announcements this week by the government of Israel to advance over 2,800 housing units in settlements in the West Bank were unacceptable and disappointing. LONDON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Dec, 2018 ) :The United Kingdom government on Friday said the announcements this week by the government of Israel to advance over 2,800 housing units in settlements in the West Bank were unacceptable and disappointing. In a statement issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP placeholder Minister for the middle East said such actions were illegal under the international law and call into question Israel's commitment to any future peace agreement with the Palestinians. "We strongly urge Israel to cease such actions", Alistair Burt said. Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke to Vatican News about his December 24-28 Christmas visit to Iraq. The cardinal also touched upon the Vaticans February meeting on the protection of victims of sex abuse in the Church. By Robin Gomes Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin described his 4-day Christmas visit to Iraq as one full of meaning to a Church that, amidst suffering and tribulation, bears witness to the joy and beauty of the Gospel. He expressed the hope of the Iraqi faithful for a visit by Pope Francis and underscored the importance of collaboration between Christians and Muslims for a peaceful future in the country. The Vaticans top official regarded his visit as a moment of grace during which he felt great emotion and joy in being able to convey to Iraqs Christians the closeness, affection and blessing of Pope Francis. While being an encounter of joy during Christmas festivities, he said, his visit was also an occasion to share the sufferings of recent years, the uncertainties of the present and the hopes for the future. Witness In his various speeches and homilies during meetings and celebrations with the Christians and civil and political authorities, the cardinal said he insisted on their witness to the Universal Church. He said he conveyed the Universal Churchs gratitude for their example and capacity to bear sufferings for the sake of Jesus. But what struck him most he said was the pride with which Iraqi Christians were living their faith amidst their difficulties, trials and sufferings. Card. Parolin said he was particularly touched by the destruction of Mosul caused by the war in which churches, houses, buildings and every part of the city were laid waste. But at the same time, these very churches, both the Chaldean and the Syro-Catholic, were full of people, men, women, children and young people, all singing and praying during worship. In this regard, he recalled an episode in the northern city of Mosul where it was difficult to walk because of the rubble everywhere. At a certain point, the governor of the city came up to greet him and held him by the hand. Card. Parolin regarded this gesture as symbolic of the collaboration between Christians and Muslims by giving a hand and helping one another. Just at that moment, he said, it began raining and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky a symbol of peace and alliance. Possible papal visit Asked about whether his visit raised hope for a possible visit of Pope Francis to Iraq, the Vatican Secretary of State said, all of them, with one voice, hope that he can visit Iraq as soon as possible and comfort them personally. Card. Parolin hoped that for this to happen proper conditions be created for the Holy Father to be able to share moments of prayer and encounter with Iraqi brothers and sisters. Certainly it would be a great encouragement for them in the difficulties they are still facing, he added. Sex abuse On being asked about the February 21-24 meeting in Rome of the presidents of the worlds bishops conferences on the prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults in the Church, Card. Parolin said he hopes the initiative can strengthen, or rather continue to draw attention in favour of the victims in creating safe conditions for minors and vulnerable people. He thinks that the attention of the participants will focus above all on how to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable people. He hopes this will be the common path and approach for the Church in dealing with this phenomenon. Obviously, the cardinal pointed out, each one can apply it to the local situation but it will be a clear policy of the whole Church. Let it also be an approach that takes into account all the aspects of the phenomenon, which are many and interconnected, and let it then proceed with an approach that is inspired by evangelical criteria with regard to all people, he said. Hopes for Pope in 2019 Finally, speaking about the several foreign trips of Pope Francis in 2019, his closest collaborator wished that the Lord support the Holy Father in his continuous giving of himself to the Church, and to the Christian communities that find themselves in situations of difficulty and marginality. Card. Parolin wished that this hope and love may continue to be kindled in the hearts of men, for which so many love him and feel him particularly close. Many, he said, truly see in him a hope for a more supportive world, for a more peaceful world, for a world made to measure for man and for brotherhood. 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New B Connected members who earn 500 points or 50 table game points three times during the 21-day period can unlock category two rewards, including $15 food credits. New members who earn 1,000 points or 100 table game points three times during the 21-day period can unlock category three rewards, including $30 food credits. Nothing can stop the cult van : Sightseeing tours in an old VW bus Bonn Very few drivers get to sit at the wheel like Christoph Nettekoven. Even at five degrees Celsius, he lets his left arm hang out of the driver's window and caresses the chromed side mirror at every red traffic light. During sightseeing tours through Bonn, he takes guests to places in his van that tourists do not see on conventional bus tours. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Very few drivers get to sit at the wheel like Christoph Nettekoven. Even at five degrees Celsius, he lets his left arm hang out of the driver's window and caresses the chromed side mirror at every red traffic light. The relationship withhis old VW bus is a special one. Nettekoven, himself built in 1953, once drove through Morocco with such a model. "I was what we now call a hippie," he says. The T1 Bulli hes showing now, built in 1966, was driven as an export car through the USA. During sightseeing tours through Bonn, he takes guests to places in his van that tourists do not see on conventional bus tours. There is almost nothing that can stop Nettekoven and his bus. The eight-seater fits through the alleys of the old town, can turn around in the narrow spaces between the old buildings of the Sudstadt and stop at the roadside without paralysing all the traffic. Even the bollards of the city of Bonn are no obstacle. "Normal cars can't get through, but the Bulli is much narrower," says Nettekoven as he manoeuvers his way through the grey poles at the Old Town Hall. And suddenly the turquoise-blue bus stands next to coffee-drinking students and a young mother with a pram waiting at the pedestrian lights by red light. Anyone else would have probably drawn angry or at least annoyed glances. The Bulli, on the other hand, brings a smile to people's faces. Compliments ensue: "Beautiful car!", "May I come with you?" or "I always wanted one like this". "It's a vehicle that still has character. When you stand in front of it, the big round headlights make you laugh," says Nettekoven. But in order for the car to be able to roll through Bonn, he had to invest a lot. After it was imported from the USA, it was extensively restored. In the driveway of a relative in Endenich, he worked for months on the VW bus, always under observation of passers-by and neighbours. "But what I did was partly amateurish," Nettekoven admits. Friesen then switches to accent-free English. So the turquoise-white seats could certainly have been covered more true to the original or the curtains could have been sewn cleaner. "But I did it myself." He sounds proud. Nettekoven tried to preserve as much patina as possible not only for money reasons but because a perfectionist revision commissioned can quickly cost tens of thousands of Euro. "You can see the car's history the way it is now," he says. On the dashboard there is a faded badge with a dove of peace. The worn handholds bear witness to wild journeys and adventurous stories. All these stories can be heard from Nettekoven, like those from the big demos in the 1980s in Bonn's Hofgarten. "There was something mad going on, 300,000 people, but hardly any policemen. It's hard to imagine." Daniel Friesen also makes sure that you can imagine what once happened in Bonn. With "Bonn City Tours", the historian has been offering tourist tours for some time but now also on Nettekoven's passenger seat. "In the beginning we did it for a donation, but it wasn't economical," he says. It takes two to three hours all over the federal city. When the car rolls over the cobblestones, the music is either turned up or he has to speak louder. Above all, international guests are very interested. Friesen then switches to accent-free English. But the real unique selling point is the folding roof of the Bulli", which makes it so rare and sought-after. The model is now worth around 100,000 Euro. "In the cherry blossom season, the convertible is especially great," says Friesen, who then gets many inquiries from Asian tourists. Even in winter, when it gets too cold for an open top, the guests want it. Like so much with the Bulli, there is a pragmatic solution: Warm blankets are always on board and a hot drink. Info:The classic Volkswagen buses are called Bulli in Germany as a combination of the words Bus and Lieferwagen (delivery van) - showing the two strong talents of this neat little vintage vehicle. Original text: Nicolas Ottersbach The HCM City court on Friday ordered Grab to pay US$210,300 to local taxi firm Vinasun for its violations during 2016-17, which caused losses for the Vietnamese firm.-Photo vneconomy.vn The compensation was much lower than Vinasuns demand, which was VND41.2 billion, the loss Vinasun suffered in 2016-17. Vinasun alleged Grab was the sole factor for the earnings decline, as Grab entered Viet Nam in 2015. At the court, the citys procuracy said Vinasun had not provided evidence that proved Grabs violations were the only causes for its losses. Therefore, the procuracy denied Vinasuns demand for compensation of VND41.2 billion. The court also maintained its judgement made on October 23 that Grab was accused of predatory pricing and abusing the transport ministrys Decision 24 on piloting contracted passenger transportation. Grab claimed to be a technology firm but Vinasun reported it as a taxi transport company with a large number of drivers. Grab operation in Vietnam was said to have hurt local taxi companies earnings by offering cheaper fares. The procuracy said it would report the case to the Supreme Peoples Procuracy of Vietnam, the Ministry of Transport and other Government agencies to develop a new transport law to ensure fairness for all businesses. The court judges acknowledged Grab had violated Vietnams laws on transportation. As the number of Grab cars increased, more Vinasun taxis would be abandoned and unused, raising inventory and maintenance costs for the Vietnamese firm. The lawsuit ran for 18 months. The real estate market in Phan Thiet District, Binh Thuan Province is set to boom thanks to upcoming transport upgrades. Important infrastructure such as Dau Giay-Phan Thiet Highway and Phan Thiet Airport were seeing good progress after lengthy delays, said Savills Vietnam. The Ministry of Transportation has announced the investment plan for Dau Giay-Phan Thiet Highway, which will begin construction in 2020. This project will shorten driving time from HCM City from four hours to 2.5 hours. Another important project is the Phan Thiet Airport, which is under final planning stages and is expected to be operational in 2022. The Dau Giay-Phan Thiet Highway will further increase visitors from HCM City and will grow the number of northern visitors, who are currently very limited in Binh Thuan, Troy Griffiths, Deputy Managing Director Savills Vietnam told Viet Nam News. Holiday home products will be attractive to wealthy HCM City and Ha Noi buyers. These potential buyers have shown great interest in holiday home products as they offer a combination of lifestyle and long-term investment. Long Thanh International Airport is in the final planning stage and its first phase is expected to be ready in 2025 with a capacity of 25 million passengers annually. Located 130 km from Binh Thuan, the international airport is expected to service many foreign visitors. This will be a major advantage for province, as foreign visitors tend to spend more than local visitors. Both the hospitality and holiday home markets will benefit from the high volume of foreign tourists. While the hotel segment can secure higher rents and occupancy, holiday home projects can expect to boost buyer confidence in term of returns and capital gain, Griffiths said. Tran Nguyen Minh Hai, real estate expert of the Banking University in HCM City, was quoted by vneconomy.vn as saying that this year, the three largest resort real estate markets in Viet Nam, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, have levelled off. Therefore, investment would shift from these markets to emerging markets such as Quy Nhon and Phan Thiet. "Phan Thiet is an ideal place to attract capital from HCM City investors thanks to its geographical advantages," he said. On the other hand, in the first six months of 2018, investment focused on Viet Nams three mooted special economic zones, namely Van Don in the northern province of Quang Ninh Bac Van Phong in the central province of Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang. However, Viet Nam does not have yet a law for special zones so the investors in the zones have moved their investment to markets like Phan Thiet, according to Hai. At present, Phan Thiet resorts have a very soft price against other markets because this real estate market is in the stage of building infrastructure. The price is expected to increase when infrastructure is completed and peak in 2020 when Phan Thiet Airport comes into operation, according to him. Griffiths said the majority of holiday home products in Binh Thuan launched before 2013 with low selling prices; after this period, the market suffered a downturn in line with the global economic crisis. After the recovery of the economy, low real estate investment in Phan Thiet resulted in limited new supply and a bearish market with low achievable prices. Limited diversification and limited supply made the city less competitive compared to Da Nang and Nha Trang, according to Savills Viet Nam. Binh Thuan has numerous approved projects by local developers, but many have been withdrawn because of delays. Now, however, Rang Dong JSC is a major developer in Binh Thuan with the development of the large-scale Sea Links City. Novaland launched a holiday villa project in Mui Ne. Other local developers, such as TTC, FLC and TMS, are planning to launch projects in the near future. The progress of supporting infrastructure and the high price of major coastal cities has directed investment towards emerging markets like Phan Thiet. Savills Viet Nam reported Phan Thiet possesses ideal conditions for tourism development such as sunny weather, proximity to HCM City and beautiful beaches. Meanwhile, the holiday home market has not developed to its full potential and has not kept up with other coastal cities such as Nha Trang and Da Nang. Many large-scale projects have had approval but delays continue due to the lack of supporting infrastructure and limited efforts by authorities to improve tourism products. While other coastal cities have diversified tourism projects, the main product in Phan Thiet and Binh Thuan are mostly land plots, targeting speculators. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Source: VNA) He urged Government members and local authorities to listen to public feedback to promptly deal with issues. As the year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minhs Testament, the PM said the legal system, theoretical work and organisation must serve the aspiration for national prosperity so that the country will not be left behind in Asia, or even in the world. Government members and local authorities were asked to hold responsibility for the people and country, fix existing shortcomings and hold regular dialogues with the public. According to the leader, the economys resilience to regional and global changes remains weak while bureaucracy and corruption have eroded public trust. Residents in disaster-hit areas still face difficulties; social vices, school violence and shark loans need to be strictly dealt with. While many localities successfully raised capital, others posted poor provincial competitiveness index, especially in terms of administration appraisal. Several localities are yet to seriously follow regulations on citizens reception, he said. PM Phuc added that on January 1, 2019, the Government will sign its Resolution No.01 detailing major tasks to realise the socio-economic development plan and State budget 2019 and Resolution No.02 on improving business environment and national competitiveness in 2019 with orientations to 2021. A resolution on investment in build-transfer model will also be signed on December 29, he said. The Minister of Home Affairs was assigned to work with relevant ministries to submit a plan to the Government on the continued decentralization of power to Ho Chi Minh City and localities. The PM also called for attention to combating corruption, strengthening measures to prevent goods hoarding and smuggling ahead of the coming Lunar New Year festival. This picture taken on Dec 28, 2018 shows a tourist bus which was attacked being towed away from the scene, in Giza province south of the Egyptian capital Cairo. (Photo: AFP) A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded. The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said. The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement. Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 per cent safe". "It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists. "We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Later, a statement issued by the United States condemning the attack. "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said. TOURISM STRUGGLING Egypt's tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terror attacks and domestic instability that has hit the country in recent years. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist assailant at the Egyptian Red Sea beach resort of Hurgada. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula. That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power. Egypt has since been seeking to lure tourists back and spur the lucrative sector by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. Tourism has slowly started picking up. The official statistics agency says tourists arrivals in Egypt in 2017 reached 8.2 million, up from 5.3 million the year before. But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million visitors flocked see the country's sites. Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi. Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local IS branch. More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October. The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major tourist draw attracting visitors from across the globe. Fighting between Somali regional troops and al-Shabab militants Saturday left at least 22 people dead, witnesses and officials said. The fighting in South Western Somalia started after heavily armed al-Shabab militants tried to overrun a military base in the Bay region. A Somali government official told VOA Somali that the soldiers engaged in a fierce battle for more than six hours with the militants, who attacked the base from four directions. "They attacked us from four directions with the aim of running over our base at around 7 a.m. local time, after five hours of fierce battle we finally warded them off and forced them to flee," said Col. Osman Nurow. Nurow said government army forces sent from a nearby Baidoa town to reinforce the base immediately joined the battle, killing at least 14 militants. Newly elected regional president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, also known as Lafta Gareen, said the regional forces lost eight soldiers in the battle. Multiple independent witnesses contacted by VOA confirmed the government claim, saying they saw the bodies of at least 14 militants. Goof Gaduud, a village 30km from Baidoa town of Bay region has often been a battleground for al Shabaab militants and government soldiers. For the past two years, hardly a month has passed without militants attacking the base, which was briefly occupied and destroyed several times. The Australian government has stripped citizenship from a man it believes is a top recruiter for Islamic State, Australias home affairs minister said Saturday. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said in an emailed statement to Reuters that Melbourne-born Neil Prakash has been stripped of his citizenship. Prakash has been in Turkey on trial for terrorism-related activities since being caught there in October 2016 after leaving Islamic State-controlled territory. He is wanted in Australia on terrorism-related activities, including an alleged plot to behead a Melbourne police officer on Anzac Day. Australian citizenship My first priority is and always will be the safety and security of all Australians, Dutton said in his statement. This government is determined to deal with foreign terrorist fighters as far from our shores as possible. Prakash, whose mother was Cambodian and father was Fijian Indian, held both Australian and Fijian citizenship through his father. Under Australias citizenship laws, a dual national can lose their Australian citizenship if they act contrary to their allegiance to Australia by choosing to be involved in terrorism. Prakash is the 12th person to be stripped of citizenship. Islamic State was declared a terrorist organization in May 2016 for this purpose, the Home Affairs Office said in its statement. To be in the service of such a terrorist organization, as Mr Prakash was, is to act inconsistently with your allegiance to Australia, and we will do everything we can to ensure he is brought to account for his crimes, Dutton said. Notified by letter The decision came into effect Dec. 21 when Prakash was notified by letter, and the Fijian government has also been notified according to a source close to the Australian government. Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and has appeared in Islamic State videos and magazines. Australia has alleged that he actively recruited Australian men, women and children and encouraged acts of militancy. Australia has been pressing Turkey to extradite Prakash since he was first detained, but the request was rejected in July. It will remain in place until the conclusion of his case and any custodial sentence, The Australian newspaper reported. Canberra canceled Prakashs passport in 2014 and announced financial sanctions in 2015, including anyone giving him financial assistance, with punishment of up to 10 years in jail. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hopes to win a third consecutive term in general elections based on impressive economic growth under her decade-long rule, but her opponents accuse her of authoritarianism and eroding democracy. The elections being held Sunday pit Hasina's Awami League party against an opposition alliance called the National Unity Front that was cobbled together three months ago by 82-year-old Kamal Hossain, a former foreign minister and lawyer. The country's main opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, is in jail and banned from contesting polls. The 71-year-old Hasina, has promised to "build a non-communal, golden Bangladesh free from hunger, poverty and illiteracy," and make the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million a middle income country by 2021. While there is widespread agreement that the economy has raced ahead, the opposition has called conditions development without democracy. It has campaigned on a platform of doing away with laws that rights groups say give the government sweeping powers to go after dissenters and harass the media. Security has been tightened ahead of the polls and tens of thousands of soldiers and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across the country to protect the approximately 40,000 election booths. Sunday's vote will be held after a violent campaign in which at least six people were killed. The opposition alleges that it was mainly their supporters who were victims. Opposition leader Hossain has said many of the candidates were too scared to come out after a spate of attacks on election rallies. Ataur Rahman, professor of political science at Dhaka University, says the opposition concerns are genuine. "Most of the violence was against opposition candidates and opposition activists," he says. "They did not get adequate space to mobilize the people, and they strongly argue, and most of that is true, that they were muzzled by the government, there were so many cases against them in courts." The opposition says more than 8,000 of its supporters have been detained since the election was announced last month and hundreds of cases brought against the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party. Its leader, Khaleda Zia, who was jailed in February on charges of corruption, says the cases against her are politically motivated. Zia and Hasina have been the main contenders for power in the South Asian country in recent decades and are bitter political rivals. But Zia's imprisonment has weakened the opposition in a country where political leaders traditionally rally supporters at large political gatherings. The leader of the opposition alliance, Hossain, is not standing for a seat in parliament, making it unclear who is their prime ministerial candidate. On the other hand, political analysts, say Hasina has consolidated power and strengthened her hold on state institutions since 2014, when Zia boycotted the polls. "There was virtually no opposition in parliament, there was no accountability in that sense," says Ataur Rahman. Hasina's Awami League is brushing aside criticism of undermining democracy and is focusing on the economic progress witnessed in recent years to rally voters. Per capita incomes have tripled since 2009. The $ 30 billion garment industry that sustains most jobs, is booming. Bangladesh has witnessed average growth of over 6 per cent in the past decade, development indices such as health have improved and the country has won praise from the World Bank for reducing extreme poverty. The one concern say some economists is that income inequality has increased. "Growth has been there, but not for everybody proportionately. So that is a major issue," according to Debapriya Bhattacharya at Dhaka's Center for Policy Dialogue. Most political analysts expect Hasina to win another term in power but caution that much will depend on voter turnout low voter participation is expected to favor Hasina and a higher turnout the opposition. More than 100 million people are eligible to vote. Meanwhile some concerns have been expressed about the fairness of the poll. Human Rights Watch, in a report last week, said a "repressive political environment in Bangladesh is undermining the credibility of the process." Opposition leader Hossain has urged supporters who might be intimidated by the violence during the campaign to come out to vote. "My appeal to the people: Be brave, this is our right," he said. A Chinese appeals court on Saturday agreed with prosecutors that a 15-year sentence was too lenient for a Canadian man convicted of drug smuggling. The court ordered that Robert Lloyd Schellenberg be retried in the city of Dalian, where he was originally tried and sentenced. The decision will likely aggravate already strained relations between Canada and China over what appear to be retaliatory steps taken by China after Canadian authorities arrested a Chinese tech company executive. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer for Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1 on behalf of the United States, which is seeking her extradition over alleged violations of U.S. trade sanctions on Iran. Following the arrest, China detained two Canadian citizens in China on national security charges. A third Canadian citizen, a teacher, was also taken into custody this month over issues with her visa but was released and allowed to return to Canada, Global Affairs Canada announced Saturday. Schellenberg could face a much more severe penalty, including death, when he is retried. The appellate court ruled that the jail sentence handed down by the lower court was "obviously inappropriate" because Schellenberg is accused of "playing an important role" in what may be an international drug smuggling ring, the court's announcement said. In recent years China has executed citizens from several foreign countries, including Britain, Japan and the Philippines, following convictions on drug charges. Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate raids in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said Saturday, a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people. The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Fridays attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said terrorist elements were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry. Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State. State news agency MENA said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle. The ministry did not give any details about the suspects identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously. The ministry published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them. Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypts world-famous Giza pyramids. Egypts military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the Arab Spring protests of 2011. Eritrea has blocked entry for Ethiopians at one of the border crossings that opened this year after the neighbors ended a long military standoff and restored relations, an Ethiopian official and people who live near the crossing said on Friday. Liya Kassa, spokeswoman for the regional administration in the Tigray region that borders Eritrea, said Ethiopian citizens and Ethiopia-licensed vehicles traveling to Eritrea from the Ethiopian town of Rama were asked for "permits" on Wednesday. Those using a crossing in Zalambessa were asked the same on Thursday, she said. "The restrictions have only been imposed on the Eritrean side," she said. "We did not receive any prior notice." It was not clear why Ethiopians were being prevented from entering at the Zalambessa crossing, which was shut on Thursday morning and remained closed on Friday, said Solomon Desta, a minibus driver on the Ethiopian side, speaking by phone. The crossing opened in September, after the countries agreed to remove their troops as part of a reconciliation process. Thousands of people have crossed since. Trade has flourished and families separated since war broke out between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998 have reunited. A spokesman for Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry told reporters on Thursday that he had no information about any border restrictions. Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Ghebremeskel, did not respond to phone calls on Friday. Tsegaye Kassaye, a tire fixer on the Ethiopian side of the frontier, said by phone that Eritreans were being permitted to enter Eritrea, and Ethiopians were being allowed to leave. From fire and fury to talks of a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, 2018 was a significant year of engagement for the once reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including multiple meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore. But to fully understand the events of the past year, its important to revisit key events in 2017 that created the momentum for the detente achieved in the past 12 months. Rocket man to summit In August 2017, Trump took a harsh stance against Kim for threatening the United States. North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States, Trump said. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. The remarks elicited a rebuke from North Korea. We cannot have a sound dialogue with a senile man who cant think rationally and only absolute force can work on him, Pyongyang said. This is the judgment made by our soldiers of the Strategic Force. Trump took aim at North Korea again at the 2017 United Nations General Assembly where he proclaimed, Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully, this will not be necessary. Which led Kim Jong Un to announce during his New Years address that the entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, a statement linked to the successful Hwaseong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile test in November adding, This is a reality, not a threat. 2018 begins with hope Following Kims Jan. 1 address, the tone on the peninsula changed. South Koreas president reached out to Pyongyang to partner with South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. North Koreas high-level delegation to the event included Kim Jong Uns sister, Kim Yo Jong. She attended the opening ceremony, sitting along side President Moon and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and was the first member of the ruling Kim family to cross the border since the 1950-53 Korean War. Yongwook Ryu of the Institute for North Korean Studies commented on the change taking place on the peninsula. In 2017, we witnessed very high tensions, but beginning from 2018, hopes have been raised that Inter-Korean relations would improve [and that] the U.S.-North Korea relations also would improve, he said. In April, Moon held the first of three summits with Kim. The pair agreed to work toward denuclearization, ease military tensions, and improve inter-Korean relations. Their third summit in September brought about concrete plans to promote economic ties between the two countries and reduce the chances of skirmishes. In June Trump and Kim met in Singapore. It was the first meeting ever between a North Korean leader and a sitting U.S. president. Significant or window dressing? Ryu calls the April inter-Korean summit and the June Singapore summit two of the most significant events during the past year. He said the Panmunjom Declaration, signed by Moon and Kim in April was a significant improvement on all the previous inter-Korean summit decorations in terms of making progress in inter-Korean relations with a number of integration projects that seek to develop [the] North Korean economy and invite North Korea to the international community. However, the Asan Institutes Seong Whun Cheon downplayed the importance of the summits, criticizing the lack of concrete outcomes and noting Kim Jong Un made his intentions clear during his New Years address. They (the summits) are not big moments its window dressing without substance, Cheon said. In order to understand the current issue were facing, he added, I think we have to read his [New Years address] very carefully once again. The first thing he did was to proclaim that he accomplished his mission of becoming a nuclear weapon [state]. He said that Kim further ordered North Korea to mass produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles before beginning his economic and cultural engagement policies with the world. Since the third inter-Korean summit in September, North Korea denuclearization talks have stalled and their future remains unknown as 2019 approaches. 2019 unclear During the September inter-Korean summit, Moon invited Kim to visit Seoul. It was a visit that he had hoped would take place before 2019 arrived, but that looks nearly impossible. The Moon administration is still hopeful a visit could take place in early 2019, but no details have been made public. Likewise, Trump has indicated a willingness to meet for a second time with Kim in early 2019, but details of such a summit remain absent. Cheon would like world leaders to take advantage of the optimistic moment and persuade Kim Jong Un to abandon his nuclear weapons, creating a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. The yardstick to use whether the past year was successful in terms of increasing peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is whether Kim Jong Un has made a full commitment [and] to give up nuclear weapons, he said. However, in his assessment, Kim has not made such a commitment, and Cheon predicts the current impasse with North Korea will continue for years to come, if not decades. Ryu sees a number of likely scenarios taking place in the forthcoming year. I think the best scenario for everybody is [for] Kim Jong Un [to change] his mind and become serious about denuclearization, he said, If he takes steps towards denuclearization, then South Korea, USA, along with many other countries in the international community would provide economic benefits to his government. And thats good for him. But unless we see an entirely different North Korean society [that] have a different view about nuclear weapons we cannot change anything, Cheon said. Cheon believes the key to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is transforming North Korean society and making the population believe nuclear weapons are actually harmful and negatively affect their personal and their countrys prosperity. He noted this is not something that can be achieved quickly, but is a long-term game. If no real progress is made on North Korean denuclearization, Ryu thinks it may be likely that more pressure may be applied to Pyongyang, and events could return to levels of tension last seen in 2017. Lee Ju-hyun contributed to this report. The government of Ecuador has banned most fireworks on the Galapagos Islands to protect the islands unique animal inhabitants from the stress caused by the sound of explosions. Officials announced the ban Friday, just days before New Years celebrations in which fireworks are traditionally set off. The Galapagos Islands local council said in a statement that it had passed unanimously a resolution that prohibits the importation, sale, distribution and use of fireworks or pyrotechnics in the Galapagos province. Officials say the islands wildlife previously suffered from heart problems and nervous stress because of the sound of fireworks set off on the World Heritage Site. They also say the ban on fireworks will prevent any possible deterioration of air quality as well as prevent the pollution of water sources. This is a gift to conservation for Ecuador and the world, Lorena Tapia, president of the local council, said on her Twitter account. The council said fireworks that produce light but no noise would still be permitted. The Galapagos Islands government has already banned single-use plastics. The archipelagos 13 main islands, which lie about 1,000 kilometers from Ecuadors coast, are home to thousands of residents as well as being a tourist destination. Known for its unique species of animals and plants, the islands are also famous for being the place where Briton Charles Darwin visited and carried out research before he came up with his theory of evolution. Regulators in Germany have approved a plan for an $8 billion underwater tunnel connecting Denmark and Germany. Officials in Germany's northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein approved the plan Friday, which calls for 19 kilometers of rail and road tunnel, linking the Danish island of Lolland to the German island of Fehmarn. The project, to be built by Denmark's state-owned Femern A/S, includes a four-lane motorway and a two-track railway. It was partly funded by the European Union. Femern A/S now has 14 days to review the approval from the Schleswig-Holstein state transport ministry before it is signed. The company's project director, Claus Dynesen, said in a statement that environmental conditions, which have delayed the process since the project's launch five years ago, have been met. The application to build the tunnel was first submitted in 2013 and has been through two rounds of public consultation in Germany. Most of the construction work will take place at a factory in the Danish city of Rodbyhavn. The project is expected to be completed by 2024. The train and road link will provide a fast corridor between Copenhagen and Hamburg. It is expected to cut the train journey between the two cities from the current time of just less than five hours to a little more than two hours. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Friday visited the Texas border city where an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy was detained with his father before dying in government custody. DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said earlier in the week that Nielsen was scheduled to tour multiple stations and substations, and was also scheduled to meet with emergency medical technicians and medical professionals, as well as local officials. Nielsen then was scheduled to go to Yuma, Arizona, Saturday. DHS did not immediately release more details on the trip or whom Nielsen met, saying it was closed to the press. Late Friday, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo confirmed he was among those who met with Nielsen, saying they discussed our immigration needs on the border. The statement from Margo, a Republican, did not mention the boys death or whether it was discussed. The trip came four days after the death of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Felipe was the second Guatemalan child to die in government custody in three weeks. Senators want answers Nielsen has called the death deeply concerning and heartbreaking and requested medical help from other government agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard. As Nielsen made the trip to Texas, New Mexicos Democratic senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, sent her a letter Friday seeking answers about the boys death. The timeline, action and factors that led to Felipes death are still developing, but the information that has become public so far is alarming and demands immediate attention and investigation, the letter says. Felipe and his father, Agustin Gomez, were apprehended by border agents Dec. 18 near the Paso del Norte bridge connecting El Paso to Juarez, Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The two were detained at the bridges processing center and then the Border Patrol station in El Paso, until being taken about 1 a.m. Sunday to a facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. Cause of death under investigation After an agent noticed Felipe coughing, father and son were taken to an Alamogordo hospital, where Felipe was diagnosed with a common cold and found to have a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius), CBP has said. Felipe was held for observation for 90 minutes, according to CBP, before being released with prescriptions for amoxicillin and ibuprofen. But the boy fell sick hours later on Monday and was re-admitted to the hospital. He died just before midnight. New Mexico authorities said late Thursday that an autopsy shows Felipe had the flu, but more tests need to be done before a cause of death can be determined. Yemen's Houthi rebels have started withdrawing from the port of Hodeida, a U.N. official said Saturday. Handing over control of Hodeida, a key lifeline for Yemen, was included in a U.N.-sponsored agreement signed in Sweden earlier this month. The withdrawal is one in a series of measures in the agreement that could lead to an end of Yemen's 4-year-old civil war. During the conflict, the Iranian-aligned Houthis have clashed with a Yemeni government backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The pullout began after the two sides observed a week-long cease-fire in Hodeida, a point of entry for aid to about 14 million Yemenis the U.N. says are on the verge of famine. The U.N. adds the war's affect on civilians has created the world's worst humanitarian disaster. A U.N. team led by retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert arrived in the city last week to oversee the cease-fire. The agreement, the first significant breakthrough in peace efforts in five years, also calls for the Houthi's to withdraw from the port of Salif and Rass Issa. It is still unclear how far the rebels will withdraw and who will control the ports. Sears Holdings Corp. Chairman Eddie Lampert submitted a $4.4 billion takeover bid for the bankrupt U.S. retailer, representing its only chance of escaping liquidation and laying off tens of thousands of workers, a spokesman for the billionaires hedge fund said Friday. Lamperts bid is backed in part by $1.3 billion in financing from three different financial institutions, the spokesman for his hedge fund, ESL Investments Inc., said. It would preserve about 425 stores that Sears has yet to close and secure the jobs of up to 50,000 workers out of the 68,000 employed by the retailer. An affiliate of ESL, Transform Holdco LLC, submitted the bid, the spokesman said. People familiar with the matter said the financing comes from Sears existing lenders Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc, as well Royal Bank of Canada, which was not previously a lender, which together agreed to provide a $950 million asset-based loan and a $350 million revolving credit line. Some of Lamperts bid relies on $1.8 billion of Sears debt that ESL already holds and plans to forgive to back the offer, the sources said. The bid also includes about $400 million in financing from non-bank lenders, the sources said. The bid contemplates assuming protection agreements Sears has previously sold to reassure customers who have bought appliances, televisions, lawn tractors and other big-ticket items, the ESL spokesman said. Factoring for all considerations, we believe that our going concern bid provides the best path forward for the company, the best option to save tens of thousands of jobs and is superior for all of Sears stakeholders to the alternative of a complete liquidation, the ESL spokesman said. Much work remains and there is no assurance our proposal will be completed. Next move is Sears' Sears will now evaluate the bid to determine whether it is viable, and there remains a possibility the company could reject it, some of the sources said. A Sears spokeswoman declined to comment. Bank representatives either had no immediate comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge must approve any sale of Sears. The judge will weigh the opinions of other stakeholders, including unsecured creditors who have argued they could recover more of their investment if the department store operator winds down. Without the financing or another buyer, Sears faces the prospect of closing its doors for good and putting roughly 68,000 people out of work. 125-year-old retailer The 125-year-old retailer filed for bankruptcy Oct. 15 and developed plans to restructure around the sale of 500 stores and businesses including Kenmore, DieHard and the companys home services division. Only Lamperts ESL offered to buy the entire company. The only other bids Sears has received are from suitors interested in pieces of the company and liquidators prepared to run going-out-of-business sales at stores and shut down the retailer. Sears dates back to the late 1880s. Its mail-order catalogs with merchandise ranging from toys, medicine and gramophones to automobiles, kit houses and tombstones made it the Amazon.com Inc. of its time. But the iconic retailer gradually lost its shine as consumers increasingly favored brick-and-mortar rivals such as Walmart Inc and Target Corp and e-commerce. Lampert, who through ESL is Sears biggest shareholder and creditor, formed Sears Holdings in 2005 by acquiring Sears Roebuck in an $11 billion deal and combining it with discount chain Kmart, which he had also taken over. Lampert had pledged to restore Sears to its glory days, when it owned the Sears Tower in Chicago, then the worlds tallest building, and companies that included a radio station and Allstate insurance. But the company stopped turning a profit in 2011, and it gradually started to sell assets, such as its legendary Craftsman brand and many of its properties, to stay afloat. Sears Holdings listed $6.9 billion in assets and $11.3 billion in liabilities in documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York. The largest U.S. toy retailer, Toys R Us, tried to emerge from its 2017 bankruptcy filing but was forced to liquidate six months later after creditors lost confidence in its turnaround plan. Nigeria's ruling party held a rally to mark the launch of President Muhammadu Buhari's re-election bid on Friday in the southern city of Uyo, hours after naming a campaign team which includes Africa's richest man. A presidential election is scheduled to take place on Feb. 16 to determine who will lead Africa's biggest crude oil producer and the continent's most populous country. At the launch of the campaign, Buhari told an audience in the southern city capital of Akwa Ibom state that his government was winning the fight against Islamists who have stepped up attacks in the northeast aimed at creating a state adhering to a strict interpretation of Sharia law. Security an issue Buhari addressed his audience in the wake of an attack by militants in the town of Baga, in eastern Borno state the latest in a string of strikes in the last few months by militants allied with Islamic State that has turned security into a campaign issue in the run-up to the poll. "Many local governments were held by the Boko Haram insurgents when we assumed office but none, presently, is physically controlled by the group," said Buhari. "We are going to secure this country, we are going to manage it properly. We will continue to improve the situation, security, economy and fighting corruption," said Buhari, a 76-year-old former military ruler who took office in 2015. Southern states Buhari, a Muslim from the predominantly Muslim north, typically has not had support from voters in the largely Christian southern states. Earlier, Buhari's ruling party the All Progressives Congress (APC) named members of the "presidential campaign council, members of Buhari's core re-election team. Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man who primarily made his money through a cement business, was named as a member of Buhari's special advisory committee. Billionaire oil magnate Femi Otedola was also named as a member of the committee. Despite challenges on multiple fronts, Afghanistan seems more likely than at any time in recent history to come to a favorable political settlement, according to a report released this week by the Pentagon, which cited the effects of a recent military escalation coupled with diplomatic initiatives. In a yearly assessment required by the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon this week submitted a detailed report on the war in Afghanistan to U.S. lawmakers, detailing the country's progress and challenges in fiscal year 2018-2019. Among the challenges facing Kabul are the lack of political stability, the capabilities of the national security force and interference from other regional powers, the report assessed. "The current military situation inside of Afghanistan remains at an impasse. The introduction of additional advisers and enablers in 2018 stabilized the situation, slowing the momentum of a Taliban march that had capitalized on U.S. drawdowns between 2011 and 2016," the report said. "Diplomatic, religious, military and social pressures, enabled by the conditions-based strategy, and buoyed by increased international engagement, have forced the Taliban senior leadership to debate whether to enter negotiations with the Afghan government," the report added. Strategy in Afghanistan In August 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his administration's strategy on Afghanistan and put forth a case for staying the course and not allowing the country to become a haven for terrorists who would once again pose a threat to U.S. national security. "I share the American people's frustration. I also share their frustration over a foreign policy that has spent too much time, energy, money and most importantly lives, trying to rebuild countries in our own image," President Trump said at the time, promising to end nation-building and focus instead on U.S. national security interests. Trump said the new U.S. strategy would shift from a timeline-based approach to a condition-based one. WATCH: Facts on the war in Afghanistan The new report by the Pentagon comes as the Trump administration is reportedly considering withdrawing roughly half of the 14,000 U.S. troops currently deployed to Afghanistan. No formal announcement on the potential drawdown has yet been made. U.S. troops in the country 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. The Pentagon assessment warns that Afghanistan continues to be threatened by more than 20 terror groups operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, which, if left unchecked, could pose a threat to U.S. national security interests. "Since October 2001, U.S. [counterterrorism] efforts in Afghanistan have prevented another large-scale terrorist attack against the U.S. homeland," the assessment said. "However, the existence of more than 20 terrorist or insurgent groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including ISIS-K [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan], requires an Afghan-supported U.S. platform in the region to monitor, contain and respond to these threats," the assessment added. Regional players The Pentagon report also discusses regional state actors involved and engaged in Afghanistan. It adds that as part of the U.S. strategy, the U.S. military is also pushing for a regional approach to enhance stability in South Asia. "This includes building a broad consensus for a stable Afghanistan, emphasizing regional economic integration and cooperation, stressing cooperation for an Afghan-led peace process, and holding countries accountable for their use of proxies or other means to undermine stability and regional confidence," the report said. While engaging with several regional countries, U.S. has stepped up efforts to seek a negotiated settlement to the war and has held several rounds of direct talks with the Taliban. Earlier this month, U.S diplomats, led by the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, and Taliban delegates concluded another round of talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Taliban insurgents have increased their contacts with regional countries recently. A senior U.S. military official told VOA in October that the insurgent group has established ties with Iran and Russia, as both countries are vying for influence in Afghanistan. "I think what they [Russia] are doing trying to do is they are pursuing a strategy which is to compete with us by trying to exert their influence wherever they can, whether it is in Afghanistan or Syria or anywhere else," Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, told VOA. "They [Iranian leaders] don't have any, obviously, any love for us [the U.S.] here, but I do think Iran shares concerns along their eastern border, the western part of Afghanistan, and is concerned about the threat of this emanating onto them," Votel added. Russian officials assert the country is in touch with the insurgents to encourage them to engage in peace talks. "We maintain these contacts primarily for the sake of the security of Russian nationals in Afghanistan, Russian agencies there, and also to convince the Taliban to renounce armed conflict and join the national dialogue with the government," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in August. Iran In contrast, Iran, accused by the Afghan government of providing the Taliban with money, weapons and explosives, has been less vocal about its contacts with the Taliban. A senior Iranian security official, quoted this week by the country's official news agency, IRNA, confirmed that Iran has been in talks with insurgents. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the contacts have been made with the knowledge of the Afghan government. The recent Pentagon report said Iran is pursuing "a multitrack strategy" of engaging and trying to grow ties with the Afghan government and the Taliban. VOA's Carla Babb and Rikar Hussein contributed to this story. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. For firms like Facebook and Google, 2018 brought more scrutiny of their handling of data breaches and online speech. VOA's Michelle Quinn reports that may mean new rules and more regulation in the future. Silicon Valley has enjoyed years of popularity and growing markets. But 2018 has been rocky for the industry. Data breaches, controversies over offensive speech and misinformation as well as reports of foreign operatives use of their services have left many people skeptical about the benefits of social media, experts say. Worries about social media in Congress meant tech executives had to testify before committees several times this year. 2018 has been a challenging year for tech companies and consumers alike, said Pantas Sutardja, chief executive of LatticeWork Inc., a data storage firm. Company CEOs being called to Congress for hearings and promising profusely to fix the problems of data breach but still cannot do it. WATCH: Social Media's Year of Falling From Grace An apology tour Facebook drew the most scrutiny. The social networking giant endured criticism after revelations that its lax oversight allowed a political consulting firm to exploit millions of its users data. In the spring, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, went on what was dubbed an apology tour to tell users that the company would do a better job of protecting their data. The California firm faced other problems when data breaches at the site compromised user information. Other sharp criticism hit Facebook when false reports on its site sparked violence in places like Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Using social media to sow division Are Americas technology companies serving as instruments of freedom? asked Kevin McCarthy, R-California and the House Majority Leader during a congressional hearing. Or are they serving as instruments of manipulation used by powerful interests and foreign governments to rob the people of their power, agency, and dignity? Adding to concerns, the year saw new revelations of foreign operatives using social media to secretly spread divisive and often bogus messages in the U.S. and worldwide. It doesnt matter to whose benefit they were operating, said Walt Mossberg, a former tech columnist with the Wall Street Journal. What bothers people here is that a foreign country, using our social networks, digital products and services that we have come to feel comfortable in has come in and used that against us. Tech workers stand up In addition to data privacy and misinformation, online speech became a big issue this year. Under pressure, social media companies like YouTube, Twitter and Facebooks Instagram tightened restrictions on the kinds of speech they tolerate on their sites. Tech workers pressed managers about their companys government contracts, and Google workers staged a worldwide walkout over the treatment of female colleagues. The issue of user data has led some companies such as LatticeWork, a data storage firm, to create new ways for users to protect their data and themselves. Playing off peoples concerns about data, LatticeWorks markets its products as a way to bring your data home. #DeleteFacebook? Whats unclear however is whether concerns about personal data and tech company decisions will spur users to leave these services. Facebook revelations prompted some like Mossberg to give up Facebook and its other services such as Instagram. He wants federal law to limit U.S. internet firms collection and use of user data. Governments and citizens of countries around the world need the right to regulate them without closing down free speech, he said. And thats tricky. Some congressional members have vowed to pass a federal data privacy bill in the coming year, something that tech firms say they support. But whether new regulations build trust in digital services remains to be seen. An undocumented immigrant suspected of fatally shooting a police officer in the U.S. western state of California has been apprehended, bringing an end to a two-day manhunt. Gustavo Perez Arriaga, a 32-year-old Mexican national, was arrested Friday. He is accused of shooting to death Newman, California police Corporal Sonil Singh after Singh pulled him over on suspicion of driving under the influence. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson blamed the state's sanctuary law for the police officer's death. He said the law prevented police from reporting Arriaga to immigration officials for deportation after two previous drunken driving arrests. Christianson added that Arriaga had gang affiliations. California Governor Jerry Brown disputed Christianson's claims that officials could not report Arriaga to immigration authorities. Brown's spokesman said the law "fully permits the sharing of information on dangerous gang members." The slain police officer was also an immigrant, arriving legally from his native Fiji to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer. The fatal incident happens in the midst of a partial federal government shutdown that U.S. President Donald Trump has initiated because he wants Congress to allocate $5 billion towards building a wall at the U.S. border with Mexico. The president wants the wall to keep out South and Central American migrants that he has characterized as criminals and rapists. However, multiple studies have found immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens. U.S. President Donald Trump continued Saturday to stress the need for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall as a partial government shutdown, triggered by a stalemate over funding for the project, entered its eighth day. In a tweet Saturday, Trump said Democrats should take the initiative on ending the shutdown, saying, I am in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on border security. A budget standoff remains between Trump, who wants $5 billion in wall funding, and Democratic lawmakers, who back a modest increase in overall border security funding but resolutely oppose a wall. Close border, cut aid In a series of tweets Friday, Trump again threatened to close the entire U.S.-Mexico border and cut aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if Congress failed to give him money to fund the wall. He also asked for changes in what he said was the United States ridiculous immigration laws. Closing the U.S.-Mexican border would mean disrupting a $1.68 billion-a-day trade relationship between the two countries. In addition, immigrant advocates have called any move to seal the border disgraceful. In a tweet Saturday, Trump linked Democrats pathetic immigration policies with the deaths of two Guatemalan children while they were in U.S. custody. His comments, the first to reference the childrens deaths, came the same day that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was finishing a two-day visit to the southern U.S. border, where she said in a statement, The system is clearly overwhelmed and we must work together to address this humanitarian crisis. Trump has declined to comment on whether he might accept less than $5 billion for wall funding. When asked Wednesday how long he thought the shutdown would last, Trump told reporters, Whatever it takes. 420,000 work without pay Out of a workforce of about 2.1 million federal employees, more than 800,000 have been furloughed without pay. About 420,000 of those furloughed employees are being required to work without pay. Democrats have blamed Trump for plunging the country into chaos and have noted that, weeks ago, Trump said he would be proud to own a shutdown over border wall funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and presumed incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said in a joint statement, The president wanted the shutdown, but seems not to know how to get himself out of it. The Republican Party controls the White House, as well as both chambers of Congress. Next Thursday, however, a new Congress, with a Democrat-controlled House, will be seated. Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Channel on Friday, Were here, and they know where to find us. Mulvaney also blamed Democrats for the continuing shutdown, saying they have refused to negotiate since the White House made an offer last weekend. Lorella Praeli, deputy political director at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that Congress has an obligation to serve as a check on the executive branch. This government shutdown is due solely to Trumps border wall obsession and his refusal to abandon his anti-immigrant agenda, even at the cost of denying hundreds of thousands of federal workers their holiday paychecks and impacting operations at several federal agencies, Praeli said. Affected departments Among the government agencies affected by the partial shutdown that began Dec. 22 are the departments of Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Interior and the Executive Office of the President. Early Saturday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which had funding through midnight Friday, was shutdown. Many of the agencys 14,000 employees are being furloughed, EPA spokeswoman Molly Block said. Disaster-response teams and other employees deemed essential would continue to work, she added. If the partial shutdown continues, the Smithsonian Institution said it would begin closing its 19 museums, art galleries and National Zoo starting midweek. The Smithsonian attractions drew nearly 21 million visitors by the end of October 2018, according to the institutions website. It recorded 30 million visitors in 2017 Mexico's reaction Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters Friday that Trumps border-closure threat was an internal U.S. government matter. We take great care of the relationship with the government of the United States, Lopez Obrador said. Of course we will always defend our sovereignty. ... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights. Cutting funds to Central American countries would mean a cutback on humanitarian programs, according to State Department data. The aid includes assistance on civilian security, legal development and basic nutrition. The largest grant was spent to help with agriculture in Guatemala, where the U.S. Agency for International Development says food security is a grave concern. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday Democratic lawmakers should take the initiative to act on ending a partial government shutdown that was triggered by a stalemate over funding for his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. "I am in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security," Trump wrote. "From what I hear, they are spending so much time on Presidential Harassment that they have little time left for things like stopping crime and our military!" Although it is unclear, Trump's harassment reference may relate to information in a second tweet. He appeared to accuse Special Counsel Robert Mueller of deleting "approximately 19,000 text messages shared between former F.B.I. investigators Lisa Page and Peter Strzok. The two exchanged text messages that were critical of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. A recent investigation by the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General said the text messages have been recovered and concluded the texts were missing due to a technical failure by an F.B.I. automated collection tool. Trump's latest tweets came as the U.S. government was in the eighth day of a partial shutdown. A budget standoff remains between Trump, who wants $5 billion in wall funding, and Democratic lawmakers, who back a modest increase in overall border security funding but resolutely oppose a wall. On Friday, Trump once again threatened to close the entire U.S.-Mexico border and cut aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador if Congress fails to give him money to fund the wall. In an earlier series of tweets, Trump also asked to change the "ridiculous immigration laws that our country is saddled with." Closing the U.S.-Mexican border would mean disrupting a $1.68 billion-a-day trade relationship between the two countries, according to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Immigrant advocates have called the move to seal the border "disgraceful." Trump has declined to comment on whether he might accept less than $5 billion for wall funding. When asked Wednesday how long he thinks the shutdown will last, Trump told reporters, "Whatever it takes." Democrats have blamed Trump for "plunging the country into chaos" adding that, weeks ago, Trump said he would be "proud" to "own" a shutdown over border wall funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and presumed incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said in a joint statement, "The president wanted the shutdown, but seems not to know how to get himself out of it." Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Channel on Friday, "We're here, and they know where to find us." Mulvaney blamed Democrats for the continuing shutdown, saying they have refused to negotiate since the White House made an offer last weekend. Lorella Praeli, deputy political director at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that Congress has an obligation to serve as a check on the executive branch. "This government shutdown is due solely to Trump's border wall obsession and his refusal to abandon his anti-immigrant agenda, even at the cost of denying hundreds of thousands of federal workers their holiday paychecks and impacting operations at several federal agencies," Praeli said. Trump also tweeted Friday, "Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!" VOA has not verified the president's claim that a new caravan is on its way. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Friday that Trump's border-shutting threat was an internal U.S. government matter. "We take great care of the relationship with the government of the United States," Lopez Obrador said. "Of course we will always defend our sovereignty ... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights." Cutting funds to Central American countries would mean a cutback on humanitarian programs, according to State Department data. The aid includes assistance on civilian security, legal development and basic nutrition. The largest grant was spent to help with agriculture in Guatemala, where the U.S. Agency for International Development says food security is a "grave concern." In his New Year's message, U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres urges international cooperation to resolve the many dangers and divisions facing humanity. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres carries the burdens of the world upon his shoulders. At the same time, he is expected to be the world's cheer-leader-in-chief, reassuring nations that solutions to the world's many problems are available. He does not disappoint in either category. On the one hand, he wishes the world a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year. On the other hand, he issues a stark warning about the many crises and risks threatening global stability and security. Chief among these is climate change, which he says is moving faster than it can be controlled. But Guterres does not throw up his hands in despair. Rather, he notes work is moving ahead, albeit slowly, to confront this danger. "The United Nations was able to bring countries together in Katowice to approve the Work Program for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change," Guterres said. "Now we need to increase ambition to beat this existential threat. It is time to seize our last best chance. It is time to stop uncontrolled and spiraling climate change." Guterres warns geo-political divisions are deepening, making conflicts more difficult to resolve. He says inequality is growing with only a handful of people owning most of the world's wealth. He notes intolerance is on the rise. Despite this grim picture, he sees reasons for hope. The U.N. chief finds chances for peace in Yemen and South Sudan are better than ever. He says a recently signed agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea is easing tensions between the two countries. He says these and other hopeful developments show when international cooperation works, the world wins. As the Democratic Republic of Congo hurtles toward contentious, repeatedly delayed elections Sunday, observers say they're worried about chaos and violence surrounding the polls. Congo analyst Stephanie Wolters of the Institute for Security Studies says she is less concerned about the result of the poll than about the dangerous environment that more than 40 million voters may face. "We are getting reports about how poorly organized the CENI (electoral commission) is," she said. "The voting material hasn't been properly distributed; we're hearing that potentially, instead of counting ballots, the independent electoral commission will transmit the final results by internet. And we're just very concerned about the technical legitimacy of this, about the potential for chaos, and the potential for violence." The poll was originally set for 2016, but officials delayed it repeatedly, allowing longtime President Joseph Kabila to stay in office two years past the end of his term. This year, authorities maintained that the poll would happen December 23 until a warehouse full of electoral materials mysteriously burned to the ground and officials announced another one-week delay. On Dec. 24, officials announced they also would postpone voting in three volatile areas which happen to be bastions of opposition support. The announcement led to violent protests Thursday in the city of Beni. Many observers, like Claude Kabemba, the Johannesburg-based director of Southern Africa Resource Watch, say they are not optimistic. Although the latest opinion poll has shown opposition candidate Martin Fayulu with a commanding lead, Kabemba is betting that Kabila himself not Kabila's chosen successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary will ultimately win. "We are heading toward a crisis, we are heading toward chaos, we are heading toward President Joseph Kabila remaining in power because that is the strategy, that is the idea, that is the purpose of the entire maneuvering that has been done, is for him to showcase to the world that, 'We have been willing to go to elections, I've organized elections, the Congolese put money, put up an independent electoral commission but, this has happened, this has happened, this has happened,'" Kabemba said. Congo is funding the election, after refusing international assistance. And Thursday, the government announced it would expel the ambassador from the European Union after the EU renewed sanctions against several Congolese officials, including Shadary. VOA sought comment from the Congolese government on the expulsion and on the pre-election atmosphere, but the government's top spokesman did not answer repeated calls. Wolters says she expects Shadary to triumph. "I think we have many reasons to believe that the government is going to try and hijack this election and have its incumbent, Ramazani Shadary, win," Wolters said. "I have very few indications at this point that the government wants to hold a free and fair poll in a peaceful environment. So I think it is highly likely that we will see Joseph Kabila's successor being declared as the winner." In its nearly 60-year history as an independent country, Congo has never experienced a peaceful transfer of power. Even as regional forces race to position themselves for the imminent withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, U.S. military officials caution nothing on the ground has changed yet. The U.S. on Friday dismissed claims Syrian forces were taking control of the northeastern city of Manbij, a key flashpoint between U.S.-backed Kurdish militias and Turkey, at the request of the Syrian Kurds. In a statement, the Syrian army said its troops were taking up key positions, adding it "guarantees full security for all Syrian citizens and others present." But the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State terror group responded on Twitter, saying it "has seen no indication that these claims are true." "We call on everyone to respect the integrity of Manbij and the safety of its citizens," the coalition added. US troops still in Syria A U.S. defense official also told VOA dozens of U.S. forces that had been based just outside Manbij had not moved. "We still have troops there," the official said, cautioning the U.S. remains focused on the safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. Fearing a Turkish invasion, Kurdish forces have been reaching out to Syria and Russia, going as far as to invite Syrian government forces to take over the area via Twitter. Yet despite extending the invitation, Syrian Kurdish officials confirmed U.S. troops had yet to leave Manbij, and that Syrian forces had massed only in some areas on the outskirts of the city. "The situation is stable for now," Badran Chiya, a Syrian Kurdish adviser, told VOA's Kurdish service Friday. "The daily life of the people continues normally. There is no tension." Manbij, located along the Syrian border with Turkey, has been a flashpoint between the YPG, the main Syrian Kurdish militia and a key component of the U.S.-backed force fighting IS, and Turkey. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist organization with links to Kurds in Turkey. In June, the United States brokered a deal with Turkey that called for the YPG to withdraw from Manbij, which would be protected by joint U.S.-Turkish patrols. But Turkey has accused the U.S. and the Kurds of failing to meet their commitments, and has been threatening to clear the YPG from the area itself. No plans to move on Manbij Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that, at least for now, his forces had no plans to move on Manbij itself. "We are still supporting the integrity of Syrian soil. These areas belong to Syria," Erdogan told reporters following Friday prayers in Istanbul. "Once the terrorist organizations leave the area, we will have nothing left to do there." But he said Turkish forces were still prepared to move into Syria, if necessary. "It's not just about Manbij. We are aiming to wipe out all terrorist organizations in the region. Our main target is that the YPG takes the necessary lesson here," Erdogan added. Despite Erdogan's comments, Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said Friday that they were continuing to advance on Manbij with Turkish forces and fight if needed "to start military operations to liberate" the city. Russia, which has been seeking to broker an agreement on Manbij between Syria and the Kurdish militias that have been holding the city, welcomed the developments. WATCH: US Withdrawal From Syria Prompts Calls for Arabs to Embrace Damascus Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov called the presence of Syrian forces in the city a "positive step." Still, Moscow is also asking for more information from the U.S. and President Donald Trump regarding how and when U.S. forces will be withdrawn from Syria. Following a meeting Friday in Moscow with Jordan's foreign minister, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that Russia wants "concrete explanations" from the U.S. "It appears that Washington wants to shift the responsibility," Lavrov said. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton is expected to travel to Turkey later next week, announcing the trip on Twitter: Friday's flurry of activity came as key regional players prepared for the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, a move announced just last week by Trump. "Everybody is negotiating; the Russians are in the middle of it and clearly the Americans are, too," Joshua Landis, who heads the Middle East department at the University of Oklahoma, told VOA. "The Syrian army doesn't want to get into a clash with Turkey. That would be a losing proposition. Neither does the YPG or anyone else," Landis added. The U.S. has about 2,000 troops in Syria to fight the Islamic State terror group. During a visit with U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday, Trump defended his decision to pull them out, declaring IS's self-declared caliphate defeated. "I think a lot of people are going to come around to my way of thinking," he said. "Our presence in Syria was not open-ended and it was never intended to be permanent." VOA's Kurdish service and Ed Yeranian contributed to this report. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Thailand - known for its tough anti-drug trafficking efforts - made history this month as Southeast Asias first country to legalize medical marijuana. Steve Sandford report on traditions and new developments in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday once again threatened to close the entire U.S.-Mexico border and cut aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if Congress fails to give him money to fund the border wall. In a series of tweets, Trump also asked to change the "ridiculous immigration laws that our country is saddled with." The comments come as the U.S. government enters the seventh day of a partial shutdown as a budget standoff remains between Trump, who wants $5 billion in wall funding, and Democratic lawmakers, who back a modest increase in overall border security funding but resolutely oppose a wall. Closing the U.S.-Mexican border would mean disrupting a $1.68 billion-a-day trade relationship between the two countries, according to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Immigrant advocates have called the move to seal the border "disgraceful." Trump has declined to comment on whether he might accept less than $5 billion for wall funding. When asked Wednesday how long he thinks the shutdown will last, Trump told reporters, "Whatever it takes." Democrats have blamed Trump for "plunging the country into chaos" adding that, weeks ago, Trump said he would be "proud" to "own" a shutdown over border wall funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and presumed incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said in a joint statement, "The president wanted the shutdown, but seems not to know how to get himself out of it." Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Channel on Friday, "We're here, and they know where to find us." Mulvaney blamed Democrats for the continuing shutdown, saying they have refused to negotiate since the White House made an offer last weekend. Lorella Praeli, deputy political director at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that Congress has an obligation to serve as a check on the executive branch. "This government shutdown is due solely to Trump's border wall obsession and his refusal to abandon his anti-immigrant agenda, even at the cost of denying hundreds of thousands of federal workers their holiday paychecks and impacting operations at several federal agencies," Praeli said. Trump also tweeted Friday, "Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!" VOA has not been able to independently verify the president's claim that a new caravan is on its way. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters Friday that Trump's border-shutting threat was an internal U.S. government matter. "We take great care of the relationship with the government of the United States," Lopez Obrador said. "Of course, we will always defend our sovereignty. ... We will always protect migrants, defend their human rights." Cutting funds to Central American countries would mean a cutback on humanitarian programs, according to State Department data. The aid includes assistance on civilian security, legal development and basic nutrition. The largest grant was spent to help with agriculture in Guatemala, where the U.S. Agency for International Development says food security is a "grave concern." On Friday, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles released new documents ordered by Governor Kay Ivey. Governor Ivey gave them 30 days to make changes to their orginal corrective action plan which she said was not detailed enough. The response is 16 pages plus supporting documents. In the document, the board said there should be no change in executive leadership because each has made positive contributions. The report goes on to outline those contributions. Regarding the Victim Service Unit, the board said it will now require added training for staffers so they can deal with victims they encounter who become angry or start cursing. They also recommend more managers. The board states it will visit Georgia next year to learn about it's automated system in preparing for parole hearings. When it comes to early parole, a deputy or assistant attorney general will now review all decisions and the board will establish a Stakeholder Advisory Council that will meet quarterly. A prisoner must now also serve at least five years before being eligible for parole, have no discipline problems in the last three years, get a positive report from a corrections officer and get a letter of support from a prosecutor, judge, Attorney General, law enforcement officer, or victim. Prisoners will also now only be able to get a maximum of three years shaved off their sentence if they are paroled. In October, the governor and attorney general hit the board with an executive order to halt early paroles and said it had 30 days to come up with a corrective action plan to fix its problems. The plan was released as scheduled. Marshall and Ivey went over the plan for two weeks and released a 10-page response saying the board's corrective action plan lacked any action. The changes thus far at the parole board largely came about after WAAY 31's I-Team began investigating after a dangerous man who was supposed to be locked up for life was paroled. WAAY 31 proved Jimmy Spencer remained a violent man while in prison with some 50 disciplinary actions in his file, most of which were violent offenses, that should have been taken into account before he was paroled. After he was paroled, the state admits Spencer slipped through the cracks and had multiple run-ins with police. Spencer was even arrested on drug charges while on parole, but he wasn't sent back to prison. Spencer is now accused of murdering three people in Guntersville this past July, six months after he was paroled in January 2018. To view the board's list of amendments to the corrective action plan click here. The Alabama Department of Education released the annual list of grades for school districts and individual schools statewide. WAAY-31 went through the numbers so you can see grades for some of the largest districts in the Tennessee Valley. The state bases the grades on five different areas: Academic Achievement Academic Growth Graduation Rates College and Career Ready Data Chronic Absenteeism Enrollment by Student Subgroup The largest district, Huntsville City Schools, received an overall C grade. Four individual schools within the district each earned an A grade. Nine schools in the district received a B grade, while another nine received a C. Four schools within the district received a failing grade. Madison City Schools was among just 15 in the state to earn an overall A grade, and one of only six districts where each individual school received an A grade, too. Arab City, Hartselle City, and Muscle Shoals City Schools each received an A grade, too. As far as county school systems, Franklin, Colbert, Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, and Jackson Counties all earned a B grade. Only Dekalb and Lawrence County Schools received a C grade. Overall, schools statewide improved from a year ago. No individual district earned a failing grade. The full PDF list published by the Alabama Department of Education which shows each individual school broken up by district is available by clicking here. Neighbors in Linton Estates off Highway 251 woke up to a road under water, and the pond overflowing. Joseph Scott has lived in the neighborhood for four years. He said this is the second time the pond has flooded leaving the road a mess. "I was reminiscing this morning. I believe it was december of 2015 that it flooded like this, but if I'm not mistaken they had a turtle stuck in drain." A turtle stuck in the drain is right. The developer said it caused just as much of a headache as the tree that fell into the drain this time. Scott said he was surprised when Athens Public Works knocked on his door this morning alerting him of the flood. "My first reaction was my son had a friend over and his car was parked over there and his car was like partially underwater." The friends car was okay and crews got to work cleaning up the mess. The developer said they used two pumps to remove the water and get the mess cleaned up as soon as possible. He said he was most concerned about the residents. "We apologize once again. We didn't do it, but we'll do what we can to help," said Nick Hamlin. Hamlin said he is working with engineering to try to come up with a plan to figure out how to keep this from happening again. We found one neighbor who also had flooding in his backyard. The developer told us he is aware of that situation and is also working to fix it. Huntsville City Schools have once again received a 'C' on the latest Alabama school report card. To break it all down, four schools got an A, nine schools got a B, another nine got a C, 11 schools got D's, and four schools received a failing grade. The school district says 32 schools maintained or received a higher grade. Theyve never complained about going to school. Theyve never had a time where they just didnt want to go. Theres always been some excitement going on and they have something to look forward to," Blake Simmons said. Simmons has three sonstwo who went to Hampton Cove Elementary School and one whos still there. Its great to see the kids all smiling when theyre getting off the bus and you can tell that theyve had a good day," Simmons said. So, Simmons says he wasnt surprised at all to learn Hampton Cove Elementary was one of only four schools in the district to receive the letter 'A' grade from the state, and neither were his sons. The students get along with each other. Its just a lot of fun. They have activities constantly, so no kids are just sitting at their desk bored," said Connor Simmons. Several factors go into determining the schools grade, like academic achievement, academic growth, and chronic absenteeism. Simmons and his sons credit the teachers at Hampton Cove Elementary for creating good relationships with the students and their parents, saying they think it contributed to the schools good grade. I had some really good teachers and they were super nice and wanted to interact with the students and I think that helped out a lot," Connor said. Its just very close. Its almost like everyone is working together as a family," his dad added. Simmons also thinks technology has helped when it comes to achievement and growth. Theyre starting in third grade with iPads and moving up to laptops very soon," he said. Overall, the Simmons family says theyre glad they chose Hampton Cove Elementary. "Youre learning a lot. I definitely learned a lot from Hampton Cove," Connor said. The other three schools that received an 'A' were Huntsville High School, Monte Sano Elementary School, and New Century Technology High School. While those schools got an 'A,' WAAY 31 had to break the news to some parents that their child's school wasn't so lucky. Out of 37 schools in the Huntsville City school district, four of them received an F on their state report card. WAAY 31 talked with parents about what can be done to fix these grades. Theres no way in the world this school shouldve gotten an F. No way in the world. Never that low. I can understand A, C, C, but F? Come on now, you guys," saoid Kaneisha Dodson. That was Dodsons reaction when she learned Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School received an 'F grade from the state. An F! No! Its not acceptable," Dodson said. Dodson is a mom-to-be and lives right next door to Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary, so thats where she plans to send her child. If these grades are not fixed, my child will not be going to Martin Luther King Elementary when they are of age," she said. Dodson says getting the grade up will have to be a team effort. Its all about the teachers. You have to teach for the students to get it. And then its also on the students because they have to focus and listen," she said. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary isnt the only school with a failing grade, though. Its joined by Lakewood Elementary, Montview Elementary, and Ronald McNair. Students' attendance can have an effect on the grade. The parents should be strict on that. Theres no way your child should be out of school unless its life-or-death or theyre really sick and you know its contagious," Dodson said. And in the meantime, Dodson says she has a message for those at the elementary school. "Do everything you can in your power to make the school at least get a B or a C. Come on, an F, Im just not accepting that. Superintendent Christie Finley reminded parents neither the district nor a school is defined by an individual grade. She said there's so much that goes on in the classroom that isn't reflected in a state report card. Finley told WAAY 31 Huntsville City Schools will release its own report card on January 10th. A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that an Obama-era standard making it easier to hold companies liable for illegal labor practices by their contractors and franchisees was too broad, giving business groups a victory. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a 2-to-1 ruling, said that a 2015 National Labor Relations Board decision did not properly define the kind of "indirect control" over working conditions the agency said could make companies "joint employers" of contract or franchise workers. Joint employers are required to bargain with contract workers' unions and can be held liable for violating those workers' rights under federal labor law. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy There were two huge events in the art market one of them no more than a stunt, really, but a salutary reminder, if any were needed, of how preposterous the commodification of art has become: A Banksy work achieved a record for the artist at auction, and then proceeded to shred itself after the auctioneers hammer came down. Meanwhile, a painting by another British artist, David Hockney, became the most expensive work by a living artist when it sold for more than $90 million. As dramatic and illuminating as the Pluto flyby was, scientists know even less about what to expect from Ultima Thule. Because its so far away and so dim, they arent even sure if its a single mass. They suspect it is made up of two lobes, but it also could be two separate objects orbiting around each other. If the District were treated like a state, she argues, the ceiling of the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress would feature the D.C. seal, and U.S. flags in the District would be flown at half-staff when the mayor dies, as they do in states when governors die. U.S. District Court judges, the U.S. attorney and U.S. marshals for the District would be required to live here. The organization began by distributing menstrual supplies to women in homeless shelters but also noticed young women at shelters were uncomfortable asking for the products in front of family members, said Holly Seibold, founder and executive director. So, the group started supplying pads and tampons to school counselors and parent liaisons, who distribute the products to students, sometimes through school pantries and other giveaways. It is impossible to give a full account of this books riches, author Alberto Manguel wrote in The Washington Post in 2004. Oz has proven himself one of our essential writers, laying out for our observation, in ever-increasing breadth and profundity, the mad landscape of our time and his place always enlarging the scope of his questions while avoiding the temptation of dogmatic answers. During the 1960s and early 1970s there was no one at NASA who was more important in getting the first designs and concepts for Hubble funded and completed, space historian Robert Zimmerman wrote in The Universe in a Mirror, an account of the creation of Hubble. More importantly, it was [Dr. Roman] more than anyone who convinced the astronomical community to get behind space astronomy. The reason lies in a stark state-by-state discrepancy in the pay in-home nurses receive through Medicaid. Maryland and Virginia have set reimbursement rates significantly lower than surrounding jurisdictions. The Maryland rate is around $35 per hour and the Virginia rate ranges from a little more than $20 per hour to a little more than $30 per hour. Nurses doing the same work earn $50 per hour in the District, $44 per hour in Pennsylvania, $46 per hour in Delaware and $44 per hour in West Virginia. This radio traffic really gives you the pulse of the city and makes you realize how many stories are not being told, said Luke Berndt, who got into this when he was living near the Adams Morgan fire station and his daughter kept wondering where the trucks were going. The answer, it often seemed, was to tend to an overdose. This was an event, he learned, that occurred thousands of times every year in the District but was rarely reported. The button may make its users feel good, but whether it will be effective in the battle against airplane noise is unclear. Airport officials often try to downplay complaints, noting that they are the work of just a few people. Maryland airport officials, for example, were quick to note that 80 percent of all the complaints filed in 2018 came from fewer than 100 users of the Airnoise app. McCann said he tangled with a few airports that early on tried to block reports generated by Airnoise. Were not that pessimistic here, Tomer said. The driver side absolutely can be automated, but thats where we think a lot of folks can do other tasks within the industry. Those other tasks include working on the security or logistics of moving what is in a truck rather than being behind the wheel. Lets get our workers ready for this, he said. CALIFORNIA Man accused of killing officer apprehended The man accused of killing a California police officer who pulled him over to investigate if he was driving drunk was captured Friday as he tried to flee to Mexico, authorities said. Gustavo Perez Arriaga was arrested in Bakersfield in connection with Wednesdays shooting of Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Newman Police Department, said Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose agency is leading the investigation. The sheriff told reporters that Perez Arriaga was in the country illegally after crossing the border in Arizona and had two prior arrests for driving while intoxicated. Christianson said the Mexico native has been living here for several years but didnt say when the 33-year-old came to the United States. The sheriff said Perez Arriaga has gang affiliations and multiple Facebook pages with different names. Authorities also arrested Perez Arriagas brother, Adrian Virgen, 25, and a co-worker, Erik Razo Quiroz, 32, who lied to police to try to protect him, Christianson said. Singh, 33, an immigrant from Fiji with a newborn son, joined the Newman police force in 2011. Associated Press WEATHER Fatal crashes follow Midwest winter storm A powerful winter storm that brought blizzard warnings Friday across the Upper Midwest was blamed for at least three fatal crashes while flash flooding from rains in the South swept away cars and forced dozens of water rescues. In northern New England, a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain added up to dangerous driving Friday for post-holiday travelers. Much of the Dakotas and part of Minnesota were under a blizzard warning after many areas got a foot of snow or more Thursday. A collision between a small bus and an SUV in Minnesota killed a 47-year-old woman on the bus and injured nine others Thursday. A second person died in central Minnesota after being struck on a road by a pickup with a plow blade. In North Dakota, a pickup truck driver was killed Thursday on a snow-covered highway when visibility was reduced by blowing snow from a plow, according to the state highway patrol. Another storm dumped up to 12 inches of rain in Louisiana and Mississippi, sweeping away cars and forcing some residents to be rescued from their homes before the rains moved into Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and western North Carolina on Friday. Associated Press NEW YORK After bright blue flash, utility seeks answers Electric utility Con Edison was working Friday to figure out what caused a high-voltage equipment failure that unleashed an otherworldly flash of bright blue light in the night sky over New York City. The event Thursday evening caused power outages, briefly grounded flights at LaGuardia Airport and filled social media feeds with eerie photos, questions and jokes, to the point that even the New York Police Department tweeted there was no evidence of extraterrestrial activity. Thursdays malfunction, at a power substation in the Astoria section of Queens, involved voltage-monitoring equipment, Con Edison Chairman John McAvoy said. It involved 20-foot-high equipment with cables carrying 138,000 volts, Con Edison officials said Friday. By comparison, a standard U.S. household gets 120-volt service. Associated Press But Macron also laid out another way of thinking about his country, a vision of France as a generous nation, of France as a project, of France promoting universal values . . . the exact opposite of the egotism of a people who look after only their interests. This more idealistic patriotism the exact opposite of nationalism, said Macron is a more difficult cause to support, and yet over the years, many in France have supported it. This is the France that overturned the verdict in the Dreyfus trial, the France that believed all citizens, and not just ethnic Frenchmen, should be treated equally under the law; this is the France that joined the Resistance instead of Vichy, the France that agreed to share power and sovereignty with Germany in the wake of World War II, the France that helped build prosperity across the continent. Negotiations are impossible without trust. The key to governing in our democracy is mutual trust. You must be able to rely on the word of those in the other party that they will do what they agree to do. Unfortunately, the president keeps changing his mind. He is not clear about whether he wants a beautiful wall or aesthetically pleasing steel slats. The Democrats have agreed that they will agree to more funding for border security, but not for a concrete wall. Surely, there is room for compromise Democrats and Republicans have already agreed to $1.7 billion allocated during the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years for physical barriers along the border. Perhaps additional funding for different types of fencing in exchange for a fix to help the dreamers, young people brought to this country illegally as children, is another possibility. But even then, it is difficult, if not impossible, to arrive at any deal when so few believe the president will stand by any agreement. The great and obvious flaw of ideological media is that its practitioners are biased. But all editors and reporters are biased; its an inescapable part of the human condition. We can and should try to correct for it, but our corrections will never be as good as those applied by someone with a completely different set of biases the person who says, That cant be right and sets out to prove why it isnt. The council must take it from there, including, if necessary, interviewing the disciplined former IPS officials and Kevin Betz, attorney for the fired assistant principal. Betz told the school board his client only followed the policy and followed the directives of his boss. Betz argued, according to the Indianapolis Star, that the school board also should fire Ferebee and other school administrators who learned of the allegations and did not report them to the appropriate officials immediately. Ferebee is a good man, Betz said. But he is incompetent, and . . . driven by public relations and politics more than he is driven by the care of children who are in IPS. When the deaths of children are involved, or the death of anybody is involved, we should be making sure that were taking all of the steps necessary to prevent this, said Hurd, who represents the largest border area of any Congress member. And I think this is an example of how the hard-working men of Border Patrol are faced with challenges they have not been prepared for or dont have the resources to deal with. At a time when most of Congress has left town for the holidays despite the budget impasse, Trump has emphasized his decision to cancel a planned vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and remain in Washington. But he has chosen not to use this time to engage in substantive negotiations over the budget or seize the public stage and make his case for funding the border wall. Instead, he has filled the silence with a rash of tweets that have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and cast illegal immigration as a threat to the country. In his first news conference after the midterms, in which Democrats flipped 40 House seats, Trump declared that we did very well last night, highlighting Republican pickups in the Senate and some successful gubernatorial races. He blamed several losing members in the House for their own defeats, saying they had erred by failing to embrace him, a claim that is undercut by polls in their districts showing his unpopularity. For their part, Democrats have also fled the Capitol. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have rejected each offer from the White House for border wall funding, saying they will happily wait until next week, when Democrats take control of the House and are expected to approve legislation to reopen the government on their terms and send the bills to the Senate. In one of these fights, as Congress was nearing a deadline for the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts in the waning hours of 2012, McConnell and Biden spoke at least 13 times, working through the details of a bill that could pass both chambers of Congress. The two men, who had known each other for nearly 30 years, revised a proposal that had stalled in the House, forcing Republicans to commit to a tax increase on top income rates and pushing Democrats to back off some 2012 campaign promises. At a reception in Phnom Penh on December 28 for General Ngo Xuan Lich, Politburo member, Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence, the PM expressed his delight at the successful defence ties between the two nations over the past time. He affirmed that Cambodia always attaches importance to preserving and deepening its traditional solidary and friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, for the interests of the two countries people as well as for peace, stability and development. General Ngo Xuan Lich (L) and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (Source: VNA) Minister Lich congratulated Cambodian on the successful organisation of the 6th National Assembly election and the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) on its victory in the election, saying the result reflected the acknowledgement, trust and aspiration of the Cambodian people for a good future of the country under the leadership of the CPP and the government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Informing the host of the outcomes of his talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Samdech Tea Banh, Lich said the bilateral defence collaboration has recorded practical achievements in recent years. In the coming time, the two sides agreed to step up affiliation in various fields, especially communications and education, personnel training, delegation exchange, border management and exchange, as well as search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia, he said. He also proposed the Cambodian Government and Prime Minister Hun Sen continue support the collaboration between the two armies. In reply, the Cambodian PM said the two militaries should continue enhancing solidarity and intensive cooperation in every aspect so as to make defence ties a pillar in the relations between the two countries. He praised the two armies for realising the Protocol on Regular Search and Rescue in land border areas, including the organisation of search and rescue drills. The leader asked both sides to continue implementing projects to repair and renovate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monuments, affirming that Cambodia will coordinate with Vietnamese units to speed up the search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia. Earlier on December 27th, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich held talks with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh, during which he stressed that since the two countries set up their diplomatic ties in 1967, the bilateral relations have been continuously consolidated and developed in all fields, including defence. He expressed his belief that the meeting will create a new momentum to deepen the defence cooperation between the two nations. Tea Banh affirmed that the Cambodian people and army always treasure the traditional friendly neighbourliness with the Vietnamese counterparts, vowing to do his best to preserve, foster and develop the fine relationship. The two ministers agreed to increase coordination in realising the Protocol on Regular Search and Rescue in land border areas and the annual collaboration plans, pay attention to stepping up communications and education work, improve training quality, and strengthen links between military units in border areas. They also consented to speed up the search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia as well as complete the building and upgrading of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monuments. Following the talks, Ministers Ngo Xuan Lich and Tea Banh signed a cooperation plan between the two defence ministries for 2019. During his stay, the Vietnamese defence minister laid a wreath at the Independence Monument and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument in the capital city of Phnom Penh, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the country./. It wasnt until he had extended his presidency two years beyond a constitutionally mandated term limit that Kabila agreed to step down, naming former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as his preferred successor. Shadary is not a household name in Congo, and his low profile has been read by many diplomats and analysts as purposeful a way for Kabila to indicate that he will continue to hold the reigns should Shadary win. Kabila has strongly denied those rumors. Technically, the election has nothing to do with the peace talks, but the imbroglio over the timing of the vote, initially because of concerns over security and fraud, became linked to the talks last month, as U.S. officials pushed for speedy negotiations with the insurgents. Some Afghans and foreign donors urged a delay of the presidential vote, and a variety of Afghans said an interim caretaker government should be set up to oversee the peace process. The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, leads a regional coalition waging war in Yemen even as a humanitarian crisis there worsens. The coalitions main goal is to defeat the northern Yemeni rebels known as Houthis and restore the countrys ousted government. The United States assists it with intelligence-gathering, logistical support and the sale of billions of dollars in weapons and equipment including several MRAP armored vehicles that have ended up in Abbass hands, according to one of the warlords top aides and photos publicly available online. Coast Guardsmen shied away from interviews, in line with the militarys tradition of keeping rank-and-file members away from political issues. But several military spouses, who do not face the same restrictions, said that if Trump and lawmakers cannot come to an agreement on the wall, they want a deal reached now to save service members from financial ruin. The Pay Our Coast Guard Act was introduced by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) to do so in 2015 but did not get traction. Former prime minister Bob Hawke is reportedly confident Labor will win the upcoming federal election but doesn't think he'll be around to see it happen because of his poor health. The former Labor leader said his health had been "terrible" and that he's "had his time", News Corp Australia reported on Saturday. Former PM Bob Hawke earlier this year. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer When the 89-year-old was asked what his plans were for the new year, he told News Corp: "I've had my time, just stick around for a little while." Speaking at Queensland's Woodford Folk Festival - which he has attended for 10 consecutive years - Mr Hawke said he thought this would be his last one. Ankara: Syrian government forces rolled into a key region held by US-backed Kurds, winning praise from Russia and heading off a threatened Turkish advance as Moscow and its allies move quickly to fill the void left by a planned US pullout. Syria's army command said its units entered the Manbij area at the request of its residents, according to state television. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed the return of government forces to the area, which has been controlled by the Kurdish YPG, a group Turkey views as the Syrian extension of a domestic terrorist organisation. A Syrian student walks next a wall with Arabic that reads: "We will not emigrate we will confront, no to the Turkish occupation," in Manbij, north Syria. On December 28, 2018, Syria's military said it entered the flashpoint Kurdish-held town of Manbij, where Turkey has threatened an offensive. a claim that was refuted by US troops who patrol the town. The conflicting reports reflect the potential for chaos in the wake of the US surprise decision to withdraw troops from Syria. Credit:AP "This is definitely a positive step in the direction of stabilising the situation," Peskov told reporters on a conference call after the Syrian announcement. Kurdish forces have been scrambling to protect themselves after President Donald Trump abruptly announced plans to withdraw the US forces that had been backing them and supplying them with weapons. Russia and Turkey have been maneuvering to position themselves for a new order in a Syria without a US military presence. STAMFORD With another building-boom year almost in the books, its worth taking a look at what came up, what went down and what never got off the ground in 2018. With even more plans already in the pipeline, development around the city will continue in 2019. Some squashed proposals may also gain new life with pending lawsuits and appeals to reverse the decisions. Two neighborhoods proved the epicenter of the 2018 boom, as they have in previous years. In the South End and downtown alone, 2018 meant construction and plans for more of it. Work continued on four high-rise apartment buildings that bring the decade-old Harbor Point development to near completion at the southwestern tip of the South End while the same developer, Building and Land Technology, began construction on the new 500,000-square-foot headquarters for Charter Communications. Charter is now proposing a second building, another 365,000-square feet, and BLT is pining for another high rise, this one on half of the old B&S Carting site between Woodland Avenue and Walter Wheeler Drive. Both plans are now in front of the Zoning Board. Meanwhile, just a half-mile north on Washington Boulevard, bulldozers and hardhats are taking down one of the old St. John cylindrical towers. The 16-story tower, soon to be dismantled floor by floor, will make way for another luxury apartment building, this one built by a division of the countrys largest home builder, Lennar. Behind Lennars incoming tower will soon come another luxury apartment complex, this one from True North and developer Steve Wise. That building will rise on the parking lot of The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist. The True North project also calls for a public access European-style piazza addition to the church, across from City Hall. A three-block walk west from that construction site takes you to another work in progress as Ironstate Development Corp. continues to build the new 650-unit Urby luxury apartment complex next to the mall. To be fair, though, work there started in late 2017. Walk up Summer Street and youll hit a soon-to-be construction site. Silverback Development recently won approvals to replace the office buildings at 777 and 773 Summer St. with yet more luxury apartments. Two other luxury complexes opened downtown in 2018, bringing an additional 534 housing units on line. One was Atlantic Station, with 325 units on Tresser Boulevard, which opened early in the year. The other downtown housing high rise, the 19-story, nearly 210-unit Vela on the Park building on Washington Boulevard opened to new residents this summer. The summer also saw BLT opening a new apartment complex Harbor Landing across the West Branch from its sprawling South End Harbor Point development. The opening marked the builders first project in the Waterside neighborhood. The apartments came on line along with the new Hinckley Boatyard, a compromise replacement after BLT tore down Brewers Yacht Haven West in the South End. Near the Vela building, the University of Connecticut-Stamford demolished the old Bloomingdales parking garage and replaced it with a surface lot. And that wasnt the biggest move in city parking: The state this year outlined its plans for a new nearly 1,000-spot garage for train station commuters on South State Street. The city also got a new park in 2018: Across West Broad Street from that new UConn lot, the Mill River Park went from mounds of dirt to a nearly complete park, even snagging a national city-planning award in the fall. The nonprofit collaborative charged with creating the park opened a new open-air skating rink this month. In all, thousands of new apartment units were either opened or approved to be constructed in the city in 2018. Then there are the projects that never got off the ground this year, but not for lack of trying. Two come to mind, each with an army of consultants, corporate denizens and attorneys plying the Planning and Zoning boards for approvals. One plan, to open a Life Time Fitness facility in a Turn of River neighborhood office park, even made it to the Board of Representatives before that board overturned earlier zoning approvals. And that story wont end in 2018. The developer, George Comfort & Sons, is suing the Board of Representatives for the reversal. The Life Time saga hashed out over some dozen meetings held from 2017 until late in the summer is likely the development story of the year. The cast of characters included more than six lawyers from at least three firms and crowds that made the large City Hall cafeteria, where land-use meetings are held, feel small. On one side was a small homeowners group led by a retiree, Hank Cuthbertson, who hoped to maintain his quiet neighborhood. And on the other was New York City-based George Comfort & Sons and Minnesota-based Life Time, hoping to open a gym where they said no company would go a vacant office building in High Ridge Office Park. Along the way, the fight became yet another flash point in a long simmering divide between residents and the developers that are reshaping Stamford as the city grows. At the core of the fight are the city zoning regulations. Developers say the codes need editing if the city is to remain prosperous. Residents cite the same codes as their only protection against congestion, lower property values and losing their peace of mind. Some quotes from Life Time stories over the year highlighted the chasm. If you approve this text change, you send a message to all of Stamford that all their protections are up for grabs, Cuthbertson said. Comforts attorney William Hennessey made the development argument right out of the playbook. We have to do something with these parks. We have to find a way to make them productive and viable, he said. Gone are the days tenants are clamoring and chasing suburban office parks the tide has turned. Although the Life Time fight was the most drawn-out development spat of the year, another failed proposal takes home the award for most upsetting to city officials. Chick-fil-A, a southern chicken sandwich chain, hoped to open a restaurant with a drive-through where a vacant bank now sits at Bulls Head, between Long Ridge and High Ridge roads. The plan angered neighbors longing for less congested roads and drew condemnation from the city Transportation Bureau. Even Mayor David Martin weighed in, sending a letter to Zoning Board members asking them to kill the plan. Even with the best management, a (drive-through) would substantially increase the potential for additional congestion at Bulls Head, he wrote. Chick-fil-A quietly withdrew its proposal after delaying hearings for several months as it tried to change the citys mind. Chick-fil-A even prompted an overhaul of how the city zones drive-throughs, which are now only allowed in industrial zones. barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglytton STAMFORD Incoming Gov. Ned Lamont worked hard to bring Infosys to Hartford; outgoing Gov. Dannel Malloy helped. They celebrated earlier this month when the technology services giant, based in India, opened its third U.S. hub in the capitol city, promising 1,000 jobs and partnerships with colleges to hire and train new graduates. The regional tech center is one of the biggest development deals of Malloys two-term tenure, and an early symbol of success for Lamont. Taxpayers will give Infosys $12 million in state grants plus $2 million to spend on training. There is talk that Infosys may open an office in Stamford. But, as the governors lauded news of the global companys expansion in Connecticut, alarms sounded for tech workers John Robert and Craig DiAngelo, so much so that they formed a group, the Connecticut Tech Worker Coalition, and now plan a Jan. 26 protest in Hartford. Visa vice Infosys is bad for American tech workers and has a history of manipulating the nations visa programs to displace them, said Robert, a programmer at a Stamford software company. In 2013, the federal government fined Infosys $34 million for fraud and abuse of the visa system, and Infosys has been on the receiving end of countless civil suits where they were charged with discriminating against American workers, Robert said. Our group is part of a national movement to call attention to this. The Justice Department alleged that Infosys sent people to work in the United States without the proper visas and tried to deceive government officials about the purpose of the visits. The government charged that Infosys used B-1 visas to circumvent the requirements of the strictly regulated H-1B visa program, which allows companies to bring in foreign workers for up to six years to fill high-skill jobs employers say cannot be filled by American workers. A B-1 visa allows foreign workers into the country only to attend meetings and conferences, not stay and work. The government alleged that Infosys fraudulently used B-1 visitors as if they were H-1B workers. Low-cost labor The reason is money, said DiAngelo, who was one of 220 Eversource employees replaced when the Connecticut utility hired Infosys in 2013. The people they sent over from India earned less than half what we earned, with no benefits, no health insurance, no paid vacation, said DiAngelo, who now works for a tech consulting company. Some of the Indian guys worked 12-, 13-, 14-hour days. Sometimes they wouldnt get paid for weeks. Many of them lived five or six together in one apartment. So not only are American IT workers getting hurt by this, many Indian IT workers are abused. Most of the Indian workers came over on H-1B visas, meaning they were supposed to have skills American workers do not. That wasnt the case, DiAngelo said. As a condition of getting our severance pay, we had to train our replacements. I had to train 10 people in India via a web session every day for weeks, he said. Most of them were kids. They had no clue about what I was telling them. All I did was repeat myself. (Eversource) realized that the people in India were not competent to take our places, so they gave us 10 more weeks of severance to stay and do more training. The repercussions continue, DiAngelo said. Many of my former co-workers are still out of work. One has a double masters degree and is working in a supermarket, he said. With all these H-1B visas, there are not enough jobs, and the base salary for IT workers in this country has declined. Headed here? Robert said he doesnt doubt the talk that Infosys has its eye on Stamford. Theyre licking their chops to come to Stamford, where a lot of corporations have their headquarters or have big operations, he said. DiAngelo said Infosys crews already service Stamford companies. I know there are a lot of people working in the Stamford area on H-1Bs, he said. Michael Pollard, chief of staff for Stamford Mayor David Martin, said he has not heard anything about an Infosys move here. The company would have talked to the state, not the city, about any possible expansion plans, Pollard said. DiAngelo and Robert hope the Jan. 26 protest pressures Lamont, who becomes governor Jan. 9, to respond to their concerns. Did they make it a condition of Infosys getting the $14 million that they hire 1,000 American citizens? Robert said. If they didnt require that, then they are incentivizing these guys to come in and put people out of work. It would be state-sponsored job destruction. Aiding Americans Requests for comment from Lamonts transition team were not returned Friday. A spokeswoman for Malloy said the state Department of Economic and Community Development, not the governors office, enters into agreements such as the one with Infosys. In an email, a DECD spokesman said the grant money will only be dispersed after certain job-creation milestones are met Further, while (the hired employees) do not have to be American-born, they must be American citizens. The deal contains assurances about employment obligations and salaries, the spokesman wrote. While we cannot go into specifics, the 1,000 jobs created in Connecticut will be good-paying jobs. The state will audit Infosys two years after the hires are complete to ensure compliance, he said. In an emailed statement, a spokesman for Infosys said, Infosys is committed to hiring 1,000 American workers in Connecticut by 2023 as part of its ongoing commitment to accelerate innovation for American business. On Dec. 5, we announced that we have hired more than 7,000 American workers in the last 18 months as part of our commitment to hire 10,000 American workers by 2019. Besides Hartford, Infosys is building a tech hub in Providence, R.I. The company opened its flagship center in Indianapolis in March, and in August opened another in Raleigh, N.C., all with the promise to hire American workers. Trump tension In October, The New York Times reported that 80 percent of Infosyss 200,000 employees are in India. One-tenth of that number about 20,000 employees are in the United States, where most are working on H-1B visas. Though most of its employees are in India, the company earns 60 percent of its revenue in North America, mainly in the United States, the Times reported. Critics say Infosys is hiring Americans now to avoid repercussions from President Donald Trumps America first policy. Company officials have denied it. But Infosys is far from the only outsourcer manipulating the U.S. visa system, said Kevin Lynn, executive director of Progressives for Immigration Reform and founder of U.S. Tech Workers, which pressures the federal government for visa reform. Abuse of the visa system means job insecurity and suppression of wages. Its happening with tech workers, accountants, in law and other professions all over the country, Lynn said. Its become a racket. Its hurting the middle class, and the federal government has to get involved. Hiring hype? Lynn said he doesnt believe Infosys will change its business model. I think its propaganda, he said. I read very recently that India Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said he wants all this data handled by companies like Infosys, one of their biggest, to reside in India. In 2017, four years after Infosys paid the federal government $34 million and agreed to stop visa abuse, the company paid New York state $1 million to settle similar allegations. DiAngelo said he doesnt think Infosys will alter the corporate culture. Its just a promise, DiAngelo said. They can always come back and say, We couldnt find enough skilled American workers. Robert said its difficult to envision a shift when big profits the Times reported worldwide revenue of $11 billion for Infosys last year are at stake. If they change, they might not still be profitable, he said. If they dont change, pink slips will start flying wherever they show up. acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296. Premium For once I was willing to get out of bed early...for Garth Brooks An 18-year-old Shawnee County man was arrested in connection with felony abuse of a child a week ago after the infant was injured while in the adult's care, a Shawnee County Sheriff's detective said Friday during an interview with 13 NEWS. Jayden Lee Pusch, who lives in north Shawnee County, was booked into Shawnee County Jail in connection with abuse of a child, according to jail records. Abuse of a child is a level 5 felony, according to Kansas statutes. The sheriff's office investigated the beating of the 4-month-old child after he was taken to a Topeka hospital on Dec. 21 to be treated, sheriff's Detective Stephanie Dicken said Friday. The child didn't suffer serious injuries, but the youngster was treated at the hospital, then released, said Dicken, who investigated the incident. The hospital contacted the sheriff's office about the injured infant, Dicken said, then Pusch was taken into custody at his home in northern Shawnee County on Dec. 21. Pusch didn't resist when deputies took him into custody, he was questioned at the sheriff's office, and he was transported to the jail, where he was booked in at 8:05 p.m. on Dec. 21, Dicken said. Pusch was released from jail after a $15,000 surety bond was posted on Dec. 22, a jail official said. A family member related to the victim said Friday the child is doing well, but he is more fussy than in the past. The family member said Pusch wasn't allowed to see the child during the Christmas holidays. The child has bruises along the side of his face, and will be taken to an ear, nose and throat doctor to examine his hearing, the family member said. The family member was shocked Pusch was released the following day. Whether Pusch is related to the victim wasn't disclosed. Pusch allegedly was taking care of the child when the child suffered the injuries, Dicken said. The families of two Kansas sheriffs deputies who were overpowered by an inmate and killed have hired legal counsel to help prosecutors. The Kansas City Star reports that husband-and-wife law partners, Tom and Tricia Bath, were retained to assist the Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office in the prosecution of 30-year-old Antoine Fielder. He is charged with capital murder in the deaths of Theresa King and Patrick Rohrer last June. In Kansas, the intentional, premeditated killing of a single law enforcement officer is eligible for the death penalty. Attorneys for Fielder have indicated they will oppose the Baths participation in the case. Though rarely done, Kansas law allows for crime victims to pay private attorneys to assist county prosecutors, who are required to recognize them as associate counsel. __ When in Rome, do as the Romans do, sums up locally owned restaurant chain Chicken Chef and why its celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, sums up locally owned restaurant chain Chicken Chef and why its celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. So, when at the Chicken Chef in Winkler, you can order Mennonite dishes such as farmer sausage and schmaunt fat; pickerel specials in season at its Gimli restaurant; daily specials such as bannock burgers and wild rice in Pine Falls; and off-menu desserts and lunch specials in the St. Boniface franchise on Marion Street. While most chain restaurants treat their menus like scripture and will pull your franchise if you so much as add a new soft drink, customizing is encouraged at Chicken Chef. "Were looking to make (off-menu dishes) even more prominent in the future because I do think thats one of the things that sets us apart from everyone else," co-owner Ryan Thorgilsson said. Chicken Chef has always fought against the perception that it is just another fried-chicken joint. The restaurant started in 1978 when Ryans dad, Fred Thorgilsson, who is originally from Arborg, left Chicken Delight and opened the first Chicken Chef in Carman with business partner Ed Purvis. They didnt start off with the idea of opening franchises across the province. But people from other small towns approached them and one by one, Chicken Chefs started to sprout up. It moved into many small towns the big chains would only sniff at. "Its sort of what were known for," said Ryan, 41, who along with Jeff Epp purchased the company from his father and older brother about five years ago. "Were in towns of sometimes a thousand people," he said. That would include places such as Ste. Rose du Lac, with 1,026 people, according to the 2016 Canada Census; Teulon (1,201 people); Ashern (565); and Dugald (560). The owners also understood the tight margins rural entrepreneurs often operate under. So, their franchise royalty fee is just three per cent of net sales. That compares to royalties of five to eight per cent at most other chains. When you combine royalty fees and advertising budgets of the bigger chains, other franchise owners can end up paying eight to 13 per cent on net sales, Thorgilsson said. "Our royalties are among the lowest youll find anywhere," he said. Thorgilsson doesnt dress up as a southern gentleman in snow-white beard and moustache and suit, or wear a chicken costume to make home deliveries. In fact, Chicken Chefs advertising budget is comparatively small, but has been increasing. Chicken Chef now has 36 restaurants, including three in Saskatchewan and one in Sioux Lookout, Ont. It has been slow to move into the Winnipeg market, however. It opened its first restaurant on Marion Street in 1989, then on Portage Avenue near the Perimeter Highway in 1992-93 and on Nairn Avenue in about 2004-05. The new owners have increased its Winnipeg presence the past five years, with a new location on North Main and a mostly take-out store at 570 Portage Ave. (Take-out business has risen and now accounts for 50 per cent of its business, Thorgilsson said.) A 37th restaurant, and the sixth in Winnipeg, is set to open next spring in Island Shore in South Winnipeg. "We started in rural and moved our way into the city, so we moved backwards compared to most franchises," Thorgilsson said. The Winnipeg market isnt getting any easier. Major international chains such as Popeyes, Jollibee and Mary Browns Chicken have all entered Winnipeg in recent years. "But we have our niche market and so far, we havent been affected by the competition coming in," Thorgilsson said. Many Winnipeggers think Chicken Chef just serves fried chicken when it is actually a full-service restaurant, Thorgilsson said. "Weve been doing this for 40 years and people are still floored we have pizza," he said. In addition to pressure-fried chicken (designed to prevent the meat from drying out), it also offers pizza, hamburgers, a full breakfast menu, its own coffee brew, a selection of salads and snacks such as quesadillas, perogies and chicken poutine. Neither do customers go to the front and make an order off a signboard. There are menu books, and waitresses take your order. Chicken Chef uses china dishware and actual cutlery instead of paper plates or cardboard boxes and plastic forks. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Plus, menus will start to show more local fare from individual restaurants in the months ahead, Thorgilsson said. As well, Chicken Chef started licensing its restaurants about five years ago. Its store on Nairn and the new one in Island Shore, as well as locations in Lac du Bonnet, Steinbach and Gimli are now licensed and serve beer, wine and coolers. Lac du Bonnet has a full lounge and Pine Falls is in the process of adding a lounge. Neither do all Chicken Chefs have the same decor. The company leaves that up to the franchisee. It doesnt want to stifle entrepreneur creativity with rigid uniformity. "We want you to have a good experience, but not necessarily a cookie-cutter one," Thorgilsson said. The owners still see more opportunity to expand in Winnipeg and other parts of the province such as Dauphin, Selkirk and Beausejour. They also see an opportunity to possibly add 30 to 40 franchises in Saskatchewan. bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca To refugees whod fled for their lives, seen unspeakable horrors, and survived much trauma, Winnipegs Alfred Koineh was a source of caring and hope. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. To refugees whod fled for their lives, seen unspeakable horrors, and survived much trauma, Winnipegs Alfred Koineh was a source of caring and hope. The multilingual refugee from Sierra Leone, who had a masters degree in clinical social work, was a beloved counsellor, colleague and mentor until his sudden death Oct. 25 at age 53. Supplied Alfred Koineh "He was a kind, caring man that touched the lives of a lot of people," said Abdikheir Ahmed, director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg. He had worked with Koineh on several projects during the last eight years. "He was always available whenever he was called upon to respond to community needs." Ahmed said Koineh was on the planning committee of the annual Strangers in New Homelands conference at the University of Manitoba and was set to take part in several workshops, but died six days beforehand. The conference organizers changed the program to include a moving tribute to Koineh. "He was dedicated to the welfare and the fortunes of marginalized peoples here in Winnipeg and around the globe," the program noted. After surviving civil war and making it to safety, he studied social work so he could help people, the tribute said. "Alfreds whole life, his work and his heart was dedicated to assisting the needy, the vulnerable and the marginalized in Canadian society... Alfred gave us hope, strength, comfort, wisdom and leadership in a time of confusion and trouble. His heart was filled with love and kindness. He was always generous with his time, knowledge and expertise." Supplied Alfred Koineh, a tireless advocate for refugee protection, could connect with someone really easily and quickly. Rebecca Riek said Koineh was a mentor and father figure. "He blessed every crying soul with his gift of counselling," said Riek, who saw her own father killed by rebels in South Sudan. She grew up in Kenyas Kakuma refugee camp and was awarded a World University Service of Canada scholarship in 2013 to attend the University of Winnipeg. She organized a symposium in March at the U of W to raise awareness of the need for more mental-health supports for refugee newcomers. Koineh agreed to volunteer as one of the keynote speakers at that symposium and many, many other events, said Louise Simbandumwe, who worked with him on a number of human rights initiatives. "Alfred was a tireless advocate for refugee protection," said Simbandumwe, an Amnesty International volunteer. He was generous in sharing his time and knowledge so that others could learn to advocate in defence of human rights, she said. "I reached out to him many times and he was always willing to be there," she said. "I always knew he would return their call and provide them with support," she said. "It was all volunteer." And it came from the heart, Simbandumwe said. "He shared his own personal story and personal struggles with mental health and was willing to be vulnerable in that way, and talked about the personal challenges he had," said Simbandumwe. Riek said she was awestruck by his dedication to his work and his "amazing leadership amongst the African community." He never forgot where he came from, said Abu Kamara, past-president of the Sierra Leone Nationals Association of Manitoba of which Koineh was a member. When mudslides in Sierra Leone killed more than a 1,000 people and left thousands homeless in 2017, Koineh stepped up to help. He was part of a committee that raised money for the traumatized survivors, said Kamara. In Winnipeg, he played a major role in a restorative justice project that helped resolve issues in the community, said Kamara. While Koineh was busy helping many people, he kept his priorities straight, said Kamara. "He was very family-oriented and very friendly." Those closest to Koineh his wife and children werent prepared to talk about him. His proteges and colleagues say theyve struggled with his unexpected death but want to make sure his legacy is on the record. He worked in child welfare, health, immigrant settlement and disaster relief with the Sierra Leone Red Cross and International Committee of Red Cross. He was involved in many networks, projects and research initiatives involving settlement, war trauma and victims of torture issues in the United Kingdom and Canada. He specialized in war trauma and torture-related counselling. Koineh was a member of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authoritys immigrant and refugee working group, a member of the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations health and mental health committee and the Manitoba Recovery Champions Committee. For years, he was the program manager of clinical/social work services at Mount Carmel Clinics community outreach and multicultural wellness program. In August, Koineh started a new job at the University of Winnipegs Aurora Family Therapy Centre, where he was a psycho-social needs assessment clinician. "He came with a rich background and maturity," said executive director Dr. John Smyth. "He had a lot of work experience with many, many cultures." Koineh had special expertise and insight into the refugee experience but, more importantly, he had warmth, said Smyth. "If you want to be a good therapist, you need that. He had that in spades," Smyth said. "He could connect with someone really easily and quickly." "People loved him." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca You might have the marks to go to higher education, but you still need the money. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. You might have the marks to go to higher education, but you still need the money. While public elementary, middle and high schools are free for students, thats not the case with post-secondary education at both universities and colleges. They charge tuition, and it can be expensive. It can be especially tough if you live in an area where, traditionally, its hard for families to find the funding needed to finance up to four years of education. Thats where the Westland Foundation steps in. The non-profit organization is in its 25th year of helping students from inner-city communities in a portion of the Winnipeg School Division receive scholarships to help alleviate one of the biggest barriers to post-secondary education. Jessie Asuncion-Reyes, who graduated from Technical Vocational High School in 2017, received $800 when he began his first year in digital media design at Red River College, and another $800 at the beginning of his second year. "It helped me so much," Asuncion-Reyes said recently. "It is hard to pay for school nowadays. I might have had to put off school by a year or two if not for the Westland Foundation. And now I want to give back because they helped me so much." John Prystanski, a former North End city councillor who is the foundations president, came up with the idea of creating the organization while representing a portion of the area residents it helps. At first, the foundation raised funds to help summer school recreation programs by holding an event dubbed Carnival. The events midway was held in the parking lot of the McPhillips Station Casino, while a 24-team slo-pitch tournament occurred at the nearby former exhibition grounds. The first year, it raised $10,000. Prystanski wanted the foundation to do more, and he got another idea while attending numerous school graduation ceremonies as the area councillor. "There is a negative connotation about the area, but thats not what the area is all about," he said. "The spark was about just helping all of these kids. How can I make a change in the kids and in the area I live in and represent? I thought: lets create a scholarship program." The foundation now has a total of more than $2 million in endowment funds with its four partners: the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Red River College and the Winnipeg Foundation. Named for two of the community centres in the area where two original board members were from Weston and Brooklands students begin qualifying for Westland scholarships when they enter Grade 7, through to the end of high school. The foundation helps students going to schools within the boundaries of Inkster Boulevard to the north, the Assiniboine River to the south, Route 90 on the west, and the Red River to the east. For every mark of 80 per cent or higher a student earns between Grade 7 and the end of high school, the foundation puts at least $15 in a trust account for them designed to be used to pay for tuition at either the U of M or U of W. If a student plans to go to Red River College, every mark of A or B, or 70 per cent and higher, becomes a credit towards the scholarship. The foundation estimates about 5,000 of the roughly 9,000 students going to the 49 schools in the boundaries are eligible to receive scholarships. Prystanski said the foundation handed out its first scholarships in 2009 to three students, and it was a total of $900. "It took us a while to build up an endowment fund," he said. This year, the foundation awarded about $100,000 in scholarships to more than 160 students, including past recipients who were in their second year of studies at Red River. The smallest scholarship was $200 and the largest was $1,250. In 2017, the foundation awarded 114 scholarships, totalling more than $77,500. Between 2009 to 2018, the foundation has awarded 619 scholarships, totalling more than $373,000. Prystanski said the foundations board of directors have a lofty goal in mind: they hope to someday be able to fund the entire post-secondary tuition fees for all of the area students. He said if these students can get the education they want, there will be innumerable social and economic spin-offs and benefits through both inner-city neighbourhoods and society in general. "We will need to have an endowment fund of $55 million," Prystanski said. "Were not building a building were building a capital fund. We will raise $55 million I have no doubt about that. "We have to because instead of education being something you should go, it has become something you must go. Education changes lives. We want to open that door." Prystanski said the foundations major fundraising event now is an annual breakfast held at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg. Allen Harasymuk, and his wife, Beverley, have volunteered as board members with the foundation for more than 25 years (he as treasurer and she as board secretary). Harasymuk said they originally joined because they knew Prystanski, but they have stayed because they believe in the foundations mission. "The long-term goal is to provide scholarships to all eligible students in the area, and my wife and I thought it was great. We feel pretty good about what it has done so far," he said. "It may sound like not a lot of money, but to these students coming up through tough times, it is a very significant help." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Duyen Chau graduated from Sisler High School in 2015, and is at the University of Manitoba working towards becoming a respiratory therapist. She received a scholarship of about $1,000. "The scholarship did help me because I would have had to work more without it," Chau said. "It was also good knowing someone out there is giving you motivation and support. I now want to go back and help future scholars as well." Prystanski said the foundation will continue raising money to increase the endowment fund. "Our overall goal is to change Winnipeg for the better. We are doing that." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA Winnipeg Liberal MP Jim Carr, a member of the federal cabinet, has a spring in his step after a year in which Ottawa made headway in Manitoba amid backlash elsewhere. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Winnipeg Liberal MP Jim Carr, a member of the federal cabinet, has a spring in his step after a year in which Ottawa made headway in Manitoba amid backlash elsewhere. "It has been a very good year for Manitoba, and the federal governments appreciation of how important our province is," the provinces sole cabinet minister said in a wide-ranging interview. In July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Carr minister of international trade diversification, in which he has continued years of cross-party work to deepen trade with Europe and Asia-Pacific countries and navigate a tense relationship with China. Beyond inking new deals, Carr is trying to get smaller firms in Manitoba and beyond to stop relying on the United States for exports. "These agreements are bridges that we build with other nations. But these bridges have to be crossed (by) goods and services, and people." Carr will be supported by Mary Ng, the minister of small business and export promotion, who is set to visit Manitoba early next year. On the home front, Carr was ecstatic to see the first train roll into the northern town of Churchill just weeks ago, after some 18 months without its railway lifeline. "It was such a special moment, and not only for the people of Churchill or for Manitobans, but for the entire country," he said. The deal to transfer the Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill into local hands from former owner Omnitrax, through a large grain company, came after a handful of near-misses, sources said. Its sale came through on Aug. 31, while Carr was in Singapore on trade business, in the middle of the night. Staff recalled him arriving giddy for the next mornings breakfast. "I just felt so good that the government of Canada had been an important part of bringing together Indigenous communities and the private sector to share our vision for Churchill to be a very important part of Canadas northern future." Regionally, Greyhound announced in July an end to all Prairie bus and freight service on Oct 31. After months of criticism from the Manitoba government and Indigenous leaders, the private market ended up filling almost all routes, with Ottawa offering a small subsidy. Carr has no update on whether Winnipegs former Kapyong Barracks will be out of federal hands by the October 2019 election, which is his personal target. The demolition of the site is ongoing, and Treaty 1 First Nations unveiled preliminary renderings in November, seven months after Ottawa inked an interim deal. "Were always wanting thing to happen faster than they do thats sometimes the nature of complex files in government," Carr said. Manitoba and Ottawa reached a relative truce this fall, after two years of sparring over everything from infrastructure spending to cannabis legalization. Premier Brian Pallister cancelled his own carbon tax in October, which means the province will be forced to implement the federal tax this coming year. Pallister had panned the Liberals insistence on implementing a top-up when Manitobas flat tax would have fallen short of the rising federal benchmark. He also lamented Manitoba being "used as a prop" to berate other conservative governments to reduce carbon emissions. Carr said he believes the federal tax has support in Manitoba, but wouldnt say whether internal polling confirms that. "I think people see why were doing what were doing. I think people share the overall objectives," he said. The carbon-tax reversal led to yet another round of antagonism between the premier and the Liberals, who gave mixed messages over whether Manitoba would get its promised $67 million in carbon retrofit funding. But the acrimony largely subsided two months later, when the premiers and Trudeau met in Montreal. With a lack of agreement on virtually anything else, the Liberals focused on removing some interprovincial trade barriers, an issue Pallister has championed. Sources in both governments say Ottawa and Manitoba have reached an understanding, where each side makes their policies clear in advance, agreeing to disagree on some issues while pushing ahead on others an approach federal sources wish Alberta and Saskatchewan would adopt. The premiers had also penned a communique supporting the long-standing idea of an east-west corridor to link hydro. That could result in Manitoba sending some of its excess power to Saskatchewan, whose premier was lukewarm about the idea of lowering its reliance on local fossil fuels. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Carr confirmed Ottawa has commissioned research on the idea, but stressed any progress requires provincial buy-in. "I think the idea is more promising today on that front than its ever been before," he said. "We should feel very optimistic of those prospects." Carr isnt sure whether hes kept to his pledge last December to be home in his south Winnipeg riding more often. "Im home virtually every weekend," he said, in part due to the recent birth of his first grandchild. Experts say Carr will likely have a safe seat in next falls federal vote, but he is not taking it for granted. "Im home as often as I can be; its never enough, but its the nature of the role." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca This fall, Winnipeg voters spoke loudly and clearly on the night of the citys municipal election they did not want Portage and Main to be reopened to pedestrians. This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This fall, Winnipeg voters spoke loudly and clearly on the night of the citys municipal election they did not want Portage and Main to be reopened to pedestrians. A sobering thought crossed the minds of many urbanists the day after 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted to keep the intersection closed. "What went wrong?" "Theres no doubt people have great ideas for the city, but there are times when we should leave infrastructure planning to the experts," Vote Open Winnipeg organizer Susie Erjavec Parker said. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) After all, leading up to the plebiscite Vote Open Winnipeg, a coalition of individuals, businesses and organizations promoting the merits for reopening Portage and Main, buffered hundreds of questions raised by residents. One of the recurring arguments revolved around pedestrian safety. Yet, despite a nearly 100-page transportation study and expert opinion from Canadian urban planners proving otherwise, Winnipeg citizens remained resolute that keeping Portage and Main closed would be a safer option for people and better for vehicular movement. "Despite addressing each of their concerns, fears and hesitations, Winnipeggers refuted the facts," said Susie Erjavec Parker, one of the Vote Open Winnipeg organizers. "We showed visuals of what could be possible at Portage and Main, and articulated the advantages for its reopening, including the support of the property owners at each corner of the intersection. "Theres no doubt people have great ideas for the city, but there are times when we should leave infrastructure planning to the experts," Parker added. "There is significant evidence outlining the necessity for making Portage and Main more walkable, accessible for people with mobility challenges, and a lively destination. It seems like city planning isnt quite embraced here, and I think thats one of the hurdles we need to jump over if we want to truly realize our citys ambitious goals. I think and hope we can get there soon." In other cities, small pilot projects have moved into the spotlight and are beginning to resonate with people. City visionaries, planners, architects, developers and officials have turned to this temporary, pop-up phenomenon to demonstrate how an urban idea can manifest into something with permanence. Cities often use pilot projects to facilitate buy-in from the public, as their temporal nature often provide a level of comfort it is assumed opportunities for adjustment and adaptation are available. As the organization Project for Public Spaces notes, pilot projects are "lighter, quicker, cheaper" and provide risk-averse cities cost-effective opportunities to fail faster and adapt quicker to the needs of residents, rather than spending millions on permanent infrastructure at the outset. Would an incremental approach have been better in selling the vision of Portage and Mains reopening to pedestrians? In Streetfight, New York Citys former transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, writes about car-clogged streets and how they can be transformed without heavy machinery, construction or funding. (Olugbenro Photography) In Streetfight, New York Citys former transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, writes about car-clogged streets and how their transformation can be accomplished without heavy machinery, construction, or funding. "Planners can reorder a street without destroying a single building, or building a streetcar, light rail system, or highway interchange. It can be accomplished quickly by using the basic materials that every city has access to in New York Citys case more than six thousand miles of street and the basic stock all city transportation agencies already have in their supply depots or available through existing contracts." Sadik-Khan was referring to paint. Paint can help refashion streets, turning them into vibrant destinations. In New York, paint was used by Sadik-Khan and her team to reconfigure unused spaces into bustling "people places." For example, the transformation of an unsafe, car-oriented street into a lively plaza at Times Square. People seemingly abandoned their attachment to vintage notions, such as cars over people, and began to embrace the physical changes they were witnessing the vibrancy of the space, the increased economic development and the throngs of people. New Yorkers and tourists began to see streets as inclusive places, and soon after began to frequently comment on what theyd like to see permanently installed at Times Square in the future. This simple pilot project evolved as quickly as it was embraced, becoming a permanent fixture that community members, neighbourhood agencies, artists and activists could make possible in their own spaces and places through the addition of municipal funding and grants from private-partnerships. While the City of Winnipeg has ventured cautiously into the practice of pilot projects, urban activists have given them a shot. For example, Wins and Rae Bridgman collaborated with the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ this past summer to illustrate the need for public washrooms with strategically placed, highly visible pop-up toilets in the core. A complementing awareness campaign featuring Winnipeggers (#toiletlesswpg) and their stories of solidarity advanced a conversation around the economic and social rationale for public washroom access. As people used the pop-up toilets, they were asked to share their experiences through in-person surveys. Input was also gathered online to identify where community members envisioned permanent public washrooms working well. Edmonton has generated buzz around its approach to planning as planners continue to translate 20- to 40-year master plans and vision statements into bite-sized prototypes to show what is possible. The results have been largely positive. For Hani Quan, a senior planner with the City of Edmonton, pilot projects have been a useful tool in getting the public to buy into the bigger picture, with less investment from the outset. Edmonton uses pilot projects to enliven spaces with art and light. (Geoff Wagner photo) "For the public, it feels like less of a leap of faith. Its more of a hop," said Quan. "Over the past several years, we have seen great success in communicating large change through small-scale projects. It has helped ease people to the changes that are anticipated, and also affords the City of Edmonton an opportunity to iteratively refine and revise the plans according to public feedback and results of the pilot projects. When the change and its benefits are clearly demonstrated, reviewed and assessed, there is a lower likelihood that the public would reject the broader plan." Quan and his team spearheaded small-scale initiatives through a project called CITYlab. Similarly to how Sadik-Khan transformed areas like DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass in Brooklyn) into vibrant "people places" with just a few cans of paint, the CITYlab team partnered with business associations, neighbourhood groups and volunteers to add colour and artistic expressions to otherwise drab and underutilized infrastructure, such as concrete paving or back alleys. CITYlabs rainbow crosswalks pilot project, launched in 2015, transformed traditional black-and-white pedestrian crossings into a splash of rainbow-coloured pride bringing awareness to Edmontons Pride Festival and providing an opportunity to monitor motorist behaviour. This pilot project improved the publics perception of safety at crosswalks for pedestrians, and werent noted as a major impediment for car drivers issues that were hotly contested prior to the projects introduction. These positive results led to the installation of colourful crosswalks throughout the city. CITYlabs rainbow crosswalks pilot project brought awareness to Edmontons Pride Festival and improved the publics perception of safety at crosswalks for pedestrians. (City of Edmonton) Marco Melfi, one of many planners on the CITYlab team, said collaboration between city departments in this case, planning and transportation was a compelling return on investment. "It not only illustrated teamwork across departments, it also showed a willingness to try something new to be responsive to the community. The positive reaction from Edmontonians, and other cities that took notice, showed that we were on to something." Other civic departments took note of CITYlabs success, and began to adopt the pilot-project approach. More recently, the city launched a pilot project to determine if flag-shaped lots were feasible for an average lot in Edmonton. In this scenario, a lot resembles a flag and a pole. The flag-shaped lot is often the remnant shape that is left over once a smaller subdivision has taken place to separate from a principal dwelling. A pilot project of the City of Edmonton aimed to determine if flag-shaped lots are feasible for the average lot type in the city. (City of Edmonton) Currently, under the City of Edmontons zoning bylaw, a flag-shaped lot subdivision is not possible. Instead of a wide-spread policy change, a more gentle approach was adopted. City planner Stuart Carlyle solicited applications from residents, ultimately choosing three lots to test for feasibility. "We wanted to collaborate directly with members of the community who showed interest in trying something new like the flag-shaped lot subdivision," said Carlyle. "It wasnt just the community hearing from city staff, it was the community hearing from one of their own. It really enhanced the discussion." For Shalaka Jadhav, a planning student with the city, leading a pilot project aimed at revitalizing vacant lots offered a unique opportunity to liaise with citizens interested in urban agriculture. A small project tested out a licence that would allow citizens to cultivate food or flowers on municipal lands used for utilities. The City of Edmonton offers vacant lots for citizens to engage in food cultivation and urban agriculture. (City of Edmonton) "Edmontons short growing season often means access to land is highly competitive," said Jadhav. "By creating and providing increased access to land, the hope is that underused lots of land may be available to produce food or flowers for personal use, increasing local access to food. Many of the pilot participants used these lots as an opportunity to gather the community around conversations of food access and reconnecting with how food is grown." At the heart of the city between downtown and the North Saskatchewan lies the River Crossing area, an area dominated by arterial roads, an abandoned power plant, functioning water treatment plant and vacant lots. Edmonton City Council wants to see the area transformed into a vibrant mixed-use community and destination that honours its long, layered history as a gathering place for Indigenous people and the birthplace of the city. With a heritage study completed, a new land use plan is currently underway, but actual redevelopment is still many years out. Here, too, planners are using pilot projects to shape future change, specifically in the area of heritage and place-making. "One thing we heard during our conversations with Indigenous nations and Edmontonians during our heritage study was that we need to start telling the stories of this place and not wait until construction," said Olive Bailey, principal planner with the River Crossing team. "Piloting low-cost, community-led heritage projects in the area allows us to build on the momentum of our community conversations and raise awareness and support for the exciting changes that will transform the area over the coming decades." An interactive sculpture based on Cree teachings. (Olive Bailey photo) So far this year the team has worked with local organizations and artists on projects ranging from an interactive sculpture based on Cree teachings to a projection that illuminated the old power plant with giant animations of native wildlife. Pilot projects can also serve as helpful springboards for public engagement. According to one of the City of Edmontons senior public engagement advisors, Jane Purvis, engagement creates opportunities for people to contribute to city decisions, and communicates how public input was collected and used. Pilot projects, then, allow citizens tangible opportunities to experience how something looks and feels before they provide feedback and before policies or projects become permanent. Pedestrian scramble crossings, installed by the City of Edmonton as a pilot project, tested traffic control designs to reduce or eliminate pedestrian and vehicle collisions. (City of Edmonton) Recently, pedestrian scramble crossings were added to Edmontons streets seemingly overnight, but were several years in the making. In 2015, the city adopted the Vision Zero strategy to reduce serious injuries and fatalities from traffic collisions to zero. As part of the strategy, Edmonton placed a priority in testing and studying traffic control designs that reduce or eliminate pedestrian and vehicle collisions. One of those traffic control designs, pedestrian scrambles at major four-way intersections, were installed at two intersections: Jasper Avenue and 104 Street, and 82 Avenue and 105 Street with the majority of Edmontonians generally supportive of the change, while expressing some concerns related to safety. The pedestrian scramble crossings will operate for a full year so data can be collected on its effectiveness. Plans to extend the pilot project to three other locations in the downtown are underway. "Pedestrian scrambles at major four-way intersections have not been used in Edmonton since 1959, when they were removed to accommodate rising vehicle demand," said Olga Messinis, director of network operations for the city. "Edmonton is now transitioning from a city focused on vehicles to one focused on pedestrians and other vulnerable road users." When asked why a pilot project was necessary, Messinis added, "Traffic and pedestrian patterns have changed significantly as the city has grown, and it is not always certain if newer traffic safety systems will impact as intended. Pilot projects may or may not always lead to permanent solutions, but they always provide learning opportunities that help administration and council inform their decisions concerning traffic safety." Robyn Webb, senior environmental project manager for the City of Edmontons energy transition unit, and a former Winnipegger, agrees, noting how pilot projects provide valuable insight and feedback good or bad. In 2016, Webb launched a home-energy-toolkit pilot project, which offered Edmontonians tools from infrared thermometers to kilowatt meters to measure household energy efficiency. After analyzing feedback for a year, the pilot was turned into the full-fledged Change Homes for Climate program and now provides residents with rebates for EnerGuide home evaluations, energy efficiency renovations, and rooftop solar. The City of Edmontons Green Home Energy Toolkit pilot project offered thousands of Edmontonians with tools to measure household energy efficiency. (Jason Syvixay photo) "The City of Edmonton knew that we needed to design programs to reduce emissions in residential homes but we were unsure of what the demand for these programs would look like from residents. Once launched, the toolkit was instantly successful, racking up hundreds of holds at the library in weeks. This small test gave us the confidence that Edmontonians were hungry for more information and recommendations on energy efficiency and became a building block for our full scale program." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. As Streetfights Janette Sadik-Khan argues, while pilot projects can help communicate the tangible benefits of a particular vision, pursuing larger-scoped plans and policies further requires political will and community support. These endorsements are critical in turning pilot projects into permanent programs. While Edmonton and New York are different tales, on a local level, "the pilot project approach allows us to be bold, with less risk," Quan says. "We get to try out our ideas, throw them to the wall, so to speak, and to see what sticks. When we run these projects, well get a sense real quick whether it is something we should continue to do, or adjust or refine. At the heart of it all, is ensuring what we all have envisioned, whether its in plans or in policies, can be demonstrated, and can show what is possible. From there, it takes continued support to keep the ball rolling." As funding for larger infrastructure initiatives continues to be constrained, pilot projects offer an incremental approach to planning cities. As urban theorists Lilian van Karnenbeek and Leonie Janssen-Jansen assert, incremental planning helps to reveal the wide range of public, private and civic players who negotiate urban transformation. As demonstrated by Edmontons ingenuity, Winnipeg could possibly benefit from pilot projects, as they would not only highlight the intention and spirit behind a plan or civic-vision statement, but they would also instigate a conversation and negotiation between those who would be impacted, co-ordinating their feedback as they begin to see what is possible. Prairie cities like Winnipeg can take great urbanist leaps in the form of pilot projects to "hack" the city. Perhaps all we have to do is start small. Jason Syvixay is an urban planner and public relations professional, having worked as managing director of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and a community planner with HTFC Planning & Design. More recently, he has focused his planning work in the area of infill development with the City of Edmonton. Manitobas air ambulance doctors will not walk off the job Jan. 1 as previously suggested, the Free Press has learned. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitobas air ambulance doctors will not walk off the job Jan. 1 as previously suggested, the Free Press has learned. A source with knowledge of the situation said the doctors have given the province another two weeks in January to propose plans for Lifeflight. In July, the government took a step toward privatizing government air services, publishing a request for proposal (RFP) for companies to bid on contracts to operate Lifeflight and the provinces fire-fighting water bombers. The wildfire-suppression services contract was awarded to Babcock Canada in November, but a decision on Lifeflight isnt expected until early 2019. The 24-hour air ambulance service and its medical staff take from 400 to 500 trips per year. Staff care for critically ill or injured Manitobans during transport in areas outside a 200-kilometre radius of Winnipeg. As the province continues the RFP process, the cohort of 16 Lifeflight doctors will stay put, for the time being. On Nov. 26, Dr. Renate Singh, the medical director for Lifeflight, told provincial Health Minister Cameron Friesen the doctors were considering resigning en masse next year if the province carried on with plans to privatize air ambulances. While the province mulls its options, it has made some improvements to Lifeflight services, Friesen said. In a prepared statement Thursday, the minister said recruitment for two Lifeflight pilots is underway, and about $750,000 in work has been approved to maintain two of the provinces jets. "We are optimistic that these initiatives will reassure all Manitobans, including Lifeflight physicians, of our ongoing commitment to patient and provider safety," Friesen said. "This level of commitment will be maintained regardless of how the request for proposal process proceeds." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. However, the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, which represents Lifeflight nurses and pilots, wants more clarity from government. MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky wrote Friesen on Dec. 12, requesting a meeting, and said Thursday she had yet to hear back from him. "I dont understand why this government isnt stepping up and stating that (Lifeflight) will remain the way it is to alleviate any fears from Manitobans anywhere that these services could be at risk for them," Gawronsky said. "To me, if the doctors arent there, does that means these planes are grounded? And what happens to the patients? What happens to the people that need these services? "This is huge." jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @_jessbu The Kurds are like Kleenex: you use them, and then you throw them away. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The Kurds are like Kleenex: you use them, and then you throw them away. The Kurds of Syria are now frantically digging trenches around their cities and towns just south of the Turkish border, because Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that U.S. President Donald Trump gave a "positive response" to his plan for an invasion of Kurdish-controlled territory in Syria. Later, Trump confirmed it by announcing he will pull all U.S. troops out of Syria within 30 days. Erdogan would have invaded long ago if the U.S. army and air force were not protecting the Syrian Kurds, because at that time, the United States depended heavily on the Kurds in its campaign to eliminate the Islamic State. IS controlled the eastern third of Syria, and from 2015 on it was the Kurdish "Peoples Protection Units" (YPG) who provided most of the ground troops for that campaign. There were some 2,000 U.S. troops in eastern Syria, too, but it was the Kurds who bore the brunt of the fighting and the casualties. Indeed, a principal role of the U.S. forces was to deter Turkey from attacking the Kurds, because Turkey, at war with its own big Kurdish minority, strongly opposed the Syrian Kurds ambition for independence. But now IS has been destroyed (or so at least Trump believes), and the U.S. has no further need of the Kurds. Time to throw them away. Deprived of U.S. air support, the Syrian Kurds have little hope of resisting a Turkish invasion. As Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said last week: "They can dig tunnels or ditches if they want. They can go underground if they want. When the time and place come, they will be buried in their ditches." So, where can the Kurds turn? Only to Damascus, where Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has sworn to recover "every inch" of Syrian territory from the various rebel militia forces that controlled different parts of the country. All that remains to fulfil that ambition is the recovery of Idlib province in the northwest, still held by Turkish-backed Islamist extremists and of the Kurdish-controlled northeast of the country. For the Syrian Kurds, reeling from the American betrayal, the urgent, unavoidable question has become: would you rather be conquered by the Turks or by Assad? There is no third option the dream of independence is dead. When Turkey conquered the much smaller Kurdish-majority enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria last February, almost every Kurd in the territory was driven into exile. Assads rule is unattractive, but the Syrian Kurds have carefully avoided fighting his forces (they only fought IS), and they might be able to cut a deal that leaves them some local autonomy. After all, Assad doesnt want the Turks taking control of eastern Syria, either. The Kurds arent fools, and as the likelihood of an American defection grew in the course of this year, they sent several delegations to Damascus to see what Assad would offer. They came back disappointed, because Assad did not want to do anything that would open the door to a federal state in Syria, and he quite rightly thought he had the upper hand. But now that the U.S. pullout from eastern Syria and the Turkish invasion of the same region have both become imminent realities, he may want to think again. This is a part of Syria rich in oil, water and wheat. Assad needs its resources to rebuild the country, and a Turkish occupation could be a long-lasting affair. Its therefore possible he will make a deal with the Syrian Kurds to keep the region in Syrian hands. The return of the Syrian army would be tricky to manage, since it would have to arrive in each part of the region after the Americans left (to avoid clashes), but before the Turks arrived. Moreover, the Syrian army is seriously short of manpower, and this operation would require a lot of it. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. All the more reason to give the YPG a continuing role in the regions security, the Kurds might argue, and its not impossible Assad might buy that argument provided that the Kurdish militia became (at least in theory) a part of the Syrian army. So, the Russians may be right. When Trump revealed via Twitter he was going to pull all American forces out of Syria, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded that the U.S. decision could result in "genuine, real prospects for a political settlement" in Syria. And its true. Turkey could be convinced (by the Russians) that letting Assad take control of Kurdish-majority parts of Syria is enough to end the alleged Kurdish "threat" to Turkish security. Then, only the single province of Idlib would remain beyond Assads reach, and thats not really a critical issue. In fact, the fix could be in already. Well know shortly. But no matter what, the Kurds lose again. Of course. Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). It was a strange year for social media, especially if youre one of the 2.2 billion people who use Facebook. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/12/2018 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Editorial It was a strange year for social media, especially if youre one of the 2.2 billion people who use Facebook. For the better part of 2018, the worlds most popular social media network has been mired in scandal. In March, it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct British political consulting firm, had harvested personal data from as many as 87 million Facebook profiles without users consent. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in April, a two-day grilling that revealed how little lawmakers understand about social media. By the end of the year, the New York Times was reporting that Facebook had allowed tech companies access to users personal data, even giving Netflix and Spotify the ability to read Facebook users private messages. Those are just two scandals Facebook was embroiled in; from privacy concerns to fake news to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it seemed Mr. Zuckerberg was always apologizing for something. Its hard to remember a time when social media was not referred to as "a cesspool" or "a dumpster fire." A little more than a decade ago, however, social media was the promised land. It was a meeting place for ideas, connection, belonging, community. Friendships could be forged across oceans and time zones. Later, social media would become a powerful force for activism, effecting real-world change. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. We worried about things in those halcyon days, of course: waning attention spans, declining discourse, "text neck." Privacy was way down that list of worries. We shared much about ourselves, without really understanding the implications. "Terms and Conditions" were clicked on and agreed to, unread. And then came the trolls bigger, scarier trolls. Women and people of colour, in particular, were targets of abuse; suddenly, these connective, community spaces didnt feel so safe anymore and many voices the ones social media promised to elevate were driven offline. Next came fake news. Weve seen how social media can be exploited for evil by spammers and hackers; how echo chambers and filter bubbles can be used to radicalize vulnerable, impressionable people; and how easily misinformation can be spread. They could even be used to influence a nations election. This was the year we started having urgent conversations about what information we give away and where it ends up. There was a renewed focus on media literacy, and how to spot hoaxes and fake news. "Misinformation" was named Dictionary.coms word of 2018. Think pieces about digital detoxes and screen time and quitting Facebook proliferated, with people concerned not just about privacy, but what constantly living on our phones means for our mental and physical health. Behavioural change doesnt come easily, however. This year has given us many compelling reasons to get off social media, but so many of us stay. Like many other things, we understand why its bad for us, but we use it anyway. Social media is embedded into our lives; its even how many people make a living theres even a cottage industry of "influencers" on Instagram, many of them children, who are paid thousands of dollars per post. Maybe 2019 will be the year social media companies will be forced to value our privacy and make the spaces theyve created safer. But theres little incentive for them to change if were willing to use what theyve built either way. During talks in Phnom Penh on December 28th with Politburo member of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, Politburo member and Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich said the meeting takes place at a time when the Lao Peoples Army is preparing to celebrate its 75th founding anniversary and the Vietnam Peoples Army will mark its 75th founding anniversary next year. Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich at the meeting (Source: VNA) He added that the meeting will create a new driving force for and further deepen bilateral defence partnership. Chanyalath, for his part, affirmed that Laos attaches importance to relations with Vietnam, saying that bilateral defence relationship is special. Both sides agreed to continue strengthening the sharing of experience in Party and political work, raising public awareness of friendship between the two countries and armies, contributing to fostering traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two peoples and armies. They pledged to monitor the implementation of signed cooperation agreements in 2019, especially in personnel training, considering it an issue of strategic benefit to the two nations. The ministers suggested that the two armies strengthen border management and protection, with a focus on exchanges and twinning between localities and border units, and mutual support. They also agreed to assign units concerned to review bilateral coordination for the 2015-2019 period, thereby proposing cooperation contents for the time to come. Following the talks, the two ministers signed a cooperation plan for 2019 between the two ministries. Lich is in Cambodia to attend the Vietnam Laos Cambodia defence ministers conference and the inauguration of a victory monument./. The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Advisors S.r.l., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe (Services) Limited, AIG Europe Holdings S.a.rl., AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Insurance Company (Switzerland) Ltd, AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG Shared Services Corporation, AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE EOLA LLC, AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American Home Assurance Company Escritorio de Representacao no Brasil Ltda., American International Group Inc., American International Group UK Limited, American International Overseas Association, American International Overseas Limited, American International Realty Corp., American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A., American Security Life Insurance Company Limited, Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Avondhu Limited, Blackboard Customer Care Insurance Services LLC, Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Services LLC, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., Chartis Takaful Enaya B.S.C. (c), Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Fortitude Group Holdings LLC, Fortitude Life & Annuity Solutions Inc., Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd., Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Group Risk Services Limited, Group Risk Technologies Limited, Illinois National Insurance Co., Jefferson Eola Venture LLC, Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, MG Reinsurance Limited, Mt. Mansfield Company Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Private Joint-Stock Company AIG Ukraine Insurance Company, Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SA Affordable Housing LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Affordable Housing Partners Inc., SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., Thai CIT Holding Company Limited, The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., Western World Insurance Company, and Western World Insurance Group Inc.. Bellatrix Exploration Ltd., an oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan in Canada. It primarily focuses on developing its two core resource plays, the Cardium and the Spirit River in Western Canada. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Bitauto Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides internet content and marketing services, and transaction services for the automobile industry in the People's Republic of China. It operates in three segments: Advertising and Subscription Business, Transaction Services Business, and Digital Marketing Solutions Business. The Advertising and Subscription Business segment offers advertising services, including automobile pricing and promotional information, specifications, reviews, and consumer feedback to automakers through its bitauto.com Website. It also provides transaction-focused online advertisement and promotional services for automakers, automobile dealers, auto finance partners, and insurance companies; and Web-based and mobile-based integrated digital marketing solutions to automobile dealers. The Transaction Services Business segment offers transaction platform and self-operated financing services. The Digital Marketing Solutions Business segment offers one-stop digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relation, online marketing campaign, advertising agency, big data application, and digital image creation services. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Cummins: Anvl, Apollo FC Holdings Ltd., Atlantis Acquisitionco Canada Corporation, Atlantis Holdco UK Limited, Brammo, CIFC Worldwide Partner C.V., CMI Africa Holdings BV, CMI CGT Holdings LLC, CMI Canada Financing Ltd., CMI Canada LP, CMI Foreign Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings C.V., CMI Global Holdings B.V., CMI Global Partner 2 C.V., CMI Global Partners B.V., CMI Group Holdings B.V., CMI Group Holdings Cooperatief U.A., CMI International Finance Partner 1 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 2 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 3 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 4 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 5 LLC, CMI Mexico LLC, CMI Netherlands Holdings B.V., CMI PGI Holdings LLC, CMI PGI International Holdings LLC, CMI Turkish Holdings B.V., CMI UK Finance LP, CMI UK Financing LP, Cherry Island Renewable Energy LLC, Consolidated Diesel Company, Consolidated Diesel Inc., Consolidated Diesel of North Carolina Inc., Cummins (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Cummins (Xiangyang) Machining Co. Ltd., Cummins Africa Middle East (Pty) Ltd., Cummins Afrique de l'Ouest, Cummins Americas Inc., Cummins Angola Lda., Cummins Argentina-Servicios Mineros S.A., Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Cummins Aust Technologies Pty. Ltd., Cummins BLR LLC, Cummins Battery Systems North America LLC, Cummins Belgium N.V., Cummins Botswana (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins Brasil Ltda., Cummins Burkina Faso SARL, Cummins CDC Holding Inc., Cummins CV Member LLC, Cummins Canada ULC, Cummins Caribbean LLC, Cummins Center of Excellence Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Centroamerica Holding S.de R.L., Cummins Child Development Center Inc., Cummins Colombia S.A.S., Cummins Comercializadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Corporation, Cummins Cote d'Ivoire SARL, Cummins Czech Republic s.r.o., Cummins Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Diesel International Ltd., Cummins Distribution Holdco Inc., Cummins EMEA Holdings Limited, Cummins East Asia Research & Development Co. Ltd., Cummins Eastern Marine Inc., Cummins Electrified Power Europe Ltd., Cummins Electrified Power NA Inc., Cummins Emission Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Emission Solutions Inc., Cummins Empresas Filantropicas, Cummins Energetica Ltda., Cummins Engine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Trading & Services Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine Holding Company Inc., Cummins Engine IP Inc., Cummins Engine Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Engine Venture Corporation, Cummins Enterprise LLC, Cummins Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtration GmbH, Cummins Filtration IP Inc., Cummins Filtration Inc., Cummins Filtration International Corp., Cummins Filtration Ltd., Cummins Filtration SARL, Cummins Filtration Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtros Ltda., Cummins Franchise Holdco LLC, Cummins Fuel Systems (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Americas Inc., Cummins Generator Technologies Germany GmbH, Cummins Generator Technologies India Private Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Italy SRL, Cummins Generator Technologies Limited, Cummins Generator Technologies Romania S.A., Cummins Generator Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd., Cummins Ghana Limited, Cummins Ghana Mining Limited, Cummins Global Financing LP, Cummins Global Technologies LLP, Cummins Grupo Comercial Y. de Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Grupo Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Holland B.V., Cummins Hong Kong Ltd., Cummins India Ltd., Cummins Intellectual Property Inc., Cummins International Finance LLC, Cummins International Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Cummins International Holdings LLC, Cummins Italia S.P.A., Cummins Japan Ltd., Cummins Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins LLC Member Inc., Cummins Ltd., Cummins Maroc SARL, Cummins Middle East FZE, Cummins Mining Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Mobility Services Inc., Cummins Mongolia Investment LLC, Cummins Mozambique Ltda., Cummins NV, Cummins Namibia Engine Sales and Service PTY LTD, Cummins Natural Gas Engines Inc., Cummins New Zealand Limited, Cummins Nigeria Ltd., Cummins Norte de Colombia S.A.S., Cummins North Africa Regional Office SARL, Cummins Norway AS, Cummins PGI Holdings Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (S) Pte. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (U.K.) Limited, Cummins Power Generation Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Power Generation Inc., Cummins Power Generation Limited, Cummins PowerGen IP Inc., Cummins Research and Technology India Private Ltd., Cummins Romania Srl, Cummins S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Sales and Service Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc., Cummins Sales and Service Private Limited, Cummins Sales and Service Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Sales and Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Sinai ve Otomotiv Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cummins South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins South Pacific Pty. Limited, Cummins Southern Plains LLC, Cummins Spain S.L., Cummins Sweden AB, Cummins Technologies India, Cummins Trade Receivables LLC, Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited, Cummins Turkey Motor Guc Sistemleri Sats Servis Limited Sirketi, Cummins U.K. Holdings Ltd., Cummins U.K. Pension Plan Trustee Ltd., Cummins UK Global Holdings Ltd., Cummins UK Holdings LLC, Cummins Vendas e Servicos de Motores e Geradores Ltda., Cummins Venture Corporation, Cummins West Africa Limited, Cummins West Balkans d.o.o. Nova Pasova, Cummins XBorder Operations (Pty) Ltd, Cummins Zambia Ltd., Cummins Zimbabwe Pvt. Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc.. DowDuPont Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in agriculture, materials science, and specialty products businesses in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company's Agriculture segment produces, and sells hybrid corn seed and soybean seed varieties; sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa, canola, cotton, rice, and sorghum; silage inoculants; and crop protection products that include weed control, disease control, and insect control. Its Performance Materials & Coatings segment manufactures and sells architectural paints and coatings, and industrial coatings; performance monomers and silicones; standalone silicones; and home and personal care solutions. The company's Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure segment offers ethylene oxides, propylene oxide derivatives, cellulose ethers, redispersible latex powders, and acrylic emulsions; sustainable solutions; and chlorine and caustic soda. Its Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment provides ethylene, and propylene and aromatic products; and polyolefin elastomers and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers. The company's Electronics & Imaging segment offers materials and systems for mobile devices, television monitors, personal computers, and electronics. Its Nutrition & Biosciences segment provides specialty ingredients, as well as cellulosic- and alginates-based pharma excipients; and enzymes, biomaterials, biocides, and antimicrobial solutions and process technologies. The company's Transportation & Advanced Polymers segment offers engineering resins, adhesives, lubricants, and parts for transportation, electronics, healthcare, industrial, and consumer end-markets. Its Safety & Construction segment provides engineered products and integrated systems for construction, worker safety, energy, oil and gas, transportation, medical device, and water purification and separation industries. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Midland, Michigan. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Chaparral Energy. 4.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Chaparral Energy has received 128 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Chaparral Energy has received 88 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Chaparral Energy has received 59.26% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Chaparral Energy and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe CHAP will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe CHAP will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next 11 hours ago 3 Low-Beta Stocks to Buy with Volatility on the Rise Add These 3 Low-Beta Stocks for Less Exposure to Volatility They say that the market takes the stairs up and the elevator down, which is why its never a bad idea to have a few low-beta stocks in your portfolio. Read Article Christopher & Banks Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of private-brand women's apparel and accessories in the United States. The company designs and sells women's apparel and accessories to customers ranging in age from 40 and older. Its stores offer women's apparel consisting of casual clothing, everyday basics, wear-to-work, leisure/active wear, and sleepwear in missy, petite, and women sizes, as well as jewelry and accessories. As of December 4, 2018, the company operated 461 stores, including 314 MPW stores, 80 Outlet stores, 35 Christopher & Banks stores, and 32 stores in its women's plus size clothing division CJ Banks in 45 states. It also operates christopherandbanks.com, an e-commerce Website for its Christopher & Banks and CJ Banks brands. The company was formerly known as Braun's Fashions Corporation and changed its name to Christopher & Banks Corporation in July 2000. Christopher & Banks Corporation was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota. Read More CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Read More Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo Read More GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise: 3Com International Inc., 3PAR Inc., Apogee, Aruba Networks Inc., Aruba Networks International Cayman, Aruba Networks International Limited, BlueData Software, Cloud Cruiser, Cloud Technology Partners, Cloud Technology Partners Inc., Compaq Computer (Mauritius), Compaq Trademark B.V., Cray, Cray Inc., EDS World Corporation (Far East) LLC, EYP Mission Critical Facilities Inc., H3C Holdings Limited, HP Enterprise Services Australia Pty Ltd, HP Financial Services (Australia) Pty Limited, HP Financial Services (Chile) Limitada, HP Financial Services (Japan) K.K., HP Financial Services Arrendamento Mercantil S.A., HP Financial Services Company (Korea), HP Financial Services International Holdings Company, HPE Government LLC, HPFS Global Holdings I LLC, HPFS Global Holdings II LLC, HPFS Rental S.R.L., Hangzhou H3C Technologies Co. Ltd, Hewlett Packard Caribe BV LLC, Hewlett Packard Colombia Ltda., Hewlett Packard Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise B.V., Hewlett Packard Enterprise B.V. Amstelveen Meyrin Branch, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Co., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Co. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Cie, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Costa Rica Limitada, Hewlett Packard Enterprise GlobalSoft Private Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise India Private Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Ireland Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Luxembourg SCA, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Polska sp. z o.o., Hewlett Packard Pathfinder LLC, Hewlett Packard Taiwan Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (Israel) Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn. Bhd., Hewlett-Packard (Nigeria) Limited, Hewlett-Packard (Schweiz) GmbH, Hewlett-Packard (Tanzania) Limited, Hewlett-Packard (Thailand) Limited, Hewlett-Packard ApS, Hewlett-Packard Argentina S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Australia Pty Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Belgium SPRL/BVBA, Hewlett-Packard Bermuda Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Brasil Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria EOOD, Hewlett-Packard Caribe B.V., Hewlett-Packard Caribe Y Andina B.V. LLC, Hewlett-Packard Chile Comercial Limitada, Hewlett-Packard Cyprus Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Egypt Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Financial Services (India) Private Limited, Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Canada Company, Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Company, Hewlett-Packard France SAS, Hewlett-Packard G1 SPV (Cayman) Company, Hewlett-Packard Gesellschaft mbH, Hewlett-Packard Ghana Limited, Hewlett-Packard GmbH, Hewlett-Packard Guatemala Limitada, Hewlett-Packard HK SAR Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Hellas EPE, Hewlett-Packard Holdings Ltd., Hewlett-Packard International Bank Designated Activity Company, Hewlett-Packard International Bank Public Limited Company, Hewlett-Packard International Sarl, Hewlett-Packard Italiana S.r.l., Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Korea Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Leasing Limited, Hewlett-Packard Limited, Hewlett-Packard Luxembourg Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Macau Limited, Hewlett-Packard Manufacturing Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Marigalante Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Hewlett-Packard Middle East FZ-LLC, Hewlett-Packard Mocambique Limitada - Sociedada em Liquidacao, Hewlett-Packard Nederland B.V., Hewlett-Packard New Zealand, Hewlett-Packard Norge AS, Hewlett-Packard OY, Hewlett-Packard Operations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Hewlett-Packard Peru S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Philippines Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Portugal Lda., Hewlett-Packard SARL, Hewlett-Packard SIA, Hewlett-Packard Servicios Espana S.L., Hewlett-Packard Singapore (Sales) Pte. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Hewlett-Packard Sverige AB, Hewlett-Packard Technology Center Inc., Hewlett-Packard Teknoloji Cozumleri Limited Sirketi, Hewlett-Packard The Hague B.V., Hewlett-Packard Venezuela S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Vision Limited, Hewlett-Packard d.o.o., Hewlett-Packard s.r.o., Limited Liability Company Hewlett Packard Enterprise, MapR Technologies, New H3C Technologies Co. Ltd., Niara Inc., Nimble Storage, Nimble Storage Inc., Nimble Storage Israel Ltd, Nimble Storage Japan GK, Nimble Storage UK Limited, Plexxi, RedPixie, SGI (Silicon Graphics), Sapphire Holding Co, Scytale, Shanghai Hewlett-Packard Co. Ltd., Silver Peak, SimpliVity, Sinope Holding B.V., Trilead, UAB ES Hague Lietuva, and Unis Huashan Technologies Co. Limited. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Canada ETF's stock was trading at $22.55 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, HEWC stock has increased by 46.2% and is now trading at $32.96. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain ETF's stock was trading at $17.13 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, HEWP stock has increased by 2.1% and is now trading at $17.4950. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Koninklijke Philips N.V. is the Netherlands-based health technology company. The Company's segments include Personal Health businesses, Diagnosis & Treatment businesses, Connected Care & Health Informatics businesses, HealthTech Other and Legacy Items. The Personal Health businesses segment is engaged in the health continuum, delivering integrated, connected solutions that support healthier lifestyles and those living with chronic disease. The Diagnosis & Treatment businesses segment delivers precision medicine and treatment, and therapy. The Connected Care & Health Informatics businesses segment provides consumers, care givers and clinicians with digital solutions that facilitate care by enabling precision medicine and population health management. The HealthTech Other segment comprises such items, as innovation, emerging businesses, royalties, among others. The Legacy Items segment consists mainly of separation costs, legacy legal items, legacy pension costs, among others. Read More Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE:TCO) announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November, 9th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.49) EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $0.58 by $1.07. The real estate investment trust had revenue of $130.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $125.10 million. Taubman Centers had a net margin of 30.09% and a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 94.88%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. View Taubman Centers' earnings history. Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Massachusetts, United States. The fund primarily invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments which are exempt from regular federal and Massachusetts income taxes. It seeks to invest in investment grade securities that are rated Baa/BBB or above by S&P, Moody's, or Fitch. The fund employs fundamental analysis with a focus on bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Standard & Poor's (S&P) Massachusetts Municipal Bond Index and Standard & Poor's (S&P) National Municipal Bond Index. The fund was formerly known as Nuveen Massachusetts Premium Income Municipal Fund. Nuveen Massachusetts Quality Municipal Income Fund was formed on January 12, 1993 and is domiciled in the United States. Read More Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. provides banking, financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. It operates its business through the following segments: Australia Retail and Commercial; Institutional; New Zealand; Pacific; and Technology, Services and Operations and Group Centre. The Australia segment comprises the retail and corporate and commercial business units which provides products and services to consumer and private banking customers in Australia via the branch network, mortgage specialists, the contact centres, a variety of self-service channels and and third party brokers; and banking services including traditional relationship banking and financial solutions through managers focusing on privately owned small, medium, and large enterprises as well as the agricultural businesses. The Institutional segment refers to the transaction banking, loans and specialised finance and markets solutions. The New Zealand segment refers to the retail and commercial business units. The Pacific segment offers products and services to retail customers, small to medium-sized enterprises, institutional customers and governments loc Read More Las Vegas, NV, Dec. 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earth Gen-Biofuel (OTC:EGBB), EarthGen or the Company, announces that it has received a purchase order for 300 of its Park Model Homes for delivery starting in the first quarter of 2019. Earth Gen and International Housing Concepts (IHC) an operating division of Earth Gen-Biofuel Inc. received a formal purchase agreement from HVHOMECENTR LLC, operating in the State of Oregon as Hope Valley Resorts. The purchase agreement calls for the purchase of 300 Park Model Homes that will accommodate the expansion of Hope Valley Resorts existing 100 home Community. Robert Hayes CEO, stated, working with Hope Valley Resorts is an opportunity for Earth Gen and IHC to have a long term purchase agreement to support our manufacturing process for Park Model homes. We are starting the production of the 300 Park Model homes which are a unique design to meet the needs of the Hope Valley Resorts community. Earth Gen is receiving a series of substantial production deposit payments according to the terms of purchase agreement due to the specific design requirements of the purchase agreement. To accommodate the needs of dedicated production facilities IHC is using a combination of a subcontractor and its own production facility to produce the homes purchased by Hope Valley Resorts. IHC is in the process of provisioning facilities to meet the 10 to 20 units a month delivery schedule for Hope Valley Resorts and also provide production capacity to support additional similar purchase agreements. About EarthGen-BioFuel and its IHC Subsidiary In June of 2018, Earth Gen Biofuel Inc. changed its management and the focus of its business operations to meeting the downsizing trend for living space for millennials and people approaching retirement age. Our housing designs and construction methods meet the need for affordable housing units. Our companys state of the art small Park Model Homes and Tiny House designs provide housing units that accommodate both on and off grid installation as well as mobile units, giving us access to a broad segment of the market. Our target markets include resort housing communities, Veterans communities, temporary housing for construction workers at remote locations, and emergency housing needs resulting from natural disasters. Our goal is to deliver high quality, cost effective dwelling units that employ technology, sustainability and ease of maintenance requirements. We are working directly with real estate developers to create housing units that meet the need of each unique situation and community resident. Web site at www.egbb.world . About Hope Valley Resort Hope Valley Resorts community is located in the famous Willamette Valley, one of Americas highly prized wine growing regions that has become a destination for tourists and those looking for a lifestyle that compares to the Napa and Sonoma wine areas of California. The 70 acre Hope Valley Resorts is an upscale, gated community of 100 homes with 194 finished home sites and expanding to a total of 400. The Hope Valleys resort-like atmosphere features all of the requisite amenities including a clubhouse, gym, sport courts, pine forests, walking trails, swimming pool/spa and additions as 300 plus homes are added in the coming 24 months. Hope Valley Resorts provides what people want, a Lifestyle with first class amenities, the beauty and ambiance of the surroundings, combined with a strong sense of truly belonging to a community. Hope Valley Resorts was one of the first of its kind in the nation and the only such one in Oregon to feature full time living in a Park Model home. Hope Valley Resorts is uniquely positioned to attract people who are part growing trend where people from all walks of life are finding they desire to Downsize and Live Larger. www.hopevalleyresorts.com Forward-Looking Statement This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In accordance with the safe harbor provisions of this Act, statements contained herein that look forward in time that include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the Companys actual results. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by the Company, including, but not limited to, plans and objectives of management for future operations or products, the market acceptance or future success of our products, and our future financial performance. Further caution is given as the Company is not current with its public disclosures and limited information about the Companys financial condition or operations is available to investors adding additional risk to potential investors. Investor Relations Contact Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Read More iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF's stock was trading at $21.67 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWH shares have increased by 9.0% and is now trading at $23.61. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Velocys plc operates as a sustainable fuels technology company. It designs, develops, and licenses its Fischer-Tropsch technology for the generation of clean, low carbon, synthetic drop-in aviation and road transport fuel from municipal solid waste and residual woody biomass plants. The company has a collaboration with British Airways and Shell for the development of a waste-to-jet-fuel project in the United Kingdom. It has operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Asia Pacific. The company was formerly known as Oxford Catalysts Group PLC and changed its name to Velocys plc in September 2013. Velocys plc was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Oxford, the United Kingdom. Read More WSP Global Inc. operates as a professional services consulting firm in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, Australia, Asia, New Zealand, and internationally. The company advises, plans, designs, and manages projects for rail transit, aviation, highways, bridges, tunnels, water, maritime, and urban infrastructure for public and private clients, construction contractors, and other partners. It also provides engineering and consultancy services, such as decarbonisation strategies, SMART building design, structural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services. In addition, the company works with and advises businesses and governments in various areas of environmental consultancy including ESG matters. Further, it provides long-term operational management support services comprising first feasibility studies; advisory services, which comprise technical, financial, and environmental issues, as well as engineering design and energy simulations. Additionally, the company plans, designs, and supports the development of pipelines and gas networks; and offers services to maintain the integrity of critical assets, and obtain permits and consent for clients in the mining, and oil and gas industries. It also provides a range of consulting and engineering services, such as strategic studies, concept design, and productivity analysis, as well as engineering, procurement, and construction management contract services to the food and beverages, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, automotive, and chemicals industries. In addition, the company offers strategic advisory services comprising planning and advisory, management, and technology and sustainability services. The company was formerly known as GENIVAR Inc. and changed its name to WSP Global Inc. in January 2014. WSP Global Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More Tower International, Inc. manufactures and sells engineered automotive structural metal components and assemblies primarily for original equipment manufacturers. It operates in two segments, North America and Brazil. The company provides body structures and assemblies, including structural metal components, which comprise body pillars, roof rails, and side sills; and Class A surfaces and assemblies that consist of body sides, hoods, doors, fenders, and pickup truck boxes. It also offers lower vehicle frames and structures, such as pickup truck and sport utility vehicle (SUV) full frames, automotive engine and rear suspension cradles, floor pan components, and cross members. In addition, the company offers complex body-in-white assemblies comprising various components and sub-assemblies. Its products have applications in small and large cars, crossovers, pickups, and SUVs. The company was formerly known as Tower Automotive, LLC and changed its name to Tower International, Inc. in October 2010. Tower International, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan. Read More ROME, N.Y. -- The proposed site for the new Byrne Dairy in Rome has been announced. The potential location is at the intersection of Erie Boulevard East and Depeyster Street, which is next to Coalyard Charlie's The new store will be about 4,000 square feet and will include gas pumps. The Rome City Planning Board will meet on January 8 at 7 p.m. at city hall to discuss the site plans and the environmental impact of the location. PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE | PART SIX This is the six and final part in a series of articles published by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka to mark the 50th anniversary of its foundation in June 1968. Established as the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), it was renamed the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in 1996. A statement has been published to mark the RCLs founding congress on June 1617, 1968. These articles elaborate the RCLs principled foundations and draw the essential political lessons from the struggle for these principles over the past 50 years. The RCL was founded on the program and perspective of socialist internationalism that the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, which claimed to be a Trotskyist party, had betrayed by entering the bourgeois government of Madam Sirima Bandaranaike in 1964. Central to the work of the SEP has been the fight for Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution, which established that in countries of a belated capitalist development only the working class is capable of leading the struggle for the basic democratic and social rights of the workers and rural toilers as part of the fight for socialism internationally. These lessons are critical for the emerging struggles of the working class, not only in Sri Lanka, but throughout Asia and the world. The 19851986 split in the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) was a milestone for the international Trotskyist movement and all its sections. The split marked the decisive victory of the genuine Trotskyists and the program of socialist internationalism over the national opportunists of the British Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) and its supporters who betrayed the basic tenets of Trotskyism, including the theory of the Permanent Revolution. The political struggle against the WRP prepared the ICFI for the new period of revolutionary struggles that are emerging. In the wake of the split, the ICFI identified that its underlying causes in the globalisation of production immensely sharpened the fundamental contradictions of capitalismbetween world economy and the outmoded nation state system, and between socialised production and the private ownership of the means of production. These are the impetus not only for the drive of the ruling classes towards war, austerity and dictatorship, but also for the revolutionary resurgence of the international working class. The Socialist Labor League (SLL) in Britain, the forerunner of the WRP, played a critical role in defending the Fourth International against Pabloite opposition that first emerged in the 1950s. The Pabloites reacted to the post-war restabilisation of capitalism by abandoning the struggle for the political independence of the working class and adapting to the Social Democratic, Stalinist and bourgeois nationalist tendencies that prevailed in each country. The SLLs leading members had supported the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the US in its struggle against the Pabloites and the formation of the International Committee of the Fourth International in 1953. The SLL took up a far-sighted and courageous political fight against the SWP in the early 1960s, which succumbing to similar political pressures as the Pabloites reunified with them in 1963. The LSSPs betrayal in 1964 was a striking confirmation of the SLLs warnings about the dangers of Pabloite opportunism. The SLLs analysis formed the basis on which the RCL cadre was assembled and the party formed in 1968. Similarly, drawing inspiration from the lessons of the 1953 and 1963 struggles, new sections of the ICFI were established in the United States, Germany and Australia in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, in the course of the revolutionary upheavals between 1968 and 1975, the SLL adapted to the enormous pressures exerted by imperialism. Its transformation into the WRP in 1973 on the basis of an anti-Tory tactic and without the necessary discussion of programmatic foundations signalled an adaptation to the Labour Party and the trade unions. Increasingly, the WRP jettisoned the theory of Permanent Revolution as it established unprincipled relations with various bourgeois nationalist regimes and movements in the Middle East and elsewhere. The political standing of the SLL/WRP rested on its fight against Pabloism, but, as it abandoned the lessons of those struggles it increasingly came into conflict with the new ICFI sections that had been established on the basis of these vital theoretical advances. The RCL disagreed sharply in 1971 with the SLLs assessment of the Indo-Pakistan war published in a statement giving critical support to the Indian invasion of what was then East Pakistan under the guise of assisting the Bangladesh liberation struggle. New Delhis real concerns were that the conflict would spill over the border into West Bengal and destabilise the reactionary nation state system established in 1947 following formal independence from Britain. The RCL, which was not consulted and was operating under conditions of semi-legality, had already prepared a statement declaring that the task of the proletariat is not that of supporting one or other faction of the bourgeoisie, but of exploiting the conflicts in the enemy camp for the seizure of power. Keerthi Balasuriya The RCL did not publish its statement, but General Secretary Keerthi Balasuriya wrote to ICFI Secretary Cliff Slaughter outlining its strong opposition to the SLL statement and called for an international discussion over the issues. Mike Banda on behalf of the SLL attacked the RCL and attributed a progressive and revolutionary role to Indian national bourgeoisie that was completely at odds with the theory of Permanent Revolution. The SLL did not even circulate the RCLs letter to the IC sections and increasingly sought to isolate it. The RCL came directly into conflict with the SLL/WRP over its adaptation to the bourgeois nationalist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighting for a separate Tamil state in the North and East of the island. Having initially opposed the RCLs tactical support for the right to self-determination of Tamils as part of the fight for socialist internationalism, the WRP did a 180 degree about face in 1979. It gave uncritical support to the LTTEs campaign for a separate state and, grossly distorting Lenins writings, dressed up the LTTEs bourgeois program in socialistic colours. These issues are dealt with in detail in Part 5. The WRPs hostility to the RCL became evident at the height of the bloody anti-Tamil pogrom in July 1983 in Colombo and throughout the island that triggered the countrys protracted communal civil war. In August 1983, the WRP wrote in its News Line: It is possible and even probable, that the police and the army have used the arbitrary and uncontrolled power granted to them under the emergency laws to kill our comrades and destroy our press. This astonishing statement was published but the WRP did nothing to defend the RCL or even find out about its cadre. Balasuriya later commented: You did absolutely nothing to mount a campaign in our defense and thus gave advance notice to the UNP government that you will not even lift a finger in the event of the physical destruction of our party. The WRP increasingly sought to destroy the ICFI and its sections as their fight for Trotskyist principles cut across the WRPs increasingly opportunist relations. While giving uncritical support to the LTTE, the WRP also maintained relations with a group of ex-RCL members who had split from the party and attacked it in Sinhala chauvinist terms. The WRP used the scurrilous claims of this group to attack the RCL leadership for supposed liquidationism and as the basis for threatening its expulsion from the ICFI. The Workers League in the United States and its national secretary David North was also under fire. In 1982, North had criticised SLL leader Gerry Healys Studies in Dialectical Materialism, explaining that they reflected the abandonment of historical materialism and growing signs of a political drift towards positions quite similarboth in conclusions and methodologyto those which we have historically associated with Pabloism. Again in 1984, North criticised the WRP leaderships opportunist relations with various bourgeois nationalist regimes, including in the Middle East, and the abandonment of the Theory of Permanent Revolution and betrayal of the oppressed masses. The WRP blocked any discussion within the ICFI over these issues and threatened to split from the Workers League unless North retracted his criticisms. The eruption of a deep crisis within the WRP in JulyOctober tore its leadership apart. The ICFI intervened and, on the basis of the theoretical and political critique developed by North, was able to identify the roots of the crisis in the WRPs drift from the fundamental principles of Trotskyism. Keerthi Balasuriya travelled to London to participate in an emergency meeting of the ICFI and, together with leaders of the Australian and German sections, expressed his agreement with Norths criticisms. In its statements on the crisis in the British section, the ICFI noted that it was the product of a prolonged drift of the WRP leadership away from strategic task of building the world party of socialist revolution towards increasingly nationalist perspective and practice. It required that the WRP re-register its members on the basis of the explicit recognition of the political authority of the ICFI and the subordination of the British section to its decision. In December 1985, the ICFI received the report of its control commission into the WRPs financial dealings and passed a resolution suspending the WRP over its historic betrayal of the principles of Trotskyism, pending an emergency ICFI congress. In another resolution it reaffirmed the programmatic foundation and correctness of the protracted struggle against Pabloism. Of the WRPs delegates only David Hyland, who led a minority within the WRP that supported the ICFI, voted for the resolutions. At its rump congress in February 1986, the WRP used the police to exclude the minority faction and split from the ICFI, rejecting its entire history of struggle in which the SLL had previously played such a crucial part. The split in the ICFI brought to the end what had been a three-decade civil war in the Fourth International beginning with the 1953 split and paved way for a renaissance of Marxism and the development of the closest international collaboration. The victory the genuine Trotskyists had a profound objective base in the processes of globalisation that had completely undermine all national programs. In its 1988 perspective document, entitled The World Capitalist Crisis and the Tasks of the Fourth International, the ICFI identified a wave of renunciationism that was sweeping the workers movement internationally. The trade unions, Social Democratic and Stalinist parties, and various revisionist groups were all abandoning even their previous limited claims to defend the interests of the working class. This was epitomised in the dissolution of the deformed workers states in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union by the Stalinist regimes and their wholesale embrace of capitalist restoration. Amid the wave of triumphalism about the victory of the market, the ICFI insisted that what had failed was not socialism, but the reactionary Stalinist perspective of socialism in one country. These new developments posed a crucial task before the ICFI. Its sections had taken the form of leagues under conditions where the trade unions and Stalinist and social democratic parties still commanded the positive support and allegiance of broad layers of workers and youth. The immediate political task was to expose these leaderships as incapable of advancing the fight for socialism. In Sri Lanka, the RCL advanced the demand that the LSSP and CPSL break from the bourgeois Sri Lanka Freedom Party and establish a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies. The ICFI, following the wholesale transformation of the traditional organisations of the working class into direct agents of the national bourgeoisie in every country, concluded, however, that its sections must shoulder the responsibility of providing revolutionary leadership to the working class in the struggle for power. Each of the sections transformed itself from a league into a party, with the RCL becoming the Socialist Equality Party in 1996. The 1988 ICFI perspective document explained that Marxism had long held the proposition that the class struggle is national in form but international in essence. However, it predicted that given the new features of capitalist development, even the form of the class struggle must assume an international character. The establishment of the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) in 1998 was a critical step in providing a medium for educating, unifying and mobilising the working class on the basis of socialist internationalism. For more than two decades, the WSWS has published an extraordinary output of article and commentary in a growing number of languages on political events, as well as theoretical and historical issues, cultural and scientific developments. It provides the necessary theoretical, political and practical guidance that is vital in the developing struggles of the working class. The ICFIs analysis has been powerfully vindicated in the resurgence of international class struggle against sharpening geo-political rivalry and the drive to world war, the deep inroads being made into living standards, and the destruction of basic democratic rights and turn to autocratic methods of rule. The founding document of the Fourth International declared 80 years ago: The world political situation as a whole is chiefly characterised by the crisis of the leadership of the proletariat. In its 50 years, the RCL/SEP has assimilated the lessons of the historical and strategic experiences that are embodied in the ICFI. Its struggles have been thoroughly grounded on the theory of Permanent Revolution and dedicated to resolving the crisis of leadership of the working class. All the other parties that once claimed allegiance to socialism have wound up in the camp of capitalism in Sri Lanka and internationally. Together with its sister parties, the SEP in Sri Lanka has proven historically that it alone is able to provide the necessary revolutionary leadership to the working class in Sri Lanka as part of struggle for socialism in South Asia and internationally. We urge workers, youth and progressive minded intellectuals to take up the task of building the SEP and ICFI by joining its ranks and taking up the fight for a socialist future. This is the first of a two-part series. The appointment of Noah Carl to a prestigious research fellowship at Cambridge University has been met with widespread outrage. Nearly 600 academics and 900 students have signed a petition condemning Carls ethically suspect and methodologically flawed work, which they say legitimises racial stereotypes and is being used by extremist and far-right media outlets with the aim of stoking xenophobic anti-immigrant rhetoric. The petition demands that the university reconsider the appointment and issue a statement dissociating themselves from research that seeks to establish correlations between race, genes, intelligence and criminality in order to explain one by the other. Cambridge has announced two investigations into the matter. Meanwhile, Carl has received full-throated defence from a wide section of the right-wing press. In whatever way his professional fate is ultimately resolved, his appointment points to a right-wing turn in academia that is bound up with the degraded character of official bourgeois politics. Carl spent the first several years of his academic life working at Oxford University. While there, he authored 34 papers, many of which support his own right-wing politics. Enoch Powell, author of the infamous rivers of blood anti-immigrant speech, is listed as one of his Facebook Likes, alongside Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson. One of Carls articles, written in 2016, is titled, Net opposition to immigrants of different nationalities correlates strongly with their arrest rates. It argues that anti-immigrant attitudes are reasonably accurate concerning criminality. This was followed in 2017 by, Are immigration policy preferences based on accurate stereotypes? In A global analysis of Islamist violence Carl claims that having a large percentage of Muslims in the population is the cause of an increased threat of terrorism. In Ethnicity and electoral fraud in Britain, he links cousin marriage and electoral fraud in Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. Another article is titled, IQ and socio-economic development across local authorities of the UK. The most common co-authors for Carls articles, as listed on ResearchGate, include Heiner Rindermann, Richard Lynn and Emil Kirkegaard. Rindermann is the author of Cognitive Capitalism which claims global inequality is the result of genetic, racial differences in intelligence. He occupies the Chair of Educational and Developmental Psychology at the Technical University of Chemnitz, the city where over 7,000 neo-Nazis rampaged through the streets in August. His work is promoted on the far-right websites VDARE, The Unz Review and New Observer. One article, Secondary School Level Engineers, warned against the dilution of German intelligence by immigrants, claiming the standard of education of most immigrants from Western Asia and Africa is low, and their capabilities are limited. The consequences of this will be bitter. Kirkegaard is a Danish white supremacist who has posited the existence of racial tiers and argues for banning Muslim immigration because it is self-destructive to the host country. He has posted a picture of himself receiving the Heil Hitler salute with his own caption, There will be an heir to the Fuhrer. He has also advocated sex with sleeping children as a compromise solution to paedophilia. Lynn has praised Kirkegaards brilliant work identifying the genes responsible for race differences in intelligence. Lynn, formerly emeritus professor of psychology at Ulster University, has called for the phasing out of the population of incompetent cultures. He heads the Pioneer Fund, listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Carls elevation follows the scandal which erupted in January when University College London (UCL) senior honorary lecturer James Thompson was found to have hosted the eugenicist London Conference on Intelligence (LCI) on campus. Thompson, whose own work posits differences in genetic intelligence across genders, political affiliations and ethnicities, organised several annual LCI meetings on UCLs campus. Carl, Rindermann and Kirkegaard were regular attendees and presenters. When the LCI story broke, the World Socialist Web Site explained, Eugenics is being advanced within academia and politics because it serves definite social interests by justifying social inequality and far-right ideology. Thompson was moved quietly into retirement, while UCLs own investigation announced in January has issued no public findings. Nearly 12 months later, Carl has not only been protected but promotedawarded a research fellowship at one of the most prestigious academic institutions on the planet. There isnt a shred of scientific or academic credibility for the social Darwinist ideas of Carl and his fellow pseudoscientists. Firstly, there is no serious basis for talking about distinct and defined races. As the geneticist and 10-year editor of Nature, Adam Rutherford, explained with regards to Thompsons writings, As soon as you begin to speak about black people and IQ you have a problem, because genetically-speaking black people arent one homogeneous group. Any two people of recent African descent are likely to be more genetically distinct from each other than either of them is to anyone else in the world. Groups of people sharing a high amount of genetic inheritance (population groups, in scientific terms) do not map on to the criteria of race used by the likes of Carl and Lynn. In any case, the overall variance which exists across all human beings is remarkably small compared to other mammals, thanks to the species relatively recent origin. Likewise, the suggestion that highly complex mental characteristics might develop differently between different groups in the same manner as characteristics such as skin-colour is fraudulent. In contrast to the single-gene mutations which affect many well-known distinguishing traits, whatever genetic element there is to an individuals intelligence and behaviour is determined by potentially thousands of genes. Moreover, the role that genes play in an individuals development, let alone that of society, is dwarfed in comparison with a host of social factors. Eugenics attributes everything from disparate levels of educational attainment to unemployment or crimephenomena that are overwhelmingly the product of a society based upon class and imperialist exploitationto genetic causes. It does so almost invariably for politically motivated ends. Many of Carls articles have been published on the OpenPsych website set up by Kirkegaard to circumvent the peer review system. Its editors and referees are almost all associated with the far-right and often do not even have qualifications in the fields they are responsible for overseeing. Over half of the articles on the site are authored or co-authored by Kirkegaard. The co-founder of OpenPsych is Davide Pifferanother pseudo-scientific researcher who once claimed to have psychic powerswho is based at the Ulster Institute for Social Research (UISR), established by Richard Lynn. UISR is backed by Lynns Pioneer Fund and publishes the equally irreputable Mankind Quarterly, which regularly prints Kirkegaards writings. What we have here is a network of right-wing ideologues, who set up what have rightly been called pseudo journals through which they publish and review one anothers tracts. They have successfully functioned while occupying senior positions throughout academia. Carl did a BA, MA and PhD at Oxford University, and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in its Nuffield College. During his time there, according to RationalWiki, the college was informed that Carl was using his Oxford email address on papers published in Kirkegaards OpenPsych journals. Oxford told him to remove the email, stated it did not agree with his views and then let the matter lie. Thompson published racist, bigoted nonsense in the name of science for years while an honorary professor at UCL. Rindermann holds a chair at the Technical University of Chemnitz. Lynn lost his position as professor emeritus at Ulster University earlier this year when student protests forced the institution to drop him. He is still on the editorial board of both Personality and Individual Differences and Intelligence, journals published by the respected Elsevier publisher. To these names can be added Adam Perkinsyet another LCI speakerworking as a professor at Kings College London. Perkins authored a book called The Welfare Trait, which essentially argued that welfare dependency could be bred out if benefits payments were reduced until there was a birth rate decline in out-of-work households. This is not a case of the odd rotten apple. Ideas of genetically determined inferiorityboth racial and as a function of social classhave an established foothold in academia. To be continued Kharinov said the Russia-Vietnam trade revenue strongly surges this year and is likely to surpass the estimate mark of USD6.2 billion. Vietnam has become a key trade partner of Russia in Southeast Asia, which is proved through the results of the two countries economy-trade cooperation in 2018 (Illustrative photo: AFP/VNA) According to statistics of the Russian side, the countrys main exports to Vietnam include foodstuff, accounting for 34 percent, followed by machinery (20.7 percent), nonferrous metal and metallic products (16.6 percent). Wheat flour topped the lists of Russias exports to Vietnam for the first time, hitting USD476.9 million in the first 10 months, a rise of 2.5 times year-on-year. Meanwhile, electronic devices, including computers, cell phones and accessories, were Vietnams leading export to Russia, making up 60 percent of the total export revenue. Kharinov affirmed that Russian firms are very attentive to Vietnams market, voicing his belief that they will increase their presence in Vietnam over the time. Aside from foodstuff, businesses from Russia have provided high technology solutions for Vietnamese counterparts in smart city building, water filter and treatment, medical equipment using nuclear technology, among others, the official noted. He also pointed out some technical and administrative barriers, such as in animal health control and phytosanitary, to be removed to further facilitate the increase of the bilateral trade./. ZF Chassis Systems Chicago, LLC, a supplier for the Chicago Ford Assembly plant, will permanently close its doors and lay off approximately 261 workers in March. The announcement was made earlier this year by the German-based auto parts manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF), also known as the ZF group, who reported revenues of $35 billion in 2016. The plant, which creates suspension modules, opened in Chicagos south side Hegewisch neighborhood in 2004. We were not awarded the business for the new contract, which is why the plant is closing, ZF spokesman Tony Sapienza stated. As March is the end date, the process to wind down operations is beginning now. He continued, The majority of employees at that plant have already transitioned to other jobs at Ford or the new supplier. ZF also relocated some employees to other ZF facilities. There are about 250 people employed at this facility, most of them are now temps as we continue to transition employees out as noted above. Employees who do not transition to a new position will get a severance that was negotiated with the union. Most of the current temp workers make $15 an hour, with many working 12-hour shifts. According to online reports, Ford chose Dakkota Integrated Systems (Dakkota), also in Chicago, as its new supplier, after the company likely underbid ZF by offering a cheaper price for its services. Some workers from ZF have transferred to Dakkota, with others likely to transfer to Flex-N-Gate, another automotive supplier, whose factory is set to open in early 2019 in Chicagos South Deering neighborhood. No official reports have been released of how many workers were able to or can transfer and obtain new positions. The United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 3212, which represents ZF workers, has said nothing regarding the layoffs. Workers took to Facebook to expressed their anger over the impending ZF plant closure. One worker wrote, The workers have bills and family not fair Another said, It sucks Im one of those people who will be out of a job at the end of February. Yes I have been looking, but we all know how that goes. One worker commented on the role of the ZF, Dakkota and the UAW, They do not know how to treat their employees like human beings and the union will sell them out in a heart beat. A current ZF worker told the World Socialist Web Site Autoworkers Newsletter, Ive been there two years now and weve known for some time that the contract was underbid and it was more of a matter of when the actual closing date was. Of course its more devastating to the employees that have been there 10+ years but at the end of the day its all our livelihoods. We had our final meeting thanking us for all our service. Theyre working with Dakkota Tower and Flex-N-Gate to place us if possible, he said. Workers at ZF produce parts that are handled and used by workers to build SUVs, such as the Ford Explorer, at the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant. ZF workers, past and current, and soon-to-be Dakkota and Flex-N-Gate workers are part of a workforce of autoworkers numbering in the tens of thousands who have suffered the brunt of relentless attacks by the auto companies with the assistance of the UAW. The silence and inaction of the UAW in response to the ZF closure announcement is a further exposure of the role of the UAW as a compliant tool of corporate management. It is, moreover, a warning: The UAW will do nothing if Dakkota and Flex-N-Gate announce layoffs and closures in the years to come. The UAW responded to the recent announcement by General Motors of plans to eliminate nearly 15,000 jobs and shutter five plants with an explosion of nationalism, blaming Mexican and Chinese workers and implying workers must take more concessions in the upcoming 2019 Big 3 contract. Instead of a fight they are urging workers to participate in prayer vigils and letter writing campaigns to GM executives. These same UAW officials are implicated in a growing corruption scandal involving top UAW officials. Recently, Nancy Johnson, the top aide to former United Auto Workers Vice President for Fiat Chrysler Norwood Jewell, was sentenced to one year in prison for her involvement in a bribery scandal which involved millions in payouts to union officials by Fiat Chrysler. As part of a plea deal, Johnson stated that former UAW President Dennis Williams authorized illegal fund transfers from joint union and company training centers to the pockets of the union. The World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter is taking up the fight to stop the layoffs and closures. On December 9, workers voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to oppose the GM layoffs and plant closures and form rank-and-file committees. The resolution resolved to establish rank-and-file action committees, independent of the UAW, to mobilize workers across all industries on the basis of their own demands, including abolishing the two-tier wage and benefit system, transforming temporary into full-time workers, rehiring all laid off and victimized workers, and fighting for industrial democracy. We urge ZF workers and all Chicago area autoworkers to join this struggle. The author also recommends: Faurecia worker in Saline describes appalling working conditions [21 December 2018] UAW, Democrats seek to block struggle by workers against GM plant shutdowns [28 December 2018] Students at the prestigious Peking University yesterday held a protest against the decision by university authorities to suppress the Marxist student society. While the demonstration only involved about a dozen students peacefully chanting holding up placards, university guards quickly moved in to break it up and drag the protesters away. Give us back our Marxist student society, resist violence on campus, the students chanted. Witnesses told the South China Morning Post that the students had locked arms. Some were injured as security guards forced them into a building, manhandling and in some cases carrying them inside. Several of them were pushed to the ground and suffered cuts to their hands and some had their glasses broken in the struggle, according to one witness. At least eight of the students were still being held yesterday evening. The protest followed the restructuring of the Marxist student society by university authorities to ensure it was firmly under their political control. It replaced the societys leaders, including its president Qui Zhanxuan, and installed some 32 new members, many of whom were members of the Communist Youth League or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The immediate pretext for the societys suppression was an attempt by Qui to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of former CCP leader Mao Zedong on December 26 1893. He had invited students throughout the country to take part in online events to mark the occasion. Qui was detained by police on Tuesday, given a written warning for disrupting campus order and then released on Thursday. He was among the students protesting yesterday and is still being held. Members of the Marxist student society at Peking University and students from other Chinese elite universities have recently been supporting workers in their struggles. In particular, students have been involved in assisting workers from Jasic Technology, a manufacturer of hi-tech welding equipment in Shenzhen, trying to establish an independent trade union. The Chinese police have repeatedly cracked down on the workers and students involved in the Jasic Technology dispute. These include Zhang Shengye, a recent Peking University graduate, who was detained last month by men in black clothing on campus last month. Around 15 students and recent graduates are still in detention after their arrest earlier in the year, according to the Jasic Workers Solidarity Group. Four have been denied access to their lawyers. A similar attempt was made in September to suppress the Marxist student society at Peking University, but authorities backed off after their manoeuvre to deregister the group was exposed. The CCP regime, which has all but abandoned its socialistic phrase-mongering, is terrified at the prospect of students politicizing the struggles of workers. The CCP represents the interests the super-wealthy oligarchs who have been profiting from the processes of capitalist restoration since 1978 and is well aware that it is sitting on top of a social time bomb. Over the past 40 years, the social gulf between rich and poor has widened immensely, generating huge social tensions that now threaten to erupt as the countrys economy slows markedly. The CCP is determined to prevent a recurrence of the nation-wide protests that erupted in 1989 after students demonstrated in Tiananmen Square. The turning point in the protests came after they were joined by workers voicing their own class grievances. The regime violently suppressed the protest in Beijing and other cities. The repression was a signal to foreign investors that the CCP use all means to police the working class and capital flooded into the country. Amid a vastly expanded working class, the fear in Beijing today is that joint action by students and workers today could trigger a political movement that would rapidly undermine the ruling regime. In a social media post this week, the Jasic Workers Solidarity Group called on its members to take part in commemorations of Maos birth. A wave of progressive students has emerged, who remember well Chairman Maos lesson: that the youth must walk a road that meets with the workers, it stated. A rights activist in Beijing, Li Wei, told Radio Free Asia: In the past couple of years we have seen a lot of support for the Maoist left among ordinary people, especially because of the economy; they feel that life is very hard now, and they look back to supposedly greater equality of the Mao era. While the widespread hostility to the regime and worsening social conditions is understandable, the turn to Maoism provides no solution. Far from being based on Marxism, Maos eclectic ideology was a mixture of peasant populism and Chinese patriotism combined with the reactionary Stalinist ideology of socialism in one country. The greater equality previously was a product of the immense social upheaval of the 1949 Chinese Revolution. But it was led into a dead-end by Mao, who opened the door to capitalist restoration through his rapprochement with US imperialism. Considerable attention is being paid in the US to the Chinese student activists, not only by Washingtons propaganda arms such as Radio Free Asia. Cornell University has suspended two student exchanges with Renmin University in Beijing expressing concerns over academic freedom and the rights of students. The Washington-based Human Rights Watch has issued a statement calling for the release of detained students. Washingtons interest in the student activities is not motivated by concern for human rights, but rather is part of the escalating US confrontation with China across the boarddiplomatically, economically and militarilyto ensure continued US global dominance. Workers and students in China and internationally should demand the release of Chinese student and worker activists and defend their basic democratic rights against the police-state regime. However, that needs to be guided by a socialist and internationalist perspective that requires the revival of genuine Marxismthat is, of Trotskyismin China. Following the stipulations of the strikebreaking legislation the federal Liberal government rammed through parliament in late November, a government-appointed mediator-arbitrator has now been tasked with dictating the labor contracts for 50,000 Canada Post letter carriers, mail sorters, truck drivers, and post office clerks. The arbitrator, former Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) Chair Elizabeth MacPherson, acted as mediator between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) for seven days ending December 17. Under the Liberals anti-strike law, this mediation process could have been extended for a further seven days. But all parties to the talks agreed this was pointless. Through months of negotiations, government-owned Canada Post refused to even begin to address postal workers key concerns. These include a spike in injuries, forced overtime, two-tier wages, and precarious employment. Instead, Canada Post management relied, as it has for decades, on the readiness of the government of the day, whether Liberal or Conservative, to illegalize postal workers job action. CUPW has praised MacPherson as very knowledgeable and touted her decades of experience in labour negotiations. In fact, as a federal mediator and later CIRB chair, she has worked to contain and suppress the class struggle and police Canadas anti-worker labour laws. Named by the previous Harper Conservative government in 2011 to arbitrate a dispute between Air Canada and its 6,800 flight attendants, MacPherson imposed a concessionary contract on the workers they had twice rejected. The criminalization of the postal workers five-week campaign of rotating strikes and the impending imposition on them of contracts dictated by an appointee of the big business Liberal government constitute an attack on the entire working class. The right to strike is increasingly a legal fiction not just for postal workers, but for all workers across Canada. Federal and provincial governmentsincluding union-backed, ostensibly progressive Liberal, NDP and Parti Quebecois governmentsroutinely adopt emergency laws illegalizing strikes. And for every law adopted, at least two or three are threatened, with the aim of browbeating workers into voluntarily abandoning job action and selling themselves short in contract negotiations. Quebec construction workers, CP Rail workers, Nova Scotia and Ontario public school teachers, and Ontario college instructors have all been targets of recent anti-strike laws. Earlier this month, the Ontario Conservative government adopted an emergency law outlawing a threatened strike by six thousand Ontario Power Generation workers. Second and no less importantly, the issues at the core of the dispute between postal workers and Canada Post are those that face workers, both in the public and private sectors, across Canada and internationally: declining real wages; employer demands for cuts in pensions and benefits; the proliferation of two-tier and precarious employment; the dismantling of public services; and the use of technological change to slash jobs and increase the pace and regimentation of work. Canada Posts push to exploit the growth in online shopping and compete with private sector parcel-delivery giants like UPS has resulted in a soaring accident rate. Postal workers suffer disabling injuries more than five times the average in federally-regulated industries, making work at Canada Post even more dangerous than mining or longshoring. If postal workers were to defy the Liberals anti-strike law and appeal for support from workers across Canada in opposing the criminalization of workers struggles, two-tier wages and other concessions, and the dismantling of public services, there is no question that they could and would win mass support. But from the get-go, the CUPW leadership has done everything to limit and isolate the postal workers struggle. In doing so, they have reprised the ruinous strategy that CUPW pursued in 2011 and which culminated in the union accepting sweeping concessions, including pension cuts and the further expansion of two-tier wages. As in 2011, and despite being armed with a massive strike mandate, CUPW limited job action to a campaign of rotating local strikes and with the publicly stated goal of not harming the public, i.e., having as little impact as possible on Canada Posts operations. Although it was obvious the post office viewed government intervention as its trump card, CUPW President Mike Palacek and the rest of the union officialdom kept studiously silent on the threat of a back-to-work law, even after Trudeau publicly signaled such action was imminent. And when the government introduced its Bill C-89 in parliament, the union continued to keep postal workers on a tight leash, refusing to call a national strike or even mass membership meetings so workers could discuss the way forward. Instead, behind a bluster of hot air about all options being on the table, Palecek, a former leader of the pseudo-left Fightback group, prepared to order postal workers to submit to the Liberals strikebreaking law, just as his rightwing predecessors in the CUPW leadership had instructed them to obey Harpers law in 2011. This was underscored by Paleceks claims that the union would defeat the Liberal law in the courts and his boasts that the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), a staunch Liberal ally, stood with the postal workers. To provide CUPW with some cover for its abject surrender to the Liberals back-to-work law and abandonment of postal workers demands, Paleceks CLC allies subsequently organized a series of sparsely attended community pickets. When several of these community pickets briefly disrupted the entry and exit of mail delivery trucks at postal sorting plants, Canada Post responded with court injunctions. This only underscores that a real struggle against management and the Liberal government will entail a clash with the apparatus of state repression, and thus requires the mobilization of the entire working class in mass actions and political struggle. Such a course is directly the opposite of that pursued by CUPW, the CLC and unions around the world. Their response to the class-war assault on the working class has been to lurch ever-further right, integrating themselves evermore completely with management and the state. As for overturning the Liberals strikebreaking law in the capitalist courts, such claims have been a standard union justification for bowing to back-to-work legislation for years. Time and again, the courts have upheld anti-worker laws. But even when they havent, it has made little to no difference for workers. In 2016, a judge ruled the law Harper had used to criminalize the 2011 postal strikelegislation which, unlike the Liberals Bill C-89, made no pretense to fairnesswas unconstitutional. But he ordered no changes to the concessionary contract that was subsequently imposed on postal workers or any other form of redress. Under the Liberals back-to-work law, as under the one the Conservatives adopted in 2011, CUPW and Canada Post can continue negotiating while the arbitrator drafts new contracts. In 2012, the union ultimately reached a settlement with Canada Post, accepting a contract imposing historic concessions. It defended this betrayal with the claim that a negotiated settlement was preferable to one dictated from start-to-finish by a Conservative-named arbitrator. It appears Palecek, who won the union presidency in 2015 by appealing to rank-and-file anger against the previous leadership, will adopt a different tack. So as not to have to take direct responsibility for imposing concessions, the CUPW leadership will choose to let MacPherson dictate postal workers wages and working conditions. Either way, the results for postal workers will be the same. Their just demands will remain unfulfilled, and additional rollbacks will be imposed, further emboldening Canada Post, the Liberal government and big business as a whole. If their struggle is not to be suppressed, postal workers must seize leadership of it from the CUPW apparatus. At every workplace, postal workers should establish rank-and-file action committees independent of CUPW to mobilize support among all sections of postal workers and the working class for a national strike in defiance of the Liberals Bill C-89. Such a strike should be conceived of as the spearhead of a working-class counter-offensive against capitalist austerity and the criminalization of worker resistance. London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick reiterated that it will be years before the criminal investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire is concluded. In a December 19 briefing, Dick stated, I am sure at various stages there will be consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether any criminal offences are made out and whether they could be proven. But its going to be a very long job. Ive always said that from the beginning. We have been very clear this will take years, not months. Dick said the Met had 200 officers who were carrying out some incredibly complex and thorough investigations. These involved them speaking with lots and lots of people, some under caution. Dicks comments follow chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bicks announcement at the conclusion of the first phase of the governments Grenfell inquiry that the second phase is not likely to begin till autumn 2019 at the earliest. He too cited the complexity of the issues involved, including 200,000 documents that need to be reviewed, redacted and digested and then disclosed to core participants before phase two can even begin. This confirms the insistence of the Socialist Equality Party and Grenfell Fire Forum that the inquiry and police investigation are not seeking to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of 72 people but are integral elements of an orchestrated state cover-up. The comments of Moore-Bick and Dick come 18 months after the terrible events of June 14, 2017 with not a single person responsible yet arrested, let alone charged. The destroyed shell of Grenfell Tower was designated a crime scene by the police since the fire until August 2. It then took over a year to complete a forensic examination of the building. It was only in July this year that the Met acknowledged having interviewed anyone under caution with no further details provided, despite Dicks soporifics about speaking to lots and lots of people. An Independent article dated July 18, referring to the interviews, noted only that Scotland Yard is considering whether offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and breaches of the Health and Safety Act have been committed. In this context, Dicks statement that the Met will establish with the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether any criminal offences are made out and whether they could be proven is only suggestive of continued inaction. The delayed second phase of the inquiry will focus on the circumstances and critical decisions allowing the fire to spread so quickly, leading to the disastrous outcome. But the extremely narrow frames of reference of the inquiry rule out any examination of the social, economic and political nature issues that were central to everything that took place. Instead, again in Moore-Bicks words, the inquiry will be limited to the cause, how it spread, and preventing a future blaze. With the police now speaking about their investigation taking years to complete, there is plenty of scope for the criminals responsible for Grenfell to kick things even further into the long grass. The new timeframe for the inquiry means it will be at least two-and-a-half years since the fire before the second phase even begins. According to the 2005 Inquires Act under which Moore-Bick is working, public inquiries cannot determine civil or criminal liability. But given that it is underway, any conclusion of criminal cases could be delayed for years due to the need to await its findings because of their relevance to any prosecution. No one should accept that everything must be delayed for months and even years because things are massively complicated. The police have the resources necessary to mount and complete a criminal investigation, after which it is up to the legal teams appointed to make the case for establishing guilt or innocence in a court of law. The senior figures in the political and corporate establishment involved in the fire should have been arrested, charged and placed on trial. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council and its Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation carried out a refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower in 2015-16. The entire tower was encased in highly flammable and toxic smoke producing cladding, which turned the building into a death trap. Evidence given at the inquiry has already proved this. The inside of the building was just as dangerous and had only one exit stairwell that was rapidly engulfed with toxic smoke as the fire took hold. There was no central fire alarm system and no sprinklers in the building and fire doors did not work. Flammable material was installed in new windows, which quickly escalated the inferno. This happened because key individuals and committees took minuted decisions with the aim of saving a few thousand pounds. Rydon, the main contractor, and Celotex, the company that manufactured the flammable insulation, have been allowed to maintain silencewithdrawing plans to make a closing submission at phase one of the inquirywhile Arconic was free to assert without challenge that the spread of the devastating inferno was not the result of the flammable panels it manufactured but the combination of materials used in the refurbishment, including plastic window frames and the insulation. The SEP and Grenfell Fire Forum have insisted those guilty of social murder at Grenfell Tower must be arrested and charged, including former London Mayor Boris Johnson, Prime Minister Theresa May and her predecessors, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. Those instrumental in the decision to add the cladding to Grenfell must also be arrested and charged, including former Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown; his then-deputy, Rock Feilding-Mellen, and the former head of the councils housing management organisation, Robert Black. The CEO of Rydon, Robert Bond, the managing director of Harley Facades, Ray Bailey, and other relevant figures must be asked to account for involvement of their respective companies. Justice for Grenfell means no cover-up and no inquiry whitewash! Arrest the political and corporate criminals responsible! Stop the scapegoating of firefighters! Quality public housing is a social right! For an emergency multibillion-pound programme of public works to build schools, hospitals, public housing and all the infrastructure required in the 21st century! The Grenfell Fire Forum will be discussing these issues at its next meeting on Saturday, February 2, at the Maxilla Social Club in North Kensington, London. All are welcome to attend. Grenfell Fire Forum meeting Saturday, February 2, 4 p.m. Maxilla Social Club, 2 Maxilla Walk London, W10 6SW (nearest tube: Latimer Road) For further details visit facebook.com/Grenfellforum Behavioral health clinics in eight states that administer addiction and mental health services under a pilot program authorized by the federal government in 2014 face a shutdown due to Congress failure to renew funding for the program. Approximately 9,000 patients will lose coverage and three thousand jobs will be eliminated, according to the Washington Post . The legislation passed in 2014, titled the Excellence in Mental Health Act, established a Medicaid-reimbursed program wherein Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) could provide a range of services including mental health and addiction services, free screening, assessment and diagnosis, individual and family-centered treatment plans, psychiatric rehabilitation services, outpatient mental health services, and outpatient primary care screening and monitoring of key health indicators and health risk. The program was aimed at providing mental health services at an earlier stage then Medicaid-eligible patients usually receive it and encouraged participating states to search out innovative methods to administer treatment to the most vulnerable members of society, including children placed in foster care and new inmates in jails and prisons. Integration of various forms of treatment and coordination between different providers aimed to provide a comprehensive collection of services needed to create access, stabilize people in crisis and provide the necessary treatment for those with the most serious, complex mental illnesses and substance use disorders, according to a document released by the National Council for Behavioral Health. By integrating various treatments and services under a single program, the CCBHCs are allowed to bill Medicaid for the resulting bundled services, resulting in a higher payout to clinics than would normally be provided by Medicaid. Psychiatry, for example, is one of several treatments that are typically reimbursed at a lower rate than the cost of delivering service. By charging Medicaid a single fee per patient the program is able to recoup some of the losses that would otherwise be absorbed by the healthcare providers. The program was in part designed to address the surging opioid epidemic in the US, which has seen overdose rates skyrocket in recent years. Administrators of the program in participating states have implemented various measures which have resulted in better health outcomes for their residents. In Oregon, for example, a data analysis funded by the program showed higher rates of emergency room visits for patients who suffered from chronic back pain and mental illness. The pain management program that was subsequently developed for those patients resulted in fewer emergency room visits and lower reported incidences of pain, depression and anxiety, according to the Post . Niagara County, New York, officials developed a program which offered expanded drug and alcohol treatment for inmates in the county jail, and free transportation for newly released inmates to attend addiction counseling. This program has reportedly reduced rates of recidivism in that county. The program also offers expanded services for military veterans, especially those in rural areas who are underserved by the existing Veterans Affairs system. The program was initially authorized for eight states, including Oregon, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Since the program began in 2017 it has served an estimated 381,000 patients. In October, Congress failed to authorize continued funding for the program, estimated at $520 million per year, when they passed an $8.4 billion package aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic. Because the program had only been funded for two years in the initial legislation, clinics in participating states will begin closing as early as January. The remaining programs would run out of funding in May 2019. The elimination of the CCBHCs and the resulting loss of care for hundreds of thousands of patients have received little coverage in the media, with an article in the Post being the only reporting from a major national news site. This is unsurprising since the impoverished beneficiaries of the program are hardly the upper-middle-class target audience of the New York Times, CNN and other mainstream media outlets. Indeed, the larger question of why the provision of basic health services, which are a routine part of the state-run medical programs in most industrialized countries, requires special funding from Congress and only extend to eight states remains unasked. The politicians in both the Democratic and Republican parties have little interest in passing any legislation which will reduce the profitability of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. The elimination of this program by Congress is only a small part of the larger drive by the ruling class to dismantle the various social assistance programs conceded to the working class through decades of struggle in the 20th century. For the Democrats part, this process is concealed behind populist rhetoric and is embodied in the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, which mandated the purchase of insurance from the private market and shifted billions of dollars annually from the public to private interests. For Trump and his supporters, the attack on social programs is pursued more openly, though usually accompanied by right-wing nostrums about improving personal responsibility and accountability. This approach is exemplified in Trumps executive order in April of this year titled Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility which ordered his cabinet secretaries to aim for the elimination of any public assistance programs that do not have work requirements attached to them. The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved new so-called National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) on December 18 that will rapidly accelerate Tokyos remilitarization, including the acquisition of offensive weaponry. The new 10-year policy explicitly targets China and North Korea, as well as Russia. The document makes clear that Japan is preparing for war alongside the United States. It states that the US remains the worlds most powerful nation, but national rivalries are surfacing and we recognize the importance of the strategic competition with both China and Russia as they challenge the regional order. The NDPG states, Further strengthening relations with the US, which shares the same universal values and strategic interests with our country, has become more important than ever for our national security. While this relationship is couched in terms of defense, Tokyo is calling for a vast expansion of its military. This is in violation of Article 9 of the constitution that bans Japan from possessing the ability to make war on other countries, a ban which has been in place since the end of World War II. The NDPG calls for the acquisition of obviously offensive weaponry such as aircraft carriers and cruise missiles. Until now, governments have maintained the charade that the Japanese military has a purely defensive character. Japan intends to convert its Izumo-class helicopter carriers, which it claimed were defensive weapons, to carry and launch United States-made F-35 fighter jets. While the Defense Ministry admits that aircraft carriers are prohibited by the constitution, it claims that because the ships will not always carry fighters, that they continued to be defensive in nature. Japan will purchase 147 F-35 fighter jets, including 42 of the F-35Bs for the aircraft carriers. Other jets will be stationed on islands in the East China Sea, around the uninhabited Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, that are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing. Japan intends to equip these jets with long-range cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 900 kilometers. These Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), would, in the words of their developer US-based Lockheed Martin, give Japan the ability to destroy hostile air defenses and high value, well defended, fixed and relocatable targets while keeping aircraft safely out of range from hostile air defense systems. Japan will also pursue the development of hypersonic guided missiles that evade radar systems. The new guidelines also place increased emphasis on cyber and outer space with the government seeking to develop the ability to obstruct the use of cyberspace if the country is supposedly under attack. A new unit will be created within the Air Self-Defense Force to continuously monitor space. The cost of this military expansion will inevitably fall on the working class in the form of increased austerity measures. Over the next five years, Tokyo intends to spend approximately 27.47 trillion yen ($248 billion), a record high and three trillion yen more than the period from 2014 to 2018. Part of this money will be spent on two land-based Aegis Ashore missile batteries from the US, as announced last year. A major factor behind Japans decision to purchase so much military hardware is the demand from US President Trump that allies spend more money on US weaponry or face trade tariffs. The result, in part, is to ensure these allies are prepared for war, namely with China. The fact that Japan views China as one of its primary targets also belies the apparent warming of ties earlier this year with Beijing. Tokyo has looked to improve relations with China as a means of heading off uncertainty in the face of tariff threats from Trump. However, Tokyo remains undeterred from its broader goal of using renewed military power to achieve its economic goals and boost its strategic position in Asia and internationally. Japans Defense Ministry also made this clear in its annual White Paper, released at the end of November, saying, Chinas recent activities, including its rapid military modernization and enhancement of operational capabilities, its unilateral escalation of actions in areas around Japan, and with the lack of transparency in the military build-up, present a strong security concern for the region including Japan and the international community. In reality, US imperialism with the aid of Japan has sought to maintain and strengthen its hegemony in the Asia-Pacific since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and to head-off economic challengers like China. This intensified under the Obama administrations pivot to Asia, which included provocatively sailing warships near Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea. Trump has stepped up these provocations, deepened military and political connections with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of its territory, and previously threatened to completely destroy North Korea, a Chinese ally. Tokyo has acted in a similar fashion, in 2012 nationalizing three of the five Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China. Abe is pushing to revise the so-called pacifist constitution by 2020 and whitewashing the historical war crimes of Japanese imperialism in preparation for new conflicts. Tokyo also pushed through military legislation in 2015 to allow it to take part in wars abroad alongside an ally, namely the US. The White Paper specifically cites this legislation as one method of deepening cooperation with the US, stating it will enable SDF personnel to protect the weapons and other equipment of the units of the United States Forces and the armed forces of other foreign countries that are in cooperation with the SDF and are currently engaged in activities that contribute to the defense of Japan. China along with both Koreas expressed concern over the new guidelines. Beijings Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying criticized Tokyo for [making] irresponsible remarks about Chinas normal national defense construction and military activities. She pointed out that, For historical reasons, Japans movements in the military security field have greatly concerned its Asian neighbors and the international community. North Korea denounced Japan as a war criminal country, saying Japan remains unchanged in its wild ambition for overseas aggression. South Koreas Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk was more restrained, stating, Japans defense policy should contribute to peace and stability in the region under the spirit of its pacifist Constitution. This is the South Korean governments stance. Asia Indian bank workers strike over bank merger Almost a million bank workers at Indian state-owned bank workers held a 24-hour national strike on December 26 in protest against the proposed merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with the Bank of Baroda, three leading public sector banks. The strike shut down about 100,000 branches of the 21 government-owned banks. The walkout was coordinated by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine unions, including the All India Bank Officers Confederation, the All India Bank Employees Association, National Confederation of Bank Employees, and the National Organisation of Bank Workers. The UFBU issued a statement declaring that the merger is not in the interest of banks or bank customers [but] detrimental to both. The striking bank workers have rejected an 8 percent wage rise offered by Indian Banks Association and are demanding payment of outstanding wage increases recommended in November 2017. Wednesdays national walkout was the second bank strike in less than a week. On December 21, members of officers union at the state-run banks held a day-long strike in protest against the merger and for an immediate settlement of wage negotiations. Tamil Nadu state secondary grade teachers begin hunger strike Tamil Nadu state secondary grade teachers began a hunger strike protest on December 24 after a meeting with the states education minister proved fruitless. Early that day over 1,000 teachers protested on College Road where the Directorate of Public Instruction is located. The demonstrating teachers were later detained by police and held in a stadium at Egmore. More than 21,000 teachers across Tamil Nadu are protesting against the pay anomalies. Under the 6th Pay Commission teachers who began working before 2009 receive an 8,370-rupee ($US118) basic monthly salary but those who joined later only get 5,200 rupees. The teachers, who planned a strike earlier this month, postponed it after the Tamil Nadu school education minister, K.A. Sengottaiyan, agreed to meet them on Monday. The state government has declared that it not make any decision on teachers demands until after an expert committee presents a report. The Tamil Nadu State Secondary Grade Teachers Association said the committee must submit its report by January 7. The teachers, however, do not expect a favourable outcome and decided to launch their indefinite hunger strike protest. Sixteen teachers were hospitalised after they fainted during the second day of the hunger strike. Bangladesh apparel workers continue strike action Apparel workers in Bangladesh are maintaining their industrial action and protests in defiance of police intimidation and government and union appeals that they return to work before national elections on December 30. Police fired tear gas and conducted baton charges against the demonstrating workers on Sunday, injuring at least 11 workers. Garment workers in Dhaka and adjoining districts, are protesting against a discriminatory wage structure. The new wage system was announced in September. Fearing that the industrial action would spread, employers stopped production at more than 20 plants at Mirpur in Dhaka and in Gazipur on Tuesday. Seventy factories were shut down on December 13. The garment workers strikes began on December 9 in the Ashulia industrial belt in Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj. Thousands of Korean taxi drivers protest in Seoul Tens of thousands of taxi drivers stopped work nationally and demonstrated in Seoul on December 20 against a new carpooling service that threatens to destroy their jobs and livelihoods. The strike stranded commuters and disrupted traffic, and one section of the protest in the city of Daejeon blocked a road entering on to a highway. If the service is implemented, my income will shrink by half. Ill fall into poverty, said driver Yoon Woo-seok, 62, at the rally in front of the National Assembly. Other workers expressed concerns that they wouldnt be able to survive with the introduction of the Kakao carpooling service. The demonstration occurred in the wake of the self-immolation of a taxi driver near parliament in Seoul on December 10. Taiwanese labor rights advocates demand reinstatement of public holidays A group of labor rights activists protested outside the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, calling for restoration of seven public holidays scrapped in 2016 and the rescinding new labor laws introduced in January. The DPPs bruising losses in the November 24 elections were fundamentally caused by its decision to side with capitalists at the expense of workers rights, 15 groups said in a joint statement. Local elections of November 24 saw a landslide defeat of the DPP, though they still hold government. The groups included the Taiwan Labor Rights Pioneer Association, the Taiwan Higher Education Unions youth action committee, the Alliance Against the Commercialisation of Education and 12 student groups. Cambodian garment workers walkout over sacking of worker Over 100 workers from the Prestige Garment factory in Kendal province near the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh began strike action on December 24 over the sacking on the previous Saturday of a worker for attempting to form a union in the plant. The next day 200 of the 300 workers from the factory had joined the walkout. The workers have drawn up a petition demanding reinstatement of the sacked worker Houn Sovit and for improved working conditions. They also want their work contracts extended from two to six months and an end to the penalising of workers who need emergency leave. Workers are angry over forced overtime and earlier than scheduled starts at the garment factory. Philippines: Rural Filipino workers protest in Manila Three hundred striking fruit industry workers, some with family members, spent Christmas in protest camps outside Manilas main post office some 1,400 kilometres from their work places in the Compostela Valley on the island of Mindanao. The workers established the protest camps in late November after travelling by boat and bus to the capital to protest their treatment by the Japanese-owned Sumifru Corporation. The camps are near the national governments Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Nine hundred Sumifru workers who are members of the Namasufa-Naflu-KMU union walked out on strike in October to demand the company recognise all workers in a collective bargaining agreement. The employer responded with a court action against the walkout. Striking workers in the Valley were subjected to violent police dispersals and arson attacks on their homes. One plantation worker, Dany Bautista, was murdered. DOLE stepped into the strike the day before the companys court action against the workers failed. A conference organised by DOLE was due to begin this week. Australia and the Pacific Queensland coal haulage workers hold second strike over pay and conditions Over 1,000 train crew and maintenance workers employed by Aurizon to haul coal from central Queensland to the east coast walked off the job for 24 hours on December 22 in a dispute over a proposed enterprise agreement (EA). Their action followed a 48-hour strike on December 14 over the issue. The strikes are in response to a breakdown in EA negotiations covering members of the Rail Train and Bus Union, the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees (AFULE). An AFULE spokesman said major disputes were over Aurizons refusal to back pay any negotiated wage increase, rostering, proposed changes to the voluntary redundancy scheme and changes to the dispute procedures, including removal of arbitration. Train drivers rejected a pay increase offer from Aurizon of up to $A26.26 per week (1.5 percent) if they refrained from taking any further industrial action until the end of the financial year on June 30, 2019. Aurizon said it would not make any fresh proposals until late January or February. French Polynesia: Union ends Bora Bora hotel strike without agreement On December 25, the O Oe To Oe Rima union ended strike action at the Conrad hotel in Bora Bora, an island of French Polynesia and a popular tourism destination. The strike began on December 23 and involved about 70 percent of the hotels 200 workers. The union called off the strike without any agreement being reached. It is now in talks with management. Workers had demanded higher wages and conditions, including an improved retirement bonus. Tahiti cash distribution workers strike Workers at Tahiti Valeurs, which supplies cash to automated telling machines (ATMs) in French Polynesia, have been on strike since December 17. About 20 of the companys 27 employees are on strike, which has disrupted the supply of cash machines in the Society Islands archipelago. Negotiations between the company and the Atia i Mua union broke down on December 14 and have not resumed. Workers are demanding better wages and bonuses, which the union says have not been increased for nine years. The yellow vest protests in France and strikes organized on social media in Portugal have unmasked the petty-bourgeois milieu of union bureaucrats and official left parties in Europe. The eruption of a movement in the working class against social inequality blindsided them, busy as they were promoting austerity and war in presidential palaces and parliamentary speeches. Having played no role whatsoever in the movement against French President Emmanuel Macron, they are now trying to strangle it. The Left Bloc (BE), the Portuguese allies of Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI) party, does not hide its fear and loathing towards strikers and yellow vests. BE official Francisco Louca denounced them: This is a far-right operation. They are using social media to whip up aggressive politicization in far-right terms. Melenchon, however, tries to influence the yellow vests, pompously declaring they have vindicated his populism. On his blog, he writes: I am jubilant. Current events are, I believe, the confirmation of the theoretical model formulated in my theory of citizens revolution summarized in my book The Era of the People . If Melenchon claims victory in the vapid realm of postmodernist theory, it is because for him, the yellow vest movement is in reality a defeat. The class struggle erupted when the yellow vests, including tens of thousands of Melenchon voters, took action independently of the LFI. Masses of workers in France and internationally have received a priceless lesson: that real struggle against the ruling elite requires opposing the anti-Marxist forces that for decades masqueraded as the left. Melenchons populist theory of citizens revolution serves only to block the revolutionary struggle against inequality, joblessness and war demanded by the yellow vests, while denouncing Marxism and socialism. Discussing The Era of the People, Melenchon declares: In all cases, my work does not say how the regime could fall under the blows of such a movement. All the more so, because in my view the result must be peaceful and democratic. That is to say, in all cases, we must find an institutional solution to events. He writes that The Era of the People breaks with traditional dogmas of the traditional left and far left, by advocating a break with the centrality of the concept of proletariat and socialist revolution as the inevitable pairing in the dynamic of History. Echoing the big-business Socialist Partys (PS) faction in the National Assembly and burnishing his hopes to become Macrons prime minister via new legislative elections, he proposes a motion of censure in parliament against the government, a possible prelude to new elections. Melenchons claim that democracy will be preserved by working within a national parliamentary framework that imposes the austerity and militarist diktats of the banks is a political fraud. The yellow vest movement has erupted precisely because, in France and across Europe, capitalist parliaments are trampling democracy and the working class underfoot. The eruption of a largely working-class movement against social inequality and demanding Macrons ouster again demonstrated the revolutionary role of the proletariat. Claims that the Stalinist bureaucracys restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the End of History, the death of the class struggle and the triumph of capitalist democracy have been exposed. In six weeks, protests of a few hundred thousand workers, unemployed, and retired workers, along with self-employed workers and small businessmen, shook the French government to the core. Macron now rules only from behind a wall of tens of thousands of riot police, backed by armored cars and helicopters on permanent standby, ready to evacuate him from the Elysee palace or any other secure location he fears protesters might storm. The yellow vests have exposed the depth of popular opposition to illegitimate policies of austerity and war. Seeing no way to impose its diktat besides repression, the financial aristocracy is building a police state. A half-century after the May-June 1968 general strike, tens of millions of workers in France and across Europe are looking on and drawing their own conclusions. The yellow vest movement is overwhelmingly popular, and a large majority of workers in France want it to continue. This entails drawing broader masses of the working class across Europe into struggleagainst attempts by trade unions and populists like Melenchon to isolate and wind down the movementand consciously developing it as a Europe-wide struggle against capitalism and for socialism. The protests have also exposed the crisis of leadership in the working class. Melenchonan ex-1968 student radical who joined the Organisation communiste internationaliste after its break with Trotskyism and the International Committee of the Fourth International in 1971, then worked in the PS for 30 yearsis a petty-bourgeois counterrevolutionary. The task in France is to unmask the fraud that the PS or its petty-bourgeois periphery represent socialism, by building the Parti de legalite socialiste, the French section of the ICFI, as the Trotskyist vanguard. This requires a conscious rejection of the petty-bourgeois, anti-Marxist politics peddled by Melenchon. He declares that his book anticipated the yellow vest protests by replacing the working class with the people as the main revolutionary force: It defines the people as the social result of the historic process of demographic expansion and urbanization (it mentions homo urbanus). It describes its dynamic of self-construction as a political subject under the whip of the need to access the networks on which everyones social survival depends It explains the us-them opposition between the common good (based on dependence on the common ecosystem) and individual good, particularly that of contemporary short-term capital. This is pretentious rubbish, with which Melenchon hides the emptiness of his claim that left populism can refute Marxism and give a perspective for action. The yellow vest protests are not demanding internet access; they were organized on social media. Rather, they are demanding access to affordable transport, housing, and food; jobs; and an end to the financial-military dictatorship of the banks and the European Union. Realizing these demands requires mobilizing the working class to take control of the economy and to take power. While Melenchon gives himself a Green tint to appear progressive, especially to his constituency in the upper middle class, he is in fact only discussing strategies to shut down the protests. This is clear from the alternatives he proposes for ending the yellow vest movement: First there is the strategy of rotting out and demobilizing the movement; too risky and already too visible. Second, dissolve [parliament] and vote. This is the democratic option, as neither the protesters nor the government and its legislative majority will give up: decide with democracy. Third and final option: give the movement what it wants. This would be the easiest, but as time goes by, the demands have gotten much bigger. So really voting would be the best option, or in any case the most peaceful. These are all ways for Macron to strangle the yellow vests. Melenchons listing of the possibility of rotting out the movement, presumably by stirring up anti-immigrant or anti-Muslim hatreds, only underscores the right-wing character of his politics. As for his call for elections, its aim is to fool protesters into giving up without obtaining their demands, which he considers excessive. Melenchons anti-Marxist populism is the theoretical expression of the hostility of the affluent petty-bourgeois periphery of the PS and the financial aristocracy to the legitimate demands of the yellow vests, and of workers in struggle across Europe. The year 2018 has seen a vast intensification of internet censorship by Google, Facebook and Twitter, transforming them from tools for exchanging information and communicating around the world into massive censorship dragnets for policing what their users say, do and think. In August 2017, the World Socialist Web Site published an open letter to Google charging that the company, in collusion with the US government, was working to shape political discourse by manipulating search results. The open letter warned that Googles actions set a dangerous precedent for subverting constitutional protections of freedom of speech and demanded that the company cease what the WSWS called political blacklisting of left-wing sites. Sixteen months later, the central argument of the open letterthat Google and its peers are carrying out political censorshipis undeniable. The regime that Google pioneered through its search engine has been expanded to all major US social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In a front-page article published Friday, titled How Facebook Controls What World Can Say, the New York Times writes that Facebooks actions make the company a far more powerful arbiter of global speech than has been publicly recognized or acknowledged by the company itself. Facebook has quietly become, with a speed that makes even employees uncomfortable, what is arguably one of the worlds most powerful political regulators, the article states. Increasingly, the Times concludes, the decisions on what posts should be barred amount to regulating political speechand not just on the fringes. The transformation of Facebook into an instrument for political censorship was driven home in an end-of-year statement by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg published just hours after the appearance of the Times report. Were a very different company today than we were in 2016, or even a year ago, writes Zuckerberg. Weve fundamentally altered our DNA to focus more on preventing harm in all our services, and weve systematically shifted a large portion of our company to work on preventing harm. We now have more than 30,000 people working on safety and invest billions of dollars in security yearly. Lurking behind the billionaire CEOs sickly-sweet euphemisms about harm prevention is a much darker reality. The 30,000 employees Zuckerberg citesa majority of Facebooks workersare engaged not in harm prevention, but speech prevention. They read the communications of Facebook users, determine what political views are and are not acceptable, and remove, ban or block users and posts. Zuckerberg boasts that Facebook is removing millions of fake accounts every day, and working to identify misinformation and reduce its distribution. Facebook has built AI systems to automatically identify and remove content related to terrorism, hate speech and more before anyone even sees it. In other words, every single Facebook post, comment and message is read and analyzed by humans, machines or both to determine whether or not it falls afoul of the companys entirely arbitrary, undefined, amorphous and opaque (and more) standards. If Facebook determines that what you post is sensational, such as a criticism of Israeli massacres of Palestinian civilians, your post may be secretly demoted. If you protest the persecution of Sri Lankas Tamil minority, your statements may be deleted. And, as Facebook has made clear, in certain unspecified cases it passes on information to the police and intelligence agencies based on users political statements. Zuckerberg continues, Weve improved News Feed to promote news from trusted sources. Were developing systems to automatically reduce the distribution of borderline content, including sensationalism and misinformation. In plain language, if Facebook determines that what you have to say is borderline content (whatever that may be), you will not be able to say it, and you cannot appeal to anyone. Trusted sources, among which Zuckerberg has previously named the New York Times and Washington Post, are to be promoted, while those that question these quasi-official outlets of the American state will be gagged. The Times article cited above concludes: The companys goal is ambitious: to reduce context-heavy questions that even legal experts might struggle withwhen is an idea hateful, when is a rumor dangerousto one-size-fits-all rules. It notes that the company has internal rules governing whether its users are allowed to use certain terms. Words like brother or comrade probably cross the line, the Times writes. It adds that Moderators say they face pressure to review about a thousand pieces of content per day. They have eight to 10 seconds for each post. Despite the explosive character of the articles revelations, the report is a controlled release of information intended to push Facebook to systematize its censorship regime in coordination with the US government. Instead of what the article describes as a Byzantine maze of excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint files, the Times, one of the leading proponents of internet censorship, is demanding a clear set of government guidelines about what kind of speech Facebook is to remove. But according to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, as well as various international human rights agreements, the government has no right to tell anyone what he or she can and cannot say. Congress shall make no law declares the First Amendment, abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. Facebooks censorship drive has taken place at the direct instigation of the American state. In over a half dozen hearings this year by Senate and House committees, leading figures in the US Congress as well as officials from the intelligence agencies have demanded that the company create exactly the sort of Orwellian censorship regime that is now being described. All of this is one great, unconstitutional, illegal conspiracy to destroy the freedom of expression. The reasons behind the censorship drive are not hard to find. The year 2018 has been one of mounting social struggle, ending in an international upsurge of the working class expressed most clearly in Frances yellow vest movement. With a looming global recession, mounting international antagonisms and deepening political crisis in the United States and other countries, the capitalist state faces what its representatives themselves call a crisis of legitimacy. It is desperately seeking to resolve this crisis by preventing the masses from accessing left-wing views and coordinating their struggles via social media. But just as the coming year will see a further intensification of the class struggle, it will also see an upswing in the struggle against internet censorship. The partial shutdown of the US federal government entered its second week on Saturday, with thousands of workers receiving short paychecks December 28 and 800,000 set to receive no pay at all when the next paycheck is due on January 11, 2019. Both the Trump White House and the Democratic leadership in Congress are completely indifferent to the consequences for federal employees and workers at myriad government subcontractors, as well as the public at large, as the impact of the shutdown is felt more widely following the Christmas holiday. Wednesday, December 26, was the first regular work day after the shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning, December 22. Workers with weekend work schedules including that Saturday were not paid for those hours in the checks they received Friday. A total of 800,000 workers in nine federal departments and numerous agencies will receive no pay January 11 if the shutdown continuesan outcome that is now widely predicted. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent out draft letters Thursday to federal workers who have either been furloughed or designated as essential employees and ordered to work without pay. The letters urged workers to call their landlords if they are renters, or mortgage companies if they are buying a home, as well as other major creditors, and attempt to get their payment obligations deferred during the shutdown. Speaking with your creditors will enable you to work out the details of any payment plan that you can later confirm with your letter, the memo says. The text of one sample letter to be sent to a creditor begins: I am a Federal employee who has recently been furloughed due to a lack of funding of my agency. Because of this, my income has been severely cut and I am unable to pay the entire cost of my monthly payments, along with my other expenses. The OPM communication emphasizes that the federal agency, which oversees personnel matters for all government departments, will not take any action to influence creditors or provide legal assistance, instead advising workers to consult with your personal attorney or contact your state or county bar association, many of which maintain lawyer referral services. In other words, youre on your own. Nor will the federal employee unions take any action, other than issuing statements supporting the Democratic Party in the ongoing confrontation over the federal budget and President Trumps demand for $5 billion in funding for construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border. National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon told the Washington Post he was disappointed that Congress was not in session working on a budget resolution, noting that members have told the union they are returning Christmas presents and taking other emergency steps to pay their rent. The nine federal departments include six that are virtually shut downAgriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Transportation and Treasuryand three whose operations are largely unaffected because they are engaged in functions critical to the operations of American imperialism both at home and abroadHomeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice and the State Department. Many other independent agencies are partly or wholly shut down, including the Environmental Protection Agency, which has exhausted reserve funds that allowed it to continue operations through Friday, and the Smithsonian Institution and National Zoo, which will close their doors January 2. Within the DHS, which includes Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Transportation Security Administration, another unit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, stopped issuing new policies under the National Flood Insurance Program. This will delay or force the cancellation of thousands of home sales for residences in flood zones. Both the House of Representatives and the US Senate convened Thursday for brief sessionsless than five minutes eachat which one or two Republican members pounded the gavel to open business, listened to an invocation, then ended the proceedings without any discussion or action. Similar pro forma sessions are set for Monday, December 31, after which both houses will adjourn for the year. Congressional leaders of both parties and the White House all agreed that there would be no action to resolve the shutdown until after the new Congress is convened on January 3, with a newly elected Democratic majority in the House and a slightly expanded Republican majority in the Senate. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is expected be elected House speaker on January 3 and has pledged that the first action of the new Democratic majority will be passage of a continuing resolution along the lines of one approved by the Senate unanimously last weekbut then blocked by Trumpwhich would fund the affected federal departments through February 8. Press reports said that the congressional Democrats are considering two other options: a resolution continuing funding for the affected agencies through the end of the fiscal year next September 30, or a full-year appropriation for all federal agencies except the Department of Homeland Security, which would operate under a continuing resolution while the border wall issue was negotiated. All of these actions would be for political effect only, since Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will block action on any continuing resolution or appropriation unless it is agreed on by the White House. Trump forced the shutdown after his initial agreement to sign the continuing resolution, which does not include money for the border wall, was vociferously attacked by Fox News pundits and right-wing radio talk show hosts. He has since escalated the confrontation in an effort to mobilize his fascistic base through appeals to anti-immigrant racism. The president pursued this track even on his overnight trip for a photo op appearance with US troops at Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, where he denounced the Democratic Party in front of the soldiers, claiming that while the troops were defending another countrys borders, the Democrats were unwilling to defend the borders of the United States. There was virtually no response from either the Democrats or the corporate media to this brazen attempt to politicize the military and use it as a club against Trumps critics at home. On Friday, Trump continued with this theme, threatening to close the US-Mexico border entirely if the Democrats did not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. He concluded with, We build a wall or close the southern border. Such an action would be both illegalthe president has no authority to close the border except in a genuine national security emergency, which hardly exists todayand economically disastrous for both countries. Cross-border trade between the United States and Mexico is approaching $2 billion a day, and any interruption would have a particularly dire impact on states like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Trump also threatened to cut off all US aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if the governments of these countries did not take action to halt the exodus of working people fleeing political repression, gang violence and extreme poverty. While the corporate media portrays the conflict over funding for the border wall as a titanic battle of principle, the Democrats previously agreed to fund the wall as part of a bipartisan deal reached last February that included limited protection against deportation for young immigrants previously covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which Trump unilaterally terminated. That deal collapsed only after Trump demanded additional concessionsagain to appease ultra-right supportersto reduce legal immigration. The pro-Democratic Party Washington Post published an editorial Friday in which it urged the revival of the February wall for dreamers deal. Mr. Trump wants money for his pet border-wall project so badly that hes willing to stage a partial government shutdown, the Post editors wrote. Democrats should let him have funding for the wall in return for a permanent fix to the immigration status of the dreamers, they continued, concluding that theres no real issue of principle preventing a bipartisan deal, just the politics of base-pleasing polarization. The editorial warned Pelosi not to take too adamant a standno danger there!because court orders that have temporarily blocked Trumps decision to rescind DACA are by no means permanent, however, especially now that conservatives enjoy a solid 5-4 majority on the Supreme Court. The Syrian government announced Friday that its troops had entered the northeastern city of Manbij in an apparent bid to forestall a Turkish invasion aimed at driving out the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. The YPG, which has served as the Pentagons principal proxy ground force in controlling nearly a third of the Syrian territory near the Turkish border, is regarded by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a branch of the Turkish Kurdish PKK, against which Turkeys security forces have waged a bloody, decades-long counterinsurgency operation. Erdogan vowed earlier this month that the Turkish military would intervene to push the YPG back from the border. US President Donald Trumps December 19 announcement that he was ordering the withdrawal of all 2,000-plus US troops from Syria and leaving the military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Ankaras hands appeared to open the door to a Turkish intervention and a broader scramble for control of northeastern Syria, which consists largely of sparsely populated desert, but also contains the countrys main oil and natural gas reserves. In a statement posted on Twitter, the YPG said that it had invited the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad to send its armed forces to take over these positions and protect Manbij in the face of Turkish threats. The tweet, which was sent in the morning, was subsequently deleted and then reposted later in the day, likely reflecting the tensions between the YPG and its US military patrons following Trumps announcement. While the Syrian government issued a statement saying that its troops had entered Manbij, a city of approximately 100,000, and hoisted the national flag, the US military, which still has special operations units based near the city, as well as some local residents speaking to the Western media denied that the Syrian army was deployed in the city. Other reports indicate that the Syrian military has doubled the number of troops that had already taken up positions on the citys outskirts and has deployed them between the Turkish and Kurdish forces. Manbij fell to US and Turkish-backed rebels in 2012, including the Al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra Front, and was subsequently overrun by ISIS in 2014. In the summer of 2016 the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, the YPG-dominated US ground proxy force, took control of the city. The Turkish military has massed troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers on the border near Manbij in recent days, while Reuters quoted the main Turkish-backed Syrian rebel group, the Free Syrian Army, as stating on Friday that it had sent convoys, together with Turkish forces, toward the frontlines with Manbij, in full readiness to start military operations to liberate the city. An FSA commander said that the group had 15,000 fighters prepared to attack the city. Turkey carried out a similar operation in March of this year against the predominantly Kurdish town of Afrin, west of the Euphrates River, forcing over 200,000 people to flee their homes. Since then, Ankara has given free rein to the so-called rebels to carry out looting, arbitrary detentions, torture and killings, according to human rights groups. Erdogan responded to the report of the movement of Syrian government forces to Manbij by calling it a psychological operation, amounting to waving their own flag there. He said that Damascus carried out a similar action in Afrin before the Turkish invasion. He added that Its not just about Manbij, we are aiming to wipe out all terrorist organizations in the region. Our main target is that the YPG takes the necessary lessons here. The Trump White House appears prepared to sacrifice its erstwhile Kurdish proxy force in the interests of repairing ties with Ankara. Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained since an abortive July 2016 military coup against Erdogan that enjoyed US backing and had further deteriorated over the Pentagons alliance with the YPG. Among Washingtons objectives is undoubtedly driving a wedge between Turkey and Russia, which have established closer ties as relations between Washington and Ankara soured. Turkey has collaborated with Russia and Iran in the so-called Astana peace process for Syria, which has eclipsed the Geneva talks backed by the US. A delegation from Turkey consisting of its foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, and defense minister, Hulusi Akar, along with other officials, is due to arrive in Moscow today to discuss with their Russian counterparts the implications of the US troop withdrawal. The precise timetable and conditions for the US troop withdrawal remain far from clear. On December 23, Trump tweeted that he had discussed with Erdogan a slow and highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area of northeastern Syria. At the same time, during his December 26 lightning visit to the Pentagons Al Asad airbase in western Iraq, the US president declared that American troops were in Iraq to staydespite the overwhelming hostility to their presence among the Iraqi peopleand that the base could be used to carry out cross-border raids into Syria. The clear suggestion was that US special operations troops will continue to operate in northeastern Syria. Whether their operations are directed at suppressing ISIS or reviving it for use against the Syrian government remains to be seen. The US State Department, meanwhile, issued a ringing endorsement Friday of Israeli air strikes carried out against alleged Iranian-tied targets inside Syria. The Israeli military has acknowledged carrying out over 200 such strikes since 2017. Iranian support of and supply to terrorist groups in Syria and across the region that have the clear intent and capability to strike Israel are unacceptable, the State Department said. The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against the Iranian regimes aggressive adventurism, and we will continue to ensure that Israel has the military capacity to do so decisively. The statement came just three days after Israeli strikes on targets in Syria that were denounced by Moscow as a gross violation of the sovereignty of Syria that also threatened two civilian passenger planes. Whatever the tactical shift carried out by the Trump administration in relation to US troop deployments in Syria, it is clear that Washington is continuing its strategy of military aggression aimed at asserting US hegemonyand rolling back Iranian and Russian influencein Syria and the entire oil-rich Middle East. The threat that these efforts will spill over into a regionwide and even world war have in no way been lessened. Yes, the government is (partially) shut down, but that's not going to stop NORAD from tracking Santa Claus tonight. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door on this Christmas Eve. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. Politics Accidents, disasters and safety Christmas Continents and regions Eastern Europe Europe Government and public administration Holidays and observances Investigations James Mattis Natural disasters Political Figures - US Politics Russia Russia meddling investigation Tsunamis International relations and national security National security Terrorism Terrorism and counter-terrorism Terrorist attacks Unrest, conflicts and war Africa al Qaeda Middle East and North Africa Misc organizations Morocco Northern Africa It's Christmas Eve and part of the government is shut down, but the news is still coming fast and furious out of Washington. First up, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary pause on an order holding an unnamed, foreign government-owned company in contempt over a mystery court case related to Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. This will give the Supreme Court time to decide if it wants to intervene in this particular case, which is the first known legal challenge related to Mueller's probe to make its way to the high court. Earlier in the day, President Trump said he would replace outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis by January 1, months earlier than Mattis' planned departure. The President was reportedly infuriated at the tone of the coverage of Mattis' resignation and took action to replace him sooner than planned. So Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will take over for Mattis, on an interim basis, at the start of the new year. Now, what about that shutdown? It will continue past Christmas (the Senate is not in session again until Thursday) and there's a strong chance it'll still be going on when the new Congress meets in early January. A bit of negotiating went on over the weekend between Senate Democrats and the White House, but as of right now, a deal to end all of this seems to be a long way off. 2. Indonesia tsunami At least 281 people were killed after a tsunami struck Indonesia over the weekend, and fears are high that more massive waves could be on the way. That's because the volcano that triggered the tsunami is still erupting. Survivors described fleeing for their lives from the wave that crashed -- without warning -- through beach resorts, homes and businesses. It washed away a pop band that was performing near the beach. Hundreds were injured and more than two dozen people are missing. Indonesia's President ordered the country to buy tsunami early warning detectors. Despite a history of deadly tsunamis, Indonesia hasn't had an effective early warning system for years. 3. Al Qaeda and planes We don't hear about Al Qaeda as much as we used to, but it's still around. And the United Kingdom's security minister warns the "resurgent" terror group wants to attack passenger planes in Europe. Al Qaeda is working on new methods to bring down planes, says UK Security Minister Ben Wallace, who also warns that President Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Syria will create a "new safe haven" for terrorists to launch attacks on the West. 4. Morocco tourist killings More people have been arrested in the horrifying beheading deaths of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco. A total of 13 people are in custody so far. Four of them are suspected of directly taking part in the killings, while the other nine were arrested for their alleged connection to the four murder suspects. Morocco considers the killings to be a terrorist act. In a video which purportedly shows the decapitations, some of the suspects pledge allegiance to ISIS. The bodies of the victims -- 28-year-old Maren Ueland of Norway and 24-year-old Louisa Jespersen of Denmark -- were found on a remote mountain range. 5. Lost and found Since it's the day before Christmas, let's talk about something more in keeping with the holiday spirit. Like the subway rider in New York who did something really nice last week. He found a purse with $10,000 in cash on a train platform. Instead of going on a Christmas gift spending spree, he took the bag of cash to the police. Turns out it belonged to a Manhattan woman who was headed to Russia for a vacation. The man said he didn't think he'd done anything all that special and that it was "something most people would have done." TODAY'S QUOTE "Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding." Queen Elizabeth II, in her annual Christmas Day message BREAKFAST BROWSE A Christmas miracle The two sailors had been stranded in the Caribbean for weeks. They were low on food and water and out of fuel. Then the cruise ship showed up. Ice, ice baby Sweden's famous ice hotel is up and running again, this time with 15 new suites carved out by artists and designers. Tongue tied Here's a list of all the words you couldn't pronounce properly this year, along with a handy-dandy pronunciation guide. All that glitters ain't gold It was a great story: Porch pirates hit by an engineer's "glitter bombs" as they stole packages. Turns out there's a little bit more to this tale. TODAY'S NUMBER $10 million The amount of the fine South Korea hit BMW with over the automaker's handling of a string of engine fires in the country AND FINALLY Christmas fail Ever tried to take a good Christmas photo of your cats? Yeah, this cat owner couldn't do it either. (Click to view) Update 09/20/18 3:26 p.m. The university's chancellor Jeffrey Vitter released the following statement to the Ole Miss community: "To the UM Community: We are writing about a disturbing incident and the path forward. On Wednesday, the namesake of our journalism school, Ed Meek, posted a comment on Facebook that we condemned as having highly offensive racial overtones. This social media post was deeply hurtful because of the sentiment conveyed about the presence of African-Americans in Oxford and at Ole Miss. We are outraged that photographs of two of our female African-American students were used to make this point. University leaders have been in contact with the students to give them support and assistance. The Universitys Senior Leadership Group met in emergency session about this incident and its impact on our community. We have important decisions to make, and they will be made in a thoughtful and intentional manner. As part of this process, we are hosting a listening session for the UM community this evening at 7:30 p.m. at Nutt Auditorium. It is important to come together as a community. We support all members of our community and respect the dignity of each person." Update 09/20/18 2:58 p.m. On Thursday, faculty members with the Meek School of Journalism released the following video. Dean Will Norton Jr. with the support of the faculty released this video statement on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/54nUK8lqFr Meek School (@MeekJournalism) September 20, 2018 See the original post below. OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) -- Ole Miss Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter is condemning a critical Facebook post by a university alumnus that some are seeing as offensive and having a racial overtone. The post was made by Ed Meek, whose name is on the journalism school at Ole Miss. Meek wrote that he was concerned about what was happening on The Square late at night after a ballgame. He said the campus newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, quoted the police chief saying officers made over 40 arrests, and that there were fights in most venues. However, the criticism is over the pictures of two black women in the post who were apparently on The Square at the time. The Daily Mississippian reports that the chancellor responded on Facebook to the post. He wrote that the pictures suggest an unjustified racial overtone that is highly offensive and that Meek should withdraw his comments and apologize to anyone who was offended. The campus newspaper reports that they tried calling Meek's cellphone for a response. However, Meek hung up. Meek has since taken down the post, but before it was removed, it had received over a thousand comments and nearly 600 shares. Meek later apologized in a post. Bethenny Frankel is not impressed with one hotels reaction to her canceling a room following the allergic reaction that left her hospitalized for days. The Real Housewives of New York star called out Rosewood Hotels on Twitter, after, she says, the property exhibited poor customer service when she was forced to cancel a reservation there due to a near-fatal allergic reaction to fish. RELATED: Busy Philipps Slams Delta Airlines for Rerouting Her Child on Separate Flight It was quite disappointing that @RosewoodHotels wouldnt even issue a future credit when I had a medical 911 and had to cancel a room. Bethenny Frankel (@Bethenny) December 28, 2018 It was quite disappointing that @RosewoodHotels wouldnt even issue a future credit when i had a medical 911 and had to cancel a room, she wrote on Twitter. The post comes nearly two weeks after the reality star shared details of the terrifying health scare on Twitter. Related Video: Bethenny Frankel Reveals She Almost Died After Allergic Reaction A representative for Rosewood did not immediately reply to PEOPLEs request for comment. WATCH THIS: Bethenny Frankel On Helping Hurricane Victims One Year After Devastation: Its Changed My Life I have a rare fish allergy. Sunday, I had soup, itched & was unconscious for 15 mins then to ER & ICU for 2 days w BP of 60/40, she wrote. I couldnt talk, see, thought I had a stroke & dying & told if 5 mins later Id be dead. 911 & EPI saved me. Ill never not carry an #epipen. Frankel almost died, a source told PEOPLE at the time. It was that serious. Her blood pressure was through the roof and she was unconscious. She went into anaphylactic shock. Her boyfriend saved her life. Story continues The Skinny Girl founder is dating real estate developer and film producer Paul Bernon, multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE in September. She addressed his role in the incident after being asked by a fan. He saved my life, she wrote on Twitter. RELATED: Americas Got Talent Winner Puts Airline on Blast for Losing his Luggage Three Times Frankel spent Christmas on a healing retreat with Bernon in the Dominican Republic. Bye bye Dominican Republic. What a beautiful country of beautiful people, she captioned a pair of images of their trip shared on Instagram. She did not specify in her tweet to Rosewood, which of the companys properties she had been planning to visit. The hospitality group has hotels in 13 city hotels and 11 resorts spread across 15 countries. Nearly 4,000 patients of a New Jersey medical facility received some worrying news recently when they were urged to get tested for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The HealthPlus Surgery Center in the town of Saddle Brook informed people who underwent procedures between January 1 and September 7 of this year that they may have been exposed to the three viruses, due to lapses in infection control in sterilization/cleaning instruments and the injection of medication. The risk of infection is low, the state's Department of Health told Reuters last week, but today, CNN reports that a 58-year-old, unidentified Brooklyn woman has tested positive for hepatitis B after having shoulder surgery at HealthPlus Surgery Center. The medical center told all 3,778 patients who were affected by the lapses in protocol to get blood tests out of an abundance of caution and that it would pay for all testing. Its hard to imagine how scary it must be to receive a letterlet alone a diagnosislike that, and even though this incident doesnt involve the vast majority of us, its gone viral online and made headlines around the country. For starters, viruses like HIV and hepatitis are serious stuff. But also, it feels like something that could happen to pretty much anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thats why we thought this would be a good time for a refresher on how, exactly, HIV and hepatitis canand cantbe transmitted from person to person, and what to do if you think you may have been exposed. Health spoke with Stuart Ray, MD, professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, to get his thoughts and advice. RELATED: 16 Signs You May Have HIV This kind of thing happens rarelybut not never First things first, says Dr. Ray: This news shouldnt scare anyone off from visiting the doctor or having necessary medical procedures done. Federal and state health departments both have standard precautions in place to keep medical equipment sterilized and cared for properly, he says, and when those steps are followed, the risk of infection is very, very low. Story continues However, he says, this isnt the first time something like this has happened. In 2004, 16 people were infected with hepatitis after undergoing cardiac stress tests at clinics in Maryland; it was later revealed that the dye injected into their veins was contaminated. Between 2008 and 2017, the CDC has recorded 61 outbreaks of viral hepatitis related to health care. (Many of those cases involved health care workers, who are at much higher risk than patients.) As for the HIV transmission in a health care setting, the CDC says its possible but extremely rare. These things happen from time to time, and theyre a risk that goes along with any percutaneous procedure, anything that punctures the skin, says Dr. Ray. That being said, millions of Americans get these procedures every year with no ill effects whatsoever. The risk of infection is (usually) extremely low Even if you are exposed to a virus like HIV or hepatitis via an infected persons blood, theres still a good chance you wont become infected, says Dr. Ray. Say you were stuck with a needle that contained an infected persons blood, for example: Your risk of getting hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV is approximately 1 in 3, 1 in 30, and 1 in 300, respectively. A big reason for this variability in transmission is because the levels of the virus in the blood vary, and they tend to be highest for hepatitis B and lowest for HIV, even when someone has a high level of infection, says Dr. Ray. So even though HIV is not curable, fortunately it has the much lower transmission rate. The other important thing to remember is that hepatitis and HIV are only transmitted through blood or sexual contactso you cant get infected just by being in the same hospital or doctors office as someone with these diseases. There are treatments for hepatitis Many people who are exposed to hepatitis B will never get infected, thanks to a vaccine thats now recommended for all children, health care workers, and other adults at higher than average risk. And if an unvaccinated person is infected with hepatitis B through a medical error, antiviral medications can help keep the disease under control. Theres no vaccine for hepatitis C, but the risk of transmission is also significantly lower than it is for hepatitis B. Additionally, about one in three people who are infected with hepatitis C will clear the infection on their own. Even for those cases that dont clear up on their own, we can cure them with a treatment that takes about eight to 12 weeks, says Dr. Ray. Thats a big advance: It means that the number one cause of liver failure in the United States can now be cured. RELATED: Pamela Anderson Cured of Hepatitis C And there are prophylactic treatments for HIV There is no cure for HIV, but there are medicationsknown as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEPthat can reduce the risk of transmission if taken shortly before or after HIV exposure. These drugs are sometimes taken by people who have HIV-positive sex partners, but they can also be taken after accidental exposure. Of course, if someone only found out weeks or months later that theyd been exposed to HIV, this type of treatment wouldnt be helpful. Even if exposure is caught right away, these drugs are expensive and can have serious side effectsso we recommend them sometimes, but only when the risk of infection is higher than the risk of the prophylaxis, says Dr. Ray. Health care facilities aren't the only place you could be exposed The New Jersey surgery center in the news has cast a spotlight on hospitals and doctors' offices, but people can be exposed to potential infections outside of medical settings as well. Earlier this year, clients of a New Mexico spa were told to get tested for HIV and hepatitis after one person reported an infection after undergoing a vampire facial, a procedure that draws blood and then reinserts it into the face. There are also more than 3 billion medical injections made outside of health care facilities every year, according to SafeNeedleDisposal.organd those needles, syringes, and other sharps devices could put others at risk if theyre not disposed of safely. And as the opioid epidemic rages across the United States, its also not unheard of for people to encounter syringes used for illicit drug injections in bathrooms, parks, and other public places. Fortunately, there has never been a reported case of HIV transmission through a community found syringe accidental needle stick, according to the Indiana Recovery Allianceand the risk of acquiring a hepatitis infection in this way is practically negligible. Still, its important to know how to dispose of a syringe if you do find one. Your safest bet? Contact your local police or health department; they should have the equipment necessary to handle the device without putting anyone else at risk. RELATED: 8 Things You Didn't Know About Hepatitis What to do if you think you've been exposed If your skin is punctured by an unsterilized needlein a health care setting or anywhere elseDr. Ray suggests first washing the injection site thoroughly with water and soap or a sterile solution if one is available. Dont use bleach or aggressive chemicals, and dont try to squeeze it to milk out the poison, he says. That can actually do more harm than good, since it can injure the tissue and make it more vulnerable. Then call your doctor or a hospital for advice on what to do next. If the puncture actually caused you to bleed, or if its suspected that someone who previously used the needle has a transmittable virus, you may be encouraged to get prophylactic treatment or undergo testing. For people involved in a large protocol lapse like the one in New Jersey, Dr. Ray recommends that every patient who had blood work or injections during the affected time period get tested. As a letter sent to HealthPlus patients points out, you can be infected with these diseases and not feel sick at all. The good news, says Dr. Ray, is that announcements like the one from the New Jersey clinic usually are truly out of an abundance of caution and that even people who were directly involved should not assume the worst. In almost all of these cases, the number of people actually infected is very small compared to the number of people going through the door, he says. To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter Legislative Hall in Dover. The Delaware General Assembly in 2018 succeeded in passing a number of gun-safety bills and moved one step closer to passing the state's first Equal Rights Amendment. However, the year was marked by dramatic and stinging losses for other major progressive causes. Lawmakers passed a series of gun-related bills to outlaw bump stocks, crack down on straw purchases and restrict access to weapons for people determined to be a threat to themselves or others. However, the session's big-ticket gun legislationa statewide ban on assault-style weaponsdied without a vote in the Senate, despite a last-second attempt to bring the measure to the floor. The legislation, SB 163, identified 45 types of assault long guns and other weapons that would no longer be approved for manufacture, sale and transport in the First State. The bill was modeled after a law in Maryland, which withstood a constitutional challenge from gun-rights advocates in 2017. But Delaware's bill failed to clear a key committee hurdle in the Senate, dealing a blow to Gov. John Carney and Democrats who had made an assault-weapons ban the centerpiece of a legislative package to address gun violence after a lone gunman killed 17 students at Florida's Stoneman Douglas High School in February. Some Democrats later launched a campaign to suspend the chamber's rules in order to forgo the standard process and bring the bill to an up-or-down vote. After a heated debate, two Democrats joined all Senate Republicans in rejecting the Hail-Mary maneuver. A yearslong legislative effort to end Delaware's cash-bail system met a similar end in the session's last days, when the Senate fell three votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the state's Constitution. Senate Bill 221, sponsored by Sen. Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would have amended the state Constitution to expand the range of violent crimes for which pretrial release was unavailable. It had been coupled with a related measure, SB 222, which sought to create the presumption that most defendants will be released before trial with nonmonetary conditions. Both bills were introduced in 2018 as part of a legislative package that would have moved Delaware toward the ultimate goal of eliminating its cash bail system. After the first vote failed, leaders removed SB 222 from the agenda, capping what was seen as a brutal setback for the bail-reform push. In Delaware, constitutional amendments must clear two consecutive legislatures by a two-thirds majority, meaning that the changes proposed this session could not go into effect until 2021, at the earliest. Supporters expect to bring both the assault-style weapons ban and bail-reform bills back in 2019 after a midterm election expanded Democrats' majority in the chamber to 12-9. However, both issues have exposed rifts in the party, and it is not clear whether either measure will pass in the next General Assembly. Lawmakers in 2018 did, however, move one step closer to approving a state Equal Rights Amendment, which bars public- and private-sector discrimination "on account of sex." Lawmakers have already introduced the identical second leg of the legislation, which is expected to pass easily in both chambers after the General Assembly reconvenes in January. A federal ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 but failed to be ratified to the state. Delaware was the third state to approve the federal ERA in March 1972. The state ERA is similar to the federal measure, but unlike the federal ERA, its scope is not limited to just the public sector, and could have an impact on private employers, attorneys have said. The 150th General Assembly is scheduled to return Jan. 8. Florida Supreme Court. PHIL SEARS/Special to the Daily Business Review The Florida Supreme Court disbarred four South Florida attorneys, granted a Hollywood lawyer's petition for disciplinary revocation and ordered a public reprimand for a Miami litigator. Here's a roundup of the high court's latest disciplinary orders in ethics cases against South Florida attorneys. Miami criminal defense attorney Kenneth Joseph Kukec, who's been on the hot seat in the past for failing to comply with a suspension order, this time did not respond to Florida Bar inquiries or appear for his disciplinary case. The bar claimed Kukec did not answer phone calls or messages from a client with a post-conviction appeal. The Supreme Court also disbarred Peter Milan Predrag Vujin, a Miami lawyer who the bar claimed engaged in frivolous, bad faith, annoying and abusive litigation tactics while representing himself in two civil cases. He used the same tactics during the ethics case, according to court documents. The high court disbarred Coral Gables attorney Aldo Guillermo Busot Jr., who was found in contempt for noncompliance with an April 19 suspension order. It was the latest punishment for Busot after he failed to inform clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of a three-year suspension and provide a sworn affidavit listing his notifications. A fourth lawyer saw his career derailed after moving into a clients home during a foreclosure case. Peter Dale Fellows moved into the Pembroke Pines property with his legal assistant, who was also his lover, according to court records. His firm was representing Phillip Thompson as a defendant in a foreclosure suit by Deutsche Bank. The Florida Bar claimed Fellows and his assistant, Sherine Wright, offered help with a short sale but instead used a power of attorney to take over the property and take up residence. Story continues Also disciplined was Gregory Eric Schwartz of Hollywood, who was accused of misappropriating funds belonging to a third party. "Schwartz failed to confirm the purpose for which the funds were deposited into his trust account and his authority to disburse the money," according to information from the state Supreme Court. He petitioned the high court for a disciplinary revocation, which is tantamount to disbarment, with leave to seek readmission after five years. A fifth South Florida lawyer, personal injury attorney Robert Reza Dixon of Miami, will be publicly reprimanded after a contempt charge for failure to comply with a court order to turn over about three years' worth of trust records. Dhaka (AFP) - Bangladesh tightened security Saturday for an election expected to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina win a record fourth term but dominated by opposition claims that they have been shackled by a government clampdown. Authorities have deployed around 600,000 police, army and other security forces ahead of Sunday's vote, a senior official said, following a deadly campaign of clashes and the arrests of opposition activists. The forces -- which also include the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), navy, border and coast guards and auxiliary police units -- will guard some 40,000 election booths across the poor South Asian nation. "We have ensured the highest level of security in Bangladesh as per the capacity of the country," Rafiqul Islam of the election commission told AFP. "We hope there will be a peaceful atmosphere," he said. Bangladesh's telecoms regulator also ordered the country's mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday "to prevent the spread of rumours", that could trigger unrest, a spokesman said. A heavy police presence was evident on the streets of the capital Dhaka ahead of the polls opening at 8:00 am (0200 GMT) Sunday but residents appeared undeterred. "Voting is important because as a citizen of Bangladesh it is my duty. I'll cast my vote for my chosen candidate," Siam Ahmed told AFP. - Deaths - Clashes have gripped the Muslim majority country of 165 million in the run-up to the vote, in which the ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are leading their own alliances. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in skirmishes between supporters of Hasina and activists of the BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges. The BNP -- which boycotted the 2014 election, handing Hasina an easy victory -- says its supporters have been deliberately targeted in a bid to deter them from voting, clearing the prime minister's path for a new term. Story continues The 71-year-old Hasina has called for voters to back her to further bolster the economy which has shown impressive growth during her decade in power. She has rejected accusations of growing authoritarianism. The BNP -- the main player in an alliance headed by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford educated lawyer who drew up Bangladesh's constitution -- has accused the election commission of bias during the campaign. The opposition says more than 14,000 of its activists have been detained since the election was announced on November 8. The BNP said over 1,100 people were rounded up on Friday alone. The party also alleges that around 12,000 activists were injured in attacks by ruling party followers. The Awami League denies the allegation. Sixteen international human rights groups released a joint statement Saturday saying the crackdown "compromises the integrity" of the vote. The United States has raised concerns about the elections while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair. Rafiqul Islam said election authorities were still hopeful the country's 11th parliamentary polls since independence from Pakistan in 1971 would be credible. - Arrests - "We're trying our best to have a free and fair election," he said. A spokesman for the RAB, Bangladesh's elite security force, said Saturday they had arrested eight men for spreading rumours on social media ahead of Sunday's poll. Forty-eight people have been detained by the force in 2018 for spreading "false information and mocking" Hasina, the spokesman said. The election commission has also imposed restrictions on public transport and cars on polling day in an effort to maintain security for a smooth election, said Islam. Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and now its longest-serving leader, is seeking a third-straight term since winning a landslide in December 2008. She has been praised for presiding over healthy GDP expansion, with the country set to graduate from a least developed country to a middle income nation, and lauded for opening Bangladesh's doors to around one million Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar. But critics accuse her of muzzling free speech and clamping down on dissent, including through a draconian anti-press law toughened this year. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected calls for a new vote after being declared landslide winner in an election marred by deadly violence that the opposition slammed as "farcical" and rigged. Having secured a record fourth term, Hasina swept aside opposition protests over clashes between rival supporters that left at least 17 dead and allegations of ballot box stuffing and intimidation. "The election was totally free and independent. There is no doubt about it," the 71-year-old Hasina said. "I have nothing to hide. Whatever I do I do it for the country. My conscience is clear," she added in comments to reporters. The ruling Awami League party and its allies won 288 seats in the 300-seat parliament, with the main opposition securing only six seats. Hasina insisted she had no desire "to remain in power" and that voters had backed her party because of Bangladesh's economic growth during her decade-long rule. The opposition alliance, led by the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), said it had been the target of a crackdown for months leading up to Sunday's poll and called for a rerun. "We are demanding that a fresh election is held under a neutral government as early as possible," alliance leader Kamal Hossain told reporters. Election authorities said they had not received a single complaint against the vote and that there was "no scope to hold a fresh one". Hasina has been lauded for boosting economic growth in the poor South Asian nation and for welcoming Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar. But critics accuse her of authoritarianism. Her arch-rival and BNP leader Khaleda Zia was jailed for 17 years this year on graft charges that her party said were politically motivated. Deadly violence that blighted the election campaign spilled over into voting day -- with 17 people killed -- even though authorities deployed 600,000 security forces across the country. Story continues The deaths brought the total number of fatalities during the campaign and election day to 21, police confirmed. The United Nations called for restraint in the wake of the violence. "We encourage the parties to address electoral complaints in a peaceful manner and through legal means," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. "Violence and attacks on people and property are not acceptable." - 'We'll cast your vote' - The opposition alliance accused Hasina's party of stuffing ballot boxes and using other illegal means to fix the result. BNP spokesman Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said there were "irregularities" in 221 of the 300 seats. One voter, Atiar Rahman, said he was beaten by ruling party activists in the central district of Narayanganj. "They told me not to bother, 'We'll cast your vote on your behalf'," he told AFP. The opposition said the unrest was stirred up to deter voters but the election commission reported 80 percent turnout. - Free and fair? - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first international leader to call and congratulate Hasina, the Bangladesh leader's press secretary said. China's President Xi Jinping also greeted her with Beijing's envoy handing over "congratulatory messages". Experts say Hasina's victory will be sullied by accusations that she hamstrung opponents. "This result might affect our democratic system and might also damage state institutions," Sakhawat Hussain, a former election commissioner, told AFP. The opposition claims some 21,000 of its activists were detained during the campaign, crushing its ability to mobilise support. Thirty-five of its candidates were arrested over what they said were trumped-up charges or disqualified from running by courts, which Hasina's opponents say are government controlled. The leadership of Bangladesh has alternated between Hasina and Zia, allies-turned-foes, over the last three decades. Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has now secured her third consecutive term in office, and fourth overall. She was gifted victory in the 2014 election when the BNP boycotted it, claiming it was not free and fair. Rights groups have since accused her administration of stifling freedom of speech by toughening a draconian anti-press law and the enforced disappearance of dissenters. Hasina rejects accusations of authoritarianism but analysts say she feared young voters would support the BNP. Her government was criticised this year for its heavy handling of weeks of major student protests that brought Dhaka to a standstill. Manbij (Syria) (AFP) - Syrian forces have deployed around the city of Manbij at the request of the Kurds, but Abu Azeez Jaber still fears a US military withdrawal will see Turkish troops enter. "People are terrified first of the Americans withdrawing, and second of the Turks entering," the 48-year-old cook said. Since 2016, the strategic northern city on the Turkish border has been controlled by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the US-led coalition. But last week, President Donald Trump suddenly said US troops would depart from Syria, leaving Manbij residents dreading a long-threatened attack by Turkey. On Friday, Syria's army announced it had sent troops to the region, after Kurdish forces said they had requested the regime's help. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said around 300 government forces were sent to the area around the Arab-majority city. "We haven't seen the Syrian army in the city, but we're hearing it will enter," Jaber added. Nearly eight years into Syria's civil war, President Bashar al-Assad has set his sights on regaining north and northeastern parts of Syria from Kurdish-led forces. A local Manbij official on Friday however told AFP pro-Damascus forces would not enter the actual city of Manbij under a deal brokered by regime ally Russia. - High alert - Instead, their deployment creates a buffer to separate the Turkish army and its proxies from the Kurds and their Arab allies, after repeated threats by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to march on the city. On Saturday, an AFP correspondent saw no signs of any Syrian troops inside the city. But local forces were on high alert, and carefully inspected the identity papers and vehicles of all those entering Manbij. Inside, well-armed fighters stood by trucks equipped with heavy machine guns deployed across the city's main streets. On its outskirts, a US armoured vehicle led a coalition patrol of four white trucks. Story continues More coalition vehicles were also parked outside a US base inside Manbij. Standing by his vegetable cart, 22-year-old street vendor Mohammad al-Mohammad said residents were scared. "Some people are preparing to leave, while others are holed up at home," he said, dressed in a brown jacket, burn scars on his face. "We have no idea what will happen to us," he added. "Every day, we hear conflicting reports." Backed by the US-led coalition, Kurdish fighters have spearheaded the fight against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, but Ankara views them as a "terrorist" group. Turkey has previously led two military campaigns inside Syria, most recently seizing the northwestern enclave of Afrin from Kurdish forces in March. Earlier this week, Turkey said it had sent reinforcements to the border with Syria. - 'Peace and safety' - Mohammad said he and fellow Manbij residents had been caught in the crosshairs. "We're just simple people striving to make ends meet... We're just struggling to feed our children," Mohammad said. "All we want is peace and safety." "I personally don't care who controls this city," the young man added. "What I care about is being able to go out to work in the morning and return home at night without being bothered by anyone." Manbij has seen different forces come and go since Syria's civil war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Rebel forces overran the city in 2012, before IS jihadists stormed in two years later. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expelled the jihadists from Manbij in 2016 with backing from the US-led coalition. On Saturday, dozens gathered in the city centre before heading to a protest against Ankara near the demarcation line separating pro-Turkey fighters and the SDF. Among them, 33-year-old Osama al-Rabee said he was demonstrating against "Erdogan's daily, provocative threats". He said he would rather see the Damascus regime return to Manbij than Turkish troops invade. "For us, Turkey is an occupier, and we'd definitely prefer the Syrian government," he said. "Syria is still a nation for everybody, and we the Syrian people are still one." Giza (Egypt) (AFP) - Egyptian police killed 40 suspects in a crackdown on Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide. Thirty alleged "terrorists" were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt's famed pyramids and the scene of Friday's deadly bombing, while 10 others were killed in the restive North Sinai, the interior ministry said without directly linking them to the attack. It said authorities had received information the suspects were preparing a spate of attacks "targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship." A security source said the raids took place early Saturday morning, hours after Friday evening's roadside bombing which officials said hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids killing the three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide. Eleven other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded, the public prosecutor's office said. Saigon Tourist, the company that organised the trip, said the tourists were "on their way to a restaurant for dinner" when the bomb exploded. Company officials were heading to Cairo on Saturday and plans were made to allow some relatives of the victims to also fly to Egypt. One of them was Nguyen Nguyen Vu whose sister Nguyen Thuy Quynh, 56, died in the bombing, while her husband, Le Duc Minh, was wounded. The couple, both aged 56, were in the seafood business, Quynh's younger brother said. "We were all very shocked My sister and her husband travel quite a lot and they are quite experienced in travelling abroad," Vu told AFP. He said he was applying for a visa for Egypt and hoped to travel on Saturday. "Our wish is that we could bring my sister back home." - 'Harsh punishment' - Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang thanked Egyptians who were caring for the survivors. Story continues "Vietnam is very angry and strongly condemns the terrorist act that killed and injured many innocent Vietnamese and has asked Egypt to soon open an investigation, chase and give harsh punishment to those who carried out these terrorist act," she said in a statement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, the first attack to target tourists since 2017. Friday's attack was the latest blow to Egypt's vital tourism industry, which has been reeling from turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran president Hosni Mubarak from power. While tourism has picked up since 2011, the 8.2 million people who visited Egypt in 2017 are still a far cry from the 14.7 million who visited in the year before the uprising. "Yesterday's attack undermines the Egyptian government's very determined message that the country is safe for tourists," said Zack Gold, a US-based expert on Middle East security issues. Egypt has been seeking to lure tourists back by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. It is also planning to open a major museum near the Giza pyramids -- the only surviving structures of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists home from the Sinai peninsula. - Fragile security - Before Friday's bombing security forces were already on high alert ahead of New Year celebrations and the Coptic Christmas on January 7. Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" by the attack on holidaymakers, in a telegram to the Egyptian presidency which was signed by his number two Pietro Parolin. "In deploring this senseless and brutal act, he prays for the victims and their families, for the injured and for the emergency personnel who generously came to their aid," the telegram said. The blast and the subsequent police raids come as Egypt battles a persistent jihadist insurgency in the North Sinai, which surged after the 2013 overthrow by the army of Mubarak's Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi. Jihadists linked to the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility for previous attacks, including against Egypt's Coptic Christian minority who make up about 10 percent of the population. The army launched a large-scale operation dubbed "Sinai 2018" in February to rid the Sinai of jihadists after an attack on a mosque in the north of the peninsula killed more than 300 people.The army says that hundreds of suspected jihadists have been killed since the campaign was launched. Cairo (AFP) - Egyptian police killed 40 "terrorists" in separate raids early Saturday, a day after a roadside bomb near the Giza pyramids killed three Vietnamese tourists and their guide, the interior ministry said. Two raids in the Giza governorate killed 30 "terrorists", while the remaining 10 were killed in the restive North Sinai, the ministry said in a statement. It said authorities acted after receiving information the suspects were preparing a series of attacks against state and tourist institutions and churches. "Information was received by the national security that a group of terrorists were planning to carry out a series of aggressive attacks targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship," the statement said. Police acting upon this information carried out simultaneous raids in the Giza governorate and in North Sinai, killing a total of 40 "terrorists", it said. In Giza itself two raids were carried out, the first killing 14 suspects and the second 16 suspects, while the rest were in the North Sinai capital El-Arish. Police also found a large number of weapons and ammunition as well as bomb-making materials, the statement said. Early on Friday evening, a roadside bomb blast hit a tourist bus travelling near the Giza pyramids killing three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian tour guide, officials said. A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the bomb exploded. The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids plateau, it said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Egypt's vital tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terror attacks and domestic instability that have hit the country in recent years. Jihadists linked to the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility for previous attacks, including against Egypt's Coptic Christian minority who make up about 10 percent of the country's population. Story continues The Egyptian military launched a large-scale operation dubbed "Sinai 2018" in February to rid the Sinai Peninsula of IS jihadists after an attack on a mosque in the north of the peninsula killed more than 300 people. Since the start of the campaign, 450 jihadists were presumed to have been killed "in the north and the centre of Sinai by (soldiers) and police," army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai told AFP. According to army figures, around 30 soldiers have been killed in the operation. Tesla has outmaneuvered the Securities and Exchange Commission by appointing Larry Ellison and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to its board, management expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld told CNBC on Friday. The electric-car company made the appointments on Friday to comply with an SEC settlement. "The SEC has been had on this one," said Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean at the Yale School of Management and a CNBC contributor. Tesla (TSLA) and CEO Elon Musk agreed in September to appoint a new chairman and two independent board members after the SEC accused Musk of misleading investors with a tweet about taking the company private at $420 a share. Sonnenfeld called Ellison, the co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle (ORCL), a "clone" of Musk. "He's a genius, knows technology, self-made guy and very articulate," he said on " Closing Bell ." "But he's a pretty angry guy. Hair-trigger sensitivity to criticisms, loves to lash out at analysts," he added. In October, Ellison said he is "very close friends to Elon Musk" and has defended the CEO against ongoing criticism of his behavior. In addition to the take-private tweet, Musk appeared to smoke pot on a podcast in September. Ellison is also a very big investor in Tesla. He owns 3 million shares of its stock, according to a company spokesperson. Sonnenfeld said Musk "has brilliantly outmaneuvered" the SEC "by picking somebody who can really very effectively run cover for him, protect him. This is not a guy who is going to push for vetting the tweets." When asked for comment on Sonnenfeld's remarks, a Tesla spokesperson referred to other analyst comments, like that of Wedbush Securities' Dan Ives. On Friday, Ives called the appointments a "major step forward." Ellison "could help channel Musk's energy and passion into positives going forward thus moving further away from the 'going private tweetstorm' from a few months ago, which continues to be a lingering overhang on the name," Ives wrote in a note to clients. Story continues Oracle did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla shares closed 5.6 percent higher on Friday. CNBC's Sara Salinas and Lora Kolodny contributed to this report. Jerusalem (AFP) - An Israeli aircraft hit a Hamas position in the Gaza Strip late on Friday in response to the first fire from the territory since a November flare-up, the military said. "An army attack helicopter targeted a Hamas military position in the south of the Gaza Strip," an army statement said. It said it had responded after a "launch towards Israel" that Israeli media said was a rocket. Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas said the Israeli aircraft fired two missiles which damaged one of their positions but caused no casualties. It was the first rocket fire from Gaza since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire announced on November 13 ended the worst flare-up around the territory since a 2014 war. In the space of 48 hours, hundreds of rockets and mortar rounds were fired into Israel, killing one person and wounding 27. The barrage followed a botched Israeli commando raid which killed a Hamas commander and six other militants as well as an Israeli officer. Seven Gazans were killed and 26 wounded in retaliatory Israeli air strikes before the ceasefire took effect. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008, and mass protests along the border since March 30 have triggered deadly clashes with the Israel army that have raised fears of a fourth. During a protest on Friday, Israeli fire killed Karam Fayyad, 26, on the border east of the city of Khan Yunis, the Gaza health ministry said. At least 240 Palestinians have been killed since the demonstrations began, most of them by Israeli fire during border clashes but also by air and tank strikes. COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - German authorities on Friday gave their approval to an $8 billion rail and road tunnel linking Denmark and Germany, despite environmental objections. The 19 km (11.8 mile) Fehmarnbelt link, connecting the Danish island of Lolland to the island of Fehmarn on the German side, was due to be completed in 2024, but has been delayed by environmental protests in Germany. Fehmarn is already connected by road to the German mainland, and the new link will greatly speed up road and rail connections from the German cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Hannover to the Danish capital, Copenhagen, and the Swedish city of Malmo. The project, priced at 52.6 billion Danish crowns ($8.1 billion), comprises a four-lane motorway and a two-track railway. It is part-funded by the European Union. The company behind the project, Femern A/S, has 14 days to review the approval from the transport ministry of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein before it is signed. "This is the result of several years of cooperation between the parties involved in Denmark and Germany," Claus Dynesen, project director at Femern A/S, said in a statement. The application was first submitted in 2013 and has been through two rounds of public consultation in Germany. Femern A/S said the decision could be appealed in the German Federal Administrative Court. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on Saturday denied an allegation by Egypt's deposed president Hosni Mubarak that it infiltrated hundreds of men across the border during the 2011 uprising. Mubarak took to the witness stand in a Cairo court Wednesday to testify about jailbreaks allegedly orchestrated by his successor Mohamed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The former president said he had received information at the time from his intelligence chief on infiltration by militants from the Gaza Strip to the country's east during the uprising. "General Omar Suleiman informed me on January 29 (2011) that 800 armed militants infiltrated through the border," he said, adding that militants from Hamas, assisted by North Sinai residents, used underground tunnels to cross. But Hamas said in a statement that it "strongly denies the claims made by Egypt's ousted president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak during his testimony in court". "Mubarak claimed that Hamas sent 800 members to Cairo in order to release Palestinian, Egyptian, and Arab prisoners from the Egyptian jails," it said. "While Hamas deplores some parties' insistence to embroil the Palestinian movement into Egypt's internal affairs, it reiterates its commitment to its policy of not intervening in the internal affairs of other countries." Mubarak was ousted in 2011 after three decades at the helm. In March 2017, he was acquitted of charges of killing protesters, but he remains under investigation for alleged corruption. Morsi ruled Egypt for just a year before mass protests spurred then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to overthrow him in July 2013. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) With Republicans' veto-proof majority ending in days, the North Carolina legislature on Thursday overrode the Democratic governor's veto of legislation that would keep campaign finance investigations confidential and allow the GOP to possibly dump their nominee in a still-undecided U.S. House race marred with ballot fraud allegations. The override would require new primaries as well as a general election in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District if the ongoing state elections board investigation into suspected ballot fraud forces new voting. The elections board is scrutinizing mail-in absentee ballots in the race, where Republican Mark Harris leads Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes. The new law means both could be forced to compete for their parties' nominations again. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said last week he vetoed the measure because it would also force the state elections board to keep its campaign finance investigations confidential and have a separate commission secretly review whether prosecutors are notified. "We know that we live in a period of time where the public is asking for its politicians to have an increased level of transparency. They want to know more about what goes on in our business than they ever have before," said Rep. Graig Meyer, an Orange County Democrat. Republican State Rep. Sarah Stevens countered that the legislation doesn't shield politicians any more than other criminal investigations that aren't disclosed until evidence supports charges. "People ought to be able to have the opportunity to offer their side before it simply is made public on someone's allegation," she said. "It's just about giving a little time to give everything a fair treatment. This is not about covering up something." After overriding the election bill and a second measure that reaffirms the ability of four Charlotte-area municipalities to run their own charter schools, the Republican-dominated General Assembly then closed its two-year session. The GOP holds veto-proof majorities in both chambers until Dec. 31. Story continues The election law's multiple provisions also ends a two-year power struggle between Cooper and GOP legislators over elections board control. In 2016, the Legislature voted to upend a law that for a century had given the governor and his or her political party the majority on local and state boards that oversee elections. Cooper sued and eventually won. The legislation largely returns elections, ethics enforcement and lobbyist reporting to how they were before Republican lawmakers changed them just before Cooper took office. Though the elections board investigates potential crimes involving election laws, it doesn't have the power to take a case to court and must instead provide its findings to federal or state prosecutors. They can elect to pursue criminal charges or drop a case, often without explanation. Despite that, several North Carolina politicians have served prison time for hiding who was financing their elections or for using donations as their personal piggybanks. Former state Sen. Fletcher Hartsell was sentenced to eight months in prison last year because the 26-year Republican lawmaker spent more than $200,000 in campaign funds on vacations, speeding tickets, haircuts and theater tickets. The state elections board opened nearly 100 campaign finance cases this year and continued to investigate additional cases from previous years, spokesman Pat Gannon said. Only one was referred to criminal prosecutors. In October, the elections board provided the Mecklenburg County district attorney with findings that Democratic Rep. Rodney Moore of Charlotte and his campaign didn't report and may have tried to hide more than $140,000 he received or spent. The law's secrecy provision could backfire against politicians since people would be free to describe filing complaints alleging serious violations, but the state elections board would be forbidden from disclosing what investigators actually found, said Bob Hall, a longtime North Carolina campaign finance watchdog. The bill's confidentiality requirement "will cause innocent political figures to remain under a cloud of suspicion, and it will allow guilty political figures to escape punishment by having their cases secretly referred to local prosecutors who can simply ignore them," Hall wrote in an email to legislators on Thursday. ____ Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/emery%20dalesio . Rabat (AFP) - A Swiss man living in Morocco was arrested in Marrakesh on Saturday, for alleged links to suspects in the recent murder of two female Scandinavian hikers, authorities said. The man is "suspected of teaching some of those arrested in this case about communication tools involving new technology and of training them in marksmanship", Morocco's central office for judicial investigations said in a statement. The counter-terror organ added he subscribed to "extremist ideology" and also has Spanish citizenship. The ongoing investigation into the double murder uncovered the man was involved in the "recruitment of Moroccans and sub-Saharans to carry out terrorist plans in Morocco", the statement said. Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland were found dead at an isolated hiking spot in the High Atlas mountains, south of Marrakesh on December 17. The two women were beheaded, authorities have said. Ahead of Saturday's arrest, Moroccan authorities had previously arrested 18 people for alleged links to the murders. The four main suspects were arrested in Marrakesh and belonged to a cell inspired by Islamic State group ideology, Morocco's counter-terror chief Abdelhak Khiam told AFP this week. But none of the four had contact with IS members in Syria or Iraq, he said. The head of the suspected cell is 25-year-old street vendor Abdessamad Ejjoud, according to investigators. He was identified in a video filmed a week before the double-murder, in which the four main suspects pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to authorities. The killings have shaken Norway, Denmark and Morocco. Another video circulated on social networks allegedly showed the murder of one of the tourists. Morocco, which relies heavily on tourism income, suffered a jihadist attack in 2011, when a bomb blast at a cafe in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square killed 17 people, mostly European tourists. An attack in the North African state's financial capital Casablanca killed 33 people in 2003. For Kamal Hossain -- the Oxford-educated architect of Bangladesh's constitution -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is an autocrat who has betrayed the legacy of her independence hero father. The 82-year-old former friend of Bangladesh's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman heads an alliance opposing Hasina's bid for a historic fourth term in a general election Sunday. Hossain accuses Hasina's Awami League party of trampling over Bangladesh's hard-won democratic freedoms by locking up and attacking opposition activists in a bid to rig the poll. While the prime minister denies wrongdoing, she has a growing number of critics at home and abroad. "It is really tragic that we are are having to witness this in the 47th year of independence," Hossain told AFP in an interview at his Dhaka home. "Those who are in government know that in any fair election they would lose hands down. That's the sad thing," he added. Hossain, a lawyer, was Bangladesh's first law minister following independence from Pakistan in 1971 and headed the committee that drew up a constitution the following year. He alleges that there has been "overwhelming violence" against members of the opposition coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). - 'Systemic violence' - International observers back claims that government opponents are being targeted, with Human Rights Watch saying that the election was being conducted in a "repressive political environment". "We've had violence in elections (before) but this time it is systemic and continual violence," said Hossain. "I never knew you could have so many goons who could be organised and deployed all across the country," he added. The BNP and its Islamist ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, say that around 13,000 of their supporters have been detained since the election timetable was announced on November 8. The BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving 17 years in jail on graft charges, says eight of its supporters have been killed by Awami League activists during the election campaign. Story continues According to police three Awami League supporters have died. US ambassador Earl Miller said "the United States is concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks," while the United Nations has appealed for calm. Hasina is set for a comfortable win, according to an opinion poll, securing her a third-consecutive term and extending her record as the country's longest serving ruler. The Awami League leader won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was not free and fair, gifting her a return to power. Now civil society and rights groups accuse Hasina's government of silencing dissent by muzzling the press and jailing journalists. - 'Autocrat' - Hundreds of people have become victims of enforced disappearances blamed on security forces, according to civil rights groups while the BNP claims Zia's imprisonment is politically motivated. Hasina denies a descent into authoritarianism but Hossain insists she has become an "autocrat" and says he finds it "very, very painful" since he helped her return to Bangladesh following her father's assassination in 1975. Rahman was the founding father of Bangladesh and also served as prime minister, gaining the nickname Bangabandhu, meaning "Friend of Bengal". He was killed, along with most of his family, in a military coup. Hossain was close to Rahman and Hasina, until they fell out politically in the 1990s. Hossain says Hasina has betrayed her father's legacy "with a capital B" and that he wants to restore democracy and Bangladesh's institutions. "Is she really Bangabandhu's (Rahman's) daughter? It has gone to that level. "We are the victims of someone who has no commitment to democracy," he told AFP. Hossain, who walks with the aid of a stick, insists that as an octogenarian he has no intentions of trying to become president after the election. He believes that senior politicians must bring through the next generation because once a leader is viewed as irreplaceable "it's the beginning of the end". "I have said I will be around to help, advise and assist but you must get people in their 50s so that you can nurture leadership for the next 20 years," he said. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A suspected drunken driver accused of killing a California police officer who pulled him over was captured Friday as he tried to flee back to Mexico, where he lived before illegally crossing into the U.S., authorities said. The sheriff leading the investigation blamed California's sanctuary law for preventing local authorities from reporting Gustavo Perez Arriaga to U.S. immigration officials for two previous drunken driving arrests. If he had been deported, the sheriff said, Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Newman Police Department would still be alive. "We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters, asking why the state was "providing sanctuary for criminals (and) gang members. It's a conversation we need to have." Following a statewide manhunt, Perez Arriaga was arrested on a murder warrant in a house near Bakersfield, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of where Singh was shot Wednesday. As a SWAT team prepared to raid the house, Perez Arriaga came out with his hands up and surrendered. He was sent north in the slain officer's handcuffs, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said. Perez Arriaga crossed the border in Arizona several years ago and had worked a variety of jobs as a laborer, including at several dairies. The 33-year-old Mexico native had gang affiliations and multiple Facebook pages with different names, Christianson said. The shooting came amid an intense political fight over immigration, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats at odds over funding for a border wall that has forced a partial government shutdown. Trump tweeted about Singh's killing Thursday, saying it was "time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!" California's sanctuary law limits cooperation between local authorities and U.S. immigration officials and has drawn scorn from the Trump administration. It includes more than 800 exceptions for violent crimes and felonies and bars police from asking people about their citizenship status. Story continues Former state Sen. Kevin de Leon, the Democrat who wrote the legislation, said it's unfair to blame the law for the officer's death. Christianson, who was at a meeting with Trump and slams California's law in a video posted by the White House in May, said the measure prohibited his department from sharing Perez Arriaga's gang ties, "other active warrants" and past DUI arrests with federal immigration authorities. He didn't give details on the other warrants. That suggests law enforcement could have apprehended Perez Arriaga previously, de Leon said. "He should've been in the physical custody of law enforcement," de Leon said. To blame the law "is highly irresponsible." Gov. Jerry Brown has said the law strikes a balance between protecting families and ensuring consequences for serious criminals. His spokesman said Friday that if the suspect was a known gang member, police could have provided that information to federal authorities. "California law fully permits the sharing of information on dangerous gang members," spokesman Evan Westrup said. A federal judge upheld the law earlier this year after a Trump administration challenge. Christianson called for stricter laws at a news conference Friday as Singh's brother wept beside him. Authorities also arrested five other people, including Perez Arriaga's brother, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen, and a co-worker, 32-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, who lied to police to try to protect him, Christianson said. He said both men also were in the country illegally. Three people also were arrested at the home near Bakersfield for helping Perez Arriaga, Youngblood said. The 33-year-old officer was an immigrant, too, arriving legally from his native Fiji to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, authorities said. Singh had a newborn son and joined the 12-officer Newman police force in 2011. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson called Singh a patriot. "This is a man that loved his country. This is a man that worked hard for what he believed in. He believed in this community," the chief said at a Friday night community vigil honoring the officer. Residents, friends, relatives and fellow officers held back tears as they eulogized Singh during the candlelight memorial. Richard said Thursday that Singh, the department's first officer to die in the line of duty, drove more than two hours each way to attend the police academy in Yuba City. He joined the Merced County sheriff's office as a reserve officer and worked as an animal control officer in Turlock before being hired in Newman. English was Singh's third language. He had a thick accent but took speech classes to improve his communication, the chief said. ___ Associated Press writers Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco, Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento contributed to this report. Paris (AFP) - Police fired tear gas at "yellow vest" demonstrators in Paris on Saturday but the turnout for round seven of the popular protests that have rocked France appeared low. Several hundred people wearing the symbolic hi-visibility vests had gathered near the offices of several state-run television stations and the BFM TV channel in the centre of the capital shouting "Fake news" and calling for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron. Protesters spilled onto tram lines and lobbed projectiles at police who replied with tear gas grenades and detained several people. Several cars were also set alight outside the offices of the Le Parisien newspaper, although a fire service spokesman said it was not clear if the blaze was linked to the protests. Tear gas was also fired in Nantes, western France, and protests were expected in Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse. In the southern city of Marseille, police said around 1,000 protesters turned out, amid cries of "Macron out". The official turnout numbers have plunged with the passing weeks, with police saying some 12,000 had joined Saturday's rally by midday. The government recorded 38,600 demonstrators on December 22 compared to 282,000 for the first major demonstrations on November 17. But leading figures within the movement that has flourished outside of trade union and political groups, say the low numbers are due to the holiday season and January will bring a resurgence of the street protests. The focus of the protests has morphed from anger over fuel taxes to a broad rebuke of Macron, accused by critics of neglecting the rising costs of living for many in rural and small-town France. "We want to get our purchasing power back and have a say in the decisions," said Priscillia Ludosky, who launched the yellow vest petition against fuel price hikes. Government tax concessions to boost disposable income among the low paid "are not enough", Ludosky said in Marseille. Story continues The movement has increasingly targeted Macron and 40 "yellow vests" on Thursday tried to storm the medieval fort of Bregancon that serves as his official summer retreat on the Mediterranean before being turned back by police. Die-hard yellow vest supporters believe the movement will live on in 2019 and plans are underway for New Year's Eve protests. Nearly 8,000 people are listed on Facebook as intending to attend, insisting it will be "festive and non-violent". Paris officials said preparations would continue for a fireworks display and sound and light show on the Champs-Elysee, the epicentre of repeated violent action against the government, with the Arc de Triomphe ransacked on December 1. Tens of thousands of tourists and locals traditionally ring in the new year on the wide shopping boulevard, which rises to the Arc monument. sbur-cld-mig-asl/har/nla/rox Jarabulus (Syria) (AFP) - Pro-Turkish armed groups have reinforced their presence on the outskirts of the city of Manbij in northern Syria as Ankara threatens a new offensive against Kurdish forces, sources said Wednesday. Turkey announced in mid-December that it would launch a fresh military campaign against the Kurdish People's Protection Units, a militia in Syria that Ankara considers a terrorist group. The United States has backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria as part of an international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. But a surprise announcement by US President Donald Trump a week ago that he will pull American troops out of the country has left the Kurds exposed to attack. Pro-Turkish factions and opposing fighters in the city of Manbij are "consolidating their positions and massing reinforcements on the demarcation line" separating the two sides, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor. "Military operations haven't started -- there are no clashes or skirmishes," he said. Turkey has massed reinforcements at the border, and dispatched tanks and armoured vehicles near Manbij, which hosts American troops and where Ankara says Kurdish forces also remain present. Dozens of pro-Turkish fighters equipped with assault rifles were seen near the city of Jarablus in mud-splattered pick-up trucks on Tuesday, travelling to join sectors near the demarcation line, an AFP correspondent said. But the situation was calm, he added. - 'Final preparations for battle' - The pro-Turkish Al-Jaish al-Watani rebel coalition said Wednesday it was finalising preparations for the planned offensive. "We are in final preparations for the battle of Manbij, then (the battle) east of the Euphrates" river, the group's spokesman Yussef Hammud said on Wednesday. He told AFP that the offensive would be in line with the "US withdrawal from the region". Story continues "We await the political agreements between the US and Turkey concerning the withdrawal", he said. The YPG says it has already left Manbij, but Ankara maintains that there has been no pullout of Kurdish forces from the city. Sherfane Darwish, a spokesman for the Manbij Military Council -- a faction affiliated to the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces - has said his forces are on a "state of alert" due to military movements by Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies. "There is an increased mobilisation of reinforcements at the border, and we are monitoring that", he told AFP. "Patrols by the (international) coalition are still taking place -- nothing has changed. We are ready to repulse any attack", he said. More than 360,000 people have been killed since Syria's war erupted in 2011. The brutal repression of anti-government protests was followed by various countries intervening militarily in support of and against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The Royal Mail has apologised over a D-Day commemorative stamp which incorrectly showed US troops landing in Asia. (PA). Royal Mail has apologised over a stamp design planned to commemorate the D-Day landings which actually showed US troops on a beach in Asia. The stamp was intended to represent British troops landing in France and was labelled as D-Day Allied soldiers and medics wade ashore. It was part of the 2019 Special Stamp programme showcasing the Best of British and was to be released in June. Royal Mail said the image will no longer be part of the final collection. Royal Mail has removed a D-Day stamp which incorrectly claimed to show British troops landing in France. It has since said the stamp will not appear in the Special Stamp programme. Stock image. (PA). A spokesman said: We work very hard to ensure that our Special Stamp programme appropriately commemorates anniversaries and events that are relevant to UK heritage and life. We would like to offer our sincere apologies that our preview release for our 2019 Special Stamp programme included a stamp design which had been incorrectly associated with the D-Day landings. When an image of the stamp was posted on Twitter users were quick to point out the mistake. Paul Woodadge, a filmmaker, author and historian, said: The image chosen actually depicts US troops disembarking from LCI(L) 30 at Dutch New Guinea in May 1944. Please correct this or you will look like idiots. The image is also captioned on the US National World War II museum website as USS LCI(L)-30 landing troops carrying stretchers onto a beach during a second assult [sic] wave, and was taken on May 17 1944. According to The Spirit of Normandy Trust this is not the first time an incorrect image has been used in relation to the D-Day landings. Ian Stewart, vice chairman of the trust, said: The problem with most of these things is that research has got to be thorough and done well ahead of time. Its very unfortunate, but research is absolutely critical and its not the first time its been done about D-Day. People think that it doesnt matter whos in the photograph. The Best of British collection will feature 11 stamps to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The collection will also include six stamps to commemorate the life of Queen Victoria, whose bicentenary will take place in May 2019. Belgrade (AFP) - Serbian protesters piled more pressure on President Aleksandar Vucic Saturday as thousands turned out for a fourth week of anti-government demonstrations in Belgrade. Around 25,000 people joined the rally, according to an AFP reporter. "This is a citizen's demonstration against the situation in the country, which has been economically and politically complicated, even critical, for a long time," protester Vladimir Tosic told AFP. He and most other demonstrators marched without incident or overt signs of political affiliation in the centre of the capital, with some chanting "Vucic, thief" or waving placards that said "Enough lies". Many blew whistles, a symbol of Serb protests since former strongman Slobodan Milosevic held power in the 1990s. Tosic, who is in his 50s, said the latest protest "united normal Belgrade inhabitants who have come out to voice despair with the situation". Vucic, a hardline nationalist-turned-European, is accused by the opposition and civil society of having established autocratic rule and total control over media, using them to campaign against opponents. The protests represent the biggest challenge to his rule so far, and 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. Commenting this week on the protests the Serb president said he was "ready to listen to the citizens who are demonstrating but not to opposition liars." In its latest report on Serbia, the European Parliament "strongly" encouraged authorities in Belgrade to "improve the situation regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the media". Former CNN anchor Soledad OBrien and Fox News political analyst Brit Hume had an online argument Wednesday, and the jousting ended with OBrien telling Hume to try and not be such an ahole in 2019. The argument started after actress Alyssa Milano posted a link to an NBC News article about President Trump becoming the first commander in chief in nearly two decades to not visit troops at Christmastime. Hume responded to Milanos tweet, noting that the report was inaccurate because Trump and first lady Melania had met with U.S. troops in Iraq during a surprise visit to the region on Wednesday. Trump becomes first president since 2002 not to visit troops at Christmastime. https://t.co/VEyyij9B0S Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 26, 2018 By the time this was posted, the President and Mrs. Trump were in Iraq with the troops. https://t.co/g9ACNO5hxn Brit Hume (@brithume) December 26, 2018 Shaming him [Trump] seems to work, OBrien, a correspondent for HBOs Real Sports, told Hume. Shaming him seems to work. https://t.co/KMSPnDAPyE Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) December 26, 2018 Yes, Maam. Trump read this tweet when it was posted and time-traveled himself back to yesterday and flew to Iraq. Genius take, Hume responded. Sorrylet me spell it out more slowly so you can understand me: the President (according to cnns Barabar Starr) prepped for this trip several weeks ago, OBrien wrote back. The shaming seems to have worked. OBrien, known for her zingers, ended her tweet with this little gem: I hope youre having a nice holiday. Try not to be such an ahole in 2019. Trump returned to the White House early Thursday after making a second visit to troops in Germany. Sorrylet me spell it out more slowly so you can understand me: the President (according to cnns Barabar Starr) prepped for this trip several weeks ago. The shaming seems to have worked. I hope youre having a nice holiday. Try not to be such an a**hole in 2019. Story continues Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) December 27, 2018 Video: Soledad O'Brien Explains How #MeToo Has Affected The Media Industry Read original story Soledad OBrien Slams Brit Hume Over Trump Iraq Trip: Try Not to Be Such an Ahole in 2019 At TheWrap By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A suspect wanted in the shooting death of a California police officer was believed to be in the United States illegally, a county sheriff said on Thursday as President Donald Trump cited the manhunt in his push for a wall on the border with Mexico. Trump tweeted about the shooting on the sixth day of a shutdown of the federal government, which was triggered by his $5 billion demand, largely opposed by Democrats and some lawmakers in Trump's own Republican party, for the wall he wants to build. A police officer for the city of Newman, a small Northern California town, was shot and killed there on Wednesday, after pulling over a suspect on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said. The suspect, whose name has not been released, exchanged gunfire with the officer before fleeing, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters. The officer, identified as 33-year-old Ronil Singh, was struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. "This suspect is in our country illegally," Christianson said at a news conference. "He doesn't belong here, he's a criminal. We will find him we will arrest him and we will bring him to justice." Trump, during his campaign for president and in the White House, has often highlighted crimes by people who came to the United States without authorization as he has pushed for tougher enforcement of immigration laws. "There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop," Trump tweeted on Thursday. "Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!" Christianson did not give the nationality of the suspect or say how long he was believed to have been in the United States without authorization. A Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office spokesman could not be reached for further comment. Story continues The suspect is believed to still be in Stanislaus County, a largely agricultural area less than 50 miles (80 km) east of San Jose, Christianson said. Singh was a native of Fiji who immigrated to the United States to become a police officer, Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson told reporters. "He was never in a bad mood, it was unreal, he loved what he did," Richardson said at the news conference, breaking down in tears at times. During the traffic stop, Singh told emergency dispatchers shots had been fired, authorities said, but the suspect fled in a Dodge Ram pickup truck before other officers could arrive. (This story has been refiled to remove erroneous character in lead paragraph) (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Grant McCool) RABAT, Morocco (AP) Moroccan authorities have detained a Swiss-Spanish man for suspected links to Islamic extremists who allegedly killed two Scandinavian hikers. The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations said in a statement the man was detained Saturday in Marrakech. Moroccan counterterrorism forces allege he taught social media skills and archery to some suspects in the deaths, Morocco's first terrorist attack in years. The statement says he is also suspected of involvement in recruiting Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans for "terrorist schemes" targeted at "foreign interests and security forces." It did not identify him or provide details. Twenty people have been arrested so far in the investigation of the slayings of the women hikers, one Danish and one Norwegian, in the Atlas Mountains. Their bodies were found Dec. 17. Authorities believe their killers are affiliated with the Islamic State group. Giza (Egypt) (AFP) - Crowds of tourists stared in awe at the towering pyramids of Giza near Cairo Saturday undaunted by a nearby bomb attack a day earlier that killed holidaymakers from Vietnam. A roadside bombing claimed the lives of three tourists and their Egyptian guide Friday when it ripped through the bus they were on as it travelled near the world-famous attraction. The attack comes as Egypt's vital tourism sector has begun to recover after years of instability and jihadist violence that scared visitors away. "I think terrorism can strike anywhere in the world," Somand Yang from South Korea told AFP. "You have to be careful but it is also like luck." Security forces guarded the entrance to the sprawling site and Yang, 32, said she had no qualms about visiting. "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place. So I figured it will be even safer today," she said. - 'Completely devastated' - Excited holidaymakers rode camels and queued to enter a tomb as they snapped pictures of the Great Pyramid, the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Hawkers followed the tourists, doggedly trying to sell trinkets and souvenirs. Despite the steady flow of visitors, Egyptians working at the site said they were shaken by the attack -- and concerned that it could hit their livelihoods. "I knew the guide who died yesterday," said Dalia Sadaka, as she accompanied a group of sightseers. "I completely broke down yesterday, but I had to get to work in the morning," she said, pointing to her visibly swollen eyes. - 'Truly regrettable' - Earlier hit hard by a string of bloody attacks and unrest, visitor numbers to Egypt have more recently staged a partial recovery. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State jihadist group killed all 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula. That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry, which was still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power. Story continues The official statistics agency says arrivals reached 8.2 million in 2017, up from 5.3 million the year before. But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million came. "I fear yesterday's incident may have an impact on our source of income," said an elderly man who offers camel rides, declining to give his name. "It is very regretable," he said. "We were finally happy that tourism started picking up a bit." By Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Friday said limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants were unnecessary as they were too costly, sparking an outcry from environmentalists who feared the next step would be looser rules favoring the coal industry at the expense of public health. Under the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, or MATS, enacted under former President Barack Obama, coal-burning power plants were required to install expensive equipment to cut output of mercury, which can harm pregnant women and put infants and children at risk of developmental problems. The Environmental Protection Agency left the 2011 emission standards in place but proposed using a different cost analysis to evaluate whether the regulation is needed, a move that paves the way for looser rules going forward. Its statement was issued on Friday during a partial government shutdown. Since August, the Environmental Protection Agency has been reconsidering the justification for the rule. A coalition of electric utilities had said the looser rules were not needed since they have already invested billions of dollars in technology to cut emissions of the pollutant and comply. EPA said it was "proposing that it is not 'appropriate and necessary' to regulate HAP (Hazardous Air Pollution) emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants... because the costs of such regulation grossly outweigh the quantified HAP benefits." It said its reassessment showed the cost of compliance with MATS was between $7.4 billion to $9.6 billion annually, while the monetized benefits were between $4 million to $6 million. It also said the identification of unquantified benefits was not enough to support the standards. Among such benefits, environmentalists say are reduced healthcare costs, breathing cleaner air and drinking cleaner water. "The policy (Acting EPA Administrator) Andrew Wheeler and (President) Donald Trump proposed today means more pregnant women, young children, and the elderly will be exposed to deadly neurotoxins and poisons, just so wealthy coal and oil barons can make a few extra bucks," Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Mary Anne Hitt said in a statement. Wheeler is a former coal industry lobbyist. Story continues "Virtually every coal plant in the U.S. has already met this lifesaving standard, and now Trump is recklessly trying to roll it back," she said. A study published this month by Harvard University's School of Public Health said coal-fired power plants are the top source of mercury in the United States, accounting for nearly half of mercury emissions in 2015. It said the standards have markedly reduced mercury in the environment and improved public health. 'PLEASE STOP HELPING' Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has targeted rolling back Obama-era environmental and climate protections to maximize production of domestic fossil fuels, including crude oil. U.S. oil production is the highest in the world, above Saudi Arabia and Russia, after a boom that was triggered more than a decade ago by improved drilling technology. The coal industry had challenged a 2016 conclusion by Obama's EPA that the rule was justified because savings to U.S. consumers on healthcare costs would exceed compliance costs. The calculations accounted for how pollution-control equipment would reduce emissions of other harmful substances in addition to mercury. Trump's industry allies, including Robert Murray, CEO of private coal mining giant Murray Energy Corp, had complained that the MATS rule contributed to the demise of the coal business by triggering hundreds of coal-fired power plant shutdowns and driving coal demand to its lowest in decades. U.S. coal-fired power generation has fallen more than 40percent since a peak in 2007, while natural gas-fired generation soared by about the same amount, according to the EnergyInformation Administration. Utilities' demand for U.S. coal is projected to fall further this year, by around 2.5 percent to 648.2 million short tons, the lowest in 35 years, according to the EIA. In July, electric utilities and utility groups favoring the rule asked the administration to keep it in place. They noted that billions of dollars in investments for anti-pollution equipment have already been made, and costs are being recovered from electricity customers through regulated pricing. "This is like when your four-year-old kid tries to clean up your kitchen it actually makes things worse. Please stop helping," said a utility industry lobbyist based in Washington, who asked not to be named. "The rule itself forced coal plant shutdowns, but they arent coming back." EPA said it will take comment for the proposal for 60 days and will hold at least one public hearing. (Additional reporting by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by David Gregorio) Like a spoiled toddler throwing a tantrum over a toy, President Donald Trump is threatening to shut down the southern border, terminate trade deals, and cease aid to three Latin American nations unless he gets what he wants: funding for his precious border wall. The series of tweets signal that Trump does not plan to end the government shutdown until the wall is funded, continuing the standstill on Capitol Hill. We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 In a Friday morning tweetstorm, the president blamed obstructionist Democrats for not funding the wall, despite having Republican control of both houses of Congress until Democrats take over the House in 2019. He also called for changes to ridiculous immigration laws and threatened to end the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is now called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). .The United States looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a profit making operation. We build a Wall or.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 ..close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico, Trump tweeted. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border. Story continues This is not the first time Trump has threatened to close the border. Last month, he said he would close the border with Mexico permanently if Mexico did not send people seeking asylum back to their home countries. Trump also claimed he would cut off aid to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala for doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. But earlier this month, Trump pledged $10.6 billion in aid and investment to Central America and southern Mexico so they can offer better job opportunities and hopefully prevent their citizens from migrating to the United States. ..Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries taking advantage of U.S. for years! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 Incoming White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney appeared on Fox and Friends on Friday and claimed that while Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer has signaled might be open to a deal, he said Rep. Nancy Pelosi is stopping it from moving forward until she is elected speaker. We dont think they will [negotiate] until after the new Congress is sworn in, he said. But Pelosis deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill said in a statement Thursday: Democrats have offered Republicans three options to re-open government that all include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security but not the presidents immoral, ineffective and expensive wall. With the House Majority, Democrats will act swiftly to end the Trump Shutdown, and will fight for a strategic, robust national security policy, including strong and smart border security, and strong support for our servicemembers and veterans. Of course, all of this fighting over the border wall would be a non-issue if Trump only fulfilled one of his biggest and oft-repeated campaign promises: to make Mexico pay for it. London (AFP) - Britain has spent more than 100 million on chartering ferries to mitigate the risk of "severe congestion" at the port of Dover in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to government documents. The government has struck deals worth 107.7 million ($137 million, 117 million euros) with British, French and Danish ferry companies that would allow for almost 4,000 more lorries a week to use other ports on England's south coast to prevent a bottleneck at Dover, it added. "This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transport's (DfT) no-deal Brexit planning," said a spokesman for the department. "The department is helping ensure the rest of government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes." The DfT has signed contracts with French firm Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and Britain's Seaborne, saying the awards were "a small but important element" of its no-deal planning. The additional services will provide up to half a million tonnes a month in extra capacity, which the government hopes will mitigate the extra time needed to perform customs checks on incoming and outgoing freight. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable called the move "complete madness". "The government has the power to stop 'no deal' at any time but instead is spending millions on last minute contracts," he said. The department also warned that increased border checks could "cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed", and "significant wider disruption to the UK economy". British Prime Minster Theresa May secured an agreement with European Union leaders on Nov 25 that would see Britain leave the bloc on March 29 with continued close trade ties, but the odds look stacked against her getting it through a deeply divided British parliament. The deal has been criticised from among May's Conservative lawmakers by supporters of a cleaner break with the EU and those who want to keep closer ties. The man suspected of shooting and killing a California police officer during a traffic stop early Wednesday morning has been arrested after a statewide manhunt, authorities confirmed on Friday. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson confirmed Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 33, was taken into custody after he was found in a home in Bakersfield, Calif. earlier Friday. Cpl. Ronil Singh, 33, was shot and killed early Wednesday morning, shortly after he radioed in that he was pulling over a gray pickup truck with no license plates in the small town of Newman, Calif., according to the Associated Press. Newman is located about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco. Singhs brother, Reggie, sobbed as he addressed reporters during Fridays press conference. Hes not coming back but theres a lot of people out there that misses him, he said. Christianson said Arriaga entered the country illegally, has two prior arrests for DUI and has known gang affiliations. Christianson first announced Thursday that the suspect was an undocumented immigrant. According to the Modesto Bee, Christianson met with President Trump in May at the White House to discuss immigration and sanctuary laws. During the meeting, Christianson thanked Trump for being a defender of the rule of law, and for your overwhelming support of public safety, and for standing with the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. Christianson also announced that two other men, Adrian Virgen, 25, Erik Razo Quiroz, 27, were arrested Thursday for helping Arriaga escape after he allegedly shot and killed Cpl. Singh. Police said Virgen was arrested in Hanford, Calif. and Quiroz was arrested in Modesto, Calif. Both men were charged with accessory after the fact to a felony. He doesnt belong here, he is a criminal, Christianson said during a press conference Thursday while they were still searching for Arriaga. After Thursdays press conference, President Trump weighed in on the manhunt on Twitter, using it to back his argument for the border wall, which many experts agree is not an effective deterrent for migrants looking to enter the U.S. According to multiple studies, undocumented immigrants do not statistically commit crimes at higher rates than Americans citizens or those who enter the country legally. Story continues There is right now a full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2018 Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson fought back tears on Thursday as he remembered Singh, a Fiji native whom Richardson said came to the United States for the sole purpose of becoming a police officer. Singh joined the force in 2011 and was one of just 12 members of the Newman Police Department. He is survived by his wife and 5-month-old son. Please remember the man, Richardson also said. Please remember the husband. Remember what he was, what he came to this country to do. Yes, he was a police officer, but most importantly he was a human being. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) New Year's Eve revelers in Utah could find themselves with more than a hangover as 2019 dawns. If they drink and drive, they could end up on the wrong side of the nation's newest and lowest DUI threshold. The 0.05 percent limit goes into effect Sunday, despite protests that it will punish responsible drinkers and hurt the state's tourism industry by adding to the reputation that the predominantly Mormon state is unfriendly to those who drink alcohol. The state's old limit was 0.08 percent, the threshold in most states. For Utah lawmakers, the change is a safety measure aimed at encouraging people not to drive at all if they've been drinking. The change was easily approved in 2017 by the Legislature, which is mostly Mormon and mostly Republican, and signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert, also a Republican and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The religion teaches its members to abstain from drinking alcohol. "The vast majority of people nationwide think that if a person has been drinking they shouldn't be driving," said Republican Rep. Norm Thurston, who sponsored the measure. The change means that depending on things such as food intake, a 150-pound man could be over the 0.05 limit after two beers in an hour, while a 120-pound woman could exceed it after a single drink in that time, according to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Video: Repeat DUI Offenders Targeted in New Pennsylvania Laws The National Transportation Safety Board also backs the change, and many in the hospitality industry worry that other states will follow suit. Utah was among the first to adopt the now-standard 0.08 threshold decades ago, and lawmakers in four states Washington, Hawaii, Delaware and New York have floated measures to lower their DUI limit in recent years. None has passed. "Other states proposing the 0.05 law, don't just follow blindly in the footsteps of Utah," said Jackson Shedelbower, a spokesman for the American Beverage Institute, a national restaurant group. Story continues In 2017, the group took out newspaper ads in Utah, neighboring states and in USA Today, featuring a fake mugshot under a large headline reading, "Utah: Come for vacation, leave on probation." It's unfair that smaller people could violate the new threshold after just one or two drinks in quick succession, even though they're no more impaired than someone talking on a hands-free cellphone, his group argues. NTSB member Bella Dinh-Zarr countered that fears about the law are overblown. Nearly 100 countries have a similar limit, and it hasn't correlated with less drinking per-capita. Federally funded research indicates the standard could save some 1,500 lives a year if adopted around the U.S., she said. "The restaurant industry should support this because it keeps their customers alive and drinking," Dinh-Zarr said. Utah's law takes effect as the state basks in the news that the U.S. Olympic Committee chose Salt Lake City over Denver as a future bid city, most likely for the 2030 Winter Olympics. State tourism officials say they're not concerned about the law driving away visitors. With the increased use of Uber and other ride-hailing apps, many people going out for a night on the town don't set foot in their own cars. In Utah, DUI arrests have dropped more than 50 percent over the past seven years despite a booming population, according to state figures. Even if the law doesn't present a practical problem, it could scare off some visitors who see the state as rigid about liquor laws, said David Corsun, director of the Daniels College of Business' Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management. Still, it's hard to say how big the impact might be. "If you really want to ski Utah, you're going to ski Utah. You're just going to figure it out," Corsun said. Police, meanwhile, say they're aiming to stop dangerous drivers, not target people who might have had a drink or two and could be in violation of the lowered DUI threshold. "You can't just stop someone who left a bar because you suspect they may have used alcohol," said Sgt. Nick Street with the Utah Highway Patrol. Still, patrons of Salt Lake City's burgeoning bar scene do feel unfairly singled out by the change. Stopping for a whiskey after work with her sister at the upscale pub Beerhive, Maude Romney, 29, said she'll likely only go to places she can walk to from her downtown home. "I'm paranoid about it already," she said. A DUI charge can be expensive and have long-term effects on careers. In a booth in a corner, recent Ohio transplant Rob Wheatley, 50, said he drinks to try new craft beers, not to get drunk. He's skeptical that the law will be a serious deterrent for binge drinkers. "I don't know if it's going to change anyone's behavior," he said. "If they're going to have a beer, they're going to have a beer." An ultra-Orthodox or religious boy discovers that he is attracted to members of his own sex. He knows that Halacha (Jewish law) forbids such relations, but on the other hand feels that he was born this way. In his distress he seeks what he believes is professional help. They, in response, try to "cure" him of his homosexuality. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The worldwide consensus is that sexual conversion treatments are objectionable and even dangerous. Mental health experts agree that sexual attraction cannot be changed. Professionals and lawmakers in Israel recognize this as well, but under the surface an entire industry is flourishing including psychologists, state-sponsored treatment centers and quite a few charlatans. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky Sexual conversion therapy often leads to depression and even attempted suicide. Sometimes the request for treatment is made by anxious parents behind the backs of their children. In extreme cases, therapists even subscribe them with drugs to suppress their sex drive. In recent weeks, we have approached many such therapists. In some cases, we introduced ourselves as parents or siblings of a boy or girl who is demonstrating homosexual tendencies. In other cases we sought consultation apparently for ourselves. As for the secular therapists, there is nothing to tell. They were all very careful not to offer conversion therapy. Among the 20 religious and ultra-Orthodox therapists we approached, only one categorically refused to perform conversion therapy. On the contrary, many boasted about their "great success rate" with patients who moved on, got married and established a kosher Jewish home in Israel; what ensues afterwards is no longer their concern. But sexual conversion therapy is not an obscure activity taking place on the black market. Last week, a new organization the Movement for Strengthening Family Values, launched a campaign against the LGBT community. The organization is of course ultra-Orthodox, a sector with particularly high rates of therapists who believe that sexual orientation can be changed through treatment. The Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Centre in Bnei Brak is a part public, part private hospital, catering mainly to the ultra-Orthodox population. Two years ago, a mental health department was opened at the hospital, and on the recommendation of friends I went there and introduced myself as the "sister of a 14-year-old teenager who had 'homosexual tendencies' and wanted to know how to solve them." Gay Pride in Jerusalem, 2018 (Photo: EPA) Avoiding 'unnecessary' questions, the representative informed me that homosexuality was treatable, and that treatment was free. "I have to send you forms for both parents to sign and return to us," she said. "We then invite the parents and the child for a first diagnosis, and the doctor decides what treatment is necessary." Is it possible that in the mental health ward at Mayanei Hayeshua hospital an officially recognized hospital in Israel "treats" minors whose "mental illness" is a different sexual orientation? Not according to the head of the hospital. "At the Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, there is no conversion therapy or any other treatment of sexual identity problems," said hospital director Prof. Motti Ravid. "The hospital has no experts for such issues, so the claim is delusional and is disconnected from reality." The Torat Hayyim treatment center, under the auspices of Rabbi Shmuel Tal, proudly notes that its dozens of therapists deal with various challenges, including "opposing tendencies." In their view, as presented on their website, homosexuality is a mental disorder just like post-traumatic stress disorder following a sexual assault or addiction issues. Gay Pride in Jerusalem, 2018 This time I introduced myself as a girl from Jerusalem who feels attracted to other girls. The representative at the center had a number of questions, perhaps to understand how this came to happen to a Haredi girl from a good home: "Is there anyone who knows?" "Did you share with anyone?" "Are you exposed to the media?" "Do you have Internet on your phone?" "For how long have you been experiencing these feelings?" I told her that I was once at a bar and met a girl. "Was there an intimate relationship?" She asked, half horrified. Yes, I replied hesitantly, almost. "I can tell you two things: First of all, we live in very special time when the ability to return to the right place is easy," she began. "Unfortunately, conflicting (sexual) tendencies are quite common nowadays, with all the media exposure and publicity. Most people's problem is anxiety... Many men and women reach out to us, thank God. "Those who come seeking a healthy life, managed to extricate themselves completely and establish good homes," she continued. "Most problems arise when people approach us unwillingly, as if they do not fully believe anymore, or there is already a very strong intimate relationship. I can refer you to our therapist, of course everything is discreet, and everything stays in the treatment room, and with the help of God you can undergo a process of healing." This healing suppresses this tendency? "This tendency does not arrive just like that," she responded. "For example, a person is traveling on the main road and there is a right turn. Now he did not look at Waze (a navigation app) and he does not know the way so he turned right because of some event that happened to him in life. Why is it called a deviation or tendency? Because it is not the normal way. So basically in therapy we go back and check what happened that caused your course to turn right." The organization said in response: "The Torat Hayyim treatment center operates according to the law, and assists applicants in order to benefit those who are interested." Another mental health organization that offered "treatment" but without mentioning the word "conversion" is a Bayit Cham (warm home), in Bnei Brak. "There is definitely something with which to help him," the representative replied. "It calls for one-on-one talks and the therapists usually help. Generally it is not a biological tendency that a person is born with." The director of the organization, Rabbi Arie Munk, said in response: "Based on the recording, in which you portrayed an ultra-Orthodox girl who is very concerned for her brother's welfare, the representative answered you just fine that he should meet a therapist for talks. No conversion or other treatment was mentioned at any stage. "Bayit Cham, which operates a professional department for the treatment of children and adults who have been victims of sexual trauma, has often encountered teenagers who have a sexual problem of some sorts, and during treatment it is revealed that this boy was sexually abused as a child or adolescent and that is the source of the problem, it is not inherent," he asserted. "Any attempt to link the activities of the organization with conversion treatments is the result of evil imagination, unrelated to the treatments that the organization provides." "The mental state has deteriorated" Twenty years ago, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) warned against sexual conversion therapy, and in 2015 the Mental Health Administration in the United States determined that such treatment could cause anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, and risky sexual behavior. Britain as well has adopted a similar approach, and in 2015 the British Health Ministry published a statement formulated together with health organizations stating that there was no evidence of the effectiveness of the treatments and that they could cause harm to patients. The position of the Israel Psychological Association, published in 2011, expresses reservations about these treatments and warns against the risks involved, but does not forbid them completely. "The professional basis and empiric evidence for the success of conversion therapy is rather remote," the association's position stated. It was also noted that many of the therapists involved in conversion therapy are not qualified professionals, and caution is necessary with such treatments because of the possibility they will lead to depression and suicide. Despite the unambiguous stance by professionals in Israel, attempts to stop the organizations and therapists have failed miserably. During her time as health minister, MK Yael German (Yesh Atid) tried to deal with the issue and a statement published by the ministry warned the public about these treatments , in part because "there is even evidence of possible harm." Today, with ultra-Orthodox MK Yaakov Litzman as deputy (and acting) health minister, it seems that the ministry has no interest in preventing conversion therapy, and the market is flourishing. "I came from a very conservative religious family, and I felt that my attraction to boys was not right," says 23-year-old Idan, from Jerusalem. "At one point, I was sent sent to a well-known therapist who does conversion therapy. I thought that it might help me, or at least get my family off my back. Not only did it not help, my mental state deteriorated due to the treatment, it made me feel damaged and screwed up. I got depressed and began taking medication. Only when I left the (religious) sector and accepted myself for who I was did my mental state begin to improve." Dror, 29, has also tried conversion therapy out of family pressure. "I guess that it could at least help some people lie to themselves and to others," he says cautiously. "If someone really wants to get married and have children, and goes to a psychologist on his own initiative, it's one thing. But in most cases people like me who go to conversion therapy do so not on their own accord but rather because of pressure from their surroundings and the result is almost exclusively destructive. "Because essentially, what happens is you go to someone who is purportedly a professional, and he tells you that you were born a bad person and you have to change, but you cannot really change because it is a sexual orientation. That is the danger. I stopped after two treatments because I realized it was bullshit and because I live among a relatively liberal national religious population," says Dror. A lesson in masturbation A conversation with Avraham Bitkin, a clinical social worker, reveals information about the methods used in conversion therapy. Bitkin claims to engage in cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and is also a psychodynamic therapeutic guide. Bitkin, who works with children, youth, adolescents and adults, is recommended by the Haredi Association of Therapists. I introduced myself to Bitkin as a 19-year-old ultra-Orthodox woman. Already during our phone conversation Bitkin began talking about things that would certainly have horrified a real Haredi youngster. Unlike other ultra-Orthodox therapists, Bitkin maintains that for some people their sexual orientation is inherent while in others it is acquired. According to him, in order to understand how to treat sexual orientation, we must first check whether it is natural or acquired. I told him that from the age of 14 I had felt different, that a year ago my parents bought a computer that exposed me to the world, and I even went out and met someone. "What about boys?" he asked. "Do you not have any feelings for them at all?" Jerusalem pride parade (Photo: Amit Shabi) No. I do not feel anything, I told him. "Look," Bitkin began in a monologue. "In general there are two sorts of people who experience same-sex attraction: those who are born that way and those who acquire it at some later point in life. For example, a 14-year-old ultra-Orthodox boy enters yeshiva and his body is growing and he wants to be a pious Jew and he knows that he is forbidden from looking at girls so he avoids doing so. "The body wants to move forward but the head inhibits, leading to a large gap forming between the body and the head; essentially there is a battle taking place and he does not understand why," Bitkin explains. "In absence of girls his body tells him 'It's okay to try with a boy' and this can lead to sexual experimentation. Such things also occur in girls' seminaries I think you need to understand yourself better and then you can see what's next. I must say that from a Halachic perspective, this subject of pleasure between females is not the same as between males... Now you say, 'OK, I can be discreet regarding my attraction,' but I want to know what will happen next, how I will establish a family and a home in Israel." Correct, I tell him, this is one of my problems. "Look, this issue of living with a man and having a family is something which is technically possible. The question is whether you can grow to love the man and be attracted to him, because if you do not enjoy sex with a man he will know. So if you arrive at a conclusion that your sexual orientation was acquired then we can work on it so that you can develop an attraction to men, which was previously unattainable." At this stage, Bitkin begins to explain what "deep internal clarification" it means to him and it turns out that he means "deep" in the physical sense: Bitkin simply suggested that I masturbate, and when he realized that as an ultra-Orthodox girl I had no idea what that meant, he volunteered to teach me e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in detail. From time to time he asked, "Is it okay to talk about it?" "Have you ever had sexual experiences with men?" He asks. I reply in the negative. "Were you were sexually abused during your childhood?" Again, I respond in the negative. Bitkin asks me to tell him about the experiences I had with the girl I met. "As long as you have not yet tasted the forbidden fruit, it will drive you crazy," he explains. "Especially since the act between two girls is permitted, unlike between two men... The question is whether, for example, I tell you: 'If you want to change then you need to sleep with boys.' How will that make you feel? At this point, Bitkin asked straightforwardly if I had experienced masturbation and when I said no, he suggested experimenting. "There are actually two erogenous zones which bring a woman sexual gratification. One of which is the breasts, and the most enjoyable part is the clitoris. Do you know what the clitoris is?" The rest of the conversation is simply too explicit to recreate. Bitkin explains in detail about orgasms, the structure of the vagina and masturbation, including using penetrative devices. ("I can only regret that your mother did not teach you such things... There are girls who at the age of six or seven already begin to touch themselves.") In response, Bitkin said, via his attorney: "My client does not believe in conversion therapy, he does not work in this manner and does not know anyone who uses this method. He is not aware of anyone who has succeeded in transforming their innate same-sex attraction. Regarding the phone conversation, my client feared that the caller was in the midst of a serious personal emergency crisis. Fearing for the girl's safety, he refused to dismiss her casually by stating that he does not believe in conversion therapy and thus ending the conversation. "During the conversation and out of concern for the caller, my client attempted to understand whether this young ultra-Orthodox woman understands her sexuality enough for her to declare that she is a homosexual, and that is why he suggested that she read study and learn about her femininity and sexuality, which can help her feel good without being ashamed. My client is sure that he acted professionally and according to the rules of ethics. A good therapist is not deterred by embarrassing issues; he must be able to talk about anything." Photo: Archive 'Many such treatments' Rabbi Shlomo Aviner is one of the most prominent rabbis of religious Zionism and serves as the rabbi of the Beit El settlement and the head of Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim. When I approached him with a story about my brother who is expressing homosexual tendencies, he told me that, "20 years ago we established a free anonymous telephone hotline called Soul Advice Where they could talk to me and tell me, or my brother, what to do and whom to turn to." The rabbi gave me the phone number and wished me luck. Another organization, Listening Friends, which provides counseling services to the religious and ultra-Orthodox public, told me that "it is possible to change reality and build a life in the correct manner." After a series of questions they referred me to Soul Advice. I accepted their recommendation and turned to the organization, where they admitted that dealing with "conflicting tendencies" is one of the areas with which the organization deals, and referred me to a hotline called Your Soul in order to "heal" myself or my brother. The organization refused to comment for this article. Listening Friends said: "The claim that any treatment aimed at influencing sexual orientation is harmful and improper from a professional perspective is false and stands in contradiction to the position paper of the Israel Psychological Association. Any attempt to intimidate professional therapists and volunteers of help lines that assist people in distress, just because they do not conform to an extreme liberal agenda, is unacceptable and should be rejected." In the days that followed, I turned to other organizations and therapists. The rabbi and psychologist Shmuel Meiberg, who is recommended by the Haredi Association of Therapists, emphasizes that he deals only with teenage boys. "I've had a lot of such treatments lately, unfortunately, all the time," he said, "but we can get out of this, (they can get) married, and with a good therapist it changes." Ynet did an investigative piece about Dr. Elan Kartan last year. Journalist Adir Yanko met with him, and he promised to deal with the issues. Since then, despite the backlash from the investigation, he has continued his work as usual, albeit cautiously "There are ways to deal with it," he told me about my younger brother, "especially when he's very young. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of success; every case on its merits ... My service costs a lot of money." He declined to comment further for this piece. More and more ultra-Orthodox and religious professionals psychologists, sociologists and others have agreed to deal with conversion therapy; some have even offered themselves, promising miracles and wonders. And then there was David Grushko, who defines himself as a homeopathy therapist and simply offered me homeopathic pills, "which will help you develop more feminine traits so that your sexual attraction will be towards boys and not girls." Did it help anyone? "Yes, they have changed," he says. Like Bitkin, he suggests that "if you seek sexual satisfaction, do it yourself and not with anyone else... because once you are used to getting sexual satisfaction from another woman, it will be harder for you to think that you can get it from a man." "I believe in free choice, so everyone will do as he wishes, including in the sexual realm," Grushko says in response. "I also believe that the world has laws that cannot be changed by man, which are expressed in all natural laws based on male and female. Homeopathy connects a person to their internal strengths and from there the person gathers the strength to choose a new path in life." This mnoth, a delegation of 50 Germans, all second or third generation descendants of Nazi soldiers, arrived in Israel to participate in the Musical Exodus 1947, in memory of my father Noah Klieger, who recently passed away at 92. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The actors wanted my father to be on the first row, but fate intervened, and he passed away just a week before the plays debut. I sat in for him, teary and excited. I arrived straight from the cemetery, were the family convened a week after his passing, and couldnt help thinking of how much he would have loved to be herein a hall filled with teens from the nearby school and Holocaust survivors, all here to learn about his life story. The show on stage On July 10, 1947, Holocaust survivor Noah Klieger boarded the boat known as the President Warfield, which later became called the Exodus. My father was one of the crew members who fought the British army at sea, in an attempt to make it to the land of Israel. The British forces managed to prevent the ship from making port, and deported the thousands on board to the nearby island of Cyprus. My fathers story is what legends are made of, and both the fate of the Jewish people and my personal destiny as Noahs daughter, are a part of this legend. Its no wonder that these events inspired stage performance. The March of Life members, who also thought that these stories were worth telling, sent a message to my father, asking to meet with him. They met in Caesarea for the first time a year and a half ago, on a Friday afternoon. Thats when the group members told him that they wanted to direct a play documenting his life story. My father told them of his memories of the Holocaust and all about his adventures at sea onboard the Exodus. By his side were my mother, Jacqueline, and my eldest son Yuval. Ill never forget the text message I got from Yuval, saying: Mom, you dont get whats going on here. This isnt just another lecture that hes givingtheyre all descendants of Nazis. Theyre descendants of war criminals who murdered Jews in cold blood. I have to admit, I fidgeted in my chair when I got this message. So what is grandpa doing there? I replied. Its not what you think mom, he reassured me. These young Germans are trying to atone for their grandparents sins. Theyre good Germans. I started sobbing as he described the scene: They came here with a guitar and theyre playing Hava Nagila, grandpa even said kiddush and grandma lit candles with them. Theres another kind of German, who believe in Israel and support Judaism, and they want to prove that theyre our friends. Afterwards, my father told me more of the meeting. They were brave and they told me that their grandparents were in the SS or the Wehrmacht. Some were even actively involved in the annihilation of Jews during the Holocaust, he said. They are devoted to making sure that memorial marches take place around the world, in the spirit of the March of the Living," my father said. The March of the Living has been taking place on Holocaust Memorial Day for 30 years. And so, I learned that these young Germans, who feel burdened by their family history, march through different German cities, from one concentration camp to another, mainly in Eastern Germanywhere most of them are from. Noah Klieger saying Kiddush with the members of the March of Life, 2016 Then my father, in his unmistakable Noah style, told the group that the meeting was exciting but that it doesn't change what I think of their ancestors. But I promised them that Ill try to believe that in several generations time, the mindset of the German people, who tried and almost succeeded in annihilating the Jewish people, will change. But something, perhaps the emotional aspect of the occasion, made my father keep in touch with this organization and its people. On their part, they fell in love with himwith this brave and determined man, who didnt even speak nicely to them during their first meeting. I saw how in the following months, the bonds became closer, and how hearts opened as memories rose from the abyss. Just two weeks before my father died, after a treatment session at the hospital, two members of the group came to visit him in his Tel Aviv apartment, to invite him to their play in a school auditorium in mid-December. My father was excited to learn that his life story has become a musicaland promised to attend. But fate intervened, and he died a week before the musical went on. Some of the March of Life members came to the funeral, and cried over the fresh grave like they were family. And we were there, at the play, straight from the memorial service at the cemetery after completing the seven day mourning period. The Piper family traveled to Israel for the occasion, and their two daughters, Anna Suzete (16) and Jordena (12) perform roles in the play. The parents, Frank and Barbel, always knew that some part of their respective family histories was hidden from them. But it was only later in life, when they both started asking that they learned that theyre both grandchildren of Nazi party members who were actively involved in the murder of Jews. Ill never forget what I felt when I learned who my grandfather really was, and what he did, said Barbel. I was shocked. He served in the Nazi armed corps, and had a senior position at Auschwitz, where he was the one responsible for ordering the rows of people on their way to the gas chambers. He was also the one who engineered the electric fence at the camp, she said. This image will be in my mind for as long as I live. Thats why we march, said Barbel. You knew nothing of this as a child or a teen? No. We were told that out grandfather didnt participate in the war because of his medical condition. I was shocked when I discovered that this medical condition didnt prevent him from becoming a senior officer at Auschwitzthe electrical engineer there, said Barbel. He supervised the installation of 16 kilometers of electric fences, onto which so many desperate people threw themselves, after they couldnt bare their misery. Franks family story is a bit different. His family was openly racist and anti-Semitic and would make such remarks on a daily basis. His maternal grandfather was a sniper in a commando unit that fought with the Wehrmacht, and committed numerous war crimes. Besides slaughtering partisans in the east, said Frank with tremendous pain, his unit had the 'elite' mission of murdering Jews in the Netherlands prior to the Wehrmachts arrival. Long hours of research revealed my horrible family history. Its important for me to talk about it wherever I can. Since I found out about this, I am never silent when I witness anti-Semitism in daily life. Frank and Barbel both declare that such things should never happen again. We will continue to stand by Israel and protest against any kind of anti-Semitism," they stated. This couple, alongside their two daughters, chose to march in order to fight anti-Semitism worldwide. Who knows, perhaps my father was right in saying that theres a slight chance of hope. About the March of Life The March of Life is an initiative by Jobst and Charlotte Bittner. Jobst shares a grim family history, like other organization members, and discovered his grandfathers Nazi past by mistake. I discovered the truth eight years ago, but the desire to do something came earlier. I always knew that the silence about these events must end, he said. The organization was founded in 2007 with the support of the Evangelical Church from the Black Forest region. So far, its members have so far marched in 250 cities, in 20 countries around the world, alongside Jewish and Christian communities. We call it: Remembering, making peace and taking a stand for Israel, Jobst concludes. More information about the March of Life organization can be found here. In order to increase living space for prisoners, the Israeli Prison Service is set to release some 1,000 prisoners early. But what Israel really needs is to build more prisons, something which has not happened in more than a decade. There is no doubt that prisoners deserve more livable conditions, as in any western country. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The ruling issued by Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein ensured that the entire law enforcement system, the Knesset and the Ministry of Public Security, would take heed of the issue and occupy themselves with the conditions of prisoners. Commissioner Franco (L) with his replacement (Photo: Avi Mualem) Just as the State of Israel has long-term plans for building hospitals, schools, universities, police stations, courts and other public institutions, the state must also plan ahead to build more prisons. Alongside the matter of living space, which even after the early release of some prisoners is still very low: 3.2 meters per prisoner, the government also needs to consider the decrepit condition of many prisons; old structures with outdated infrastructure badly in need of repairs and maintenance. Consider the Neve Tirtzah womens prison. Already during my first tour as commissioner of the Prison Service I concluded that the prison was not fit to hold prisoners. Immediately plans were drafted to construct a new, modern prison that would provide all the needs of the female prisoners. NIS 150 million was allocated and a peripheral wall was constructed near Eshel Prison in Beer Sheva. But unfortunately, as soon as my term ended in 2016, the budget was cut and the plans shelved. Only five percent of the Prison Services budget is intended for upkeep and technology, a woefully low sum relative to the growth in the amount of prisoners. Every year, the Prison Service manages to upgrade a few prison wards and decrease the amount of beds per cell. The question remains, what will happen in the second round of prisoners release in accordance with the High Court ruling mandating 4.5 square meters of living space per prisoner? I hope that they dont choose the easy way out, because releasing only 1,000 prisoners will definitely not suffice. During my tenure, the Holot Detention Center was established to hold illegal migrants. It could have been a good solution for prisoners not deemed to be high-risk, and today it lies abandoned. If the plan to build more prisons goes ahead and more beds and living space are added, and there are no unexpected delays or budget cuts, it will take at least five years before they can be inaugurated. Aharon Franco served as Israel Prison Service Commissioner for the years 2011-2016 Demands voiced by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to release Ukrainian sailors held by Russia are unacceptable, Moscow's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Saturday. Merkel and Macron demanded on Friday that Russia release the Ukrainian sailors, whom it captured along with their ships last month in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea with the Azov Sea. Brazil's far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday and while both pledged to deepen ties, there was no announcement as some anticipated of Brazil moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Netanyahu, the first Israeli prime minister to visit Brazil, flew in to Rio de Janeiro to meet with Bolsonaro, an ideological ally who takes office on Jan. 1 after his election victory in October. The two men had lunch in a fort on Copacabana beach before delivering statements. Netanyahu and Bolsonaro in the local Synagogue (Photo:EPA) "Israel is the promised land. Brazil is the land of promise," said Netanyahu, adding that Israel could help in areas such as economics, security, agriculture and water resources. Bolsonaro pledged he would visit Israel by March as a way to thank Netanyahu for the gesture. "We will be starting a difficult government from January, but Brazil has potential," Bolsonaro said. "So that we can overcome obstacles, we need good allies, good friends, good brothers, like Benjamin Netanyahu." The two also visited a synagogue among tight security including snipers on nearby roofs, where Netanyahu emphasized his hopes the two countries could operate in a more aligned and friendly manner in the future. Bolsonaro and top aides have repeatedly said he would move Brazil's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but since his election he has come under pressure to ditch the idea from powerful backers in the agricultural sector, who fear the decision would hurt their halal meat sales in Arab countries. The Arab League had told Bolsonaro that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would be a setback for relations with Arab countries, according to a letter seen by Reuters earlier in December. Such a move by Bolsonaro would be a sharp shift in Brazilian foreign policy as it was for the United States when President Donald Trump relocated the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in May. Brazil has traditionally backed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some political observers had speculated that Bolsonaro would use Netanyahu's visit as the perfect way to make the announcement. Bolsonaro discussed Israel during a meeting in Rio with Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, late last month. Although Bolsonaro could well make the announcement at a later stage, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Friday the U.S. government expected him to eventually make the move. "We also welcome President-elect Bolsonaro's comments regarding moving the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in support of Israel's sovereign right to have its capital of Jerusalem recognized by nations around the world. We look forward to welcoming many more of our friends and allies in Jerusalem," the official said. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. U.S. President Donald Trump says "big progress" is being made in talks between the U.S. and China to head off further escalation in a yearlong trade war. Trump says Saturday that he had a "long and very good call" with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the talks, which stemmed from their sit-down early this month in Argentina. Trump tweets: "Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute." After 14 years in the Michigan legislature, six in the House and eight in the Senate, Tom Casperso, R-Escanaba, is moving on due to term limits. His time in the Senate ended with a string of appropriations for western Upper Peninsula projects, including $10 million for Copper Peak and Pine Mountain, $2 million for Gogebic Community College, $1.5 million to assist Waupaca Foundry and $1 million for Michigan DNR jobs for the area. In a sense, the main catalyst to be able to get new development and investment in the area was the Michigan Department of Corrections decision to close the Ojibway Correctional Facility near Marenisco. Casperson said he battled with the department to keep the facility open through three earlier prison closings, but this time it became obvious DOC was looking at two prisons in the U.P. He called the process difficult and frustrating. The best area legislators were able to do was to prepare for the possibility. Area groups looking for funding were encouraged to put together their proposals even before the prison closure was announced. The prison closing and the outcry from the area did show the need for the state to help the area. Up here in the U.P., its harder to get the attention of the legislature, he said, but because of the prison closure, there was no denying the need. As a result, Casperson and other legislators in the area were able to open every door possible to look for state assistance. Waupaca Foundry was an early opportunity that came to the table through work by Marenisco Township and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. There was a push from them to help right away and do it now to give every opportunity to keep talented workers in the area. While keeping a low- key approach, the MEDC made it part of its plan in the state budget. While Waupaca ended up expanding to Ironwood and not Marenisco, Casperson felt half a loaf was better than none and he was glad to see them locate in the western U.P. The senator was also enthusiastic about funding for Copper Peak. He feels rejuvenation of the venue can make a heck of an imprint for Michigan. He compares the impact of the site to that of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. He said it is a draw for outside money, estimating visitors to be 60-70 percent foreigners. Copper Peak, he feels, can draw people in similar ways, but in a bigger way. Gogebic Community College, he said, made a good pitch for retraining people and was able to secure funding for skilled trades instruction. The Michigan DNR was very interested in helping the area and was also aggressive in seeking funding to put officers on the ground in the western UP. Other U.P groups seeking grants also were able to make their cases. Casperson said both Michigan Tech, in Houghton, and Northern Michigan University, in Marquette, were seeking grants to upgrade clearly antiquated and outdated facilities and while both had waited patiently, there was a sense that it was their turn. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. 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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.. A total of 322,048 people in some parts of the Western Region cast their ballot on Thursday, 27 December 2018 in favour of the creation of the Western North Region. According to the Electoral Commission, 751 people voted NO in the referendum. Similarly, the people in the Savannah enclave of the Northern Region voted YES for the creation of the new Savannah Region. Classfmonlinecom reports that total a of 206,350 people voted YES in the referendum, representing 99.7 percent of valid votes cast while 647 people voted NO, representing 0.3 percent out of the total 207,343 votes cast. READ ALSO: Photos pop up of Jerome Boateng and his daughters enjoying the holidays in Ghana A total of 346 votes were rejected. Still, within the Northern Region, a total of 205,121 voted YES in favour of the creation of the new North East Region, representing 99.8 percent of the total valid votes cast while 447 voted NO. Out of the total 205,804 votes cast, 236 were rejected and 205,568 were deemed valid. Also, residents in parts of the Brong Ahafo Region voted in favour of the creation of the Bono East and Ahafo regions. A total of 450,812 votes were cast in the Bono East enclave, representing 85.82 percent of the 525,275 registered voters who turned out for the exercise. While 448,545 people, representing 99.5 percent of the total ballots cast voted YES, 1,384 people, representing 0.3 percent voted NO. READ ALSO: NPP executives assault chairman and MP; cars and party properties destroyed Also, out of a total of 307,108 eligible voters within the Ahafo enclave, 277,663, representing 90.4 percent turned out to participate in the referendum. There were a total of 276,763 YES votes, representing 99.67 percent of the total votes cast, while 675 representing 0.24 percent voted NO. Ghana News Today: Sad Story of How Woman Lost Baby at Gov't Hospital In Kumasi | #Yencomgh: Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen.com.gh Madam Lydia Alhassan, a widow of late Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko has emerged victorious in the New Patriotic Party's Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency primary. In what could be described as a landslide, Madam Alhassan polled 441 votes out of the 668 valid votes cast to beat four other contenders. Her contenders Madam Victoria Esinam Ansah Offei; Madam Yaa Aboagye; Mr Samuel Amankwah; and Mr Ato Williams got one vote; 76 votes; 19 votes; and 131 votes respectively. A poster of Madam Lydia Alhassan Photo source: MyNewsGH.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Fool - Yvonne Nelson 'insults' John Dumelo over maid side-chicks Two votes were rejected as spoilt ballot. The seat became vacant following the death of Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, the Member of Parliament for the area, on Wednesday, November 21. The NPP has held the seat since 2000, with Mr Agyarko succeeding Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the current Chief of Staff in January 2013. Meanwhile, the NDC side elected Mr Delali Kwasi Brempong in their election on Friday, December 28. READ ALSO: Death of beautiful Muslim bride on wedding eve breaks hearts The Electoral Commission (EC) would open and receive the nominations for the by-election on Thursday, January 10 to Saturday, January 12, 2019. In other news, the proposed construction of the National Cathedral has been given a huge financial boost following a pledge of GHc100,000 from President Nana Akufo-Addo. The fundraising for the much talked about cathedral was officially launched on Friday at the forecourt of the State House. President Akufo-Addo attended the fundraising dinner as special guest of honour, with Hollywood star Idris Elba and international model Naomi Campbell also gracing the event. READ ALSO: Shatta Wales father mounts stage and steals the show at son's Thanksgiving Concert (Video) Speaking at the event, the President pledged GHc100,000 from his personal resources towards the construction of the proposed National Cathedral. According to him, the cathedral is more than just an edifice and will serve as a multi-purpose structure for all Christians. "Rather, and again like Solomon on that occasion, the building of the National Cathedral is to serve as a gesture of thanksgiving to God for his blessings, favour, grace and mercies on our nation, and to give me an opportunity to redeem a pledge I made to Him before I became President, Akufo-Addo said. READ ALSO: Dubai borga dashes $50,000 to Stonebwoy at Bhim Concert (Video) Ghana News Today: Sarkodie Storms Manifestivities| #Yencomgh: READ ALSO: Wendy Shay mistakenly shows her 'tonga' during wild performance on stage (Photo) Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook/Instagram page and we could feature your story. Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place Source: Yen Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, addresses the opening of the 10th national congress of the China Film Association in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official on Friday called on China's film makers to join hands to make the country a power in the film industry. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing the opening of the 10th national congress of the China Film Association in Beijing. Huang encouraged the film industry to "record and praise this great era and make remarkable productions with truthfulness and sincerity." He praised the great development of China's movie industry during the past four decades since the implementation of reform and opening-up, as more high-quality productions were made, the market kept booming and the industry attracted large numbers of talented people. All film makers must embrace the times and focus on and show the life of the people, Huang said. [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will eliminate all economic assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in retaliation for the caravans of Central American migrants arriving at the southern border. Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!, the president wrote on Twitter. Trump made a similar threat in October, when he said he would substantially cut aid to countries making up the Northern Triangle of Central America, but his words were not followed by any action. During the 2018 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the US allocated $84 million in assistance to Guatemala, $58 million to Honduras and $51 million to El Salvador, according to figures from the State Department. Some those funds was channeled through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), while the Pentagon provided a total of $42 million across Central America in 2017 to support the war on drugs. The White Houses proposed 2019 budget includes $69 million in aid to Guatemala, $66 million to Honduras and $46 million to El Salvador, a reduction of 29 percent from the levels of fiscal 2018. The president cannot unilaterally block the disbursement of aid authorized by Congress for the region, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a think-tank. Immigration to the US from the countries of the Northern Triangle has increased in recent years. Since October, at least 9,000 Central Americans, mainly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, entered Mexico in several caravans hoping to reach the US border and apply for asylum. Roughly half of them are gathered in Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego. Palestinians hold flags during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on Dec. 28, 2018. At least six Palestinian protesters were injured on Friday afternoon by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during clashes in eastern Gaza Strip, to the border with Israel, medics said. (Xinhua) GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least six Palestinian protesters were injured on Friday afternoon by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during clashes in eastern Gaza Strip, to the border with Israel, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that six Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, adding that two of them are in critical condition. He went on saying that dozens had suffered burns and suffocations after they inhaled the tear gas fired at them by the Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza Strip. Despite the rainy weather in eastern Gaza Strip, clashes broke out on Friday afternoon between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with eastern Gaza, according to local Gaza TV stations. Paramedics said that the soldiers fired tear gas and live gunshots at the protesters who approached the fence of the border. They said dozens suffered burns and suffocation after inhaling tear gas, adding that at least six were injured by the soldiers' gunfire; one of them is a 14-year-old boy who was shot in his head and is in serious condition. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli snipers are targeting the protesters with live gunshots and that the snipers target the upper parts of the protesters. Friday's anti-Israel protests are the 40th Friday of protests that are part of the marches of return and breaking the siege that broke out on March 30, according to the marches' organizers. Al-Qedra said that since the start of the marches, the Israeli army had shot and killed 245 Palestinians and wounded more than 25,000; around 40 percent of them were shot by live gunshots. Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in an emailed press statement that "the massive public participation in the 40th Friday of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege despite all the difficult circumstances confirm the great national cohesion in the face of the Israeli occupation." Hamas leaders who have been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007 and the organizers of the marches of return insist that their protests, rallies and marches will go on until Israel ends its 12-year-old blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] Two Arrested In Armed Robbery Of Pittsfield Shop PITTSFIELD, Mass. Two city residents were arrested for allegedly robbing Angelina's Sub Shop on West Housatonic Street while armed Friday evening. Police say Jameial Beckett, 35, and Ivelisse Ruusukallio, 37, both of Pittsfield are facing charges of armed robbery while masked relating to the robbery. Beckett is being held on $7,500 bail while Ruusukallio is being held on $2,500. Both will be arraigned in district court Monday morning. Police say at about 9:38 p.m. Friday night officers responded to Angelina's after an employee told dispatch that a black man wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt and a mask had robbed the store with a gun. About a half hour earlier officers had responded to the Big Y Express on West Street on a report of suspicious activity. There an employee said an individual entered the store wearing a mask but quickly exited after "appearing to be spooked by arriving customers." Officers were already in the area for the Big Y call and detectives saw two individuals walking on the street just north of Angelina's and encountered them. Detectives allegedly discovered evidence linking the individuals to the robbery. Police say the detective bureau is continuing its investigation into a string of armed robberies recently and if the public has information to contact the department at 448-9705. A Dead Child on Christmas Eve By John Kiriakou December 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - An eight-year-old Guatemalan boy died in the custody of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) late Christmas Eve. His death came only two weeks after the death from dehydration of a seven-year-old Guatemalan girl also in the custody of CBP. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is demanding an investigation into what it calls CBPs systemic failure to protect the health and welfare of children in CBP facilities. Apologies and promises of reforms arent going to cut it. Things have to change. But the problem is actually worse than what the major news outlets are telling us. Since the surge of unaccompanied minors arriving in the United States began in 2014, according to ProPublica , migrant children have filed hundreds of police reports documenting sexual assaults inside childrens shelters, which have received $4.5 billion in funding for housing and security services. Most of those sexual assaults have been at the hands of guards and other CBP employees. Federal investigators warn further that the Trump administration has quietly waived fingerprint background checks of staff members and had allowed dangerously few mental health counselors at a notorious tent camp housing 2,800 children in Texas. ProPublica wrote recently, Just five days after he reached the United States, a 15-year-old Honduran boy awoke in his Tucson, Arizona, immigrant shelter to find a youth care worker in his room, tickling his chest and stomach. When he asked the man, who was 46, what he was doing, the man left. But he returned two more times, rubbing the teens penis through his clothing and then trying to reach under his boxers. I know what you want. I can give you anything you need, said the worker, who was later convicted of molestation. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Similarly, In 2017, a 17-year-old from Honduras was recovering from surgery at the shelter when he woke up to find a male staff member standing by his bed. You have it very big, the man said, referring to the teens penis. Days later, that same employee brushed the teen with his hand while he was playing video games. When the staff member approached him again, the boy locked himself in a bathroom. Even worse, just a few months ago, a youth care worker at one Arizona shelter was arrested for molesting eight boys over the course of a year. The employee, Levian Pacheco , pleaded guilty to 11 sex offenses and had been working without a full background check. During the course of the investigation, he also admitted to being HIV-positive and to having forced himself on the boys. ProPublica says that the hundreds of police reports of sexual molestation of migrant children come from at least 70 of the 100 detention facilities around the country where the children are being held and involve children as young as six. (The facilities are run by both Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.) One child psychiatrist interviewed by ProPublica said that If youre a predator, its a gold mine. You have full access and you have kids that have already had this history of being victimized. The abuse of helpless, detained migrant children is not new, unfortunately. But the Trump administrations harsh policy of separating children from their parents and of detaining literally every child trying to enter the country as an asylum seeker has increased pressure on the facilities, which are hard-pressed to provide adequate staffing for children, many of whom are already fleeing from personal trauma and who now find themselves in legal and personal limbo. Goodness knows that we have a lot of problems in this country. Goodness knows that we have a president who is not engaged in policy except as it affects his own wellbeing. But were talking about children here. Were talking about the safety and security of minors who are unable to fend for themselves. Republicans certainly can be opposed to undocumented migration and still not turn their backs on children. And Democrats can insist that money be appropriated to ensure the safety and physical wellbeing of these same children without being accused of being weak on illegal immigration. Forget the politics. We cant lose our humanity. John Kiriakou is a former CIA counterterrorism officer and a former senior investigator with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. John became the sixth whistleblower indicted by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act a law designed to punish spies. He served 23 months in prison as a result of his attempts to oppose the Bush administration's torture program. This article was originally published by " RSN " - " Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Everything We Know About the 8-Year-Old Migrant Boy Who Died in U.S. Custody Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. The Mattis Dilemma By Philip M. Giraldi December 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The resignation letter of Secretary of Defense James Mattis that was published last Thursday revealed much of the Deep State mindset that has produced the foreign policy catastrophes of the past seventeen years. Mattis, an active duty general in the Marine Corps who reportedly occasionally reads books, received a lot of good press during his time at Defense, sometimes being referred to as the only adult in the room when President Donald Trumps national security and foreign policy team was meeting. Conveniently forgotten are Mattis comments relating to how to Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet. His sobriquet in the Corps was Mad Dog. In the media firestorm that has followed upon General Mattiss resignation, he has been generally lauded as a highly experienced and respected leader who has numerous friends on both sides of the aisle in Congress. Of course, the press coverage should be taken with a grain of salt as it is designed less to praise Mattis and more to get at Trump over the decision to leave Syria, which is being assailed by both neoliberals and neoconservatives who believe that war is the health of the state. The arguments against the Trump decisions to depart from Syria and downsize in Afghanistan are contrived for the most part and based on the premise that American intervention in places that Washington deems not to be sufficiently promoting democracy, rule of law and free trade is a good thing. Peter Ford, former British Ambassador to Syria, put it nicely when discussing the reaction in the media: Trump's criticswill have the vapors about 'losing ground to Russia', 'making Iran's day', and 'abdicating influence,' but their criticism is ill-founded. Contrary to their apparent belief, the US does not have a God-given right to send its forces anywhere on the planet it deems fit. Withdrawal will see the US in one respect at least follow the international rules-based system we are so fond of enjoining on others, and will therefore be a victory of sorts for upholders of international law. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The central argument of the Mattis resignation letter that is being cited by critics relates to Washingtons relationship with the rest of the world and is framed as a failure by President Trump to understand who are friends and who are enemies. Mattis wrote One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense. My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances. General Mattis does indeed hold views that were shaped by four decades of experience, but most of it was bad and produced wrong conclusions about Americas place in the world. The Cold War was essentially a bi-polar conflict pitting two adversaries that had the ability to destroy all life on the planet. It generated a Manichean viewpoint on good vs. evil that did not reflect reality which was succeeded by a global war on terror declared by Washington that also exploited the good and evil paradigm. Mattis was a product of that kind of thinking, which was also fueled by the concept of American exceptionalism, which saw the United States as the proper promoter and enforcer of universal values. There is, of course, another viewpoint, which is that American blundering and use of force as a first option has, in fact, created the current dystopia. The United States is not currently venerated as a force for good, quite the opposite. Opinion polls suggest that Washington is overwhelmingly viewed negatively worldwide and it is perceived as being the nation most likely to start wars. That is not exactly what the nations Founders envisioned back in 1783. Trump is right about leaving Syria where nothing beyond prolonging the bloody conflict is being accomplished. Mattis is wrong about supporting friends. For an educated man, he misreads history. The First World War and Second World War developed as they did because of alliances. Countries that appear friendly can exploit relationships with other more powerful nations that will have devastating results. Alliances should be temporary, coming and going based on the interests of the nations involved. In the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia are not actually friends of the United States, and are engaged instead in manipulating Washington to suit their own purposes. Mattis does not understand that and sees a permanent state of war requiring the continued existence of NATO, for example, as a vehicle for deterrence and peace. It is neither. Its very existence depends on a perception of being threatened even where no threat exists, which has poisoned the relationship with Russia since the fall of communism. Worse still, that false perception of threat can lead to war and a global nuclear holocaust. Philip Giraldi is Ph.D., Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest. A former CIA Case Officer and Army Intelligence Officer who spent twenty years overseas in Europe and the Middle East working terrorism cases. He holds a BA with honors from the University of Chicago and an MA and PhD in Modern History from the University of London. This article was originally published by " SCF " - " Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. December 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - President Trumps big announcement to pull US troops out of Syria and Afghanistan is now emerging less as a peace move, and more a rationalization of American military power in the Middle East. In a surprise visit to US forces in Iraq this week, Trump said he had no intention of withdrawing the troops in that country, who have been there for nearly 15 years since GW Bush invaded back in 2003. Hinting at private discussions with commanders in Iraq, Trump boasted that US forces would in the future launch attacks from there into Syria if and when needed. Presumably that rapid force deployment would apply to other countries in the region, including Afghanistan. In other words, in typical business-style transactional thinking, Trump sees the pullout from Syria and Afghanistan as a cost-cutting exercise for US imperialism. Regarding Syria, he has bragged about Turkey being assigned, purportedly, to finish off terror groups. Thats Trump subcontracting out US interests. Critics and supporters of Trump are confounded. After his Syria and Afghanistan pullout call, domestic critics and NATO allies have accused him of walking from the alleged fight against terrorism and of ceding strategic ground to US adversaries Russia and Iran. Meanwhile, Trumps supporters have viewed his decision in more benign light, cheering the president for sticking it to the deep state and military establishment, assuming hes delivering on electoral promises to end overseas wars. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter However, neither view gets what is going on. Trump is not scaling back US military power; he is rationalizing it like a cost-benefit analysis, as perhaps only a real-estate-wheeler-dealer-turned president would appreciate. Trump is not snubbing US militarism or NATO allies, nor is he letting loose an inner peace spirit. He is as committed to projecting American military as ruthlessly and as recklessly as any other past occupant of the White House. The difference is Trump wants to do it on the cheap. Heres what he said to reporters on Air Force One before touching down in Iraq: The United States cannot continue to be the policeman of the world. Its not fair when the burden is all on us, the United States We are spread out all over the world. We are in countries most people havent even heard about. Frankly, its ridiculous. He added: Were no longer the suckers, folks. Laughably, Trumps griping about US forces spread all over the world unwittingly demonstrates the insatiable, monstrous nature of American militarism. But Trump paints this vice as a virtue, which, he complains, Washington gets no thanks for from the 150-plus countries around the globe that its forces are present in. As US troops greeted him in Iraq, the president made explicit how the new American militarism would henceforth operate. America shouldnt be doing the fighting for every nation on earth, not being reimbursed in many cases at all. If they want us to do the fighting, they also have to pay a price, Trump said. This reiterates a big bugbear for this president in which he views US allies and client regimes as not pulling their weight in terms of military deployment. Trump has been browbeating European NATO members to cough up more on military budgets, and he has berated the Saudis and other Gulf Arab regimes to pay more for American interventions. Notably, however, Trump has never questioned the largesse that US taxpayers fork out every year to Israel in the form of nearly $4 billion in military aid. To be sure, that money is not a gift because much of it goes back to the Pentagon from sales of fighter jets and missile systems. The long-held notion that the US has served as the worlds policeman is, of course, a travesty. Since WWII, all presidents and the Washington establishment have constantly harped on, with self-righteousness, about Americas mythical role as guarantor of global security. Dozens of illegal wars on almost every continent and millions of civilian deaths attest to the real, heinous conduct of American militarism as a weapon to secure US corporate capitalism. But with US economic power in historic decline amid a national debt now over $22 trillion, Washington can no longer afford its imperialist conduct in the traditional mode of direct US military invasions and occupations. Perhaps, it takes a cost-cutting, raw-toothed capitalist like Trump to best understand the historic predicament, even if only superficially. This gives away the real calculation behind his troop pullout from Syria and Afghanistan. Iraq is going to serve as a new regional hub for force projection on a demand-and-supply basis. In addition, more of the dirty work can be contracted out to Washingtons clients like Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabia, who will be buying even more US weaponry to prop the military-industrial complex. This would explain why Trump made his hurried, unexpected visit to Iraq this week. Significantly, he said : A lot of people are going to come around to my way of thinking, regarding his decision on withdrawing forces from Syria and Afghanistan. Since his troop pullout plan announced on December 19, there has been serious pushback from senior Pentagon figures, hawkish Republicans and Democrats, and the anti-Trump media. The atmosphere is almost seditious against the president. Trump flying off to Iraq on Christmas night was reportedly his first visit to troops in an overseas combat zone since becoming president two years ago. What Trump seemed to be doing was reassuring the Pentagon and corporate America that he is not going all soft and dovish. Not at all. He is letting them know that he is aiming for a leaner, meaner US military power, which can save money on the number of foreign bases by using rapid reaction forces out of places like Iraq, as well as by subcontracting operations out to regional clients. Thus, Trump is not coming clean out of any supposed principle when he cuts back US forces overseas. He is merely applying his knack for screwing down costs and doing things on the cheap as a capitalist tycoon overseeing US militarism. During past decades when American capitalism was relatively robust, US politicians and media could indulge in the fantasy of their military forces going around the world in large-scale formations to selflessly defend freedom and democracy. Today, US capitalism is broke. It simply cant sustain its global military empire. Enter Donald Trump with his business solutions. But in doing so, this president, with his cheap utilitarianism and transactional exploitative mindset, lets the cat out of the bag. As he says, the US cannot be the worlds policeman. Countries are henceforth going to have to pay for our protection. Inadvertently, Trump is showing up US power for what it really is: a global thug running a protection racket. Its always been the case. Except now its in your face. Trump is no Smedley Butler, the former Marine general who in the 1930s condemned US militarism as a Mafia operation. This president is stupidly revealing the racket, while still thinking it is something virtuous. 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. Syria Sitrep - Army To Regain Northeastern Territory - Political Isolation Ends By Moon Of Alabama December 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The fallout from U.S. president Trump's decision to retreat from Syria develops as expected . Trump had announced a rapid draw down of U.S. troops in Syria. Later he spoke of a controlled process that would allow Turkey to take over the U.S. occupied areas in northeast Syria. That plan, probably initiated by National Security Advisor John Bolton, is totally unrealistic. Such an wide ranging occupation, which would be resisted by many powerful forces, is not in Turkey's interest . Nevertheless, the Turkish president Erdogan will use the threat of a Turkish invasion to press for a dismantling of the Kurdish YPG forces which the U.S. trained and equipped. This morning the Syrian Arab Army (red) announced that it entered Manbij , west of the Euphrates. It established itself on the contact line between the Turkish supported forces (green) and the U.S. supported Kurdish YPG (yellow). The Syrian flag was raised in Manbij city. The move comes after U.S. troops and their Kurdish proxy forces voluntarily retreated from the area. Manbij was threatened by the Turkish military and its Jihadi proxy forces . To prevent a Turkish onslaught, the local armed groups, who collaborated with the U.S. military, invited the Syrian army to take over. This pattern will repeat elsewhere. A Kurdish delegation is currently in Russia to negotiate a further take over of the U.S. occupied northeastern provinces of Hasaka and Qamishli by Syrian government forces. The Kurds still hope for some autonomy from the Syrian government that allows them to keep their armed forces. But neither Damascus, nor anyone else, will ever agree to that. There will only be one armed force in Syria , the Syrian Arab Army. It is possible though, that some Kurdish units will be integrated within it. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter A Turkish delegation is also in Moscow and tomorrow Erdogan will visit there . Russia spoke out against the U.S. plan to let Turkey take Syria's northeast or even parts of it. Erdogan will not get Russian or Iranian support for any such move. Moreover, he will be pressed to leave the other areas of Syria Turkey currently occupies. U.S. troops are for now expected to continue the occupation near the Euphrates where the fight against remands of the Islamic State is ongoing. They wont stay long. Trump successfully insisted , against the wish of his military, to completely pull out of Syria. The people who argue against the move are, not coincidentally, the same people who furthered the rise of Islamic State. After Secretary of Defense Mattis resigned over the issue further efforts by the military to delay the retreat will likely be futile. To cover the withdrawal from Syria the U.S. military established two new bases in Iraq . These are also blocking positions designed to prevent over land traffic between the Levant and Iran. It is unlikely that the U.S. will occupy those bases for long. The Iraqi parliament is already moving to again throw out all U.S. forces from its country. The military moves come along new political ones which reestablish Syria as a pivotal Arab state. Yesterday the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus. Bahrain will follow next. Kuwait will reopen its embassy in January. Oman never closed its embassy in Damascus. Of the Gulf countries only Qatar, allied with Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have jet to announce a revival of their relations with Syria. Before the war on Syria started, the UAE and other gulf countries financed several large investment projects in Syria. These will be revived and help the country's economy back onto its feet. Egypt is expected to follow the move of its Gulf sponsors. Underlying the UAE move is a strategy of countering Turkey's neo-ottoman ambition. Syria is (again) seen as the bulwark that protects the larger Arabia from Turkish marauders. It signals to Turkey that any attempt to take over more of Syria will be resisted by the Gulf states and possibly even by Egypt's army. Egypt is, together with Russia, mediating between the Kurds and the Syrian government. The Arab move is also perceived as a counter to Iranian influence in Syria. In this it will fail. Syria was rescued from the all out attack on it by Iran's intervention. It was the Iranian General Soleimani who convinced Russia to commit troops to Syria. It was Iran that spent billions to prop up the Syrian government while the Gulf Arabs spent even more to take it down. Syria will not forget who are its foes and who are its real friends. Air traffic connections from Damascus to Arab countries are coming back. Last week a direct connection with Tunisia was revived. In January Gulf-Air, the official airline carrier for Bahrain, will again offer flights from Damascus. The Arab League, which in 2012 kicked out Syria, will invite it back in. Syria may well accept the offer, but only in exchange for a large compensation. An Israeli air attack on Syrian military installments on December 26 largely failed. The Israeli jets fired some 16 stand-off bombs from Lebanese air space. They cowardly hid behind two commercial airliners which were on their way from the Gulf to Europe. This made it impossible for the Syrian air defense to directly attack the Israeli jets. Most of the Israeli projectiles were destroyed by the Syrian short-range air defenses. A Syrian missile was fired against Israel proper. It was a reminder that new rules of engagement, as announced , have been established. Attacks on Syria will be replied to by direct attas on Israel. The missile shot ended the Israeli attack. Israel, like others, will learn that any further attacks on Syria are futile and will only lead to effective retaliations. The war on Syria, while not yet over, is drawing down. Syria's political isolation is ending. Those who insist on continuing it will in the end lose out. This article was originally published by " Moon Of Alabama " - " Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Trump Scores, Breaks Generals 50-Year War Record : His national security team had been trying to box him in like every other president. But he called their bluff. Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Trump vs Mattis: Watch Out When Men of War Come to the Rescue The exiting defence secretary has been presented as the restraining hand tugging at the sleeve of Trump the one man who could stop Nero burning Rome By Robert Fisk December 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - When a general popularly known as James Mad Dog Mattis abandons a really mad American president, you know something has fallen off the edge in Washington . Since the Roman empire, formerly loyal military chiefs have fled crackpot leaders, and Mattiss retreat from the White House might have the smell of de Gaulle and Petain about it. De Gaulle was confronted by an immensely powerful hero of the people the Lion of Verdun who was, in his dotage, about to shrug off the sacred alliance with Britain for Nazi collaboration (for which, I suppose, read Putins Russia). The decision was made to have nothing to do with Petain, or what Mattis now refers to as malign actors. De Gaulle would lead Free France instead. Mattis has no such ambitions not yet, at any rate although there are plenty of Lavals and Weygands waiting to see if Trump chooses one of them for his next secretary of defence. Besides, history should not grant Trump and Mattis such an epic panorama. After all, no Trump tweet could compare with Petains 1916 Well get them! (on les aura) slogan, and the dignified, cold and fastidious de Gaulle would never have lent himself to the rant Mattis embarked upon in San Diego in 2005: You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didnt wear a veil. You know, guys like that aint got no manhood left anyway. So its a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, its a lot of fun to fight. You know, its a hell of a hoot. Its fun to shoot some people. Ill be right upfront with you, I like brawling. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter And Mattis was happy to brawl with the Iranians politically, though equally content to let the Saudis do the fighting for him in Yemen, at least. In 2017, he chose Saudi Arabia to announce that everywhere you look if there is trouble in the region, you find Iran. He even thought that Iran is not an enemy of Isis, a statement that demonstrated either ignorance or falsehood. No wonder he later became enamoured of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. But now he has entered a new pantheon. Suddenly the man of war, the US marine general who found it a hell of a lot of fun to shoot Afghan misogynists and liked brawling, has become a peacemaker. He was the restraining hand tugging at the sleeve of the insane Trump, the one man who could stop Nero burning Rome. He was the sanest of Trumps national security team, according to Paul Waldman in The Washington Post. He was an island of security, announced Amos Harel in Israeli newspaper Haaretz . All this is part of the querulous school of journalism that believed after Trumps insanity was made manifest that the military could control the man in the lunatic asylum. The idea was that while Trump might set light to the world, those trusty generals, veterans of Americas wars for democracy Afghanistan and Iraq, to be sure could protect us all from the ravings of a democratically elected president. Its a grim and dangerous tale in which we have all colluded, especially the Arabs. Better a General Neguib or a Colonel Nasser than corrupt old King Farouk ; much safer a Field Marshal Sissi than an unbalanced Muslim Brotherhood man like Mohamed Morsi; more secure (as it seemed in 1969) with a forward-looking Colonel Gaddafi than an effete King Idris. For there is something both initially attractive and deeply immoral in the idea that the warlords can turn into saviours this notion does apply to Petain too, of course and that those who have shed blood must be uniquely gifted with the ability to make peace or produce a just society. Not for nothing, only three months ago, did Mattis publicise his constant reading of Marcus Aureliuss Meditations. The reason I kept a tattered copy in my rucksack to pull out at times, he told US military cadets in Virginia, was it allowed me to look at things with a little distance. All Americans should read this book, was his message, especially in Washington DC, with all the political heave and ho that I try to keep the department of defence out of. But the real message was surely slightly different. The austere philosopher-emperor of second century Rome who ruled when the empire covered more territory than ever before in its history believed in a rather bleak world of duty and service and near-agnosticism; in reality far from Mattis Catholic upbringing. Marcus Aurelius spent much of his life waging war including the Roman-Parthian conflict which destroyed Ctesiphon only a few miles from Baghdad and his son was the blood-boltered Commodus (famously killed by Russell Crowe in Gladiator). Generals always seem to keep tattered copies of the classics in their rucksacks, rather like First World War soldiers. Harold Macmillan lay wounded in a shell hole at Delville Wood, reading Aeschyluss Prometheus for 12 hours. But Mattis? His career, so far, seems to have a faint parallel with Ariel Sharon , the notoriously ruthless and vain Israeli general who, after being held personally responsible for failing to prevent the massacre of up to 1,700 Palestinian civilians by Israels Lebanese Christian allies in 1982, was feted as a peacemaker when he died. Sharon the Bulldozer or the Butcher depending on whether you listened to the Israelis or the Arabs was the most important proponent of the Israeli colonisation project in the West Bank (which only speeded up after his withdrawal of Jewish colonies from Gaza) and ended his days after a stroke sent him into an eight-year coma. But his death was greeted as that of a potential saviour. He helped to sabotage the 1993 Oslo peace process, yet on his death David Cameron was to speak of Sharons brave decision to achieve peace, while Bill and Hillary Clinton said that it had been an honour to work with him. John Kerry talked of how Sharon sought to bend the course of history towards peace. Sharon did not, so far as we know, read Marcus Aurelius. But, so we are told, he liked to listen to violin sonatas. Yasser Arafat, on the other hand, started off in the west and in its media as a Palestinian super-terrorist leader in Beirut who, once he joined in the doomed charade of Oslo, became a peacemaker. He who had once drawn the sword, offered the world the gun or the olive branch, and was going to make the lion sit down with the lamb, etc. But once the Americans, especially Bill Clinton, had persuaded everyone that Arafat had rejected the final Camp David peace offer, Arafat became, yet again, a super-terrorist, or Israels Bin Laden. That was Sharons description. And so the PLO leader, hated then loved then hated all over again, endured months under siege in his mock-capital of Ramallah, died in Paris and was refused burial in Jerusalem. Here was a man, surely, whose body must have been turning even before it was laid in his grave. Gaddafi had a similar track-record. A terrorist when he shipped weapons to the IRA, he was kissed by Tony Blair and became a peacemaker, then reverted to being a bloodthirsty tyrant, after which David Cameron and his chums decided to bomb him. He even wrote a preposterous pseudo-philosophical Green Book . So with all these military folk see-sawing between war and peace, praised as defenders of Israel or Palestine or America or Arabism after holding guns in their hands or olive leaves or copies of the Aurelius Meditations or listening to violin sonatas or reading their own turgid prose its probably a good idea to hold off on generals for a while. Weve had a flurry of them running for cover from Trump in the past two years, all keen on service and duty and supposedly restraining the crackpot-in-chief before they throw in their hand. In the real world, the politicians are supposed to restrain the generals. Not the other way round. This article was originally published by " The Independent " - " Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. The All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed deep condolence to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the death of its members that died in an auto-crash in Benue state recently. The PDP died in an accident on the Otukpo-Agatu Rd in Benue State while travelling for the campaign flag off of a Senate candidate on Friday. In a statement by the APC on Friday, it expressed its condolence to the families of victims, while urging all and sundry to be safety cautious, during this period of electioneering campaigns. See full statement We condole with the PDP over the death of some of its members who died in an accident on the Otukpo-Agatu Rd in Benue State while travelling for the campaign flagoff Senate candidate on Friday. The APC is anguished and deeply saddened by the tragic accident. While we share the pains of the bereaved families, we also pray that those injured in the accident make a speedy and full recovery. As we mourn, the Party prays that the Almighty God give the bereaved families and other loved ones the strength to withstand the tragic loss and also grant the dead eternal rest. Political activities have expectedly heightened in the leadup to the #2019Elections. The APC urges all to ensure safety as we go about our respective campaign activities. We also call on relevant agencies charged with keeping transport routes and campaign grounds safe to ensure that the electioneering campaigns are as humanly possible devoid of avoidable accidents and incidents. Vice president Yemi Osinbajo has earned himself some criticisms after photos of him emerged online, patronising a public barbers shop in Abuja. The VP has been on a nationwide visits to neighborhoods taking his and president Muhammadu Buharis campaign to Nigerians in their locality. Osinbajo, in a visit to Wise 2, in Abuja, made a quick stop at Luxor Barbers shop, where he sat for a hair cut. The VP while getting his haircut, had discussions with some of the staff. However, reacting to the report, immediate past governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose took a swipe at the VP, whom he says, should also get a haircut in Ajegunle in Lagos and Baga in Borno State. According to Fayose, while speaking via Twitter on Saturday, Osinbajo never got a haircut in a public barbing salon in his 3 and half years in office but does so, just a few weeks to the next presidential election. He wrote: It is only election fever that will drive a VP to that high class barbing saloon in Abuja, something he never did in the last three & half years. I hope to see the VP patronising barbing saloons in Ajegunle Lagos, Baga in Borno or those armed bandits controlled towns in Zamfara. President Muhammadu Buhari has mourned the passing of Nigerias first elected President, Shehu Shagari, who passed away on Friday in Abuja. The ex president according to his grandson, Bello Shagari, suffered a brief illness before passing away at 93, at the National Hospital, Abuja. President Buhari, who was in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state to flag off his campaign ahead of the 2019 presidential election, when the demise occurred said his family, government and Nigerians mourn the death of a patriot. In a few tweets on Saturday morning, Buhari who toppled Shagaris government in 1983 said, Shagari served Nigeria with humility, integrity and diligence. He wrote: On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Nigeria, it is with immense sadness that I received the news of the passing away of the first Executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. I mourn the departure of a patriot, who served Nigeria with humility, integrity and diligence. Nigerians held him in the highest esteem even when he was out of office, until his demise, and will forever miss his wise counsels. I pray that Almighty God will comfort his family and all who mourn him, and grant his soul eternal rest. According to the Vietnamese Embassy, the bus had 18 people onboard including 15 Vietnamese tourists and three Egyptian people. The dead include three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian. The Egyptian authorities brought the bomb victims to Al Haram hospital in Giza. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong visited the injured tourists at the hospital while asking the local authorities to create favourable conditions to bring the Vietnamese victims and tourists to Vietnam to ensure the legal rights of Vietnamese citizens. Ambassador Cong said that the Egyptian side promised to help and create conditions for the uninjured Vietnamese tourists to return home safely while facilitating the process of repatriating the dead. Meanwhile, some Vietnamese citizens have been granted temporary accommodation by the Vietnamese Embassy before returning home. Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for kicking off his campaign despite the fact that many parts of the country, have been taken over by armed bandits and terrorists. Buhari, flagged off his campaign at the Goods will Akpabio international stadium in Akwa Ibom state, on Friday amidst reports that Baga, a town in Borno state, has been taken over by Boko Haram Not to mention, cries from the people of Zamfara state, that their lands are now graveyards for people slaughtered by armed bandits. Taking a swipe at the president, the former minister and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said it was wrong to have gone ahead to dance on the stage in Uyo, knowing well that some parts of the country was under siege. Speaking via Twitter handle on Saturday, the former minister wrote, thus: Zamfara is on fire and people are being slaughtered like flies by Malian Fulani terrorists. Even the Governor of the state has asked for a state of emergency to be declared! Chibok and Monguno in Borno state are under seige by Boko Haram whilst Baga has fallen and been captured. All this and Buhari has nothing better to do than to dance on a stage in Uyo stadium and campaign for re-election? Is this not a curse at work? Vanguard The Presidency said Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who is not a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), cannot, and is not a member of the partys Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) as erroneously announced on Friday.Thisday The Sun Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa has said contrary to the claim attributed to him in an interview published on Saturday, the All Progressives Congress, APC did not start from his house in Abuja. Daily Times The All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of exhibiting early signs of depression, resulting from what it described as obvious frustration, making him unable to focus on his campaign. Guardian Billionaire businessman businessman, Captain Hosa Okunbo, has officially opened his multibillion-naira hotel. Thisday The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has promised to end the blood bath in Zamfara State within 30 days of his swearing-in as president of Nigeria in 2019. Daily Trust The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state, as a mockery of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Nation No fewer than eight people were feared dead in a fatal accident involving supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State yesterday Tribune Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said on Friday that Former President Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari who died in Abuja was the specimen of a patriotic Nigerian whose life was a pattern of good works. Spokesman of the President Muhammadu Buharis presidential reelection campaign organization, Festus Keyamo, has said that certain elements always pray for tragedy to occur in Nigeria daily, in order to score political points. Keyamo said these unpatriotic people keep praying something sad, happens daily in Nigeria just to justify their hatred for president Buhari. According to Keyamo, someone who loves Nigeria will never discuss historical conflicts without solutions. Speaking via Twitter on Saturday, the human rights lawyer said these people keeping praying for tragedy to befall Nigerians not minding whether the victims are innocent people. He wrote: Certain elements pray for bad news daily to justify their campaign of hate against PMB. A patriot cannot discuss historical conflicts without solutions. But they care less whether d citizens they wish bad upon are innocent pple who have nothing to do with their unpatriotic cause. Josh Hillard, an iPhone XS Max owner from Columbus, Ohio claims that his phone caught fire in his pant pocket on December 12. He says that he first noticed a foul smell coming from the rear pocket of his pant before a large amount of heat burnt his skin and the trouser pocket along with it. The incident occurred while Hillard was on his lunch break. He first saw green and yellow color smoke billowing from his iPhone XS Max. Hillard has described his ordeal and his experience in the Appl Store in extreme details. Left no other option, I had to exit the room since there was a female in the break room with me and remove my pants. I ran to the boardroom where I got my shoes and pants off as fast as possible. A VP of our company put the fire out with a fire extinguisher because he heard me yelling. From the time of first noticing the fire and between removal of the pants and taking the phone out of my pocket and placing it outside, I inhaled A LOT of smoke. Later in the day, the team told me about the video that the office security camera captured. Later in the evening, I went directly to the Apple Store with the burned/melted remains of the phone, case, and plastic screen protector. Once in the Apple Store, I went to the back and asked for a manager. I explained my story and the leader, she said that she would send a senior tech. It is important to note that Hillard did not submit his burnt iPhone to the Apple Store since he was unsatisfied with their resolution. Hillard does not want a replacement iPhone from Apple as he believes that is not the solution. He is seeking damages for the clothes burnt in the incident along with his phone bill for the time period he was unable to use his phone. While Hillard has not yet taken legal action against Apple, he is contemplating taking one if Apple does not resolve the issue soon. While the possibility of Hillards iPhone XS Max catching fire cannot be denied, it is definitely strange to see someone remember every incident during and after the fire so vividly. [Via iDropNews Balochistan Police Department Jobs 2019 Latest Balochistan Police Security Posts Quetta 2021 Qualified and well educated personnel for the positions of Auditor, Stenographer, Motor Vehicle Examiner, Clerk, Naib Qasid, Cook, Cleaner, Electrician, Plumber, Sweeper, Welder, Mason, Mali, Mechanic, Barber required for Balochistan Police Headquarters / Rangers in Zhob, Makran, Naseerabad, Loralai & Quetta. How to Apply on Balochistan Police Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to work with Russia to prepare for a series of high-level contact next year, centered on communication between the two heads of state, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press briefing Thursday. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, Hua said. China and Russia have long maintained a tradition of supporting each other in hosting major events, as well as annual exchange of visits between the two heads of state. She noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted invitations from each other at their meeting during the 13th G20 summit in Buenos Aires, to attend major international events to be held by the two countries in the first half of next year. Hua mentioned that Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui held talks with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov on Dec. 21 in Beijing, discussing high-level contact arrangements between the two countries next year. The two sides agreed that the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination had been fruitful and ran at a high level this year. "Grand and colorful activities will be held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations next year, to consolidate the friendship between the two peoples, promote development of bilateral ties as well as contribute to maintaining international fairness and justice and world peace and stability," Hua said. Push for more robust domestic market part of plan to maintain stable growth China aims to maintain stable industrial growth in 2019 by cultivating a more robust domestic market and further leveling the playing field for foreign and private enterprises, the nations top industry regulator said on Friday. The plan came as the nations industrial output, an economic indicator measuring industrial activity, is forecast to expand by 6.3 percent in 2018, meeting the target of around 6 percent growth for this year. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it will step up the push to boost information product consumption and nurture high-tech industries such as wearables, drones and service robots in 2019. We will guide local governments to build a number of model cities in spurring consumption and roll out policies to promote the development of high-definition video and internet of vehicles, said Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, at the ministrys annual work conference, which concluded on Friday. According to Miao, the ministry will also implement policies to expand market access for the shipbuilding, automobile and aircraft sectors, and further multilateral cooperation in equipment manufacturing and information infrastructure construction. His comments came after China managed to keep industrial growth on track this year, despite trade conflicts among major economies that have had a negative impact on Chinas domestic economy. In 2018, Chinas manufacturing investment growth rebounded significantly, with dozens of intelligent manufacturing pilot projects established and the software and information technology service sector forecast to record 15 percent year-on-year growth. Wang Peng, deputy director of the China Center for Information Industry Development, said that although retail sales growth in consumer electronics slowed in 2018, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technologys efforts to bring a more robust domestic market will help buoy consumption in information products. Also, the maturity of fifth-generation mobile communication technology next year will also spur consumers to buy more cutting-edge devices, Wang said. The ministry said on Friday that research and development of commercial 5G products will be accelerated in 2019, in order to lay down a better telecommunications infrastructure for industrial upgrading. It also aims to make a fresh push to marshal the countrys high-end manufacturing power by strengthening the in-depth integration of cutting-edge technologies into traditional sectors. Qu Xianming, with the National Manufacturing Strategy Advisory Committee, said the goal to move up the industrial value chain is gaining steam across the country, which can play an effective role in buoying the countrys industrial economy. From January to November, the output of Chinas high-tech manufacturing industry expanded by 11.8 percent year-on-year, outdoing overall industrial output growth, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said China is welcoming foreign and private enterprises to enter more key sectors, which will inject new vitality into the countrys industries. By Lee Min-hyung U.S. President Donald Trump Choi Hyu-soo, the ministry's spokeswoman, speaks to reporters at the ministry building in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap South Korea's defense ministry expressed "deep concerns and regrets" Friday over Japan's release of video footage related to an ongoing military radar spat, accusing Tokyo of releasing "misleading" facts. Japan released a 13-minute-long video clip showing the operation of its Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 patrol aircraft to back up its claim that a South Korean naval destroyer targeted the warplane with fire-control radar on Thursday last week. Seoul has rejected the claim, saying that its 3,200-ton Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer did not target the plane of the partner country and that it was on a humanitarian operation to trace a North Korean ship drifting into international waters of the East Sea. "We express deep concerns and regrets over Japan's release of the footage just a day after the two sides held a working-level video conference to explore ways to dispel mutual misunderstandings and develop cooperative ties in the defense area," Choi Hyu-soo, the ministry's spokeswoman, told reporters. "As we have stressed, the fact remains unchanged that the Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer was on a normal rescue mission and did not operate the targeting radar against Japanese's patrol aircraft," she added. Choi, moreover, said that the video footage cannot serve as "objective" evidence. "We once again express regrets that Japan has given misleading facts by showing the footage, which contains its unilateral claim, when it has to consult (with the South) based on international law and accurate understanding of weapons systems," she said. "Our side has so far responded with restraint ... Our position remains unchanged: that the cooperative ties between Seoul and Tokyo should develop in a forward-looking way," she added. The footage showed an operator of the aircraft communicating a message to the South Korean Navy about its alleged discovery of the destroyer's radar directed at his plane in a relatively calm voice that observers say did not reflect a sense of urgency. "This is the Japanese Navy ... We observed that your FC (fire control) antenna is directed at us," an operator said in a message sent to the Korean navy. "What is the purpose of your act, over?" he added without demanding that the Korean Navy stop what Tokyo has characterized as a "dangerous act." A South Korean military official noted that the plane was flying only about 150 meters above the destroyer and around 500 meters away from its side -- a flight that could be seen as posing a threat to a foreign Navy. "The reason why we did not lodge an immediate protest against a low-flying plane was that we were focusing on the rescue operation with the thought of it being a friendly aircraft," the official said on condition of anonymity. "The plane capable of carrying missiles and torpedoes can pose a threat even when it operates from a distance. But it was approaching the Navy ship," he added. Seoul officials also pointed out that Japan failed to offer a "smoking gun," namely its analysis of the radar frequency which can verify whether the radar Tokyo claims was used against it was a targeting system. While Japan's aircraft was approaching the destroyer, the antenna of its fire-control radar, STIR 180, appears to have turned toward the plane, as the Navy tried to identify the plane with an electro-optical targeting system attached to the radar. But the radar did not send out any beam to the plane, Seoul officials have said. The destroyer used MW-08 radar, typically mobilized for search missions, during its operation to help rescue the North Korean ship. Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya has portrayed the incident as a "dangerous act that could have invited an unforeseen turn of events," while calling on Seoul's military to prevent any such recurrence. Despite Seoul's denial, Tokyo has repeatedly raised the issue, sparking speculation that the Japanese government appears to be trying to divert attention from its waning public support. The latest spat added to tensions in the bilateral relationship long strained by historical and territorial disputes. The two countries have recently sparred over Seoul's top court rulings earlier this year about South Koreans forced into hard labor by Japanese firms during World War II. (Yonhap) By David Tizzard The bad news and disasters go on the front page. The "intellectuals" write about the problems and, more importantly, how and why people should pay more attention to their solutions. And any good news is either a fluff piece or a badly veiled advertisement. Despite this tripartite function of modern print media, I am going to continue to buck the trend somewhat by providing another reason why I like Korea: The healthcare. I have spent the past week in a hospital a shared room with six other men of various ages, as well as their children, partners and visiting well-wishers. Extra significance was surely added because it was Christmas. This would give most foreign visitors ample ammunition to fire at a fast-changing society. It would be possible to rally against the old man that didn't hold a door for me or the woman that didn't perhaps move as quickly out of the way of my IV drip as an Englishwoman would. Yet, I have returned home more infatuated with the nation and its people than ever. The resilience and collective attitude that has seen South Korea become an economic powerhouse was there evident in the men and women of that hospital, in patients, workers and visitors, alike. But before you stop reading because I'm edging dangerously close to using words such as "han" and "jeong" in a weekend op-ed, there's something that should not go unsaid. The cost. And whatever it might be, it's arguably currently money well spent. South Korea ranked first in the OECD for healthcare access in 2015 and its women enjoy the fifth-best life expectancy. Its treatment of various cancers also saw it occupy the top two places in three different categories. That all seems a far cry from June this year when a South Korean couple in San Francisco were presented with an $18,000 hospital bill for treatment that included little more than a bottle of formula for their young baby. Returning domestically, as with most things in contemporary Korean society, much of what is experienced here today has its origins in both early Christian missionaries and Park Chung-hee. In 1977, the Park administration passed a law that mandated medical insurance for the employees and dependents of all firms with more than 500 people on the books. Two years later, this was extended to government employees, private school teachers and workplaces with more than 300 people. These early Korean models and approaches to healthcare were based on the Japanese system in terms of coverage, administration and funding. Through the rocky roads of the IMF, Kim Dae-jung's pledges of large funds, and the separation of medical care and pharmaceutical reimbursement in 2000, South Korean healthcare now stands ready for more decisions. One thoughtful example is the movement on Jeju Island that is vocally against for-profit hospitals and medical institutions. And the Jejuenese might just have a point. Korea currently suffers from an excessive use of antibiotics, has more magnetic resonance imagining machines (per million people) than anywhere in the world and cesarean delivery rates are high despite falling birth numbers. Perhaps for a small enclosed community, with its specific economic and legal zones, non-profit hospitals are the way forward for the island. But what then of the rest of the country? My week-long stay certainly wasn't cheap and we will likely be on the kimbap for the next week or two as we try to cover the costs. But, importantly, I was rather satisfied from my time inside. The hospital was clean and well maintained. The CT scans and X-rays were carried out with state-of-the art equipment that would have not looked out of place in the computer game series "Portal," as they moved along electronic rails in the ceiling. There was a full staff of courteous nurses who made themselves available without qualms 24 hours of the day. Even when faced with a currently winter-bearded Westerner, they carried on as normal. One of them, admittedly, was a bit more forceful than necessary when putting the thermometer in my ear and other patients confirmed this in our lunchtime discussions. Yet I felt trust in both their professionalism and ability. I also received Kakao messages of my doctor's whereabouts and availability and had the ability to ask questions and seek guidance through my mobile. I was provided with anything I required and more. And the people around us, some suffering far worse than my gopchang injury, were also seemingly aware that this was indeed a good hospital. I do not know the future of Korean healthcare, nor do I profess any solutions. I will also reiterate that such things in society are generally part of a tradeoff. Things are often only made better at the expense of others. What would need to be sacrificed to improve the current system further? Questions for those brighter than me, perhaps. However, my respect and gratitude are extended to those that work tirelessly in the Korean healthcare field while many others out in society eat, drink and play over the festive period. Perhaps now I'll join in again. Just for one, though, of course. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University. Blondes on Beers: Crystal Hoyt and Ashley Mackin-Solomon ( File Photo ) Blondes on Beers: Bridging the gap from last year into the next, this months column is actually two-in-one. For this installment, we look at area holiday-inspired beers (which are available at their respective tasting rooms until they run out, so those reading this in the last week of December should hurry!) as well as trends that brewers expect to see in beer for 2019. Stone Brewing: The Enjoy by 01.01.19 Brut IPA on the left and the Holiday Armadillo IPA on the right. ( Crystal Hoyt ) HOLIDAY BEERS: Stone Liberty Station, Point Loma: Holiday Armadillo holiday spiced IPA Ashley: This is brewed on site at Liberty Station, and while we are told it is brewed with orange, ginger and a little bit cinnamon, there is no aggressive flavor and not what I would typically call a holiday beer. Crystal: This holiday IPA is definitely hoppy and tastes mildly spiced. Its a bit hazy with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The holiday spices werent strongly present, but they were blended well. Enjoy By 01.01.19 Brut IPA Ashley: Brewed in the Escondido location, this IPA is drier than most, but still has some body to it. There is very little finish and a really nice blend of Brut Champagne traits and beer traits. Crystal: A double IPA with 9.4 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), this beer was heavy bodied with lots of hop flavor. I loved the citrusy, dry finish. Pizza Port: Liquid Mistletoe on the left and a taster of Santas Little Helper Imperial Stout on the right. ( Crystal Hoyt ) Pizza Port Brewing, OB: Liquid Mistletoe Tripel Ale Ashley: While this is a delightfully well-rounded, full-bodied, fruit-forward ale, the only thing that makes me think of this as a holiday beer is its wintery Belgian influences. Crystal: I thought this Tripel was a delicious fruity, malty crisp ale. Super smooth for 10 percent ABV, but it lacked typical holiday flavors. Santas Little Helper Imperial Stout Ashley: This is a strong, punchy stout with a burnt-coffee bitter aftertaste. Similarly, I think the potency and depth of this beer is what makes it a seasonal/holiday beer. Crystal: Thick and chocolatey, this imperial stout tasted overwhelmingly smokey. I got more holiday vibes from this flavor profile and wished we were sipping our tasters fireside. Culture Brewing: Cranberry Hazy IPA ( Crystal Hoyt ) Culture Brewing, OB: Ginger Snap Red Ale Ashley: Made with your staple gingerbread ingredients, this beer smells like fresh ginger then hits with molasses in the palate. This is a great interpretation of a holiday beer, in that the flavors are there, but it is less sweet than the cookie. Crystal: Made with quintessential holiday ingredients fresh ginger, molasses, clove and cinnamon this red ale was delightful! Light-bodied and malty with hints of burnt sugar, the flavors were perfectly proportioned. Pine IPA Ashley: Made with actual pine tree needles and Simcoe hops, this is less aggressive than I thought it would be and more herbal than piney or resiny. Crystal: This IPA was crisp and refreshing and not overly piney. It clearly has a piney aroma, but its not overwelming on the taste buds. Its hoppy but not bitter, and could easily be served year-round. Cranberry Hazy IPA Ashley: There is an undiscernible fruit smell at the forefront, and there is no cranberry color, so if I wasnt told this had cranberry, I might not be able to tell that it is cranberry. Nevertheless, its a delightful hazy and a nice detour from other fruit-based IPAs going around. Crystal: This hazy tastes like a juicy IPA and all the cranberry flavor hits you at the back of your palate. Its really good, not overly hoppy or bitter but fruity and refershing. As a side note, Eppig Brewing in Point Loma released its 2018 batch of Moment of Weakness (Dark American Sour w/ Plum & Cherry) past Point Loma/OBs deadline. Owner Stephanie Eppig describes it as a dark brown with a deep ruby hue. Complex notes of chocolate and dark fruit in the aroma and flavor with a clean and pleasant tartness in the finish. Beer Trends 2019: Eyeing the coming year, some OB brewers shared reflections from 2018 and insights on what is to come. Jim Milea, of OB Brewery, said IPAs will continue to dominate, but there has been increased demand for beers more on the malty side and less alcohol vs. punch-in-the-face strong, so maybe there will be more of those coming out. Adding that OB Brewery will focus on its tried-and-true brews, Milea said he hopes to collaborate with other breweries in the coming year. Reflecting on the year that was, he added: I suppose my biggest lesson learned is not so much about the beers I actually made, but the beers I didnt make. Time goes by so fast and you really need to plan ahead if you want to make sure you can make certain things happen. An example for me is wet hop beers. Wet hop beers are brewed with hops freshly picked off the vine and immediately incorporated into the beer within 24 hours. Hop harvest only occurs once a year, from late summer to early fall, and that is the one opportunity per year to make them. I wanted to brew one this year but didnt plan for it and suddenly hop harvest season had come and gone. Similarly, Haley Smith of OBs Belching Beaver said while Hazy IPAs are here to stay, craft lagers will make a name for themselves in 2019. Of course, we love our West Coast IPAs, Hazy IPAs and Stouts, but we feel the consumer is looking for something approachable and light that can be enjoyed any time of year, she said. On that note, Smith added: We are very excited for 2019! We have some fun stuff planned. We have a collaboration beer coming out in January with Coronado Brewing Company. It is a Hazy IPA called Tooth & Tail. Weve also got some favorites coming back like Peanut Butter Latte on nitro and Peach Be With You, a pale ale with peaches. Rachel Fischer of OBs Kilowatt brewing said 2019 will bring innovation and diversification of products including non-traditional products such as hard (alcoholic) seltzers and Kombuchas. Think wine barrel-aged hard Kombucha blended with a fruited brett beer sour, dry hopped with tropical New Zealand grown hops, she said. Looking back on 2018, Fischer said she got an enhanced appreciation for local customers. Wholesale distribution is even tougher than it seems. Theres only so many tap handles out there, and more breweries competing for them than there are available. Its like a game of musical chairs where some breweries are going to be left without a chair when the music stops. Unfortunately, were seeing that with some of the recent brewery closures. It makes us appreciate our team at Kilowatt and all of our customers who visit our tasting rooms that much more. In all seriousness, neighbors coming by and having a beer at our tasting rooms is what keeps us going and we sincerely appreciate our local support! Next month: The Blondes on Beers visit Stone Liberty Station in Point Loma. To contact the Blondes on Beer: E-mail Ashley Mackin-Solomon at ashleym@lajollalight.com The term boutique developer might seem discordant, given that many builders churn out humdrum homes, but Alison Victoria makes the moniker sing as host of HGTVs Windy City Rehab, premiering Jan. 1. Victoria teams with contractor Donovan Eckhardt to transform historic Chicago properties via gut rehabs that can take a year sometimes stalled by brutal winters, not to mention requisite neighbor drama. The high-stakes renovations with distinctive, tailored stylings are a step up for native Chicagoan Victoria, former host of DIY Networks Kitchen Crashers. Known for her intrepid demeanor, Victoria also runs the design firm Alison Victoria Interiors, based in Chicago and Las Vegas. Victoria, 38, spoke to us cozied next to her fireplace (because its freezing, she said) in her new-build Chicago home that she recently executed with Eckhardt, who also teamed with her on Kitchen Crashers. Advertisement What kind of buildings do you seek out in Chicago? They date from 1880 to 1980. People have converted them to two-bedroom flats, multi-unit buildings or condos, so I de-convert them back to single-family homes. I find artifacts from the original time and bring them into the build, make them look like theyve been there for over 100 years. Whether its new construction or a gut rehab, people think these homes have been here forever. You favor Chicago common brick, which was first popularized after the citys devastating 1871 fire. Why has it become such a prized reclaimed material? If you want to bring back a historic look in a building, then youre going to use it. Its inexpensive, which is funny because of all the work that goes into salvaging it. Its beat up, there are holes in it, divots, and lots of texture. Its like wabi-sabi [a Japanese aesthetic] finding perfection in imperfection. You renovate a lot in Bucktown, where you live, a trendy neighborhood just west of Lincoln Park. Bucktown has a lot of brownstones and cottages, and some homes with an Italianate style. Its very family-oriented. Ive done three homes on Wabansia Avenue there. You renovated one Wabansia Avenue home, selling it for $1.325 million a 1980s boxy rebuild with cinder-block walls. Neighbors called it the ugliest house on the block. We created a sophisticated city cottage a new A-frame roofline and two porches to the front of the home. Its black and white: classic, clean and timeless. The front door is one of two that were used as pocket doors in an 1890 Chicago home 9 feet tall. We cut it down, filled the holes and painted it black. You can feel the history the moment you open the door, so heavy and substantial. What kind of working style do you have with your contractor, Donovan? Hes very calm and level-headed, whereas I am like the Tasmanian Devil We gotta get this done! I have my vision, and its all about staying on schedule. He really balances me out. Donovans just like this teddy bear. A great contractor can be hard to find. Do you have tips? Do your homework. Call all their references and find out how the jobs went. Contractors are a dime a dozen and the good ones are like a needle in a haystack. When you find a great one, hold on to them real tight. hotproperty@latimes.com People unattuned to the subtle shifts in Californias weather like to complain that we have no seasons here. Of course we have seasons. We have drought, followed by fires, followed by rain, followed by mudslides. We cant predict when drought will beset us, exactly, but we can predict the cascade of problems that will follow a dry spell, especially when the Santa Anas or the Diablos or the sundowners begin to blow over tinder-dry landscape, wicking away every last ounce of moisture. Advertisement This year, meteorologists said, the winds were stronger than usual and lasted longer than usual. Up and down the state, they pushed over trees, which fell onto power lines, which sent up explosions of sparks, which ignited brush and more trees. The winds sent embers shooting like flaming arrows along the landscape. Borne on a wildly flowing, invisible river of wind, the embers touched down, torching homes and cars, sometimes even creating their own weather systems. Over the summer, near Redding, climatological conditions combined to create one of the most terrifying natural disasters imaginable: a fire cyclone. On July 23, a couple towing a vacation trailer had a flat tire. When the metal rim hit the pavement, sparks flew into parched grass, touching off a wind-whipped blaze in the 113-degree heat. By evening, cool coastal air blew into the Sacramento Valley. The air masses collided, creating a 30,000-foot-high spinning convection column that became a cyclone of flames. If an alarm goes up early enough, residents threatened by wildfire are able to evacuate. Some stubbornly stay and regret it. But others are caught off guard, or move too slowly, and find themselves trapped in flames, or running or driving through hell to find safety. In 2018, we lost a sobering number of souls this way. In Redding, eight people died in the Carr fire, including a 70-year-old woman and her two young great-grandchildren, trapped at home without a car. Three and a half months later, in Paradise, a retiree-filled mountain town near Chico, at least 86 people died in the Camp fire, which began Nov. 8 and is now considered the deadliest, most destructive fire in recorded state history. Three people are still missing. Almost 14,000 homes were lost, along with thousands of other buildings. The town, which the local paper had warned was a fire disaster waiting to happen, will take years to recover. The 2018 wildfire season is the worst on record in California. (And 2017 was the worst wildfire season before that.) More than 8,000 fires burned some 1.8 million acres, causing preliminary damage tallying at least $11 billion. More than 100 people died, including at least six firefighters. Given global climate change, experts say, these kinds of fires may well be Californias new normal. :: MORE: 2018 year in review Just as fire season ends, if we are lucky, the rains begin. Blessedly, the air clears and the lingering, acrid smell of smoke recedes. But a new danger threatens foothill and mountain communities near burn areas: flooding and mudslides, which, like fire, can come without warning. Indeed, Californias first natural cataclysm of 2018, the Montecito debris flow, was the result of the last cataclysmic event of 2017, the Thomas fire, a massive conflagration that scorched land from Ventura County to Santa Barbara County and briefly held the mantle of the states largest wildfire. In the wee hours of Jan. 9, half an inch of rain fell in five minutes, and the mountains above the tony, bucolic town that is home to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Jeff Bridges seemed to give way. Mud, rocks and boulders came raging down from the Santa Ynez Mountains, burying, crushing or sweeping away everything in their path. In trying to describe a mudflow, a Santa Barbara geologist suggested picturing a 15-foot-high river of mud moving at 20 mph, so viscous that one- and two-ton boulders could bounce along the surface, like pingpong balls, obliterating everything in their path. The debris flow came down the gulleys and creeks, crossed the 101 Freeway, then flowed into the sea, where for weeks, the waves stayed the color of mud. Twenty-one people died in that mudflow, and two children remain missing, their bodies perhaps washed out to sea. More than 125 homes were completely destroyed; 300 more were damaged. More and more in California, it feels as if no place is immune from the ravages of our seasons. Last years wine country fires, which killed 44 people, taught us that fire combined with hurricane-force winds can level populated suburban neighborhoods that have never before been considered susceptible to wildfire. Two Santa Rosa hospitals right next to the 101 were singed and evacuated. A nearby Kmart in the middle of a shopping center, surrounded by blacktop, burned to the ground. But even populations hundreds of miles away from a fire can suffer. While the Camp fire raged in the piney mountains around Paradise, the air quality as far away as San Francisco 170 miles southwest became so bad that parents feared for their childrens health. Bay Area school districts and University of California campuses cancelled classes. Likewise, in November, when the Woolsey fire burned from Thousand Oaks through Malibu to the beach, Santa Monicans choked on smoke. It is winter now. The fires are out. The rains have come. Our next disaster may be only a storm away. Unless we have an earthquake first. robin.abcarian@latimes.com Twitter: @AbcarianLAT China's top authority for traditional Chinese medicine has urged its branches across the country to take effective measures to combat irregularities in TCM healthcare services after a company in Tianjin was accused of misleading consumers about the effects of its herbal products. In a statement released on Friday, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine urged local TCM authorities across China to thoroughly inspect TCM advertising, training, healthcare services and products, and severely and promptly punish those involved in irregularities such as fake advertising and selling fake products to ensure people's health. Although the health benefits of TCM have gained more public recognition, irregularities in healthcare services such as the illegal promotion of products and services have endangered people's health and erected hurdles to the development of TCM, it said. "We will never allow any institutions or individuals to violate law and regulations, cause harm to people's life and damage TCM's image in the name of TCM," the administration said. The administration had a meeting on Thursday on regulating TCM healthcare after finding irregularities at some institutions recently, the statement said, without naming the institutions. The statement was released amid renewed public attention to irregularities in the promotion and sale of healthcare products, including food supplements, following an accusation by an online healthcare information platform that Quanjian Nature Medicine Technology Development Co, a producer based in Tianjin, made huge profits by misleading consumers, some of whom went bankrupt or died. In a report earlier this week, the platform, Dingxiang Doctor, cited a man who said his 7-year-old daughter, Zhou Yang, died in 2015 after using an herb product from the company that was claimed to have an anti-cancer effect. Zhou, who suffered a rare cancer, had showed signs of improvement following surgery and chemotherapy at Beijing Children's Hospital before using the company's product, her father said. The report also said the company attributed its success to its more than 600 secret TCM prescriptions, and it promoted its expensive but what the report called ineffective healthcare products and techniques across China through a pyramid scheme. A joint team including the Tianjin Administration for Market Regulation and the Tianjin Health Commission is investigating the company, including whether it is responsible for Zhou Yang's death and whether it is involved in exaggerated promotion, illegal pyramid selling and healthcare food safety problems. Anyone found to have violated the law will be held accountable, the team said. Kang Yi, vice-mayor of Tianjin and head of the investigation team, said the preliminary probe found that Quanjian had exaggerated the efficacy of some of its products. The team is still looking into some other accusations, and the result will be made public in a timely manner. Quanjian has denied the allegations and said it is cooperating with the investigation team. The team has also contacted Dingxiang Doctor, asking it to provide evidence to assist its investigation. Major e-commerce platforms in China, including JD, Tmall and Taobao, have stopped selling Quanjian's products, Beijing News reported, adding that an exhibition by the company that had been scheduled to open in Tianjin on Thursday had been canceled suddenly. Market regulation authorities across China had punished 49,000 cases involving law violations by the end of October, with 8,900 suspects detained by police, since a nationwide campaign was launched in July last year to fight deceit and fake promotion of healthcare food, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. Nearly every morning, a pseudo-dystopian scene unfolds just steps away from Americas gates. At the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, someone reads aloud from a mysterious, unsanctioned notebook filled with the names of thousands of people from across the globe. Each of them including the various guardians of the notebook is waiting his or her turn to give themselves up to United States immigration officials to ask for refuge. They are trying to enter the country legally. But the process is slow, and immigration officials say they cant keep up with the flow. Most days anywhere from 40 to 100 people are allowed to enter this particular port to make their plea for asylum while thousands who are living in miserable conditions wait in shelters and makeshift camps for their turn. Many linger in Tijuana for as long as a month before their names are read. The process has led to a humanitarian crisis at Americas doorstep. In the meantime, President Trumps order to limit asylum only to foreigners who cross at official points of entry the Immigration and Naturalization Act says any foreigner who has arrived in the U.S. may apply for asylum whether or not at a designated port of arrival has been blocked in the federal courts. Advertisement Cacophony prevails. Indeed, this year has seen the national conversation about immigration legal and otherwise continue to degenerate into an ever-louder shouting match. Consider: Illegal immigration is at historic lows. In 2000, apprehensions at the southwest border reached 1.64 million; this year; they totaled about 396,000. But the narrative from the White House would seem to indicate that disaster is looming. The president, wielding anti-immigration rhetoric as a political weapon, has referred to the thousands who are part of the recent exodus from Central America as an invasion, and he ordered 5,200 additional troops to the southern border. Alexander Gomez, a specialist horizontal construction engineer with the U.S. Army, installs coils of concertina wire near the banks of the Rio Grande along the U.S. border with Mexico in Brownsville, Texas, on Nov. 13, 2018. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Although the presidents rhetoric is frequently directed at illegal immigration, many of his policies affect legal immigrants and those trying to gain legal residency. His administration has implemented stricter asylum rules; unveiled regulations that would restrict low-income immigrants; created a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services team tasked with reviewing more than 2,500 naturalization files for possible denaturalization of U.S. citizens; and rolled back temporary protected status for foreigners from several countries, including Nicaragua, Haiti, Sudan and Honduras. Resistance has come in many forms. Legislators in Sacramento declared California a sanctuary state and have pushed for further inclusion of immigrants. Immigrant rights leaders have resorted to the courts to challenge various policies, including the governments decision to put a citizenship question on the 2020 census. One of the most controversial policies of the Trump administration was unveiled this spring when then- Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions announced a zero tolerance border enforcement policy, saying families that illegally crossed into the U.S. may be separated after their arrest. There were news reports of children being held in squalid conditions and others who were lost in the system. More than 2,500 children were separated from their parents, which prompted worldwide condemnation, but when a federal court finally ordered family reunification, chaos ensued. One of the next immigration battles could involve Trumps vow to challenge the U.S. Constitutions grant of citizenship for any child born in the U.S. regardless of the parents immigration status. The plan will undoubtedly raise the volume on that national conversation. Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Click here for a partial list of the California laws that take effect Jan. 1. Lets take a look back at the week in Opinion. Before Donald Trump ran for president and offended the sensibilities of just about every decent person in this country, our conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg typically came under fire by readers who saw him as reflexively anti-Obama and prone to arguing against left-wing straw men. But when Goldberg and many of his National Review colleagues joined the Republican Partys Never Trump wing in 2016, he became one of the candidate-turned-presidents most notable critics and started drawing praise from readers who appreciated his clear-eyed view of Trumps fundamental flaws. Now, with myriad legal scandals defining this presidency to an extant that not even Trumps most vocal opponents could imagine, Goldberg offers a grim prediction of where Trump and the country are headed over the remaining two years of this administration. In short, this wont end well, because the presidents low moral character wont allow for anything else : The president who became a celebrity by telling reality-show contestants youre fired has not fired any of his Cabinet officials face-to-face, or even on the phone. He relies on others, or on Twitter, to deliver the news. He loves controversy because it keeps him in the center ring, but he hates confrontation. The driving force behind nearly all of the controversies that have bedeviled his administration is his personality, not his ideology. To be sure, ideology plays a role. It amplifies the anger from both his left-wing critics and his transactional defenders. Many of the liberal critics shrieking about the betrayal of the Kurds implicit in his decision to withdraw from Syria would be applauding if a President Clinton had made the same decision. And many of the conservatives celebrating the move would be condemning it. But his refusal to listen to advisors; his inability to bite his tongue; his demonization and belittling of senators who vote for his agenda; his rants against the 1st Amendment; his praise for dictators and insults for allies; his need to create new controversies to eclipse old ones; and his inexhaustible capacity to lie and fabricate history: All this springs from his nature. Over the weekend, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie offered an odd defense of the president. Hes like a 72-year-old relative, Christie said on ABCs This Week. When people get older, they become more and more convinced of the fact that what theyre doing is the right thing. Christie has a point. But the reason Trump wont change has little to do with age and everything to do with character. >> Click here to read more The Trump administration quietly proposed rolling back emissions standards for coal and oil generated power plants in a move that could alter how and whether the government monitors and controls air and water pollution. The proposed ruling strikes at the economic analysis the agency uses to establish regulations, giving less weight to potential health benefits of air pollution restrictions and more to costs incurred by industry. The announcement, issued Friday amid the government shutdown, singles out a 2011 Obama administration ruling designed to curtail mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. It suggests the costs to industry of cutting mercury emissions from power plants dwarfs any monetary benefits gained by the public. That regulation, known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, has reduced mercury emissions by roughly 80% since it was established, according to research, including the EPAs own analyses. Advertisement Mercury is a neurotoxin emitted during the burning of coal and is associated with brain and nervous-system damage in developing children, leading to lower IQs and motor system problems. The Trump administration is changing 20 years of precedence on the ground rules of how cost/benefit analyses are done on regulations, said Chris Frey, professor of environmental engineering at North Carolina State University, and former chair of the EPAs Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. He said the agency has always included additional, or ancillary, health benefits when evaluating regulations. For instance, when controlling mercury emissions from a power plant, whether by filtration or other means, other pollutants are also incidentally reduced including fine particulate air pollution and other metals. In the EPAs original mercury ruling, in 2012, it calculated that broader pollution reductions brought about by the new standard would prevent roughly 11,000 premature deaths. The new plan, signed Thursday by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, would limit the scope to just the target pollutant, in this case mercury, and not the cumulative reduction in pollutionsuch a regulation would cause , said Frey. It doesnt make any sense, said Betsy Southerland, former director of science and technology in the agencys Office of Water. We know whats in the air before it gets filtered, and what comes out the other side. Why wouldnt you include those other pollutants? When the Obama administration established its mercury ruling, it suggested there would be roughly $6 million in direct health benefits from reducing mercury. It then argued there would be another $80 billion accrued in terms of lives saved by the additional pollution reduction, including particulate matter, lead and arsenic. It also acknowledged the difficulty of assigning price tags to benefits. For instance, said Southerland, how does one quantify a loss in IQ points to exposed children or fetuses? Or a developmental delay in a childs motor skills? Because of these concerns, in addition to submitting a cost-benefit analysis, the Obama administration argued that the Clean Air Act requires Congress to protect the most sensitive populations from the harms of hazardous pollutants and therefore should not rely solely on a cost-benefit analysis, which cant quantify the intangibles. The new proposed ruling rejects that idea, arguing that the $18 billion that industry has invested to comply with the ruling dwarfs the $4 million to $6 million in health benefits from mercury reductions. Some members of the coal mining industry cheered the shift. We welcome the agencys proposal to revisit what stands as perhaps the largest regulatory accounting fraud perpetrated on American consumers, said Hal Quinn, President and CEO of the National Mining Association, a coal industry association, in a statement. Critics say the ruling is nothing more than a plan by the agency to narrow the scope of cost-benefit analyses at the expense of protecting public health. It really flies in the face of five decades of precedence and science, said Frey. I think its clear this current administration is not only showing negligence on protecting the publics health, but is becoming a threat to it. The public will have 60 days to comment on the ruling, once it is published in the Federal Register. With the government shut-down, it is unclear when that posting will be made. susanne.rust@latimes.com Twitter: @susrust Behind the exclusive gates of Hollister Ranch are some of Californias most-coveted beaches and surf breaks. Few have had the chance to visit them. But earlier this month, after decades of pushback and stalemates, state officials passed through these gates with the cooperation of the ranchs powerful landowners. For the first time in years, they traversed the pristine 8.5-mile shoreline to establish initial boundaries that could be used for an ambitious public access program. Its one of many milestones this year in the escalating fight to open Californias coast to everyone. An all-out legal battle over Martins Beach near Half Moon Bay culminated with the nations highest court rejecting a Silicon Valley billionaires appeal to lock the gate on his terms. A Santa Cruz neighborhood that for decades has charged a fee recently agreed, under state pressure, to open its beach for free. And though beach access at Hollister Ranch remains limited to landowners, select visitors and those strong enough to paddle in, coastal officials have declared they will find a way to open up this stretch of Santa Barbara County coastline once and for all. Advertisement The California Coastal Act proclaimed in 1976 that the beach is for everyone not just for those fortunate enough to own an oceanfront home. The state over the years has chipped away at locked gates, private roads and neighborhoods that try to keep out the public. Whats left are access battles against those with the means to fight back in court in perpetuity. This is a long game that over the last 40 years has gotten over a thousand points of public access, and were actually down to a handful of holdout cases: Hollister Ranch, Martins Beach, said Coastal Commissioner Aaron Peskin, who urged the public to keep the pressure on not only the commission but also incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom and new coastal appointees. The time is right, so strike and make progress. Read more: There are more than 1,000 beach access points in California. A new app shows you where The Hollister Ranch gatehouse guard allows only designated owners and guests to enter the secluded oceanfront property. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Coastal access often jostling for priority with wildlife protection, plastic pollution, offshore drilling and other high-profile environmental issues has captured Californias attention in ways that did not resonate in years past. The issue has taken on new meaning as conversations of equity dominate politics. Ive talked about access for years, and this issue just didnt have the same impact and understanding and reception that it is now getting not just from decision makers but also from my conservation colleagues, said Marce Gutierrez-Graudins of Azul, a group that aims to bring more Latino voices to coastal issues. I think there are a lot of things that are coming together, finally, at the right time. She points to decades of work by advocates such as Robert Garcia of the City Project and the Free the Beach! study. They pushed for Californias new environmental justice law, which explicitly authorizes coastal officials to consider not only impacts to plants, animals and coastal habitats when making decisions, but also the effects on underrepresented communities. The more people have opportunities to go to the beach, the more they will care about protecting these environments, Gutierrez-Graudins said. Theres an assumption that these communities dont really care about beach pollution or conservation or that we only care about access but in reality, its all linked. Mounting public outrage has fueled new efforts by state officials to open a coveted stretch of California coastline in Santa Barbara County. (Tamlorn Chase / For The Times) Equity became a rallying cry this year at Hollister Ranch. The fight to open some of the states most unspoiled beaches had seemed like a done deal in favor of ranch owners, who have long contended the environment has benefited from their private stewardship. Coastal officials, in a controversial agreement struck behind closed doors, ceded a contested claim to access by land. As news trickled out, more than 1,500 people emailed the commission lambasting the deal. Others drove seven hours from Riverside to a commission meeting in Santa Cruz to plea the case for access. The state changed course and has now teamed up its agencies to finish what was promised decades ago. The latest strategy relies on updating a ranch-wide access program that the state had adopted in 1982 after a complicated legislative history and long standoff with resistant landowners. California beaches are supposed to be public. So why is the Hollister Ranch coast an exception? The program includes a walking trail and bicycle lane that would run parallel to the ranchs main private road. To minimize the number of cars in the interest of privacy and environmental protection a van would operate from nearby Gaviota State Park to six Hollister beaches, where there would be picnic areas and bathrooms. (California Coastal Commission) The Coastal Commission, along with the Coastal Conservancy, the State Lands Commission and State Parks, is working quickly to update the plan which officials say does not need a major rewrite. State Lands this month started surveying the beaches to establish the mean high tide line, which separates public from private land, and coastal officials have established an email account to collect ideas and public input on what an access plan today should include. We have an aggressive timeline. We want to move forward on the program as quickly as possible, while allowing enough time for adequate public input upfront, said Coastal Commission Executive Director Jack Ainsworth. We dont want to just hand a plan that we developed to the public. Monte Ward, president of the Hollister Ranch Owners Assn., which represents the more than 1,000 people who own a share of the ranch, urged in a letter to the commission that residents also need to play a central role in the process. The Ranch, landward of the mean high tide line, is our property and our home, he said. We propose a collaborative approach to the task of revising the 1982 Public Access Program in the hope and expectation that working together we can achieve success. Signs warn of trespassing at Hollister Ranch Road. The fight to open some of the states most unspoiled beaches had seemed like a done deal in favor of ranch owners, who have long contended the environment has benefited from their private stewardship. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Dozens of owners and ranch supporters, in detailed emails and public testimonies, have also pleaded their case to the commission. They worry that unfettered access could spoil the ranchs coastline and undo years of effort to protect the land. They point to the temporary access that they already grant to scientists, academics, historical societies, environmental groups and schoolchildren, and question how someone unfamiliar with the rugged terrain could safely navigate the steep canyons, unpaved roads and high tides without cell service. Many objected to their characterization as wealthy landowners who just want a private beach. I am not an elitist enemy of the people. I share the ranch with as many people as possible. I do not surf. Im not trying to protect a surf break or something like that. I am concerned with the destruction of something that is deeply important to me, Grant Fowlie wrote in an email to the commission. I can tell you from firsthand experience that the impact on the beaches is apparent when even 10 people are there and dont clean up thoroughly. I can guarantee that what exists would be ruined from the 100,000s of visitors that would end up against these bluffs and on the reefs. They spoke one after another at a commission meeting in Newport Beach this month for the first time in years outnumbering access advocates during public comments. Some spoke of their connection to the land and its history; others pointed to the disrepair of nearby Gaviota State Park and worried how a state with limited funding could maintain the pristine coastline. We only have the opportunity to protect things, Patrick Rebstock, who has ties to the ranch, said to the commission, before theyre destroyed. Coastal Commission Chair Dayna Bochco listened to these comments quietly for about an hour. Then, in an unexpected outburst, she pushed back at those who worry that access by the public is going to somehow make your pristine property no longer pristine. I find that somewhat offensive. I find it to be a very subtle kind of elitism that for some reason youre better at protecting natural habitat than anyone else, she said. I can see why for the last 36 years that people of this type of thinking have blocked the state from doing what it legally has the right to do, which is to have an access program to Hollister Ranchs beaches, she said. You shouldnt be able to enjoy it any more than any other human being. You are no better of a steward than we are. Access advocates praised these comments and pointed to other recent victories in the greater fight for access. Earlier that week, a push by the ranch to reject the validity of a public intervention of its settlement with the state was overruled by a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge. Read more: Coastal advocates challenge deal that bars public from reaching Hollister Ranch by land Were thrilled that the judge appears to understand that the public has rights here, and the public has a role here and that was the role that was not represented when the settlement was negotiated, said Susan Jordan of the California Coastal Protection Network. The coalition of advocacy groups, the ranch and the state will reconvene in January to determine the future of this settlement. We look forward, Jordan said, to representing the publics interest. rosanna.xia@latimes.com Interested in coastal issues? Follow @RosannaXia on Twitter. UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland presides over the University of Californias newest, smallest and most diverse campus. More than half of her 8,000 students are low-income and underrepresented minorities; nearly three-fourths are the first in their families to attend college. This year, in U.S. News and World Reports rankings of public universities, those students helped the campus climb 18 spots, to No. 2, for surpassing expected graduation rates. Leland recently spoke with The Times about her changing campus. Your rankings climbed so much. How did you do it? I was thrilled. Were only 13 years old. Were building this plane as were flying it. People always say, `Well, their graduation rates are lower than the rest of the UCs, but most of our students are poor, theyre first generation, minority. If you look at how those students are predicted to do, were 16 points higher than predicted. Advertisement Were just beginning to put into place practices that have been shown nationally to be successful for student retention and student graduation. In the last couple of years, weve had writing labs, weve had math tutoring labs. This year were creating STEM residential learning communities so students can come in as freshmen and really get a lot of extra support at living-learning communities. There are national studies that show that feelings of attachment to a campus are a retention boost. Many of our students just feel its a vibrant community. They feel comfortable. They feel as if their cultures are represented. I think that helps. How did you score so well for teaching quality among public universities? Research universities can have the reputation for not caring about undergraduate students and in fact, historically for a long time they were a second thought. But we got to start over right from the beginning. We try to hire for people that really want to work with our students because of who they are. Theres no research university in the nation that, over time, has more capability to prove that you can be a high-powered research university and have strong commitments to diversity. So thats pretty special. UC has started studying the possibility of dropping the SAT and ACT requirements. Would you welcome this? I would. The tests are biased against the kinds of students Merced is known for accepting. The trick will be [seeing] if there are other measures that faculty can use that are even more reliable in predicting success. And I think theyll find them because there are other national models out there. Some very, very fine institutions have dropped mandatory SATs. Your campus is expanding like crazy. Whats the latest? If you were standing on campus now, you would see 13 buildings and assorted other things all going up at once. Its like building a small city and its being done in four years. We will have double-sized the campus frankly in a way thats never been done before in public higher education. How is UC Merced helping the Central Valley? The Central Valley still has employment rates that are significantly lower than the state average. It still has a very small percentage of people who go on to postsecondary education and ... inadequate access to healthcare. Were trying to work on all fronts. Our students love going into schools and working with kids from similar backgrounds. Were boosting the economy through [the expansion project] its about a $1-billion impact over a four-year period. We opened two venture labs in Merced and Modesto thats all about providing an environment of support to help students and faculty take innovative ideas to the next step of small business or the marketplace. Were trying to stimulate new kinds of business through the research were doing. Were doing a lot of research on Central Valley issues water, climate issues, valley fever and a large public health program thats growing exponentially. Whats next for Merced? We just need to keep on, keep on. Were getting our buildings up. We need to hire faculty to continue our improvement in student success and student graduation. And then in a few years we need to take a deep breath and worry about how were going to grow for our next phase. Our students come because they see themselves as pioneers and as creators. They know theyre not going to the most famous UC, but theyre going to a new UC and theyre helping to build it. teresa.watanabe@latimes.com Twitter: @TeresaWatanabe Recent races for the Los Angeles Board of Education have been the most expensive school board contests in the nations history and charter school supporters spent millions more than anyone else. But a key charter group announced Friday it will sit out a March special election to fill an empty and potentially pivotal seat. The political arm of the California Charter Schools Assn. is not endorsing any of the 10 candidates for the seat left vacant in July, when Ref Rodriguez resigned after pleading guilty to one felony and three misdemeanors for campaign fundraising violations. The hopefuls are vying to represent the oddly shaped District 5, which covers some neighborhoods north of downtown L.A. as well as the cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The Board of Education, currently with six members, is split on key issues, including how to interact with privately operated charter schools, which compete with district-operated schools for students. A spokeswoman for the charter group spoke of the many strong options for the board seat. Advertisement There are a number of highly qualified, inspiring candidates in this race, said Brittany Chord Parmley of CCSA Advocates. Given the diversity, strength and depth of the field, we have decided not to endorse. ... This election is an opportunity for the entire community to engage in a dialogue about what it will take to provide an outstanding public education to all Los Angeles students. Close observers have described this race as especially tricky for the charter group. District 5s boundaries were carved to elect a Latino. And in the previous election, charter backers had a strong Latino candidate in Rodriguez, the co-founder of a charter-school organization. One obvious option, charter group executive Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, is not a Latina. Nor is Heather Repenning, a city commissioner backed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, another power player. Nor is Jackie Goldberg, the pick of the teachers union, which has been the second-biggest spender in board races and has called for halting the growth of charter schools. Backing a Latino in this district has mattered to United Teachers Los Angeles in the past, but after recent elections losses, union leaders think they have a winner in Goldberg, who has alliances within the Latino community. Goldberg previously served on the school board and the L.A. City Council as well as in the state Legislature. A wildcard for UTLA is the effect of a teachers strike planned for Jan. 10, which could work for or against the unions endorsed candidate. The ideal candidate in this race would be a Latina, according to some consultants. Three Latinos in the race would be hard sells for charter supporters: School counselor Graciela Ortiz is active in UTLA. Cynthia Gonzalez works as a principal at a district-run school. Activist Rocio Rivas led protests calling for Rodriguez to resign. The other Latino candidates are: Salvador Chamba Sanchez, a community college instructor; David Valdez, an L.A. County arts commissioner; Nestor Enrique Valencia, a Bell City Council member; and Ana Cubas, a community college instructor and former L.A. City Council aide who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2013. For the charter group, no one stood out. Four of the Latino candidates banded together to urge UTLA and the charter group to endorse one or more Latinos. As the Charter School vs. Public School debate rages on and political heavyweights attempt to bully their way into installing their own, Cubas, Sanchez, Valencia and Gonzalez said in a joint statement, this is a familiar scenario for the Latino candidates in this race. The district has long left its Latino students behind in academic achievement and access to public education. Other candidates, including a couple who dropped out of the race, originally endorsed the one-and-a-half-page statement, but disagreements developed among the group. The charter groups neutral stance may not carry over to a likely May runoff between the top two primary finishers, regardless of their ethnicity. It is naive to think this is a retreat or respite on their part, said Juan Flecha, president of the union that represents school administrators. His union, which lacks big-money resources, has endorsed both Goldberg and Gonzalez. Even in the primary, a pro-charter mega-donor could step in to fund a campaign. That could work better for charter supporters because the official charter group has the baggage of past ties to Rodriguez, said one political consultant, who requested anonymity because of connections to more than one candidate. Another consultant, Mike Trujillo, who has worked mostly against UTLA-backed candidates, agreed: It only takes some limited paperwork and a check to become a player in the primary. But it might make sense, he said, for the charter group to bide its time while teachers union president Alex Caputo-Pearl spends a lot on the teachers strike and on Goldberg in the primary. I suspect CCSA is gonna just get out of Alexs way and let him spend away, Trujillo said. howard.blume@latimes.com Twitter: @howardblume For the first time in five years, violent crime was down in Los Angeles in 2018, with the number of homicides on track to be among the lowest in more than 50 years. The data mirror an overall drop in crime this year in the parts of L.A. County patrolled by the Sheriffs Department, as well as in San Francisco and Oakland. After decades of steady decline, violent crime which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault had begun climbing in 2014, with a spike in shootings in South L.A. causing particular concern. The increase has prompted debate over whether statewide criminal justice reforms, including Proposition 47, which passed in November 2014 and has kept some low-level offenders out of jail, contributed to the upswing in crime. Advertisement Some law enforcement officials argue that offenders commit minor crimes knowing they face little to no jail time and having less incentive to enter drug treatment in exchange for more lenient sentences. The backlash has led to a proposed statewide ballot measure that would reverse some provisions of Prop. 47, toughen supervision of parolees and disqualify some prisoners from early release. This year, though, Los Angeles turned a little bit of a corner, said LAPD Chief Michel Moore. (Los Angeles Times) Violent crime decreased by nearly 4%, though it was still 1% higher than two years ago, according to preliminary statistics through Dec. 8. Overall, crime was down in all categories in 2018, except personal theft, which rose 3%. Property crime decreased by 2%, after increasing each year since 2015. Moore attributed the decline to strategies the department implemented several years ago to combat violent crime, including stepped-up analysis of data and an expansion of the elite Metropolitan Division. Were hitting our stride, we believe, in the execution of those strategies, which are not just police-centric, but are dealing with our communities and our partnerships and our engagement with our GRYD [Gang Reduction and Youth Development] resources and others, said Moore, who became chief in June and previously headed the LAPDs patrol operations. With homicides at 256 through Dec. 27 a 9% decline from last year the city will achieve its ninth straight year of fewer than 300 homicides. Gang-related homicides were down more than 20%, Moore said, pointing to LAPD-led youth programs and the work of gang interventionists who try to prevent retaliatory shootings by tamping down rumors and talking gang members out of revenge. Los Angeles is a much safer city than in decades past. In 1992, nearly 90,000 violent crimes were reported, compared with fewer than 30,000 last year. Homicides also peaked in 1992, at 1,092, before plunging sharply in the 1990s and continuing to decline in the 2000s. The number of homicides inched up starting in 2014, with last years tally of 282 marking the first decrease. The clearance rate cases that are solved or otherwise considered closed was 73% last year. In the parts of L.A. County patrolled by the Sheriffs Department, crime also was down this year, with statistics through Nov. 30 showing a 3% decline in homicides, a 5% decline in violent crime and an 8% decline in property crime. One exception is Compton, which contracts with the Sheriffs Department for law enforcement and has longstanding gang issues. Homicides rose from 15 last year to 19 this year, and violent crime was up 2%. Elsewhere in California, the San Francisco Police Department, headed by LAPD veteran Bill Scott, reported a 25% drop in homicides, a 2% drop in violent crime and an 8% drop in property crime. In Oakland, homicides were down slightly this year from the previous year, with total crime down 11%. Charis Kubrin, a professor of criminology, law and society at UC Irvine, said L.A.s decline in violent crime is impressive. She could not pinpoint a cause, with societal factors such as the economy and illicit drug markets possibly playing a role. But the tactics officers use and how much residents trust police can affect homicide rates, in particular, she said. Kubrin recently co-authored a study showing Prop. 47 probably was not the cause of an increase in some types of theft and that there was no link between the ballot measure and violent crime. Getting out there and being involved in the community, being as relentless as you can in identifying bad guys and also not overstepping boundaries I see the LAPDs efforts trending in a good way, Kubrin said. Other cities have much deeper divides between the police and the community. Next month, about 200 police officers who previously had been assigned to specialized units, including commercial crimes and Metro, will switch to street patrol or station detective assignments. The transfers are a response to a spike in calls for service and complaints from some residents about slow response times. Calls for service, up by more than 150,000 since 2012, have increased in part because the LAPD now routes some non-urgent calls through dispatch rather than stations, where they would sometimes go unanswered, Moore said. Combined with an earlier wave of reassignments, there will be about 550 more officers on the streets than a year-and-a-half ago, Moore said. The citys homeless population continues to pose a major challenge for the LAPD. The number of homeless people who were victims of crimes skyrocketed by 96% this year, with the largest increases in aggravated assaults, thefts and robberies, according to an LAPD report. Cmdr. Dominic Choi, the departments homelessness coordinator, said the startling statistic was partly a result of better reporting, but that there also was an increase in homeless crime victims. If Im sitting in my house, the chance of being a victim of crime is less than if Im sitting outside on the street every night, he said at a recent Police Commission meeting. Arrests of homeless people for felonies increased 12% this year. But there was a decrease in arrests of homeless people for misdemeanors, as well as a drop in citations for offenses such as sleeping on the sidewalk and possessing a shopping cart on the street. Leonard Delpit, a member of the Central Area Neighborhood Development Council in South L.A., said homeless people in his area clash with business owners and are thought to occasionally be responsible for crimes, including break-ins. At West Vernon and South Western avenues, a liquor store and a burger stand are magnets for loitering and occasional robberies, with gang members sometimes hanging out there, according to Delpit, who has lived near the corner for 40 years. LAPD officers have been patrolling the area more frequently, but Delpit said he wishes they were around more and cracked down on troublemakers more consistently. He pointed to the Harvard Park neighborhood, where a community policing program has helped reduce homicides from nine in 2016 to two in 2018. The police are doing a good job in the Harvard Park area, but thats not good enough for the entire area, Delpit said. The community wants more. In the LAPDs South Bureau, which includes much of South L.A., homicides were down 2%, violent crime was down 4% and property crime was down 3%, though theft from a vehicle and personal theft were up. The number of shooting victims, 478, was down 1% from last year and down 17% from two years ago. But some parts of the city that have traditionally been considered safe have seen significant jumps in crime. In the LAPDs Wilshire Division, which includes Fairfax, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile and nearby neighborhoods, robberies and aggravated assaults were up nearly 30% and property crime was up 18% from two years ago. Angela Guzman, chair of public safety for the Mid City West Community Council, said people have been smashing car windows to steal phones and other valuables. Guzman, who manages a property near West 3rd Street and South Crescent Heights Boulevard, is working with the LAPD to increase neighborhood watch patrols and urge residents not to leave anything inside their cars. They want to feel safe, and theyre not feeling safe, she said of residents in the area. In the San Fernando Valley, police have made inroads against property crime through rigorous data analysis techniques pioneered to combat violent crime. In Valley Bureau, burglaries were down 12% and personal thefts down 4%, with overall property crime down 6% from last year. Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher said the data analysis is performed daily, with station captains focusing on anchor points such as stores, group homes or parks where there are clusters of crimes. Volunteer patrols, which began this year and include about 350 volunteers in tiny BMW i3s, also have helped deter would-be burglars in hillside areas that are targets for break-ins, Pitcher said. The LAPDs use of data has been criticized by activists from the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition and other organizations, who say that zeroing in on hot spots puts officers on high alert and makes them more likely to inflict violence on black and Latino residents. At a recent Police Commission meeting, activists yelled shame on you and opposed, as the commissioners approved a $35,000 donation to improve technology at West Bureaus data analysis center. One activist, T. Guerra, called it essentially a command center from which the community is surveilled. Moore said that going forward, he wants to focus on prevention more than arrests or sanctions, particularly when it comes to homeless people. I do believe the next iteration of safety in Los Angeles is a continued expansion of resources for homeless individuals outreach workers, mental health workers, safe parking programs, latrines, showers, storage, he said. cindy.chang@latimes.com For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLA A 66-year-old woman was killed and four other people were hospitalized after a house fire Saturday in Boyle Heights, authorities said. The woman was found unconscious inside the one-story home in the 2200 block of Sheridan Street by firefighters, who were dispatched about 4 a.m. The woman was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Four others inside the home were also hospitalized, including a 34-year-old woman in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation. A 3-year-old boy, a 66-year-old man and a 35-year-old man were in serious condition with possible smoke inhalation, fire officials said. It took 41 firefighters 29 minutes to extinguish heavy flames that were primarily in the front of the home, authorities said. Advertisement The cause of the blaze is under investigation. tony.barboza@latimes.com @tonybarboza The Los Angeles Times and three other organizations have filed a motion with the California Supreme Court opposing a law enforcement unions last-minute bid to limit the scope of a new law requiring broader disclosure of government records in cases of police shootings and misconduct. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. has asked the high court to block the release of records for any shootings or other incidents that occurred before Jan. 1, when the law takes effect. The union argues that the law cannot be applied retroactively. In the motion filed Friday, The Times is joined by the California News Publishers Assn., the First Amendment Coalition and KQED, a public media outlet based in San Francisco. The organizations contend that the statute, Senate Bill 1421, was drafted to apply to all records in possession of law enforcement agencies, not just those created after the start of the new year. Advertisement The news media and open-government advocates had fought for years for such a law. They maintain that confidentiality rules shielding internal law-enforcement investigations often hindered the publics right to know about bad police shootings and other officer wrongdoing, including beatings, sexual assault, perjury and falsifying evidence. In asking for intervenor status in the matter before the court, the organizations state that, if the sheriffs union request to restrict the law is granted, the news media, 1st Amendment groups and the public will suffer irreparable injury in that they will be prevented from accessing important information. The union did not respond to an email sent late Friday seeking comment. In a previous statement, union President Grant Ward said, We believe retroactive application violates our members rights and we hope the California Supreme Court will consider the serious issues raised by our legal challenge. The laws author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), has said it should apply to all records. If the record exists, its disclosable, Skinner said. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner earlier this month expressing concern that complying with the law could overwhelm his department with requests for older records. Moore wrote that a retroactive implementation of SB 1421 will be exceptionally burdensome. Skinner said she would consider modifying the law if compliance proved too difficult. Meanwhile, The Times and the other organizations asked the court to issue an order prohibiting police agencies from destroying records while the justices weigh the unions petition. The motion said Inglewood has already begun destroying records containing information on shootings that could be disclosable under the law. On Dec. 11, Inglewood authorized the destruction of internal police records on shootings older than five years. That upended a policy that required the police to keep those records for 25 years after the close of an investigation. Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. has denied the move was designed to thwart the new law. paul.pringle@latimes.com Twitter: @PringleLATimes Dov Simens said he was playing Rambo in a homeless camp on Wilshire Boulevard 34 years ago when he stumbled on a therapy group for combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Through weekly sessions on the West Los Angeles veterans campus, Simens, 75, a member of the militarys secretive Phoenix interrogation and assassination program in Vietnam, was able to marry, have children and buy a house in Sherman Oaks, he said. Buoyed by his success, he took a break. But anger and depression drove him back to the group of my peers. I have PTSD and I know that there is no cure, Simens said. There is no pill or opioid that will make what I did disappear. Advertisement Now he and other veterans say the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has soured on long-term therapy and started dismantling the West L.A. PTSD program, which has helped thousands of former service members heal the invisible wounds of war. Before August, about 20 groups, each with five to 30 members, had been meeting on the medical campus for a total of 40 hours a week of therapy, said Leslie Martin, the former PTSD therapy program director. The combat veterans group shut down this fall after refusing the VAs order to move to cramped quarters with no privacy, she added. Veterans Steven Goldstein, from left, Peter Erdos and Dov Simens sit outside building 256 at the West Los Angeles Healthcare Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Two other groups have stopped meeting or relocated since summer; others merged and participation is dropping, Martin said. Martin filed a whistleblower complaint over the service reductions before retiring last month. The complaint accused the VA of reassigning her to work as a clerk as retaliation for her support of veterans protesting the changes. Citing the federal Privacy Act, VA spokeswoman Nikki T. Baker said she couldnt address Martins employment. Baker said the number of groups varies depending on demand for therapy. Seven focused on PTSD continue to meet on campus, she added. But in a September letter protesting the shift, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) said he understood the group therapy program was being replaced by evidence-based treatment 12-week courses of specialized talk therapy that have been shown to be effective for PTSD treatment. Once open-ended, the groups would be available only for the duration of the courses, Lieu said. It is important that we maintain a host of treatment options for our veterans suffering from PTSD, he said. The secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, responded that the group therapy program was being rebranded, not ended. But he also questioned the effectiveness of group therapy for veterans with PTSD. Despite the popularity and long history of support groups as routine care for veterans with PTSD and trauma exposure, there is no strong evidence that this modality is an effective treatment, Wilkie said in a letter to Lieu. The outcry comes at a difficult moment for the veterans agency, which is experimenting with privatizing mental healthcare while also grappling with staffing shortages and a suicide crisis 20 former service members a day take their own lives. Several former clinicians have complained to the VA about an exodus of as many as 50 psychologists and psychiatrists from the Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System, which includes the Sepulveda and West L.A. campuses. The VA says PTSD affects 8% of veterans. The agency initially relied on medication to treat the condition, but now is turning to short-term, evidence-based therapies, including cognitive processing, prolonged exposure and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Cognitive processing helps veterans recast negative thoughts about their trauma. Prolonged exposure guides veterans into reliving traumatic events to diminish their fear and anguish, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing helps veterans recall their trauma while focusing on external motion or sound. Each therapy course generally runs for three months. Martin said VA officials made it clear they like evidence-based treatment because its short and saves money. VA leaders called the therapy groups social clubs and said veterans who need more support should take each others phone numbers, Martin said. Evidence-based therapies can be tough on veterans, who may have spent years trying to forget the very memories that the sessions dredge up. In his letter, Lieu said only 50% to 60% of veterans complete evidence-based therapies. Peter Erdos, 35, said he tried medication and evidence-based therapies with minimal success after his return from Iraq. Medication is something that the VA was OK with me being on for the rest of my life, said Erdos, a member of the combat veterans group. Coming back in my 20s and hearing that was just soul-crushing. What worked for me was camaraderie with the guys. Research on the effectiveness of group therapy to treat combat veterans with PTSD is inconclusive. Carl Castro, director of USCs Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families, said the VA should have studied the groups before squeezing them out. The VA has gobs of money to do research, Castro said. It was a unilateral decision and goes against patient-centered therapy. For a lot of veterans involved in group therapy, just the fact theyre engaging in it is therapeutic for them, said Paul Brown, adjutant of the American Legion, Department of California. If it makes a difference in even one veterans life, were going to push to have it continued. Members of the PTSD combat support group have continued meeting in a room they rent at a Westside senior center. Martin is volunteering to facilitate. Before a gathering last month, a dozen veterans described the group as a lifeline. The men are black and white, former officers and draftees, and at least one attended West Point. Some spent years battling alcoholism or substance abuse. Some worked as lawyers, company executives or architects. Several said they had PTSD symptoms anger, anxiety, depression for decades before seeking treatment. It only took me 47 years, said Steven Goldstein, 71, a U.S. Army infantry veteran who served in Vietnam. I had no joy in my life. Randy Kline said he was drafted out of Inglewood in 1967 to participate in crimes against humanity a moral injury that experts increasingly consider to be as damaging as a gunshot wound or other combat trauma. Veterans Peter Erdos, from left, Dov Simens and Steven Goldstein walk outside Building 256 at the West Los Angeles Healthcare Center. Veterans accuse the VA of dismantling psychological services and PTSD groups at the Greater L.A. campuses. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Arnold Hudson said that as a black man from South Los Angeles, he saw no future as a convicted draft dodger. So he reluctantly answered the call to Vietnam, where he saw his friend incinerated before my eyes. AHudson said the group gave him his life back after years of drug addiction. Im 69 years old and I lost a whole lot of life, he said. When they announced we were disbanding I thought, why in the world is the government who vowed to take care of us cutting us off at the knees? The veterans said they want to return to the VA campus, where the next person home from Afghanistan or Iraq could wander in and find the support that only comes from shared experience. Were a band of brothers. We have a duty to all vets, Simens said. Were just asking for a 400- to 500-square-foot room, for two hours, once a week. gholland@latimes.com Twitter: @geholland The third C919 prototype passenger jet takes off at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, Dec. 28, 2018. A third C919 prototype passenger jet completed its maiden flight after landing Friday afternoon in Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The China-made jet took off shortly after 11 a.m. and the flight lasted 1 hour 38 minutes. The first and second C919s made their maiden flights in May and December last year respectively. They are currently conducting test flights in various Chinese airports. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) SHANGHAI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A third C919 prototype passenger jet completed its maiden flight after landing Friday afternoon in Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The China-made jet took off shortly after 11 a.m. and the flight lasted 1 hour 38 minutes. After the maiden flight, the prototype will conduct test flights in the northwestern city of Xi'an, with a focus on flutter, speed adjustment, load, control and performance. The first and second C919s made their maiden flights in May and December last year, respectively. They are currently conducting test flights in various Chinese airports. Three more C919 prototypes are being manufactured and expected to complete test flights next year. With a range of 4,075 kilometers, the C919 jet is comparable to the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737. For months, some large California law enforcement agencies have been quietly making assumptions about sexual orientation, gender, age and other characteristics of the people they stop as part of a statewide, legally mandated data collection effort to understand and curb racial and identity profiling. The agencies started collecting data under Assembly Bill 953. The bill was passed in 2015 and is intended to help understand and reduce racial profiling and other types of bias. Beginning July 1, a handful of agencies, including San Diego police, began collecting as many as 60 data points about most officer interactions with the public. The documentation extends well beyond traffic stops to include most occasions in which an officer detains or questions someone. Some of the data officers must report is objective, such as the duration of the stop and any actions the officer took, according to the law. Other data points are entirely subjective and must be based on the officers perception of a stopped persons demographic characteristics, including age, gender and sexual orientation. Advertisement Officers are not allowed to ask people questions to gather the information, and they cannot use the persons drivers license or other forms of identification to collect the data. Officers must document their perceptions when they are formed and use their best judgment, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said in a training video released by the department. The same rule applies to the data point regarding gender of the person stopped, Nisleit said in the video. When an officer gets to the gender question, if an officer can identify if the person is a transgendered man/boy, or transgendered woman/girl based on their observation, then they shall select gender non-conforming when completing their data collection, Nisleit said. The laws reliance on individual officers personal perceptions of people is by design, Joe Kocurek, a spokesman for the bills author, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), said by phone Thursday. Were looking for facts, but the facts were looking for is the officers perception and the circumstances surrounding the stop and the outcome of it, Kocurek said. The perception precedes the action of stopping a person. Identifying information about the officer or person stopped is not reported to the state Department of Justice, according to the San Diego Police Departments training materials. Officers also are asked not to include the names, addresses or Social Security numbers of the people they stop. Registered supporters of AB 953 included numerous organizations that advocate for civil liberties, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of California and Alliance San Diego, according to information about the legislation on the California Legislative Information website. Groups that advocate for LGBTQ civil rights including Equity California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Transgender Law Center and the Los Angeles LGBT Center were also among the laws registered supporters, according to the website. Equity California specifically noted that it strongly supported the addition of the data point about officers perception of a persons sexual orientation, saying its inclusion is essential to addressing anti-LGBT bias and discrimination during police stops, according to the final statement of reasons for the legislation. The ACLU also strongly supported the addition because the data can help identify patterns of bias against the LGBTQ community, which the ACLU said is distinct from bias on the basis of perceived gender identity, according to the statement of reasons. Registered opponents of AB 953 included only law enforcement organizations, according to the legislative information website. The fact that a law intended to fight police profiling requires officers to essentially profile people to guess their private information has given some law enforcement officers pause. We take issue with recording an individuals perceived sexual orientation because it requires officers to profile what an LGBT person looks like and then document it forever in a database, according to an open letter Tony Montoya, president of San Francisco Peace Officers Assn., sent to state Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) in June and included in the associations newsletter for July 2018. Other concerns law enforcement organizations have expressed include the amount of time officers will have to spend inputting data and the possibility that it will cause officers to change their behavior. Gone will be the days when you pull somebody over for going a bit too fast on a residential street to give him a warning and to remind him kids are at play, Mark Cronin wrote in a blog posted on the Los Angeles Police Protective League website in November 2017. Why would you? That stop will take at least another 30 minutes, not to mention force you to profile him: race, gender, sexual orientation, language, age rather than just being able to tell him, Keep your speed down here, sir. The San Diego Police Department has taken steps to cut down on the time officers must put aside for data entry, department officials said. The department plans to use a custom electronic data-collection tool developed by the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, which officers will be able to access on various electronic devices. According to a police department email released through a public records request, the sheriffs tool has a function that tracks how long officers take to fill out a form. As of the email in June, the departments small test group of officers were completing the form in about three minutes. Cook writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. This was the year that local tax money to tackle Los Angeles homelessness crisis began to flow in earnest: $442 million for housing, and $177 million for services, with $400 million more due by the middle of next year. Officials were quick to credit the new services with a January dip in the homeless population count, although critics questioned the numbers. And while eight housing projects broke ground, not a single unit financed by voter-approved money opened by the end of 2018, two years after voters approved Proposition HHH, the $1.2-billion city bond measure to build new housing for the chronically homeless. In the meantime, soaring rents pushed thousands into homelessness for the first time, and skyrocketing costs and red tape cast the regions goal of building 10,000 units of homeless and affordable housing in a decade in doubt. Complex financing and preparation for subsidized housing takes time. Prodded by a citizens oversight committee, Mayor Eric Garcetti agreed to explore financing for prefabricated and modular buildings and other innovative housing models and to eliminate regulatory barriers. And with no quick fix for tent cities stretching from central L.A. to the suburbs, Garcetti launched A Bridge Home, the first city shelter construction program in 40 years. Advertisement We definitely expect to see community transformation as soon as we have projects come online, said Christine Miller, deputy mayor for city homelessness initiatives. A temporary shelter trailer facility on a former parking lot in the El Pueblo historic district at the corner of Arcadia and Alameda streets in Los Angeles, on Sept. 5, 2018. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Over the year ending in July, city, county and private teams put 16,000 people in permanent homes, approved nearly 3,000 new homeless units and sent an army of more than 700 outreach workers into the streets. Yet the wait for housing still stretches into months, and in some cases, years. There is a big difference between activity and accomplishment, said retired UCLA law professor Gary Blasi, who studies homelessness. And there is disagreement about the definition of and the path toward accomplishment. Thousands of families and individuals including veterans and young people have been directly helped with permanent housing placements, rental subsidies and other services, said Phil Ansell, director of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. Authorities brought mobile showers, wash stations and toilets to street encampments, and added $300,000 for extra street cleaning after a typhus outbreak was declared in downtown and South Los Angeles. But cleanup can be controversial. Downtown business groups demanded that the city go to trial over a federal injunction against summarily seizing and destroying homeless peoples property on skid row while civil rights lawyers threatened litigation over enhanced enforcement and the cleanup zones Garcetti ordered around the shelters. A federal appeals court decision dashed business leaders hopes that the city could resume arrests for sleeping on sidewalks when shelters are full. Metro put social workers in the subways to help people who use the trains as mobile shelters. At least five parking lots opened for homeless people to sleep overnight in their vehicles. But the city, stung by neighbors complaints of trash and disorder, also cut off overnight street parking, sending RV dwellers scurrying to other neighborhoods. Camp cleanup costs soared to $31 million a year. Violent crime, particularly assaults, against homeless people rose, and 39 of them were murdered, Los Angeles police said. The first A Bridge Home shelter opened in downtowns El Pueblo historic district, and shelter sites in Venice, Hollywood and South Los Angeles were approved. The mayors staff said the city is on track to install 15 shelters by mid-2019. But mass protests against allowing homeless people near schools, homes and businesses helped kill a homeless housing proposal in Sherman Oaks, and forced a Koreatown shelter proposal out to the fringes of the nightlife and high-end apartment district. People voice their opposition over a plan to put a homeless shelter in a vacant MTA lot in Venice during a town hall meeting at Westminster Elementary School in Venice on Oct. 17. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Homeless housing and shelter proposals survived a raucous meeting where Venice homeowners shouted down Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin and in December, the city approved plans to open the shelter. Venice activist Mark Ryavec said he plans to sue the city over the project. Meanwhile, in Orange County, the January eviction of hundreds of homeless people from the riverbed next to Angels Stadium set off a legal showdown with a federal judge, David O. Carter. The county paid to put displaced people in motel rooms for six months, and the cities of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Tustin agreed to open shelters. A homeless encampment along the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2018. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) But busloads of protesters from Irvine persuaded the Orange County Board of Supervisors to drop plans for temporary shelter in that famously clean, planned community. Shelter plans were also scratched in the face of huge opposition in Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel. In Los Angeles, at years end, the state stepped in with an unprecedented $410-million infusion for rental subsidies, shelter development, supportive housing and other aid for homeless people but Miller said residents have to pitch in too. We need the community to say yes to these projects, she said. The opposition is loud, but Ive had more conversations with people who support solutions than not. Read More: The Year in Review Here are our most read, shared and retweeted stories of 2018 gholland@latimes.com Twitter: @geholland President Trump and Democrats are trading blame for the partial government shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other, as the disruption in federal services and public employees pay slogs into another weekend. Trump upped the brinkmanship by threatening anew to close the border with Mexico to press Congress to cave to his demand for money to pay for a wall. Democrats vowed to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that wont accomplish anything unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it. Cooped up in the White House after canceling his planned vacation to his private Florida club, Trump tweeted Saturday that hes in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security. But there has been little direct contact between the sides during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. The president did leave the White House on Friday night to join the three men at the center of the negotiations, Vice President Mike Pence, Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, for dinner at Pences residence at the Naval Observatory. Advertisement As he called for Democrats to negotiate on the wall, Trump brushed off blame that his administration bore any responsibility for the recent deaths of two migrant children in Border Patrol custody. Trump claimed the deaths were strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. His comments on Twitter came as his Homeland Security secretary met with medical professionals and ordered policy changes meant to better protect children detained at the border. Meanwhile, the effects on the public of the impasse grew as the Environmental Protection Agency, which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight Friday night. EPA spokeswoman Molly Block said many of the agencys 14,000 employees were being furloughed, while disaster-response teams and certain other employees deemed essential would stay on the job. That includes workers needed for preventing immediate public health threats at more than 800 Superfund hazardous-waste sites. Also running short on money: the Smithsonian Institution, which said its museums, art galleries and zoo in the capital will close starting midweek if the partial shutdown drags on. But federal flood insurance policies will continue to be issued and renewed, in a reversal prompted by pressure from lawmakers, said Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Trump appeared no closer to securing money for his signature border wall, which he vowed during the campaign that he would make Mexico pay for. Hes failed to do so. Now, Democratic leaders are adamant that they will not authorize money for the project, calling it wasteful and ineffective. They show no signs of bending, either. We are far apart, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS on Friday. Trump tweeted: We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. He also threatened to cut off U.S. aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, among countries he deems have not done enough to combat illegal immigration. Hes made similar threats in the past without following through, and it is Congress, not the president, that appropriates aid money. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. Mulvaney said Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier offer by the White House to accept less than the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall. Democrats said the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security, but that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Pence that it wasnt acceptable. It was also not guaranteed that Trump would settle for that amount. Theres not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal, Mulvaney said Friday. Speaking on Fox News and later to reporters, he tried to drive a wedge between Democrats, pinning the blame on House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Mulvaney said Schumer was really interested in doing a deal and coming to some sort of compromise but he understood that Pelosi was at risk of losing the speakership of the House if she went along. So were in this for the long haul, he said. In fact, Pelosi has all but locked up the support she needs to win the speakers gavel after the new Congress convenes Thursday, and there has been no sign that she and Schumer are in conflict. For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesnt pass the laugh test, said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer. Pelosi has vowed to pass legislation to reopen the nine shuttered departments and dozens of agencies now hit by the partial shutdown as soon as she takes the gavel. But that alone wont solve the shutdown, absent Senate approval and Trumps signature. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill added that Democrats are united against the wall and wont seriously consider any White House offer unless Trump backs it publicly because he has changed his position so many times. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacted cautiously to Trumps threat to close the border, calling it an internal affair of the U.S. government. We are always seeking a good relationship with the United States. We do not want to be rash, he said. Miller, Colvin and Mascaro write for the Associated Press Utah will begin enforcing the strictest drunk-driving standard in the country Sunday, and the lawmaker who first sponsored the tough measure said he was hopeful other states would soon adopt a similar threshold. The new blood alcohol limit in Utah will be .05% down from the .08% limit observed by the rest of the nation. Norman Thurston, the Republican lawmaker who sponsored the original bill that was signed by Gov. Gary Herbert in 2017, said its been a long time coming to see his proposal take effect. He said he had been contacted by several states about passing similar measures this year, but proposals in places like Washington and Hawaii never got to full floor votes. This is not a red state or blue state thing, Thurston said. This is just a solid policy that leads to better public safety. Advertisement But the measure has been controversial. Utah has a majority population that belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a religious organization whose members abstain from consuming alcohol. Still, about a third of those living in the state dont belong to the Mormon Church, and Salt Lake Countys population is only about half Mormon. Critics of the law said the new standard could make tourists wary of coming to Utah and having a drink with dinner, only to get stopped and arrested on a DUI charge. In 2017, the American Beverage Institute launched a series of ads that showed a person getting a criminal booking photo and text that read, Utah: Come for Vacation, Leave on Probation. Jackson Shedelbower, spokesman for the trade organization, said his group was worried about copycat legislation spreading to other states. Were expecting efforts to do this to be rejuvenated as well as seeing some first-time efforts in other states, he said. However, we do expect opposition to be greater in other states. The new limit in Utah was derived from the National Transportation Safety Boards recommendations for a .05% standard. In a 2017 briefing, the NTSB said lowering the standard had a broad deterrent effect for drunk driving and that even slight levels of intoxication lead to riskier behaviors such as not wearing a seat belt while driving. It also noted that the .05% standard had been adopted in several European countries. Herbert, who regularly touts Utahs business-friendly image, had to answer questions about the impact of the new law on the states economy. Last year, according to the Utah Office of Tourism, more than $9 billion was spent by tourists in the state, and that supported 147,000 jobs, which accounted for $1.34 billion in state tax revenue. Paul Edwards, deputy chief of staff to the governor, said in an email Friday that even though the new DUI standard gained national notoriety when it was passed in 2017, it didnt deter investment in Utah. Consequently, we have no reason to believe that the implementation of the lower ... standard will negatively affect Utahs economic development or tourism, Edwards said. Indeed, by adopting what is the standard for public safety throughout most of the developed world, Utah is merely honoring the standard that the vast majority of our visitors from Europe and Asia have come to expect. Utah already has a lower rate of drunk-driving deaths compared with the national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1.2 fatalities per 100,000 people compared with a national average of 3.3 per 100,000. And drunk-driving arrests in Utah totaled 54,402 over the last five years and has been steadily declining, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street said there wouldnt be any change in the numbers of officers on the highways when the law takes effect, though there would be a beefed-up presence on New Years Eve. He said, however, officers would still have to have probable cause to pull someone over, and a field sobriety test would only come after a series of other determinations including a motorist speeding or swerving over lanes or onto curbs, as well as answers to questions posed by an officer during the stop. Its not like we just stick our fingers up into the wind and try to guess their blood alcohol content, he said. But, he said, if a driver takes the test and is over .05%, he or she will be arrested. The new law has drawn so much interest that the Salt Lake Tribune and a local television station had staffers drink different kinds of alcohol to see how it would affect them under the new standard. Though a blood alcohol content reading is dependent on a variety of factors duration between drinks, alcohol content of a beverage a man who weighs 180 pounds could expect to reach .08% after four drinks, according to Brad21, a nonprofit that advocates responsible alcohol use. Two drinks would put the same person at .04%, just under Utahs new limit. A woman who weighed 120 pounds would be at .08% after two drinks and .04% after just one. With the new law, the state has also been gearing up with a public relations campaign aimed at getting people to consider alternative transportation when a night out involves drinking. Marty Carpenter, who works with a coalition called Enjoy Utah Responsibly, said there have been billboards, radio spots and even an ad wrap around the local trains that urge people not to drive at all after drinking. The ride-sharing service Lyft is offering a $5 discount on rides as the new law goes into effect, and the promotional codes have been handed out by restaurants and bars leading up to Sunday. david.montero@latimes.com | Twitter: @davemontero Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Dec. 29. Heres what you dont want to miss this weekend: TOP STORIES For the first time in five years, violent crime was down in Los Angeles in 2018. The data mirror an overall drop in crime this year in the parts of L.A. County patrolled by the Sheriffs Department, as well as San Francisco and Oakland. The trend is notable amid the debate over whether criminal justice reforms in California have resulted in a crime spike. Los Angeles Times Plus: An in-depth look at California criminal justice reform and whether there are ties to a spike in crime in 2012 and 2015. Los Angeles Times Advertisement Manhunt ends A man who was in the country illegally and had known gang ties was arrested Friday in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Stanislaus County, ending a statewide manhunt that got the attention of President Trump. The suspects brother and a co-worker, both of whom were also in the country illegally, were arrested on charges related to allegedly hindering the investigation. Los Angeles Times Get the Essential California newsletter AROUND CALIFORNIA A very close friend: In Larry Ellison, does Tesla finally have a titan who will stand up to Elon Musk? Los Angeles Times Another threat: President Trump threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border as he sought to shift blame for a partial federal government shutdown that appeared likely to stretch into 2019 over funding for the presidents proposed border wall. Los Angeles Times Stunning visual essay: Ten years after the Oscar Grant killing at Fruitvale Station in the Bay Area and all that it changed. San Francisco Chronicle New police profiling law: For months, California police have been quietly making assumptions about sexual orientation, gender, age and other characteristics of the people they stop as part of a statewide, legally mandated data collection effort to understand and curb racial and identity profiling. But how accurate is that information? San Diego Union-Tribune RIP: Fans are mourning KTLA anchorman Chris Burrous, who was found unresponsive in a motel room and died at age 46. Los Angeles Times Chris Burrous. (KTLA) Painful to relive: Haunting videos from the Camp fire. Mercury News Here we go again? Is it too early to talk about the next drought? Sacramento Bee The Confetti Project: If New Years Eve rolls around and you find yourself spinning dizzily in a shower of confetti like a toddler in falling snow, you might be doing more than celebrating. You might be making art. Los Angeles Times Theme parties: Sofia Coppola on New Years Eve style and more. Wall Street Journal Look out, world: Is the Black Mirror interactive holiday special going to change television forever? Los Angeles Times Speaking of interactivity: Pick your own review. You can choose this Los Angeles Times review or that one. BEST OF 2018 Essential California is continuing our annual list of Californias best reads of the year. Look for more through Jan. 1. She was in Paradise and surrounded by flame. But she had her phone so she called her daughter to say goodbye. By Corina Knoll, Los Angeles Times Well before the beginning of the gay rights movement, a man walked into a courtroom in California and declared he was homosexual. The incredible tale of this unsung hero. By Peyton Thomas, The Atavist When some Trump supporters attacked a reporter at a rally in Huntington Beach, it showed the impunity in which white hate groups operated. An inside look at how across the country many looked the other way at public racism. By A.C. Thompson, Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham, ProPublica These time bandits stole millions of dollars worth of luxury watches from high-end stores across Southern California. How they made an art out of smash and grab until their luck ran out. By Amy Wallace, GQ The bro culture of Silicon Valley is much worse than you might think, fueled by drugs, sex, ego and VC money. While the guys get laid, the women get screwed. By Emily Chang, Vanity Fair A Southern California company created a helicopter for the masses. But beyond booming sales, a Times investigation finds a troubling safety record. By Kim Christensen and Ben Welsh, Los Angeles Times THIS WEEKS MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA 1. How will Californias new laws affect you? Los Angeles Times 2. Long Beachs mayor weds his longtime partner. Press-Telegram 3. Whoops: Feds say the California Real ID card isnt compliant with the law. Mercury News 4. Happy New Year! May your city never become San Francisco, New York or Seattle. New York Times 5. Wall? See whats in place already on the United States southern border. New York Times Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad. A 40-year era of police secrecy in California comes to an end Tuesday, and law enforcement agencies and officers ought to be ready. A new law requires them to turn over, on public request, records of officers dishonesty, sexual misconduct and use of injurious or potentially deadly force. Keeping secrets takes time, money and effort; sharing information should be relatively straightforward. Police and sheriffs departments and officer unions would be wise to embrace the new law and the opportunity to win back a measure of public trust by quickly releasing requested data. Yet some police agencies and unions are mounting a last-ditch effort to resist the new transparency law, Senate Bill 1421. Employee groups asked the state Supreme Court this month to limit the laws reach to only new police records those created after Jan. 1. LAPD Chief Michel Moore wrote to the bills author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), on Dec. 3 to express his concern that the law would be interpreted as retroactive something that would be exceptionally burdensome and would require significant reallocation of front-line investigative personnel. Other departments are stalling, saying they lack the time and resources to respond to the anticipated onslaught of Public Records Act requests, and some city and county officials are mulling fees to offset the costs of compliance. The Inglewood City Council, as the Los Angeles Times reported, voted to shred records of police uses of force that current law does not require them to keep. Advertisement This collective resistance to the law does not inspire confidence in the agencies we entrust with law enforcement. SB 1421 makes clear that certain records that until now have been kept secret have to be disclosed on request. The point is to provide the public with essential information about the people they hire to protect and serve them. There is no safe harbor for past misconduct. Such information had long been subject to disclosure until a series of bills enacted in the 1970s cut off public access. That ill-considered legislation didnt seal only new records while leaving existing records available for public perusal. It sealed all records, prospectively and retrospectively. Likewise, in reversing that mistake, current lawmakers (but the same governor as 40 years ago Jerry Brown) acted to again make all those records public past, present and future. Not just records that are convenient for police departments to turn over. Not just records that wont cost departments anything to produce. All records that the bill labels public. Even then, SB 1421 does not make records of unverified complaints part of the public record, although a case can be made that they should be. The disclosure law is modest and limited. Just not quite as modest and limited as police unions and some departments would like it to be. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion The Los Angeles Police Department, to its credit and unlike the Inglewood police, preserves the information gathered in the course of use-of-force and disciplinary investigations. So yes, that means there are old records that could be the subject of public requests. And yes, to produce them the department may have to sift through paper files, VHS tapes and other outmoded storage formats and then digitize the results. Citing one use-of-force case, Moore wrote in his letter that the file includes more than 2,000 pages, 11 hours of video, 18 hours of audio, 813 photos, and three hours of radio and 911 call time and would take 267 work hours to review for release. No doubt, compliance with the law will take resources. But recall that the LAPD ordered officers to wear body cameras despite arguments that complying with requests for footage would require new resources. The value of cameras to officers and to the department, as well as to the public has justified it. Another state law passed this year will mandate body cameras, and the LAPD will be ready (unlike the L.A. County Sheriffs Department, which has resisted body cameras because of anticipated costs). The LAPD, the Sheriffs Department and other law enforcement agencies throughout California ought to be at least as ready to release use-of-force and discipline records just as many of them once did. It may be burdensome at first, and cities and counties may have to allocate funding. But in the end, sharing information should become simple, inexpensive and part of the regular course of police business. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. Congress can help atone for the nations horrific past by finally making lynching a federal crime Since the Civil War, Americans have struggled to define what seems to be obvious: What is a lynching? It conjures visions of a mob pulling a man from a jail cell, hauling him to a tree and throwing a rope over a branch. But debates have centered on how how many people must take part in such an extrajudicial killing for it to qualify as a lynching (the NAACP suggested in 1921 at least five). And must the motive be racial? Was the hanging of a suspected white horse thief in the Wild West by ranch hands the same as a white Southern mob, amid taunts, jeers and spit, turning a black man accused of insulting a white woman into strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees, as Billie Holliday once sang? Do the nuances really matter? Its true that not all lynching victims were black, but blacks were overwhelmingly the targets (and many white victims of lynching had defended blacks or opposed lynching). We cannot sever that horrific practice from our disgraceful history of racism. Slavery was abominable, and to this day the nation is influenced by the riches from New England shipowners to New York financiers to Southern farmers and brokers and the evils of our original sin. Lynching became slaverys evil spawn, acts of indefensible extrajudicial brutality meant to scare former slaves and their descendants to hew to their constricted place in a white society. After slavery, these acts of terrorism more than 4,700 documented cases from 1882 to 1968 became the ultimate expression of racism and white supremacy. Rather than being shamed, some whites celebrated racial lynching. Photographers sold pictures and postcards as souvenirs; to this day you can see white faces beam smiles into the camera as bloody bodies dangle gruesomely overhead. Some of the cards collected and posted on the Without Sanctuary site, part of a 1999 book and film project, are shocking in the banality of the notes to friends. Well John, reads the back of one card sent to Dr. John W.F. Williams of Lafayette, Ky. This is a token of a great day we had in Dallas, March 3, a negro was hung for an assault on a three year old girl. I saw this on my noon hour. I was very much in the bunch. You can see the negro hanging on a telephone pole. That photo was dated March 3, 1910 two years after the post office supposedly banned lynching cards from the mails. It is to this nations continuing embarrassment that Congress has, for generations, failed to make lynching a federal crime (Philip Dray documented the history in his At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America). It wouldnt act more than a century ago when it might have made a difference, as local prosecutors looked the other way or local juries refused to indict or convict. And it wont act today, even after the laws necessity has faded and its value resides primarily in its symbolism. The old argument against a federal anti-lynching law is that murder is a state crime and not the business of the federal government. States rights and all that. But that argument was fig leaf over the racism that propelled lynching, in which local and state prosecutions of the perpetrators were rare, convictions rarer still. The 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection of the laws, and when local communities in numbers small and large come together to use collective violence to repress African Americans, that is clearly a federal interest. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has co-sponsored a fresh piece of legislation to classify a lynching as a deprivation of civil rights essentially a federal anti-lynching law that she says would give the Justice Department a few more teeth in prosecuting attempted lynching and conspiracy. Yet as Times reporter Jaweed Kaleem wrote this week, the prognosis for its passage isnt much better than the fate of its 200-plus predecessors. Why is unclear. It could be that lynching has moved to an out of sight, out of mind status, even though three white supremacists lynched James Byrd Jr. only 20 years ago in East Texas by beating him then chaining him to a truck while he was still alive and dragging him three miles. All three perpetrators were convicted; one has been executed, a second is on death row and the third is serving a life sentence. Those local authorities, unlike their predecessors elsewhere in the South, did their jobs. So, some question, why bother with a law now? Isnt this just a symbolic gesture? Yes, it is a symbolic gesture. But a necessary one. Lynching served as a powerfully intimidating symbol behave yourselves, lest you meet the same fate that resonates today. Racism in the workplace often surfaces as a noose left in a locker or on a desk. Three years ago two members of the University of Oklahomas Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were expelled (inappropriately given the right to even hateful speech) and the chapter shut down after a video surfaced of members singing a song including the N-word, You can hang em from a tree / But hell never sign with me / There will never be a ... SAE. Just last year, nooses were left at the African American Museum in Washington, D.C. The symbolic weight of that despicable act is heavy. The U.S. Senate did approve a resolution in 2005 apologizing to lynching victims and their descendants for failing to act in the past. It passed in a late-night voice vote; 11 senators opted not to co-sponsor it. We cannot, of course, turn back the calendar and undo the sins of our forebears. But we also cannot ignore them, or their legacy. In an era in which African Americans take to the streets to protest the killings of unarmed black men by police, when reported hate crimes are on the upswing, when the president uses dog-whistle racism to mobilize his hard-right political base, when minority neighborhoods are over-policed and when African Americans disproportionately are subject to death sentences, Congress standing up now and correcting this historical wrong by making lynching a federal crime would send a powerful symbol to the entire nation. And not passing this measure would also send a message, one that would reflect poorly on Congress, and on the nation. When he was 16, Friedrich Trump, President Trumps grandfather, fled mandatory military service in the German Imperial Army. Having decided he was too weak to serve, Trump slunk off to North America around 1885. Now it appears that Trumps father, Fred, took pains to pass Friedrichs moral cowardice on to Donald. In 1968, according to the New York Times, Fred may have struck a draft-dodging deal for Donald with one of his tenants, Larry Braunstein, a podiatrist. Braunsteins daughters remember their father saying he diagnosed Trump with bone spurs as a favor to his landlord. The diagnosis won Trump a medical exemption from the draft during the Vietnam War. Corrupting doctors is something of a leitmotif ofTrumps history. Remember Dr. Harold Sweetheart, this is Watergate Bornstein? Dr. Ronny Candy Man Jackson? Theyre not unlike the presidents iffy lawyers: Marc Watch Your Back Kasowitz, Michael Im Going To Come At You Cohen, and Rudolph Truth Isnt Truth Giuliani. Doctors and lawyers, along with clergy, architects and engineers, are members of what used to be quaintly called the professions. Unlike a real estate promoter who runs casinos into the ground, heads up a fake university and promiscuously sells his ignoble name, professionals are expected to stand for something higher than profit. Many swear oaths in their fields. And they can lose their standing if they violate their professions ethical tenets. Advertisement For professionals, shirking duties and dancing around fraud is not as Trump claimed about his history of avoiding taxes smart. But people with JDs and MDs can be seduced, too. And the president has succeeded time and time again in getting professionals to throw over their integrity just to curry favor with him. In fact, it appears to be a Trump specialty. When Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, he looked not entirely well: bulky, inarticulate, quick to anger, pocked. The one-sheet health report he made public that year did little to allay concerns. Signed by Dr. Harold Bornstein, a gastroenterologist who had also treated Trumps father, the letter praised Trumps health as superhuman, employing the hyperbolic doggerel were now used to hearing from the president himself: If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency. Unequivocally and signed by a doctor in good standing, with a medical degree from Tufts. After Bornsteins office was raided by Trumps bodyguard, the doctor admitted what most people had guessed. I did not write that letter, Bornstein told CNN. He dictated the whole letter. He also pronounced that, in his medical opinion: Sweetheart, this is Watergate, goodbye! A year or so later, Trump made public more personal medical information. The doctor seemed beyond reproach. Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson had already served as the White House physician during the Obama presidency. But when he briefed reporters it was just as surreal as Bornsteins letter. Jackson claimed the 6-foot-3, 239-pound Trump might live to be 200, and that he had incredibly good genes. (No mention of bone spurs here.) Jacksons apparent reward was a nomination to the Cabinet. Under scrutiny, his Navy regalia didnt look so polished. Nearly two dozen colleagues came forward with allegations that Jackson had liberally doled out sleeping pills, opiates and stimulants. He was also said to have created a hostile work environment, allegedly getting drunk on the job. He denied wrongdoing. Medicine is disgraced when doctors let themselves be used, or lie. And the law is similarly disgraced when attorneys turn into flacks and fixers. Rudolph W. Giuliani, the presidents unpaid TV lawyer, is a caricature of the type. Pro bono, he rants and raves on Trumps behalf a pit bull for Trumps id, sometimes implicating his own client and pulverizing his reputation as a lawyer in hopes of what? A pat on the back from his client? How in the world can this be worth it? Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Marc Kasowitz, Trumps former personal lawyer on the Trump-Russia investigation, resigned in 2017 after it was reported that he might have both a drinking problem and Kremlin-tied clients, including the oligarch Oleg V. Deripaska, patron to Trumps now-jailed campaign manager Paul Manafort. Kasowitzs charming, expletive-studded late-night emails warning a stranger to watch your back also made him look like a low-level mob lawyer. And then theres Michael Cohen. Where Giuliani and Kasowitz have decent track records as attorneys, Cohen, now cooperating with the Office of the Special Counsel, mostly just had Trump. He confessed to paying off Trumps alleged mistresses, and lying to Congress to help the president. Now that Cohens headed to prison, he should be a warning to other professionals: If youre caught selling out, youll take a fall. Bill Browder, financier and human rights activist the tireless advocate for the Magnitsky Act considers these corrupted professionals enablers because they pave the way for what Cohen called the dirty deeds of figures like Deripaska and Trump. When our current national nightmare is over, if it ever is, everyone from doctors and lawyers to PR firms and lobbyists who enabled the bad guys must face their own reckoning. Twitter: @page88 Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to the southern border amid an ongoing partial government shutdown, resuming his push for the funding of a long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. "We will be forced to the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall &also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Trump tweeted Friday morning. "We build a Wall or the Southern Border," the president said, accusing Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador of "taking advantage" of his country for years. "No end in sight to the President's government shutdown," Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois tweeted Thursday. "He's taken our government hostage over his outrageous demand for a $5 billion border wall that would be both wasteful and ineffective." Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, tweeted Thursday, "Democrats have offered Republicans three options to re-open government that all include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security - but not the President's immoral, ineffective and expensive wall." The U.S. Senate convened briefly Thursday afternoon before adjourning until next week, with no signs of a deal to end the budget impasse that has shut down a quarter of the federal government. The upper chamber will convene on Monday, Dec. 31, for a pro forma session only, and then return to the Capitol Hill to renew budget deliberations on Wednesday, Jan. 2, a day before Democrats are set to take control of the House. "We will vote swiftly to reopen government and show that Democrats will govern responsibly in stark contrast to this chaotic White House," Pelosi, the incoming House Speaker, has said in a statement. In an earlier tweet, Trump accused the Democrats of opposing his border wall just for political gain. "This is only about the Dems not letting Donald Trump &the Republicans have a win," he said. Trump's approval rating dropped slightly to 44 percent in December amid the shutdown, a two-point fall from last month, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey, The Hill reported Friday. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday, 47 percent of Americans hold the president responsible for the shutdown, while 33 percent blame Democrats in Congress. Seven percent of Americans blame congressional Republicans. The shutdown, currently in its seventh day, has affected nine federal agencies, forcing about 420,000 federal employees, who are deemed essential, to work without pay, while 380,000 others are expected to take unpaid leave. The Environmental Protection Agency, which had enough funding to remain open for a week after the shutdown, is prepared to begin furloughing employees midnight Friday, U.S. media reported. Coast Guard officials said earlier this week that they need emergency legislation by the end of Friday in order to process paychecks on time for their regular release on Jan. 1. The Office of Personnel Management issued draft letters Thursday for federal employees to hold off creditors during the shutdown. The office's guidance suggests that workers call their landlord, mortgage company or creditor to speak about their situation before sending a letter. The Smithsonian, which has been operating on prior-year funds, said Thursday that all of its museums, research centers and the National Zoo will starting Jan. 2 unless the stalemate is resolved. Trump has canceled his New Year's plans in order to stay in Washington, D.C. until a deal over border wall funding is reached, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told "Fox &Friends" on Friday. Regularly reading the L.A. Times letters page produces a grim realization: Los Angeles public school teachers will almost certainly strike on Jan. 10 and theres almost nothing that can be done about it short of district officials meeting union demands. This isnt to say United Teachers Los Angeles is being recklessly intransigent or negotiating in bad faith; rather, judging by teachers letter to the editor that have been published over the months of the contract talks, it is clear they are convinced of the righteousness of their cause. At the very least, they are staying on message. That much was made clear by the reaction to Gustavo Arellanos column on Wednesday, which teachers said unfairly blamed them for the impasse. In response, teachers reiterated what they have written over the last several months on The Times letters page: This is not just about better pay. Mar Vista resident Jerie Morrison, a retired LAUSD teacher, says teachers are not babysitters: Advertisement With the insinuation that UTLA should pay for childcare during a strike, Arellano implies that teachers are babysitters. That mindset is exactly whats driving the teachers to take drastic measures. They are responsible on so many levels for the major social and educational development of our children. The idea that they should be paid and respected as true professionals is absent from Arellanos column. Teachers are not merely large children who should sit still, be quiet and respect our elders (the district) even when they do not respect us. Like the disruptor in the classroom, its time to give the teachers the attention they need. Sari Rynew of Studio City says this is about overall classroom conditions: What is painfully missing from Arellanos column is the clear message from UTLA that salary is not at the center of its demands, which include addressing horrific class conditions due to severe overcrowding and lack of support staff. In fact, when you hear claims of teachers being greedy for apparently turning down the 6% raise, its exactly the opposite. Instead, they are saying that a salary increase alone will do nothing to address the classroom conditions, and thats where the teachers draw the line. This is what putting students first is really about. James C. OGabhann of Los Angeles mentions charter schools: Arellano seems to place teachers in a damned if you do, damned if you dont situation. This is a familiar position for teachers. If teachers settle for the short-term gain of a salary increase, they will lose over the long run through the continued hollowing out of education. Or, teachers could strike in the hope of gaining a long-term system that better funds education. LAUSD is not focusing on the long term, and unless teachers speak up for the future, public education in Los Angeles will be a shadow of itself. The current model for public education is not sustainable when one in five LAUSD students is in a privately operated charter. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Local elections and the unexpected departure of the popular city manager made for some testy times in Newport Beach in 2018. Here are some of the citys top stories of the year: City Council election brings short-lived recount Three of the four incumbents up for reelection held onto their seats in the November City Council election. The hardest-fought contest was in District 3, where Marshall Duffy Duffield edged challenger Tim Stoaks by 36 votes out of nearly 37,000 cast. Incumbents Diane Dixon in District 1 and Kevin Muldoon in District 4 posted commanding victories, as did council newcomer Joy Brenner, who defeated incumbent Scott Peotter in District 6. Stoaks supporters raised money to pay the Orange County registrar of voters office for a District 3 recount in December but terminated it in less than a week after the registrar rejected several ballot challenges. Incumbent Scott Peotter, left, speaks during a Newport Beach City Council candidates forum in August. (File Photo) Newports election season was fraught with divisions even before it officially started. In April, resident Martha Peyton filed complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and in Orange County Superior Court alleging campaign finance violations by Duffield and Peotter related to Peotters successful defense against a 2017 recall attempt. Peyton dropped the lawsuit after a judge indicated support for the city but not before a drama-within-the-drama in which Councilman Jeff Herdman shared lawsuit-related emails with the plaintiffs lawyer, Phil Greer. Herdman also used his city email account to encourage residents to vote some of his colleagues out of office over their perceived roles in the impending departure of then-City Manager Dave Kiff. Residents also filed separate FPPC complaints against Duffield alleging business-driven conflicts of interest, one specifically tied to a partnership with Peotter (see more below) and another broader in scope. Sidewalk vending allowed, with restrictions A change in state law means Newport Beach had to lift its ban on roaming and stationary vendors of food and other goods. But a provision allowing local control led the City Council in November to agree on a litany of restrictions keeping the sellers off beaches, boardwalks and piers and prescribed distances from schools, driveways, park equipment and more. Many of the restrictions focus on preserving public and emergency access. Vendors also must follow licensing and permitting requirements. Council members business partnership comes to light Duffield hired Peotter to help him subdivide land that Duffield owns in San Bernardino County, triggering residents complaints of a conflict of interest. Peotter, representing his architectural and planning consulting business, appeared before the city of Adelantos planning commission in September 2017 about dividing the property, which is home to Duffields Duffy Electric Boat Co. factory. Duffield, who wants to sell the property and move his manufacturing facility to Utah, later secured a medicinal marijuana distribution permit for the land to try to make it more attractive to potential buyers. The Duffield-Peotter partnership was not widely confirmed until October 2018. Duffield regularly recuses himself from City Council votes on Newport Harbor matters because of potential business conflicts related to Duffy Electric Boat Co., which has a harborfront office on West Coast Highway. Peotter did not recuse himself from those votes. The FPPC rejected an ensuing conflict-of-interest claim, citing insufficient evidence. Surgeon accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley, who are accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women, appear in court in October. (File Photo / Los Angeles Times) A Newport Beach orthopedic surgeon and his girlfriend were accused in September of picking up women at local restaurants and bars and then drugging and sexually assaulting them. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley face several counts of rape by drugs, kidnapping, oral copulation by anesthesia, assault with intent to commit sexual offenses and other crimes. Accusations against Robicheaux, accused of assaulting seven women, date to 2009. The two have denied all accusations of nonconsensual sex. On Nov. 1, one of the accusers asked a judge to find Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who the following week was elected district attorney, in contempt of court for releasing sealed court documents about the case to the media. Bird scooters removed Bird scooters lasted only three days in Newport Beach in late July before the city had the company remove them for operating without a permit. The company, which offers a sharing service for dockless motorized scooters, dropped at least 50 of its two-wheeled vehicles on the Balboa Peninsula without notifying the city. The City Council took a dim view of Bird and similar dockless scooters and electric bicycles but stopped short of a ban or new regulations, preferring to take a wait-and-see approach as cities that have been grappling with the issue longer, like Santa Monica, attempt solutions. Lido Bridge jumping Newport cracked down on the popular but risky and illegal summertime diversion of leaping into the harbor from the Lido Bridge after a jumper landed on a passing boat in July, damaging the vessel and injuring a passenger. A Costa Mesa man was arrested on suspicion of assault and vandalism, and the city stationed lifeguards on the bridge through the rest of the summer to discourage more leaps. Dueling Measure T arguments A coalition of former Newport Beach City Council members filed suit in July to try to force the city to use their argument against a ballot measure in place of one they contended wasnt an opposing argument at all. But an Orange County judge ruled against the plaintiffs, saying that allowing the substitution in an information pamphlet would have restarted a statutory timeline that could have interfered with the November election. Measure T asked voters to approve an amendment to Newports city charter to require 55% voter approval whenever the council wants to spend at least $50 million on capital projects using a financing method known as certificates of participation. The proposition cruised to victory Nov. 6 with about 80% of the vote. Lido House hotel opens Developer Bob Olson sees his Lido House hotel project coming together during a February tour. The hotel opened in April on the Balboa Peninsula. (File Photo) Newport got a much-desired upscale hotel near its tourism center. Lido House opened in April on the Balboa Peninsula site of the former City Hall. The Cape Cod-style inns strong nautical theme includes a scale model of Wild Goose, the yacht of one-time Newport Beach resident John Wayne. City manager departs Popular City Manager Dave Kiff announced in March that he would step down months ahead of his previously planned departure, leading to accusations that some City Council members had secretly plotted to remove him. A previous version of Kiffs contract would end in April 2019. He instead left at the end of August. Council members Duffield, Peotter, Muldoon and Will ONeill repeatedly denied allegations that they plotted Kiffs ouster. So did Kiff in a staff report issued in response to a residents complaint alleging open-meetings law violations. Another resident filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court seeking a special prosecutor to investigate similar allegations. The suit was dismissed. After a largely closed-door recruitment process that triggered a rumor that Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson was a finalist, the City Council in August unanimously picked Irvine Assistant City Manager Grace Leung to fill Kiffs position. Kiff went on to temporarily lead the Assn. of California Cities-Orange County, a public policy group. Port plan is scuttled The California Coastal Commission sunk Newports hopes of legally designating the largely recreational municipal harbor as a port, a strategy the city hoped would give it more control over infrastructure projects. The Legislature would have been the body to designate Newport Harbor as a port, a status currently reserved for deepwater industrial ports like the Port of Long Beach. But the city abandoned its effort after the Coastal Commission voted in April to oppose legislation that would amend the California Coastal Act to establish Newport Beach as a port. Recall petition probes The Orange County district attorneys office in January seized petitions from the county registrar of voters office over concerns about potential irregularities in the unsuccessful recall effort against Peotter. Recall organizers said they believed an outside petition circulator may have forged signatures. As of this month, prosecutors had not filed charges. Not long after prosecutors took the petitions, a split City Council agreed to hold its own investigation into possible fraud. The city subpoenaed PCI Consultants Inc., the petition-circulating company contracted by the Committee to Recall Scott Peotter, but not members of the committee itself. The city concluded that the firm did not violate local code but did suggest it didnt file required anti-fraud affidavits with the state a claim the business denied. The council then narrowly rejected creating a rule that would require paid petition circulators working for local initiatives to file the anti-fraud affidavits with the city. Helicopter crash Wreckage from a fatal helicopter crash is strewn in a Newport Beach neighborhood Jan. 30 after the copter hit the side of a house. (File Photo) A helicopter en route to Catalina Island crashed into a Newport Beach neighborhood within a minute after taking off from John Wayne Airport on Jan. 30, killing three people and injuring two. The four-seat Robinson R44 clipped the roofs of two houses and hit the side of a home. The crash killed three people onboard and injured a fourth, plus one person on the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet released a full report on the crash. FAA settlement Newport Beach and the Federal Aviation Administration reached a settlement in January to move John Wayne Airport departures closer to Newport Bay. Under the agreement, flight paths will stay between the existing noise monitors, and the FAA would design and study a curved departure procedure intended to allow planes to follow the bends of Upper Newport Bay and avoid as many residential areas as possible. The city, along with Orange County, sued the FAA in 2016 after the agency changed its John Wayne departure paths as part of a broader regional plan intended to shore up inefficiencies, save fuel and reduce carbon emissions and flight delays. The departures at the heart of the suit had planes turning left and closer to homes just as they lifted off. Newport man accused of murdering Blaze Bernstein Newport Beach resident Samuel Woodward faces a charge of murder with a hate-crime allegation in the January slaying of former high school classmate Blaze Bernstein. Prosecutors say Woodward, then 20, picked up Bernstein, 19, from his parents Lake Forest home late Jan. 2 and drove him to Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch. Authorities allege Woodward stabbed Bernstein more than 20 times before burying him in a shallow grave at the park. Prosecutors believe Woodward killed Bernstein because Bernstein was gay. Woodward, who has pleaded not guilty, remains in Orange County Jail with no bail. He is due back in court in January. hillary.davis@latimes.com Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD Huntington Beach police are seeking the publics help in identifying a man suspected of robbing a gas station at gunpoint. Authorities on Thursday released images from surveillance footage of the robbery, which occurred just before 5:30 a.m. Dec. 15 at an Arco station in the 6000 block of Bolsa Avenue. The suspect was described as a black man in his 40s with a mustache and goatee, police said. He was wearing a black Los Angeles Chargers hat, a dark pullover sweatshirt, light-colored pants and black gloves with yellow stripes. The man fled with about $200 in cash, police said. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Huntington Beach Police Department tip line at (714) 375-5066. Tips can be made anonymously at (800) 78-CRIME (782-7463). julia.sclafani@latimes.com More than four years of war have claimed tens of thousands of lives and turned Yemen into the worlds worst humanitarian disaster. On one side of the conflict is the government-in-exile, backed by a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states and the U.S. On the other is a rebel force with a much lower international profile: the Houthis. The group, believed to include at least 100,000 fighters, is supported by Iran and controls about 20% of the country, including the north and the capital, Sanaa. Advertisement Preliminary peace talks in Sweden this month, along with legislation advanced in Congress to end U.S. support for the war, have raised hopes for ending the war. But the goals of the Houthis remain somewhat murky. Here are some facts about the group: Who are the Houthis? The Houthis are a political and religious movement that grew out of efforts in the early 1990s to stop persecution of Zaidi Muslims. The faith, an offshoot of Shia Islam, is nearly exclusive to northern Yemen and is practiced by about a third of the countrys 28 million people. The Zaidis were once royalty. For more than 1,000 years they ruled a state called an imamate that covered what is now northern Yemen. But in 1962, with anti-royalist and socialist movements sweeping the region, military officers overthrew the Zaidi king and declared North Yemen a republic. An eight-year civil war ensued, and when the junta finally prevailed, the government it set up made a point of marginalizing the Zaidis. The aim was to prevent them from returning to power. Ali Bukhaiti, a former political spokesman for the Houthis, said all references of Zaidis were excised from textbooks. The state felt the Zaidi creed was a threat, he said. It didnt want any mention of an imamate. With help from Saudi Arabia, the government also blunted the power of Zaidis by moving Salafist and Wahhabist Muslims two austere Sunni sects to the Zaidi-dominated north to be school teachers. North Yemen and South Yemen were separate countries until being united in 1990. The new president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was a Zaidi. But that only went so far in reassuring other Zaidis that their rights would be protected. Some joined the Believing Youth, a new summer camp program with a mission of promoting Zaidi Islam in the north while preaching tolerance for other forms of the the religion. Others entered electoral politics most notably a young cleric named Hussein Badreddin Houthi. After two failed bids to enter parliament in 1993 and 1997, he joined the Believing Youth and eventually came to lead the group, which had grown to educate tens of thousands of students. They went on to form the backbone of the movement that would be later be named for the cleric. How did the movement turn violent? It was 9/11 and the U.S. invasion of Iraq that put Houthi on a collision course with the government. Saleh opened Yemens skies and military bases to the U.S. That infuriated Houthi and his followers, who advocated a strong line against the West. In his defiance, he introduced the sarkha, or scream, that would come to define the Houthi movement: Death to America! Death to Israel! Damn the Jews! Victory to Islam! In 2004, Saleh accused Houthi of numerous crimes setting up unlicensed religious centers, seeking to restore the imamate and being part of a foreign terror network and launched what was supposed to be a simple arrest operation. But Houthi resisted, and his adherents rose to protect him. Government forces trapped and killed him later that year, turning him into a martyr and sparking an insurgency led by his father and brother Badreddin Houthi and Abdul Malek Houthi. Over the next few years, the ragtag force, which hid in caves and was armed with little more than AK-47s, came to be known as the Houthis. Government forces, funded by the Saudis and supplied with U.S. arms, jets and tanks, fought the insurgents with scorched-earth tactics that included mass arrests and sieges on areas they held. In 2010, a ceasefire halted six years of fighting and raised hopes for peace. At the time, the Houthis claimed to have 100,000 fighters. Stephen Seche, a former U.S. ambassador to Yemen, said many of them were hardened veterans who were primed for more war. Theyre just good at it, theyre experienced, and for them its almost a way of life, he said. How did the Houthis come to rule Sanaa? During the pro-democracy Arab Spring revolutions of 2011, the Houthis joined in widespread calls for Salehs ouster. After he left, they entered talks with the new government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, negotiating an agreement to protect their rights and end their marginalization. They were supposed to be integrated in the state, with positions in government, even the army, said Bukhaiti, who represented the Houthis in the negotiations . But the accords were never fully implemented, and the Houthis began to consolidate their grip over the countrys north. Soon they had their sights on Sanaa, where Hadi was facing increasing anger over fuel price hikes and cronyism. The Houthis turned to their old nemesis Saleh, who was no longer in power but still had the loyalty of much of the army and was willing to strike a deal with the hope that it would return him to power. Working alongside Republican Guard units loyal to Saleh, the Houthis stormed Sanaa in September 2014, receiving a celebratory welcome. Hadi escaped to Aden and from there to Saudi Arabia, where he remains in Riyadh as the head of the internationally recognized government. In early 2015, the Houthis made a play for the city of Aden. That spurred a fierce reaction from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which formed a coalition and with U.S. assistance began a brutal air campaign on Houthi-held areas. Thousands of people were killed as the war continued to ramp up. The coalition also established a full land and sea blockade that brought the country to the brink of famine. What about Iranian support? After the initial insurgency in 2004, Saleh insisted that the rebels were receiving assistance from Iran and solicited more help from the U.S. to stop what he described as the tip of the Iranian spear. U.S. officials, according to cables published by Wikileaks, didnt appear to believe him. But by 2011, it was clear Iran was helping the Houthis to counter the growing power of Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Bukhaiti said Iran would sell tankers of oil and have brokers deliver the proceeds, along with arms, to the Houthis. At the same time, Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and armed group that is seen as Irans most successful guerrilla force, began hosting Houthi officials and helped open Al Masirah, a Houthi broadcaster, in the suburbs of Beirut. Bukhaiti downplayed the influence that Iran has over the Houthis and the importance of outside help. The Houthis have more experience in fighting than Hezbollah, he said. Will the Houthis accept peace initiatives? Preliminary negotiations at a picturesque castle in Sweden this month resulted in ceasefires and fledgling steps toward resolving the conflict. More talks are scheduled in January. The U.S. Congress, reacting to the recent killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by his own government, is pushing the Trump administration to withdraw support for the war effort. Still, few observers believe the group is engaging in the negotiations in good faith, even if the other side manages to fulfill its end of the deal. The Houthis were unjustly treated, but now they have become out of control, Bukhaiti said. Theres no way to get to them unless you break them militarily. They accept settlements as only a tactic, he said. In reality, they will want to keep on controlling everything. Twitter: @nabihbulos Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo, officials said. A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded. The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said. The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement. Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 percent safe". "It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists. "We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Later, a statement issued by the United States condemning the attack. "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said. PTI Manbij model could be implemented in other Kurdish areas in northern Syria: experts DAMASCUS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army's entry to the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij in northern Syria to avert the city a Turkish campaign could be a model that would be implemented in Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria, experts said. The Syrian army said it entered the city of Manbij in the northern countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria on Friday upon the request of its residents. "Out of the commitment of the Syrian army to handle its responsibilities, and upon the calls of the people of Manbij, the general command of the Syrian army declares entering Manbij and hosting the Syrian flag in it," the Syrian army said in a statement Friday. The army's statement came after a statement by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), in which the Kurdish group invited the Syrian government forces to assume its positions in Manbij to avert the region a Turkish campaign targeting the Kurdish militia. Earlier this month, Turkey said it was planning a campaign against the Kurdish militia of the YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) over their links with the Turkey-banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The invitation also comes on the heels of the surprising U.S. decision to withdraw from Syria, including from areas controlled by the Kurds, which makes the Kurdish militia on their own facing two choices, either face the Turkish forces and risk losing or reach an agreement with the Syrian army. "We invite the Syrian government forces ... to assert control over the areas where our forces have withdrawn from, particularly Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion," the YPG statement read Friday. The YPG added that it will focus on the fight against the Islamic State (IS) on the east of the Euphrates River. Earlier this year, the Kurdish militia lost the northern enclave of Afrin to the Turkish forces after they rejected the entry of the Syrian government forces to assume control of Afrin. The Kurdish militia seems to have learned from that lesson, which explains their decision to hand over Manbij to the Syrian army this time. Ayham Amer, a Syrian political expert, told Xinhua that Manbij will be a model that would be implemented in other Kurdish areas in the eastern Euphrates River region in a way that would restore the Syrian government's control over that area. "Had the Kurdish militia agreed to similar scenario before, Afrin would have never been lost to the Turkey-backed rebels," he said. For his part, Hussain Othman, a member of the Syrian National Democratic Alliance, a left-wing multi-ethnic political party established in 2014 in northern Syria, told Xinhua that the Syrian army entered and was deployed on the frontline between the Kurdish-backed Manbij Military Council (MMC) and the Turkey-backed rebels. The Manbij-based politician said that the entry of the Syrian army comes as part of an agreement that has been reached between the government forces and the Kurdish militia. Othman noted that if the situation in Manbij succeeded in the recent formula, there could be other deployments of the Syrian army in other Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria. He said the Manbij agreement is a "test of the intentions" for both sides. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the entry of the Syrian government forces to Manbij and raising the Syrian flag is a positive step that would be conducive in restoring stability in the country. "The enlargement of the zone under the control of government forces... is, without doubt, a positive trend," said Peskov. In the same context, local reports recently suggested that a delegation of the Kurdish militia visited Moscow where talks took place about the need for the Kurdish forces to hand over areas to the Syrian army. Turkey-backed rebels amassed forces and declared on Friday their readiness to launch the offensive against Manbij even after the entry of the Syrian army. A commander in the Turkey-backed National Army rebel group was cited by activists as saying that 15,000 militants are ready to storm Manbij. Turkish officials also seemed skeptic about the new deployment in Manbij. Turkish Defense Ministry said Friday that the YPG has no authority to make statements on behalf of the region's people or "invite other elements" into the region, in reference to the invitation of the Syrian army. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Syrian military's entry into Manbij a "psychological act," adding that there is nothing certain at this moment. However, Erdogan noted that if the Kurdish militia leaves, there will be no military action. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Russia and Turkey will hold high-level talks on Syria in Moscow soon, with Turkish delegation set to visit Moscow on Dec. 29. The talks will apparently touch on the Kurdish issue in northern Syria and experts believe that the Russian side has already coordinated with Turkey in that regard. "I think that the entry of the Syrian army will thwart the Turkish campaign, and the Turkish high rhetoric aims to practice pressure on the Kurdish militia into withdrawing from other areas," Maher Ihsan, a political expert, told Xinhua. He said the upcoming meeting in Moscow will discuss the situation in other Kurdish areas, and "we could see the implementation of the Manbij scenario in other areas in northern Syria as it is the only way to preserve the sovereignty of Syria and push away any foreign military intervention." According to an annual Gallup poll, former U.S. President Barack Obama and then First Lady Michelle Obama were voted as the most admired man and woman of this year. Barack Obama has been on the top of the list for 11 years, and is just short of beating the 12-year record held by the 34th President Dwight Eisenhower. President Donald Trump ranked second on the chart. If he doesn't make to the top spot at least once while he is president, he will join the club with Gerald Ford as being the only president who didn't top the list at least even once while in office. Michelle Obama broke Hillary Clinton's 17-year-long record, and is far ahead of the second-place on the list, which is held by the television star Oprah Winfrey. Former Secretary of State Clinton fell to third place. First Lady Melania Trump also came at the third, tied with the former political opponent of her husband. This year marked the 50th time that Queen Elizabeth has made it into the top 10 list of women. Gallup made mention of the fact that two men who often ranked in the top 10 passed away this year: Senator John McCain and the evangelist Billy Graham. Gallup's annual survey asks Americans in the form of an open-ended question to name the man and woman in the world they admire the most. Gallup first asked this question in 1946 and has done so every year since, except in 1976. This year's survey was held on December 3-12. Quanjian Nature Medicine Technology Development, a Tianjin-based company, has exaggerated the benefits of some of its products, a joint investigation team has found. The company has been accused of misleading consumers, some of whom were bankrupted or died. A joint team including the Tianjin Administration for Market Regulation and Tianjin Health Commission is investigating the company. Kang Yi, vice-mayor of Tianjin and head of the investigation team, said preliminary probes in the past 24 hours have found that Quanjian overplayed the efficacy of some of its products. He said the team is still looking into a number of other accusations and results will be made public in a timely manner. RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The cabinet of Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro announced on Thursday that it will review all policy decisions by its predecessor in its last 60 days of office. In an 81-page document released to the press, Bolsonaro's transition team stated that the new government will determine the priority policies in 10 days after taking office. Then, it will review all decisions made by the government of President Michel Temer in the last two months of its administration and determine whether the new government will carry them on. The document, a guidebook for new cabinet members, also set forth a calendar of the first 100 days of the Bolsonaro administration. Over the first month, ministers will elaborate on priority proposals, and decide which decrees and regulations of the previous government should be revoked. The inauguration ceremony of Bolsonaro will be held on Jan. 1. Several foreign leaders have been confirmed to attend the ceremony. Juncker questions if Romania ready for EU presidency Juncker questions if Romania ready for EU presidency European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has questioned whether Romania is ready for the political give-and-take of running the EU presidency. Romania takes over the rotating EU presidency for six months on January 1 amid deep political divisions at home and a contentious domestic judicial overhaul. The presidency will give it a role in setting the EU agenda and the task of serving as a diplomatic go-between among the 28 member countries. The head of the European Unions executive branch was quoted Saturday as telling Germanys Welt am Sonntag newspaper that Romania is technically well-prepared. He added, however, that the government in Bucharest hasnt yet fully understood what it means to take the chair over the EU countries, according to AP.Source : RT - Daily news The Kurdish-held city of Manbij is a huge conundrum for Damascus, Ankara and Moscow as no one wants to lose lands, troops or allies. To stop a northern Syria standoff, it all could be sliced into areas of influence, analysts say. A high-ranking Turkish delegation arrived in Moscow on Saturday, only a day after international media broke news on Kurdish militias inviting Syrian forces to enter Manbij a strategic hub in the north of the country before the Turks do. Syrias military proclaimed they raised the flag over Manbij, but there have been no independent reports confirming the moving of troops into the city. Also on rt.com US troops withdraw from first base in Syria report In the meantime, Turkish-backed militants also went on the move but they too stopped short of marching into Manbij. All the while Ankara has been threatening to crush the Kurdish resistance in the area where the Americans who are in the process of pulling out and the French have their outposts. The Saturday Moscow meeting was key to preventing all actors of the Syrian war from locking horns over the Kurdish enclave, Middle East experts believe. Obviously, Turkey will insist that it is their forces that should enter Manbij, Russia, will of course insist the city should be handed over to Assads forces, Kirill Semenov, an Islamic studies expert with Russias Institute for Innovative Development, told RT. Manbij wasnt the only issue discussed by Russian and Turkish strategists during the meeting, he noted, as it was essential for them to understand what will happen to territories east of the Euphrates River. Realpolitik, of course, plays a role here as various locations across Syria might be used as a bargaining chip by all parties to the conflict. Semenov suggested the Turks may agree on Syrian forces taking some parts of Idlib province in exchange for Damascus consent for a Turkish offensive towards Manbij or Kobane. Syrian troops and Kurdish forces occasionally clashed during the civil war, and the overall relations between the Kurds and Damascus have never been smooth. On the other hand, it never reached levels of hostility between the Syrian government and the militants of the Western-backed Syrian opposition. Meanwhile, tensions are mounting in northern Syria. Shortly after Damascus announced sending troops there, Turkish APCs crossed into Syria and US helicopters were filmed flying in Manbij area. Ankara has also amassed tanks on its southern border with Syria. Also on rt.com Turkey deploys extra tanks to Syrian border amid tension over Manbij media But Moscow is ready to throw its weight to resolve the Manbij standoff, said Marianna Belenkaya, a Middle East expert and commentator at Russias Kommersant daily. Russia had previously agreed that Turkey control a small area in the east of Idlib province, but its yet to be seen if Russia would agree to a Turkish zone being extended to the entire north of Syria. Moscow and Ankara are to define certain areas of influence and understand who will control what. There are residual groupings of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters who are ready to exploit any no power vacuum in northern Syria, she explained. Turkish ambitions to reinstate full control over the northern Syria may not be an option for Damascus, but it is also important for Russia to not lose Turkey as an ally. Theres a possibility that some kind of a land swap will be discussed, Belenkaya offered. What is happening around Manbij is similar to what Russia has suggested a year ago in Afrin, she noted. At this time, Moscow was ready to guarantee that the Turks will not invade the Kurdish-populated canton if the Kurds agree to be under Damascus jurisdiction, but they rejected the offer. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Nancy Pelosi is so outraged about the government shutdown that she is now defiantly relaxing at a sun-soaked Hawaiian resort. As for Trump, he decided to nix his holiday plans to protest the Democrats' stonewalling. With Washington paralyzed due to a partial government shutdown sparked by budget squabbles, the House Democratic leader is leading the #Resistance against Donald Trump and his border wall by vacationing at a fancy resort in Hawaii. According to reports, Pelosi has been spotted at Hawaiis Fairmont Orchid resort, where rooms prices start from $899 to $4,899 for the presidential suite. Also on rt.com Trump to stay in Washington as government shutdown creeps over Christmas While Pelosi sips on festive cocktails served in coconut-cups, her staff are issuing press statements about how the Democrats will swiftly end the Trump Shutdown. "With the House Majority, Democrats will act swiftly to end the Trump Shutdown, and will fight for a strategic, robust national security policy, including strong and smart border security, and strong support for our servicemembers and veterans," Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, said Friday. Pelosis hard-working staff are apparently forbidden from speaking about her Hawaii getaway, however. Her trip to paradise elicited strong reactions among conservatives on Twitter, who accused the Democrat of not taking her job seriously. Pelosi spends government shutdown in Hawaii. Media silent. Trump spends government shutdown visiting the troops in Iraq. Media explodes, conservative columnist and commentator Todd Starnes wrote. Trump, meanwhile, canceled plans to spend Christmas in Florida, choosing instead to remain at the White House as a protest against the Democrats unwillingness to fund his wall. The president has also nixed his plans for New Years due to his own decision to shut the government. The president made a surprise visit to Iraq late on Christmas Day, where he and his wife mingled with military personnel at the al-Asad airbase, west of the capital Baghdad. Like this story? Share it with a friend! A Bulgarian Orthodox priest has condemned the actions of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is set to grant self-rule to a schismatic Orthodox church in Ukraine contrary to the religions canonic law. A day before millions of Orthodox Ukrainians celebrate Christmas, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople plans to grant independence to a freshly created Orthodox Church of Ukraine a unified body of two schismatic churches in the country. The Russian Orthodox Church, which was the supreme Orthodox authority over Ukrainian territory for centuries, denies Constantinoples claim over Ukraine and says its autonomous branch, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, remains the only canonical Orthodox organization in the country. Also on rt.com Constantinople was unwise to antagonize Moscow, leading Oxford-based Orthodox theologian says The controversial merger earlier this year was an obvious iniquity, Bulgarias Archpriest Bozhidar Glavev told RT, accusing Patriarch Bartholomew of perverting history. For him, the canonical law is not important... He does not act in the interests of the Orthodox Church, but against it, Fr Bozhidar said, praising members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate for their defense of the faith. The unification of two schismatic Orthodox churches in Ukraine was personally spearheaded by President Petro Poroshenko with the full backing of the US government. While Patriarch Bartholomews plan focused on splitting the unity of the Orthodox Church, the United States took advantage of the situation to drive yet another stake in Russian-Ukrainian relations, the Bulgarian clergyman explained. Also on rt.com US Orthodox priest blasts splitting of Ukrainian Church from Moscow as Poroshenkos election ploy The government in Kiev claims that Orthodoxy in Ukraine needs to be separated from Moscows influence. In practice, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a self-ruled entity with its own central governing body, which has ties to Moscow mostly in a spiritual sense. The Moscow Patriarchate was granted jurisdiction over Ukraine by Constantinople back in 1686, and the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew rely on the claim that the decision can be arbitrarily revoked by Constantinople. After Constantinoples move, Moscow declared that it was no longer in communion with it. Other canonical Orthodox churches throughout the world, including the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, will now be forced to choose between sides in the unfolding conflict. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. Moscow has ditched the idea of launching a joint structure with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) but will continue to cooperate with major oil producers, according to the Russian energy ministry. Earlier this year, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak touted the idea that a new organization based on OPEC+ format including OPEC members and allied oil suppliers led by Russia will begin operations starting January 1, 2019 in an effort to boost the market. Back then there were plans to choose a location for the headquarters and come up with a name for the structure. Also on rt.com OPEC-Russia alliance to extend oil production cuts if necessary The energy minister announced Moscows change of heart on Thursday, saying that an official alliance would only create a new headache for all the players on the market. Instead, a special mechanism of cooperation will be set up that will allow members to convene, discuss and adopt memorandums or joint resolutions, according to Novak. There will be no formal organization like OPEC, as it is additional bureaucratic difficulties linked to the cartel, antitrust laws of countries, sanctions, contributions, the minister said as cited by Russian media. He added that the text of the charter regulating the cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC states is almost ready and it has already been sent through the executive body of the cartel, the OPEC Secretariat. Also on rt.com Cha-ching! OPEC+ deal adds extra $120 billion to Russia's coffers, energy minister says Despite attempts to regulate the market, it will still be facing an oversupply of up to 2 million barrels per day in the first two quarters of 2019, the minister warned. Moreover, US sanctions on Iran add uncertainty to the situation and the players have to be ready for any consequences, according to Novak. He explained that in April the American exemptions to eight counties to buy oil from the Islamic Republic are to expire and it is unclear what they will do with the purchases from Tehran. The OPEC-Russia alliance to curb oil output in a bid to boost global crude prices has existed since 2016 and has been repeatedly extended since then. In December, the cartel and its allies agreed to cut crude output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) and later vowed to extend the cuts for another six months if necessary. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section One of Maltas favorite tourist attractions, a natural arch known as the Azure Window, was crushed by a massive storm last year. But a Russian architect vows to return the landmark to the island by rebuilding it in glossy metal. This is Azure Window at the Maltese island of Gozo in the Mediterranean in its former glory: This is what remained of the natural limestone structure after it collapsed into the sea during a devastating storm in March 2017: And thats how the site is going to look after the ambitious project by Svetozar Andreev is realized: The architect plans to build a polygonal architectural form with mirrored steel faces at the spot where the natural arch once stood. He says that the structure will have the same size and proportions as the Azure Window, seamlessly blending into the landscape. It will be a perfect monument and symbol of the fusion of modernity and nature, of time and history, and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit, Andreev said. The metal version of the Azure Window will provide over 5,000 square meters of exhibition space, laid out over its five spiral floors. Andreev hopes that the new architectural and cultural landmark will help bring even more tourists to Malta, a small archipelago 80 kilometers south of Italy. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! The Turkish Army has deployed additional tanks and APCs to its southern border, Turkish media report. The forces are being moved amid tensions over the strategic Syrian city of Manbij and the presence of Kurdish militias there. The additional tanks and armored personnel carriers were transported to several Turkish provinces bordering northern Syria, including Hatay, Kilis and Sanliurfa, according to the local media. The hardware came from other parts of Turkey and reinforces the armor already amassed near the border. Read more Turkeys show of force comes after Damascus said it was sending troops to Manbij, a strategically important city on the western bank of Euphrates River. It was a response to a call by Kurdish militias, who said it was time for the Syrian government to provide security in the city and that the Kurdish forces would be focusing on fighting jihadists elsewhere. The Kurdish call followed concerns that Turkey may deliver on a threat to launch a new anti-terrorism operation in Syria targeting the militias. Ankara considers all Kurdish fighters a threat to its national security and has been complaining about their presence in Manbij. The tensions further escalated after the US announced it would be withdrawing troops from the Kurdish-controlled parts of Syria, potentially exposing their Kurdish allies to a Turkish onslaught. The situation in Manbij is the focus of Saturdays talks in Moscow between senior Russian and Turkish officials. Moscow supports Damascus in its fight against jihadists, but takes into account the interests of Ankara when deciding on its Syrian policies. Also on rt.com Syrian Army raises flag in countrys Kurdish province for 1st time since start of civil war Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! National Focus on farmers issues than blaming us: Congress R.P.N. Singh (File) New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) | Publish Date: 12/29/2018 11:05:42 AM IST Retaliating to Prime Minister Narendra Modis latest attacks, the Congress on Saturday asked him to resolve the agrarian crisis and waive farmers loans instead of blaming the grand old party. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Modi billed the Congress a lollipop company that had no real concern for farmers and asked people to be wary of the sops and promises assured by the party. Modi has been vicious in his attacks against the Congress which after coming to power in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, waived farm loans. Iterating Congress assertions that it will not let Modi sleep until nationwide farm loans were waived, party leader R.P.N. Singh reminded the Prime Minister of his 2014 Lok Sabha election promises of doubling farmers income and waiving their loans. Modi perhaps should read more so that he knows that the Congress government in 2008 had waived farmers loans across India to the tune of Rs 77,000 crore. Since the BJP came to power (in 2014), it is the Congress which is raising farmers issues and Modi has preferred to remain insensitive to their plight, former Union Minister Singh told the media here. Instead of blaming the Congress for ills, Modi should focus on the promises he made and how he miserably failed to fulfill them, he said, adding neither the Congress will sleep nor allow Modi to sleep unless farm loans are waived and farmers issues resolved. Modi came to power promising the moon to the farmers and after doing nothing all these years, he has suddenly woken up because the elections are not very far, he said. Singh also accused the BJP-led Centre of creating urea crisis in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by diverting trains carrying the fertiliser. BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday applauded the Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid's remarks that the Maldives will continue to work with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Shahid on Thursday said in an interview that the Maldivian new government will continue with the projects initiated in the Maldives under the China-proposed BRI. Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a press briefing that Shahid's remarks showcased the willingness of the Maldivian new government to develop bilateral ties. Hua said China and the Maldives have promoted cooperation on the construction of bridges, airports, housing and other projects related to people's livelihoods based on mutual respect and equal treatment, which has played a positive role in promoting the economic transformation and upgrading of the Maldives and improving people's living conditions. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, which opened to traffic in August, has not only facilitated the interconnection of infrastructure in the Maldives but also brought tangible benefits and improved lives of local people, said the spokesperson. China is ready to work with the Maldivian new government to consolidate traditional friendship, better dovetail development strategies, further bilateral pragmatic cooperation and push forward mutual beneficial and win-win cooperation under the framework of the BRI, so as to constantly enrich the China-Maldives Future-Oriented All-round Friendly and Cooperative Partnership, Hua said. By PTI NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Friday replied in negative to a question whether the government was not satisfied with the functioning of the Reserve Bank of India. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the minister quoted a report of International Monetary Fund (IMF) which said the supervision and regulation by the RBI were strong and improved in recent years. "No, madam," Jaitley said to a question whether the government is not satisfied about the functioning of the RBI. ALSO READ | Services sector disappoints: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley The government and the RBI under the previous Governor Urjit Patel were at loggerheads on several issues, including over appropriate size of reserves which the central bank should hold. There were also differences over the lending to the small and medium enterprises, and norms concerning supervisory action over public sector banks under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) of the RBI. The differences reached a flashpoint with Patel suddenly quitting the RBI on December 10. Patel's resignation was being speculated right from the time the government cited a never-before-used provision of the RBI Act to get him to consider its views on relaxing lending norms for segments such as small and medium enterprises, appropriate size of reserves the central bank must maintain and easing norms for weak banks. Earlier, RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had raised concerns over the autonomy of the central bank, triggering speculations that the government and the central bank were not same page on many issues. By PTI MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India Friday extended the enhanced single borrower limit facility for NBFC sector by another three months to provide much-needed liquidity support. Earlier in October, the regulator had increased the single borrower limit for NBFCs (not financing infrastructure) from 10 per cent to 15 per cent of capital funds. This facility was valid till December 31, 2018. "In order to further facilitate banks to lend to NBFCs and HFCs as indicated above, it has been decided to extend the aforesaid facilities up to March 31, 2019," the RBI said in a notification. As a result, a bank can give loans to the extent of 15 per cent of its capital fund to a particular non-banking finance company (NBFC) or Housing Finance Company (HFC). The move will help provide liquidity to NBFCs, which have come under pressure following series of default by IL&FS group companies. SV Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service CHENNAI: Just a week back, the Environment Ministry told the Lok Sabha that sea levels across the Indian coast were likely to rise by 2.8 feet, putting millions of people at risk. On Friday, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018, which, at the outset, does not seem to have factored in the problem of sea rise. The emphasis of the new CRZ norms is on promotion of tourism facilities, quicker dispensation of defence and strategic projects and liberal licensing for the installation of treatment plants. Also, the Floor Space Index, which had been frozen as per the 1991 development control regulation (DCR) levels, has been relaxed. Now, FSI permission will be granted for construction projects as prevailing on the date of the new notification. In Tamil Nadu, environmentalists fear this will open up a new gambit of real estate activities. We will have to look at the full document for clear understanding, but going by cursory reading, the norms will concretise our beaches, says Pooja Kumar of Coastal Resource Centre. There are several mega projects proposed in Tamil Nadu that would use up large chunk of the States coast. For instance, the Union government is pushing hard to set up a Defence corridor and Adani Group is proposing to build a giant port in Ennore under the Sagarmala initiative, which is labelled strategic. read: New Coastal Regulation Zone rules causes concern among Kerala's green activists, fishermen The real concern for Tamil Nadu is that the States coast is fast eroding. A report prepared by Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) predicts that 3209.33 sq. km of Tamil Nadus coast is likely to be submerged and millions rendered homeless if sea level rises by 1 m by 2100. Though hazard line mapping had been done, it has now been delinked from the CRZ regime. Further, the No Development Zone (NDZ) has been reduced from 200 metres to 50 metres from High Tide Line in area with a population density of 2,161 per square kilometre as per 2011 census. "This is a concern as these decisions are taken without factoring in the issue of sea level rise," said an official from Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services. Besides, the new notification allows temporary tourism facilities such as shacks, toilet blocks, changing rooms, drinking water facilities on beaches. The notification has also streamlined the process of CRZ clearances and only projects located in the CRZ-I (Ecologically Sensitive Areas) and CRZ IV (area covered between Low Tide Line and 12 nautical miles seaward) will now be dealt by the Union Environment Ministry. The power to clear projects in CRZ-II and III zones have been delegated to the state level with necessary guidance. No dev zone reduced drastically The No Development Zone (NDZ) has been reduced from 200 metres to 50 metres from High Tide Line in area with a population density of 2161 per square kilometre as per 2011 census By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on Friday nabbed an air passenger for smuggling 2 kg gold worth Rs 66 lakh in the form of transformer plates in a microwave. The accused, aged 30 years, landed at the RGI Airport from Dubai by an Oman Airlines flight on Thursday evening. The man who cleared all security checks and exited the airport was caught red-handed by DRI sleuths while waiting to hand over the smuggled gold to unidentified persons. Kiran Narayanan By Express News Service KOCHI: Dry blood stains, leftover slaughter waste, stinking fish, rotten vegetables and dirty surroundings. Aluva Market, situated at the heart of the town, is worse than a dump yard. If this unhygienic state isn't enough, once the market disperses for the day, the waste is bundled up and thrown into Periyar, thereby polluting the waterbody. It was in 2013 that the old market building was demolished. The then municipal council had decided to construct a 40,000-sq ft building spread over two floors which can house around 200 vendors. But, despite the grave situation, the facilities are yet to come up. "We have been approaching the municipal authorities for some time in this regard. Life has become miserable here. Those who live in nearby apartments suffering due to the unhygienic environment prevalent here. Other than blame game, nothing much happens," says Janaki, a resident. Despite laying the foundation stone in 2015, the project remains in limbo due to funding issues. Around 100 traders who moved out of the old building continue to squeeze in makeshift shacks. Few of them have managed to occupy space in the fish market. "The municipality is dumping waste inside the market. The unavailability of a yard makes the situation worse. Amidst the untidy surroundings, customers occupy whatever space available. The overall atmosphere is quite stifling," said Rajesh, a vendor. The earlier attempts to get a loan from Federal Bank didn't get materialise over issues with regard to pledging the municipal Park as collateral security. Now, the present council has approached the Kerala Urban & Rural Development Finance Corporation (KURDFC) for funds. "We have been trying to kickstart the work for a while. The council has approved the plan to approach KURDFC. We have requested for Rs 5 crore as loan for the Rs 10-crore project. Though we have settled the court cases, we aren't sure about when to commence the work," said C Omana, chairperson, Finance Standing Committee, Aluva Municipality. The Opposition blames the inefficiency of the ruling front for the three-year delay. "When the legal issues were amicably resolved, the council sat on the project without making any effort for getting the fund. The State Government has asked them to approach KURDFC to resolve the issue. But, the authorities are still confused as to whether or not to pledge the Municipal Park. As the agency is a government body, the dues will be levied from the future government allocations. This has also made them think twice," said Rajeev Sacharia, Opposition leader, Aluva Municipality. Abattoir remains non-starter The Suchitwa Mission's abattoir project is yet to start. The previous government had allocated 1.52 crore for the project. "They haven't completed the construction of the abattoir on time. The necessary machinery hasn't arrived yet. Due to delay, the state government had changed the agency a few months back. The lack of initiative from the council has added to the issues," added Rajeev. Wu Peng, Chinese ambassador to Sierra Leone The Peoples Republic of China has established a relationship with Sierra Leone for more than 40 years. China is an important development partner with Sierra Leone especially in agriculture and fisheries sectors. China is ready to make more cooperation with Sierra Leone in the particular areas of the fish harbor construction, fisheries surveys for fish stock assessment, aquaculture development etc. It should be noted that when China embarked on long distance fishing, Sierra Leone was the first country the Chinese vessels were sent to and currently 75 percent of the industrialized vessels fishing in Sierra Leone come from China, which is currently 68 vessels and carrier. Thus investing millions of dollars and creating lots of jobs. China is ready to do more in the fisheries sector to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. Fishing as it is done now is just the first phase and it is expected that the following is on schedule in the coming year: 1.Construction of fishing harbor with facilities done by Chinese investors 2.Cooperation on fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance. 3.Support for comprehensive stock assessment and data collection. 4.Cooperation in aquaculture 5.Capacity building on official staff and fish farmers. "The general public is therefore informed that the Chinese government is ready to support the New Direction Agenda of the Government of Sierra Leone, especially in the fisheries sector," a press release from the Chinese embassy in Freetown states. The Chinese fishing fleet contributes heavily to the revenue generation drive of the government of Sierra Leone in the form of license fees around 7 million USD and export fees between 2 and 3 million USD annually. With the cooperation of their local partners in Sierra Leone they are repatriating up to 20 million USD annually from their export sales. The Chinese fleet also provides direct and indirect jobs to Sierra Leoneans. Chinese fishing investors in one of their meetings at the Chinese embassy in Freetown It is also worth to note that with regards to the food security, the Chinese fishing fleet supplies about 80,000 MT of fish to the local market throughout the year ensuring that in spite of the increase in fuel price to the international market, the fish price has been stable over the years compared to the neighboring countries. The fish price in Sierra Leone is therefore the cheapest in the sub-region. "In the light of international concerns by multilateral agencies and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources on over fishing and the sustainable management of the fisheries resources to be able to maintain the stock levels, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China has decided not to allow any new fishing vessels operate in the Sierra Leonean waters since 2016," the release assured, and further noted that the Chinese government has also put in place strict and stringent measures in terms of their regulations in order to crack down on any IUU activities of any registered Chinese companies. The Chinese government considers the fishing industry as very important to the countrys economic growth and has been actively engaging the government of Sierra Leone in order to develop the fishery sector. After several years of close cooperation and discussions, the Ministry of Agriculture of China has signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Fisheries of Sierra Leone to cooperate with the government of Sierra Leone on fisheries monitoring control and surveillance, aquaculture and so on. The Chinese government is also committed to the management and development of the fisheries sector and will make sure that they fulfill their own aspect of the MOU action points signed in June 2018. Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service Too much promotion, too little promotion, and medium promotion. This year Malayalam cinema has seen all three. Some filmmakers preferred a simple marketing strategy, giving audiences a small, honest glimpse of what/how the film is going to be while others employed relentlessly flamboyant marketing ploys which terribly backfired when audiences didnt get what was promised. A few filmmakers complained about their producers lackadaisical attitude they expected word-of-mouth to take care of the rest instead of actively promoting the film after release while some others noticed the lack of support from leading celebrities in the industry. 2018 was the year of small films which won over audiences in spite of their minimal hype. But hype or no hype, at the end of the day, everything boiled down to content. Malayali audiences no longer fall for exaggerated claims. And newbie filmmakers realised that they no longer need superstars to sell their films. The success of the following titles bears testament to these facts. Sudani from Nigeria The biggest hit of the year, Sudani from Nigeria ran for more than 100 days in theatres. Director Zakariya and team opted for a simple promotional strategy, relying mostly on social media in addition to the usual outdoor ads. This being a minimal big-budget film, there were limitations when it came to the marketing budget. We couldnt afford to do marketing for marketings sake, says Zakariya. The strong word-of-mouth post-release through social media posts by regular moviegoers and celebrities helped the film to a great extent. Strong support also came via friends and supporters of the films producers Sameer Thahir and Shyju Khalid and those from the industry who had seen the script earlier. When someone feels positive about a film, they should spread the word. This would help small films get the necessary exposure. We already have the trend of leading actors sharing the teasers and posters of their colleagues films, and it would be great if that kind of support were extended to films post-release, adds Zakariya, who is of the opinion that every director and producer must have a thorough knowledge about when, where and how to market a film instead of letting distributors dictate decisions all the time. Maradona Tovino Thomas Maradona, which had the misfortune of releasing before the floods showed up, slowly managed to pick up later (during the Onam season) and do respectable business overall. Many felt the film wouldve performed much better with more promotions. We didnt promise anything extraordinary in the promos, says director Vishnu Narayan, who believes in putting quality content above everything else. He is against the idea of treating a film as a product. I was initially skeptical about the film doing well because at the time of Tovino signing the film, he was not a big star yet. But still, Maradona remained in theatres for 65 days, which for us is a big deal. Varathan Amal Neerads Varathan, which completed 100 days recently, is one of the years top hits. Given the films genre, the makers kicked off minor promotions only a month before the release. An initial teaser, which piqued viewers curiosity, was followed a while later by two songs. We had no proper marketing strategy, to tell you the truth. Our aim was to simply release the film. Naturally, we had to do some basic promotion, like posters and what not, says Amal. Varathans distribution was handled by Amal himself, through his distribution house A & A, which he runs jointly with Ustad Hotel director Anwar Rasheed. The company had previously backed films like Parava, Bangalore Days, Premam, and Iyobinte Pusthakam. We did what we always used to do. Nothing more, nothing less. You see, we are ignorant about all this 100 crore marketing. So far, we have only heard about 100 crore or 1000 crore, but has anyone actually seen it? he laughs. Joseph Marketing a dark film like Joseph was a real challenge, says the films writer Shahi Kabir. First of all, there was no star value. We had to rely on word-of-mouth to do the trick. It was only after the first 5 days that the film began to pick up. The Joseph team had initially planned a preview show but then dropped it due to insufficient time. On the films promotional strategy, Shahi says, We wanted the initial teaser to reflect the freshness of the narrative. Its a simple investigation thriller devoid of any over-the-top, unrealistic elements and this is exactly what we wanted to convey through the promos. As Joju George was playing a leading man for the first time, it was a much bigger challenge to bring the film to the attention of the B and C crowds whod rather spend their money on superstar films. The initial online reviewsfrom the multiplex crowdand the subsequent mouth publicity take a minimum of two weeks to reach everywhere. By the time that happens, the film is on the verge of being pulled from theatres. When the Christmas releases arrived, some theatres terminated Josephs run just when it was beginning to pick up, says Shahi. B.Tech One of the biggest surprises of this year was Mridul Nairs B.Tech, which ran for more than 60 days. The film, which upon initial glance seemed like a typical campus entertainer, successfully established an emotional connect with audiences by exploring some picked from the headlines issues in its second half. It was in the Malabar areas that the film drew the maximum crowd on opening day, and then started to pick up in other areas by day 3. Also, one factor that worked to our advantage was that we didnt have any major competition to speak of, with the exception of Lijo Jose Pellisserys Ee Ma Yau. But in spite of that, we still managed to do well, says Mridul. Theevandi Director Fellini TP, who helmed the biggest hit of Tovino Thomas career, Theevandi, tells us that low-profile marketing was what the team had in mind right from the beginning. First, the Jeevamshamayi song clicked with everyone. But then the release date got pushed several times, and we decided to release the promo material intermittently with some breathing space in between. We released a teaser on Fathers Day, followed by another hit song just before release. It wouldnt make sense to create insanely high expectations for a film so small and simple, and so we set aside only a minimal marketing budget for it, explains Fellini. Theevandi was the first Malayalam film to release after Kerala was relieved of the floods, and audiences were eager to go to the movies again. Everyone wanted to see a light-hearted film after a dark phase, and Theevandi turned out to be the perfect antidote. Naturally, this resulted in high occupancy. However, in the following weeks, other postponed films were released one after the other. This posed a serious challenge, says Fellini. Though the word-of-mouth was strong, we had fresh promo material ready to help us stay relevant. But everything worked out well in the end. A Sharadhaa By Express News Service A divorce hardly forms the premise for a romantic film. However, Ananthu v/s Nusrath attempts to change mindset about love and the laws. The best part of the film is its content, which has been carefully looked at by director Sudheer Shanbhogue. With relationships in the forefront, stories of multiple couples run in parallel, which come together at the end. On one side is the story of Ananthu aka Anantha Krishna Kramadharitthaya (Vinay Rajkumar), who comes from a Brahmin family. He lives with his father Shankar Narayana Kramdaritya (B Suresha), a matchmaker, and mother Vatsala (Harini), a homemaker. Growing up in an orthodox atmosphere, Ananthu is asked to sleep outside on days when his grandmother thinks the boy has eaten garlic and onions. The young B.Com graduate wishes to study law, and his father allows him to pursue his studies on the condition that he never steps into a family court and handles a divorce case. Then, theres Nusrath Fatima Baig (Latha Hegde), who is brought up by a single parent. Living with her mother and grandfather, she is upset that her parents are divorced. Its love at first sight when Ananthu meets Nusrathh during college. While he is convinced that she is going to be his life partner, they lose contact and meet only seven years later at court, where Nusrath is appointed as a judge in a family court. Ananthu is a favourite among lawyers, especially for Gaviling Swamy Kethamaranahalli (Ravi Shankar), for whom he has solved 13 cases. Though he is not ready to take up divorce case, circumstances lead him to take up one. When his father learns about it, he is upset that his son has gone against his wishes. But not for long. He soon gets to know about his sons good deeds - of his ability to get couples to patch up. When Ananthu decides to propose to Nusrath, he is shocked to know that she is engaged to Nisaar Ahmed (Prajwal Devaraj). Despite being shattered, he decides to move on. Thats when the twist comes in...Ananthu learns of Nisaar going back to Ethiopia. Will this prove lucky for Ananthu, and will he be able express his love for Nursath? Will the latter accept his proposal? The debutant director should be applauded for exploring an interesting topic, which has blended various elements - relationships, divorce and religion. All this, with a balanced narration. With sprinkles of comical situations, the only drawback in the film is its pace. A tighter edit would have worked for the film, which is heavy on dialogues. The twist, interesting as it was, would have worked better with a better build-up, especially around Prajwals character. Vinay Rajkumar delivers a mature performance compared to his previous films. He has remained faithful to the directors vision of carrying off the lawyers role. Just two films old, Vinay has experimented with a non-mainstream film. A good move, there. Latha Hegde justifies the role of a Muslim girl and judge. However, there is scope for improvement. B Suresha as Vinays father gets into skin of character. All cast members, including Guruprasad, Bhagawan, Naveen D Padil, Harini Srikanth, Ashwithi, KP Sridhar and Vishwa Vijeth Gowda, provide good support too.A couple of songs composed by Sunaad Gowtham go well, and Abhishek Karsargods cinematography is visually-appealing and goes with the films theme. Ananthu v/s Nusrath dispels the myth that divorce lawyers only separate couples. Its a feel-good film that closes 2018s final Sandalwood release on an amicable note. Abhijit Mulye By Express News Service MUMBAI: In his politically-loaded verdict on the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, special judge S J Sharma accused the CBI of pursuing a pre-meditated theory and a script to somehow implicate big leaders. While the judgment does not identify the political leaders, the CBI had named current BJP president Amit Shah and the then Rajasthan home minister Gulabchand Kataria as accused. Both were subsequently discharged from the case. Though the full judgment is yet to be made public, parts of it were shared with the media on Friday. On December 21, judge Sharma had acquitted all 22 accused in the extra-judicial killing of Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi and aide Tulsi Prajapati. In his over 350-page verdict that is yet to be signed, the judge said the agency was more concerned in establishing a particular pre-conceived theory rather than finding out the truth. My predecessor has, while passing an order of discharge in the application of accused number 16 (Amit Shah) clearly recorded that the investigation was politically motivated. Having given my dispassionate consideration to the entire material placed before me and having examined each of the witnesses and the evidence closely, I have no hesitation in recording that the premier investigating agency like CBI had before it a pre-meditated theory and a script intended to anyhow implicate political leaders, the verdict read. CBI created evidence and placed witness statements in the charge-sheet, the judgement said. The verdict also raised question marks over several statements recorded by the CBI. It accused the probe agency of not bothering to collect sufficient concrete material evidence. The CBI, the judge said, created evidence and placed statements of witnesses purported to have been recorded under Section 161 and/or Section 164 of CrPC in the charge sheet , but they failed to withstand judicial scrutiny. Those witnesses deposed fearlessly before the court clearly indicate that their purported statements were wrongly recorded by the CBI during investigation to justify its script to implicate political leaders, judge Sharma ruled. The court noted that there is 'regret' that three persons were killed, which was going unpunished. It added that it has no option but to conclude that the accused are not guilty.' also read: No one killed Sohrabuddin, Justice Loya, they just died: Rahul Gandhi's dig at Modi government "The CBI has also failed to establish presence of the accused police personnel at the spot of the alleged incident," the order said, adding that no witness was examined to show that the policemen were issued service weapons. Of the 22 accused, 21 were junior police officers from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who the CBI said were part of teams which abducted and killed the three in staged encounters. The court said there was nothing to show if service weapons of the accused policemen were used in the killings. CASE TIMELINE The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. CBI said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. Prajapati, who was lodged in an Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006. The CBI had charged 38 persons, including Shah, who was then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like D G Vanzara and P C Pande. The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile. Before the December 21 verdict, 16 people, including Shah, Kataria, Vanzara and Pande were discharged by the CBI court due to lack of evidence. Shah was arrested in the case in July 2010, but released on bail by Gujarat High Court in October 2010. He was discharged by CBI court in December 2014. The December 21 verdict was Judge Sharma's last judgment of his career as he is set to retire on December 31. (With inputs from PTI) Krithiha By Online Desk Two years ago, 19-year-old Kausalya dropped out of college to marry her boyfriend Sankar. A few months later, Sankar was hacked to death in broad daylight by assailants sent by Kausalya's father. Her father wanted to kill the couple for bringing his caste into disrepute. In India, women are not considered individuals with lives and choices of their own. Instead, they are seen as the torchbearers of family honour. They are curbed from talking to men, choosing their life partners etc. What happens when one of them defies this unwritten rule? They are socially ostracized, beaten up or, like in Sankars case, killed. Heres an attempt at tracing the trend of honour killings across India in 2018. Couple killed in Tamil Nadu 25-year-old Nandhish from the Dalit community fell in love with Swathi, an upper caste woman. The couple got married and lived together for a few months before they were both murdered by the couples father. Swathis father has confessed to murdering them and throwing the bodies into a river in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district. Man killed, wife commits suicide Just a few days after the Krishnagiri couple's bodies were found, Harish, a 27-year-old cab owner from Bengaluru, was hacked to death for marrying his childhood sweetheart who belonged to an upper caste. Harish's body was found in the Cauvery river near Mandya. He was allegedly murdered by his wife's brother for marrying her despite repeated threats from the family. Depressed over her husband's death, Meenakshi committed suicide after a few days. Man killed in Kerala's Kottayam On May 24, Kevin Joseph, a converted Christian from Kottayam, married Neenu Chacko. The couple had jointly applied for marriage despite strong opposition from Neenus family. A few days later, Josephs body was found with torture marks at a dam near Kollam in what has now been ruled as an honour killing. Kevin's murder is an example of how honour killings arent always about maintaining the alleged purity of a caste. Though the girl's parents were from different religions, they still opposed the marriage on the basis of social class. At times, honour killings are also about making sure that one's child does not 'step out of line'. Man hangs daughter to death in Vijayawada 20-year-old Indraja from upper caste was in love with a Dalit man, despite strong opposition from her father. After frequent quarrels over the issue, her father allegedly hanged his daughter to death and completed her final rites in the wee hours of the same night to keep things quiet. Honour killing caught on CCTV Amrutha, who belongs to a wealthy upper caste family, fell in love with Pranay from the Dalit community and the couple got married two years ago. In September 2018, while returning after a medical check-up, Pranay was hacked to death in broad daylight in front of his pregnant wife. The gruesome murder that shook south India was caught on CCTV. Amruthas father confessed to have plotted the murder as he did not approve of Pranays caste and lack of wealth. Man in love with minor girl murdered 23-year-old Gaddi Kumar was in love with a minor girl from a different community. Both the parents had agreed to their marriage once the girl turned 18. But, a few days after that, Gaddi was found dead. The autopsy revealed that he had injuries and bruises, following which the police filed a murder case. Gaddis mother claimed that the girls father was unhappy with the union and he was the one who murdered Gaddi. The girls father, on the other hand, had filed a case of sexual harassment against Gaddi. With a recent survey suggesting that parents make false allegations of sexual harassment against their daughter's love interest, one can't help being sceptical about such allegations. Minor killed allegedly by father In Chandigarh, a 16-year-old girl was found dead in mysterious circumstances in October. Police have arrested six members of her family in what is suspected to be a case of honour killing. The girl was reportedly in love with a 19-year-old from her village. The girl's parents had earlier filed a rape case against him. By Online Desk NEW DELHI: Girls of a shelter home in Delhi were allegedly abused by its staff, following which an FIR was registered by the police, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said Friday. Some girls at a shelter home in Dwarka area alleged that the female staff put chilli powder in their private parts as punishment. They were also forced to have chilli powder, it said. During an inspection of shelter homes in Delhi on Thursday, the DCW members interacted with girls aged 6-15 to understand their experience of residing at a shelter home, a DCW statement said. Any sort of defiant behaviour from the children would be met with "serious and grave punishment" because of which they had become submissive, it said. The teenage girls were also forced to wash utensils and clothes, clean rooms and toilets, and perform other kitchen chores, as the home did not have adequate staff. There was only one cook in the home for the 22 girls and staff, and the quality of food was not good, the statement said. The teenage girls complained that they were beaten with scales for not keeping their rooms clean and not listening to the staff. They were not permitted to go home during summer and winter vacations, it said. The committee members shared the allegations with DCW chief Swati Maliwal who immediately reached the home at 8 pm. Maliwal immediately called the Dwarka deputy commissioner of police, who sent a team of senior officers to the home and recorded statements of the children. An FIR has been registered by the Delhi Police against the staff, the DCW said. (With PTI inputs) By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012 to make way for the provision of death penalty even for those who sexually assault boys under 12. Till now, such crimes committed against boys carried a lighter punishment as compared to those against girls. The quantum of punishment for several other offences was also increased, and strict punishments introduced for crimes such as injecting hormones to make children attain sexual maturity, circulating child pornography, and assaulting minors during riots or natural disasters. The Cabinet approved changes to Section 6 of the POCSO Act, enhancing the punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault. Following the outrage over gangrapes of minors in Kathua and Unnao earlier this year, the Centre had brought an ordinance in April to make a provision of death penalty for rapists of children under 12, and followed it by passing a Bill in Parliament during the monsoon session. The Bill was introduced to amend the Indian Penal Code to provide death penalty for gang rape of a girl less than 12 years, and 20 years jail to death penalty for rape of a girl under 12 years, among others. Provisions were also added to award imprisonment for the rest of ones natural life for gang rape of a girl under 16 years, while rape of a girl in the same age bracket would be punishable with jail of 20 years up to life imprisonment. However, the absence of changes to POCSO Act, which is gender neutral and deals with sexual crimes against both girls and boys, meant that similar crimes committed against boys carried lighter punishment as compared those committed against girls. The latest set of changes approved by the Union Cabinet sought to fix these contradictions. By Online Desk Yet another fire broke out in Mumbai, this time on the ground floor of Sadhana House in Worli. The incident was reported at 4.45 pm on Saturday. No casualties have been reported yet. A godown of cable wires had cought fire, said the fire brigade officials. The building was vacated immediately after the fire broke out due to which avoided casualties they said. This is the third major fire in Mumbai in the last 48 hours. The Mumbai fire department has declared this as a Level-II fire and eight fire tenders are at the spot trying to bring the situation under control. The place where the fire started was being used as a TV cable operator's office, the locals said. It is said that a thick smoke and the smell of chemicals hamper the firefighting operations. The fire brigade team have not yet entered the area where the fire originated, for fear of chemicals being stored in the area. Mumbai: Level-2 fire breaks out in Sadhana House behind Mahindra Towers in Worli area. Firefighting operations underway. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/gv7ZKserkI ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2018 Earlier on Saturday, a fire broke out at an under-construction building near the Kamala Mills compound in Mumbai. No casualties were reported. On Thursday, seven people including four elderly persons died in a major fire at a high-rise building in Tilak Nagar in Chembur in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. A godown of cable wires had cought fire, said the fire brigade officials. The building was vacated immediately after the fire broke out due to which avoided casualties they said. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service GHAZIPUR: LUCKNOW: Fresh from the brutal killing of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during a mob violence in Bulandshahr early this month, another cop became a victim of mob frenzy when he died after being hit by a stone thrown at him by the protestors hours after PM Narendra Modi's rally in Ghazipur, eastern UP, on Saturday afternoon. The policeman killed in Ghazipur has been identified as head constable Suresh Vats, 48, said the police sources. According to the initial reports, the policemen of Naunera police station, returning from the duty at PM's rally, were asked to intervene and control the protestors belonging to Nishad community demanding quota near Kathwamor Managai Nadi pul. As the police team approached the protestor squatted on the state highway to remove them from the spot, they started pelting stones at the cops. In the melee, a stone thrown by the agitated crowd hit head constable on his head injuring him grievously. While the constable turned unconscious, two locals were also injured by the Nishad Party workers, an ally of Samajwadi Party, during the unrest in Naunera area. Somehow the police party managed to disperse the mob and rushed the injured cop to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead upon arrival. #WATCH One constable dead & two locals from the area injured in stone pelting allegedly by Nishad Party workers near Atwa Mor police station in Naunera area, earlier today. #Ghazipur pic.twitter.com/FnviOzuRIU ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 29, 2018 When Ghazipur DM K Balaji and SSP Yashvir Singh reached the spot, by then the troublemakers had already escaped. However, both the DM and the SSP were incommunicado. Taking cognizance of the incident, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the DM and SSP of the district to initiate action and arrest the accused immediately. He announced Rs 40 lakh compensation for the wife of the deceased constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents. The local sources claimed that the Nishad party workers had plans to protest at the district headquarters in support of their demand for reservation on Saturday but they were not allowed in the wake of PM's Ghazipur visit. Moreover, they were stopped at several place while trying to reach the DM office. Infuriated over being stopped, first the protestors pelted stones at the BJP workers who were returning from PM's rally and later targeted the cops. This is the second incident this month where a policeman has been killed in mob violence in Uttar Pradesh. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was shot dead by a mob in western Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr on December 3 after violence broke out over alleged cow slaughter and recovery of carcasses from the field of a village Mahaw in Syana town of the district. Amit Agnihotri By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh chose to ignore the controversy around a film based on him even as a miffed Congress slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for targeting the Gandhi family over the issue. The film The Accidental Prime Minister based on the book Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh written by Singhs former media adviser Sanjaya Baru, will be released on Jan 11, 2019, just months before the next Lok Sabha polls. The Congress and the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had rubbished the book which was released just a month before the 2014 national polls. The book had claimed that then party chief Sonia Gandhi controlled the government while Singh played second fiddle. Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years. Was Dr Singh just a regent who was holding on to the PMs chair till the time heir was ready? Watch the official trailer of #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister, based on an insiders account, releasing on 11 Jan! pic.twitter.com/ToliKa8xaH BJP (@BJP4India) December 27, 2018 Party sources said during the UPA years, Sonia always supported Singhs decisions and fully backed him even when he had put at stake the survival of the government over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal in 2008. Congress communications head Randeep Surjewala said his party would continue to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues like rural distress, unemployment. No ban in MP The Congress in Madhya Pradesh made it clear on Friday that it had not banned the film and had no plans of doing so but, a senior spokesperson of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the party said, After seeing the films trailer, Ive written to the director requesting that the title be changed and also scenes containing objectionable references be removed. If its done, were OK with the film. Not backing down: Kher Actor Anupam Kher lashed out at the politics surrounding the film. We talk about freedom of expression. When we get a chance to exercise it, we are stopped. Cinema has to move on... he said. Earlier, he tweeted saying I am not going to back off. This is my lifes best performance. Dr Manmohan Singh will agree ... By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The AgustaWestland VIP helicopter scam case on Saturday witnessed a dramatic twist with alleged middleman Christian Michel bringing in the name of Mrs Gandhi and big man R in a special court, which extended his remand by seven days. Mrs Gandhi and big man R were apparent references to Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, though the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which produced Michel in court, did not specify who he had referred to. ED counsel L D Singh told the court that Michel, in his communication with Agusta, had said the big man R was the son of an Italian lady who is going to be the next prime minister. We need to decipher the documents to decrypt such codes, the counsel said. In their plea, the ED said Michel during interrogation on Thursday had slipped in a folded paper, which his lawyer hid under his mobile phone. READ | Government using agencies to pressure Michel to name particular family in chopper scam: Congress During medical examination, Christian Michel stood up and turned towards his advocate Aljo Joseph standing next to him and acted like shaking hands with the advocate and saying him goodbye and extended his hands for handshake. It was noticed that Michel secretly handed over a folded paper to his counsel Joseph. Joseph was carrying his mobile phone under which he hid the folded paper and put it discreetly in pocket of his jacket and acted as if nothing took place, the remand paper read. Agusta deal middleman abusing legal access: ED The ED accused Michel of misusing his legal access and sought its discontinuation. However, the court allowed continued legal access but reduced the time from the current 30 minutes to 15 minutes Pradip Phanjoubam By Manipur is descending back into its accustomed lawlessness. Curiously, this time it is not the insurgent challengers of the state, or habitual street-fighting bandh and blockade callers who are at the heart of the turmoil, but an ultra-sensitive and touchy establishment keen on snooping around for every adverse comment about it made on social mediaand then cracking down on those who made them. The latest victim is a TV anchor, Kishorchandra Wangkhem, booked under the NSA on November 27 for posting a video on Facebook calling the BJP chief minister of the state, N Biren Singh, a puppet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for celebrating the birth anniversary of Jhansi Rani allegedly neglecting the freedom fighters of the state. He also dared the government to arrest him. Kishorchandra had been booked earlier for the same post on sedition charges but was set free on November 25 after a chief judicial magistrates court ruled that the post was just an expression of private opinion in street language, and there was no seditious content in it. In what was seen as vengeful overkill, the government rearrested him immediately overruling the courts verdict, this time under the NSA. How the mans criticism of the government and his foul language are a threat to national security has not been explained. This is however not the first time this journalist invited the ire of the government. In August, he had been detained by the police, again for a post on Facebook in which he translated BJP as Budhu Joker Party, high on animal urine. On that occasion, the editor of the cable TV network he worked for apologised personally on his behalf to the chief minister and negotiated his release. He is just of the many to be targeted. In October, Popilal Ningthoujam, an activist of a new political party, Peoples Resurgence and Justice Alliance, PRJA, to which the iconic hunger-striker Irom Sharmila once belonged, was arrested for a similar show of disrespect for the BJP government. Following an outrageous midnight police raid inside the Manipur University campus to break a paralysing strike by teachers and students, which ended in the arrest of six teachers and 21 students, Popilal and others staged a protest in which they threw eggs on the photographs of BJP leaders including the CM and PM, and then uploaded a video of it on Facebook. Popilal, in defiance, did not avail bail for a month, but finally took wiser counsel and was released. What is even more disturbing in these developments is the manner in which the judiciary is being progressively dwarfed by the executive, which has been showing a wont for the additional role of adjudicating. Under the circumstances, Manipur today is coming to resemble Alices Wonderland where the Queen of Hearts makes laws on the spot and pronounces every now and then at her whim: Off with his head! Alongside this, another development points to a similar erosion of yet another pillar of democracy. The Manipur Legislative Assembly is increasingly being made irrelevant. There are eight defector MLAs, one of whom has been made a minister, who left their original party, the Congress, to join the BJP and give the latter a majority at the time of the formation of the government in March 2017. In that election, in the House of 60, the Congress got 28 seats, the BJP 21 and smaller parties together accounted for the rest. Almost two years later, the Congress defectors continue to sit on the Opposition benches and vote with the Treasury, making a farce of the Anti-Defection Law. The diminishing importance of the Manipur Legislative Assembly was again evident when its Winter Session this year lasted just two days, December 20 and 21. On the last day, three important bills were rushed through, including one that pertained to prohibition of mob violence, the penalty for which can be as severe as life imprisonment. The idea of public policies forged on the hot anvil of Assembly debates is now becoming a receding memory. The controversy over Kishorchandras arrest also mauled, or exposed, the state of the media in Manipur, in particular the two important journalist bodies, All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and Editors Guild, Manipur (EGM). For an entire month after the controversy broke out, leaders of the two organisations showed little or no concern at the development, saying the arrested journalist is a serial offender. One of them even officially disowned him as a journalist. Forgotten in the process is that the issue is not so much about Kishorchandra, but of vindictive and vengeful misuse of power by those in power. Probably all these have a lot to do with desensitisation by years of living in a conflict situation, but also co-option by the establishment if public opinion on social media is any indication. The casualty expectedly has been a general confusion, if not a decay of faith, amongst its practitioners in the mandate of the journalistic profession as an interrogator and adversary of power. Somewhere down the line, the media leadership in Manipur seems to have lost the plot, crippling further the already ailing democracy in the state. Rebuilding it will not be easy, but an emergency general body meeting of the AMWJU on Tuesday showed willingness to begin the process. Tanushree Roy By Online Desk 2018 has been the worst year for gun violence in the US with a total of 55,849 incidents from January 1 to December 26, 2018. According to Gun Violence Archive, shootings claimed more than 14,000 deaths in the US in 2018. The year was also the worst for school shootings in the US, with the most shootings on campuses (25), most people shot (94), most people killed (33) and most students exposed to gunfire (25,332), according to a report in the Washington Post. While the deaths of 17 students and staff members at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in February led to increased security measures at schools, the larger issue of preventing such attacks instead of focusing on how to react to them still remains to be addressed. Some of the steps could also end up making the students less secure. According to a report by Newsweek, an Oklahoma public school has built bulletproof shelters that can fit 35 students and two teachers inside during an attack. ALSO READ | Parkland shooting: Florida lawmakers debate school-safety bill in rare session The main problem with this system is what if you are trapped in the safety net with the attacker, which in most cases is a school student? What are the gun laws in the US? The Second Amendment serves as the legal basis for gun laws in the US. The amendment protects the right of citizens to possess firearms. The bill which was passed in 1791 and modified in 2008 allows any individual to own guns for self-defence, excluding felons and mentally unstable patients. However, legal loopholes ensure that even those barred from possessing guns have access to them. Although a Federal Firearms License is required to obtain firearms and ammunition, not every buyer is legally subject to a background check, one of the main reasons for guns reaching the wrong hands. According to a report by DW.com, the term 'Gunshow Loophole' explains how one can purchase a gun without having to undergo a background check. #MarchForOurLives Following the Parkland shooting, thousands of people protested in cities across the US on March 24 as part of the #MarchForOur Lives movement seeking stricter gun laws in the country. Thousands turned out for #MarchForOurLives. (Photo | Twitter@JuddLegum) The protesters gathered to demand stronger background checks on gun sales, raising the federal age for obtaining guns to 21 and a restoration of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban among other measures. Supported by many celebrities including George Clooney, the protests were one of the largest in American history. Some gun control measures have been put in place this year, especially at the state level. According to the Giffords Law Center, 26 states and Washington DC enacted 67 new gun control laws this year, almost triple that in 2017. Seven states have enacted laws that added a background check requirement and some states tightened the minimum age to acquire firearms to 21. But in the absence of federal laws, people who want to buy a gun can always move to another state where the norms are less stringent. The movement offers hope that the debate is changing in favour of gun control and will eventually reach a tipping point that is irreversible. Until then, students in the US will continue to go to school with the threat of a shooting hanging ominously over their heads. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: The State registered 3.5 per cent decrease in crime rate in 2018 when compared to the figures in 2017. However, cases of harassment against women, rape, cybercrimes and economic offences are on the rise, according to the statistics released by the Director General of Police (DGP) RP Thakur here on Friday. According to the Annual Crime Statistics-2018, 1.19 lakh cases of cognizable crimes were reported in 2018 as against 1.23 lakh cases in 2017, an average drop of 3.49 per cent. Addressing the media, Thakur said they (police) succeeded in reducing property offenses such as murder for gain, dacoities, robberies and burglaries. The DGP said the number of cases of property recovery and detection saw an increase of 10 per cent and 4 per cent respectively. The Railway police arrested a large number of inter-State gangs. After these arrests, the incidents of robbery have reduced, said Thakur. The DGP reiterated that AP stood among the top States in terms of maintaining Law and Order (L&O). However, the cases of economic offenses has registered a sudden spike of 30 per cent with 942 cases in 2018 as against 729 cases in 2017. Though there was an overall decrease of 4.23 per cent in crime against women, cases of harassment and rape increased despite police launching various women safety initiatives. Incidents of cybercrimes increased by 25.67 per cent with 1,439 cases. As many as 609 POCSO Act cases were registered in 2018. As many as 323 people, including three minors, were rescued from trafficking gangs and 637 traffickers were arrested. Expressing relief over the decrease in road accidents by 11.76 per cent and accidental deaths by 9.09 per cent, Thakur hailed the preventive measures taken by the State Road Safety Committee for the same. While East Godavari, Vijayawada city and Visakhapatnam city are the top three districts in road accidents, more people died in Guntur Rural, East Godavari and West Godavari in accidents, he said. When asked about goals and action plan for the new year, Thakur said 2019 would be a different year for the State police due to a large number of political meetings as part of the elections. However, he expressed confidence that police will handle the situation effectively. We are monitoring the activities of all anti-social elements. Patrolling will be intensified from January and the new police vehicles will increase the mobility. In addition to the existing 5,000 CCTV cameras, another 14,000 cameras are going to be installed at all problematic locations, DGP Thakur explained. By Express News Service KAKINADA: One worker died and 10 others were injured at Kakinada Deep Seaport on Saturday when two huge cranes under repair collapsed on them. It is being suspected that more people might have got trapped beneath the wreckage At around 10:30 a.m.while a group of workers were engaged in loading and unloading ships at the seaport, the huge cranes used for loading and unloading, which is being repaired suddenly collapsed. Fire and Safety wing personnel of Kakinada Sea Port Limited rushed to the spot and took rescue efforts. Port police also rushed to the spot on being alerted of the accident. One worker identified as Vattipalli Lakshman Kumar (35) of Kovvur in West Godavari district died on the spot. The injured were shifted to the hospital, where the condition of one of the injured identified as P Prasad is reported to be critical. By Express News Service PALAKKAD: The collection of funds, from even poor social security pensioners, for the Womens Wall has cast a shadow on the initiative, putting the organisers, especially the CPM, on the defensive. In the Ottappalam Municipality, an independent councillor said that the Killikavu residents association in Kaniampuram, Ottappalam, had exchanged messages in their Whatsapp group that the employees of the local co-operative banks collected 100 and 200 while delivering the security pension. The UDF members joined the chorus forcing the municipality chairman Narayanan Namboodiri to order an inquiry by the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies. DCC president V K Sreekantan who produced a sheaf of receipts issued by the Navodhana Samithy alleged there were 5,200 pensioners in Pudussery panchayat alone and even if Rs 100 is collected from each, it will amount to more than 5 lakh. In the Palakkad district, there are 88 panchayats and seven municipalities. He said that when the issue came to the fore, Minister for Development of Scheduled Castes A K Balan had said that there was no consent and the party will enquire into it. Sreekantan said that it was the Kerala police which has to inquire into it and not the party. An organising committee for the Wall was formed with the minister and the District Collector as members. Therefore, the Collector owed an explanation about the unauthorised and forced collection from the poor pensioners. The receipts were printed in the press of the Co-operative Department in Sultanpet. The number of books printed and the funds collected needs to be disclosed by the administration, he added. In the Shoranur Municipality there are 33 wards and in each ward, there are about 15 Kudumbashree units and the funds were being collected from each of them, said Sreekantan, a councillor in Shoranur. Sobha arrested, hospitalised; Sivarajan takes over hunger strike BJP state general secretary Sobha Surendran, who has been on a hunger strike in front of the secretariat for the last 10 days on Sabarimala issue, was arrested and then hospitalized by the police after her health deteriorated. The doctors who examined her said that the BJP leader should be hospitalised owing to her delicate health, but the suggestion was turned down. The police later arrested her from the tent and admitted her to General Hospital. The strike has been taken over by BJP state vice-president N Sivarajan. The BJP kick-started hunger strike, seeking the relaxation of restrictions put in place in Sabarimala. BJP state general secretary A N Radhakrishnan had started the hunger strike. By Express News Service KOZHIKODE: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is in a firefighting mode. The reason: brewing resentment over the absence of IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty during the crucial voting in Parliament on a revised bill that makes Triple Talaq or instant divorce among Muslims a punishable offence. Kunhalikuttys decision to skip Parliament on Thursday to attend the wedding of an industrialist not only put the party in a spot, but also led to speculation of a lack of coordination between him and the only other party MP E T Mohammad Basheer. READ: Triple Talaq Bill discussion HIGHLIGHTS Though the initial decision of the partys national leadership was to boycott the voting, Basheer went ahead and voted against the bill, surprising many within the party. Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the state and IUML leader M K Muneer was left to firefight on the issue while addressing a press conference here on Friday. Contending that the IUML was a small party with just two MPs, Muneer argued that the presence of Kunhalikutty would not have made much of a difference as both MPs would not have got a chance to speak on the matter. Besides, Basheer had successfully driven home the partys opposition towards criminalising Triple Talaq in Parliament, he added. READ: 'IUML should demand P K Kunhalikuttys resignation for absence at triple talaq bill discussion' The partys central leadership had initially taken a decision to boycott the voting. However, if it was later decided on the floor of the House to vote against the bill, then it is a judicious decision as doing so is also a form of expressing dissent, Muneer said when asked about the deviation in stance. Asked why such a tall leader like Kunhalikutty chose to be absent on such a crucial voting day, Muneer said it is for Kunhalikutty himself to clarify. Flays Womens Wall Muneer repeated his earlier stance that the proposed Womens Wall on January 1 is a communal wall which will only serve to polarise society. Women are being used as a tool for the Womens Wall. Even though the organisers claim the wall is to uphold womens equality, it will only amount to declaring women as slaves who are bound to obey the diktats of men, Muneer said. He said various government departments were threatening women employees that their lives would be made miserable if they do not cooperate with the Womens Wall. He cited an instance of a Kudumbashree officer in Malappuram threatening women members about serious consequences if they do not become part of the Womens Wall. Voting decision taken jointly: Kunhalikutty In a statement from Abu Dhabi, P K Kunhalikutty MP said he could not attend Parliament on Thursday as he was travelling abroad. The decision to vote against the Triple Talaq Bill was taken after consultation between him and the other MP of the party E T Mohammad Basheer. While some Opposition parties such as the Congress wanted to boycott the voting after discussion, other parties suddenly decided to participate in the voting. Basheer and I jointly decided that it was better to vote against the Bill to record the partys protest, he said. He said propaganda against him by vested interests on the matter was not factually true. By Express News Service Monsoon in Kerala has been always magic. But in 2018, the monsoon between June 1 and August 18 wrought havoc in the state bringing lives of 5.4 million people to a standstill. The heavy downpour coupled with poor management of dams resulted in Kerala experiencing the worst-ever floods in the history since 1924. The torrential rains triggered nearly 350 landslides and forced the release of excess water from 37 dams across the state. The devastating floods and landslides affected 5.4 million people, displaced 1.4 million people and claimed 433 lives. The cost to rebuild Kerala was estimated to be over 21,000 crore. According to the state government, 1,259 out of 1,664 villages spread across 14 districts were affected. The worst-hit seven districts were Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Wayanad. In fact, the floods put the state government in a tight spot after it came under sharp criticism for being totally remaining unprepared to deal with the crisis situation. The Kerala High Court even admitted a letter send by N R Joseph of Chalakudy to one of its judges as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which contended that it was the mismanagement of dams and criminal negligence that led to the floods. However, on the positive side, Malayalees and people of the country rose to the occasion to extend all possible support to flood-affected people. Fishermen community was the first to reach out to those affected by the floods. They relentlessly worked in tandem with police and rescue teams to shift lakhs of people to safety. Indians world over contributed tonnes of relief materials to the displaced and the state saw thousands of people voluntarily taking up relief works. Obviously, there was a sense of camaraderie and the entire state stood together to tide over the crisis. On the flip side, even after four months, many of the affected people are still struggling to return to their normal lives after floods destroyed their homes and other valuables. Sleaze, rape allegations rock Orthodox, Catholic Churches Rape and sleaze episodes rocked the Church and things became murkier when a few nuns came out in the open protesting against the lethargic attitude of the state government and the Church in acting against the Bishop who faced rape charges. On September 8, for the first time, nuns staged a protest demanding the arrest of former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal in connection with an alleged rape of a nun. File photo of the five nuns staging a protest against the delay in the arrest of Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal in Kochi | Melton Antony The victims family members and five of her colleagues from Missionaries of Jesus convent at Kuravilangad in Kottayam took to the streets and joined the indefinite hunger strike organised by Save Our Sisters (SOS) Action Council. Following protests, the Bishop was summoned for questioning and later arrested. Similarly, in August, four Orthodox priests of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church were arrested based on a complaint of rape by a woman believer who gave a submission that she was raped after threatening to reveal her confession secrets to her husband. The accused priests were Fr Jaise K George, Fr Abraham Varghese, Fr Job Mathew and Fr Johnson V Mathew. Later, the priests were granted bail by the High Court. SFI leader murdered; campus turns bloody In an incident that brought to light violence on college campuses in the state, a student of Maharajas College in Kochi, also a member of Students Federation of India (SFI), was stabbed to death inside the hostel premises on July 21. Slain Maharajas College SFI leader Abhimanyu. | (File | EPS) The 20-year-old BSc Chemistry student identified as Abhimanyu was killed when SFI students and Campus Front of India (Student wing of PFI) workers allegedly clashed inside the campus. A native of Marayoor in Idukki, Abhimanyu was allegedly stabbed late night. The incident was a fallout of an argument between two groups over sticking posters inside the campus. Abhimanyu was painting the walls to welcome the new batch of students. By PTI BERHAMPUR (ODISHA): Wildlife personnel arrested two poachers from Chilika area and seized 13 dead birds, belonging to four different species, from their possession, officials said Saturday. The accused, identified as Akhaya Das and Gouranga Behera, both residents of Gopinathpur in Puri district, were arrested on Friday night, when they were hunting waterfowls inside the Chilika lake. The anti-poaching squads arrested the duo during patrolling, the Range Officer of Tangi Wildlife Range, Subhas Chandra Behera, said. The wildlife personnel seized carcasses of eight Gadwalls, three Little Grebe, a Common teal and a Eurasian wing, Behera said. The poachers confessed that they used to kill birds for supplying the bird meat to nearby hostels, a wildlife personnel said. The meat of aquatic birds are reportedly high on demand in the towns such as Bhubaneswar, Balugaon and Berhampur, official sources said. They said 19 anti-poaching camps are working in Chilika lake area. Patrolling has been intensified in the lake area to prevent the bird poaching, they said. An estimated 8 lakh migratory birds have migrated to the lake this year, they added. The birds, mostly from Northern Eurasia, Caspian region, Siberia, Kazakh, Lake Baikal and remote areas of Russia visit Chilika every winter. Donita Jose By Express News Service HYDERABAD: In a unique drive led by a collective for women Shakti, 500 women from all over the country gave a phone call to the Members of Parliament of MPs, explaining how important the Womens Reservation Bill was. From Telangana, at least 9 MPs, 8 of which were from the ruling TRS, gave a verbal yes to the Bill. The campaign, titled Call Your MP, was launched on Thursday and received a nod from 126 MPs across the country from 23 parties across 21 states. All nine MPs from Telangana, comprising TRS and AIMIM leaders, said they would start the discussion around the bill and possibly have it tabled during the present or forthcoming Lok Sabha sessions. Incidentally, Nizamabad MP Kavitha Kalvakuntla who on previous occasions has been supportive towards the bill remained inaccessible to the volunteers. However Asaduddin Owaisi, the only non-TRS MP of the lot. When we reached out to Asaduddin he said he would have no issues with it, but his focus would be on improving representation for Muslim women, said Tara Krishnaswamy, co-founder of Shakti. The campaign managed to call 373 Lok Sabha MPs of who 128 responded. But where is the will? Such a campaign is very crucial because since it has been four and a half years since the bill was proposed and it is yet to be tabled in the Parliament. The government has promised to bring it in and with this exercise at least we have realised that opposition party is also on the same page so the only thing preventing equal representation to women is political will. With this move we hope at least the lawmakers discuss, added Tara. The campaign saw women calling up their respective states elected representatives and telling them how crucial such a bill was. I never knew I could call up an MP so easily. But I did. Some of them patiently heard me out and agreed to take it up in the Parliament if the Speaker gives them time, noted Spurthi Kolipaka, a campaigner who volunteered to call MPs in State. 126 MPs across the country say they support Bill In a short span of 2.5 hours, the Shakti - Call Your MP campaign called 373 Lok Sabha MPs, of which 128 MPs answered. 126 of the 128 MPs said they support the Bill and will try to raise it in Parliament this Winter Session, said Shakti. Shakti is a non-partisan inclusive platform of women across who have joined hands, regardless of region, caste, creed, ideology and setting aside our differences with a single-minded objective to get more women elected as MLAs and MPs. (You can access the campaign website at bit.ly/ShaktiCall) By Express News Service HYDERABAD: TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to construct a building for TRS office in Delhi. The TRS leaders are on the job of identification of the land. The party has decided to complete the construction of the building within three months time. Accordingly, TRS MPs along with Vastu expert Suddala Sudhakar Teja examined some sites in Delhi. A believer in the occult sciences, Rao invited Sudhakar Teja to Delhi to select the land which should be vastu compliant, sources said. As per norms, the Central government is likely to allot 1,000 square yards of land in Delhi for the construction of the party office of any political party. Once, the Central government allots the land, TRS would start constructing the office building, sources said. Rao is likely to lay foundation stone for the party office building after Sankranti. There are no good days till Sankranti, Rao would once again go to Delhi after Sankranti and lay foundation to the party office building, sources said. The building would be constructed in two to three months time, party sources said. 0The new office building for TRS in Delhi would help Rao to meet people and take up Federal Front activities, source said. KTR wants eligible voters to be enrolled in the electoral list. TRS working president KT Rama Rao called upon the party leaders to see that every eligible voter is enrolled in the voters lists. The Election Commission gave one month time for enrolment of new voters and also the inclusion of names of people whose names were deleted from rolls recently. The entire rank and file of the party should help the voters in enrolling their names in the electoral rolls during the current revision of the voters lists, Rama Rao directed the party leaders. Addressing party general secretaries at Telangana Bhavan on Friday, Rama Rao wanted them to coordinate with local MLAs and Assembly segment in-charges to ensure that every eligible voter was enrolled in the State. Rama Rao also directed the general secretaries to tour the districts and guide the party workers during the next one month for enrolment of voters. TRS would also set up a special team at Telangana Bhavan for better coordination in enrolling the new voters. Meanwhile, he said the selection of lands for the construction of the party offices was completed in 20 districts. KCR not interested in growth of BCs in politics Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao alleged that CM KCR was not interested in the growth of BCs in politics. Speaking at the former minister and ex-MLA of Khairatabad P Janardhan Reddys death anniversary on Friday, he alleged that KCR brought an ordinance decreasing the reservations to BCs in the Panchayat Raj polls. He said they would knock the doors of the SC against the State governments ordinance. Cong has no right to speak on BCs issue Former Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav claimed that TRS was the champion of BCs and the Opposition Congress has no right to speak on the issues related to BCs as it failed to protect them in the past. Speaking to reporters on Friday, he alleged that the Congress leaders were in desperation after the defeat in the recent Assembly elections and they were speaking as per their whims. TRS would never render injustice to BCs and it would give nominated posts soon to them, he said. Photo via Xinhua From The Boao Forum for Asia to the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), China has achieved outstanding performance, making opening up a keyword in Chinas diplomacy on the reform and opening up policy's 40th anniversary, experts said. Addressing the grand gathering on Dec. 18 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, President Xi Jinping underlined Chinas commitment to opening up wider to the world and promoting joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity. Bearing in mind Chinas internal and international imperatives, we have stayed committed to the fundamental national policy of opening-up, followed a proactive approach to opening up, and entered a new stage of comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging opening-up, thus creating a sound international environment and broader development space for China, President Xi said in his speech. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary, opening up has become a key word in Chinas diplomacy throughout the year, said Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Institute of International Strategy at the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). This is also a general response by China to the current international situation. Its a clear signal that China wants to strengthen open cooperation and maintain multilateral mechanisms with other countries, Su said. China-Russia relations have continued to grow at a high level after several meetings and exchanges between President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, while China and Europe have also forged closer ties following President Xis visits to Spain and Portugal. Thanks to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, South-South cooperation was also elevated to a new level. At the core of Chinas diplomacy is a community with a shared future for mankind, which is Chinas hope for the world, Su said. In a year full of uncertainty, China held the CIIE, constantly expanded its openness, and promoted stability and development of global free trade, adding certainty to the world, Professor Gao Fei from China Foreign Affairs University commented. In 2018, Chinas diplomacy held high the banner of multilateralism and safeguarded the rule-oriented international order. Our proposed cooperation concept is increasingly recognized by the international community and has distinctive features, said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs of Renmin University of China. Chinese diplomacy, like a giant vessel navigating the sea, has neither lost direction in the mist, nor been deterred by winds and storms, Wang Yi, Chinas State Council and Foreign Minister, said at a briefing in December. By PTI DHAKA: Bangladesh stepped up security with thousands of army troops patrolling the streets along with paramilitary forces and police as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term in Sunday's general elections. Over 600,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards have been deployed across the country to help conduct the election in which 10.41 crore people are eligible to vote. READ | Bangladesh intensifies nationwide security ahead of December 30 polls Security agencies have been asked to keep an extra vigil on religious minority communities as media reports said at least three Hindu households were set on fire by miscreants between December 16 and 26, Bangladesh's telecoms regulator also ordered the country's mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday "to prevent the spread of rumours" that could trigger unrest during the elections, the 11th since Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. According to the Election Commission, 1,848 candidates are contesting for 299 out of 300 Parliament seats. The polls will be held at 40,183 polling stations. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and activists of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Hasina, who is seeking to return to power for a third consecutive time, on Saturday feared the opposition could boycott polls in the middle of voting as part of a "political trick" to evade a "humiliating defeat". "I want to caution all about the character of (main opposition) BNP... they may say in the middle (of the elections) that we are boycotting the polls," she said. "In that case (opposition boycott) I will ask our candidates and other contenders to continue polls until the voting is ended," Hasina, 71, said. READ | Poll-bound Bangladesh shuts down high-speed internet services, restores later The premier's comments came as the main opposition BNP is contesting the polls visibly in a dilapidated state in the absence of jailed party chief Zia, 73, and her fugitive son Tarique Rahman who is the acting party chief. Zia, serving a 10-year prison term on graft charges, has been barred from contesting the polls while Rahman is living in London ostensibly to evade the law as a court has sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack on a rally in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. The BNP has stayed out of the parliamentary process since 2014 when it boycotted the general election over its demands for a poll-time non-party government. It has returned to parliamentary politics as part of a new alliance - National Unity Front (NUF) - that was cobbled together three months ago with eminent lawyer Kamal Hossain as its convener. But the party is in a state of disarray in the absence of its two top leaders. READ | Why India hopes that Sheikh Hasina wins December 30 elections Election Commission last week allowed hardline Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of BNP, to contest the general elections, two months after it scraped the fundamentalist party's registration. BNP earlier accused the election commission of being bias during the electoral campaign, a charge rejected by Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda. Reacting on Hasina's remarks, BNP's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said There is no dispute in our party about taking part in the polls. " "But what we see, there is no festive mood anywhere and rather a sense of fright is prevailing across the country due to government intimidation," he said. Chief Election Commissioner Huda in a nationwide address on Saturday acknowledged a media report about arrests of some polling agents of BNP candidates and called such action unwanted. Unless someone is wanted under certain case, police must not arrest anyone... maintain utmost neutrality in discharging your duties, he said. The opposition parties have alleged that thousands of its leaders and activists have been arrested to weaken them. The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB on Friday night arrested eight people for circulating "provocative videos and rumours" on social media relating to parliamentary election. Video-making materials, laptops and mobile phones were seized from the detainees, officials said. By PTI COLOMBO: The sharp political differences between Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been further reflected in the allocation of key departments under various ministries. According to the subjects gazette published on Saturday, Sirisena has kept control of the police department under him as the minister of defence. The UNP led by Wickremesinghe argues that the police cannot be controlled by Sirisena whereas the 19th amendment to the Constitution has restricted the president to just one ministry in addition to the defence ministry. READ | 2018 will be remembered for the worst political crisis in Sri Lanka's history Sirisena had also kept the government printer under him which is the authority which publishes government-gazetted decrees. Sirisena's differences with Wickremesinghe led to a collapse of the unity government between the two leaders on October 26 as Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe as premier and withdrew his UPFA alliance from the unity government, triggering a constitutional and political crisis never before seen in the island nation. READ | 2019 may be election year in Sri Lanka, hints President Sirisena Both Wickremesinghe and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who was appointed prime minister by Sirisena, were claiming the premiership. Wickremesinghe citing the 19A said Sirisena had no power to sack him. After a 50-day standoff, Wickremesinghe was restored to office. The country's highest court has termed Sirisena's action to dismiss parliament and his call for a fresh election as illegal. Since Wickremesinghe's reinstatement a new Cabinet was sworn in. The UNP wants the Cabinet to consist of 30 members apart from Sirisena and Wickremesinghe. READ | Wickremesinghe acknowledges differences with Sirisena on ministerial appointments "We have asked for the opinion of the attorney general on the number of ministers. The president and prime minister who hold portfolios must be excluded in our view," minister Mano Ganesan said. The 19A amendment has restricted the Cabinet to 30 members when a single political party holds power without any coalition arrangement with another party. Sirisena had ignored the names of those who had crossed over from his SLFP to join Wickremesinghe when the prime minister recommended them for ministerial posts. Under the Constitution, Cabinet ministers are appointed by the president under advise from the prime minister. Significantly, Sirisena has also appointed his own representatives to state media directorates while giving Wickremesinghe's UNP control over institutions. By Bloomberg Donald Trump hasnt ordered the Pentagon to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a White House spokesman said, contradicting reports last week that hes directed the military to pull 7,000 soldiers out of a conflict hes long criticized. The president has not made a determination to drawdown U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and he has not directed the Department of Defense to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. personnel from Afghanistan, Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said in an emailed statement on Friday. The statement came more than a week after a U.S. defense official, who asked not to be identified discussing the troop plans, said the Pentagon will withdraw 7,000 of about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan. That decision was widely reported in media outlets, including by Bloomberg News. But the U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller, said Sunday he hadnt received any orders to change troop levels in the country, according to Voice of America -- a statement the NSC appeared to belatedly confirm on Friday. Mattis Resignation The clarification may do little to assuage rising alarm among world leaders and senior lawmakers from both parties who criticized the presidents sudden decision last week to begin pulling troops out of Syria, a move that prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to resign. While he didnt publicly talk about Afghanistan, the president repeatedly said in the days following the Syria and Afghan reports that he was eager to bring troops home from overseas so he could focus on defending U.S. borders. Trump has long criticized the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan, the longest military conflict in U.S. history and one that has cost about 2,300 American lives. He only reluctantly agreed to his military advisers request to allow about 4,000 more troops to be sent to the country last year. Since American troops first arrived in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the U.S. has appropriated about $126 billion for relief and reconstruction, including $78 billion for security, according to a July report from a Pentagon watchdog. Yet the U.S. presence and money havent prevented conditions on the ground from deteriorating. Poppy Production According to a Pentagon watchdogs reports, the Kabul governments grip on the country has constantly shrunk, civilian deaths have risen and the production of poppy used to make heroin is surging. Publicly, Trumps national security team has said its approach was effective. During a trip to Afghanistan in July, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo insisted that Trumps strategy to fight the Taliban was working. Mattis similarly said earlier this year that Afghanistan was a tough fight but the American effort is working from our perspective. There was an acknowledgement, however, that American firepower could only go so far. General Miller said in an October interview with NBC News that the conflict is not going to be won militarily. My assessment is the Taliban also realizes they cannot win militarily, Miller told NBC. So if you realize you cant win militarily at some point, fighting is just -- people start asking why. Impasse The latest quarterly report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction described the military situation as of Nov. 30 as being at an impasse. The arrival of additional U.S. advisers this year helped slow the momentum of a Taliban march that had capitalized on U.S. draw-downs between 2011 and 2016, it said. Afghan forces remain in control of most of Afghanistans population centers and all of the provincial capitals, while the Taliban control large portions of Afghanistans rural areas, and continue to attack poorly defended government checkpoints and rural district centers, it said. The decision to withdraw forces comes as the U.S. tries to broker talks aimed at bringing a more lasting peace to Afghanistan. American officials held talks with Taliban representatives in the United Arab Emirates last week, joined by officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the U.A.E. Chinas express delivery volume reaches 50 billion parcels, remaining first in the world for 5 consecutive years Students get their parcels in a university in Nanjing. (Photo/Chinanews.com) Chinas volume of express delivery reached 50 billion parcels on Dec. 28, topping the worlds market for five consecutive years, according to the State Post Bureaus safety supervision information system in China, Chinanews.com reported on Dec. 28. Since the year 2014, Chinas volume of express delivery business has remained steadily in the first place worldwide for five years consecutively, exceeding the total volumes of parcels handled in the worlds developed economies such as the United States and Japan, expressed Feng Lihu, spokesperson of the State Post Bureau. Its learned that Chinas express delivery volume has been growing by 10 billion parcels on a yearly basis since the start of the countrys 13th Five-Year Plan, and that the country has built 232 large-scale automated sorting centers. The integration of intelligent algorithms, automated operating lines, and sorting robots enables China to reduce 70 percent of the manpower in express delivery business, besides, the intelligentization in storage and sorting also help to improve efficiency significantly. So far, 92.4 percent of Chinas rural areas have been included in the express delivery network, which can basically meet the demands of the 600 million people residing in rural areas. Moreover, based on its soaring development of express delivery business, China has launched 905 featured projects, 16 demonstration bases of delivery service for modern agriculture, and 20 express delivery+ key projects to promote poverty elimination and rural revitalization. Tennis Legend on Abortion: It Let Me Choose My Future (Newser) Much has been written about Samuel Little, a 77-year-old serving life in California whose recent confessions may make him one of America's deadliest serial killers. In a lengthy piece for the Los Angeles Times, Del Quentin Wilber manages to present new details on how those confessions came to be and what the substance of them was. Wilber dates the start of the break to April 2013; Little was arrested the year prior in Kentucky on a warrant tried to a LA drug violation. He was then linked to three cold-case murders, but he wasn't talking, so LAPD detectives placed a call to Christie Palazzolo. The 34-year-old is one of 10 FBI analysts who man the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, whose searchable database of crimes helps produce hundreds of leads each year. story continues below She managed to compile a 150-page timeline of Little's extremely transient life, down to a job he once had at a cemetery. She then used the ViCAP database to look for crimes that synced with his whereabouts, and found one: a 1994 murder in Odessa, Texas. "This just felt like him," Palazzolo said. But momentum on the case didn't come until she was connected with Texas Ranger James Holland in December 2017. The following May, Holland interviewed Little, with Palazzolo and a colleague listening in from across the hall. When Holland mentioned Odessa, "it seemed to flip a switch in the killers head, although investigators still arent sure why." Little began detailing what amounted to some 90 murders, and while his dates were often off by a decade, his memory for other details is incredible. In one case, he detailed a victim's last mealdetectives consulted the autopsy to see if it synced with her stomach contents. Read the full piece here. (Read more Longform stories.) (Newser) A tragic end for a British couple that moved to Australia less than a year ago: Jason Francis was out day-drinking in Perth on Saturday with friends who said they put him in a cab home to his girlfriend of eight years after he became drunk. The 29-year-old reportedly ended up lying in the road, where a teenage pizza delivery driver who possibly didn't see him struck Francis around 8pm. Alice Robinson, who news.com.au reports was at home "only meters away," saw emergency responders' lights and went outside. There, she learned Francis had been hurt, reports the Times of London. He died in the hospital. story continues below Hours after leaving the hospital, Robinson was found dead in her car in what is believed to be a suicide. Her mother wrote on Facebook, "I am devastated to let everyone know that my beautiful daughter was so distraught she could not bear to live without her beloved Jase and chose to take her own life." The head of the rugby club Francis was a part of said "these are two beautiful souls that we have lost far too early, and were loved like family." A GoFundMe page set up to help pay to have their bodies returned to England had raised more than $39,000 as of Saturday. (Read more Australia stories.) (Newser) Kevin Spacey may have resurfaced in the public eye with a strange and defiant video, but that doesn't mean he wants to endure a perp walk into court. The actor's legal team has asked permission for Spacey not to appear at his Jan. 7 arraignment on a felony sexual assault charge in Massachusetts, reports the Boston Globe. A judge will make the final decision, but Spacey's chances dropped when prosecutors in Nantucket Island weighed in and said Spacey should have to be there, per USA Today. The actor is accused of groping an 18-year-old busboy in a restaurant, and the busboy reportedly has video of it. (Read more Kevin Spacey stories.) (Newser) North Carolina might be short one member of Congress when the new term begins. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Friday that Democrats won't allow Republican Mark Harris to be sworn in next week because of an ongoing investigation into his November victory, reports the AP. "Given the now well-documented election fraud that took place in NC-09, Democrats would object to any attempt by Mr. Harris to be seated on January 3," Hoyer said, adding that "the integrity of our democratic process outweighs concerns about the seat being vacant at the start of the new Congress." The US Constitution states that the House is the judge of the elections of its members and the final arbiter of contests. story continues below The state Elections Board has refused to certify the race between Harris and Democrat Dan McCready while it investigates absentee ballot irregularities in the district, located in the south-central part of the state. Harris holds a slim lead in unofficial results, but election officials are looking into criminal allegations against an operative hired by the Harris campaign. Things became even more uncertain Friday when the state dissolved its Elections Board on the order of a three-judge state panel. A new board was to be in place Jan. 31, per the Washington Post. (McCready initially conceded but has since rescinded that.) (Read more North Carolina stories.) (Newser) Extremist sect, meet the FBI. Prosecutors have charged four men allegedly involved in kidnapping two New York state children in order to haul them down to an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group in Guatemala, the Journal News reports. Seems Nachman Helbrans, 36, Mayer Rosner, 42, Jacob Rosner, 20all of Guatemalacoordinated with Brooklyn resident Aron Rosner, 45, to kidnap the children from Woodridge, NY, on Dec. 8. According to officials, the perpetrators coordinated the 3am abduction by slipping a cellphone to Yante Helbrans, 14, and getting her to meet outside with brother Chaim Helbrans, 12, per the New York Post. The suspects allegedly dressed the children in non-religious clothing and flew them to Mexico via a small Pennsylvania airport. story continues below Mother Sara Helbrans says she fled the Lev Tahor sect six weeks ago when things got too extreme. Her father had founded the group, was convicted in 1994 of kidnapping a New York 13-year-old, got deported to Israel, and in 2017 drowned in Mexico, per the AP. Then Sara's brother, Nachmanone of the four chargedtook over and allegedly tried to marry off Yante when she was just 13. Court records say Sara objected and was emotionally abused until she escaped the sect's Guatemala compound with her children. Now, the good news: Yante and Chaim were found in Mexico and reunited with their mom. "Thankfully, the kidnappers were no match for the perseverance of the FBI, the New York State Police, and Mexican authorities," says Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman. (Meanwhile, a woman kidnapped in the 1980s has finally been rescued.) (Newser) A Georgia prosecutor is suing the US Department of Justice over its refusal to provide information about how officers shot 59 bullets into a schizophrenic college student, the AP reports. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said Friday that federal authorities have blocked his prosecutors from interviewing the officers who killed Jamarion Robinson, 26. Howard said the federal agency has also stymied his investigation of the 2016 killing by refusing to turn over any documents, despite numerous requests during the past two years under the federal Freedom of Information Act. "We've never done anything like this," he says of the lawsuit. "Our hope was that the federal authorities would cooperate and provide this office and this family with all the information about this incident. I cannot understand why they have not done it." story continues below Robinson's mother, Monteria Robinson, accompanied Howard when he announced the lawsuit. "My son deserves the truth," she says. Atlanta criminal defense lawyer Page Pate, who isn't involved in the case but has handled numerous others involving the federal government, says the standoff between local and federal law enforcers "is extraordinarily unusual." Robinson died in a hail of gunfire after a fugitive task force armed with weapons that included submachine guns broke down the door in the Atlanta suburb of East Point, Georgia, in August 2016, and fired more than 90 rounds "into or inside" the apartment, according to the lawsuit. Witnesses and videos have indicated that officers gave numerous verbal commands for Robinson to put down a weapon. (Meanwhile, a suspected cop killer was captured in California.) (Newser) Seems Yukai Yang had a solution to his problem: Get the heck outta Dodge. The former Lehigh University student, charged with trying to poison his roommate, has been accused of trying to flee the US while authorities investigated him, ABC 7 reports. County prosecutors in Pennsylvania say the Chinese national nearly arranged his own deportation after his family posted $200,000 bail, per the Morning Call. With Yang released, ICE picked him up with an eye to deporting him"which meant he was going to get on a plane and go home," says District Attorney John Morganelli. "It appears to us it was a good strategy. Luckily we got a heads-up on it and we were aware of it." story continues below Illegally in the US with a revoked student visa, Yang apparently figured he could waive his right to a deportation hearing and be sent out of the countrybut "that will not happen," says Morganelli. ICE has returned Yang to county jail at prosecutors' request; another hearing for the 22-year-old chemistry student hasn't yet been scheduled. Meanwhile, prosecutors are investigating whether Yang also tried to poison another Lehigh student. Yang is already accused of trying to kill his roommate of four years, Juwal Royal, by sneaking the chemical thallium into his food and drink. Yang was first arrested in April for allegedly scrawling racist graffiti like "N-word GET OUT OF HERE" on his black roommate's desk. (Read about a religious ceremony where 11 people mysteriously got sick and died.) (Newser) Is this a case of equal-opportunity suspension? Two days after a white Ohio police officer was suspended for using the "N-word" on duty, a black officer got the same treatment for doing the same thingthough he did it back in September, USA Today reports. The story unfolded Wednesday when Cincinnati Police Officer Dennis Barnette, who is white, was suspended for using the racial slur while trying to arrest a black woman Saturday at a nightclub, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. The slur could be heard on a fellow officer's body camera. "This type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated inside the department," wrote Police Chief Eliot Isaac, and several city council members wanted Barnette fired. story continues below The Barnette case triggered an internal investigation that looked into previous, similar caseswhich brought up a September incident in which Officer Donte Hill, who is black, responded to a call in Cincinnati's Westwood neighborhood, per the Enquirer. Body-camera footage showed that Hill used "excessive profane language and also utilized a racial slur (the 'N' word) when addressing the individuals involved," Isaac says. But Hill only got a reprimand, and his case never went to the internal investigations section. Now Barnette and Hill are both on desk duty. "Although we hear [the slur] often" on the street, says Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils, "...there is no place for it in a professional capacity." (A FedEx driver will not face charges for fatally striking a man who hurled racial slurs.) (Newser) Top Russian and Turkish ministers agreed during a meeting in Moscow on Saturday to maintain cooperation in northern Syria as US forces prepare to withdraw and Turkey threatens to launch a military operation against US-backed Kurdish forces controlling nearly a third of the country, the AP reports. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said before the talks began that they would focus on the situation in and around Idlib, as well as "what can and should be done" when the US withdraws from Syria. After the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that much of the discussion focused on the pending US withdrawal, and that Russia and Turkey managed to agree on coordinating their steps in Syria "to ultimately eradicate the terrorist threat." story continues below Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said the meeting lasted an hour and a half. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Russia and Turkey have a "shared will on cleaning Syria from all terror organizations," and added Turkey would continue its "close cooperation" with Russia and Iran in Syria and the region. The Syrian military said it entered the Kurdish stronghold of Manbij on Friday as part of an apparent agreement between the two sides. The Kurds are looking for new allies to protect against a threatened Turkish offensive as US forces prepare to leave. With President Donald Trump's surprise decision to withdraw troops earlier this month, Turkey announced it will hold off on a threatened offensive against Kurdish militants that it considers terrorists. It has, however, continued amassing troops at the border as it monitors the situation. (Here's what Trump told troops on his visit to Iraq.) HOHHOT, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region launched China's first Mongolian language search engine Friday, according to the region's ethnic affairs committee. With the access to more than 200 Mongolian language websites, the search platform www.Joloo.cn is the first of its kind in China since the vertical writing of Mongolian makes the informatization of the language challenging. The search engine team began the project in 2016 and developed an input method editor to overcome the technical difficulties. Now, over 2 million people of the Mongolian ethnic group in China speak the language. China has more than 6.5 million people of the Mongolian ethnic group, mainly in Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Gansu, Xinjiang, and Qinghai. (Newser) President Trump deflected any blame from his administration for the deaths of two Guatemalan children this month in US government custody as his Homeland Security chief visited Border Patrol medical officials amid promises of more thorough health screenings for migrant children, the AP reports. Instead, the president, whose administration has faced widespread criticism over the deaths, pointed the finger at Democrats "and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally." They were his first comments on the deaths. He also tweeted that the children were "very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol." The president's comments came Saturday afternoon, the same day Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was in Yuma, Arizona, to meet with medical staff at the border. story continues below The highest appeal court has affirmed the oneyear jail term given to a Bahraini company manager after being found guilty for the sexual abuse of two of his female staff. The offences took place in 2017 when the accused was working as a manager in a private bank. Charges were pressed against him after the authorities received a complaint from one of his employees accusing him of sexual harassment. The defendant, according to the victim, tried to exploit her sexually while in his cabin from which she managed to escape. After the incident, the defendant also called the victim on phone seeking pardon but ended up dropping sexual innuendos. He was also accused of sexual harassment by another lady staff. The defendant, according to her, demanded a kiss from her after asking her to come to his office, just 10 days after joining. The defendant also tried to exploit her by summoning her to his office after switching off the lights. The public prosecution found that the accused sexual harassed the first and second victims with his repetitive behaviour with obscene attacks, often addressing them in a vulgar way. The Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday said it was opposed to the commencement of a nationwide military exercise, Egwu Eke III otherwise called Python Dance.The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, had said the military exercise which would commence from January 1, 2019 and last till February 28 was in preparation against security challenges anticipated before, during and after the 2019 general election.But the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari was plotting to use the planned nationwide Operation Python Dance to legitimise his administrations alleged ploy of using the military to intimidate voters and rig the 2019 presidential election.He stated that Buhari planned to use the military having realised that he cannot win in a free and fair poll.According to him, the plot is in line with the alleged desperation of the Buhari Presidency to foist a siege mentality on the nation ahead of the 2019 general elections.Ologbondiyan, who is also the Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization said, Our investigation shows that part of the plot is to use the military operation as a subterfuge to unleash heavy security presence to intimidate, harass and instil fear in voters in PDP strongholds across the country and pave the way for the allocation of fictitious votes to President Buhari and the APC.Further investigation revealed that agents of the Buhari Presidency are working in cohort with some compromised top officials of the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission to use soldiers to provide cover for diversion of electoral materials, as well as aid APC agents in their plan to unleash violence and disrupt the electoral process in areas where the PDP is winning.In spanning the military operation to February 28, 2019, the Buhari Presidency betrayed its anticipation of public rejection or violence, which can only come when a result that does not reflect the actual wish of the people is announced.Ologbondiyan stated that everybody in Nigeria and world over, including the Presidency, knew the direction the 2019 presidential election tide is flowing.He added that Nigerians are eager for a new president, having lost confidence in Buhari, due to his alleged failures in governance.He said, The PDP PCO, therefore, rejects this deliberate attempt by the Buhari Presidency to set our military on a collision course with Nigerians, bearing in mind the collateral damage that usually occurs whenever the civilian population clashes with military.Our nation is a democratic state and we are not in a state of emergency that requires the militarization of our electoral process.Our military, which is cherished by Nigerians, should, therefore, foreclose any attempt by the Buhari Presidency to use it to set our country on fire.According to him, all that Nigerians desire at this point is to go to the polls and peacefully elect a new President to reposition the nation and not another round of electoral crisis. A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Otunba Segun Adewale has posited that South West region of the country will determine the winner of the 2019 Presidential election.Adewale made this known to newsmen on Christmas get together he organized for his business and political associates.Adewale said that the chances of the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is very bright but must ensure that he work with people who truly wants him to emerge as the next President.He said for instance in Lagos, a lot of the people running and forming a circle around him from the State have not lifted a finger to add anything to Atikus electoral fortune or campaign, he stressed further that many of them lack the political sagacity to use their influence to affect his electoral fortune but keep on with habit of name dropping.It is not news that Nigerians have rejected APC, their only hope is to rig the election recklessly, and our party must be ready to prevent it by looking for trusted and capable hands with committed party members who are ready to defend the votes even with their lives.PDP have always won convincingly in South West but our polling agents are too porous, the elections are rigged right from polling units to collation centers with intimidation and forceful declaration of fake result or outright refusal or allowing PDP to even vote in some polling units.Adewale said if Atiku truly wants to win convincingly in South West, he must assemble young and smart Hard Working Team with proven electoral track record and not the regular old and tired brigades who wont even step outside their doors on the election day.He said that the party must take a cue from the recently concluded Ekiti and Osun election, he posited that all hands must be on deck if indeed the party want a resounding victory in 2019.Adewale said that Nigerians will vote for PDP massively, we must play our own role to secure Atikus Victory by looking for a minimum of 50 strong, vibrant and honest people from each ward throughout the South West to man our polling unitsThe PDP Chieftain said that it is obvious that some of the so called leaders from the region are running from pillar to post just to be named State Coordinators but cannot stake their personal finance to kick off campaign but waiting for the Atikus Money, the same set of people have their strong links and family members benefiting immensely from Buharis government, how do we expect such people to work with all their strength to ensure that Atiku emerge from the region? Adewale asked.According to him, both Atiku and Buhari will share Northern votes, South East and South South are for PDP but South West is the battle ground and as such, credible people must be chosen to man all the States in the region.Adewale said that Lagos has over 5 million voters spread across the 20 local government and 37 LCDAs created by the State government, its a peculiar State that needs men who can navigate it despite the structure of the ruling APC.Adewale who said his media statement is an SOS to Atiku and concerned stakeholders at the partys top hierarchy, to take note of the perculiarity of Lagos State and South West as a whole. 2018 has seen countless role models make significant contributions to Chinese society. Hats off to these unsung heroes! No. 1 Chinese troops serve for peace China has deployed a total of 37,000 peacekeepers since it joined UN peacekeeping operations, and 13 have sacrificed their lives on the frontline. China, for its service and sacrifice, was praised as a crucial factor and key force of peacekeeping operations by the international community. The UN has released a video to extend its gratitude to these Chinese peacekeepers. Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom state, has advised governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to sur... Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom state, has advised governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to surrender their states before the 2019 elections. Akpabio said this on Friday while speaking at the flag off of the All Progressives Congress (APC)l campaign for the 2019 general election. The senator representing Akwa Ibom north west said the forthcoming election is all about integrity and President Muhammadu Buhari has what it takes to continue in office. We thank the national leadership of our party for choosing Akwa-Ibom state to flag off the 2019 presidential campaign. Uyo is now the capital of APC in the south-south. We are taking over from southern Nigeria, Akpabio said. Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the Boko Haram attacks in the north-east has only been within Borno state since Presi... Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the Boko Haram attacks in the north-east has only been within Borno state since President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015. The minister said this while speaking at the commencement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the 2019 elections. The programme held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, on Friday. Amaechi said the APC had made progress in securing the country, adding that change does not come without some measure of pains. Ive been silent for a very long time and the reason you have not heard from me is that you dont talk while youre busy; weve been extremely busy in the past four years, he said. About this time four years ago, we were running round, begging Nigerians to change the leadership of the country. We promised just three things; to improve on the economy, to enhance security and we promised to fight corruption. These are just the three things we promised. Anybody that says we promised N1 will be $1 must be a magician. Anybody who says we promised that fuel price will fall or we will bring down the fuel price must also be a magician. We are not voodoo economist. It was very clear what was wrong; we got in, and saw the challenges, we never knew they had stolen all the money. We thought they had conscience to leave some money behind. And when we got in, we were mindful of the promises we made. So the president gave all of us in his cabinet challenges to ensure that we rescue this country. Nigerians would agree that before we came to power, as governor of Rivers state, I could not sleep in Kano. I was asked to leave back to Abuja. Nigerians would agree that Kano was attacked, Abuja was attacked, since we got to government to now, any attack from Boko Haram has always been in Borno and not outside Borno. So have we made any improvement in security? The answer is yes. A forum of Zonal and State Youth Leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has kicked against the list of Presidential Campaign Council released by the presidency on Friday, describing it as discriminatory.The forum in its preliminary reaction said in spite of the sacrifices of its longsuffering members for the successes of the party, the APC-led administration has continued to denigrate its youth wing.The statement signed by the North-central youth leader of the party, Comrade Terver Aginde, on behalf of all the zonal and state youth leaders, threatened to mobilize APC youths to fight what he described as injustice against the youth wing of the ruling party.We the zonal youths and states youth leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC), after carefully studying the presidential campaign committee list, we are saying that the list has no interest of the youth wing of the party at heart and we will not accept anything short of totally been in charge of the Youth Directorate from the National, Zonal and State levels of the party.We have made sacrifices and shown commitment to the party and we deserve a good deal. We are ready to mobilize ourselves to fight against this injustice and exclusiveness if nothing is done quickly.We constitute the highest percentage of the voting strength, if all the zonal women leaders will be included in the campaign team, we see no reason why the youth leaders should not be included, he added. President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to embrace hard work and secure a source of living, saying there will be no shortcuts t... President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to embrace hard work and secure a source of living, saying there will be no shortcuts to acquiring wealth. The president said this on Friday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, while flagging off the reelection campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Buhari said his government has made remarkable success in tackling insurgency and in ensuring food security in the country. According to him, many local governments were held by the Boko Haram insurgents when he assumed office but none, presently, is physically controlled by the group. I will like those who want to challenge us at any level, at any constituency, to doubt our contribution towards our undertaking, Buhari said. Our population is over 60% of young men, that is 30 years and below. Our main problem is employment. We are encouraging our farmers and we have regained food security. I assure you that you will not regret trusting us. We are going to secure this country, we are going to manage it properly. We are going to stop corruption, so you better sweat and work for a living because there is no more handouts. I assure you that no Nigerian will regret voting us into office and we will continue to improve the situation, security, economy and fighting corruption. A flood of tributes poured Friday night as the news of the death of Nigerias Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari spread after the announcement by his grandchildren and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto.Shagari was 93 years old and will be buried in his Shagari village today at 2pm.I regret to announce the death of former President Shehu Shagari who just passed away at National Hospital Abuja. May his Soul Rest in Peace, wrote Tambuwal on Twitter.Bello Shagari who first announced it on Twitter had over 5,000 retweets, as he wrote: I regret announcing the death of my grandfather, H.E Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died right now after brief illness at the National hospital, Abuja.He later tweeted that the burial will take place today 29th December 2019, by 2pm at Shagari Local Government Inshaa Allah.Nuradeen Mahe, another grandson was the person who briefed the newsmen in Sokoto about Shagaris death and also announced the burial that he said would take place today.Tributes then started flowing from politicians, former military men who toppled Shagaris government in December 1983, students, the clergy including those who had opposed Shagaris politics in the Second Republic.President Muhammadu Buhari, who succeeded Shagari on 1 January 1984 after the bloodless coup of 31 December, 1983 was among the early mourners.On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Nigeria, it is with immense sadness that I received the news of the passing away of the First Executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari which event happened on Friday in Abuja, Buhari said in a statement by Media adviser, Femi Adesina.Buhari described the death as the departure of a patriot whose life of service and humility was widely acknowledged.President Buhari recalled part of the birthday message he (Buhari) sent to him last February when he said, we are enthralled and regaled with the many years of unequalled patriotism, sacrifices and contributions to national development.More specifically, we celebrate the role modelling qualities of integrity, diligence and humility that have been the hallmark of your visionary leadership.The Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Sen Aliyu Wamakko, who tweeted a photograph of Shagari, said the death of Second Republic President Shehu Shagari is an irreplaceable national loss.He added that his demise is a great loss not only to his family, Sokoto State, Sultanate of Sokoto, but to Nigeria as a wholeFrom Minna Hilltop also came a tribute from former military head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida, one of the military officers who participated in the December 1983 coup. Shagari was just three months old in his second term when the military officers removed him.In his statement of condolence, signed by him, Babangida described Shagari as the quintessential public servant who was Beckoned to Serve.My heart and prayers go to his Family, the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Sokoto Caliphate and Sokoto state, Babangida wrote. Nigeria and indeed Africa has lost a statesman and democrat whose wisdom, counsel, presence and experience and his sterling qualities of honesty and transparency are needed in these very trying moments of our national life.President Shehu Shagari was a great patriotic leader and an accomplished gentleman, at first a teacher, an administrator, a technocrat and an honest decent unassuming simple Nigerian Leader.He will be remembered for his tolerance and politics of peace without bitterness, Babangida added.Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who was the spokesman of the opposition Unity Party of Nigeria to Shagaris National Party of Nigeria, also concurred that Shagaris death was a great loss to the nation.Babatope said Nigeria had just lost a tolerant and peace-loving leader in Shagari, who tolerated scathing criticisms from the opposition and those who did not believe in his government.Babatope said when he was the spokesman of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) ,the main opposition party at that time, he could not remember anytime Shagari clamped down on any politician with opposing views.Shagari was a nice and gentleman. He was a great leader and democrat, a model of politics without bitterness Babatope added.Senate President Bukola Saraki took to Twitter, his favourite platform to mourn the departed former president. Sarakis father, Olusola was the Senate leader during the Second Republic.Saraki, whose reaction came in two tweets via his verified Twitter handle, said the late elder statesman dedicated his best years in the service of our nation and its people.My family and I join the entire nation to mourn the passing of former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who led our nation in the Second Republic.President Shagari was a quintessential public servant, haven served in seven cabinet positions and as a legislator.He dedicated his best years in service of our nation and its people, Saraki added.In Lagos, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also described late Alhaji Shehu Shagari as a statesman, patriot and political stabiliser who served the country well in different capacities.In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Mr Tunde Rahman in Lagos, Tinubu said that Shagari, who entered politics in 1951, served the country in different capacities and served well.He said that late Shagari particularly helped in advancing the countrys democracy and had the temperament for good leadership.Former President Shehu Shagari was a decent man and a statesman, who believed in and worked for the unity of this country.He served Nigeria in different capacities administrator, provincial secretary, House of Representatives member, minister in several ministries and president and in each capacity he did excellently well.He contributed his quota to the growth and development of the country, Tinubu said.Former Senate President David Mark said Shagaris death had created a vacuum that would be difficult to fill.He said that late Shagari was a rare leader who believed in the sanctity of one indivisible Nigeria that must not be compromised no matter the odds.He worked for the peace and unity of Nigeria. He was a man with a large heart and was ever conscious about the well being and welfare of the citizenry, he said.The former Senate President added that Shagari demonstrated uncommon leadership skill during his stint as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , pointing that he ensured fairness and equity in the distribution of amenities across the country .Even after he left office, Shagari continued to offer useful advice to the younger generation of leaders all in the bid to ensure a better Nigeria.He observed that Shagari left at a critical time when the nation needed his wisdom and knowledge to navigate through the murky political waters in the land.A member of the House of Representatives, Umar Bago, described the late Shagari as a charismatic elder statesman who contributed positively to the nations socio-economic and political development.Late Shehu Shagari had a unique passion for providing solutions to governance for the country. His demise was a big loss to the political scene in Nigeria.Indeed Nigeria and Nigerians will greatly miss a political master that championed the course of green revolution and Shagari housing estates across the country , he said.Bago, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Niger state, extended his condolences to the immediate family of late Shehu Shagari Sultan of Sokoto and government and people of Sokoto state.The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah said the death of Shagari marked a major milestone in the life of the country.The great man lived well and God rewarded him with a long life. The late President was a committed patriot, dedicated to the building of a peaceful and democratic Nigeria.In his pursuit of dialogue, he was the first Nigerian leader to invite the Pope to visit our country in 1982, thus, laying the moral foundation for his Ethical Revolution.He left a legacy of humility and dedication.On behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, I extend my condolences to President Muhammadu Buhari, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, of Sokoto State and his immediate family, kukah said.The students were not left out in the outpouring of grief and tributes.The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) described the Shagari as a patriotic elder statesman, who built bridges of unity in the country.The National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Mr Bestman Okereafor, gave the condolence message in a statement issued in Enugu on Friday.Okereafor said: The attention of the National leadership of the apex students governing body, NANS, has been drawn to the demise of Nigerias first elected president, who served between 1979-1983, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.NANS is joining the Federal Government, all Nigerians both home and in Diaspora and the Shagari family in bidding the former president farewell.No doubt Shagari was a patriotic elder statesman worthy of emulation considering how he had continuously given responsive representation to the people. Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it would have been better if the Peoples Democratic Party ... Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it would have been better if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used its 16 years in power to develop only electricity. Tinubu said this on Friday while speaking at the flag-off campaign of the APC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital. The former governor of Lagos asked Nigerians to vote a better future by supporting Buhari in the 2019 presidential election. He also urged the people to reject the PDP, saying the party would take the country backward. Today is a very successful day and outing as I can say it. This stadium filled to capacity for one thing, the progress of our country Nigeria, to endorse the continuity of progress, Tinubu said. I read their response to the last budget presented by this government and I could see several missteps of Atikus takeaway. Well, let him take it away. It is shallow, full of contradictions and it is nothing that Nigerians should hope for. Our president is seeking re-election. For the sake of this country, we will re-elect Muhammadu Buhari, an APC government that will give you hope and a diversified economy. Sixteen years of miserable economy, corrupt economy, corrosive economy of PDP will never come back to this country. We are strongly determined to re-channel the goal and redirect the vessel of governance in this country. That is what Muhammadu Buhari is all about. Vote for your future. They came 16 years and gave you 16 years of darkness. Evenly, a PDP government would have concentrated on one item and one item onlyelectricitywithout which there can be no industrialisation, no development. It would have been better. They say they want to come back. No, we are not bringing you back. No backward in our gear. It is forward marching. The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, said in Abuja on Friday that it was wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to launch his second-term bid when he had yet to visit Zamfara State where hundreds of people were killed by bandits.Secondus said the people of Zamafara State and Nigerians were expecting the President to put politics aside and find solutions to what he called unmitigated killings in the state and some parts of northern Nigeria.He likened the actions of the President and that of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to dancing on the graves of innocent Nigerians who elected him in 2015 and have now been killed by bandits because the government they elected refused to protect them.He added, It is sad watching the President speak today (Friday) in Akwa Ibom State, when the people of Zamfara State and other states, especially from the North-West and North-Central, even in the North-East, are crying for help.These are people who lined up in the sun about four years ago, thinking that President Buhari would be a father to them all.Now they cannot go to their farms and their homes had been taken over by bandits. Yet, their father, the President, was busy dancing and giving out fake promises again.Reacting to the APC rally, the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday accused the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress of secretly drawing over N478m from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission to rent a crowd and offset bills for President Muhammadu Buharis re-election campaign rally in Uyo.The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement also accused Buhari of directly appointing serving ministers and heads of government agencies as members of his campaign council in order to use them for the diversion of public funds to finance his 2019 campaign.Ologbondiyan, who is also the Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, said the party was also aware of protests by some eminent Nigerians, including foremost businessmen, who were named as members of the APC Campaign Council without their consent.Ologbondiyan said, The N478m NDDC fund which was originally budgeted for development projects in the Niger Delta was diverted to renting and transportation of crowd from other parts of the country to the rally to create an impression of popularity for President Buhari in the region.Further information at our partys disposal, shows that the said N478m is part of the wholesome N1.2bn allegedly siphoned in tranches from the NDDC treasury by the cabal at the Buhari Presidency and the APC leaders, who have been stealing money from various government agencies to finance President Buharis campaign.Our party also has it on good authority that this ignoble scheme of siphoning the NDDC development fund to finance his campaign was the main reason President Buhari foisted an unpopular leadership on the management of the NDDC despite the protests by critical stakeholders in all the states of the Niger Delta.Ologbondiyan added, Moreover, the PPCO invites Nigerians to note that unlike the PDP Presidential campaign council, which has credible Nigerians as members, most of Buharis zonal coordinators are persons facing corruption cases.This casts a very long shadow on President Buharis integrity and further confirms that his fight against corruption is a sham.The PPCO reminds President Buhari that Nigerians are still awaiting his explanation on the seething revelation of corrupt acquisition of Etisalat Nigeria and Keystone Bank PLC by his family members under the cover of his presidency; an issue that Nigerians are not willing to let go until he clears his name.Meanwhile, the Buhari Media Organisation has said the alleged lies and falsehood launched against President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his family by Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will not would not succeed.The group in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju; and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, noted that the Atiku campaign had recently embarked on a lying spree aimed at damaging the character of the President in the bid to bring him to the same moral pedestal as Atiku.The new campaign by Atiku and his party to throw falsehood in the air, aimed at attacking President Buharis character, is a failed mission. President Buhari has maintained an unassailable integrity throughout his public life; the same cannot be said of Atiku whose former boss has described him as a man that cannot be trusted.The PDP want to place President Buhari and Atiku as if they are the same on the issue of integrity; hence the recent launch of fake news stories claiming the President and members of his family own properties and shares even where there is no iota of evidence to prove their points.The only thing Atiku shares in common with President Buhari is their age group; asides that, Atiku cannot stand anywhere close to President Buhari, not even on the matter of integrity.The group alleged that the claims by Buba Galadima that the President and members of his family owned properties and were now billionaires were a concocted story by a frustrated old man who lost his friendship with President Buhari due to his corrupt and morally deficient lifestyle. Some communities in Monguno local government area of Borno state are currently under Boko Haram attack. A resident confirmed that ... Some communities in Monguno local government area of Borno state are currently under Boko Haram attack. A resident confirmed that Boko Haram fighters stormed Kekeno, one of the affected villages around 6pm and engaged soldiers on ground in a gun battle. He said the attackers were well armed, adding that the exchange of gunfire had been on for over two hours. The terrorists came well prepared. They had different anti-aircraft guns and mounted it in different locations, he said. It is unclear which faction of Boko Haram is responsible for the attack but the Monguno area has seen a number of such in recent times. Malam Arramma, a resident, said the villagers took to their heels when they heard gunshots. He said many had fled to neighbouring communities. More than 4000 IDPs who ran from the Boko Haram onslaught in Baga have been trapped. These IDPs who are mainly children and women are currently running for their lives. Many of them are in the bush as we speak, he said. They have been in Monguno since last week, I joined some of the people who tried to rescue them but I am talking to you, we are all in the bush. Earlier on Friday, a resident of Baga, still in Borno confirmed that the sect hoisted its flag in the community after overrunning a military base. From the Kemi Adeosun certificate saga, Abdulahi Gandujes bribery allegations to the sex scandal that consumed Richard Akindele, a... From the Kemi Adeosun certificate saga, Abdulahi Gandujes bribery allegations to the sex scandal that consumed Richard Akindele, a university professor, the dramas never seized in 2018. Just when you felt youve had the last of it, another resurfaced. Each year presents a myriad of issues to be recorded in the countrys history. In 2018, so many events dotted the landscape. While some went unnoticed, others served as comic reliefs and some instigated so much public outcry that almost brought those involved to their knees. In this piece, we highlight scandals that shook the country in the outgoing year. LAZY YOUTH The youth were thrown into frenzy when President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, UK, in April, said a lot of Nigerian youth have not been to school but they want everything free. The presidents comment generated the controversy that led to #lazy Nigerian youth. Nigerians took to social media to protest and some displayed pictures of their various businesses and entrepreneurial endeavours just to prove otherwise and discredit the president. Political opponents of Buhari also used the avenue to do what they know best. RICHARD AKINDELES SEX SCANDAL What started like a subtle conversation between a randy lecturer and his female student turned to a sorrowful tale of regret and downfall. In April, a private telephone conversation between Akindele, a professor of management and accounting at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, demanding five rounds of sex to award a pass mark to Monica Osagie, his female student, leaked and went viral on social media. Akindele went into hiding after the scandal broke out but an investigative panel set up by the university concluded that the professor had an inappropriate relationship with Osagie and he was sacked having found him guilty of all the charges against him. Last week, a federal high court in Osogbo, Osun state, sentenced Akindele to two years in prison after he was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). SNAKE THAT SWALLOWED N36 MILLION When, in February, the news broke that an official of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Makurdi, Benue state, said a snake crept into the cash vault in the account office of the board and swallowed N36 million which was the proceeds from the sale of admission scratch cards, many dismissed it. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMBs registrar, was among those who interrogated Chiese In fact, it became more interesting when Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, visited the head office of JAMB with snake charmers. During interrogations by a team of auditors, Philomina Chieshe, the official in the midst of the controversy, denied stealing the fund, yet couldnt account for it. She alleged that her housemaid connived with another JAMB official, Joan Asen, to spiritually steal the money from the vault. Many couldnt come to terms with the story as it defied logical explanations. Yet, it was agog in the social media for weeks. BUHARIS WAEC CERTIFICATE Prior to the 2015 presidential election, issues were raised concerning Buharis West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate. The then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had claimed Buhari lied over the certificate he obtained from Government College, Katsina, in 1961. But Buhari scaled through the controversy and was elected president. In 2018, the controversy resurfaced and took a new turn. The polity became heated as opposition parties renewed the call for Buhari to be disqualified due to the controversy surrounding the OLevel certificate and the claim in his affidavit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). WAEC presented an attestation certificate and confirmation of school result to the president before the controversy was brought to a halt. ADEOSUNS NYSC CERTIFICATE SCANDAL In July, Premium Times released an explosive report on how the former minister of finance was in possession of a forged National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) exemption certificate. She failed to participate in the NYSC programme as and when due. Having finished her first degree at the age off 22, she was not entitled to exemption on the grounds of age. According to NYSC Act, only those above the age of 30 can be exempted. Adesoun had failed to comment on the accusation when the report surfaced online but the pressure kept piling. For someone whose public service had been fraught with controversies and breakthroughs from the time she was appointed in 2015, Kemi finally bowed to the storm and resigned her position in September. GANDUJES BRIBERY VIDEO In October, the governor of Kano state was in the eye of the storm after a video published by Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, showed him allegedly receiving bundles of dollars as kickback from contractors. After the video surfaced, more were released and they trended on social media for weeks, with some describing the issue as a slap on Buharis corruption agenda- the governor is a member of the ruling party. Ganduje denied the allegations, saying his political opponents were behind it. The Kano state house of assembly had summoned him to answer questions on the allegations, but a high court in the state ordered the lawmakers to stop the investigations. Despite the controversy, Ganduje went on to receive different awards, including one from a national newspaper. OSINBAJOS INDICTMENT BY HOUSE OF REPS The vice-president also had a fair share of scandal in 2018. In November, the house of representatives indicted the governing board of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) chaired by Osinbajo over illegal approval of N5.8 billion north-east intervention fund. But the vice president, who was acting on behalf of the president when he gave the approval, said it was within his constitutional authority as he needed to take emergency steps to forestall acute food shortages in the affected states. The house insisted that he erred and even summoned him. There were even rumors that the lawmakers contemplated impeaching Osinbajo. THE NHIS BRAWL In July 2017, Isaac Adewole, minister of health, suspended Usman Yusuf, former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) over allegations of fraud and infractions. However, Yusuf was reinstated in February 2018. This threw the agency into crisis as workers bickered with him. The crisis escalated in October after the governing council of the NHIS again suspended Yusuf to pave way for investigation into allegations. But Yusuf would take none of that as he ignored the resolution of the council and insisted that the board had no power to suspend him. The NHIS former executive secretary had stormed the office of the agency with officers of the Nigeria police force who fired teargas at workers in order for him to gain access into his office. But in October, Buhari directed Yusuf to proceed on administrative leave effective from November 5, pending the report of the committee set up to investigate the allegations. The committee has presented its report and Boss Mustapaha, secretary to the government of the federation, has promised implementation of the report. THE STOLEN MACE On April 18, a drama played out at the national assembly that left the nation in awe. The senate was thrown into confusion after suspected thugs broke into the chamber and carted away the mace, the symbol of authority of the upper legislative chamber. Ovie Omo-Agege, senator from Delta state who had earlier been suspended, allegedly led the thugs into the red chamber. This led to an uproar in the chamber while security operatives ran after the senator and the thugs to get hold of the mace but were overpowered as the men ran outside into three waiting vehicles. The house, however, produced a spare mace and continued with the plenary. Omo-Agege was later arrested by the police while the stolen mace was recovered under a flyover. FALZ, MURIC AND THIS IS NIGERIA In June, Folarin Falz Falana, incurred the wrath of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) over the release of his controversial This is Nigeria music video, featuring some girls dressed in hijab dancing shaku shaku. The religious body described the video as insensitive, thoughtless and provocative. The group had asked Falz to withdraw the video within seven days apologise to Nigerian Muslims, or face legal action. This generated a lot of reactions from Nigerians who argued for or against the withdrawal of the video. Moreover, the controversy dominated the social media scene for days as more events unfolded. Due to criticisms from Nigerians, the group later soft-pedalled on its threat to take legal action against the popular musician. The outgoing year has been filled with intrigues. Culled: TheCable Culled: TheCable Prince Uche Secondus, the National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says Nigeria has lost one of its most compassionate and humane leaders in the late former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.Secondus in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Ike Abonyi on Saturday in Abuja, said that Shagari was the last man standing among principled leaders upon whom the democratic foundation of the country was established.He said that Shagari as President in the Second Republic, ensured that his reign caused minimal pain to the people because of his humane approach to governance.The national chairman said that Nigeria would miss Shagaris fatherly counsel, especially at this time when the country is passing through difficult challenges ahead of a major election.The Second Republic president will be remembered for his principled approached to governance and his God-fearing disposition as evidenced in the way and manner he piloted the affairs of the country within the ambit of the rule of law, without nepotism, bias of religion, tribe or geography from 1979 to 1983, Secondus said.The PDP national chairman further said that the former presidents legacies in the political evolution in the county would endure.He added that Nigerian politicians had great things to learn from the way and manner the great democrat operated while he held sway in the nations polity.He said that the PDP had a lot in common with the late president in the development of democracy in the country and said that he would be greatly missed.He disclosed that the PDP had already sent its condolences to the Governor of Sokoto state, Rt Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and the entire Shagari family, on behalf of the National Executive Committee and members of the party at home and abroad.Secondus charged the people of Sokoto state and the immediate family of the late former president to take solace in the fact that Shagari lived a peaceful life and left behind huge legacies as a teacher, politician, and father.In a related development, the PDP has in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Shagaris death as a national tragedy.Ologbondiyan described late Shagari as a man of peace, an exceptionally honest Nigerian, outstanding leader, quintessential administrator and a symbol of national unity.He said that the deceased made immeasurable sacrifices for the development, unity and stability of the country.He added that Shagaris excellent performance as a political party administrator stood him out for the Presidency in 1979.Shagari was a member of the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, at various times minister of Commerce and Industries; Economic Development, Pensions, Works and then Finance.Shagari was also a governor of the World Bank and member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) committee of 20.The PDP is therefore, deeply sorrowful that President Shehu Shagari took his bow at the time our nation needs his wealth of experience the most, particularly in the quest to restore good governance, national cohesion and economic prosperity that have eluded us in almost four years.In all, President Shehu Shagari remains a political colossus and the PDP urges the National Assembly to further immortalise him, by mandating the Federal Government to name a foremost national institution after this great patriot.The PDP commiserates with the Shagari family, the government and people of Sokoto state, the Council of State and the entire nation for this irreparable loss and prays the Almighty Allah to grant him eternal rest, he said. With 2019 just around the corner, we take you on an amazing journey to the streets of Australia, the UK, South Africa, Russia, Japan, South Korea, the US and France to hear the best wishes sent by people around the world. Experience this wonderful journey of time and space with us to welcome a Hapy New Year. Special thanks to People's Daily Online UK, People's Daily Online South Africa, People's Daily Online Japan, People's Daily Online South Korea, People's Daily Online West-U.S., People's Daily Online France, People's Daily Online Australia and People's Daily Online Russia for making this video happen! The police have admitted invading the Abuja residence of Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west. Jimoh Moshood, police spokes... The police have admitted invading the Abuja residence of Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west. Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, had earlier said that he was unaware of the invasion. But in a statement on Friday evening, Moshood said the senators house was invaded to effect his arrest in the case of attempted culpable homicide against him. The Police operatives currently in the residence of Senator Dino Melaye are to effect his arrest to answer to the case of attempted culpable homicide on the shooting of a Police Officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State, the statement read. The above offence was committed by Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs in Kogi State on the 19th July, 2018 when they shot and wounded a police officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State. Moshood added the officer in question is still under intensive medical care following injuries sustained. He said the police have written the clerk of the national assembly for Melaye to report at Kogi state police command for him to answer to the offences but he has bluntly refused to report himself to the Police. The Police operatives will continue to be in wait at the residence of Senator Dino Melaye until he surrenders himself for arrest, he said, adding: The offence for which Senator Dino Melaye is being investigated is capital in nature and not compoundable. Melaye recently accused Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, of plotting to kill him. Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has described the late former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari as the last of the first and second Republic titans.Also the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, mourned former president, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari.Saraki who expressed sadness over the death of the first elected President of Nigeria, Shagari, however described the late Elder statesman as a man of peace who dedicated the greater part of his life to the service of the fatherlandIn a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Ilorin, Saraki noted that Shagari would be remembered for his immense contributions to the political and socio-economic development of the country as well as his peaceful disposition.He also commiserated with the immediate and larger family of the deceased, the government and people of Sokoto State, and the entire country over the loss of the former President as he stated that: lets be consoled by the fact that Alhaji Shagari lived his life in the service of God and country.My family and I join the entire nation to mourn the passing of former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who led our nation during the Second Republic. He was a quintessential public servant; having served in seven cabinet positions and as a legislator. He was the first elected President who was Chief Executive of the country. He dedicated his best years in the service of our nation and its people and will be dearly missed.He was a man who worked for the unity of Nigeria and stabilized the country during the 50 months of the Second Republic despite the challenges of the then new presidential system of government operated by the country. Since his exit from power, he has remained a silent beacon of strength for the country, the Senate President stated.He prayed Allah to grant the soul of the late former President a place among the righteous ones in Aljannah Firdaus and his family, loved ones and the entire country the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu , has mourned former president , Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari.Dogara in a condolence message to Nigerians, stated that the former president was a true democrat and an icon of transparency.We have lost a father, man of peace, true democrat, patriot and a nationalist.He led an exemplary life of service to God and country worthy of emulation, he was a president for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or region.President Shagari led Nigeria with dignity and honour and respected the independence of the legislature and judiciary in the second republic under the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).He was a bridge builder and one of the major highlights of his presidency was the alliance he formed between the NPN and the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) in accordance with his politics of give and take.His demise is a big loss to Nigeria and all lovers of democracy on the African continent.When anti-democratic forces truncated his government, President Shagari took it in good faith and continued to play the role of an elder statesman and father without grudge or bitterness.His death came at a time we are in dire need of his elderly wisdom and counsel as we navigate the most challenging pace as a nation.We extend our heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, especially his eldest son, Hon Aminu Shagari, who is our colleague in the House of Representatives, the people of Sokoto state, the Sultanate Council and government of Sokoto over this irreparable loss. The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Olu Falae, has mourned the death of former president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died Friday evening at the age of 93.Falae,who in a statement released Saturday morning by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alpha Mohammed, said he received the death of the former Nigerian leader with huge shock, added that Nigeria had lost yet another great leader it had ever produced.He described Shagari as a president who led an exemplary lifestyle that eschewed all forms of discrimination, ethnic, tribal and religious sentiments.The statement read in full:It was with a heavy heart that I received yesterday, the sad and shocking news of the death of yet another eminent personality, elder statesman and former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari whose demise occurred on Friday in Abuja after a short illness.It grieves my heart that Nigeria has lost yet another most outstanding leaders this country has ever produced.On behalf of the SDP family, I wish to express our heartfelt sympathy to the entire family of the deceased and the country at large for this monumental lose.As an elder statesman, the Late Shagari during his life time, led an exemplary lifestlye that eschewed all forms of discrimination, ethnic, tribal and religious sentiment.This was reflected in the great role he played in the emancipation of Zimbabwe and the fight against apartheid in South Africa decades ago.The deceased was a great patriot who fought hard not just for peace and unity of this country but was instrumental to social economic development of this country.As the First Executive President of Nigeria, the Late Alhaji Shehu distinguished himself with act of self-lessness during his services to the nation.Right from the National Assembly where he first served as a representative for his home in Sokoto province and in his capacity as Minister in various offices before becoming president in the 1979 elections, he proved himself as a worthy leader until his goverment was overthrown in 1983 after he won a second term in a coup led by Muhammadu Buhari in eve of the new year.He would be remembered for his patriotism, sacrifices and contributions to national development.His integrity, diligence to duty and exemplary leadership stlye would continue to be a reference point whenever the history of Nigeria is being relived.He will be missed greatly. We pray the Almighty God to grant his soul rest in the great beyond and his family as well as the entire country the fortitude to bear the lose. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on Friday said President Muhammadu Buhari should have been exe... The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on Friday said President Muhammadu Buhari should have been executed if Nigerias system was working. Atiku said Buhari should have been killed for overthrowing a democratically elected government in 1983. The Waziri of Adamawa, who spoke through his Media Aide, Paul Ibe, was reacting to a remark from Buharis campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo. Keyamo had claimed that the former Vice President should have been jailed for corruption if the countrys system was working. In a statement he issued, Keyamo claimed that Atiku was on the verge of committing suicide. Reacting to Keyamos comment, Ibe, who took to his Twitter handle wrote: Festus Keyamo should be careful what he brings on himself and APC campaign. If Nigeria had a working system, Muhammadu Buhari should have been executed for overthrowing a democratically elected government in 1983. 3 Vietnamese nationals and an Egyptian killed; PM Madbouly visits injured in hospital, says 'sinful incident' doesn't diminish state efforts in combatting terrorism; prosecutor-general opens urgent investigation Egypt's prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek announced on Friday night that the death toll in the IED attack on a bus carrying Vietnamese tourists in Giza earlier in the day has risen to four - three Vietnamese and one Egyptian fatalities. Sadek added that the number of injured stands at 11. Early on Friday evening, an IED detonated as a tourist bus traveling on El-Maryoutiya Street in Haram district, Giza, with 14 Vietnamese tourists and two Egyptian tourism workers on board. Shortly after the deadly explosion, Egypt's Interior Ministry issued a statement saying that the explosion took place on 6:15 PM, killing two vietnamese tourists and injuring 10, in addition to injuring their Egyptian bus driver and the representative of the tour company. All the injuried were immediately transported to the El-Haram hospital. The interior ministry said that security services immediately dispatched to the site of the explosion to carry out investigations. Also shortly following the explosion, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly headed to the hospital to visit the injured, and directed doctors to provide all necessary medical care. Minister of Health Hala Zayed had been monitoring the treatment and surgeries for the injured at the hospital. Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat also visited the hospital to follow up on the status of the injured. PM Madbouly explains details Prime Minister Madbouly told reporters that all tourstim trips and their routes are highly secured in a detailed manner by the interior ministry. Madbouly explained, however, that the bus carrying the Vietnamese tourists deviated from the pre-determined, secured route without apriori notifying security officials. "I just want to highlight that following the incident, all state bodies swiftly moved to help secure the tourists and offer the necessary care," Madbouly told reporters. Madbouly said the Egyptian authorities has been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam in Cairo. He said that 20 ambulances were immediately dispatched to the site of the explosion. The Prime Minister had said that the death toll stood at two vitnamese toursits and the Egyptian representative of the tour company, with two of 10 injuried remaining in critical condition. The Egyptian PM also highlighted that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is closely following up on the incident. Madbouly pointed out that terrorism is a global phenomenon facing all countries, stressing that security forces in Egypt are taking the most necessary measures to combat the phenomenon, including strong pre-emptive strikes directed against terrorist spots. The Egyptian Prime Minister added that "such sinful incident' [like tonight's] does not diminish the efforts of the state in protecting tourists in the country." Prosecutor-General orders inquiry Shortly after the attack, Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek ordered an urgent investigation into the deadly explosion. The Prosecutor-General tasked the Supreme State Security Prosecution and the Southern Giza Prosecution with conducting the necessary inspection of the explosion scene and interviews of eye witnesses and survivors. Sadek also ordered the completion of an urgent autopsy report for those killed. He also ordered prosecutors to conduct forensic investigations to determine the nature of the material used to make the IED, and to impound all surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the explosion. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that it had killed 40 terrorists in a raid on three hideouts in Egypt's Giza and North Sinai governorate, a statement by the interior ministry read. The ministry highlighted that the raid was carried out at dawn on Saturday targeting terrorists who have been planning to carry out hostile acts during Christmas celebrations. According to the statement, 14 were killed in the 6th of October city in Giza governorate while 16 others were killed in a residential area at the Al-Wahat Al-Baharia road near Giza governorate. The statement added that 10 others were killed in Egypt's North Sinai city of Arish. Large amounts of ammunition, firearms, improvised explosive devices were found inside the terrorists' hideouts. The Interior Ministry said that "this comes as a continuation of the ministry's efforts in chasing terrorist elements involved in the implementation of hostile operations seeking to destabilize the country's security." "Information was available to the national security sector about the preparation and planning of a series of terrorist attacks targeting state institutions, especially economy, tourism industry, armed forces, police and Christian houses of worship," the statement read. The ministry immediately dealt with this information and directed several security raids to the governorates of Giza and North Sinai, following the authorization of the Supreme State Security Prosecution, the statement concluded. Search Keywords: Short link: A number of countries have strongly condemned the bombing of a tourist bus on Friday in Giza which killed four people, including three Vietnamese tourists. Vietnam called on Egypt to find the perpetrators, Reuters reported. "Vietnam is extremely angered by and strongly condemns this act of terrorism that killed and injured innocent Vietnamese people," Foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement according to Reuters. "Vietnam requests that Egypt promptly launch an investigation into the case and track down those responsible. One Egyptian tourism worker on the bus was killed during the explosion, which was caused by an IED, while 11 Vietnamese were injured. In a tweet, British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt said he was "deeply saddened to hear of the loss of life following the bomb attack on a tourist bus in #Giza #Egypt. My thoughts are with the victims and their families." "The UK supports Egypt in their fight against terrorism," Burt said. UK's Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams also tweeted to offer his condolences to Egyptians for the attack. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and all those affected in todays incident in Giza, and to the Egyptian authorities as they respond," adding that "the UK stands with Egypt in the fight against terrorism." The US also strongly condemned the attack in a statement issued by the State Departments Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino. "The United States strongly condemns the attack carried out today on a tourist bus in Giza," the statement said. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those killed and we wish a quick recovery for those injured." "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice." Ambassador of the European Union delegation to Egypt Ivan Surkos tweeted: "I strongly deplore an attack on a bus carrying tourists in Giza that happened a while ago, resulted in death and casualties of innocent people." Surkos stressed that the "#EU stands hand in hand with #Egypt in the fight against terrorism." He has also offered condolences to families of victims. Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also expressed his condolences to Egypt's El-Sisi, according to the official Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA). Al-Sabah expressed his country's "robust denunciation of this horrific terrorist act that targeted the innocent and aimed at jeopardising Egypt's security and stability". Al-Sabah stressed that his country will support Egypt in all measures which will be taken to secure the safety and the stability of the country. Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek announced on Friday night that three Vietnamese and one Egyptian had died in the attack. The explosion occurred when an IED detonated as the tourist bus was moving along Maryoutiya Street in the Haram district of Giza; 14 Vietnamese tourists and two Egyptian tourism workers were on board. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez described the bomb attack on a tourist bus near the Giza pyramids on Friday as a "cowardly, terrorist act". Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek said on Friday evening that four people had died in the IED attack on the bus carrying Vietnamese tourists, including three Vietnamese and one Egyptian. "The bombing of the tourist bus in Mariouteya is a cowardly act of terrorism targeting what cannot be targeted: Egypt and the Egyptians," Hafez wrote on Twitter. "We express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims in Vietnam and Egypt. We will continue to move towards a new year of determination to root out terrorism." Sadek had said that the number of injured stood at 11. The bus was in the Haram district near the pyramids; 14 Vietnamese tourists and two Egyptian workers were on board. Search Keywords: Short link: We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has made a personal contribution of GH100,000 towards the construction of the National Cathedral. President Akufo-Addo made the contribution when he launched the National Cathedral Fundraising Campaign, on Friday, 28th December, 2018, at the forecourt of the State House, Accra. Delivering his remarks, the President noted that, like Solomon, at the dedication of the first temple, he knows that God cannot not be contained in a physical edifice. Rather, and again like Solomon on that occasion, the building of the National Cathedral is to serve as a gesture of thanksgiving to God for his blessings, favour, grace and mercies on our nation, and to give me an opportunity to redeem a pledge I made to Him before I became President, he said. The National Cathedral, the President explained, is more than just another piece of infrastructure or national monument. It will provide us with an avenue to call the nation to prayer, to worship, to celebrate, and to mourn. It will house a Bible Museum, and will be an iconic infrastructure for national, regional and international pilgrimage and tourism. It will create jobs, and serve as a catalyst for technology and skills transfer into our country, President Akufo-Addo stressed. He continued, The Cathedral will also provide a platform to promote deep national conversations on the role of faith in building the progressive and prosperous Ghana we all want. I am convinced that out of these conversations would emerge the ideas and values that should help us build a new Ghanaian civilization. This is the basis on which I identify it as a personal priority. Reiterating his earnest wish that the building of the National Cathedral should not be a burden on the State, President Akufo-Addo noted that it was for this reason that the Christian community, home and abroad, is being mobilized in partnership to raise the needed resources to build the Cathedral. Whilst respecting the views of those who differ with him on the matter of the construction of the Cathedral, the President indicated that I am comforted in my decision by the vast numbers of enthusiastic supporters of this project, whose spiritual dimension is limitless. The President was confident that like the statement of the Prophet Nehemiah in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, it is Almighty God who will prosper us and make us succeed in this endeavour. I am confident of the support of the Ghanaian people for this coalition of churches, corporations and individuals in bringing this project into fruition. This coalition, he added, will be a historic coalition, and the names of its supporters will be written in gold in the annals of our history I am proud to call myself a leading member of this coalition, and I pledge GH100,000 as my personal contribution, President Akufo-Addo said. Source: presidency.gov.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaian rapper, Kwesi Arthur, has decided to enjoy some adventure, perhaps, as part of his end-of-year celebrations and his concerned fans arent happy with him. The Grind day rapper has been captured in a video in which a bilker carried him on a motorcycle whilst performing biking stunts on the high ways of Accra. What is actually getting Fans upset is the fact Kwesi Arthur and the Biker were not even in helmets whilst pursuing such a risky pleasure on a speeding motorbike whilst on a busy road. Some worried fans are even calling for his arrest for not adhering to road safety regulations whilst others are using unprintable words or just any demeaning expressions to register their disappointment in the Rappers act. Watch video below- Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chairman of Afro-Arab Group of Companies, Alhaji Abdul Salamu Amadu yesterday surprised the Bhim Nation president, Stonebwoy with a $50,000 gift at the Fantasy Dome on the sidelines of his Bhim Concert in Accra. According to Alhaji Amadu, the sum which was put together by Afro Arab and friends was to support the amazing career of Stonebwoy who is a shining example of what the Ghanaian youth is capable of with support. Alhaji Amadu, a multiple 40 Under 40 Award winner has been a long time fan and collaborator of Stonebwoy who he describes as a brother. "Stonebwoy is my brother and I just wanted to support him with this donation because he is a very good guy," Alhaji Amadu said in an interview with Graphic Online. Alhaji Amadu who was delighted with all the performers at the Bhim Concert described the show a resounding success and an example of how events should be organised in Ghana. Source: Graphic.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Egypt's Grand Mufti Shawki Allam condemned a bomb attack on a tourist bus in Giza on Friday that killed three Vietnamese tourists and one Egyptian worker. In remarks to MENA, Allam described the perpetrators of the explosion as traitorous. He reiterated that extremist groups and terrorists always seek to shed innocent blood, to provoke sedition and destabilise countries. He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. Search Keywords: Short link: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Friday that a mother who uses drugs during pregnancy cannot be considered to have abused her newborn infant. The ruling, which came after Superior Court urged the higher court to review the case of a Clinton County woman and her child, touches on a debate surrounding a particularly vulnerable population at the heart of the opioid crisis the hundreds of Pennsylvania children born dependent on opioids because of their mothers drug use during pregnancy. Children and Youth Services in Clinton County argued that the mother abused her child by using drugs while pregnant. The womans attorneys, citing the opinion of numerous medical societies, countered that the state should not punish mothers, regardless of their drug use, for seeking prenatal care. The court ruled that a mother who uses drugs during pregnancy cannot be deemed a perpetrator of child abuse because the law does not consider a fetus a child. The plain language of state law, the court wrote, requires the existence of a child at the time of the allegedly abusive act in order for the actor to be a perpetrator and for the act to constitute child abuse. Two judges dissented, saying it only has to be proven that a parent committed a recent act that caused bodily injury, regardless of whether that act occurred before the childs birth. The woman from Clinton County, identified only by her initials, gave birth to a daughter in January 2017. The mother, who had struggled with addiction, had been released from prison in 2016 and relapsed with opioid pain pills and marijuana. She learned she was pregnant about four months into her pregnancy, and initially sought treatment, first through a methadone maintenance program and then with buprenorphine. Because opioid withdrawal can cause miscarriage, pregnant women are often prescribed opioid-based addiction treatments. Shortly before she gave birth in mid-January, the woman relapsed again, testing positive for opiates, benzodiazepines, and marijuana. She again tested positive for buprenorphine and marijuana on the day she gave birth. The baby began exhibiting symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) withdrawal caused by exposure to opioids in utero at 3 days old and remained in the hospital for 19 days. Juvenile Court granted CYS emergency custody of the child in early February. The agency had argued that the child was without proper parental care or control hospital staff told the agency that the childs parents had not consistently visited their daughter while she was being treated for NAS and alleged that the mother had abused her child by using drugs while pregnant. Juvenile Court ruled that it couldnt establish that the mother had committed child abuse, since the mother had taken drugs before the childs birth. Months later, Superior Court unanimously reversed the decision, saying a mothers drug use might constitute child abuse "if it is established the mother intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused or created a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to a child after birth. But two justices on that court asked the Supreme Court to review the matter, warning that to define drug use during pregnancy as child abuse could deter women with substance-use disorder from getting treatment, or punish women for other actions taken during pregnancy. One judge wrote that the ruling could easily be extended to other areas of a pregnant womans decision-making (e.g., drinking coffee, traveling, eating sushi, or undergoing cancer treatment). Nearly a year after it agreed to review the case, the Supreme Court reversed the lower courts decision, and, in the majority opinion, also was critical of Clinton County CYSs argument that punishing drug use during pregnancy as child abuse could help protect children in the future. Labeling a woman as a perpetrator of child abuse does not prevent her from becoming pregnant or provide any protection for a later-conceived child while in utero, the court wrote. It also does not ensure that the same woman will not use illegal drugs if she does again become pregnant. Also, that label would have far-reaching consequences, the court wrote: A new mother deemed a child abuser would find it difficult to enter the workforce or participate in the childs life, undermining family unity and a supportive environment for the child. Staff writer Marie McCullough contributed to this article. This Dec, 12, 2018 photo provided by Catarina Gomez on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, shows her half-brother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, near her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. The 8-year-old boy died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting, and fever, authorities said. The cause is under investigation. Read more YUMA, Ariz. (AP) More thorough initial health screenings for migrants, as well as secondary screenings, will be held for every child in Border Patrol custody following the deaths of two Guatemalan children this month, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was visiting Yuma, Ariz., on Saturday, a day after her trip to meet border officials and medical staff in El Paso, Texas. It was in El Paso where an 8-year-old died in U.S. government custody. "The system is clearly overwhelmed and we must work together to address this humanitarian crisis and protect vulnerable populations," Nielsen said in a statement. She called on Congress to "act with urgency." Late Friday, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said he was among those who met with Nielsen, saying they discussed "our immigration needs on the border." The statement from Margo, a Republican, did not mention the deaths of migrant children or whether it was discussed. The trip came days after the death of Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Felipe was the second Guatemalan child to die in government custody in three weeks. Nielsen has called the death "deeply concerning and heartbreaking" and requested medical help from other government agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard. As Nielsen made the trip to Texas, New Mexico's Democratic senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, sent her a letter Friday seeking answers about the boy's death. "The timeline, action and factors that led to Felipe's death are still developing, but the information that has become public so far is alarming and demands immediate attention and investigation," the letter says. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for migrant deaths at the border Saturday. He tweeted the deaths are the fault of "their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally." He went on to say "The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol." U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat whose district includes Yuma and much of the U.S.-Mexico-border, on Saturday issued a statement saying Nielsen was visiting Yuma under the dark cloud of a Republican-induced government shutdown, the presidents threats to close the border and the tragic deaths of two children in DHS custody. Felipe and his father, Agustin Gomez, were apprehended by border agents on Dec. 18 near the Paso del Norte bridge connecting El Paso to Juarez, Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The two were detained at the bridge's processing center and then the Border Patrol station in El Paso, until being taken at about 1 a.m. Sunday to a facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. After an agent noticed Felipe coughing, father and son were taken to an Alamogordo hospital, where Felipe was diagnosed with a common cold and found to have a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius), CBP has said. Felipe was held for observation for 90 minutes, according to CBP, before being released with prescriptions for amoxicillin and ibuprofen. But the boy fell sick hours later on Monday and was readmitted to the hospital. He died just before midnight. New Mexico authorities said late Thursday that an autopsy showed Felipe had the flu, but that more tests need to be done before a cause of death can be determined. ___ Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant and Paul Davenport contributed to this article. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A suspected drunken driver accused of fatally shooting the California police officer who pulled him over was captured Friday as he tried to flee back to Mexico, where he lived before illegally crossing into the United States, authorities said. The sheriff whose agency was leading the investigation blamed California's sanctuary law for preventing local authorities from reporting Gustavo Perez Arriaga's previous arrests to federal immigration officials. If the suspect had been deported, he said, Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Newman Police Department would still be alive. "We can't ignore the fact that this could have been preventable," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said, asking why the state was "providing sanctuary for criminals (and) gang members. It's a conversation we need to have." Following a statewide manhunt, Perez Arriaga was arrested on a murder warrant in a house near Bakersfield, about 200 miles southeast of the scene of the shooting. As a SWAT team prepared to raid the house, Perez Arriaga came out with his hands up and surrendered. He was taken back to Stanislaus County in the slain officer's handcuffs, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said. Perez Arriaga crossed the border in Arizona several years ago and had worked a variety of jobs as a laborer, including at several dairies. He also had two prior arrests for driving while intoxicated, Christianson said. The 33-year-old Mexico native had gang affiliations and multiple Facebook pages with different names, the sheriff said. The shooting on Wednesday came amid an intense political fight over immigration, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats at odds over funding for a border wall that has forced a partial government shutdown. Trump tweeted about Singh's killing Thursday, saying it was "time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!" The sanctuary law limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, although it includes more than 800 exceptions for violent crimes and felonies. It also bars police from asking people about their citizenship status. Former State Sen. Kevin de Leon, the Democrat who wrote the legislation, said its unfair to blame the law for the officers death. Christianson said his department was prohibited by the law from sharing the suspect's gang affiliations, "other active warrants" and past drunken driving arrests with federal immigration authorities. He did not specify the nature of the other warrants. De Leon said that suggests law enforcement could have apprehended Arriaga previously. "He should've been in the physical custody of law enforcement," de Leon said. To blame the law "is highly irresponsible." Neither Gov. Jerry Brown, who signed the law last year, nor Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who defended it in court, immediately responded to a request for comment. Brown has said the law strikes a balance between protecting families and ensuring consequences for serious criminals. A federal judge upheld the law earlier this year in the face of a challenge from the Trump administration. Christianson spoke at a news conference about the need to make laws stricter as Singh's brother wept beside him. Authorities also arrested five other people, including the suspects brother, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen, and a coworker, 32-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, who lied to police to try to protect him, Christianson said. He said both men were also in the country illegally. Three people were also arrested at the home, Youngblood said. Singh, 33, was an immigrant, too, arriving legally from his native Fiji to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, authorities said. He had a newborn son and joined the 12-officer Newman police force in 2011. "He came to America with one purpose, and that was to serve this country," Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said, choking up. He called Singh an "American patriot." Singh, the department's first officer to die in the line of duty, drove more than two hours each way to attend the police academy in Yuba City, Richardson said. He joined the Merced County sheriff's office as a reserve officer and worked as an animal control officer in Turlock before being hired by the Newman force in 2011. English was Singh's third language. He had a thick accent but took speech classes to improve his communication, the chief said. Associated Press writers Daisy Nguyen, Amanda Lee Myers, and Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this article. The remains of a shipwreck that dates to the late 1880s are uncovered by recent weather on a beach in Stone Harbor, NJ. Read more Crashing waves from a storm exposed the skeletal remains of a centuries-old ship in Stone Harbor earlier this month and fueled debate among historians about the vessels origins and its place in the fantastical lore of the Shore. The heavy oak ribs, wooden pins, and copper nails are mere clues to the 25-foot skeleton that once belonged to a larger vessel. Historians say it likely sank in the early 1800s or even 1700s in the Hereford Inlet, which separates Wildwood and Stone Harbor. Could it be the D.H. Ingraham, a schooner that capsized in 1886? Or, is it the Mexican Guatimozin, with a stash of gold coins worth $100,000 when it sank in 1801? The gold, hidden amid a cargo of tea, was on its way to the Philadelphia banker and philanthropist Stephen Girard. It has never been found. We may never know, says historian Steve Murray, chairman of the nonprofit Friends of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in Cape May County. Hes betting on the Ingraham. James Talone, president of the Stone Harbor Museum, points out that Girards gold sank in the same area as the Ingraham. There were about 100 wrecks throughout the inlet. It is known as a treacherous waterway at the southern tip of Stone Harbor where the bay meets the ocean, sands constantly shift, and the inlet floor drastically changes. Back then, ships ran aground as noreasters blew the sails toward land and waves tipped the vessels like the one unearthed in recent weeks. Bundled in winter coats and smartphones in hand, the curious have hiked to the three-mile stretch of the Stone Harbor Point where locals discovered the find in mid-December. Zeke Orzech, a surfer/dad/weather geek, posted a Dec. 20 photo on Twitter that read: This is cool!! A shipwreck has emerged from the sand at the point in # StoneHarborNJ On Friday, Orzech, who lives in Cape May Court House and is a house painter, said he heard about the wreckage from his boss and like many others wanted to see it. He hesitated before posting on Twitter a picture of the remote beach, knowing that it would become an attraction and that others could tear it apart. But he posted because it was so neat you want people to see it. Hes been living year-round at the Jersey Shore for three decades and this is among the unique things he has seen, especially as it has sparked speculation that the vessel could be the D.H. Ingraham. The Maine schooner sank in 1886 on its way to Richmond, Va. The five-man crew nearly went down with a cargo of the mineral lime that caught fire in a blinding winter storm. Crew members were famously saved by coastal station employees who launched a rescue boat and plucked the men as the burning ship capsized. Murray has researched and written about the Ingraham. When he learned about the wreckage, he conducted his own inspection. Not only was the wreckage found in the same area where the Ingraham sank, but the ribs looked charred. Thats pretty good evidence, he said. It could be that ship, but Talone, who also inspected the wreckage, says he measured the ribs at 14 feet from tip to tip, and eight to 10 inches thick. The Ingraham was a larger schooner, he thinks. Mostly, its a mystery, he posted on the Stone Harbor Museum Facebook page under the heading The Unnamed Wreck. J.P. Hand, author of The Cape May Navy, said its premature to say which ship has been found. I think it is safe to say at this time that we dont know which vessel it is, said Hand, whose family was among the early Cape May settlers. Unless a donor turns up, there are no plans to try to save the wreck. Ideally, it would be nice if it could be put on display and preserved. If not, Id like to see it buried at sea again, said Murray, who hoped scavengers would not pick it apart for keepsakes. It was preserved pretty well. Gerald O'Malley stands in front of the emergency room of the Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol, where he previously worked. O'Malley is one of nearly 60 doctors and physicians assistants at three suburban hospitals owned by Prime Healthcare that is out thousands of dollars in back pay after a turnover in the contractor that helps staff the ERs. Read more For Gerald OMalley and 56 of the doctors and physician assistants he calls his colleagues, their current crusade against Prime Healthcare is principally about principles. The safety of patients at the three Philadelphia-area hospitals run by the health system, for one. And the issue of being shorted about six weeks of pay each for working in those hospitals, an amount OMalley personally estimates at $20,000. In my line of work, peoples lives are at risk, but I dont care who you are: a plumber, a doctor, or someone at Wawa," OMalley said. If you work for a company that says, Were not going to pay for you those six weeks, unless you agree to work for another company at 20 percent less salary, I think any reasonable person would say thats not fair." The nearly 60 emergency-room staffers at Lower Bucks, Roxborough Memorial, and Suburban Community Hospitals have banded together after Prime unexpectedly terminated its contract with Legacy Physician Partners, a third-party staffing company it had hired to fill the ERs at the small community hospitals. Now, theyre mulling legal action to recoup their lost wages, as well as to rail against Legacys replacement, a firm that they contend is using predatory tactics to force them to sign new contracts they deem less favorable. Some, feeling backed into a corner, have signed the agreements. Others like OMalley and Joseph Matula, a former ER doctor at Lower Bucks, refused and are seeking work elsewhere. But its not an easy task: Most hospitals require a three- to four-month credentialing process before physicians can start, leaving some of the former Prime staffers potentially out of a job for nearly half a year. For those who dont have other opportunities to work right away, theyre holding a gun to their head, forcing them to work, forcing them to sign a restrictive contract, and Im concerned that thats the shape of things to come, Matula said. If this is allowed to happen, why wouldnt other groups do it? Legacys successor, Progressive Emergency Physicians, is using the staffers' back pay as a retention bonus, promising it in increments in the first six months of a new contract that offers a 20 percent lower hourly rate than Legacys, according to four of the former ER staffers who were offered the deal. The agreement also extends the at-will period at which a doctor can be fired to six months, and stipulates that the retention bonus must be paid back by the employee if he or she leaves within a year, the staffers said. Andrew Sama, the CEO of Progressive, hung up on a reporter from the Inquirer and Daily News. David Calabrese, Progressives chief operating officer, said that this difficulty is between Legacy and its former employees" and declined further comment. Legacy, headquartered in Tennessee, is in the process of being dismantled about a year after its organization. Its founder, Christopher Kelly, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November for business debts, and listed two separate, $3 million claims against him by former partners at the firm, federal court records show. Those claims stem from a searing civil suit in which those colleagues accuse Kelly of erratic, oppressive behavior, as well as financial mismanagement that was allegedly ruinous for the company. Neither Kelly nor his attorney returned requests for comment. And in the center of this is Prime and its local leadership, who said the debate hasnt affected the service it offers to the public. We value our physicians and staff and maintain strict confidentiality as it relates to compensation and contract negotiations, Rick Lucas, the chair of the department of emergency medicine at Suburban Community Hospital, said in a statement. Our Emergency Departments in Philadelphia remain open, fully staffed and ready to serve the medical needs of the community. Officials at the health system said that Prime paid Legacy for the physicians' services and that the money should have been distributed to them. They have no records of what has and hasnt been paid to the physicians, describing that as solely Legacys responsibility. Patricia Pierce, a labor attorney working with the ER physicians, sees the issue plainly. This is an unconscionable business practice. Its inconceivable to me, particularly the sort of carrot-and-stick behavior on part of both Prime and Progressive, Pierce said, adding that she is still gathering information about the case and weighing her options on how to proceed. Its unbelievable that any responsible business, let alone health-care professionals, would behave that way, she said. At smaller hospitals that dont have the resources to hire and maintain a full roster of doctors, transitions between contracted staffing companies are usually seamless. In fact, none of the five other hospitals that Prime contracted with Legacy to staff in Ohio, Georgia, Texas, and Missouri are dealing with issues of lost wages with Legacys replacements, according to Prime. Primes issues began in September, when ER staffers at the three local hospitals received notice that Prime was terminating its contract with Legacy, which had become insolvent, according to the doctors. Initially, the word from Prime was that the contract would last through the new year. Instead, the staffers at the three hospitals were later told that the contract would end in mid-November, and that Legacy was unable to pay its premiums for medical-malpractice insurance. Progressive saw the bleeding of the providers, that Legacy wasnt going to pay us, and they went for the jugular," said Sandy Boyd, a physician assistant that previously worked at Lower Bucks. Thats why they came in early and started adding all these stipulations. Meanwhile, 800 miles away, Legacys legal troubles continued. Michele Sexton and Brant Gamble claim in their September lawsuit that Christopher Kelly tried to change the terms of Legacys terms of operation, diminishing their stake in the company they helped form. When they objected, they say, Kelly went on the offensive, threatening to end the company. Kellys threats were not mere conjecture, the complaint filed in the suit said. The two allege that Kelly caused Legacy to fail to pay its emergency room contractors," caused some vendors and providers to threaten suspending services and caused other providers to completely terminate their contracts with Legacy." The lawsuit is still active in Tennessee. In Greater Philadelphia, the Legacy employees at the three prime hospitals were encouraged to keep coming to work even without the prospect of being paid. Catherine Pelletier, a doctor who had worked at both Roxborough Memorial and Lower Bucks, said she personally felt compelled to, for the sake of the patients in the surrounding communities that relied on the hospital. OMalley said that Sama, the head of Progressive, assured him in November that he would be paid, and that his company had won the staffing contract from Prime by promising to handle the staffers' lost wages. In a separate conversation, OMalley said Lower Bucks Co-Interim CEO Ruben Garza told him the same: That Progressive edged ahead in the bidding with its claim to handle the back-pay issue. Days later, after not being paid on the scheduled payday and unwilling to sign the Progressive contract, OMalley left the hospital. As of last week, he and the other staffers who walked away from the Prime hospitals still dont know if they have tail medical malpractice insurance, a term referring to the coverage given to former employees in case lawsuits are filed after they stop working at a facility. Now, theyre worried about the state of affairs in the three Prime hospitals, concerned about safety. You have more patents per provider and you have providers forced to work longer hours, which is not healthy either, Matula said. The combo of all that is its a less safe environment for the patients, and a greater chance for bad things to happen. The warehouses are coming and with them, presumably, the jobs. After years of trailing behind Lehigh Valley's distribution center boom, Philadelphia, it seems, has finally arrived. Developers are so sure of demand that they're acquiring land and building warehouses even before securing tenants, the Inquirer and Daily News' Jacob Adelman reported Monday, calling this kind of speculative development "a practice virtually unheard of in the city until recently." One major reason developers are betting on Philadelphia? Workers. In the Lehigh Valley, workers (and land) are in short supply. "We almost don't have enough people with low skills to fill all the need in the fulfillment industry," Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, told Bloomberg earlier this year. It's a challenge that distribution centers all over the country are facing, especially now, when unemployment is at its lowest rate in decades. Blog posts abound about how to attract and retain warehouse workers: Wages, they say, for one. (See: Amazon raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour.) Flexibility is another. The motorcycle-gear retailer RevZilla, for example, launched an Uber-like, "flex" staffing program this year geared toward students and parents who can't work full time. But some strategies speak to a darker side of warehouse work, with corporate blog posts suggesting that you can't get away with not offering paid time off, and that air-conditioning is a nice perk "Sometimes employees will work for less wage to work in a comfortable environment," advises a blog for a commercial real estate firm. In addition, Jeremy Davidson of the supply chain services firm Fortna says companies are decking out their fulfillment centers: Under Armour built a fitness facility in its new distribution center right outside of Nashville in 2015. Others have food trucks on-site or reimburse families for child care. Companies have to show off what makes their warehouse an appealing place to work, "down to the bathrooms," Davidson said. "Are there a lot of them? Are they clean?" The standards, he said, have been raised. "Pay for performance" culture also has become more common: Workers get a bonus if they complete tasks within a certain time frame or if they don't make many mistakes. One fulfillment center company's blog recommends offering more than monetary perks: good parking spaces, preferred shifts, and products are all good options, it says. (Amazon, for its part, cut its incentive program when it raised its minimum wage.) Increased competition for warehouse labor may have driven up wages and standards, but some say these jobs are still exploitative and abusive, especially for temp workers. "Temps don't get benefits. They don't get sick days or vacations. They're not paid a living wage," Mark Meinster, executive director of the Chicago-based Warehouse Workers for Justice, said at a meeting in May to discuss the impact of warehouse development in the city. In 2012, Mother Jones reporter Mac McClelland wrote about her experience as "a warehouse wage slave" at an unidentified fulfillment center. Workers continue to speak up about poor working conditions. Multiple women working at a Verizon distribution center in Memphis had miscarriages after their employers rejected their requests for "light duty," a recent New York Times investigation found. On Black Friday, thousands of Amazon warehouse workers in Europe once again went on strike. As the city touts warehouse work as a way to lift Philadelphians out of poverty, it raises a question that's becoming a refrain in certain advocacy circles: Are all jobs created equal? It's one reason that cities across the country, Philadelphia included, are increasingly mandating workplace laws around such issues as minimum wage and predictable scheduling. 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 in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. Read more WASHINGTON - The federal government has been partially shut down for a week, hundreds of thousands of workers are furloughed, but theres no sign of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the veteran dealmaker whos brokered an end to so many Washington impasses. McConnell is home in Kentucky, and the senator's spokesman, Donald Stewart, said it's up to President Donald Trump and the Democrats to come up with a deal to end the stalemate over funding for Trump's border wall. In other words, in McConnell's view, it's not on him. Still, the sidelines is an unusual place to find the Senate leader with Washington in the throes of a budget breakdown - especially one he was determined to avoid and may have difficulty resolving next week with his Senate Republicans fearful of crossing Trump. McConnell has made no secret of his distaste for government shutdowns, and just days before it happened he predicted that it would not, telling Capitol Hill reporters that the public doesn't like shutdowns and "there's no education in the second kick of a mule." "We've been down this path before and I don't believe we'll go down this path again," McConnell said then. But McConnell is dealing with an unreliable partner in the White House. The week before Christmas, McConnell pushed the Senate to unanimously pass a short-term spending bill that would have kept the government open through early February, but without giving Trump the $5 billion that he wants for his wall, the one he repeatedly insisted Mexico would finance. McConnell did so with the understanding that Trump would support the bill, allies said. But the president changed course abruptly the next morning under intense pressure from conservatives, and the House never took up the Senate's bill, instead passing legislation to keep the government open and fund Trump's wall that had no chance in the Senate. A quarter of the government shut down on Dec. 22, and there's been very little progress in negotiations since. And McConnell himself has appeared to disengage, putting the onus on Democrats and Trump after his initial efforts were undercut by the president. "McConnell is one of the best vote-counters in politics, and he generally knows when to fold a losing hand," said Bruce Reed, who was Joe Biden's chief of staff from 2011 to 2013, when McConnell and the then-vice president worked together to strike some critical deals. "He did that on a number of occasions in the Obama years. He's now stuck with a president who prefers to double down on a losing hand." Allies point out that in budget fights under the Obama administration, it was up to McConnell to corral recalcitrant Republicans to make a deal with a Democratic administration, something he did successfully in high-pressure moments time and again. In this shutdown fight, though, the dynamic is reversed and it's up to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. - once Democrats take over the House on Jan. 3 - to find the votes for legislation that Trump will sign, Republicans say. "The difference between his position now and his position over the last 10 years is he was representing the party that had the impasse in final negotiations, so it was incumbent on him to find a way out of the impasse," said Josh Holmes, a McConnell adviser and former chief of staff. "Now there is no impasse in his conference, they're united," Holmes said. "So when people say McConnell should come in and negotiate a way out of this, they're asking him to negotiate against himself." Intent on reopening the government, House Democrats are weighing several legislative options they could pass immediately upon taking control. The bills under consideration would fund border fencing and levee walls that Democrats have already supported - but not the concrete wall Trump once promised. McConnell and his Republicans will face pressure from constituents who want an end to the shutdown and conservatives who want the wall - and, of course, Trump. McConnell and Trump have had a rocky relationship, publicly sparring last year over the Senate's failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But McConnell's successful handling of two Supreme Court nomination fights, especially the recent battle over Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, put him squarely back in Trump's good graces. There's been no recent renewal of public tensions between the two, though the negotiations leading up to the shutdown brought one of their long-standing disagreements to the fore as Trump urged McConnell to change Senate rules so that the House border wall bill could pass with a simple majority instead of 60 votes, and McConnell refused. McConnell, 76, who is up for reelection to a seventh Senate term in 2020, has repeatedly lauded the work accomplished in the two years under Trump, saying it's been one of the most successful congresses in recent decades. He points to a massive tax cut bill, confirmation of two conservatives to the Supreme Court and 82 other lower-court judges, as well as passage of legislation to address the opioid crisis and overhaul the criminal justice system. The senator made the same points to Trump recently, according to a tweet Trump sent Sunday night saying: "Mitch McConnell just told a group of people, and me, that he has been in the U.S. Senate for 32 years and the last two have been by far the best & most productive of his career. Tax & Regulation Cuts, VA Choice, Farm Bill, Criminal Justice Reform, Judgeships & much more. Great!" McConnell didn't want it all to end with a shutdown. But the stage was set partly because he and other GOP leaders, after hearing Trump level numerous threats to get his border wall money, urged the president to put the fight off until after the midterm elections, concerned that a pre-election showdown could hurt Republican chances. McConnell and other congressional GOP leaders promised to fight for the wall after the elections, but when the moment arrived it turned out they had no real strategy to get the wall funding Trump sought. So Trump, egged on by conservatives lawmakers and commentators, disregarded McConnell's opposition and walked into a shutdown that there's now no obvious way out of. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., a House freshman who previously served as Kentucky's commissioner of agriculture, said that he shares McConnell's opposition to shutdowns, but that voters in his rural Kentucky district are strongly behind Trump even as the standoff continues. As he prepares to face voters in 2020, McConnell will need the president's support. But Comer said that McConnell, more than anyone else, should be at Trump's side during negotiations to bring the stalemate to a close. "My experience with McConnell from a historical perspective, and as well as a colleague so to speak over the last 19 years in Kentucky politics, he's the best in the business at closing deals," Comer said. "I hope the president is in communication with McConnell hourly, because I think that McConnell has the best perspective on how to navigate the perils of a shutdown." A McConnell spokesman did not immediately respond Friday when asked when the senator had most recently spoken with Trump. Starting in 2011, when Republicans recaptured the House and began looking for opportunities to challenge President Barack Obama, McConnell settled into his role as dealmaker. Three raging battles - over raising the debt limit, a "fiscal cliff," and whether to block funding for the Affordable Care Act - began with House conservatives making demands and ended with McConnell bringing most of his caucus into an agreement that preserved the status quo. In one of these fights, as Congress was nearing a deadline for the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts in the waning hours of 2012, McConnell and Biden spoke at least 13 times, working through the details of a bill that could pass both chambers of Congress. The two men, who had known each other for nearly 30 years, revised a proposal that had stalled in the House, forcing Republicans to commit to a tax hike on top income rates and pushing Democrats to back off some 2012 campaign promises. After negotiating with a White House exhausted by crises, McConnell sidelined conservatives who favored no deal at all - then argued that he'd pulled out a win for them. "In a government controlled two-thirds by the Democrats - we got permanency for 99 percent of the Bush tax cuts," McConnell said after selling his caucus on the deal. Democrats credited McConnell for keeping open lines of communication with Biden, even when conservatives criticized him. In the aftermath of each crisis, McConnell placed some or most of the blame on his own party, casting himself as the pragmatist who could keep the government running. That history has made many conservatives skeptical of McConnell. In 2014, the leader faced a credible primary challenge from Matt Bevin, a businessman who excoriated him for raising the debt limit and failing to repeal the ACA; after losing that primary, Bevin waged a successful campaign for governor. But more recently, conservatives have celebrated McConnell's single-minded focus on confirming judges. Asked if they worried about the leader siding with Democrats in January to end the shutdown, House conservatives said that the court fights had revealed a McConnell who they expect will not back down. "The Senate will often pass something to the House, knowing Republicans don't support it," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. "But when you look at how strong Mitch stood against Merrick Garland and how strong he stood on confirming Brett Kavanaugh, that's promising." Garland was Obama's Supreme Court nominee who never got a hearing as McConnell refused to even consider filling a vacancy in the 2016 election year. Next week, McConnell's caucus will also shift to the right, with four Republicans replacing Democratic senators and Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., replacing Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a skeptic of the border wall. All of the incoming Republicans ran on Trump's border wall, though they have not said much about the specifics of the shutdown. On her Facebook page, Blackburn has urged supporters to sign a petition supporting the border wall. In columns and debates all year, incoming senators like North Dakota's Kevin Cramer and Missouri's Josh Hawley committed to the border wall. Enough apologies and temporizing, Hawley wrote in a September column for Fox News. Build the wall. Fund the Border Patrol. Back ICE. You can count on me to fight for all of the above. A team from the Egyptian Red Crescent provided psychological support to the victims of a bomb blast that hit a tourist bus in Giza on Friday. Four people were killed and 11 injured when an IED detonated, hitting a tourist bus on Marioutiya Road in the Haram district of Giza, near the pyramids. Three of the deceased are Vietnamese and the fourth is an Egyptian tour company representative, Egyptian prosecutors have said. The team helped the wounded at El-Haram hospital and offered psychological support to the injured. 1 The team also provided psychological support to the family of the Egyptian tourist guide who died in the blast. 2 Search Keywords: Short link: WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump and Democrats are trading blame for the partial government shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other, as the disruption in federal services and public employees' pay slogs into another weekend. Trump upped the brinkmanship by threatening anew to close the border with Mexico to press Congress to cave to his demand for money to pay for a wall. Democrats vowed to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that won't accomplish anything unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it. Cooped up in the White House after canceling his planned vacation to his private Florida club, Trump tweeted Saturday that he's "in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security." But there has been little direct contact between the sides during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. The president did leave the White House on Friday night to join the three men at the center of the negotiations, Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, for dinner at Pence's residence at the Naval Observatory. As he called for Democrats to negotiate on the wall, Trump brushed off blame that his administration bore any responsibility for the recent deaths of two migrant children in Border Patrol custody. Trump claimed the deaths were "strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally." His comments on Twitter came as his Homeland Security secretary met with medical professionals and ordered policy changes meant to better protect children detained at the border. Meanwhile, the effects to the public of the impasse grew as the Environmental Protection Agency, which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight Friday night. EPA spokeswoman Molly Block said many of the agency's 14,000 employees were being furloughed, while disaster-response teams and certain other employees deemed essential would stay on the job. That includes workers needed for preventing immediate public health threats at more than 800 Superfund hazardous-waste sites. Also running short on money: the Smithsonian Institution, which said its museums, art galleries and zoo in the capital will close starting midweek if the partial shutdown drags on. But federal flood insurance policies will continue to be issued and renewed, in a reversal prompted by pressure from lawmakers, said Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Trump appeared no closer to securing money for his signature border wall, which he vowed during the campaign that he would make Mexico pay for. He's failed to do so. Now Democratic leaders are adamant that they will not authorize money for the project, calling it wasteful and ineffective. They show no signs of bending, either. "We are far apart," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS on Friday. Trump tweeted: We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. He also threatened to cut off U.S. aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, among countries he deems have not done enough to combat illegal immigration. He has made similar threats in the past without following through, and it is Congress, not the president, that appropriates aid money. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. Mulvaney said Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier offer by the White House to accept less than the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall. Democrats said that the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security, but that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Pence that it wasnt acceptable. It was also not guaranteed that Trump would settle for that amount. "There's not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal," Mulvaney said Friday. Speaking on Fox News and later to reporters, he tried to drive a wedge between Democrats, pinning the blame on House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Mulvaney said Schumer was "really interested in doing a deal and coming to some sort of compromise" but he understood that Pelosi was at risk of losing the speakership of the House if she went along. "So we're in this for the long haul," he said. In fact, Pelosi has all but locked up the support she needs to win the speaker's gavel after the new Congress convenes on Thursday, and there has been no sign that she and Schumer are in conflict. "For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn't pass the laugh test," said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer. Pelosi has vowed to pass legislation to reopen the nine shuttered departments and dozens of agencies now hit by the partial shutdown as soon as she takes the gavel. But that alone won't solve the shutdown, absent Senate approval and Trump's signature. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill added that Democrats are united against the wall and won't seriously consider any White House offer unless Trump backs it publicly because he "has changed his position so many times." Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacted cautiously to Trump's threat to close the border, calling it an "internal affair of the U.S. government." "We are always seeking a good relationship with the United States. We do not want to be rash," he said. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Juliet Linderman contributed to this article. (Bloomberg) The partial U.S. government shutdown enters its second week on Saturday, with nearly 14,000 workers at the Environmental Protection Agency going on furlough and Coast Guard service members missing their final paychecks of 2018. Theres been no sign of progress toward ending President Donald Trumps standoff with Democrats over funding for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Smithsonian said all museums, research centers and the National Zoo will close starting Jan. 2 unless the shutdown ends. Closings would include the popular National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of African American History & Culture on the National Mall in Washington, and the Cooper Hewitt design museum in New York. The EPA used funds already on hand to continue operation for a week, but was set to exhaust those. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said that without new funds by midnight Friday, employees would be put on furlough and travel would be canceled. Coast Guard members will miss their paychecks because, unlike other U.S. military branches, its under the Department of Homeland Security. The Defense Department isnt affected by the shutdown. Theres little indication of any imminent agreement to resolve the standoff before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. Trump is demanding $5 billion for the wall, while Democratic leaders proposed $1.3 billion for border security. Latest Developments The Senate and House are set to hold brief sessions Monday but no votes are scheduled. Lawmakers will be given 24 hours notice if theres a breakthrough that would require a vote. Trump tweeted on Friday that he would completely close the border with Mexico unless Democrats provide money for the wall and change immigration laws. If the standoff continues, all workers in the nine departments and dozens of agencies affected by the closure will miss their next paycheck on Jan. 11. Next Steps Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have been negotiating with the Trump administration. Once they reach agreement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said hell seek a vote on the deal. Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3, when Nancy Pelosi, whos in line to become speaker, says the chamber will pass a spending bill to reopen the government without money for a wall. Key Impacts The shutdown, which began Dec. 22, affects nine of the 15 federal departments, dozens of agencies, and hundreds of thousands of workers. Among the departments without funding are: Justice, Homeland Security, Interior and Treasury. Independent agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, are also affected. The departments whose funding lapsed represent about a quarter of the $1.24 trillion in government discretionary spending for fiscal year 2019. An estimated 400,000 federal employees are working without pay and 350,000 are furloughed, according to a congressional Democratic aide. Federal employees working without pay and those now furloughed got their Dec. 28 paychecks under a decision by the White House budget office since pay reflects work before Dec. 21. The remaining parts of the government, including the Defense Department and the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, were already funded and wont be affected by the shutdown, nor will mandatory entitlement programs like Medicare payments. With assistance from Anna Edgerton and Jennifer A. Dlouhy. To contact the reporters on this story: Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.net;Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asseo, Ros Krasny 2018 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump remained out of public view Friday as the partial government shutdown reached the one-week mark, content to issue threats via Twitter amid a continuing standoff with Democrats over border wall funding. Since arriving back at the White House early Thursday from a surprise trip to Iraq, Trump has had no public events, and aides offered few details about his schedule, other than saying the president was working and making phone calls. In the evening, Trump left the White House for a short ride to Vice President Mike Pence's residence to join him, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner for a private dinner. At a time when most of Congress has left town for the holidays despite the budget impasse, Trump has emphasized his decision to cancel a planned vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and remain in Washington. But he has chosen not to use this time to engage in substantive negotiations over the budget or seize the public stage and make his case for funding the border wall. Instead, he's filled the silence with a rash of tweets that have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and cast illegal immigration as a threat to the country. The president's relatively low profile coincides with Republicans and Democrats digging in for an extended fight, with no breakthrough in sight. Trump's allies on Capitol Hill said the president remained in touch with GOP leaders, but they said the only tangible talks Friday were between rank-and-file members of the two parties. Congressional leaders have stayed mostly silent in recent days. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., returned to their home states. Aides for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., declined to reveal their whereabouts. There was an emerging consensus Friday that there would be no deal before Democrats take control of the House on Wednesday, with Pelosi expected to become speaker, altering the balance of power in Washington for the first time in Trump's presidency. Trump initially demanded $5 billion for the wall, but the White House offered a deal for about half of that amount. Democrats rejected it, refusing to go above $1.3 billion in border security funding that would not include a wall. "I do not see progress being made that would indicate Ms Pelosi is going to compromise before Jan 3," Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a close Trump ally, said in a text message to The Washington Post. About 25 percent of the federal government has been shut down since Dec. 21, with roughly 800,000 workers affected, including an estimated 350,000 who are on furlough at home. The closure of federal agencies marks the third partial government shutdown this year and the longest since workers were furloughed for 16 days in 2013 during a budget impasse when House Republicans sought to cut off funding for the Affordable Care Act. Trump declared three weeks ago during a White House meeting with Pelosi and Schumer that he would be "proud" to take responsibility for shutting down the government over funding for a border wall. Since then, he has sought to blame Democrats, though he has spent little time during the past week trying to win over public sentiment. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 47 percent of Americans hold Trump responsible for the shutdown, compared with 33 percent who blame congressional Democrats. Trump spoke about the wall funding fight during his visit to U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday, but he has not made a public statement about it since he returned, other than on Twitter. He has announced no plans to leave Washington to highlight his push for more wall funding. Trump visited San Diego in March to review border wall prototypes commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security, but he has not visited a Border Patrol station or U.S. port of entry. On Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen embarked on a two-day tour of border stations in El Paso, Texas, and Yuma, Ariz., in the wake of the deaths of two migrant children who were detained by DHS after traveling from Guatemala. One of the children, Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, died on Christmas Eve. DHS officials did not permit reporters to accompany Nielsen on her visits. Trump began his day Friday by renewing a pair of vague threats he has made previously to seal the U.S. border with Mexico to trade and tourism and cut off U.S. foreign aid money to Central American nations. "Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border," Trump wrote. Yet the warnings were inconsistent with his administration's stance. Aides have said closing the border would cause an economic catastrophe, and the State Department last week announced plans to direct $10.6 billion to Mexico and Central America to help reduce the flow of unauthorized immigrants to the United States. Some White House allies said the president was passing up a chance to set the terms of the debate at a time when his Democratic rivals have ceded the megaphone to him. "One way for the White House to effectively refocus the debate would be to adopt more of a 'show, not tweet' approach," said RJ Hauman, government relations director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports the border wall. "Go down to the border and let the brave men and women on the front lines personally tell the American people and Congress how effective border barriers are." During the 2013 government shutdown, President Barack Obama employed several messaging strategies to blame Republicans and defend the health-care law, including releasing a public letter to federal employees, holding a news conference at the White House, meeting with small-business owners and conducting interviews with regional television stations. "This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened," Obama wrote in his letter. He thanked the federal workers for their service and added that the Republican-led House should not have tried to "attach highly controversial and partisan measures" to the government funding bill. The House eventually caved and passed a bill without the measures to strip health-care funding, after polls showed a majority of Americans blamed the GOP for the shutdown. On Thursday, in a bid to ratchet up pressure on Democrats, Trump wrote on Twitter of the furloughed federal workers that "most of the people not getting paid are Democrats," without offering evidence. Some Trump allies said he has clearly articulated his case on border security and that it was Democrats who will have to defend their position once they take over the House. "People need to be persuaded by the left in Congress, not by Trump," said Lars Larson, a conservative radio host based in Portland, Oregon. "They said, 'We will not negotiate.' How do Americans, not just those in politics, view someone who says, 'I am not negotiating?' " The Washington Posts Seung Min Kim, Felicia Sonmez and Erica Werner contributed to this report. Egypts Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat said on Saturday that the ministry will coordinate with the embassy of Vietnam to ease travel to Egypt for the families of the Vietnamese tourists who were injured in a bomb blast which hit their bus on Friday. In a statement, Minister Al-Mashat expressed her condolences to the Vietnamese ambassador in Cairo for the attack, which killed three Vietnamese and one Egyptian tourism worker. Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek has said that 11 other Vietnamese were injured. The explosion occurred when an IED detonated as the tourist bus was moving along Marioutiya Road in the Haram district of Giza; 14 Vietnamese tourists and two Egyptian tourism workers were on board. Search Keywords: Short link: KAMPALA To many; he was untouchable; to others, he was the Presidents most trusted military officer. The man in question is none other than Gen Kale Kayihura, the man who served as head of police for 13 years where he executed most complicated missions for his boss such as suppressing Walk to Work protests organized by the opposition. During his tenure, the police force also grew in numbers and he was praised for introducing community policing model which helped to combat crime. However, police actions were criticized as partisan and serving the interests of the ruling NRM party and its chairman President Museveni. With many successes over time, therefore, it was never ever envisaged by the public that Gen Kayihura would ever be removed from the position. However, in dramatic circumstances in March, President Museveni sacked Kayihura and replaced him with his deputy, Martins Okoth-Ochola. The news was received with jubilation from largely the opposition whom he had often harassed by blocking their different activities. To many analysts, it was an indication that the hitherto powerful man had fallen out of favour with his boss. Prior to his sacking, the President had claimed that the police was infiltrated by Kawukuumi (bean-weevils), which was a sign that a crack had emerged within the hierarchy. Then several media houses were awash with stories of how the General had selected and promoted his group of police officers who were accused of masterminding crime in the city such as murders and kidnaps. In fact, many alleged that he was behind the murder of former police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi. However, he denied the allegations and his lawyers have since sued some media houses over the matter. With the country reeling from the news of his sacking, three months later in June 13, Gen Kayihura was arrested by the army and detained at Makindye Military Barracks. The news was shocking to the whole country amid claims that his arrest was in connection to working with Rwanda with plans to overthrow the government. He was also arrested alongside his former blue-eyed boys. Prior to Kayihuras arrest, some had already been arrested. Those arrested were Boda Boda 2010 patron Abdallah Kitatta, Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma, Senior Superintendent of Police Nickson Agasirwe, Herbert Muhangi, the former polices Flying Squad Unit commander, former cyber-crime head Richard Ndaboine, and former crime intelligence director Col Ndahura Atwooki. Meanwhile, President Museveni for the first time publicly criticized Kayihuras work methods, accusing him of killing morale and professionalism in the force. The President, before sacking Kayihura as Inspector General of Police in March, had often praised him as a good cadre who helped to quell riots and walk to work demonstrations. But in a dramatic turnaround on Wednesday, June 27, the President used the security meeting with Members of Parliament to launch a blistering attack on Kayihura, whom he said ignored existing police formal systems and worked with some civilians who ended up destroying the image of the Force. The interactive security meeting between the President and the MPs was closed to journalists and the rest of the public but sources that attended and followed the meeting proceedings said the Head of State said Gen Kayihura was often defending his police officers even when they had broken the law. The President said Gen Kayihura worked with Wanainchi to do intelligence and undermining formal police structures, the source said. Sources said earlier, the investigations team managed to extract confessions from some of the officers who are arrested alongside him, linking the former police chief to some crimes such as illegal extradition of refugees, cooperating with a foreign country, high profile murders and robbery. However, on Tuesday, August 28, he won back his freedom after the General Court Martial granted him bail. Gen. Kayihura had been in jail for the last 76 days after his arrest by the military from his Kashagama home in Lyantonde on June 13. He was charged with three counts including failing to protect war materials and one count of aiding and abetting kidnapping from Uganda of Rwanda nationals while he was an IGP. His lawyers applied for bail but despite the states objections, Maj. Gen. Andrew Gutti, the GCM chairman said the court was satisfied with the ex-IGPs lawyers submissions and granted him bail. It remains to be seen whether the prosecution of the former police chief will continue in the army court or whether he will settle his difference with his boss at State House. Related A Cairo criminal court set on Saturday 19 January to start the trial of seven defendants charged with organ trafficking in the Ain Shams district. The prosecution has charged the defendants with manipulating a number of Egyptians into selling their organs and exploiting their financial difficulties. The issue made news after the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood reported to the prosecution a case in which the kidney of a child had been illegally removed. In a separate case in July, a Cairo criminal court sentenced 41 defendants to prison terms of three to 15 years for their involvement in an organ trafficking ring. The ring included university professors, doctors, nurses, medical centre owners and brokers. According to a law passed in 2017, those who perform an organ transplant by deception or force can face life in prison and fines of between EGP 1 million and EGP 2 million, or the death penalty if their operations result in a victim's death. Search Keywords: Short link: If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi ordered on Saturday the development of the transportation sector in Egypt to continue, and under-construction mega projects to be finalized on time. The president made the remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, as well as a number of ministers and the head of the Egyptian intelligence service, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said. During the meeting, El-Sisi ordered upgrading the efficiency of the roads network in Egypt through applying smart transport systems, Rady added. The president further directed the government to remove encroachments on the state-owned lands. The meeting also reviewed efforts exerted to develop Egypt's resources of petroleum, natural gas and mineral resources, as well as the developments of the presidential initiative to eliminate the Hepatitis C virus and non-communicable diseases. The president was also directed the government to increase efforts to provide care for Egyptian expats and solve their problems. He also reviewed the outcome of a recent visit paid by the foreign minister and the head of the intelligence service to Sudan. Search Keywords: Short link: A Swiss man living in Morocco was arrested in Marrakesh on Saturday, for alleged links to suspects in the recent murder of two female Scandinavian hikers, authorities said. The man is "suspected of teaching some of those arrested in this case about communication tools involving new technology and of training them in marksmanship", Morocco's central office for judicial investigations said in a statement. It said he subscribed to "extremist ideology" and also had Spanish citizenship. Search Keywords: Short link: The village of Leulumoega welcomed fifteen new matai titleholders yesterday. Members of the Salevagogo family were bestowed with the Tupuola, Levaogogo, Pasese, Levao and Fagafua titles. Six were were conferred the Tupuola title, six received the Fagafua title, one Levaogogo, one Pasese and one Levao. The new titleholders come from Samoa, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and America Samoa. The familys paramount chief, Tupuola Mulipola Sefo, said the new titleholders were carefully chosen and are worthy of their calling. He highlighted the critical role played by the chiefly titleholders and reminded that the titles are about serving and loving others. A major part in Samoan culture is to love and serve, Tupuola said. Those who have chosen and have been selected to bear a chiefly title serve and love not only their family but also the village. So no matter where they are from or where they live they are obligated to keep that promise. The charm of Samoa continues to make the island a favourite destination for Australian couple Chris and Sue Tilt they just keep on coming back. In fact the Sydney couple recently returned to Samoa for their eighth visit and are so happy to be back. Speaking to the Samoa Observer, the couple said they are also here to visit a friend who works here. We have a friend who lives here in Samoa and he is working in the bank so we come and visit him and he takes us around to all the different places. Visiting Samoa at this time of the year has its challenges with the wet weather a noticeable feature, not forgetting the mosquitoes which can be a nuisance. But the couple is taking everything in their stride and enjoying their first day back on the island since their last visit. Currently, Chris and Sue call the Taumeasina Island Resort home and are thankful for the hospitality and the focus that the resort staff are giving them. They return to Sydney next Thursday so with five days to discover more of the island, they intend to make the best of their adventure. Discussing their interaction with Samoans during their stay on the island, the couple described the locals as very kind and hospitable people. And with the New Year just around the corner, the plans for the next holiday destination in 2019 has begun, with Chris and Sue indicating that there is a chance they could be back again next year. In October this year Samoan government officials spoke of the benefits that would flow to the countrys tourism industry, when Samoa became the new home of the Cable Ship Reliance. Two months after the opening of the Samoa marine depot at the Matautu-tai wharf the new home of the vessel the local tourism industry is slowly beginning to see the fruits of that Government decision. Americans Ross Hilligoss and Kris Smith who work on the Cable Ship Reliance were sighted in Apia yesterday and interviewed by the Samoa Observer. They said while they are working on the vessel and are based in Samoa, they have had the chance to explore some of Upolu Islands tourism attractions. We are here for work, we work at the cable ship at Matautu, they both said. It is Ross second deployment to Samoa and the first for Kris. Both have described some of Samoas tourism spots as beautiful and amazing. In an interview with this newspaper, the two Americans said they found Samoans to be kind and very friendly, and see themselves returning for a vacation when the opportunity arose. Though, Kris indicated that living on the East Coast of America has its challenges in terms of travelling hours to Samoa. I would come back, its a long flight for us from the East cost of the United States, if it was closer I would come back frequently, he said. In the meantime, they are both looking forward to spending as much time on the island as possible, when they have the extra time. The Cable Ship Reliance previously berthed in New Caledonia but moved last month to Apia, where it will be based for five years. The vessel has a crew of 51 including the captain. The marine depot at the Matautu-tai wharf comprises a 4000 square meter warehouse that will house an undersea communication system. The headline Chief Justice alarmed at crime targeting Chinese published on the front page of this newspaper earlier this month raised eyebrows. Not only was it concerning that crime has become a major issue in Samoa, the idea that certain criminals are picking their targets based on race and ethnicity, is extremely frightening. We cannot ignore it. This is especially worrying after another incident, which appeared on the front page of your newspaper yesterday, involving a U.N. Intern from Denmark who was also robbed. Which is what took our attention back to Chief Justice Patus remarks about the attack on a Chinese man. Said His Honour Patu: Criminal offences which involve Chinese nationals as victims have been at an alarming increase in the recent past, particularly burglary and theft. But there have also been other kinds of offences. This is becoming of serious concern that soon the Courts are going to impose heavy sentences if this trend does not cease. The Chinese are contributing in a significant and substantial way to the development of Samoa, but people like the accused with their actions are likely to undermine the good relationship that the rest of Samoa has with the Chinese. He emphasised that the continuing rise in the level of criminal offending against Chinese nationals in Samoa is a concern to the Court. Not only does this involve burglary and theft but also the use of violence in such cases. We couldnt agree more with the Chief Justice. This matter should be taken very seriously by everyone in this country. What we need to remember is that whether they are Chinese, Indians, English or whatever race, these people are guests of our country. We should feel duty bound to look after them. Think of thousands of Samoans who are also being treated as guests of many other foreign countries. What were to happen if those countries treated them badly? How would we feel? This is why we need to think very carefully about this today. One of the most wonderful things about life is that no matter how bad things get, there is always an opportunity to start afresh. And so as we prepare to say goodbye to the old year, today we should think and be inspired by hope. We need to because without hope in this day and age, where there is sorrow and suffering everywhere, there is nothing to cling to. Without hope, the body shivers, the mind stops, inspiration ceases and we become too busy worrying about things that are beyond our control. The bottom line is that everyone has a role to play. We must all do our best to make sure that laws and systems put in place to ensure the safety and security of everyone is respected. These laws and systems are vital to peace and security of ourselves and our visitors to these shores. With a new year on the horizon, there is reason to be thankful; there is reason to be optimistic. Yes we see a glimmer of hope. Even if its just a small flicker, we believe that a little light is better than no light at all. And that comes with the arrival of a new year. Today, let us once again remind our leaders in government, churches and in the villages that they are occupying those positions for a reason. That reason is to deal with the issues that are confronting us today. They cannot be ignorant of whats going on. The criminals are Samoans, we need some Samoan solutions since the foreign systems are obviously not working. This is what we should be thinking about in these last days of 2018. What do you think? Write and share your thoughts with us. Have a wonderful last Sunday of the year Samoa, God bless! This image released by Focus Features shows Theodore Pellerin, left, and Lucas Hedges in a scene from 'Boy Erased.' (Photo: Focus Features via AP) This image released by Focus Features shows Theodore Pellerin, left, and Lucas Hedges in a scene from 'Boy Erased.' (Photo: Focus Features via AP) NEW YORK (AP) Activists urging more states to ban gay conversion therapy for minors are expecting major gains in 2019, thanks to midterm election results and the buzz generated by two well-reviewed films. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have already enacted laws prohibiting licensed therapists from trying to change a minor's sexual orientation. Leaders of a national campaign to ban the practice are hopeful that at least four more states Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and New York will join the ranks in the upcoming legislative sessions. "We'd be disappointed if we don't get those this year they're overdue," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights , one of the groups campaigning to impose bans in all 50 states. The campaign has gained momentum in recent months thanks to the national release of two films dramatizing the experiences of youths who went through conversion therapy "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" and the higher-profile "Boy Erased" starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. Sam Brinton of the Trevor Project , another of groups leading the ban campaign, said thousands of people have signed up to assist the effort since "Boy Erased" was released on Nov. 2. "They're recognizing this is still a problem and joining our campaigns in droves," said Brinton, a child of Baptist missionary parents who has written about agonizing conversion therapy sessions experienced as an adolescent in Florida. Brinton recalls being bound to a table by the therapist for applications of ice, heat and electricity. Just four days after the "Boy Erased" release came the midterm elections, which altered the partisan political dynamic at several statehouses and boosted prospects for conversion therapy bans. In three of the states now being targeted, previous efforts to enact a ban gained some bipartisan support but were thwarted by powerful Republicans. In Maine, a bill was vetoed last year by GOP Gov. Paul LePage. In New York and Colorado, bills approved in the Democratic-led lower chambers of the legislature died in the Republican-controlled state senates. In January, however, a Democrat will succeed LePage as Maine's governor, and Democrats will have control of both legislative chambers in New York and in Colorado, where gay Gov.-elect Jared Polis is believed eager to sign a ban. A lead sponsor of the New York ban bill, Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman, predicted passage would be "straightforward" now that his party controls the Senate. "For a lot of my colleagues, they consider conversion therapy to be child abuse," he said. In Massachusetts, both legislative chambers voted last year in support of a ban but were unable to reconcile different versions of the measure before adjournment. Chances of passage in 2019 are considered strong, and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker who was re-elected is viewed as likely to sign such a measure given his strong support for LGBT rights. More Republican governors like Baker are getting behind the bans, reflecting activists' belief that opposition to conversion therapy is increasingly bipartisan. Bills proposing bans are pending or anticipated in several GOP-controlled legislatures, including Florida, Ohio and Utah. LGBT activists are particularly intrigued by Utah because of the possibility that the powerful Mormon church, which in the past supported conversion therapy, might endorse a bill to ban the practice for minors. In Florida, the proposed ban faces long odds in the legislature in 2019, but activists note that about 20 Florida cities and counties have passed local bans more than any other state. In Ohio, supporters of a bill that would ban conversion therapy for minors realize they have an uphill fight in a legislature with GOP supermajorities. Still, Sen. Charleta Tavares, a Columbus Democrat, believes her proposal got "new legs" in November. That's when the state board overseeing counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists warned the 40,000 professionals it regulates that anyone found practicing conversion therapy on LGBT patients could lose their license. "I am glad to see that our state boards are carrying this movement, regardless of the inaction by our General Assembly," Tavares said. For now, LGBT activists are not seeking to ban conversion therapy for adults. A gay California legislator, Evan Low, withdrew a bill he introduced earlier this year that would have declared conversion therapy a fraudulent practice and banned commercial use of it for adults and minors. Some opponents had threatened to sue to block the bill, saying it would jeopardize free speech and free exercise of religion. Low says he may try again after revising his bill. If so, his arguments could be bolstered by input from John Smid, the real-life model for the "Boy Erased" character who ran a coercive conversion therapy program. For years, Smid was director of Tennessee-based Love in Action, a ministry which operated such a program. Smid left the organization in 2008. He subsequently renounced the concept that sexual orientation could be changed and apologized for any harm he had caused. In 2014, he married his same-sex partner, with whom he lives in Texas. Smid recently cooperated with a law firm as it compiled a report about Love in Action for the Washington-based Mattachine Society, which studies past instances of anti-LGBT persecution. One of the report's co-authors, Lisa Linsky, said Smid depicted Love in Action as "a complete and utter failure," with none of its participants actually changing their sexual orientation. Moscow will deal with the capture of Ukrainian sailors in the Azov Sea in accordance with Russian law, while acknowledging German Chancellor Angela Merkel's position, the Russian news agency RIA quoted the Kremlin spokesman as saying on Saturday. Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged Russia to release the Ukrainian sailors, whom it captured along with their ships last month in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea with the Azov Sea. Search Keywords: Short link: Dear Editor, Although the idea that people have value and should be treated with dignity and respect has been with us for thousands of years, it was the twentieth century that use the language of human rights to express this. Human rights describe the kind of life a human being should be able to expect by virtue of being human, rather than rights, which people may have by virtue of being citizens of a country or having signed a contract for sale, which are special human rights. There are many kinds of human rights, but the two principal groups of rights are: i. Civil rights are rights to have something not happen to us such as torture and violence. ii. Economic rights, sometimes called welfare rights describe a right to have something such as education or food The Bible, however, is concerned with poverty and oppression, as both are insults to Gods intentions for humanity. THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS It is important for Christians to ask whether they have anything distinctive to add to this debate. Some Christians have denied the whole concept of human rights, believing that we only have responsibilities and duties towards one another. Others are concern that the notion of human rights is becoming so dominant that human responsibilities are diminishing. Yet others believe that the modern notion of human rights contains within it an essential Christian Component, which it is the duty of the church to preserve and the mission of the church to propagate. In assessing this debate we need to ask some fundamental questions: I. Where do human rights come from? II. What do they consist of? III. If Christians have anything distinctive to contribute, what is it? The origin of human rights is Creation. Human beings have never acquired them, nor have any government or other authority conferred them. We have had them from the beginning. We received them with our life from the hand of our Maker. They are inherent in our creation. They have been bestowed on us by our Creator. Human rights language is a moral language in that it is an attempt to describe the right and the good. But it is also a political language. Appealing to human rights does not end a debate. More often than not it starts a debate. Human rights do not represent a moral trump card. There is a need for some moral framework beyond human rights from which they can derive their authority and which provides their foundation. Without that framework they exist in a moral vacuum and are in danger of becoming self-referential. The nature of human rights depends on our concept of what it means to be human. Why should people not be tortured and violated? Why we are concerned that people be fed and educated? What is it about being human that demands our attention whenever others live in misery? Yet in the twenty first century, human rights do not only come into sharp focus when people are threatened or denied the means to live with an adequate quality of life. Since the bible focuses on the divine purpose for human beings, it has much to say on this topic. Three words seem to sumamrise it: DIGNITY, EQUALITY, and RESPONSIBILITY 1. HUMAN DIGNITY The dignity of human beings is asserted in three successive sentences in Genesis 1:27-28. Firstly, God created man in his own image Secondly, Male and female, he created them Thirdly God blessed them and said to them .. fill the earth and subdue it Human dignity is here seen to consist of three unique relationships which God established for us by creation, which together constitute a large part of our humanness and which the fall distorted but did not destroy. The first is our relationship to God. Human beings are Godlike beings, created by Gods will in his image. The divine image includes these rational, moral and spiritual qualities which express something that God is. In consequence, we can learn about him from evangelists or teachers (it is the basic human right to hear the gospel); come to know, love and serve him, live in conscious, humble dependence upon him; understand his will and obey his commands. So then all those human rights we call the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion, the freedom of religion, the freedom of worship, of conscience, of thoughts and of speech, come under this first rubric of our relationship to God. The second unique capacity of human beings concerns our relationship to one another. The God who made humankind is himself a social being, one God comprising three eternally district modes of personhood. He said Let us make in our image, and It is not good for the man to be alone. So God made man, male and female, and told them to procreate. Sexuality is his creation, marriage is his institution and human companionship is his purpose. So then, all those human freedoms which we call sanctity of sex, marriage and family, the rights of peaceful assembly, and the right to receive respect, whatever our age, sex, race and rank, come under this second rubric of our relationship to each other. Our third quality as human beings is our relationship to the earth and its creatures. God has given us dominion, with instructions to subdue and cultivate the fruitful earth and to rule its creatures. So then, all those human rights we call the right to work and the right to rest, the rights to share in the earth resources, the right to food, clothing and shelter, the right to life and health and to their preservation, together with freedom from poverty, hunger and disease, come under this third rubric of our relationship to the earth. Thus all human rights are at base the right to be human, and so to enjoy the dignity of having been created in the image of God and for possessing in consequence unique relationships to God himself, to our fellow human beings and to the material world. Christian have something important to add to this, namely that our Creator has also redeemed or re-created us, at great personal cost, through the Incarnation and Atonement of his Son. And the costliness of Gods redeeming work reinforces the sense of human worth, which his creation has already given us. Our value then depends, then, on Gods view of us and relationship to us. As a result of this, human rights are not unlimited rights, as if we were free to be and do absolutely anything we like. They are limited to what is compatible with being the human person God made us and meant us to be. If God has not given something as a right then it cannot be claimed as a right and it is this that may cause Christians to be at odds with those who root human rights in the western ideal of the autonomous individual who has freedom to choose their own goals. That is why it has been essential to define human beings before defining human rights. This principle is important in considering womens rights and gays right. The question this demands pose is how far feminism and homosexual practises are compatible with the humanness God has created and intends to safeguard. 2. HUMAN EQUALITY It is a tragedy that human rights have not always meant equal rights. The good gift of the Creator is spoiled by human selfishness. The rights God gave to human being equally, easily degenerate into my right on which I insist, irrespective of the rights of others or of the common good. So the history of the world has been the story of conflict between my rights and yours, between good of each other and the good for all, between the individual and the community. Indeed, it is when human rights are in conflict with one another that we are presented with a difficult ethical dilemma. It may be the tension between an individual landowners right to property and peace on the one hand, and the communitys need for a new motorway or airport on the other; or between the freedom of speech and assembly which a civil rights group claims for its demonstration and the freedom which the local inhabitants claim not to have their quiet disturbed or their patience exhausted. The conflict of rights regularly envisaged in the Bible, however, takes a rather different form. Its emphasis is that no powerful individual may impose their will on the community and that no community may violate the rights of an individual or minority. The weak and vulnerable were carefully protected by the Mosaic Law. Far from exploiting them Gods people were to be the voice of the voiceless and the champion of the powerless including their enemies. The equality of human beings is clearly expressed when the Authorised Version of the Bible says that God is no respecter of person. It is a misleading phrase, because of course persons must at all costs be respected. But what the Original Greek expression means literally is no acceptance of faces. In other words, we must show no partiality in our attitude to other people, and give no special deference to some because they are rich, famous and influential. The biblical authors attach real importance to this. Moses declared, for example, The Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality. Therefore Israelite judges were to show no partiality either, but rather give justice to small and great alike. (Deuteronomy 10 : 17, 16:18-19) The same emphasis occurs in the New Testimony. God is the impartial Judge. He does not regard external appearance or circumstances. He shows no favouritism, whatever our racial or social background may be. (Act 10:34; Romans 2:11) Jesus was once described in these terms Teacher we know you are a man of integrity. You arent swayed by men because you pay no attention to who they are (Mark 12:14.) That is, he neither deferred to the rich and powerful, nor despised the poor and weak, but gave equal respect to all, whatever their social status. We must do the same. This principle should be even more obvious in the New Treatment community, since we have the same Saviour also. Paul regulates the behaviour of masters and slaves to each other by reminding both that they have the same heavenly master and that there is no favouritism with him( Ephesians 6:9;Collosians 3:25). James seek to banish class distinctions from public worship by urging that there must be no favouritism between rich and poor among believers in Jesus Christ (James2:1-9). Yet the same truth is self evident among unbelievers. Our common humanity is enough to abolish favouritism, and privilege, and to establish equal status and rights. All human rights violations contradict the equality we enjoy by Creation. He who expresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker (Proverbs 14:31). If God shows, and if we should show, a bias to the poor, and if such bias is not an infringement of the no favouritism rule, it must be justified either because society as a whole is biased against them, or because they have no one else to champion them. The fact that there is no favouritism in God is the foundation of the biblical tradition of prophet protest. The prophets were courageous in denouncing tyranny in leaders, especially in the king of Israel and Judah. The fact that they were monarchs, and even the Lord anointed did not make them immune to critic and rebuke. To be sure due respect was to be shown to rulers because of their office, but any attempts on their part to convert authority into tyranny or rule into despotism were to be strenuously resisted. David was the best known of all the Kings of Israel, but that gave him no warrant to kill Uriah and steal his wife; God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him. When Ahab was king in Samaria his wife Jezebel thought his power was absolute Do you not govern Israel? she asked contemptuously when she found him sulking because Naboth had refused to sell him his vineyard. God sent Elijah to denounce Ahabs later murder of Naboth and seizure of his property. Jehoiakim was king of Judah in the seventh century BC, he had no right to build himself a luxurious palace by forced labour and heavy taxation. Woe to you cried Jeremiah. Does it make you a King to have more and more cedar? The prophet then reminded him of his father Josiah. He did what was right and just so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on expression and extortion. No one would lament him when he died, Jeremiah added; he would have the burial of a donkey and would be dragged away and thrown outsides the gates of Jerusalem. In our day dictators try to defend arbitrary arrest and detention, and even imprisonment or execution public trial, on the ground of national security. One wonders how a biblical prophet would react. Protest or denunciation within the country concerned would doubtless cost the prophet his life. Yet history has many examples of people who stood up against injustice and suffered the consequences as a result, which in some cases included torture and martyrdom. Today we are not only fortunate in the growth of a consensus as to what is acceptable behaviour in terms of international law, but several organizations now have as their main aim the corporations and other agencies with reference to human rights. Such work is consistent with biblical precedent and with the recognition that with God there is no favouritism . Human rights are both universal and equal. 3. HUMAN RESPONSIBILITIES Christians often have problems with the concept of human rights. It seems to suggest conflict, as one person is asserting his or her rights against another. It seems also to encourage selfishness. It overlooks the fact that human beings have duties and responsibilities as well as rights. The Bible says much about defending other peoples right, but little about defending our own. On the contrary, when it addresses us it emphasizes our responsibilities, not our rights. We are to love God and to love our neighbour. These primary requirements comprise our whole duty, for all the law and prophets hang on these two Commandments Jesus said (Matthew 22; 40) The link between seeing others as our neighbour and taking action on their behalf is clear within Scripture. What is also clear is that such action is not always a matter of our generosity but of their human rights. Within our Christian world view, people have rights because God requires others to do certain things for them. Not to do them is to perpetrate injustice and disobey God. It goes far beyond secular concepts of human rights, bringing together love and justice with responsibility to God and realising that the consequences of this are not restricted to the behaviour of governments but will have personal consequences as well. The Bible is radical in this respect. It emphasizes that our responsibility is to secure the other persons rights. We must even forgo our own rights in order to do so. Of this responsible renunciation of rights, Jesus Christ is the supreme model. Although eternally in very nature God, he did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:6,7). Throughout his life he was a victim of abuses of human rights. He became a refugee baby in Egypt, a prophet without honour in his own country and the Messiah rejected by the religious establishment of his own people to whom he had come. He became the prisoner of conscience, refusing to compromise in order to secure his release. He was falsely accused, unjustly condemned, brutally tortured and finally crucified. And throughout his ordeal he declined to defend or demand his rights, in order that by his self-sacrifice he might serve ours. Let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ, wrote Paul (Philippians 2:5). And Paul practised what he preached. He had rights as a apostle (the right to marry, the right to receive financial support), but he renounced them for the sake of the gospel, in order to become everybodys slave and to serve their rights. The renunciation of rights, however unnatural and idealistic it may seem, is an essential characteristic of Gods new society. In the world outside, people assert their own rights and exercise authority. Not so with you, Jesus said. On the contrary in his community those aspiring after greatness must become servants, the leader the slave and the first, last. Love is not self-seeking Paul wrote. This fundamental stance, learned from Jesus, applies in every situation. To renounce rights is not to acquiesce in wrongs. Here, then, is a Christian perspective on human rights. Firstly we affirm human dignity. Because human beings are created in Gods image to know him, serve one another and be stewards of the earth, therefore they must be respected. Secondly we affirm human equality. Because human beings have all been made in the same image by the Creator, therefore, we must not be obsequious to some and scornful to others, but behave without partiality to all. Thirdly we affirm human responsibility. Because God has laid it upon us to love and serve our neighbours; therefore, we must fight for their rights, while being ready to renounce our own in order to do so. Two main conclusions follow. Firstly, we have to accept that other peoples rights are our responsibility. We are our brothers keeper because God has put us in the same human family and so made us related to and responsible for one another. The Law and the Prophets, Jesus and his apostles, all lay on us a particular duty to serve the poor and defend the powerless. We cannot escape this by saying they are not my responsibility. We need then to feel the pain of those who suffer oppression. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering (Hebrews 13:3.) In order to do this, we may need to inform ourselves more thoroughly about contemporary violations of human rights. Then whatever action we may believe it right to take, we need to ensure that the methods we use do not infringe the very human rights we are seeking to champion. Secondly, we have to take more seriously Christs intention that the Christian community should set an example to other communities. Not only of our Christian conduct at home and work, in which husbands and wives parents or children employer or employees we are to be submissive to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) But also particularly of the life of the local church, which is meant to be a sign of Gods rule. The Church should be the one community in the world in which human dignity and equality are invariably recognised, and peoples responsibility for one another is accepted, in which the rights of other are sought and never violated, while our own are often renounced, in which there is no partiality favouritism or discrimination; in which the poor and the weak are defended, and human beings are free to be human as God made them and meant them to be. In the many kinds of human rights we need to remind ourselves that we cannot just accept the secular arguments of those who believe in human rights. We need to bring each idea to Scripture and ensure that it is consistent with Christian thinking. It is only by doing this that Christian can maintain their distinctiveness. The Christian vision of dignity, equality and responsibility means that we should surely put our weight behind such campaigns where they seek to highlight the value of each person made in the image of God. The Church is rightly convcerned about ending poverty and oppression wherever it is found and empowering thoses who are poor and powerless to live as God intended. I.V.T Samoa [Acknowledgement: Issues facing Christians Today by John Stott] Samoas debt has decreased to $1.09 billion from $1.11 billion since September 2018. This is according to the Ministry of Finance quarterly debt bulletin for September, 2018 for the financial year 2017-2018. Total public debt as at end of September 2018 was SAT1.09 billion, equivalent to 49.4 per cent of GDP1 and that the total amount outstanding comprised of public external debt of $1.07 billion and public domestic debt of $0.02 billion. Total public debt decreased by 2.0 per cent when compared to June 2018, stated the Ministrys quarterly debt bulletin. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi reassured the Parliament last week that the Samoa Government is able to pay off its loans. The budget for this financial year is $862 million, and after deduction of our repayments leaves $733 million for the governments operation, and our continued development projects." I am bringing this up, as there are still reports that Samoa has loaned beyond its means. As indicated before and again, the Governments ability to loan is clearly due to the fact that they are able to make the repayments." We have the ability to pay. And as indicated before, paying off our loans is a priority, he said. According to the Budget for financial year 2018-2019, the Governments receipts amounts to $626.3 million and loan repayments for this financial year is $86.4 million which is 13 per cent of what the Government collects in a year. In October this year, Minister for Finance Sili Epa Tuioti assured the public that Samoas debt levels are manageable and there is nothing to worry about. As Minister of Finance, I can confidently say that Samoa can afford to pay off their loans, he said. To date the Governments total debt stands at $1.09 billion with $416 million out of that total owed to China. This makes China the countrys biggest creditor with the debt higher than what Samoa currently owes the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and Japan. The debt figures were released by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (S.B.S.) Financial Statistics for the December 2017 quarter and made public by the Central Bank of Samoa. The Minister told this newspaper that funds are set aside by the Government annually to go towards debt servicing. Our budget every year we have set aside funds to pay on interest on all our loans with A.D.B., World Bank and China. There is no reason why we should not be able to pay and for Samoa as well, we only borrow for the essential need, such as the economical social infrastructure that is going to help us for the social economic wellbeing of our people to try and drive our economy's growth, he added. The key question has always been one of affordability, but Sili put the issue to bed when he said the Government is monitoring its debts and making repayments. For me as Minister of Finance, where we are today, we are able to pay the debts. What about the next 20 years? It will be the same and it would be irresponsible for us to borrow beyond our means, certainly as Minister of Finance, we are keeping a close eye on the debt level. Were not going to borrow money for something we dont need, we are also keen to make sure we borrow for what we need, not what we want, he added. Long-term planning is essential for Samoa's Government, which the Minister says is the reason why they have plans for the next 20-30 years. We consider what the future holds, what would Samoa be like in the next 20-30 years, and we build the infrastructure that is going to cater for and meet that demand. Like the airport, we dont want to spend millions and then next five years tear it down and rebuildthat is not proper planning. We are looking at the long run, be confident in what we can do, and we borrow what we can afford, he added. The Member of Parliament for Lefaga and Falease'ela, Toleafoa Ken Poutoa, has had one more title added to his name. At Faleaseela yesterday, he was bestowed the Vaafusuaga title, the highest honour in his family. Nineteen other family members received other chiefly titles. Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, Vaafusuaga said he was honoured by the faith his family has in him to carry the title. It is our familys highest honour, this particular title was held by my late father, Vaafusuaga Poutoa who passed away two years ago, he said. The significance of this title for me alone is the responsibility that comes with it and that is serving the village and family. Overall, is about serving the Lord and I am prepared to shoulder all the obligations not only to my village but also our district as I am the holder of both titles. It is not an easy load to carry but I truly believe that with God as my guide I can endure everything. I also acknowledge the support of our families from overseas that have travelled just for this occasion. The ceremony, held at the Maota o Mulivai, was blessed by Pastor Pio Filipo Paiti and Pastor Patolomeo Saga of the Catholic Church, Reverend Tuitoga Leota of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa and Rev. Silva of the Methodist Church. There were two ceremonies that took place, the first which was the bestowment of the Vaafusuaga title and then followed by 19 individuals that were given various titles. Eight family members were conferred the Toleafoa title, one Patea title. Other titles bestowed included the Tuiafetea, Taloolevavau, Feagaimaalii, Maugafolau and Saefu. The Executive Director of O Le Siosiomaga Society, Fiu Mataese Elisara, has described the outcomes of this months United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland as weak and full of loopholes. The Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change wrapped up mid-December after two weeks of fraught negotiations, postponed decisions and concerns that the Paris Agreement rulebook would not be finalised. Fiu, Executive Director of Samoas first environment focused non-governmental organisation said that from a civil society perspective, the results of the conference, known as COP24 did not meet expectations. In terms of general analysis of the outcomes of COP24: the whole outcome is not only weak but there are a lot of loopholes in it, Fiu said. Its a retreat from the level of ambition that was expected, that is needed to genuinely combat climate change." We were hoping the Paris rulebook will provide strong framework for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, but we find that the texts on nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and the transparency framework fell far short of expectations, he said. An absence of human rights being honoured in the outcomes is also of grave concern to Fiu, who said the postponing of a decision on how to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is evidence of this shortcoming. There is virtually none of the concerns of the most vulnerable people impacted such as small island developing states, which are basically ignored in the outcome, he said. Article six is about market-based mechanisms to combat climate change. The disagreements, which led to no decision being made, were over who gets to count emissions reductions and whether double counting should be allowed. Reuters reports that under the article, countries should agree to rules to ensure they do not double count emissions reductions, when one country is allowed to pay another to lower emissions but count those lower emissions toward their own emissions cut targets. If a rule was in place where the emissions reductions generated in one place cannot be counted both by the party generating the cuts and the country using those reductions toward its own target, the double counting would be avoided. A draft should be submitted to and voted on in next years conference of the parties in November. According to Reuters, Brazil obstructed movement on this issue, to the extent that it will no longer host next years COP25. According to Fiu, this is a huge issue. Rich countries must show leadership on tackling climate change, but the Article 6 debacle shows they will not. If there is some leadership in these rich countries to tackle climate change, there are expectations there will be some giveaway in their pursuit of economic development at the peril of the countries that dont have the capacity to not only adapt but mitigate the disaster, Fiu said. Brazil walking out of its hosting offer for next year reflects that." When its frustrated about getting what it wants, it walks out. Climate change discourse should be about addressing the rights of the most vulnerable, Fiu said, and COP24 did not demonstrate that enough. To ignore those concerns is basically to say that you dont matter even if you go under sea level rise." But we have a sovereign right under United Nations charter to continue to exist." Its dismaying to see no reference to human rights in the outcomes, he said. The Public Service Commission has urged the Government to develop whistleblower legislation that was enacted in 2014. The call was made in the last Annual Review for the Public Administration Sector Plan 2013-2014 to 2017-2018 which was published by the Public Service Commission. According to the report, stakeholders were given the opportunity to suggest areas the next sector plan should focus on, and highlighted areas that they thought should be addressed in the development of the next Public Administration Sector Plan. These include the development of whistleblower legislation, in line with establishment of an anti-corruption body. Also included in the list was the implementation of One Public Sector-One vision for good governance - One Policy paper; Knowledge based economy; Expansion of Public Administration Sector coverage to include all SOEs (as most of initiatives developed by PSC affects whole public sector); Review of working conditions and entitlements for general employees; Human Resource priorities and its relationship to the work of MESC and SQA and Provision of information such as the kind of education and training needed to achieve Samoas development goals in the Strategy for the Development of Samoa. In the meantime, the Audit Office has established a special audit unit within its office for whistleblowers in the public sector who want to report fraud and other irregularities. The establishment of the unit comes on the back of laws enacted in 2014, which recommended that the Audit Office facilitate voluntary reporting of fraud and other irregularities, and ensure there is legal protection for whistleblowers. The unit has been formed with newly qualified certified fraud examiners and will recruit legal and police expertise to cater for civil servants-turned-whistleblowers. The special audit unit will also make use of new audit laws effective from January 2014 with whistle blowing clauses facilitating the voluntary reporting of fraud and irregularities with legal protection and without repercussions." The special audit unit will also set up a Samoa C.F.E. forum or chapter to network and seek resources and expertise from A.C.F.E. when required. The audit office C.F.E's have received C.F.E. training and qualification and now need the professional experience to translate theory into practice, stated the report. As part of the units capacity building program, staff will receive C.F.E. training and be able to network and seek resources and expertise from the A.C.F.E. when required. The Audit Office C.F.E. have received C.F.E. training and qualification and now need the professional experience to translate theory into practice." The special audit approach in the order of execution will be: risk assessment/profiling activities; awareness activities; education activities; prevention and deterrence activities; detection and identification activities and investigation activities." Furthermore the special unit will provide assistance to prosecution of detected and investigated cases of fraud, abuse and corruption, stated the report. The Audit Office believes that the success in the update of financial statements, audits and annual reports to parliament due largely to the cooperation and assistance from Ministries, Public Bodies, Constitutional and Parliamentary Offices and other Offices of the State will be applied again in rolling out its C.F.E. reforms. The Samoa Racing Club hosted its Vailima New Year Races event yesterday as their last project to end the year. The race was divided into four different categories: Kerisimasi Sprint, New Year Challenge, Vailima Faiga Popo Handicap and Tofa Race. The Samoa Racing Club president, Lesa Richard Keil, said the club has a long history and since its establishment has hosted the Vailima New Year Races event. This is not the first time we had this program. The club was established more than hundred years ago and since then we have been doing this, he said. The Samoa Racing Club is a not-for-profit organisation and it host fun activities for members of the public all revenue generated at the events are then donated to various charities in Samoa including Loto Taumafai. In an interview with the Samoa Observer, Mr. Keil said the objective of the clubs activities is to enable members of the public to enjoy themselves. The purpose of this racing program is to give the chance to the public to come and enjoy and do some betting. Its like a funding for the family." We do activities and serve food for everyone who love to come and enjoy with us, he added. The Samoa Racing Club acknowledged the continuous support of their sponsors, especially main sponsor Vailima Breweries. I would like to thank our main sponsor, Vailima Breweries for supporting our club for the past many years and to all our other sponsors out there who helped us throughout the year, he added. The vice presidents of the Samoa Racing Club wishes to advice old members of the club and people who are interested to join the club as there are only five members. The club started off with about hundred members and as of now, there is great reduction. There are only five of us and we wish for more member to join. Results (horse owner in brackets) Kerisimasi Sprint - 600m 1st: Sole Soia (Tanuvasa) - $800 2nd: Faleolo (Kaisa) - $400 3rd: Young Love (Falani) - $200 New Year Challenge - 1000m 1st: Holiday (Tanuvasa) - $1200 2nd: Teuila (Falani) - $600 3rd: Young Queen (Falani) - $300 Vailima Faiga Popo Handicap - 600m 1st: Vailima (Tanuvasa) - $800 2nd: Ave Ma Oe (Falani) - $400 3rd: Konati (Junior) - $200 Tofa Race 1st: Idol (Pokati) - $1200 2nd: Holiday (Vaotogo) - $600 3rd: Rachel (Siggy) - $300 Samoa Airways uplifted the highest number of passengers into the country for the month of November 2018, according to recently released data from the Samoa Bureau of Statistics. The Bureaus international arrival data for last month showed that the national carrier had a 39.0 per cent share of total passenger arrivals in Samoa, which equated to a total of 6451 passengers. Air New Zealand followed with 31.6 per cent for a total of 5228 passengers, with Fiji Airways rounding off the top three with 11.8 per cent representing a total of 1943 passengers. Virgin Australia uplifted 8.8 per cent of total passengers last month, which was a total of 1452 arrivals while Talofa Airways accounted for 4.1 per cent of total arrivals, which represented 682 passengers. That data for last month also showed a decrease of 14.8 per cent in passenger arrivals, when compared to the previous month, and an increase of 6.7 per cent over the corresponding month of November last year. As usual, air was the preferred mode of travel to Samoa, representing 96.8 per cent 15,993 of total arrivals, while the remaining 3.2 per cent 528 arrived by sea in November 2018." In November 2018 compared with November 2017, the total arrivals 16,521 (which is) an increased by 6.7 per cent with the total visitors of 11,483 which is decreased by 5.2 per cent, stated the Bureau. According to the report from the Bureau, air travel is still the preferred mode of transport to use to come to Samoa. Travel by air represented 96.8 per cent or 15,993 of total arrivals with the remaining 3.2 per cent (528) arrived by sea. Overall visitors numbered 11,483 for the month under review revealed a decrease of 20.9 per cent over the previous month, and a decrease of 5.2 per cent when compared to the corresponding month of November 2017." Visitor arrivals have a strong seasonal pattern with a regular peak of numbers during holiday seasons normally December and July. The smoothed short term trend for visitor arrivals adjusting for seasonal pattern, stated the report. In terms of the nationalities that visited Samoa last month, New Zealand leads with 5252 (45.7 per cent) total number of visitors, followed by Australia with 2306 passengers (20.1 per cent), United States of America 908 passengers (7.9 per cent) and American Samoa 860 passengers (7.5 per cent). The children and grandchildren of the late Paul and Akenese Stanley have flown into Samoa from Australia, New Zealand and America for a family reunion. The eldest of the 12 from the Stanley siblings, Tofilau Isitolo Stanley, told the Sunday Samoan that the holidays should compel families to regroup, unite, and remind themselves of the importance of love and the spirit of giving. The official program began on Thursday with a mass at the family residence at Sinamoga for the program and its activities to be blessed. It was attended by close to 100 people representing various family members. Emphasizing unity and bond amongst the siblings as well as our children, is relatively important in this time and age. In truth, during the holidays, its about more than spending time with loved ones. We are in fact strengthening our support systems. We need each other, your family are the very same people we turn to for help, advice, support, and encouragement, he said. Tofilau Isitolo said they grew up together with the promise they will never drift apart. However, when we grow old, we have our own families and then somewhat drifted apart hence the importance of having such gatherings to remember the humble beginnings and to share the love. The former principal of Don Bosco Technical Centre, Tofilau Isitolo, said the reunion is important for their children who are raised overseas to know their roots. Its very important that our children are reminded of their identity, roots, genealogy and where they come from and most importantly they are Samoans. And as Samoans we make sure our culture and tradition are alive and well in our household no matter where in the world we settle. That is why we are different and unique if I might add. We live to serve (tautua), we serve the church, the village and our families; we look after our elders, we care for them, we do everything for our elders, we are compassion and we love passionately. These are some of the values and principles, we must instill in our children so they will never forget who they are and where they come from, why our culture must be kept alive, added Tofilau Isitolo. Tofilau Isitolo Stanley said the reunion is a celebration of their parents investment and support for their wellbeing, and the sacrifice they had to personally make to get to where they are today. We give all the glory to our Heavenly Father for he has been endlessly faithful and amazing to us all. Three generations of the late Lanu Sulugafagalilo and Masinalupe Ieu Lesu Tupuai have gathered at Safatoa, Lefaga for their first ever family reunion. Lanu and Masinalupe have a total of 11 children, comprising nine daughters: Tafaifa Ieu, Aiga Ieu, Aiga Sipili Ieu, Faaaloafo Ieu, Lavea Palasi Ieu, Lemalu Tuutasia Ieu, Lavea Katerina Ieu, Lavea Tautala Ieu and Lemalu Siona Ieu and two sons Tualoina Fotu Ieu and Fagalilo Ieu. Aiga Ieu and Fagalilo Ieu have passed on, leaving nine of them. Only Lemalu Tuutasia and Lavea Tautala still reside in Samoa while the rest of their siblings live off Island. The three-day reunion started December 27 and ended yesterday. As a whole family they stayed at Safata, Lefaga where their father Masinalupe is from. On the first day they worked together to refurbish and clear out their parents burial ground. It was just like the old days but even better seeing our kids here. This is different from the life they are used to off island and it makes us all very happy to see them getting their hands dirty, Aiga Sipili Ieu said. The second day was service given back to the community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church ward in Lefaga. Aiga explained their parents were strong members of the church and served there for years until their passing. This was our first ward after our parents were married. We have been away for so long and we wanted our ward to know that they hold a dear place in our hearts, she said. In showing their appreciation, they hosted a party on Friday inviting the church members and the community. The final day of their reunion yesterday was spent at the beach. Before they went their separate ways to visit extended relatives before heading home, they concluded their reunion with a Sunday dinner. Aiga explained that for years she had wanted to have a family reunion, but being far from her other siblings, work and other priorities made it difficult. Nevertheless, she persisted and together with her seven siblings off island they successfully pulled it off. Family is important. Sure there are other things we prioritize that takes up our time, energy and attention but when it comes down to what really matters it is family, Aiaga said. The whole purpose of bringing the family to Samoa was for them to witness the life they once lived, and realize how blessed the family is, she further explained. Our parents have gone through so much for our family in hopes for a better future. Now that we have been so blessed we wish they were here today so we could repay them back, Aiga added. She hopes to have another reunion in three years time but in Australia. And while most of them no longer live in Samoa, Aiga said Samoa will always be home. The family of the late Faatei Leiataatimu and Jeremiah Scanlan have flown into Samoa for their second family reunion. The gathering will revolve around the theme the greatest gift of all is family and plans for the event began two years ago. A family member, Tuala Henry Silva, said the planning for the get-together had been two years in the making. We were trying to get a hold of all the heirs of Faatei Leiataatimu and Jeremiah Scanlan and we give back the glory to God for giving us the opportunity to gather as one family. We are also so grateful that our families from overseas have travelled as far as America and some from Australia, New Zealand just for this occasion and there are more than 350 attendees comprised of nine heirs and four generations. This is the second reunion of our family; the first one took place in New Zealand, Tuala said. Another family member, Galumalemana Alfred Tuiletufuga Hunkin, said it is a three-day programme which started last Friday with a church service. Last Friday was our first day, which started with a church service and later a brief family history, which started when this gentleman from America by the name of Jeremiah Scanlan came to Samoa and met a lovely young Samoan woman from Saleimoa, fell in love, married her and later had nine children. The home village of our clan is Faleula and from there they spread out to the rest of the world: some went to America, Australia, New Zealand and of course some stayed here in Samoa. Back to our, yesterday we planned a picnic at Falealili in the morning and will conclude in the evening with at ball at Robert Louis Stevenson, he said. Today the last day of the gathering will close off with a big family feast, after a church service to express their gratitude to God for reuniting their family. We did not expect a big number to attend but it just adds to the excitement of our clan meeting for the first time in Samoa. The atmosphere is wonderful with members all excited to discover who everyone is and bond with each other. But the biggest objective is to get to know who is who in the family particularly for the sake of the young ones so they dont date each other. But most importantly discover who their roots are and also look at plans for the next reunion especially in what country, Galumalemana added. A Chinese court ordered a retrial of a Canadian citizen on drug smuggling charges on Saturday after prosecutors said his sentence of 15 years was too light - a case that could further test relations between Beijing and Ottawa. Tensions between the two governments have been high since Canada's arrest of a high-ranking Chinese executive at the request of the United States this month, followed by China's detention of two Canadian citizens on suspicion of endangering state security. Robert Lloyd Schellenberg had lodged an appeal after being handed a 15-year sentence on Nov. 20 in the northeastern city of Dalian, the high court for the province of Liaoning said in a statement, adding that he was to have been deported after serving his sentence. At the appeal hearing, prosecutors said the sentence was too light and improper, arguing Schellenberg was highly likely to have been part of a international drugs smuggling operation and had played a major role in smuggling the drugs, the statement said. The court said it accepted this argument and ordered a retrial. It added that Canadian diplomats were in court for the appeal. In Ottawa, the foreign ministry said in a statement that it has been aware of the case for several years and would continue providing consular assistance to Schellenberg and his family. It gave no more details. It was not immediately clear who Schellenberg's lawyer was or when the retrial may take place. A Dalian government news portal said this week Schellenberg had smuggled "an enormous amount of drugs" into China. Drugs offences are routinely punished severely in China. A Briton caught smuggling heroin was executed in 2009, prompting a British outcry over what it said was the lack of any mental health assessment. In one development that could lessen tensions, Ottawa said on Friday that a citizen who was detained in China this month had returned to Canada after being released. A Canadian government source identified the citizen as teacher Sarah McIver. China's Foreign Ministry said this month that McIver was undergoing "administrative punishment" for working illegally. McIver was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. Canada had said there was no reason to believe that McIver's detention was linked to the earlier arrests. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mention McIver last week in calling for the release of the other two Canadians detained on suspicion of endangering state security. They have each only been allowed to see Canadian diplomats once since being detained. China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was aware of reports McIver had been released, and referred further questions to the "relevant authority". Neither China nor Canada has drawn a direct connection between Meng and the cases of the two other Canadians. China has demanded Canada free Meng, who is fighting extradition to the United States, where she would face fraud charges that carry a maximum sentence of 30 years jail for each charge. Meng has said she is innocent. Search Keywords: Short link: The Samoa Cancer Society was the recipient of just over five thousand tala from the Samoa International Game Fishing Association (S.I.G.F.A.) who spearheaded this years Movema fundraiser. Coined by the Samoa Cancer Society, Movema is the official name for awareness campaigns on prostate cancer during the month of November each year. The highlight fundraiser event to encourage our men to get checked for signs of prostate cancer, is the MO (moustache) and Beard Shave. S.I.G.F.A. members decided to carry out the fundraiser following an outing in Savaii during the October Palolo rising this year. There, some S.I.G.F.A. members were challenged to grow their Mos for prostate cancer awareness and to raise a few dollars at the same time for the Samoa Cancer Society. S.I.G.F.A. member Michael Rasmussen says that prostate cancer is a silent killer that up until recently was rarely spoken of in our society. He said it was good to see the men of S.I.G.F.A. ready to sacrifice their mos and beards to help raise awareness and hopefully convince themselves to get a check up. Leituala Dr Ben Matalavea who is coincidently S.I.G.F.As tournament Doctor, was the keynote speaker on the night of the Movema event. He emphasized the importance of getting tested and getting over the stigma that island males have towards being tested. He then volunteered as the first shave for the night! Some of the Mos had been in their position on upper lips for over 40yrs with special mention going to Arthur Penn and Seiuli Hansel whos Mos had a combined age of ninety nine years. For them it was a bit like losing a dear friend, Mr. Rasmussen said. In 2017, the number of Prostate Cancer Patients referred to the Samoa Cancer Society for Palliative Care reveals that following breast cancer, it is the fourth highest type of cancer that is affecting the male population in the country. Prostate Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the prostate. Prostate cancer generally grows slowly and men can live for so many years without symptoms and without the disease spreading to other parts of the body. However, sometimes the disease spreads quickly and can kill. For the team at S.I.G.F.A., they remember some of their associate members and friends who have either lost their battles to prostate cancer or are currently battling this most common form of cancer amongst them. C.E.O. Shelley Burich was on hand to express the Societys appreciation to S.I.G.F.A. for their $5,061.50 generosity while applauding their bravery in letting go of their MOs and Beards for a great cause. Some of the telling symptoms of prostate cancer to look out for includes frequent or sudden need to urinate, discomfort or difficulty urinating, blood in the urine or semen and pain in the lower back, upper thighs or hips. The events for the next Movema will be circulated by the Samoa Cancer Society in 2019. Musician Ringo Starr, center, and Beatles producer Sir George Martin accept the best compilation soundtrack album award for 'Love' during the 50th annual Grammy awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Photo: AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File) Musician Ringo Starr, center, and Beatles producer Sir George Martin accept the best compilation soundtrack album award for 'Love' during the 50th annual Grammy awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Photo: AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Ronil Singh came to the U.S. from his native Fiji to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an officer, joining a small-town police force in California and working to improve his English. The day after Christmas, he stopped another immigrant, this one in the country illegally, who shot and killed the corporal, authorities said Thursday. Authorities said they identified but won't yet name the man who killed Singh of the 12-person Newman Police Department on Wednesday and has not been captured. They believe the attacker is still in the area some 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and is armed and dangerous. "This suspect is in our country illegally. He doesn't belong here. He is a criminal," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose agency is leading the investigation, told reporters. Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson fought back tears as he described Singh, a 33-year-old with a newborn son, as an "American patriot." "He came to America with one purpose, and that was to serve this country," Richardson said. Singh drove more than two hours each way to attend the police academy in Yuba City, Richardson said. He joined the Merced County sheriff's office as a reserve officer and worked as an animal control officer in Turlock before being hired by the Newman force in 2011. English was Singh's third language and he had a thick accent but took speech classes to improve his communication, the police chief said. His death comes amid a political fight over immigration, with President Donald Trump and Congress at an impasse over funding for a border wall that has forced a partial government shutdown. Trump tweeted about Singh's killing Thursday, saying it's "time to get tough on Border Security." He ended the post with: "Build the Wall!" Authorities were looking for a man seen in surveillance photos at a convenience store shortly before Singh was killed. Officials pleaded for help from the public and said they were following up on several leads. "The sheriff's office will spare no expense in hunting down this criminal," Christianson said. Singh pulled over the attacker as part of a drunken driving investigation and fired back to try to defend himself, Christianson said. He was shot a few minutes after radioing that he was pulling over a gray pickup truck that had no license plate in Newman, a town of about 10,000 people, officials said. Singh died at a hospital. A ground and air search began for the heavyset man pictured at the store with short, dark hair and wearing a silver chain, jeans, dark T-shirt and a dark jacket with white Ecko brand patches on the shoulders. A truck believed to have been the one stopped by Singh was later found in a garage in a mobile home park about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the shooting, where law enforcement officers were serving a search warrant, The Modesto Bee reported. Investigators were examining the vehicle, police said. Richardson said his department of 12 is grieving Singh, and other agencies are lending a hand. "He was living the American dream," said Stanislaus County sheriff's Deputy Royjinder Singh, who is not related to the slain officer but knew him. "He loved camping, loved hunting, loved fishing, loved his family." Ronil Singh was never in a bad mood and always had a smile on his face, Richardson said. On his Facebook page, Singh posted pictures on Christmas Eve from a deep-sea fishing trip that produced a big haul of crabs and fish. His profile picture shows him smiling as he stands at a patrol car with his police dog the same photograph of the officer released by the Sheriff's Department. Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika, and their 5-month-old son. "Please help us find this coward," Richardson said of Singh's killer. "We need closure, his family needs closure." Most Union-Tribune subscribers were without a newspaper this morning as a virus in computer systems controlling production of newspapers across the country hobbled our ability to publish. Production problems at the California Times printing plant in Los Angeles affected print runs of the U-T, the Los Angeles Times and the Southern California editions of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. The digital replica edition of the Union-Tribune was also affected. The company is working to restore that version this morning. Director of Distribution Joe Robidoux said print subscribers should get Saturdays paper delivered with Sundays edition. Advertisement The virus affected computer systems of Tribune Publishing Co. Those systems are still shared by the Union-Tribune and Los Angeles Times under a service agreement with Tribune, which owned both publications prior to their sale in June. The Union-Tribune and Times are now privately held, but are still transitioning away from the Tribune systems. The attack seemed to begin late Thursday night and by Friday had spread to critical areas needed to publish the paper. Technology teams from both companies made significant progress against the threat, but were unable to clear all systems before press time. We apologize to our customers for this inconvenience. Thank you for your patience and support as we address the infection. We are working to restore full service and to continue to make our journalism available to you both in print and digitally. We will provide updates with additional information as it becomes available to us. Jeff Light Editor and Publisher Stories from this mornings print edition Restored e-edition of this mornings Union-Tribune International fast-casual burger chain Burgerim has closed its doors at the Horton Plaza pavilion where it opened just 13 months ago and the franchise owner is blaming the retail centers operators for its demise. Started in Tel Aviv in 2008, Burgerim, which means many burgers in Hebrew, specializes in sliders with 2.8-ounce patties that can be mixed and matched with a variety of buns, patties, sauces and toppings. The franchise has expanded considerably in the U.S. since mid-2016 when it debuted stateside on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The downtown San Diego location opened in November 2017, taking over 1,500 square feet in a newly constructed retail kiosk that was built as part of the citys $18 million investment in, and expansion of, Horton Plaza park. The eatery closed on Dec. 13 following a number of troubling incidents that made it impossible for the proprietor to operate successfully, said Niv Davidovich, a lawyer for the franchise owner, Irwantio, Inc. Irwantio is in the process of relocating its only Burgerim restaurant to another to-be-determined San Diego location. The business is run by Djulianto Irwantio and Lena Lazuardi, according to public records. Advertisement The (Burgerim) location was right next to a central hangout area, which has essentially become a homeless enclosure, Davidovich said. The manner in which the center has been maintained has allowed so many homeless people to basically have their run of the place. That has dramatically decreased sales, and made the operation of the restaurant itself unsafe for the franchisee and its employees. Davidovich said Irwantio will sue both Westfield and Stockdale Capital Partners Horton Plazas past and present operators for breach of contract and other grievances in an effort to recoup Irwantios lost funds. The small business may also name the city of San Diego in its complaint, which is expected to be filed in January. According to the International Franchise Association, the cost to start a Burgerim franchise ranges from $30,000 to $50,000, with a total investment between $150,000 to $250,000. Opened in 1985, Horton Plaza mall attracted 25 million visitors in its first year and is often credited with revitalizing San Diegos urban core. The 900,000 square-foot retail center has since faded in glory, most recently with the exodus of tenants and a lack of action from previous owner-operator Westfield. In August, the property was purchased by Stockdale Capital Partners for $175 million, with the real estate investment firm planning to gut the retail structure and repurpose the site as a major employment center occupied by tech companies. As the landlord, (Westfield and Stockdale) have a contractual duty to maintain the plaza, based on a reasonable standard, Davidovich said. They breached that duty by allowing the shopping plaza to dissolve into chaos, and as a result my clients have been significantly damaged. As result, the franchise owner will be seeking an excess of $1 million through the courts, he said. If filed as planned, the suit would appear to echo a similar complaint from Jimbos Naturally. The natural foods grocer, which still operates at Horton Plaza, filed suit against the limited liability company operating Horton Plaza in May for breach of contract and is seeking more than $1 million in monetary damages. That legal challenge is still ongoing. Stockdale Capital Partners did not respond to a request for comment. Business jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin If youve gone from occasionally helping Mom and Dad with their errands to taking care of one or both of them full-time, you have become a caregiver. Brace yourself, its going to get harder before it gets easier, but were here to help. There will be many small tasks to tackle and even more large hurdles to overcome. Before you get too caught up in the whirlwind, check out these five important steps from AARP that will help see you through your caregiving journey. Youll also find a wealth of more specific information on AARPs Family Caregiving section. The 5 keys to successful caregiving Start the conversation. Many people wait until a crisis occurs before they talk about their wishes regarding medical treatment or details of their finances. If you wait until a fall, accident or serious diagnosis, big decisions may be driven by assumptions. Advertisement Form your team. No one should try to carry out the responsibilities of caregiving alone. While other family members are likely sources of support, dont overlook friends, colleagues, clubs, or religious and other organizational affiliations as resources, too. Make a plan. Putting together a family caregiving plan now will help you respond more quickly and effectively should the need arise. It can also provide some peace of mind. A plan helps everyone get on the same page and keeps the focus on whats best for your loved one. Find support. Many issues may come up during your caregiving experience that require additional information and resources. Reach out early and often to organizations and professionals with experience in helping family caregivers. Care for yourself. As a family caregiver, its easy to forget about your own needs. Keeping up your energy and maintaining your health are critical in order to care for others. Its just as important to make a plan to take care of yourself as it is to create a caregiving plan for others. Read more: Writer Mimi Pokross, who cared for both of her parents, is the author of The Takeover: An Unexpected Caregivers Story. She lays out her 10 Caregiving Commandments including organize, communicate and prioritize. Union-Tribune reporter Michele Parente contributed to this report. michele.parente@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @sdeditgirl The Sierra Club and several other environmental groups on Friday urged the countys Board of Supervisors to work with them to develop a legal Climate Action Plan. Earlier this week, a Superior Court judge ruled the countys current climate plan is illegal, in part because it allows developers to purchase carbon credits anywhere in the world to offset greenhouse gas emissions caused by their local projects. It was the third time this decade the Sierra Club has prevailed in challenges to the plan. The county reiterated Friday it was disappointed in the courts ruling and is considering what next steps to take. Advertisement The environmental groups suggested the first step should be to scrap the plan altogether and create a new one that, among other things, would call for mitigation measures to be done within the county in compliance with the countys General Plan, which was updated in 2011.They said environmental groups would be pleased to work with county planners to create an enforceable climate plan. The impact of the court ruling could be huge to developments that either have already been approved in the rural and semi-rural parts of unincorporated San Diego or are in the planning pipeline. Together, the projects would add more than 10,000 homes in areas such as Valley Center, Pala, the Twin Oaks area north of Escondido, Harmony Grove and Otay Mesa. All of them rely in one way or another on similar off-set mitigation measures the judge has ruled to be illegal, and all could face uphill battles in court when each approval is challenged because of the climate action plan ruling. We demand that the Board of Supervisors change course and develop a new, strong and enforceable climate action plan, said Nicole Capretz of the Climate Action Campaign. We demand that the county rewrite its plan to remain true to its General Plan and maximize smart growth planning while also reducing car use. We deserve a region with clean air, clean water, affordable housing near transit, an effective public transit system that works for everybody. Josh Chatten-Brown, an attorney that represented the Sierra Club in the lawsuit, said under the current plan developers could have purchased carbon credits anywhere. For instance, the county wouldnt have been monitoring whether a reforestation project in Brazil would actually be planting the trees necessary, he said. Even if the projects would clean up other parts of the world, he said, San Diego residents wouldnt achieve any of the benefits. Following the short news conference, Peter Andersen, chair of Sierra Club San Diego, said a new plan using in-county offsets might mean buying sensitive land in North or East County to preserve forever. He said another project that could be done might be the electrification of the Port of San Diego. That would be a fabulous mitigation project that could eliminate pollution caused by loading and unloading of boats here in San Diego, Anderson said. Andersen said county leadership needs to be paying attention. The people of San Diego want a Board of Supervisors thats reasonable about these sorts of things, he said. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and losing in court every time. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones A cyberattack that appears to have originated from outside the United States caused major printing and delivery problems at the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers across the country Saturday. Only about 15 percent of Union-Tribune subscribers got delivery on Saturday the biggest publishing disruption in decades. The attack led to distribution delays at the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, and stymied distribution of the West Coast editions of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, which are all printed at the Los Angeles Times Olympic printing plant in downtown Los Angeles. Technology teams for the Union-Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and their former owner, Tribune Publishing, worked feverishly to quarantine the computer virus, but it spread and re-infected systems crucial to the news production and printing process. Advertisement Multiple newspapers around the country were affected because they share Tribunes production platform. The Union-Tribune and The Times were taken private in June by Los Angeles biotech entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, but the companies continue to share some computer systems. By Saturday afternoon, the companies suspected the cyberattack originated from outside the United States, but officials said it was too soon to say whether it was carried out by a foreign state or some other entity, said a source with knowledge of the situation. We believe the intention of the attack was to disable infrastructure, more specifically servers, as opposed to looking to steal information, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly. The source would not detail what evidence led the company to believe the breach came from overseas. Letter from the publisher: Computer virus affects Union-Tribune delivery Tribune Publishing said in a statement Saturday that the personal data of our subscribers, online users, and advertising clients has not been compromised. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank our readers and advertising partners for their patience as we investigate the situation. Every market across the company was impacted, said Tribune spokesperson Marisa Kollias. In addition to Chicago, Baltimore and Ft. Lauderdale, the company has properties in Hartford, New York, Orlando Sentinel and Newport News, Va. No other details about the origin of the attack were immediately available and the motive remained unclear. Tribune Publishing informed the FBI of the problem, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Union-Tribune and other papers became aware of the problem near midnight on Thursday. Programmers worked to isolate the malware attack, but at every turn programmers ran into additional issues trying to access a myriad of files, including advertisements that needed to be added to the pages or paid obituaries. After identifying the server outage as a virus, technology teams made progress Friday quarantining it and bringing back servers, but some of their security patches didnt hold and the virus began to re-infect the network, impacting a series of servers used for news production and manufacturing processes. San Diego was particularly hard hit by the problem, in large part, because of the papers position in the press run. After printing in Los Angeles, its a two-hour drive to distribution points in San Diego. Between 85 percent and 90 percent of the Saturday edition of the Union-Tribune did not reach subscribers on Saturday morning, according to Jeff Light, publisher and editor of the Union-Tribune. Papers that should have arrived in San Diego around 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. instead arrived at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., Light said. Because the newspaper relies on independent contractors to deliver the paper to neighborhoods, many of those people were not available later in the day to do the deliveries. The first signs of trouble at the Union-Tribune came late Thursday night when sports editors tried to send information, via digital files, to the plate-making facility. But those digital files which contain information that ultimately become the pages of the newspaper would not transmit to the plate-making process. Editors seemed to be locked out of the system, having to perform work-arounds. People saw pretty quickly that this was a significant problem, said Light. The virus also affected the customer service phone lines that readers use to report delivery problems. The problem is not solved, said Distribution Director Joseph Robidoux. We are trying to do work-arounds so we can get pages out. At the 150-year-old Union-Tribune, the last time service was disrupted to so many customers was in 1988, when the pressroom then located in Mission Valley caught on fire. About two-thirds of papers were not delivered that night. Another pressroom fire in 2000 also caused hours of delay in delivery to thousands of subscribers. Other disruptions have been caused by weather or mechanical failures, but not to this extent. During World War II, blackouts occasionally stopped delivery trucks from moving until daylight, according to newspaper archives. Cybersecurity experts said the incident reflected the broad reach of malware attacks, which have hit companies and institutions ranging from hospitals to global shipping companies in recent years. Malware attacks are extremely common, affecting millions of computers in homes, offices and other organizations every day, said Salim Neino, CEO of the company Kryptos Logic. In some cases, dubbed ransomware, the attackers disable the system and demand money, said Neino, whose company tackled a major ransomware attack called Wannacry last year. Several individuals with knowledge of the Tribune situation said the attack appeared to be in the form of Ryuk ransomware. One company insider, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said the corrupted Tribune Publishing computer files contained the extension .ryk. Ryuk attacks are highly targeted, well-resourced and planned, according to an August advisory by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cybersecurity program. Victims are deliberately targeted and only crucial assets and resources are infected in each targeted network. In September, the Port of San Diego was hit by a similar attack. That attack came two months after a strike at the Port of Long Beach. It is unclear whether the attacks were related or if the culprits demanded ransom in any of the incidents. Although Neino could not comment specifically on the attack on the newspapers system, he said that in general, computer systems used for manufacturing tend to be outdated and more vulnerable because they are used nonstop and updated less frequently. Neino also said that tracking who specifically is responsible for an attack can be difficult since malware code is often freely distributed online. Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, a nonprofit public interest research group, said that usually when someone tries to disrupt a significant digital resource like a newspaper, youre looking at an experienced and sophisticated hacker. It could represent a meaningful step up in attacks if a group of newspapers is being attacked by malware at the digital press level, Dixon said. Dixon added that the holidays are a well known time for mischief by digital troublemakers, because organizations are more thinly staffed. Its an optimal time to attack a major target, she said. The highest profile cyberattack of media company was in late 2014 at Sony Pictures Entertainment in Culver City. Hackers, which the FBI later determined were affiliated with the North Korean government, broke into Sony Pictures computer system and copied huge chunks of data, which they later posted online for the world to see. Media companies are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, according to a recent survey by Forrester Consulting and Hiscox, an international insurance specialist. High-profile products and complex production processes, coupled with the media and entertainment industrys extensive use of outside vendors, give cyber criminals more opportunities to attack, the two companies wrote in a recent report. The Union-Tribune expected delivery of Sunday editions to occur on time. Some features will be missing from Sundays print edition, including obituaries, lottery results and the weather page. Diehl reports for the Union-Tribune and Barboza, James and Alpert Reyes report for the Los Angeles Times. Union-Tribune researcher Merrie Monteagudo contributed to this report. Stories from this mornings print edition Restored e-edition of this mornings Union-Tribune UPDATES: 9 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 1:05 p.m. Dear Amy: My husband and I have been married for almost five years. We have two great kids. My husband has had some mental health problems, and life has been very difficult over the last year. I have a wonderful support system, with three girlfriends in particular all married with kids of their own. They have rallied around us during a turbulent time. Last month, I went back to work part time. All three girlfriends have offered free child care in their home to help us out. The kids stay primarily with one person, Anna, most days. Rose and Charlotte pick up the slack when Anna is unavailable or if Im able to pick up an extra shift. All of these wonderful friends have stated how happy they are to help us. All of our kids are close in age, and they get along well and entertain each other. Advertisement My question is this: What signs should I be watching for regarding burnout? Ive been on the giving end, where I helped out a single mom with child care when she could not afford anything. I ended up burning out. Is there anything I can do to help prevent this from happening to my girlfriends? READ MORE: 10 books I loved and learned from in 2018 all written by women I know keeping communication open with everyone is important, but I also know that people on the giving end can feel guilty because their friend is going through such a tough time. I worry they wont say anything until its too late. Any advice? Finding My Way Dear Finding: I appreciate your dilemma and your insight into the shifting dynamic of providing regular free child care. This sort of big-hearted effort can lead to burnout. You need to be continuously transparent when communicating with these friends. Make sure they all understand they can be completely honest with you. The most obvious solution would be for you to compensate Anna by offering to reciprocate. Can you take care of her children part of the time? If she knew that you would take care of her kids every Friday evening or Saturday morning (possibly in her home), she could go out, do errands, exercise or simply clear her head. You should also look for free or low-cost play groups for all of these young children. Anna and you could both get a break by enrolling all the kids in a weekly cooperative play group. Im a big fan of Head Start, which offers quality early learning in a safe environment. Pre-enroll your children for next year. Dear Amy: This year at the company Christmas party we all received envelopes, which we were told to open after we left the restaurant. These envelopes generally hold our Christmas bonus, which is usually pretty substantial. This year, after leaving the restaurant, I opened my envelope and saw that it held half of what I usually get. Being that we werent allowed to open our envelopes at the restaurant, Im assuming that it is supposed to be a secret of how much money every person got. But Im still left with the question in my head: Did I only get this amount, or did everybody? I know its not proper to ask. I feel like my boss doesnt like me anymore. How should I deal with this? Receptionist with a Deficit Dear Receptionist: The reason your boss handled this in this particular way is because of course they dont want you to talk about your bonus. But guess what? Your boss is not the boss of you. You get to ask questions and be as nosy as you want, outside of work. Ask around. Find out whatever you can. Depending on what you learn, you should set up a meeting with your boss and say, Im concerned that my bonus was half the amount of last years. This is awkward for me, but can you explain it? Dear Amy: My spouse was just like the guy described by Nose-Plugged Wife. He almost never brushed his teeth! I did everything you suggested; I even asked his parents for help. His mother told me, Nobody tells him what to do! It became an ongoing battle, and I realized that this was just one example of his being controlling, stubborn and childish. Then it crystallized: I looked at the entire marriage. I could see other areas where this attitude came through. I divorced him. Now I am with a cleaner, caring and all-around great guy. I have never been happier. Liberated Dear Liberated: Hooray! (You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson.com. Readers may send postal mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or like her on Facebook.) Copyright 2018 by Amy Dickinson Distributed by Tribune Content Agency How to handle your first holiday after a loss Chicago mother reunites with angel nurse who saved her babys life The U.S. Coast Guard announced late Friday it had found a short-term funding solution and would be paying its military workforce on Dec. 31 via its all-hands blog. Until the announcement, Coast Guard members had been notified to expect a delay in funding until a budget solution was found in Washington, D.C. Most people serving on active duty in the military will not have their pay affected by the partial government shutdown, now entering its second week. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, each part of the Defense Department, are fully funded, and wont be affected once payday rolls around on Jan. 1. However, paying the members of the militarys fifth branch the U.S. Coast Guard is a trickier proposition. Thats because, unlike their brothers and sisters in arms, the Coast Guard is part of the Homeland Security Department. DHS, which also includes Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol, is not funded. Advertisement The one-time action applies to active and reserve military members, the Coast Guard says. A spokesperson told the Union-Tribune that payroll for the next scheduled payday, Jan. 15, had not been funded. This potential lapse in payroll doesnt mean the Coast Guard wont be working. Nationwide, 42,000 active-duty members and 1,300 civilian employees will continue to work without pay. About 7,400 civilian Coast Guard employees have been furloughed. The U.S. government remained partially shut down Friday with a budget resolution up in the air as President Trump holds firm to his decision not to sign off on any budget that does not include billions in funding for a wall on the U.S. southern border. Up to 700 San Diego-based Coast Guard personnel are affected. Essential Coast Guard duties, such as maritime patrols, search-and-rescue and environmental response operations will continue as normal, according to Chief Warrant Officer Chad Saylor, a guard spokesman. The Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., will also remain open, as any delay in classes could have repercussions throughout the services officer corps. Our motto is Semper Paratus, which is always ready, Saylor said. Were obligated by law to carry out our mission. Saylor cited the professionalism and duty-first attitude of the people in the Coast Guard when discussing the uncertainty that came with the shutdown. Were at the mercy of the system, he said. (The Coast Guard) will be showing up whether theyre paid or not. A guide published on the Coast Guard website details who will work through the shutdown, and an FAQ guides service members on how to handle their financial obligations. Saylor said the Coast Guard has programs in place to help its members who are financially affected by the shutdown. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is something available all the time, he said. Typically, its a no-interest loan. He said those loans were geared toward the most at-risk members of the Coast Guard those in the junior enlisted ranks. Navy Federal Credit Union is also offering zero-interest loans both to members of the Coast Guard and any furloughed government employee who has enrolled in direct-deposit. Saylor said the Coast Guard did not endorse any programs outside of its control, but encouraged those affected to contact their financial institutions. Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter. UPDATES: 5:05 p.m.: The Coast Guard announced late Friday that its military workforce would be paid on Dec. 31. This story has been updated to reflect the breakthrough. Germany's Hanover airport suspended flights on Saturday after a man drove onto the apron area before police stopped his car and overpowered him, they said. "Flight operations are currently suspended," Hanover police tweeted, adding that the man drove onto the apron area at about 3.40 p.m. (1440 GMT). "The investigation into the background (of the incident) continues." German mass-selling daily Bild reported on its website that the man's car had Polish registration plates. It said police were investigating whether he was disturbed, under the influence of drugs, wanted to commit an attack or had another reason for driving onto the apron area, where planes unload their passengers. It was unclear how long flights at the airport would remain suspended. Search Keywords: Short link: December 29, 1910 Evening Tribune The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year. Thursday, December 29, 1910 In 1910, pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss was offered a free three-year lease of North Island after one of his pilots flew a Curtiss-built plane over the island to celebrate the upcoming Panama-California Exposition. He established his flight school there in the winter of 1911. Here are the first few paragraphs of the story: NORTH ISLAND IS TENDERED CURTISS FOR HIS ARMY AND NAVY AEROPLANE EXPERIMENTS E.D. Moore Inspecting Conditions for School Personal Representative of Aviator Says San Diego Ideal Place to Establish Permanent Quarters; Government Favorably Inclined Towards this City; Trials Will Cover Wide Scope, Including Mid-air Wireless Telegraphy Communications E.D. Moore, the personal representative of Glenn Curtiss, the world-famous aviator who may come to San Diego the latter part of next month and open on North Island, a government aviation school of instruction for army and navy attaches, arrived in this city this morning on the Owl train from Los Angeles. He is here for the sole purpose of looking over the local field relative to the advisability of Mr. Curtiss coming here with his aeroplane stable in January, following the meet to be held in San Francisco from the 6th to the 16th, inclusive. Mr. Moore is accompanied by Peter B. Kyne and wife. Mr. Kyne is a well known magazine writer, and comes to San Diego at this time for the purpose of gathering material for a Sunset Magazine article on San Diego and aviation. this is not the first visit of Mr. Moore to this city. At the time of the Bennington disaster he was sent here by the Associated Press to handle the story and its ramification phases for that association. Los Angeles After School, Also Mr. Moore said this morning, before visiting North Island in company with Col. D.C. Collier and other exposition officials and promoters, that the coming of Mr. Curtiss to this city would depend very largely upon the report, which he will make to the aviator upon his return to Los Angeles. He will leave for the north on the Owl train tonight, and early tomorrow morning confer with Mr. Curtiss, reporting to him in detail the conditions existing here, and his personal opinions relative to the advisability of the bird-man establishing his school on North Island. Incidently Mr. Moore remarked that Los Angeles is also after the school, but that he does not think conditions up north are quite as favorable as here. 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. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to entirely shut down the border and cut off aid to Central America because of another caravan forming in Honduras, even though advocates of the group say it plans to journey only as far as southern Mexico. Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money, Trump tweeted this morning. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries taking advantage of U.S. for years! Using social media sites such as WhatsApp and Facebook, people are spreading the word about another, bigger caravan planning to leave Honduras on Jan. 15, larger than the October caravan that stalled out in Tijuana in the hopes of reaching the U.S. Karen Valladares, who works at the Foro Nacional para las Migraciones en Honduras (the National Forum for Migration in Honduras), said the caravan forming in Honduras has even more support and interest than the caravan that recently arrived in Tijuana because people saw how traveling together improves chances of survival and safety. Advertisement Traditionally, the migratory route north has been very dangerous, very uncertain. People are lost and never heard from again. Their families are left to wonder what happened to them, Valladares said. Now, the caravans connect people in very large numbers, and the media attention improves communication back home and the likelihood they will arrive at their destination, she said. In her role at the migration forum, Valladares often has to break the painful news to families when a loved one dies en route to the American dream. Right now, there is a lot of pain in Honduras. It is a moment where we all are feeling a lot of pain, she said. Valladares said many Central Americans are outraged and mourning the deaths of the two children from Guatemala who died in U.S. custody. Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, died at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Day after suffering from a cough, vomiting and fever while being detained in U.S. custody. Jakelin Caal, 7, died Dec. 8 at an El Paso hospital after being detained with her father while preparing to travel by bus to a New Mexico Border Patrol station. Valladares said the childrens deaths touched many Central Americans back home. We are all mourning them, she said. Valladares said the new caravan has an estimated 15,000 participants. The number, while just an estimate, is far higher than previous caravans. She said the figure is what people who plan on facilitating the caravan are using to estimate resources needed but acknowledged that no one can predict with certainty what people are going to do. About 8,000 migrants crossed into Mexico in October and November, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Mexican federal government said 2,000 returned voluntarily to their home countries. This new caravan plans to stop in Chiapas, a southern state in Mexico, if work is guaranteed there, she said. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged visas and work in Mexico for Central American migrants. In his inauguration speech, he pledged public works projects like planting two million trees and construction of his Maya Train, a 1,500-kilometer railroad. The $8 billion project is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in southern states of Mexico. This month, Mexico and the United States agreed to develop a plan to curb Central American migration. The plan includes a $25 billion investment from Mexico into its southern states over the next five years. The United States will contribute $4.8 billion to Mexico and $5.8 billion to the Northern Triangle of Central America, which is made up of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Most of the United States funding will be allocated from existing aid programs. After more than a month of waiting in Tijuana, more members of the Central American migrant caravan are being admitted into the U.S. through the San Ysidro port of entry to claim asylum. Although some members of protected groups such as LGBTQ men and women have already entered the United States, the majority of asylum seekers from the caravan had to wait because of a backlog. Most are fleeing violence or poverty in their home countries. Carlos, 24, a migrant from Honduras who does not want his last name published for fear that it will negatively affect his asylum claim, put his name on the wait list on Nov. 29. Every day, between 40 and 100 names are called from the Mexican side of the San Ysidro port of entry. Carlos name was called Thursday but he wasnt around to hear it. Advertisement Like most members of the caravan, Carlos lives in a temporary migrant shelter on the outskirts of Tijuana that is a 30-minute drive from San Ysidro. He didnt have a ride Thursday morning. I was so worried and I couldnt do anything about it, he said. Fortunately, he found a volunteer from Sanctuario Caravana, an organization that has been providing free transportation to migrants between El Barretal and San Ysidro. Carlos arrived at the port of entry at 6:30 Friday morning and waited until organizers announced the next batch of names at 9:15 a.m. Despite being absent the day before, organizers honored his spot on the list. Mexican immigration authorities escorted him and a group of two dozen migrants into the United States, where he will be interviewed to see whether officials here believe he has a credible fear of persecution in his home country the first step in the asylum process. Transportation between El Barretal and San Ysidro has been an issue for asylum-seekers since the Mexican government moved caravan members into the shelter. Hundreds refused to leave the original shelter, which was a short walk away from the port of entry, saying theyd rather sleep on the streets than move far away. Government officials do offer free rides to Mexican immigration offices, which is a two-hour walk away San Ysidro. Volunteers from Sanctuario Caravana only have five drivers. That leaves migrants like Renan Rodriguez, 42, of Honduras with few transportation options. On Friday morning, Rodriguez panhandled outside El Barretal until he raised 34 pesos or $1.75 for a one-way bus ride to San Ysidro. There are more than 3,000 people on the wait list ahead of him, but Rodriguez goes to the port of entry once a week to make sure that he doesnt miss his name being called out. Rodriguez estimates that he will have to wait another month before crossing into the United States through the port of entry. Advocacy groups have criticized the asylum wait list. They claim it violates U.S. and international law, calling for asylum seekers to be immediately processed because they are fleeing danger. Several caravan members have died in Tijuana, including two teenagers who were stabbed to death. Another woman was run over by a drunk driver who she claims targeted her specifically. Last week, two men threw a canister of tear gas into El Barretal. No one was injured, but migrants said the message was clear. Carlos, the migrant who was set to enter the United States on Friday, traveled from Honduras with his brother. Local gang members threatened to kill both of them back home, they said. Once they arrived in Tijuana, his brother refused to wait. He crossed into the country illegally and was detained by Customs and Border Protection. Carlos has not heard from him since. Carlos did not want to take that risk. I want to do things the right way, he said. I didnt want to cross like that and risk getting sent back to Honduras. gustavo.solis@sduniontribune.com Solis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune The 2-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died. The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Friday that Abdullah Hassan had died in an Oakland hospital. He suffered from a genetic brain condition. The boys father brought him to the United States for medical treatment in October. His mother Shaima Swileh remained behind in their Egypt home. The boy and his father are U.S. citizens, but Swileh is not. Yemeni citizens are restricted from entering the United States under President Trumps travel ban. She applied for a waiver in 2017, but U.S. officials only granted it in December after the council had sued. Advertisement Swileh held her son for the first time in the hospital on Dec. 19. As the year draws to a close, the massive effort to reunify migrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border is nearly complete, yet the landmark litigation based in San Diego is far from over. Some 2,100 families, both in the U.S. and abroad, have been reunified over the past six months. It has been a logistical challenge one of the governments own making, a San Diego judge has repeatedly noted that required enormous federal resources and scores of pro bono lawyers from around the country. Now, with as few as eight remaining eligible children moving toward possible reunification, the focus of the case has shifted to restoring the rights of the migrants and to preventing such a crisis from happening again. Advertisement At the forefront is the implementation of a settlement agreement that allows reunited families still in the U.S. another chance to plead for asylum. For many of the parents, their first credible fear interviews which occurred shortly after being forcibly separated from their children, with little to no explanation were disastrous. Parents were just too distraught to advocate for asylum to the interviewing officer. So far, 127 reunited parents and children have been re-interviewed by asylum officers to determine if their original findings should change, according to a joint status report filed in San Diego federal court this month. Most, if not all, of those families have been detained together in immigration custody. Hundreds more reunited parents and children who have been released on parole into the community are in the process of being notified of their right to such an interview. What is unknown is the outcome of those re-interviews. The Department of Justice, which has been litigating the case on behalf of the Trump administration, has been reluctant to release numbers on how many asylum decisions have changed as a result of the settlement. Lawyers for the migrants have argued that it is a matter of transparency and a way to monitor how the government has been implementing the settlement agreement. Lawyers for the government have called the data request too burdensome. On Dec. 14, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw ordered the data to be released. With the federal government shutdown, its unclear when that will occur. All deadlines in this case, and other non-essential civil cases, have been stayed as a result of the failure to reach a federal budget deal. The next scheduled court hearing is Jan. 4, and it is unknown if that will remain on calendar. Another legal battle is brewing as to who is considered a class member. While attorneys have identified roughly 2,600 children as being part of the case, more families continue to come forward with unique circumstances of separation, asking for relief under the litigation. Some of those families had been reunited before Sabraws June 26 injunction against separation. Lawyers for the migrants argue those families should not be excluded from getting new interviews, while the government maintains the class contains only those who were still separated when the injunction was filed. Meanwhile, there are still more than 100 separated children in government care. Rather than be reunited with parents, these children are still waiting to be placed with sponsors often extended family or friends in the United States to try for asylum. Twenty-eight of these children have parents who were deemed to be unfit or a danger. Another 84 children have parents who were deported and have waived reunification, many hoping their child will have a better opportunity in the U.S. than back home in dangerous and impoverished Central American countries. Eleven parents who remain in the U.S. have also waived reunification. The sponsorship process has been slow going for many children as the government conducts background checks on the potential sponsors. Already, 377 other separated children have been either placed with sponsors or have turned 18, therefore aging out of the system. There are indications the litigation is beginning to move into its final stages. Sabraw has asked the lawyers to begin to work on the last piece of his ruling: to come up with a system that links parent and child upon apprehension or surrender at the border. The lack of such a system is largely blamed for creating the family separation crisis during the Trump administrations zero tolerance policy. When parents were either arrested to be criminally prosecuted for illegal entry or detained upon claiming asylum at a port of entry, there was often no notation that they had come with a child. Children were taken to government shelters without indication that theyd come with parents. When parents were released from criminal custody, many couldnt find out where their children had been taken. Parents were deported, leaving their children behind. Sabraw is encouraging the government to implement a central database, accessible to all the agencies who may touch the immigration system at some point Justice, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. While authorities may under law separate families while a parent goes into criminal custody, Sabraw ordered that the reunification process be started immediately upon the parents release. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis Amos Oz, one of Israels most celebrated and prolific authors, who came to embody the young states literary spirit and preoccupations, died Friday in Tel Aviv. He was 79 and had been fighting cancer. His daughter, Fania Oz-Salzberger, announced his death in a tweet in which, like many Israelis, she gave an equal measure of importance to his accomplishments as an activist for peace as to his dozens of widely read books. Oz is best known for A Tale of Love and Darkness, a memoir of his hardscrabble youth in a materially impoverished Jerusalem, where he was born May 4, 1939, just as the British Mandate was winding down and the incipient state of Israel was in its first throes. The book was brought to the screen in 2015 in Natalie Portmans debut as a director. Ozs parents, educated, multilingual escapees of anti-Jewish violence in Eastern Europe, struggled to find stability and purpose in the mid-century upheaval. Advertisement At 14 he left Jerusalem and his parents right-wing political milieu to re-create himself in the image of the upstart new state, moving to Kibbutz Hulda, where he devoted his days to manual labor and changed his name from Klausner to Oz, a word meaning strength in Hebrew. As he was about to publish his first book, Oz married Nily Zuckerman, the daughter of the kibbutzs librarian. His mother, also named Fania, committed suicide when Oz was only 12, a crushing blow that was first revealed in A Tale of Love and Darkness. Ozs daughter, a philosophy professor, described her father as a wonderful family man, an author, a man of peace and moderation, concluding with the hope that his good legacy continue to amend the world. His handsome, stalwart face photographed against the rustic background of barns or hay became the image of Israel as his works were translated into more than 45 languages, and as his voice gained weight in the countrys public sphere. He was, he said in an interview, fanatically moderate, decrying a worldview that equated extremism with passion or masculinity with militarized men. His last book, Dear Zealots: Letters from a Divided Land, a collection of essays published in English last month, is a wry but unflinching look at the rise of inflexible dogmatism in Israel and around the world. Oz, a founder of Peace Now, the Israeli anti-war organization, was among the first Israelis to publicly oppose occupation of territories won from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, stating that even unavoidable occupation is corrupting occupation. In an interview with German television in April, Oz advocated for every country in the world [to] follow President Trump and move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. At the same time, each one of those countries ought to open its own embassy in East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian people. During his long career, Oz won some of the literary worlds most prestigious honors, including the Goethe Prize and the French Knights Cross of the Legion DHonneur. He was a perennial candidate for the Nobel Prize in literature. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Oz in a statement issued as he landed in Brazil, where he is scheduled to attend the presidential inauguration of Jair Bolsonaro on Monday. Although our opinions differed on many issues, Netanyahu wrote, I deeply appreciated his contribution to the Hebrew language and to the revival of Hebrew literature. The president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, eulogized Oz as a great spirit. The European Union issued a statement mourning the passing of Amos Oz, a wonderful Israeli poet and novelist, a towering voice for peace. Oz is survived by his wife, Nily Zuckerman, and their three children, Fania, Galia and Daniel. The map of extremist Islamist organisations in the region is highly fluid in terms of organisational structures and alliances. This has engendered a set of new threats to the security of countries in the region, stemming from the relocations of Islamic State (IS) group fighters, current or potential offshoots, and the ideas and instruments that the terrorist groups might bring to bear to polarise society, to identify targets and to stage terrorist attacks. One of the major challenges that the region may face is a fresh rise in the influence of Al-Qaeda, which appears to be undergoing a resurgence. Signs of this have been evident in 2018 in tandem with the sharply declining capacities of IS since mid-2017, first in Syria and Iraq and then elsewhere in the region. Taking advantage of the IS decline, Al-Qaeda has restructured itself and resurfaced in several parts of the Arab region, whether in the form of new organisations, such as the Hurras Al-Din (Guardians of Religion) in Syria, or in the revival, or more precisely restructuring, of existing franchises such as the Jund Al-Islam (Soldiers of Islam) in Egypt. The new organisation calling itself Hurras Al-Din was formed by a group that split off from Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (The Levant Liberation Committee), formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front. It proclaimed its existence on 27 February 2018, and after Al-Qaeda claimed it as an affiliate it proceeded to recruit volunteers or Al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters from other armed groups. Hurras Al-Din is the first overt affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Syria since July 2016, when the Al-Nusra Front disassociated itself and changed its name to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in January 2017. Hurras Al-Din, Al-Qaedas new face in Syria, released a video announcing a call to arms for Syrian Muslims. Distributed on an Al-Qaeda-affiliated channel on the Telegram messaging service, The Hamza Ibn Abdel-Muttalib Camp, as the video was called, spoke of the losses inflicted against militias in Syria and proclaimed that the battle has only just begun. The clip shows scenes of men in camouflage performing military drills while chanting religious anthems and stipulates two conditions for bearing arms: religious preparedness and physical preparedness. As an indication of Al-Qaedas growth potential in Syria, this new organisation quickly succeeded in bringing on board other groups such as Usud Al-Tawhid, Ansar Al-Haqq, Abnaa Al-Sharia and breakaway factions from HTS that oppose the organisations cooperation with Turkey. On 17 April, several Al-Qaeda-affiliated media channels issued a call to unify six Syrian factions loyal to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, filling the vacuum created by the decline of IS and in the hope of recruiting fighters, including foreign fighters that had signed up with IS. This was far from the first initiative to unify the terrorist ranks. However, in this case it was part of Al-Qaedas process of catching breath, gathering strength and rallying support. It reissued the call on 2 December 2018, in which it called on Hurras Al-Din, Ansar Al-Islam, Ansar Al-Tawhid, Ajnad Al-Kavkaz (a Chechen jihadist group) and the Turkistan Islamic Party to fight for the people of the Levant and the champions of the faith. Although many difficulties hamper the unification of these extremist groups, if they were to unify it would redraw the map of extremist forces and have grave repercussions on the security of the region. The Al-Qaeda franchise Jund Al-Islam (JAI) first appeared in North Sinai in 2012. In 2013, it bombed the Syrian Military Intelligence Building in Rafah, killing or wounding several army personnel. In 2015, the organisation broadcast a video of its members performing military drills. The group then vanished, only resurfacing on 11 November 2017 with the release of an audio recording condemning Al-Baghdadis Kharijites targeting of Muslims and the siege of Gaza. The statement threatened a military operation against the Sinai Province, the Sinai-based terrorist organisation that has declared allegiance to IS, referred to in the JAI statement as Baghdadis Kharijites, in the aftermath of a massacre perpetrated by the Sinai Province in the Roda Mosque in Beir Al-Abd. JAI released another video on 25 January 2018 called Apologies to Your Lord featuring testimony by a former IS Sinai Province member who confirmed that the terrorist organisation was responsible for the Roda Mosque massacre. JAI then disappeared from the media until it released another video on 10 September 2018 declaring that it had resumed operations in the Sinai. The recording lashes out against the Egyptian government and calls on Muslim youth throughout the world to join forces with it in a jihad for the sake of God and citing the Quranic verse which calls on the faithful to persist, remain steadfast, garrison their forces and put their faith in the Lord. There were voiceovers of terrorist leaders Abdallah Azzam and Omar Abdel-Rahman speaking of the virtues of garrisoning forces and the eternal rewards for fighting for the sake of God. They called for war against the enemies of Islam in the West and said that the cause of the weakness and degradation of the Muslims was that they had forsaken jihad and fallen in love with the world instead. The video concluded with a call for unity against the enemy, stating that their job was to repel the attacks of Jews against Muslims. JAI is one of the groups that is positioning itself to re-emerge as a major terrorist player in the post-IS period, especially in view of the collapse or debilitation of the IS Sinai Province. THE NEW AL-QAEDA The new Al-Qaeda can be said to have four main features. First, it is more decentralised. The new Al-Qaeda organisational strategy favours more decentralisation and an inclination to allow several franchises to coexist in the same country. The guidelines are for them to adhere to Al-Qaeda tactics and not to intervene in the area of operations of another Al-Qaeda affiliate in the same country. Second, it has refined its ideology. Because of the contact that members of Al-Qaeda affiliates have had with events in Syria and with IS-affiliated organisations or offshoots, we are looking at an organisational restructuring that will be shaped by Al-Qaedas ideological outlooks and a fighting creed that will be informed by ISs excessive ruthlessness and violence. Third, there is a re-prioritisation of the remote versus the close enemy. Whereas in the past the tendency has been to prioritise targeting the enemy abroad over the enemy at home, the new strategies and tactics will accord them equal priority. Fourth, there is a sustained confrontation with the Kharijites and other organisations that Al-Qaeda ranks as too extreme in combat and in its extremist takfiri ideology. Al-Qaeda will shift away from the practice of branding society at large as heretical, if only as a practical means not to alienate society. In general, 2018 was a turning point for many extremist groups in the region, especially in Syria, the centre and stronghold of the most widely influential jihadist organisations of Al-Qaeda and IS. IS lost most of the areas under its control in Syria and Iraq, its major strongholds in Raqqa and Mosul above all, though this has been reflected in IS beaches in other countries. However, 2018 has given a boost to Al-Qaedas drive to rebuild its ranks, re-establish itself in other countries, serve as a refuge for IS fighters on the run and recast itself in a manner that could attract other extremist organisations and recruits. 2018 can thus be seen as the year of the reconstruction of Al-Qaeda, which will have a direct impact on the map of terrorist organisations in 2019. One of the most salient features of that new map will be the resurgence of Al-Qaeda, or perhaps more accurately, the rise of the new Al-Qaeda. This threat will probably be one of the greatest challenges that counter-terrorist efforts will have to deal with in the forthcoming year, along with the tasks of tracking the flight of terrorist fighters, handling returnees from Syria and Iraq, fighting IS offshoots in the region and dealing with foreign fighters, as well as their wives and children. The writer is an expert on terrorism affairs at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. * A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The rise of the new Al-Qaeda Search Keywords: Short link: After more than a month of waiting in Tijuana, more members of the Central American migrant caravan are being admitted into the U.S. to claim asylum. Although some members of protected groups such as LGBTQ men and women have already entered the United States, the majority of asylum seekers form the caravan had to wait because of an existing backlog. Carlos, 24, a migrant from Honduras who does not want his last name published for fear that it will negatively impact his asylum claim, put his name on the waitlist on Nov. 29. Every day, between 40 and 100 names are called from the Mexican side of the San Ysidro port of Entry. Carlos name was called Thursday but he wasnt around to hear it. Advertisement Like most members of the caravan, Carlos lives in a temporary migrant shelter in the outskirts of Tijuana that is a half hour drive away from San Ysidro. He didnt have a ride Thursday morning. I was so worried and I couldnt do anything about it, he said. Fortunately, he found a volunteer from Sanctuario Caravana, an organization that has been providing free transportation to migrants between El Barretal and San Ysidro. Carlos arrived to the port of entry at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning and waited until organizers announced the next batch of names at 9:15 a.m. Despite being absent the day before, organizers honored his spot on the list. Mexican immigration authorities escorted him and a group of two dozen migrants into the United States, where he will be interviewed to see whether officials here believe he has a credible fear of persecution in his home country the first step in the asylum process. Transportation between El Barretal and San Ysidro has been an issue for asylum-seekers since the Mexican government moved caravan members into the shelter. Hundreds refused to leave the original shelter, which was a short walk away from the port of entry, saying theyd rather sleep on the streets than move far away. Government officials do offer free rides to Mexican immigration offices, which is a two-hour walk away from San Ysidro. Volunteers from Sanctuario Caravana only have five drivers. That leaves migrants like Renan Rodriguez, 42 of Honduras, with few transportation options. On Friday morning, Rodriguez panhandled outside El Barretal until he raised 34 pesos or $1.75 for a one-way bus ride to San Ysidro. There are more than 3,000 people on the wait list ahead of him, but Rodriguez goes to the port of entry once a week to make sure that he doesnt miss his name being called out. Rodriguez estimates that he will have to wait another month before crossing into the United States through the legal port of entry. Advocacy groups have criticized the asylum wait list. They claim it violates U.S. and international law, calling for asylum seekers to be immediately processed because they are fleeing danger. Several caravan members have died in Tijuana, including two teenagers who were stabbed to death. Another woman was run over by a drunk driver, whom she claims targeted her specifically. Last week, two men threw a canister of tear gas into El Barretal. No one was injured, but migrants said the message was clear. Carlos, the migrant who was set to enter the United States on Friday, traveled from Honduras with his brother. Local gang members threatened to kill both of them back home. Once they arrived to Tijuana, his brother refused to wait. He crossed into the country illegally and was detained by Customs and Border Protection. Carlos has not heard from him since. Carlos did not want to take that risk. I want to do things the right way, he said. I didnt want to cross like that and risk getting sent back to Honduras. Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter Bre Payton, a journalist with the news website The Federalist and a frequent Fox News guest, died Friday in San Diego, following what the site said was a sudden illness. She was 26. The Federalist did not disclose what Paytons illness was, but a post on the Caring Bridge website stated that doctors said she was ailing from H1N1 flu and meningitis. On Wednesday, five days after her death, San Diego County health officials issued a press release stating that Pandemic H1N1 is the primary flu virus circulating locally and across the nation. In the release, officials said her death is under investigation as possibly due to Pandemic H1N1 complications. Advertisement It is unknown whether the woman had underlying medical conditions and whether she had received a flu shot, the county said. According to the online post, a friend of Paytons found her unresponsive and barely breathing in her room about 8:30 a.m. Thursday and called 911. Payton was admitted into an intensive care unit, where she wassedated and intubated, the post states. After a CT scan and hours of testing, they (doctors) have determined she has the H1N1 flu and possibly meningitis, according to the Caring Bridge post. Early Friday morning, Paytons friend and recent congressional candidate Morgan Murtaugh tweeted that she was the one who had found the young journalist unconscious. 24 hours ago I found my friend unconscious and called 911. Shes been in a coma since and really needs a miracle right now. Please, if youre religious at all, send prayers this way. We really need them. https://t.co/QqeXn0N6g2 Morgan Murtaugh (@morganmurtaugh) December 28, 2018 Murtaugh was the Republican candidate who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Susan Davis in November to represent the 53rd District. Shortly before 11:30 a.m. Friday about four hours after her initial tweet Murtaugh tweeted the news of Paytons death. Thank you everyone for your prayers. It is with a heavy heart that I type this. Unfortunately Bre has passed. Please send prayers to her family. Rest in paradise you beautiful soul. https://t.co/pMFCZNaqKl Morgan Murtaugh (@morganmurtaugh) December 28, 2018 According to the Federalist, Payton was a featured commentator on Fox News, Fox Business and One America News Network, which is headquartered in San Diego. The evening before she was found ailing, Payton had tweeted that she was on the air, filling in as host on the OAN show Tipping Point. According to the Federalist, Payton was born and raised in California. She earned her degree in journalism from Patrick Henry College in Virginia, graduating in 2015. She joined The Federalist staff that same year. In announcing her death, the Federalist said Payton brightened the lives of everyone around her. She was joyful, hard-working, and compassionate, and she leaves behind friends and colleagues for whom she brought nothing but sweetness and light, The Federalist said. Paytons case has been been reported to the countys Health and Human Services Agency, and is currently under investigation, a county spokesman said Friday. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com (760) 529-4945 Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT UPDATES: Jan. 2, 2019: This story was updated to include information from county officials regarding Pandemic H1N1 virus. A report of domestic violence triggered an hours-long standoff in a Carlsbad neighborhood Friday night into Saturday morning, police said. Around 10 p.m. Friday, a woman called police and said her husband had assaulted her, cut her hand with a knife and threatened to kill her before she could escape, according to Carlsbad police Lt. Kevin Lehan. The woman also told police her husband was heavily intoxicated. Police headed to the couples residence, on Juniper Avenue between Interstate 5 and Garfield Street, and found the man had barricaded himself inside, Lehan said. The man wouldnt cooperate with officers and after a few hours, a SWAT team forced entry into the home through the front door and a window, according to Lehan. Officers searched the home and ultimately found the man hiding under a bed. He was taken into custody without further incident. It was determined the man was unarmed when police arrested him, Lehan said. A man used a demand note Friday afternoon to hold up a credit union at the Clairemont Town Square shopping center, police said. It happened around 4:15 p.m. at the Mission Federal Credit Union on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard south of Clairemont Drive, San Diego police Sgt. Michael Tansey said. The suspect walked up to a teller, handed over a note demanding cash and made off with an undisclosed amount of money, according to Tansey. He was last seen running on Bannock Avenue, east of the shopping center. Police described the suspect as white, 25 to 35 years old, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and roughly 140 pounds. He wore a dark blue jacket, dark sweatpants, a gray beanie and possibly white gloves. Advertisement The FBI and San Diego Police Department were working together to investigate the robbery. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com With the New Years holiday weekend just hours away, high school students and like-minded supporters rallied Friday in several North County communities to raise awareness about the dangers of drugged driving. The prevention rallies, organized by North Inland Community Prevention Program and supported by the County of San Diego, were planned Friday in Fallbrook, Ramona, Valley Center, Poway, Escondido and San Marcos. Their goal: to remind drivers -- especially young drivers -- ahead of the New Years holiday celebrations that driving while impaired by any drug, whether its cold medicine or marijuana, is illegal and dangerous. A prevention specialist with the program, two students from Montecito High School, two San Diego County Sheriffs Deputies and an adult volunteer stood on the corner of Main Street and Montecito Road in Ramona on Friday morning, holding hand-made signs with safe-driving messages including, Save a life, dont drive on drugs and DUI is not just about alcohol. Advertisement A few passing drivers honked and waved as they passed. Rally participants said their message is particularly important to convey around holidays, when impaired driving tends to increase. Doing it at this time, when people are out celebrating, its a lot more important for people to know its OK to celebrate, but be responsible about it, said Myriam Padilla, the prevention specialist who attended the street-corner rally Friday morning in Ramona. The drugged-driving prevention rallies started in 2015, and the first in Ramona took place the following year, shortly after the passage of Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana in California. Students who attended the rally Friday in Ramona said they were concerned that people underestimate the effect drugs have on them and their ability to drive safely Many people might not think about it, like its just a little marijuana, a little booze, but its not like that, Michelle Martinez, 17, said Friday. Anything bad could happen. Briseyda Lizarraga, 16, said it was important to remind people to think not just about their safety, but the safety of others. Being under the influence of anything is bad, especially when youre driving, Lizarraga said. Its not just you, its innocent people who can get hurt. Holding signs with the students Friday, San Diego County Sheriffs Deputies Phil Johnston and Michael Pacheco of the San Diego County Sheriffs Department said there is no safe level of impairment when driving, regardless of the type or amount of substance ingested. If you feel different, youre going to be driving different, Pacheco said. Last year, 40 people died in collisions statewide during the New Years holiday weekend, according to the California Highway Patrol. Six of the deaths were in San Diego County. The department did not specify how many collisions and deaths involved impaired drivers. morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com A trash fire Friday morning at an Escondido dump caused little damage but sent heavy smoke billowing above the city, fire officials said. The blaze broke out between 8:30 and 9 a.m. at Escondido Resource Recovery, a public disposal site for Escondido Disposal Inc., on West Washington Avenue, Escondido fire Battalion Chief Jeff Sargis said. The dump is in an industrial neighborhood southeast of the Interstate 15 and state Route 78 exchange. Firefighters requested a second alarm to battle the blaze, which sent heavy smoke into the air that could be seen from a distance, Sargis said. But the flames were contained to a large trash pile, and crews had the blaze under control in about an hour, Sargis said. Advertisement No structures were damaged and there was no monetary loss to the business. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com A man died Friday evening after he was found floating in the ocean off the coast of Imperial Beach near the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. The man was spotted a few minutes before 5:30 p.m. just north of the international boundary off the coast of Border Field State Park, sheriffs Sgt. Felix Santiesteban said. Border Patrol agents arrived first and pulled the man out of the water, and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel attempted to resuscitate him, Santiesteban said. Despite the life-saving efforts, the man was pronounced dead at 6:06 p.m. Advertisement There was no immediate information about how the man died or the circumstances that led up to his death. The Tijuana news website Frontera.info reported that the man was a Honduran immigrant in his early 20s who attempted to swim across the border. According to the report, the mans backpack where hed stashed his clothes washed up south of the border fence around the same time his body was discovered. In an email, Santiesteban said he had no information about whether or not the man was an immigrant or had entered the ocean from the Mexican side of the border. Personnel from the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office responded to the beach, took custody of his body and will investigate the cause and manner of death, Santiesteban said. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 10:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from Tijuana media reports. This article was originally published at 10 p.m. The head pastor of a Methodist congregation in Orange County, who grew up and previously worked in San Diego County, was charged Friday in Vista with two counts of molesting a girl under 14 years old, according to police and court records. John Rodgers McFarland, 66, who has worked at three Orange County churches over the past 30 years and who before that worked in San Diego and Imperial counties for 10 years was arrested by Escondido police detectives Dec. 18 in Fullerton, police said. San Diego County prosecutors filed two counts of lewd acts on a child against McFarland on Friday at the Vista courthouse. According to the criminal complaint, the charges stem from incidents in 2012 and 2013 with a girl who was then under the age of 14. Escondido police detectives launched their investigation of McFarland in November, department spokesman Lt. Chris Lick said Friday night. He did not say what prompted the investigation. Advertisement The incidents occurred several years ago when McFarland was visiting relatives in Escondido, Lick said in a statement. We believe there are additional victims that have yet to be identified in other jurisdictions. Police in Fountain Valley, where McFarland worked as a pastor at a Methodist church for 26 years, said there is evidence that McFarland abused other victims during his time as a pastor in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach. According to police, McFarland is currently the head pastor at Orangethorpe United Methodist Church in Fullerton, where he has worked since 2014. He was the head pastor from 1988 to 2014 at Fountain Valley United Methodist Church, and a pastor at Surf City Church in Huntington Beach from 2009 to 2014. A married father of five children, McFarland was also the youth pastor at San Dieguito United Methodist Church in Encinitas from 1978 to 1981 and was a pastor at Calexico United Methodist Church from 1981 to 1988, according to an online biography. McFarland volunteered as a chaplain with the Fountain Valley Police Department from 1993 to 2014, Detective Gloria Scott told the Union-Tribune, adding that his volunteer work with police was not expected to interfere in the investigation in any way. According to his biography, McFarland also volunteered as a fire department chaplain when he lived and worked in Fountain Valley, a city of about 55,000 that shares an inland border with Huntington Beach. Immediately after his Dec. 18 arrest, police from Escondido, Fullerton and Fountain Valley served search warrants at his Fullerton home, at Orangethorpe United Methodist Church and at Fountain Valley United Methodist Church. He was later booked into the Vista Detention Center. San Diego County jail records showed McFarland was not listed as an inmate late Friday afternoon. A Southern California defense attorney listed as his lawyer in online records did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Friday evening. Attempts to reach McFarland were unsuccessful. Scott, the Fountain Valley detective, said McFarland was arrested by Escondido police because the crimes hes been charged with occurred in that city. There were no filed cases against McFarland in Orange County or other counties as of Friday, Scott said, though police are continuing to collect evidence of other alleged crimes. According to his biography, McFarland grew up in North County attending San Marcos United Methodist Church. He later earned advanced religious degrees in 1978 from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, and in 1999 from Fuller Theological Seminary. Fountain Valley police asked any additional victims, or anyone who can provide information about additional victims, to contact Detective Scott at (714) 593-4480. Escondido police asked anyone with information about more potential victims to call Detective Therese Ruiz at (760) 839-4790. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 8 p.m.: This article was updated with information from Escondido police about the investigation and McFarlands arrest. 6:25 p.m.: This article was updated with biographical details about McFarland and additional details from Fountain Valley police. This article was originally published at 4:45 p.m. In the early weeks of January, Egyptian diplomats and senior military personnel are expected to consult with their counterparts from the US, Jordan and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council on possible frameworks for a Middle East Security Alliance (MESA). The meetings, which have yet to be confirmed, are likely to take place in Washington where the idea of a new military/political/intelligence body bringing together Washingtons closest Middle East allies originated. We will see what the different parties propose. In principle we are on board, which is what we told the Americans. We have participated in the preliminary discussions that have been taking place in the region and the US and are in the process of formulating our ideas on how to get on with this, commented an Egyptian government source. Egypt, he said, is not keen on Qatars presence in the alliance. We are not hiding it. We told the Americans and the Saudis know. We understand there is an attempt on the part of Riyadh to reduce tensions with Qatar, largely because of US pressure, but we have been clear about our concerns regarding Qatars political choices. Cairo does not want to be excluded from any alliance of Washingtons Middle East allies. It would have far rather seen Qatar isolated for failing to honour its commitments to suspend political and financial support to groups Egypt believes are undermining states in the region. Early in 2018 Egyptian diplomatic sources happily argued that Doha had been sufficiently cornered to suspend what they said were activities blocking wider regional stability. Yet as the year comes to a close Saudi Arabia has been forced to shift its foreign policy in the wake of the Jamal Khashoggi affair and the US, according to Cairo-based Western diplomats, is less willing to alienate its old allies in Doha. The Trump administration also wants to avoid pressure from Congress, in which the Democrats will have the majority come January, over its choices in the Middle East. The Oval Office is wary of any additional criticism from the US media and Congress and would far rather coordinate on key strategic issues keeping Iran isolated while normalising Arab-Israeli relations. Cairo has resigned itself to the fact that plans to isolate Qatar and also Turkey have been derailed following the killing of Khashoggi. It is also reconciled with the prospect that in 2019 it will need to closely monitor emerging political and military alliances. MESA is only one grouping Cairo will be closely watching. Egyptian sources say another political alliance appears to be in the making, bringing together Israel, Greece, Cyprus and the US. An informed Egyptian official says Cairo is well-aware of consultations between the four countries. Speaking in the wake of statements made by Israeli officials at the end of November, the official said the four states are already sharing intelligence with Egypt on illegal immigration and militant groups as well as information on economic opportunities, particularly when it comes to gas exploration and liquidation. The official argues that 2018 was a very good year for Egypt in terms of expanding its presence in the gas market. Exploration activities have expanded, and deals have been signed with Mediterranean allies, both intergovernmental and private. Cyprus and Greece have been close allies since President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi came to power in the summer of 2014. This year was marked by deeper cooperation than ever among the three countries in relation to gas fields in the Mediterranean. A semi-final agreement covering joint extraction, liquidation and imports, some of which include Israel, was agreed upon by the three countries earlier in the year. Diplomatic sources from Greece and Cyprus are hopeful about even greater cooperation in 2019 on the economic, political and security fronts. Throughout the year Egyptian diplomats have spoken positively about the solid support Cyprus and Greece have offered Egypt in the face of criticism within the European Union of Cairos record on human rights and democratisation. Other government sources speak highly of the levels of security, and even military, cooperation between Egypt, Greece and Cyprus. One government official hinted that future security cooperation and military coordination between Israel, Greece and Cyprus would not exclude Egypt. There are some ideas that are being considered for 2019 though discussions are still in an early phase, he said. Officials are also positive about Egypts growing engagement in tackling drug trafficking migration across the Sahel and Sahara. Towards the end of the year, Egypt hosted a number of North African countries for anti-terror training at the Mohamed Naguib naval military base west of Alexandria. Increased coordination with neighbouring states is just one strand of Cairos anti-smuggling and illegal migration strategy. Egypt is working closely with its European allies and with the US on the problem. Cairo-based European diplomats have commented on the increasingly close cooperation between Egypt and France when it comes to the Sahara and Sahel. Egyptian officials say Cairo is determined to work with European states, particularly those along the Mediterranean, to tackle illegal migration. One spin-off of the policy is that it contributes to halting the smuggling of arms across Egypts borders. Ending the infiltration of arms and terrorists into mainland Egypt from the Sahara, and then on to Sinai where the Egyptian army, in cooperation with regional and international allies, is battling Islamic State, is a key goal of Egyptian policy. In its pursuit of this goal Cairo opted throughout 2018 to shelve many of its reservations vis-a-vis Khartoum in order to facilitate closer coordination with Sudan on arms and militant smuggling. Egypt hopes that consolidating security and intelligence cooperation with Sudan will also have a positive impact on its western neighbour Libya, source of many of the arms smuggled into Egypt. Cairo has repeatedly voiced concern about the porosity of its more than 1,000km border with Libya and remains determined to prevent it from becoming infested with arms and fighters who come from all over through the deserts of Chad and Mali. Though Cairo has every right to be pleased with the way security has been strengthened in eastern Libya under Khalifa Haftar, a close ally of Egypt and the UAE, there is no room for complacency. Next year will bring more challenges on the western front, and there is considerable scepticism in Cairo over the ability of UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame to deliver presidential elections. Though Egypt would like Haftar to win any election that is held it is aware that this may not happen, and that whoever does win is unlikely to have full control over the country, including the restless south. While Egypt is convinced of its ability to keep the east of Libya relatively safe and stable it has less confidence when it comes to other policy goals it had hoped would be at least moving towards resolution this year. The Great Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) is one issue that has proved intransigent. In November 2017 Cairo sounded alarm bells at the speed with which the dam was being constructed. In 2018 it had hoped to reach an agreement with Ethiopia on action to reduce the negative impact of GERD on Egypt but by November of this year itwas once again sounding the alarm. While there has been a temporary delay in construction work, a result of political squabbles in Ethiopia and of corruption in the building process, Cairo knows it cannot count on such delays continuing indefinitely. Next year will be decisive in determining how the dam will impact on Egypts water security and Cairo will be desperate to see progress in its consultations with Ethiopia and Sudan over the dam by the first quarter of the year. The GERD file is causing far more worry in Cairo than other unresolved files, including continuing Russian reluctance to restart direct flights to Egypts Red Sea resorts flights were suspended following the downing of a Russian plane over Sinai in 2015 and ongoing tensions with Italy over investigations into the brutal killing of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni in Egypt in February 2016. Indeed, some Egyptian officials say reaching an agreement with Ethiopia over GERD will take precedence in 2019 over securing sufficient international support for moves to amend the constitution to allow loner presidential terms, and/or increase the number of terms the president can serve. * A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Gathering loose ends Search Keywords: Short link: Sheriffs officials on Friday identified a 51-year-old Santee man who he suffered a medical emergency and died Sunday afternoon shortly after deputies arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication. A deputy spotted Warren Morris around 2:50 p.m. that day lying on a sidewalk behind the Walmart on Town Center Parkway north of Mission Gorge Road, sheriffs Lt. Rich Williams said. When the deputy approached and spoke to (Morris), he sat up and the deputy noticed (Morris) was also in possession of an open container of alcohol, Williams said in a statement. (Morris) was found to be so intoxicated he was unable to care for himself. The deputy arrested Morris without incident, on suspicion of public intoxication, and sat him in a patrol vehicle, Williams said. But soon after, deputies noticed Morris breathing was labored, so they called for an ambulance. Advertisement Before the ambulance arrived, Morris stopped breathing, so deputies began CPR, Williams said. The medics took over CPR and took Morris to a hospital. He died at the hospital at 5:11 p.m. The sheriffs homicide unit is investigating Morris death, as they do with all in-custody deaths, and the county Medical Examiners Office performed an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. The results of the autopsy were still pending Friday. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com Homicide investigators arrested two men suspected in an early morning fatal shooting at a home in Pacific Beach. A few minutes after the 1:47 a.m. 911 call, officers got to the home on Wilbur Avenue and found a 44-year-old man with a gunshot wound, San Diego police said. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died. The man has been identified, but his name was withheld pending notification of family. Several other residents were home at the time of the shooting, homicide Lt. Matt Dobbs said. The assailants fled in a vehicle belonging to one of them. The motive was unknown. Advertisement Witnesses described the assailants as white or Hispanic men in their 20s to 30s who fled in a white, 2015 Lexus RX350 SUV with California license plate 7NWK357. About eight hours later, investigators took two men into custody at the Marriott Hotel on La Jolla Village Drive, according to video footage shot by OnScene TV. Dobbs identified them as Paul Weinberger, 50, and Freddy Sosa, 37. Weinberger lived at the home where the shooting occurred, the lieutenant said. The men were questioned and booked on charges of murder and robbery. Sosa also was booked on one count of burglary. Dobbs said more arrests are possible. He said the Lexus has not been recovered and asked that anyone who sees it call 911 to report its location. Anyone with information about the case can call homicide detectives at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Staff writer Pauline Repard contributed to this report. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl During a combative White House meeting with Democratic leaders on Dec. 11, President Trump declared that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was constrained in her ability to negotiate for a border wall because of a leadership fight in the House. Pelosi, who won that fight, was in no mood for mansplaining. For the record: An earlier version of this story said former Rep. Ellen Tauscher was from Walnut Grove. The city is Walnut Creek. Mr. President, please dont characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as the leader of the House Democrats, who just won a big victory, Pelosi shot back. Later, aides put out word that she had mocked Trumps border wall as a manhood thing for him. Trumps battle with Congress over his demands for $5 billion as a down payment for a border wall was at an impasse Friday. Democrats have refused to budge past $1.3 billion, and one-fourth of the federal government has been unfunded and shut down since last Saturday due to the dispute. Advertisement Negotiations have sputtered to a halt and no votes are likely before Thursday, when the new Congress opens and Pelosi, who has represented a San Francisco district in Congress since 1987, is all but certain to be elected House speaker. That sets the stage for a possible shutdown showdown between Trump and Pelosi. Republicans, who have controlled both chambers of Congress for the last two years, appeared happy to shift some of the responsibility or blame to her. It could be a risky strategy. In Pelosis 36 years in Washington, male politicians have repeatedly underestimated her. From her first opponent who called her a debutante before she crushed him, to Republican leaders who tried to bully her when she entered House leadership, it has yet to work. She just keeps going. Its like a nuclear sub and then when its time to strike? Bam, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Menlo Park) said. I dont think anyone is a match for her. Trump already has sought to throw a depth charge. On Friday, he threatened in three separate tweets to shut U.S. ports of entry along the entire 2,000-mile southwestern border unless Democrats back down. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border, he warned. Several hundred thousand people and about $1.6 billion in trade cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day, so shutting the gates would create instant havoc in San Diego and other communities in the four states directly affected and send shock waves through the economy. By most accounts, Trump lost face when he squared off with Pelosi in that Oval Office meeting. Video of Pelosi walking out of the West Wing with dark sunglasses and a smile ricocheted across social media. The manufacturer of the orange coat she wore received so much demand it began making the coat again. Her defiance all but ended a small but vocal resistance to her leadership bid. She is expect to become just the sixth person in history, and the first woman, to fill the speakers chair twice. Some Republicans see an up side in positioning Pelosi as their foil, hoping to force her to focus on a fight over funding the border wall rather than on ethics reform, voting rights legislation, investigations of Trump finances and other concerns she has promised will be the Democrats priorities. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said on Twitter that those saying Democrats cant battle Trump and move on other agenda items underestimate the incoming speakers political skills. Pelosi can walk and chew gum, Hammill tweeted. Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat who represented Walnut Creek in Congress from 1997 to 2009 and then joined the Obama administration, said the White House is used to sycophants and they are used to bullying people and neither apply to Nancy Pelosi. Anybody who mistakes Nancys charm and smile for anything other than the kind of the steel that holds airplanes together is in trouble, she added. I think the president has finally met somebody who will stand up to him. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders argued Friday that Pelosi wont negotiate because she doesnt want to do anything that might jeopardize her speaker vote, something the president and other White House officials echoed. Hammill said the White House had not contacted Pelosi since the Dec. 11 meeting. Trump has cast the shutdown which forced him to stay in Washington over the holidays, other than a one-day trip to visit U.S. troops in Iraq, instead of taking a planned 16-day vacation in Florida as a fight between his version of border security, meaning a wall, and open borders, which he says Democrats want. He has a very simplistic policy solution that is a emotional touchstone in the culture wars. If the debate becomes about open borders versus the wall, Democrats are on very thin ice, said Mike Madrid, a Republican political strategist. It behooves the president to wait until the Democrats take over. Trump alluded to that strategy Thursday, tweeting that Democrats may be able to block his plans to build a wall but we have the issue, Border Security. 2020! From all accounts, substantive negotiations to reopen government offices stalled the day the shutdown began on Dec. 22, when Vice President Mike Pence made an offer to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). Schumers spokesman, Justin Goodman, said he rejected the offer of $2.1 billion for the wall and $400,000 for other border security measures immediately, telling the vice president that he could not get Democratic votes to pass the 60-vote threshold needed in the Republican-controlled Senate. For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesnt pass the laugh test, Goodman said. The White House effort to shift blame to Pelosi, especially when her party is not yet in power and she cant bring legislation up for a vote, left strategists and pundits scratching their heads. Out of the gate shes not some type of villain that somehow acquits the president of the hole hes dug himself, Republican strategist Rob Stutzman said. Democrats are poised to win the showdown on the shutdown. They just are. House Democrats plan to vote Thursday on a spending package to reopen the government. They have floated several options, but none that includes more than $1.3 billion for border security, potentially including a wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said the Senate wont vote on legislation to fund the government unless the president will sign it, and Trump has said he will not accept less than $5 billion for a wall. Stutzman said it will fall to McConnell to persuade Trump to compromise. How Trump and Pelosi resolve the impasse could be telling for the next two years. Trump has dominated Washington as few presidents before him, but after next week hell be forced to work with a divided Congress for the first time. Hes going to be playing defense, which hes not good at, Madrid said. Hes going to have to create a boogeyman. Thats how he wins. He has to create an enemy, whether it is Mexicans or Muslims or Pelosi. For her part, Pelosi is known as a master legislator and negotiator, someone unlikely to fold under Trumps insults and jibes. She knows when to charm him and I think she knows when to give him rope and let him hang himself, Stutzman said. She understands him rather well. The latest from Washington More stories from Sarah D. Wire sarah.wire@latimes.com Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter With the partial government shutdown headed toward its second week and no resolution in sight, President Trump on Friday issued a string of tweets in which he again vowed to close the entire U.S. border with Mexico and halt aid to several Latin American countries unless Democrats agree to his demand for billions of dollars in wall funding. Trump also canceled plans to visit his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, and will remain in Washington over the New Years holiday, Office of Management and budget director Mick Mulvaney said. About 25 percent of the federal government has been shut down since Saturday, with roughly 800,000 workers affected, including an estimated 350,000 who are on furlough at home. We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with, Trump said in a morning tweet. Advertisement We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve! In a reprise of his threat before the midterm elections to cut off aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as a caravan of migrants was making its way toward the United States, Trump said that those three countries are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Mulvaney: Trump absolutely willing to close southern border amid budget stalemate Office of Management and Budget Director and President Trumps acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney spoke to reporters on Dec. 28. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it, he said, without providing further details. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries taking advantage of U.S. for years! Despite Trumps threat, the United States this month announced a new collaboration with Mexico on a program to curb migration from Central American countries, with much of the $10.6 billion U.S. contribution to be drawn from existing aid programs. Trumps tweets come as Congress has effectively given up on breaking the impasse over the presidents demands for border-wall funding, all but ensuring that the partial government shutdown will stretch into at least the start of the new year. The House and the Senate convened for just minutes Thursday before gaveling closed until next week. During the brief session in the House, Republicans shot down a Democratic attempt to vote on legislation to reopen the government. Members of the congressional leadership were not in Washington, though aides insisted that lawmakers could return if there is a deal to end the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was in his home state, according to his office, while Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) was with his family in New York. Aides to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declined to say where they were. The House remains ready to act once there is a product that can pass the Senate and that the president says he will sign, said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan. Trumps previous threats to build a wall and force Mexico to pay for it led to diplomatic clashes with the government of former president Enrique Pena Nieto. But Mexicos new president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is a leftist has tried to avoid such disputes. Asked about Trumps latest tweets, Lopez Obrador told reporters Friday: We have acted prudently and cautiously, and we have not expressed an opinion on this theme, because this is an internal matter of the U.S. government and we prefer to abstain from making a statement. He added that the Mexican government is seeking to always maintain a very good relationship with the government of the United States. As he did Thursday, Trump remained out of public view on Friday. In an appearance on Fox News, Mulvaney said that the president had canceled his plans for Christmas, and now hes canceled his plan for New Years. Hes staying in Washington, D.C., over New Years, said Mulvaney, who is set to become Trumps acting chief of staff next month. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said early Friday afternoon that the president was in the West Wing meeting with staff and making calls and that there were no plans as of now for him to travel to Florida. Even though Trump will be in town and Republicans control both chambers of Congress, Mulvaney acknowledged that little progress on a deal is expected until the start of the new Congress on Jan. 3, when Democrats will retake the House. Contending that Democrats have simply shut down the discussions, Mulvaney claimed that Schumer was really interested in doing a deal in their recent negotiations, but the more were hearing this week is that its [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi whos preventing that from happening. Nancy Pelosi, in fairness, does not have the votes for the speakership yet, Mulvaney said. She cannot be seen by her party as being weak on negotiating with Donald Trump. So we fully expect that until she is elected speaker and has locked that vote up, we dont expect to hear from the Democrats again. According to a Washington Post tally, Pelosi, who won the Democratic caucuss nomination for the speakership in late November, appears to have secured enough support to be elected speaker in January. Throughout the negotiations, Pelosi and Schumer have presented a united front, issuing several joint statements and appearing together at an Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President Pence on Dec. 11. Pelosis spokesman, Drew Hammill, said in a statement Friday that Democrats are united against the Presidents immoral, ineffective and expensive wall the wall that he specifically promised that Mexico would pay for. Democrats will not consider any offers that have not been publicly endorsed by Trump himself, he said, adding that the last time the White House directly reached out to Pelosi was when the president called her following the Oval Office meeting. While we await the presidents public proposal, Democrats have made it clear that, under a House Democratic majority, we will vote swiftly to reopen government on Day One, Hammill said. A Schumer spokesman said that Schumer and Pelosi have been in constant and close contact and on the same page with regards to shutdown strategy. There is no daylight between them. At the heart of the stalemate is Trumps demand for $5 billion in funding for his proposed wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional Democrats have rejected that figure and in recent weeks have refused to publicly endorse a figure above $1.3 billion, which continues existing funding levels and includes money for new border fencing and levee walls but not the concrete wall Trump once demanded before he started more recently talking about steel slats. Legislation with that level of funding, which would have kept the entire government open through Feb. 8, passed the Senate unanimously last week, but Trump subsequently rejected it. Mulvaney said Friday that some folks use the term wall and they mean different things. Everyone agrees that what we can and should be building on that southern border is that steel barrier that the president tweeted out. Thats what he wants to build. The Democrats, believe it or not, dont call that a wall, he said. Erica Werner and Paul Kane in Washington and Mary Beth Sheridan in Mexico City contributed to this report. If San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer needs a New Years resolution, heres one: Find your calculator. How else to explain these headlines from 2018? From February: San Diego is spending $7 million to buy a failed skydiving center, with no current appraisal. Advertisement From April: San Diego is paying almost $18,000 a day to rent a vacant building. From this month: Including police OT, storage for homeless peoples belongings costs San Diego more per bin than an SRO hotel room would cost. Faulconer aides didnt laugh at the calculator joke Friday. They said that spending is a statement about priorities and that each issue was different. But there are parallels to be drawn, and the joke underscores a serious point. Faulconer was in a tough position this year as he scrambled to help San Diegos homeless population. He and other city officials had to do something to improve a situation thats grown steadily worse. Beyond that, they honestly wanted to do something. Thats clear from the time they spent on homelessness in 2018. Their motivation was excellent. Their execution? Less so. The stakes were high. Twenty people had died and hundreds more people were hospitalized in 2017 during an unprecedented hepatitis A outbreak that ravaged San Diegos most vulnerable population as city and county officials failed to recognize just how serious it was and waited several months to act. But Faulconers well-meaning response to the broader homeless issue didnt prioritize fiscal pressures. Its a balancing act, to be sure. Early on, the mayor said he was done waiting for compromises that never arrived on what to do and where. He said he would find solutions, and he was rightly lauded. But solutions cost money and require strategic thinking. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board raised early alarm bells in September 2017. We called Faulconers plan to erect three giant tents to shelter some 700 homeless residents half-baked when the mayor had no idea how much the tents would cost. A year later, the City Council boosted funding for the tents to $13.9 million a year while cutting a target for people leaving the shelters to have moved into permanent housing, from 65 percent to 30 percent. It wasnt the first case of bad planning. The city bought that skydiving center for $7 million without a current appraisal to convert it into a center for homeless services even though it was assessed at $5.8 million. The city also signed a lease-to-own deal for a downtown office building then had it sit unused for months, costing taxpayers $18,000 a day. Now comes the news that police overtime costs needed to keep a Sherman Heights neighborhood safe after a storage center for homeless people opened earlier this year are going through the roof. San Diego police expect to pay $2 million in annual overtime to officers who are patrolling the neighborhood, one of the safeguards that admittedly was both prudent and necessary to win City Council support for the project. That the step was smart makes the costs no less eye-popping. In the long run, these patrol costs may fall and real estate costs may seem less jarring. But extra costs add up. A penny here, a penny there. Before too long, its real money. The city already faces budget shortfalls over the next three years, including a projected $71 million gap next year. What it needs is a holistic, strategic and fiscally sound plan for finding help and housing for homeless residents. The problem is twofold: There are a lot of homeless people lying around. But not enough pennies. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion Lightly edited comments from our online coverage. Re Scooter death should be ringing alarm bells for San Diego leaders (Dec. 25): The scooter mess is the same as the short-term vacation rental mess; new technology allows for new business models that have many great aspects to them, but they need to be regulated. But instead of doing it in a timely and intelligent way, our mayor and City Council do nothing until the problem becomes entrenched and we have an unsolvable mess. Because at this point if the city tries to regulate them there will be an outcry from users, and the wealthy companies will take control of the situation and do whats in their best interest, not ours. Daylight Advertisement Joined Jan. 22, 2017 The scooters themselves dont do anything. Its what people do with them that creates problems. We need some rules, but without enforcement it wont do anything. The current rules arent being enforced. I see them driven by children under 18, on sidewalks, ignoring traffic signals, riding double. You can see this many times a day. We need to put the liability back onto the scooter owners, to put the responsibility for medical costs and other damages back on them and the city. When their pockets are hit, maybe something will get done. blancaperez1 Joined March 8, 2018 I refuse to move for any scooter on the sidewalk and make sure to walk my dogs on a long leash so they cannot pass. I am not a small guy, so people usually move to the street, where they should be. Ruslsmith Joined May 2, 2016 Re Countys climate action plan set aside by judge; impact on backcountry developments unclear (Dec. 26): The sweet time to have been a developer was probably after World War II but before CEQA. Im surprised theyre able to build any houses nowadays with all the hurdles they have to jump over. lapazlady Joined Dec. 28, 2017 Like it or not, climate change is real and needs to be addressed. Profits wont help when the coastline is ravaged by sea level rise and more severe storms and wildfires destroy homes and businesses. Unfortunately, there is no leadership to realistically address the problem. Outsourcing our pollution to others is not good policy. 49thVoter Joined July 27, 2019 Re Trump goes to Iraq on his first visit to U.S. troops in a combat zone, and botches a boast about their raise (Dec. 26): He went to Iraq. Thats a good thing. But then he cant keep his mouth shut and he makes boasts about himself that arent true. Hes definitely got a problem. pinballwiz Joined April 19, 2016 We are nearly at the two-year anniversary. Two years of this nightmarish presidency. Two years of pain and darkness for so many. Let us all hope that in 2019 Rob Mueller comes through and recommends indictments against Trump and Pence. w16521 Joined Feb. 1, 2017 Trump doesnt care about our troops. This is just a photo op because theres so much criticism of him. Good thing the Democrats passed funding for our troops otherwise Trump wouldnt allow them to be paid with the shutdown he has incorporated. Living Truth Joined Oct. 6, 2017 I, too, am glad he visited the troops. I regret that Dick Cheney ever led this Iraq misadventure in the first place. j.eldon Joined June 21, 2016 Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Citys new leaders will encounter old issues Re San Diego should find new airport location (Dec. 22): I have lived in San Diego for 45 years where I have been an actively involved and committed resident. We once had a city councilman from 1953-1957 whose name was Clair Burgener. I visited him around 15 years ago as he was nearing the end of his life and I asked him, Clair, what were your major challenges when you sat on the council some 50 years ago? He answered, Si, we had two major issues at that time: how to stop the continuous Tijuana sewage spills and where to relocate the San Diego airport. Advertisement To the candidates for mayor in 2020 who were speculated about in a recent edition: please, leadership and results. Si Coleman University City San Diegans are not going to give up cars Re Plan would transform eastern Pacific Beach into trolley-oriented residential village (Dec. 18): I agree with the letter writer in his assertion of so few willing to abandon their cars in favor of traveling by foot in the new mega-development at the foot of Garnet and Balboa Avenues in Pacific Beach. I live two blocks away and for the past 51 years have walked that intersection without seeing even one pedestrian excepting the homeless living in the canyon and under the bridge. San Diegans are too lazy to walk and besides, its such a privilege to drive a nice shiny car. As for public transit, you must be kidding, does anyone really believe that important residents of this city will submit to second-class citizenship? Everybody in this town talks a sweet talk except cant walk a sweet mile or take a sweet bus. Just recently the Metropolitan Transit Service cut back bus service in Clairemont and I have noticed literally tens of thousands more cars on Balboa Avenue. This is not coincidental. Daniel J. Smiechowski Bay Ho Shouldnt San Diego follow Seattles lead? Re Will San Diego progressives copy Seattle and Portland or San Francisco? (Dec. 20): One of the great things out of Seattle that Chris Reed doesnt mention is public funding for political campaigns. What an exciting idea for San Diego, attracting talented and innovative men and women who want to enter public service without being co-opted by special interests with big money. Now thats an idea we should support if we are indeed Americas Finest City. Mark Linsky Pacific Beach Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Congratulations to Mark Fillat for winning the top spot this week. He will receive Steve Breens signed original in the mail. Thanks to all those who participated. The cartoon for next weeks contest is below. To enter, email your submissions to cartooncontest@sduniontribune.com by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. Happy New Year! Next weeks cartoon is below. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. Good luck! Winner Well, maybe half of those people could be workers let go from Qualcomm. Mike Fillat, online submission Finalists All IP attorneys, undoubtedly. Wayne Zucker, Rancho Penasquitos Advertisement I told you human cloning was getting out of control. Chuck Warner, San Diego Where are they going to park? Betty Smallfelt, San Diego I wonder if theyd be willing to include a stadium for the Aztecs. Deborah Attwood, Kensington Are they Sirius? Bob Klein, La Mesa It doesnt say if theyll grow Honey Crisps, Gala or Granny Smith. Sue Kane, online submission Thatll take a byte out of unemployment. Shirley Miller, San Diego Apples? Whatever happened to Blackberries? James Fricovski, online submission Maybe I should dust off my FORTRAN IV and COBOL skills. Richard B. Rothwell, Escondido Nice to see Apple worming its way in here. Dale Stout, San Diego K-12 I hope SD doesnt become the Big Apple. Bryce McCarthy, seventh grade, Correia Middle School Maybe we could get a slice of that. Max Radonich, seventh grade, Correia Middle School Next weeks cartoon (Steve Breen) To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@sduniontribune.com by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. View last weeks winners. Movies hitting theaters around San Diego this month are The Upside, Glass, Serenity and A Dogs Way Home. Escape Room Find the clues or die. Drama | Mystery Directed by Adam Robitel Advertisement Starring Deborah Ann Woll, Adam Robitel and Tyler Labine In theaters: 1.4 After six strangers receive invitations to test an experimental escape room with a million-dollar prize, their survival skills are put to the test as their sadistic host forces them through a series of increasingly mind-bending and life-threatening challenges. The Upside Based on a true story. Drama | Comedy Directed by Neil Burger Starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman In theaters: 1.11 When a down-on-his-luck parolee is forced to find a job, he interviews for a position as a caretaker for an ultra-rich man living with quadriplegia, leading to an incredible friendship few would expect. A Dogs Way Home There are some bonds no distance can break. Drama | Adventure Directed by Charles Martin Smith Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Jonah Hauer-King and Alexandra Shipp In theaters: 1.11 After chasing a squirrel and losing her a way home, a lost canine embarks on a 400-mile adventure in hopes of finding her beloved owner. Glass You cannot contain what you are. Fantasy | Mystery Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Starring James McAvoy, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson In theaters: 1.18 Uniting the characters from 2000s Unbreakable and 2016s Split, this film follows a security guard with supernatural abilities on a mission to track down a disturbed man who harbors 24 unique personalities. Capernaum Why are you suing your parents? For giving me life. Drama Directed by Nadine Labaki Starring Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw and Boluwatife Treasure Bankole In theaters: 1.18 A young Lebanese boy absconds from his abusive family and after being jailed for a violent crime takes his parents to court for bringing him into this wretched world. Stan & Ollie Discover the two sides of the worlds greatest double act. Drama | Comedy Directed by Jon S. Baird Starring Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly and Shirley Henderson In theaters: 1.18 In an effort to revive their faltering careers, a pair of silver screen legends, Laurel & Hardy, reunite for one final tour that tests the limits of their friendship. Serenity Truth lies beneath the surface. Drama | Thriller Directed by Steven Knight Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jason Clark In theaters: 1.25 When the ex-wife of a tour boat captain tracks down her one-time hubby and asks him to kill the man shes currently married to, the former lover finds himself thrust back into a relationship he once struggled to escape. Serenity. (Graham Bartholomew ) The Kid Who Would Be King Kids rule and evil gets schooled. Fantasy | Adventure Directed by Joe Cornish Starring Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Taylor and Patrick Stewart In theaters: 1.25 In this modern-day extension of the Arthurian legend, a young boy finds the mythical sword Excalibur and assembles a team of adolescent knights to take on the sinister sorceress Morgana. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Calls to renew religious discourse led to altercations between Al-Azhar, the presidency and the Ministry of Religious Endowments. Amany Maged reviews a turbulent year Youve been very trying, venerable imam, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi said during 2018s Police Day celebrations. The presidents remark, directed at the Grand Imam of Al-Ahzar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, encapsulates the relationship between the presidency and Al-Azhar at a time when the former is insisting on an overhaul of religious discourse so as to prevent radical religious groups from using scriptures to justify violence. Al-Sisi called for a revolution in religious discourse. We need a revolution and renewal of religious discourse. This discourse must be in tune with the age, he said. Addressing the grand imam, Al-Sisi continued: You are responsible for this before God and I will continue to press my point with you until Judgement Day. During Police Day ceremonies Al-Sisi had also hoped to secure a fatwa prohibiting divorce solely on the basis of an oral declaration by the husband. Our venerable imam, do we not need a law to regulate divorce, eliminate oral divorce and ensure that divorce takes place before an authorised religious official, in order to give people the chance to have second thoughts, he asked. In response the Council of Senior Muslim Clerics, headed by Al-Tayeb, issued a statement saying Islam accepts oral divorce under certain conditions. The statement, released after an emergency meeting the council, concluded with a sting: Those who treat fatwas on divorce so lightly should turn their energies to what benefits the people and contributes to solving their day-to-day problems. People today are not in need of a change to the provisions of divorce as much as they are in need of ways to secure the means to lead a dignified life. Al-Azhars own Islamic Research Academy had previously issued fatwas in support of oral divorce, meaning that if Al-Azhar had issued a contrary fatwa it could have been portrayed as a sign of Al-Azhars subjugation to the executive. One of the earliest fatwas cited on the subject was pronounced by Sheikh Gad Al-Haq Ali Gad Al-Haq, the grand imam of Al-Azhar from 1982 to 1996. It stated that divorce could be enacted by proclamation by the husband without any other form of legal intervention and stressed that attempts to legally restrict divorce could aggravate marital problems and hinder the possibility of couples reuniting once they had experienced a period of separation. The councils statement may have contained jurisprudential arguments but few doubted the communique was also an expression of the anger Al-Azhar hierarchy felt towards what it believed was an orchestrated media campaign against the grand imam after the president had embarrassed him during Police Day celebrations. In November tensions again bubbled to the surface, this time on the Anniversary of the Prophet. In a speech marking the occasion Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, the minister of religious endowments, praised the president for his courageous call to renew religious discourse. The renovation of religious discourse is one of the great tasks of our times, of the highest priority for religious scholars, intellectuals and thinkers. It is a dynamic process that must be ongoing, while always preserving the essential principles, said Gomaa. To attribute mutability to the sacred constant is to destroy the essential principles. But to attribute immutability to the changeable products of human thought arising from interpretations of sacred texts is the essence of rigidity, reification and insularism, and displays an inability to keep pace with the march of civilisation. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb responded by criticising calls bent on questioning the value, immutability and authority of the Prophetic Sunna and on discrediting the Companions, followers and those who came later and transmitted it. Claims that the Sunna has no legislative value in Islam and that the Quran is the sole source of legislation sweep aside the need, on which all Muslims are unanimous, to keep the Sunna side-by-side with the Quran, for otherwise we will have lost three-quarters of the faith, argued Al-Tayeb. He cited the rites of prayer, the second pillar of the faith, as an example of what would be lost by heeding such calls. We know that prayer is an established principle in the Quran. However, there is not a single verse throughout the length and breadth of the Quran that explains how the Muslim should perform the five prayers per day, nor how many prostrations to make, nor the manner in which they should be performed. Such details can only be known and explained from the Prophetic Sunna which is the second source of law in Islam. In an attempt to settle the argument between the two religious officials, President Al-Sisi stressed how many times he had urged the need for religious reform, without which Muslims will set themselves against the rest of the world. He then asked: Do those who advocate the need to use the Holy Quran alone, as a source of law, instead of the Quran and the Sunna together, commit a greater offence to the faith than those who err in their interpretation of the fundamentals of the faith? Al-Azhar came again into the spotlight when Al-Azhar University professor Saadeddin Al-Hilali said he was in favour of amendments to Tunisian personal status laws that allowed for the equal distribution of inheritances regardless of the gender of the beneficiaries. Al-Hilali is a noted Al-Azhar professor, and his support for the Tunisian move provoked controversy. Al-Azhar was prompted to issue the following statement: The Council of Senior Muslim Clerics has followed with extreme concern recent debates regarding certain incontrovertible established legal principles and provisions that some are trying to demean and disregard while others work to reduce their value by removing them from the realm of absolute certitudes to the realm of assumptions Al-Azhar cautions Muslims throughout the world against this sedition and those who spread it. It absolutely opposes all attempts to undermine or tamper with, directly or indirectly, the articles of the Muslims creed and the provisions of Sharia Law. Nor was the altercation between Al-Tayeb and Gomaa already mentioned the only incident of its kind in 2018. Indeed, Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Religious Endowments have been at loggerheads for several years now, the dispute beginning when Al-Tayeb excluded Gomaa from membership of the technical bureau of the Al-Azhar rectorship. Although Al-Tayeb said Gomaas exclusion was unintentional, the minister attempted to use the media to undermine support for the imam. Stories were published claiming Deputy Grand Imam Abbas Shuman and a number of Al-Tayebs other advisors had supported the Muslim Brotherhood president, Mohamed Morsi. Al-Tayeb responded in February 2015 by declining an invitation to attend a conference convened by the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. Instead, he appointed Shuman and a number of his other advisors to attend in his place. The conflict escalated to such a degree that some commentators predicted Al-Azhar would avail itself of a constitutional right to annex the Religious Endowments Ministrys proselytising functions. Al-Azhar was conspicuously absent from ministry-sponsored conferences, including a 2015 event held under the banner Renewing religious discourse. The ministry responded the following year by dismissing Al-Tayebs senior advisors from the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. In 2018 the issue of Friday sermons triggered another confrontation between Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Religious Endowments. In July, the ministry announced its intention to produce a single written sermon to be read out by imams on Fridays. The Council of Senior Muslim Clerics rejected the ministrys decision. There is little sign of the tensions abating. And though it is difficult to predict the course they will take one thing is clear. Under the Egyptian constitution the grand imam cannot be dismissed. * A version of this article appears in print in the 20 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Wrangles over renewal Search Keywords: Short link: New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/28/2018 -- Milking Machine Market: Overview Milking machine is an automatic milk garnering machine, which uses vacuum for catering milk from animal teats. The milking machine has added advantage of a systematic herd management that can be operated as a milk collecting machine. These milking machines can fellate 3 times in a day with an average of up 7.5 cows per hour. In addition milk machines are built on various features including a vacuum pump, vacuum regulators, fully insulated vacuum vessel, teats cups and a pulse recorder for pulsation. These milking machines are easy to operate and simple to maintain. Moreover, milking machines are widely used for efficient milk collection and for maintaining herd management across the globe. The milking machine market is estimated to increase in the future owing to the increasing milk demand. Milking Machine Market: Dynamics Significantly, growing animal husbandry and dairy farm industry, is one the key driving factors stimulating the growth of the global milking machine market over the forecast period, owing to the increasing demand for milk and milk products among consumers. The macroeconomic factors, such as rapidly growing gross value added (GVA) of crucial countries and increasing import/export among key countries will lead the global milking machine market towards considerable growth over the forecast period. Also, the rapid growth in the dairy animal husbandry along with the growing milk processing industry will increase the demand for milk machines in the upcoming years. The key restraining factors such as high price, high shipment cost and stringent government regulations & standards for the manufacture of milk machines may hinder the global milk machine market over the forecast period. With the increase in animal husbandry in developing countries, such as India and China, will create a high opportunity for milking machine across these countries over the forecast period. Request For Sample @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2204 Milking Machine Market: Segmentations Global milking machine market is segmented on the basis of product type, by end-use application, by buyers and by region. Based on product type, milk machine market is segmented as automatic and semi-automatic. Based on end-use application, milking machine market is segmented as cow milk machines and sheep milk machines. Based on buyer's type, milking machine market is segmented as individual buyers and institutional buyers. Based on region, milking machine market is segmented as North America, Latin America, Europe, APEJ, Japan and MEA. With the rapid growth in the dairy farming industry, automatic milk machines segment is estimated to witness high growth over the forecast period. On the other hand, high adoption of milk machines in the global dairy farming industry will aid in the expansion of the global milk machine market over the forecast period. Milking Machine Market: Regional Overview Europe is the most dominating market for milking machine followed by Asia Pacific & North America. Europe has the highest number of manufactures for milking machine, while in the Asia Pacific, countries including China, Japan and India have a high number of manufacturing units of milking machine. The number of manufacturers has been increasing day-by-day in these regions, which are leading the market for milking machine during the forecast period. Increasing industrial development of Latin America is also increasing the demand for milking machine. Europe, Asia Pacific & North America market is contributing to the global milking machine market while countries of Latin America and MEA are also showing considerable growth in the milking machine market. Milking Machine Market: Prominent Players Prominent players of the global milking machine market are LELY (Netherlands), DeLaval (Sweden), Fullwood (United Kingdom), AMS-Galaxy (U.S.A), GEA Farm Technology (Germany), SA Christensen (Denmark), BouMatic Robotics (Netherlands), Prompt Softech (India), ADF Milking (United Kingdom) and other prominent players. Besides, key market players are focusing to target developing countries to supply the milking machine that will help to capture significant revenue share in the global milking machine market. Milking Machine Market: Competitive Analysis The global market for milking machine is fragmented in nature with the presence of many large and small market players. The competition among the existing market players is very high. Therefore, to survive & succeed in such a competitive environment, manufacturers must distinguish their product offering through innovative & unique products. This competitive environment also leads to a cut in the prices of their product to retain their market position, which can also negatively affect the profit margin of the manufacturers. Request For Brochure @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2204 The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/28/2018 -- The latest market intelligence study on Needle-Free IV Connectors market applies the best of both primary and secondary research techniques to bring to light the growth rate of the Needle-Free IV Connectors market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2025. The comprehensive study covers hard to find facts about the market landscape as well as its growth prospects in the years to come. Most importantly, the research report includes vital statistics about the major vendors occupying a strong foothold in this industry. Besides this, in order to calculate the market share, the study takes a closer look at the selling price of the product across different regions. Request Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/23267 Scope of the Report: The researcher assessing Needle-Free IV Connectors market dive deep to unearth intangible facts related to the key restraints, opportunities, and threats expected to shape the progress of the industry during the forecast period, 2018 - 2025. Significant evaluation of other factors such as demand and supply status, import and export, distribution channel, consumption volume, and production capability play a vital role in offering business owners, stakeholders and field marketing personnel a competitive edge over others operating in the same space. All important data are presented in self-explanatory charts, tables and graphic images that can be incorporated into any business presentation. In market segmentation by manufacturers, the report covers the following companies- Baxter International, Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, CareFusion Corporation, ICU Medical, Inc., Nexus Medical LLC, RyMed Technologies, LLC, Vygon SA Ask for Discount @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/23267 In market segmentation by geographical regions, the report has analysed the following regions- - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) - South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.) - Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.) Most important types of Needle-Free IV Connectors products covered in this report are: - Positive - Negative - Neutral Most widely used downstream fields of Needle-Free IV Connectors market covered in this report are: - Hospital - Clinic - Others The study explores in details about the recent trend fast gaining momentum in Needle-Free IV Connectors industry due to factors including but not limited to growing customer preference and a sudden rise in their spending capacity. Aspects attributed to the gross margin, profit, supply chain management and product value and their considerable impact on the development of the Needle-Free IV Connectors market during the forecast period, 2018 - 2025 is carefully scrutinized during the research. Buy Full Report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/23267 The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the estimated size of the Needle-Free IV Connectors market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2025? What will be the growth rate of the industry during the estimated period? - What are the prominent driving forces likely to impact the progress of the industry across different regions? - Who are the major market players occupying a strong foothold in the Needle-Free IV Connectors market? What are the winning strategies adopted by them to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the potential opportunities for the Needle-Free IV Connectors market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2025? - What are the key trends expected to shape the development of the industry over the coming years? - What are the key restraints and challenges likely to hinder the growth of the Needle-Free IV Connectors market worldwide? Key points from TOC: Chapter 7 Profile of Leading Needle-Free IV Connectors Players 7.1 Baxter International, Inc. 7.1.1 Company Snapshot 7.1.2 Product/Business Offered 7.1.3 Business Performance (Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share) 7.1.4 Strategy and SWOT Analysis 7.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG 7.3 Becton, Dickinson and Company 7.4 CareFusion Corporation 7.5 ICU Medical, Inc. 7.6 Nexus Medical LLC 7.7 RyMed Technologies, LLC 7.8 Vygon SA Browse report summary @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/needle-free-iv-connectors-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Press Release December 28, 2018 Pray, fight for justice for young EJK victims on 'Ninos Inocentes' -De Lima The commemoration of Ninos Inocentes should prompt the Filipino people to recall the fate of innocent children who died in the government's all-out war on drugs, Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today said. De Lima, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the children and their families of EJK victims should not pay the price for the administration's flawed war on drugs. "Let us remember all the children who were killed by Duterte's bloody War on Drugs. Let us pray for justice for the victims and for these senseless killings to stop. Let us fight for them," she said. "Sa ating sama-samang panawagan at paninindigan, makakamit natin ang isang lipunan kung saan malayang nakapaglalaro ang mga bata, payapang nakapag-aaral, at nangangarap ng magandang kinabukasan para sa kanilang pamilya," she added. The Catholic Church celebrates "Ninos Inocentes" or the Feast of Holy Innocent every Dec. 28 in various parts of the world as part of the Christmas season. It commemorates the innocent children who were killed upon the order of King Herod of Judea, fearful of being overthrown by the prophesized Messiah, to ensure Jesus Christ's death. Of the estimated 23,000 death toll in the Duterte administration's war on drugs, many innocent children who were killed are simply regarded by the present government as mere "collateral damage." Given these figures, De Lima said the observance of "Holy Innocents" mirrors the fate of many innocent Filipino children who have been literally caught in the barrage since Duterte launched his all-out war on drugs in 2016. "[S]a ilalim ng rehimeng Duterte at ng pekeng War on Drugs, marami nang musmos ang napatay. May pumanaw habang nasa sinapupunan pa lamang ng inang napaslang. May apat na taong gulang na nabaril habang tinutugis ng mga pulis ang ama. May estudyanteng nagmakaawa para sa kanyang buhay, tinamnan ng ebidensya, at walang awang binaril. May libo-libong batang mistulang kinitil na rin ang kinabukasan nang pinaslang ang kanilang mga magulang," she recalled. Amid the rampant killings in the country, the lady Senator from Bicol laments that the Duterte administration continues to sacrifice innocent lives to achieve its personal vested interests. "But what can be achieved from a vile and hateful campaign that only targets the poor and spares big time drug lords?" she asked. She added, "What do we hope to gain from slaughtering our own and leaving thousands mourning for their loved ones? What future can these innocent children expect when they have already been deprived of a fighting chance early on in their lives?" Last year, De Lima filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 499 urging the appropriate Senate committee to investigate the successive reports of killings of children either by police or vigilantes. Several human rights groups, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, also renewed their call for an independent body to investigate the unlawful killings in the country last year, but to no avail. Despite her continued unjust detention on trumped-up drug charges, De Lima continues to fight for the welfare of children, women and the poor through meaningful legislative initiatives. Press Release December 28, 2018 De Lima refutes claims of political persecution vs Revilla Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has refuted allegations by some lawmakers that the former Aquino administration has resorted to political persecution when it filed plunder charges against former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. De Lima, former justice secretary, maintained that the case build-up against Revilla and then Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada in relation to the pork barrel scam was backed by well-documented evidence and credible witnesses. "Reveling over the acquittal of former Sen. Bong Revilla, sympathetic lawmakers, past and present, including those also charged in other pending PDAF Scam plunder and graft cases, cry political persecution from the previous administration," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 433. "I don't know what their definition of political persecution is. In the case build-up versus Enrile, Estrada, Revilla et al. as an offshoot of Benhur Luy's illegal detention and rescue, no evidence was fabricated," she added. After four years of detention, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division cleared Revilla from receiving P224.5 million worth of kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or popularly referred to as congressional pork barrel. Revilla, along with Enrile and Estrada and other lawmakers were accused of receiving kickbacks from pork barrel scam mastermind and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles in exchange for channelling their PDAF allocations to bogus non-government organizations. It may be recalled that it was during her term as Justice Secretary that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted investigation that led to the filing of charges against the three former senators who are now all enjoying their freedom. De Lima noted there was no reason to file a case against the three former senators and others, other than the fact that evidence of their PDAF misuse was so blatant to be ignored by the Aquino administration. Those filed against other lawmakers are now ongoing various stages of trial, with a few still under preliminary investigation. "Evidence was well documented coming from official government documents like those from COA and DBM. The paper trail was established, backed up by credible testimonies of Benhur Luy and other whistleblowers. No witness was ever coerced, pressured or threatened," she said. "Their prosecution also went through an independent investigation of the Ombudsman, not only of the NBI and the DOJ," she added. The lady Senator from Bicol pointed out that the fact that the international community and world leaders opted not to act in solidarity with Revilla, Estrada and Enrile further weakens their claims of persecution. "If indeed these powerful personalities were victims of political persecution, how come global institutions, such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and even the European Parliament and UN bodies, never took the cudgels for them or acted in solidarity with them?" she asked. "Simple. These organizations know what is and what is not persecution," she said. As the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, De Lima continues to gain support from international groups and human rights community, such as the IPU, HRW, AI, European Parliament, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights Council and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, among others. Just recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for De Lima's immediate release and referred her case to three special rapporteurs to investigate the violations committed against her as a senator and a human rights defender. Press Release December 28, 2018 A GOOD MILESTONE TO CAP OFF THE YEAR *Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on the Supreme Court dismissing a petition that challenges the Strengthened Anti-hospital Deposit Law As principal sponsor and author of Republic Act No. 10932 otherwise known as "The Strengthened Anti-hospital Deposit Law," I welcome the Supreme Court's decision dismissing a petition that challenges the validity of the said measure. It is a good milestone to cap off a productive year for the health sector. The high court's ruling clearly demonstrates that the law is faithful to the Constitution and validates the democratic processes that were conducted to craft it. With the decision, it is my hope that it settles with finality all the legal challenges that might be raised by a few to undermine the spirit of the law. I now ask all stakeholders and relevant sectors to respect and commit to the full implementation of the law. Let us end the despicable practice of demanding any deposit or other forms of advance payment as a pre-requisite for admission or medical treatment of an emergency patient, particularly a poor person or pregnant woman. Let us welcome the new year with a stronger commitment to provide adequate health care to our citizens, especially those who need it the most. Press Release December 29, 2018 De Lima seeks Senate probe on P20-B CCTV network project Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has sought a Senate inquiry into the PhP20-billion loan agreement with a Chinese telecommunications firm to fund the installation of an initial 12,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras in public areas in Metro Manila and Davao City. De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 978 which urges the appropriate Senate committee to look into the loan deal between the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the China International Telecommunications and Construction Corp. (CITCC). She said the Senate probe specifically seeks to find out if the CCTV security camera network project entered with a state-owned Chinese telecommunication firm would infringe on the constitutionally-guaranteed right of privacy of the Filipino public and our country's national security. "Public interest requires that inquiry be made as to the threats to the Philippines' national security contracts entered into with foreign companies whose questionable track-record raises international concern," she said. "The right of the people to privacy necessitates that an inquiry be made into the information sought to be collected through surveillance using equipment sourced from these Chinese companies," she added. The PhP20-billion loan agreement for the installation of an initial 12,000 CCTV security cameras in just 30 months was one of the 29 agreements signed during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping last Nov. 20. These security cameras will be installed in crossings, roads, public plazas, business districts, science and technology parks, residential areas and stadiums, among others. The system includes a national command center to be located in Clark, Pampanga. Under the contract entered between the DILG-CITCC, the Chinese multinational telecommunication equipment and consumer electronics company Huawei will reportedly supply the equipment requirements of the multi-billion project. De Lima, however, pointed out that at least five countries, such as Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and United States, have doubted the integrity of Huawei-provided technology as they cited serious national security concerns. "Granting China, a country fast gaining international notoriety for its aggressive espionage activities, the opportunity to create a surveillance system in our country should raise a red flag for our policymakers to ensure that none of our national interests are compromised by such agreements, particularly our national security," she said. For one, the lady Senator from Bicol noted, Australia is also preparing to ban Huawei from supplying equipment after its intelligence agencies raised concerns that Beijing could force the Chinese telco to hand over sensitive data. She also cited the warning of US Intelligence agencies against the use of smartphones made by Huawei on the ground that the Chinese telco has the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information, and even to conduct undetected espionage. "It is not a mere question of getting technological capability to enforce our laws but also of what we are giving up in exchange for this technology, notably giving a foreign government access to information from our country and our citizens," De Lima said. The former justice secretary explained that the Senate should determine the extent of these Chinese firms' access to information relating to classified information, national security and defense, military and diplomatic secrets, and other confidential or sensitive matters. "Any agreement that could compromise the rights of our citizens and our national security must first pass through strict scrutiny to ensure that it would not be violative of our Constitution," she said. Press Release December 29, 2018 STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD J. GORDON ON THE 122TH ANNIVERSARY OF DR. JOSE P. RIZAL'S DEATH Today we mark the 122nd anniversary of the death by execution in the fields of Bagumbayan (now the historic Luneta Park) of our national hero, Jose Rizal. We give honor to his heroism in starting the Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonizers through his writings that included among others, the Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo and to the Women of Malolos. These writings helped break the walls in the minds of his compatriots minds by awakening them to the country's plight at the hands of the foreign colonizers. Instead of taking arms, Rizal used his mighty pen to fight for our country to be free from foreign rule and sacrificed his own life to help attain this goal. May his death inspire all of us to work towards achieving genuine freedom for our country by overcoming all threats that may hinder our flag from swaying proudly in the air. Let us all work together in starting a national transformation that would enable us to reach the Bagumbayan that Rizal and our other heroes deemed worth dying for. Page Content AIRPORTTravel from Toronto or Montreal Canada is now easier than ever as Air Transat has returned to St. Maarten following a fifteen-month hiatus caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. The return of Air Transat now creates direct flight opportunities for persons wanting to travel to Canada. The airlines Boeing 737-700 aircraft landed on Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) at 12:05 p.m. on Saturday, December 22nd with 144 passengers who were all "eager to return to the Friendly Island after not being able to visit since 2017. Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) the Honourable Stuart Johnson greeted the flight and welcomed the Captain and crew back to the island. Johnson said that the return of this airline is crucial because it helps to tell the story of St. Maartens recovery post-Irma. We have to continue to let the world know that St. Maarten is opened for business and that is what the return of the many airlines we have been working with, signals internationally." He said, "In 2019 we will build on the momentum that has been created this year, with our Tourism partners on the northern side of the island, to ensure the message that we are open for business reaches all corners of the globe. According to Station Manager for Air Transat in St. Maarten Evelyn Munoz the airline offers a seasonal service to St. Maarten and is now able to offer commercial flights to persons wishing to travel to Canada. She said, We are delighted to be back, and we are especially happy with the service from the SXM Airport and the assistance we have received from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. The direct flights to Montreal and Toronto are offered every Saturday departing St. Maarten at 1:15pm to Toronto and 5:00pm to Montreal. Munoz said while in the past Air Transact offered only Chartered services to St. Maarten for hotels on French and Dutch St. Maarten, I am very pleased that we can now offer full commercial flights to residents and visitors alike who wish to travel to Canada. Interested persons can book flights via www.Airtransact.com or from any local travel agency. Also on hand for the welcome ceremony were members of the SXM Airport Marketing Team as well as representatives from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) and the French Sides Tourist Office. The return flight was captained by K.C. Aatecma who incidentally was Station Manager for Air Transat in St. Maarten and also Piloted for Winair several years ago. His First Officer was Francois Lupiden. Page Content After an evaluation of each department, the Head of the eight (8) departments within the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) the Honourable Stuart Johnson, each identified one member of their staff who they considered to have performed exceptionally throughout 2018. In recognition of their exceptional performance, the Honourable Minister of TEATT Stuart Johnson met the employees on Friday morning during a brief ceremony and extended congratulations to them for their hard work. He also handed them each a Christmas Gift Basket along with a Gift Voucher of Naf. 250 as a token of appreciation for their service. The Civil Servants who were recognised for their outstanding service are Suzette Kramers (IDEZ), Rosette Generlette-Pantophlet (STB), Stephany Douglas (Civil Aviation/Maritime), Sheryl Leblanc (MET), Jacqueline Peterson (EV), Jude Houston (ETT), Jaghaira Lioe-A-Tjam (STAT) and Saskia Thomas-Salomons (Staf Buro). Page Content The heads of each Department within the Ministry of TEATT were given gift vouchers to distribute amongst their staff, each valuing Naf. 250 as a token of appreciation for their dedication to service and hard work within the ministry of teat for the people of St. Maarten, from Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) the Honourable Stuart Johnson on Friday morning during a brief presentation ceremony. Minister Johnson said the service these individuals provide each week to the people of St. Maarten should not go unrecognised. He said, "While it may be difficult at times to accomplish some tasks, the effort that the Civil Servants put into making the goals of the St. Maarten United Christian Democratic Coalitions Governing Program 2018 2022 must never be taken for granted. He extended a Merry Christmas to his staff and wished all a Happy 2019 when it comes. Austria to press ahead with digital tax: chancellor Vienna, Dec 29 (AFP) Dec 29, 2018 Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz vowed Saturday to press ahead with a tax on large internet and technology companies, following France's example, as the European Union struggles to finalise a new EU-wide levy. France, which is pushing for a new so-called "GAFA tax" -- named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- is advancing with its own tax from January 1 to ensure the global giants pay a fair share of taxes on massive business operations in Europe. "It is only fair that internet giants in Europe pay a proper amount of tax," Kurz said, according to a statement. "In addition to a EU-wide move, we'll also act on a national level. We will introduce a digital tax in Austria." Kurz said that EU member states "agree in principle that there is a need for such a tax." He said Finance Minister Hartwig Loeger was in the process "of working out the details and their implementation and will unveil the basic framework at the beginning of January." The tax would then come into force as part of the government's planned tax reforms in 2020. "The aim is clear -- to tax companies that generate huge profits online, but pay hardly any tax on them, such as Facebook or Amazon," Kurz said. In addition to taxing direct sales, France will also require the companies to pay a levy on advertising revenues, websites and the resale of private data, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced earlier this month. Under EU law, US technology titans such as Google and Facebook can choose to report their income in any member state, prompting them to pick low-tax nations like Ireland, the Netherlands or Luxembourg. Such firms, on average, pay a nine-percent levy, compared to 23 percent for other businesses, according to Margrethe Vestager, the EU competition commissioner. The low tax rates have caused anger among voters in many European countries, but the 28-member bloc is divided on how to tackle the issue. spm/pma Facebook AMAZON.COM APPLE INC. Washington, December 29, 2018 (SPS) -The United Nations Envoy for Western Sahara, Horst Kohler is to visit New York in January to brief the Security Council about the recent Geneva roundtable and the next he will take to revive the UN process. The Security Council will probably listen to another briefing by the peacekeeping operations department of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) whose mandate expires on 30 April, said the provisional agenda of this UN body for the month of January. These consultations will be held pursuant to resolution 2440, which requests the United Nations Secretary-General to inform the Security Council about developments in Western Sahara, three months after the adoption of the resolution or whenever he deems it appropriate. According to the same source, the meeting will most likely culminated in a statement in which the Security Council would welcome the Geneva talks, reiterate its support to Horst Kohler and emphasize the momentum resulting from the resumption of direct negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco. For the past year, the question of Western Sahara has been a major focus of the Security Council's peace agenda, supported by the United States, which seeks to settle this frozen conflict. Washington, annoyed by the deadlock in the peace process, has maintained pressure on the Security Council to resume negotiations that have been stalled since 2012. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS Aitken Spence Hotels collects 12 awards in one week View(s): Sri Lankas leading hospitality chain, Aitken Spence Hotels was recognised at multiple award ceremonies held recently in Colombo, bringing home a total of 12 awards at the 54th Annual Report Awards 2018, National Business Excellence Awards and Sri Lanka Tourism Awards 2018. The hotel chain, part of the blue-chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC, started its winning streak on December 4 at the 54th Annual Report Awards 2018 organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Sri Lanka. The company took home the Silver for Hotel Companies whilst Browns Beach Hotels PLC, also part of the groups subsidiaries, won the Hotel Companies Compliance Award. Held under the theme of epitome of brilliance the award ceremony celebrates commitment of corporates towards best practices in annual corporate reporting through transparency, accountability and good governance. At the National Business Excellence Awards held on December 5, organised by the National Chamber of Commerce. Aitken Spence Hotels received eight awards in total including the Silver Award in the Overall category along with three golds and four silvers. From the Sector Awards, the company was awarded with the Gold for Hospitality and Tourism in recognition of the distinct trailblazing innovations in products and services in the industry, and the First Runners Up in the Extra Large Category companies, according to a media release issued by the company. Among the category wins were Golds in Excellence in Environmental Sustainability and Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility and Silver in Excellence in Capacity Building, Excellence in Performance Management and Excellence in Global Market Reach. The following day, on December 6, the company was rewarded yet again at the Sri Lanka Tourism Awards 2018 held after a lapse of six years. Heritance Kandalama, a Hall of Fame winner at the Presidential Awards (which was rebranded as Sri Lanka Tourism Awards this year) after three consecutive wins, was applauded as the Winner of the Best Hotel-Sustainable and Green Practices. The companys most awarded individual with three Culinary Olympic wins under his belt (and the only chef in the world to have received the honour), Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe was recognised for The Most Outstanding Culinary Contribution. Aitken Spence PLC Director, Head of Tourism and Leisure, and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels Management Stasshani Jayawardena speaking on the recent wins, stated that the manifold recognition was a testament to the superior product and service offerings of the chain. As a hospitality chain that is constantly looking at challenging the status quo and innovating our way forward, these awards further reinforce our role as a leader in the industry. Our Sri Lankan hotels have certainly carved a name for themselves both here and abroad, and we are truly privileged to be recognised in so many fields. Earlier this year, Aitken Spence Hotels was recognised at the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) held in India with Sri Lankan and South Asia awards for Leading Eco Hotel/Resort; and Heritance Negombo and Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara securing destination-specific awards as Leading Beach Hotel/Resort and Leading Wellness and Spa Hotel/Resort respectively. Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara also won the Silver at the National Green Awards 2018. The Aitken Spence Hotels portfolio consists of 21 star-class properties, with 11 owned and managed properties in Sri Lanka, four in Maldives, four in Oman and one in India. The hotel chain will introduce the Heritance brand of hotels to Maldives early next year with the opening of premium all-inclusive all-villa property, Heritance Aarah. CSE nearly 6% down in 2018 By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s): The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) this year has seen a near 6 per cent index drop compared to 2017, data show. CSEs main All Share Price Index was down 5.51 per cent as at Thursday compared to a 2.26 per cent increase in 2017. There was a net foreign outflow with frantic foreign selling in the second half of this year. Foreign selling as at Thursday stood at Rs. 22.8 billion as opposed to foreign buying last year at Rs. 17.7 billion. Compared to last year, the net turnover had dropped to Rs. 199.4 billion against Rs. 220.6 billion in 2017, Thursdays figures from the CSE show. Trading volumes at CSE have trimmed down drastically in line with the stock price plunges. This year the CSE was recording only a handful of big transactions. So whats in store for next year? Unless the same song is to be played next year, the government needs to intervene and administer this situation, analysts note. The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) must come back to the market as valuations are extremely attractive. This is a priority for next year, Ray Abeywardena, President Colombo Stock Brokers Association told the Business Times. He pointed out that for the last four years none of the captive funds has invested in the CSE. Major share transactions by the EPF werent done since the current government came into power in 2015 for the first time. Now this has to happen. This is my fervent wish for next year. The EPF has Rs. 2 trillion in assets under management. The current investment in the stock market by the EPF is around 2.5 per cent of the portfolio. The EPF bought Rs. 10.8 billion worth of shares during 2010 to 2015, the dark pump and dump era. Of this, Rs. 9.8 billion hadnt to-date made any returns. So the new government treaded cautiously. Foreign investors bought into Sri Lankan equities last year more than any other year in CSEs history. This is a strong endorsement of the value proposition the stock market offers at present. Sri Lanka is presently being pegged by investors and market commentators around the world, as one of the most attractive frontier markets. And the investment case for the Sri Lankan market is only getting stronger, Mr. Abeywardena added. The Central Bank (CB) in October has said that trade and investment guidelines have been agreed upon as preparation for the EPF becoming more active in the CSE. Then with the brief government change on October 26, CB met with trade unions to discuss this as some had opposed it. Despite the Government signing an agreement with the Asian Development Bank in 2016 to facilitate the funds of the EPF to be invested in the CSE, nothing has happened so far. Some unions in August had urged the Government to go before the EPF members to verify their views on the ADB proposals to move the EPF to the private sector. We wish to point out that the mechanism available with the Department of Labour to conduct (a) workplace level referendum could be made use of to ascertain the wish of the individual members of the fund, the unions said in a joint statement. H&H Golding real estate helps during Christmas View(s): Real estate agent H&H Golding provided a charitable donation on December 21 to the NGO, Voice for the Voiceless Foundation in celebration of the holiday season for 2018. The Good Hope Project aims to provide dry rations for 12 families primarily of single parents and widows located in deeply impoverished areas around Sri Lanka, the company said in a media release. H&H Golding provides property services for its local and international clientele for buying, renting, selling and managing real estate. This international, registered real estate firm specialises in residential and commercial international relocation and real estate concierge services. This years charitable donation was successfully completed in an attempt to stay true to the Christmas Spirit of giving. Speaking on the matter, CEO, H&H Golding Michelle N. Perera said, H&H Golding has had the good fortune of working with Sri Lankas top earners when it comes to real estate development and business, but we cannot deny that there is a disparity within our beautiful nation. As we celebrate the holidays this season, we strive to ensure that so many less fortunate families can do so too in peace, harmony and with the hope of a better tomorrow. It was a pleasure to meet with the project coordinators for the Good Hope Project today and see their tireless efforts working to make so many families that are now, much more fulfilled this season. H&H Golding, which opened their offices at Barnes Place, Colombo, Sri Lanka in September 2018, is a subsidiary under the Haddon Group. The real estate company has affiliate offices in Europe, Australia and the UAE. IRD headless for over 100 days View(s): The Inland Revenue Department (IRD), which accounts for 52 per cent of the countrys revenue, is functioning without a head for 106 days as the post of Commissioner General (CG) has been vacant since September 13, official sources revealed. This position fell vacant following the retirement of former head Ivan Dissanayake. Deputy Governor of the Central Bank C.J.P. Siriwardana (on retirement) was appointed, as the new Commissioner General by the Ministry of Finance on October 23. However IRD workers staged a protest opposite the department headquarters in Colombo on October 25 claiming the appointment, made through cabinet approval, was against the service minutes of the department. The first decision of the new Cabinet appointed by the president, which met for the first time yesterday (October 30) was to cancel the previous Cabinets recommendation to appoint Mr. Siriwardena as the IRD heard. At present Deputy Commissioner General Nadun Guruge is serving as the acting CG, a senior IRD official said. SLT, Mastercard encourage electronic payments with cash back rewards View(s): Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the national ICT solutions provider in Sri Lanka, recently announced a partnership with global electronic payments major, Mastercard, to steere the adoption of electronic payments in Sri Lanka. Under this partnership, Mastercard cardholders will receive a cashback reward of Rs.100 on each SLT bill payment of more than Rs.1,000 made using a Mastercard credit or debit card issued in Sri Lanka, for up to three bill payments within a month. Payments can be made at all SLT Teleshop and authorised collection centres around the island and online, on www.slt.lk. The cashback reward sum will be credited to the respective SLT account in the following month. This is applicable to all SLT bill payments made from December 15, 2018 until April30, 2019. Mastercard is excited to partner with SLT, as part of our ongoing efforts to drive the adoption of electronic payments in Sri Lanka. Given SLTs wide customer base across both urban and rural areas, this partnership will allow us to raise awareness on the benefits of electronic payments in all corners of the island. With cash back rewards on offer, we look forward to seeing more individuals and businesses use their Mastercard credit and debit cards for SLT bill payments, said R. B. Santosh Kumar, Country Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives, Mastercard. P. G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena, Chairman of SLT, commented, At SLT, we have always sought to leverage technology to enhance our service quality and deliver greater value and convenience to the nation. Being cognizant of the transformative power of digital payments and the value it brings to the entire system, we are delighted to partner with Mastercard on promoting the adoption of electronic payment instruments. We invite our customers to avail the rewards on offer by making more of their SLT bill payments with their Mastercard credit and debit cards. Going beyond the rewards, we believe that such efforts play a small yet significant role in transforming the countrys cash heavy payments landscape. USAID partners with the government to strengthen the judiciary View(s): Sri Lankas judicial institutions have been weakened by several years of authoritarian governance of the previous regime and the recent political impasse violating the Constitution, legal professionals alleged. Since coming to power in 2015, the government has publicly committed to reforming the justice system and strengthening the rule of law but no action has been taken to accelerate judicial reforms, they said. Under these circumstances, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has stepped into assist the Ministry of Justice develop strategies to strengthen judicial integrity and capacity and improve court administration, better serving the needs of the people, Justice Ministry sources said. USAID is working with the Justice Ministry, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the Legal Aid Commission (LAC), provincial bar associations, educational and research institutions, and key NGOs towards this end. To modernise Sri Lankas judicial system, the USAID Coherent, Open, Responsive, And Effective Justice Programme (CORE Justice) is now improving the performance of core justice institutions and all associates, a senior official of the ministry said. This programme is one of several new initiatives of the USAID being implemented in Sri Lanka with a financial allocation of more than Rs. 4.5 billion to advance youth employability, rule of law, and reconciliation in the country. Working alongside key stakeholders in the judiciary, government, legal profession, and civil society, the programme helps Sri Lankans regain confidence in the justice systems ability to resolve disputes and remedy human rights violations, he added. In turn, the government is meeting the ever-growing demands of society as it transitions from conflict to a more open, democratic, and peaceful one after the end of the Northeast conflict, he revealed. According to the project proposal, one of the main aims of CORE Justice is to strengthen the effectiveness of core justice institutions, processes, and associates so they can effectively exercise their powers and fulfill their respective competencies Another objective is to improve the justice systems transparency and citizen engagement by increasing public awareness of their work, enhancing trust in their processes and decisions, and garnering public support for their institutional needs. The ongoing modernisation programme will also enhance the governance, qualifications, and diversity of the Sri Lankan legal profession and it is intended to deliver a justice system fit for the future, the ministry official said. 2018: Year the hopper crumbled for Mahinda FLASHBACK TO THE TOPMOST NEWS THAT DOMINATED THE NATIONS FOCUS IN THE YEAR THAT WAS View(s): View(s): If the year 2018 began with a bang for Mahinda Rajapaksa when his ghost-led Pohottuwa party swept the local polls in February, the year ended for him with a whimper stuck in the sinking sands of his fluctuating political fortunes. Whatever his royal astrologer may have predicted of the rosy things to come for Mahinda Rajapaksa that he will realise his dream to be once more in the saddle of power late October he may, perhaps, have forgotten to mention, at least in passing, that the planets would not be too kind to him in November; and that December would be worse, that their benevolence would turn to wrath and they would unseat him from his high horse and ground him once more in the dust. Also good old Sumana, the old faithful star gazer who is supposed to have advised him to go to the polls well before the shelf date in January 2015 when Saturn traversed Scorpio and Jupiter took residence in Cancer, may have been a wee bit off the mark this time as well when Saturn is in Sagittarius and Jupiter is in Scorpio today. For consider the rise and fall of Mahinda within a matter of six weeks. On October 26, the UPFA withdraws from the coalition government and Sirisena hails it as an excuse to remove Ranil Wickremesinghe from his premiership. That same night, the nation learns that Sirisena who had on many occasions said he will never appoint Mahinda as his prime minister, has anointed Mahinda as his prime minister, even though both knew that Mahinda does not have the numbers to command the confidence of the House. It was a daring diabolical gamble which, if it had paid off, would have spelt the end of democracy in the land and the beginning of rule by dictatorial fiat. On November 1, Mahinda is now not only Sirisenas prime minister but Sirisenas Finance Minister as well. On November 2, having doubts whether Rajapaksa could muster the necessary numbers in the House, Sirisena prorogues Parliament to give time for Rajapaksa to collect the scalps. But it soon becomes increasingly clear that not all the resources at Rajapaksas command to entice the grasshoppers from the green-green grass of the UNP turf can persuade many to take the quantum leap and fly off to the wild blue yonder, though, of course, a handful of serial hoppers do. But the expected exodus never materialises. On November 5, Sirisena addresses a public rally and proudly claims that the UPFA has 113 members. On November 9, in yet another symptomatic burst of recurrent Friday Night Fever, the President takes the extraordinary step to dissolve Parliament itself and to call for general elections, even though the constitution does not permit him to do so till four and a half years have passed in the life of this Parliament unless Parliament has urged him to do so with a resolution signed by a two-thirds majority. On November 11, Mahinda, though Maithris buddy now and his prime minister, deserts him and leaves the SLFP and becomes a member of Peiris Pohottuwa together with 31 other members of the Joint Opposition in a televised ceremony held at his official residence at Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. On the 12th Monday, petitions are filed against the Presidents gazetted proclamation dissolving Parliament. And the following day, the Supreme Court grants a stay order preventing the dissolution of the august House. The storm clouds gather inside the Parliamentary chamber the following day the 14th when a no-confidence motion against Mahinda Rajapaksa is passed with an overwhelming majority of 122 MPs voting for it. It clearly proves, it is conclusive evidence that Rajapaksa does not command the confidence of Parliament to be the Prime Minister as the constitution demands whatever the Presidents personal opinion maybe. And, amidst the roaring din, the Speaker is forced to adjourn Parliament till the following day. The tempest breaks in full force the next day, in violent rages of thunder with lightning hitting the Speakers chair causing the Speaker to seek refuge elsewhere. It rains not cats and dogs but red chilli powder. The only saving grace in that despicable downpour of virulence is that it was not a shower of acid rain. But the violent storm wreaks havoc and sees the usurpation of the Speakers chair and its subsequent theft from the chamber, the damage to public property in smashing chairs, in destroying electronic equipment, in assailing the police invited by the Speaker to provide him protection, in the throwing of books containing the sacrosanct constitution and the Holy Bible as weapons to assault and batter the UNF MPs by an SLPP gang of MPs gone berserk. It is the saddest and most degrading day in the history of Lankas Parliament. And it all happens whilst their leader Mahinda watches the spectacle in silence from afar, perhaps aghast, but who does naught to order his troops to the benches with the stern command to observe the decorum of the House as the peoples representatives and not to desecrate the hallowed temple where the peoples sovereign rights lie enshrined. And it makes the watching public who witnesses the violence and the mayhem live on television to ponder in disgust whether they had elected the scum of the earth as their honourable representatives to speak and act on their behalf; and to wonder why the nation spends billions of rupees from the public purse each year to keep them cotton-wooled in perks, privileges and luxury. On November 23, the Sirisena-Mahinda coalition party walks out of Parliament and continues to boycott it, unable to face parliamentary reality: 122 members petition the court of Appeal seeking a stay order restraining Mahinda from acting as prime minister. On the 28th, the UNP insists that no one else but Ranil will be the prime minister. On December 3, the Court of Appeal suspends Maithri-appointee Mahinda from functioning as prime minister and his cabinet from functioning as ministers. Mahinda appeals to the Supreme Court. Even though the wave of public opinion, which had swelled his way and bore him on its crest till then, turned against him and ebbed and receded, he still clings on to the illegitimacy of his office until the Court of Appeal stays his hand signing as prime minister. Only when a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court though granting leave for his appeal to be heard, refuses to vacate the Court of Appeal stay order in the interim, does he realise the curtain has finally fallen on his ambitious attempt to stage a constitutional coup and gain power, in the words of his own staunch supporter Kalutara MP Kumar Welgama, shamelessly through the back door when had he been patient for a few more months he could have entered with the peoples respect from the front entrance and gained victory at the polls on a platter. And on December 15, Mahinda Rajapaksa is forced to step down and become once again nothing more than an MP from the Kurunegala district. Exposed as the first phantom prime minister of Lanka, who, in collusion with the President, believed the constitution could not only be violated at will but also totally flouted, he resigns in ignominy. But still the battle is not over. If the nation had two prime ministers in December, it faces the prospect of having two opposition leaders in January with Mahinda claiming the post and conveying his intention to occupy the Opposition Leaders office down Marcus Fernando Mawatha in Colombo 7 where TNA chief presently Sampanthan occupies. Mahinda does this on the basis that he leads the largest opposition group in Parliament even though his and his members membership of Parliament is itself at risk after they publicly accepted membership of GL Peiris Pohottuwa party the 11th of November. There, as television cameras captured and the newspapers reported, Rajapaksa accepted the membership of the SLPP from the hand of its chairman Professor G. L. Peiris. Rajapaksa then went on to distribute the membership card to 31 other members of the SLFP, which included his son Namal. The Government-owned newspaper the Daily News which on November 12 was under the control of the Rajapaksa government heralded Rajapaksa joining the Perris Pohottuwa Party with the headline PM JOINS SLPP TO FORM COMMON ALLIANCE and reported the historic event thus: Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa formally joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) by obtaining its membership at his official residence at Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo yesterday, the SLPP said in a statement. Along with the Prime Minister, a group of Parliamentarians belonging to the Joint Opposition also joined the SLPP at this simple ceremony. The caption that accompanied the Daily News picture of Rajapaksa accepting membership of the SLPP from its chairman G. L. Peiris said: Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) by obtaining its membership from SLPP Chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris at the Prime Ministers residence in Colombo yesterday. Rajapaksa seems to have made a grave miscalculation: A serious instance of misjudgment. He placed his complete faith in the Presidents total belief that he, the President, had the absolute right to dissolve Parliament before its due date and do so without seeking an opinion from the Supreme Court as is his sole prerogative, let alone consulting the Attorney General for legal advice gratis in his official role as the Governments lawyer. In a speech given at the Pohottuwa membership ceremony, as reported by the Financial Times, Rajapaksa declared: Everyone must read the Constitution as a whole, not just the 19th Amendment. Under the Constitution, the President has the right to dissolve Parliament and call an election immediately; it is not an anti-democratic move. We are seeking a mandate from the people. Therefore, if anyone challenges in courts the right of the people to vote, then they are going against the people. People are inclined to believe in what they like to believe when it adds justification to their purpose and what they seek to achieve. Rajapaksa was no exception. In his haste to have elections, he must have truly believed that the presidential proclamation dissolving parliament was valid. And once Parliament was already dissolved and elections would be held on January 5, it was time to cross the Rubicon, to the banks where he would receive the Peiris Pohottu Pottu on his forehead and be granted not only SLPP membership but its leadership. Unfortunately for Rajapaksa, his best laid plans were disposed of by the Supreme Court when seven justices spoke in one voice and held otherwise: that the President had no right to dissolve Parliament before its time and that he stands condemned for violating the constitution. Once again Rajapaksa had jumped the gun, rushed headlong where the patient fear to tread. The coming days will determine whether they have infringed Article 99 (1) (13) (a) of the Constitution and thereby lost their seats in Parliament. Article 99 (13) (a) states: When a member of parliament ceases by resignation, expulsion or otherwise to be a member of a recognised political party or independent group on whose nomination paper his name appeared at the time of his becoming such member of Parliament, his seat shall become vacant upon the expiration of a period of one month from the date of his ceasing to be such member. Rajapaksa, of course did not tend his letter of resignation to the SLFP or the UPFA. But doesnt his acceptance of membership of a different party implies constructive resignation? After all, unlike one having dual citizenships of two countries, the Lankan constitution does not provide for dual membership of two parties, now does it? TNA MP, senior attorney-at-law, Sumanthiran has no doubts about it at all. In a letter addressed to the Speaker and to President Sirisena on Thursday he stated that Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other MPs cease to be members of Parliament by operation of Article 99 (13) (a) of the Constitution. It is public knowledge that they resigned from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and obtained membership of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). In terms of the Constitution of the SLFP and the UPFA, a person would automatically cease to be a member of the UPFA, when he or she ceases to be a member of the SLFP. The provision enabling a member to invoke the jurisdictions of the Supreme Court is only in the event of an expulsion, which is not the case here. Thus without the requirement of any further actions (such as, communication from the party General Secretary) by operation of law, the said members of the UPFA have vacated their seats in Parliament. If that be the case, Mahinda will find that, let alone being the leader of the opposition, he and his coterie of parliamentary members will not even have the right to sit in Parliament: that he and his MPs may have forfeited their right to sit in Parliament a month after they accepted membership of Peiris Pohottuwa Party and that they, since December 11, had been attending parliamentary proceedings as imposters. From what heights fallen. The year which started with so much promises for Mahinda, has ended not on the topmost peak of success but at the very nadir of his despair. And it paints a tragic tale of how a twice elected president who claimed sole credit for leading, as the commander in chief of the forces, his armed troops to victory in the Eelam war, should now find himself leading from the front his political band wagon to the jaws of defeat; that he , once hailed by those feudal few who adulated him as their king, should now find himself genuflecting before his former minion namely, Maithripala Sirisena who served under him as his Minister of health, merely to become a pseudo prime minister for 54 days; and, worse, that he has to accept membership of a new fangled party headed by one Peiris who acted as his porter and carried the bags for him at a Thai airport two or three years ago: and all this humiliation suffered for the sake of gaining temporal power when he could have retired in style and grace to the applause and gratitude of his people to his Medamulana home in peace and glory. The seed of self-destruction lay embedded awaiting its hour. And the hour came on October 26th night when, motivated by ambition, spurred by the need for self-preservation, battling for survival, encouraged by a president who dangled the carrot tantalisingly before him, he took the bait and accepted the dubious seal of prime ministerial office. It is said that everything come to he who waits. The problem was that he didnt wait but overreached himself in undue haste to grab power at any cost. Perhaps it was done out of brotherly love for his fellow party men who now face judgment day the fates have ordained for them in the new year. And thus did Mahinda Rajapaksa end the year making a pigs breakfast of it. Folly of Greed: Part 1 By Don Manu The glittering gold that never fails to show Greed fed on greed, Avarice wanting more The sunken treasures of the ocean great The cornucopia in Croesus crate. **** The peerless rubies on the diadem head All the black gold in Arabias sandy bed These and a thousand more limitless wealth Cannot sate their urge to mass more by stealth. *** No endless fortune blest from Heaven sent Can change them from their predacious bent Unheard go the cries of the masses woe Unfelt the pains they perforce undergo. *** Fattened from fruits of the poors toil They quickly forget its the poor mans soil Riches they wring from the labourers rack Casting crumbs but always wanting it back. *** No pangs of remorse attend their vile deeds The pulsing throb is to achieve their needs Strutting bout after laying that land to waste Lording it, the proud masters of our fate. *** Once fetid fleas ensconced in the lions mane They sucked the blood and assumed the lions name Delirious with delight, bloated with blood They realised what its to rise from the mud. *** We are of the same blood same flesh and kin The fiendish fleas proclaim over the din The lions blue blood flows through our throbbing veins We are but the scions without the pains. *** The lions no more but we carry his name We that were maggots hidden in that mane Our right to enjoy the kings vast domain Savour without question fruits of his fame *** The Emperor is dead, we dealt the fell blow And showed to the world our power is more Now is our task to further amplify The aim of our mission: perpetual joy. *** Oh! To see our fond brood snugly enthroned As heirs to the power, the wealth bestowed Ticks we may have been but now its our lot To flaunt the lions pride as we must aught *** Thus was it with parasitic rage They feasted upon the king in revenge Soured the pericranium of their master Then turned on the cubs to grow even faster *** With ruthlessness coupled with cunning art They plagued the striplings with perfidys craft So that they and their issue could sole reign Usurp the crown, consolidate their gain. *** Greed insatiable and the lust for power Ring the death knell at the eleventh hour The Gods themselves cannot but look askance When human folly out steps Satans dance. Lankas People of the Year Sometimes it takes the worst of times to bring out the best in a man. And for Ranil Wickremesinghe the year 2018, which had started in disaster with the defeat of his party at the local polls, was to end in personal triumph with the UNP star on the ascendant again in the political sphere. It was manna from heaven, blessings in disguise that both Maithri and Mahinda had taken the action they took in blatant violation of the constitution and his response to it that wrought the rebranding of Ranils image from geek to hero and turned the dormant UNP pachyderm into a wild charging elephant in musth. From 1994 to 2015, he had borne the silence of the wilderness, suffered the shame and disdain of his party losing 29 electoral disasters and, despite calls from his own party for his resignation, had somehow been able to hold fort as the Arthur of Camelot. But the best in him burst forth when his steel was tested in the furnace of adversity and proved the strength and resilience of his mettle. Mahinda and Maithri may have judged him as a weakling and perhaps thought, as the gentleman he is known to be, would have resigned and left Temple Trees. But he didnt. Instead, he turned Temple Trees to a fortress and, with UNP troops guarding the ramparts, defended the insidious siege on democracy. What the duo didnt count on was that beneath the velvet glove there lurked a fist of iron and though he may have walked away from trouble when he could, Ranil believed sometime you got to fight to be a man. Then the Speaker of the House, Karu Jayasuriya, who held Parliaments mace with dignity throughout the constitutional crisis, who braved not only the canards hurled against him by opposing forces but also stood his ground and stared without blinking in the face of physical violence directed at his personage by those in the House a House over which he lorded and over its members presided and on whose behalf he gave tongue as the sole spokesman of Parliament to the outside world. And last but not least and most of all to their lordships and her ladyship of the Supreme Court, namely, Chief Justice Nalin Perera, Justice Buwaneka Aluvihare, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Prasanna Jayawardena, Justice Vijith Malalgoda, Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Sisira de Abrew who as the sentinels of the peoples sovereign rights and protected and delivered the legal blow to quash the naked assault on Lankas democracy. For these reasons and more, all of the above, no doubt, are Lankas People of the Year. An annus that was very horribilis View(s): At last! The year about to end is best forgotten. But it cannot be brushed away just like that. Politicians can easily forget, especially promises they have made and have not been fulfilled. But those the people have voted in as lawmakers and from whom they expect principled conduct cannot simply close their eyes and ears to the perversion and intemperance that marked the behaviour of some lawmakers turned lawbreakers. It is not only the Sri Lankan people still living in the country who will be holding their heads in shame as scenes of chaos inside the law-making chamber were carried by television to the country and the world.Even those who have cut the umbilical cord that tied them to the Mother country would find it difficult to erase the memories of a horrible year of unfettered violence and brutality at different times in the past 12 months. However, what happened in the past two months when presidential action that caused a political breakdown had ultimately to be sorted out by our apex judicial body which unanimously held that the President had violated the countrys constitution. That has not happened before. However much the people of Sri Lanka would want to erase these horribly uncouth scenes from their minds, it will not be easy. Every time they see the images of their politicians on the TV screens their memories will return to what they saw inside parliament and in other locations where arson, murder and other serious crimes happened at different times this year. When the shutters come down in a short while on 2018, Sri Lankans will breathe a collective sigh of relief. But the scars that 2018 leaves behind will be indelibly etched in the Sri Lankan psyche. They will know who should be held responsible for the chaos that for the first time in our history brought governance to a standstill. They will remember that while they suffered during those troubled days, politicians were seen gobbling highly subsidised meals at the parliament restaurant. What was so disgusting is that some of them were not there to attend parliament sittings. They were boycotting the parliament sessions but were far from ready to do the same to parliament prepared food. This is why Sri Lanka is a land like no other. Not many years ago some maestro in the advertising game came up with that slogan intending to provide a turbo-boost to the countrys tourism sector. Those who laughed then are hiding their heads in shame now. For, that creator, whoever it might be, has shown greater clairvoyance and a firmer grasp of the dirtiness of our politics. It is 2018 that has emerged as the year in which the real nastiness of our politics has come to the fore. Not all politicians have sunk to the lowest depths, as Maxim Gorky might have said, and tarnished not only the country but also the image of many respectable politicians of the past.What the recent years have exposed is the avariciousness of many of Sri Lankas politicians, their greed for power and position as displayed in the last months. Soon when Sri Lankans sit down to feed themselves that is those who can afford it on the traditional kavun, kokis, kolikuttu and kiri buth what would they be thinking of?Would they, like the dramatist John Osborne, look back in anger at the year that has thankfully ended and wish that climate change could wash away dirty politics and politicians so that the Sri Lankan people can be spared the rigours of 2018. After some order was brought to the governance, once strangely silent nations, which would not even say a kind word to Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was made prime minister, have been showering Sri Lanka with praise. They have welcomed the resilience of the democratic institutions of the country and its people. They have praised parliament and its Speaker for upholding the democratic values and the judiciary for upholding the rule of law. But trouble began earlier this year. If one is to believe President Sirisena and why not it was the defeat in the local elections that prompted him to ask his prime minister Wickremesinghe to pack his bag and go home leaving his premiership behind. It would appear that in Mr Sirisenas perception it was Ranils policy faults that cost them the election. Apparently Prime Minister Wickremesinghe thought little of the idea. Thus began again if one is to give credence to Sirisenas sayings the rupture in the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe exercise in cohabitation. The final breakup came when Sirisena obtained a decree nisi and was biding his time till he could serve the decree absolute, so to say. If the western powers especially think that the political match is over because the Supreme Court played according to a set of rules that declared Sirisena bowled, caught, LBW and run out all at once, they might well have to think again without rushing to conclusions. Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland in a letter to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe wrote that she appreciated the peaceful resolution of the political crisis in Sri Lanka, and commended Sri Lanka for its steadfastness in defence and support of the rule of law and the constitutional framework. But there is more to come as the dear Baroness will learn before long. It might be recalled that the President struck out in the stealth of the night as it were, when he sacked Ranil. The fact that the Supreme Court faulted Sirisena does not mean that he will lie low after taking the SCs punch on his solar plexus. President Sirisena heads the cabinet where much of the infighting has been and could happen again. Consider this. Sirisena is determined to hang some convicted for drug offences but are still continuing to traffic in it from prison. The President wants to hang some of them serving a death sentence and said recently that he had not received the names of the convicts. While the president is pursuing what one might call a hanging agenda, internationally Sri Lanka seems to be running on a different track. Just the other day Sri Lanka voted in favour of a resolution on the Moratorium on the use of the death penalty at the UN General Assembly. Space does not permit further discussion on it. But it would not be surprising if this turns out to be a Twiddledee and Twiddledum point of friction next year. Chanting open sesame to communal and racist hatreds View(s): As a foreboding New Year by way of the Gregorian calendar dawns for Sri Lankans, the choices before us (at least, politically) are not felicitous by any stretch of the imagination. Atavistic demons conjured up by opportunists A cynic may question, when were the choices ever felicitous during the past five decades or more? That query has a sting of truth to it. Even so, what faces this country in 2019 portends a special tinge of darkness, touched with fears of rampant racism. Increasingly we hear politicians closely associated with the political camp of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa chanting open sesame to seething primal hatreds. These are atavistic demons, never satiated but always thirsting for more blood, conjured up from time to time by opportunists when the democratic cards are stacked against them. Some of this ugliness came out in the open following the surreal October turbulence when Sri Lanka had (initially) two contenders for the post of Prime Minister and then, for a period, no Prime Minister at all and when the Speaker was besieged in the House by parliamentary ruffians. As the challengers retreated, nursing their wounds with little good grace following reprimands by the Supreme Court for the constitutional trespass committed, they resorted to open communalistic rhetoric which bodes ill for Sri Lanka. So while one battle may have been won, this is not the end of it. True, civic minded citizens resisted the extra-constitutional attempt to capture power as a result of profoundly unwise machinations of an abominable coterie of men surrounding President Maithripala Sirisena. We may heave a sigh of relief as the Courts (from the highest to the lowest) demonstrated their independence. Indeed, the breathing of new life into moribund institutions, most crucially, the judiciary, may be the signal achievement of this doomed yahapalanaya marriage of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP). Will the crisis take a different course? In fact, the events of the past few weeks must propel long pending reform (even if not, the abolition of the Executive Presidency) in regard to mandating severe consequences for members of Parliament who cross the floor for pecuniary gain. Though the reinstated Government has been promising that it will tackle the ill effects of judicial adventurism in this regard (propounded in a very different era), concrete proposals are still not forthcoming. This will be, of course, quite distinct from the acknowledgement that a parliamentarian who dissents with his or her party on a matter of principle should not be penalized for that. Though it has now become almost idiotic to think that Sri Lankan parliamentarians act on conscience in any given situation, that principle must not be lost sight of, nevertheless. That said however, the very real fear is that the crisis bubbling under a seeming normalcy may take an entirely different course as old, atavistic demons take shape, reform and return to the attack. And what makes the reawakening of these tensions particularly dangerous this time around is a weariness with repeated failures of mainstream political parties coupled with undeniably difficult economic times that lie ahead. In one way, the fact that no significant public concern was evidenced even though Sri Lanka lacked a functional Government just over a month ago underscores that massive breakdown in legitimacy. Returning after a few days overseas during that time, I was engaged in a conversation with a cheery immigration officer at the virtually deserted Katunayake International Airport who shrugged the fracas off by saying, well, the country goes on as normal despite having no Government; it is just these useless politicians behaving terribly as usual. That ebullience is remarkable. Nevertheless, this also shows the sheer contempt with which the populace regards those on both sides of the political divide. Championing transparency rather than skulduggery So where does this leave Sri Lankans, justifiably apprehensive of what the year may bring them? Do we risk a political vacuum, coupled with the fact that communal weapons may be wielded with impunity by interested parties in a rapidly worsening economic climate. There is little reassurance even as the political turbulence subsides on the surface. While the SLFP is a spent force politically, the UNP and its top tier leadership appears to have learnt few lessons from the stunning political upheavals that took place since October 26th. Its Cabinet, as constituted recently, includes old tarnished faces. Necessarily this has evoked public scorn from the very voices who stoutly championed the cause of democracy not so long ago. Some may try to justify this inclusion on the basis of political expediency but that is a slippery slope. That same argument may be used in respect of President Sirisenas much critiqued bringing in of politicians rejected by the people through the National List in 2015. After all, political expediency is a peculiarly bitter sauce which, if tolerated for the gander, must equally be so for the goose. One disconcerting feature of law-making under the yahapalanaya aegis was quite antithetical to that very concept in that drafts such as the Counter-Terror Act was attended by such mystery that rumour-mongers delighted in causing mischief. Therefore it is vital that reforms of the constitutional text are engaged in by those with requisite skill and conducted with a measure of transparency rather than skulduggery. Such exercises involve the construction of text that can, by the slip of one careless word or sentence, hold the country to ransom as was excruciatingly experienced recently. Salutary reminders for the future It is well and good that the Supreme Court interpreted (as surely it should have) Article 33 (2) (c) of the 19th Amendment as confined to the general manner in which the President is entitled to exercise the power of summoning, proroguing and dissolving Parliament. Consequentially that provision was ruled to yield to the specific delineation of the power of dissolution in Article 70(1) through the issuance of a Proclamation. This meant that the Presidential dissolution of Parliament before the expiry of four and a half years of its term and absent a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the Members of Parliament, including those not present, was unconstitutional. But the question remains as to why that provision (Article 33 (2) (c)) was brought in at all into the constitutional text through the 19th Amendment, creating a fig-leaf which deviously manipulative legal minds used to justify precipitating the country into a crisis. The confusion that can arise was presumably why the adroit framers of the 1978 Constitution tactically refrained from insertion of such a general power. Such absurdities must be avoided surely, at least in the future. For the next time around that judges are called upon to resolve constitutional redundancies, a Court may not be as bold or as sagacious. That is a salutary reminder to be kept in mind. Though opposition is a hopeless task, acquiescence would be worse View(s): My dear Sampanthan seeya, I thought I must write to you because we have been suddenly told that you have lost your job as Leader of the Opposition. Karu has decided that the job should go to Mahinda maama, who too lost his job as Prime Minister and was even interdicted for a few weeks following a court decision. If you feel annoyed and angry, we completely understand, Sampanthan seeya. When the Blues suddenly withdrew their support to the Greens because Aiyo Sirisena asked them to do so, and when Mahinda maama took over the Green Mans job overnight, it was you who stood by them. When SB was trying to lure Green MPs such as Rangey with telephone calls, so Mahinda maama could cobble together a simple majority of 113 MPs, and when the Reds refused to support the Greens as they too struggled to find that magic number, you told your party to stand by the Greens. When Aiyo Sirisena decided to violate the Constitution by appointing PMs and ministers, proroguing Parliament and then dissolving it when he clearly had no authority to do so, your party was among those who went to court and argued against it because you believed in democracy. When matters turned ugly in Parliament and Mahinda maamas gang of goons in Parliament wanted to disrupt proceedings to prevent votes being taken because it would show that he had no majority, yours was one of the few voices of reason, urging calm and restraint instead of malice and mayhem. What do you get at the end of all this, Sampanthan seeya? You get sacked from your job because Mahinda maama has to be given a consolation prize. You must feel it is unfair but I suppose Karu has a point Mahinda maama does lead the largest group of opposition MPs in Parliament now. As a result, our Paradise, which was blessed with two Prime Ministers not so long ago is now saddled with two Opposition Leaders instead. We have Mahinda maama, who has been recognised by Karu. We also have you arguing your case and giving us reasons on why you should keep your job. You say that Mahinda maama cannot be given the job because the leader of the party he represents, Aiyo Sirisena, is the head of the government and the Cabinet. He holds several ministries as well. So, if his party is part of the government how could it also be part of the opposition, you ask. That seems a fair question but, Sampanthan seeya, hasnt this happened before? When Dearly Beloved was the boss and Satellite was his PM, the Greens took up the Opposition Leaders post with Gamini of Mahaveli fame doing the job until his assassination. Then, the Green Man took over. Then again, when Satellite was the boss and the Green Man was her PM, at first, Ratnasiri and then Mahinda maama were Opposition Leaders. No one seemed to have an issue with this practice then, so I cant see any reason why it should suddenly become an issue now, Sampanthan seeya. You also argue that Mahinda maama shouldnt be Opposition Leader because he is not in the Blue camp anymore and is therefore at risk of losing his seat. We did see photos of him joining the pohottuwa party, but Im sure he will tell you that he has only applied for membership. Despite all this, Sampanthan seeya, I think we can all agree that even when you were the official Opposition Leader, the real leader who mobilised the opposition was Mahinda maama. You, on the other hand, more often than not, agreed with the government instead of opposing them. We are not suggesting that you should oppose everything that a government does just because you are in the opposition. That is what some of Mahinda maamas acolytes do. Yet, many feel that for this government to act like a real government, it needs an opposition that acts like a real opposition. Also, a leader is not judged by the position he holds, but by what he does. The best (or really, the worst) example of this is Aiyo Sirisena. Recent events showed us that though he holds the top job in the land, he acted with far less maturity than a fifth-grade schoolboy asked to look after his colleagues. In contrast, you are admired for leading your community into the post-war era. Instead of clinging to the Tigers legacy, you wanted us to be one nation. You advocated for your community in your silent way. Our only disappointment is that our ethnic issues have not been resolved to everyones satisfaction. There still maybe some time for that, Sampanthan seeya. However, you can rest assured that history will be kind to you. Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS: If the definition of a real Opposition Leader is someone who undermines everything that a government tries to do, there is only person suitable for that post and that is, of course, none other than Aiyo Sirisena himself! Working elephants and parading elephants in UNP View(s): UNP back benchers are comparing themselves to elephants which are used for dragging heavy logs (kotan adina ali) and those who received cabinet portfolios are elephants which only parade in grand festivities known as pereheras (pereherey yana ali). Hector Appuhamy, a back bencher MP representing the Puttalam district, said that though working elephants were dragging heavy logs they were the ones who earned money for the decorative clothes used in pereheras. However, the perahera elephants are giving ridicule looks towards the working elephants disregarding the fact that workers were the ones who earned them the decorative clothes. The back benchers will not keep mum about this and are observant of the situation; we will be making statements in Parliament and outside the Parliament the MP warned. Vasu goes home in tuk-tuk There were no armed escorts, Pajeros or Prados. It was he and a single Police bodyguard from the Ministerial Security Division when Vasudeva Nananayakkara addressed a news conference at the Colombo residence of Thilanga Sumathipala, MP and former Deputy Speaker. When that was over, the one-time Trotskyite firebrand walked out of the Sumathipala residence, stopped a three wheeler scooter taxi and went home along with the Police escort. Lanka tops Asian tourism list Sri Lanka once again proved to be one of the best tourist locations as it topped the list of Asias Emerging Destinations 2019. The list was released by Travel Lemming a tourism website earlier this week. In early October, Sri Lanka showed its prowess in terms of tourism as it was ranked the top country for travel in 2019 by Lonely Planet. However, following the political turmoil that began during the latter part of October, foreign nations began issuing travel advisories thereby causing a dip in tourist arrivals to the country. Western countries continue to issue guarded travel advisories for tourists coming to Sri Lanka. Now, the Tourism Ministry under its re-appointed Minister John Amaratunga has set itself a lofty target of three million tourist arrivals for 2019. People in the tourism sector are now keeping their fingers crossed while hoping that history does not repeat itself. State media institutions under Mangala President Maithripala Sirisena, who was insistent on retaining some of the state run media institutions, has changed his mind. He has instead allocated all media institutions under Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera. There is,however, an exception he has wanted retained. That is the continuance of Krishantha Cooray as Chairman of Lake House. After Sarath Kongahage resigned, Minister Samaraweera has now appointed Sathyangani Keerthinanda as Chairman Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC). Appointed as new Chairman of Independent Television Network (ITN) is Thilaka Jayasundera replacing Somasiri Dissanayake. Rohitha Rajapaksa getting married on Jan. 24 Rohitha, Chichi at home, the youngest son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will marry Tatyana, the daughter of Jerome Jayaratne and Deirdre de Livera, at the Medamulana Home of the Rajapaksas on January 24. The above is an invitation sent out to selected guests for the private ceremony. Accommodation is being provided at a hotel nearby at a special rate for the invitees. Rosys budget mess saved by Seoul The Colombo Municipal Councils 2019 budget seems to be doing the rounds these days. This was not because it was a surplus budget. Instead it was the manner in which the budget was read out by Mayor Rosy Senanayake. Ms. Senanayake, while reading out the budget mixed up her numbers as she was confused over the huge budgetary stipulations which amounted to several millions of rupees. However, she had defended herself by stating that she had faced a difficulty while reading out the numbers in Sinhala. Those in defence of the Mayor were quick enough to remind the Mayor that this was not the first instance in which a politician had mixed up numbers. In 2014, the then Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi also committed a similar mistake, much to the amusement of the Opposition members who began ridiculing her.Ms. Wanniarachchi immediately responded saying that she had a distinction for mathematics. The Colombo Mayor, a former Mrs. World made no such claim about her figures. After the controversial budget reading, Mayor Senanayake got some consolation when she was awarded an honorary citizenship of the South Korean capital Seoul earlier this week.The citizenship was conferred to Ms. Senanayake by Park Won-soon, the Mayor of Seoul at City Hall in South Korea on Dec 26. Since 1958, the Seoul city government has granted honorary citizenship to foreign guests or non-Koreans who have contributed to the citys affairs. 2019; Go for a proper power- sharing model View(s): With the conclusion of an eventful year, climaxing with the dramatic events since October 26, one might need to anticipate another year where politics is probably going to take centre-stage. The President has told his dwindling party faithful to look forward to an election year. It could be any one, or all three presidential, parliamentary, provincial. The political leaders have been already off the starting blocks, best seen by the way the President gave orders to government agencies to provide quick relief for the flood victims of the North and East, followed by the Prime Minister who asked his ministers to provide quick relief to these flood victims, and then the (southern) Leader of the Opposition, not to be left out, suggesting that the Government must ensure that quick relief for the flood victims be given in an efficient manner. Having given these orders they went their own way to Bangkok, Nuwara Eliya and Tangalle for a well-earned rest, and recuperation after the near two-month political circus they were engaged in. At least, on Friday, the Prime Minister visited the areas hit by the floods. One might ask the reasonable question would the government agencies that are supposed to provide this relief in normal circumstances not have moved unless orders from the top arrived. The country is bound to see more of these competing forces at work. It would not be a bad thing for the citizenry to have political leaders woo them. Come 2019 and it will be the voter who will be king and queen. Elections are no doubt the life-blood of a democracy. Yet, they are not the be-all and end-all of governance. How often do people vote with great enthusiasm at elections, mainly for change, only to be let down and have their hopes of a new administration delivering the goods shattered. This Presidency is a classic example. The UNF-led Government disappointed the electorate very early by its mishandling of the Central Bank bond scam, and both, the Presidency and the Government began bickering in the open and with the stroke of a pen, the President reversed the mandate of two elections in 2015. Now, both the President and the UNF Government have a second chance to win back the lost confidence of their voters. They can, in fact, if they re-set their strategies, regain the support they have lost, especially in the rural hinterland. There is some political pressure for an early election to some Provincial Councils that stand dissolved. That this pressure comes largely from the Opposition quarters is understandable, as they feel confident of electoral success. They see it as a launching pad for the bigger elections that will have to come if not in 2019, by early 2020. The (southern) Opposition Leader, who originally opposed the setting up of Provincial Councils is even complaining that it is because the Northern Provincial Council is defunct that flood relief work is not properly coordinated. The (northern) Opposition Leader on the other hand, who campaigned for Provincial Councils, collaborated in it being taken over by the Centre. It is time political leaders of this country got out of this election syndrome at least insofar as the Provincial Councils are concerned. These councils serve neither man nor beast and even India that midwifed the system in 1987 under different circumstances, may agree the system needs a fresh look. There are fears, imagined and genuine, that a Federal system is underway as that fresh look. That is not going to happen. Instead, a proper administratively efficient power sharing model is something to consider in 2019 and not mere rhetoric of elections to prove political one-upmanship at the expense of civil administration and economic development on a scientific basis. Climate change ; a sobering thought as we enter 2019 While the local circus since October 26 took centre-stage as this year came to an end, much bigger issues face the larger world we live in. There is the scourge of terrorism; mass immigration, refugees and famine; there is the growth of missile systems with nuclear warheads and now Russias invincible missiles. And there is a Climate Change. While the rest of the world goes about destroying Planet Earth and the US space agency NASA seeks life on Mars probably for Earthlings to move to one day after destroying Planet Earth, climate change seems to be the early warning signal that has a direct bearing on countries like Sri Lanka, already ranked as one of the most vulnerable in the Global Climate Risk Index. This year saw some major events from the worst fires in California and in Japan, to unprecedented floods and weather conditions around the world. Sri Lanka had its own share of droughts and floods. Scientists are cautious about giving definitive reasons for all the extreme weather, but seem to agree that the intensity and frequency increased due to climate change. Still, naysayers keep coming back saying that disasters resulting from extreme events are exaggerated, and point out that unplanned development and similar reasons are more to blame. Thus, in a Sri Lankan context the focus ought to be more on having corrective measures in place on unplanned development, a task for the Ministry of Urban Development and the local government councils as first responders. Last Sundays tsunami in Krakatoa must be a timely reminder of the co-relation between climate change and natural disasters. It was sheer luck that the terrifying tsunami in the seas around Indonesia this time did not come towards Sri Lanka. The recent UN Climate Summit COP24 had almost no support for countries like Sri Lankas Climate Change Secretariat which woefully lacks financial allocations for climate adaptability and disaster recovery. The Summit itself was following up on the much heralded Paris Summit of 2015, but by all accounts, the rising trajectory of global Green House Gas emissions and the 2030 carbon budgets targets are a far cry away. Scientists feel that Planet Earth is continuing its merry way towards a 3+ degrees C temperature rise by 2100, which is well above the danger limit of 1.5 to 2 degrees C. In short, the current level of global commitment will not be able to save the world, and countries like Sri Lanka will be hard hit. Sri Lankas agriculture, forestry, ecosystems, marine and fisheries, biodiversity, tourism all are at stake. A sobering thought as we enter a New Year. Make Political Victimisation Report public: CTU View(s): The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) called on the government to make public the Political Victimisation Report handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena last week. CTU General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said that the Political Victimisation Committee had handed over the report to President Sirisena on 21 November, but nothing had been heard of it so far. He said the CTU will not allow the committee report to be swept under the carpet but will continue to demand that it be made public. The committee, led by former education secretary Gotabaya Jayaratna, was appointed by President Sirisena following protests by education unions against a list of 2,011 names of Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLEAS) officers to be considered for special promotions under a programme to remedy political victimisation. Mr Stalin claimed several officers had falsely claimed that they have been politically victimised: They come up with flimsy reasons, including a stone thrown at their homes. In the past, teachers and principals claiming political victimisation have been considered over legitimate officials awaiting promotions. We vehemently condemn any moves to give out appointments for those who are considered political victims by the government, Mr Stalin added. -CC Chamathya makes it big on global Girl Guides stage By Oshani Alwis View(s): View(s): Being a Girl Guide who loved hiking, putting up tents under the open sky, and singing by the campfire, little did Chamathya Fernando know that she would go to become the youngest World Board member at the age of 25 in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). WAGGGS being the largest global voluntary organisation for girls and young women, with a membership of 10 million in 150-member countries, Chamathya was appointed to the World Board, the highest decision-making body of WAGGGS on September 17 this year. She attended her first World Board meeting at the World Bureau in London. With the responsibility of being an official representative of the 10 million members, assisting in making policies, strategies and decisions for the future, towards the betterment of the organization, Chamathya says that her appointment to WAGGGS, a movement that supports young women and girls to develop their full potential as leaders and active citizens of the world, is an opportunity to take what she has been doing at national and regional level to a global level. The Guide movement is over 100 years old. Upon receiving the highest award in Girl Guiding as a Presidents Guide in 2010, Chamathya has continued to volunteer with Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA) and was chosen as a youth delegate to represent WAGGGS at several United Nations Conferences. While in New York back in 2013 the youth delegates including Chamathya were trained in a global advocacy campaign Stop the Violence. On their return home the delegates went on to implement their own campaigns to educate young girls and boys on issues of violence. Chamathya initiated the local Stop The Violence campaign, travelling across the country to raise awareness, age appropriately, upon the issues of sexual harassment in public spaces, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual molestation and much more. We heard shocking stories of abuse from rural areas like Kekirawa and Batticaloa, from girls whose mothers are employed as housemaids in Middle East. Those girls are abandoned, neglected and incidents of incest were reported, relates Chamathya further adding that the campaign also emphasises the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality. Chamathya was assisted by her co- SLGGA team of Dasuni Athauda, Kenneth Amunugama, Anuradha Uswattage, Venuri Kalinga and Dumidu Thabrew. Impressed by the progress of Sri Lankan Stop the Violence campaign, WAGGGS invited Chamathya and her team to train 66 adult leaders of the Bangladesh Girl Guides Association. The Stop the Violence campaign and Voices against Violence education curriculum co- developed by WAGGGS and UN Women were introduced to Bangladesh in January this year, a country facing the troubling issues of child marriages, teen pregnancies, and harmful practices. We cannot compare the situations in each country. We cannot say that Sri Lanka is better off than other countries in South Asia, because even one case of violence is a big issue. We should encourage the complete elimination of violence, not less violence, Chamathya stresses. Her voluntary duties with WAGGGS continued when Plan International, a humanitarian organization that advances childrens rights and equality for girls, selected Chamathya as one of the nine Young Global Influencers. She and other Young Global Influencers co-designed the #GirlsGetEqual global campaign, launched on the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11 in Brussels, Belgium. The campaign focused on girls leadership, power and youth activism for gender equality and specifically focused on girls because they face double discrimination due to their gender and age. It also addressed representation of girls and portrayal of harmful gender stereotypes in mainstream media, Chamathya said, thankful for the opportunity to work with other young influencers and activists from Senegal, Uganda, Australia, USA, Bangladesh, Ecuador, El Salvador and Kenya. The US State Departments Global Emerging Young Leaders Award and Exchange Program was undoubtedly was a milestone in Chamathyas life. She was recognized as a youth working on social causes by the US Embassy in Sri Lanka and nominated for the US Department of State programme. Running the Stop the Violence campaign with many other projects for a long time putting my time and effort as a volunteer is the reason I was nominated for the award and then chosen, Chamathya says. She was recognised as a Global Emerging Young Leader in May 2017 at Washington, DC with nine other recipients of the award from Vietnam, Belgium, Afghanistan, Algeria, Peru, Malta, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Jerusalem. During the exchange programme that followed, the highlight of the journey for Chamathya was the graffiti park in Austin, Texas. I got to do some graffiti on walls with spray cans, which was a thrilling experience, Chamathya fondly recalls. A graduate from the Plymouth University UK, affiliated to the National School of Business Management (NSBM) and University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Chamathya is currently employed at Brandix. With her latest appointment to the WAGGGS World Board Chamathya is looking forward to working for and with girls and young women around the world. Now my responsibilities are at a global level and at the end of the day Im satisfied with the work we do, which really has an impact to change someone elses life in a better way. I live by the Girl Guides motto Be Prepared to face whatever challenges that come my way, she says with confidence. The return of Magical Nanny Mary Poppins Returns View(s): View(s): Hollywood musical fantasy movie Mary Poppins Returns directed by Rob Marshall is now being screened in theatres in and around Colombo. The film depicts how the magical nanny returns Decades after her original visit, to help the Banks siblings and Michaels children through a difficult time in their lives. Set in 1930s depression-era London the story is based on the book series of the same name by P. L. Travers and it is sequel to 1964s popular musical Mary Poppins. It stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. Drawn from the material in PL Travers additional seven books, in the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep). The Walt Disney Pictures production, the film marks one of the longest gaps between film sequels in Disney history at 54 years. The film received a number of nominations including four at the 76th Golden Globe Awards (including for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy), nine at the 24th Critics Choice Awards and a SAG Award nomination for Blunt at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards. Downcast Xmas traders pin sales hopes on school By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s): Christmas goods traders have turned quickly to selling items for the new school term wherever possible, hoping to recover from poor sales during the festive season. They are relieved at a lift in sales of festive goods in the days before Christmas but say the seven-week political crisis hit them hard. Roshan Samsudeen, who had been selling Christmas trees at Malwatte Road at the Pettah Market, said business had been bad in November and most of December but in the last two days prior to Christmas he had been able to sell some of his trees. With the end of Christmas the new school term will start, so I started selling socks for schoolchildren, he said. Mr. Samsudeen said more customers began turning up at the markets when the political turmoil subsided. Mohamad Fairooz, who sells schoolbags at Pettah Market, said although more people were turning up at the markets they were not tempted to buy due to financial hardship. Customers come to our shop, look around, ask for a price of a schoolbag and leave saying they have a small budget, he said. He said he was forced to be constantly bargained down on price and to negotiate ways for customers to find bags according to their budgets in his desperation to sell even one bag at a time. Despite the swearing-in of a new cabinet, consumers are still sceptical about stability and many said the Christmas spirit had been taken away by the political crisis. Lionel Perera, 62, of Kiribathgoda said unlike previous years his family had not put up a decorated Christmas tree. He had not been interested in shopping or buying decorations as the atmosphere of the country was uncertain. I am still uncertain of the settlement of the turmoil as still there are two opposition leaders in the country, Mr. Perera said. Retired Air Force official Hettiarachachiege Kapila Jagath, 47, said he had spent more than usual buying his children plastic water bottles, lunch boxes and other items. People are unable to go shopping like in earlier times; people dont have enough money on hand and the goods are pricey, he said. Toy seller Jayasekara Vithanage Prasad said the depreciation of the rupee had prevented many from buying imported toys. Wholesale toy shops increased their prices by Rs. 30 or more and so as a retailer I have to increase the prices as well, he said. An employee at a textile shop in Pettah, Ramesh Raj, said last year the shop had been jam-packed with customers all through December, but not this year. I was even able to send extra earnings last year during the festive season to my family in Hatton but now I am unable even to pay my rent, he said. New machines to monitor foul air quality By Shaadya Ismail View(s): View(s): Long-overdue equipment to measure air quality will shortly be operating in two pollution hotspots, greater Colombo and Kandy, replacing old machines that should have been taken out of operation eight years ago. Air pollution has been increasing at an alarming rate in both cities, with irremediable lung diseases being reported among children in Kandy. The Central Environment Authority (CEA) says two of its three new machines will be installed in fixed stations in Kandy and Battaramulla while the third will be a mobile station. The air quality of the country is below standard, CEA Deputy Director for Air Resource Management Kamal Priyantha said. A machine will be installed in Battaramulla because it is in close proximity to the countrys capital. There have been claims made by people in Kandy that there is a high rate of air pollution in the area as a result of which people are suffering from major respiratory diseases, he said. The current machines were installed in 1998 and needed to be replaced in 2008. One cannot take scientific and practical decisions based on the current data, Mr. Priyantha said. The current, analog machines need to be manually operated and monitored and are expensive to run 24 hours a day as well as being unreliable. The new, digital machines are more accurate and will provide publicly available automatic real-time data. Mr. Priyantha said that while Sri Lanka does not have huge industries and uses little coal, a great deal of pollution comes from the roads: 60 per cent of pollutants in the country were released by vehicles. Colombo district is the worst affected because of the increasing building population and vehicle population that increase air pollution, he said, adding that there was rising concern about the effects of pollution in congested Kandy too. In Kandy, children have been badly affected by air pollution and some of the lung diseases are beyond recovery, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice, Hemantha Withanage said. The lifespan of the machines that measure air quality has expired way beyond the stipulated time period, he said. Mr. Withanage claimed most new condominiums had been built without, as required by law, an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), largely because of the absence of machinery and tools to conduct such tests. Air pollution is considered a nuisance under the law. In seeking action against a culprit, harmful effects of pollution need not be proven. A charged can be brought on the grounds of simply emitting noxious gases , environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardena said. The main law on air pollution is contained in the National Environment Act. Industries must acquire an Environment Protection Licence that stipulates permitted emission levels, Mr. Gunawardena said. The legal framework is present but the enforcement mechanism has not been well developed, he said. The CEA will test-run its new machines for a month. Private buses claim ignorance of fare cut order By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s): Although the government announced a reduction in bus and three-wheeler fares last week commuters say private buses have not passed on the benefits of the fuel price cut by cutting their fares. Last week, the government reduced fares on state-run buses by 4 per cent following the reduction in fuel prices announced on December 21. The Private Bus Owners Association claimed it had not yet received the interim bus fare revision notice to act upon it. The road passenger transport authorities insist the list had already been sent to the relevant authorities for action. The Omni Bus Association also said it had not yet received the notice with the revised bus fares. The National Transport Commission (NTC), in charge of intra-provincial transport activities. said the revised fare list had been sent out to all nine Provincial Authorities and it was for the local authorities to implement the reduction. Commission Chairman M.A.P. Hemachandra said there was no way bus companies could claim ignorance about the fare revision as it had been published on the NTC website and Facebook site. We have done our part. The local authorities have to do the needful, he said. The Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority said the price revision notices had been sent to all seven pradeshiya sabhas and these had to send it to all depots. I will look into the matter, Chairman Thushitha Kularatna said. Meanwhile the All-Island Three-Wheel Drivers Association said it was difficult to implement the price reduction as all three-wheelers did not have a digital meter fixed on the vehicles. The government last week also requested all three-wheelers to reduce the starting charge on a kilometre by 10 rupees to Rs. 50. Following three fuel price hikes in three months (July-September) under the pricing formula introduced by the government, three-wheelers had increased their starting charge to Rs. 60. The three-wheeler drivers association President, Lalith Dharmasekera, said the absence of an effective compliance system allowed many trishaws to operate without meters although ordered to do so back in 2013. How can we ask our members to reduce charges when their fellow three-wheeler drivers are benefitting by charging higher rates? he asked. Mr. Dharmasekera said the public should ensure the meter gave the correct charge when they hailed a trishaw and should not use the vehicle otherwise. The best way is to boycott travelling in unregulated three-wheelers. This will teach them a lesson, he said. The association has 400,000 members. Mr. Dharmasekera said he had informed them all to set a Rs. 50 starting charge on their meters and to charge Rs. 40 every other kilometre when travelling. He said the government should regulate the fares. The government decision to appoint a Fare Reviewing Committee in 2013 to introduce a formula to calculate the fares of three-wheelers, had been scrapped four years later, he said. Appreciations View(s): Dedicated to medicine and to serving the country Dr. Ravi Gnanasundaram Perumalpillai Ravi Perumalpillai was a self-driven ground-breaker who achieved his goals with humility, quiet confidence and a good sense of humour. He treated everyone as equals. He touched the lives of all those he met. A role model to his siblings and cousins, he was the eldest child of Dr. C. Perumalpillai (veterinary surgeon, founder of the Veterinary Council of Ceylon and Ceylon Veterinary Journal) and Gnanambikai (graduate in mathematics and teacher). Ravis education began at Trinity College, Kandy. At seven years (1958) the family left for Khartoum, Sudan, where he attended Comboni College and picked up Arabic within months. He was later sent as a boarder to St. Edwards School in Oxford, UK, where he completed secondary school. Even at an early age he was fearless, purposeful and wise beyond his years. He was the sole support for his mother when they flew with three other children (aged five years to one) from Jaffna to Khartoum with multiple stop-overs over two days, to join his father. He became a competent horseman in Somalia where he would ride through scrubby terrain while on holiday from the UK, and was the chief caretaker and playmate for the pet cheetah owned by the family. Ravi pursued a medical career of his own choosing, a focused dedication that he cultivated as a young boy in the Sudan where he would demonstrate the physiology of dissected frogs to friends. He qualified from Middlesex Hospital Medical School (now UCL) London with a MBBS (1974), and in 1979 obtained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS Edinburgh and England). Further qualifications included: Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore USA, 1988)and MA Oxon, FCSSL. He became a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the age of 37 at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and continued his teaching and research interests as Senior Lecturer at the University of Oxford, for 25 years. He authored the textbook Surgery for Ischaemic Heart Disease, contributed chapters in others including the Oxford Textbook of Surgery and has over one hundred other publications. He was Chairman of Cardiac Services at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford from1992-1997.His practice in Oxford included Adult and Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, as well as Thoracic surgery in all age groups. While in the UK, he trained in Cardiothoracic Surgery under Mr. Donald Ross, Prof (now Sir) Magdi Yacoub, Mr. John Wright, Mr. Christopher Lincoln, Mr. Matthias Paneth, and Dr Bruce Reitz amongst others. His love and sense of duty to his motherland, however, found him laying early foundations for his work in Sri Lanka when he decided to do his internship in Jaffna in 1974/75 at the Jaffna Government General Hospital. There he worked with and was mentored by Drs Vethanayagam, S.K. Maheswaran and R. Natkunam. Dr. Natkunam, a mentor, wrote of Ravi: I was impressed by his enthusiasm to do surgery and even more by his decision to do it in Jaffna at a time when most of the young doctors were going out of Sri Lanka values no doubt inculcated by your parents. A few years later when I had assumed work in Colombo he told me about his interest in cardiac surgery and would visit me there whenever he was on holiday in Sri Lanka he would tell me about the rapid advances being made in this field of surgery. In the early 1980s, I was in London for 6 months on sabbatical leave he was at that time Senior Registrar to the famous Sir Magdi Yacoub - Ravi in fact did most of the operations and I benefited a great lot by watching them work. The focused dedication Ravi had for his medicine and his love to share and serve the community is illustrated in these simple statements. During the 1990/2000s, he brought complete cardio-thoracic surgical teams from Oxford to Sri Lanka to perform complicated open-heart procedures at the National Hospital, Colombo and the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital on many occasions. These visits made a significant contribution to the development and establishment of modern-day cardiac surgery in Sri Lanka.In addition, while in Oxford, Ravi trained five surgeons from Sri Lanka namely, Drs. Panna Goonaratne, G.A. Chandima Amarasena, Rajiv Pieris, Mahendra Munasinghe and K. Gnanakanthan. Other trainees have been from around the globe including India, Brazil, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Syria and Japan. He has operated in centres in all these countries as well as across Europe demonstrating new techniques of heart valve surgery. He had performed over 20,000 cardiothoracic surgical procedures. He collaborated closely with Dr K.M. Cheriyan who was involved with the establishment of the Madras Medical Mission in Chennai from its inception. The current chief of cardiac surgery Dr. S. Rajan was a trainee in Oxford. Like his father, he was committed to the development of the north of Sri Lanka and to fulfil his wishes Ravi created the Oxonian Heart Foundation (OXF) to help establish cardiac surgery in the north of the country. Commencing at the Northern Central Hospital (supported by Messrs. Sami and Keshavraj) in 2013, a team from Oxford supported the local cardiac surgical programme and conducted the first of many open-heart surgeries. At a personal level, Ravi felt he belonged, living in his maternal ancestral home in Kokuvil, Jaffna where he entertained friends, colleagues, relatives, visiting diaspora and other well-wishers from the community. He loved the air, the water, the food. He encouraged all those he met to invest in the North and East and contribute to the development of Sri Lanka. To this end in 2017, Ravi personally invested his own resources in an Aloe Vera farm in Allaipiddy in Velanai (Velanai Integrated Agroeconomic Company) to demonstrate the development potential of the area. The company, with other committed shareholders, was established to promote an alternate livelihood opportunity for farmers in the North once the government ban on tobacco growing takes effect in 2020. He consistently urged senior government officials and diplomats to provide the necessary resources to the North to ensure stability and reconciliation. Nothing need be difficult was his motto. Taken away from us at a relatively young age, we are proud of our Annai (elder brother) who achieved a lot in a short span of time and was a friend to those from all walks of life. Words and phrases used to describe Ravi from the many messages of condolence we have received include: mentor, teacher, generous, caring, dedicated, hard-working, good friend, a gem, a great loss to society and Sri Lanka. He will be sorely missed by all of us and our families; including his wife Shanti, children Rajesh and Shahila and spouses and granddaughters, Amara, Layla, Lakshana and Nayantara. Usha, Jeeva and Ranjit The night is starry and he is not here with me Cyril Anthony Fernando For men and women everywhere who have found and lost love. It begins with denial, then anger and then acceptance. Tonight I can write the saddest lines Write, for example, The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance. The night wind resolves in the sky and sings Tonight I can write the saddest lines I loved him, and sometimes he loved me too. Through nights like this one, seated in the verandah of his country home in Katana We used to chat, plan And remember when we first met. He loved me, sometimes I loved him too. How could one have not loved his warm smile and strong independent spirit. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. To think that I will never see him, to feel that I have lost him. To hear the immense night, still more immense without him. And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture. What does it matter that my love and prayers could not save his life The night is starry and he is not here with me. This is all. This is all. In the distant universe, someone is singing on a much higher planein the distance He is at peace He is blessed, as always. Marie Alles Fernando (inspired by Pablo Neruda) Charles Cumming: The wannabe spy who became a spy writer View(s): Charles Cumming would have been a spy, but, failing that, he opted to be a spy writer- with hindsight a very fortunate turn of fate as he is today one of the best in the craft, one of his novels, The Spanish Game, having been described by The Times as amongst the six finest spy novels of all time, alongside Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Funeral in Berlin and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Charles grew up with the benefits of a very privileged education. After boarding prep school he was sent to Eton and then to the University of Edinburgh where he was to acquire a first class in English. Writing was something he had always aspired to, but he seemed to lack a story. It was his brush with the United Kingdoms Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), while aspiring to be a secret agent, that sparked off his imagination. His first novel, titled A Spy by Nature, he says was one third autobiographical and two thirds fictitious. He gave birth in the book to Alec Milius, the loner spy in his early twenties whose first task entrusted by the Security Service is to sell doctored research data on oil exploration in the Caspian Sea to the CIA. With his experience while he was training to be with the M16, Cumming keeps abreast of such espionage writers as Eric Ambler, Len Deighton and John Le Carre in what is, peculiarly, a very British genre with Brits beating the French and the Americans to very distant also-rans. His taut, fast-paced thrillers with clever plots have all been bestsellers. His second novel Hidden Man (2003) is the story of two brothers investigating the murder of their father, a former SIS officer, at the hands of the Russian mafia. It also throws light on the clandestine role played by SIS and the CIA during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. In The Spanish Game (2006) Alec Milius returns- to be embroiled in a plot by the paramilitary Basque nationalist organization ETA to bring down the Spanish government. Typhoon, listed by The New York Times as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2009, is a political thriller about a CIA plot to destabilise China on the eve of the Beijing Olympics. The story spans the decade from the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997 to present-day Shanghai. The Trinity Six is a thriller about the discovery of a sixth member of the Cambridge spy ring, published in 2011. A Foreign Country, published in 2012, was to win the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller and the Bloody Scotland Crime Book of the Year. Based on the disappearance of the first female head of MI6, it is the first book to feature Thomas Kell, disgraced M16 officer looking for redemption, who stars in two sequels: A Colder War and a Divided Spy. In June this year came out The Man Between, a stand-alone thriller about a writer, Kit Carradine, who is drawn into the world of espionage. A potential classic, The Times called the thriller a wonderfully old-fashioned tale more Eric Ambler than John le Carre of an ordinary man out of his depth in the world of espionage. Author Peter Robinson hailed the book as being the best of Cummings thrillers- full of thrills, wit and fine writing, with a plot and themes that might have been taken from todays headlines. Francia and her family can look forward to a happy new year By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The seven-year-old diagnosed with three blocks in the vessels supplying blood to her heart, undergoes bypass surgery, marking a milestone in the state health sector View(s): View(s): A new and joyous beginning in the New Year of 2019 for a humble fishing family in Negombos Kuda Paduwa and a first for Sri Lanka, making medical history in the country. Bypass heart surgery for a child under 12. Even though everyone knows about coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in adults who have blocked vessels which supply blood to the heart, never before has it been performed on a child below 12. However, the other day, sitting before us is seven-year-old W. Francia Vidushi Fernando, a slip of a girl smiling shyly at us behind her face mask. Back home from the Kandy Teaching Hospital, having undergone open heart surgery under the skilled hands of Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Anil Abeywickrama and his able team, Francia along with her family await the year with hope. Just like most in Sri Lanka, this family whose breadwinner is into a deevara rassawa, was content with their lot. W. Dickson Fernando would go out to sea, while Sriyanie tended home and hearth. They were blessed with three children a daughter and a son followed by another daughter. It was when Francia, the youngest, was a babe in arms, just nine months old that a fever hit her. Rushed to the Negombo District General Hospital, the cause of the fever was elusive and she was transferred to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children in Colombo. Asamanya unak, murmurs Sriyanie, explaining that it was an unusual fever which would not go down even with medication. It was caused by the hereditary Kawasaki Disease, also known as Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome. Affecting mainly children under the age of five, its symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for 5 days or more, a rash and swollen glands in the neck. The heart may be affected in as many as 1 in 4 children, with damage sometimes occurring to blood vessels (coronary arteries) that supply the heart muscle and also the heart muscle itself. Unfortunately, Francias little heart was affected and Sriyanie says that echocardiograms indicated that there was an asamanya idimumak (unnatural swelling) of the heart. The family was devastated. Godak duka hithuna, says Sriyanie, reliving those early days when they were gripped by sadness and in the depths of despair. Treatment began under Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist Dr. Shehan Perera of the LRH. Once discharged from the LRH, the family was advised to take Francia for check-ups every six months to the Negombo Hospital, as it was close to home. INR reports were a must. [This is the International Normalized Ratio or Prothrombin Time (PT), a standardized measurement of the time it takes for blood to clot.] Thereafter, Francia hondatama hitiya (was well), says Sriyanie, adding that she was like any other child. When she reached school age, she began attending St. Peters Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, while the clinic visits continued. Everything was fine until November 2 the malavunge mangalya dine (All Souls Day). As Sriyanie got her three children ready for church, Francia complained of a chest pain, closer to the neck. Sriyanie assumed it was due to sema (phlegm) and it did wane in about five minutes. But the next day too while Francia was playing with her friends, she was assailed by chest pain. Lasting just a short while, it went off again, only to return in the evening. Sriyanie, however, was not unduly worried as they had done the INR test two days before. As the pain intensified, they rushed Francia to the Negombo Hospital. But the pain subsided soon and she was her usual self. With the paper work being done to discharge her the next day, Sriyanie sees divine interventionit was 8.30 in the night and Consultant Paediatrician Dr. LakKumar Fernando was on a ward round as he was wont to do many times, even though not expected of a senior doctor at that time of the night. The pain struck again and Francia was wracked by loud sobs before his eyes. Immediately, Dr. Fernando had ordered an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests and on seeing the reports transferred the child to the LRH. With echocardiograms and an angiogram being performed by Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist Dr. Shehan Perera, came the disturbing find that Francia had three blocks in the vessels supplying blood to the heart. Having diagnosed this serious condition, the doctors were frank that no bypasses had been performed in small children. They, however, held out a tiny ray of hope armed with more tests including a CT-angiogram, she was gently put into an ambulance and transferred to the Kandy Hospital into the care of Dr. Anil Abeywickrama. Straight into the High Dependency Unit Francia was sent with instructions that she should not be allowed to walk, with bed-rest being strictly adhered to. Many were the discussions that Dr. Abeywickrama had with the parents how bypasses had not been attempted on a child before. Numerous tests followed and a wait of two weeks as Francia got a cough. Friday, November 23, Francia was taken into the operating theatre for open heart surgery and unceasing were the prayers of the parents in Kandy while kannalaw (pleading) went forth from relatives and friends back home at the Kuda Paduwa church. Aluthma ipadumak (a new birth) through deviyange haskamak (a miracle), says Sriyanie, adding that there is nothing they can do for Dr. Abeywickrama and his team except thank them from the bottom of their hearts. They also light candles before the Perpetual Succour (Mary, mother of Jesus Christ) to shower blessings on them for the loku sevaya (major service) they are performing for humble folk. Doctors make tough decision It was a stressful decision for the heart team of the Kandy Teaching Hospital headed by Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Anil Abeywickrama.No bypass (CABG coronary artery bypass grafting) had been performed on such a small child.But there was no option death was staring seven-year-old Francia who was suffering from unstable angina (poor blood flow to the heart) in the face. If the bypass was not attempted Francia would die anyway and if the bypass was attempted she could die on the operating table. All three of the main arteries supplying blood to Francias heart were more than 90% blocked. Urgent discussions ensued between the LRH heart team which included Consultant Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Kanchana Singappuli and Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist Dr. Shehan Perera and Dr. Abeywickrama who had earlier done a stint at the LRH. Even though the odds seemed to be stacked against Francia, they decided to go ahead and attempt the bypass as it was known that Dr. Abeywickrama was heavily into using arterial grafts rather than veins for such procedures. Usually about 70% of the grafted veins used in bypasses get occluded or blocked within 10 years, says Dr. Abeywickrama, reiterating that unlike veins, there is 90% patency (remaining open and unobstructed) in arterial grafts. The bypass surgery on this child began around 9.30 in the morning, lasting five hours, with two arteries which were used for the bypass being harvested from under her breastbone and the other from her left hand. There was much tension and worry, concedes Dr. Abeywickrama for unlike in adults, Francias arteries were tiny. He commends his skilful team including Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. M. N. Jazeel who came from the National Hospital in Colombo; Consultant Cardiao thoracic Anaesthetist Dr. Aruni Jayasekara; and Medical Officers (Cardiothoracic Surgery) Dr. Samitha Vithanage and Dr. Suranga Wijesinghe for all the efforts to save this little girl. For the country, it is proof of how the excellent state health system works in tandem (Negombo to LRH to Kandy) for the poorest of the poor. Letters to the Editor View(s): Draped in six yards of nationalism: Is it worth the effort? I expect you would have come across the recent news article on how a lady faced her death because her saree got caught up in the motorcycle wheel, on her way to work. This generated some discussion on some social media platforms and some people were quick to point out that she should have been more mindful. Well, to those people I say, they should try wearing a saree to work. A saree is not the safest dress to wear on a motorcycle, or public transport for that matter or on the usual pot-holed streets of the country or going up and down a staircase or even simply walking along the office floor. You cannot expect someone to be focused on their work if they also have to be mindful of where the pieces of their dress are at all times. It is counter-productive and exhausting. The lady on the bike was not the first one to pay for wearing something that parts of the society think she should be wearing to work and she definitely wont be the last one. Safety If youve used public transport you would have experienced women getting off crowded buses holding on to their belongings while their saree train is still squeezing through the footboard crowd after theyve gotten off. And there have been incidents where this has led to women being dragged along as the bus took off. If you are like me and have to work with equipment, even if its just a photocopy machine, then again the saree is not designed for that. Nor is it designed to be worn while carrying things may it be our belongings, bags, files, paperwork, boxes or laptops because you only get to use one hand (along with your chest or chin) to carry them, since you need the other to hang on to the loose ends of the saree. Economy Sarees are expensive! Buying a saree also requires you to buy more cloth for the jacket, lining and skirt. Which you then have to wash, dry, iron and then pay a visit to your seamstress which could cost as much as the saree itself. Perhaps a fit-on and a collection trip all of which costs you extra. If youve ever paid a visit to a saree shop in Chennai you would know whose industries you are promoting. On the other hand if you want to be patriotic and buy Sri Lankan, six yards of cotton or handloom could easily triple your cost. Those who do not have to wear sarees to work could afford a whole weeks supply of outfits for the same price. Decency Our common perception of the saree is that of a decent dress so much so that most schools strictly enforce their own laws on parents to wear it, just in case the young boys find it hard to contain themselves. Shouldnt we be teaching boys some decency and not to disrespect people based on their attire? It reflects our culture Does it really? Just because the trouser/skirt & blouse combination is purely western, doesnt make the saree any more nationalistic, its still foreign. And it doesnt suit our hot and humid climate, again its counter-productive for the workforce. You want people to be reasonably comfortable when they are at work, so that they can do their jobs properly, instead of fanning themselves and checking up and straightening parts of their wayward clothing. So whats the alternative? The alternative has to be something that is safe to wear (no dangling bits), economical, climate-friendly and promotes our own industries. Im sure we can come up with a simple, elegant and decent design that suits our cultural values and serves the country in on all counts. We have some excellent products based on cotton, linen, handloom and batik industries. Isnt that worth a thought? After all, the government circular regulating the attire of government sector employees dates back to 1989, and outlines that men and women need to wear the national dress, but goes on to give several other options for men such as the western shirt, trouser and tie and also some obscure dress codes such as jodhpur and dhoti. However, for women its only the foreign born national dress. Dr S. Jayawardhana Via email With this book we can all play a role in conserving Sinharaja By Tera Jayewardene View(s): View(s): The chirping of birds and the sound of running water could be heard before the book launch began, giving guests the feeling that they were in a rainforest. As the speeches were delivered, images of the rainforest its flora and fauna captured the audience and brought home the value and importance of preserving this unique eco-system. The launch of A review of the southern border of Sinharaja: Contemporary needs against conservation took place at the British Council Library on December 6. The book is written by Hafsa Hudha and Anushka Gunawardena, with images by Shehan Obeysekara, Kapila Ranasinghe and Dhanushka Dissanayaka. EFL chairperson Dr. Eric Wikramanayake in his speech highlighted the pressing issue of climate change and how preserving natural ecosystems is vital in preventing climate change. Our objective in conducting this survey was to assess the present status of Sinharaja, and to identify the present conservation laws in place as well as discrepancies in its implementation. Based on these findings, this publication proposes recommendations that balance contemporary developmental requirements whilst protecting the conservation status of the rainforest, Dr. Wikramanayake said. The books introduction touches upon the significance of Sinharaja as well as its present status. Conservation laws that are in force are looked at closely with National Laws, Policies and Regulations, applicable international legal regulations all being touched on separately. Present day threats to the Sinharaja rainforest, such as the non-existence of a veritable buffer zone, extensive human activities and climate change have also been discussed extensively. Another chapter focuses on ways to achieve sustainable forest management, proposing a management plan for the Sinharaja forest reserve. The book has also attached the relevant legislation so that readers can look at the law and get a deeper understanding of the issues the book delves into. The process in which we got the information was rather tiresome because it was difficult to figure out where we needed to look at because when you take Sinharaja there are several publications on the scientific aspect of it. However, when you look at the conservation side of it, there arent many publications. So, we had to go through all the existing national and international laws and see how it relates to the conservation of Sinharaja. It was a tedious process, but we are very happy with the outcome, said co-author Hafsa Hudha. We visited Sinharaja, we carried out a series of interviews with the local authorities specifically in Neluwa. We also spoke to a member of a local community group Sinharaja Sumithrayo. In Colombo, we worked closely with the Forest Department and organisations that do ground level work within the peripheral villages of Sinharaja, Hafsa added. Other environmentalists also focused on the importance of the rainforests conservation. The Conservator General of the Forest Department, Anura Sathurusinghe highlighted how the Forest Department had co-operated and assisted with the writing of this book and how the Department deals with issues such as encroachment. Guest speaker and Sinharaja expert Prof. Savitri Gunatilleke, touched upon issues such as how the locals once had a vast knowledge of the Sinharaja plant life and their medicinal applications but now this is fast disappearing. She also spoke about how it is extremely important to create a buffer zone so that villagers can utilise the plants and learn to live in harmony with them, as it was done in the past. A review of the southern border of Sinharaja:Contemporary needs against conservation, will be useful in preserving and protecting this endemic rainforest as it allows anyone, civilian or expert, avid champion of sustainability or a person curious about the issue, to be able to gain a substantial understanding of the southern border of the Sinharaja Rainforest and the laws pertaining to it. The book is available at the Environmental Foundation Limited(EFL). The best democracy money can buy View(s): Some years ago I happened to read an interesting book by New York-based investigative journalist Greg Palast. Titled The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, the well-researched book provided an eye-opening insight into how American elections are manipulated, how British parliamentarians are bribed and all over the world, how power-hungry politicians prostitute the principles of democracy. I was reminded of Palasts book last month, as we all witnessed the strange goings on in our own Democratic Socialist Republic a Land Like No Other as the tourist blurbs proudly proclaim where we had a president who had no clue about the very constitution he was supposed to uphold and two prime ministers who did not know whether they were coming or going! It was an open secret that our own politicians were being openly solicited and manipulated by leaders craving for power. Even our pathetic president, when he was asked about this matter during an interview he gave to our sister paper the Daily Mirror, is on record as stating that Mahinda Rajapaksa could not show a majority in parliament because the prices of MPs shot up surprisingly. He is quoted in that interview as saying that some members of parliament asked as much as Rs: 500 million to cross over and that he personally knew of such situations. He even naively likened such negotiations to calling for tenders! The president of our country appeared not to be condemning the fact that parliamentarians were being offered bribes to cross over but to be pointing out that the price being solicited for such crossovers was too high! There was even a cartoon in one of our sister papers with a picture of parliament house displaying a notice saying Venthaesi ivara wena thek vasa atha (Temporarily closed until the auctions are over). We heard other stories about MPs being enticed not simply with cash but also with offers of ministers posts as if ministries are gifts to be given to sycophants in exchange for professed loyalty. Such stories appear to be corroborated by the evidence of Palitha Range Bandara (a UNP member of parliament who had seventeen years of service in the Police force prior to taking up politics) who revealed, having made recordings of the relevant phone conversations, that he was offered Rs. 500 million plus a ministerial portfolio to cross over. We heard about some of Mahindas sycophants and supporters who sold rotting ropes to their master and about certain people who went overseas to avoid phone calls from enthusiastic brokers. I am old enough to remember the situation in parliament on November 20, 1964 when 14 members of Sirimavo Bandaranaikes SLFP crossed the floor of the House to join the Opposition and vote against the Throne Speech that set out the governments policy of nationalising the countrys powerful newspaper publishing company. Popularly known as Lake House, this was the company founded in 1926 by Ranil Wickremesinghes grandfather D.R. Wijewardene. The professed motive of those who crossed over from the SLFP to the opposition, thus denying the government the opportunity of nationalising Lake House and controlling the countrys press, was that they saw it as an attempt to control the nations media and quell press freedom. Cynics, of course, observed that the then Lake House Managing Director Esmond Wickremesinghe (Ranils father) had worked night and day, focusing many of his resources and leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the government failed in its endeavour. Among those who crossed over were the leader of the house C.P. de Silva (who later on was rewarded by Dudley Senanayake with the Ministries of Lands, Irrigation and Power in the 1965 UNP government) and the MP from Matara, Mahanama Samaraweera (Mangalas father). When Mahanama lost the Matara seat at the next election, he was rewarded by Dudley with the chairmanship of the then profit-making Kantalai Sugar Corporation. Democracy, as we know it, is no longer the government of the people by the people for the people. It is a means by which those who desire power use all their resources to persuade a gullible electorate to vote their people into office and then use more resources to persuade those who have been voted into the legislature to stay with them and vote for them as leaders. Offering five hundred million rupees to engineer crossovers of the peoples elected representatives (as Palitha Range Bandara says he was offered) or rewarding honourable members (like Ravi Karunanayakee who demonstrated unswerving loyalty to his leader, hanging around him like a bad smell these past several weeks) with key ministries appears now to have become the norm in this Democratic Socialist Republic of ours. We can only hope that Ravis new ministry will entitle him to official quarters worthy of his station. Otherwise he may start looking out for another Aloysius to pay his rent for him and keep him in the manner, to which he had become accustomed. As the big night approaches, private jet charter company PrivateFly is inviting adventure-seeking guests to bring in the New Year not once but twice in the same night. As part of its New Years Eve Twice deal, the company is allowing patrons to celebrate the festivities in two different countries, such as Australia and the United States, where midnight falls at different times. Guests who book the exclusive package will fly aboard a luxurious Gulfstream G550 private jet and arrive in Sydney, Australia on the evening of 31 December, where they'll attend a VIP party. At midnight, theyll welcome 2019 with a view of the famous fireworks display over Sydney Harbor. Afterwards, theyll depart from the Sydney Kingsford Smith airport toward Los Angeles in the US, arriving on 31 December in time for a second New Years Eve Toast. Speaking about the special package, PrivateFly CEO Adam Twidell said, PrivateFly has carefully done the math so guests with the stamina and budget can witness 2019 twice. The 13.5-hour flight time in a Gulfstream G550 combined with the 19-hour time difference between Sydney and Los Angeles allow guests to replay 5.5 hours of precious party time. The entire package is priced at $255,500 (one-way), with a per person cost of $31,950 for a group of 8 passengers. Too late for this year, but theres no harm in making early plans for the next. 2018 was dominated by Brexit, but other things did happen on the Rock, as this round-up shows. January Sir Joe and Susana DIaz It was a happy start to the year in Gibraltar, with news that former chief minister Joe Bossano had been awarded a knighthood in the New Year's Honours List. Sir Joe, who is a government minister, was chief minister of Gibraltar from March 1988 to May 1996. January also saw the first-ever meeting between a chief minister of Gibraltar and a president of the Junta de Andalucia at the Palacio de San Telmo in Seville. Ironically, it was Brexit and its potential impact not only on Gibraltar but also on the nearest area of Spain which brought chief minister Fabian Picardo and Susana Diaz together for talks. The meeting was described as "positive and constructive". February First sewage plant contract It was announced that the contract had been awarded for Gibraltar's first sewage plant, which is due to come into operation in 2020. It is a very complex project, because the lavatories in Gibraltar are flushed with sea water and special bacteria are therefore needed which can survive in sea water and break down the sewage. In the past, the EU has criticised Gibraltar for its almost 'historic 'sewage system. March Mark Hamill opens Skywalk Actor Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, inaugurated Gibraltar's latest and awe-inspiring tourist attraction, the 340m high glass-floored Skywalk, cutting the ribbon with - what else? - a lightsaber. April Freedom of city for RAF In April the government announced that, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, it was planning to confer the Freedom of the City on RAF Gibraltar. May Air quality criticised The WHO pollution report criticised Gibraltar's air quality, although its particle levels are actually lower than some places in UK. The government said it is working on reducing levels, but due to the geographical location, sea salt and Saharan dust, some levels will always be slightly higher in Gibraltar than elsewhere. June New Spanish government Following the change to a socialist Spanish government after a motion of no confidence this month, Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo said "the importance of that political change in Spain at this time in our history, cannot be underestimated", and told Parliament" the ideology of those with whom we engage in Spain, and the manner in which we engage with them, may change." July Purple flag for jellyfish As a longlasting 'plague' of jellyfish made life miserable for swimmers in southern Spain and Gibraltar, it was announced that a jellyfish warning flag would be flown on Gibraltar''s beaches to warn of their presence. August Incidents at border Drivers and pedestrians trying to cross the border from Spain found themselves caught up in a protest by Spanish National Police and Guardia Civil officers over pay and conditions. Although unrelated to Gibraltar, some protesters reportedly shouted insults at people driving Gibraltar-plated cars and kicked and scratched their vehicles. In one incident recorded on video, a woman from Gibraltar became involved in a violent altercation. The Gibraltar government issued a statement saying it believed the protest "may have been hijacked by extremist, right-wing political elements". September UK support on National Day British prime minister Teresa May sent a video message of support to Gibraltar for the National Day celebrations on 10 September. "Nothing will ever weaken our commitment to the people who call the Rock their home. As long as the people of Gibraltar want to remain British, British is what the people of Gibraltar will remain," she said to loud cheers. October First DLT licence The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission awarded the Rock's first full Distributed Ledger Technology licence to Coinfloor, the UK's longest-established cryptocurrency exchange. The DLT legislation came into force at the beginning of this year and includes rigorous checks. November Gender-neutral school loos The new secondary schools which are being built in Gibraltar will have gender-neutral lavatories, following the lead of the Gibraltar College, which introduced them at the request of its students. The new schools will have separate toilets for males and females, a gender-neutral one and accessible facilities for people with disabilities. December Rowing Marine sets off Disabled former Marine Lee Spencer left Gibraltar to break a new world record by rowing 3,500 miles to South America for charity. "Once a week I go for chemotherapy, and there is a bell in that department called 'The Bravery Bell'. Every time someone finishes their last session, they ring the bell, the nurses clap and hope they will never see that person there again". Miriam Segura, who lived in Mijas, died from cancer a year ago. Her case went viral thanks to her blog 'Psicococina de Ideas', where she told of her experiences and where, in February 2016, she referred to this bell and the way that cancer patients celebrated the end of their nightmare while she was in a hospital in Toronto. When she came back to Spain and was undergoing treatment at the Costa del Sol hospital, Miriam suggested that a similar system could be used there. Sadly, she died before seeing it happen, but this week her relatives, friends, colleagues at the AECC cancer association and staff at the hospital made her dream of a bell come true. The Oncology Unit now has its own 'Bell of Dreams' and on the day it was inaugurated several patients who had just finished their cancer treatment made it ring out loud and clear. "We are very happy to have brought this project to fruition, but at the same time very nostalgic. We have done what she wanted," said Concha Navarro, Miriam's mother, at the ceremony. "For Miriam, what was achieved by this bell was so important, not only for the patients who rang it but others who heard it and had hope, that she was desperate for there to be one here. And we've done it. Every time this bell rings, it is a reminder of Miriam's dream," she said. Concha has played a key role in this project, working alongside the AECC. "Many people have worked together on this campaign, and it is wonderful to see them here today to see the bell, which is the first one in Malaga province," said Paloma Gomez, an AECC volunteer at the Costa del Sol hospital and vice-president of the Fuengirola branch. "The first time I heard of this was through Miriam, when she came to this hospital. She really wanted this to happen. She wanted to show the world what can be done. It started off as Miriam's dream, and her mother has been the one to complete it," she explained. Support for the project The project received immediate support from the AECC, the Costa del Sol hospital and the companies which made it possible to install the bell on the fourth floor. In fact, the one in Marbella is just the first step of a more ambitious project to introduce this initiative in every hospital possible, and the Spanish Association Against Cancer has been sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Janssen with that in mind. The presentation of the bell, which was an especially emotional occasion, was part of the Costa del Sol hospital's 25th anniversary celebrations, but it also marked the departure of Antonio Rueda, the head of the Oncology Department, who is leaving to join Emilio Alba's team at the Malaga Regional Hospital. His farewell coincided with a very emotional and meaningful ceremony "because our patients are the centre of everything we do here. All cancer patients are heroes; they face different types of problems, and meeting patients who are fighting their own battle and trying to help others at the same time is commendable. This is a campaign of bravery and hope. The bravery of the people who are fighting cancer and the hope that one day there will be good news and they will be able to pass the joy of that news on to others," said Antonio. "Every ring of the bell means there has been good news on this floor of the hospital and that is important for every patient, because it shows them that other people are getting over this problem. It gives them strength to carry on with their own battle". Maria Jose Munoz rang the bell this week. She was celebrating the end of her treatment for breast cancer, the second in ten years. "Patients share something in common and get on well together, and everyone is delighted when there is good news for others. This campaign is going to do a lot of good. It is a sign of hope," she said. Copyright Prensa Malaguea, S.A. - Mlaga. Includes content from the company, the media group, SUR, the newspaper of Malaga and, where applicable, from other companies within the group or third parties. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES: It is prohibited to reproduce, distribute, make available, communicate publicly and use in whole or part the contents of this website, in any form or way, without previous express authorisation in writing. This includes simply reproducing it and/or making it available as a summary, comment or press review for commercial purposes or those which are directly or indirectly lucrative, which is expressly forbidden. Father Christmas paid an early visit to Periana on Saturday afternoon, choosing a paraglider instead of a traditional sleigh and nine reindeer. He flew over the village, which overlooks the Vinuela reservoir, providing photographers with some spectacular views as they followed his journey. He is said to have been practising the sport, which is popular in the Axarquia, back at home in the North Pole and sometimes uses it as an alternative to his sleigh.